Repeating the Important

I recently attended a conference that featured a variety of well-known speakers. One of these speakers was the legendary, Zig Ziglar. I was looking forward to hearing him; however, what I didn't know was that he had fallen a few years ago and has suffered short term memory loss. He speaks with the help of his daughter, who does her best to keep him on track.

With his impaired memory, Zig would keep returning to and reiterating one topic, loving and cherishing your spouse. At the time, I could feel the crowds uneasiness as Zig would repeat what he had just said moments earlier. I felt sad, knowing the history of this great orator and then to see him in a diminished capacity.

Over the last 2 days since the conference; however, I have been contemplating a new perspective. While it wasn't Zig's intent to repeat the same thing over and over, it may have been God's intent to drive a message home to the thousands attending that day.

Success isn't measured by wealth, possessions or even talent. It is measured by God and our relationships with our spouse, family and friends. Are you chasing the important? That is a question worth repeating everyday!

Monday Marriage Minder - "Stuff to Do For..."

Our daughter, Kaitlin, recently gave Robin and I a note which she entitled, "Stuff to Do For Mom & Dad"
Upon reading it, I immediately realized that the wisdom coming from our nine year-old girl, was worth sharing.

Little did Kaitlin know, her penciled words go far beyond something that a child can do for his/her parents. There are lessons for husbands and wives as well. Well, enough only from me. I will comment on Kaitlin's words.

Stuff to Do For Your Spouse

1. Give him/her the best hug. - Not just a hug - the BEST hug! A hug that far surpasses the mechanical routine we often fall into.
2. Give him/her a kiss. - A kiss is one of the most intimate and demonstrative actions of love and affection that we can give our spouse.
3. Make him/her feel happy. - I love Kaitlin's innocence, here. While we cannot make anyone feel happy, we can strive to be a blessing to our spouse.
4. Help him/her when he/she is sick. - Are we being strong in Christ when our spouse is physically, emotionally or spiritually weak? (Kaitlin added the word "stressed" onto my list - hmm.)
5. Help him/her when something hurts. - For a husband and wife, a good back-rub does wonders for far more than an aching back - just saying...
6. Do something when told to do it. - For husbands and wives, I will exchange the word, "told" for the word, "ask". Personal comment -"Ouch!"

It's amazing what we can learn from a hand-written note from a nine year old child.

For Marriages and Families,

Dave & Kaitlin!