Stepping It Up!

I took a step of faith today. I have been praying and sensing the Holy Spirit's leading to expand the marriage ministry to which God has called us. After a month of prayer, I finally sent out our new brochure offering to minister to marriages in any church.

A member at one church which recently asked us to come and do a conference wanted to know how much we "charged" to speak at a conference. I looked at Robin, Robin looked at me, we both blinked and, simultaneously, our minds shifted into neutral. Uhhh...

I was the first to speak ( I hate it when I do that) How about $100.00 for a weekend? Robin looked at me like I was nuts. She was right, I am nuts. $100.00 was way to much. Robin and I have been called by God to minister to those marriages that are falling through the cracks due to job losses and the subsequent loss of insurance coverage which makes many of the good ministries currently available, cost prohibitive.

We decided, right then and there, we would continue ministering to all couples and let God take care of the rest. We have never set a fee for counseling, mentoring, speaking or writing (95% free-of-charge) and God has been more than faithful.

I do not know what type of responses I will receive from the churches, if any; but God will continue to draw hurting people and couples to us so that we may be faithful and obedient to his call.

How's Your Aim? - Our Greatest Responsibility and Ministry

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
Ps 127:3-4 NIV

Saturday night, we went to a friend's (yes we have friends) birthday party at a banquet hall. Being in a public facility, when the need arose, I took our son, Alex, to the restroom. As we walked, I said something silly to which he responded back with silliness far surpassing anything I could come up with.

I do not recall how the subject came up, but in between the silliness, I told him that two of my favorite things in life were being a husband to his mother and being his father. He looked at me and asked, "Even more than being a rock star?" I have no idea where that came from.

When we returned to our home that evening, I heard Alex telling my wife, Robin, what I had said. I think that he felt even more loved and secure by that simple statement made from a man who still has more questions than answers.

Yesterday, during our morning church service, we had a baby dedication. I used the above verse on the picture we projected during the dedication. As I was preparing that picture, I realized that if children are like arrows, than I, as their father, have the responsibility of aiming our children toward God and his will for their young lives. If I aim them at Christ, chances are they will become godly young men and a godly young lady. However, if I aim them at anything else...

There are three things that I want our children to always know and remember about their father. That I love God, I love their mother and that I love them! You see what I'm aiming them at? I want them to grow up and exhibit those same qualities to God, their spouse and their children.

How's your aim?

Adapted from the MONDAY MARRIAGE MINDER free e-letter. To subscribe send an email to revdkidd@gmail.com with Subscribe MMM in the subject line.

Binding Hearts Marriage and Family Ministries

Monday Marriage Minder

February 16, 2009

Mark 10:27 NIV
"all things are possible with God."

Two years ago, Robin and I sat in a meeting where we poured out our hearts and burden for marriages and the Church to three gentlemen who would help decide our course in the ministry. The eldest man asked a question that has haunted me often since then. First, he asked us if we deemed our ministry as successful. After indicating that I believed that the ministry was successful, he commenced into a long and silent stare. Then he asked THE question. He asked if, in our ministry to couples, we had ever saw a couple's marriage restored after they had divorced. At that time, my honest answer was, "no".

I have to admit, although I probably continued to smile for the rest of the interview, inside, I was completely deflated. Until that time, the desire for God to use us to strengthen marriages and see husbands and wives stay in their marriages for a lifetime were our primary goals. Now, we are supposed to get divorced couples to marry each other again? I remember thinking, "Are you kidding me?" Did I even have enough faith to allow myself to think of such a thing?

Fast forward to this past weekend. Robin and I hosted, spoke and facilitated at a marriage conference that was based on the ministry of Dr. Emerson Eggerichs (Love and Respect) coupled with a sneak-peek of the "Love Is" conference that God gave Robin and I during a recent fast. God moved on the hearts of many couples and, at the conclusion of the conference, we watched as 30 couples renewed their vows, including a divorced couple who recommitted themselves to their marriage!

We witnessed the above verse as it came to life in the hearts of many couples this past weekend. The changes I witnessed in some of the couples already has given me the courage to stand on the promise of that scripture and dream for even greater things.

How about you? What are you facing in your marriage that looks impossible? Maybe the apparent impossibility is in the marriage of someone you know. Do you have the faith to trust God for the answer? Perhaps marriages struggle because we, as husbands and wives, lose sight of God's ability. With us it may very well be impossible, but with God...

For Marriages and Families

Dave

Love and Respect Reflects: I HAVE DECIDED

Love and Respect Reflects: I HAVE DECIDED

Binding Hearts Marriage and Family Ministries

Monday Marriage Minder

January 12, 2009

What Are Your Words Saying?

You have probably heard the saying, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it." I am going to suggest that it is both what you say and how you say it. Lately, we have been teaching our kids about their responsibility in speech. Over the last two years I have been holding to a verbal lifestyle that says, "If it comes out of my mouth, I am responsible for:

• What I said.
• What I meant.
• All the non verbals (body language).
• How what I said was received and interpreted."

In short, if I say something and someone interprets it differently than how I meant it, it is MY response-ability to:

1. Apologize for any miscommunication.
2. Offer clarification.
3. Learn from my communicative mistake.

I am sure we have all seen many relationships destroyed because someone would not take responsibility for what they said. Perhaps this is why in Collosians 4:66, Paul writes, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone". NIV

This is especially true for the target audience of the above verse - the believers. Just a few words that are misinterpreted by the hearer can have devastating effects. Imagine placing the guidelines mentioned above in the marriage relationship. Might it remove some of the teeth from our bad moods, disagreements and our arguments? Simply taking responsibility for words, directed at our spouse, will cause us to think before we speak and then, speak those words in love.

Question of the Week: What if you could visually see your word's effect on your spouse? What would you change?

For Marriages & Families,

Dave

Monday Marriage Minder 12-8-08

Binding Hearts Marriage and Family Ministries

Monday Marriage Minder

December 8, 2008

Love Is... Part 14

(Love) always hopes…1 Corinthians 13:7c

Last week we took a brief look at how love always trusts. This week we'll look at what love does when it is finding it difficult to trust. Yes, I write as though love exists in itself simply because it does in God. Attributes of love, when displayed by mankind, are godly characteristics that flow out of the connection between the Creator- God and his creation - mankind.

NEVER Give Up

I continue to be amazed at the hopelessness expressed by the many couples that I encounter in ministry. Sadly, all-too-many couples have given up in circumstances that are not unlike those in nearly every marriage, labeling the distorted view of their marriage as "hopeless".

But, what about the times when the trust has, yet again been betrayed? Or the times when the change promised has not become a reality? What is there left to do? Hope! Hope is that aspect of love that, even when the opposite of the desired direction or outcome is observed in a person, the hopeful mate will still cling to the faithful belief that their loved one will make the change that is needed.

Perhaps the change that is needed is within us. Do we hold to a hope that we will, in God's power and our effort, make the changes within ourselves that will help our relationship to thrive?

Hope In Practical Terms

How might our love exhibit hope? Let me suggest to you four things that each of us can do to practice hope.

1. Be Humble - Use the other aspects of love we've previously looked at to guard your mind, attittude, speech and actions.

2. Be Optimistic - Expect and watch for progress in the problem areas of your and/or your spouse's life. When you see progress - Celebrate it!

3. Be Prayerful - Always be in prayer. God hears the prayers of his people and is "close to the broken hearted" (Ps 34:18).

4. Be an Encourager - Encourage your spouse regularly, even when he or she isn't acting in the way you want them to.

On one occasion, I witnessed hope to the extreme. A woman stood up in a church service and asked for prayer for her soon-to-be ex-husband. Contrary to her desire the divorce papers had been signed and the man of her life was gone. She asked us to pray for his salvation because she knew God's priority was his soul and, compared to that, the rest was, as she put it, "not important". While I believe that every marriage is important, I have never forgotten that woman's request or the hope that she had even after her pain, her dissappointment and her loss.

You may have heard the saying that says. "When you get to the end of your rope, make a knot and hang on!" Guess what holds that proverbial knot together? Hope!

Question of the Week: What are the areas in your marriage relationship that you need to have hope for?

For Marriages & Families,

Dave

Love & Respect Ministries, Binding Hearts Marriage & Family Ministries and Grace Fellowship

invite you to...

A Valentines To Remember February 13-14, 2009

at

Grace Fellowship

Canton, Ohio

Details Coming Soon

Info: revdkidd@gmail.com

MMM 12-1-08

Binding Hearts Marriage and Family Ministries

Monday Marriage Minder

December 1, 2008

Love Is... Part 13

A Prank Call

(Love) always trusts…1 Corinthians 13:7b

Arriving home from work one day, I was met in the kitchen by my loving wife who was trying her best to keep an "I'm mad at you" expression on her face and a similar tone in her voice.

"Who's ___________?", she asked.

"Who?", I asked in response to her question.

"I have a voicemail on my cell phone for you from someone named ____________. She said that she had met you recently and that you wrote your number on a napkin", Robin explained, maintaining her feigned disgust. "She said that she really wants to see you again", Robin continued.

At that point we both busted out laughing. Upon investigation we discovered that a "hang-up" occurred at 3:00AM - bingo, this person now had my name from the greeting recorded on my wife's cell. The call in question came two minutes after the hang-up. Apparently, this woman didn't think her prank call through very well. First, unless a husband is exremely dull or brazen, why would he give another woman his wife's cell number as a means to contact him. Second, (this one was even more obvious to Robin) the woman, referred to as ____________ because neither Robin or I can remember what she said her name was, indicated that the call was for "David". Immediately, Robin knew it was a prank because I would never introduce myself as David. I always go by Dave; however, Robin's cell greeting (it's since been changed) gave the names, "David and Robin Kidd". Even though Robin knew that she had no reason for concern, she couldn't resist having a little fun at my expense when I got home.

As funny as that prank was at the time, I began to think about that happening to a couple who may not have been so secure. This part of our look at love depicts that aspect of love that says, in essence, I will trust another person until I see irrefutable proof that I shouldn't. It is that part of the marital relationship that guards how we regard our spouse - believing that their intent is to faithfully support and build us up. It is, indeed, trusting and defending our spouse even through the accusation of others. I've grown to be quite trusting of my wife. If someone were to bring an accusation against her or if I were to hear something that would raise a question in my mind, I would first choose to trust. Why? Because that's what real love does.

Question of the Week: In what ways can you demonstrate your love for your spouse by trusting them?

For Marriages & Families,

Dave

Love & Respect Ministries, Binding Hearts Marriage & Family Ministries and Grace Fellowship

invite you to...

A Valentines To Remember February 13-14, 2009

at

Grace Fellowship

Canton, Ohio

Details Coming Soon

Info: revdkidd@gmail.com

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MMM AND RECEIVE THEM IN YOUR E-MAIL - revdkidd@gmail.com and type "Subscribe MMM" in the subject line.