Archives for February 2016

February 23, 2016

Safe and Sound

Hi, friend!

You may have received an email from “me” Tuesday morning saying my family and I were mugged in Manila, Philippines, and that I needed your money wired.  Please know I am safe and sound. My personal email was unfortunately compromised.

No worries, though. My email and www.danyajordan.com passwords were quickly changed, and I encourage you to change your email password.   Thank you for your calls, emails, and texts checking on me and even offering to send money. It is so humbling to know you as a true friend would respond that quickly to my urgent need. You are cherished.

Isn’t it ironic that my account was hacked mere hours after my Pure Inspiration blog on healing marriages was disseminated? “[He] intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” –Genesis 50:20 NIV

As my pastor’s email stated, “Even hackers need Jesus.” And one friend asked me to bring a souvenir back from Manila. If and when the Lord sends me one day to Manila, I’ll remember you.  🙂

Thank you for your friendship, laughter, and prayers. 🙂 To God be the Glory!

Love in Christ,

Danya ><>

February 23, 2016

Loving Deeply: Healing an Unhealable Marriage

By Guest Blogger Teresa Tarrant

Editor’s Note: Please welcome one of my precious role models, Teresa Tarrant, to “Pure Inspiration” as an encore Guest Blogger.  She is an inspiration to me and infinite others. May her story, their story, touch your heart as it did mine.

tarrants

“Love one another deeply, from the heart.” –1 Peter 1:22 NIV

Forty-four years. I have been married to the same man for 44 years. Amazing. For one thing, old people have been married 44 years…we are NOT old. For another thing, it has been a roller coaster ride, requiring both seat belt and shoulder harness!

Fortunately it has been one that GOD has patiently, lovingly and firmly kept on track. There were times I was sure we had derailed, but lo and behold, GOD’s hand guided us back to each other and to HIM.

For our 30th anniversary I decided to present my husband Guy with a video of our life together. I ruined years of carefully organized photo albums pulling visual memories of our dating, wedding (awww, such babies), first home (I still love that little house). Children (two amazing sons), pets (one dog chewed up the sprinkler system two weeks after installing….), travels, family gatherings. We cried watching it, overcome with the blessings and love…the bad times forgotten.

Just a few years earlier we were at a real crossroads in our marriage. Our older son had graduated from college and younger son was going off to college. Our glue was gone. We discussed separation. He was going to move out. My emotions vacillated between marriage and separation.

One day I woke up and found I could not stand another indecisive moment. I dropped to my knees by our bed and totally surrendered my will to God. I cried out to Him to help me know what to do. I told Him I could not live with my husband like this, and I could not imagine myself without him. I prayed for guidance and told Him I would not do one more thing unless I felt He was guiding me.

I lay on the floor weeping for quite some time until I felt a total peace come over me. It was strange. It was as if a weight had been lifted and I was not going to have to carry it any more.

Later that day I had to go to Wal-mart for cleaning supplies or something—I don’t even remember. What I do remember is how God talked to me. Yes, He very distinctly led me to the book section and showed me two books that changed my life—The Power of a Praying Wife  and Traits of a Lasting Marriage.  When I opened up this first book, the prayer I read was:

 “Lord, I lay all my expectation at your cross. I release my husband from the burden of fulfilling me in areas where I should be looking to You. Help me to accept him the way he is and not try to change him. I realize that in some ways he may never change, but at the same time, I release him to change in ways I never thought he could. I leave any changing that needs to be done in Your hands, fully accepting that neither of us is perfect and never will be. Only you, Lord, are perfect, and I look to You to perfect us.”

The prayer followed with several Bible verses, Biblically-sound doctrine for restoring me, restoring my marriage. I felt my eyes well up with tears. Could God really be telling me I needed to change and be the person my husband needs? I always thought I was…that he just wasn’t the husband I needed.

Do you know that God can turn a heart from stone back to love in a matter of minutes? He can and He did. I left Wal-mart with a smile on my face and copies of the two books. When I got home I asked my husband if he would consider reading the book with me and trying to let God lead us back together. He agreed—another one of God’s miracles.  I am blessed to have a husband who has always been willing to take every effort to make our marriage work.  I knew we were going to finally have the marriage God intended for us—one of love, commitment, laughter, friendship, joy.

We still have our differences but they are handled with a very different approach. I first go to God and ask for His guidance in solving a problem; then I approach Guy. My “old” self rears its prideful head occasionally…ok, often. I recognize that God led us back into this marriage, and He will guide us through any rough patches.

We still cry when we watch that anniversary video from 14 years ago. I thank GOD and praise HIM for HIS unending patience, grace and love. HE was present in every single event, good and bad, in our lives…Growing us to be the people HE intended. I know HE was shaking HIS sweet head most of the time at our stubbornness but HIS mercies never fail.

We now have two beautiful grandchildren…hmmm, looks like it’s time for another video!

So, if you feel your marriage is off track, turn to GOD for guidance. Focus on the good times, positive memories and blessings Trust HIM. HE will not let you derail. GOD is faithful.

Reflect:

–How are you fighting for your marriage?  Please comment.

–What wisdom can you glean from Teresa and Guy’s testimony?  Please comment.

Renew:

–“Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” –Ephesians 4:2 NIV

 –“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”           –Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Recharge:

–What three things do you admit need changing in yourself to strengthen your marriage and/or other relationships?  Please let your spouse know today. Comment here.

Resource:

Conway, Jim and Sally. 1991. Traits of a Lasting Marriage: What Strong Marriages Have in Common. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.

Omartian, Stormie. 1997, 2014. Power of a Praying Wife. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishing.

February 16, 2016

Our Founding Fathers and Our Father in Heaven

After celebrating President’s Day yesterday and knowing 2016 is a Presidential election year,  my heart is yearning for our country to get back to the basics. Our foundational basics of our deep-rooted Judeo-Christian values.

You may already know this, but I sure didn’t. President George Washington had a deep faith. In fact, even after he was elected, his inauguration was bathed in prayer.

On April 6, 1789, following the ratification of the Constitution, George Washington was selected president; he accepted the position on April 14, 1789, and his inauguration was scheduled in New York City (the nation’s capitol) for April 30, 1789. A leading New York Daily newspaper reported on the planned inaugural:

On the morning of the day on which our illustrious President will be invested with his office, the bells will ring at nine o’clock, when the people may go up to the house of God and in a solemn manner commit the new government, with its important train of consequences, to the holy protection and blessing of the most high. An early hour is prudently fixed for this act of devotion and . . . is designed wholly for prayer. (New York Daily Advertiser, Thursday, April 23, 1789, p. 2)

Beautiful. Our country basically had a revival to prepare for our first President’s inauguration.

On April 27, three days before the inauguration, the Senate resolved:

…That after the oath shall have been administered to the President, he, attended by the Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives, shall proceed to St. Paul’s Chapel, to hear divine service. (Annals of Congress, Vol 1, p. 25, April 27, 1789; available online at Library of Congress.)

Prayer was the first act of the joint Congress of the United States! What a blessing! How encouraging!

Do you know the chilling irony? St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City is the same church used for triage at Ground Zero on and after September 11, 2001!

Now is the time for us to get back to our Founding Fathers prayerful foundation. Please join me in praying for our beloved country, our leaders, our upcoming leaders. Your vote and prayers count.

This anointed prayer of George Washington appears on a plaque in St. Paul ’s chapel in New York City. Although it’s a little fancy to read, may our hearts echo this prayer for our wonderful country.

Almighty God,

We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection; and Thou wilt incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field.

And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with… humility…and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflect:

–How do you feel about our Founding Fathers faith?

–How will you respond?

Renew:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.” –2 Chronicles 7:14

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” –Isaiah 9:6

Resource:

Barton, David. Original Intent, p. 113. New York Advertiser.

Cahn, Jonathan. The Harbinger.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0209/st_pauls/online_extra.html

Editor’s Note: We will enjoy next week Guest Blogger and friend Teresa Tarrant’s uplifting message about how the Lord healed her broken marriage.

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