December 9, 2019 – From The Darkness Into The Light

Tomato Juice Wars

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Child Of God

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.” Psalm 126:2

One of the things that first drew me to Jim was his wonderful sense of humor. Even on our first few dates back in 1957, he made me laugh more than any guy I had dated. I loved that about him. He had a clever way of seeing the world around him, and his graphic descriptions were legendary at Pasadena College, where we met. After all these years, we still love to laugh together.

Once when we were flying home from a conference, the flight attendant set a glass of tomato juice on the armrest between us. We both forgot it was there, and Jim knocked it off on my side. About half of the contents landed in my lap.

For some reason, Jim thought that was funnier than I did. While he was laughing with his eyes shut, I poured the other half of the tomato juice in his lap. He was still chuckling when the cold juice soaked through to his skin. Then the shock hit him, and the two of us laughed until we had tears in our eyes. It was very difficult to explain what had happened when friends met us at the airport. We looked as though we had attacked each other with chainsaws!

We don’t do wild things like that every day, but we try to take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy life. I know that it has helped us cope with the pressures we’ve experienced along the way. It will help you and your marriage, too.

– Shirley M Dobson

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

True Values

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Child Of God

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10

My daughter, Danae, was a beautiful child even at fifteen months of age. Our family and friends, as well as complete strangers, loved to hold her in their arms, or tease her, or give her candy. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to shower her with affection.

That all changed, however, on the day of Danae’s encounter with a table in our living room. She was just learning how to run on little legs, and Jim was playfully chasing her through the house. Suddenly, Danae lost her balance and fell into the sharp edge of a table, driving a front baby tooth completely into her gums. It was an awful moment for all of us!

Although there was no permanent damage, Danae’s head-on collision with the furniture temporarily distorted the shape of her mouth. All her babyish appeal was now gone. When Jim took her to the store the next evening, he immediately noticed a change in how others responded to our little darling. Instead of offering her smiles and tenderness, they tended to stare or turn away. These strangers were not intentionally mean, but they were demonstrating one of our most flawed values: We often reserve our love for the most attractive among us.

This kind of unjust thinking can be particularly devastating to a youngster with an already shaky self-concept. That’s why it’s so important for us to teach our children the true values that come from God. He wants us to live with humble reverence for Him and for every member of His human family. The Lord of lords and King of kings has created me and you and each of our children with unique talents and temperaments. He loves each of us just as we are and has a meaningful plan for our lives.

When you explain the depth of Christ’s great love to your son or daughter—that He gave His very life for him or her—you’ll put the matter of self-worth in its proper perspective. That’s an important message for your kids…and for Mom and Dad, too.

– Shirley M Dobson