This is one movie that I would like to see but haven't as yet. It is about:"Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. Inside burning buildings, it's his natural instinct. In the cooling embers of his marriage, it's another story.
After seven years of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that they are ready to move on without each other. Yet as they prepare to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's dad asks his son to try an experiment: The Love Dare.
While hoping The Love Dare has nothing to do with his parents' newfound faith, Caleb commits to the challenge. But can he attempt to love his wife while avoiding God's love for him? Will he be able to demonstrate love over and over again to a person that's no longer receptive to his love? Or is this just another marriage destined to go up in smoke? "
Marriage was one of the first institutions established by God. Genesis 2:24 states, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Christ also stated, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” Matthew 19:6 Marriage is important to God and Jesus. It was at a marriage feast that Christ performed his first miracle. Christ has high regard for marriage.
Marriage is also a God giving symbol of the Christian and Christian Church’s relationship with Christ. In Revelation 19:8-10 it speaks of the marriage feast of the lamb in heaven. In Ephesians 5, Paul talks about husbands loving your wife as Christ loved the church and wives submitting to their husbands. As husbands learn to love their wives as Christ loved the church their wives will respect them. As wives respect their husbands in turn husbands will show love to their wives.
Fifty percent of all first time marriages end in divorce. Christian’s marriages are lower at 41 percent. If you have an annual income of over $50,000 your risk of divorce decreases by 30%. If you wait to marry until you’re over 25 years of age, your risk of divorce decreases by 24%. If your parents are happily married, your risk of divorce decreases by 14%. If you have strong religious beliefs, your risk of divorce decreases by 14 %. If you’ve attended college, your risk of divorce decreases by 13%.
“According to the Boston Globe: "The AP report stated that 'the divorce rates in these conservative states are roughly 50 percent above the national average of 4.2 per thousand people.' The 10 Southern states with some of the highest divorce rates were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. By comparison nine states in the Northeast were among those with the lowest divorce rates: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont." One reason for the higher divorce rates in the Bible belt may be the lower percentage of Roman Catholics in the South. Their denomination does not recognize divorce. Other reasons could be related more to culture than religion: Couples in the South enter their first marriages at a younger age. Family incomes in the South are lower. Educational attainment is lower in the South: One in three Massachusetts residents have completed college. while only 23% of Texans have. 11” “
It has also been known that the divorce rate increases for an individual after the first divorce. How do an individual’s protect their marriages? First guard yourself and your marriage from Satan’s assaults. Dawn Emeigh states three ways you can do this.
1. Know your Enemy: 1 Peter 5:8. Satan will look at your weakest points of character and exploit them for his victory. This is what he did in Fireproof with Caleb. Caleb had a problem with pornography. Statistics show that pornography is on the rise for Christians, especially in the conservative Bible belt states. There are 420 million pornographic Web pages on the internet. 42.7% of all internet users view porn. 47% of Christians are addicted to porn. Alarmingly, ages 12-17 are the largest consumer group of Internet Porn. In 2006 porn industry brought in approximately $97.06 billion dollars in revenue. Satan confuses our priorities. Other things become first in our live, like career and children so that we neglect our spouse.
2. Know the Battle Strategy: Satan tries to bombard us with false messages about ourselves, our marriages, and our God. He uses personal addictions, selfishness, ambitions, pride, lust, bitterness, depression, anger…and so forth to separate us from our mates and also from God.
3. Fight Back and Enlist in Help: Know your weaknesses, accept them, and fortify yourself. Keep your eyes on God your only source of strength and protection. Develop a daily relationship with God. Pray daily for His wisdom, truth, and protection. Study His word. Pray and have devotionals with your spouse. Phillip Waugh states, “What does a perfect husband look like? A perfect husband is one who identifies with God’s interest in his wife. He wants what is best for his wife in her relationship with God. In like manner, a perfect wife is one who wants what is best for her husband in his relationship with God. A perfect marriage is not one that simply doesn’t have difficulties. It is not without fussing or arguments. It is not one that is simply debt free. A perfect marriage is one in which a couple’s interest is in identifying with God’s interest in others. A couple that understands that the world does not revolve around them and allows God to use them to love others will experience a perfect marriage”.
Here are some tips to keep your heart warm toward your spouse and to achieve a Happy Marriage. Taking from Marie Amenia and Warren Tomlin: 1. Daily dose of humor 2. Tell your spouse something new about yourself. 3. Compliment your spouse. 4. Let your spouse see your inner child come out. 5. Plan vacations together. 6. Have a date night 7. Write a love letter to your spouse. 8. Attend marriage seminars. 9. Surprise your spouse with something spur of the moment. 10. Talk about your life together and future plans. 11. Journal your activities together. 12. Pray and study the Bible together. 13. Become good role models for your children.
If you friend are having problems with your marriage or just want to fortify and make your marriage better, please check out the movie Fireproof and the resources at the Fireproof website. The movie is excellent. It identifies problems that married couples could face and it also provides a solution in the movie. Just remember to have tissues on hand. There are places in the movie that you’ll get emotional over.
Here are some Fireproof discussion questions:
1. Read James 1:19-21. Caleb’s immediate reaction when he doesn’t get his way is to become angry. What would be your first natural response? Does this response honor God and/or your spouse? Caleb and Catherine always “run down” each other to their friends. Which of our spouse’s traits do you typically recount to your friends? Are they positive or negative? 2. Read Genesis 2:22-24. Caleb’s friend Michael demonstrates oneness in marriage using salt and pepper shakers. In what ways does your spouse’s personality complement your own? (Examples: Contemplative vs. Outgoing, Frugal vs. Extravagant, Risk-Taker vs. Careful, etc.) 3. Read Mark 9:43-50. When Caleb is tempted by pornography, he destroys his computer. What “radical” step(s) would remove destructive behavior from your life? (Examples: Cut up credit cards, cancel Internet/cable service, avoid bad influences, etc.) 4. Read Proverbs 4:23 and Jeremiah 17:9-10. Michael tells Caleb that he must “lead his heart.” Give an example of when your feelings led you to a poor decision. What is the risk of trusting your emotions with your most important choices? 5. Read Romans 5:6-8. Even though Catherine was “done” with their marriage, Caleb kept trying anyway. How often do you insist that your spouse make the first move toward reconciliation? 6. Read Ephesians 2:8-9. Can we “earn” God’s love? Why or why not? Consider if you have been worthy of your spouse’s love. What specific things could you do to demonstrate that you want to be worthy? 7. Read Proverbs 3:27. During The Love Dare, Caleb sends Catherine flowers with a note attached. What one practical thing can you do to let your partner know they’re appreciated? While caring for Catherine while she is sick, Caleb apologizes for the poor husband he’s been. Do you require your spouse’s forgiveness for anything? What keeps you from asking for it? After seeing and discussing FIREPROOF, what is the most important thing you believe God wants you to do—right now—to improve your marriage or relationship? Questions taking from Outreach web site.
Hi All! Found this on the internet. It is the Love Dare Journal. If you are interested in doing the 40 day Love Dare, you may want to check out this as well.---Louise
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