CJ

Happily Married! Jesus did not die on the cross to get you through life.He died on the cross to put his LIFE in you.

[Barstool Bama @BarstoolAlabama]

He just may be the chosen one

[Barstool Bama @BarstoolAlabama]

This was a Mt. Rushmore moment in BDS

[Fierce Marriage @FierceMarriage]

Every Christian household must live on mission for Christ. What does this entail? Simple, mundane, and consistent obedience. It's not glamorous, but it's always glorious!

[De Christian Life @DeChristianLife]

The foundation of lasting marriage is trust. Every moment together must inspire trust in eachother to keep the fire or connection alive.

Any act that compromises trust is a threat to the safety of your company and your marriage.

Above all, be kind to your spouse.

[Marriage Missions @mrgmissions]

The goal of any argument you have with your spouse should be to come to an understanding of one another so you feel united & connected, DESPITE your differences. This will help you to love each other well—both now & in the future.

[Tevin Macharia Mukabana @TevinMacharia]

WHY DOES LIFE SOMETIMES BECOME MORE DIFFICULT AFTER YOU START PRAYING SERIOUSLY?

Beloved, have you ever entered a serious season of prayer and suddenly noticed that things seemed to become more difficult?

You pray more.
You seek God more.
You become more serious with your spiritual life.

Yet instead of immediately seeing everything become peaceful, you begin experiencing pressure, unusual challenges, heaviness, temptation, or situations that test your faith.

Then you begin asking:

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Why did these things start happening after I began praying?”

There is something important you need to understand.

PRAYER DOES NOT ALWAYS REMOVE THE BATTLE IMMEDIATELY. SOMETIMES IT CHANGES HOW YOU SEE THE BATTLE.

When you begin seeking God deeply, you may become more aware of things you previously ignored. You may recognize unhealthy patterns, temptations, fears, distractions, and weaknesses that were already present.

What feels like a sudden increase can sometimes be increased awareness.

John 1:5 says:

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

Light exposes what darkness hides.

This is why you should not automatically assume that every difficulty after prayer is a spiritual attack. Some challenges are simply part of life. Some come from stress, exhaustion, emotions, difficult circumstances, or the consequences of previous decisions.

But Scripture also teaches that believers face spiritual opposition.

Ephesians 6:12 says:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world…”

So the answer is not fear.

The answer is DISCERNMENT.

There is another powerful truth many people miss:

YOUR FAITH CAN BE TESTED AFTER YOU MAKE A DECISION TO FOLLOW GOD.

James 1:3 says:

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

Sometimes pressure reveals what is inside you.

Will you continue praying when the answer has not appeared?

Will you continue trusting God when circumstances become uncomfortable?

Will you remain faithful when you cannot yet see the result?

This is where spiritual endurance is developed.

And this is why you must be careful about believing that midnight itself is a magical hour.

Midnight can provide a quiet environment with fewer distractions, which may help someone concentrate deeply in prayer. But the power of prayer does not come from the clock.

THE POWER IS IN GOD.

So if you pray at midnight and experience difficulties afterward, do not immediately conclude that something supernatural is attacking you.

Pray.

Examine your life.

Search the Scriptures.

Use wisdom.

Rest when you are tired.

Seek godly counsel when necessary.

And above all, do not allow fear to control your spiritual life.

2 Timothy 1:7 says:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Beloved, do not measure the effectiveness of your prayer only by what happens immediately afterward.

Sometimes God is changing your heart before He changes your circumstances.

Sometimes He is teaching you endurance before giving you the next instruction.

Sometimes your greatest breakthrough begins with learning how to stand faithfully in the middle of pressure.

So keep praying, but do not pray in fear.

Keep seeking God, but remain balanced.

Keep trusting His Word, and do not give every difficulty a supernatural explanation.

Your confidence should not be in the absence of battles.

YOUR CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

[Trey & Lea's Stronger Marriages @StrongMarriage5]

21 TIPS FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE ❤️❤️

1. Laugh together.
2. Do things for your spouse that they think are romantic.
3. Look into your spouse’s eyes while listening.
4. Give at least one compliment a day.
5. Make every anniversary a special celebration.
6. Be willing and able to say, “I’m sorry.”
7. Never get too old to hold hands.
8. Know the importance of courtship after you’re married.
9. Surprise your spouse with an occasional unexpected gift.
10. Communicate, don’t demand, your sexual needs.
11. Appreciate and accept the differences in your spouse.
12. Learn to agree more and argue less.
13. Know the value of a hug.
14. Make love as often as possible.
15. Don’t habitually criticize.
16. Move past old hurts and bad experiences.
17. Regularly send a sweet text for no reason.
18. Go on a date at least every other week.
19. Keep the spark in your sex life and flirt often.
20. Learn to forgive quickly.
21. Understand that your spouse is priceless. Don’t underestimate their value.

Consider sharing this with your spouse and picking two or three to try.

[Trey & Lea's Stronger Marriages @StrongMarriage5]

10 EXCELLENT IDEAS FOR ROMANCE ... ❤️

1. Date once a week.
2. Hold hands a lot.
3. Go on a walk together.
4. Do unexpected little things for one another.
5. Watch a romantic movie together.
6. Flirt with one another.
7. Write a sweet note, card, letter or text.
8. Take a weekend getaway.
9. Ask your spouse, "What is romantic to you."
10. Touch ... a lot.

Never ever let the romance die. Work hard to keep it alive and going.

[Tevin Macharia Mukabana @TevinMacharia]

THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE THAT BEGINS WHEN YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE

Beloved, one thing many people do not understand is that sometimes the greatest resistance begins after you make the greatest decision of your life.

You decide to leave sin.
You decide to forgive.
You decide to pray again.
You decide to stop returning to the same destructive lifestyle.
You decide to obey God.

And suddenly, everything seems to become difficult.

But here is the powerful secret:

NOT EVERY BATTLE MEANS YOU MADE THE WRONG DECISION.

Sometimes resistance comes because you are no longer walking in the same direction you used to walk.

When Israel left Egypt, they did not immediately enter the Promised Land. Their journey became difficult. When Jesus began His public ministry, He was led into the wilderness and tempted by the devil.

Matthew 4:1 says, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

Notice something: Jesus was in the will of God, yet He still faced temptation.

This means difficulty is not always evidence that God has abandoned you.

Sometimes your new obedience will require you to fight old habits.

Sometimes your new discipline will confront your old desires.

Sometimes your decision to follow God will force you to leave people, places, and patterns that were comfortable but dangerous.

The enemy would rather keep you comfortable in bondage than watch you become disciplined in Christ.

So when you decide to change, do not expect everything to become easy immediately.

Expect your faith to be tested.

Expect your character to be tested.

Expect your commitment to be tested.

But remember this:

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RETURN TO YOUR OLD LIFE JUST BECAUSE YOUR NEW LIFE BECAME DIFFICULT.

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

The battle is not always a sign that you are losing.

Sometimes the battle is revealing whether your decision was truly rooted in God.

Stand firm.

Pray.

Obey.

Keep walking.

Your old life may be calling you back, but God is calling you forward.

[Trey & Lea's Stronger Marriages @StrongMarriage5]

HOW TO STAY YOUNG TOGETHER IN MARRIAGE: (We've been married 38 years) ...

1. Avoid stressing each other.
2. Put boundaries between you and everyone else, don't let anyone interfere with your bond.
3. Work out together. Taking care of your body sends a message of love to your spouse.
4. Enjoy love making while your age still can.
5. Laugh, crack jokes, be silly together.
6. Find a church or place you can serve together and bless lives as a team. Love is built on activity.
7. Keep upgrading your wardrobe. Wear clothes that make you feel alive. Don't age yourself through fashion.
8. Play games: cards, board games, indoor games and outdoor games.
9. Touch each other or massage each other. Enjoy the sense of touch.
10. Let sleep be sacred. Go to bed on time, have pillow talks, close each night well, sleep sufficiently.
11. Worship together as a couple. It rejuvenates your spirit.
12. Avoid couples and individuals with a toxic spirit, they will pull you down.
13. Eat right. Invest in good food and share meals together.
14. Take time to chill once in awhile, go for vacations as a couple. Don't let your life be all about work and responsibilities.
15. Find fun activities to do together like traveling, karaoke or dancing. Have a good time.
16. Stay with a young mentality. Keep learning, bond with your children/grandchildren, learn something new as often as possible.

[Tevin Macharia Mukabana @TevinMacharia]

Rahab was a prostitute.

She had a past that could have become a permanent label.

But she later married Salmon, an Israelite, and became the mother of Boaz.

And look at the kind of man Boaz became.

When Ruth came into his life, he didn't exploit her. He didn't sleep with her and call it love. He did things honorably and properly, following the right process before taking her as his wife.

Think about that.

A woman with a complicated past raised a man known for his integrity.

Who would have believed that Rahab, whose past was marked by sexual immorality, would become part of the lineage of Jesus Christ?

This is why you must never allow your past to become your identity.

God can redeem a broken history.

God can restore dignity.

God can transform a family line.

God can take what people used to shame you and make it part of your testimony.

Your past may explain where you came from, but it does not have the final authority over where God is taking you.

YOUR PAST DOESN'T NEED TO DEFINE YOU.

There is redemption in God.

[Baseball’s Greatest Moments @BBGreatMoments]

Ozzie Smith led off the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS and hit a walk-off home run off Tom Niedenfuer. It was the switch-hitter's first career homer batting left-handed.

The Cardinals won 3-2, and Jack Buck's call immediately became part of the moment.

Pretty unbelievable time for a player known far more for defense than power to find his first left-handed home run.

[Tevin Macharia Mukabana @TevinMacharia]

I will never get over Hagar giving God the name El Roi — “The God Who Sees Me.”

There is something deeply prophetic about this encounter.

Hagar was in the wilderness. She had been mistreated, rejected and sent away. She was carrying pain that nobody seemed to understand.

But in the wilderness, God found her.

She discovered something that every child of God must never forget:

You can be forgotten by people and still be fully remembered by God.

You can be overlooked by men and still be seen by heaven.

You can cry in secret and still have a God who sees every tear.

You can go through a season where nobody understands what you are carrying, yet God knows every detail.

He sees the tears you wipe before anyone notices.

He sees the prayers you whisper when you don't even have the strength to pray loudly.

He sees the rejection.

He sees the disappointment.

He sees the waiting.

He sees the battles you don't talk about.

He sees the sacrifices nobody celebrates.

He sees you.

And what makes this even more beautiful is that God didn't merely see Hagar—He spoke to her, instructed her, and revealed Himself to her.

Sometimes the wilderness is not evidence that God has abandoned you.

Sometimes it becomes the place where you discover a dimension of God you had never known before.

Hagar entered the wilderness as a woman who had been rejected, but she came out knowing Him as El Roi.

And perhaps someone reading this needs to hear this today:

God has not lost sight of you.

The season may be confusing, but He sees you.

The tears may be many, but He sees you.

The waiting may be long, but He sees you.

The doors that closed may have left you wondering what God is doing, but He sees you.

And when you cannot understand His hand, trust His heart.

This is why I cannot boast in myself.

Who can truly say:

“I am nothing without Jesus”?

I am nothing without His grace.

Nothing without His mercy.

Nothing without His presence.

Nothing without the blood of Jesus.

Everything I have, everything I am becoming, and every testimony that will ever come from my life is because of Him.

Jesus, You are not just part of my life. You are my life.

El Roi, the God who sees me.

The God who sees you.

The God who sees every hidden tear.

And the God who is still writing the story.

[The married man @marriedmn]

A marriage can survive a lot of things.

But there are 7 problems that slowly kill love even when neither spouse wants a divorce.

One is…

[De Christian Life @DeChristianLife]

Couples will do themselves and their marriage a great service when they identify that they are in it for life and each must commit and invest in the other. Investment is not a one way street.

Above all, be kind to your Spouse.

[Precious // The Nations Father 🦅 @Baba_Shawn_II]

God gives you a partner while you are in progress, Not when you arrive at the destination.

Not when life is perfect but right in the middle of your becoming. Because the right one won't be scared of your process.

They will respect it,they won't run when things get hard. They will help you grow through it.

They will pray with you, build with you & remind you who you are when you forget.

The issue with most of us is that we want a finished product. But often time, i see God has a pattern of sending people who can handle our construction phase and handle our entirety too.

[Tevin Macharia Mukabana @TevinMacharia]

The people you call friends, how did those friendships begin? Was it just because you laughed at the same jokes, liked the same music, or had money to spend together? Or did you take a moment to ask God, “Lord, who is this person in my life, and what role are they meant to play?”

Friendship is deeper than just hanging out or having good vibes. True covenant friendship is spiritual. Before David and Jonathan became covenant friends, there was a divine alignment. God connected their hearts for a purpose beyond themselves. But today, many of us choose friends based on appearance, social status, benefits, or popularity—and later cry when betrayal comes.

Let’s be honest: people are wicked. Not everyone who smiles at you is safe for your destiny. Some friendships are actually traps. Some people only come close because of what they can take from you, not what they can give. That is why you cannot enter into friendships carelessly. It is a risk to journey with anyone in life without seeing them first through the eyes of the Spirit.

Your destiny is too precious to hand over to the wrong company. One wrong friend can derail your life, contaminate your values, and even destroy your walk with God. But one God-sent friend can push you closer to your assignment, help you in times of weakness, and stand with you when the world turns against you.

So pause and reflect:

Did God bring that person into your life, or did you choose them out of excitement?

Do they pull you closer to Christ, or do they drain your fire for God?

Are they safe for your secrets, your heart, and your destiny?

From today, stop choosing friends casually. Pray about them. Discern them. Some friendships are seasonal, some are lifelong, and some are not meant to be at all. Let the Spirit of God guide your relationships, because covenant friends are not found everywhere—they are ordained.

[Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman]

PATHETIC! The NFL just fined a cornerback for giving God the glory.

Arizona’s Kei’Trel Clark wrote “Glory be to God” on his eye black in Week 1. The league hit him with a $6,651 fine.

He posted the letter and said he still has to report to God on judgment day, so he will keep giving that glory out loud.

The @NFL should be ashamed of itself.

[Tevin Macharia Mukabana @TevinMacharia]

𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗠𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘, 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 ����𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝟳 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦

[College GameDay @CollegeGameDay]

On the heels of Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford, we look back at another emotional coaching return in 2008 ...

Nick Saban's return to LSU, but this time, as head coach of Alabama 🐘