Africa, marriage,bridges Oh my!

I'm so glad God put on my heart to start writing again. Because here I am... and i have so much to say. So much I want to get off my chest and out of my head, So much to process. and so much I can't write on here.

Where to begin.

God has given me an Africa...and I'm learning about Africa's customs and I have to say. I'm sure it is just satan trying to make me feel like i shouldn't be there but I wonder if these customs I am learning about are truly something I should consider. I'm going with it's spiritual warfare until otherwise proven. Honestly, there is no coincidence in my mind that the day after I talked to my husband about our Africa I found out these things. (if your confused ...it's  not the real Africa. I read an awesome book that talked about figuring out what your "anything" that God would call you to is. ... I've termed it my Africa so I can view it as mission work.) It's no coincidence when God starts to change my heart that something else is revealed. Now the question is, can I go to Africa despite what I have learned. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Phil 4:13.

Marriage is hard. not mine specifically but in general. (no marriage is 100% easy.) I have a good friend call me this morning about her marriage. 8 am and we were talking about the importance of focusing on God not each other. On praying and how powerful that is. About trusting God in the hard times. About being respectful to a husband who doesn't demonstrate behavior that could explain it. I am so blessed that my husband is kind to me. Do we have our moments...ABSOLUTELY. We are human. But the general nature of our marriage is that of a kind and loving marriage where I try and respect and help him and he tries to love and lead me. Its heartbreaking to see the marriages that aren't built on that and it gives that more motivation for me to be praying to be a good wife for Paul. It also helps me see how important I need to be encouraging and sharing with women and teaching them because I think that the majority of marriages are in this boat of strife. I hoping the marriages in the church that aren't in this boat will start mentoring and ministering to those who are or those who are newly married. I know my husband and I have wanted to meet with a married couple or couples to learn about this, but it seems all the married couples are already friends with each other and unless your 75 or have kids you don't fit. Why not be proactive and teach us from the beginning. It's one of the times I'm so sad I didn't grow up in a christian home. Sure I grew up with people who know about God, but not people who were loving to each other. All examples I saw of marriage were that of anger, power struggle, disrespect, and thats not the best example. I'm not downing on family, i'm more making the point that I want to see a marriage that is like the one I hope ours will be. I don't know that God has that in store for us right now.

I've been reading a lot about the divide between the world and Christians and even then the divide between people who say they are christians and those who really are running after God. It just is so frustrating that satan just wants to divide us all so much. He teaches the world we all need to be individuals. but unity is a gift from Christ. This division we see tear apart families, churches, relationships, marriage, and much more. We are all children of God. That's the bridge between all of these sides, and yet it is so sad that we don't use that bridge.

i had a sweet sweet afternoon yesterday with two of my girlfriends. I am so blessed by them and we just had a sweet time of walking around the outlet mall and talking. They prayed for Africa. They encourage me. and it's a blessing to have women who are running after God with me. So blessed!

alright friends. I'm going to stop here.

Keep praying for God's presence to just infiltrate our churches and our lives. I know this wasn't a post about a passage but hopefully some of it encouraged you.
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