I promised you people (youse guys, all y’all) that this month’s Real. Hard. Love. series wouldn’t be all about marriage, since you don’t all fit in that demographic. But most of the stories I’ve collected ended up being about that very thing. Yuh-oh.
So I want to know: what do you want to know? What do you want me to write about?
I’m going to toss out some ideas I have, then I want some of yours (or let me know which of mine resonate with you).
Here’s What I’m Thinking:
~~loving hard-to-love kids.
~~single girls waiting for a husband (or not).
~~racial reconcilation.
~~the challenges of inter-racial marriage.
~~loving the homeless.
~~fighting human trafficking and loving the pimps and johns.
~~loving God’s creation.
~~gays, Christians, and love.
~~loving fellow Christians who are sooooo different from you.
~~loving yourself.
~~adoption & foster-parenting.
So, here’s what I want to know:
Which one(s) of these would interest you most, what others do you have to add, and who has a story to share?
The following three topics are close to my heart. I’m including the website for folks who are using real.hard.love.
~~loving the homeless. http://urbanpurpose.org
~~fighting human trafficking and loving the pimps and johns. http://the-wellhouse.org / http://freesetusa.com
~~adoption & foster-parenting. http://ourhillsong.blogspot.com/
I also had ~~loving yourself as a topic but I’ve got nothing to contribute there.
Foster/adopt because we are thinking of doing this:) I need to hear all I can about it!
My picks:
~~loving the homeless (especially when there is no desire on their end to change their circumstances)
~~gays, Christians, and love
~~loving fellow Christians who are sooooo different from you
~~adoption & foster-parenting
And i’ll add ~~ loving a friend/fellow Christian who is living in blatant, hard-hearted, unrepentant sin.
“gays, Christians and love”, just heard a good Moody broadcast on this one but want to explore the “how-to” on showing love to those whose lifestyle I may find offensive.
My son just got assigned a new dorm roommate that is gay.
I want to talk about adoption/foster care, but the reality of it not the fairy tale version. And maybe other ways we can come alongside the foster/adoption community in support.
Also want to talk about “How Helping Hurts” and how we can have compassion without contributing to an entitlement mentality or without hurting others.
Lastly, I woul love to hear how you’re loving the homeless community.
Keeping/building a strong relationship with little ones around (and requiring 99% of your time and attention).
loving the homeless
{freestyling} loving your MIL despite her hating you and taking 6 months to accept your FB friends request (a suggestion from a “friend”)
How about mother-daughter (tween in particular) relationships, specifically how not to lose your cool at a stubborn daughter who is exactly like her mother? Oy.
Or what about how to have a strong, loving, God filled marriage and be able stand up for your faith when you are married to a non-believer? Oy again.
i’ll 2nd your “non-believer” suggestion. all the “strengthen your marriage” material out there begins with BOTH people in the relationship turning to God…I’ve been waiting 6 years to go beyond step 1!
As an encouragement, I just heard a good sermon series on marriage from Calvary Church Chino Hills, Jack Hibbs, based on Corinthians 7:10-24. Part of it is about a believer being married to a non-believer. here’s the link to part 2 of 3: http://www.realradioactive.org/pages/audio_popup/1865
This is totally worth the listen. Blessings to you and your marriage!
Adoption/foster parenting most definitely.
And if you’d like (and don’t link to my FB page) I would be open to sharing our interesting stumble into parenthood. Might help some people and if not….it’s a pretty good story to hear
They all sound like great topics. I’m also interested in how to love someone that’s a jerk to you (i.e. I’m 30 years old and some people in their 50s treat me like a child rather than an adult, talk down to me, etc.)…not that I’ve had that experiene AT CHURCH. Also, when I was a single person, I didn’t fully recognize how much I was loved by the Lord. I practiced sexual promiscuity and I feel like that has messed me up in my marriage. I want to scream how important it is to wait for your husband! But I’m too shy to step in front of people and say it.
I would love to hear stories about adoption/foster parenting, and also more like you shared yesterday about hosting a foreign student, including advice for those who may be thinking about adopting/foster parenting/hosting a student. Also, I would appreciate stories about loving an adult child even when they turn away from the Lord and/or the values that their parents tried to instill in them. Thank you for hosting this series. Needless to say, loving even or especially in the hard times is important!
Jeanine, I was a foster parent for 11 years and it was a wonderful experience for our family. Even though we didn’t go into fostering to adopt, God had a different plan and we adopted two wonderful boys that are incredible blessings. Fostering can be very frustrating at times because, in my opinion, the “system” does not put the needs of the children first. However, it was worth all the frustration to have the honor of mothering such precious children.
I was going to send a private message and copy/paste the ones I want to hear about, but I realized…that’s most of them. I don’t/can’t envision the kids bit or may forget by the time those light-years roll around, but all else, YES! Bring it! Hit us hard!