From Gary... Flower power

Love Will Keep Us Together

by

Captain and Tennille

Love, love will keep us together
Think of me babe whenever
Some sweet talking girl comes along singing her song
Don't mess around, 
You gotta be strong 
Just Stop [stop], 'cause I really love You
Stop [stop], I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart and let love keep us together

You, You belong to me now
Ain't gonna set you free now
When those girls start hanging around talking me down
Hear with your heart and you won't hear a sound
Just Stop [stop], 'cause I really love you
Stop [stop], I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart and let love keep us together, what ever.

Young and beautiful 
Someday your looks will be gone
When the others turn you off 
Who'll be turning you on

I will, I will, I will, I will 
Be there to share forever
Love will keep us together
Said it before and I'll say it again while others pretend
I'll need you now and I'll need you then
Stop 'cause I really love Ya
Stop I'll be thinking of Ya
Look in my heart and let love keep us together

This appears to be an old picture- maybe it is, or maybe not???  One thing is for sure, the story is not!!! Men love women and women love men!!!  Anyway, the picture is cute and it reminded me of the old Captain and Tennille song: "Love will keep us together".  Now, it is one thing to get together and quite another to stay together for a long time.  Problems happen: Money, children, familial problems, work- and the list could go on and on.  But, the song is still true- Love will keep us together!!!  Lets assume that you and your spouse have been together for a long time.  How would you classify your relationship (lets only consider the positive, please)- good, better or best????  If it is anything but best, then the following passage from Paul's letter to the Corinthians can help....

1 Corinthians, Chapter 11

 1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.  2 Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.  3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.  4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.  6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.  7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.  8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man;  9 for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.  10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels. 

11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord.  12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.

The Corinthians had problems- lots and lots of problems.  Face it, so do even the best of marriages!!! Men and women just think in different ways.  I think the trick is to put God into the equation.  Paul teaches that man is the "head" of the woman.  In my way of thinking, this means that a man should not be bossy over a woman, but rather lead her in love!!! Humm, Ephesians Chapter 5 seems appropriate at this point...

 22  Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  23 For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.  24 But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything. 

  25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; 26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,  27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.  28 Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.  29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;  30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.  31 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly.  33 Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 

The sexes are designed to be together, with the unifying factors being a committed love for each other and for God.  I know the concept of a woman submitting to her husband is not popular today, yet, it is a Biblical principle.  At the same time, husbands need to really love their wives and do everything possible to understand them.  Admittedly, sometimes I find it hard to do what God wants me to do in marriage, but when I do things God's way- things always work out!!!  Those of you who know me well, know that for the most part I try to have a God-pleasing relationship with my wife.  I find telling her I love her multiple times a day helps-- and so do flowers!!!!  However, unlike the boy in the picture--  I give my wife ROSES!!!!  You pick your own kind of posies- with a last name of Rose, my options seem limited.

Your Friend,

Gary Rose