20th Anniversary !!!

Well, Angel and I just celebrated 20 wonderful years together. I want to thank everyone who has helped or given to our family through the years. We have been truly blessed.

Looking back at the weekend May 23-24 in light of Phil Strout’s closing words for the leaders in our Mid-Atlantic Area, I have really been thinking about stewardship. Most people think about finances when they hear the word stewardship. But I want to look at this topic from a biblical view. When the bible talks about a person, it usually references or refers to the whole person. Every aspect of your life! Unlike our western view, we have our church life, home life, business life, and so on. We try to categorize, divide, or define every little detail. Taking a kingdom view – a God view – He sees our whole life – actions, feelings, words, deeds, body, soul – as a whole and Jesus of course wants to be the center of that life.

Phil mentioned the parable on ‘talents’ and as he did – I don’t wish to give a bible lesson. Yet, he mentioned that at the heart of the parable was the issue of stewardship. How God was teaching him how to steward his ‘pain’. He shared a story that conveyed his point.

After 20 years of marriage I just want to encourage everyone to steward your marriage. I can not tell you how many times Angel and I have had counseling or went to a seminar or conference when times were great and good. So many couples wait for rocky times to go in for a ‘tune up’ when they really need some real engine work. Angel and I have done the hard work through the hard times. But what kept us strong and going is really reaping the fruit during the great times.

Furthermore, I have recognized a serious man fault within myself. This fault or short coming - I have good attentions. I have good attentions to setup regular date nights with my wife and daughters. Girls, if you’re reading this – I hope you can forgive me…. I am confident you will but that is not my point today. I have good attentions to sit with my wife and pray regularly. I have good attentions to spend quality family time. I have good attention to take the trash out each week and cut the grass. I have good attentions for….. Maybe you don’t have this problem but I have. Father’s – Husbands – Our words really bring a kingdom presence to the direction or stewardship of our marriages and families.

Let’s not mix words or attentions. If you go back and read the parable of the talents, I think the one man who buried his – he had good attentions. Good attentions do not reap kingdom truth, blessings, and promises in our lives or marriages. Good attentions – really are just lost potential or lost moments that could be turning into rotten fruit … We need to be men of good deeds with hearts full of healing words and compassion.

So after 20 years of marriage I can tell you my wife could care less about my good attentions, but she truly cherishes every moment that I am present and connected with her. Touch, words that communicate more then a grunt of affirmation and love. And you know – I have to admit when I do make that kind of effort (sometimes it is just a little effort)--- Life is Good!! Really Good!!

Be blessed
sean hart

Let’s Go Caps!!!!