Serendipity: Making a delightful or unexpected discovery
"Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." ~Mark 10:9 (NKJV)~
I know a young couple about seven years into their marriage that have hit a rough patch in the road and their marriage is on the skids. After seeing this movie, I intend to encourage them to watch it together.
I wish I had begun my own marriage with Christ at the center. We were five years into our marriage when we almost gave in and gave up. My husband recently told me that had it not been for my determination to make things work out that he would have given up. It was a long hard struggle to make it work. The real blessing came to our home when seventeen years into our marriage we came to know Christ. Through His redeeming power we were able to begin build on a new foundation of faith and everything changed...for the better.
One of the movie quotes says, "Fireproof doesn't mean that a fire will never come, but that when it comes, you'll be able to withstand it." Marriage is hard work and often love is a choice rather than a feeling. No marriage is fireproof, the marriage itself, as well as each partner, will be tested, tried, and refined over time. As this is a movie about fire fighters, one of the richest quotes in the movie says, "I have learned that you never your leave partner ~ especially in a fire." This quote can be directly applied to a marriage situation. It would be so easy to walk away in the heat of the moment rather than to stay and fight to put out the flames that lick and burn at all marriages.
There are some principals in this movie that can be applied to even the best of marriages and my husband and I had a long discussion about that last evening. Even in a good marriage you can take one another for granted or forgo those little courtesies or extra acts of kindness and expressions of love that let your partner know they are valued and appreciated. We intend to dare to love one another differently than we have in the past or even in the recent present.
I will be honest with you, the acting is pretty bad but the message of this movie is so powerful. By the time the credits roll you really will not care about the acting ability because you will be too busy feeling your own feelings and thinking you own thoughts about your own relationships. This movie moved my heart, provoked my thoughts, and propelled me into prayerful action. I give it a two thumbs up!
A Marriage Prayer:
Bless our love, Oh Lord, we pray,
Keep it strong by night and day;
Bless our marriage, firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out;
Bless the union and the call,
Let Thy peace lie over all;
Bless our hearts that they might prove,
Ever open to joy and love.
Bless our ideals, often shining and bright,
Letting in God's revealing heavenly light;
Bless the love a~blazing here,
With smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the love that dwells within,
Keeping our hearts pure and free from sin;
Bless our marriage that it might be;
Fit, O Lord, with eternal unity.
Blessings,
Miss Sandy
Keep it strong by night and day;
Bless our marriage, firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out;
Bless the union and the call,
Let Thy peace lie over all;
Bless our hearts that they might prove,
Ever open to joy and love.
Bless our ideals, often shining and bright,
Letting in God's revealing heavenly light;
Bless the love a~blazing here,
With smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the love that dwells within,
Keeping our hearts pure and free from sin;
Bless our marriage that it might be;
Fit, O Lord, with eternal unity.
Blessings,
Miss Sandy
14 comments:
Excellent post! I agree totally.
Excellent post! I agree totally.
Morning Sandy, I'm one of those people who can't sit still long enough for a movie so I have not seen it. However, the mom and dad characters of Kirk Cameron grew up in my hometown/church of Alpharetta GA. Dr. Harris Malcom and his wife Phyllis currently pastor in south Georgia. As a young teenage couple, Harris was very tall and thin. In a loving way, we all called him "Pretzel." It always tickled me to hear someone call him Brother Pretzel. It is unusual to see how he and Phyllis have changed over the years but their ministry has reached the lives of so many. This is actually their second record-breaking Christian movie.
I had to google to remember the first movie, but it was "Facing the Giants." This link http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28555 tells about the real life volunteers (including Dr. and Mrs. Malcom) that played some of the roles in this movie to keep costs down so that the film could reach even more people nationwide. The article tells of the prayers of these individuals that the movie would touch the lives of so many seeking help with their marriages.
I haven't had the chance to see this movie yet but really want to. Mr E and I have been married two years now and we stive each day to remember the little things that make our marriage great...to keep it great. Thanks so much for this post.
Have wondered about this movie since I have not yet seen it, but have heard about it. My beloved saw it at a church showing and didn't have too much to say about it one way or the other. I really appreciate your honesty about the acting. Knowing that, I could hang in there for the complete message. Otherwise, I might give up.
Hope that all has been well with you. I'm going to zip through your other posts just to see if that wall turned out and a few other things. :D
Hi Sandy ~ I totally agree with your thoughts about marriage. Hubby and I have been together as sweethearts when I was 14, married at 18, and now, 35 years later, still working through life's joys and trials. Love is a choice, as you say.
Blessings ~ Eileen @ Star's Fault
Miss Sandy~
Wonderful post on Marriage...I totally agree, also.
In less than two weeks we will have been married 29 years. Marriage is more than just love, being in love..it is a committment to each other as life partners, a team. To share all of life with each other..just as the marriage vows state.
Thank you for the post the reaffirms the 'secret' of a long lasting marriage...
Hugs,
Lynn♥
~Let Freedom Ring~
Catching up! I love the photos of your family. And when you have been married 46 years you know there have been a few bumps, but when the sun goes down and the lights are low, the piece of knowing your partner is near...love is.
I looked at all your posts that I missed, Love what you do, Mary
If I could, I would nominate Dr. Malcolm (John Holt in the movie) for an award for the scene where he confronts his son with the truth and the lesson of the Cross. He wasn't acting, he was speaking straight from his heart, as he has done ever since we were kids.
That WAS a good movie. I don't know why they can't make more good movies like that! I think alot of us can say there have been times when we would have like to have called it quits. For me and my husband, too. If it were not for our commitment to Christ AND to each other we would not have made it. Now, after 31 years, we are at a more mature place in life and in our relationship where we know that we belong together and we've weathered some storms and we're gonna make it. We enjoy each other and the life that we've found in God and in each other. I'll never give him up!
We just saw this movie for the first time last night with my son and new daughter-in-law and our other two boys. It had a lot of great principles.
The blooper reel and the jokes and pranks reel are hilarious. :-)
Sandy thank you for the recomendation! Your post was so heartfelt & so very true. Marriage is not a walk for the weak of heart. Isn't it funny that we teach our children so many things in school that are never used in everyday real life yet, the core things of marriage, relationships, commitment, raising children... these thing we muddle through alone so many times. A miracle that more of don't fail. Thank goodness for our Father's LOVE. Blessings.
I have not seen this movie. I will definitely borrow it. I am not yet married but I pray that is in God's plan for me. I am a romantic and so I am sure I will enjoy the movie. Thank you for sharing. That prayer is so beautiful I am going to re-read it again. I wish you God's continuing blessings upon your marriage Sandy.
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