But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Ruth 1:16 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Every marriage is called to be an earthly picture of God’s heavenly covenant with His church. It is to reveal to the world the glory and beauty of God’s unconditional love for us.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

By my count John Locke has been killed by Benjamin Linus twice now. In “The Man Behind the Curtain” (Season 3 episode 20) and in “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” (Season 5 episide 7) we see Ben in all his glory. As it turns out there’s room for a third time – or maybe the tables will turn before this is all over.

Love never ends.
1 Corinthians 13:8a – English Standard Version (ESV)

If love is really love it doesn’t waffle when it’s not received the way you want it to be. It doesn’t waiver with rejection. It’s actions continue to endure no matter what.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

You say tomato, I say tomato.

Interestingly Nix v. Hedden was tried in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1893 to settle this issue. The court ruled unanimously that the tomato was a vegetable, based upon it’s everyday meaning to the likes of you and I. Botanists disagree. Unfortunately for them they don’t rule on legal definitions.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Think in terms of overwhelming your spouse with love.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Episode titles for Lost have always piqued my curiosity. Season 5 episode 6 was entitled “316.” All week I had assumed the obvious meaning since the Oceanic 6 were to take flight 316 to Guam. Tonight I logged onto the ABC website to see what new tidbits were there. As I watched the Lost Untangled episode, something I had not pondered was specifically addressed in the ABC produced recap clip. A specific reference was made to John 3:16. This broadens the episodes direction and opens it’s meaning. Of course, why didn’t I see it before with all the scripture references in earlier seasons. Are the writers saying that John Locke had to die in order to save the island? That seems the obvious but with this show I’ve learned that the obvious is not likely.

Then there’s season 5 episode 3 which was entitled “Jughead.” That’s been bothering me for weeks. Tonight I finally did a little research and Wikipedia revealed a meaning to the title that was its own learning adventure akin to the episode in season 4 called “Eggtown.” Wikipedia says Jughead is a nickname for a version of the 1954 Mark 17 nuclear bomb. Guess what? 1954 was the year. A nuclear bomb was present. It’s gotta be!

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:19 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Even in the midst of disagreeing, prayer pulls you both back toward your real center.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

I just found out the U.S. has a little extra cash in its checkbook to assist with almost $1,000,000,000,000 new debt.

First a small history lesson to add to the vast amounts of trivia stored away in my grey cells. Guantánamo Bay Naval Base at the southeastern end of Cuba has been used by the United States Navy for more than a century, and is the oldest overseas U.S. Navy Base and the only one in a country with which the United States does not have diplomatic relations. Since 2002, the naval base has contained a military prison, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, for persons alleged to be militant combatants captured in Afghanistan and later in Iraq.

Originally the bay was offered to the U.S. on Febraury 23, 1903 by treaty, giving ultimate sovereignty to Cuba but complete jurisdiction and control to the United States for “coaling and naval station purposes.” A 1934 treaty reaffirming the lease granted Cuba and her trading partners free access through the bay, modified the lease payment from $2,000 in U.S. gold coins per year, to the 1934 equivalent value of $4,085 in U.S. dollars, and made the lease permanent unless both governments agreed to break it or the U.S. abandoned the base property.

Since Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, the Cuban government has refused to cash all but the very first rent check as a sign of protest. Supposedly the first check was an accident due to turmoil in the newly formed government.

I can’t tell you in what month the U.S. writes its annual check to Cuba, but it appears we have close to 50 years of uncashed checks sitting in the former desk of Fidel Castro.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalms 119:105 – English Standard Version (ESV)

The Bible becomes part of who you are, how you think, and what you do.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!” (James 1:22) – The Message (MSG)

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Why waste years of your life learning painful lessons when you could discover those same truths during a few hours of wise counsel?

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick