At what point is a couple considered married in the eyes of God?

Discuss.

My day of rest?

Here at CIU one of our bigger debates is which day is the 'day of rest' what can you do on it, and would it be considered reasonable for people to rest and attend church on Saturday instead of Sunday?  So this is something that I have been thinking about lately.  Honestly, my day of rest would look very different from many other people's.  I would come home from church (in the summertime) change into shorts and a spagetti strap and head out to mow the lawn.  Once that was done I'd give the dog a bath (if she needed it) and then go and mop the kitchen.  If it was messy I'd clean my room then I'd run errands later.

See, what is restful for me is not sitting around doing nothing.  Rather it is doing something that is satisfying and fulfilling.  I am re-energized by something that gives me a sense of satisfaction, and honestly the most draining thing for me is to sit around and 'rest.'  Now as soon as the school recognizes that what is restful for some is not restful for others I will be able to mow the lawn and clean my room on a Sunday.

Time for something new and this time you'll get some honesty from me.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

One of our professors here at CIU has a daughter that goes here.  They eat at least one meal together, just the two of them, at least one day a week.  That alone is huge to me, that a father would take that time for his child that consistently.  The bigger thing though is how he looks at her.  The love that he has for her as a father completely radiates from him.  Anyone that I mention it to who has watched him agrees with me.  Even better is the fact that I have seen that radiance from him when he looks at any of his kids.  Its not just in how he looks at them but in how he listens and responds and respects them.  They are something that he openly cherishes.  This fact alone dramatically increases my respect for him as a person, and thus increases my respect for him in class.

This is not a bad thing, in fact it is excellent.  What is bad is how rarely I see that coming from most fathers, even Christian ones, and fathers who are faculty/staff people here at CIU.

I think that the reason why I so quickly and easily notice this is because I do not see it come from my own father.  And how I wish I did.  That would tell me things that his words never can.

What I have to remember though (and I have Phil to thank for pointing this out) is that not all fathers show love to their children in the same way.  My father seems to show his love to all of us through providing for us.  He works hard to make sure that all of our needs are met and I would say that is how he shows us what everyone needs from their parents.  Unfortunately, provision does not very well convey that message to me.  That is something that I will have to work to change in myself.

But I do not write this as a slam against my family, instead I write it to encourage those of you who have or will have children- take the time to learn how they need to receive love.  Then use that knowledge to their advantage.  Give them what they need from you.  Easier said than done, I know, especially since everyone is different.  Personally, I'm terrified of not finding out or finding out too late and somehow hurting my children.  However, I am going to at least work on learning how to show my children and husband that I love them in the way that best communicates to them.