“An oldie, but a goodie.” “Tried and true.” When you read these sentences, you may think of music, sports, or a home remedy. I want to ask that you look at applying them to another aspect of your life — your marriage. How are you overcoming passivity?

Dealing with pain. How do we handle it? How do we process it or sometimes, come to terms with it? There are lots of different techniques and thoughts around the subject, probably as many as there are different types of pain itself.

Today, we’ll look at how sometimes God says no or “not yet.” Saturday mornings are an excellent time for my daughter to bond as we cook breakfast together. She’s only two years old, so she is usually regulated to grabbing utensils and staring at me while I cook everything. She’s also on duty to make sure the cats don’t get too close and eat the cooked food we take out.

Do people know your calling? My dad was one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. He wanted that from us too. But as you get older, you realize that your effort to work can get overtaken by the details of life.

Let’s talk about how to lead your wife. In a small-group setting, the discussion circled back around to our sin-beginnings and the inevitable finger-pointing at Eve. My wife, intrinsically knowing better, leaned over to me and whispered: “The buck stopped with Adam. He failed to lead.”

Having played racquetball 3-4 mornings a week for several years, I learned a lot from playing this fast-paced competitive game. If you play the front, you will get hit with the ball. Getting hit hurts and it will leave a mark! If you don’t take a risk and “play up,” you’ll play from the backcourt all the time.