One of my earliest memories took place in our church during the Christmas season when I was very young. Our small church was made up of former hippies and the newly saved “Jesus people.”  My siblings and I grew up in a church that embraced the change from the old to the new.  Like most kids of the 70’s, we were rambunctious at times and enjoyed being the center of attention. We were often found singing on the stage with family members. This particular year, the Christmas play was planned and performed by my siblings and the youth in the church. The play included a modern-day scene with toys around a Christmas tree, and a nativity scene. Some of the kids dressed as animals and had fun with all the sound effects.

My father never wanted a spotlight. I don’t remember him ever leading a Bible study or doing much in the way of public ministry.  But he loved to serve others. He modeled this scripture by serving diligently, encouraging others, and being generous with his resources, time, and talents.

As parents we are charged with stewardship over the care and nurture of our children. God entrusted us with this awesome responsibility and privilege for the very lives of our kids. What now? How do we teach them to live in this dangerous world? How do we set boundaries?

If you have children, I’m sure you’ve experienced times when they test the boundaries you give them! God gave us all boundaries too, but we don’t always realize those boundaries are established for our own good. Instead, we sometimes choose to test the boundaries God put there for our benefit and protection. As parents, setting boundaries and rules is our job, not to be mean, but to warn our children of potential danger, and (hopefully) to protect them from harm. Setting boundaries is an act of love!

I remember learning a hard lesson about testing boundaries when I was

God had a plan for marriage from the beginning of creation! Marriage was first ordained by God in the Garden of Eden where we read in Genesis chapter 2:

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” …Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…” Genesis 2:18, 22-25

The first thing we see here is creative order. God saw the man and said that it was not good for him to be alone. Humankind is created for relationship. Therefore, God created woman. The first man and woman were special – higher than the animals – and created in the image of God! This was a divinely appointed relationship. In the New Testament, when Jesus was asked about marriage and divorce, he hearkened back to this passage found in Genesis:

…at the beginning the Creator made them male and female … For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh … so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate. Matthew 19:4-6

Adam and Eve were the first model for marriage. Jesus points out that in marriage, couples are to