Bulletin

Shacked Up Couples
John Gipson

When I turned on my computer this morning I was greeted with an item which said, "Turns out getting married is becoming downright old-fashioned. Shacked up couples now outnumber those who've tied the knot."

Woes to those unmarried couples who have financial quarrels over rent, utilities, credit cards, etc., and show up before "Judge Judy." In no uncertain terms she will tell them that if they don't have a marriage license our courts have made no provision to settle such disputes, and they are on their own.

Does it seem to you that we are getting to the point in our society where the difference between right and wrong is either not discerned or else willfully ignored?

Or consider the overt promotion of homosexuality. Has some law been passed that requires every TV show to have at least a token homosexual? We must have "tolerance," our society says.

Those who offer objections are immediately branded with a sneer as "Fundamentalists." Yet fundamentals are absolutely imperative today. Athletes who ignore fundamentals make for losing teams. In fact, mastering the fundamentals is absolutely necessary in any discipline.

As a nation we enjoy the benefits of Christianity while tending to reject the source of those benefits. In the words of Richard Halverson, "like parasites we are feeding on lingering blessings produced by the spiritual leadership and dedication of earlier generations; the blessings are fading, ethical and moral levels decline toward the increasingly degenerate society." We want to sow to the wind without realizing that we will reap the whirlwind.

An ancient prophet warned, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). Will we be wise enough to heed his warning?

12 Rules for a Happy Married Life
Author Unknown

1 - Never go to bed mad.
2 - Never both be angry at once.
3 - Never bring up a mistake of the past.
4 - If you must criticize, do so lovingly.
5 - Never meet without an affectionate welcome.
6 - Neglect the whole world, rather than each other.
7 - Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
8 - When you've made a mistake, talk it out and ask forgiveness.
9 - If you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good—choose your mate.
10 - Never let the day end without saying at least one complimentary thing to your life's partner.
11 - Yield to the wishes of the other as an exercise in self-discipline if you can't think of a better reason.
12 - Remember, it takes two to make an argument. The one who is wrong is the one who will be doing most of the talking.