Dr. Meredith Griffin | The Flourishing Life™
Deeper Roots. Remarkable Results.
There have been, absolutely, without doubt or question, times in our marriage when we’ve had arguments. You can call them arguments, disagreements, heated fellowship, or whatever, there have been times when my wife and I haven’t seen eye to eye on a matter. [Read more…] about Things I’ve Learned in Twenty-Five Years of Marriage – Part 8
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Ahhh, 1 Corinthians 13! The eternal wedding passage. I’m pretty sure that this passage was read at our wedding twenty-five years ago. And I’ve heard the passage read at countless weddings since then. The reaction is always the same. Heads nod. People say “amen” in assent. Everyone listens with hopeful expectation that the blissful couple will enjoy the truth of these verses. [Read more…] about Things I’ve Learned in Twenty-Five Years of Marriage – Part 7
One of the first things that I learned when I got married was just how selfish both my wife and I were. Selfishness isn’t a trait that most people would attribute to themselves, but it is one that quickly makes itself evident. One of the things that my wife and I now say to one another, regarding selfishness, is “self-preservation is the first law of man.” We are hardwired to look out for ourselves first. This dialed-in self-preservation does, however, become an issue in marriage. [Read more…] about Things I’ve Learned in Twenty-Five Years of Marriage – Part 2
You haven’t seen a certain family in some time. They used to be faithful in their attendance on Sundays and during the week. Recently their attendance has waned, and now they are no longer attending. Every pastor has experienced or will experience this situation. [Read more…] about What Every Pastor Should Do When People Leave the Church
While it is popularly believed that pastors are people persons, that isn’t always the truth. It is possible to make pastoral ministry, outside of Sunday morning, a solitary endeavor. It is possible for a pastor to become solitary by filling a week’s calendar with solitary events like study, reading, writing, and retreat. The truth is that the solitary pastor, and the church they lead, probably isn’t as effective as they could be at fulfilling the stated mission of the church. [Read more…] about 3 Vital Benefits Pastors Miss When They Are Isolated