six steps + Victoria veritatis est caritas

Truth and Love can Live Together because of Jesus

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:02:28 PDT

One of the most basic skills in marriage is the ability to tell the straight, unvarnished truth about what your spouse has done—and then, completely, unself-righteously, and joyously express forgiveness without a shred of superiority, without making the other person feel small. This does not mean you cannot express anger. In fact, if you never express anger, your truth-telling probably won’t sink in. But forgiving grace must always be present, and if it is, it will, like salt in meat, keep the anger from going bad. Then truth and love can live together because, beneath them both, you have forgiven your spouse as Christ forgave you.

Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 157). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Truth+Love -->Grace

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:02:27 PDT

Truth without love ruins the oneness, and love without truth gives the illusion of unity but actually stops the journey and the growth. The solution is grace. The experience of Jesus’s grace makes it possible to practice the two most important skills in marriage: forgiveness and repentance. Only if we are very good at forgiving and very good at repenting can truth and love be kept together.

Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 155). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Presbyterian church representatives refuse to rebuke former San Rafael pastor in gay marriage dispute

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:35:43 PDT

Presbyterian church representatives refuse to rebuke former San Rafael pastor in gay marriage dispute:

My heart breaks as I read of the significant decline of the Presbyterian Church (USA), especially in California.

In an unprecedented defiance of a church judicial commission, representatives of Northern California Presbyterian churches Tuesday refused to rebuke a retired pastor for marrying 16 same-sex couples when gay marriage was legal in California in 2008.

Read the article in the Marin Independent Journal.

What the Bible Really Still Says About Homosexuality @RevKevDeYoung

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:21:00 PDT

What the Bible Really Still Says About Homosexuality @RevKevDeYoung:

On Tuesday afternoon, CNN ran an article on its Belief Blog by Catholic priest (sort of) Daniel Helminiak entitled “My Take: What the Bible really says about homosexuality.” The article is amazing for including so many bad arguments in so little space. A quick trip through the piece will show you what I mean.

Telling the Truth: Love That Changes a Person

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:53 PDT

My wife does not learn about my sins like my physician learns about my diseases or like my counselor learns about my anger and fear. She knows my sins because they so often are committed against her. She knows I’m insensitive because I’m insensitive to her. She knows I’m selfish because I’m selfish to her.

[…]If I come to realize that my spouse is not really being truthful with me, then her loving affirmations become less powerful in my life. Only when I know that my spouse regularly tells me the truth will her loving affirmations really change me.

Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 154–155). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Sneak-peak #2 from yesterday’s San Francisco City Hall...

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:31:09 PDT

Sneak-peak #2 from yesterday’s San Francisco City Hall photoshoot!

Photography by JeZa Photography @ZabrinaLicLIc

Willingness to Change: The Greatest Expression of Love

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:01:18 PDT

One of the greatest expressions of love is the willingness to change, to make a commitment to change attitudes and behaviors in yourself that trouble or hurt your spouse. There must be an ability to take correction and to be accountable for real concrete changes. This kind of change is always hard, and nearly impossible without the grace of God, but it is also one of the most powerful signs of love in a marriage.

Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 152). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

How to Stay Christian at College, by J. Budziszewski $3.99 @AmazonKindle

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:47:46 PDT

How to Stay Christian at College, by J. Budziszewski $3.99 @AmazonKindle:

The Kindle edition is on sale for $3.99 for a limited time!

How do you stay open about your faith in the face of potential ridicule? A must-read for every college student, How to Stay Christian in College will guide you through the maze of campus realities, including dating, sex, honesty, and more.

Dinner time!! #italian (Taken with Instagram at È Tutto Qua!)

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:15:56 PDT

Dinner time!! #italian (Taken with Instagram at È Tutto Qua!)

Sneak-peak #1 from today’s City Hall shoot! (Taken with...

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:14:41 PDT

Sneak-peak #1 from today’s City Hall shoot! (Taken with instagram)

"Nevertheless, the hard and deliberate work of knowing your spouse and loving him or her fittingly is..."

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:01:01 PDT

“Nevertheless, the hard and deliberate work of knowing your spouse and loving him or her fittingly is foundational to any good marriage. Because our culture thinks of love as mainly an involuntary feeling and not a conscious action, this foundational skill is often missed entirely.”

- Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 150). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Taken with Instagram at San Francisco City Hall

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:53:23 PDT

Taken with Instagram at San Francisco City Hall

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:23:32 PDT

Taken with Instagram at San Francisco City Hall

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:30:07 PDT

Taken with Instagram at San Francisco City Hall

Getting hair done! (Taken with Instagram at Mitri Hair Studio)

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:44:51 PDT

Getting hair done! (Taken with Instagram at Mitri Hair Studio)

Sushi for Mother’s Day :) (Taken with instagram)

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:48:43 PDT

Sushi for Mother’s Day :) (Taken with instagram)

"Learn the primary languages of your spouse and send love over those channels, not over the channels..."

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:02:09 PDT

“Learn the primary languages of your spouse and send love over those channels, not over the channels you prefer for yourself. We tend to give love through the channels in which we like to receive it.”

- Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 147). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

The form of love is crucial

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:01:31 PDT

Some types of love are more thrilling and fulfilling to us when we receive them.

Why? Sometimes a particular form of love is more valuable because some significant person in your life was particularly inept at it. Sometimes a particular form of love is more valuable because some significant person in your life was particularly adept at it. Perhaps a form of love is crucial now because of your life circumstances.

Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 146). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

Love in the way she finds most emotionally valuable

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:59:12 PDT

It is not enough to simply say, “I love you.” Nor is it enough to give love to your spouse in the way to which you feel most accustomed. If you want to give a person $100, there are many ways to do so. You can give it in cash or by check or in gold or in kind. You can give it in different currencies. So you ask, “In which form do you want the hundred dollars?” In the same way you learn to give your spouse love in the way he or she finds most emotionally valuable and powerful.

Keller, Timothy (2011–11–01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 144). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.

California! Here we come! Arriving 10:46pm PDT in San Francisco...

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:01:51 PDT

California! Here we come!

Arriving 10:46pm PDT in San Francisco ;-)