Happy people have friends with flesh and bones

Here is a brief article that is interesting as it pertains to our relationships in our culture, and the difficulty of being missional in it.

The gist, unhappy people comfort themselves with television while happy people watch less TV and hang out with real people in the flesh more. This is another reason why I should never feel bad about rants against television or other forms of media which people use as diversion from real life. Still, I find it shocking that the AVERAGE number of hours people watch TV each week is 19, for "happier" people and 25 for unhappy people! That is almost 3 hours a day! So if you watch almost 4 hours of television a day and cut back to 3 you are likely be more more happy. Imagine how happy you could be if you didn't watch any!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081115/sc_livescience/unhappypeoplewatchlotsmoretv


This shows that we are all made for community and relationships with other people. It is necessary for a healthy and fruitful life. Few of us are truly not "a people person." We are all people people, personalities describe only the quantity and depth of friends you can handle. Some of us like a lot of friendships in small doses and others of us like a few friendships but in large doses.

Jesus came so we can live life to the fullest, John 10:10.

P.S. I think I watch 3 hours a week... about the amount of time for Bronco game. I am very happy, except for when they lose.

A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well

Boundless has put out a new resource called "A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well". I've read through it, and I think it is a great collection of short, practical mini-articles that encourage us to grow up, treat our sisters in Christ with respect, and to pursue marriage with wisdom. It is as simple as 1, 2, 3....



(Don't worry, neither I nor the articles in the booklet really think it is quite that simple!)

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. Prov 18:22

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Prov 31:30 [Application: MARRY HER!!]

Top 14 Biblical Ways to Get Married (Mostly for Men)

Is the "dating scene" not working out as well as you had hoped? Take heart: the Bible is not silent on how to find a spouse! Here are fourteen Biblical alternatives to "dating":

1. Find an attractive prisoner of war, bring her home, shave her head, trim her nails, and give her new clothes, then she's yours. (Deut. 21:11-13)


2. Find a prostitute and marry her. (Hosea 1:1-3)


3. Find a man with seven daughters and impress him by watering his flocks. (Moses, Exodus 2:16-20)


4. (For the ladies) Find a man who is sleeping, lay down at his feet, then when he wakes up, ask him to marry you. (Ruth 3:3-9)


5. Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one and carry her off to be your wife. (Bejaminites, Judges 21:19-25)


6. Have God create you a wife while you sleep.¹ (Adam, Genesis 2:19-24)


7. Agree to work seven years in exchange for a woman's hand in marriage from her father. Get tricked into marrying the wrong woman, then work another seven years for the woman you wanted to marry in the first place. That's right, fourteen years to get your wife. (Jacob, Genesis 29:15-30)


8. Cut off two hundred foreskins of your future father-in-law's enemies, and you get his daughter for a wife. (David, 1 Samuel 18:27)


9. Even if no one is out there, just wander around a bit, and you'll definitely find someone. (Cain, Genesis 4:16-17)


10. Become the emperor of a huge nation and hold a beauty contest. (King Ahasuerus, Esther 2:3-4)


11. When you see someone you like, go home and tell your parents, "I have seen a woman. Now get her for me." If your parents question you, simply say, "Get her for me. She's the one for me." (Samson, Judges 14:1-3)


12. Kill any husband and take his wife.² (David, 2 Samuel 11)


13. Wait for a close relative to die, then take his widow. (Boaz, Ruth 3:3-9, see also 4)


14. Don't be so picky, just make up for quality with quantity. (Solomon, 1 Kings 11:1-3)

(From Rick Holland's message to the Crossroads College Ministry, 11/7/1999) [download]

¹ This may cost you a rib.
² You must be prepared to lose four sons as a result.