Participants:
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR210004S
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00:01 Have you ever wondered
00:02 about God's way for relationships today? 00:04 If so, stay tuned to get some tokens of love. 00:07 My name is Jason Bradley 00:09 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:34 Hello and welcome to Urban Report. 00:36 My guests today are Brandon and Sheretta Taylor 00:38 and they are both authors and international speakers. 00:42 Welcome to Urban Report, Brandon and Sheretta. 00:46 Hello. Hi. 00:47 Thank you for having us. 00:49 I'm so glad you guys could be here. 00:50 I wish you were physically here in the studio, 00:53 but hey, we'll utilize technology 00:56 to the best of our abilities. 00:58 There you go. 01:00 That's right. 01:01 So this is your first time 01:02 on Dare to Dream on Urban Report. 01:06 But I want to kind of dive into your testimony 01:11 and your journey 01:12 before we start getting into Tokens of Love. 01:16 Sure. 01:17 So how did you guys meet? 01:21 So we actually met at college at Cornell University. 01:26 I was a freshman, 01:27 Brandon was a junior at the time 01:29 and we were just acquaintances after, 01:32 I'm sorry, you were a sophomore. 01:35 We were just acquaintances. 01:37 You know, at first, just hello. 01:39 And we knew each other, 01:40 but we'd never really talked until his senior year. 01:44 We were actually the last semester 01:46 of his senior year, 01:48 we were enrolled in the same class 01:49 and we just so happened to start talking 01:51 a little bit more. 01:52 And at that time, 01:54 you know, Brandon could share more, 01:56 but he was on a journey to really, 02:00 you know, walk back closer to God. 02:02 And I had been through that experience 02:04 a couple of years before that. 02:06 And so a lot of our conversations 02:08 grew around, 02:09 you know, God and just living as a Christian 02:12 and that sort of thing. 02:13 And the more that we talked couple of months, 02:16 his interest developed 02:18 and pursued courtship 02:21 and we began our relationship there. 02:24 And we got married... 02:27 Two years. 02:28 Well, we got married two years later in 2015 02:31 and we now have one son and yeah. 02:35 Nice. Nice. 02:36 Now you use the word there. 02:38 You said courtship. 02:40 Now there may be some people out there 02:42 that don't know the difference between courtship and dating. 02:46 So why don't you unpack that a little bit? 02:48 Sure. 02:50 So when we use the word courtship, 02:51 it's really just a matter of preference for us. 02:55 Courtship and dating, neither courtship nor dating, 02:57 you'll find in the Bible. 02:58 So for us, the word courtship, 03:00 it truly signifies the purpose 03:02 with which you should pursue relationships 03:05 and really value this the institution of marriage 03:09 and the journey that God desires 03:10 for two people to travel 03:12 in leading up to marriage. 03:13 And when we use the word courtship, 03:14 it just signifies to us the purpose, 03:17 the intentionality behind your actions 03:19 and behind that relationship. 03:21 And that's why we prefer to use the word courtship 03:23 to describe that, that period leading up 03:26 to an engagement into marriage. 03:28 Got you. So it was all purposeful? 03:31 Yeah. 03:33 Exactly. Purposeful and prayerful. 03:35 I like that that two-piece, purposeful and prayerful. 03:38 So I'm sure that 03:40 you had boundaries in place and all of that, 03:43 you know, a healthy relationship 03:44 involves boundaries. 03:46 So what kind of boundaries did you have in place? 03:52 Yeah, so this was actually 03:53 the first relationship for the both of us 03:56 where we really wanted to put God into the center. 03:59 We had made a lot of mistakes in the past with our choices 04:02 and, you know, some ignorance in there 04:04 when it came to certain things. 04:06 And so from the very beginning, 04:08 we were intentional about physical boundaries, 04:11 how we didn't want to touch each other 04:12 in an inappropriate way. 04:14 We were saving ourselves for marriage. 04:16 Also being intentional about how we spent our time together. 04:19 So we tried to be very creative 04:21 with our dates and that sort of thing. 04:24 But most notably, 04:26 I think from our story of boundaries is 04:29 actually when we first set our boundaries, 04:34 we said we were okay with kissing 04:35 and that wasn't gonna be a problem. 04:38 And then a couple months into our relationship, 04:41 it started to get a little bit more difficult. 04:44 And we were saying if we're waiting for marriage, 04:48 I don't know how successful we're gonna be 04:50 if this is how it's going. 04:52 And so exactly around that time, 04:54 I had to leave the country to go study abroad in England 04:58 for a few months. 04:59 And while I was there, I started to feel impressed, 05:02 you know, as I was continuing to pray and read 05:05 that we should save kissing for marriage, 05:07 but I said, you know, 05:09 Lord if this is what You want us to do, 05:10 you're gonna have to tell Brandon, 05:12 and he's going to have to be the one to bring it up. 05:14 And sure enough, like it was either that day 05:16 or later that week, 05:18 Brandon brought up how he felt that, 05:20 you know, he should honor me and honor God more and that 05:23 we should really save kissing for marriage. 05:26 And so we made that decision, 05:28 you know, hundreds and thousands of miles 05:30 apart from each other 05:31 that we were gonna save hundreds and thousands. 05:35 We're gonna save our next kiss for our wedding day. 05:39 And that's what we did. 05:41 So almost 05:42 maybe almost two years later is the next time 05:45 that we shared our kiss on our wedding day. 05:48 And that video is actually on our YouTube channel 05:50 of our wedding ceremony 05:51 when that happened. 05:53 Wow. That's awesome. 05:54 Brandon, how many seconds was that? 05:57 Two years down, 653 days. 06:01 I know for a fact there, 06:03 I have to think about the hours and the seconds, 06:04 but it felt like a very long time 06:08 but it was worth the wait. 06:09 Right. Yes, for sure, for sure. 06:12 So tell us a little bit about Love At Home Ministries. 06:16 How did that get started and what is it all about? 06:20 Of course, yes. Thank you. 06:21 So Love At Home Ministries is a ministry that allows us 06:27 to work with couples and individuals 06:29 directly and also indirectly 06:31 on how to experience healthy, happy, and holy romance. 06:34 And it really grew out of our years of doing relationship 06:38 focused content on YouTube. 06:40 Back in 2014, we were searching online 06:44 trying to find resources about courtship 06:46 and just how to do this thing, 06:47 that we were both so new to 06:50 and God really allowed... 06:51 God really impressed our hearts at that time, 06:53 that if we weren't seeing what we were looking for, 06:55 why not start making content 06:57 and sharing this content online with people 06:59 about what we were experiencing 07:01 and what God was teaching us from His Word. 07:03 And by God's grace, we did that. 07:04 So we started releasing a series of different videos. 07:08 The first series was entitled The Courtship series. 07:10 And just the response that we received from people 07:13 literally all around the world 07:15 that were messaging us and sharing that, 07:17 you know, something that we had shared 07:18 had resonated with them 07:19 or that they really appreciated, 07:21 you know, the content that we were bringing in, 07:22 just the vulnerability that we have with our videos. 07:26 And we were so thankful for that. 07:27 And this truly been overwhelming 07:28 throughout the years. 07:30 In 2018, about four years later, 07:33 God blessed us with our first son. 07:35 And after he was born, 07:38 we started to really see the need for more ministry 07:43 towards the home, towards the home life. 07:46 Maybe I was starting to realize that 07:48 the weight of responsibility now on us 07:50 as parents or whatnot, 07:51 we just had to think that 07:53 the whole needs to be ministered to. 07:55 And that there's a mission for us, 07:57 I think, to address the needs of parents and families, 08:00 and husbands and wives, and daughters and sons, 08:03 and by God's grace, 08:04 that's what we sought out to do 08:06 with starting Love At Home Ministries. 08:08 And, you know, seeing the home as this, 08:11 as the center of communities, as the center of churches, 08:14 as the center of our nation 08:15 and administrators that we needed right now. 08:18 Yes, yes. 08:20 That is awesome. 08:22 You know, I've seen your YouTube channel, 08:23 I've seen some of your videos 08:24 and I have to second what everybody's saying is, 08:28 you know, I appreciate your transparency 08:30 and all of that. 08:31 And I think that that is very helpful 08:33 when dealing with the subject of relationships and marriage 08:37 and all of that stuff, 08:38 because sometimes the picture is painted as, 08:41 "Oh, you know, 08:42 once you get married, everything's perfect." 08:44 Like even if there's red flags that arise 08:46 and you ignore it. 08:47 Oh, yeah, it'll get better. 08:48 You know, people have that impression. 08:51 So what are some challenges 08:54 that guys have faced as a couple 08:57 and maybe as a married couple as well. 09:01 And how did you overcome those? 09:05 That's a great question. I'll start off. 09:07 And I think that one of the first challenge 09:08 that comes to my mind is 09:10 after our son was born 09:12 continuing to place one another 09:14 at the forefront of our relationship. 09:16 So when you have a new baby in your life, 09:18 and you're so excited to be a father, to be a mother, 09:20 sometimes you can begin 09:22 to slip as far as how much care, 09:24 how much, you know, devotion, 09:25 you really show into your spouse 09:27 and the attention that you're giving to them. 09:29 And that was an adjustment for us. 09:30 And it still is an adjustment today. 09:32 We still haven't perfect. 09:33 We're trying to get better. Right? 09:34 We're trying to get, you know, 09:36 a little bit more regimented in the, 09:37 you know, the date nights 09:39 that we'll have with one another 09:40 and just the intentional conversations 09:42 that will satisfy to make sure that we can have time 09:44 every single day to just talk and to catch up. 09:46 But it is challenging 09:48 when a child that when children come into the picture, 09:51 but that's one of the, that's an example, 09:52 one of the challenges that we faced. 09:54 Yeah. 09:55 I think in the beginning, 09:57 especially when you have 09:58 a really solid foundation of friendship, 10:00 that can be easy to just sail on through 10:03 'cause really with marriage, 10:04 you have to be very intentional. 10:06 And I think, you know, like Brandon said, 10:08 having a child open up our eyes 10:10 to the fact like, yes, you're always gonna be friends 10:12 and you like each other, 10:14 but you do have to intentionally keep sowing 10:16 into your marriage 10:18 communicating, building those memories 10:19 and those special moments together. 10:21 So we try to really apply what we tell others to do, 10:27 as we need to share, 10:28 but, you know, we have to put into application, 10:31 you know, what God has already shown us. 10:32 So that's how we try to address it now. 10:35 Amen. 10:36 So you practice what you preach. 10:38 I love it. 10:39 That's what we preach. 10:40 I love it. 10:42 So what led to the creation of Tokens of Love? 10:47 Yeah. 10:48 Tokens of Love is really, it was a multiple year journey. 10:52 The idea actually came from us putting together presentations. 10:58 So whenever we would do different seminars, 11:00 we would always try to find examples in the Bible 11:03 to give the principle for what we were sharing. 11:06 And we started noticing that every love story in the Bible 11:09 had a lesson or a token, if you would say 11:13 that we could use to apply to our relationships. 11:16 So in 2016, 11:18 we started actually just writing down the couples 11:20 we were finding in the Bible. 11:22 And then the next year after that 11:24 really challenged ourselves 11:26 to start finding what are those themes 11:28 that we can pull out from each couple, 11:30 until we finally narrowed it down 11:32 and we started writing 11:33 and, you know, it took some time 11:35 and we would, you know, lay it down 11:37 and then God would send something 11:38 to remind us, to pick it back up again. 11:40 And after our son was born, 11:42 I think that really gave us the push 11:43 that we needed to really finish the book. 11:45 And that's when Tokens of Love was born. 11:47 So we had 31 couples, 31 stories and 31 lessons 11:52 that we can take away from these Bible stories. 11:55 Wow. That's huge. 11:57 You were gonna say something, Brandon? 11:59 No, no. I was just agreeing with her. 12:01 Okay. 12:03 So, what is the structure of the book? 12:07 Yeah, so the book I should have mentioned 12:09 the book takes you through 31 different couples 12:12 and different relationships 12:13 that we see recorded in the Bible. 12:15 And then along with each day's devotional entry, 12:17 while we're also, also able to provide them 12:20 the devotional was a prayer starter 12:22 for us to have, you know, 12:24 concentrated prayer on each particular theme 12:26 and, you know, by day by day, 12:28 and then also additional scriptures 12:30 for individuals to study or couples to study. 12:33 I mean, there's just only so much 12:35 you could put into one devotional entry. 12:37 So we did our best to 12:38 also provide reference scriptures 12:40 for additional study 12:42 that folks can also entertain. 12:44 And then second, thirdly 12:47 we thought it was really important 12:48 to provide a personal reflection space. 12:50 So if you're reading this devotion 12:52 and you're going through it, 12:53 and you know, sometimes when we get devotions 12:54 we can just go day by day and not really think about 12:57 what we're actually reading 12:58 and what we're no longer receiving. 13:01 And so this personal reflection space was designed 13:03 so that individuals can, can journal and can write 13:06 in response to the devotional theme 13:07 for that day. 13:08 And when we think about 13:10 how does this practically apply to my life and to my walk 13:12 particularly around, 13:14 particularly around relationships. 13:15 And then lastly 13:16 there's a couples corner discussing question 13:18 for each day, 13:19 but we wanna encourage those 13:21 who are choosing to read this book together, 13:22 that they can have healthy conversations 13:24 with one another about these topics. 13:26 Maybe you're doing the Bible study. 13:27 Maybe you're just, 13:29 you know, reading it with your significant 13:30 other whatnot, 13:31 but these couples corners can be really helpful 13:33 to sparking conversation and dialogue 13:35 around the different things in the book. 13:37 Yes. 13:38 You know, and I love 13:40 how you have that couples corner in there 13:41 because I think I can really see 13:43 how that would enhance things. 13:45 You know, it's practical exercises 13:47 and stuff for the couples to do. 13:49 That is awesome questions to get them thinking. 13:52 Sorry. Yeah. 13:54 I think that's huge. 13:55 Now, what about for that single person 13:57 that's out there and they're like, 13:59 well, you know, 14:00 I'd like to be in a relationship one day. 14:02 I'd like to be married one day. 14:05 What do you have for them? 14:06 How can this book benefit them? 14:11 Yeah, I think I always say that, 14:14 you know, the journey to marriage 14:16 or into a relationship is a faith journey 14:18 because it really involves a total surrender 14:21 and trusting that God knows best 14:24 and He will provide what is best. 14:26 And I know even just in my own personal journey, 14:29 I had to go through that. 14:30 So, Tokens of Love, 14:31 because we're going through the different Bible stories, 14:33 what we hope readers take away, 14:35 especially if they're single, 14:37 is knowing that God cares 14:39 and that He intricately cares 14:40 about each and every person, every story, 14:43 He cares about how you experienced love. 14:45 He cares about when you're frustrated 14:47 or you're angry. 14:48 He cares about 14:50 when you're waiting for something. 14:51 There are just so many components 14:52 to relationship, 14:54 and all through the Bible we can see God's care. 14:56 And I think we, 14:57 I think when a person starts there 14:59 and they're strengthened in their faith 15:00 and their understanding that 15:02 God wants to be very involved in this area of their life 15:05 that will inspire them 15:07 as they're on that journey of preparation. 15:10 Well said, well said. 15:12 Why do you think that 15:13 the area of love and relationships 15:16 and why do you think that's such a huge, huge topic 15:20 that seems to be very high in demand? 15:23 Yes. Yeah. 15:25 Well, when you think about the fact that God, 15:26 you know, He created 15:28 this institution of marriage, right? 15:29 He created the desire in our hearts 15:33 to want companionship. 15:35 And so when you understand that, 15:37 I think it makes sense that 15:39 so many people are just attracted 15:40 to talk about love and relationships, 15:42 because we all have that little thing in our hearts 15:44 that, you know, goes off and makes us want to feel loved 15:47 or want to love someone else. 15:49 And so I think that, you know, especially today, 15:51 when we look at what's happening right now 15:53 with just the marriage rates over the last few years, 15:56 and also the divorce rate 15:57 and even the rates of cohabitation 15:59 and even most recently, the epidemic of loneliness 16:03 that we're dealing within the United States. 16:05 It's apparent that 16:06 love and relationships is on people's minds 16:10 and that individuals are seeking information, 16:12 want to know how to actually do these different things 16:15 that pertain to the matters of my heart. 16:18 And I know that, you know, 16:19 we probably don't even have research on this yet, 16:21 but the year of the COVID-19 pandemic 16:24 and we see what's transpired and just, you know, 16:26 I think that also the pressure that many homes have been under 16:29 as a result of this has also increased, 16:32 I think the desire, the need for more ministry, 16:35 more I think more getting back to God's Word. 16:39 What does it mean to have healthy, happy, 16:41 and holy romance 16:42 and healthy relationships in your home. 16:45 And how do you cultivate those happy, healthy, 16:48 you know, and holy romances in your home? 16:51 How do you go about cultivating that? 16:55 It really starts with God being the foundation. 16:58 And I know it sounds, 17:00 probably sounds a little cliche, 17:01 but really, you know, 17:03 there's nothing we can do outside of Christ 17:05 and so if you want something to be strong 17:07 and to be happy and healthy, that's gonna come from Him. 17:10 So, you know, praying together and it's so important. 17:14 One thing we have really tried to do 17:16 and be consistent with, 17:18 with our son is family worship time. 17:20 So just gathering together in the Word and prayer 17:23 can do amazing things for a family. 17:25 And when you do it on a consistent basis as well, 17:28 I think also having an understanding 17:29 of communication. 17:31 So now that we are all spending a lot of time at home 17:34 on the same four walls with each other. 17:37 Do we know how to have healthy communication habits, 17:40 you know, that can foster more love and more kindness 17:43 and those sorts of things. 17:44 So it's all about 17:45 just equipping ourselves with the skills, 17:47 but on top of the foundation of God being the center. 17:51 Amen. 17:52 Now what about finances? 17:54 You know, 'cause married couples, 17:56 you know, when they come together 17:57 and the whole financial component, 18:00 how does that factor into a happy, healthy marriage? 18:05 That's so important too. 18:06 I mean, we work with couples 18:08 and premarital coaching sessions with couples. 18:10 We've focused explicitly on finances 18:13 because, you know, many fight some money problems 18:16 is one of the leading cause of divorce in America. 18:20 And so we know that 18:21 there's so much work that needs to be done 18:23 leading up to marriage. 18:24 And even before you're in a relationship 18:26 to make sure you have those right financial principles. 18:29 So yes, understanding your finances, 18:32 understanding how to properly manage family finances. 18:35 And then I think also as a couple coming together 18:37 on the same page 18:39 on your finances, 18:40 and there like Sheretta was mentioning earlier, 18:41 just the communication. 18:43 One time I heard somebody telling me that, 18:45 you know, they and their spouse don't talk about finances 18:48 except for once a year. 18:49 And I said that just can't happen. 18:51 You can't have a healthy, happy, and holy home 18:54 with just talking about finances once a year. 18:56 So having that regular time with the communicating 18:59 and sharing about your finances 19:00 and your dreams and your goals and your plans, 19:03 it's very healthy for a relationship. 19:05 And I'd also add starting with the good financial habits. 19:08 You know, the Bible has a lot to say about 19:10 how to handle money. 19:12 And so, really building those healthy skills. 19:14 I know we all need that. 19:17 Yes, absolutely. 19:20 You guys also do premarital counseling. 19:23 What do those sessions look like? 19:25 How do you start? 19:27 How do you start with the couples? 19:29 Like what do you do? 19:31 Yeah. 19:32 So we take each couple through a customized assessment where, 19:36 you know, they fill out this sort of questionnaire 19:39 and they, then we get a report 19:41 where we can look at the different areas 19:43 of their relationship 19:44 such as, you know, how they communicate, 19:47 conflict resolution, 19:48 their thoughts on parenting in the future, et cetera. 19:51 And we walk them week by week through each of those areas 19:54 and just have discussion and also sharing, 19:57 transparent sharing of our experiences. 20:00 And I'm really just trying to, 20:01 we call it the marriage toolbox. 20:03 So we are trying to give them all the tools 20:05 that they will need 20:06 to be able to build a foundation 20:08 for a successful marriage. 20:09 And yeah, that's what we do with them. 20:14 That is wonderful. 20:16 What are some, maybe some testimonies 20:18 that you can share about 20:20 how people have been blessed by the book 20:23 and perhaps the premarital counseling? 20:28 Well, great. Yeah, that's a great question. 20:30 So I guess I would take the... 20:33 I'll take the book one first. 20:34 So we had somebody who wrote, 20:35 actually wrote an endorsement for our book 20:37 and they had reached out to us after reading it 20:41 and after receiving the book 20:43 and share that 20:44 they were going to actually purchase another book 20:46 to provide to a couple 20:48 that was on the brink of divorce. 20:50 And that was so... 20:52 That experience was so humbling for us 20:54 to realize that 20:56 someone thought so much about 20:58 what God placed on our hearts through this book 21:01 that they believe that would be a helpful resource 21:04 for somebody to rekindle their relationship 21:06 and to revive 21:08 just the happiness in their home 21:09 and hopefully, you know, keep their marriage. 21:11 And that was just an awe-inspiring moment for us. 21:15 Yes, yes. 21:17 Rekindle the flame. 21:20 That's right. That's right. 21:21 So what about the premarital counseling side? 21:26 Yeah, we've been blessed to see, 21:28 you know, different couples get married 21:30 and we certainly keep in touch after 21:33 and wanna make sure that, 21:34 you know, all is starting off well, 21:37 so I remember 21:40 this is little connected to the book as well, 21:42 but there was a couple who was courting 21:44 and they were reading the book together, 21:47 going through each entry one by one, 21:49 I'm sorry, week by week. 21:51 And they shared how the couples corner 21:54 was actually really helpful for them 21:56 getting a little bit deeper in their conversations 21:59 about their relationship 22:01 and about how God is a part of that relationship. 22:04 And I'm not saying this is because they read the book, 22:07 but they did get engaged recently 22:10 and are planning to get married. 22:11 So it's just exciting to see how, 22:13 you know, God is just using this 22:15 to facilitate the discussions that are needed. 22:18 And for people to really, as we mentioned before, 22:20 that purposeful, prayerful journey to marriage, 22:23 it's really helping people get there. 22:26 Praise the Lord. Yeah. 22:28 It sounds like the journey has been successful. 22:31 Amen. By His grace. 22:34 Amen. 22:35 Did you incur any challenges in writing this book? 22:41 Oh, we had several challenges Sheretta, 22:44 I think Sheretta mentioned earlier that, 22:46 you know, we started in 2016 22:48 with just kind of thinking about the book 22:50 and the book wasn't published until 2019. 22:52 So there was a bevy of challenges 22:54 all up and down those three years. 22:56 But I think in the, you know, in the most, 22:59 I guess when we were about to publish the book, 23:02 we sent out, you know, a query letter 23:05 and a proposal to some different agencies, 23:07 inquiring if they were going to, 23:09 you know, want to publish the book for us. 23:11 And after getting interest from these agencies, 23:15 we ultimately decided not to go the traditional publishing hub. 23:20 God impressed our hearts at that moment. 23:21 We were just struggling with like, 23:23 do we really want to go the traditional route? 23:24 Do we prefer to go self publishing? 23:26 And God reveal to us that we had the skills 23:29 and we had the resources 23:30 to be able to have to self-publish. 23:32 And so that was an overcoming 23:33 that challenge of that decision right there 23:36 and God has tremendously blessed 23:37 beyond our, you know, beyond our imagination. 23:40 Ah, praise the Lord. 23:42 I want to put up your address page. 23:46 I know that our time is dwindling down, 23:48 but I wanna put up your address. 23:51 And so people know how to get in touch with you 23:53 if they wanna book you for seminars, 23:55 if they'd like to get your book, 23:57 all of that. 23:58 So I'd like for you to read that for us. 24:02 Sure. 24:04 So the address where you can contact us 24:06 is 88 Glocker Way 24:09 #177 is the box, Pottstown, Pennsylvania 19525. 24:15 Our website is lahministries.com 24:19 and email if you want to have us speak 24:22 or you just want to get in touch with us 24:24 or interested in premarital coaching 24:26 is info@lahministries.com. 24:31 And then you could also call our phone number 24:33 at (267) 225-7115. 24:37 All right. 24:38 And that's Love At Home Ministries. 24:41 Yes. Yes, sir. 24:42 So real quick, 24:45 are there any final thoughts 24:46 that you have, Brandon or Sheretta? 24:52 Yeah. 24:54 Well, I think that 24:55 when we talk about love and relationships, 24:57 it's important for us to always remember that 25:01 courtship and marriage are really great opportunities 25:05 to enjoy companionship with one another, 25:08 but most important in our minds 25:09 is to be ready for the greatest marriage 25:11 of all to Jesus Christ 25:13 and to be ready for His soon coming. 25:15 And so, you know, as we're enjoying relationships 25:18 and seek relationships and trying, 25:20 it's trying to find our one to find our match. 25:23 It's important for us not to take our eyes off of 25:26 preparing for that great ceremony 25:29 that we want to be a part of. 25:31 And so one thing that we always tell people is that, 25:32 you know, knowing God and knowing His love 25:36 is so integral 25:38 to actually being able to love someone else. 25:41 As God transforms our lives, 25:43 as He transforms us as individuals, 25:45 we will be better able to love other people 25:48 and love that one 25:49 that God desires to bring into our lives. 25:51 We say that a life transformed is a love transformed. 25:54 Amen. I like that. 25:56 And I just... 25:58 Yes, and I would just like to add as well, 26:00 just from my personal experience, 26:02 I had gone through so many years 26:04 of not considering God as a part of my love life, 26:08 like when it came to romantic relationships 26:11 or someone being interested in me 26:12 or vice versa, 26:14 I never considered 26:15 God needing to be a part of that, 26:17 of consulting Him and talking to Him. 26:19 And, you know, 26:21 that led to a lot of really poor decisions. 26:23 But when I finally surrendered and I realized like, 26:26 no, God should very much be a part of this 26:28 just as I pray for protection, 26:30 traveling mercies and all of those things, 26:33 He should very much be a part of my relationships. 26:37 And I surrendered it over to Him. 26:38 That's when everything changed for me. 26:40 So I just wanna encourage 26:42 anyone listening to this program, 26:43 that if you haven't surrendered, 26:45 you know, your love life to God, 26:47 if you haven't included Him along the way, 26:49 it's not too late. 26:50 And you can certainly do that 26:51 because He is the one who has created this 26:53 and He knows best. 26:55 And He certainly always has a plan 26:57 more than we could ever imagine. 26:59 Amen. 27:00 Excellent, excellent advice. 27:02 And that just shows people 27:03 why they need to go get this book. 27:05 They need to pick up Tokens of Love. 27:09 Go get it, go get Tokens of Love. 27:12 Real quick, what would be your favorite Bible couple? 27:18 For me that is Hosea and Gomer. 27:20 I love the story of forgiveness that we see recorded there 27:24 and just how it reflects God's love 27:25 and His forgiveness towards us and His children. 27:28 Yeah. 27:30 It's hard to pick a favorite, 27:31 but the one that I think really resonated with me 27:35 was Nabal and Abigail 27:36 and just seeing her love come through 27:40 when he was very unlovable. 27:42 I think that's what we called it, 27:43 loving the unlovable. 27:45 So just learning how to deal with that. 27:46 Wow. That's huge. 27:48 Well, thank you so much for coming on 27:49 and sharing with us today, 27:51 and we wanna thank you for joining us. 27:53 Well, we've reached the end of another program. 27:54 Join us next time and remember, 27:56 it just wouldn't be the same without you. |
Revised 2021-04-19