Five reasons why monogamous relationships are healthy

From the time of the creation of first humans, men and women were meant to live in monogamous relationships. "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh." Gen. 2:24 Is it possible to tear flesh apart? Of course, but the result is extreme pain, trauma, and lifelong scars.

The sixth and ninth commandments confirm the Creator's intention regarding lifestyle. The Israelites were told not to commit adultery and not to covet a neighbor's wife. Jesus further sanctified marriage by performing His first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana.

Again, God confirmed that long-term, monogamous relationships are the ideal.

Why did an all-wise God establish this criterion? It was not for His good; He needs nothing from humans. It was for the benefit of the people He loved. Monogamous unions promote the spiritual, emotional, physical and financial health of individuals and the societies in which they live.

Following are five reasons why monogamous relationships are healthy:

1. Spiritual health. Happy, settled families are likely to live at peace with God and with the society in which they live. Because a married couple has energy and resources, they are more likely to reach out to others in need and in doing so, they may be led to thank God for the blessings and advantages they themselves enjoy.

2. Emotional health. Long-term couples have less stress; they are seldom lonely. Each one has a partner with whom to share joys and trials. In times of trouble they have the support of family members and friends to rely upon. They have established routines and traditions which help both day-to-day events and special occasions run smoothly.

3. Physical health. By having only one sexual partner, individuals avoid the STDs so prevalent in today's society: HIV-Aids, herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and other distressing and debilitating diseases. In addition, a caring partner will see that their spouse eats well, gets enough sleep and visits the doctor when necessary. It has been proven that married people live longer than their single counterparts.

4. Material well-being. Long-term monogamous relationships contribute to the prosperity of both partners. There are two to contribute to the family coffers and to pay off financial obligations. Large purchases are discussed and impulse buying avoided. Settled couples are more likely to eat at home, spend evenings at home and save on restaurant and entertainment bills. There are many opportunities to save as a couple: one residence, family insurance coverage, one donation to charities, one bill for utilities, and one gift to buy from both, on special occasions.

5. Finally, monogamous relationships are the healthiest types of building blocks for building and maintaining a healthy society. The family is the smallest social unit. It should be permanent. Children need a secure environment in which to grow. They need dependable, consistent male and female role models. Since time immemorial, the family has been the best context in which to raise a child, and children are the future. A progressive, healthy society can only be built on stable family units, in which the parents are devoted to each other and to their offspring.

God knew best when He mandated monogamous relationships for His people. Is a lifelong marriage easy to achieve? No. Will there be bumps in the road? Bumps? Sometimes even mountains! However, lifelong marriage remains the ideal toward which everyone should strive. God knows we are imperfect human beings. Sometimes we make bad choices, we fail, and we fall. There is not one of the Commandments that hasn't been broken by many of us. We must accept the graces God sends us, not give in to despair and keep striving toward the ideal. The most fortunate among us, with His help, will attain it.

 

Aaronic Blessing

 

 

 Numbers 6:22-27

 The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.

 New Year's Eve, 2012 A.D.

A theory of soul

My mother died of a brain tumour in 1976. For the last two weeks of her life she was in a coma, in the hospital. She was completely non-responsive. As I sat by her bed, I wondered. "Where is she?" Obviously, her physical body was there, in front of me, in the hospital bed. It was her soul that I wondered about.

As a Christian, I believed that humans are made up of body and soul. The body is physical, made of matter, created by God to live on earth for a limited time, and then to die. I was in the process of witnessing the final stage of Mom's bodily existence. It was heartbreaking, because she was the best parent anyone could ever have been privileged to have.

It would have been more bearable if I could have been assured that her soul or spirit, her essence, the part of her that knew and loved me, her grandchildren, our other family members and friends was no longer there, or perhaps was poised on the brink of eternity, ready and anxious to shed this gravely-ill body and proceed on the journey to her heavenly home.

I asked the devout hospital chaplain who had presided at the passing of numerous patients. "Father Michael, where is Mother's soul right now?"

He tried but he couldn't give me an answer that satisfied me. "Maybe God has some matters to take up with her before she goes. Or, perhaps she's using up some of her time in Purgatory."

That really didn't suffice. God was soon to have all eternity to sort things out with Mother. Besides, the Sacrament of the Sick, which she had received, removed all punishment due to sins committed during life. She shouldn't have to spend any time in Purgatory. Those were his best guesses, so I didn't press for more. But I continued to wonder.

For over 30 years, I've continued to wonder. The puzzle had become extended during this time, it now included those with brain injuries, Alzheimer's sufferers, even surgical patients under anaesthetic. Where is the person's soul during these times?

The body is physical, but the soul is spirit. Anaesthetics, trauma or disease should not be able affect the spirit, should it? Then, one night recently I finally heard an answer that made sense to me.

I've formed the habit of listening to the "Coast to Coast" radio program with George Noory on my Sony Walkman during the night. It helps when I can't sleep, and George's soothing voice doesn't disturb my slumbers, when I do nod off.

Some of the guests have very far-out ideas, some have vivid imaginations, and others are very interesting. One evening, a call-in listener who had been pondering the same puzzle as I had, came up with what seemed to me to be a reasonable explanation.

The brain is physical, it is part of the body. Its function is to collect information from the earth plane, using the five senses and to transfer the data to the mind. The brain is like a computer. It gathers information and transmits it to the mind. The computer can be damaged, or it can crash entirely.

The mind, or soul is spirit. During life, it receives and processes information the brain transmits. The mind thinks, makes decisions, feels emotions, knows people and places the body has been in contact with during life. The mind is superior to the brain. It is eternal.

When the brain becomes diseased, unconscious, or anaesthetized, the computer stops working. The mind is still present and functional, but the connection to the brain has been broken.

Where is the mind, during these times? Probably hovering near, as radio, TV and electrical waves are always around us, even when no receiving device is plugged in.

When the brain is out-of-order, the mind doesn't break through into the physical realm to make its presence known. It probably hovers near the ailing body, waiting to be fully released from its mortal bond. When the brain dies, the soul or mind proceeds to its eternal home.

I have no theological authorities to confirm this theory, I can only state that it satisfies me. After more than 30 years, I feel I know where Mother's mind was during those final days when she was in a coma. She was very near all the time, probably praying for her loved ones to be given peace and courage, even as we prayed for her to have an easy journey to her heavenly home.  

Love

Christmas in Heaven

 

I see the countless Christmas Trees
around the world below,
with tiny lights, like heaven's stars,
reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular,
please wipe away that tear,
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear,
but the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you,
the joy their voices bring,
for it is beyond description,
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me.
I see the pain inside your heart,
but I am not so far away.
We really aren't apart.

So be happy for me dear ones.
You know I hold you dear,
and be glad I'm spending Christmas,
with Jesus Christ this year.

I send you each a special gift,
from my heavenly home above.
I send you each a memory of,
my undying love.

After all "LOVE" is the gift,
more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important
in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other,
as my Father said to do,
for I can't count the blessings
or love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas
and wipe away that tear,
Remember, I'm spending Christmas,
with Jesus Christ this year.                           Author unknown

 

Haiku: God

Add caption

                                                      

Awesome uncaused Cause, 

Creator of all that is,

Unfathomable.

Why Go to Church?

 

Why Go to Church?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

                                                      Anon.