Hot Topics ~ Jon and Kate

I admit it, I do not watch Jon and Kate + 8. Of course I've heard about them, I'm an avid news watcher and their mixed up lives have been all over the news lately.

Last night I was on Twitter reading tweets from Iran. (Yes, this is what I do in my down time.) And I noticed that Jon and Kate were trending #2, so I figured that something must be going on. I clicked on the trend and read what people were saying about them. It is amazing to me how these 10 lives have affected so many people.

I really did not want to watch the impending news of their divorce, I knew it was going to be very sad and upsetting. But then people kept tweeting about this woman's dirty feet and I started to get curious- how dirty can Kate's feet really be???

So I changed the channel from Mark's war stories show and saw the last 15 minutes of the program (he begrudgingly let me!).

We both sat there and watched this couple explain to millions of viewers that they were divorcing. They each shared all the silly little cliche's that people do when they have nothing else to say, for instance:"things will work out, we'll get through this", "change is hard but it's good - right?" And so on and so on.

It was awful. I was so sad about what a mess their lives were, and watching them in the past-playing with the kids- just amplified this, so much so that I forgot to even look at her feet.

In 15 minutes I gathered that these are obviously two very deeply wounded people who don't have a clue what being married is really all about. And I'm sure that the lights of Hollywood have dimmed the truth that they may have known at one time.

It seems I've heard that they were Christians??? Not sure, but I thought someone told me that once, but I don't see the evidence of two people bulding their lives on the proper foundation so I wonder. Like I said, I have never seen the show before so I can't comment on that.

But I will say that if Mark and I were sitting down with them to talk about their marriage, we would say the same thing that we have said to countless other couples facing an impending divorce....

The marriage problems are not the problem, they are a symptom of a greater problem. The real problem here is Jon's individual relationship with the Lord and Kate's individual relationship with the Lord.

If you deal with the symptoms, you'll never get to the real problem and you will repeat this cycle in your life...in many different ways....until you address the actual cause of all this pain.

It's kind of like having two broken legs and putting a bandaid on your knee. It won't help you walk. Your legs are broken! Deal with the broken part and then you can walk.

This couple is broken. There is only One that is truly equipped to "fix" them. He can and wants to heal these shattered lives.

And of course, we would say: "Stop the show, deal with your lives." Did the show cause the divorce- NO. But it's certainly not helping. The TV show exposed what was in their hearts. That's what pressure does, it squeezes out the true motives and agendas that are inside of us and exposes our hearts. The good, the bad and the dirty feet-out there for all the world to see.

I believe that if this couple would humble themselves before the Lord, they would start their healing. They need individual healing first and then healing of the marriage.

I pray this happens.

What do you think??

What's you niche?

Do you ever hear something and say, "oh I am sooo going to blog about that?"
I know you do!
I had one of those moments last night.


Hubby and I were watching tv late last night....let me clarify this picture for you...


I was laying next to him in the bed while he was channel surfing and stopping on any particular channel just long enough for me to either:

1. Wish he would leave it on this channel.

2. Cringe as he slowed down on something like...the worst job guy or the oil drillers or worse yet...the horrible show about the men out on the crab boats for months at a time- surely the most depressing tv out there!



So back to my story. He's flipping through channels and he passes (quickly I might add) the one with Denise Richards reality show. Now, I have never watched this show and don't have a very high opinion of her but I was curiuos, so I said- "oh can we watch that for just a minute?!"


Sighing, he complied.


Well, she was sitting with a young man, who turned out to be her nephew, explaining why she had appeared in a certain pornographic magazine.

When we stopped on it she was saying, "do you have any questions, do you understand?" And this young man was just sitting there blushing and shaking his head no.

She then went on to explain to him that she makes a living being sexy. "It's my niche" she said.


At that point, I shouted "Her niche?! Are you kidding me???!!!"

Seeing where this was going, Mark quickly turned the channel, I'm sure hoping to avoid a 20 minute dialogue on how shallow and ridiculous that was.


I ended my outburst with, "I am soooo going to blog about that!"
To which he smiled, rolled his eyes and said "of course you are" then stopped the channel on the second Bourne movie as he knew that would capture my attention and distract my rantings.
(Love the Bourne movies!)


So my point is, she truly believed that was her niche. First of all, can I tell you how sad that is? Yes, I know that many women live this way, but to hear it so blatantly declared on national tv and yet seem proud of this niche. Oh girls, please let us have a more important and purposeful niche! I am sure God has a much better niche for her, but unfortunately she has not found it yet and she is settling for a shallow and meaningless existence.


Let's not make the same mistake.
Let's not forget the high calling on our lives.

Here's a niche for you...
to find joy in who our God is and live that joy out
in front of this world to draw them to His heart!

Love this verse:
Exodus 9:16
But I have raised you up for this very purpose,
that I might show you my power
and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
NIV



Yes, pray for Denise. She's a living human being who needs to know her Savior.


Pray also that God would show you the niche He's given you so that you could show others His goodness. And if you already know it...let it shine girl!


My hope is in Him,
Sue

Hot Topics

I have always wanted to do a talk show like The View, but from a Christian point of View. My girlfriend and I did a couple mock talkshows for our ladies ministry called, “The Way We See It” and had a blast. We even invited guests like “Mertha Stewart” and “Super Ninny” (aka Super Nanny).

You seemed to really enjoy the Victoria Beckham post, so, I’m thinking that I am going to start doing Hot Topics on Praise and Coffee. I think that we all have a lot to say about things and we need a good outlet to get our point of VIEW out don’t you think??? Maybe some producer will pick this up and I’ll be calling you to be guests on the show! : P

Today’s topics: Hollywood’s Young Starlets
You can’t turn on a news channel without hearing about the young Starlets gone astray these days. Lindsay, Brittany, Paris….the list goes on.
My heart breaks for these young girls, they are so lost and in need of a Savior.


Eph 4:17-19
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
NIV

This is a good description of where they are now, but how did they get there?
We don’t really know the whole story in their lives, but they’re real drama is that they don’t have a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord would fill every hurt and need that they have. He would show them healthy boundaries and give them hope for tomorrow.

I am so sad for these young girls who are struggling to find out who they are and what their purpose is. They obviously haven’t found the love of God, so they flounder in front of the world and the world is not kind to them in the process.

Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
NIV

I think the word LOST best describes the state that these kids are in.

So, we should pray for them. Yes.
However, I don’t believe that means that we also stand idly by and let them dictate the culture to our children.
We talk to our kids about it. We teach them what God’s Word says.
We help our daughters/sons avoid these pitfalls by teaching them that they are created by God for a purpose.

To know Him and make Him known.
I just love Him and His love has so radically changed my life, that I want these hurting people to know that love too!
Dont' you?!

Love,
Sue