Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.10, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# Marriage Anchors

Anchor your Marriage to Christ

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://marriageanchors.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [The Gospel on the Front Lines: Message #6](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/09/01/the-gospel-on-the-front-lines-message-6/) - "Oh Jesus, I’m lost forever," cried a woman. The Revival by God that started in Wales in 1859 had spread. Hundreds of thousands of people repented. They cried out for Jesus to save them from their sin and eternal damnation. They came under conviction that they were out of options. They wanted Jesus and Him
- [The Gospel on the Front Lines: Message #1](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/07/07/the-gospel-on-the-front-lines-message-1/) - My first office 41 years ago was in a basement built over a sewer. Some days the stench was so bad, I could not even go in there! I was a bumbling 2nd Lieutenant stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. The building was very old surviving several European wars. Funny how history repeats itself. Today I am
- [The Gospel on the Front Lines: Message #2](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/07/12/the-gospel-on-the-front-lines-message-2/) - It was night. I was 16 on a church group ferry boat trip across Lake Michigan. Mother Nature had other plans. Terror hit us over the deep! Half way across this vast body of water, a massive storm hit with a ferocity Iv'e never seen before. The waves swelled 20 to 25 feet high. The
- [The Gospel on the Front Lines: Message #3](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/07/22/the-gospel-on-the-front-lines-message-3/) - When was the last time you wept over something? For most of us, it has been awhile. I remember weeping over the loss of my first wife after she succumbed to a 7 year battle against cancer. I remember shedding a tear when my dad died. I really lost it when we had to put
- [The Gospel on the Front Lines: Message #4](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/08/02/the-gospel-on-the-front-lines-message-4/) - His scoped rifle was pointed right at me! This Communist Czechoslovakian Iron Curtain tower guard had me in his cross hairs. As an Army Lieutenant, it was my duty that day to take a military jeep deep in the German forest and inspect the border between Germany and Communist Czechoslovakia. I told my jeep driver
- [The Gospel on the Front Lines: Message #5](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/08/18/the-gospel-on-the-front-lines-message-5/) - The wretched man knew his time was up. His hour had come. His life had been a shambles up until this point. He had lived for himself. His objective all these years was to look out for Old Number One. He was selfish, wanting the best things in life at the expense of others. After
- [Your Anchor](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/03/25/your-anchor/) - Have you once and for all settled the question, do you belong to God? Are you going to Heaven? Are you a child of God? Is Jesus Christ really your personal Lord, Savior, and Master? Who is your anchor in life? When all else fails you, will your anchor also fail you? When others betray
- [Your Anchor: Don't leave port without Him!](https://marriageanchors.com/2012/05/18/your-anchor-dont-leave-port-without-him/) - Have you once and for all settled the question, do you belong to God? Are you going to Heaven? Are you a child of God? Is Jesus Christ really your personal Lord, Savior, and Master? Who is your anchor in life? When all else fails you, will your anchor also fail you? When others betray
- [Mercy and Truth Together Forever!](https://marriageanchors.com/2026/04/13/mercy-and-truth-together-forever/) - Proverbs 3:3 is a great verse promoting balance. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:" KJV From the New Testament, please read John Chapter 8:1-11. If Jesus were only merciful when He rescued the young woman caught in the act of adultery,
- [Armor Up! #4](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/02/17/armor-up-4/) - It makes sense. The next piece of God’s Armor that we must put on are: Shoes for your Feet, having put on the Readiness given by the Gospel of Peace At West Point, the United States Military Academy, we often wore rugged combat boots. Ah yes! If you’ve worn them in 90 degree humid weather
- [Becoming a Gospel Light Marriage](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/09/15/becoming-a-gospel-light-marriage/) - Maintain your First Love Be Devoted to your Mate Find a Foxhole Buddy While I was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York over 50 years ago, our trainers decided they wanted us to excel in character development and combat readiness. What fun they had planned for us! On
- [Marriage Anchor 8: Establish and enforce strong moral fences.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/233/) - Battle Casualty The following story is fictitious but similar destruction of good families occurs regularly in America. The Devil is the enemy of your soul and he seeks to determine the outcome of your character and your witness for Christ. Be on the alert! Pastor Dave was a good man. He loved
- [Armor Up! #2](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/01/30/armor-up-2/) - You are in the battle right now. The first of God’s Armor pieces we must put on is: The Belt of Truth All of God’s Word, the Bible, is all of God…inspired, infallible, eternal, all true, always. The Apostate Church which is growing in number, refuses this. They wallow in tragic kindness. For them, it
- [Be Christ’s Disciple:  Be Accountable](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/06/02/be-christs-disciple-be-accountable/) - “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Peter 5:8 ESV) From over 44 years of ministry, I’ve learned an important principle regarding following Jesus and being His disciple. “Godly wisdom is learning to trust yourself less and less each day and learning to entrust yourself to
- [Have You Chosen?](https://marriageanchors.com/2026/01/22/have-you-chosen/) - 1. Have you chosen to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ no matter the cost? Yes No Considering “…choose this day whom you will serve, …But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 ESV Friend, are you choosing to promote yourself, grab the world’s notice, or
- [What Your Mate Needs](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/09/14/what-your-mate-needs/) - 1. Your mate needs blessings, not insults. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. I Peter 3:9 You might be thinking, “Now wait a minute! You’re saying I need to be kind and supportive toward my
- [Envoy Part 10](https://marriageanchors.com/2025/12/09/envoy-part-10/) - Psalm 46:10 (NIV): “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Be Still? Dear friends, Six years ago, after four grand mal seizures, my life changed dramatically. Though medication stopped the seizures, I found myself mostly bedridden, with only rare, good days. Even as my body rested, I realized my heart was restless and searching for peace. Recently, God brought this verse to my attention. I asked, “Lord, how can I be more still when I already spend most of my time in bed?” But God showed me that true stillness isn’t just about our bodies—it’s about our hearts. Outwardly, I seemed calm, but inside, I was struggling for control and comfort. God gently revealed that my desire for control, not just to reduce fear or pain, was keeping me from true peace. I had to admit that sometimes I don’t like that God is in charge, especially when His timing and ways are different from mine. But I’m learning that His discipline is an honor—a sign of His love and care. Proverbs 15:5 reminds us, “A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds correction is prudent”. So, to all of you Envoys for the Lord walking a hard road, let’s be honest about our struggles and let God work in His way. When pain or anxiety is greatest, can you see the honor in His loving discipline? I’m not asking you to feel it right away, but to trust and obey by the power of the Holy Spirit, who helps us beyond our own strength. 2 / 2 You are not alone. God bless you, still ones. With love, Anne Borgen https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen
- [envoy   Part 3](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/03/22/envoy-part-3/) - "Known" He knows us far better than we know ourselves... Romans 8:27 (paraphrased) It was the 2nd surgery in three months. I sat alone in the hospital getting prepped for surgery. The nurse came in. We'll call her Suzie. She couldn't get my I.V. started in my right arm so we talked as she tried
- [envoy   Part 2](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/03/14/envoy-part-2/) - I lost most of my friends, pushed everyone away, and went into years of desperation and loneliness.
- [Envoy Part 9](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/05/26/envoy-part-9/) - Let Us Choose the Narrow Path It will not be easy; the battle is real. At least for me, it is natural to want to defend myself and run as far away from that horrible cross as possible! Yet if I choose the unnatural and deny myself, what then? What if I choose the narrow
- [Envoy Part 8](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/05/24/envoy-part-8/) - Traversing The Mine Field of Relationships God needs me to trust Him with each person in my life, loyal or not. He wants me to show steadfast lovingkindness and forgiveness to even those who bruise my soul and who do not seek my best interest. Here is where I must state a truth: Loving and
- [Envoy Part 7](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/05/23/envoy-part-7/) - Give Thanks No Matter the Cross “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14 NIV God has designed and ordained our lives from conception to earthly departure. There are many who do not yet grasp that
- [envoy  Part 6](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/05/04/envoy-part-6/) - Trust Him ‘And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”’ Matthew 26:39 NASB Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was honest with His Father about the hardship of His
- [envoy  Part 5](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/04/05/envoy-part-5/) - Night Watches Have you ever cried out to the Lord with such earnestness of soul that it can go on throughout an entire night? I found my soul searching and crying out for God this way. I would cry out with all that I had, and He would answer me in the night. "Things are
- [envoy   Part 4](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/03/29/envoy-part-4/) - God is with you. v10 "… He's here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” v16 “The angel of the Lord replied, ‘even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. (Manoah did not realize that it
- [envoy   Part 1](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/03/08/desperate-and-helpless/) - My eyes squeezed shut. I could feel the paramedics trying to inject medication into my arm to override my systems malfunction.
- [The Scent of Sacrifice](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/11/12/the-scent-of-sacrifice/) - Autumn is upon us. We were watching our wonderful church service on line. Covid-19 has changed our lives at least until most people are vaccinated. On line church is not the same as being in person experiencing fellowship, hugs, handshakes, smiles, and a nice cup of coffee. Our church, like many worldwide, is doing its
- [Compassion Meets Truth](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/10/13/compassion-meets-truth/) - Send Comments to: Jim.Grunseth@Cru.Org Our nation and our churches are in trouble. When I watch or listen to the news, there is a growing indication that virtue is a lost commodity. The media jumps from one trouble spot to another, from one terrible murder to another, from one terrorist attack to another, and from one
- [Nearing Thunder](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/12/21/nearing-thunder/) - I love middle ages castle movies like Robbin Hood and Camelot and those stories where the castle walls are thick and high, the moat deep, and the castle inhabitants safe. At West Point, we studied the History of Military Art and Warfare. Much changed when gun powder came on the scene. So instead of having
- [Dad, I Just Want You To Hold Me!](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/06/02/dad-i-just-want-you-to-hold-me/) - I remember my Dad, an imperfect but very faithful man. Married almost 61 years, a WWII Medic in the Battle of the Bulge, a Principle for 37 years. A stoic man, not much for emotions but a kind hearted man in so many ways. One day, when I was 27, he and I
- [Empathy…the Art of Caring Deeply for Another](https://marriageanchors.com/2022/08/09/empathythe-art-of-caring-deeply-for-another/) - --Placing another person in your heart above yourself. Friends, most of us never took a class in school entitled EMPATHY 101. I have been mentoring married and engaged couples for 35 years and with my wife, Barbara, for 28 years. Marriages, families, and homes need Spirit-led Empathy. Here is what we have trained couples to
- [Armor Up! #7](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/02/17/armor-up-7/) - The final two pieces of God’s Armor are: -The Sword of the Spirit Which is the Word of God -Praying Always in the Spirit This first piece, the Sword, is essential. I have actually had beloved people from apostate churches try to use the Word of God to shame me or call me names. Gee.
- [Be Christ’s Disciple:  Put Christ First](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/05/22/be-christs-disciple-put-christ-first/) - “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV) A Christian disciple is much more than one who is saved, sins forgiven, and the glad recipient of eternal life. A disciple is one who has counted the cost. A disciple is a born again person
- [Night in America.          Darkness Prevails.](https://marriageanchors.com/2012/11/09/night-in-america-darkness-prevails/) - "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God." Abraham Lincoln 1863 From Church and State in the United States New York:
- [Trust Him When Your Life Screams Not To](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/09/02/trust-him-when-your-life-screams-not-to/) - At least once in your life, you will be brought to the end of your rope. You will wonder where God is. You will doubt if He is really for you. You will question if He is working on your behalf. I confess during my first wife’s 7 year battle with terminal cancer (diagnosed at age
- [Be Christ’s Disciple:               Be Steadfast](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/05/28/be-christs-disciple-be-steadfast/) - “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1Corinthians 15:58 ESV) No one is perfectly steadfast except Jesus. However, may this be our goal as we press into Him and abide in His presence moment by moment. I confess
- [Go After Your Loved Ones](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/12/08/go-after-your-loved-ones/) - What is important to you and your marriage this Christmas season? You are probably like us. We find ourselves wrapped up in way too many great activities, some we enjoy and some we endure. I confess that last Saturday, I was wallowing in the frenzied intensity of Christmas Shopping with my wife, Barbara. We drove
- [Who are you focusing on in your marriage?](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/11/06/787/) - Have you ever asked yourself this question? After years of mentoring couples, we find many are focusing on what God has provided them instead of focusing on the One who provides. Here is the problem. You marry the love of your life. You step down off the marriage altar and begin to zero in on your
- [Strengthen Your Marriage by Nurturing Your Mate](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/09/25/strengthen-your-marriage-by-nurturing-your-mate/) - Why is it that some gardens do better than others? The answer is they are nurtured. Good soil, fertilizer, careful planting, proper spacing, weeding, and watering all play their part. The same goes for your marriage. I once planted a small garden. I planted it in May but I did not go back to it
- [Resolving Conflict](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/31/resolving-conflict/) - The majority of marriages today never fully resolve conflict. How do you resolve conflict? How do you settle fights, disagreements, and tiffs? From almost 30 years of helping marriages and families, it is clear that one thing is true! Is it any wonder why 50% of marriages break up! Being a rather sinful person and
- [Marriage Anchor 1: Possess the highest view of God.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/08/anchor-1-possess-the-highest-view-of-god/) - At the age of 28, I had a wife and 2 very small children; a boy and a girl. I worked hard with long hours at my company. My wife was home with the kids. When I was home I was tired and tended to be pre-occupied with work and earning the approval of my
- [Marriage Anchor 2: Focus on the Provider and not on the provision.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/08/anchor-2-focus-on-the-provider-and-not-on-the-provision/) - After years of mentoring couples, we find many are focusing on what God has provided them instead of focusing on the One who provides. We try to help them first look to God so they can properly see their mate. Here is the dilemma. You marry the love of your life. You step down off
- [Marriage Anchor 3: Surrender this hour.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/08/anchor-3-surrender-this-hour/) - Typically when we think of “surrender”, we think of giving up, tossing the towel in, or giving in to the opposing forces’ demands. In the spring of 1865, General Lee had to make the most difficult decision of his life. The following is an eyewitness account: With his army surrounded, his men weak and exhausted,
- [Marriage Anchor 4: Look for the Ancient Path.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/anchor-4-look-for-the-ancient-path/) - Jennie, a young lady in her early 30’s, went for a relaxed, peaceful walk in a national park. The sky was blue, the air fresh, and the trees whispered in the breeze. She chose a well worn path that many hikers often took. After about ten minutes, she came to a fork in the trail.
- [Marriage Anchor 5: "Hesed" your mate no matter what.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/anchor-5-hesed-your-mate-no-matter-what/) - In the Old Testament book of Hosea God commands a man to marry and love an unfaithful woman called Gomer. She even became a harlot after their marriage and Hosea has to buy her out of sexual slavery. So much for her keeping her vows! The year was about 710 B.C. and God had called
- [Marriage Anchor 6: Rest in what Jesus has decided about you.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/anchor-6-rest-in-what-jesus-has-decided-about-you/) - Bob and his wife, Maria, are in a rut. They each feel like they cannot measure up to what they need to be. Bob struggles being a few pounds overweight, very impatient, and, always trying to earn praise from his bosses at work. He has some health issues but does not want anyone knowing about
- [Marriage Anchor 7: What is best for your marriage will be best for your family, in-laws, church, work, and community.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/anchor-7-what-is-best-for-your-marriage-will-be-best-for-your-family-in-laws-church-work-and-community/) - Trying to blend two families is like putting rocks and a wet towel in a blender, turning it on, and expecting God to create a delicious smoothie. Barbara had three kids and I had four! The kid’s ages ranged from 10 to 17. We were sort of the Brady Bunch on steroids! My first wife
- [Marriage Anchor 9: Empathy – The art of caring deeply.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/anchor-9-empathy-the-art-of-caring-deeply/) - "A marriage without empathy becomes nothing more than a cold business arrangement between two people..." Imagine that you and your mate are vacationing in Paris, France and you are each having your own little picnic on opposite shores of the Seine River. You have your blanket spread out on the left river bank.
- [Marriage Anchor 10: Finances – A blessing or a curse.](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/07/07/anchor-10-finances-a-blessing-or-a-curse/) - "Next to marital infidelity and rejecting your mate as God’s gift and provision for you, poor financial management and stewardship will rapidly strain, strangle, and destroy a once wonderful marriage." This financial anchor is really about godly stewardship. It is about obeying and trusting God and managing humbly and properly all of the resources He
- [Establishing Anchors In Your Marriage](https://marriageanchors.com/2010/02/11/hello-world/) - Anchor 1: Possess the highest view of God. At the age of 28, I had a wife and 2 very small children; a boy and a girl. I worked hard with long hours at my company. My wife was home with the kids. When I was home I was tired and tended to be pre-occupied
- [Trouble This Easter?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/03/29/trouble-this-easter/) - He is risen but much of the world does not know or embrace this! We are facing very challenging times. There is trouble in the land. God's holy, sacred, and ordained institution, marriage, is under direct broadside assault. Perversion is the darling of our culture. Evil is good. Good is evil. Many churches are listing.
- [Peace in your Marriage?](https://marriageanchors.com/2014/02/27/peace-in-your-marriage/) - Tom wept in my office last night. Marita, Tom's new wife of less than a year, lives six states away. There are some road blocks hindering them from being together. They are on two different sheets of music when it comes to understanding roles in the marital relationship and submitting unconditionally to the Lord Jesus
- [He Will Quiet You                   By His Love.](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/02/19/he-will-quiet-you-by-his-love/) - “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV Bold added) It is possible that you have suffered a father wound from your past. You might
- [Learn From the Geranium](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/09/08/learn-from-the-geranium/) - My wife, Barbara, loves flowers and gardening. I like them too, but I don’t like planting, weeding, or watering them. Basically I have a brown thumb. On the front step she has a nice, red, potted geranium plant. It really is beautiful. Have you ever wondered why? If you were to water it, wait for 2
- [Seek First](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/12/08/seek-first/) - I have sought many things in my life. Some things have been lofty and virtuous. Some have been rotten and ugly. Who wants to stand up on a table at church, work, or at home and shout, “I’m telling everybody I know…I’m a wretched, stinking, rotten sinner and here are the specific ways I’ve let God
- [To The Other Side](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/11/19/to-the-other-side/) - “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39 ESV Bold added) We are in the midst of our next United States presidential election. Covid-19 infections are not going away. There are still many people in our cities and now suburbs
- [Good Will is God’s Way](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/11/13/good-will-is-gods-way/) - The Apostle Paul said, “15 Some preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here (in prison) for the defense of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:15-16 ESV Bold added) I had to ask myself this morning, “Am I a man of good will or do I
- [Prepare and Straighten](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/11/17/prepare-and-straighten/) - ‘2 As is it written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark 1:2-3 ESV Bold added) John, the Baptizer, was a true prophet of God who was prophesied about in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi
- [Fireflies Shine Brightest When It Is Darkest](https://marriageanchors.com/2015/08/24/fireflies-shine-brightest-when-it-is-darkest/) - Raji groaned as he drove to work. “I’m fed up with our culture! It stinks! My Christian faith is being mocked and put down almost every time I turn on the radio or watch TV. What is wrong with people! Don’t they realize sin is sin and there are serious consequences for it?” “And the
- [Rest by the Quiet Waters](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/09/13/rest-by-the-quiet-waters/) - Imagine you are far from the din of city noise or people interacting. You are sitting down on thick soft grass under a beautiful shade tree. A gentle stream is quietly flowing next to you about 8 feet away. There is a whisper of a breeze and it’s around 70 degrees F. You are aware that you are not
- [Choose the Narrow Path](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/08/31/choose-the-narrow-path/) - Have you ever gone hiking? If you’ve been in the military like many of us, you’ve gone on many fun and exciting hikes. Hm! Seemingly, the best way to hike is to find the smoothest, widest, path…one that was made or repaved recently. Ah yes! Easy, wide, smooth. My self-centered nature prefers that path which gives me what
- [Stay Your Thoughts on Him](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/08/27/stay-your-thoughts-on-him/) - Have you ever pondered a thought with intentionality? Have you studied something to the point that others wondered when “you’d come up for air”? I’m not too good at meditating. My mind tends to travel so fast I feel like a jack rabbit running on a hot bed of coals. I’ve seen people in art
- [Seek Him When the Ducks Are Nibbling](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/08/27/seek-him-when-the-ducks-are-nibbling/) - I went to an animal petting farm with our family when the kids were young. If you’ve not been to one, the experience is memorable. I loved holding the little chicks and petting the sheep, goats, and cows. At the same time, I was looking for that alcohol hand sanitizer! As I was slowly meandering
- [Hope in the Hidden Places](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/08/26/hope-in-the-hidden-places/) - I went for a walk in a mature pine forest near Wisconsin Dells. It was a beautiful summer morning. The sky was blue, the sun up, and the stillness armongst the tall pines was dripping with calm. I found a nice tree and I sat down on the thick, soft bed of pine needles that
- [Be Christ’s Disciple:  Give generously](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/06/02/be-christs-disciple-give-generously/) - “9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV Bold added) At the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, our math instructors drilled into us the importance of the “=” sign. The idea is this:
- [Be Christ’s Disciple:  Develop World Vision](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/06/02/be-christs-disciple-develop-world-vision/) - “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV) Whether it is the Fast Food ‘drive thru’ employee passing you your burgers or the entire world (7.6+ Billion souls), Jesus’ passion is for
- [Be Christ’s Disciple:  Serve Others](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/05/28/be-christs-disciple-serve-others/) - “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 ESV) “You will know you are a servant when people start treating you like one.” Perhaps this is why servanthood, though sounding popular, is not all that sought after. Have you ever
- [Be Christ’s Disciple: Separate from the World](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/05/26/be-christs-disciple-separate-from-the-world/) - “15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from
- [Armor Up! #5](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/02/17/armor-up-5/) - Take Up the Shield of Faith This God-given trust is brought to the Christian Warrior who yearns for Him, seeks Him, desires to be with Him, and who cries out to Him. It is a faith not in one’s own efforts. Rather, it is a humble confidence in who God is and what His Word
- [Armor Up! #6](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/02/17/armor-up-6/) - Next, you will want to: Take the Helmet of Salvation Those of us who have served in the Armed Forces know how important one’s helmet is. To go into conflict without your helmet would be like scuba diving 100 feet below the surface with no air in your tank! This really is the Lord’s helmet
- [Armor Up! #3](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/02/12/armor-up-3/) - The second of God’s Armor pieces we must put on daily is: The Breastplate of His Righteousness Most of you know this is not our attempt at being good, righteous, or a clean cut, helping, church attending person. This is all filthy rags if this is the only thing you are depending on. Yes, you
- [Armor Up! #1](https://marriageanchors.com/2020/01/15/armor-up-1/) - Let us pray for each other today that each of us would be made battle ready and battle strong! (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV) Comments? Send to Jim.Grunseth@Cru.Org
- [You Live For...?](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/03/20/2476/) - “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV Bold added) I have
- [You Want What?](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/03/13/you-want-what/) - “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21 ESV) Someone once said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re trying to live it.” I confess I often don’t like that quote. However, if you belong to the Lord Jesus
- [Are You Offended?](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/03/05/are-you-offended/) - Like me, you’ve had those times in life where you’ve been praised or recognized for some accomplishment or achievement. Also, like me, you’ve no doubt had more than a few times when you’ve been back stabbed, slandered, stepped on or down right shafted. There have been times when I have not responded well. I’ve been
- [Truth Matters Too.](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/02/26/truth-matters-too/) - “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV) These days, if you watch the news and read about many main line churches, or what’s going on in many college campuses, the great passion of today is
- [Unashamed?](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/02/14/unashamed/) - “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.
- [Has The Swarming         Locust Eaten?](https://marriageanchors.com/2019/02/12/has-the-swarming-locust-eaten/) - “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” (Joel 2:25a ESV Bold added) Just 2 days ago, it was Sunday morning and I had the privilege of helping to serve the elements in Communion. I had been struggling with a discouraged and heavy heart for several months. I was anxious, fearful,
- [Pursuing Empty Things?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/11/01/2329/) - Samuel continues his farewell address to Israel. (1Samuel 12:20-21 ESV) “20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.” {Bold added} Humans.
- [Old Samuel Might Ask: Will You Rebel or Obey?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/10/30/old-samuel-might-ask-will-you-rebel-or-obey/) - Old Testament Prophet Samuel’s farewell address to all Israel is as good for us today as it was for those people back then. “14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns
- [Be Still](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/10/30/be-still/) - “He said, ‘Be still, and know that I am God…’” (Psalm 46:10 ESV) “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;…” (Psalm 37:7 ESV) “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39 ESV) {Bold
- [Beggars Welcome](https://marriageanchors.com/2014/07/03/beggars-welcome/) - I love her. I don't know how else to say it. Barbara is everything to me! I would be completely lost without her. My first wife, Julie, died over 20 years ago from a long battle with cancer. I was suddenly alone with 4 relatively young children. I was devastated, lonely, and utterly spent. My
- [What Are You All About?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/11/what-are-you-all-about/) - What is your passion? What drives you? Why do you wake up in the morning? What might you weep and pound the table over? Perhaps it is making money to pay bills and live comfortably. Perhaps it is to become somebody the world will remember. Could it be to avoid anxiety, have some fun, and
- [Do I Have The Joy?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/10/do-i-have-the-joy/) - “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where?” How many of you remember singing this song at camp or in Sunday school? What a great song with a great message. I am learning (the hard way as usual) that “Joy”, like love, is a choice. It is not so much a warm,
- [God's Not Finished](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/10/gods-not-finished/) - As I’ve gotten older, almost 67 now, having experienced one heart attack and other health issues, I have come to the humbling conclusion that I’m not 21 anymore. Why…I’m not 40, 50, or even 60 anymore. Those of you brave souls who’ve hit 60 know what I’m talking about. I’m not the man I used
- [Through The Storm](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/10/through-the-storm/) - Is it just me or is Wednesday the toughest day to get through? I remember back when I was a cadet at the Academy. Wednesday was like being half way on a swim across the English Channel... during a storm! My studies, parade practices, Obstacle Courses, room inspections, inspection in ranks, and the general ongoing
- [Scariest Day!](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/09/scariest-day/) - “One of the scariest days of my life!” You’ve probably had one. Some of you have had more. I was a Second Lieutenant Platoon Leader stationed in Germany. The year was 1976. The day: May 6th. It was 9 months to the day and my young wife was at the Hospital giving birth to our
- [If You Are Kind, You Are Beautiful.](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/07/if-you-are-kind-you-are-beautiful/) - When was the last time someone was kind to you? I remember there were certain times in my life when people chose to be kind to me. I didn’t particularly deserve it. One time I was about 8. I was skating at the community rink. I wasn’t any good. This older kid was a bully
- [Are You Smoldering?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/05/07/are-you-smoldering/) - I’m learning afresh that Jesus is with me all day and all night by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit. This morning, in the quietness of my heart, He said, “Jim...do not fret. It only leads to evil.” Interesting..... Psalm 37:8 ESV says, “Refrain from anger, forsake wrath. Fret not yourself; it tends only to
- [Trouble This Easter?](https://marriageanchors.com/2013/03/28/troubled-heart-this-easter/) - He is risen but much of the world does not know or embrace this! We are facing very challenging times. There is trouble in the land. God's holy, sacred, and ordained institution, marriage, is under direct broadside assault. Perversion is the darling of our culture. Evil is good. Good is evil. The Gospel of the
- [Do You See Him?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/02/11/do-you-see-him/) - Zechariah (written 520 – 518 B. C.) predicted more concerning the coming Messiah than anyone except for Isaiah.¹ Are we looking for Jesus today? Are we searching the Scriptures for Him? Do we see Him in the face of the poor child, the homeless mother, the person languishing in prison, or the sick in
- [Who Are You?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/02/10/who-are-you/) - In God's eyes, there is a great distinction between two kinds of people: First, there are those saved, forgiven individuals who have been declared righteous, holy, and blameless by grace through personal faith. They have chosen to trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for them on that Cross.
- [Do You Have a Difficult Assignment?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/02/08/do-you-have-a-difficult-assignment/) - These prophets in the Old Testament had a tough calling from God and a rough road for much of their lives. Once again, our friend, Joel (835 B. C.) had a difficult assignment. Has God given you a difficult assignment? I bet glazed donuts He has! In chapter 2 of Joel, the prophet is
- [Have You Called Yet?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/02/08/have-you-called-yet/) - I love the Book of Joel, (835 B. C.) in the Old Testament. It is only 3 chapters, yet, there are some amazing gems in it. A very famous verse is: “32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there
- [Can You Relate to Prophet Jeremiah?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/02/06/can-you-relate-to-prophet-jeremiah/) - The prophet Jeremiah (627-585 B. C.) was known as “the weeping prophet”, “the prophet of loneliness” and also “the reluctant prophet”. From before the time he was born, God had chosen him to be a prophet who, “for more than 40 years, faithfully proclaimed God's judgment on apostate Judah, all the while enduring opposition, beatings,
- [Can You Relate to King David?](https://marriageanchors.com/2018/02/05/can-you-relate-to-king-david/) - Can you relate to King David? Here is a man chosen by God. He has courage against Goliath. Later, he falls into sin with Bathsheba. At one point, his honor for God prevented him from slaying his pursuer, King Saul. Later, his honor is out the window when he sets
- [A Chance To Die](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/10/a-chance-to-die/) - “Amy Carmichael (1867 – 1951) was a small-village girl from a devout Presbyterian family in Northern Ireland (her father founded an evangelical church in Belfast). She was called first to work among the mill girls of Manchester and then overseas, finding her life-long vocation in India. Key achievement: In those days, Hindu priests kept “temple children” — mostly
- [Half Man and Half Beast](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/09/half-man-and-half-beast/) - “Betsey Stockton (c. 1798 – 1865) was a freed African-American slave who left domestic service to travel as America’s first single female missionary to Hawaii, then known as the Sandwich Islands. In fact, she went partly as a missionary and partly as a servant to one of the couples on the mission, the Reverend and
- [Sorrow, Love, Faith, Loss... I've Been There.](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/08/sorrow-love-faith-loss-ive-been-there/) - “Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a
- [But They Murdered My Family!](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/07/but-they-murdered-my-family/) - “Corrie ten Boom was the first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands. She learned the trade from her father, who was so fascinated by the craft that he often became so engrossed in his own work he would forget to charge customers for the services.” ¹ The Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940. Some Jewish folks
- [Burned at the Stake: His Time Had Come](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/06/burned-at-the-stake-his-time-had-come/) - It was in the early 1500’s. William Tyndale (1494-1536: Gloucestershire, England) listened to God rather than the domineering voice of man. You could receive the death penalty for just possessing an unlicensed possession of Scripture in English! Well, he believed that all people should be able to read and understand the Bible, not just the
- [Ann Judson...Quite a Lady!](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/06/2082/) - Ann Hasseltine Judson (1789 – 1826) was one of the first female American foreign missionaries. She was a Bradford, Mass. native, teacher, and the wife of Andoiram Judson. “Two weeks after they married, the couple set out on a mission trip — first to India, then to Burma. While her husband was imprisoned in Burma
- [Nobel-Winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn](https://marriageanchors.com/2017/09/06/2076/) - December 28, 1973 “a new book by the Nobel-winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn appeared in the Paris book markets. This book, too, was about prison--a documentary of the horrors of the Gulag Archipelago, Stalin's prison camps in central Asia, a system of inland "islands" which taken together would have been as big as the country of France.
- [Home Grown Compassion](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/11/23/home-grown-compassion/) - Compassion in many homes is rare. Content are those marriages and families who discover and practice it. Jesus is compassionate. So should we be.
- [Cuddle Pray](https://marriageanchors.com/2016/02/26/cuddle-pray/) - Would you consider cuddle praying in bed with your spouse tonight? You know, most Christian couples go to bed at night never uttering a word to God out loud together. Having counseled or worked with marriages and families for many years, Barbara and I have discovered a major key to maintaining a loving, confessed, Christ-focused, and God-honoring
- [Blessed Be His Name](https://marriageanchors.com/2015/03/06/blessed-be-his-name/) - Send comments to: jgrunseth@centurylink.net I was driving to our weekly 7:00 AM Men's Bible Study at the Egg Harbor Cafe' in Lake Geneva, WI that we have each Wednesday. The radio was tuned to Moody Bible Radio, 90.1 FM. I don't know the name of the song or artist, but this woman was singing a version
- [How Dare You!](https://marriageanchors.com/2015/01/05/how-dare-you/) - "You're judgmental! You're unloving! You're self-righteous!" I have either read these accusations or heard them spoken to me and others especially during these last few months. I happen to be a very imperfect follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that God's Holy Word, the Bible, is without error, eternal, and
- [Don’t Get Married!](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/02/08/don’t-get-married/) - Kate came to our home recently because she was troubled over so many issues in her life. She expressed deep anger and frustration because things, especially relationships with men, were not going her way. She had been married once before but that ended in disaster. She desperately wanted peace and hope in her life. She
- [Barbara’s Story](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/03/02/barbaras-story/) - My heart skipped a beat as a surge of adrenaline was released into my system. My husband and I had gone to a company pool party with our three, young children. I was in the living room attending to our four month old, Sarah. I walked into the kitchen to get some water and was
- [Jim's Story](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/04/21/jims-story/) - “I craved respect and approval …sin had its hold on me.” Although I became a Christian at 18, I did not really get serious about the Lord until much later. As a young husband and father, my family suffered because I was carnal and double minded. I wanted to follow God but I also craved
- [A Certain Loneliness   (for those of you who are serving in the military)](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/04/28/a-certain-loneliness-for-those-of-you-who-are-serving-in-the-military/) - Written by Linda Montgomery, Military Ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ, Linda.Montgomery@MilitaryMinistry.org, http://excellentorpraiseworthy.org/ The final words of Jesus before He ascended: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20 Let’s admit it—there is a certain loneliness that comes with military service. Deployment brings geographic separation from loved ones. And
- ["We were at each other's throats all weekend!"](https://marriageanchors.com/2011/09/14/we-were-at-each-others-throats-all-weekend/) - I am beginning to understand how my Lord Jesus must grieve and hurt when I reject His teaching and truth and choose my own self-focused way. You see, these fine couples all know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. We, and other Bible teachers have taught them God’s truth. Yet, they easily reject the truth of God’s Word preferring the ways of their flesh.
- [Husbands and Wives: Observe the Shepherd and the Sheep](https://marriageanchors.com/2012/03/30/husbands-and-wives-observe-the-shepherd-and-the-sheep/) - Around 7:00 PM the flock slowly started back toward their shepherd to be fed and tended to for the night. They had been grazing all day in the pasture. Some liked the hillside while others preferred the grass near the pond. One sheep had developed a few open sores around her nose, mouth, and
- [To Thy Cross I Cling](https://marriageanchors.com/2012/09/07/to-thy-cross-i-cling/) - In 1762 Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778) wrote the beloved hymn "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me". He had recently been ordained as the Priest or Curate of Blagdon Parish, England. Evidently, one day he was caught in a horrific storm with thunder, lightening, and torrential rain. Since he was near high cliffs, he
- [Observations Regarding Two Bibles](https://marriageanchors.com/2013/01/23/observations-regarding-two-bibles/) - I watched our President place his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Bible. The Presidential Inauguration and the taking of the Oath of the Office of the President of the United States are supposed to be grand, momentous, and historic occasions for all who call themselves Americans. History is
- [Where will you be 100 years from now?](https://marriageanchors.com/2013/10/07/where-will-you-be-100-years-from-now/) - Do you lack full assurance of your Salvation? Christianity is not Christianity without 100% assurance! If I am not eternally secure in Christ, then I am eternally insecure. I Do. Any other view, for me, spells doom and despair…for every second of my life I am the glad receiver of His continual font of grace

## Pages

- [Meet Jim and Barbara](https://marriageanchors.com/meet-jim-and-barbara/)
- [Share Prayer Needs and Praises With Us](https://marriageanchors.com/1649-2/) - Please email us your confidential Prayer Needs and Praises so we can pray for and praise God with you: Jim.Grunseth@Cru.Org One thing Barbara and I have done almost every night for nearly 28 years is to pray out loud together when we are in the bed at bedtime. We hold each other or hold hands and do
- [Permission To Use Freely Granted!](https://marriageanchors.com/meet-our-grandkids/) - Dear Friends and Co-Laborers, We want to serve and bless you and all the people you serve. The materials we’ve written and experienced belong to God. He wants us to give them away for His Glory, for your benefit, and that of your local church, and so that Heaven can increase! We keep all of

## Categories

- [Articles At A Glance](https://marriageanchors.com/category/articlesataglance/)
- [Spiritual Growth](https://marriageanchors.com/category/spiritualgrowth/)
- [Your Anchor: Don't leave port without Him!](https://marriageanchors.com/category/your-anchor/) - Many people live life not caring about what happens to them when they die. Others rebel against the God of the Bible preferring to be the captain of their own soul. Still others want to earnestly go to Heaven when they die but they feel they must somehow earn their way by being good enough. All three groups of people will perish and be eternally condemned and punished for their sins. They will be confined in the Lake of Fire (Hell) with no reprieve, no rescue,and no hope. Your only hope is to place your absolute trust in the Lord Jesus Christ,your only Anchor. (Joel 2:32a “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;”
- [Our daughter-Anne Borgen](https://marriageanchors.com/category/our-daughter-anne-borgen/)
- [Our daughter-Anne Borgen: ENVOY](https://marriageanchors.com/category/our-daughter-anne-borgen/our-daughter-anne-borgen-envoy/)

## Tags

- [Marriage Anchors](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/marriage-anchors/)
- [marriage communication](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/marriage-communication/)
- [life meaning](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/life-meaning/)
- [compassion mercy heart home marriage family hurting painful help need suffering hope Jesus God Bible Word](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/compassion-mercy-heart-home-marriage-family-hurting-painful-help-need-suffering-hope-jesus-god-bible-word/)
- [hope](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/hope/)
- [Darkness](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/darkness/)
- [night](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/night/)
- [Christ](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/christ/)
- [nation](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/nation/)
- [restore](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/restore/)
- [pray](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/pray/)
- [shine](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/shine/)
- [candles](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/candles/)
- [Gospel](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/gospel/)
- [immorality](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/immorality/)
- [virtue](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/virtue/)
- [declining](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/declining/)
- [Anne Borgen](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/anne-borgen/)
- [ENVOY](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/envoy/)
- [Desperate](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/desperate/)
- [God's Love](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/gods-love/)
- [helpless](https://marriageanchors.com/tag/helpless/)