You see, this marked my first visit to church in many years, and it happened to fall on Valentine’s Day, and to my surprise Communion Sunday was being held because of a recent snow storm that canceled First Sunday. The pastor preached about casting stones at other's as he read from John 8:1-11. Of course I began to get cold feet as Satan tried to talk me out of giving my testimony, but the Holy Spirit wasn’t having any of that today. I already had plans of walking up to be reinstated as a member of New Salem Baptist Church. So when Pastor Wormley opened the doors of the church I made my move without fear or hesitation not knowing that he would hand me the mic and ask me if I had a testimony. See the Spirit was at work and had control of the situation all the time. When the pastor handed me the microphone I said I sure did have a testimony, and I began to tell my story and how God blessed me in front of a packed house.

This Valentine’s Day I shared with them a love story that only God could make possible. My testimony marked the beginning of many more to come about how God brought my wife and I back together, and how we intend to make our marriage a living testimony for others to see and learn from.

#1 Leaving God out - the binding tie of your marriage - Without God the thread is broken and your marriage will lose its holiness. This leaves you open to Satan’s attacks and defenseless.

#2 Not allowing God’s love (Agape) for your helpmate to flow through you - The Vessel of God’s work - As Christ loved the church is how we ought to love one another. This is our purpose in life - to allow the glory of God to flow through us. To one another and to the world.

#3 Failure to Pray, Fast, worship, and study God’s word together - This causes us to fall short in sin, and not redeem the promises that await us when we abide in Christ and follow God’s commands.

#4 Failure to follow God’s commands for your life and marriage - The marriage is doomed to failure and the threat of lost salvation when you fail to follow God’s command and will for your life.

#5 Failure to recognize Satan’s attacks on your marriage, and each of your salvation - Ignorance, the only way to know what signs and wiles to look for is to study the word of God, and to keep your mind stayed on the Lord and all good things.

#6 Falling into bad Routines/worldly lust and temptations - Just because you are married doesn’t mean you don’t have to try to impress each other anymore. Getting into a routine sometimes means only doing nice things for each other on special occasions like birthdays and Valentine’s Day. Get out of that routine – you should be reminding your spouse of why they fell in love with you, not making them wish you acted more like you did when you were dating.

#7 Avoiding Conflicts/Not communicating - Every marriage will have its conflicts and disagreements. But trying to avoid a fight doesn’t make the problem go away, and in fact, it makes it worse by leaving it unresolved. Learn to discuss problems constructively and deal with them in a productive way. Nagging, yelling, and ignoring are not solutions and will only make matters worse. Bring up issues before they get to be serious problems and you may be able to resolve them sooner and with less conflict.

#8 Getting too Comfortable - One of the great things about marriage is that you can be yourself and know that your spouse loves you for it. Your days of nervous dating and “do they like me?” are over and aren’t you relieved! However, there is such a thing as being too comfortable. Burping at dinner, leaving dirty laundry around and basically acting like you live with a college roommate instead of your spouse can lead to a serious decline in romance. Be comfortable with your spouse, but also be courteous, considerate and clean.

#9 No Sex - One of the main bad habits people fall into in marriage is the lack of a healthy, active sex life. Time consuming work, children, and a boring routine can kill a libido – and have a devastating effect on your relationship. Keep it exciting, even if it means scheduling romantic time together. You’ll both be glad you did.

#10 Failure to have Fun - Marriage should be fun, not boring or stressful. Be spontaneous! Surprise your spouse after work with tickets to a movie and a nice dinner. Take a weekend trip even if it is just a bed and breakfast an hour away. Having fun doesn’t mean spending lots of time or money. There is no reason that you can’t manage a few hours a week for recreation together. Making time to have fun and relax makes a huge difference in easing a potentially stressful and unromantic marriage.

Like all habits, some are hard to break. If you have found that your marriage has developed these habits, take them to the Lord in prayer and maintain communication with God and each other.

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The "Break-Fast Diet" is not just a diet... it's a lifestyle, one which combines healthy eating, healthy habits, moderate exercise, prayer and fasting, with a Noni supplement. It's a sensible lifestyle that nourishes the mind, body, and spirit. A sensible daily lifestyle is one in which fasting is mixed with eating. Each day can include a 12-14 hour period of fasting in the evening and during sleep before awakening and getting ready for the day. (Breakfast was given that name to denote the time where we break the fast of the night). The fasting component of the Break-Fast diet is not that much different from what most people already do if they don't eat anything past the hours of six p.m. or eight p.m. However; In ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region of the world it was common to fast at least twice a week for spiritual reasons. Those periods of fasting combined with the Mediterranean lifestyle, the diet, and regular walking, resulted in good health as well as spiritual guidance and cleansing. Good health and spiritual enlightenment are something most of us desperately crave and need during these stressful times. So, aside from the daily fast of each evening into the next morning, the “Break-Fast” diet recommends choosing at least one day of each week of fast to achieve the same general health and well-being experienced by those of the Mediterranean region during biblical times. The diet incorporates a total mind, body, and spirit approach to the way you live and think. Unlike regular diets it includes the spiritual power of prayer and fasting, healthy foods, healthy habits, moderate exercise, and the healing properties of Noni (Morinda Citrifolia). Here are the basic components of the Break-Fast Diet:

▪Healthy Foods: Fresh vegetables and fruit, beans and rice, whole grains and nuts, olive oil, fish, and poultry, yogurt, a little wine with meals, and plenty of water.

▪Moderate exercise: walking (if you can), jogging, cycling, aerobics; also hobbies that keep you moving are good.

▪Fasting: Daily dietary evening fast, and choose one day of the week to commit to a separate spiritual fast. If you're unable to fast for medical reasons consult your doctor first. Also, remember that fresh juice and water, along with some fruit can be eaten during the fast.

▪Noni (Morinda Citrifolia): is a dietary supplement that can enhance health on its own, but its effects are even more profound when it is part of a complete strategy that considers mind, body and spirit. Noni can be purchased in both juice or capsule form at most natural food stores.

▪Very Important Stop eating 2-3 hours before going to bed so your body can burn calories while your sleep. Take advantage of the evening fast since it is the easiest, and most natural way of fasting to burn calories. This fast ends each morning at Break-Fast.

▪Remember! The evening fast will usually be somewhere between 10-14 hours without eating, most of which occurs while you're sleeping. And once the fast is broken with a healthy break-fast you will begin to burn calories at a much faster rate. The weight lose actually begins before you add moderate exercise to your lifestyle.

Daily routine:

▪Eat healthy foods. Use olive oil on salads and certain meals as needed. Eat small snacks of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, whole grain or wheat bread, nuts and yogurt.

▪Follow a daily dietary evening fast of eating nothing past the hour's of seven or eight p.m., or what ever works best for your schedule.

▪Break the evening fast the following morning with a 2oz. dose of Noni juice on an empty stomach before having a healthy break-fast, e.g., oatmeal cereal, (hot or cold) fresh fruit, maybe an egg with whole wheat bread, turkey sausage, some fruit, or vegetable juice, or yogurt. Even a salad is great for break-fast if it’s easier for you.

▪Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Drink wine in moderation with your last meal, but stop all other forms of alcohol. Avoid all soda, bottled juice, and bottled tea's, and if you enjoy coffee try drinking it black.

▪Moderate exercise of walking, cycling, aerobics or jogging (if physically/medically able). Any activity including chores, hobbies, etc. can also be counted as moderate exercise.

▪If physically/medically able, commit one (1) day of each week to a 12 hour prayer and fast for spiritual guidance and cleansing. Not to be confused with the daily evening fast mentioned above.

Note: Although wine is recommended with meals, those with health conditions and restrictions should use caution by consulting their physicians. The diet allows and recommends generous quantities of olive oil, but only when the olive oil substitutes for other fats and is not used in addition to them. Greatly reduce fat intake from meats, dairy products, margarine, cooking oils, and other sources. Note: Consult your physician before attempting any form of exercise, change in diet, or fasting.

Have a blessed day!

Break-Fast Overview:  

Fresh, healthy food. Consume fresh healthy foods, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, seafood, yogurt, olive oil, and small amounts of wine. Avoid processed foods.

Prayer & Fasting. The daily dietary evening fast which means eat nothing else after dinner or especially three (3) hours before bed time. Dedicate one day each week to a 24 hour spiritual fast (If physically able).

Noni Juice. Drink two (2) ounces of Noni juice each morning, and add Noni, by the once, to any fresh fruit or vegetable drinks throughout the day. 

Portion control. Focus on small frequent portions of high-quality foods.

 Healthy fats:

Olive oil. Use olive oil in almost everything you eat, including pastas, breads, vegetables, salads, and fish.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks, blood clots, hypertension, and strokes; and may prevent certain forms of cancer and lower the risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

Eat more vegetables, less meat. 

Wine in moderation. When taken in small amounts, wine has been linked to lower rates of heart disease, likely due to the presence of antioxidants like transresveratrol and oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), which keep blood circulation healthy and prevent blood clots from forming.

Whole grains. In their natural state, grains are full of cancer and heart disease-fighting fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.  Whole grains provide energy and calories with little fat, and because they're slow to digest (thanks to their high-fiber content), they help you feel fuller longer.

Fruit for dessert. 

Avoid consuming too many total fat calories. Even though these fats are "healthy fats," any fat eaten in excess will cause you to pack on weight.

Walk. In addition to eating healthy meals, walk as much as you can. Never stop walking! Walk to work if you can, walk at work if you can, walk to visit friends, and take leisurely strolls often.

Moderate exercise.