The Battle for a Man's Heart and Mind

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."Exodus 20:17

Why are so many men discontented with their wifes? Perhaps one reason is they play the comparison game.

I think that we are the main target of the Enemy and his minions, and this is his favorite weapon to use on us.

We operate and are motivated by our five senses, and our sense of sight is one of the most powerful, and is therefore a great target of opportunity. This world has been given over to the Enemy, and it is apparent by the fall in moral attitude (homosexual relationships being excepted in lots of places are an example), TV and Movies, Music, abortion, etc... One of the greatest indicators of this are the lie that the world has come to believe about Mothers and their place in the family. Up until the last generation, motherhood was a celebrated expected joy in a woman’s life. Now it is looked upon as either unavoidable (one to be endured for a short time) or one to be avoided completely. The question is why?

The answer lies in the fact that we (men) have become so entrenched in the visual world that we have slowly allowed the sacred to become commonplace and not worthy of our best.That gentlemen is the main battle, that the Enemy has convinced us that our Wives deserve the leftovers from our daily lives. When I say leftovers, I am referring to the fact that we do not guard our eyes and mind from the traps and snares the Enemy throws at us. Instead we slowly but surely slip and slide down the hill of visual sin to the point that we believe it is ok to stare at woman in our daily lives, then we began to exercise our wants and desires on this woman. In addition, before you know it, you have running porno movie live and in color starring every woman you find attractive.Then we go home to our wives who deserve our best in everything and yet receive our leftovers.

My challenge to you is to save your mental exercises for your wife and see what a difference it makes. You will find that it is beyond anything your brain can imagine, because it is in Gods will.

Heartbreak Hotel

Ok, ok I don't blog very often; but when I do it is usually fairly decent. So....

I usually try to spend as much time with Laura and the kids as I can on my 12 days off. This trip home, the time spent with them was extraordinary. We went to Galveston the first weekend home to mollify Morgan's hurt feelings over the canceled Schlitterbahn trip; even with the fistfights in the back seat it was very fun in the sun. Sunday we hung out , cleaned, and ate a great steak dinner. Over the following week, no one event with the kids stands out but Laura and I had a much needed marriage check. It was tearful and happy at the same time. Laura even shed some tears. That second Friday we surprised the kids with an Astro's game, dinner, T'shirts, and drunken fans. Hey Morgan, Morgan......"Whew 'stros...yeah baby, BLEGH!" hahahahahahaha. Then we rolled out of bed at 630 am, and drove to the New Brunesful hill country area for a needed soak in the Guadalupe river and a yummy lunch at the Gristle Mill. Even with the fist fights in the back seat, a good time was had by all. As I said, it was very high quality time with the wifey and kids.

Come Tuesday morning, I have the kids give me one last kiss and hug; make sure it will last for 15 days, be good for Momma, work hard in school and do your chores. Good bye little children, Daddy loves you! Run a few last minute errands, pack my gear, wait for Laura to return from staff meeting, give one last, slow, oh my God! kiss and hug and start the car. Watch Laura go in the house, turn car off and bang my head on the steering wheel....no! no! I don't want to go! OK, suck it up; I have to go, I need to find the hotel prior to the fall of night, when the banjos start in South Louisiana (NAnanananaanananana) "You sure got some purty lips, boy!".

Start car again, back out of drive way and head down street listening to 94.5 The Buzz. thinking that I can do this. As I drive I think to myself: I have to go to work, the kids have to eat, the house has to be paid for, Laura needs a new bed, the dog is pregnant and their will be 12 puppies and they gotta eat too! And I do great, drinking coffee and smoking a big cigar until I get to Beaumont and the radio station fades and silence takes its place.

And my heart breaks into a million little pieces and flows out of my chest thru my eyes. Yes I know I am lucky to have this job, I know God has a plan for me, I know I could be stuck at WOM working like a Hebrew Slave, yes I know all this.....but I still ache so badly inside when I leave my family. The ache does not end when I come to the rig and start my hitch, it just gets numb. Like a toothache that hurts for so long that it goes numb until you chew on that side and then the pain hits like a freight train, WHAM!

Say what you want, think what you may, but until you spend time away from the ones you love every 14 days you won't understand. I miss my family so very much!