The start of something new.

January 1st, 2012-My fiancé Dave baptized me at Two Rivers Church. It was a powerful moment and very emotional. I have been drawing closer and closer to God ever since I met Dave. His love and fear of God was something that I admired and that I wanted in my own life. Now, after a little more than a year and a half I have finally been baptized. And to top it all off, Dave, the man who has taught me and guided me in this process, was the one to dunk me! WOW! God is good 🙂

Baptism is a symbol of my faith in Christ and it is displayed publicly for everyone to witness. It is a symbol that the old is gone and I am NEW in Christ. It is an amazing way to start this new year.

For Dave and I this baptism represented something even more. We strive to make our relationship centered around Christ. Having Dave baptize me was a way to publicly display that our relationship is rooted in Christ. We want our relationship to be about something more than our feelings. Something more than just us. We want our marriage to showcase the gospel to those around us.

Praying

Our main goal for our relationship and marriage is to live our lives in a way that when people look at us as a couple- they see Christ. They see God’s love, forgiveness, grace, peace, freshness, honesty, patience, goodness, and gentleness.

Here is a VIDEO of Dave baptizing me :). 

-Kari

P.S. 5 months till were married! 

In case you missed some of our posts last year – check out this post which introduces our blog, and this funny video, and this entry.

Partners in Transition

It’s fun to undergo change and experience transition.

It’s a blessing to have a partner in transition as well!

Currently, I received a full time Student Pastor position at Two Rivers Church. What this meant was, a process of change was imminent. Typically, with change comes heavy anxiety. But, I must say, some change is great! Some change, even, is necessary!

So, recently Kari and I have transitioned into what is now OUR CHURCH! You can call us, “Partners in Transition”. She and I were both introduced on main stage this past Sunday. Our Lead Pastor, Steve Pridmore, announced Kari and I to the congregation and prayed for blessing over us. It was truly an amazing moment for the both of us!

It is such a unifying experience when EVERYTHING around is brand NEW, but having a partner in transition allows one to look at the other and feel a sense of security. I know that I looked at Kari multiple times during our first week at Church and felt great warmth.

(Picture does not indicate warmth, just a goofy pic, lol)

my point: I’m very thankful to God for blessing me with Kari

Signed,

David Ogg

Student Pastor

TWORIVERS Church | South Florida

954.391.7172

david.ogg@tworiverschurch.tv

www.tworiverschurch.tv

The Future is Evil

Okay… so maybe the future is not completely evil… but staying in the future and constantly thinking about the future can get dangerous & unhealthy. I have found that it is COMMON and almost EXPECTED for people to be stressed out. I walk through campus and I can see it in people’s faces. Everyone is thinking about their NEXT thing to do.

This was Dave's "plan" for winning me over. It worked.

I have been thinking about this topic for a couple of days. Someone asked me:

Are you freaking out about planning?! How much stuff do you have to do???

This isn’t uncommon either. Almost everyone asks me this! Am I supposed to be freaked out? Am I supposed to be going crazy? Apparently because there are COUNTLESS articles about: Staying sane during wedding planning & Managing your wedding stress. But to find my answers – I look in the only book that matters– The Bible.

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens; They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable are you than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? LUKE 12: 22-36

WOW! Amen to that.  Dave & I try not to get caught up in the “wedding planning process”. We LOVE to plan & we love to get ideas. But- if we ever start to get stressed (I say we, but I mean just me), we stop doing whatever we are doing, and we focus in the moment & we laugh. This whole wedding planning thing is supposed to be FUN.

Another one of those "plans"

Stay in the moment. Stay present. LAUGH. Stay in communication with God. Do not linger in the future. Remember God is always with you.  God’s plans our better than our best plans. Trust Him.

– Kari

 

Helpmate.

During our engagement, one of my goals is to study and to KNOW my role as a wife according to God’s perfect plan. My favorite marriage book so far is Excellent Wife by Martha Peace 🙂 – and this is where most of the ideas for this post came from.

In the order of creation- man was created first.

For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 1 Timothy 2:13

The husband was created to rule over the earth; and the wife, later, was created to be a “helper” that would be suitable for him! We are both created in God’s image, but we have different roles.

Women was created FOR the man, NOT man for the woman.

For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 1 Corinthians 11:7-9

Man is to glorify God and woman is to glorify the man. In the Trinity, there is perfect harmony. All are satisfied with their roles & there is no “power control issues”. Christ glorified the Father by doing the Father’s work. Just the same, I am to glorify my husband (soon) by doing my husband’s work and submitting to his leadership. I was created FOR him. In doing this- I glorify God because I am obeying His word.

In the book Excellent Wife, Martha Peace gives 18 ways a wife may be the glory of her husband. I will give you a couple of my favorites 🙂

1. Ask your husband, “What are your goals for the week?”
2. Ask your husband, “How can I help you to accomplish these goals?”
3. Ask your husband, “Is there anything that I can do differently that would make it easier for you?”
4. Talk about him in a positive light to others. Do NOT slander him at all, even if what you are saying is true.
5. Be organized with cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and cooking. As you fulfill your God-given responsibilities, your husband is then free to do his work.
6. Consider his work (job, goals, hobbies, work for the Lord) as more important than your own.
7. Encourage him to use his spiritual gifts in ministry.

I LOVE learning about my future role as a wife & what my responsibilities are. God has a perfect plan and ultimately my goal is to glorify HIM in all that I do. 

Happy weekend! 

If it’s your first time here: click here!

Check out some of our previous posts! 

Steps for Marriage

In my sermon yesterday, I made small statements of how high school students “DON’T KNOW SQUAT” about dating.

That statement is partially TRUE. Most high school students personally only know TWO aspects of dating: FAKE love & the BREAKUP.I WAS ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS when I was in H.S.

Throughout my college years, I never had a girlfriend. But when I met Kari, I said with boldness, “I found the one” …. I knew she was going to be my lady.

But, to be able to say “I found the one” .. There’s a few things you have

to do:

Steps for Marriage

For High Schoolers:

         1. Find who you are in Christ

         2. Make A LOT of friends

                      – start thinking of specific qualities you want your future                                                                “special someone” to have.

         3. WAIT until college to date (it took me 21 years to find Kari)

For College peeps:

        1. Find your identity in Christ

        2. Search for someone who loves Christ more than that person loves you!

        3. When that person is “found” wait… pray…

                                                              ….start jogging (gym membership?)…

        4. Make sure that person likes you back…

        5. Then date- formulate rules & guidelines and make God the center!

               (If the relationship ends…, just move on)

For post-college (ages 25 – 35+):

        1. Find & Date anyone who can walk 😉

**Some jokes. Some truth. Some randomness**

Much love Readers,

–Dave

Read our Journal!

Me and Kari have kept a personal journal since we first started dating. 

When I get the chance, I start from the beginning and read through it.

I prepare myself, though, because I know my heart will melt as it did the first day I met her.

I realize that people, or at least myself, simply forget things. It’s not a horrific

thing to be forgetful, but if the thing(s) you are forgetting is meaningful, then it is

detrimental to your overall well-being.

My point: take note of the JOYS in life

so you can venture through life with JOY!

         Tips:

• Journal moments God has moved in your life.
• Take a lot of pictures. 
• Have someone record special events.
• & Take advantage of all the small things in life!

Peace,

      -Dave

Driving Video

Small things.

Dave & I love the small things in life. I think this is one reason why we are so joyful. It doesn’t take a lot for us to have fun, to laugh, or to smile. Actually, to be honest, it really doesn’t take anything.

Enjoying Jamaica

When we first started dating, we did not have much money (not much has changed ;)) so we had to get a little creative about our dates. Our favorite thing to do at PBA was to get slurpies from 7-Eleven, then park the car in front of the intracoastal and talk. Another thing we love is to play catch outside. One time we got this awesome frisbee at the dollar store and we played with it for weeks. But honestly, Dave and I can just sit in silence and still be having fun :).

I won 🙂

I think it is easy sometimes to get caught up in life and all the STUFF it has to offer, and sometimes we forget about the simple things in life. Dave and I try not to forget this. We sometimes even say to each other, “oh… its the little things” and if one of us is upset or even mad, all we do is make each other laugh and everything goes away (its our secret medicine!)

Nerd Night

& also, our time here is only temporary- so why not make the most of it and shine God’s light always.

Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Psalm 97:11-12 – “Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.”

CHALLENGE:

Stay joyful, pay attention to the little things in life, & laugh- a lot (it works).

Kari

Check this post out! & a link to our video!

Dave can’t give me everything I need.

Yes- as amazing and awesome Dave is, he can not give me EVERYTHING.

He will not always satisfy, he will not always meet my expectations, he will let me down sometimes, and he will make mistakes. The same is true for me- I am not perfect and I WILL NEVER be perfect.

If Dave looked to me for his COMPLETE happiness, he would be miserable! Maybe this is why almost 50% of marriages end in divorce… People are looking to their spouse for something that they physically CAN NOT give them. This leads to all sorts of things we see in marriages today- anger, let downs, unsatisfied couples, bitterness, resentment, and depression.

ENTER- JESUS.

Jesus satisfies my EVERY need. Jesus fills my heart and soul. I will never be let down by Jesus, because He is constant, never changing. Jesus loves me so much that he sacrificed His own LIFE to show his love for me. Everything in life is for His glory.

WOW. When I think about THAT kind of love- I am blown away. If Jesus satisfies everything I need, I don’t need to be PERFECT for Dave & Dave does not need to be perfect for me. JESUS lived the perfect life and we will not ever be able to.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.

When we are filled up with this kind of LOVE we will be more free to love one another. We won’t be looking to each other for our day to day needs, but we will be POINTING each other to Jesus. Now, that’s real love.

He planted marriage among humans as yet another signpost pointing to his own eternal, spiritual existence. Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage.

-Kari

Have you seen our video? What about how we met? Or how we text? Be sure to check in soon- because we are making a new VIDEO!

We like 2 TEXT! Do u?

I love text threads like this! (Kari is the grey and I am the green.)

I do not want to continue on in my relationship and start a marriage off without being fully founded on the ESSENTIAL.

What this means is:

I want God to be our EVERYTHING!

Kari continually seeks God out every moment of her day and I try to do the same.

Then, during moments, we come together & read the Bible, pray together, & lift each other UP just like this TEXT message!

I will not say we are perfect, BUT… I will say we make a strong effort to be like JESUS– love others & show compassion.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Be imitators of God.. and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…

We make mistakes, admit them, then try to fix them. But we continually set our sights on Heaven and live to please God.

Ephesians 5:8-11

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light… and find out what pleases the Lord… Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

We both were children of darkness but now we believe in Jesus and try to live as LIGHT in the darkness.

Kari’s smile alone is a bright light to me 😉

Readers, I want this to be an encouragement to you! If you are a Christian, remain close to God.

If you are not, I encourage you to find the only thing that will ever truly satisfy you in life- JESUS.

Matthew 6:33

Seek first the Kingdom of God.. and all these things will be given to you..

Share your thoughts with us.

-Dave

Related posts: Video Welcome & OUR Story