Mawage: Episode 43
by Lisa Anderson on 11/14/2008 at 3:22 PM
 iTunes | Listen Now/RSS |
This has been a crazy week. On Saturday alone, I attended a wedding (not mine), a birthday party and a bridal shower (again, not mine). Tuesday I took a friend to get her wisdom tooth out and then monitored her all day as she made exceedingly positive comments about the effects of nitrous oxide. Wednesday night was my girls discipleship group. I meet weekly with four fantastic high schoolers who get me caught up in their drama and make me grateful that I'm now "a few" years out of high school. But drama aside, these are smart girls who love Jesus, and I am so impressed with their teachability, enthusiasm and willingness to delve into things that are real. I'm already seeing changes in their attitudes and actions, and they encourage and challenge me as well. One of them brought four non-Christian coworkers to a church event last night. I can't wait to hear how it went!
Tonight, however, marks the highlight of my week. I'll be attending the Gaither Homecoming here in Colorado Springs, and am bringing 14 friends with me. As you know by now, I am a Gaither super-fan. From the time I was five and sang "Jesus, I Heard You Had a Big House" in church, I've had a special connection with Bill Gaither. So with that, I look forward to a night of unlimited praise. I will bring my Gaither flashlight, which is the Christian equivalent of a lighter, and adds an extra blessing to any Homecoming event. I will sing, clap, stand up and shout, and maybe do a fist-pump or two at the appropriate time. Stay tuned for a complete roundup of my experience.
Men and Matrimony -- 0:00
We've processed with the ladies on marriage, and Candice even wrote a book to help them navigate the path to a good, godly match. But what about the guys? Men want to get married, too, and they plan to, but perhaps have received some lame advice over the years on how to get there. Enter The Guy's Guide to Marrying Well. Available as an e-book only at Boundless, this "git er done" manual is the focus of today's roundtable. We lay out four principles for a man's dating and marrying well, and prep for delving into them more fully in the coming weeks.
One Moment in Time -- 13:53
Speaking of marriage, you've all heard of Gary Thomas, marriage dude extraordinaire and author of Sacred Marriage, among other books. Gary Thomas is serious about marriage, and sits down with Steve and Candice to talk about what he considers the critical decade for men as they think about tying the knot. And no, the critical decade isn't the 80s. Shame on the 80s for giving us Spandau Ballet, by the way.
Cafeteria Lady -- 27:11
Eryn Carman is back this week with a scary flashback to a school cafeteria boy-encounter. A mix of obsession and intent, a reflection on Eryn's hopeful but disastrous exchange reminds her to keep her eyes and heart on what's important.
Pencil Me In -- 32:03
Singleness often is synonymous with transition. There's always the next job, relationship or ministry opportunity around the corner. So how do you deal with the commitments you already have, and should you get involved in stuff if you may be on to something new in less time than it takes for a catfight to erupt on "The View"? Steve and I chat about taking on commitments, and sticking with them.
So it's a marriage-heavy week, folks (or "mawage," according to The Princess Bride). Heads up to the haters: don't diss us, because Candice just had a baby, and doesn't want to hear the whining. Don't mess with a sleep-deprived new mother, especially when it's regarding her pet topic. Word to the wise.
I now officially have only hours until the Gaithers. I'll have trouble focusing this afternoon. I'm having trouble focusing now, quite frankly. [insert excited squeal here]
1. Colin Pedicini said the following at 4:05 PM on Nov 14:
This is quite lengthy. Please bear with me.
On the introductory discussion: where did the 70% of men wanting to marry well coming out of high school statistic come from? I found the Christian compatibility a good one -- this is the area where I struggle with the most. (My current situation is best described by this Q&A.) As someone who only came to faith a couple of years ago, I'm still trying to look for guidance in the area of compatibility (also see the magazine page 44-45), but I can also relate to a lot of churches completely taking themselves out of the relationship area particularly among college-age folks. I had mentioned in earlier comment on an earlier thread where I was located, and that may have something to do with it -- I have also been praying about potentially moving to a better area, as I'm about six months out from graduation. Nevertheless, I still have a question in this section: how does one determine whether or not someone is a Christian believer when there is no guidance to suggest that? (One more thing: What's a singles' pastor?)
On the Gary Thomas discussion: I am right in the middle of the decade that he suggests (I'm 22), but have been passed for older ever since I was 15; I have been passed for 32! I also don't drink or smoke, and one of the few in my generation to do that -- and also make a point of not putting headphones in my ear when I walk to class. Nevertheless, I'm still at a point where I have the religious life, class life, and other social events, and they rarely intersect.
I may have more later when I listen to the second half.
2. Tami said the following at 4:09 PM on Nov 14:
I think the 80's has a lot more to be ashamed of than Spandau Ballet.
...like A Flock of Seagulls, for instance.
3. B.T.Carolus said the following at 4:38 PM on Nov 14:
Since the podcast now tends to run 45-60(ish)-minute podcast, maybe you should change the iTunes description?
4. Ted Slater said the following at 5:10 PM on Nov 14:
Colin -- The Monitoring the Future report found that 70 percent of male high school seniors in the U.S. said having a good marriage and family life is "extremely important."
5. Ted Slater said the following at 5:17 PM on Nov 14:
B.T.Carolus -- great suggestion. I've updated the description. The change should be reflected on iTunes shortly....
6. Janelle said the following at 5:48 PM on Nov 14:
So can we get details (& maybe even a photo) of the newest Watters?
7. Mike said the following at 7:43 PM on Nov 14:
You know, I wasn't that fond of the anesthetic when I had my wisdom teeth out. I was sicker from the drugs than from the surgery...
(Mind you, I wouldn't have wanted to undergo the surgery without the drugs...)
:-)
8. Colin Pedicini said the following at 8:46 PM on Nov 14:
Ted (#4): thanks for the source cite.
This is a followup to #1: Having listened to the second half of the podcast, I see why commitment phobia was noted in the inbox. (This is why I aim to keep in touch with people consistently, as it shows dedication.) As was noted earlier in the podcast, and might be a common theme here, sometimes "waiting on God" isn't always the best answer to any problem.
9. Jonathon said the following at 1:11 PM on Nov 15:
Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam...
Then wove, twue wove, will follow you fowever...
Haha
10. Jorden said the following at 9:53 PM on Nov 15:
Lisa, you get tremendous brownie points for the Princess Bride reference.
I'll be sure to check out the podcast though. I'm behind on my listening and need to set aside some time for some good old Boundless Show listenin' :).
11. BDB said the following at 10:26 PM on Nov 16:
Say, what % of college-age men agree with the statement, "It would be good to be fit enough to run a triathlon?"
You can be nationally ranked on Halo-3? Who knew?
Lisa, you will be pleased to know that you can now send rememberances of the 80's to your friends on facebook. People I went to high school with keep sending me leg warmers, pictures of Ronald Reagan, an Atari (NOT to be confused with Halo-3)...
Heh - this will probably get my comment un-published, but my college DID show up at my high school and ask me to apply. And they met - precisely - every point I had prayed about for college. God answered my prayer specifically. Of course, it's not the school I wanted to go to - Harvard rejected my application. As did M.I.T. Oh well. I got into graduate school anyway...
Speaking of men's ministries, the one at my church tends to be pretty heavy on putting too MUCH focus on one's occupation. We are told cautionary tales about people who lost their families by working too many hours. Might be a good topic for a future podcast/article/blog post...
12. Lauren T. said the following at 10:36 PM on Nov 16:
At the time of this comment, I appear to be the first one saying this (and I can't find indications of an announcement elsewhere...):
CONGRATULATIONS CANDICE AND STEVE!!!
Last week I could hear the can't-wait-to-have-this-baby sound in Candice's voice and I'm so happy this was The Week for her!
13. Loris said the following at 7:59 AM on Nov 17:
Wisdom teeth! Boy, that was fun until I looked at what my mom served me for supper that night. Then the fun was very over. Blended noodles shouldn't happen to anyone.
14. SarahJane said the following at 7:38 PM on Nov 18:
I would also like to extend my congratulations to Candice and Steve! Where was the announcement? I've been waiting for it!
15. Lindsey said the following at 12:59 PM on Dec 23:
Great episode!