Years ago I made several trips with groups of students and young adults to work in some of the poorest areas of the city.  Guadalajara, Mexico is a beautiful city of millions, but like most big cities there are areas that are extremely poverty stricken.   While there, I had to purchase some building materials for the work we were doing, but the only transportation available was a local taxi.  The driver didn’t speak any English and my Spanish wasn’t great.  The drive was a comedy of errors and a little scary.  At that time, the taxi drivers in the city didn’t pay much attention to speed limits.   And it seemed the red signs with the letters ALTO  (STOP) were interpreted by the taxi drivers as “honk your horn and go faster”.  I sat in the back of the taxi – having a hard time communicating & thinking we were going to crash and burn at any moment.  OK – I have to come clean because I’m exaggerating a little, but riding in a taxi in Guadalajara was an experience.

It’s hard to communicate when you don’t speak the same language, and in relationships it gets even more complicated if you don’t communicate love in a way your loved one understands.   All of us have ways of expressing and receiving love; Dr. Gary Chapman calls them “love languages.”  When you express love in a language your spouse doesn’t understand, it’s like my experience in Guadalajara – you don’t know if you’re going to crash and burn or get to your desired destination.

We’re in a new series of messages at Grace Fellowship called “the Marriage Apps”.   We’re taking an in-depth look at an old subject in a new way.   Like the Apps on your smart phone or iPad, it’s designed to help you.   We’ll be discussing 5 very practical Apps that will help you express love in a way your spouse can understand.  Even though our focus will be on marriage relationships, this series will help you if you’re single.  The application of the APPS will help you communicate love in your relationships with your children, your family, friends and even at work.   I hope you’ll join us on Sundays at 9:30am or 11:00am at our Paradise or Online Campus, or at 10:00am at our Alliance Campus.