Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leave Clarence House for Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Here is an article by John MacArthur that I found helpful.

What can my spouse and I do to build a strong marriage?

You should both recognize that your marriage is first of all a commitment to Jesus Christ and then to each other. Your best defense against forces that will erode your marriage is for you both to maintain a deep, profound, and shared relationship with Jesus Christ and a commitment to obey God’s Word. Your faithful, obedient walk with the Lord will keep you from stumbling.

Here are a few practical principles to follow:

• Concentrate on your heart, not your appearance.Your inner life is more important than your outer appearance. The writer of Proverbssaid as much when he remarked, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).Peter gave this principle to wives in 1 Peter 3:3-4, but it applies to husbands as well: “Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”If you focus on developing your love for Christ, your inner qualities of godliness will mature, develop, and strengthen your marriage.
• Concentrate on who your spouse really is, not on an ideal partner.Many marriages falter simply because the partners never have taken the time to get to know each other. Your spouse, as wonderful as he or she seemed at the altar, is not perfect. If you cling to an ideal of what you want your spouse or marriage to be like, you’ll hurt your marriage. Abandon the idea of a perfect mate and marriage and begin learning to understand and love the spouse you have—as he or she is today. That is what Peter meant when he told husbands to live with their wives “with understanding” (1 Peter 3:7).
• Concentrate on loving your spouse, not on your compatibility.No matter who your spouse is, you can learn to love each other. In contrast to the prevailing idea that love is something that just happens, Paul commanded husbands to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25) and wives to love their husbands (Titus 2:4). Scripture doesn’t even recognize the possibility of incompatibility between two marriage partners—God simply commands both the husband and the wife to love each other.

• Tim Hawkins – The Dog’s on Fire

  Weekend to Remember Story – Dennis Rainey

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  • Glad Friday is here!!!

2011 Roger Arpajou / Sony Pictures Classics

Wikipedia notes:

Juan Belmonte García (April 14, 1892 – April 8, 1962) was a Spanish bullfighter, considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all time.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Life

Born in the Triana area of Seville, Belmonte began his bullfighting career in 1908, touring around Spain in a children’s bullfighting group called Los Niños Sevillanos. He killed his first bull on July 24, 1910. As an adult, his technique was unlike that of previous matadors; he stood erect and nearly motionless, and always stayed within inches of the bull, unlike previous matadors, who stayed far from the animal to avoid the horns. As a result of this daring technique, Belmonte was frequently gored, sustaining many serious wounds.

One such incident occurred during a November, 1927 bullfight in Barcelona, Spain. Belmonte was gored through his chest and pinned against a wall. Several other toreros rescued him. Among the spectators that day were the King and Queen of Spain and the Infanta Beatriz.^[1]

Belmonte’s rivalry with Joselito (a.k.a. Gallito), another contender for the appellation “greatest matador of all time”, from 1914 to 1920 is known as the Golden Age of Bullfighting. The era was cut short when Joselito was fatally gored on May 16, 1920, at a bullfight in Talavera de la Reina, a small town not far from Madrid. Belmonte then had to carry alone the weight of the whole bullfighting establishment, which would prove too much and led to the first of his two temporary retirements.

In 1919, Belmonte fought 109 corridas, a number not matched by any matador before, until the 1965 bullfight season when Manuel Benítez Pérez (“El Cordobés“) performed in 111 corridas, surpassing Belmonte’s record. The Mexican matador Carlos Arruzafought 108 corridas in one season but it is said that he refused to pass Belmonte’s record out of respect for the maestro.

After his retirement, Belmonte published a biography. Written by Manuel Chaves Nogales and published in 1937, it was called Juan Belmonte, matador de toros: su vida y sus hazañas and was translated into English by Leslie Charteris as Juan Belmonte, Killer of Bulls. Belmonte was also close friend with author Ernest Hemingway, and he appears prominently in two of Hemingway’s books: Death in the Afternoon and The Sun Also Rises. Like Hemingway, Belmonte ultimately committed suicide by gunshot.^[2]

Juan Belmonte was the single matador that changed the style of bullfighting. Born with slightly deformed legs he could not run like other boys, or jump as they could and so when he finally began his career as a matador, he firmly planted his feet on the ground never giving way. He forced the bull to go around him, whereas others until then had jumped all over the place like circus performers.

When his doctor told him that, because of his lifelong injuries and trauma, he could no longer smoke cigars, ride his horses, drink wine or perform sexual acts with women, he decided he was ready to die. He ordered his favorite horse brought to him, took a handful of cigars, two bottles of his favorite wine and rode out to his finca where he was met by two of Sevilla’s “women of the night.” He smoked his cigars and drank his wine, engaging one more time in his final passions, then took his pistol and shot himself. He had told others prior to his last day that if he could not live like a man he would at least die like one.

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Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write again: Woody Allen has made a wonderful new picture, “Midnight in Paris,” and it’s his best, most enjoyable work in years.

If you’re surprised to be reading that, think how I feel writing it. I’ve been a tough sell on the past dozen or so Allen films, very much including the well-acted but finally wearying “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” It seemed that everything he touched in recent years was tainted by misanthropy and sourness. Until now.

With “Midnight in Paris,” Allen has lightened up, allowed himself a treat and in the process created a gift for us and him. His new film is simple and fable-like, with a definite “when you wish upon a star” quality, but, bolstered by appealing performers like Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard and Rachel McAdams, it is his warmest, mellowest and funniest venture in far too long.

This is also a film with an unanticipated twist, so the less you know about it the better. Try to see it immediately, before well-meaning friends tell you more than they should. “Midnight in Paris” is too charming to be ruined by anything, but this is a case where ignorance really is bliss.

Allen says he’s been enamored of Paris since he wrote and acted in “What’s New Pussycat?” in 1965. You can sense his continued passion for the city throughout the film, feel the extra pep in his step and pleasure in his heart.

Seductively shot by Darius Khondji (whatever tax credits this film got will be paid back with interest), “Midnight” opens with an extended montage of Paris’ tourist landmarks, a montage that lasts longer than necessary to simply establish location. Allen is saying: Pay attention — this is a special place, a place where magic can happen.

That’s certainly the attitude of Gil (Wilson), a successful Hollywood screenwriter who is an effusive enthusiast for the City of Light in general, and the 1920s golden age of Fitzgerald-Hemingway Paris in particular. So much so that Gil dreams of turning his back on all that studio money and writing novels on the Left Bank.

Gil’s fiancée, Inez (McAdams), doesn’t like the sound of that. She and Gil are in Paris accompanying her wealthy parents on a business trip and she doesn’t even want to think about anything that would diminish Gil’s income.

Gil’s raptures are put on hold when he and Inez bump into Inez’s friend Paul (Michael Sheen) and his wife. A professor whom Inez once had a crush on, Paul is in Paris to lecture at the Sorbonne. It’s soon clear he’s an insufferable bore so pedantic he gets into an argument with a guide at the Rodin Museum (a brief cameo for French First Lady Carla Bruni).

As much to escape Paul as anything else, Gil takes a late-night walk and just as the clock strikes midnight on the Rue Montagne St. Genevieve, something happens that throws everything in Gil’s life into disarray.

Perhaps most unsettling, but in a good way, is Gil’s meeting with the beautiful and spirited Adriana (Cotillard), an aspiring fashion designer who has a history of inspiring artists. The connection between them is immediate but the barriers to any kind of relationship are formidable.

With remarkable naturalness and considerable charisma, Cotillard is just as she should be here, as are both Wilson, one of the most likable of contemporary actors, and McAdams, who deftly handles a part that is less amiable than usual for her.

Also great fun in smaller roles are Kathy Bates and Adrien Brody as well as French stars Lea Seydoux and Gad Elmaleh.

On display as well is Allen’s sharp and satisfying script. It makes jokes about everyone from Djuna Barnes to Luis Bunuel but also takes time to ponder the role of the artist and the importance of not undervaluing the age we live in.

More than anything, obviously, “Midnight” has Paris. For one film, at least, that extraordinary city has changed Allen’s mood and altered his outlook on cinema and life. It may do the same for you.

kenneth.turan@latimes.com Other posts with Woody Allen:

I watched with great interest the first episode of Gene Simmons show two days ago when his wife left him because of his repeated unfaithfulness.

Nerve editors are divided on the subject of Chelsea Handler, by which I mean that I find her kind of funny and Ben made a barfy face when I said her name. But he too chuckled at this clip, in which the vodka-loving comedienne sits bloated narcissist Gene Simmons down on her stage and then tears into him for sleeping around.

Simmons’ longtime partner, Shannon Tweed, is sitting in the audience, and probably the funniest moment of this clip involves her jumping into the conversation; I won’t spoil it. Suffice to say, you may find Chelsea Handler abrasive, but it’s nice to see someone actually get Gene Simmons to shut up.

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Below is an excellent article that may be helpful in a time like this:

Avoiding and Ending an Affair

Meeting your spouse’s needs is one way to avoid infidelity.

Ways to Avoid Affairs

If you’ve only reached the point of temptation, but you haven’t acted on it yet, make changes in your life so that it doesn’t go any farther. Some ideas:

• Avoid spending time alone with people of the opposite sex. If you struggle with fantasizing about a sexual relationship with a particular person, stay away from the temptation by staying away from that person.
• Refuse to act on (or even reveal) feelings of attraction to someone other than your spouse. Don’t share details of your marriage relationship — particularly problems — with a member of the opposite sex.
• Avoid outside influences and environments — such as business parties and private lunches, especially where drinking is involved — that could encourage infidelity.
• Make your spouse your top priority. Talk about problems and concerns and work through them together. Get joint counseling to help if necessary. If your spouse is angry or won’t go to counseling, go by yourself. As he or she sees changes in you, your spouse might soften.
• Change your attitude about your marriage. See it as a commitment that can’t be broken. Love flourishes in a relationship where there is complete trust, respect, and acceptance. Have fun with your spouse. Date each other again. How would you treat that person differently if you were trying to win his or her affections for the first time?

If You’re in an Affair and Want Out

While it won’t be easy, your marriage may be able to survive an affair if you work at it.

• Ask for forgiveness from your spouse. Keep in mind that when you confess your affair to your spouse, it might be a big relief to you, but it will be just the beginning of the heartache, pain, and distrust for him or her. It may take years of counseling and work to regain that person’s trust. While you’ll want to move on, seeking forgiveness is more than a one-time act; for your spouse to grant you forgiveness is certainly a long process. You can’t try to rush through the emotional healing process.
• Don’t be afraid to seek help and support. Get counseling from a minister or a professional counselor who can help you work through issues of lying, betrayal, mistrust, etc.
• Change your environment if necessary. If the affair happened at work, as hard as it is to take this step, maybe you need to find a different job. If it happened with a neighbor, maybe you need to move.

The good news is that infidelity doesn’t have to be a marriage-killer. When couples are determined to work through the pain of adultery, to end the affair, to forgive and to seek counseling, their unions can often be restored.

If Your Spouse is Having an Affair

After discovering that your spouse has been unfaithful, you’ll likely experience a torrent of conflicting emotions. Here are some important things to keep in mind as you sort through your feelings.

• Don’t give in to the extremes of “love-hate” feelings. Don’t immediately demand a divorce. Instead, affirm your desire to do whatever it takes to rebuild a healthy, vibrant marriage.
• Don’t give in to the extremes of “all my fault” or “all your fault” thinking. Don’t insist on knowing why your spouse has been having an affair. Instead, ask if he or she is willing to start over.
• At this point, you need to turn to others who can help you. Don’t ask a mutual friend or relative. Instead, ask an objective party who is in a position to help. That person might be an experienced senior pastor, certified Christian counselor, or respected marriage ministry.
• Cling to the promise that — with God’s help — even the most broken marriage can be saved.
• Remember, nobody wakes up one day and suddenly decides to have an extramarital affair. A person has been unfaithful in heart and mind long before he or she begins an affair.
• Be patient. It takes time to begin to rebuild trust, love and commitment.