Holy Homes - AboutUs http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs en-us Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:46:59 -0500 Clay and Renee's Story http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/ClayAndReneeStory
     You may be wondering how we came up with “HolyHomes” as the name for this work we do.  It all comes out of the story of something God did in our home in 1998.   This is a very personal story.  Are you ready to get honest? With yourself and God?  We had to. Was it fun?  No…not exactly, but we are thankful for our “We Need to Talk” moment.
     In the summer of ‘98, Renee and I were about to sit down in church one Sunday morning when I turned to her and asked if she would get a babysitter for our daughters that afternoon.  I said, “Because Renee…we need to talk.”
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   Heavy words, “We need to talk.”  Renee must have been scrambling in her mind wondering just what we needed to talk about.  When we got home we sat down in our family room and I began to get honest with Renee about a struggle I had been dealing with for most of my life. Without jumping right in, I started by telling her that I wanted to be a better husband and father. I could tell she didn’t want to hear that, but wanted to know what we “needed” to talk about. I told her that I wanted to be the spiritual leader of our home. Again, I could tell that she was anxiously thinking “Okay honey, but what do we need to talk about?” 


    I told her that I had never physically committed adultery, but that in my mind I had, many times. I knew what the Bible said about that. “If a man lusts after a woman, he has committed adultery with her in his heart.” I took her back to the 4th grade and the first time that I saw pornography. I really believe that this was the beginning of my struggle. I’m not sure if I ever became officially addicted, but still, I would justify seeing the stuff.  I would make lame excuses to myself.  This all took place before our marriage. When we got married in 1990 I thought that struggle would be over. After all, being married I’d have a release for those desires.  I was wrong.
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   The confession that Sunday in 1998 was that porn had re-entered my life and that I was seeing it without her knowing.  I was so ashamed and sick of myself that I just had to tell her.  We are so close and such best friends that it just had to come out, to her.
     We have written a book that details the entire process of the confession, the forgiveness and healing that took place in our marriage.  That little talk that afternoon was an absolute must. It HAD to happen.
     It was painful.  It was tough.  But I’ve got to tell you, it began the best season of growth that either of us had ever experienced.  That day was the worst, but it led to the best.  God’s best!
     What we have since discovered is that the porn was just a symptom of something worse.  That’s right. A symptom of a man not fully devoted to God or to his marriage and family.
     We were a Christian couple who went to church but we never really read God’s word or prayed.  Read that again.  Christians that did not pray or read God’s word. 
     So you see, the porn was not the biggest problem in our marriage. Nope, it was just a symptom of the core problem.  We were not completely focused on God.
     Through this, we both re-committed our lives to Christ and began to look at our lives and our home in a different way. We wanted it to be different.  Special.  Rare.  Set-apart for God.
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   Here’s a verse that rocked us that year. “Let yourselves be pulled into a way of life, energetic and blazing with holiness; God said, ‘I am Holy, you be holy’.” I Peter 1:15        Hence the name HolyHomes!

In the list of options above to the left, ask yourself, “Where do I find myself as I read this?” 

Maybe you still need to talk. If so click on the "Haven't Talked Yet...But Need To?" link.

Maybe you've talked, but now don't know what to do.  Click "Already Talked.  Now What?" 

Or maybe things are pretty good in your home.  You've made a strong commitment to God.  Click "In A Good Place? Great!"

 

]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/ClayAndReneeStory Meet Us http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/MeetUs Hey there! Clay and Renee Crosse here. Thanks for stopping by HolyHomes.

We're simply here to offer hope to anyone
who comes looking for help. This all came from God healing our marriage a few years ago (in 1998).
That year our marriage and home began to change...

for the better.

HolyHomes!  The concept is simple, but it takes some work. It takes commitment. It takes willingness and sacrifice. It takes sharing and caring.
It takes faithfulness.

Look at those words again: commitment…willingness…sacrifice…sharing…caring...faithfulness.  
Do these words sound familiar? They should. They are the exact things that every bride and groom promise to each other and to God.

Consider HolyHomes to be a series of little reminders of the big promises we have made. And be reminded of the great blessings that God offers to anyone who follows Him closely.

Clay and Renee Crosse
HolyHomes founders


]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/MeetUs Meet Us http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/default    Hey there! Clay and Renee Crosse here. Thanks for stopping by HolyHomes.  We're simply here to offer hope to anyone who comes looking for help. This all came from God healing our marriage a few years ago (in 1998). That year our marriage and home began to change...
for the better!             
 
  HolyHomes!  The concept is simple, but it takes some work.  It takes commitment. It takes willingness and sacrifice. It takes sharing and caring.  It takes faithfulness.

   Look at those words again:  commitment…willingness…sacrifice…sharing…caring...faithfulness.   Do these words sound familiar? They should. They are the exact things that every bride and groom promise to each other and to God.  

   Consider HolyHomes to be a series of little reminders of the big promises we have made.  And be reminded of the great blessings that God offers to anyone who follows Him closely.

Clay and Renee Crosse
HolyHomes founders

Clay Crosse's Facebook profile Renee Crosse's Facebook profile ]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/default About Clay Crosse http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/Clay    Clay Crosse is a husband, father, singer/songwriter and an ordained minister.  He has been honored four times with Dove Awards including 1994 New Artist of the Year and 2000 Inspirational Song of the Year “I Will Follow Christ.”  He has toured extensively and been in the center of contemporary Christian music.  

   Clay and his wife, Renee, founded HolyHomes Ministries in 2001 after a life changing season of growth that they both experienced.  “I know people wonder why I am focusing so much time and energy on HolyHomes.” says Crosse.  “They probably don’t hear me on the radio as much as before and they may be wondering what in the world I’m up to.  The only thing I can say is that God has clearly positioned me to challenge homes out there to dedicate themselves to Him.  And I’m talking about countless Christian marriages and homes that are in seriously sad shape.   They need to take their focus off this world and put it back on God.  He holds the only source for success and peace for our homes.” 

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   Clay’s passion for this message came across loud and clear in the book ‘I  Surrender All / Rebuilding a Marriage Broken By Pornography.” (NavPress) written by he and his wife Renee. “The book was another example of how God has opened a variety of doors for us to let HolyHome’s message of hope be heard.” said Crosse.  

   Various speaking opportunities as well as a variety of singing engagements keep Clay very busy on the road.  While at home, (Memphis, Tennessee) Clay enjoys life with Renee and their four children. 

Clay’s website is www.claycrosse.com

Clay Crosse's Facebook profile ]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/Clay About Renee Crosse http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/Renee    Renee Crosse has teamed with her husband, Clay Crosse, to promote the message of HolyHomes at various seminars and conferences nationwide.  She also speaks individually at women’s events.  Crosse is gaining the reputation as a powerful, dynamic and authentic author, speaker and teacher.  This has not always been the case though.   She says, “I find it very interesting that God has placed me in this position of leadership and put me on a platform for His message. 

   That all changed in 1998 after Renee and Clay went through a recommitment of their home and marriage to God.  This was a pivotal time that transformed their life.  Renee then began to join Clay on stage sharing their testimony at various events which Clay had been invited. 

   During these appearances it became clear that Renee has a strong gift for communication and encouragement.  Her husband, Clay states, “I would stand there and listen to her and just think, ‘Wow, I never knew she could do this so well!’”  He goes on to say, “She just has that thing that every great speaker has.  You can’t ignore what they are saying. She captures you with a great message.  It comes from a life that has been changed.”

    There are just too many families out there that need to hear about the healing and hope that God is offering!  Clay and Renee co-authored their debut book, “I Surrender All / Rebuilding A Marriage Broken By Pornography” (NavPress).  The Crosse’s reside in Memphis, Tennessee where Renee is full time mommy to their four children. 

Renee Crosse's Facebook profile ]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/Renee Our Ministry Purpose http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/ministrypurpose The HolyHomes Ministries purpose is two fold.

1.) To encourage Christian homes to come back to a close relationship with Christ.

2.) To encourage non-Christian homes to come to know Christ.                                                                         

   Holy Homes asks homes to look at themselves in a different way, a set-apart way.  It warns against becoming calloused to influences such as TV, movies and internet media.

   HolyHomes was founded by popular recording artist Clay Crosse and his wife Renee after they went through a recommitment of their marriage and home to Christ in 1998. Their story of how God restored their marriage from near destruction is a driving force behind the ministry HolyHomes. 

   Says Clay, “We just see too many families out there that are struggling like we were, and the thing that really gets us is that many of these families are Christian homes.  We challenge them to go back to what they know is right and begin experiencing a real walk with Christ.  Not just going to church and forgetting about it the rest of the week.  I’m talking about really giving it all to God!  That’s where we began to feel genuine success in our marriage and we want to share that with others!”


 

]]> Wed, 17 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/ministrypurpose How to Support HolyHomes http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/howtosupport    We ask you to join with us at HolyHomes in getting our message of hope to as many people as possible.  The need to hear the message of HolyHomes is huge and the work is unending.  We invite you to partner with us through prayer and financial support.

We thank you so much for this.

In Christ,
 Clay and Renee Crosse

Please send all gifts to:
HOLYHOMES
PO BOX 565
ARLINGTON, TENNESSEE
38002
*All gifts are fully tax deductible

 

]]> Tue, 16 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/howtosupport EMAIL CLAY AND RENEE CROSSE http://holyhomes.org/AboutUs/Email%20Clay%20and%20Renee%20file    Clay and Renee Crosse welcome your emails.  Questions. Comments.  Success stories.  Prayer requests.  Whatever...send 'em on!!  They read them all. (And respond to most!)

clay@holyhomes.org

renee@holyhomes.org  

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