Articles
Hard Versus Bad
The first time I heard the phrase "happy wife, happy life," I thought the man was kidding.
When a friend said, "My husband just wants me to be happy," I exclaimed, "He does?"
When the husband looks at the wife on House Hunters and asks, "Which house do you want to buy?" I say out loud to no one, "Who says that?"
When a friend said, in passing, "I just feel cherished," I almost had to sit down and breathe ...
Related Topics: Counseling, Marriage Struggles, Marriage, Difficult
A Little Mother's Day Reality
The pastor raised his hands, ending his sugary-sweet portrayal of Mom with the grand statement "Moms are the earthly angels of God." Most adults wiped their eyes, sniffed, and patted nearby children on the head. Like everyone else, I felt the tug of pleasant memories and was grateful for a sacrificial mom. Every mom wants to belong to the "mom was the best" club. We all hope the truth surrounding ...
Related Topics: Motherhood, Mother's Day, parenting
More than Romance
My husband gently stroked my hair as we cuddled in bed one chilly morning. "It's not blond," he murmured, "and it doesn't spill over the pillow. For so many years I thought that's what I wanted."
I pinched his "love handles" in retaliation! "And you're not the tall, muscular hunk I've always dreamed about."
"Aren't you glad?" he teased.
"Sure am." I reflected for a moment on the state we had been in ...
Related Topics: Connecting, Friendship, Marriage, Friendship in
Sloth
How many times have you set a goal for yourself that fizzled out and amounted to nothing? We often start with the best of intentions, but over time our fervor begins to wane and our dedication slides. Eventually we look back and realize we've made little (or maybe no) progress.
What is it that prevents us from following through on our good intentions? It's a sinister, insidious thing that the early ...
Related Topics: Accountability, Achievement, Ambition, Gifts, Goals, God's Call, Laziness, Sin
Outreach Begins at Home
Your intentions are the best. You want your kids to appreciate diversity, interact with people from other cultures, and be willing to sample food they didn't access through a drive-up window. There's just one problem: The family budget won't cover a mission trip this summer.
Not to worry, says Donna Thomas, whose international ministry has taken her to 79 countries—often with her sons, and now ...
Related Topics: Cultural Differences, Culture, Diversity, Ethnic Differences, Outreach
The Gift of Pets
I've always thought that one of the strongest proofs of God's existence is the love that can develop between humans and animals. It's something so seemingly superfluous and unnecessary. We don't need to love our animals to survive. They really don't need us either—many animals live in the wild just fine.
But there's something achingly sweet about seeing my long-haired black cat Tasa curl luxuriantly ...
Related Topics: Animals, C.S. Lewis, Fellowship, Friendship
Arguing Again
Why are stairs harder to climb after we fight? I asked myself, dragging one foot after the other, using the banister to pull myself up.
Hurtful words, spoken by my husband in anger, rotated in my mind. Was I really not humble? Was I only out for myself? Was I truly trying to "diss" him?
Reaching the top, I hesitated before entering the bedroom. Was he asleep, or waiting? Time to find out as I anxiously ...
Related Topics: Arguing, Love, Marriage, Conflict
The Consumer Versus the Kingdom
I would like to challenge the marriage assumptions that have prevented you from seeing new possibilities in the uncharted waters of Us. The first assumption that simply must go is that you or your spouse needs to change in order for your marriage to improve.
As difficult as it may seem, I want you to consider the possibility that nothing about you or your spouse needs to change.
Nothing at all.
Beyond ...
Related Topics: Consumerism, Control, Reliquishing, Marriage, Strengthened
Prayer Primer for Parents
Starting something new can be as difficult for parents as it is for children. Our busy lives often make creating a new discipline hard to imagine. But the richness of a daily prayer moment between you, your child, and God will create a new dimension, a peace in your life that helps to transcend all the chaos. It starts with one simple step—a commitment to do it every night. Once the pattern ...
Related Topics: Child-rearing, parenting, Prayer
Happiness Takes Two
"Will I never find a job?" I screamed into the empty air of our apartment. Sinking into a pity party, I bemoaned the money, time, and energy spent obtaining my degrees. No one wanted a new hire with no professional work experience, who was overqualified with education.
Still, I couldn't cry for long. There were other goals to pursue—I needed to prepare dinner for Dan, my new husband, since it ...
Related Topics: Marriage, Partnership, Marriage, Teamwork in, Unemployment
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