May 23, 2008
· Filed under Parenting
From crosswalk.com
By Dr. S. M. Davis
One of the greatest hopes of Christian parents should be that their children will choose right over wrong, good over evil, and wisdom over foolishness. One of the most heartbreaking experiences for Christian parents is when they see one of their children making damaging life choices with seemingly no interest in doing right. What can we do to help make sure that our children refuse evil and choose good?
One of the most powerful statements I’ve ever seen in my life is this: “If you want your ideas to last for years, write them on paper. If you want them to last for decades, write them on brick. If you want them to last for centuries, write them in stone. If you want your ideas to last forever, write them on the heart of a child.”
It is the privilege and responsibility of a father and mother to train the soul of a child who is going to live for eternity. God could have chosen angels to provide perfect teaching and training and care for children, but He did not choose to do that. He could have delegated that responsibility to the government, but He did not do that either. Instead, He gave that responsibility primarily to mothers and fathers. Thankfully, however, He didn’t just give us that responsibility and then leave us alone. He gave us some instructions in His Word that, if we will only follow them, will guide us on our way to raising godly children.
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May 23, 2008
· Filed under Relationship
From crosswalk.com
By Whiney Hopler
Your girlhood dreams of becoming a princess may have become grown up dreams of finding a prince to marry – a man who’ll make you blissfully happy. But no such man exists, because no human being has the power to make your dreams come true.
That doesn’t mean you need to stop dreaming, however. You do, indeed, have a prince waiting for you. And if you discover Him, you’ll experience the greatest love of all.
Here’s how you can devote your heart to your true prince, Jesus Christ:
Don’t settle for a broken heart and shattered dreams. Even though this fallen world is full of sin that can disappoint and even destroy you, it’s also full of hope. Don’t assume that you’ll never meet a man you can trust, who’ll treat you with dignity and respect. Pass untrustworthy men by while you wait for one who’ll treat you right. Refuse to lower your standards for relationships. Pursue only the best – all that God wants for you. Don’t sink into depression when your wait takes longer than you’d like. Instead, use your time to live to the fullest, growing as a person and enjoying all God has for you while you’re single.
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May 23, 2008
· Filed under Bible, Faith
From crosswalk.com
By Cliff Young
It is a fantastical story about 26-year old Molly Mahoney, the manager of a magnificent toy store. The 243-year old eccentric proprietor, Mr. Magorium, announces that he will bequest the store to Molly after he dies. Molly is reluctant to accept the impending gift because she doesn’t believe in herself and in her ability to run the store.
Have you ever been in a similar situation where you had an opportunity for a change or something new (a job, a different residence, a proposition, a prospective mate) and your response was one of incapability, unworthiness, or disbelief the opportunity would ever work out?
There was a person in the Bible who shared these feelings, Gideon.
“The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you! ‘But Lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!’”
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May 23, 2008
· Filed under Parenting, Relationship
From crosswalk.com
By Kris Swiatocho
My stepfather is only one example of a man who has impacted my life as a result of his relationship with Christ. Throughout this series, I want to share with you about some of the other men who have impacted my life solely because of their relationship with Jesus. I believe as I share that you, too, will connect with them and discover for yourself how God has always had a plan for you, is working it out in your life and will never leave you.
Do you sometimes think you don’t matter? Do you feel insignificant in this big world? That all your hard work, building your life hasn’t amounted to much? Or at least you think much?
I used to feel this way. I can remember when I was a young adult; I was searching for my purpose. What was God doing in my life? I am just one little person. How can my life be that valuable to God? I am one in a zillion of people. Yeah, yeah, he knows the hairs on my head so he knows me. Yada yada yada! I knew he knew me. I had read Scripture and understood that he even loved me, unconditionally. But what I didn’t know was how I could be used by God. I wanted to not just exist. I wanted to make a difference. But how?
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May 23, 2008
· Filed under Forgiveness, Marriage
From crosswalk.com
By Nancy C. Anderson
Dad sighed and asked us, “What’s your plan?”
My husband, Ron, leaned forward and said, “Plan? Plan for what?”
“You two are going to have to figure out why your marriage fell apart…how to fix it …how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Ron replied, “Well…I don’t know if we need to do all that. I don’t even want to talk about what she did. It’s too painful. Nancy’s back home now — we’ll just move on from here.”
Dad continued, “I wish it were that simple. But it’s not. Your marriage was fractured. If you rebuild a house on a cracked foundation, it might be all right for a while, but when the storms come, that fracture will divide your house. Ron, if you don’t repair the foundation of your marriage, it won’t survive. You can’t just ignore the fact that your wife had an affair. The memory of Nancy’s betrayal and the guilt she will carry will be unbearable for both of you. I don’t think you’ll be able to move on until you, Ron, make one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.”
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May 23, 2008
· Filed under Happiness
From crosswalk.com
By Greg Laurie
Charles Dickens began his classic novel, A Tale Two Cities, with the statement, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” I think that is also an accurate assessment of American culture today. In many ways, we never have seen better times. But in many ways, we never have seen worse times.
Remember that often-repeated phrase from a couple of elections ago? “It’s the economy, stupid.” Well, it is not the economy; it is more than that. When our economy was strong, our morals were low. Now when our economy is struggling, our morals are still low.
I think the answer could be found in a statement Abraham Lincoln made: We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our heart that all of these blessings that we see in our country were produced by superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
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May 23, 2008
· Filed under Faith, Prayer
From crosswalk.com
By Whitney Hopler
The Lord’s Prayer is much more than just a model of how best to pray. It’s a statement of how to get to know God’s heart. And when you live out those words, God will transform you completely.
Here’s how you can live the Lord’s Prayer:
Our: Realize that the journey to a deeper walk with God can only be fully lived in the company of God’s people. Faith is not an individual pursuit; it’s meant to be pursued within the context of community. Whenever you abandon the body of Christ, you’re abandoning yourself. You can’t grow in grace by withdrawing from others. Commit to long-term relationships with people. When you face a difficulty in any of your relationships, don’t simply run or battle it out with the other person. Instead, resolve the issue and reconcile. Focus on people over productivity and on relationships over results.
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May 21, 2008
· Filed under Faith, God
From lep.co.uk
A majority of people think God is male with nearly half of the population in Britain believing that all religions discriminate on grounds of gender.
Only 1% of people think of God as female, with 62% considering God to be male, the online survey conducted earlier this month of 1,050 adults in Britain found.
The survey showed around three quarters, or 73%, of those who classified themselves as Christian considered God as male.
Just under a half, or 49%, of people think all religions “fundamentally discriminate on grounds of gender” and 56% think all religions discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation, according to the poll finding.
May 18, 2008
· Filed under Marriage, Relationship
From Crosswalk
By Dr. Gary Smalley
Can a couple in conflict ever reach a win/lose solution? What if a husband gets a new job in a different state that is going to make his life easier and the family’s life easier, but the wife doesn’t think it would be a wise move? They spend over a month in heated debate on why they should go or why they should stay. Both have legitimate reasons for their arguments, but they are clearly nowhere near a win/win solution. What do they do? How can they possibly reach a win/win solution when they are so far apart? Do they even need to reach a win/win solution?
If these questions don’t seem to have an answer, then try this one: Are you—as a married couple—on the same team? Hopefully your answer is yes, “we are on the same team”. If you truly believe you’re on the same team, then try answering the original question again. Is there ever a scenario where the resolution of your conflict might end up being a win/lose solution? If you’re on the same team, then you know what the answer is … NO!
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May 18, 2008
· Filed under Christian, Faith, Prayer
From emerge.com
Dr. Richard D. Dobins
Being a healthy Christian begins with a healthy view of God.
God is a loving God and wants you to see Him as someone who is loving and wants to be helpful and redemptive to the human race. There are several other characteristics of a healthy view of God:
DEVELOP A HEALTHY VIEW OF GOD
A healthy view of God sees Him as an intimate God. Scriptures teach that God is very near and intimate with us: In Him we live, and move, and have our being?(Acts 17:28). He is not some remote creator who set nature in motion and went away.
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May 16, 2008
· Filed under Family, Marriage, Relationship
From Crosswalk.com
By Drs. Beverly and Tom Rodgers
Children of divorce are at higher risk for divorce than children of intact families. You would think that this would deter the younger generation from matrimony, but findings show that generation Y is more motivated than ever to get married and stay married. We as a culture should do everything we can to help them meet this goal. Our churches can do much to help these young married hopefuls stay married for a lifetime.
The Parents of Today’s Newlyweds
In 1965 the divorce rate surged, peaking in 1979 at the rate of 23 divorces per 1000 couples. This was the boomer generation who ended their marriages in record numbers leaving their children bereft, not knowing what a healthy lasting marriage is all about. It was even true of the church whose divorce rate was no different than that of the secular community.
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May 16, 2008
· Filed under Dealing with Emotions, Marriage, Relationship
From Focus on the Family
By Carolyn MacInnes
Tim and Sandra sit close together on their porch swing, holding hands. It’s hard to believe that less than a year ago, they’d discussed selling their house, splitting their possessions and sharing custody of their three children. The couple explains that a common but treatable illness nearly destroyed their strong 12-year marriage.
“I remember the day it started,” Tim says. “I walked into the kitchen one morning and Sandy was just sitting on the floor. She was still in her bathrobe, and her eyes were swollen from crying.”
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May 16, 2008
· Filed under Marriage, Relationship
From Focus on the Family
By Carol Heffernan
A decade ago, Art and Lysa TerKeurst were on the brink of divorce. Since then their marriage has been transformed. How did their relationship go from awful to awesome? And what practical tips do they have for other couples experiencing marital difficulties?
“I went into marriage thinking of all I was going to get out of it, not of all that I had to give another person,” Lysa admits. “To be honest, Art and I were very selfish in our approach to marriage.”
Lysa soon found that past baggage, combined with the expectation that Art would somehow “fix” her, was a recipe for disaster. “I hungered and thirsted for a husband who would fill me completely,” she says.
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May 16, 2008
· Filed under Family, Marriage, Relationship
From Focus on the Family
By Amy Tracy
You’ve just found out your spouse may be struggling with homosexuality. Waves of crippling emotions including shock, fear, and panic are washing over you, and you’re not certain where to turn or who to confide in. It’s important at that time, to obtain the truth as swiftly as possible, and take the next steps toward healing.
After spending considerable time in prayer and perhaps with trusted friends and family, you need to present the evidence and express your feelings openly with your spouse. You may choose to do this with him alone or with your pastor or counselor.
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May 12, 2008
· Filed under Parenting
From Crosswalk
By Barbara Curtis
It was the kind of splendid September day when sending kids to school just feels wrong. Fortunately, that year I was homeschooling and calling the shots. Plus we were living in California, an hour from the Pacific Ocean. For all I knew, it could be the last day of summer, and we wouldn’t want to miss that. So it was off to the ocean with five children under eight – Josh, Matt, Ben, Zach, and Sophia.
Together, we cleaned up from breakfast, prepped the car, then gathered beach blankets, umbrella, towels, swimsuits, diapers, sunglasses, sand toys, first aid kit, sunscreen, a cooler full of snacks and drinks – ay yi yi yi yi! Hello, motherhood – goodbye spontaneity.
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May 12, 2008
· Filed under Family, Parenting
From Crosswalk
By Kathi Macias
When people say you look like your mom or dad, do you dance with joy or grit your teeth and cringe? Your reaction tells a lot about your relationship with your parents, as well as how your children will one day think of you.
Author, speaker, and marketing consultant Jan Coates, also the founder of Set Free Today Ministries, knows only too well about those negative reactions to any reference that would link her to her mother. In Jan’s words, “I never had a real mother. Instead, I lived under the control of a paranoid schizophrenic, alcoholic, drug-addict mother.” However, it wasn’t always that way.
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May 12, 2008
· Filed under Family, Marriage, Relationship
From Focus on the Family
By David Arp, Claudia Arp, John Bell, and Margaret Bell
In-law relationships need a touch of civility. Consider the story of Stephanie, who complained, “My mother-in-law never approves of the way I do anything. The last time Joe and I visited her it happened again. Just trying to be nice and helpful, I washed all the pots and pans after dinner. No sooner had I finished than she washed them all over again!”
Stephanie is not a newlywed. She has been married to Joe for 15 years. That whole time, she and Joe’s mom have silently struggled with being civil to each other. When Joe’s mom comes to visit, Stephanie really tries to get the house clean and comfortable for her. But after arriving, her mother-in-law pulls out the cleaning supplies and spit shines the bathrooms and kitchen. Stephanie assumes she’s doing this because she thinks Stephanie is a slob and lives in filth.
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May 12, 2008
· Filed under Family, Marriage
From Focus on the Family
By Lysa TerKeurst
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said, “Some would say ‘having sex’ and ‘making love’ are one and the same, but there’s an important distinction between the two. The physical act of intercourse can be accomplished by any appropriately matched mammals, as well as most other members of the animal kingdom. But the art of making love, as designed by God, is a much more meaningful and complex experience — it’s physical, emotional, and spiritual. In marriage we should settle for nothing less than a sexual relationship that is expressed not only body-to-body, but heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul.”‘
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May 12, 2008
· Filed under Family, Marriage
From Focus on the Family
By Al Janssen
Why is Song of Solomon in the canon of Scripture? The story is more than 3,000 years old. It tells of how King Solomon discovered a beautiful woman and fell in love with her. There is no mention of God in its eight chapters. In fact, the open expression of sensuality makes some uncomfortable, wondering if such words should even be published in our holy book.
Jewish and Christian scholars generally agree that Song of Solomon is part of Scripture for two reasons. First, it upholds a picture of marital love as it was intended. Here is a glimpse of what God desired when He joined man and wife in the Garden of Eden and told them to “be fruitful and multiply.” For centuries marriages have occurred for many reasons — for economic or political benefits, because the families got along, because the man needed an heir, because it was convenient and that’s what young people did. But marriage primarily for reasons of love has become commonplace only in the last couple of centuries, and not in all parts of the world.
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May 12, 2008
· Filed under Family, Marriage, Relationship
From Focus on the Family
Passion. In some Christian circles, passion is something that is perceived as fiction rather than fact. Some even believe that God is opposed to it. Is that how you feel? Or maybe you feel that the fire you once felt for your mate has burned out? Are you convinced that passion is for hormone-driven teenagers, not couples who have been married for more than five years?
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May 4, 2008
· Filed under Faith, Prayer
From National Day of Prayer
By Central Florida News
Orlando police said the streets are safer, but there is no clear answer as to why.
Some said the answer is the police crackdown that is forcing the crime rate to drop, but many others believe the answer is prayer.
Orlando police said the crime rate dropped drastically last month, and some religious leaders said God should take the credit.
After holding a 40-day prayer vigil, it just so happens that same month was the slowest for killings in Orlando and Orange county.
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May 4, 2008
· Filed under Faith, Prayer, Serving
From Family News in Fous
By Josh Montez
In one of thousands of NDP activities, pilots are flying small planes over state capitols to pray for our nation. They’re called “Prayer Flights” and they’ve got all fifty states covered.
Before pilots Bob Stephenson and Pat Carlile go up in their Cessna 182 for the Prayer Flight over Denver, they go through pre-flight checklist.
Once over the state capitol the two will offer specific prayers.
“We have a list here of things in the government, like government officials to recognize God’s authority and rely on him for wisdom,” says Stephenson.
Carlile adds, “our nation’s in great need with its economy, its military and the war in Iraq. And our election year. There’s a lot of great need for our country right now.”
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May 4, 2008
· Filed under Bible, Family, Parenting, Relationship
From Focus on the Family
By Linda Klepacki, R.N., M.P.H.
Talking to our teens about sexuality is one of the most life-affirming tasks parents face in our sex-saturated society. Throughout their formative years, teens need to hear from their parents the truth about sex, rather than just the daily bombardment of media sex scandals.
In Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that American children devote more than 38 hours per week to various forms of media, such as television, videos, video games, music, and the Internet. By the time the average teen graduates from high school he will have squandered 15,000 hours watching television—that’s twenty percent more time than the 12,000 hours he will have spent in the classroom. Furthermore, the average American adolescent will view nearly 14,000 sexual references per year.
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May 3, 2008
· Filed under Faith, Prayer
By Clem Boyd
Ever wonder how Methuselah lived to be almost 1,000 years old? Maybe he had a good prayer life.
At least that’s what a recent study from the Duke University Medical Center indicates. Looking at 4,000 older adults from rural North Carolina, the Duke team concluded that even occasional private prayer and Bible study helped people live healthier and longer lives.
“This is one of the first studies showing that people who pray live longer,” said researcher Harold Koenig.
Dr. David Stevens, a family practitioner and executive director of the Christian Medical Association, said Christians shouldn’t be surprised.
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May 3, 2008
· Filed under Bible, Family, Relationship
By Lynne M. Thompson
Your child’s schedule probably already includes bath time, nap time and bedtime. But there’s always room for five minutes of Bible time. No child is too young to learn from the most important book in history. Here are some pointers.
Set a routine for Bible time. Try to have it at approximately the same time each day, perhaps after breakfast or before snack.
Sing fun songs. Bible songs sold on cassette or CD at Christian bookstores can get you started. Enjoy clapping and jumping.
Read from a children’s Bible. Use a toddler or picture Bible. Keep the stories short. Some children enjoy holding the Bible while you read. Using a puppet to tell the Bible story is always a treat.
Introduce additional material. Bible coloring books are a great way to share a story. You may want to read a holiday book depicting the story of Jesus at Christmas or Easter.
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