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.

Keep reading…

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.

Keep reading…

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.

Keep reading…

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.

Keep reading…

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.”‘

Keep reading…

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.

Keep reading…

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?

Keep reading…

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.

Keep reading…

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.

Keep reading…

By Carol Heffernan

It’s easy to think that only “other people” get divorced. That your own marriage is somehow immune to heartache, infidelity and fights over who gets the house, the car, the dog. After all, how many of us would walk down the aisle if we believed our relationships would end up in divorce court?

Truth is, no relationship comes with a lifetime guarantee. Even men and women who grew up in stable homes, who attend church and consider themselves Christians, who promise “until death do us part,” can have it all fall apart.

As Christians, we know that applying biblical principles to marriage will give us a stronger foundation than those of our unbelieving friends and neighbors. We know this, but what are we doing about it? In other words, what makes a marriage “Christian”?

Keep reading…

By Peb Jackson and James Lund

Risk and adventure can lead to powerful, deep relationships. There is something about leaving comfort zones behind, surrounding ourselves with God’s grandeur, and meeting obstacles together that strips away pretensions and barriers. It’s as if we can’t help being “real.” We’re forced to depend on each other and get to know each other on a deeper level. We share challenges and experiences that bond us for life.

 

We’ve all seen how shared risk and experience cement relationships among sports teams, soldiers (think Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers), and even friends and colleagues at work. It applies just as much to your family. If you want to draw close to your spouse and kids, why not launch into an adventure? Here are five ideas that will strengthen your family ties this spring and summer.

Keep reading…