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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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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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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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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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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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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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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From lep.co.uk

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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