By Dr. James Dobson
Some people have the notion that the Lord is entitled to 10 percent of our income, which is called our "tithes," and that the other 90 percent belongs to us. Not true. I believe strongly in the concept of tithing, but not because God's portion is limited to a tenth. We are but stewards of all that He has entrusted to us. He is our possessor--and sometimes our dispossessor. Everything we have is but a loan from Him. When God took away his wealth, Job had the correct attitude, saying...
By Jackie M. Johnson
Did you know that today there are more single adults than married adults in America? The tipping point came in 2014. So if there are now more single men and women than ever, what is the church doing to meet their needs?
By Dr. Dobson
Dr. Dobson and guests Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth tee up a light-hearted yet insightful "baseball" analogy about sex–from a woman's perspective.
By Senior Living Ministries
A pastor and his wife received a generous $200 gift card to a very nice restaurant in town. So as soon as they could, they found a free evening, got dressed up, washed the car, and headed out on their date.
Noted counselor and author Norman Wright is perhaps the guru of premarital counseling, having written and spoken extensively on this subject. He discussed his views during an interview on my radio broadcast some years ago and made several significant observations.
When you spoke your marriage vows to your spouse and committed yourself to loving and caring for that person for the rest of your life, you made a holy promise to your husband or wife, as well as to the Lord.
The media continually bombard us with images of broken trust: spouses who cheat on each other; politicians who break promises; corporate chiefs who steal from their employees.
By Dr. Tim Clinton
What do you think of when you read the following quote? “A ship in the harbor is safe but that is not what ships are built for.” -John A. Shedd Perhaps it makes you think of a ship actually in a harbor. A fishing boat covered in barnacles, tied to the dock, floating and bouncing around on the water. Or maybe you think of the scene from Titanic where there is a great pan shop of the majestic vessel covered with people waving goodbye to
Question: Give me some practical suggestions for the selection of a husband. I sure want to get it right and don't think I should depend just on looks or personality. What are the factors I should consider before saying "I do"?
In a progressive culture, it’s easy to forget the biblical roles that God has clearly defined for men and women. Learn why it’s so important to embrace those roles as God’s grand design - especially the role of wife and mother. It’s a lesson of encouragement for this “divine assignment”.
By Julie Clinton
Pain and adversity can easily strip us of energy and heart. All three of these women have been challenged by difficult circumstances, and all three made courageous decisions to stand by their men. They know two important things about their relationships and adversity—who they are and where they’re going.
Years ago, a Christian group on a college campus advertised a seminar titled: “Givers, Takers, and Other Kinds of Lovers.” We use the word “love” to mean almost any kind of connection today, but this leads to lots of misunderstanding. Needing someone isn’t loving them, and controlling them by any form of manipulation isn’t in their best interests. Real love is a choice, it’s open and freeing, demanding nothing in return. In Romans 12, Paul dives into what it means to live out love in our daily relationships.
This is what I mean by mutual accountability. Such minor conflict in a marriage plays a positive role in establishing what is and is not acceptable behavior. Some instances of disrespect are petty, like the two examples I gave, but when they are permitted to pass unnoticed, two things happen.
Imagine losing your husband. It is during a time of famine in the land andyou are also filled with personal emptiness, hunger, and sorrow. You are alone. Discouraged. Grieving. Then, your mother-in-law decides to move back to her homeland. A mother-in-law who had loved you. Accepted you. One who came alongside you as a godly influence in your life. What would you do? In today’s story, Ruth chooses to leave her people, her country, and everything familiar to her…and cling to her relationship with Naomi.
Getaways. Some time off. A break. We all need them, and our bodies usually tell us when it’s time. For one Chicago couple, it was time. Having just buried their son and lost their entire real estate business in a massive fire, the mom, dad, and four daughters needed to get away. The destination: England.
Google the phrase “heart health” and over 49,900,000 sites pop up. That’s 49 million. Read just a few of those articles and the evidence is overwhelming – there is a direct correlation to what we put into our bodies (diet, exercise, rest, supplements etc.), and the health of our heart.
Let me turn now to the people who are most likely to give you the help you need. I’m referring to maternal or paternal grandparents. They have a God-given responsibility to influence their grandkids, and most of them are more than willing to fit the bill. There is a very helpful book that may stimulate some ideas. It is called The Gift of Grandparenting, by Eric Wiggen. Here are some excerpts from it that will, I hope, not only motivate single parents to look to their parents but will inspire grandparents to get more involved with grandkids. These are the considered words of Eric Wiggen:
Gratitude fuels faith. How do you feel when you’ve cooked a wonderful dinner for your family and they wolf it down and jump up from the table…without even a “Thanks, Mom!”? Instead of expressing gratitude, they turn on ESPN or jump on Facebook. Sound familiar? How do you feel when you’ve spent lots of time helping a friend, and she seems to take your availability for granted? I think that’s how God feels when we don’t stop to thank him for his blessings.
One of the most breathtaking concepts in all of Scripture is the revelation that God knows each of us personally and that we are in His mind both day and night. There is simply no way to comprehend the full implications of this love by the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is all-powerful and all-knowing, majestic and holy, from everlasting to everlasting. Why would He care about us—about our needs, our welfare, our fears? We have been discussing situations in which God doesn't make sense. His concern for us mere mortals is the most inexplicable of all.
Are you going to merely live? Or are you going to live your dreams? These are questions that every woman must ask herself and answer at some point in life. If you haven’t asked yourself these questions, now is the time. How you answer them will determine what the rest of your life will look like, starting today...
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