By Dr. James Dobson
During my freshman year I entered the mile run in a field of about twenty men. I was in good shape and finished second to an outstanding senior who rarely lost. He graduated that year and left the vacancy to me. Unfortunately, I discovered girls in my sophomore year and I let myself get a little soft. I had no idea that my body was going to play dead on that day of the race. I walked onto the track full of expectancy and determination.
The best way of keeping a marriage healthy is to maintain a system of mutual accountability, with the context of love. Speaking personally, the secret of my beautiful relationship with Shirley has involved a careful protection of the "line of respect" between us. This is a difficult concept to convey and its function is different from one personality to another. Perhaps by explaining how it operates between Shirley and me, I can help the reader adapt the principle to his own circumstances.
By Dr. Tim Clinton
A husband and wife were driving down a country road. In the midst of a heated disagreement, everything went totally quiet. As they crested the top of a hill, there was a pasture filled with cows, goats and pigs. The husband looked over at his wife and sarcastically remarked, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep" she replied… "In-laws." (smile)
Some years ago, in an effort to draw on the experiences of those who have lived together harmoniously as husbands and wives, we asked married couples to participate in an informal study. More than six hundred people agreed to speak candidly about the concepts and methods that have succeeded in their homes for thirty, forty, or even fifty years.
The art of communication doesn't come naturally to most of us. Some folks just don't like to talk much. Others talk incessantly without ever really saying anything. But when it comes to marriage, communication is one of the keys to intimacy.
By Dr. Tim Clinton & Patrick Springle
“I’d die without you.” “You make me whole.” “Without you, I’d be hopelessly lost.” “You define me.” These phrases may sound charming, but this kind of “love” can actually be very destructive. In the name of “love,” it’s easy to put up with all kinds of craziness. To make excuses. To ignore reality.
Daniel and Debbie fell deeply in love and married eight years ago. About five years later, however, they found themselves drifting apart. Their hectic schedules and the responsibilities of raising a family had stolen the joy from their relationship. Equally disturbing was the fact that their two young children were becoming increasingly irritable and anxious.
I've always thought a man should be willing to work and sacrifice to reach his goals. Now you're saying to cool the passion and postpone the dream. That isn't the way I was taught.
By Tim Clinton, Ed.D. and Max Davis
Mother. Every time a child is born – so is a mother. It has often been said that in that one moment when a mother sees her newborn child for the first time, nine months of discomfort and the hours of pain and delivery are completely forgotten. An innate eternal bond is instantly formed that transcends and eclipses all other relationships.
Jesus was God in the flesh and He talked a lot about Satan. He referred to Satan twenty-five times during His time on earth. He also dealt with demons on a regular basis. When tempted in the desert for forty days, Jesus didn’t engage a mind over matter or positive thinking approach in order to resist the temptation. He instead recognized the source of His temptation. “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4:10 NKJ).
When we read the account of creation in Genesis, we find that at the end of each day God looked over His work and “saw that it was good”
Bickering. Backbiting. Selfishness. Grudges. Disagreements and full-fledged arguments. Fighting over things that don’t matter with family and friends, even (and sometimes especially) in the church. We all experience these realities of being in relationships with others. We are each unique and so too are our opinions and approaches, our personalities and habits.
By Julie Clinton
As a 22-year-old soldier, Bill Wilson accepted his first drink. When he welcomed alcohol into his life that day, he didn’t think about his deadbeat alcoholic father or his carefree mother, who both left him in Vermont when he was just 10 years old. His father went to Canada and his mother to Boston. The predisposition to alcoholism went unrecognized.
Some years ago a woman told me about her experience as a room mother for her daughter's fourth-grade class. She visited the classroom on Valentine's Day to assist the teacher with the traditional party. Valentine's Day can be a painful day for an unpopular child. Every student counts the number of valentines he or she is given, which becomes a direct measure of social status.
Isn’t it curious how in the midst of a nasty family argument we can shake out of the bad mood the instant the telephone rings or a neighbor knocks on the door?
How, then, can we keep cracks from developing in the sidewalks of our marriages? Well, the surest way to avoid an affair is to flee temptation as soon as it confronts you. Author Jerry Jenkins has referred to this determination to preserve moral purity as "building hedges" around marriage so that temptation is never given a foothold. You take steps to protect yourself and enhance the level of trust in your marriage at the same time.
By JT Waresak
As she sat uncomfortably around this group of young men, not one of them had the gumption to get up and turn off the T.V., or at least turn the channel. This scene epitomizes today’s man when it comes to the topic of immodesty and pornography. We lack godly-resolve that compels us to actively protect what should matter most to us. This must change.
If you live in mainstream media and consume the male-bashing commercials and shows, you’d believe that most women “wear the pants” and the majority of guys are more than willing to let them do it. While I agree our men need to collectively step up their pant-wearing efforts, I also believe that most men want to wear the pants and the majority of women out there want them to as well.
By Dr. Eric Scalise
What is encouragement and why is it so essential for maintaining healthy marriages and families. Encouragement represents positive influence, to literally give courage to someone—not waiting until it’s deserved or asked for, but taking initiative when things are difficult and uncertain. There are many synonyms one could use: to give support, confidence or hope to another; to hearten, cheer, uplift, inspire, motivate, vitalize, embolden, or rally. The impact can be far reaching and often makes a difference when relationships begin to falter...
The Greek translation for the word encouragement is parakletos, which literally means "called alongside to help." It brings to mind the scriptural image of two people yoked side by side, as when Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. . . . For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:29–30).
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