Some marriages die from neglect. Below are 5 ways to kill a marriage. Perhaps you can think of more. Don’t worry about being gracious. One day you and your wife are running errands. She says that she would like a Coke. You reluctantly pull up to a convenience store. You turn off the engine and… Continue reading 5 Ways to Kill Your Marriage
Category: Family
5 Jobs That Helped Prepare Me
Seriously. These jobs helped prepare me for life and ministry. I learned much through these experiences. Years later, can I see how God used them. The following are the jobs I had in earlier years: 1. A paper route for The Dallas Morning News. My route consisted of four long streets in Dallas. This meant… Continue reading 5 Jobs That Helped Prepare Me
5 Ways to Communicate Value During Significant Moments
Last week was a busy time that included a funeral at our church on Friday and then a shower for our daughter the following day. In 24 hours, we went from grieving with our friends to a time of thankfulness and joy for our daughter and her fiance’. (They are getting married in August.) This… Continue reading 5 Ways to Communicate Value During Significant Moments
6 Ways to Avoid an Affair
Have you ever known either of these families? Family #1 For several years, Heather tried to communicate to her husband, Paul, that she wanted to feel special again in their relationship. Too often she felt taken for granted and lonely. Meanwhile, her husband seemed more focused on his career and the golf course. She wanted… Continue reading 6 Ways to Avoid an Affair
Marriage Ought to Be More Than the Fizz
This spring, Charlotte and I spent our Wednesday evenings with seven wonderful couples who have been married between five and ten years. We were very impressed with them. Each week, we came together to learn more about marriage, as well as what it means to be a parent. About half of our classes were spent… Continue reading Marriage Ought to Be More Than the Fizz
Marriage 101 (Where Do You Learn How to Be Married?)
Marriage can be difficult, in particular, when you have never seen a healthy marriage up close. Yet, this is the situation in which many young married couples find themselves. The couple, through no fault of their own, never had the opportunity to witness up close a healthy, godly marriage. I am referring to a marriage… Continue reading Marriage 101 (Where Do You Learn How to Be Married?)
Marriage 101 (What if You Marry a Friend?)
Today, I begin a series of reflections on marriage. On Wednesday evenings, Charlotte and I are meeting with seven couples in a conversation about marriage that will last several months. Preparing for this weekly conversation has given me the opportunity to reflect on marriage in general, and our own marriage in particular. Lately, I’ve been… Continue reading Marriage 101 (What if You Marry a Friend?)
What the Joy and Pain of Child Rearing Finally Taught Me
If you want some insight into the heart of God, have a child. There is nothing like receiving the sweet love of a child, no matter the age. Yet, the reverse is also true. There is sometimes no pain like what you can receive at the hand of a child. For several years, when I… Continue reading What the Joy and Pain of Child Rearing Finally Taught Me
“Just Tell Them That I’m Not Home” (Lies, Lies and More Lies)
I once called someone’s home and one of the children answered. I asked to speak to her mother. I could hear the mother in the background telling this child “Tell him that I’m not home. The child followed her mother’s instructions. I wonder what happens to the character of a child when parents teach this… Continue reading “Just Tell Them That I’m Not Home” (Lies, Lies and More Lies)
Strengthening the Soul (11)
Perhaps you’ve heard people say: “We don’t watch that much television.” Well, maybe. The truth is that many of us watch far more television than we realize. In some homes, the television is always on. Literally! The first person who gets up in the morning turns on the television and it may stay on until… Continue reading Strengthening the Soul (11)