When my sister-in-law Jerra was a young mother, she wanted to teach her daughter, Natalie, to say, “yes, Ma’am” and “no Ma’am” when speaking to adults. But for some reason Jerra couldn’t get her to stop saying “yep” and “nope.” When it came down to disciplinary...
I remember being in my last months of that first pregnancy, watching the weeks tick by. Sometimes those last few weeks appeared to be long and burdensome like walking in deep mud; other times they seemed blurry, like objects you see while rolling down a hill. It...
Can you build a home to minister to the world for Christ? That’s the question I wanted to answer when my husband and I started constructing our new home. Both of us had previously been widowed, so we decided to start our life together in a new dwelling, where we could...
One of my favorite movie scenes is from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In this scene, the city is burning all around because the minister of justice is trying to capture a gypsy woman to burn her at the stake. But the hunchback, who has been held prisoner...
“Ma’am, Your husband is dead.” I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was a terrible head-on collision that killed my beloved husband, David, instantly. The officer’s words took away any hope I could hold on to. My only way out was that it was all a terrible...
I remember a time early on in my marriage when my husband was working on a large project that took up a lot of his free time. He had sacrificed time, energy, and money to make everything work together, and there were times when he wondered if it was worth the effort....
The summer provides dozens of opportunities to spend quality time together as a couple. And it doesn’t take loads of money for summer romance—just creativity and planning. These five ideas for cheap getaways will help you get started. 1. Take short drives. Long trips...
Have you seen couples holding hands in public and wondered what happened to the romance you and your spouse used to have? The good news is romance isn’t hard to revive. With just a few changes in behavior (and a spiritual jump-start), you can rekindle the tenderness...
My little girl loves buying new things. It doesn’t matter if it is cheap or expensive, large or small. As long as it is something new, she wants it. She’ll beg me for a trinket at the check-out. She will act as if this is the most important toy of her life. As soon as...
I was beating the streets to get a head start on my holiday list. Dreading the downright meanness Christmas shopping often creates, it occurred to me this should be the time to focus on the importance of selfless giving and celebrating the precious gift of...
My husband and I went on a date to a local dinner theater. Before the show, our stage host made some welcoming remarks and then announced birthdays and anniversaries. A couple at the table just ahead of us waved when their names were called—Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty....
I used to be so polite when my husband and I were first married, “Excuse me, Sweetheart …” and “Please, Dear, would you … .” It was easy for my husband to love me then. But during one recent argument, I wondered when I learned to be so hateful toward my spouse....
