A woman follows her convictions and findsa new relationship with God. by Alice Drake* ย What if they’re right? I wondered again. Holding the letter in my trembling hand, I was even more unsure of my decision. The elders from my previous church wanted me to return and submit to their counseling โ their way…
Category: Marriage
Look Before You Leap
Answering these questions can help youavoid making a mistake in marriage. by Susan Johnson* ย Marriage is an enormous commitment. After the wedding, when the blush of romance is over, real life sets in. Marriage never fixes problems in a relationship; it only adds more complex issues. When you are in love with someone, you…
Married to an Older Man
Love and devotion are not bound by age differences. by Sharon Norris Elliott ย When I was born, he was in high school. When I was in kindergarten, he was starting his first real job. My first broken heart unevenly matched his heartbreak over a failed marriage. This scenario is the backdrop for me and…
He is Our Peace
How God rebuilt a marriage on His foundation. by Barbara Curtis ย “Hey, how does this one sound, honey? ‘For he is our peace, who hath made both one. . . . ‘” Tripp, my new husband, reluctantly pulled his eyes from the Sunday paper and regarded me with a thin, patient smile. For days…
Falling Back in Love
Think it’s impossible to love your spouse? Think again! by Kathy Collard Miller As we waited in the doctor’s office to find out if my husband’s melanoma (the deadliest kind of skin cancer) had spread, I looked at him and said, “I’m so glad this didn’t happen sixteen years ago when our marriage was so…
Follow the Leader
Reassessing a dead-end marriage. by Diane Stark ย On a Tuesday, my husband of ten years told me (over the phone, mind you) that he no longer loved me and that he wanted out of our marriage โ a marriage that had produced two children, just three and six at the time. On that Wednesday,…
Frog in a Pot
How God delivers from self-deceptionand co-dependency. by Susan Johnson* ย “You expected me to love you โ just for existing.” My soon-to-be ex-husband left me to ponder these words as he walked out the door. Waves of guilt and sadness washed over me. I had left Ernie nine months before. Our attempts at reconciliation had…
Desires For Romance
How a woman with right priorities builds intimacywith God before finding the right mate. by Kristin Kuenzle ย Why do so many girls immerse themselves in relationships with guys who are not who they really need or even want? How can a guy who normally would be such a spiritual turnoff suddenly become appealing? When…
Eighteen Steps
Sometimes coming to Christ is slow but sure. by Alice Swope ย The nightmare was going into phase two. Ed, my 50-year-old husband, was finally going home. The wheelchair, whishing on the wet pavement, seemed to scream the doctor’s parting words: “Ed has progressed further than we had any right to expect. Do not break…
Broken Vessel
How God repaired and restored a shattered life. by Therese Marszalek ย I stared at the once-broken flower vase. Careful hands had rearranged the clay pieces and glued them together. Inside a small candle burned; the flame peeked through the jagged cracks, creating a beautiful reflection in the darkness of the room. The damaged yet…