Learning to see the unique design of the Creator. by Sanet Smit “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3, NIV). OK, now we’re cooking! I thought as I read this familiar scripture. God made this…
Category: Home and Family
A Patch of Blue Sky
Finding light in mental darkness. by Ruth Schiffmann Some people are like a patch of blue sky every day. Their voices soothe secret hurts. Their smiles absorb harsh words. Their touch heals mortal wounds. Their souls are thick and can cushion the most force-felt blow. My mother was one of those people. She clung…
Forget Me Not?
God’s help for wholeness. by Janice Hughes Mother stopped laughing and placed her bingo card on the table. “Who are you?” she asked as her eyes studied my face. I answered and waited for a glimmer of recognition from this woman who had given me life. There was none. In her soft, sweet voice,…
New Grace
A woman follows her convictions and findsa new relationship with God. by Alice Drake* 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 — their way…
Look Before You Leap
Answering these questions can help youavoid making a mistake in marriage. by Susan Johnson* 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 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 “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 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 — 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* “You expected me to love you — 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…