LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL No one sets out to drift—whether at sea or in a relationship. It happens quietly, almost without noticing. José Salvador Alvarenga set out on a routine 2-day fishing trip. But when his boat’s motor failed, a storm pushed him far from...
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL Divide and conquer is not only the modus operandi of warfare, it is also the strategy of children who know that if they can play parents against each other, or pit weariness against the single parent, they have won the battle. Our...
Cell phones are wonderful when they work, but when you are in an area where your signal is breaking up, it can be frustrating. You hear the person’s voice fading in and out, and you keep talking, hoping that he or she is listening. Then, suddenly, you realize you have...
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL Where have all the fathers gone? That the influence of men in families and society has lessened in recent days is without question. Look for the missing dad in so many one-parent families, the father, also, who leaves before the...
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL Many people see singleness as something to escape from, a waiting period before “real life” begins. But God doesn’t see it that way—and neither should we. Too often, we treat marriage as the ultimate goal, making single people feel like...
Listen to the Devotional The full-page ad in the newspaper has troubled me for weeks. Pictured in color was a beautiful young woman radiating intelligence, beauty, and charm. Beneath was the caption, “Character may be imitated. Leadership, however, is...
“I’ll be home by 9 o’clock.” But nine comes and he doesn’t show. The same thing is true of ten, and eleven. You finally hear the door at 11:50. “I thought you said you’d be home by 9 o’clock.” “Yeah, but something happened.” Then what about the line, “The check’s in...
Raising resilient children in today's world involves a delicate balance of nurturing their emotional and spiritual depths while preparing them for the practical realities they will face. The following may be just what they need for life's inevitable challenges ahead:...
Music, poetry, movies…all spread the lie that love should be easy. In reality, relationships are hard. Relationships are hard because love is difficult. Love might seem easy over a candlelight dinner or when first holding your newborn child, but we quickly learn how...
In 1944, Frank Capra, the celebrated director, produced a comedy film called Arsenic and Old Lace. It's about two sweet but murderous aunts who put poison in the elderberry tea that was served to a succession of male residents in their boarding house and then stored...