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So You Think You Married the Wrong Person . . . Now What?
Marriage is supposed to be forever. It’s also supposed to be a highlight in our lives. Just look at the energy, excitement, and angst that goes into planning a wedding. Too bad we don’t put the same effort into planning the actual marriage. Our lives might be different if we really thought about why we were getting married, who we were marrying, and how we could learn to be a good spouse. While that kind of serious reflection might break a few engagements, it might also save a lot of heartache. But most of us, even if we’re questioning our choice of life partner, decide to march through our doubts……
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A Beautiful Prayer for God’s Mercy
Mercy and Grace—huge concepts for Christians and a foundational part of who God is. “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11). Before we focus on mercy, let’s take a second to talk about the difference between them. It’s important to realize mercy and grace aren’t interchangeable because they’re not the same. Think of mercy as not being punished when we do deserve it—God delivering us from judgment. Think of grace as being rewarded when we don’t deserve it—God blessing the unworthy. I can be the best person, the most devoted Christ follower, and a consistent church attender. But without Jesus I’m always going to be unworthy. We can thank sin for that . . Click Here…
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A Prayer to Encourage and Strengthen Nurses
I’m not a nurse. I can’t even claim to play one on TV. But I’ve spent a significant part of the last 15 years hanging out with nurses. They’re some of my favorite people, and they’ve stepped in more times than I can count to save my son—figuratively and literally. Kyle was diagnosed with leukemia at age 10, relapsed at 19, and is still dealing with the collateral damage of years of aggressive treatment at 25. Without our nurses, we would be lost. They’re a crucial part of our medical team. They get us information when we’re confused, hold our hands when we cry, give us hope when we’re hopeless,…
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7 Prayers that Changed My Heart for My Husband
I’ve known my husband thirty-three years. We dated on and off four of those years, starting my sophomore year of high school and going into college. We were engaged less than a year. We’ve been married for over twenty-eight. Add in three kids, a zoo of pets, a few major moves, and a son who’s battled cancer twice, we’ve been navigating life together for what feels like a very long time. And most of it’s been rough. During those early sporadic dating years, we always at least remained close friends. When we got back together the final time, my husband told me he’d compared everyone he’d ever dated to me,…
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12 Ways to Love Your Husband All Year Long (Not Just In February)
Valentine’s Day. When you’re single, you dread it. When you’re dating, you look forward to it. When you’re married, you may not even celebrate it. My 17-year-old daughter and her boyfriend were talking the other day, and he had a strong opinion about Valentine’s Day. He told her, “If you care about someone, you should show that person how you feel every day not just on one specific day.” Sometimes teenagers are wise. But please don’t tell them I said that. READ THE REST ON CROSSWALK: 12 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR HUSBAND . . .
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How to Find God’s Purpose in Your Disappointment
A few days after my college-age son relapsed with childhood cancer, I was cooking his favorite dinner and the realization that we were about to go into our second three-year battle for his life slammed me particularly hard. Alek, my middles son, walked into the kitchen, and I asked him to pray for his brother and our family. My then sixteen-year-old’s reply? “Sure, Mom. I’ll do it for you. But I’m not really riding the God train right now.” “Not riding the God train?” I stopped chopping vegetables and looked up at him. READ THE REST ON CROSSWALK.COM Want to read more like this? Be Inspired Life is Messy Surviving…
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15 Surprising Ways to Find Relief from Anxiety
Rush hour slows all four northbound lanes of highway traffic to twenty miles an hour…fifteen… ten…and holds at a five-mile-an-hour crawl. I’m boxed in by cars, SUVs, and a few semis. No off ramp in site. No way to cross to the shoulder. Not two minutes later, even the crawl ceases. The engine idles roughly in my fourteen-year-old ride that’s clearly feeling the aches and pains of its two-hundred-thousand plus miles. In the last year, this van has stalled at a major intersection, blew out two tires in one day, and purged its radiator in the middle of a highway construction zone. And I just know I’m going to get…
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20 Goals Every Christian Should Set
Whether we’re talking about our personal lives, spiritual lives, relationships, our character, or our future, we need to ask ourselves what kind of people we want to be. Having goals can center us, keep our eyes on Christ, and encourage us to grow. Without goals, we have no reason to press on, and we can flounder, feel lost, or lose track of our purpose. I’m doing something a little different over on Crosswalk.com today–a slideshow. Come check out 20 Goals Every Christian Should Set. What are your spiritual goals? How will you reach them? (added note 1/8/2017) **I’ve gotten quite a few comments about not being able to read all…
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7 Ways to Survive Sending Your Child Off to College
If you hang around church long enough, you’ll hear people say children are a blessing from the Lord. The Lord agrees. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth” (Psalm 127:3-4 NIV). While I don’t disagree, the term blessing doesn’t quite cover the emotional wreckage that comes with being a parent. Raising children might be the most difficult, heart-wrenching, joyful, and rewarding journey I’ll ever take. When my kids were small and needy, I fantasized about sleeping past sunrise and taking long showers. As they got a little older, I wished for…
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Chosen By Him–A Perfect Fit
http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/chosen-by-him.html (link to this article in Crosswalk) The valet line in front of the Ritz Carlton stretches down the street and winds around the block. After handing off my keys, I register for the charity auction at a table on the patio, and enter the conference area. Chaos. Women adorned in cocktail dresses, high heels and matching jewelry—at nine in the morning—mill from table to table, clutching numbered stickers and small goblets stained with lipstick. Heels. I should’ve worn heels. I look down and notice how my black flats highlight the bruise covering my big toe. My dress, while cute—a Dillard’s outlet steal—hides beneath an old black cable sweater. A…
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