Compassionate Joy

This is my marriage version of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love is patient. Don't force your agenda upon the other person, but rather, wait patiently until an agreement has been reached that satisfies both of you. Love is kind. Do nice things for each other, and be...

I have learned over time that my spiritual calling is to understand what God wants me to do and then do it, but I shouldn't try to figure out His reasons because, most likely, I'll be wrong about that. I'll share 3 examples. When our disabled son was a teenager, God...

(1) What thoughts came to mind after reading this? (2) Were any ideas new to you? If so, what? (3) Was the article helpful? Why or why not? Explain. (4) Was there anything you disagreed with? If so, what and why? Application: (a) How might you apply this in your life?...

In sharing an idea, have you ever made the mistake of not telling your spouse how you felt about the idea? I have. One day, when our children were in elementary school, our church announced at a women's Bible study that there were children in Russia who needed homes....

Would you like your children to become responsible citizens and caring people? One way to foster that is to get them involved in giving of their time and resources. Our family kept a jar that we all put money into during the year and then we'd decide how to use it to...

Have you ever wondered when to share your feelings and when to keep quiet? My husband, Tom, and I had to learn to lovingly and respectfully speak up when the other person did something that hurt our feelings. We're both very non-confrontational people, so we'd tend to...

Have you ever been excited about an idea and shared it with your children before you consulted your spouse? I have. When our daughter, Kristy, was about six years old, Tom and I had discussed the possibility of hiring a clown for Kristy's birthday, but I told her...

Have you ever made a suggestion to your husband and he resisted because he felt you were making a demand? This has happened at times in our marriage. I learned that I could often avoid this problem by changing a statement to a question. For example, instead of saying,...

It's great to think our children are wonderful, but we need to be careful not to try to show them off. I'll share two mistakes I made in this area when our children were in elementary school. When our daughter, Kristy, was in kindergarten, she played a piano piece in...

What do you do when your child complains to you about your spouse? I will not be addressing serious issues, like abuse. I'm referring to more ordinary complaints. For example, my son Shon and my husband have always enjoyed listening to a variety of music together....