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growing your faith in college

How to Stay Christian at a Christian College

Christian college isn't a guarantee that students will keep the faith. A thriving relationship with God doesn't happen simply by immersion.

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Does single equal happy?

Single Women Are Happiest and Healthiest?

Women who have never married or had children are the happiest and healthiest, I heard. I'm an unmarried woman with no children. Does single equal happy?

growing your faith in college

How to Stay Christian at a Christian College

Christian college isn't a guarantee that students will keep the faith. A thriving relationship with God doesn't happen simply by immersion.

work/life balance

Balancing Family and Career for the Young Pr...

More stuff means more bills. More bills require more work.The work life balance cycle is as paralyzing as it is addictive. And it is luring every American family.

marriage counseling

What Marriage Counseling Is … And Isn...

Meghan McCain's version of marriage counseling is "drinking Jack Daniels, shooting some guns and hanging out." Is that what you should expect?

attending church

‘Mom, Why Isn’t Dad Coming to Ch...

'Should I be shielding him? Pretend he’s just tired? I feel like I'm on damage control for his decision.' Tips to respond when your spouse isn't into it.

millennial parents

5 Things Millennial Parents Are Doing Better...

Research shows millennials may be the most family-oriented generation in the last 50 years. Millennial parents are changing the norm to raise healthy kids.

kids

How I Became Okay With My Child Being Just M...

I’ve been a high achiever all my life. I didn’t expect a kid with meltdowns, dismal spelling tests, embarrassing social skills. I had to get over myself.

kids' sports pressure

8 Ways to Destroy Your Kid Through Sports

We just want our kids to win at sports! But often in the process, we ruin their fun and train them to despise our approach to life and worldview.

teens and video games

Why Your Kid Is Obsessed With Video Games

Video games offer a world for your kids where they are the ones with power. The lure is easy to see. But clearly gaming can’t satisfy these deep desires.

kids and sports

5 Things Coco’s Parents Teach Us About...

Besides her obvious talent on the tennis court, Coco demonstrated what it looks like when parents teach that there’s more going on than just the game.

Saying yes to our kids

Saying ‘Yes’ to Help Our Kids Fe...

As a mom, I am guilty of saying no too often simply out of laziness. Even though saying yes would delight my kids, I let my selfishness get in the way.

parenting fear

When Fear for Your Child Is Real

When you’re picking out little baby outfits, you don’t anticipate someone telling you, years later, your teenager may have lymphoma.

student mission trips

5 Reasons Your Student Shouldn’t Go On a M...

The nations are in desperate need of the gospel. The" least of these" are hurting, hungry, thirsty, unclothed, and homeless. The solution? Not my teen!

fatherhood

The Song That Haunts My Fatherhood

As a kid, I identified with the boy in the song who wanted more of his Dad’s attention. 30 years later, I was the dad leaving my son wanting more.

debt in marriage

I Thought Our Debt Was His Problem

I didn’t want to work hard to hand my paycheck over to cover his debt. I wanted to spend my money my way. He is the one who went to college and accrued it!

make Summer memories

3 Fail Proof Ways to Make the Most of Summer

You can be intentional with your kids over the summer. Here are 3 ways (+ a printable) to help you pull off a meaningful summer.

sex after baby

Sex After Baby: From His Side of the Bed

When and how do you get back into physical intimacy with each other after a new baby? As the husband, I have learned 3 nonnegotiables for sex after baby.

be a better wife

15 Ways to Be a Better Wife

I polled other women on ways to be a better wife. Because I never want to assume that I have all the right wife answers. Let's see if our husbands agree.

sex after baby

Sex After Baby: From Her Side of the Bed

I struggled with a lot of fear when it came to sex after baby! I avoided telling my husband that I was wrestling with a lack of desire for quite awhile.

part time marriage

Why Gwyneth Paltrow’s Part-Time Marriage O...

Eight months into their marriage, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk live in separate houses much of the time. Friends say it's ideal. But what's up?

teenage social responsibility

Teaching Our Teenage Girls the Truth of Soci...

Unlike the advice of Teen Vogue that robs teenage girls of their value, true advocacy and social responsibility should be in God-glorifying ways.

teaching respect

Teaching Respect: 8 Tips for a Snark-free Su...

Requiring respect is a gift we give our kids (and ourselves!). But in a parenting age aiming to be gentler and more aware of kids’ emotions, it's not easy.

Teen Vogue

Teen Vogue Fashionably Frames Sex as Suitabl...

As the dad of a 13-year-old girl, when Teen Vogue moves from popping pimples to pushing pimps, I need to raise my hand and say, "I’m not for this.”

elementary crush

‘Audrey and John Sitting in a Tree ...

My son's first day of first grade introduction worksheet: What do you like to do with your friends? His answer, in wonderfully legible pencil: Chase girls.

Father's Day as a Single Mom

Celebrating Father’s Day as a Single Mom

Facing Father's Day as a single mom brings difficult questions.How can I help my kids on this day? What is expected of me? Am I required to honor him too?

I don't love him anymore

I Don’t Love Him Anymore

I no longer felt anything for my husband. That thought terrified me--I don’t love him anymore. "Would I be happier with someone else?" I wondered.

Father's Day

Kids Say the Darndest Things About Dad

We asked kids what they think about their dads. Turns out, they think they’re pretty darn special.

graduation

When Your 18 Summers Are Up

Right now there’s a mom whose 18 summers are up with her child.18 sounded plenty when empty sippy cups scattered the backseat. Now 18 doesn't feel enough.

feeling abandoned

Do You Feel Abandoned by God?

The first two years of widowhood, God seemed distant and silent. Then I discovered the problem.

relationship with stepkids

What Would Joseph Do?

There is endless capacity for a loving relationship between a stepdad and his stepchildren.

supporting your spouse in a stepfamily

Choosing Sides: Supporting Your Spouse in a...

When you must decide between siding with your child or your spouse in a blended family, choose your spouse.

freedom

Finding Freedom From Pornography

Most men would swim through shark-infested waters rather than admit our failures and weaknesses.

a birthday wish

The Petty Prayer I Was Embarrassed to Pray

Tickets to JoJo Siwa's sold out D.R.E.A.M. tour is all my eleven-year-old daughter wanted for her birthday. I was determined to find a way to take her.

things husbands should start doing

25 Things Husbands Should Start Doing

Have you ever thought, I just don't get her? You're frustrated at your wife's frustration with you. You desire to please her. But where do you start?

what a divorcing friend needs

5 Things Your Divorcing Friend Needs

Another friend called to tell me his wife filed for divorce. He’s devastated, yet ready to move on. I listened and wondered what my divorcing friend needs.

choosing Christianity in college

7 Ways to Know if Your Kids Will Choose Chur...

You've detected trends that are leading your kids away from church in college. But, let's be honest. Kids do what they like. Why can't that be church?

mom helping child to ride a bike

Don’t Let Fear Control Your Motherhood

When fear and anxiety threaten to take control of how I parent my children, I remind myself of four truths.

graduation

Is Straight-to-College the Best Path for Hig...

Changes in educational costs and in the job market should prompt teens and their parents to consider some great alternatives to college.

sleepovers

Sleepovers—Bad Idea or No Big Deal?

Spending the night with friends seems like a normal part of growing up. But my wife and I wonder: should we let our kids go to a sleepover?

Marines

Pop-Pop, Henry, and My Reasons to Remember

My Pop-pop told stories. About how my Mom-mom fell in love with him. About the Marines. Later I found out there were some secrets he didn't recite.

What Singles Want Marrieds to Know

What Singles Want Marrieds to Know

Here are some tips for engaging with and loving the singles around you well.

graduates

7 Do’s and Don’ts for Parents of Gra...

For 18 years, you have parented through a maze of joys, laughter, confusion, and even bruises. Now your child is a graduate. You have big changes ahead.

Having 'the Talk' With My Daughter Had a Surprising Outcome

Having ‘the Talk’ With My Daughter Had a...

Our Passport2Purity® weekend didn’t go anything like I had planned, but what came out of it was even better.

raising boys

How to Train Your Boys to Be Men

I have three sons. My oldest still wets the bed. My youngest says two words. They're just boys. How do I start this whole "man-thing"?

stressed teens

Are We Pushing Our Kids too Hard?

My kids need to see that their value isn’t tied to their grades or what school accepts them. I need to encourage them to follow God’s design and purpose for their lives and not insist they conform to a specific formula for success.

newlywed

To The Newlywed Wife … From a Decade L...

I wish I could speak to that fresh-faced, 22-year-old newlywed. She needed some of the wisdom that God has deposited in me over the last decade of marriage.

9 Tips for Leading a Small-Group Study

Facilitating a small group study enhances your own embracing of the material, your relationship with God, and your heart for ministering to others.

From the Ashes: A Story of Rebirth

In the wake of porn and an affair, a pastor’s family is transformed

family

When Everything Is Family Nothing Is

What happens when society redefines family? Our teenagers are sorting through the wounds of a generation’s idea that family is whatever you want it to be.

women and respect

Should Boys and Girls Play on the Same Team?

High school wrestler Brendan Johnston explained, “I’m not really comfortable wrestling a girl." Is this a sign of his narrow-mindedness and ego? Or respect?

concept of sin

Does Raising Children with a Concept of Sin...

One woman says her upbringing was based in fear and shame because of the concept of sin. God was a megaphone in my head: “You’re bad, you’re bad!”

body image

Teaching Our Daughters Positive Self-Talk

When my 6-year-old daughter with long, lanky legs called her thighs fat, I knew something had to change. I didn't know body image issues would come so early.

“I want sex more than he does!”...

1 in 5 women have the higher sex drive. But when our husbands decline--or rarely initiate sex--it leaves us thinking, What's wrong with him? Or is it me?

self worth

Ayesha Curry Said it For Women Everywhere

Does anybody notice me? Am I pretty enough? Good enough? Ayesha Curry's open interview voiced concerns that most women aren't brave enough to express.

graduation gifts

Affirmation: the Perfect Graduation Gift

We give words of affirmation to someone shortly before or after their death. But why wait? Learn to speak life giving affirmations today.

When Mother's Day Hurts

When Mother’s Day Hurts

Here are 10 ways to bless a hurting mom in your life.

Dad taking child to school

If Bill Gates Can Drop Off His Kids, So Can...

When dads share the household responsibilities, it’s a win-win for the family and a win-win for society. Bill Gates, tech guru, and wife Melinda proved it.

teaching kids about money

One Dollar = One Taco: Easy Money Lessons Ov...

In a first world country, our kids know that everything they could ever want to buy is accessible. How do we teach them the value of things and money?

Mother's Day

To My Wife on Mother’s Day

Every day is Mother’s Day in our little household. Because you do so much. But I want this day to be a reminder of my commitment to you.

husband's work

When Your Man’s Long Hours Don’t...

Following a Major League Baseball career, my husband's work led to a new demanding position. So, I came home to an empty house and had dinner alone again.

Dear Mom, Thanks for the Real Moments of Motherhood

Dear Mom, Thanks for the Real Moments of Mot...

Here’s to our mothers. Thanks for letting us see you struggle, ask for help, and never give up on the ones you love.

Foster Care

Why I Decided to Foster a College Student

For one couple, becoming foster parents happened in a really unexpected way.

Single Mom Mother's Day

To The Single Mom on Mother’s Day

I see you, single mom. I know you’re out there and you may be struggling today on Mother's Day. You deserve this day the most.

working mom

Viral Rant “Society to Working Moms” Tot...

While we might relate to the laundry list of women pressures, we have to be honest about why working moms and our husbands believe them.

Self esteem and prayer

When Life Gets Tough, Self-Esteem Is Not the...

“Trust your heart. Believe in you." Yet with the constant encouragement to pat ourselves on the back, the result isn’t all sunshine and cupcakes.

infertility

Broken Womb, Broken Heart: Facing Infertilit...

It's sobering hearing that your body will never carry a child. That because of infertility you’ll never know the kicks of a baby growing inside you.

second marriages

Why would Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez...

This will be J. Lo's fourth and A-Rod's second marriage. What makes them think that this one will be the one that sticks? (We hope it does.)

5 Keys to a Truly Romantic Marriage

5 Keys to a Truly Romantic Marriage

Adding a little tenderness to your marriage is easier than you think.

Romantic Summer Getaways for Less

Romantic Summer Getaways for Less

Invest time in your marriage so your family will have a firm foundation.

5 Reasons Your Preteen Needs You

5 Reasons Your Preteen Needs You

Children this age are unique because they still invite participation and closeness with parents—an attitude that will be changing soon.

Save Sex for the Honeymoon

Save Sex for the Honeymoon

There are benefits to abstaining from sex while engaged. Here are five reasons to say “I won’t” until you say “I do.”

We Didn't Have a Clue We Had a Problem

We Didn’t Have a Clue We Had a Problem

Attending FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember^® early in our marriage gave us the tools we needed to build a healthy and sustainable union.

Making Your Home a Sanctuary for Your Family

You can make your home a place of peace and safety for you and your spouse and kids. Here are some ways to create the setting.

Staying close in remarriage

How to Say ‘Not Tonight’ Without...

Is it ever okay to deny his advances? Everybody needs an occasional raincheck, right?

should we cancel the wedding

When to Call It Off Before the Big Day

Marriage is a big deal. It makes sense to work through the hard questions together so you're equipped to keep the lifetime commitment you're about to make.

Preachers

Preachers in Sneakers

Does it really matter if preachers wear hip clothes or live expensive lifestyles?

stressful work day

How to Not Lose It on Your Kids After a Stre...

I shudder at the times I’ve acted irritably toward my kids because I was still stressed from work. How do we come home as the loving parents we want to be?

Negotiating Parental Leave

Negotiating Parental Leave for the Working M...

Who is responsible for making ends meet when a new baby joins a family – the new parents, their employers, or the government?

Why Tiger Woods Wins For Us All

Why Tiger Woods Wins For Us All

Tiger Woods’ emotional grip on his son culminated a journey back from the sports-dead. We see a man experience professional victory and personal redemption.

Rainbow Baby

The Gift of a Rainbow Baby

For parents who have lost a child, nothing will ever be able to replace that baby. But sometimes out of sorrow is the gift of a “rainbow baby," the healthy baby who follows loss.

Meaningful Easter Traditions

Host a Meaningful Easter Party with Your Mom...

I’m hosting an Easter party. You should too. Use these menu ideas and activities for a fun, easy way to share the Easter season together.

Snowplow parenting

You Might Be a ‘Snowplow Parent’...

Many parents fall into the well-meaning mishap of clearing an easy path for their kids, regardless of the cost. Have you?

Parenting Teens

When to Tell Your Kids About Your Past

How much should you tell your kids about the mistakes you've made in the past? Pastor Drew Hill believes parents should unveil some of the ugliness in our lives ... to show what God has done.

Easter

Countdown to Easter

This guide will help you reflect on the days leading up to the Cross, Jesus' death, His burial, and the empty tomb. One Scripture. One brief reflection. Once a day, for 12 days.

Should We Have Kids?

Many married couples are putting off the decision on whether to have children ... and an increasing number choose to not have any.

She Was Ready to End Her Life

She searched her home for something she could take to end the pain, instead, she found God’s protection.

Lent

How About Giving up ‘Contempt’ f...

Togetherness is virtually impossible if one or both spouses feel disgust toward each other.

Children of Divorce

5 Ways I’d Like to Thank My Divorced Paren...

Despite their decision to divorce, both of my parents made sacrifices along the way that kept my brother and me as their priorities.

Teaching Our Kids Not to Be Bystanders to Bullying

Teaching Our Kids Not to Be Bystanders to Bu...

Most kids on today’s campuses probably fall into the category of “bystander.” They know they should probably do something, but they don’t.

My husband

All My Husband Heard From Me Was ‘BOOO...

After we'd been married awhile, I realized I had gone from Dave's biggest cheerleader to his biggest critic.

mom talking with child

Have You Talked to Your Kids About Sex?

The sex talk and gender conversations in your home don’t have to be big, awkward productions. But they do need to happen. The sooner the better.

Good Parenting

When Parenting Isn’t Popular

Making responsible, though not always fun, parenting decisions pays dividends and yields goodness that lasts well beyond the moment.

working mom

A Day in the Life of a Working Mom

Making memories, passing on our faith to the next generation, is what our moments are made of. I try to focus on fully living in every single one.

College Admission Scandal

Lessons From the College Admissions Scandal

These parents wanted the best for their children. But is any college worth what those families are facing now?

Blended family in church

Going to Church As a Single Parent or Blende...

As a single mom turned stepmom, I look to the church for help to heal. But it’s challenging to feel accepted in a place where my family isn’t reflected.

Spring Break Memories

Spring Break Is for Making Memories

Staycation or vacation? Either way spring break is a time to take advantage of for having fun and creating family memories.

Taylor Swift 30th birthday

5 Things Taylor Swift Gets Right on Her 30 B...

The pop music star is about to turn 30, and her list of life lessons beautifully blends heart with humor, plus practicality and purpose.

Dave and Ann Wilson

‘I Told God I’d Rather Die Than Be Marri...

Meet Dave and Ann Wilson, the new cohosts of FamilyLife Today® who bring the authentic voice of a couple who has struggled greatly in their marriage—yet found hope and help in Christ.

baby shower

Every Expectant Mom Deserves a Baby Shower L...

One of the greatest lessons motherhood is teaching me is that I cannot do it alone. Baby showers remind us of the help we need from family and friends.

cultural differences

We Moved Our Family and Changed Their World

One day David and his wife, Meg, realized they wanted their family to see that the world is a more diverse place than what they were experiencing.

Finding your way back to church

Finding Your Way Back to the Church After Se...

How can the victim of sexual abuse trust the body of Christ again? How can we go back to any church body? Why should we even try?

What parents need to know about the Momo Challenge

What Parents Need to Know About the Momo Cha...

What’s a level-headed but vigilant parent to do with this information? Here are five ways to respond to the unsettling Momo Challenge.

Robert Kraft solicitation charge

What Should We Say to Our Sons About the Rob...

Your sons have already heard about the owner of the New England Patriots charged with solicitation of prostitution. What will they hear from you?

Mom, Kind Is the New Skinny

What if our generation of moms decided to love the mom bods we’ve got? Motherhood puts a glow on any woman! It’s a look that’s well worth the wear.

Alzheimer's

How Should We Feel About B. Smith’s Hu...

Suffering from Alzheimer's, lifestyle guru B. Smith hardly seems to recognize the other woman now living in her home. Should we sympathize with her husband?

Married Single Parent

I Am a Married Single Parent

I am still legally married. But all the things that a marriage typically brings, especially in the world of parenting, do not exist in our marriage.

Helping your child think missionally

Helping Your Children in the Discovery of Th...

From a FamilyLife Today^® broadcast, a list of ideas to help your kids think missionally about life.

Masculinity is not toxic

Words Can Be Toxic; Masculinity Is Not

Toxic masculinity, the new term in vogue powering today’s cultural discussion, is concerning. The answer certainly cannot be vilifying masculinity.

Why take your kids to church

Why Take Your Kids to Church?

Nap schedules, feedings, teething, separation anxiety, sickness, sports – when kids are young, it seems easier to stay home. Is going to church worth it?

Marie Kondo helped

How Marie Kondo Helped My Tupperware Drawer...

At first I found the KonMari tidying method to be humorous. But my husband says it’s attractive to him when I clean and organize our home.

Birthday parties

When Everyone Gets Invited to the Birthday P...

My kid's birthday party means I include and find commonalities with nearly total strangers. And it’s a really beautiful thing.

winning at Valentine's Day

I Used to Fail at Valentine’s Day

I always seemed to fail at this holiday until a game-changer idea took me from zero to hero.

Searching for Significance in the World of Social Media

Nobody Liked My Tweet! Searching for Signifi...

People spend hours tweaking their digital persona in a search for significance. Yet is social media the best place to look?

Improve your sex life

10 Surprisingly Effective Ways to Improve Yo...

Maintaining the marital bed isn’t always easy. Here are some ideas to help you keep your marriage strong by coming together often as husband and wife.

avoiding adultery

Guard Your Heart From Adultery

The core issue regarding sexual temptation is the condition of our hearts.

avoiding drama

5 Ways to Avoid Being a Drama Addict

Moms today have enough on their plates without adding unnecessary drama to the list.

Cost of parenting kids

Kids Are Worth Every Single Penny—and More

At the end of my life, I won’t be sad about what I couldn't afford. I’ll be thankful for the rich memories and lives we’ve built with our children.

Let’s Turn the Helpless Into Heroes

I’ve always believed that’s what birth mothers really are—heroes.

5 Ways to Stay Connected to Your Spouse Through Busyness

5 Ways to Stay Close to Your Spouse in Life...

Our intentions to do good can also pull us away from the most important human relationship in our lives.

young couple with heads on pillows–woman looking at man who is facing away from her

Young, Married, and Unable to Have Sex

Having grown up in the church, it came as a shock to me when my husband and I encountered difficulty consummating our marriage.

Helping Your Family Understand Racial Reconciliation

Helping Your Family Understand Racial Reconc...

We cannot live redemptive lives and hate our neighbor. Diversity in relationships not only shows unity to the world but also builds in our own hearts a love for others.

What we learned at a Weekend to Remember

What Else Could We Learn About Marriage?

We thought we knew it all, but the Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway gave us practical help that was built on a solid foundation of biblical truth.

Toxic masculinity

Lose the Toxic, Not the Masculinity

The Gillette ad is just the latest in a series of negative narratives featuring men.

Helping your child choose a college

Questions Every Parent Should Ask Their Kids...

In order for your teenagers to be able to make adult-level decisions, they need guidance. You can help them by asking good questions.

Parenting

The Digital Dirty Dozen: 12 Apps for Parents...

My limited experience has taught me to be vigilant in what I allow before my children’s eyes.

Shopping on a budget

Soothing the Shopping Itch Without Breaking...

Ideas to help you feel like you’re living in luxury without spending much money … or any at all.

Asking my kids for forgiveness

Asking Forgiveness From My Kids … Agai...

My kids need to grow up with the knowledge that I require a Savior just as much as they do.

setting goals for your marriage

Making Resolutions for a Thriving Marriage

Setting goals is important to maintaining a healthy marriage. Here are a few ideas to help you stick to them.

single parenting

‘Mom, I Am Their Father’

I finally realized that my children had all the father they needed; all I had to do was point them to God for their needs.

Blended family life

Survival Tips for the First Year of Stepfami...

Ten ideas that helped (or would have helped) my family during our first blended year.

Grieving after a tragedy

Riding the Two Rails of Grief: Faith and Suf...

After the unexpected death of our son, my wife and I learned that faith informs pain, but it doesn’t erase it.

Good news about marriage

Some Good News About the Bad News About Marr...

Divorce rates aren’t really as bad as the academics were implying.

Advice for the new bride

For the New Bride: 4 Things to Remember Afte...

I had no idea what being a wife meant other than we’d live together forever, hopefully have some kids, and file a joint tax return.

A marriage license is not a receipt

A Marriage License Is Not a Receipt, It’s...

Exchanging one spouse for another isn’t as easy as returning the wrong pair of shoes. Choose wisely from the beginning and forget the return policy.

Maintaining Our Individuality in Marriage

When you look at our marriage you see unity, but you also see each one of us as a different and unique person.

Remarriage

Two Funerals and a Wedding

Three ways I’ve helped my stepfamily grieve the deaths of both previous spouses.

Why does God allow suffering?

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

These basic principles will help you and your family understand the biblical reasons for tragedy.

Why I Wish We Hadn't Lived Together Before Marriage

Why I Wish We Hadn’t Lived Together Before...

Here are five reasons I wish my husband and I hadn’t moved in together before saying “I do.”

Identity crisis

The Search: Who Am I Now?

From widow and single mother to second wife and stepmom, my soul suffered an identity crisis.

What I Wish for Jeff Bezos and Tim Tebow

Despite their differing marriage scenarios, my prayer for both the Bezos and Tebows is the same: a happy ending

Getting married again

Learning to Speak Marriage Again

A new marriage requires learning different forms of affection, communication, traditions, and expectations.

The people in my neighborhood

The People in My Neighborhood

My morning strolls did more than help me lose weight; they helped me learn valuable lessons about life.

Talking to Your kids about mass shootings

8 Suggestions for Talking to Your Kids About...

Talking to my kids about shootings doesn’t come easily—how do I answer questions about things I don’t understand myself?

Knowing God

A Healthy Stepfamily Needs ‘God-Esteem...

Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but that requires first knowing who we are in Christ.

Go on a road trip

Creating Closer Relationships in Stepfamilie...

Strengthen bonds between kids and stepparents by going on a trip that doesn’t fit into the status quo.

Fairy tale marriage

Moving Beyond the Fairy-Tale Marriage

The divine design of marriage calls us to something deeper—to God’s daily involvement. Because we can’t uphold our vows without Him.

Co-Parenting

Co-Parenting Doesn’t Have to Be Ugly

When the world is telling you to blame your ex-spouse and embrace bitterness, you can work on turning your thoughts toward a peaceful working relationship.

How to ruin your sex life

How to Ruin Your Sex Life in 10 Easy Steps

It takes little energy, time, or even thought to take your bedroom romps from great to nonexistent.

Our favorite comments from 2018 Weekend to Remember getaways

Our Favorite Weekend to Remember Stories of...

Marriages are being transformed at Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways. Here are just a few of our favorite stories guests shared with us last year.

Body image

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, How Should Mama...

How do we treat ourselves well while also remembering that God cares more about our hearts? Can we keep our hearts pure but also enjoy fashion?

Stay Connected With Your Spouse While You're raising your kids

Connecting With Your Spouse Through the Busy...

When we became parents, our entire universe shifted. What happened to the couple we were?

Christmas gift for my wife

What Your Wife Really Wants for Christmas

Forget perfume and diamonds … give your wife something that speaks to her heart.

Gender-Neutral Parenting Isn’t for Me

My husband and I are raising our daughters to identify with who God designed them to be, embrace the characteristics He gave them, and develop confidence in the goodness of their Maker.

Holidays

A Time to Grieve During Stepfamily Holidays

Three helpful hints I use to navigate the holidays in my blended family.

New Year's Resolutions for Moms

A New Year’s Resolution List for Every Mom

Here’s to giving your best to God—and your family—in the year ahead.

Christmas

The Unexpected Christmas Gift

The real unexpected gift wasn’t the money or groceries, but an increase in our faith.

Adult child of divorce

Navigating the Holidays as an Adult Child of...

At Christmas, decisions for an adult child of divorce become especially difficult, with both parents vying for your loyalty and attention.

Photo Credit: George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum

George H.W. Bush and the Marriage America Ne...

I want my own marriage to resemble the one our 41st president had with his late bride, Barbara.

Why Your Relationship With Your Child Matters

Why Your Relationship With Your Child Matter...

You have the privilege of growing a child who knows the love of God personally and knows how to love people well.

Santa Claus

Is Santa Claus Stopping at Your House?

What’s a family—one that desires to teach their kids the REAL meaning of Christmas—to do about St. Nick?

Would You Say Yes to Becoming an “Inst...

Is foster care messy? Of course. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Christmas Conflict

‘Tis the Season to Fight About Finances

Here are a few ways to make spending during the holidays less stressful.

Take a holiday break

Take a Break From the Holidays!

A break is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your spouse and face the stress of the holidays together.

6 Tips to Reduce Stress for Working Moms

6 Tips to Reduce Stress for the Working Mom

When my youngest started preschool, I took my first job outside the home in nearly 10 years. I was frazzled, guilt-ridden, and late everywhere I went.

How Can I Let Go of the Mom Guilt?

How Can I Let Go of the Mom Guilt?

Guilt doesn’t freshen us and give life—it suffocates us and takes more than we have to give.

Are you thankful for your spouse?

Do You Practice Intentional Gratitude for Yo...

It takes diligence and commitment to remember that your spouse needs to know how much they mean to you on a daily basis.

Christmas

Work Smarter, Not Harder This Christmas

A mom’s guide to managing all that the holiday season throws her way.

When You Don't Feel Like Giving Thanks

When You Don’t Feel Like Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving can be a difficult reminder of the struggles we face, but there is comfort in the promises to come.

Siblings

Teaching My Children to Be Thankful for Each...

Long after my husband and I are gone, I want our kids to still have each other.

Political election

I’m Not Panicking About the Election—And...

Political leaders might have their own agendas, but those cannot thwart God’s.

Bill Cosby and our secret selves

Bill Cosby and Our Secret Selves

Like so many, I groaned at the disparity: Perfect, hilarious TV family. Lurid, devastating real life.

Investing Time With Your Children

Investing Time With Your Children: The Chall...

The time we have with our children before they enter into adulthood is limited. We have a responsibility to use it well, with a heart of wisdom.

Grateful woman

Gratefulness for the Small Things … Like W...

We are completely dependent on our all-powerful God, who generously gives us every gift we possess.

Women, Body Image and the Holidays

Women, Body Image and the Holidays

How do we find the holy balance of treating our bodies like temples, but not to the extent that we become health-obsessed this holiday season?

Russ Taff I Still Believe: Singing through shame and alcoholism

Christian Musician Russ Taff: Singing Throug...

The award-winning artist's music inspired others to bask in God’s love, but he had to overcome shame and alcoholism to hear God’s love song to him.

Your most important job as a parent.

Your Most Important Job as a Parent

Teachable moments are opportunities for us to imprint God’s values on the next generation.

Beautiful scars - my grace is sufficient

Beautiful Scars

I noted something refreshingly real about Princess Eugenie’s choice of gown. From the front, she showed she was a princess. From the back, she showed she was a person like the rest of us.

wine corks

Can Mommy Have a Drink?

Pretty much everyone has an opinion on "mommy wine culture." Here's a few factors to consider if you're thinking about sipping a glass.

two elementary-school boys looking out a car window

Three Times a Day to Intentionally Connect W...

Consider mornings, mealtimes and bedtime as opportunities for making a heart connection with your child. And trust that God, in His sovereignty, will fill the gaps in between.

What I Wish Drew Brees Had Whispered to His...

I want more for Drew Brees and his sons than just what they can earn. And Jesus offers more.

Not All Millennials Wait For the “Righ...

There’s no doubt that marrying my high school sweetheart benefited us for the better.

The Art of Parenting

God Used a Parakeet to Love Our Daughter

Of all the stories about raising six children we’ve told over the years, this is probably our favorite.

Why Do So Many Love This is Us?

The popular television show tells us there is romance and redemption lying wait in our days, breathless not with passion, but with the hard work of love.

Christmas Gifts from Grandparents

Help Grandma Calm Down on Christmas Gift-Giv...

Sometimes, Grandpa and Grandma Warbucks create unintended challenges by “blessing the grandkids” with so many gifts.

Smartphone addiction in kids

My Son Was Addicted to a Smartphone

The patterns I saw in my child’s behavior opened my eyes to the damage my phone had done.

#whyididntreport

An Open Letter to #Whyididntreport

I saw a hashtag on Twitter this week about why people who have been sexually abused might choose not to report it.

A Pop Star’s Surprising Perspective on Pur...

While my generation will associate Michelle Williams with suggestive song titles, the next generation might associate her with something entirely different—being a champion for the biblical model of marriage.

Cancel Family Dinner

Should Your Family Cancel Dinner?

It’s not always practical to eat dinner as a family. The solution? Give yourself and your family some grace and cancel dinner tonight.

Is a happy divorce possible?

Is “Happy Divorce” a Thing?

And if there are really no tears, no heartache, and we can remain friends–is divorce really the most healing and whole option?

Saturdays are for Family

Saturdays Are for Winning

Instead of my husband abandoning us for the woods or holing up in a man cave glued to ESPN, we’ve made fall Saturdays family days.

Marriage

When Was the Last Time Your Marriage Had a P...

You might make sure to head to the doctor each year like clockwork, but when is the last time your marriage had a physical?

Smartphones for Smart Families

Smartphones for Smartfamilies

We advise against giving your children a phone if you are not ready to have a conversation with them about it multiple times a week for multiple years.

Healthy Marriage Expectations

After ‘I Do,’ Now What?

Marriage is a relationship that will transform you, if you let it. Saying “I do” is only the beginning of a lifetime of laughter, frustration, forgiveness, happiness, and deep joy. It’s worth it.

Healthy marriage expectations

Not Another Statistic

What was the last negative statistic you heard about marriage? Most of us can quickly cite sources that point to the fact that half of all marriages end in divorce.

Not Another Top-Ten List

You don’t have to look far in order to find advice for how you can improve your marriage. Articles are all over the internet about what you should say to sustain your spouse’s interest, the type of clothes you should wear to appear more attractive, and how you can be even more intimate with your partner.

Momcations

Yes, Momcations are a Thing

Kid-free trips either alone or with girlfriends is an idea I can get behind.

5 Things No One Told Me About Marriage

Young and Married: Five Things We Learned fr...

There’s a secret that nobody likes to tell dating or engaged couples: Marriage is really hard.

Why you need to get away

Why You Need to Get Away

Spending an entire weekend learning how to communicate, grow in oneness, and love one another better was like hitting a reset to our busy lives.

War of words

Overcoming Communication Barriers With Your...

Communication in marriage is not easy. But the fight to communicate is worth the work. In the end, you’ll find a thriving marriage rooted in oneness, not division.

Every Marriage Needs Community

Marriage Is Not an Island: Our Need for Comm...

At the Weekend to Remember marriage retreat I found a profound sense of community. It reminded me of one simple fact: We are not alone.

Marriage

Marriage Is for Me… Right?

Conflict over money and infidelity might be some of the most common reasons for getting a divorce in our society, but I’d argue that there’s a more common root to most separations:“I’m just not happy anymore.”

Better Marriage

Your Marriage Is Not Your Parents’

Having divorced parents doesn’t mean your own marriage will also end in divorce. You are not destined to live out the same mistakes as your parents.

Romance

Can ‘The Bachelorette’ Teach Us Anything...

A few positive lessons from my guilty pleasure over the last few months.

Father and son

The Real Cost of Keeping Up With the Kardash...

NBA star Blake Griffin may be able to afford a huge child support payment, but kids need more than that.

Your Child is Not the Enemy

Your Child Is Not Your Enemy

Here are eight ways we can fight for, not against, our children in their hard-to-handle moments.

Moms ministry

The Importance of a Moms’ Ministry in Your...

Ministering to this group can be instrumental in reaching everyone in the home.

Grandparents

70 Things We Love About Grandpa

Donna Reish wanted to make her father's seventieth birthday extra special.

Our Fixer-Upper Marriage

Our Fixer-Upper Marriage

My husband and I have learned much about putting our relationship into the hands of the Master Renovator.

Tribute to Ron and Cleve Boehi

Following is an example of a tribute.

Connecting with my spouse

4 Ways to Prioritize Your Spouse Above Your...

In our crazy, fast-paced lives, it’s easy to be distracted from what is most important. Here are some ideas to make more time for the person you love most.

Preparing Your Teen for LGBT Discussions

Questions to Ask Your Teen About LGBT Issues

A list of questions to help you engage your teens about their beliefs on LGBT issues.

Preparing Your Teen for LGBT Discussions

Preparing Your Teen for LGBT Discussions

Five steps to prepare them to withstand peer pressure, stand with the truth, and display the love of Christ.

Caring for Older Parents

Caring for Older Parents: Heeding the Fifth...

Whatever problems may develop, my commitment is to do whatever it takes to help my parents, respect them, and honor them.

The Secret to Marriage

The Secret to My Marriage

One simple concept will guide you into the relationship you always wanted to have.

Miss America Pageant

There She Is: Miss America, #MeToo, and Your...

Brava, Miss America, for eliminating a bit of the external from the ideal. And let’s not stop there. What does it look like for each of us to disregard the bigger “swimsuit competition” far deeper within?

honoring dad on father's day

10 Ways to Help Your Kids Honor Their Dad

Use your position as a mother to inspire your children to honor their father this Father’s Day and over the years.

7 Reasons I'm Thankful for My Husband This Father's Day

7 Reasons I’m Thankful for My Husband This...

Our kids would only be half as awesome, half as cool, and half as strong without you. And quite frankly, so would I.

Sex matters in marriage

Why Sex Matters In Marriage

Married couples who have sex regularly live longer, have better heart health, enjoy a deeper connection, and can let go of annoyances easier.

7 ideas for engaging with your kids this Summer.

7 Ideas for Engaging With Your Kids This Sum...

The school year is filled with other obligations, but the summer belongs to us.

For mom on Mother's Day

4 Reminders for the Weary Mom on Mother’s...

This day was made for you—the tired and weary warrior mom who faithfully trudges on even when no one seems to notice.

Loving Your Mom the Way She Needs It

Loving Your Mom the Way She Needs It

It’s not about how you feel most equipped to love her, but how she will feel the most loved.

Like Arrows movie

It’s Showtime!

FamilyLife’s first feature film, Like Arrows, is coming to a theater near you, but this week only!

Blended family

Grafting: A Painful but Beautiful Process fo...

Your blended family may have another river to cross and a few more battles to face, but don’t give up—significant rewards lie ahead.

Outsiders in blended families

Extending Love and Grace to Outsiders in Ble...

God showed His love for us by bringing the outsider in, and that’s how Christians should love the “extended” members of stepfamilies.

Stepparenting

Stepparenting and the Law

Even though the legal rights of a stepparent over his or her stepchildren is limited, love is not limited.

Ministering to parents

Ministering to Parents in Your Church

A creative way to connect with couples early in their parenting journey and establish a loving, caring relationship.

Child

I Want My Child to Be an ‘Alien’

Helping a child understand this world is not our home.

Like Arrows Movie

‘Like Arrows’ Is an Unlikely Win...

FamilyLife's first film is meant to be a glimpse into a path that can take you deeper into parenting the heart of your children.

The Story Behind FamilyLife’s New Film, �...

Bob Lepine answers behind-the-scenes questions about the movie.

Respecting Your Son’s Desire to Provide an...

God put inside every boy something that stirs him to be brave and protective.

Family

‘This is Us’ Is All of Us

Everyone has a family. And every family has a story.

Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Dennis and Barbara Rainey Share 13 Milestone...

“FamilyLife is a ministry 'in spite of' rather than 'because of' ... God did not grow this ministry because of our hard work and brilliant ideas."

Prayer

Does Prayer Really Do Any Good?

It’s easy to become cynical or weary about the act of prayer.

The Easter Story

7 Things the Easter Story Teaches Us About M...

The purpose of your marriage is to reflect the fullness of God in an increasingly empty world.

billy-grahams-incredible-ministry-and-his-incredible-marriage-2

Billy Graham’s Incredible Ministry … and...

Billy’s marriage to Ruth was a partnership that had a worldwide impact.

Budget Valentine's Day Ideas

10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day o...

Sometimes a little creativity, maybe a few dollars, and a little foresight are all that's needed to make an unforgettable to say “Be mine, Valentine.”

I’m Not a Nag, Am I?

Four suggestions on how to be nag free and make life easier for you and your family.

Learning to Pray With My Wife

My journey of committing to praying with my wife for 30 days and the tips I learned along the way.

How to pull out of a slump

7 Ways to Pull Out of a Slump

Restore your energy and zest for life with these tips.

Ways to show respect to husband

11 Ways to Show Respect to Your Husband

Some wives don't understand how important respect is to a man. Here are some ideas for how a woman can give her spouse the esteem he longs for.

4 Ways to Harness Your Power for Good in You...

God has given us women the privilege and the ability to bring life to our husbands with our love.

5 Ways to Help Your Husband Step Up to Manho...

A wife plays a pivotal role in her husband’s transition from boyhood into manhood.

Applying the gospel to parenting

Parenting Is Not About Raising Well-Behaved...

If you view your kids as sinners who need salvation, you’ll see parenting as a rescue mission.

Don’t Do Motherhood Alone

Having another mom who’s already been through both the calm and rough waters of your current stage in life can be a beautiful gift from God. Here are some suggestions for finding that kind of mentor.

Troubled marriage

She Was Repulsed by Her Husband

For Hans and Star Molegraaf, their marriage wasn’t headed for disaster. It was already there.

Divorced parents

Divorced Parents Can Co-Parent Peacefully

Divorced parents should constantly evaluate themselves and ask if their behavior is helping or hurting their children.

Passion in marriage

9 Ways to Feed the Passion in Your Marriage

We need to make a practice of tending fully to the love of our life for a few moments a day, every day.

A Hard Act for a Husband to Follow

Here’s a new way to think about leadership in your marriage.

Communication tools for marriage

5 Communication Tools That Saved My Marriage

Early in our marriage, these simple principles changed our hearts and transformed our relationship.

Resolving conflict

6 Steps for Resolving Conflict in Marriage

There is no way to avoid conflict in your marriage. The question is: How will you deal with it?

Wedding anniversary ideas

25 Anniversary Ideas for Couples

Are you looking for some new ideas to help your next wedding anniversary really stand out? Take steps now and begin planning a memorable celebration.

Revive the romance with date night

3 Ways to Recapture the Romance

If you want to rekindle the romance in your marriage, you'll find it doesn't require a lot of money, and it often doesn't even take that much time.

Digital Valentine's Day Ideas

5 Romantic Needs of a Woman

I've spent a lifetime learning about how to satisfy my wife's romantic needs. That means meeting her physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

7 things husbands and wives need to remember about sex

7 Things to Remember About Sex

Your spouse approaches intimacy much differently than you. Here are some things husbands and wives need to know about sex.

Meeting your spouse's sexual needs

When You Lose Interest in Sex

After you marry you have a duty before God to meet your spouse’s sexual needs. But sometimes healing and restoration must happen first.

Romancing my wife

Your Wife’s 3 Relationship Nonnegotiab...

As you study your wife and learn how to define romance according to her dictionary, you will become an irresistible man.

What Should Be the Husband’s ‘Ro...

If you apply these concepts correctly, you'll experience freedom in your roles and work better as a team to combat isolation and conflict in your marriage.

How to improve marriage

15 Things Wives Should Stop Doing

I asked some girlfriends, “What should a wife stop doing if she wants to improve her marriage?” This list is based on their responses.

Seven Things I Wish Id Known About Men Befor...

Growing up with my stepdad and younger brother I thought I knew a thing or two about men. While I knew not to change the channel during a football game, not to serve quiche for dinner, and not to attempt to fix a broken doorknob with a rubber band, there were a few important things […]

It’s Not Your Husband’s Job to Make You...

The only way you can experience true joy is by pursuing intimacy with Christ on a daily basis.

40 Consequences of Adultery

The counterfeit pleasure of an affair can never overcome the ways infidelity can destroy a life and marriage.

Forgiving Your Spouse After Adultery

Four lessons from my journey of regaining trust in my husband.

3 Ways to Move Toward Oneness in Your Marriage

3 Ways to Move Toward Oneness in Your Marria...

Marriage is like a three-legged race; these suggestions will help you cross the finish line in first place.

A Passion for Building Godly Families

Two ordinary couples who are helping change the world.

Shock Your Spouse and Kids With This Questio...

Here’s a practical way to revolutionize your relationship with your family. But it requires some risk.

Building a Marriage That Lasts

Isolation can be defeated if you are willing to make the right choices to build oneness and intimacy.

Building Your Family With the Right Set of B...

Like the box top of a puzzle, God’s Word provides a necessary picture of what our lives are supposed to look like.

Do I Deserve Marriage My Way?

Do I Deserve Marriage My Way?

Our selfish nature distorts our view of life and marriage. But God has a different plan.

Marriage

Embracing God’s Purposes for Marriage

Women have the tendency to pursue secondary purposes over God's primary purpose.

5 Essentials for a Thriving Marriage

5 Essentials for a Thriving Marriage

Take a few minutes to evaluate how you can improve your marriage relationship.

Giving Up My Independence

The uncomplicated yet difficult path to oneness in marriage.

Improve Your Marriage by Being Worse Parents

Parents often put their marriage relationship on the back burner. These four principles will help you balance working on your marriage while attempting to raise children.

Wedding and marriage

Is Marriage a ‘Dying Institution’...

Marriage is facing some big challenges today, but that doesn't mean we should replace it with something different.

Is Marriage Just a 'Piece of Paper'?

Is Marriage Just a ‘Piece of PaperR...

A growing number of couples are choosing to avoid marriage altogether.

Marriage Is Not Our Ultimate Destination

The real 'happily ever after'

On the Mountaintop or in the Valley

We found that attending a Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway was a different experience at different points in our lives.

The Futility of the 50/50 Plan

One the surface, this approach to marriage sounds reasonable, but in the end it won't work.

God’s Purposes for Marriage

The uncomplicated yet difficult path to oneness in marriage.

God's purpose for marriage

How Should We Define Marriage Today?

What does it mean for followers of Christ to live in a culture that often defines marriage differently than the Bible does?

A Surprise Celebration

What started as a family reunion turned into a time of intense gratitude for the goodness of God in giving us the years my husband and I have had together

What the Latest Shooting Taught Me About Pro...

How a husband can best protect his wife from the evil that lurks in this world.

Stepgrandparent

The Role of a Stepgrandparent

As a stepgrandparent, you can be an important and influential role in the family with a little grace and wisdom.

Dating, marriage, and delighting in God

6 Ways to Make Yourself ‘Marry-able’

In these days it takes an intentional effort to arrive at marriage with optimal spiritual, relational, and emotional health.

A Marriage Struck by Lightning

When Ryan and Sarah were jolted by forces out of their control, they saw God transform the circumstances into good.

Save marriage

Afraid of Commitment?

The story of two people who realized that commitment to one another is grounded in surrender to Jesus Christ.

Wedding and marriage

Are You Preparing for a Wedding or for a Mar...

A wedding is not the completion of engagement but the beginning of a new life.

Proposal Stories to Remember

When I asked my coworkers about how they got engaged, I discovered some proposals that put a smile on my face.

Wedding and marriage

Sabrina’s Wedding: Including the Fathe...

The second in a 3 part series.

Sabrina’s Wedding: The Covenant

October 2003 Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a three-part series. You can read part one here and part two here. Our wedding day couldn’t have been more beautiful. The sun was shining, and the breeze was cool. My first waking moments were serene. “It’s my wedding day,” I thought as I enjoyed […]

Still Looking for Prince Charming

If you want a truly "happily ever after" ending, you need to look for love the wise way

Stopping the Cycle Entering Marriage as a Ch...

So you’re getting married! Congratulations! According to the latest research, if you are under the age of 30, there is a 58% chance that you are entering your marriage as a child of divorce. Do you fall into this category? If you’re wondering what on earth that has to do with the fact that you […]

The Eight Symbols of Isolation

The 8 Symbols of Isolation in Marriage

Every day each partner in a marriage makes choices that result in oneness or in isolation.

Stepparenting

Parents Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Biological parents who find themselves caught between their spouse and their child should step out of the conflict as often as possible.

Relationship with stepchildren

How to Cook a Stepfamily

I like to use cooking as an analogy to identify some integration styles that stepfamilies attempt to utilize.

Repentant spouse

3 Characteristics of a Repentant Spouse

If you want a strong marriage, there comes a time to be honest about yourself.

Caring for loved one

Who Does the Housework?

How can we uphold what the Bible says about marital relationships and make good decisions about housework?

Can God Do the Impossible in a Marriage

I wrote an article for The Family Room ezine called “She Hated Her Husband.” It was about Brian and Julie Moreau’s disintegrating relationship and the key role that a Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway played in saving their marriage. A skeptical reader posted this comment below the article: “If this story is really true maybe […]

Romance and sex

The Challenge of Re-Sex

Sex is an important part of remarriage, but a healthy sexual relationship doesn’t necessarily result in a healthy marriage.

Indivisible Movie

‘Indivisible’ Deals With Conflicts in Wa...

New film tells the true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner, who survived on the battlefield but almost lost his marriage in the process.

Wife's role in marriage

What Should Be the Wife’s ‘Role...

While the Bible doesn't apply our modern word "role" to marriage, the Scriptures are clear about the unique responsibilities God assigns to a wife.

Stepparenting teenagers

Stepparenting Teenagers

Adolescence is a natural time of turmoil in nearly every family.

Having an ours baby

Having an ‘Ours’ Baby

If you are planning to have an ours baby, here are some suggestions to consider for preparation.

Dealing with an ex-spouse

Dealing With a Destructive Ex-Spouse

One of the most menacing dynamics attacking the health of a stepfamily is a destructive parent in the other home.

Holidays

Resurrected Pain

Be prepared to face loss as you celebrate the holidays.

Blended family

Setting Boundaries for a Meddling Ex-Spouse

When you have a new marriage and blended family, it's important to build a respectful working relationship with your ex.

Marriage

Placing Your Spouse in the Front Seat of You...

Your children will benefit when you make a strong commitment to your new spouse.

Remarriage and blended families

10 Things to Know Before You Remarry

Challenges every single parent should consider before deciding to remarry.

Managing emotions in disagreement

Managing Emotions in the Midst of Disagreeme...

The goal of a balanced communicator is to properly manage and express both thoughts and emotions.

Having fun together

Maximizing the Fun Factor in Your Remarriage

A regular dose of fun, relaxing time together is a key part of a dynamic, fulfilling marriage relationship.

married-and-lonely

Are You Married and Lonely?

Most people believe marriage is the cure for loneliness, but you actually began battling the dreaded foe of isolation when you drove off on your honeymoon

Words to make your husband feel great

50 Things To Say to Your Husband to Make Him...

Your words have great power in the life of your husband ... they can lift him up and give him confidence, or they can beat him down.

Sex is important to your husband

Why Sex Is So Important to Your Husband

God wired men and women very differently. And a man's sexual performance with his wife is an inseparable part of who he is.

when-your-marriage-is-dying

When Your Marriage Is Dying

A marriage can't be restored if only one person wants reconciliation, but don't give up hope. God can give you the strength and wisdom you need.

Bible

What Does the Bible Say About Divorce? When...

Too many couples today decide that if their marriage isn't working, they should get out. But the Scriptures point to a God who can bring healing.

50 Things You Can Say to Make Your Child Fee...

A list for parents who want their children to know their love and God’s love.

Bibles verses to teach my children

Verses From The Book Of Proverbs To Teach Yo...

These verses can become the centerpiece of kitchen table discussions and a tour guide for difficult conversations.

25-things-a-dad-should-teach-a-boy

25 Things a Dad Should Teach a Boy

Use this helpful list as a springboard for spending quality time with your sons.

Becoming a Mom A Process of New Discovery

Facing the upcoming birth of our first baby has caused me to struggle with my change in identity … but perhaps it isn’t a “new” identity after all.

can-a-mom-be-too-close-to-her-daughter

Can a Mom Be Too Close to her Daughter?

We all want connection with our daughters, but when we become overly close, it can hinder their transition to adulthood.

Parenting a strong willed child

Discipline for the Strong Willed Child

My son, Aaron, taught me valuable lessons on how to choose my battles … and win them.

Dating as a single parent

11 Best Practices for Dating as a Single Par...

Dating for two is difficult; dating in a crowd is downright complicated.

Teens

Establishing Dating Guidelines for Your Teen

What role should parents play to steer a child away from the traps in the most popular sport for many teens—the dating game?

Stepmom

Do You Feel Like an Outsider With Your Stepc...

Practical suggestions for stepmoms.

Engagement

Surviving ‘Engagement Season’ as a Singl...

If you’re anything like me, you dread the feelings this season brings.

Resolving conflict

Honest Communication Is a Stepfamily’s Gre...

Every time David successfully put off another conflict, he stored up resentment toward his wife or stepchildren for “controlling him.”

a surprising antidote for sibling rivalry

A Surprising Antidote for Sibling Rivalry

Teaching your children to help others is a lifetime gift to them and to everyone they encounter.

Love and marriage

Does Your Marriage Need Help?

In a culture of self-sufficiency, seeking help may seem shameful or weak, but teachable followers of Christ know better.

Halloween

Ideas for Observing Halloween Without Compro...

Two moms discuss ways they have allowed their children to participate in the holiday without undermining their values.

Q&A: How do I stop my child from cursing...

Don't ever think that training your child's language is in vain.

3 Truths We Need to Teach Our Kids About Bei...

Filling our hearts and minds with the things of God will quench the hunger that the world cannot.

Fathers

Living in the Smile of the Father

Achieving success starts with knowing you have your father's approval.

Living according to God's Word

Living Within the Limits

Difficulties should push us toward God's Word, not toward redefining the rules.

Looking for awesome

Looking for Awesome in All the Wrong Places

God created us with a capacity for awe. Where you look for it will shape the direction of your life.

Loving the prodigal

Loving the Prodigal Who Seems to Hate You

The way we love sinful people must be patterned after the rugged love God has for us.

Walking by faith

No Cinderella Story

Life is no fairy tale of magic formulas, but instead it requires walking by faith.

Obeying God

Obeying God Even When You Don’t Feel Like...

It is only as my view of Him increases that I will be more able to view my issues with a proper perspective.

God working in my life

Old Stories With a New Connection

Years later, my wife and I realized a new way God had answered our individual prayers before we were married.

Overcome discouragement

How to Overcome Discouragement

Perhaps no other human emotion is so commonly experienced and yet so infrequently exposed.

Easy to remember bible verses

Remembering God in the Mundane Events of the...

Here are 10 well-known, easy-to-remember verses to help us keep our hearts trained on God.

Blended families

Stepfamilies: Is This Normal?

Blended families live in a different land than first-families.

Finding God

Finding God in the ‘White Space’

When we live a life of constantly reaching for the next big thing, we miss the greatness God is calling us to right here, right now.

Moving

10 Ideas: Preparing Your Heart for a Smooth...

How to successfully navigate your family’s journey to a new home.

10 Ideas: Reflecting the Fruit of the Spirit

10 Ideas: Reflecting the Fruit of the Spirit

How long since you’ve had a checkup to assess your spiritual health?

Verses from the bible

10 Verses to Help You Watch Your Words

Don't say something permanently painful because you are temporarily ticked off.

Relationship with God

3 Steps to Spiritual Wellness

If we are totally focused on the material things of this life and this world, we will miss out on most of what life is all about.

Thriving in a hostile culture

5 Qualities for Thriving in a Hostile Cultur...

As our society and culture become increasingly hostile toward Christianity, here are five spiritual qualities that become especially important.

Defending the oppressed

A Commitment to Truth Means Defending the Op...

The story of a man who stood up to intervene for the defenseless.

Tone your faith

A Workout for the Spiritual Body, Part 2

We need a spiritual workout center to develop our "faith muscles."

Tone your faith

A Workout for the Spiritual Body, Part 1

There's no gain without pure, hard pain.

Anatomy of a Grumbler

Anatomy of a Grumbler

Complaining shows a loss of perspective, a failure to remember who is in control.

Choices and regrets

Anticipating Deathbed Regrets

A man needs to constantly remind himself that his real job is his wife and children.

Accountability

Are You Accountable to Anyone?

One of the best ways to protect yourself against immorality is submitting your life to the scrutiny of another person.

Faith

Are You Hearing Lions Roar? You Should Be

The spiritual victory will go to those Christians who are willing to enter enemy territory and engage in warfare.

Think about life

Are You Tired of Being in a Rut?

Ecclesiastes can help us change the way we think about life.

Attitude check

Attitude Check – Do You Have a Heart P...

Four suggestions on how to overcome the sin of grumbling and complaining.

Faith

Can Faith Survive in a Post-Christian Cultur...

Our culture is hostile to Christian faith.

Know and love God

Created for Intimacy

We have a hole in our hearts that only God can fill.

Loss of material possessions

Don’t Touch My Stuff

Knowing that God is our Provider helps us to hold our material possessions with an open hand.

Fierce storms

Fierce Storms and Fresh Reminders

Two close calls remind Barbara and me of how God is working in our lives.

Gardening

Gardening Is Good for the Soul, Right?

Pulling weeds from my flower beds taught me an important spiritual lesson.

Small group

Getting Unstuck

If you're ready to go deeper in your spiritual journey, a small group may be just what you need.

God asks

God Asks Us to be Intolerant

Many of us are settling for the sidelines of life—we don’t really want the Lord to give us anything too hard to do.

God where are you

God, Where Are You?

God has things He can teach us while He's seemingly MIA and we're wandering about or feeling abandoned.

Gratitude

Gratitude is a Choice

To really experience His peace, we must come to Him with thankful hearts.

Find my mission

Great Things Happen When We Dream

A godly vision will be fueled by what could be and what should be.

Hearing God in the storm

Hearing the Voice of God in the Storm

Twelve ways to respond to God in the wake of natural disasters.

A new normal

I Don’t Want to Be Normal

As our family grew, we began to question our comfortable, normal lifestyle. Had God’s gifts replaced God Himself?

Mentor

I Needed a Mentor

How could I invest in others if nobody was investing in me?

Surrender to God

I Surrender Almost All

God likes us to do things on His terms—which, of course, goes totally against my desire for control.

Faithfulness

If You Want More, You Must be Faithful in Li...

Many are on a career path, but few seem to be on a character path.

God knows me

I’m Not an Expert on Myself

God’s Word gives me a true diagnosis of whom I am.

Truth of God's Word

It Takes Courage to Stand for the Truth of G...

When marriage is hard and parenting is harder, stand for the truth.

Talking about divorce

7 Suggestions for a Parent Going Through Div...

She did her best to turn our four sons and small community against me.

Share the Gospel

10 Ways to Share the Gospel Without Being Pu...

Here are a few ideas that can help you share your faith by using your home as a hub for Christ.

God in control

Life Lessons of a Control Freak

The world I thought I had perfect control over had turned upside down. But that's when God started teaching me how to walk by faith.

The Family She Never Had

After a fragmented, unstable childhood, Julie Boyd prayed that God would begin a new legacy with her own family.

My Husband Married Trouble

A story of answered prayer and transforming grace.

“Just Get Used to It”

Over 25 years of marriage have taught my husband and me how to adjust to each other’s families.

Caregiving

Realities of the Caregiving Journey

Taking care of our elderly parents is a journey into the character of Christ.

Tribute to mom

“We Will Be a Family”

How six adult children honored the single mother who raised them.

Dealing with death

“Without God There Is No Hope”

Rick and Judy Taylor talk about recovering from the death of their son, Kyle.

Families and faith

Ten Urgent Steps for for Keeping Your Family...

Ten ways for families to stay spiritually strong in today’s culture.

Improve my marriage

5 Biggest Little Ways to Improve Your Marria...

A few small actions carry surprising power in building a lasting relationship.

Dennis Rainey Announces His Successor at Fam...

New president and CEO will assume office December 1, 2017.

Stepfamilies

Stepfamilies Are Different … and the Same

Many couples think that their blended family will flow and function like a biological family, only with different people involved.

3 Practical Steps to Biblical Leadership in...

For the sake of our wives, we must once again assume our role as leaders who execute our God-given responsibility with humble hearts and loving service.

Weekend to Remember marriage retreat

A Life-Changing Weekend Marriage Retreat

At the Weekend to Remember, I got to see how God was at work in the lives of married couples.

Love your wife

Do You Love Your Wife Out of Obligation?

It takes courage for husbands to fulfill God’s calling to love their wives for a noble purpose.

Parenting

Parents Today Say Their Job Is Harder Than E...

Many parents today feel overwhelmed by the pace at which technology is changing the American home.

They-Didnt-Know-How-to-Have-the-Talk-With-Their-Kids

They Didn’t Know How to Have ‘Th...

How Doug and Deb Gulbranson used Passport2Purity® to teach their children about the pressures they would face as teenagers.

Giving Your Spouse the Freedom to Fail

Six gifts you can give that remove the pressure to perform.

Staying close in remarriage

Staying Close in Remarriage

Strong couples feel close to one another because they know what to do to make that happen.

Romance

Romance for Dummies

Romance isn’t something you bring out on special occasions. It's one way you can express your care and love for each other.

Communication in marriage

10 Rules for Good Communication With Your Hu...

Good communication requires certain rules and guidelines, which are simple in one sense and extremely difficult in another.

Protect yourself from an affair by watering your own marriage

Avoid the Greener Grass Syndrome

The best way to protect yourself from an affair is to water your own marriage.

Sharing the Gospel

2 Simple Questions to Start a Life-Changing...

These simple but profound questions changed the way I talk to people about Christ.

My dad's advice about love and marriage

My Father’s Secret to Staying in Love

As a wonderful example of a godly husband and father, I've always been able to go to my father for advice about anything.

The power of our conscience

The Power of Our Conscience

Your past is not the final word. Let your invisible accuser drive you toward God and not away from Him.

Parenting

Talking to Your Kids About Transgender Issue...

Your kids will encounter this issue someday. How will you handle their questions?

5 Reasons to make family worship a priority

5 Reasons to Make Family Worship a Priority

The practice of family worship is a crucial discipline for spiritually healthy families.

5 ways my parents shaped my spiritual life

5 Ways My Parents Shaped My Spiritual Life

My parents showed me how to walk as a believer and honor Christ in all things.

Teaching children about God

Teaching Children About Having A Heart That...

Here’s a ‘game’ I developed to help my kids understand spiritual priorities as they begin to face the pressures and temptations of their world.

training our children to pray

Training Our Children to Pray

Rather than only teaching them simple prayers they can memorize and recite, we need to intentionally educate our children about what prayer should look like.

Reaching out to others

Reaching the World From Your Own Home

If you look for the opportunities to be a missionary in your sphere of influence, they are easy to find.

Counseling organizations

State and Local Counseling Organizations

The purpose and objectives of this list of state and local counseling organizations are strictly informative and educational.

My parents stayed together

His Lies Finally Caught Up With Him

Mary Murray felt betrayed, and Mike felt desperate and suicidal. That's when God stepped in.

Affair

Would Their Marriage Survive Multiple Affair...

When Gerald Varlack lost his job, he was involved with several women—at the same time.

He Didn’t Know His Marriage Was Dying

Alberto and Debbie Rodriguez were two strangers living in the same house. One was getting lonelier and lonelier … while the other was clueless.

Save marriage

It’s Never Too Late for God to Save Yo...

If you drink deeply from the well of God’s love, you will inevitably pour that love into each other.

Troubled marriage

He Wanted a Divorce, She Wanted a Marriage

Scott Garmon couldn't understand why he should stay in an unhappy marriage.

I Fell in Love Again With My Wife

‘I Fell in Love Again With My WifeR...

Their marriage was all but over when Dolores Hardin offered an astonishing and radical proposal to her husband, Al.

Words of encouragement

20 Ideas for Encouraging Others

Your words can have a profound impact on the people in your life.

Couples

A Legacy of Spiritual Multiplication

If you want a stronger, healthier church, help couples grow in their relationship with Christ and with each other.

Legacy

A Mighty Legacy

Rather than giving in to the cultural pressures and divorcing his wife, Skip Leffler left a very different legacy.

Mentoring

Are You Ready to be a Mentor?

Teaching younger couples to have a great marriage may not be as hard as you think.

Can God Use Us?

Can God Use Us?

Jeff and Sheila Brawley wondered if God could work through them to help others.

Confronting a friend

Confronting a Friend

Talking to someone about her sin isn't easy, but I found that it's beneficial when done in a God-honoring way.

Divine appointments

Divine Appointments

Are you listening to the nudge of the Holy Spirit to talk to those around you?

Helping engaged couples

Equipping Couples for Lifelong Love

Bill and Geri Masuzzo are committed to helping engaged couples learn how to be married.

Families Change Families

Families Change Families

One of the most exciting things for me to see is the influence that one family who is completely God's can have on others.

Doctrine of Providence

Quote by James C. Petty

Starting a Marriage Ministry

7 Steps for Starting a Marriage Ministry

If you want a stronger, healthier church, help couples grow in their relationship with Christ and with each other.

Stories of Changed Lives and Transformed Leg...

Stories of resurrected marriages Stories of good marriages strengthened Stories of lifelong marriages Premarriage stories Stories of parenting challenges Salvation stories At FamilyLife, we love to tell stories about what God does in families. He saves marriages. He strengthens homes. He changes lives for eternity through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope that you […]

10 Tips for Leading Marriage Small Groups

Significant life change can happen in the context of small groups. In this setting, group members can feel safe to discuss issues and share experiences on a more personal level. One of the keys to small group effectiveness is the leaders and the preparations they make. We asked Scott and Sue Allen, small group leaders […]

He Returned Home a Troubled Man

Rusty Mauney couldn’t forget his wartime experience in Iraq. As he found relief in alcohol, his wife, Marsha, began asking God to save their marriage.

3 Keys to Living in Contentment

3 Keys to Living in Contentment

We can learn to live happily even if we are denied things we consider essential.

Small group bible study

10 Tips for Leading Marriage Small Groups

As you prepare for facilitating a small group, you will find God strengthening your own marriage and giving you a heart to minister to others.

Blended family

When a Stepparent Feels Like an Outsider

When one of the two partners feels like an outsider, it doesn't just affect the family dynamics.

God, Holy Spirit

When Our Issues Become Bigger Than Our God

It is only as my view of Him increases that I will be more able to view my issues with a proper perspective.

giving thanks

Why Is Saying “Thank You” So Har...

Giving thanks is not just for God’s glory—it’s for our good.

Intimacy in marriage

A Great Love Life Without 50 Shades of Anyth...

These five steps have personally helped me have enjoyable and satisfying intimacy with my husband.

Why Mike Pence Is Wise to Protect His Marria...

Constructing "zones" or "hedges" around marriage can help protect against temptation and appearances of impropriety.

Disciple my children

4 Reasons You Should Intentionally Disciple...

If you don’t shape your children, with God’s help, the world will.

Stepmom

Stepmom: The Place Between Rock and Hard

Stepfamilies are hard no matter what your circumstances were before remarriage. Here are seven practical steps for healthy relationships.

Christian Literature Classics

Gary Thomas’ Personal List of Favorite...

List of Christian literature classics that address humility and virtue.

Special needs blended family

Autism and the Blended Family

Your special needs stepfamily can find peace and stability with time and the right tools and perspective.

Encourage husband

10 Ways to Let Your Husband Know You’r...

Don't let another day go by without communicating admiration for your husband.

3 Priorities for Every Wife

3 Priorities for Every Married Woman

No matter what your marriage stage—newlyweds, raising young children or teenagers, empty nest with grandkids—we share some common needs as wives.

Invest in your husband

3 Tips for Investing in Your Husband

Likewise, you can strengthen your husband's self-esteem. But first you must recognize where he needs bolstering.

Wife prays for her husband

30 Ways to Pray for Your Husband

A list of things to pray for your husband

Becoming Your Husband’s Personal Cheer...

Your encouragement can breathe life into your husband.

What Husbands Wish Their Wives Knew About Me...

A wife can help her husband be what God wants him to be by understanding his needs.

Cherish your spouse

A Backdoor to Happiness in Marriage

If you want a great relationship, learn to showcase your spouse.

Remembering How God Is Working

A couple weeks ago, in my work here at FamilyLife, I was feeling lazy and listless, uncreative and unmotivated. Looking for some inspiration, I began reading through a pile of comments from couples who attended a recent Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway in Indianapolis. It took me all of two minutes to shake away my […]

Handling correction

The Art of a Loving Rebuke

When it’s necessary to confront and correct someone, do it in a way that puts a priority on the relationship.

5 Things We Can Do to Build Up Marriage

“I sat down to type a scathing rant about gay marriage,” wrote blogger Matt Walsh. “I sat down to tell the world that gay marriage is the greatest threat to the sanctity of marriage. But then I remembered … a sign I saw on the side of the road a little while back. Divorce for sale! […]

Mom playing with kids

Not Every Mom Must Be a Natural Homemaker

Sincere love and an emotional haven are worth so much more than a perfect house and a gourmet meal.

Celebrating Easter

Easter: What’s Your Story?

The day we celebrate Christ’s resurrection is the day we celebrate our own.

Praying backwards

Praying Backwards

Too often in our prayers we ask God to ease our worries and satisfy our wants before adding "in Jesus' name" as an obligatory spiritual seasoning.

Romance your husband

10 Ways to Romance Your Husband

These ideas will help you freshen your love life.

Show love to your wife through words of affirmation

30 Ways to Love Your Wife

Here's a list of non-sexual ways to make your wife feel loved, valued, cherished, and affirmed. It will do wonders for your marriage.

Valentine's Day

10 Ideas: Valentine’s Ideas for Your F...

Start some new traditions with your children during the holiday of love.

Share my testimony

Let God Use Your Scars

After His resurrection, Jesus displayed his scars with confidence, not disgrace. He understood that God often leaves the scars of our past wounds as evidence of His power.

Family meeting

Family Identity, Family Meeting

For stepfamilies, family meetings can build much needed family traditions, create memories, and establish a working family identity.

Easter

Why I Like Easter Better Than Christmas

I’m thankful for the incarnation. But without Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, Christmas would mean nothing.

Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages

If research showed you there were five things you could do to turn a marriage around or to keep a marriage strong, and that they were easy and free, what would you do? Well, here’s your chance. Shaunti Feldhahn spent years interviewing couples to find the ones who had the happiest marriages. Her purpose was to […]

Guarding Against Adultery

We should be alert for the initial warning signs of unfaithfulness.

Praying

How to Stop Praying the Same Old Things

It doesn’t take long before rote prayers fragment your attention span and freeze your heart.

Unrealistic Expectations Almost Destroyed My...

In the midst of my pain and self-centered complaining, I exhausted my husband and saddened God.

Christmas

5 Radical Ways to Purge Commercialism From C...

If you find yourself longing for a purer, less commercialized version of Christmas, then you might want to try our experiment yourself.

Christmas

5 Ways Your Blended Family Can Find Peace Ov...

This time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the emotions of “how we used to do it.”

7 Lessons I’ve Learned Through Waiting

During this season of Advent, I’m reflecting on how our hope must rest in the fact that God is with us in the waiting.

Christmas with family

10 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Slow down and truly experience this special season centered around family, joy, giving, and most importantly—Jesus.

Christmas

Using Christmas Music to Help Your Family Fo...

Listening to traditional Christmas hymns is one way to remind your children of the beautiful, gospel-centered purpose of Christmas.

enjoying the holiday season

What Your Husband Really Wants for Christmas

Forget the ties and BBQ apron, your man would much rather see these gifts wrapped up on Christmas Day.

Christmas

When Christmas Isn’t Merry

When my aunt and uncle divorced, I had a difficult time adjusting to new holiday celebrations.

What Is Your Family’s ‘Brand’?

An important part of parenting is determining who you are, what things you stand for, and how you’ll pass those values on to your children.

Four Words That Revived a Dying Marriage

Both Vivian and Guy had been married before, and the frustrations of trying to blend their two homes had reached a breaking point.

Ever Thine Home holiday decorations

6 Ideas for Decorating Your Home for the Hol...

The Ever Thine Home collection, created by Barbara Rainey, helps make Thanksgiving and Christmas meaningful as well as lovely.

Sunday school classes

Small Groups, Large Groups, or One-to-One Mi...

Here are two things to consider when trying to decide what delivery method to use for discipleship content.

Christmas

10 Ways to Talk About Christ This Christmas

Is this your year to make a change and replace some time-stealing activities with something more meaningful?

Save marriage

I Decided to Give the Whole ‘FaithR...

During the early years of their marriage, Jim and Nina Roesner made some life-changing decisions at Weekend to Remember getaways.

Stories of HomeBuilders

The Art of Marriage® Couples devotionals Explore FamilyLife eMentoring™ Global Outreach HomeBuilders Couples Series® LifeReady® Military Passport2Purity® Preparing for Marriage Resurrection Eggs® Stepping Up™ Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway What God Wants for Christmas® At FamilyLife, we love to tell how God works through ordinary people to changes lives for eternity. And we’re so […]

Could God Heal Their Marriage?

There was an invisible barrier between Marc and Lisa Lavalas.

Love my wife

50 Ways to Inspire Your Wife

Ideas to help you make your bride feel cherished.

The Enemy of Your Marriage

The Enemy of Your Marriage

It doesn’t take long for fear to replace trust, for intimacy to be broken. Just look at what happened in the first marriage.

What Do the Politics of Jesus Look Like?

In a divisive political season, here are thoughts on what it means to "render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Sex and marriage

What if I Want Sex More Than My Husband Does...

If your needs are vastly different than your husband's needs, work together to find the right balance or compromise for mutual sexual fulfillment.

Support husband

A Marriage Raised From the Dead

Less than 12 months after Tim and Teena Hoover married, their vows to God and to one another were shattered.

Social media comparison trap

Social Media and the Comparison Trap

Too often what we see on social media, at a party, or even on Sunday at church in no way reflects what's really going on in someone's life.

Launching a marriage ministry

2 Keys to Ministry Success

Practical steps to take to turn your vision for ministry into reality.

7 Truths to Remember in Troubled Times

Concerned about economic, political, racial, and moral instability in our culture? Disheartened by struggles in your personal life? Here’s what to focus on when the ground shakes beneath your feet.

Grandparent boundaries

Grandparent Boundaries

We live in an age when the role of grandparents isn’t clearly defined.

helping-your-children-put-their-trust-in-christ

Helping Your Children Put Their Trust in Chr...

Your calling as a parent is to model a faith that is authentic and strong.

Godly legacy

Keeping Your Family Stable in an Unstable Wo...

Four practical suggestions for facing uncertain times with faith and courage.

Reaching out to others

Recruiting and Equipping a Marriage Ministry...

Suggestions for creating a strong foundation for marriage ministry in your church.

Defeating Selfishness in Your Marriage

Defeating Selfishness in Your Marriage

Marriage offers a tremendous opportunity to do something about our tendency to go our own way.

Dating, marriage, and delighting in God

Wondering If God Will Give Me a Husband

I have come to see that I must think about my singleness in terms of a space for growth toward Christlikeness.

Fear

A Woman’s Greatest Fear?

It’s hard not to have control, and one thing that we can’t ever determine is what lies ahead.

Faith

When Waves of Doubt Rock Your Faith, DonR...

Three steps to take if the Scriptures seem like a dry textbook and you’re no longer sure Jesus is real.

The commitment of marriage

Would She Walk Out on Her Marriage?

Troy and Sara Groves once said divorce was not an option. But they didn’t anticipate the struggles they’d face with weaknesses, expectations, and bitterness.

Christian perspective on homosexuality

Letting Jesus Love Through You

Don’t let fear cause you to mistreat those who are different from you.

Remarriage affecting adult children

4 Steps Grandparents Can Take When Relations...

Your grandchildren need you. Do not abandon them.

Christian perspective on homosexuality

4 Hard Questions About Homosexuality

We all need to live lives of constant repentance, recognizing that the entire Christian life is one of constant temptation to sin and simultaneous call to obey Christ.

Christian view of sexuality

Is the Christian View of Sexuality Harmful?

The gospel liberates us from the mindset that sex is intrinsic to human fulfillment.

Recovering intimacy after an affair

Recovering Intimacy After an Affair

If you're willing to wade into the deep waters, God will help you put the pieces of your broken relationship back together. You can survive—and even thrive.

Shut Up and Listen

It was one of the biggest conflicts of our marriage. And as I sat there full of anger and self-righteousness, I knew that I hadn't handled it correctly.

What’s the Real Problem in Your Marria...

Instead of focusing on treating the symptoms, identify the underlying "disease" in your marriage with these six suggestions.

Troubled marriage

When Should You Involve Someone Else in Your...

Five issues that warrant outside intervention.

Wrestling With God Over a Broken Marriage

Trusting my husband was not an option, but I wondered if I could trust God.

When my husband needs help

When Your Husband Needs Help—and Doesn’t...

You have strengths your husband doesn’t have. It takes a bit of wisdom and skill to help in a harmonious, nonthreatening way.

Reaching out to others

18 Ways to Use Your Home as an Outreach of C...

How can friends and strangers feel loved and accepted in your house?

Reaching out

Did You Know Your Home Is an Embassy of the...

In a weary and wavering land, your home can be a place of love, encouragement, and comfort.

Grandparents

Passing on a Heritage of Faith to Your Grand...

We need to be grandparents who focus on what matters, on what lasts.

raising-kids-in-an-anything-goes-culture

Raising Kids in an ‘Anything Goes̵...

In the minds of most teenagers, there is no universal standard for sexual morality of absolutes beyond a person’s own view as to what makes sexual activity right or wrong.

5-prayers-for-prodigals

5 Prayers for Prodigals

Even when we see no visible evidence, we can trust that God is at work.

Grandparenting

The Incredible Importance of Grandparenting

As a grandparent, do you realize you are second only to the parents in your potential to impact your grandchildren spiritually?

Mission using Stepping Up

From Homelessness to Hope

At the Atlanta Mission, men are learning from the Stepping Up video series that the first step to transformation is a willingness to change.

It Was as Though God Was Crying Through Me

‘It Was as Though God Was Crying Through M...

Looking back at how God used an unlikely person to help start FamilyLife.

10 Things a Man Needs to Know About Marriage

In a culture of counterfeits and mistruths, marriage needs to be re-branded as an awesome, noble, and challenging adventure.

2 Steps to Keep Your Marriage From Going Stale

2 Steps to Keep Your Marriage From Going Sta...

A husband and wife often begin drifting apart so slowly that they hardly recognize it's happening.

a-safe-house-begins-with-you

A Safe House Begins With You

Your love for your child should define your relationship—just as God’s love defines His relationship with us as His children.

Tips for stepfamilies

10 Survival Tips for Stepfamily Life

Many couples travel to the “foreign country” of stepfamily living with little or no preparation.

The Gambler Took a Chance on Marriage

He wasn’t looking for love… but love found him.

2 Simple Ways to Teach Respect to Young Chil...

Training preschoolers can be overwhelming, but starting small will build a strong foundation for more lessons to come.

Words can hurt

Taming Our Tongues and Training Our Brains

It’s easy to fool ourselves about how our words can hurt others.

Sexpectations or expectations about sex in marriage

What Are Your ‘Sexpectations’?

It's easy to allow unrealistic or harmful expectations about sex to run rampant through my mind. When that happens I need to stop and ask a few questions.

Dealing with anger

Misplaced Frustration

We’ve all done it: We’ve all unjustly taken our anger against one person out on another. The question is, what do we do about it?

pointing-your-children-to-god-when-they-fall

Pointing Your Children to God When They Fall

As much as we hate it, our children lose control, make poor choices, and deal with shame, grief, and remorse. That’s when they need you the most.

raising-sons-during-the-crisis-of-manhood

Raising Sons During the ‘Crisis of Man...

It's a daunting era to raise a son into a man, but here's a game plan for shaping growing boys into godly men.

Father's Day

Applauding Dads for What They Do Well

We asked our readers to tell us about the fathers in their lives.

Reader Responses: Marriages We Most Admire

Editor’s note, May 2015: In a recent FamilyLife contest, participants were asked, “What marriage do you most admire, and why?” Here’s a selection of their responses. For more, read “The Marriages We Admire.” 1. My former pastor and his wife … they are both with the Lord now. They had very different strengths but they […]

Hero

An Unlikely Hero in a Time of War

The same faith that led Alvin York to be a pacifist also led him to become the most decorated soldier in World War I and a post-war philanthropist.

using Stepping Up in prison

Why Prison Is the Highlight of My Week

Many of the concepts communicated in Stepping Up resonate immediately with the prisoners in our group.

Shut Up and Let Her Talk

Your wife's need to be heard is her way of letting you be the caretaker and confidant her mother and friends used to be.

Protect children

9 Ways to Protect Children From Sexual Abuse

Here are some practical things you can do to guard your children.

#MeToo

Breaking the Silence on Sexual Harassment

Something has shifted in our culture the last few months as hidden sexual sins—especially in the workplace—are brought into the light. Why has this happened so suddenly?

#MeToo Movement

Fifty Shades in the Age of #MeToo

In the wake of the current outcry against sexual mistreatment of women, what reception will the film Fifty Shades Freed receive?

Sexual abuse

Sexual Abuse and the Nature of Evil

My counseling experience leads me to conclude that evil is very much at work in the world, in our mind, and in our body.

25-ways-to-spiritually-lead-your-family

25 Ways To Spiritually Lead Your Family

Ideas for men who want to leave a spiritual legacy.

Hurricane

After a Hurricane: Offering Help and Hope

How you can be involved in the aftermath of disasters like Irma and Harvey.

Responding biblically to racism

Responding Biblically to Racism

Events in Charlottesville remind us that ultimately the solution to racism comes when hearts are transformed.

Tragedy

The Las Vegas Shootings: Asking the ‘Why?...

Three truths to remember when incomprehensible tragedies occur.

Biblical teaching

The Scandal of Biblical Ignorance

It's up to this generation of Christians to reverse course, and it starts at home.

Thoughts and Prayers

What’s So Bad About Offering ‘Thoughts a...

Cynics are ‘prayer shaming’ Christians after shootings or disasters. But are there times when we use that phrase as little more than a platitude?

Marriage Always Turns Out Different Than Expected

Marriage Always Turns Out Different Than Exp...

My wife's suffering taught us that marriage can bind our hearts together in an unconditional love that our human emotions could never manufacture on their own.

Impatient mom

My Big Flaw: I’m an Impatient Mom

When I'm in a hurry, I tend to plow over my children.

15 Ways to Refresh Your Marriage

No matter where your marriage is, it can always become stronger. Here are some ideas for those who want to shake things up a bit.

Are You Listening?

Three communication tips based on wisdom gained from years (and years) of trial and error.

War of words

Winning the War of Words

Getting to the heart of your communication struggles.

Parenting

Disciplining Your Children Is Challenging, b...

Seeing the fruit of correcting your children requires delayed gratification.

8-ways-to-be-a-super-mom

8 Ways to Be a Super Mom (Not Supermom)

There is no such thing as a superhero mother. Here’s how to stop trying to do it all and start learning to be you.

my-suprising-secret-to-success-as-a-mom

My Surprising Secret to Success as a Mom

Truly excelling as a mom is not about showing our kids how amazing we are, but how much we need Jesus.

the-seasons-of-motherhood

The Seasons of Motherhood: Recognizing Chall...

Looking back on my life, I have found one of the most helpful ways to gain perspective on your current situation is to see life in terms of seasons.

Troubled marriage

Never Too Late to Ask for Help

Darrel and Evie Couch experienced years of turmoil in their marriage after he returned from the Vietnam War.

When Sex Is at the Bottom of Your List

Marriage has taught me how different I am sexually from my husband.

Marriage

Everyone Thought They Were Perfect for Each...

Despite doing all the right things in seemingly right circumstances, Rob and Rhonda Bugh struggled to make their remarriage work.

Seek God's help

Yearning for Peace When Life Falls Apart

If we could handle the messes of life on our own, we’d never have to seek God’s help in managing it.

Teenagers and faith

10 Ideas to Challenge Your Teenage Son to Ma...

Here are a few steps you can take to create the right environment for your son to grow in his faith while he’s still living in your home.

Blended families

A Roadmap to Harmony in Your Blended Marriag...

The simple events of everyday life can create hurt feelings and anger that send blended families down the road to isolation.

Annual questions to ask my wife

10 Questions to Ask Your Wife Every Year

An annual exercise to listen to your wife's words and hear from her heart.

discipline-and-trust-go-hand-in-hand

Discipline and Trust Go Hand in Hand

Just as failing to discipline your children will lead them to running the house, failing to trust your children will lead them to leaving the house.

Easter

How My Husband’s Death Changed the Way...

My first spring after instant widowhood altered my perspective on resurrection.

Easter

The Murdered, Risen, Living Messiah

This Easter, place your hope in the One who paid your debt, bore your sins, and gave you peace with God.

you-will-always-be-your-daughters-first-love

You Will Always Be Your Daughter’s Fir...

As a father, you need to love her not only when she is your sweet, affectionate girl, but also when she’s a real pain in the neck.

when-your-kids-ask-how-far-can-i-go

When Your Kids Ask, ‘How Far Can I Go...

Helping your children understand God’s design for sex … and how to save themselves for marriage.

Easter story

12 Ways to Use Resurrection Eggs to Tell the...

Communicating the most life-changing story ever told in a way children can understand.

A husband nourishes and cherishes his wife

Nourishing and Cherishing Your Wife

The goal of our love is to see our wives become more like Christ. I must be ready to die to myself as I cleanse her, nourish her, and cherish her.

When Your Child Is Sexually Abused

Looking for signs that something is amiss … and helping your child heal.

Unplug for focused time with family

Put Down Your Smartphone

Your kids deserve your whole-hearted attention.

Troubled marriage

The Judge Kicked Them Out of Divorce Court

Tom and Maureen Santacroce wanted to stay together. They just didn't know how.

Money and marriage

Don’t Let Money Ruin Your Marriage

A list of 34 questions to ask before the wedding.

I Thought I Married the Wrong Person

Editor’s note: This article was adapted from the story of a woman who attended one of FamilyLife’s I Still Do™ events between 1999-2002. As we prepare to hold three new I Still Do events this summer and fall, we thought you’d be encouraged by this testimony about the importance of the marriage covenant. Soon after […]

Embracing Your Differences in Marriage

The unique, fresh traits that attracted you to your spouse can become tiresome after you are married.

who's running things around here

Who’s Running Things Around Here?

The undeniable fact is that God expects parents to lead the family.

FamilyLife Articles

‘Our Marriage Was Dead’

Nobody knew Dale and Laura Danser were experiencing problems in their marriage. Attending an I Still Do event was the turning point.

The Dynamic Duo of Baltimore

Bonita and Tazwell Thornton are leaving a priceless legacy to untold generations.

3 Weeds to Pull From Your Marriage Garden

3 Weeds to Pull From Your Marriage Garden

No matter how much effort goes into a garden, it will all be in vain if you don't deal with weeds.The same goes with marriage.

Reader Responses Ideas for Special Getaways

We asked readers to send us ideas on special getaways with their spouse. Here are some of the replies.

Renewing romance in your marriage

Romancing Your Man

Renewing romance in your marriage means taking the time to work on your relationship. Epress love to your husband like you want him to express it to you.

The Dugan Family

Adrift in Marriage

Jerry and Olivia Dugan wanted to stay married but didn’t know how.

Blended family

Talking Blended

The terms used to define and describe the blended family experience vary from person to person.

Isolation in marriage

9 Steps to Defeat Isolation in Your Marriage

Every marriage, no matter how good, needs a plan to combat isolation and to bring about intimacy.

helping-your-teenage-daughter-become-a-woman

Helping Your Teenage Daughter Become a Woman

Here are five questions to consider as you seek to help your daughter grow in godliness.

love of Christ

What It Means to Be a Member of God’s...

Because of what Christ has done for us, we are free to enjoy Him, to live for Him, and to confidently trust Him to meet our every need.

Families and faith

Making Your Home a Hub of Faith

Ideas for creating a gravitational pull that brings family members closer to each other and to God.

Create a handwritten lover letter for your spouse

How to Write a Love Note

The most meaningful of love letters are simply true, humble expressions of the heart. Learn about the elements of a love letter and things to avoid.

The Same Old Argument

The Same Old Argument

It seemed like the 1948th time we’d had the same exchange. But the solution this time was different.

I Never Made It to the Super Bowl

As an NFL quarterback, I yearned to make the big game. But as much as I love football, I realize it can easily distract us from more important goals.

Face Your Blitzes With Confidence

When you face hardships, it helps to know the truth about God’s peace and sovereignty.

7 More Things a Man Should Know About Marria...

In last week’s Marriage Memo, I wrote of seven things men need to know about marriage. In a culture of counterfeits and mistruths, it’s important to understand what marriage is about. Here are seven more things men should know. As you read through the list, ask God to remake you and help you understand what […]

7 Things a Man Needs to Know About Marriage

The North Star of relationships is is knowing Jesus Christ and His purpose for marriage, and trusting in His strength.

Pornography

4 Common Delusions About Pornography

My addiction was a vicious cycle. I’d sin, feel guilty, repent, feel better. How could I break free?

Balancing romance with roles as wife and mother

5 Tips for Investing in Your Wife

Your wife needs your creative energy if she is to become all that God designed her to be.

Caregiver

Growing Old Together: Like a Beautiful Old B...

I wouldn’t trade our empty nest years for the relationship we had in our youth for anything.

Families in America

Family Values and the Way We Never Were

The "crisis in the American family" isn't downstream from Woodstock or the Pill, but downstream from the wreckage of Eden.

Chores for children

Teaching Toddlers to Do Chores

As parents we can grow accustomed to doing everything for our young children and lose the opportunity to teach them responsibility.

3 ways to bring your children to Jesus

3 Ways to Bring Your Children to Jesus

While we should strive to be a godly example by the way we live, we must be proactive in teaching our children about God.

5 important scriptures for my family

5 Important Scriptures for My Family

My desire is to incorporate these truths into the fabric of my family’s values.

8-creative-ways-for-dads-to-spend-time-with-their-toddlers

8 Creative Ways for Dads to Spend Time With...

Quality time speaks love to a young child.

“Boss” in the Workplace, “...

How does marriage work when the wife has a high-power position in the working world?

How to encourage your husband

Encouraging Your Husband

How you can put wind in his sails.

More romantic marriage

10 Surprising Ways to Increase Romance

Believe it or not, these small changes can amplify your feelings of love without mood lighting or lingerie.

Save marriage

Bill and Vonette Bright and the Early-Marria...

Early in their marriage, Bill and Vonette Bright realized they needed an anchor for their relationship.

Christmas traditions

14 Ideas for New Christmas Traditions

Is it time to consider doing something different this year?

trusting God

Your Best Thoughts Are God-Thoughts

When troubles come our way, we can be stressed and upset, or we can trust God.

Birth of Jesus

Immanuel: God With Us!

The wonder of Christmas is that Jesus became a baby and lived on earth. To understand and know Jesus is to understand and know God.

Temptation

The Courage to Resist Temptation

One foolish choice made in a moment of weakness can wipe out years of integrity.

Gratitude

Gratitude Will Change You

Four ways to cultivate a mindset that positively influences every aspect of your life.

Family busy with activities

Lessons From a Basketball Coach: The Value o...

How the high school coach of NBA star LeBron James teaches his players about the value of serving others.

Thanksgiving traditions

4 Simple Ways to Add Significance to Your Th...

As family and friends gather, here are some ideas to create a holiday that is memorable and feasible.

After the Affair: Rebuilding Our Marriage

When Brad left a note saying he was moving out for good, I wondered where God was.

Are-you-a-mean-mom

Are You a “Mean Mom”?

The definition of the word mean is to be unkind or malicious. But a good mean mom defines the word quite a bit differently.

Parenting teens

The Ultimate Connectivity

In this wireless, tech world, parents need to be proactive in connecting with their teens through real conversation.