In September 1939, Great Britain allied with France and several other alarmed countries in declaring war on Hitler’s Germany, which had invaded Poland in its intended march toward global domination.((READMORE))

Evidently Obadiah Holmes, who lived in the 1600s, understood the power of a good word, as evidenced by the following words to his lifelong bride:

Sorrow not at my departure, but rejoice in the Lord.((READMORE))

I want you to think for a moment of what you’d say to your spouse if you knew you were going to die. What words of comfort would you bring? Where would you point him or her for hope? What counsel would you give that would most certainly be true and not disappoint?((READMORE))

We closed our first year-long devotional book with a letter written by a man named Obadiah Holmes to his nine children in the late 1600s. As we near the close of this book, we’d like to share another letter Obadiah wrote to his wife, tenderly exhorting her to remember a full lifetime of God’s faithfulness.((READMORE))

Perhaps you’ve seen one of those slingshot rides, like the one my friend Scott and I witnessed in Orlando, Florida. It’s essentially two giant pipe-like towers arranged in a V shape. In between them, attached by steel cables, is an open-air capsule that’s lowered to the ground and secured by hundreds of springs compressed with 40 tons of force.((READMORE))

A number of years ago while Christmas shopping, we came across one of those wooden swing sets on sale. Dirt cheap. The kids were outspoken in their desire to have one, and Barbara and I caved in. So later that day I returned to the store—without the kids—and picked one up.((READMORE))

As I read the nativity stories in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, one thing I note is that many of those who saw the first Noel up close responded in praise and worship:

Zechariah said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant—as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days” (Luke 1:68–75).((READMORE))

Just about all of us know or remember what it’s like for Christmas to roll around with little money for buying presents. Reminds me of the financially strapped college student who once wrote to tell me about a 99-cent gift he once gave his father.((READMORE))

At one point, both our sons, Benjamin and Samuel, were students at the same university. One evening Samuel called home to talk, and he was interrupted by a young lady who came through the room and asked Samuel to let her talk to us.((READMORE))

I remember listening one night to a woman who told Barbara and me that she had finally had enough. She was right—her husband had pretty much given her zero in the relationship department. Years of being taken for granted had finally reached a breaking point.((READMORE))

The appointment had been on my calendar for more than a year. I was going to speak to the student body of Dallas Theological Seminary in their chapel service. But as the date neared, the flu bug that had kept Barbara in bed for a week showed no signs of letting up.((READMORE))

When Dennis and I began teaching the sixth-grade Sunday School class at our church, we decided to serve them some “meat,” not just the “macaroni and cheese” curriculum we could have offered. But, my, were we ever surprised to find out just how hungry these kids were!

We asked our young students, “If you could ask your parents any question, knowing that I would ask it for you and then give you the answer later, what would it be?((READMORE))

Julie doesn’t know how many hours she spent praying that God would show her husband the love of Jesus. But Gene wasn’t your typical live-and-let-live non-believer. This was one hardened guy. Rigid.((READMORE))

I’m sure you’ve had a disagreement (or more than one!) with each other that turned into a stalemate or brick wall. You didn’t really care if it came to a conclusion. You just wanted a truce. You wanted this thing behind you.((READMORE))

Every family has its own set of expectations that grow from a combination of core convictions and upbringing. Some of these can be little more than meaningless ritual, but many of them are healthy practices and preferences that we simply want as part of our family experience.((READMORE))

Fifty years ago, censors were allowed to delete crude terms from books before they were published. When James Jones, for example, included more than 250 vulgar words in his final manuscript of From Here to Eternity, censors eliminated 208 of them from the original hardcover edition.((READMORE))

As the verse above from Matthew states, if you knew when a burglar was coming, you’d double-bolt the doors, you’d secure your valuables off-site, and you’d call the police and have them positioned where they could make an immediate capture.((READMORE))

Do you have a child with a strong will? When you look into his or her face and wonder where he or she is going in life, what do you envision?

Perhaps your child has instigated so many calls home from school that your number is on speed dial at the principal’s office.((READMORE))

They called my dad “Hook” because he was a left-handed pitcher who possessed a wicked curve ball. Hook also had great handwriting skills—his signature was absolutely magnificent. Unmistakable.

God has a signature that is unmistakable as well.((READMORE))

John Piper, a longtime pastor and author, was skimming Reader’s Digest one day. He came across the story of a middle-aged couple who had been financially successful enough to retire early and pack their bags for Florida.((READMORE))

If there’s anything that characterizes the teenage years, it’s self-doubt.

Barbara and I had six teenagers progress through our house. At one point we had four at the same time. And it was frequently obvious that the origin for some of their behaviors—and for many of the words coming out of their mouths—was their doubts about themselves.((READMORE))

Serving does not come naturally in the Rainey family DNA.

Selfishness does.

When our children were small, we gave them chores to teach them to serve one another. Chores included setting the table, loading the dishwasher, putting the silverware away, taking out the trash and helping sweep the floor.((READMORE))

If you could leave each of your children one million dollars as an inheritance, would you?
I imagine that for most of us, our first response to this question would be favorable. After all, the Bible says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22).((READMORE))

At first, this may seem like just another story about the power of temptation, especially sexual temptation. In reality, however, it’s a story about the power of God . . . especially the power of His Word.((READMORE))

We all know how easily boredom can slip into a marriage relationship. It can start soon after the honeymoon. All the emotion, passion, love and commitment between two people can steadily fade until they end up totally isolated from one another.((READMORE))

A lot of moms, especially those with young children, ask me, “How can you balance making time to be with your kids when there are so many other tasks to do?” I think the answer lies in understanding the word “balance.((READMORE))

Ever since Larry Walters was a kid, he had a dream. It was not a strange dream to a young boy letting his imagination run wild, but it certainly seemed strange when, as a 33-year-old man, he actually took a shot at it.((READMORE))

If you were to point your car southwest of Cortez, Colorado, drive exactly 38 miles along Highway 160 and then hang a right on Four Corners Monument Road, in about a half mile you’d run into the only spot in America where you can be in four states at the same time: the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.((READMORE))

One of the main causes of the pressure that invades our lives is our unwillingness to discard optional responsibilities—not because they’re a waste of time, but simply because they distract us from the main goals for our family and marriage.((READMORE))

Did you know there are cultures in the world that don’t have a word for “minute” or “hour”? They simply have no need or desire to measure time in such short increments. Nor do they attempt to maximize every second of every day.((READMORE))

When Stacey avoids fatty foods, she’s being health conscious. When she stays away from alcohol, she’s being responsible and resisting her impulses. For all these she is endorsed for keeping long-term goals in mind instead of giving in to peer pressure and immediate gratification.((READMORE))

When two parents set out to raise their children, it’s easy to begin with the thought, We can do a better job at this than everybody else. Despite our inexperience, we believe that by mixing in ample amounts of prayer, Scripture memory, family devotions, worldview teaching and church attendance, we can almost guarantee our children will turn out the way we want them to.((READMORE))

Modern society is still suffering from the sickness of the “Me Generation,” which has contaminated the covenant of marriage. The selfish Me-Gen person says in effect, “When marriage serves my purpose, I’m on board.((READMORE))

I don’t know what “routine” means to you, but this was ours when the kids were still at home:
Up before sunrise, have a few words together, maybe enjoy a little breakfast or a cup of coffee, exchange a kiss on the cheek and it’s goodbye for the day.((READMORE))

When Barbara and I were working on our book Rekindling the Romance, I went online and typed “romance” in the Google search engine. Guess how many of the top 10 sites listed were for married couples? One!

Makes you wonder if romance has become an endangered experience after marriage.((READMORE))

It’s easy to focus on the struggles in our lives and not recognize what God may be doing. I’ve always thought this historical summary I read from Ted Engstrom, who headed Youth for Christ and World Vision in his fruitful lifetime, was encouraging.((READMORE))

Maybe he was too busy. Maybe he didn’t feel like his own sinful past gave him the right to enforce morality. For whatever reason, the verse above tells us that David didn’t train his son Adonijah to become a man.((READMORE))

Has it ever seemed surprising to you that God made the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years just for grumbling and complaining? My kids may have spent 30 minutes in their rooms for griping, but 40 years? That’s some severe discipline!

One thing is crystal clear from this biblical account: God is obviously not pleased with grumbling, ungrateful hearts.((READMORE))

As Psalm 92 tells us, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD ... to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night.” With a little effort, you can make Thanksgiving a cherished family time devoted to thanking God for what He has done in your lives.((READMORE))

One song that really gets me in the mood for Thanksgiving—even though it’s not really a Thanksgiving song—is the official U.S. Navy hymn: “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.” I didn’t grow up hearing it (my father was in the Army, after all), but it has become one of those captivating songs that reminds me of God’s protection in times of great stress and worry.((READMORE))

Another inspiring story that arose from the life of young Thomas Epting, the boy I told you about yesterday, began with a batch of prayer cards his family printed to hand out in the community. A total stranger offered to produce 50,000 cards at no charge, each featuring a picture of Thomas and describing what he was up against and how he was handling it with praise and perseverance.((READMORE))

Have you ever had that wave of paralyzing dread—the one where you fear you’ll come off looking and feeling like a hypocrite if you challenge your child to uphold standards you didn’t keep too well yourself when you were younger?

For many, this feeling is especially acute when talking to children about sexual behavior.((READMORE))

When your marriage relationship hits a trouble spot, it may be difficult to find much to praise about each other. Yet those are the times we need praise the most. So I urge you to initiate praising your spouse.((READMORE))

I used yesterday’s reading to let Jim and Shirley Dobson’s son, Ryan, tell his own adoption story. Stories like this are so rich with the loving sovereignty of God—how He takes two needy situations and unites them in one holy purpose.((READMORE))

Recently a young man named Ryan shared with me this very personal story:

When my sister was born, there were problems during my mom’s pregnancy that made her unable to have more children. So my parents decided to pray for a miracle.((READMORE))

This is no joke. Real people. Real struggles. Real reality.

Brett returned home from work one night, took a bite from the meal his wife, Tina, had prepared, and declared, “This tastes like dog food!”

“Fine,” Tina snapped back.((READMORE))

After deciding on a ballerina theme for her daughter’s sixth birthday party, a young mother drove all over town to find little dancers for the cake. She even added 50 little Beefeaters (those fancy-dressed guards) around the edges, layering them in white icing and peppermint trim.((READMORE))

We live in a world with constant turmoil, with terrorist threats and with headstrong dictators forming a constant cloud in the back of our minds. But it won’t always be like this.

A day is coming when we will be free from all fear, totally out of harm’s way.((READMORE))

Some time ago, I was working at home during a weekday and flipped on the television to check the weather. What popped on instead was one of those midday talk shows about some sleazy topic.

It shocked me.((READMORE))

Recently I had the distinct honor and privilege of meeting with a high-ranking officer at the Pentagon in Washington. What was planned as a 15-minute appointment turned into more like 45. He told me that two of his sons were currently serving in the same unit in Iraq.((READMORE))