Kids and the twelve days of Christmas – turn stress to learning what’s behind Christmas traditions.
In society, Christmas begins earlier and earlier. In fact, it often starts before Advent even begins. In religious tradition, it actually starts on Christmas day and continues to be observed for twelve days until Epiphany (January 6th). This is also a time when children are often off from school which can lead to added stress in families. Here are twelve video clips that you can watch with your children during this time. As you do, you and your child(ren) will explore different aspects of the Christian meaning behin
Do you want "50 Shades of Grey" on YOUR nightstand when you travel?
The hotel's owner said it was "a hospitable thing to do."
Christian Grey is damn near God-like — at least according to guests' bedside tables in The Damson Dene Hotel. Bibles have been booted and E. L. James' BDSM erotica novel 50 Shades of Grey has taken their place in every room within the English inn.
Are you still focused on the past? Which way will you be taking your marriage?
As he celebrates his 30th anniversary, one writer reveals how to keep marriage bliss still ahead.
My lovely wife and I will be celebrating 30 years of marriage this week. We are continually amazed at how each year finds us closer and more in love than the year before, and although it is hard to imagine, we both feel that the best years of our marriage are yet to come. That's how I think it should be. Sadly, I often see marriage portrayed as all downhill after the honeymoon. So is less sex, more fights, poorer communication and drifting apart really the inevitable? With a nod to the movie 'Date Night,' is it really just a matter of time before couples settle for becoming just "excellent roommates?" I say no!
What do you do when it feels like your prayers are going unanswered? Pray again.
One writer learns patience on the long road to finding a church home in a new city.
Finding a church can be a time-consuming and stressful experience. It takes a great amount of patience. On average, you can only visit one, or maybe two churches a week, so the search to find a church can drag out over the course of weeks or several months. Longer, even. Years. So, how do you deal as a couple?
A 56-year-old ex-Pastor has given up ministry for his true calling: selling sex toys.
A further look at why Christian dating can be frustrating, and how we can all get better at it.
Last month I wrote an article about Christian dating from a man's perspective. I interviewed several single guys in Los Angeles and New York, ranging in age from 28 to 40. I asked how they felt about dating within their church community and their answers were rather surprising. Most had tried it, yet were left feeling disillusioned in the process. As a result, they had chosen to search for love some place else. Over the past month, I've received hundreds of comments from readers who related to the article and had insightful perspectives to add to the conversation. It became clear that there was more to say on this topic. Much more.
Fertility calendars? The pill? Condoms? What method should you choose, if any?
Deciding when to have a family is a big deal, so should you choose birth control for your marriage?
So, you found the perfect guy, you settled down and you married him. Now what? Then comes a baby in a baby carriage, right? Well, only if you've had a long talk with your partner and agreed that kids are the next step for your relationship.
How does marriage relate to memes? One writer is about to tell you.
Memes are more than Ryan Gosling and Lolcats. One wife insists the idea will help marriage flourish.
Can memes have any power during marriage? In a word, yes. (Stay with me now.) According to Dr. Martin Seligman, who was a past president of the American Psychological Association, positive psychology can use memes to "flourish" relationships. To flourish in the psychological sense is to live life abundantly by actively cultivating positive connections.
Lent's end can be freedom to go back to the old - instead Easter points to hope for the future
Many things can bring you to the point of despair. Learning that your spouse has cheated on you; finding out about the secret past of a partner that was kept secret even from you; the sudden death of a family member; the loss of your home - all of these events and many more can bring you to the point of despair. Despair is a natural reaction but is one that tends to take away any sense of hope that we ave.
Our world can change suddenly, like it did on Passover or Good Friday - how do you find a future?
Many things can drastically and suddenly change our lives. With the economy, we all know people who were doing well (or at least okay) who lost their job and as a result their whole world changed. Another person's life may be changed when their spouse is injured in a car accident or diagnosed with cancer. And for another person, the change may be the result of relocating to a new town for the promise of a great new life.
Finding peace and wholeness in the midst of family conflict, by drawing on Maundy Thursday lessons.
If you are like most people, you experience some form of conflict within your family whether it is just two of you, involves children or even the extended family. Sometimes this conflict can be just in the situation, but there are also times that it runs deeper. There are even times that trust has been severely broken and you do not trust whether another will live up to the support that they talk about or whether another will directly do you harm by betraying you. So, what should you do when you find yourself in such a spot?
