I have only flown first-class twice, and in neither case did I pay for the premium seats. I was bumped one time because I was flying with someone who was a diamond/platinum/other-fancy-metal frequent flyer, and the other time because my wife, Stephanie, was pregnant. I won’t pay for these upgraded seats for two reasons—I’m too …

Does Your Marriage Feel Hopeless? Read More »

  The more I learn about, think about, and practice gratitude, the more I realize it is one of the best ways of demonstrating our faith in God. Thanksgiving week provides an opportunity to teach your children about the value of showing gratitude as a way of life—all year long. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us …

13 Great Ideas for Practicing Gratitude During Thanksgiving and Year-Round Read More »

I’ve long had mixed feelings about Halloween. Yes, it’s a fun family time—especially for kids—to dress up in costumes and celebrate the fall. But in our present culture it has also become a strange celebration of horror and death … to the point where sometimes you want to turn your kids’ eyes away from the …

Do You Know About All Saints’ Day? Read More »

Tears streamed down Sarah’s face as she began to describe how she was feeling, “Our last child, Emily, has just left for college and I find myself crying almost every day. For 30 years I’ve poured my life into my kids. Even though I started two of my own companies and was very successful, my …

3 Steps to New Purpose When Your Kids Leave the Nest Read More »

A Note from Barbara: When my son Samuel shared this six-part series with our team, there was some vying for which website would run it first, Ever Thine Home or The Raineys. As you can see, Ever Thine Home won our little team debate! I am so happy to share Samuel’s first marriage tool with …

Six Tools to Rebuild Trust in Marriage Read More »

Establishing your home as an embassy of the King of Kings is probably much less complicated than you think.  One of the easiest ways to use your home for influence is to invite people over for a meal. One of my favorite stories is about Rosaria Champagne, who at one time was an English professor …

Using Your Home for Influence Read More »