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 […]
Read MoreI’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 […]
Read MoreTears 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 […]
Read MoreA 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 […]
Read MoreEstablishing 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 […]
Read MoreHave you ever visited an American Embassy while traveling in a foreign country? You can’t miss it: Old Glory flaps proudly in the overseas air. As you walk through the doors, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and other national hero paintings welcome you “home.” It’s familiar, and it’s also safe. Once on your embassy’s soil, you […]
Read MoreIn the current climate of our country I feel my stability—my sense of peace, my rootedness—is buffeted continually by news about political and social unrest, threats to national security, shocking crime, and even reports of extreme weather. A few weeks ago a devastating tornado swept through Little Rock, destroying areas I’ve driven through for over […]
Read MoreEarly in our marriage, Dennis and I discovered we had very different views on the value of work. Then we had children … and the conversation widened to include questions like, “How do we balance play time and teaching time? How much can we expect of our toddlers, our preschoolers?” Do you know what values […]
Read MoreAs a new Christian, and a few years later as a new wife, I eagerly prayed for everything. God graciously allowed me to see answers in those early years of faith because He knew I needed to see some evidence. Little children need much encouragement. Without fully realizing it, I developed a formula. In all […]
Read MoreDid you grow up hearing fairy tales read to you? Or did you play pretend games imagining you were a hero or heroine? Did you remember wondering if the invisible, mysterious God you heard about in church was just another myth—or was actually real? I loved fairy tales and make-believe stories as a child. There […]
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