Sometimes I wake up in the morning feeling sad and unsettled. I ask myself, “How do I have joy when it seems that so much is unresolved and unrestored in my life, my relationships, my world?” Do you know that feeling? Have you thought about the disciples and the weight of their unanswered prayers when …

Unanswered Prayer: When God Doesn’t “Come Through” As You Expected, Then What? Read More »

Do you and your spouse pray together? As awkward as you feel it may be, that is the one thing I can say changed mine and Dennis’ marriage for the better. I know this time of year tends to be very hectic for most families, so as summer approaches, hopefully your schedule is going to …

The Barbara Rainey Podcast: Praying Together as Husband and Wife Read More »

Note from Barbara: Recently I wrote about the amazing access to God’s presence that we can enjoy because of Jesus’ death and Resurrection. If you missed it, you can find it here. As I’ve continued thinking about this, I’ve discovered I might know a little of what constant access might feel like for God. As …

Rushed Prayers: Treating God Like He’s a Vending Machine Read More »

Note from Barbara: Jodi and I have walked parallel tracks. We’ve both given years to serving and growing Christian Alliance for Orphans, cafo.org, and we’ve both come close to birth mothers and been profoundly changed by the experience. While tomorrow’s National Birth Mother’s Day will get no press or sudden spikes on social media we can be …

The Covenant of First and Second Mothers in Adoption Read More »

Note from Barbara: This is the second of six blog posts on prayer between now and June. (You can read the first here.) I have loved reading old prayers since the days of my mothering when I discovered the prayers of saints like Susanna Wesley. Each blog post will feature one of these prayers from …

Praying for Those Who May Be Difficult to Love Read More »

To my friends far and wide: Christ is risen!! The best news of this month and of all time. Here’s a photo of a cross our 83-year-old neighbor built for us out of our old deck boards. We finally cemented it in the ground last fall and I have loved seeing it every day out …

Friends & Family April 2022 Read More »