Eastertide Week Two: Remember the Resurrection
By Barbara Rainey |
Day 1: The Devotion of the Women As we start this new week looking at the Resurrection there are so many details that must be noticed by our hearts for our faith to grow into worship. Three appearances are recorded on the first Easter Sunday. It’s dawn and time to peek into the empty tomb! […]
Read More Eastertide Week One: Remember the Cross
By Barbara Rainey |
Day One: The Incarnation, Easter’s Birthplace Yesterday we marked the anniversary of the most miraculous moment since the dawn of time: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. How would you evaluate the experience? Not your church or pastor, but your own heart? Were you distracted by the to-dos for your Easter brunch? Did you allow yourself […]
Read More Eastertide: Remembering What Christ Did for Us
By Barbara Rainey |
“This is my body which is for you … This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:17 In the historical church, […]
Read More Questions to Help You Share Your Story
By Barbara Rainey |
Everyone has a story … a fascinating tale involving adventure, laughter, courage, pain, and romance. You have such a story, and so does your spouse. Sometimes you just need the right questions to help you share your stories, as well as write together the intriguing saga of your shared life in marriage. For example, […]
Read More This Valentine’s Day, Make Plans for Romance
By Barbara Rainey |
Do you ever wonder how we can feel so fatigued today, despite all our modern conveniences that are supposed to save us time and make life more comfortable? How can we be so busy, so stressed, so fractured? For many, the pace of life presents the biggest deterrent to marital romance. When Dennis and I […]
Read More A Marriage Marked by Unhappiness, Addiction, and Infidelity
By Barbara Rainey |
Over our 50 years of ministry, Dennis and I have met many couples who’ve gone “all in” on God’s plan for marriage. Most of those couples have experienced the wonder of God’s transformative work in changing them and their marriages to what they always dreamed when they first married. Tim and Kathy went to one […]
Read More The Messiah Mystery: A Quest to Follow Clues to One of the Greatest Mysteries Ever
By Barbara Rainey |
Have you ever tried to solve a mystery? Or have you read a detective novel or two where you have no idea now it will end? Some of the most fascinating detective stories are full of twists and turns that leave you surprised and hungry for more. Did you know that God’s story in the […]
Read More Observing Lent: A Season of Waiting and Worship
By Barbara Rainey |
Is waiting something you enjoy and eagerly look forward to? Not me! When I think of waiting, I think of sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room. Or sitting in my car on the freeway, with traffic stopped dead and no exit nearby. Or standing in line at the department of motor vehicles for what […]
Read More ‘Spoonful of Sugar’: Bite-sized Morsels of God’s Word
By Barbara Rainey |
We know you are busy! And we also know how easy it is to neglect God’s Word when life is moving so fast. If you ever need a reminder of why God’s Word is so important for all of us, read Psalm 119. It’s full of wonderful descriptions like “Your word is a lamp to […]
Read More Cradle to Cross
By Barbara Rainey |
Beautiful Savior, What more could be done than Thou has done! Thy death is my LIFE, Thy resurrection my PEACE, Thy ascension my HOPE, Thy prayers my COMFORT. Help me give thanks today and forever. Amen. A Puritan prayer quoted in Valley of Vision, compiled by Arthur Bennett The incarnation of Jesus … His first coming to earth […]
Read More The Gift of Presence
By Barbara Rainey |
The most meaningful gifts reveal profound knowledge: The giver knows the recipient well. To be known … deeply, lavishly and individually, in spite of our flaws and weaknesses … and then to be loved anyway is the collective longing of humankind. God knew that about us … and so, on the first Christmas morning, God gave us […]
Read More Does Your Marriage Feel Hopeless?
By Samuel Rainey |
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 […]
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