When Family Expectations Collide: A Story About Grace & Truth

By Barbara Rainey | November 26, 2024 | 0 Comments

In the first year of our marriage, Dennis and I made an unintentional and yet very serious mistake, one that inflicted profound disappointment on two very important people. The rolling, repeating waves resulting from our mistake washed over onto us, too, and the drying out took longer than we ever imagined. Like most newlyweds Dennis […]

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The Divine Pattern In Adoption, Part 2: What My Daughter Taught Me About God’s Love

By Barbara Rainey | November 11, 2024 | 0 Comments

When our adopted daughter was in her late teens I was spent, not just by our journey with her but also from parenting all six of our children for so many years. In addition, my heart was wounded by the fallout and heartache, and my body was deeply fatigued from the burden of unrequited love. […]

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Lessons from Adoption, Part 1: God Chose Us

By Barbara Rainey | November 4, 2024 | 0 Comments

When our six children entered middle school and the teen years my prayers for them increased in focus and intensity. In fact, I started two prayer groups of moms which met weekly during the school years on Monday mornings. In the first group we prayed for teachers, tests, and friendships. We prayed that our kids […]

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40 Character Qualities We Hoped to Teach Our Children

By Barbara Rainey | August 12, 2024 | 7 Comments

You’re getting your child’s classroom syllabus for all the benchmarks he’ll be required to know over the next months for science, math, art, and history. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what you needed to teach him for knowing God better? Dennis and I made a list of qualities we hoped to teach our children before they […]

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Building Emotional Security in Your Children

By Barbara Rainey | June 17, 2024 | 10 Comments

I grew up in a family that was secure and stable, and I knew I was loved. I never feared my parents would divorce or leave us. They cared for us, provided for us, and taught us many valuable lessons about life. But what my head knew was true I did not always feel. My parents both […]

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