When Singles Suffer Well

When I was a relatively new Christian and just out of high school, there was this slightly older and very godly single woman in our fellowship that all of us younger women admired. She was tall, pretty, svelte, and sang beautifully, like a bird. She always had a gentle but radiant smile, even when things…

Domestic Violence: Why Many of Us Stay Single

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you want to read the official proclamation, click here: Proclamation October is National Domestic Violence Month 2018. It’s sad we have to bring awareness to something so evil and pervasive, but hidden, even within the church, but here we are. It is more than a #MeToo movement…

Are You Bringing this Stinky Bad Boy to Your Future Marriage?

One of the stinkiest fruits in the world is the infamous durian. Its stench has been compared to sewage, vomit, and dirty socks. It only grows in tropical climates in Southeast Asia, thank God! When I was a summer missionary in the Philippines, I had to hold my nose to sample a tiny piece. Eeewwwyuu!…

Review of Free Online Bible Study, “Before I Go”

When you were a little kid, did you and your siblings ever sneak out of bed into the living room late at night to hear what the grown-ups were talking about? Maybe you hung back in the shadows and darted behind an overstuffed chair, then listened intensely. Sometimes there were serious words in low tones.…

The Beauty of Resilience

This is the last of my Hurricane Florence stories… for now. I had just returned home from my first outing after being cooped up all weekend due to hurricane Florence. As I ambled up the driveway, enjoying the sunshine, I spied a butterfly approaching and smiled. I stopped and watched to see where she would…

Review of The Seven Deadly Friendships

Have you ever had a friend, maybe even a long-term friend from childhood or college, turn on you? I sure the heck have. Here you thought you two were cool and there weren’t any major issues. Then you started seeing warning signs that your long-term friend wasn’t so cool. Perhaps you confided in her, and…

Preparing for a Disaster

I moved to North Carolina over a year ago. What the weather might be like never came to mind as I prepared to move here. Upon my arrival, I was reminded that I had moved into a hurricane zone. I only heard about hurricane Florence last Tuesday when a friend from the west coast asked…

The Most Valuable Lesson I’ve Learned About Dating

I’m probably taking dating too seriously, because I don’t date much. I can number all the men I’ve dated on my fingers. Having a more serious, contemplative personality makes me take a long time to decide almost anything. The bigger the decision, the slower I am about it.  The fact that I’m about 60% introvert…

Dirty Dozen Reasons Why Single Christians Aren’t Being Properly Prepared for Marriage, Part 2 of 2

Last week, I shared my experience with the 5-Day Challenge to Pray For Your Future Spouse. It wasn’t so much praying for a mate, but being ready for a real marriage. #pfyfs sparked all sorts of positive responses from hundreds of participants who realized how much they needed it.  I got nearly all of this…

Dirty Dozen Reasons Why Single Christians Aren’t Being Properly Prepared for Marriage, Part 1 of 2

Last week, I participated in a remarkable time of prayer and teachings hosted by Jamal & Natasha Miller, the founders of Married & Young. Jamal is the Amazon best-selling author of 25 Ways to Prepare for Marriage Without Dating. They are committed to helping reduce the divorce rate in America and developed an amazing program…