Have you heard any of those horror stories of people marrying someone they thought was God’s perfect gift for them, only to find out they’d married a monster? I’ve seen and heard enough horror stories to keep me and a hundred others single till the rapture. Yet the promises of marriage whisper to us from…
Fixing Your Love-Picker
Sonya (not her real name) slouched in her seat. She glanced down, ashamed to look me in the eye as she told me she’d gone back to her old “boyfriend” again. He was self-centered and more interested in using her and her car than in caring for her. “You know you have to fix your…
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…
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 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…
Review of Choosing Marriage by Debra Fileta: Five Stars!
I have read a lot of books on being a Christian single, marriage, and marriage prep. I mean that. The best one I have read in a really long time is Debra Fileta’s Choosing Marriage. “Why would I want to read a book called Choosing Marriage when I’m not married? I’m not even dating anyone…
Becoming a Kingdom Power Couple
Power couples: they dominate the media and we love them for it. Like the recent marriage of Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle—now the Duke & Duchess of Sussex—power couples have confidence, authority, influence, money, separately successful careers, and good looks. All eyes dart to them when they walk into a room together. They’re just as…
Five Times When It’s Not a Good Idea to Get Premarital Counseling
If you’re a counselor, therapist, pastor, or church leader, and you read my title and thought of ways to blow off or blow up my lackadaisical attitude toward marriage: Wait! I’m actually all for premarital counseling. I’m a counselor, too. I am all for strong, biblically-based, well-prepared marriages. So why this topic? I, like you,…
Things You Need to Know About Yourself Before You Start Dating Seriously
Most singles want to get married. Though statistically, more people in today’s culture opt to stay single, most want to be married eventually. Unless all your friends are dating and getting married, there is less pressure today to marry, especially when you’re younger. Concerned family members may express their wishes for you to complete the…
A Letter From God to His Single Child: When You Are Feeling Lonely at Christmas
My child, beloved and adored, with a heart shivering cold, I see you are lonely at Christmas because you are not married. I see you glance, a bit enviously, at happy couples laughing and holding hands in restaurants and walking around the mall. I hear your sighs when you see another couple get engaged. You…