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…
From Nope to Hope, Part 2 of 2
Last week, I shared lessons I learned from Hannah for us Christian singles from 1 Samuel 1 through 2:11. I went over these first two ideas last week: 1. There’s always a background that others won’t understand, but God knows. 2. Go to God with your pain first, not people. Read the entire thing here: https://glendablogz.com/2018/07/24/from-nope-to-hope-part-1-of-2/…
From Nope to Hope, Part 1 of 2
I was reading 1 Samuel 1 through 2:21 this afternoon, about Hannah and her desire to have a son. The biggest thing that jumped out at me was the fact that the Lord had closed up Hannah’s womb (1 Sam. 1:5). When she married the love of her life, Elkanah, she thought she was going…
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…
Foods, Attitudes, and Other Things We Outgrow
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I imagined as a child. But as soon as I was a man, I put away childishness. 1 Corinthians 13:11 NMB Do you have a favorite food from childhood that you still love? I really, really love me some cotton…
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…
Guest Blog Post: My Own Eight Keys to Successful Single Living (Venita Reynold’s article)
I have been a single parent, married, widowed, and married again, this time, forever to Ced. We know the hiccups, happiness, and heartaches of singleness. Our heartbeat is to offer practical, real-world advice to single Christians. 1. Pause. Slow down and breathe deeply. I remember after my previous husband died and I was widowed in my fifties,…
The Tie That Binds and Binds and Binds
For the first half of my Christian walk, I went to a mainstream denominational church that gave me the absolute best spiritual foundation that a fairly new Christian high school girl could ask for. I was well-trained in the basic spiritual disciplines befitting a follower of Christ: prayer, Bible reading & Bible study, scripture memorization,…
Money Talks, and so Should You, Part 1 of 2
Who hasn’t had financial struggles? I sure have. I remember the time just out of college when I worked as a temporary for several months. I had to pay my rent from week to week. I don’t know who hated that worse, me or the landlord! Then I got a job where I got paid…