Hello, My Name is Jonah: A Book Review

I've been making weird food again lately.  My favorite was a rice, sausage and chickpea casserole from Peru.  I just can't stand eating the same food all the time.  Frankly I don't like reading and reviewing the same kind of book all the time either.  Recently at a Ladies Day, I ran into the author of a strikingly unusual book. Lynette Gray introduced her book on Jonah to me based on the things that were unusual about it and I found that those were the 5 things I like best about it. 

A Summer of Growth in the Lord

Yesterday was Memorial Day, and you know what that means!  Summer vacation is just around the corner.  Kids are excited to be out of school for a few months, but sometimes it can be a stressful time for mom. It doesn't have to be.  Let's try to think of summer vacation as an opportunity to spend that quality time with our kids that is so hard to find during the school year. We aren't talking about expensive trips or impossible bucket lists either. Whether your kids stay at home with you, alone, or in some kind of child care, structure is necessary to help parents and children make the most of the mounds of free time stretching out before us.  We hope these suggestions help you to have a fabulous summer with your little (or not so little) ones.

God Hates Divorce

We've been talking about marriage for two weeks: sex, faithfulness, encouragement, books about marriage.  You might be wondering why.  The answer is simple. Railing against divorce seemed so much less helpful than trying our best to strengthen our own marriages through what we write, as well as the marriages of you our readers. See, we hate divorce.

Top 10 Couples: A Book Review

A few weeks ago, we talked about the biographical method of Bible study, and how we can learn from the lives of Biblical characters and apply their lessons to our lives.   In preparation for our discussions about marriage, I read a book that takes that theory and applies it to couples.  In 
The Top 10 Most Outrageous Couples of the Bible: And How Their Stories Can Revolutionize Your Marriage, David Clarke takes a look at ten marriages in the Bible and what we can learn from them.  Some of the lessons are positive (you should do this in your marriage), and some are more negative (please don't do this in your marriage), and all of them have the advantage of being grounded in Scripture while still being applicable to our 21st century lives.  

"I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me"

Most of the time, our posts here at Maidservants of Christ are perfectly appropriate for readers of all ages.  But today in our series on marriage, we'll be speaking of the more intimate parts of the marriage relationship.  If your child likes to read over your shoulder, today might be the day to read in your room.  

He Does What He Said He Would Do

She grows frailer by the day.  The vigorous outdoor activities that they loved to do together are far beyond her now as is rising from the couch, bathing herself and using the toilet alone. 

He's a macho guy with health problems of his own, but these days he's her whole world.  With the tenderness of a mother and the strength of father, he tends to her.  He's an indifferent cook, so often he wheels her out to the truck and gently levers her inside for a run through the drive through.

You and Me Forever: A Book Review

When I saw You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis and Lisa Chan, I was immediately on board.  His most famous book, Crazy Love, convicted me, called me out and crushed me. I expected nothing less from this foray into the common area of Christian advice on marriage.

13 Ways to Encourage Your Husband

We want to be wise women who build up our houses and not tear them down.  I am firmly convinced that one way we can build our houses up is by building our husbands up.

With that in mind, I'd like us to work together to think of ways we can encourage our husbands.  I've remembered things that have been good for my husband over the few years of our wedded bliss, and I've asked him what encourages him the most.  I'd love to have your feedback on what you do to encourage your spouse!

Biographical Bible Study Method

I remember thinking when I was a kid that all the characters in the Bible were just too good.  Noah was so righteous he wasn't killed in the flood, Moses led the people out of Egypt, and David was a man after God's own heart.  How could I relate to these good people?   

Confession: Do We Do That?

I was recently at my home congregation on a Sunday night, and the minister was discussing the story of David being confronted by Nathan. What a relief it must have been for David to have it out in the open, he suggested before offering this, "So much of the power of sin is secrecy, speaking our sin aloud steals its power. That's why confession is so important."

Lovers of Pleasure Rather Than Lovers of God

We've explored the question here before of what it means to really love God, yet when I ran across this phrase in 2 Timothy 3:4, "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God," I was stunned.

It would be easy to dismiss this verse without carefully considering it.  Obviously it does not mean that we are supposed to give up all earthly pleasures and joys.  A good steak, a snuggle with a sleepy toddler, a porch swing, a concert, a sunset, these simple pleasures are surely not what God had in mind here.