Bringing Light to Life
That night, after we climbed into bed, repelling each other like the negative ends of two magnets, I asked Cindy, “Would you marry me again?” Before her heart could beat she said, “No way!” “Would you marry me again?” she asked. “Not a chance,” I said. We had reached the proverbial bottom of the barrel […]
You wouldn’t think something as insignificant as a gear-shift indicator could spell disaster for a car. But it did. I used to own a sporty car that worked great except for the gear-shift indicator. When the indicator was on D the car was in second gear instead of drive. One day I loaned it to […]
Marriage not only brought me face to face with the girl of my dreams, it brought me face to face with my own selfishness. Sure, I knew I was self-centered. But prior to marriage I found ways to minimize the seriousness of my problem. I could blame someone else for making me mad or getting […]
Early in our marriage Cindy and I identified the “I don’t want to feeling.” It’s what we felt when the selfishness monster pleaded with us to disregard the other person. Of course, recognizing the presence of the creature doesn’t mean he’ll graciously leave, especially in areas where he’s established control. But he can be bridled, led to a cage, and deprived of the freedom to roam around our hearts destroying our marriage. Here’s how.
A study of maladjusted students in a large Oklahoma high school reveals the importance of verbal affirmation. The counselors in the school first developed close relationships with ten of the school’s most troubled teenagers. Next the counselors asked the kids, “How long has it been since your parents told you they loved you?” Only one of the students could remember hearing it at all, and he didn’t remember when.