Spiritually Unequal Marriage exists to help and encourage those of us who find him or herself in an unequally yoked marriage. Over the years, I have I grown in my love relationship with Christ and with my unbeliever. This is only possible through the intervening and supernatural hand of Jesus Christ. Still, I can experience days or even weeks when I feel defeated. A trigger for these emotions can be an offhand comment, by my husband, about faith, Christ, heaven, hell, etc. My husband does not purposely aim to hurt, it just happens. Trigger comments bring on a fresh realization that my husband is excluded from a giant portion of my life, actually most of my life. His rejection of Christ feels like a rejection of me. I long for our marriage to be in the hand of God. I long for my husband to meet the Jesus I know.... Read more →

Jesus told this story: Luke 15 The Story of the Lost Son 11-12 Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' 12-16 "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. The prodigal child *sigh*… No one, in all creation, can keep a mother or father on... Read more →

Never forget that we are in a battle. Our enemy will begin to deceive our innocent children, even at a young, much too young age. Eternal consequences are at stake and you are the first line of defense. Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Do not become paralyzed with fear but be aware. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Praying daily for our children’s protection and spiritual growth is essential. In Part II of this series we covered the essential dialog with God regarding our children. If you did not read this article, please read it for your children’s sake. --------------- A typical evening….. You and your husband are watching television in... Read more →

Lord, I hold up every parent reading this series of articles, Raising Kids Christian. I ask You, Father, to send a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit into their life. Empower them by Your spirit to stay the course, to keep the faith and to love, love, love. Lord, I pray that you would give us a supernatural ability to discern the truth concerning our children. Fill us with wisdom to be a trusted guide in their journey through life. Make each of us a better parent today. As You lavish Your love into our lives, help us to pour unconditional love into the lives of our precious lambs. Grant us patience and peace for the rebellious times ahead, for the confusing and scary moments of parenting. Our children are a precious gift You have entrusted to us for a short time. Help us love them as you do. Amen... Read more →

One of the delights of writing some of the series of articles for Spiritually Unequal Marriage has been my interviews with my family. I have been surprised, humbled, and encouraged by my family’s willingness to participate and their honesty in the answers. They are truly interested in helping us in any way they can. Mostly they help me!! During this series, I decided to interview my eleven-year-old daughter. I asked her several questions I think might be of interest. I have her permission to share. I also would encourage you to “interview” your kids. God will use these private discussions to change you and your child. I know our reading audience is vastly different in that we have children of all ages or do not have children. Still, I hope you will enjoy the truths of God from the eyes of a child. Also, my interview with my daughter would... Read more →

Sunday morning arrives and so does the stress. To attend church or not to attend church is the question. Spiritually mismatched couples find church attendance a giant point of contention as I discussed in the series, Going It Alone. This series explores the flash points of disagreement which arise with our spouse over church and how we can navigate through our hurt and disappointment. Taking our children to church can create an entirely new set of problems for a spiritually mismatched couple. As a Christian parent, we are compelled to take our children to church. We want to expose them to other kids and adults who love Jesus and who pursue a life lived for Him. Our spouse, however, does not share our enthusiasm or can be outright hostile about taking the kids to church. What can we do???? In most households, the non-believing spouse usually does not mind if... Read more →

Daily I rise, grab my large mug of strong coffee, my Bible and my prayer journal. I sit down in the family room under the lamp. It is my favorite time of day. I meet with my Savior to read His thoughts, sip coffee, I love a great cup of coffee. I read and pray in the morning. In one of my previous posts I talk about the benefits of praying in the morning, Can Prayer Be a Witness. As I read as my daughter wakes. She sees me faithfully, day-after-day, reading and praying. Prayer and Bible reading is a profound witness to our children. The effect on your children can be considerable. The mere fact that their mother, of all people, has this kind of meaningful relationship with God will inevitably make an impression on them. You may do little more than tell them of your own experience of... Read more →