Relationships

It’s Not Me It’s You

Tullian Tchividjian
2 Jul 2013
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The Bible makes it clear that self-righteousness is the premier enemy of the Gospel. And there is perhaps no group of people who better embody the sin of self-righteousness in the Bible than the Pharisees. In fact, Jesus reserved his harshest criticisms for them, calling them whitewashed tombs and hypocrites. Surprisingly to some, this demonstrates that the thing that gets in the way of our love for God and a deep appreciation of his grace is not so much our unrighteous badness but our self-righteous goodness. In Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels, I retell the story of […]

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The Modern Knight’s Code of Chivalry

Cresonia Hsieh
7 Jun 2013
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As a child I was exposed to Disney princess movies, toys and coloring books. My friends and I learned to expect boys to leap off their white horses, draw their swords and prepare to defend our honors at a moment’s notice. However, as we grew up, it became clear we had been disillusioned. With age, the image of the valiant knight gave way to the sex-crazed savage portrayed in today’s modern commercials, TV shows and movies, and just like that – we all gave up on our hopes of finding a real-life Prince Charming. There were no longer dreams of […]

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What Women Want in a Man

Caroline Navega
5 Jun 2013
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Women are looking for exactly what you see on the cover of magazines—a tanned guy with 8-pack abs, a sports car and loads of cash. That is all… if she is completely vapid and shallow, of course! Seriously speaking though, what does a woman look for in a man? Typically when women consider relationships, they are looking at a variety of things—from your character and personality, right down to what kind of husband and father you will one day be. Believe it or not, women really are not as complicated as they are made out to be. According to family […]

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Team Building

Zsofi Schindler
8 May 2013
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Being part of a team is a basic human need. We would all like to be part of a great family, circle of friends, or workgroup. Only it’s not always that easy to break the ice for the first time. Neither is solving the conflicts which often emerge. Even if you are not a leader, it is always good to have some ideas handy. So here are some tips for employees, teachers, parents, and really anyone to try. First of all, it is important to lay down some rules so nobody’s feelings get hurt. These, of course, should always fit […]

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Separation – Pros and Cons

Dr. John Hawkins
5 May 2013
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A question that occasionally comes up in the counseling room during couples counseling is, “We are thinking of separating, what do you think we should do?” In marital counseling, as a general rule, I am not a big fan of separation. While there are some legitimate times to separate, this intervention must be used with structure if it is going to be a part of saving the marriage. Why are you separating? For many, separation accomplishes nothing for two main reasons. One is that either spouse is not honest about the reason for the separation. The other is that there […]

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The Upside-Down Religion

Zsofi Schindler
4 Apr 2013
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Imagine yourself walking home from work and suddenly having the idea to stop at the local confectionery. Do you see yourself choosing your favorite cupcake? The waitress places it on a plate for you while you pull your wallet out of your pocket. Only before you could ask about the price, the waitress says it is for free for the rest of your life. How do you react? Are you getting suspicious? What kind of thoughts cross your mind? “Free? There may be a hidden camera or something.” Now, using this same scenario, let us randomly zoom in on three […]

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Having “The Talk” with Your Kids

Cresonia Hsieh
2 Apr 2013
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“As long as it’s consensual, you can have sex with whomever you want of whatever gender you want or identity you want. And it might be before marriage and it might not. All of which is totally natural, and okay, and healthy,” proclaimed my high school’s award-winning newspaper. As I talked to other students about the article, I was dismayed to discover that all of the people I talked to responded positively to it – this is the perspective and change they hoped to see in American health education. They wanted more gay rights, little to no emphasis on abstinence […]

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When Love and Culture Collide

Keri Williams
14 Feb 2013
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Romantic accents, fanciful customs and exotic trips make cross-cultural relationships particularly exciting, but when novelty fades into reality, ambiguous cultural nuances and unspoken taboos become like relationship landmines. Distinctly different backgrounds and native languages often lead to misunderstandings and misaligned expectations. Despite these very significant challenges, cross-cultural relationships can be uniquely fulfilling and satisfying. When cross-cultural couples embrace their differences as assets, they are able to combine the best parts of their cultures. Leveraging the strengths of their cultural backgrounds they can build strong, healthy, connected family units. Below are the stories of three cross-cultural couples who have successfully navigated […]

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The Importance of Quality Friendships

Zsofi Schindler
13 Feb 2013
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If you ask people what they think is really important in life, having quality friendships is usually high on the list. The Bible says, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Although this line refers to Adam and Eve, it also conveys the importance of not doing life alone. It is good to be friends with your spouse, but why is that not enough? Why do we need friendships beyond the love of our family? While friendships are important throughout life, there are two time periods in life when friendships have a more leading, and […]

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Real Love

Dr. John Hawkins
12 Feb 2013
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Valentine’s Day, hearts and love are what people associate with February. Of course there is also Groundhog Day and Presidents Day rounding out the month. But, for most, love is the theme. Now “love” is a word used a lot in our culture but its meaning can lose some of its meaning. Why? Because of how we act towards one another. Love is often professed but then is not shown to the one we are professing it to. Life is primarily about relationships. Jesus was asked what the greatest of all the commandments was and his answer was to love […]

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