We each have a story to tell. Retelling our own story offers others hope as it gently reminds us of not just how far we’ve come, but of the grace of God for His gentle and continued guidance throughout our journey. And, as is often the case, our story is not just about us and us alone.
“From Pain to Paradise: The Story of How God Transformed My Life & Marriage from Brokenness to Blessing ” is Karen Evans’ story of healing, not just of her own identity but that of her marriage as well. Falling in love with the man of her dreams also meant she would be taking on his own well hidden identity issues. And so throughout her retelling, she weaves aspects of her husband’s own story of healing.
This is not a revengeful tell-all, but a story of redemption. And while Karen Evans spent time being very frustrated and angry she also knew just how deeply she loved her husband. But to love her husband as she desired, she would learn not only to first love God, but of His love for her.
I enjoy reading another person’s story of healing especially when it is told with complete transparency. Karen Evans does just this ever so naturally and honestly. It is not told from the perspective of a bitter wife as she intentionally exposes all her husband’s deep and dark secrets, but as a wife who dearly loves her husband.
While Karen doesn’t directly offer a list of do’s and don’t for a closer relationship with ones spouse, she so expertly offers wisdom applicable to any marriage. Her story is told from the perspective of a Christian woman who desires to find her true value in her relationship with God as she realizes this is also the key to her identity and marriage.
Karen has been married to Jimmy Evans for well over forty years. Together they are the founders of Marriage Today Ministries, where they not only offer help for marriages, but candidly share their struggles within their own marriage.
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When I think of the term prodigal I envision a young man, on the verge of adulthood, who had become full of himself and unappreciative of what his father has provided. Yes, I think of the prodigal son found in the gospel of Luke, chapter fifteen. In short the son demanded his share of his father’s wealth only to very quickly end up penniless and destitute having wasted this wealth on riotous living. We are quick to view this sad situation from a financial standpoint, but obviously it was more character and morals issues at the root of it all. But alas, I digress.
Prodigals are not always frustrated teens bent on bucking their parents’ disciplined way of life, but are also wayward husbands and wives as well. Karen Wheaton’s book entitled “Watching The Road: Praying Your Prodigal Home” is a testament to just this. Yes, it is a story about her daughter, Lindsay Doss, who chose to walk away from Karen Wheaton and her family. It is also about Lindsay choosing to walk away from her marriage and children. It is a story about how Lindsay seemingly chose to walk away from everything she knew and everyone she loved.
“Watching The Road” is told from Karen Wheaton’s perspective as she searches for the truth, trusting God to not only return her daughter, Lindsay, to her, but to heal and restore Lindsay’s marriage and family. This is the story of a determined and devoted godly woman as she perseveres, refusing to give up. Karen Wheaton walks her reader through her journey of praying and interceding for her daughter’s return. Hidden throughout the pages are the secrets to having the kind of faith which not only endures but grows as it reveals not only the progression of a prodigal’s journey, but just how amazing God truly is to those He loves.
Photo Credit: Taryn Elliott
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The most rewarding yet most challenging relationship one will ever experience is that of being in a monogamous relationship called marriage, especially being committed for life. Charlyne Steinkamp attests to this in her very down to earth book entitled “The Spiritual Journey Toward A Healed Marriage“. Remember the traditional “…to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part…” Christian wedding vows?
Fortunately yet unfortunately, many of us were so giddy in love as we committed to our spouse and to God, sweetly and assuredly, and naively reciting these vows on our wedding day. Fortunately we really had no idea what lay ahead. And, unfortunately, our vows would be tested.
Sadly, life happens. Sadly, we are tested. Do we have the courage to rise to the challenge? Do we take our vows seriously? Are we really committed, ’til death do us part? What do we do when our spouse chooses to walk away?
Whether a couple goes through difficult times remaining married or whether one or both want to call it quits, doesn’t matter. Marriage, even after divorce, can be restored. Charlyne Steinkamp from Rejoice Marriage Ministries speaks from experience.
In her book entitled “The Spiritual Journey Toward a Healed Marriage” Charlyne Steinkamp so revealingly points out how “The church is not able to be the ‘critical care unit’ for the wounded and broken hearts, because divorce is so rampant in the church”. Sadly, this certainly seems to be the case. Granted there are verses found in scripture which make allowance for divorce. And we seem all too quick to jump to the conclusion that divorce is the only option. But is it really the best solution?
Charlyne and Bob Steinkamp married as any young and in love couple hopefully does, much in love. Unfortunately, after twenty very difficult years of marriage and three young children, Charlyne received pastorial counsel and made the decision to divorce Bob. Fortunately, she very quickly realized she had made a horrible mistake.
Marriages can be restored and marriages can be saved, even after divorce, and it only takes one spouse to recommit to those wedding vows in order to do so. This book can very easily be used as a devotional as it includes scriptural references and suggested prayers, and even an occasional “Bobservation” from her husband to better understand the spouse who wants to call it quits. And most of all Charlyne Steinkamp not only reveals how to heal and restore your marriage not through manipulative tactics, but through your relationship with God.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” Ephesians 5:31-33 (ESV).
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Billy Graham retells the story of a little girl who was a passenger on a plane in which her daddy was one of the pilots. During the night the stewardess woke the little girl as the plane began to experience turbulence while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, requiring her to put on her seat belt. The little girl asked the stewardess if her daddy was at the controls. Yes, the stewardess responded, he was in the cockpit. The little girl smiled and peacefully returned to her sleeping.
This is what it is to trust in our Heavenly Father through turbulent times in our own lives. This is worry-free faith.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV).
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Do you focus on building your self-esteem or recognizing your true value being God-esteemed?
“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
~~~I Samuel 16:7 (KJV)~~~
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.’”
“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else” Oswald Chambers.
“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”
~~~Psalm 31:19 (KJV)~~~
There is nothing to fear unless we forget what the Lord has done.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
~~~John 3:16 (KJV)~~~
The Sinner’s Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.
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p.s. It is my earnest desire for you, my dear reader, to come to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and to grow as a Christian.
Blessings!
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We have a decorative cutting board with “give us this day our daily bread” beautifully stenciled in German. This prayer comes from Matthew chapter six and is part of the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer Jesus taught to his disciples. Another variation of the Lord’s Prayer can be found in Luke chapter eleven.
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV).
When our son was little we taught him to bow his head and listen as we led in prayer before meals and again at his bedtime. When he became old enough we would listen as he prayed at bedtime and also occasionally before a meal. And as he got older we allowed him to say grace before a meal while guests were present. We never told him what words to use, but wanted him to feel free to pray whatever he felt he wanted to tell God. Of course we assumed that his hearing our prayers would serve as examples. It made perfect sense that he should thank God for our food when praying before a meal. And since he was still a little guy even thanking God for our food at bedtime was okay.
However as he got a little older I began to notice he absolutely always started his prayers by thanking God for our food, even if it happened to be bedtime. At first I thought, oh my, is he hungry or afraid he’s going to starve? Our cabinets were always full and we never shamed him into finishing all the food on his plate by reminding him of all the starving children in the world. I did though become a little conscious of his always thanking God for our food, wondering if others noticed it as well. Did they think we were starving him?
I finally came to realize that our little boy’s prayers were simple and direct. He knew what was important. He knew what to be thankful for. And one of those things was food, our daily food, our daily bread, something we often take for granted, something our little boy taught me to stop and really be thankful for.
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