POPULARITY
6 episodes with love like you mean it
6 episodes with love like you mean it
2 episodes with love like you mean it
2 episodes with love like you mean it
3 episodes with love like you mean it
2 episodes with love like you mean it
9 episodes with love like you mean it
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. The panel discusses thoughts and challenges from Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", taken from the 'love chapter' of I Corinthians 13 in the New Testament. We'll see what can hurt a marriage, but also what can help and heal a marriage, defining what true love (agape') really is, and practical ways we can show love to our spouses. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. How can we show patience or "long suffering" to our spouse as well as kindness, and where does the power come from to do it?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. How can we show patience or "long suffering" to our spouse as well as kindness, and where does the power come from to do it? FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5, and what does it look like in a marriage relationship? What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord" look like from Ephesians 5:21-22,25?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5, and what does it look like in a marriage relationship? What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord" look like from Ephesians 5:21-22,25?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. Parenting today is difficult, with negative influences from outside the home making it even more difficult. The panel discusses a talk by Alex Kendrick, given on a recent FamilyLife "Love Like You Mean It' Cruise, with Biblical, practical help for parents who want to have a positive impact in the lives of their kids. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. Parenting today is difficult, with negative influences from outside the home making it even more difficult. The panel discusses a talk by Alex Kendrick, given on a recent FamilyLife "Love Like You Mean It' Cruise, with Biblical, practical help for parents who want to have a positive impact in the lives of their kids. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts 24/7, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. The panel discusses thoughts and challenges from Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", taken from the 'love chapter' of I Corinthians 13 in the New Testament. We'll see what can hurt a marriage, but also what can help and heal a marriage, defining what true love (agape') really is, and practical ways we can show love to our spouses. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. How can we show patience or "long suffering" to our spouse as well as kindness, and where does the power come from to do it?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. How can we show patience or "long suffering" to our spouse as well as kindness, and where does the power come from to do it? FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5, and what does it look like in a marriage relationship? What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord" look like from Ephesians 5:21-22,25?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5, and what does it look like in a marriage relationship? What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord" look like from Ephesians 5:21-22,25?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Relating to a bitter person can feel exhausting, even defeating. How can you love them without losing your happiness...or sanity? Author Stephen Viars weighs in. Show Notes and Resources Connect with Stephen's church ministry at faithlafayette.org and stay connected at biblicalcounselingcoalition.org Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: "SEAS25" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Wondering how to forgive--and if it really makes a difference? Author and pastor Stephen Viars explores how forgiveness can turn bitterness on its head. Show Notes and Resources Connect with Stephen's church ministry at faithlafayette.org and stay connected at biblicalcounselingcoalition.org Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: "SEAS25" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
What's it look like to combat bitterness when you're immersed in pain? Pastor and author Stephen Viars explores the power of lament to give voice and resolution to our deepest grief. Show Notes and Resources Connect with Stephen's church ministry at faithlafayette.org and stay connected at biblicalcounselingcoalition.org Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: "SEAS25" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Could there be one thing in your life blinding you from living in freedom? After unearthing that 'one thing,' Brant Hansen goes further to talk about elusive forgiveness and letting go of intractable anger. What's that 'one thing' you could be missing to make your life better? Show Notes and Resources Connect with Brant Hansen and catch more of his thoughts at branthansen.com and on Instagram @branthanse And grab Brant's book, "Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better (updated with two new chapters" in our shop. Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: ""SEAS25"" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Feel like your spouse is always criticizing you? Easily offended by constructive criticism from friends? Brant Hansen shares his experience, exposing the myth of "righteous anger" and showing how one change can make life better. Show Notes and Resources Connect with Brant Hansen and catch more of his thoughts at branthansen.com and on Instagram @branthanse And grab Brant's book, "Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better (updated with two new chapters" in our shop. Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: ""SEAS25"" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Picture this: lounging on a boat with endless food and drinks, just you and your spouse. Sounds dreamy, right? Bryan and Stephanie give you a sneak peak on what to expect from the 2025 Love Like You Mean It cruise. They also chat about marriage tips, like why respect and open communication is key for a strong relationship. Show Notes and Resources Connect with Bryan Carter and catch more of his thoughts at concorddallas.org/meet-our-pastor, and on Instagram @mrbryanlcarter Want to hear more episodes by Bryan and Stephanie Carter, listen here! Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: "SEAS25" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Picture this: lounging on a boat with endless food and drinks, just you and your spouse. Sounds dreamy, right? Bryan and Stephanie give you a sneak peak on what to expect from the 2025 Love Like You Mean It cruise. They also chat about marriage tips, like why respect and open communication is key for a strong relationship. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
Picture this: lounging on a boat with endless food and drinks, just you and your spouse. Sounds dreamy, right? Bryan and Stephanie give you a sneak peak on what to expect from the 2025 Love Like You Mean It cruise. They also chat about marriage tips, like why respect and open communication is key for a strong relationship. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
Could you be lacking a critical aspect in your marriage? Bryan and Stephanie Carter talk about the importance of it in our interactions, arguments, and even the way we parent. Could this understanding be the key to salvaging a struggling marriage? Show Notes and Resources Connect with Bryan Carter and catch more of his thoughts at concorddallas.org/meet-our-pastor, and on Instagram @mrbryanlcarter Want to hear more episodes by Bryan and Stephanie Carter, listen here! Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: "SEAS25" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Is your schedule a never-ending stream of lists and calendar invites? Finding time to reconnect with spouse can feel like a challenge. David and Meg Robbins share their takeaways from the Love Like You Mean It cruise. Show Notes and Resources Hear more episodes by David and Meg Robbins Discover the secret sauce of great marriages and the importance of respect and communication in relationships. Join the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise for 2025! Promo code: "SEAS25" for discounts Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network
Is your schedule a never-ending stream of lists and calendar invites? Finding time to reconnect with spouse can feel like a challenge. David and Meg Robbins share their takeaways from the Love Like You Mean It cruise. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
Is your schedule a never-ending stream of lists and calendar invites? Finding time to reconnect with spouse can feel like a challenge. David and Meg Robbins share their takeaways from the Love Like You Mean It cruise. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. Parenting today is difficult, with negative influences from outside the home making it even more difficult. The panel discusses a talk by Alex Kendrick, given on a recent FamilyLife "Love Like You Mean It' Cruise, with Biblical, practical help for parents who want to have a positive impact in the lives of their kids. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. Parenting today is difficult, with negative influences from outside the home making it even more difficult. The panel discusses a talk by Alex Kendrick, given on a recent FamilyLife "Love Like You Mean It' Cruise, with Biblical, practical help for parents who want to have a positive impact in the lives of their kids. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts 24/7, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. The panel discusses thoughts and challenges from Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", taken from the 'love chapter' of I Corinthians 13 in the New Testament. We'll see what can hurt a marriage, but also what can help and heal a marriage, defining what true love (agape') really is, and practical ways we can show love to our spouses. FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. How can we show patience or "long suffering" to our spouse as well as kindness, and where does the power come from to do it?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. How can we show patience or "long suffering" to our spouse as well as kindness, and where does the power come from to do it? FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5, and what does it look like in a marriage relationship? What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord" look like from Ephesians 5:21-22,25?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Pittsburgh FamilyLife Affiliate Staff member, Tim Tucker, interviews Scott and Catherine Mercer, part of our Pittsburgh FamilyLife Team, and Tom and Pam Jones. Tom is a licensed Christian counselor and associate pastor, and Pam is a real estate agent in the Pittsburgh area. They continue the discussion on Bob Lepine's book "Love Like You Mean It!", talking about the definition of real love, and the importance of showing and being a witness for Christ of what a loved-filled marriage looks like. What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5, and what does it look like in a marriage relationship? What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord" look like from Ephesians 5:21-22,25?FamilyLife has a lot of great ways to help marriages that are struggling, or just want their good marriages to become even better! One of the resources is this fall's FamilyLIfe "Weekend To Remember" marriage getaway here in the Pittsburgh area. The dates are November 15-17, 2024 at the Marriott North in Cranberry Township. God can use it to bring couples to a oneness with Himself and with each other! Please go to WeekendToRemember.com for more information, and use the group name 'weekendtogether' to receive a $100 discount on the registration fee. To listen to other HHFF podcasts, please type in "Help and Hope for Families Radio" in the search bar of your smart phone or computer. For added helpful information and resources, please go to FamilyLife.com and also download the FamilyLife app! During the summer months, you can also listen to "Help and Hope for Families" on Pittsburgh's radio station WORD FM 101.5 or WORDFM.com each Sunday evening at 9:30 PM (Eastern).
Contrary to the claims of pop culture, true love is not just an emotional term, and not necessarily romantic. Biblically speaking, the cornerstone of marital love is an unflinching commitment to one's spouse and a Christ-like posture of self-sacrifice. On today's edition of Family Talk, Dr. James Dobson discusses the real meaning of love with Bob Lepine, author of Love Like You Mean It. Bob explains that patience, kindness, and humility are like marital disinfectants that help wash away toxins that can build up over time. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/707/29
What does it look like to sacrifice in a relationship? In this episode, Greg and Erin talk with Pastor Bob Lepine about why it is important to sacrifice in marriage. You'll also hear from Bill Arbuckle with a devotion about how you can show love to your spouse through sacrifice. Receive the book Love Like You Mean It for your donation of any amount! Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. Are You in an Abusive Relationship? We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.
Do you struggle with 2nd wife syndrome? Are you confused with your role and often feel you can't measure up to the expectations? Ron Deal speaks with Bill and Jen Rogers on the valuable role stepmoms play and offers encouragement and pro tips for those stuck in the trenches. Show Notes and Resources Free download: Top 10 Pro tips Jen's Bold and Blended podcast Read: The Smart Stepmom Attend The Summit on Stepfamily Ministry virtually! Find a small group or add your group to the Blended ministry map. Set sail with on the Love Like You Mean It cruise! Thank you for making a gift to FamilyLife Blended.
How can you be a good spouse if your parents didn't model a healthy marriage for you? John, Greg and Erin offer hope to those who didn't come from a good family. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1587502Get more episode resources: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/when-your-parents-marriage-wasnt-good/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1587502If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
How can you be a good spouse if your parents didn't model a healthy marriage for you? John, Greg and Erin offer hope to those who didn't come from a good family. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1587502Get more episode resources: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/when-your-parents-marriage-wasnt-good/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1587502If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1196/29
The wedding vows are a significant part of the ceremony, and a sign of true commitment. John talks with Greg and Erin about the importance of wedding vows, and how to stay filled with God's love in your marriage. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1587502Get more episode resources: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/love-like-a-bulldog/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1587502If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
The wedding vows are a significant part of the ceremony, and a sign of true commitment. John talks with Greg and Erin about the importance of wedding vows, and how to stay filled with God's love in your marriage. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1587502Get more episode resources: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/love-like-a-bulldog/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1587502If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1196/29
Have you ever done something nice for your spouse, but deep inside, you were hoping for a compliment? We've all been guilty of that in some way. John, Greg and Erin share about the importance of humility in marriage, and how your relationship can benefit from memorizing Scripture together. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1518301Get more episode resources: http://http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/expressing-true-humility-to-your-spouse/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
Have you ever done something nice for your spouse, but deep inside, you were hoping for a compliment? We've all been guilty of that in some way. John, Greg and Erin share about the importance of humility in marriage, and how your relationship can benefit from memorizing Scripture together. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1518301Get more episode resources: http://http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/expressing-true-humility-to-your-spouse/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1196/29
There are times when it's easy to be kind to everyone else, but rude your spouse. What do you do in those moments? John, Greg and Erin discuss things they've learned from a famous passage on love, 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1518301Get more episode resources: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/being-kind-when-you-feel-like-being-mean/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
There are times when it's easy to be kind to everyone else, but rude your spouse. What do you do in those moments? John, Greg and Erin discuss things they've learned from a famous passage on love, 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1518301Get more episode resources: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/being-kind-when-you-feel-like-being-mean/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1196/29
We all want to feel loved. Yet, real love isn't the same as it's typically portrayed in entertainment. John and Greg discuss the beauty and the difficulties that come with marriage, and why it's a relationship worth pursuing. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1503601Get more episode resources: https://http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/defining-gods-love/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
We all want to feel loved. Yet, real love isn't the same as it's typically portrayed in entertainment. John and Greg discuss the beauty and the difficulties that come with marriage, and why it's a relationship worth pursuing. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1503601Get more episode resources: https://http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/defining-gods-love/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1196/29
It's easy to say, "I love you," during the dating phase of a relationship? But, what does that phrase truly mean. John, Greg and Erin offer a perspective on why saying, "I love you," is a significant phrase to use. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1503601Get more episode resources: https://http://http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/good-bad-definitions-of-love/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
It's easy to say, "I love you," during the dating phase of a relationship? But, what does that phrase truly mean. John, Greg and Erin offer a perspective on why saying, "I love you," is a significant phrase to use. Featuring Mr. Bob Lepine.Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILYReceive the book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-fofm-podcast-2022-10-25?refcd=1503601Get more episode resources: https://http://http://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/focus-on-marriage-podcast/good-bad-definitions-of-love/#featured-resource-ctaListen Anytime: https://store.https://store.focusonthefamily.com/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse-digital-download/?refcd=1503601If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1196/29
When you've been married for a half century, you learn a few things about life and marriage. In this episode, Dennis and Barbara Rainey share some of the lessons they've learned. Listen in, for highlights from a message they shared with couples on the 2022 "Love Like You Mean It" cruise.
On this episode, Suzanne Lynn is joined by Charley Swords, "Dare to be a Revolutionary Leader;" Sandra Shin, "Who am I After Human Trafficking?" Bob Lepine, "Love Like You Mean It;" Myra Kahn Adams, "Bible Study for Those Who Don't Read the Bible;" and Chris Steed, "The Seven Songs."
Bob Lepine addresses the cultural confusion around marital love today. He outlines the major differences between AGAPE love and EROS (erotic) love, and why self-sacrifice is the only kind of love that is lasting. Bob points out why God's love is pivotal in helping you move toward unconditional love with your spouse. Receive Bob's book "Love Like You Mean It" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-daily-broadcast-product-2022-02-14?refcd=1315102 Get more episode resources: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/broadcast/showing-true-love-to-your-spouse/#featured-resource-cta If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/
Unfortunately, many people have a shallow, superficial idea of what marriage is. As a result, many marriages don't last, and many more married couples are trudging along looking for something more. Love Like You Mean It gives husbands and wives a biblical understanding of what real love looks like in marriage by unpacking the ten attributes of genuine love listed in 1 Corinthians 13. Bob Lepine, marriage and family expert and host of the nationally syndicated radio program FamilyLife Today, is on the show today helping husbands and wives discover that it's not primarily emotions that define marital love, but actions and decisions that fuel emotions and cause marital love to grow. “We can be love offerings by realizing our biggest issue is our addiction to self. Today is not about me. It is about serving God and serving others. That is my mission. Not my agenda, but God's agenda puts us into position to be a love offering.” Connect with Bob: www.familylifetoday.com www.redeemerlr.org
Tim Tucker, affiliate staff member of FamilyLife in the Pittsburgh area, discusses the many resources that FamilyLife has to offer for marriages, families, stepfamilies, and engaged couples.FamilyLife offers radio broadcasts, podcasts, a free FamilyLife app with great tools and resources, free downloads and articles on any topic imaginable about the family, free devotionals, parenting help, blended family help, and free online marriage courses.Small group Bible studies, books, video series on marriage, the "Weekend to Remember" marriage getaways, and even the "Love Like You Mean It" February cruise are also available.Please go to FamilyLife.com to learn even more ways of helping your marriage and family!
In this conversation artist April Holder and I talk about motherhood, naming the narrow lens of social media, the accessible art of printmaking, dismantling the myth of loneliness, allowing our community, including cis men, to practice vulnerability as an act of repair, and to never back down from being the complex multi-dimensional people we all are. April reminds us all that no matter how much we ‘do it the right way', haters gonna hate and love will find its way to us, and she asks us to remember that we shape our own reality and gives us the task to LOVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT! I first met April Holder smoking cigs outside of a warehouse on the southside of Santa Fe, NM in the early 2000's at the Humble art space. She had purple or blue or green hair, a leather jacket studded up and sharp biting wit that is so rare these tender days, it was everything we could do to not spend the whole evening laughing when there was a show to put on. I was invited there as a DJ to play a set by fellow local DJ the Werewulf Micah Wesley, also an incredible painter. Little did I know that That time would become many times and a lifelong building of friendship and family would result, Including April. Today, we are witnessing our children become best friends, we are growing and inviting changed world views and better behaviours, we are supporting each other's goals and work and hearing the pain and evolution of being in community that can't always appreciate or understand us or our growth as weird ass boss babe in between spaces human type beings. April is on fire, always reflecting back the idea that love is truly what will move us forward collectively and I am proud to call her a sister. April Holder is a Sac and Fox, Wichita and Tonkawa woman, whose ancestral lands run through Oklahoma and was born and raised in Shawnee. April's artistic practice is a celebration of Indigenous women, an honoring of the land and animals, and the critical connections between. As an Indigenous woman, a mother and an artist, April recognizes the responsibility she has to create a healthy space for women like herself to thrive far into the future. April's focus is in painting and printmaking, and she carries an understanding that the creative process itself can have an environmental impact. She strives to lessen this by using recycled materials such as fabric, household objects and thread; all found or sourced from thrift stores. April's work presents a visual interpretation of the vulnerable and strong stories of Indigenous women, such as herself, while creating connection, continuum and a healthy way forward for her communities to reclaim their power. Follow April on Instagram @aeon_fluxus Final track on this episode is the song POWERFUL by Am-Mer-Ah-Su
In this conversation artist April Holder and I talk about motherhood, naming the narrow lens of social media, the accessible art of printmaking, dismantling the myth of loneliness, allowing our community, including cis men, to practice vulnerability as an act of repair, and to never back down from being the complex multi-dimensional people we all are. April reminds us all that no matter how much we ‘do it the right way', haters gonna hate and love will find its way to us, and she asks us to remember that we shape our own reality and gives us the task to LOVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT! I first met April Holder smoking cigs outside of a warehouse on the southside of Santa Fe, NM in the early 2000's at the Humble art space. She had purple or blue or green hair, a leather jacket studded up and sharp biting wit that is so rare these tender days, it was everything we could do to not spend the whole evening laughing when there was a show to put on. I was invited there as a DJ to play a set by fellow local DJ the Werewulf Micah Wesley, also an incredible painter. Little did I know that That time would become many times and a lifelong building of friendship and family would result, Including April. Today, we are witnessing our children become best friends, we are growing and inviting changed world views and better behaviours, we are supporting each other's goals and work and hearing the pain and evolution of being in community that can't always appreciate or understand us or our growth as weird ass boss babe in between spaces human type beings. April is on fire, always reflecting back the idea that love is truly what will move us forward collectively and I am proud to call her a sister. April Holder is a Sac and Fox, Wichita and Tonkawa woman, whose ancestral lands run through Oklahoma and was born and raised in Shawnee. April's artistic practice is a celebration of Indigenous women, an honoring of the land and animals, and the critical connections between. As an Indigenous woman, a mother and an artist, April recognizes the responsibility she has to create a healthy space for women like herself to thrive far into the future. April's focus is in painting and printmaking, and she carries an understanding that the creative process itself can have an environmental impact. She strives to lessen this by using recycled materials such as fabric, household objects and thread; all found or sourced from thrift stores. April's work presents a visual interpretation of the vulnerable and strong stories of Indigenous women, such as herself, while creating connection, continuum and a healthy way forward for her communities to reclaim their power. Follow April on Instagram @aeon_fluxus Final track on this episode is the song POWERFUL by Am-Mer-Ah-Su
Tim Tucker, affiliate staff of FamilyLife in the Pittsburgh area, discusses the many resources that FamilyLife has to offer for marriages, families, stepfamilies, and engaged couples.FamilyLife offers radio broadcasts, podcasts, a free FamilyLife app with great tools and resources, free downloads and articles on any topic imaginable about the family, free devotionals, parenting help, blended family help, and free online marriage courses.Small group Bible studies, books, video series on marriage, the "Weekend to Remember" marriage getaways near you, and even information on the "Love Like You Mean It" February cruise are also available from FamilyLife.Please go to FamilyLife.com to learn even more ways of helping your marriage and family!
Josh Weathers is a local musician and co-founder of the nonprofit, Love Like You Mean It. He joins Jamey and Jimmy in the studio to talk about how his father's blessing gave him the freedom he needed to leave school and what led him to press pause at the height of his career. Josh shares the story how adopting their first daughter internationally led to starting an orphanage with his wife, Kady. To date, they've raised and given away over $1,000,000 and the sound of Josh's voice has been the source of so much of it. Listen to the end to hear Josh perform his song “One” for Jamey and Jimmy!
Tim Tucker, affiliate staff member of FamilyLife in the Pittsburgh area, discusses the many resources that FamilyLife has to offer for marriages, families, stepfamilies, and engaged couples.FamilyLife offers radio broadcasts, podcasts, a free FamilyLife app with great tools and resources, free downloads and articles on any topic imaginable about the family, free devotionals, parenting help, blended family help, and free online marriage courses!Small group Bible studies, books, video series on marriage, the "Weekend to Remember" marriage getaways in cites across America, and even the "Love Like You Mean It" February cruise are also available from FamilyLife.Please go to FamilyLife.com to learn even more ways of helping your marriage and family, or call 1-800-FL-TODAY (1-800-358-6329). In the Pittsburgh area, you can call Tim at 412-337-3858 or by email at tptuck@juno.com.
Every year millions of men and women stand in front of their friends and families and pledge a life-long love for each other. The question is, do they know what they're getting themselves into? The answer is often a resounding “Nope!” Mark and I sure didn't know what we were getting into at the time we got married. Unfortunately, many people enter into marriage with unrealistic expectations and huge ideas of what their love, relationship, and marriage is going to be like. And in the end, they end up frustrated, or even divorced.Today, Mark and I are so excited to share a conversation with Bob Lepine to unpack a biblical understanding of what real love looks like. For years, Bob was a voice on The Family Life Today radio program and podcast, and he also is a marriage and family expert and the author of the book Love Like You Mean It. They had me on their show a few times, and now we get to flip roles! Bob's book was transformational for Mark, and today he shares SO much practical wisdom about how to love like we really mean it.This conversation was originally recorded as a video interview for our No More Perfect Date Night members. Each month we send out a video interview with a marriage expert to those in our Date Night family. Because this one was so impactful, we decided we wanted to share this interview with you on the podcast as well! We hope it's an encouragement for you this week!Show Notes: www.jillsavage.org/bob-lepine-49/
Tim Tucker, affiliate staff of FamilyLife in the Pittsburgh area, discusses the many resources that FamilyLife has to offer for marriages, families, stepfamilies, and engaged couples. FamilyLife offers radio broadcasts, podcasts, a free FamilyLife app with great tools and resources, free downloads and articles on any topic imaginable about the family, free devotionals, parenting help, blended family help, and free online marriage courses.Small group Bible studies, books, video series on marriage, the "Weekend to Remember" marriage getaways, and even the "Love Like You Mean It" February cruise are also available from FamilyLife. Please go to FamilyLife.com to learn even more ways of helping your marriage and family!
FamilyLife Today® Radio Transcript References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Storms of Life Guests: Dennis and Barbara Rainey From the series: Something from the Cruise (Day 2 of 3)Air date: March 6, 2012 Bob: There are times when life is hard; and when life gets hard, marriage gets hard. Here's Dennis Rainey. Dennis: I'll quote a little girl who was sitting on her grandpa's lap. She looked at her grandpa and she said, “Grandpa, life is like licking honey off a thorn.” Barbara: You just tend to think, “Well, it's not going to be me. It'll be somebody else. It's not going to be me,” but there we were. It was the two of us, and we had just gotten that bad news. It was a storm. It just came, flying at us and knocked us flat. [Song: Let the Wind Blow] There's a storm on the horizon,Oh, let the wind blow.Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Tuesday, March 6th. Our host is the President of FamilyLife®, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. When there are storms on the horizon, what can you do to make sure your marriage stands strong? We'll hear from Dennis and Barbara Rainey about that today. Let the wind blow.Upon the solid rock of God I stand,Oh, let the wind blow. And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us on the Tuesday edition. Thought it was interesting, when we were together about a month ago on the FamilyLife Love Like You Mean It® marriage cruise—this was our second year to do the cruise. Again, it was sold out this year. We had a thousand couples joining us—had the whole ship to ourselves. Dennis: It is one of the best things that we do here at FamilyLife. There's no question about it—the entertainment, the content, the opportunity for engaging with folks in ministry, and finding out how you can plug in, as well as just leaving there with a better relationship with God and your spouse. It really is a home run. Bob: Here is what I thought was interesting. You think of going off on kind of a cruise vacation with couples—it's a marriage cruise. You've got the whole boat to yourself, and we have devotions each morning. Folks will crowd into the theatre for morning devotions. You and Barbara spoke one morning; and I thought, “You tackled a subject, in the middle of the cruise, that was kind of a sobering subject.” You think of a cruise—you think, “Well, it's just going to be fun and lighthearted;” but you guys went deep that morning. Dennis: We talked about some of the storms in our marriage that have occurred and how a marriage has to be built upon Jesus Christ and obedience to Him. I don't have a solution for how a marriage can go the distance otherwise. Bob: The interesting thing to me is how much powerful ministry happens onboard the Love Like You Mean It Cruise. Again, I think a lot of people think, “Well, that would be a fun vacation, we'd get to hear some good messages, and it would be nice;” but we see God at work in the lives of a lot of couples who join us on this cruise. Dennis: It's more than a vacation, Bob. Certainly, it is some time away from work, phone calls and e-mail, and all the hassles of bills and everyday life; but it is an intensely spiritual time—a time of equipping, encouraging, putting our arms around people and saying, “You know what? You're not the only couple who's faced difficulty in your marriage and in your family. You can do this thing. You can do this thing called marriage and family. God's Word speaks to how you do it, and we're going to help you by equipping you with the biblical blueprints to know how to make your marriage go the distance.” Bob: Because the cruise has sold out each of the last two years and because we are on our way already to starting to sell out the 2013 cruise, Valentine's week of 2013, I went to our team. I said, “I want to make sure our FamilyLife Today listeners get a chance to sign up and to join us. Is there any kind of incentive we could provide for them to do that?” The team put together a special offer. You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information about what's involved in that special offer. We've already got lined up, for the cruise this year, Sara Groves, and Denver & the Mile High Orchestra. Anthony Evans is going to join us. Priscilla Shirer is going to be on the cruise with us. Voddie Baucham is going to be back again. You and I are both going to be there. Barbara is going to be along, as well. Dennis: Right. Bob: So, go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information about how you can be a part of the Love Like You Mean It Valentine's week cruise in 2013. The special offer is good this week and next week only. Again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information about how to join us on the cruise. We wanted to share with our listeners the Tuesday morning devotional that you and Barbara provided onboard the ship where you shared a little bit about—I hate to use this word—some of the rough seas that a marriage will pass through and how you weather the storms in marriage. There is thunder in the heavens,Oh, let the wind blow. [Recorded message] Dennis: The more of life Barbara and I have shared together and the more we experience what God is up to in our lives, the more I believe life is anchored in this illustration that Jesus uses at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew, Chapter 7, verse 24, “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock.” Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Two houses—similar storms—two outcomes. The difference is in how two people who build a house relate to their God. We've had a few storms in our lives in our almost 40 years of marriage; and specifically, some storms this past year. Barbara: Back in early April of 2011, I went in for my annual mammogram. As I went in, I remember thinking, “Why am I doing this every year? It just seems so silly,” but I went ahead and went because I had my appointment and everything was all scheduled. I went ahead and did it. About a week later, Dennis and I were on a trip out-of-state; and my phone rang. I picked up the phone, and it was the radiologist—I think is who reads it—and he gave us the bad news that I had breast cancer. It was just—it was one of those moments when you just—my stomach just went through the floor, and both—I looked at Dennis, and we just—your heart just sinks. Storms are unexpected. They don't come with a lot of warning. I had a few days to anticipate that perhaps it could be bad news, but there isn't any history in our family. You just tend to think, “Well, it's not going to be me. It'll be somebody else. It's not going to be me,” but there we were. It was the two of us, and we had just gotten that bad news. It was a storm. It just came, flying at us and knocked us flat. For the next few days and weeks, we were trying to figure out, “What do we do?” We were getting information and all of that. About a week or two later, I think it was, we were in a surgeon's office, talking about all of our different options. He was drawing images on paper and saying, “You can do this, this, or this. If you do this, here are the results. If you do choice two and choice three”—anyway, all of this stuff. When you're in the middle of something like that, your head is just spinning, anyway. It is hard to process all the information that is coming at you, and you need to process it; but it's a part of the storm. The winds were blowing and swirling around us. We got as much information as we could both process and left. As we drove home, it was very, very cloudy. It was very windy; and he was saying, “We need to listen to the radio because this is looking really, really bad.” This was late April, now. We pulled in our driveway, parked the car, and ran in the kitchen. He flipped on the TV to watch the radar. Dennis: You have to know this about me. I grew up in Southwest Missouri, and I spent a good bit of my childhood in a cellar. (Laughter) I can still remember the musty smell of potatoes and sitting among the green beans in this cellar that was just across the driveway in our next door neighbor's house. I'm watching the news, and I'm pacing in front of our windows. We have a big plate glass window that overlooks—we actually look west. The weatherman said on the TV, “There is a storm on the ground”—a tornado on the ground. I plotted the course, and I looked at it. I go, “That's headed right for us.” Barbara kind of made fun of me—she just kind of made fun of me. She said, “You're making much ado about nothing.” Barbara: Yes, I was in the kitchen because by the time all this had happened, it was nearly seven o'clock. We were both starving. My mind, naturally, was thinking about other things; and I'm trying to scrounge up some food. I thought, “He's just worrying about nothing. I mean, it's just not going to be that big a deal.” Dennis: I said, “Well, it may be nothing; but here's what we're going to do if that storm ends up coming our way. We're jumping in Santa's workshop.” Now, Santa's workshop is a place we affectionately call this—under the stairs where Barbara would hide all the presents before Christmas. It's the safest place in the house. We don't have a basement. In fact, our house kind of sits on a ridge; and it kind of feels like it's a golf ball on a tee. (Laughter) I'm watching; and I'm watching this cloud get lower, and lower, and lower because you can see like 15 miles up this lake. You can just see it coming. Finally, I move from in front of the plate glass window, which was really a smart idea, near Santa's workshop. The trees—and these are massive pines that are this big—they used to be. They were going like this in the wind. Finally, when one got about at this angle, I grabbed Barbara's arm and I pulled her in the workshop with me. We slammed the door. We're in the total dark. There was no sound. They always talk about the sound of a tornado hitting—there was no sound, but we were there in the dark. Couldn't have been in there for more than 45 seconds—60 seconds— Barbara: No more. Dennis: You could tell that it was okay to open the door. We open the door, and two distinct sensations completely washed over me. One—was the house was infused with the smell of freshly-cut pine. (Laughter) It just pushed the smell of pine into our house. In fact, blew dust out of the walls. We went around and cleaned up dust that came out of the walls. The other sensation was looking out our plate glass window— Barbara: Trying to look out windows. Dennis: —because there were pine trees laying in front of our window on top of our deck, on top of our roof. Twenty-seven trees were uprooted; and we walk around and all we can go is, “Wow! We're alive!” Barbara: Yes. Dennis: There we were as a couple surveying the storm damage from two issues—her breast cancer—or actually our breast cancer and— Barbara: The tornado. Dennis: —the tornado that hit our home. We just want to share with you five take-a-ways, five lessons that we've gained from having been through a few storms in our marriage—and I know some of you are in some storms right now because that's the first lesson that we've learned. Scripture forecasts storm warnings for all of us. There are storms on the ground. They are headed toward your marriage, and it's not a matter of if your home will be hit but when your home will be hit. In our 40 years—almost 40 years of marriage—both of my parents have died. Barbara nearly died on four different occasions with a rapid heart rate of over 300 beats a minute. We had short paychecks. We had a son who was diagnosed with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy and lost his ability to run—was an athlete. We had a child who was a prodigal for a number of years. You know, storms have taken their toll, and storms have hit our home repeatedly; but I like to think of Jesus and what He said here. He talks about responding to the storms with faith and obedience. The storms will hit. The question isn't why the storm has hit. The question is, “How will you respond?” Barbara: Number two: The storms provide an opportunity to prove your commitment. Storms—the tornado that we went through tested the foundation of our house. It did not fall, and the storms will do the same in your marriage. Storms are there to test the commitment of your marriage, the strength of your faith in the power of God to hold you together. It shows what you're house was built on. Dennis: Storms give you an opportunity to give proof of the promise you two made to one another. Number three: There are two ways to handle storms. You can either handle the storms together as a couple, or you can handle them and suffer separately. Barbara: The thing about suffering or going through a hard time of any kind, that I think is so important to understand in a marriage, is that we handle these things very differently. I handle it differently because I'm a woman than he does because he's a man. I also handle it differently because of the way I'm wired psychologically as an individual than the way he handles it and the way he is wired and the way he just handles life. I think what trips up so many couples is we expect our partner—we expect our spouse to handle it the way we do or, to at a minimum, to understand the way I feel; but that doesn't happen automatically. It only happens with conversation. There's a verse in Galatians that talks about bearing one another's burdens. I think that's the essence of what it is when you go through storms and trials. I need to listen and to help him bear his burdens and his difficulties, and I need him to do the same for me. Have compassion on one another, bear one another's burdens, and allow each other freedom to process at your own pace and in your own way. Dennis: Again, guys, you've got to resist the urge to try to fix it. There are going to be some storms that you go through that are not going to be fixable. Cancer is one of them. Barbara: Number four is that storms result in storm damage. That was really evident with the tornado because we, not only had 27 or more trees laying everywhere, our deck was demolished, and our fence was demolished. Uprooted trees pulled up the sidewalk and pulled up grass and just—I mean it was—the house miraculously was intact, but everything around the house was a disaster. That damage had to be cleaned up, and it didn't take—I mean, it wasn't done overnight. We had a bunch of guys come out on Saturday, after the storm on Monday. For probably about eight hours, we had ten men with chainsaws going. The key to this thing, that we've learned, is that there is damage. I think we underestimate the impact of the damage that comes, but the benefit on the other side of working through all of that—we have a lot more sunlight in our yard because we don't have as many trees! The point is that we see the light more clearly, and I think in the storm that Dennis and I went through—or are still probably going through, in some ways with my breast cancer, is that we see God more clearly because the storms clear out things that we think are fine. God wants to move things around so that we can see Him more clearly. So, address the damage that comes from the storms in your life. Dennis: One other thing. Just as we had some guys with chainsaws come and clear out the trees, we also had some friends who came and put their arms around us and processed this, as we went through it. One caution here, as a couple. When you do begin to deal with the damage of the storm, don't go through it alone. The body of Christ exists to come alongside you—and back to the verse Barbara quoted in Galatians 6—they come alongside you to “bear your burden.” Number five: Storms are purposeful. Romans 8:28—it's easy to quote that verse—“All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Do you believe that? It's hard to believe it in the midst of the storm, but storms can—as Barbara said—increase the sunlight. They can also—storms clean out the dead wood. There can be increased fruit bearing, can deepen friendships; and in the process of storms, I think we can get to know God. In Job, Chapter 42, it summarizes the end of Job's life. Basically, he says—and this my paraphrase—he said, “Once I spoke of You and kind of thought of You; but as a result of everything I've been through, now, I know You. Now, I experience You.” The storms that we go through—if you respond according to what Jesus said back in Matthew, Chapter 7, in faith and obedience, will put you in touch with Him, and you'll learn a side to God where you'll fall more and more in love with Him. I think one of the purposes of storms in life—as we look back over our lives and there's a bunch of storms we didn't list here—storms wean us from this world. They remind us that this is great here—I mean the Caribbean blue, the beauty of God's creation, at night the stars without any ambient light of the city around—it's spectacular, but you and I were just made for here for a moment. He went to prepare a place for us so that we could be there also. Those storms are preparing for us an opportunity to suffer in faith and obedience, follow Jesus Christ, and ultimately, build your house on the rock. I want Barbara to pray for you, but I just want to read this again because you and I do not know what the next phone call brings. We don't know what the next doctor's report will be—perhaps, in the midst of troubling economic times, some challenges financially—but Jesus' words, a summary of the greatest sermon He ever gave said this: “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on that house; but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.” Be a house builder on the rock. Don't wait for the storm to hit to build your home; build on the rock today, so when the storms hit, they will reveal what kind of foundation you have established. [Song: Ready for the Storm] Oh I am ready for the stormYes sir readyI am ready for the stormReady for the storm Bob: [Studio] We have been listening to Dennis and Barbara Rainey sharing about some of the storms in marriage. The good news is, as you were sharing it, we had calm seas and blue skies. We had great weather this year onboard the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise. This was just a couple of weeks ago as we were gathered with about a thousand couples who joined us. The ship was completely full, and I know you talked to a lot of folks that morning who said, “We've had some”— Dennis: Yes. Bob: —“issues of our own that we've had to lean on each other and lean on the Lord for.” Dennis: Yes. After one of the sessions, one couple came up, Brian and Cindy Kelley. They said, “Would you honor our parents?” I said, “Well, what's up?” They said, “Well, both my wife's parents and my parents are here on the cruise. They're both celebrating 50 years of marriage. They both got married on the same day in the same year, 50 years ago.” Bob: Wow. Dennis: A lot of people come to the Love Like You Mean It Cruise to celebrate a significant milestone anniversary. For Bob and Geri Kelley from Chapman, Nebraska, and Clarence and Marsha Sorenfeld from Loup City, Nebraska—I don't know where either one of those communities are—congratulations for 50 years of marriage and for celebrating your anniversary with us on the Love Like You Mean It Cruise. Bob: I don't know if there was snow on the ground in Nebraska when the families left to come down and join us— Dennis: You know there was. Bob: —in Miami. It was interesting how many folks had come from some pretty cold climates. We had a great week weather-wise, a great line-up of speakers, and some great music. We're making plans for 2013 already. You and Barbara are going to be on the cruise. Mary Ann and I are going to be on. Voddie Baucham is going to join us again. Dr. Eric Mason will be with us. We've got Sara Groves lined up—Anthony Evans, Priscilla Shirer. Ron Deal is going to be there to do a break-out for blended couples, couples who are in a blended marriage. It's a great line-up, and it's a great event. We'd love to have you be a part the 2013 Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise when it sets sail from Miami. We're going to Key West and Cozumel before we come back home. You can get more information about how you can be a part of the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com. Just click on the link you see for the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com. As I mentioned, our team has put together a special offer, for this week and next week, for FamilyLife Today listeners. If you want to take advantage of that special offer—save a little money—go to FamilyLifeToday.com today and get all the information about how you can be a part of the cruise in 2013. Now, I want to encourage you to be back with us tomorrow. We are going to hear what Voddie Baucham had to share Wednesday morning on the Love Like You Mean It marriage cruise. He did devotions for everybody onboard and talked about forgiveness. We're going to hear his message tomorrow. Hope you can tune in for that. I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today. FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. ©Song: Let the Wind Blow Artist: The Imperials Album: Let the Wind Blow ℗ 1985, Word, Incorporated ©Song: Ready for the Storm Artist: Rich Mullins Album: Songs 2 ℗ 1999 Reunion Records, Inc. Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved.www.FamilyLife.com
Click Here to Listen to the other parts in the seriesYour Home is an Embassy (Part 1) - On Mission, Your Assignment as a CoupleYour Home is an Embassy (Part 2) - World Avoiders or World Changers?Your Home is an Embassy (Part 3) - My Home, God's EmbassyYour Home is an Embassy (Part 4) - A Christian's MissionYour Home is an Embassy (Part 5) - A Home For HospitalityFamilyLife Today® Radio Transcript References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. On Mission: Your Assignment as a Couple Guest: Dennis Rainey From the series: Your Home Is an Embassy (Day 1 of 5)Air date: August 22, 2016 Bob: Dennis Rainey believes that marriage is about a lot more than just happily ever after. He believes it's about two people being on a mission together. Dennis: Jesus Christ didn't just come to give you a happy marriage and a family that takes perfect Christmas card photos. He came to use your marriage as a living message of Christ's relationship with the church—a profound mystery / a model of covenant-keeping love even during hard times—and to use your family as a training center for the next generation of Great Commission warriors and soldiers. Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Monday, August 22nd. Our host is the President of FamilyLife®, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. Do you know what your mission is, as a married couple; and are you on mission together? 1:00 We'll explore that today. Stay with us. And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us on the Monday edition. Do you ever get tired of challenging couples to be about the Great Commission—to be on mission together as a couple? Dennis: Never. Bob: You don't think: “I'm starting to sound like a broken record. I've said this so often”? Dennis: Well, I do feel like that sometimes. [Laughter] I wonder if our listeners get tired of me challenge them to get in the game and be a part of what God's up to on the planet. It's the greatest adventure of a lifetime, Bob—is to join God in what He's doing here on the earth. I mean, it's been our privilege—Barbara and me for the last, almost 44 years now / and here on FamilyLife Today, coming up on 24 years. Bob: That's right. And today, we're going to hear that charge afresh. In fact, you spoke recently to an audience of couples, urging them to be in the game and to understand the good works that God has prepared for us to be involved with before we were even created. 2:00 Dennis: That's right. And before we get to that message, I just want to say a hearty “Thanks!”—and I mean this—I just want to say, “Thanks,” to you who are Legacy Partners and donors to FamilyLife Today. I just want you to know you keep us on the air, here on FamilyLife Today, ministering to millions, not only here in America, but globally in more than three dozen countries and who knows how many millions of people around the world. I just want to say, “Thank you for standing with us.” If you haven't given or if you gave some time ago and haven't given recently, I'd just like to challenge you to join us on our mission of deploying God's people to do God's work in marriages and families and, also, in their communities. I'd like to invite you to give a gift, financially, to FamilyLife Today and help keep us on the air. 3:00 We're short in terms of the number of donors that we've had join us over the last seven months. This month of August, I've been coming to our listeners, occasionally—not complaining / not whining—but just saying, “Hey, if you believe in what we're doing / you believe that marriages and families are in trouble and need biblical help and hope that we provide, here on FamilyLife Today, then, would you keep us going strong and help us expand?” I need your help. And I need your help now. Bob: It's easy to make a donation. You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com and do it online, or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a donation over the phone. Again, we do appreciate those of you who stand with us in this ministry. If it's been awhile since you've made a donation—or maybe, you've never supported this ministry—would you consider doing that today? Go to FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-“F” as in family, “L” as in life, and then the word, “TODAY.” Alright, let's hear the message that you shared recently as you were challenging couples to be a part of the work that God has called each one of us to in strengthening marriages and families. 4:00 Here's Dennis Rainey. [Recorded Message] Dennis: You know, you have no idea what God is up to in your marriage and where you may find yourself six hours from now / six weeks from now; but God wants you to know who you are, according to this Book, and what you're all about as you leave here. There are a lot of believers today that suffer from spiritually amnesia. Their souls have been erased by the enemy, and they have been tricked to believe that they are someone that they're really not. Do you know who you are, spiritually speaking? Do you know why you are here? What's your purpose as a couple? Every couple here needs to have some sense of a purpose that you're about, according to God's design. 5:00 Who are you? If you were born again by faith in Jesus Christ / His finished work on the cross, at the moment you placed your faith in Christ, more than 30 things happened to you that changed your spiritual identity, as a man / as a woman. One of three things that occurred—that I'll just list real quickly—is that you became / you were adopted as a child of God. John, Chapter 1, verse 12 and 13 say this—it says, “But to all who did receive Him,”—speaking of Christ—“who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor the will of flesh nor of the will of man, but born of God.” You were adopted into God's family. You're His child. That makes Him your Father. 6:00 I speak at a number of orphan care, foster care, and adoption conferences around the country. I always speak about the whole concept of adoption and love to ask the audience, when I speak, “How many of you have been adopted?” In an audience like this, there will always be 10/15 hands go up when I say, “How many were adopted?” Then, I turn to Ephesians, Chapter 1, verse 5, where it says, “He predestined us into His family through adoption.” So, how many people here have been adopted?—all who have believed / all who have believed. Secondly, when we were adopted, we were given a new citizenship. We are citizens of heaven. We have a new homeland—this is not our home / we are pilgrims passing through. That passage is found in Philippians, Chapter 3, verse 20. I love this—it says: 7:00 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”—then, there is a promise in verse 21—“who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” So, He's adopted us into His family. He's given us a new citizenship; and if a citizen, then, the third thing that changes when we place our faith in Christ is—He has called us to be ambassadors. Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 20—and I love this passage too—in fact, we're going to spend a little time unpacking it; but verse 20 says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.” He has called us to be an officer—a man and a woman—on appointment from God. I just want you to look at this. 8:00 I want you to see how He has saved us, how He has sent us, how He has given us a mission, and how He has given us a message. We are not just a part of the 6.1 or 2 billion human herd. We have been selected by God to be special emissaries on behalf of God. Look at this passage: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God who, through Christ, reconciled us to Himself”—and look at this next phrase—“and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Now, I want to stop there. Does America need a ministry and a message of reconciliation today? Audience: Yes. Dennis: Absolutely! Where should that come from? 9:00 It ought to come from us—people of faith, talking about being reconciled with God—but also—reconciling spouses with each other / family members with each other. Some of you are in some pretty hopeless situations—you're losing hope in a family relationship. God delights in showing up and bringing peace where there is now war. Then, interpersonally—between people in communities—we need this ministry of reconciliation. “All this is from God,”—it says—“who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ”—and look at God's heart showing up here—it says, “God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, ‘Be reconciled to God.' 10:00 “For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” You and I are not just ambassadors of any king. We are ambassadors of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who stepped out of eternity to take upon Himself flesh, and to take our place on a cross to defeat death, rise again from the grave to offer eternal life to all who call upon Him in faith. You are not just any ambassador—but an ambassador of the King of kings. You want to do something interesting?—Google, “king.” Just look at all the kings that have ever existed in all of human kind throughout all of history. There are thousands of kings. The King who has appointed you is the King of all kings. 11:00 Well, I want to make three comments about ambassadors, as you all head back home, that I want you to take with you. Number one, an ambassador knows whom he serves. We are ambassadors for Christ. A.W. Tozer said this—he said: “The most important thing about you is what you think about God.” If you're going to be all that God called you to be—in terms of your identity, spiritually—you have to know: “Who is the One who gave birth to you spiritually? Who is the One you were made in His image? Who is this God? Who is He?” Well, you know what? It's Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ did not come to take sides—He didn't come to be a Democrat / a Republican. 12:00 Jesus Christ came to take over. He didn't come to be a spare tire—to be used in an emergency. Jesus Christ came to be the owner, the driver, and the mechanic of your life. He didn't come to get your attention and focus for a couple hours a week on Sunday. He came to be the supreme center of your attention and existence. Jesus Christ didn't come to receive the leftovers of your life. He came to be lavishly loved by us / to be received, whole heartedly, by us with affection. He didn't just come to be your Savior and mine—to save us from God's wrath, judgment, and hell—Jesus Christ came to be your Life-giver, Redeemer, Lord, Master so that you and I can taste heaven now. 13:00 He didn't come to just be our buddy, our pal, a confidante. He came to be the One who is to be feared, revered, worshiped, and obeyed. He didn't just come to satisfy all your needs and wants so that you and I can be comfortable. He came to enlist you. He came to enlist you in His army, to endure hardship and pain, and to do the dangerous work of doing battle / spiritual battle for the lives of people who are going to last for eternity. He didn't come to give you the good life, but He came to live in you—to live His life through you and, ultimately, infect their lives with His life—to love others, and impact their lives, and secure victories which will be celebrated for all of eternity. 14:00 And because all of us here / nearly all of us are married, Jesus Christ didn't just come to give you a happy marriage and a family that takes perfect Christmas card photos. He came to use your marriage as a living message of Christ's relationship with the church—a profound mystery / a model of covenant-keeping love even during hard times—and to use your family as a training center for the next generation of Great Commission warriors and soldiers. Finally, He will not come back as a lamb; but He will come back again soon—He promised. He will come back this time as the Conquering King—the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Sovereign Lord God Almighty—who defeated sin, defeated death, and our enemy. As a result, is seated at the right hand of God the Father. 15:00 He is your Redeemer / your Advocate—He is Christ, the Lord. Listen to me—this is who appointed you to be His ambassador. Do you know the One you serve? Are you getting to know Him better? Second point I want to make about an ambassador is—he knows and executes his mission. He knows why he's here / why she's here. Second Corinthians 5:18-19: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” You have an assignment—you are to be a part of the Great Commission. One of the things you don't want to have happen is to arrive at the throne room of God, upon your death, and be standing before God and for Him to say, “You didn't participate at all in the greatest commission I ever gave a human being— 16:00 —“the Great Commission.” An ambassador is about the King's business. I love what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5—he said, “As for you [Timothy] always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist”—and then, he says three words—“fulfill your ministry.” That assumes that Timothy knew what his ministry was. Of course, he did. Could Paul say to you today, “Fulfill your ministry”? Do you know what it is as a couple?—as an individual? What is your ministry? What is your mission? What has God uniquely placed you here for? All of us need to be a part— 17:00 —there is no greater adventure in life! I can tell you—I've been experiencing this, along with Barbara now, for 43 years. We have not done it perfectly. We have veered off course. God continues to bring us back on, but I can't imagine / I cannot imagine life just being lived on the horizontal. One of the great privileges that I've had this week is hearing from many of you, who aren't living life just on the horizontal at all. You're living life, being sent by God, for a mission—people we've never heard of / people who just did what God called them to do faithfully every day. Rod and Rose got invited to come on the Love Like You Mean It® cruise in 2012 by Rod's parents. Rod and Rose are in a blended family. They have three sons / three daughters—15 grandkids. They knew nothing about FamilyLife, but Rod's mom convinced them to come on the cruise. 18:00 So, they came on the cruise. Rod's mom and dad were coming on the cruise because—get this—they were celebrating 65 years of marriage. [Applause] So, they are there—father and mother and son and daughter-in-law—and they are experiencing this. Well, at the Love Like You Mean It cruise in 2012, Rod and Rose got a vision for how God could use them. They went back to Albuquerque and became the directors of the Weekend to Remember® there. We needed leadership in the conference back in Albuquerque. Since then, they've hosted 19 Art of Marriage® events / two of them in Spanish—two Smart Stepfamily events. On their way in here, Rod said he called his mom—his mom's name is Ruth. Ruth said to him: “You know, next year, your dad and I are going to be celebrating our 70th. [Laughter/Applause] 19:00 “Sign us up for the Love Like You Mean It cruise.” I absolutely—absolutely love it! They're on mission. And many of you are on mission. I've got to tell you—I absolutely love to hear stories of how God is using you. That is the real work of spiritual viral multiplication in our nation. Your kids need to see it / our kids need to see it. This is the way this truth is going to be passed on to the next generation. [Studio] Bob: Well, again, we've been listening today from a message from Dennis Rainey challenging couples to be about the most important work any of us can be about—God's work in our lives / in our community. You were talking about Rod Smith. I had a chance to be on radio with him recently. Our program has just gone on KNKT in Albuquerque. He was at the station, and I did a radio interview with him. Dennis: That's cool. Bob: And he's still going. 20:00 He's just done some new Art of Marriage events in the Albuquerque area, and they are excited about the Weekend to Remember coming to Albuquerque next spring. Dennis: I'm telling you folks—this is absolutely an opportunistic time for us to engage in the culture. This is not a time to cower in our caves, afraid of the giant that taunts Christians in the land. We need to be about what God's about—which is redeeming, and healing, and lifting people out of their mess, and giving them a purpose. So, the question is really twofold— Number one: “Do you know whose you are? Do you know whom your Master is, who has commissioned you to be an ambassador?” If you do: “Are you, now, on His mission? What is that mission? What are you giving your life to? What are you training your children to do?”—because there is going to be plenty of work for them to do as you and I pass off the scene. Be a part of what God is up to in this generation. 21:00 The time is now for Christians to let their light shine in such a way that men will glorify God in heaven. Bob: You and Barbara have been doing a lot of thinking in recent days about this metaphor of being ambassadors for Christ and how our homes can be embassies. In fact, if you go to our website, at FamilyLifeToday.com, you can download a set of four family nights—four guided conversations you can have together, as a family, talking with your children about how to make your home an embassy for Christ. These are short / they are practical. It fits easily into dinner table talk or a car ride home from school. Download the e-booklet when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com—it's free. And while you're there, look at the resources that Barbara has designed—the “Embassy of the King” plaque and the banner / the canvas—there is a devotional booklet. 22:00 All of these resources are available. You can order them from us, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-“F” as in family, “L” as in life, and then the word, “TODAY.” And if you have thoughts about this—about how you are trying to do this in your home—get in touch with us. We'd love to hear from you about what you're doing to be an ambassador, and to raise your children to be ambassadors, and to make your home an embassy. I think one of the ways we do this is by celebrating / making a big deal out of anniversaries. We want to say, “Happy anniversary!” today to Rhonda and Brad Dodds, who live in Marengo, Illinois, who are celebrating their 29th anniversary today. “Congratulations!” to the Dodds on 29 years together. We think anniversaries are important—we think they are a big deal. In fact, our purpose, here on FamilyLife Today, is to help you have more anniversaries—more and better anniversaries—year in and year out. We want to provide you with the kind of practical biblical help and hope you need for your marriage and for your family. 23:00 And we want to thank those of you who help support the ministry. Dennis mentioned this earlier—we appreciate your partnership with us. If you're a regular FamilyLife Today listener and if you have not, in 2016, made a donation to help support the ministry, would you consider doing that today? We have seen a decline this year in the number of people supporting FamilyLife Today. So, we'd just like to ask you if you'd pitch in and help make this program possible for you and for other listeners in your community. It's easy to do. You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com and donate, or call 1-800-FL-TODAY. Donate online or call 1-800-FL-TODAY—donate over the phone. Or you can mail your donation to FamilyLife Today at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; our zip code is 72223. Keep in mind—if your donation, this month, is $100 or more, please request the three Bible studies we've put together from our Art of Marriage Connect Series. 24:00 These are Bible studies on marriage; and they are designed for small group use, or you can use them as husband wife. They are our gift to you as a way of saying, “Thanks for your generous support.” And we hope you can join us back tomorrow. We are going to hear more from Dennis Rainey about what it looks like for your home to be an embassy and for you to be an ambassador. We'll explore that tomorrow. Hope you can be here with us. I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today. FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved. www.FamilyLife.com
On today’s show, Tim replays his interview with FamilyLife’s longtime co-host Bob Lepine from July 31, 2020. Lepine discusses the current giveaway that WFIL and FamilyLife have partnered up with: “From Good to Great” Giveaway! For starters, each listener is welcome to a FREE DOWNLOAD of FamilyLife’s “Marriage Resource Bundle” (a $155 value!) The bundle includes: two video mini-courses on marriage, four audio teaching sessions from the FamilyLife® Love Like You Mean It® cruise, and the “Good-to-Great Marriage” ebook download including conversation starters, a quiz and more There’s also a grand prize (valued at $1900), with one winner receiving: a two-night getaway to FamilyLife headquarters (in Little Rock or Orlando, whichever you prefer), the opportunity to attend a FamilyLife Today recording session in-studio with hosts Dave and Ann Wilson, plus dinner for two with the Wilsons, and more! Today is the last day you can enter the “From Good to Great” Giveaway! You can listen to Lepine weekdays at 9am on WFIL. Also this hour, we celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies. Earlier today, the Phillies bestowed the highest honor a club can confer upon a former player by retiring Dick Allen’s No. 15. Allen, 78, spent nine of his 15 major league seasons (1963-77) with the Phillies and won National League Rookie of the Year in 1964. During his time with the club, Allen batted .290 with 204 doubles, 204 home runs, 655 RBI, a .371 on-base percentage and a .530 slugging percentage (.902 OPS) in 1,070 games. His slugging percentage is second-best in Phillies history, behind only Hall of Famer Chuck Klein (.553), and he ranks 10th in home runs. Allen led his league in OPS four times in his career, including twice with the Phillies in 1966 (1.027) and 1967 (.970). Allen joins Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn (1), Jim Bunning (14), Mike Schmidt (20), Steve Carlton (32), Roy Halladay (34) and Robin Roberts (36) as the only Phillies in team history to have their numbers retired. Allen was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1994. Make sure to tune in live weekdays 4-5pm ET on AM 560 WFIL!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tim welcomes longtime FamilyLife co-host Bob Lepine to the show. Lepine discusses the current giveaway that WFIL and FamilyLife have partnered up with: “From Good to Great” Giveaway! For starters, each listener is welcome to a FREE DOWNLOAD of FamilyLife’s “Marriage Resource Bundle” (a $155 value!) The bundle includes: two video mini-courses on marriage, four audio teaching sessions from the FamilyLife® Love Like You Mean It® cruise, and the “Good-to-Great Marriage” ebook download including conversation starters, a quiz and more There’s also a grand prize (valued at $1900), with one winner receiving: a two-night getaway to FamilyLife headquarters (in Little Rock or Orlando, whichever you prefer), the opportunity to attend a FamilyLife Today recording session in-studio with hosts Dave and Ann Wilson, plus dinner for two with the Wilsons, and more! You can listen to Lepine weekdays at 9am on WFIL. Then, record producer Steve Greenberg joins the show. Greenberg talks about the popular hit, Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out,” on its 20th anniversary since its release. Greenberg also discusses his clientele, the music industry, and his latest podcast, Speed of Sound. Make sure to tune in live weekdays 4-5pm ET on AM 560 WFIL!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Christian Medical and Dental Association's Jeff Barrows talks about how the LA abortion law that was overturn was a reasonable law, as well as how doctors are important in identifying human trafficking victims. FamilyLife's Bob LePine, author of "Love Like You Mean It," connects 1st Corinthians 13 to marriage.
I Survived My Suicide - Part 1I Survived My Suicide - Part 2I Survived My Suicide - Part 3FamilyLife Today® Radio TranscriptReferences to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Life in Spite of MeDay 1 of 3 Guest: Kristen Jane Anderson From the Series: On the Edge of Hopelessness________________________________________________________________Bob: Kristen Jane Anderson was 17 years old and was ready for life…to be over. When she heard a ‘Freight Train' approaching at the park where she was sitting; she decided to lay her body across the tracks. Kristen: When the train stopped I wasn't sure if I was alive or dead. I remember just opening my eyes and unclenching my fists and starting to look around because I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what it was like to die! Obviously I just had no idea what to think. When I was looking around, I looked behind me; to my right…and I saw my legs about 10 feet behind me on my right. Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Wednesday, September 8th. Our host is the President of FamilyLife and I am Bob Lepine. Kristen Jane Anderson joins with us today to share a remarkable story of survival and of faith. And welcome to FamilyLife Today! Thanks for joining us on the Wednesday edition. We are going to hear a remarkable story today. A story of where there is hope! Actually to start things off, I want to read a Bible verse. This is one of my favorite Bible verses. Dennis: I would feel better if you had a real Bible opened; I mean, instead of reading it off your iPhone. Bob: I love carrying this around. Dennis: You do! You really do! You get a grin on your face when you scroll down to the passage Bob: It is a little awkward when I am up front in my church reading from my iphone, but it is…. Dennis: You do it there too? Bob: Yeah! This is the way I read my Bible now. And I love it! Dennis: Okay! Bob: 1 Peter 2:9 says, “You are a chosen race a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession …. ‘(And this is the part that I love)' …….that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” I think the story we are going to hear about this week is one of those out of darkness into marvelous light stories. Dennis: I think you are right, Bob, and I think that our listeners; regardless if they are dealing with something troubling or challenging in their lives right now or rather if things are going well, they need to hear this story. It is the story of a young lady who joins us on FamilyLife Today, Kristen Jane Anderson, joins us today on FamilyLife Today. Kristen, welcome to the broadcast! Kristen: Thank you for having me on. Dennis: Kristen is a graduate of Moody, almost; right? Kristen: Right! Dennis: Almost a graduate of Moody Bible Institute! She is a popular speaker to college students and women's events all around the country. She has been featured on Oprah, which we had some fun talking about before we came on the air here. Bob: She was comparing you and Oprah …wasn't she? Dennis: She was! She was! She was…. And you actually asked her, “which was a bigger treat, to be on our broadcast …… or her (Oprah) TV program? Bob: And let's move on shall we? Dennis: She has written a book called, Life In Spite of Me. I am just going to cut right to the chase here. Kristen, I am going to ask you to take us to January 2. You were in a park and it was dark and it was icy cold there and it was the most dramatic day of your life. Kristen: Yes! I was at the park and I was there because I didn't feel like I could go home. I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to get in trouble and I thought I was going to disappoint my parents again. I was at the park just kind of trying to waste time and to figure out what I was going to do next and I was swinging on the swings and as I was there I started to think about why I was there. Why did I feel like I couldn't go home? Why did I feel the way that I did inside? I was struggling and then I remembered that in the park that I was in that you were supposed to be out of the park after the sun goes down. I knew that the police come and patrol the park and if you're in the park after dark they make you leave. The reason I was there is that I didn't want to go home, so I looked around to see where else I could go and I saw that there had been a set of train cars parked on the edge of the park. I knew that they had been there for about 3 weeks. I walked over to the train cars and I sat on one of them. Then I started to think about a thought process that I had had about 3 months beforehand. It was after one of my friends had taken his life. He had taken his life by hanging himself in the cemetery. Dennis: You were 17 years of age? Kristen: Right! I had no idea how to handle it and I didn't understand it. I remember thinking, “I don't know how he could ever do that. How could he ever take his life?” And then I thought, “I don't know how he could do it the way that he did it, especially that way.” But then my thought process changed and I started to think, “Well if I was ever going to do it, how would I do it?” I went through a lot of different things in my mind that I had heard about in school or on TV; different ways people try to end their lives and none of them seemed like they would work or be good enough, until I heard the train go by my parent's house. I heard the whistle blow and I felt the house just kind of shake. I could feel the power of the train and I thought, “That is one way that I would never live through it.” It just kind of snapped in my mind and I never thought about it again until sitting on the train that day. And that is when I started to consider suicide, by train, as the answer to my pain. Dennis: So, at that point what did you do? I mean, how long did you have in advance warning that the train was coming? Kristen: Oh! I saw it coming; I probably had a minute before it got to me. I didn't know how long it would be before the next train came and it was freezing out and I knew I couldn't stay outside much longer. So, right before it got to me, I made the impulsive decision to lay down on the tracks. It wasn't something I had decided before it started coming. I made the decision right before it got to me to lay down on the tracks. I got off the train that I was on. I walked down the rocks that those tracks were on. I walked up the tracks that the other train was on. And I laid down right before the train …got to me. Dennis: How did you lay across the track? Kristen: I lay between the tracks. My head and my body were between the tracks and my legs were hanging over. I closed my eyes. I clenched my fists and I turned my head in the opposite direction that the train was coming. I just tried to push down all the fear and the shame and I just laid there. I mean, it was only a fraction of a second … before it ran over me. Bob: So, you could see it coming and you just laid down on the tracks with it coming? Kristen: Yes. Dennis: So, I have got the picture in my mind at this point… Here is a 17 year old girl who is hopeless. Who has really lost hope about her life and you are going to end it in, as you said, an impulsive decision; to lie down on the tracks in front of a train. Was the ground shaking as it …? Kristen: Yes! I felt the ground shaking. I felt the tracks shaking. I felt the wind of the train and I heard it roaring over me. I felt it begin to suck me upward almost into itself which is really what should have happened, because 33 Freight Train cars went over me at 55 MPH. So, I should have been sucked up into the train and basically torn to pieces. I guess that's what happens normally when a train is going that fast with the way that I was positioned. I felt my body begin to rise upward and I then I felt it begin to be pushed down into the ground; like there was this tremendous weight or force or wind beginning to push me down. Dennis: You know…I have 4 daughters…., I know that as a teenager, young ladies can; as Bob said earlier, can believe those voices. And that there is really a battle going on for the souls and for the lives of young people today. I have never, ever talked ….to a young lady, however, who… acted on those and obviously, today is alive ….to be able to tell the story of what took place. There is more to this story that we want to share, but I want to take our listeners back to the home you grew up in. Just talk about the spiritual condition of that home, what you learned about God, what you believed about God, and your relationship with your parents. Bob: Yes! How you got to where you got. I mean, was there any spiritual background in your home growing up? Kristen: Yes! I grew up going to church. I remember going to youth group and things like that, but I didn't know the difference that God can make in my life. When things started to go wrong I had lost about 3 friends and my grandmother within a year ½ of time. I lost one friend in a motorcycle accident. I lost one in a car accident. I lost one to suicide and I lost my grandma just because of her age. Also, in that period of time I was being stalked by 2 young men and I was raped by another. Bob: Oh man! Kristen: So, I had no idea how to handle that. I had a really hard time believing it. I kind of tried to forget about most of it, I just didn't know how to handle any of it and I felt like everyone else was handling everything fine. My family, my friends, they just all seemed fine. I remember asking my mom one time, “How do you do it?” I remember her telling me, “You just do it;” because I didn't know how to handle it. Dennis: There was also something occurring in your family that you have not mentioned here that was adding to your despair; and that was what your dad was going through. I mean from the time you were a little girl, your daddy was under a dark cloud of depression. Can you comment on that? Kristen: I was in about 5th grade when I found out that my dad was diagnosed with depression. He was grateful when he found out because he knew something was wrong with him. He was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and depression, but I did not know what that meant. I remember thinking, “Well you are not sad all the time, why are you depressed?” I remember thinking, “Even being sad a little bit, why he would be sad, because he had us – we had our family.” But I didn't understand the struggle that he was in. I remember in high school I would come home and he would be sleeping; I remember that he just wasn't there for me. I knew that he loved me and that he was present, but I didn't have much of a relationship with him. I had a very close relationship with my mom, though. Dennis: And you know I am listening, Kristen, to the emotions that are coming back that are a decade old. This was a traumatic time in your life and having to deal with trying to sort through… suicides, deaths, rape, and even your father's inability to connect with you. Bob: Did your family know about the rape? Kristen: No! They didn't! I didn't tell anyone. Bob: So, you are processing a lot of this just locked down inside yourself? Kristen: Right! That is one of the things my mom mostly talks about; she wishes she would have known. They were trying to get me help. They knew something was wrong, but they didn't really know what had happened or what was bothering me so much. They asked me, but I wanted to be tough; I didn't want to have problems, so I didn't talk about my problems. I tried to be the person that helped everybody else ….and I kept all my problems to myself. Dennis: You were how old at the time? Kristen: I was 16! It was the summer of my 16th birthday. Dennis: And your response to that; I am sure you have found out now after sharing your story on college campuses, is not out of the ordinary. There is a lot of this occurring, and there is a lot of secrets being kept in the closet. Kristen: Yes! There are! Dennis: Because of shame and fear and what might happen. Kristen: Right! Bob: But to stuff all of that inside a 16 year old soul and with all that you were going through, it is no surprise that it erupted. I mean, looking back on it now, and I mention the demonic influence and we can't discount that, but the life's circumstances and again, it all getting kind of compressed and pushed down. You can see where somebody gets to a point where they go, “why stay?' Kristen: Yes! It just ate away at me. I had held on to hope, but it was getting less and less and less. And, that one moment was the moment that I had lost hope. Dennis: You didn't have a faith in Christ at that point to process all the evil that was occurring to you and around you and to your friends. So, there was no ability to interpret and to make sense and to have understanding at that point. Kristen: Right! I wasn't even trying to do it myself because I couldn't make any sense of it. If I would have had a relationship with God, I know that I would have went to Him for understanding. I didn't even know that He offered understanding or comfort or wisdom or strength in difficult times. So, I just tried to stuff it down and to handle it all myself. Dennis: And to the parent, right now, who is listening and they are saying, “Man, I wonder if this is taking place in my daughter or possibly my son?” What would you say to a mom, a dad; who has maybe sensing something is up, something has happened, but can't break through. Kristen: I would tell them to talk to their son and daughter and actually specifically if they have had suicidal thoughts. Ask them on a scale of 1 – 10, how much hope they have. Ask very specific questions because when you ask kids how they are doing, they are usually going to tell you they are fine. Or they are going to tell you on a surface level, but if you ask the tough questions they will tell you how they are really doing. I think that it is really important that parents listen and they don't judge them and they don't react in an extreme way. They need to be very, very understanding. I know that most of the adults and youths that talk to me; talk to me because they know that I understand. I think kids need their parents to understand, they need their grace and they need them to pray with them and model a relationship with Christ for them. Help them know how they can go to God for strength and for comfort and for understanding in difficult times. Bob: Kristen, as you were laid out across those railroad tracks, your legs dangling out off the tracks, train is coming; did you remain conscious through the entire point of impact? You said it was 33 cars at 55 mile per hour; there must have been a couple of minutes that the train ….. Kristen: Yes! I was conscious the whole time. I remember it all completely! Bob: Were you thinking, “Well, I must be about to die soon?” Kristen: Yes! I was waiting to die. I thought it – “Any minute now…” Actually when the train stopped I wasn't sure if I were alive or dead. I remember just opening my eyes and unclenching my fists and starting to look around because I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what it was like to die! Obviously I just had no idea what to think. When I was looking around, I looked behind me; to my right and I saw my legs about 10 feet behind me on my right. I knew they were my legs because they have these brand new bright white tennis shoes on them that I had just gotten for Christmas. But, it just seemed like it wasn't real, this couldn't be happening, this had to be a horrible nightmare – and this couldn't be happening. I kind of tried to gather myself and I crawled out from underneath the train. I looked down at my legs to see if they were actually gone. In that moment this tremendous peace just came over me and I started hearing this song, “Amazing Grace,” playing over and over in my head and I just thought, “I must be dying! I must be going to heaven! That could only be music from heaven!” What I feel like God was doing is just meeting me in that moment and showing me, “Kristen, you don't need your mom, you just need Me! You don't need your mom, you just need ME! I am the only ONE who can help you in this circumstance!” So, I remember just resting in that peace though. I think I might have started to lose consciousness because the next thing I remember is feeling a Firefighter take my hair off of my face and pull it behind my ear. I had not heard him come up to me, but when he did that I opened my eyes and looked up at him and he kind of stumbled back because he…. wasn't expecting me to be alive. I remember just feeling anger and fear rise up in me because I didn't want anyone to see me like this. I didn't want anyone to help me or save me. I was embarrassed too! I just didn't know what to think or feel or do, but he radioed to all the other medical personnel of my location, my status, and they tried to call …Flight-For-Life. But they couldn't bring in Flight-For-Life… because the weather was too bad, so they did something that they had never done since; that wasn't protocol that they had never done before. They blocked all of the intersections and roads from where I was to the closest hospital that could take me. That was normally a 45 minute drive, but the police report says they got me there in 8 minutes. Dennis: “Hmmmm” Kristen: So, I think, I can only attribute that kind of speed to God! I definitely see Him in those details! When I got to the hospital, the doctors and nurses were kind of in shock because I had lost 8 pints of blood; and scientifically you are supposed to die after you lose 5. Not only was I alive, I was talking. I knew my mom and dad's phone number and my sister's phone number; things like that and they were writing them down so they could tell them what had happened to me. I remember looking up to the man in the white coat next to me who I assumed to be the doctor and asking him if he thought I would l live. I remember him telling me, “he didn't know.” He says that he said that because he knew that I needed to fight… I could die… but that to live I needed to fight …because I shouldn't have been alive and …..Nobody knew how much time I had left. Bob: Were you still thinking at that time, “Well, I guess I will die soon?” Kristen: I was hoping that I would die in surgery. Or something like that. Dennis: I am listening to your story here and I am seeing you smile; I am also seeing you cry. And it is because in the midst of this trauma you found …the God of the universe and you found… redemption and you found that personal relationship with Christ and instead of hearing a song about, “Amazing Grace,” you now sing it! Kristen: Exactly! Dennis: Yeah! And you have found the ONE who did bring hope! We want to share more of that story later with our listeners. I am just wondering, Bob, if there is a person now, who doesn't know Christ and where they are. I would just encourage them to give us a call and let us put some literature in your hands so that you can come into a personal relationship with Christ. There just may be somebody listening right now who may be on the precipice of what you were doing and I don't want them to have to go through the trauma that you went through to find Christ. Bob: The reality is that there are circumstances that come in life that lead us to despair. I think Dennis, about the book of “Psalms” and the times that David the psalmist found himself in those moments where he cried out with the kind of desperate anguish that you described, Kristen. The kind of hopelessness that he felt and that you felt. And yet, the message of the gospel is a message of hope in the midst of despair; that the circumstances of this life are not the defining reality that shapes our existence. I just want to encourage listeners if you are at a point of hopelessness and despair and you don't have settled in your own heart the reality that there is God who loves you, who is in control of life, and who knows what He is doing; and who walks with you through the valley and brings you out on the other side. If you don't know that God; if you don't have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you to call us at 1800-FLTODAY and ask for a copy of the book, Pursuing God. It is a book that we will send you, at no cost and that will introduce you to what it means to have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. Again, call 1-800-FLTODAY and ask for a copy of the book, Pursuing God, and we will send it to you at no cost and we pray that God will use this book to bring hope and help in the midst of whatever circumstances you find yourself in. And then let me encourage you to go online at FamilyLifeToday.com; to find out more about Kristen's book, Life in Spite of Me. It is her story and it is an extraordinary story of hope after of what she intended as a fatal choice! Again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com; for more information about Kristen's book. There is also information about other resources that we have on depression and on suicide. You will find it on FamilyLifeToday.com; or if it is easier to call us toll-free, 1-800-FLTODAY. Do that, call 1800-358-6329. That's 1-800 F as in “family” L as in “life” and then the word TODAY. And we can make arrangements to have the resources you need sent to you. Now, let me just mention to you that we have heard from many of our listeners over the last week who have gotten in touch with us to get more information about our Valentine's week Love Like You Mean It cruise that we are going to be taking February 14-18, 2011. Dennis and Barbara, Crawford and Karen Loritts are going to be on the cruise with us; along with Kirk Cameron and Shaunti Feldhahn, Big Daddy Weave, Selah, Point of Grace. It is going to be a great week-long cruise for couples. Last week and again this week we have been letting FamilyLife Today listeners know that you can sign up for the cruise ; and we have got a limited number of cabins still available, but you can sign up basically for half-price. It is Buy-One-Get-One free. Your stateroom is half-price when you sign up this week. If you want to take advantage of this special offer for FamilyLife Today listeners, when you sign up you have to type, my name, “BOB”…in the promo-code box on the online registration form. Get more information when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the link to the Love Like You Mean It cruise and then make plans to join us Valentine's week, February 14-18, 2011 for the FamilyLife – Love Like You Mean It cruise; again more information online at FamilyLifeToday.com. And, be sure to join us back tomorrow. Kristen Anderson is going to be here again, and we are going to hear about the hope that followed the despair in her life. I hope you can be here with us for that! I want to thank our engineer today Keith Lynch and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today. FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. ©Copyright 2010 __________________________________________________________________We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs? Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved.www.FamilyLife.com
I Survived My Suicide - Part 1I Survived My Suicide - Part 2I Survived My Suicide - Part 3FamilyLife Today® Radio TranscriptReferences to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Life in Spite of MeDay 2 of 3 Guest: Kristen Jane Anderson From the Series: A Flicker of Hope________________________________________________________________Bob: When she was 17 years old, Kristen Jane Anderson sought to end her life by lying across a railroad track as the train was approaching. Miraculously, she survived; although her legs were severed. She was soon to realize that God had a purpose for her life. Kristen: Three months after I lost my legs, I was out of the hospital. We went back to church that Sunday. A woman came up to me who had heard about what happened to me. She told me that I would have gone to hell if I died. It was very difficult at the time, but I am very grateful that she was that bold at the time because it helped me see my need for Him. It helped me think about where I would have gone eternally. “If I had died, where would I go?” I had never thought about it more than at that time in my life. Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Thursday, September 9th. Our host is the President of FamilyLife Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. Kristen Jane Anderson joins us today to share a story of beauty from ashes and redemption from tragedy. Welcome to FamilyLife Today; thanks for joining us. I have read the statistics about teenage suicide, about teens who overdose on a handful of pills from the medicine cabinet or who do violence to themselves in some way to take their own lives. Dennis: Right. Bob: I don't know that I have ever heard a story like the one we are hearing this week. Dennis: Yes. We have a guest with us this week who is willing to tell a profound story, quite a drama. Kristen Jane Anderson joins us on FamilyLife Today. Welcome back. Kristen: Thank you. Dennis: Kristen, you have written a book called Life, In Spite of Me. As our listeners heard earlier, that really is an understatement. A lot of things had taken place in your life that had left you hopeless, right? Kristen: Yes. A lot of things happened. Dennis: Yes. Your father was struggling from depression as you grew up as a little girl and as a teenager. You had three friends, as a teenager, who lost their lives—one to suicide. You had a couple of guys stalking you—one who raped you. You were hopeless and no one knew it. Kristen: No. My family especially knew something was wrong with me because it wasn't in my character to not come home when I was supposed to. I had started drinking and smoking and things like that. That wasn't anything I had done before. I also stopped playing soccer. That was something that I loved to do, and so they knew something was wrong with me. They just didn't know how much was wrong inside and how I was feeling. Bob: You say they knew something was wrong. If you were to look back and say, “There had been something going back in my heart and soul for a month...three months...six months.” What? Kristen: I think that it was a lot going on that whole period of time, but I think the last six months before my attempt were the worst. I think I just kind of died inside. I didn't care about my life or anything anymore. I drove around hoping somebody would hit me. I wanted my life to end. I didn't want to take it, though. People would ask me how I was doing. I would say, “I'm here.' Kind of like, “Isn't that good enough?” I had just a much more negative and a little bit of a bitter attitude. That wasn't my normal demeanor, but at the same time I still had a smile on my face. So people really were confused. Bob: Here it is the second day of the New Millennium, January 2, 2000. It is a cold day. You left the house, sitting in a park, just thinking about life. The impulse—really—it was an impulse hits you. Dennis: Yes. I want to make a comment about that because I have read this before that a number of suicides that occur among young people are done, not in a sense of really thinking it through, but just deciding at the spur of the moment. Kristen: Right. For me, it was. I could never have made that as a rational decision. If I was going to do it, it would have had to be impulsive. I think that most people would think that way. I think most kids, especially. They know that suicide is wrong. They can never rationalize it enough to think it is okay or it is right. Bob: You didn't think about writing a note saying, “It's all over.” You didn't have time. Kristen: No. I didn't have time and I wasn't worried about other people. I was in a very selfish place. Bob: So you went and laid across the railroad tracks with a train coming. Did the conductor see you dive across the tracks? Kristen: Yes. The police report says that the conductor said to the engineer, “Did you see that yellow flash?” The engineer said to the conductor, “Yes. I think we just hit someone.” The yellow flash that they saw was this yellow jacket that I had on—my winter coat. Dennis: It was a new coat that you had just gotten for Christmas was it, or was that the jeans you had gotten? Kristen: Right. The coat was new; the shoes were new. All of it was new actually. Bob: So you dove across the tracks. The conductor, the engineer said, “I think we just hit somebody.” They put on the brakes, brought the train to a stop? Kristen: Yes. Then they called 911. Bob: And came back finding you lying on the tracks, legs severed—one below the knee and the other... Kristen: They didn't come to find me, but the paramedics found me. Bob: Okay. Kristen: Yes, but with my legs severed. Bob: You have already shared with us this week that you were in record-time taken to the nearest hospital in your area—wheeled into surgery. Dennis: Still wanting to die. Kristen: Yes. Bob: And still thinking that was probably where you were headed. What is the next thing that you remember? Kristen: The next thing I remember was waking up in Intensive Care. I was in surgery all night long. The next thing I remember was waking up—opening my eyes, trying to figure out where I was. I saw my mother, my dad, my brother, my sister, and my brother-in-law all in the room, their arms crossed and their faces looking down at the floor. I couldn't understand where I was or why everyone looked so unhappy. Then my mom ran to the side of my bed. She said, “Honey, we are so glad you are okay.” I remembered what had happened the night before. I said, “Mom, they cut my clothes and they cut my coat.” She said, “Oh, honey. It's okay. We are just glad you are here. We can get you new ones. Don't worry about that.” She couldn't believe that I said that. I also wasn't thinking about the fact that I had lost my legs. In that moment I hadn't really understood the reality of it yet. Dennis: Were you angry at that point that you were alive? Kristen: It was interesting because at this point everyone was so happy to see me, and they were so happy I was alive. I had mixed emotions. I was beginning to be a little bit grateful that I lived, but I was still hoping that I would maybe slip away. Bob: Even in that moment, your desire to die—the thing that had propelled you onto the tracks—the thing that was still with you when the paramedics found you—now you are recovered; your family is there. They are saying, “We are just so glad you are here;” and you are still thinking, “I just want to go. I just want to be done with this.” Kristen: One of the things they have told me since then is that they were worried. If I didn't want to live my life with my legs, how was I going to want to live my life without my legs? That is kind of the place I was in. I didn't want to live my life with all my other problems and now I didn't have my legs! How was I going to do that? I didn't think I could do that. Bob: So the despair that had kind of come upon you impulsively was now gripping you in terms of just wanting it all to be over and life to end. There was still no sense of any kind of hope for the future for you. Kristen: It was small. It was very small. I didn't know what the future held, and because I was on a lot of medication—my emotions were very numb, which was good and bad at the time. It caused me not to think a lot—not to feel a lot; but I had hope, more than anything, in people. My hope was because people told me, “There is a reason you are here. God kept you here for a reason. There is something you are supposed to do here.” That was really encouraging to me. I didn't know why He kept me here or what I was supposed to do here; but I kind of held on to that because I realized that because of how much blood I lost and because of how many cars had run over me as fast as they did—all the scientific details—I knew I should have died; but I was alive. That did speak some volume to me about God and His faithfulness and His goodness and His love for me. I had a small hope that was growing. Dennis: There is one more emotion that you undoubtedly had to experience because you mentioned earlier that what kind of propelled you onto the tracks was you were really thinking about yourself. You didn't write a letter to your family members say, “Goodbye.” Kristen: No. I thought about them on the tracks. I thought, “They will get over me,” or things like that. I was worried how they would feel, but I was more consumed with my own pain. Dennis: When you finally kind of came to, and the drugs began to wear off, undoubtedly you began to experience some shame. Kristen: Yes. Dennis: And some embarrassment at what you tried to accomplish but didn't. I mean, you were alive! Kristen: Right.Dennis: And even though God was at work in your soul, how did you handle that? Kristen: It was a really hard for thing for me. I actually didn't remember laying on the tracks for a long time. People told me that the police report said it was an attempted suicide and everyone assumed it was, but I didn't remember doing it. I had a really hard time accepting that for a long time, but I began having flashbacks. Eventually I had a full flashback where I remembered laying on the tracks. That was devastating for me because I did not want to believe that I would do something like that; but it brought me closer to God because I started crying out for Him. I knew—I just felt so broken—I was so full of shame—I was so embarrassed. I was so overwhelmed, but I had started to work through some of the stuff that had happened before my attempted suicide in counseling so now I started to work through my actual attempted suicide. Bob: You said that you grew up in a home that was a church-going home and that you had been in church but you had not really heard about a personal relationship with Christ. In these times of despair and dealing with the circumstances you lived with, what were the influences that were drawing you in the direction of God? Kristen: Three months after I lost my legs, I was out of the hospital on a weekend visit before my next surgery. We went back to church that Sunday. A woman came up to me, who I didn't know, who had heard what had happened to me; and she told me I would have gone to hell if I had died. I had never thought about that before. Dennis: Wait. Wait a second. You are talking about somebody at church came up to you and said you would go to hell? Kristen: Right. Dennis: How did that hit you? Kristen: It was very hard for me because I had never thought about whether or not I would have gone to hell if I had died. I thought about it a little bit, but not really, because everyone around me told me, “Kristen, you would have gone to heaven. Don't worry about it.” They assured me of that, but I began to worry when she told me that there was a chance I could have gone to hell. I didn't just want to accept the “feel good” answer or think naively about it. I wanted to know if I would have died, where I would have been. If I would have been in hell right then, I wanted to know it. So, that is when I really started asking God where I would have gone. Very shortly after that, a couple, who were friends with my sister, came over to have dinner with my parents and me just to encourage us after everything that had happened. I found out that the man was studying in seminary to be a pastor. I took that as my opportunity to ask someone if he thought I would have gone to hell if I had died. He told me that every single one of us are created to be in a personal and intimate relationship with God, but because of our sin, because of the wrong things we have done, we are separated from Him eternally. But that is why Jesus died for us—to pay the penalty for our sins—to reunite us with God. Growing up in church, I had heard—I believed in God. I believed Jesus was the Son of God and I knew that He died for my sins, but I never knew that there was a choice I needed to make or that I was created to be in a personal, intimate relationship with Him. When this man told me this, I knew what he was telling me was truer than anything I had ever heard in my life, but I didn't want to just take his word for it. I asked him to show me in the Bible. He showed me a lot of different passages, but the verse that stood out to me the most was John 14:6. That is where Jesus says, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” I just knew that was exactly what I needed to know. I knew that the Father was in heaven—I knew that is where I wanted to go, but I knew that I had never made a personal decision to accept Jesus into my heart or my life or become a Christian. I didn't have a relationship with Him; so that night, sitting on the floor of my parents' dining room, I accepted Him into my heart and into my life. From that moment forward, I know that God was with me and the Holy Spirit was inside of me, working in many ways. He brought all these different people into my life. I ended up having a Christian counselor when I wasn't even seeking a Christian counselor. She spoke a lot of truth into my life. I went to a community college at the time. I met this woman who just shined with more love and light and joy than anyone I had ever met in my life. I remember going back from meeting her one day and saying, “God, I want to know You the way that lady knows You.” What I felt Him telling me was, “Kristen, you have to let me be your best friend. You have to start going to Me for everything.” I was still going to my friends and my doctors and my parents before Him; but He was the One who created me. He was the One who knew me. He was the One who made me. He knew my problems more than I did or anyone else did, and He knew the answers more than anyone else did. So I started going to Him before everyone else. I started centering my life around Him, putting Him first. I got involved in a really good Christian church where I started to grow spiritually. The closer I got with Him, the more I began to experience the joy and peace and contentment—just a love for life—like I never had before. Bob: What is the timeframe from what we are talking about—it was January when you attempted suicide. Kristen: Then it was March when I became a Christian—March of 2000. I still struggled with suicidal thoughts and depression for about three years. It was March 2003 when I started going to that church. So my relationship with Him was very immature, but I was growing in that time. I think one of the biggest reasons I struggled in those three years with depression after my attempt is because I didn't know how important it was to be part of a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching church—be a part of the body of Christ. I didn't know how much having Christian friends would help me. I also didn't know how real Satan was and that it was his desire to destroy me and mess with my life. I didn't realize how important it was for me to read the Bible every single day. I wasn't practicing a lot of things that I know would have been helpful for me in growing in my relationship with God. Dennis: I find it interesting that God would use a woman who came up to you and who told you that you were going to hell. Looking back on that, as offensive as that sounds here in this studio today, what are your thoughts about what that woman did and how God used that in your life? Kristen: It was very difficult at the time, but I am very grateful that she was that bold at the time because it helped me see my need for Him. It helped me think about where I would have gone eternally. If I died, I never thought about it more than at that time in my life. Dennis: Was she loving as she said it, or was she condemning as she said it? Kristen: She was just very frank. Bob: You think of saying that to somebody who is three months' out of the hospital in a wheelchair, no legs; and just walking up and saying, “You know, it is a good thing you lived; because if had died, you would have gone to hell.” It is bold. Some people would say it is insensitive to say that; but you are sitting here going, “No. It was sensitive to the real needs in my life.” Kristen: I needed to hear it. She could have said those words in a nicer way, but it was what I needed to hear—regardless. Bob: Kristen, the three years from when you trusted Christ in your parents' living room. I have to ask you about that. Were your parents sitting there as this seminary student is unveiling the gospel for you? Kristen: Yes. Bob: What are they thinking? Kristen: I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they were all just focused on me. They weren't thinking for themselves; they were just thinking... Bob: ...maybe this will help Kristen. Kristen: Right. Exactly. Bob: In their presence, did you pray that night? Kristen: It was after the couple left and after my parents were doing their own thing. They didn't know that I was accepting Christ as I sat on the floor that night. Bob: Did you say the next day, “Mom, Dad, I prayed last night to become a Christian”? Kristen: I didn't tell them, but I told my best friend. Dennis: But you did tell somebody. Kristen: Yes. Bob: The next three years you continued to battle, primarily because you didn't get plugged in. Is that right? Kristen: Yes; definitely. I actually tried going to a number of churches, but they weren't wheel-chair accessible. I never felt like I fit in there for one reason or another, but I visited this church that I ended up going to once before I ended up going back. I knew that God wanted me to go there. It was a whole year in between when I went back. I knew that is where He wanted me to be finally. Dennis: Kristen, in listening to your story—the older I get, the more aware I am of how many people are hurting. You have already said how many people have read your book and written you and have given it to other people because there are a lot of hopeless people—a lot of people who need to have hope born in their hearts, like He was born in your heart. I think what I would like you to do is just to speak directly to that person who is listening who is pretty hopeless, who needs Christ. Maybe he or she has been going to church; maybe they haven't. Maybe they stumbled onto this broadcast, but they need to find the One who can redeem them from hell and from their sins and have hope born in their lives. Kristen: If you are struggling with pain in your life, or with suicidal thoughts, or with depression, I want you to know that there is a reason you are here. God created you for a purpose. No matter what you are going through, it is temporary. You are not alone. He has tremendous plans for you. There is hope in Christ that surpasses anything in this world. He has so much hope for us. He has so many plans for us—every single one of us. Nobody is an accident, including you. There is a reason you are here. I just want to encourage you to, “Hold on. Seek God with all of your heart.” I know you will find Him. He will bring you out of the depths of despair like He has me. Dennis: I just want to re-read that passage that was shared with you by that young man who was going through seminary, John14:6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'” Jesus Christ is the person at the center of Christianity. He is the One who makes it possible for us to have a relationship with God. He will meet you at your point of despair. There is nothing you are facing, nothing you are going through, that is bigger than the God Who loves you. My encouragement to that listener is to cry out to God in prayer—a simple prayer. “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. I want to know Jesus Christ as my Lord, Master, and Savior.” If you do that, I have it on the authority of this book, the Bible, that He will meet you there; and He will save you from your disappointments, your sin—how you have offended God—and bring you into a right relationship with God. Bob: There are probably some things you need to do—some next steps you need to take, as Kristen has talked about here today, so that you don't find yourself spiritually stagnant. Many of those steps are outlined in a book we would like to send you at no cost—a book called Pursuing God. This is a book we send out to those who are considering what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether you have been in church throughout your life or not, if the spiritual lights are just starting to come on in your life, call us at 1-800-FLTODAY and let us send you a copy of the book Pursuing God by Jim Elliff. It is our gift to you; and it is our hope that God will use this book in a powerful way to bring you into a relationship with Jesus and to help you walk in that relationship as His child, as you put your trust in Him. You can request a copy of the book by calling 1-800-FLTODAY; that is 1-800-358-6329. Let me also encourage you to go to our website FamilyLifeToday.com. You can get information there about Kristen Anderson's book Life in Spite of Me—extraordinary hope after a fatal choice. There are also other books we have listed on the website that talk about the issue of depression and suicide. Again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information about the resources we have available. You can order online if you would like; or again, you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to request the resources you have heard us talk about today. Let me also mention that today and tomorrow are the last two days you have an opportunity to sign up and join us on the FamilyLife Love Like You Mean It cruise which we are going to be taking in February of 2011, actually Valentine's week, February 14-18. Dennis and Barbara Rainey are going to be on the cruise, along with Crawford and Karen Loritts, Kirk Cameron is going to be there, Shaunti Feldhahn is going to be there. We are going to have music from Selah and Point of Grace and Big Daddy Weave. It is going to be a great week for couples. The FamilyLife Love Like You Mean It cruise. The ship is almost full. We have a limited number of cabins still available. If you sign up by tomorrow, you can save 50 percent on your stateroom. It is a buy one; get one free arrangement for the cruise. All you have to do to take advantage of the special for FamilyLife Today listeners is type my name—type “BOB”—in the promo code box on the online registration form. We hope you will get more information by going on FamilyLifeToday.com. Click on the Love Like You Mean It cruise link, and we hope you will sign up and join us. We look forward to seeing you as we set sail next February on Valentine's Day. Let me also encourage you to be back here tomorrow. Kristen Anderson is going to join us again, and we are going to talk more about her life following her attempted suicide and about the hope that she has found. I hope you can tune in for that. I want to thank our engineer today Keith Lynch and our entire broadcast production team on behalf of our host Dennis Rainey; I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of FamilyLife Today. FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock Arkansas Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. © 2010 FamilyLife __________________________________________________________________We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs? Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved.www.FamilyLife.com
I Survived My Suicide - Part 1I Survived My Suicide - Part 2I Survived My Suicide - Part 3FamilyLife Today® Radio TranscriptReferences to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Life in Spite of MeDay 3 of 3 Guest: Kristen Jane Anderson From the Series: And Then God...________________________________________________________________Bob: At age 17, Kristen Jane Anderson survived a suicide attempt. Today, more than ten years later, she has a powerful message for those who find themselves in despair. Kristen: If you're struggling with pain in your life or with suicidal thoughts or with depression, I want you to know that there's a reason you are here, that God created you for a purpose. No matter what you're going through, it's temporary. You're not alone. He has tremendous plans for us, every single one of us. Nobody is an accident including you. There is a reason you're here. So, I just want to encourage you to hold on, to seek God with all of your heart, and I know that you will find Him. He will bring you out of the depths of despair like he has me. Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Friday, September 10th. Our host is the President of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey and I'm Bob Lepine. Kristen Anderson joins us today to give a reason for the hope that is within her. And welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us. We've been hearing a remarkable story of God's redeeming work in the heart and the life of a young woman this week. A young woman who attempted suicide by laying across railroad tracks, and miraculously, God spared her life. But, I'm just thinking, here we are at a point in the unfolding of this story where all of a sudden, life has meaning and purpose, joy and hope. There's just this one bummer, and that is, “I don't have legs anymore.” I don't mean to sound crass or trivial about it but… Dennis: It's the result of what took place. Bob: Here is hope re-dawning but, I'm in a wheelchair with no legs. Life is going to be very different from here on out because of a decision I made—an impulsive decision—trying to end my own life. Dennis: Well, that young lady joins us again on FamilyLife Today; she's the author of the book, Life in Spite Of Me. Kristen Jane Anderson joins us again on FamilyLife Today, Kristen welcome back. I just have to tell you, I really appreciate your willingness to go back and revisit some very painful moments both emotionally and physically as you shared about that attempt at suicide. Kristen: Thank you; I really appreciate you having me on. Dennis: I wanted to ask you, just as you have processed the loss of your legs like Bob is talking about here, people who lose a limb experience what's called “phantom pain”? Kristen: Yes. Dennis: Or they have the feeling, the phantom is as though their legs are still there? Kristen: Right. Dennis: Do you experience that? Kristen: Yes. I always feel like my legs are still there. It's really interesting. It's not like they feel normal or anything. But it feels like they're still there. It's very interesting. Bob: Are there times you'll wake up in the middle of the night and without stopping to think about it, think “I'll just swing my legs out and get up out of bed”? Kristen: Not as often as I used to. In the beginning I used to always be really surprised by my wheelchair next to my bed. But now I'm pretty used to it. Every once in a while I'll think, “I want to go for a run.” Or something like that, that I can't do any more. Bob: The thing that I keep thinking about here is, at a point when your life experienced a radical transformation, you trusted Christ, you began to understand what it means to follow Him and to give your life to Him, and you're a new creation in Christ. The thing is, the old you had legs, the new you doesn't. Kristen: Right. Bob: How do you process that? Kristen: The thing that helped me the most was learning that I was whole in Christ, whether or not I had legs isn't what made me whole. He was more than enough for all of me, I didn't need anything more. The more that I trusted Him, and I put my faith in Him, the more I just felt whole. I realized I was going to fine without my legs. I was going to be fine as long as I had Him. I didn't need them as much as I needed Him. Dennis: You said before we came into the studio, that you've been working with—is it a physician who creates prosthetics? Kristen: Yes, he's called a prosthetist. Dennis: You've been working with him for four years? Kristen: Longer actually.Dennis: Actually longer than that? Yet, it's interesting to see your demeanor. You have some opinions about why they have not been able to fit you with legs at this point. Kristen: Yes. I'm a difficult case to fit. But I think that everything happens for a reason, and I think there's a reason I'm not walking now. As I've tried to think through that, pray through that and see what the reasons might be, I feel like, it's just not God's time yet. I think that He has used my story and me in a way that he had planned to use it with me in my wheelchair. It has also taught me a tremendous amount of patience, and it has made me a lot more humble for me to be in my wheelchair. Dennis: I'm listening to you say that, and I'm flashing back to the story of January 2nd, 2000, when you were draped across the railroad tracks and described something supernaturally, almost pushing you down as the train ran over you. Even though your legs were severed, you lost them. The condition of the young lady who had laid down on that track was without hope. Kristen: Right. Dennis: … had no purpose. Kristen: Right Dennis: The woman today who has no legs has a mission. She's on a mission. You're smiling. There are a lot of people who would say “I don't get that. How can you smile about that? Do you really believe that God has a purpose? Even in a self-described act of selfishness in trying to take your own life?” Kristen: Only God can give me this kind of joy. Only knowing Him and having a relationship with Him. Nothing compares to knowing Him. I am on a mission now. You're right. Because I want people to know that no matter what pain they're going through, no matter what they're feeling, no matter what they have in their past, or they're doing now, God can help them. He can heal that pain, he can bring them out of their situations and their disappointments and he can make them whole again. He can give them a purpose. He has a purpose for them. When He made them, when He created them he had a plan for their lives. Bob: But, here's my question for you. The joy that you're talking about, the hope the purpose, do you have that because you know you're supposed to, because you're a Christian—do you know what I'm saying? It's like… Dennis: And she goes to Moody Bible Institute… Bob: I mean, I go to church and they've been telling me, “You find your joy and your hope in Christ so I guess I need to, and I'm on a mission so I need to tell people that I have hope and joy…” Dennis: I wish people could see her face right now. Bob: “…because that's my job now.” Kristen: No, that's not me at all. I will tell you what I think no matter what. That's just actually how I feel. I tried to find joy in every other area of my life, and nothing else brought me joy. Seeing myself through His eyes, and seeing the world through His eyes and accepting Him into my life, and having Him at the center of things just make everything work a lot differently; it changes everything for me. So, I'm excited because I know Him. I'm happy because I know that I'm exactly where I need to be. I have joy because He has forgiven me, because He gave me a second chance over and over and over again. Bob: So you've got more joy with no legs than you ever had when you had your legs. Kristen: Undoubtedly. I wouldn't trade what's happened to me, what I've learned to have them back. Dennis: As you talk to young people around the country, are you seeing a need for them to find the same spiritual legs that you have found. Kristen: Yes. Every time I share my story with young people or older people. They all come up to me—almost every single one of them—and tell me that they struggled with suicidal thoughts and depression at one time, they are now struggling or they know somebody who has. So, they want to know how to help them or they want to know how they can be helped. Suicide and depression is an epidemic in our culture. Eight out of ten people think about suicide and one out of ten try. It's the third cause of death of those between the ages of 15 and 24. I just want to make any difference that I can in the lives of those people, and those statistics. I know that they don't have to choose suicide as the answer, it's not an answer. It's not a choice to even consider. I want people to realize that there is another way, there is a much better way, it is the only way and that is through Jesus Christ. Bob: One of the ways in which you've seen God demonstrate what He's doing in your life happened when you were baptized right? Kristen: Yes. When I was baptized, I shared my story for the first time, and it really helped me realize His faithfulness through all of it. He did all of these little things to bring me into a relationship with Him. Dennis: I want to just stop you for a second. I want to put a timeline on this. Your accident happened January 2, 2000. You began a relationship with Christ in March, right? How long before you were baptized? Kristen: It was three years later.Dennis: So you'd had some time to truly think about this decision you'd made, before you told your story publicly. Kristen: Right. I didn't even know that people were encouraged to get baptized after they accepted Christ until I started going to a church where I learned that. So, everything—you couldn't have really seen the fruit in my life until I really started growing spiritually once I got to that church. But when I shared my story, at my baptism that day, I cried like crazy. At the end of it, they gave an invitation for people who had not accepted Christ yet, who wanted a relationship with Him, who wanted a new life with Him, and wanted to know they would go to Heaven. My mom raised her hand that day at my baptism. That was just the beginning of God bringing every single one of us in my family to Him. It was an incredible time. Bob: Did you know that? Did you see her out in the congregation raising her hand? Kristen: I saw her. I was actually two people down from her at that time. It was at the end of the service. Bob: What did you think? Kristen: I just remember thinking, “Thank you God, thank you God” just giving Him praise. I saw Him doing amazing things in my family. I knew that the closer we all were with Him, the better our family life would be, and the more healthy we would be. I just knew the difference it would make in our hearts and in our lives. I wanted her to forgive herself. Dennis: Oh, yes. Kristen: She blamed herself for what I did and I knew it wasn't her fault. I knew it wasn't my dad's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but my own. I took full responsibility for it and I knew that if she could feel Christ's forgiveness, she could begin to forgive herself. Bob: Was she the first person in your family to come to faith? Kristen: Yes. Bob: Who was next? Kristen: Then it was my dad, then it was my brother. Dennis: Before you go on to that. Your dad had a special nickname for you. Kristen: Yeah—How do you know this? Bob: We do our research on stuff like this. Dennis: What was that nickname?Kristen: He called me “Speedy Two-Shoes.” Dennis: Why did he say that? Kristen: Because I would run around the house and up and down the stairs and everything, like crazy. Dennis: But he came to faith in Christ, too? Kristen: Yes. Dennis: Was that dramatic for him to place his faith in Christ? Kristen: It has been incredible. He is one of the largest encouragements in my life now. He loves Christian radio, he listens to radio all the time, he reads his Bible all the time, he's always speaking… Bob: Can we say hi to him right now? We just want to say hi to your dad if he's listening to the radio. Kristen: He's just an incredible blessing. I cannot believe—he always says that he praises God for what He's done in my life. He's just so grateful for the way He turned my life around, for the way Jesus turned my life around and for the ways he is using me now. Bob: What was the turning point for him? Kristen: In Christian radio actually. He listened to Moody radio a lot and that was the biggest thing for him. He started reading his Bible. When I started going to church, I brought my mom with me, and she brought my dad with her. That's when it all happened. Then, he brought my brother to a men's conference and that's when my brother became a Christian. Bob: Wow. Dennis: I'm just thinking, Bob. You think back to the trauma of what Kristen has been through, the lack of hope that you had as a young person. If somehow we could have come to you and told you what was going to occur, would you have believed it as a 15, 16, 17 year old young lady? Would you have believed your family would be transformed by Jesus Christ? Kristen: No. I wouldn't have believed it. Dennis: How are they more of a family today than they were back then? Kristen: We're more of a family because we talk about things now. We talk about real life. We talk about what's hurting us, what helps us, what God is doing in our hearts and in our lives. We pray together and we support each other and we encourage each other. We did some of that before, but it was a lot more surface level, there were a lot more walls. Now we are just completely real with each other, and we have Jesus at the center. He just makes it all work in a completely different way. Dennis: And it works perfectly. There is never any conflict or any disappointment or… Kristen: No. It doesn't work—nothing is perfect. But, it is completely different. It is a lot easier now. We know from scripture a much better way to handle problems and we know that God is with us. We know He's going to carry us through whatever we face. We know that he commands us to forgive one another, so we do that. We mean it, and we love each other more. Bob: You shared your story publically for the first time at your baptism. But then people started saying, would you come share your story with this group or with that group. Did that take you by surprise? Were you a little uncomfortable with that at first? Kristen: It was very surprising for me. I wasn't expecting that at all. But, because they heard me share my story at my baptism, they knew my story and they knew that it might help some young people. That's why I decided to share it for the first time after my baptism. It was at a high school youth group in my church. I really just did it because I wanted them to learn from my mistakes, and didn't want them to have to have anything like that happen to them before they had a real growing relationship with Christ. I just wanted to help them in any way that I could help them grow. So, I shared my story and after I shared my story, almost all of them came up to me and told me that they were struggling. They were reaching out for help because they didn't know how they could face another day or another year. They were all in different situations. I wanted to help them all, but I couldn't do that. But, I began helping as many kids as I could. I began speaking at other churches and youth events where I was invited to speak. Bob: You began helping them how? What were you doing? Kristen: I was just talking with them, I was just being there for them. I was just loving them. They just needed somebody who understood and who could give them, godly advice. So I tried to do that as best as I could as I was growing spiritually. Bob: We don't realize how huge that is in the life of a teenager, for somebody to come along and say, “I'll listen, I'll talk. Just share whatever you want to share.” Dennis: Yes, but what really gave you the credibility, is that you were willing to be authentic. I mean, you are a living testimony, a living illustration… Kristen: I didn't pretend like my life was perfect, or like it ever was. I told them exactly what it was, and what it is now. Dennis: If I was a parent, listening to you right now, I think I might be a little afraid. No, seriously, for young people today growing up in this culture, why do you think young people today seem to be more susceptible to what you're calling “hopelessness and suicide, and despair”? Kristen: I think they're more impressionable. I think they think more about what other people think about them. They are not content with who they are. They have all the pressures of media to look this way, or get this car or whatever it is. They don't think they are ever good enough. They don't think they'll ever amount to anything. They think that they aren't beautiful, they think that they're not special, they don't know that God made them, created them for a purpose or for a reason. I think that, I would be scared as a parent for those reasons too. I think that the best thing that parents can do, though is to be authentic with their kids just like they want their youth leaders to. They need to be the first encouragement in their lives after Christ. Not the youth pastor, not the youth leaders, they need to be involved, they need to ask the questions, they need to have the real vulnerable talks, and they need to be open to whatever they are saying, whatever they're going through, and whatever their friends are going through. They need to keep the lines of communication open, I guess, because that was one of the problems for me. I didn't feel like my mom would understand. I thought she would think badly of me, or of my friends. Bob: You started, not only speaking at youth group or some places around town, but now you are getting invitations to travel and speak. And you spoke at the chapel at Moody Bible Institute. You spoke in Christian colleges, I mean it started to just snowball for you. Kristen: Yes, I was getting more requests to share my story specifically, than I could even go. I couldn't go all the places I was being invited. Bob: Then at one point, you got a call to come share your story in an unusual setting. Kristen: Yes, I got a call to share my story on Oprah, and that was in 2006. Dennis: There was only one condition that you gave the producers of Oprah, it was the condition that you would appear on the program. Kristen: I told them that I would be on the show if they would let me share Jesus and my faith, because, that was the biggest part of my story. That was my story, I couldn't change it. Dennis: You didn't have anything to say if you couldn't talk about Him. Kristen: Exactly. Dennis: I want to go to a bigger issue of your future. I have a feeling there is a listener or two wondering, “I wonder what her dreams are for her life.” Tell us what you'd like to do, and be long haul. You want to be a wife? A mom? Huh? Kristen: I think that God created me to be a wife and a mother more than anything else. But I also think that He made me to help bring other people into a closer relationship with Him. So, that is my main focus, my main drive right now before I get married and have children. Dennis: But if you meet the right guy, you are beaming right now. If you meet the right guy, you're going to go to a Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway. You're going to go through the pre-married section. Kristen: Yes. Dennis: You already had some coaching on this. And she's grinning. We'll stop right there, Bob. Bob: I think that's wise of you to do. Dennis: I think it is. Bob: Yes. Dennis: Well, I just want you to know, I really admire you and your courage. I think it could have been very easy for a young lady in a hospital bed, waking on January 3, 2000, to have just, given up, and maybe gone ahead and died. But somehow God pursued you and gave you a flicker of hope. You didn't give into hopelessness but took something that was really a wrong choice, a bad choice at the time, and you turned to Him. I'm just thrilled to hear your story of redemption, Kristen, and, to hear of God's work in your life. I hope you'll not only share Jesus Christ with the hundreds of thousands of folks who'll be listening to FamilyLife Today, but also millions through your book, and other speaking engagements that God gives you. Thanks for being on our broadcast. Kristen: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure to meet both of you. Bob: I have to tell you, I think there are a lot of people who have heard you share your story this week who are thinking, “Boy, I'd love to read her story. But more than that, I know someone who could really benefit from reading Kristen's story.” The book you've written is called Life in Spite of Me, we've got it in our FamilyLife Today Resource Center. Let me encourage you to go online at FamilyLifeToday.com for more information on how to order a copy of Kristen's book. We also have other resources on depression and on suicide. You can find those when you go to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com or if you need help, if you're looking for something specific, call 1-800-FL-TODAY and talk to someone on our team about what resources we might have available, either online or something we can send out to you. Again, the toll free number 1-800-358-6329. That's 1-800 F as in “family” L as in “life” and then the word TODAY. Or go online at FamilyLifeToday.com. Now, I need to remind listeners, today is the last day that you can sign up for our FamilyLife Love Like You Mean It Cruise, that is going to be sailing from south Florida on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2011. Dennis and Barbara Rainey are going to be on board the ship, along with Crawford and Karen Loritts, Kirk Cameron, Shaunti Feldhahn, Mary Ann and I are going to be there as well. Music from Point of Grace and Selah, and Big Daddy Weave. It's going to be a great week for couples and we hope you can come along. I say today's the last day to sign up, actually you can sign up after today, but two things are happening. First of all, the ship is starting to fill up, and secondly, today is the last day for the buy-one-get-one-free half price offer that we're making to FamilyLife Today listeners. If you sign up today, and you type my name, type “BOB” where you see the promo code box on the online form, you will save 50 percent on your stateroom costs. So, again get more information by going online at FamilyLifeToday.com, click the link to the Love Like You Mean It cruise, and get signed up today. Then we'll see you Valentine's Day as we set sail from south Florida. And with that we've got to wrap things up for today. I hope you have a great weekend. I hope you and your family are able to worship together this weekend. I hope you can join us back on Monday. Paul Miller is going to be here to help us unravel the mystery of prayer, and talk about what we can do to have a richer, deeper, prayer life. We'll talk about that Monday, I hope you can be with us. I want to thank our engineer today Keith Lynch and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you Monday for another edition of FamilyLife Today. FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. © Copyright 2010 __________________________________________________________________We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs? Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved.www.FamilyLife.com
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
