One of the most important ingredients in marriage is forgiveness. I read on Pinterest, which is renowned for both its wisdom and accuracy, that a good marriage is made of two good forgivers. Few things are more true than that statement. Inevitably, you will fail each other. You will sin against one another. So, if your husband/wife sins against you what should you do? Forgive. Easier said than done I know, but it really is freeing. In the silent whispers of our minds often lurks the lie that if we refuse to forgive, somehow that will make everything ok and cause him/her to change. Holding onto your unforgiveness in the form of a grudge will only poison your marriage further. It will NEVER improve your marriage. It will NEVER make your husband/wife want to please you. Unforgiveness is cyanide. Stop drinking it. If you want your marriage to survive you must learn to drink the fresh water of forgiveness instead. I heard a story once about a woman who was married to a pastor. He cheated on her multiple times over the years and kept it from her. Eventually, he confessed it to her and repented. Everyone around her kept encouraging her to leave him and divorce him, but she wanted to forgive him. Because of the pressure from those around her she felt guilty for wanting to forgive him. She sought counsel and was given some very wise words. They were these: It is never foolish to hope and pray for the redemption and restoration of your marriage. Those words helped free her to ignore the bad advice from others and pursue forgiving her husband. How beautiful! I know most people would think it is absurd to forgive your husband/wife for doing something so terrible. Yes, sins have consequences and a wayward spouse should not be given freedom to "run around" and expect it not to affect the relationship. But when the spouse is truly repentant, we must forgive. How many times have you failed your spouse? What if they held that over your head constantly, though you repented? If...

Have you ever been in a room with a friend and forgot to pay attention to her? You are aware she is talking, but you are not listening. Perhaps you are staring over her shoulder out the window and pondering the contents of the package that was just delivered to your neighbor across the street. At some point or another, we have all been guilty of this kind of behavior. Perhaps more often than we even realize. In fact, it is a daily struggle for me. It is a struggle not to look over the tiny heads within my home and out into the world. I tend to think of sharing the gospel as something that is to be done "out in the world". When I think of evangelism I think of street evangelism. I am guilty of forgetting my responsibility to the little blessings God has given me. Going out and sharing the gospel is vital and mandatory in the life of every believer, but don't forget to share it within your home as well! My two little boys' souls are just as depraved and desperate for the gospel as anyone else with whom I could share. There will be seasons in your life, especially if you have young children, in which most of your days are spent at home. You do the laundry, cook, clean, and make sure everyone has their nap. Do not let yourself believe that those things are worthless. As wives and mothers, we have been called to manage our homes. As a stay-at-home mom I do not have as many opportunites to share the gospel with strangers as many do. And on days when I do venture out, it can be quite a challenge to have a meaningful conversation with two little boys in tow. At times I have found this discouraging and felt that I am being disobedient by not meeting some imaginary gospel-sharing quota that I had set for myself. But I have found much freedom in realizing that my foremost priority is to be sharing the gospel within my home. That is...