The Power of Intimate Friendships
Single or married, why you can't afford to neglect female friends.
Our friends are among life's greatest treasures. They help us negotiate the difficult hurdles of life— the travails of puberty, our "unreasonable" parents, our 20-something romances. Later they coach us through first-time motherhood. They are there when kids go off to college...... >Read More
Tags:
friendship,
friendships and social life,
healthy marriage,
Karen L. Schenk,
loneliness and isolation,
marriage,
relationships,
sex and love,
Women
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Inner Quietness in the Midst of Busyness
Take a Life Lesson on managing your time wisely
In the brief moments I am awake each morning before my alarm rings, I often find myself doing a mental calculation of the many things I will need to do when my feet touch the floor. Planning meals, organizing rides for the kids, and ensuring each family member has what they need for the... >Read More
Tags:
Career,
Family,
Karen L. Schenk,
LIFE,
Men,
parenting,
stress,
Women
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Ordinary Enough to be Used by God
I hung up the phone feeling somewhat shocked by what I had just heard. For years I admired Shawna and often felt awestruck by her deep heart and passion for helping people.
Today Shawna shared with me how incredibly ordinary she felt and how she was paralyzed by a sense of inadequacy. “My greatest desire is to do something that... >Read More
Tags:
Bible study,
discipleship,
Karen L. Schenk,
small groups,
spirituality,
Women
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The Pursuit of Lasting Beauty
I will never forget the first dress I bought with my own money. I was 11 years old. I had saved long and hard and finally purchased the dress of my dreams for the Christmas pageant. I thought I looked like a princess. Then in one sweeping moment, that confidence dissipated and I wanted to crawl into a hole.... >Read More
Tags:
beauty,
Karen L. Schenk,
LIFE,
self-esteem,
Women
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Scared to Have People Over?
I discovered the true meaning of hospitality--that it's an attitude of the heart--with help from my mom and a pot of spaghetti.
When our family moved away from relatives, my mom, longing to have people in our house, began to make friends and also to entertain, despite having six children under 8. Those first days of inviting guests must have... >Read More
Tags:
Culture,
home and garden,
Karen L. Schenk,
Men,
relationships,
Women
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An Empowered Homecoming
Susan and her husband Jim had been actively involved in church ministry. Susan was increasingly troubled, because she had noticed her husband’s Bible had been untouched for several months. She knew he was in a spiritual slump. Then one day her husband expressed his interest in going on a short term mission. Initially she couldn’t understand why,...... >Read More
Tags:
husband,
Karen L. Schenk,
marriage,
ministry,
relationships,
women and men
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When Friends Fail You
A fresh wave of anguish flooded over Emily as she recalled the shocking conversation between her and Lindsay. They had been best friends, sisters of the heart for the past 15 years, and now the relationship was destroyed. Lindsay had no desire to reconcile. Emily needed to deal with the intense pain and come to terms with the broken... >Read More
Tags:
communication,
friendship,
Karen L. Schenk,
loss,
Men,
Women
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A Healthy Self-Esteem Can Empower You
Letting go of my children has always been difficult for me. I... >more
Simplifying Chaotic Lives
Is it possible to eliminate the chaotic frenzy that accompanies the demands... >more
What Do You Fear?
