Your Relationships

When Marriage is a Multiple Choice Test - #6259

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

There are few words that strike fear into the heart of a student like the word "test." Now, I'm informed that some are to be feared more than others. For example, an essay test is a 10 on the anxiety scale. You have to know your stuff. True and false, well, that's not as bad. And multiple choice, oh man, that seems to be especially popular among students. See, there's the right answer right in front of you; just pick the right one. Now, occasionally multiple choice tests are complicated by those confusing words: All of the above, or none of the above, which makes it a little tougher. Actually, academic tests are pretty good preparation for the real test that you take for the rest of your life.

How to Make a Woman Feel Loved - #6238

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Men and women are different. Now that is not exactly news worth tuning in for, but now trying to understand those differences, now we could talk about that for a long time. For example, one of those differences shows up when my wife and I are driving long distances across this country. I can sum up the difference pretty succinctly. She wants to stop and see things; I want to get there! My honey sees signs for an interesting attraction or the kind of store she likes and she suggests we stop and check it out. Not me. Hey, we have a destination to get to girl! Who wants to waste time along the way? Guy-think!

How to Save Your Child - #6235

Friday, December 3, 2010

Download MP3 (right click to save)

It was so dramatic that the cable news networks just kept replaying the video. A mother and her baby were trapped in a burning building. Some people saw the mother leaning out of the second story window with her baby in her arms, desperately trying to save him from both the smoke and the fire. The news video showed three people standing directly beneath that window, ready to catch the infant. It was an agonizing choice for that mother. If she held onto her baby, if she let him go; either way she risked his life. Finally, painfully, she released her baby and dropped him toward the people waiting underneath. It was breathtaking to see one man catch that little guy in his hands. It just so happens that he plays softball and he's a, guess what, a catcher. That baby's fine today, because a mother made a hard but life-saving choice.

The Avalanche Zone - #5947

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

He was having a great day on the slopes, and a lot of fresh snow - an already deep base. It was just the kind of day an experienced skier would hope for. But then this one skier decided that he wanted more. He skied onto another part of the mountain; a section that was clearly marked with a large skull-and-crossbones sign with a warning about going any farther written in bold print: "You may die. You decide." It couldn't be any plainer than that, huh? Sadly, that skier decided to ski where he never should have gone. Then came the massive avalanche that drove him headlong into a tree and buried him in a snowy grave.

Silent Guys - #5875

Friday, July 17, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Barber shops are interesting places to do a study of the male half of the human race. It's really "Guy's World." That's what made me take special notice of the dad who came into the barber shop with his two young daughters. They were doing fine, and it was really neat to see how the three of them got along. But you just don't usually see many females at a barber shop. I smiled at that dad and I said, "Your daughters are really well-behaved. It must be interesting for them to be here. It's kind of a 'guy's world' isn't it?" "Yeah," he replied. "Not much talking."

Hugging the Wrong Thing - #5850

Friday, June 12, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Little Cindy had been a bad girl. She'd been sent from the dinner table to her room. After a little while, Mom and Dad thought the point had been made. They knew that children, of course, need to be assured of our love when we've disciplined them. So, Daddy went upstairs, opened the door to Cindy's room, and found her in bed, under her covers, snuggling with her arm wrapped tightly around her favorite dolly. Her father sat on the bed and he just gently said, "Cindy, I love you." Then he held out his arms to hug her. For a moment, the little girl just looked straight ahead and she hugged her dolly closer. But that couldn't last. Very soon, Cindy dropped her dolly and grabbed her Daddy in a big hug. Because a dolly is no substitute for a daddy!

The Mirror That Loves You - #5847

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

We were eating with friends at a restaurant, and my wife unobtrusively gave me "the sign." She brushed her upper lip with her fingers. I know what that means - it's nothing romantic. Some crumb of my dinner has managed to escape going in my mouth, and it's on my mouth instead. If we're alone when that happens, I usually tell her, "Oh, I'm just saving it for later." I don't know why she doesn't just let me embarrass myself. That's called love, isn't it? I have no way of knowing that I'm carrying something that's going to embarrass me or make me look bad because I can't see myself. But she can and she loves me enough to tell me.

A Makeover For the Woman You Love - #5774

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

It's no wonder many American women are unhappy with their looks. They're comparing themselves to the magazine pictures of these flawless models. Of course, that woman doesn't really exist. She's the creation of hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe specialists, special lighting and hundreds of continuous-frame photos, from which one good one is selected and then airbrushed to remove all the imperfections. Nobody looks good compared to that mythical icon - including the real girl in the picture! But with our obsession with a certain definition of beauty, the word "makeover" has become more and more popular. They even have TV shows that have been totally devoted to transforming a woman thought of as "average" into someone much more stylish. It just takes some time backstage with the hair, makeup, and wardrobe magicians. And with the split screen showing her "before," out steps this glamorous "new woman" with her makeover!

Showing Your Relationship - #5765

Friday, February 13, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

I was a speaker for a youth camp, and I'd been pouring out my heart to those teenagers in service after service. At the end of the week some kids came up to me and said, "Do you know what really affected us the most this week?" I was waiting to hear which message, which illustration, or which challenge had impacted them. It wasn't any of those things. These teenagers said, "You know, Ron, we've been watching you with your wife this week. We've seen how you treat her, how you put your arm around her, and how you talk to her. And that's what's really impressed us."

The Oscar Outlook - #5745

Friday, January 16, 2009

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Our kids were part of the Sesame Street generation. Maybe you can hear the theme song in the back of your mind. They grew up watching what was then the most creative, groundbreaking children's program of its time. And Sesame Street always has had an interesting cast of Muppet characters to make learning more interesting. I mean, who could forget Bert and Ernie, and Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Big Bird (Who I guess he looks sort of like a canary on steroids)? And, of course, that epitome of poor hygiene, Oscar the Grouch. In case you've been culturally deprived, Oscar is this hairy creature with his big eyes and a bad attitude who lives in a garbage can. He even sings a song called, "I Love Trash." Oscar doesn't have to live in a garbage can. He chooses to. No wonder he's got a bad attitude!

Page 24 of 43

Menu