SPECIAL DELIVERY
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WE ASKED
Parent of a Prodigal
I can’t tell you what it meant for me to open the June issue and find “When Wedding Bells Don’t Ring.” It summed up exactly how I’ve been feeling as a parent of a prodigal son. Loving unconditionally is really hard at times, but through God’s grace, my husband and I are trying to show mercy without condoning his behavior.
Thank you again for addressing this subject. I’ve looked everywhere for comfort on how to handle this situation.
A Friend
Georgia
A Hands-On Christmas My husband died in 2005. He always made a gift for God with his hands each Christmas. One year he made a cross and hung lights over it, wrote “Jesus Saves” on it, and placed it in our yard. My son and I want to continue his hands-on [tradition]. Denise E-mail
The Soft Touch
My husband and I take our children to a local nursing home, give bottles of lotion [to the residents], and wish them a Merry Christmas. The ladies light up, and our children learn that Christmas is about giving. Sharon Leroy Georgia
Party First
Every Christmas Eve, our two boys make a birthday cake and decorate the dining room for a birthday party before going to bed. On Christmas morning, we pray together, giving thanks for Jesus, then we have Jesus’ birthday party before any Christmas presents are touched. Ashley Elam Kentucky
Contagious Giving On Christmas Eve, we visit the local hospital to sing carols for those [who are] stuck there. One year as we were leaving, some people coming in asked us if we had just sung. The year before, their father had been in the ICU, and our visit had meant so much to them that they decided to do something, too. Instead of singing, they brought homemade goodies to share with those in the waiting rooms. Susan Foster Tennessee
Wise Gifts
I have tried to instill in my children the true meaning of Christmas and the joy of celebrating Christ’s birth. I give my children three special gifts for Christmas [to represent those] the Baby Jesus received from the Wise Men. Jennifer Jensen Virginia
THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: What special friendships have meant the most in your life? Send your answers to: homelife@lifeway.com.
One-Sided Ring to It
The article “When Wedding Bells Don’t Ring” [June 2007] is a one-sided look into cohabitation. I was brought up in a Southern Baptist home and had all the morals and beliefs instilled in me that you marry before living together. I married my first husband when I was 19. That abusive marriage lasted until I was 25. It resulted in him walking out on me and my two toddler sons. I [told] my parents if I ever decided to marry again, I would not go into it blindly.
Almost three years ago, I met a wonderful man. After we got engaged, we lived together for 10 months while planning and paying for our wedding. We both are strong Christians and very involved in our church, have been the whole time we have been together. It’s sad that you based the article on statistics more than real-life people.
Rebecca
Editor’s note: We are saddened to learn that your first marriage was filled with hurt. However, “When Wedding Bells Don’t Ring” was not based on statistics but on the truth of God’s Word regarding marriage.
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