Crosswalk.com

Top 10 Family and Relationship Articles of 2009

Compiled by Sarah Jennings

 

What are men really thinking? Should my child read the Twilight series? How can someone who seemed as wholesome as Tiger Woods do so much harm to his marriage? 2009 proved to be an eventful year for family life, and Crosswalk readers sought Christ-centered answers to their most perplexing relationship questions. Here are the top 10 most-read family and relationship articles of 2009:

 

1. Sex and the Christian Marriage by Betsy St. Amant

 

Abstract: For your spouse's sake, filter what you pour into your mind - it'll eventually seep into your heart.

 

Quote: "Growing up, sex wasn't talked about very much. Not at home, not with family, and certainly not in church! There, the very mention of the word would have turned ears to scarlet and had the deacons popping antacid pills. Sure, every year the youth group did a 'True Love Waits' program, but we never got down to the real nitty-gritty..."

 

2. Women: Discover What Men are Really Thinking by Whitney Hopler

 

Abstract: The men in your life - fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, employees, friends - aren't just women with big feet and beards...

 

Quote: "Keep in mind that your expectations of any man must be grounded in the way God made him.  Each man has his own particular mix of strengths and weaknesses. Ask God to help you accept each man in your life as he actually is rather than as you'd like him to be."

 

3. 12 Traits of an Abusive Relationship by Laura Pethebridge

 

Abstract: In an attempt to help singles avoid a destructive relationship or a painful marriage I offer insight on how to detect a toxic, abusive person...

 

Quote: "An abuser doesn't take any responsibility for his/ her poor choices. They are never at fault. When she loses her job, or he gets into a fight, someone else is to blame. 'You make me hit you' or 'I drink because you stress me out.'"

 

4. He-Said, She-Said: Showing Interest without Causing Lust by Cliff Young & Laura MacCorkle

 

Abstract: "God has given us the desire to be sexual, and I believe being flirtatious is okay. How does a woman let a man know she is interested and not cause lust?" Find out what "He" and "She" have said in response.

 

Quote: "You can show interest in him by asking what his dreams are, what he likes to do, what the Lord is calling him to do, and how God has used him in the past.  Showing interest in who he is can be more flattering than showing your willingness to have an impersonal intimate encounter with him."

 

5. The Tiger (Woods) in You by Paul Edwards

 

Abstract: Tiger Woods isn't as bad as he could be. But neither is he the role model he appeared to be.

 

Quote: "There is hope for overcoming failure. But it isn't in you. And it obviously isn't in Tiger. It's in a Lion: Jesus Christ—the Lion of the Tribe of Judah... "

Article Page Break Here

 

 

6. Taking on Twilight by Wendy Lee Nentwig

 

Abstract: Readers everywhere—Christians included—are going crazy for a vampire series with a love story that's to-die-for. One writer sinks her teeth into the books and movie to discover the good and bad behind Bella and the Cullen clan.

 

Quote: "[Edward Cullen] drives too fast, has an endless supply of disposable income, is way too good looking and spends most nights in Bella's bedroom without her father knowing (since vampires don't sleep, what else does he have to do?). Add to that his knack for always showing up at just the right time, his ability to save Bella from any danger, his fierce protectiveness and his utter lack of teenage gawkiness or uncertainty, and he's every girl's dream and every parent's nightmare. He's more than a boyfriend and even more than a vampire, he's her own personal god. "

 

7. He-Said, She-Said: Unmarried and Vacationing Together by Cliff Young & Laura MacCorkle

 

Abstract: "Is it okay for an unmarried man and woman to go on vacation together?" a reader asks. It's a question many singles find themselves asking during their seasons of singleness. Find out what "he" and "she" have said in response.

 

Quote: "But, as a believer, how are we to live?  Technically or biblically?  Technically stays on the surface and relies on what we know to be true (and however Satan may be deceiving us and or how we are distorting what we think is truth).  Biblically goes much deeper (to the heart) and relies on what God says is Truth."

 

8. Does God Expect Me to Stay Married to a Jerk? by S. Michael Craven

 

Abstract: Years ago, a family therapist was asked, "What are the top three causes of divorce?" to which he replied, "Selfishness, selfishness, selfishness!" Of course this is an oversimplification of the varied and many contributing factors to divorce but there is an element of truth in this statement that permeates each.

 

Quote: "For those poor souls who walk in darkness, there is no chance of assuming the self-denying character of Christ; but for those whom Christ has made alive, there is the all-sufficient well of grace. It is to Christ that the Christ-follower must go with his 'irreconcilable differences,' not to the courts."

 

9. 5 Ways to be the Husband God Wants You to Be by Stormie Omartian

 

Abstract: God commands, "All of you be of one mind , having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be ten­derhearted , be courteous " (1 Peter 3:8). Paying heed to these five directives can change your life and your marriage...

 

Quote: "Have you ever seen your wife suffering, but you don't know what to do about it? Some men become impatient with that. Others feel so at a loss or overwhelmed by it that it causes them to withdraw. If you recognize that happening to you, ask God to give you a heart of compassion. To be compassionate toward your wife is to have a deep sympathy for any area in which she suffers and to have a strong desire to alleviate that suffering."

 

10. The Difference Between Men's and Women's Brains by Whitney Hopler

 

Abstract: Once you understand how differently God has designed male and female brains, you can learn how to use those differences well in your marriage.

 

Quote: "Husbands, realize that your wives have a strong desire to nurture you. Wives, realize that your husbands have a strong desire to succeed in their pursuits, and to know that you admire their efforts."