By Tomas M. Figueroa
In 2003, following the completion of my initial six years of Ready Reserve duty, I was waiting on transfer orders to be placed on Inactive Reserve status (this is when you have an obligation with the Army Reserves, but does not require monthly participation or annual trainings—you’re …
By Rick Poleck
After what feels like a long and dreary season, winter is always somehow coerced into giving up its shades of steely gray to peeks of warming sunshine, welcome blue skies, intermittent dots and splashes of color, and the fragrances of floral displays called “spring.” The senses come alive, …
By Ricinda Perry
I have really enjoyed our time together over this series, and my family has definitely benefitted since it made me more aware of my own bonding opportunities. In concluding this series, I want to share with you the center hub of family bonding … the dinner table.
What do …
By Ashley McIlwain
I had gone to the post office and was met by a line of people out the door. My shoulders sank at the reality that I couldn’t just come back and was sure to be waiting for quite a while in this long line. Sure enough, over 20 …
By Coleen York
I don’t know what it is about the mind of a woman, but it seems like we struggle with worry way more than our male counterparts. Our female psyche is able to simultaneously think of 75 different outcomes for every decision and situation. Usually 90% of them are …

By Ashley McIlwain
One of the most debated over and misunderstood concepts in marriage is submission. At the mention of the word, people get up in arms. Everyone seems to have such a strongly formulated view of what submission is and how it plays out in marriage. Yet, there’s a lot …
By Ashley McIlwain
(There might be a GIVEAWAY involved with this, so make sure to read all the way through )
Marriage is a journey. It’s full of ebbs and flows, challenges and joys, laughter and tears, and a whole lot of growing, forgiving, and loving. Many of us struggle with …
By Jeff Klick
C. S. Lewis wondered if God was a sadist. Looking at those that God calls into paid ministry, we at least know He has a sense of humor. Turning our eyes a bit closer to home, many couples struggle relationally and then we blame God. “My wife doesn’t …
By Steve McIlwain
Hubs here.
Ephesians 5:22-25:
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit …
By Ashley McIlwain
“Babe, let me be a man.”
That’s one of the many jokes my husband, Steve, and I playfully throw around in our day-to-day relating to one another. We find playful banter to be an absolute must in our life together. Anyway, he says this in a couple of different …