Dear Daughter,If you're reading this letter, it means that you've filled my heart and soul with joy; it means that you exist. If you're reading this letter, it means that God has blessed me with the privileged responsibility of raising you, cherishing you, training you, preparing you. If you're ... read more
The Man I Married
(Don't miss hearing about the men I {almost} married!)A Rhema: the Greek word for "the word of God”; a revelation.I was praying for "a rhema" last summer and God spoke this to me: "Do not doubt My power and do not question My timing." (my journals, 2005)I didn’t recognize him the first ... read more
The Man I {Almost} Married
We've all met someone who married their high school sweetheart. There is something heart-fluttering about marrying one's first love. But few people actually do. The rest of us, our stories include the tales of the men we {almost} married. Because of that little word in there—that “almost”—these ... read more
How To {Judge} A Man
When I was around sixteen, I read an article written by a grandfather about his granddaughter. She was a little baby and he was describing the man she would someday marry. At one point in that description he was talking about sin and impurity and said, “If this is part of your past then God may ... read more
“What Does God Want My Husband-To-Be to Be?”
A note from Gretchen: Becky, a dear family friend ever since she and my mom went to school together, sent me this poem back in 1998. She wrote it six years before her marriage, two years before she met the man she was praying for. Becky says, "I think it was Betty Stam who inspired me to write ... read more
Watch out for wolves!
It’s no secret how much I love my sheep.Needless to say, we have sturdy fences in place, which we inspect regularly, as vital to keep intruders out as to keep the sheep in. And I would never—not in a million years, not for love or money—ever consider letting them so much as out of the barn ... read more
God’s Truth and Red Flags
pre-marital and post marital counsel from the rocking chair of 54 years of growing in loveAs we’re driving down the freeway of life, we have to pay attention to the signs. Don’t cross the double yellow line. Don’t go over the white line on your side of the road.The same holds true in ... read more
