3 Tips for Softening the Heart of a Teenage Child Who Wants to Push You Away
When you’re raising teenagers, it is absolutely essential to become a student of your child’s heart.
Dennis & Barbara's Personal Blog
We are on a journey of embracing a personal, moment-by-moment surrender to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We wish we could offer you a series of snapshots of how we achieved “perfection,” but alas, like you we are pilgrims who doubt, wander, question, and struggle with unbelief. We believe that we were divinely designed to have a relationship with God and experience His love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy on a daily basis. We also believe that some of the most important lessons we have to share come from our failures, not our successes. And we are confident God allows storms in our lives to test us, to purify us, and to help us pursue Him wholeheartedly.
So we invite you to journey with us as we share how we experience God and attempt to walk with Him on a daily basis. It’s our hope that we’ll be able to post our journey every week … lessons we’re learning as a couple and as individuals. Enjoy…
- Dennis and Barbara
Ephesians 2:10
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Dennis Rainey
- Nov 25
Thanking God for HD McCarty, A Spiritual Mentor for Over 60 Years
Shakespeare wrote, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.”
Barbara Rainey
- Nov 22
Do You Play Thanksgiving Holiday Music?
As you’ve been decorating and preparing for Thanksgiving, perhaps for several weeks, have you also been playing Thanksgiving music?
Dennis Rainey
- Nov 18
8 Deadly Symbols of Isolation in Marriage
The following story expresses how Barbara and I have felt many times during our marriage:
Barbara Rainey
- Nov 15
A Drone View of the Old Testament
Drones have given us ordinary people access to views only pilots and satellites once had.
Dennis Rainey
- Nov 11
Teenagers Hate Boundaries ... But They Desperately Need Them
I once received a wonderful letter from a grandmother who was a colleague at work for more than 10 years.
Barbara Rainey
- Nov 8
Newly-Discovered Nuggets From God’s Word
My seminary class this semester is “The Story of Scripture,” a high-level view of the whole Bible.
Dennis Rainey
- Nov 4
10 Ways for Men to Leave a Godly Legacy in Their Family
A number of years ago a Christian leader spent years building an effective ministry.
Barbara Rainey
- Nov 1
Cultivating Gratitude: Moving From “I Have To” to “I Get To”
Two of my grandsons worked during their summers as counselors for Pine Cove Camp in Texas.
Dennis Rainey
- Oct 28
Eleven Rules on Marriage You Won’t Learn in School
For many years, e-mails have circulated the country with the outline of a speech attributed to Microsoft founder Bill Gates titled “11 Rules
Barbara Rainey
- Oct 25
How to Face Holidays When It’s Hard to be Thankful
One spring, years ago now, Dennis and I watched other families experience all the celebratory festivities of a senior’s year in high school:
Dennis Rainey
- Oct 21
The Arrival of Sophie Elizabeth
Barbara and I witnessed a miracle last week.
Barbara Rainey
- Oct 18
The Key to Raising Grateful Kids
One of the great privileges of my life has been visiting orphanages in places like Russia, China, and South Africa.
Lessons From the Rainey Game Preserve: 6 Tips for Being Involved in Your Teenagers’ Lives
Teenagers were causing a huge problem in one section of South Africa.
Barbara Rainey
- Oct 11
When You Feel Out of Sync Spiritually with Your Husband
Dear Mom: I thought we were really well matched when we got married—in our faith, that is—but I’m realizing we are really different here.
6 Ways to Give Your Spouse the Freedom to Fail
At our house, we have experienced plenty of failures, both great and small.
Barbara Rainey
- Oct 4
Avoiding Comparison When You Think Your Marriage Seems Harder than Others
Dear Mom: I love my man. I’m thankful for him. But Mom, our relationship seems to be so much harder than other people’s.
Dennis Rainey
- Sep 30
3 Tips for Overcoming Discouragement
I remember when a close friend of ours went through the heart-ripping experience of a divorce.
Barbara Rainey
- Sep 27
Repairing the Damage from Premarital Sexual Choices
Dear Mom: Without betraying a confidence, I need your help.
Dennis Rainey
- Sep 23
A Golden Weekend: A Family Gathering to Remember for Generations
I just walked into Barbara’s office and asked, “How in the world do I summarize our 50th golden anniversary celebration that had
Dennis Rainey
- Sep 16
I Couldn’t Shake the Thought: “I Hope You Did Something of Value Today”
Driving home one night after work I switched on the radio to catch the news.
Barbara Rainey
- Sep 13
Three Common Traps of Empty Nest Marriages
Every year in the early fall, moms and dads across the nation find themselves in a new season of marriage—the empty nest.
We Serve an Amazing God
All the kids have gone home, the cake is eaten, and King Farm is now empty … except for the two of us who stayed to finish the cleanup and t
50 Lessons from 50 Years of Marriage (Part 4): Committing Our Relationship to God
This year, with our 50th anniversary approaching, we decided to write down the story of how God brought us together.
50 Lessons from 50 Years of Marriage (Part 3): Still Learning After All These Years
As we approach our 50th anniversary, you might think we’re now in cruise control with our marriage.
50 Lessons from 50 Years of Marriage (Part 2): Practical Ways to Build Oneness
After five decades together, we are still continually learning how to make our marriage work!
50 Lessons From 50 Years of Marriage: Learning About God’s Blueprints for Marriage
Fifty years ago when I (Dennis) married Barbara Ann Peterson I was a rookie, repeatedly failing to appreciate the dignity of the gifted woma
Dennis Rainey
- Aug 5
Showing “Grown-Up Love” to Your Adult Children
Whenever I write or speak about “Right-Sizing Relationships With Your Adult Children,” I can tell I’m touching a nerve.
Barbara Rainey
- Aug 2
For An Audience of One: Truth Stands Firm
Just a few years after Jesus went back to heaven, those who followed Him began to be persecuted.
Dennis Rainey
- Jul 29
9 Tips for Communicating Love to Your Adult Children
Love, true “grit” love, is found in human relationships of all kinds.
Barbara Rainey
- Jul 26
All the Children of the World: Truth Takes Action
Thomas Bernardo was small in stature—he stood a mere five feet and three inches—but he towered with commitment to share the love of Christ
Dennis Rainey
- Jul 22
Right-Sizing Relationships with Your Adult Children
After introductions at a small gathering of Christian leaders, I decided to shake things up a bit.
Barbara Rainey
- Jul 19
A Mutineer and a Monk: Truth Brings Freedom
The book and film Mutiny on the Bounty tell the story of the notorious revolt that occurred aboard the English ship the Bounty.
Dennis Rainey
- Jul 15
Accountability: We May Not Want It, But We Definitely Need It
Over the years I have seen a number of men and women in the ministry “bomb out” due to sexual sin, addictions, bitterness, or carnality.
Barbara Rainey
- Jul 12
Champion of the Cherokee
As children, we run into bullies who are often bigger and stronger, or at least like to think they are.
Dennis Rainey
- Jul 8
It’s Time for a Heart Check: Do We Believe What God Says About Children?
Did you know that the nation of Hungary needs more babies?
Barbara Rainey
- Jul 5
Lost and Found: Truth Shows the Way
In 1914, twenty-seven men boarded the ship Endurance under the command of Ernest Shackleton, bound for the frozen continent of Antarctica.
Dennis Rainey
- Jul 1
7 Non-negotiables for the Greatest Challenge of Your Life
Life in our world today is challenging … a lot like climbing Mt. Everest.
Barbara Rainey
- Jun 28
The Holy Spirit Is My Friend: He Is Always With Me
For many summers, Dennis and I attended annual training events in Colorado as part of our work with Campus Crusade for Christ.
Dennis Rainey
- Jun 24
A True Test of Character: Being Faithful in the Little Things
I love great stories of leaders who are effective, inspecting what they expect, and then hold their people to what was asked of them.
Barbara Rainey
- Jun 21
When Bad News Increases Our Anxiety, Where Can We Find Stability?
The bad news feels relentless right now.
Dennis Rainey
- Jun 17
What To Do When Your Marriage Needs Help
Is it difficult for you to ask for help? Especially for your marriage?
Barbara Rainey
- Jun 14
Motherhood Is a Ministry
Note from Barbara: Last month The Joyful Life magazine ran an interview with me and I was able to talk about a number of topics relevant to
Dennis Rainey
- Jun 10
Defeating the Number ONE Enemy in Your Marriage
Maintaining harmony in marriage has been difficult since Adam and Eve.
Barbara Rainey
- Jun 7
A Prayer for Your Children and Grandchildren … if You Dare
In my seminary class on the doctrines of our faith, our professor Dr. John Hannah told a story of how he prayed for his girls when they were
Dennis Rainey
- Jun 3
5 Essentials to Leaving a Legacy That Will Outlive You
A husband and wife who walked by faith and, consequently, left a legacy far beyond anything they could have imagined, lived in the early 170
Barbara Rainey
- May 31
Pentecost: The Forgotten Celebration
As you have probably noticed, holidays are important in my life and in the life of my family.
Dennis Rainey
- May 27
Why I’m Compelled to Tell Others About Christ
The year was 1940. The French army had just collapsed under the siege of Hitler’s onslaught.
Barbara Rainey
- May 24
Are You Afraid to Pray Big Prayers? Nothing Is Impossible for God
Can you imagine what it was like for Mary, an adolescent engaged to Joseph, to be greeted by the angel Gabriel?
Dennis Rainey
- May 20
7 Essentials for Couples to Grow Together in Christ
Years ago, when we were on a family vacation in Yosemite National Park, we were in awe as we visited a grove of massive sequoias.