Winston T. Smith, M.Div. is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF. Winston has been counseling for more than 15 years and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. Winston is the author of Marriage Matters: Extraordinary Change Through Ordinary Moments as well as several mini-books: Divorce Recovery; Help for Stepfamilies; It’s All About Me—The Problem with Masturbation; Who Does the Dishes?; and Help! My Spouse Committed Adultery.
The apostle Paul knew suffering. But while we often find suffering to be discouraging and meaningless, Paul invites us to find meaning, purpose, and the presence of Christ himself as he explains how suffering is a vital part of his ministry to the church.
How do you blend two separate families into one household? Family traditions, values, interests, and parenting styles are often so far apart that simple questions like, "Who takes out the trash?" or "Where shall we go for Christmas?" can quickly become flashpoints of conflict.
He snapped at her during breakfast. She brought up a past mistake. He walked out angry. She left without saying good-bye. An ordinary day in an ordinary marriage. But what if things could be different? What if the moments that seem the most ordinary moments of annoyance, conflict, pain, or cold indifference could become moments in which you're able to understand God's incredible agenda for love and begin to do something new?