If you find value in Daily Encounter and think our efforts are worthy of support, would you please make a small contribution to ACTS International, publisher of Daily Encounter, to help send Daily Encounter to 400,000+ worldwide subscribers every weekday of the year— without charge. Together we can make a difference in countless numbers of lives worldwide.
|
| Books available
 NEW: Finding Hope When Life Goes Wrong by H. Norman Wright with Matt and Julie Woodley. This book offers strength and encouragement in the face of personal tragedy. If you or someone you love is held captive by tragedy, this book can be the first step toward living the full and fulfilling life that we were meant to live.  Only $12.00
Books by Dick Innes, author of Daily Encounter  | You Can't Fly With a Broken Wing. One reader said, "This is the most helpful book I have ever read....
On SALE for $10.99
How to Mend a Broken Heart. A retired veterinary surgeon, former lecturer at the Royal Veterinarian College of London and at Cambridge, wrote: "I have gone through two divorces and ... have just read your book, How to Mend a Broken Heart. It is the most helpful counseling I have ever read."
On SALE for $7.99 I Hate Witnessing, Pastor Ernie Cox of Ontario, Canada, said, "I've just finished reading I Hate Witnessing and have to say that it is the best thing I've ever read on commun-icating the gospel."
On SALE for $10.99
Passport for Heaven: Excellent for giving to family, friends and contacts. Available in packs of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, more.
To Purchase
| |  | | Share the gospel and Daily Encounter with friends and contacts by giving an attractive Business witness card ... available in packs of 50. Twelve different cards available. | | |
Daily Encounter by
Richard (Dick) Innes of ACTS International
Click HERE for ACTS-in-Action monthly report.
Global Communications Outreach:
Learn how to be a missionary right from your own home and have a vital part in worldwide gospel outreach by becoming an ACTS People Power for Jesus Partner. Click HERE There is no charge. | | | Please recommend Daily Encounter to a friend.
Click HERE and then on "Send E-Mail" button. |  | To receive the TEXT edition of Daily Encounter
without pictures rather than this HTML edition
with pictures: Click HERE.
See Weekend Encounter ... without charge
every weekend: humor, helps, inspiration. For
the current edition: Click HERE. Thursday, May 3, 2012
Making Families Strong Part III "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."1
Yesterday, according to Dr. Stinnett's research, we shared the first three characteristics that make a family successful and strong. They were as follows: commitment, spending time together, and effective communications. Today we discuss the other three characteristics.
FOURTH, strong families express appreciation to one another. Another common complaint I hear from husbands and wives is this: "I feel taken for granted and don't feel appreciated." I am sure, too, that many children feel the same.
It is so easy to say, "Thank you. I really appreciate your washing and ironing my shirts, cooking my meals, mowing the yard, cleaning up your room, leaving the bathroom tidy, taking out the garbage, bringing home the paycheck—but most of all I appreciate you just because you're you."
FIFTH, happy families are able to solve problems in a crisis. Mature people know that crises come to every family simply because we live in an imperfect world. And while crises often drive weaker families apart, they draw stronger families together and help make them stronger. The strong may bend under a crisis but not break, and they always bounce back.
SIXTH, successful families have a strong spiritual commitment. Stinnett's research "found that strong families have a high degree of religious orientation and commitment. Not all belong to organized churches, but most do. They all consider themselves to be highly committed to their spiritual lives."2
A study conducted by sociologist Steven Nock of the University of Virginia supports this conclusion. His study showed that couples who attend church regularly are 42 percent more likely to be married for the first time, and those in the church who were strongly committed to its beliefs had a 23 percent better chance of having a "very happy" marriage than those who don't go to church.
People then who have happy marriages and strong families are those who are committed to making their families strong. They work hard at communicating effectively. They spend time together. They express love and appreciation. They accept crises as normal and know how to work through them, and above all they trust in God and apply their faith to everyday living.
Would you like to have a happier and stronger family? You can. A good place to start is by taking your family and/or yourself to a church or chapel this week where family living is honored and held in very high respect.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you again for the family which you have given for the benefit of all mankind. Help me to live in harmony with your will and make healthy family living one of my top priorities. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Colossians 3:20 (NIV).
2. Rekers, George, Ed., Family Building: Six Qualities of a Strong Family (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1985), p. 43. Logos Research Institute, Inc.
<:))))><
NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE.
Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click HERE to note this. |
| |
| NOTE: Click HERE for ACTS Monthly Report.
| | Note re Comments: Please keep your comment from 10 to 12 lines max. Comment only on this day's Daily Encounter. Click only one time on the "Add Your Comment" button to send your message. Keep in mind that many responses are coming from people whose first language is not English. We reserve the right to delete unsuitable comments and unsuitably long comments. |  | about today's Daily Encounter | |
How to Know God and be sure you're a real Christian without having to be religious: Click HERE.
Archives: For Daily and Weekend Encounter archives: Click HERE.
On the Lighter Side: Click HERE.
NOTE: You are receiving this recurring mailing because you subscribed on one of our web sites, or requested by email or letter to be subscribed, responded to an advertisement on ArcaMax.com to be subscribed, or confirmed your subscription after recording your response on one of our web sites.
Prayer Partners Needed: One of ACTS International's greatest needs is Prayer Partners to stand with us as we seek to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with millions of people around the world through E-mail and the Internet, and to bring people to Jesus. If you would like to join with us as an ACTS Prayer Partner, please Click HERE, and then click on the Subscribe to Prayer Encounter. Unless a special or urgent need arises, we send out only one prayer update report each month.
Prayer Requests: To submit a prayer request to David Clark Click HERE. (David is not on the ACTS staff but is offering this as a service to Daily Encounter readers.) If you are a prayer warrior and would like to pray with David for requests sent in, Click HERE to sign up. |
| Published by: ACTS International
Report problems to ACTS International
© Copyright 1990-2012 by ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673
U.S.A. | | 
Available:
CDs by Dick Innes: "Loving and Understand-ing People," "Healing Whole-ness and Happi-ness," "I Hate Witnessing," and "God's Formula for Success." Designed to inform and inspire and sprinkled with humor. On SALE at Store |
|  You Are Invited
| Prayer Request
To send a prayer request: Click HERE |
| | Privacy Policy: We have a strict privacy policy in that your email address and any details you provide will never be shared with any other individual or organization. |
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment