Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley

Some people love to point to reported statistics that say 50 percent of even Christian marriages fail. Others find faith an indispensable aspect of learning to love well in marriage. The various statistics may be in dispute, but it’s undeniable that too many marriages fail, even when those involved are Christians. Supporting the bad news,…

You believe what the Bible says: “God is love.” But that can seem so intellectual, so “spiritual.” Your heart aches for something more tangible, something your senses can appreciate. You want to feel that unconditional love from the people closest to you. You long for God with skin on. How can you feel God’s love…

Say love and chances are, your immediate mental picture is soft, squishy and colored in pastels. If you’re over 40, you may think of “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” or the “summer of love” in 1967. If you’re under 40, you may think of tolerance and kindness and warm feelings. But those images have…

Hiding is human. We’ve been doing it ever since Adam and Eve tried to hide from God in the Garden of Eden. Intimacy is scary and vulnerable. And it gets us into a lot of trouble. It’s logical to wonder why God created us for intimacy. The lack of intimacy has led to frustration, anger,…

God designed marriage to be a transformative, healing, growth-producing, fulfilling relationship full of intimacy and love. In our sinful, messed-up world, that doesn’t always happen. Some would say marriages fulfilling God’s design this way are a true exception. But how bad is bad enough? Your marriage may be troubled, but when is it abuse? More…

It’s well past time for you to throw away your Christian checklist. But first, quickly, what are the things you do as a Christian? If you’ve spent any time in church at all, you probably immediately list prayer, Bible study and attending church services. And if you’re a relatively new believer, you may find those…

We all need to receive healing from God. (And if you believe you’re the exception, you need an extra-special kind of healing!) I believe healing is perhaps the deepest meaning of redemption. Something has happened to us on the inside that has left us seriously broken. And even forgiveness, as wonderful as it is, provides…

Your spouse should do more to meet your needs. Really, how could your husband or wife be that insensitive, clueless, even hostile? You’ve tried to tell them over and over again how much you need help around the house, or someone to listen, or an engaged sexual partner or someone to help shoulder the brunt of the…

God is always enough. He has all the answers. There is no higher calling in life than to know Him, love Him and follow Him. But in serving Him there are plenty of times when prayer and Bible study are not enough. We as human beings too easily put things in boxes. We either over-spiritualize…

When you think of what faith means and who demonstrated great faith, you probably think of biblical heroes such as Abraham, Moses, David or Paul. The Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11 lists many of them, describing the exploits they accomplished “by faith.” As much as you and I might like to be a faith…

Blessed to be a blessing. Cultivating generosity. There are few things in life that lead to more satisfaction, more fulfillment, more joy than making a difference in someone else’s life. Helping people truly helps you. If you’re empty and dry, you need to get filled up. You need to take in soul-nourishment every day. But once…

You and I are full of leaks. The good things we get filled up with only last so long. We can feel top-of-the-mountain right now, and in an hour, a day, or a week feel empty and discouraged. Our souls get hungry. We need regular soul-nourishment if we are to function well and be of…

People get married for all kinds of reasons. In our modern Western society. Perhaps the most frequent is a desire for happiness. We all recognize the fairy tale of two people falling in love, getting married and living “happily ever after.” But reality is often far different. How can you know if you’ll be happy?…

If the gospel is good for anything, it must have an answer to the worst problems humans face. As believers, we know that intellectually, but the body of Christ frequently hides from some of the really bad stuff. Pornography and your Christian marriage may seem like things that should not be said in the same…