Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley

Your picture of God makes a difference. In your heart of hearts, what do you believe about Him? Not what others tell you, or what you think you’re supposed to believe. When you’re faced with “stuff,” do you believe He’s truly on your side? In the end, do you experience God as for you or…

Jesus was and is all about life. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:4). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). When you said yes to Jesus, what did you expect would happen next? What were you saying yes…

This one is for wives only. (I know; you may read this even if you’re not a wife.) But here’s a secret many husbands wish their wives knew: He needs you to need him. But this is not for every wife. Some wives act as though their husbands are their personal servant, there to take…

The fact that any two sinful human beings ever make it through decades of living together can seem like a miracle. And when that marriage is characterized by respect, intimacy and true love, it truly is a miracle! You may have a long list of things your husband or wife should do differently, and you’re…

Traditionally a new year is a time for planning, making resolutions and writing down goals for what you want to accomplish. There’s nothing magic about a new year that guarantees better things ahead, but it does offer a reminder that doing the same things will not lead to different results. If you want to enter…

Among all the possible sources of pain, a spouse’s betrayal ranks as one of the worst. The person you expected to have your best interests at heart and stick with you through good and bad has let you down. Knowing or suspecting your spouse is cheating rocks your world. Cheating comes in different flavors. The…

Few people experience lasting spiritual growth in isolation. God never intended us to grow alone. He created us with the need, desire and capacity for authentic intimate personal relationships because that’s His nature, and because that’s the space in which we grow best. Community by design is God’s laboratory where your ongoing spiritual transformation happens.…

Chances are good you and your spouse have had a fight. Perhaps you even had a fight during the just-ended Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Changes in routine, travel, holidays, entertaining guests or having kids home from school may be triggers for a fight. Of course there are the “normal” triggers such as communication failures, money challenges…

Why aren’t you more like Jesus? God’s plan for you is to “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). How’s that working out for you? Would someone looking at your life say that you act like, talk like, respond like Jesus more today than you did when you first became a believer?…

I wanted to get married, but nothing was happening. I spent many years wondering what was so wrong with me that no one would choose me. The few relationships I did have never went anywhere. The loneliness left me shuffling between feeling desperate and hopeless. But I finally grew up. There were things I finally…

In the United States, we’ve just been through a very contentious election cycle. There’s been a lot of talk about fake news, which often stirs up a lot more heat than light. But there is truth to be found, and that truth can truly change you. And whether in the political arena or otherwise, truth…

If you’re on your deathbed, forgiveness is the best news you could possibly receive. You’re facing eternity, and you can know that things are right between you and God. Jesus’ death and resurrection makes forgiveness free, and it’s glorious. But for the rest of us who aren’t on our deathbeds, there’s something a whole lot…

It’s important to choose your spouse wisely. But you’re already married! When your relationship goes sideways, it’s easy to feel as though things would be wonderful if you were just married to Mr. or Ms. Right instead of the uncaring, miserable, blockhead of a person that is your spouse. You ask, “Did I marry the…

Sometimes it seems it would be awesome if God simply “zapped” you and you were “there,” fully transformed into the person He created you to be. But almost always, He takes us through a process of becoming. How well are you cooperating in that process? There are some clear catalysts for spiritual growth that we…

When you get married, most people appropriately assume they will be No. 1 to their spouse. There’s nothing like the heady days of being in love. Those days make you feel nothing could ever be more important than your marriage. And yet a few months or years later, too often, your relationship has slipped down…