Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

I once saw an ad in the Houston Post that read, “Divorce only $95.00.” Then it gave the office hours and the toll-free number to call for help. The people who placed that ad should be sued for false advertising. Ninety-five dollars won’t begin to touch the cost of divorce. It may cover the down payment, but we will all be paying for the div...

General David M. Shoup, USMC, said, “If in this troubled world we can produce enough properly guided men, we won’t need guided missiles.” There is no greater need today than for more properly guided people. And the task of producing properly guided people belongs to the home. Our homes are not merely to be refuges from the storms and vicissitud...

Discipline is an act of love. It gives a child the security of knowing that you care about him. It teaches him respect for authority and it develops self-control. The value of discipline is beyond dispute. But what is the proper form of discipline? Here are five do’s of discipline. 1. Be firm and consistent. Do not let discipline depend on your feelings. 2. Be...

In spite of the rising divorce rate there can be no mistake about God’s ideal for marriage. He intends that it be a permanent relationship. The Lord regards the wedding vows as a solemn compact intended for life. In Mark 10:2-12 Jesus asserted that from the beginning divorce was not a part of God’s ideal for marriage. There are times when marriage problems...

To face grief is difficult, but to face it alone is even worse. In times of grief we all need strength, love, support, and encouragement from others. We all need companionship in distress so that we do not feel alone. Fewer crises in life afford friends an opportunity for more genuine ministry than does the time of grief. What can we do to help our grieving friends?...

Today a man said to me, “My wife doesn’t like me to be like I was when she married me. She is always trying to remake me.” There are lots of people that way. They married “for better or for worse” but they didn’t realize how bad that worse would be. When they find out, they immediately set out to remodel their mate. This man didn&...

There is one thing that you can rely on—rumors aren’t reliable. People mix stories, tell half-truths, and misunderstand what they hear. The results? A story distorted beyond recognition. Let me illustrate. A number of people in our church once attended a state softball tournament in Wichita Falls. One morning two tables of sponsors were having breakfast i...

The New York City Youth Board once released a report that attracted a good deal of attention. The board had sent some highly experienced social workers and psychologists into the homes of 500 six-year-old boys. After studying the home environment, the researchers made predictions about the future of each of the boys. For the children from homes with a notable lack of...

Most things in life tend to tarnish. Silver must be polished; the thrill of wearing a new hat soon fades; a job that at first enthralled us soon becomes monotonous. Marriage is no exception. It too tends to tarnish unless care is taken to keep it glowing. Many couples enter into marriage with great expectations. But their dreams soon fade into disappointments and unh...