• Relationships & Peacemaking

    Intimidating Women

    I’m doing some quick online research for a new teaching I’ll be giving in 2011 and (of course!) one of my first stops was at Carolyn McCulley’s blog. I just LOVE Carolyn McCulley! Her heart, her gifts, her mind, her reflection of the Holy Spirit … who else could write on the topic of Radical Womanhood (“feminine faith in a feminist world”) with such insight, clarity, AND humility? I often describe her book as one of the few Christian books on this topic that I would not be ashamed to share with a non-Christian because it is so thoughtful, well-researched, AND winsome/fair. (Sadly, so many books on this topic feel…

  • Uncategorized

    Many Thanks To My Mother-in-Law

    I’m very grateful to my mother-in-law, Chris, for taking care of the girls so that Fred and I could attend the CCEF Conference. What a tremendous gift she gave us! And the girls loved their grandma-time: Uninterrupted time to walk, talk, read, pray … just BE together is so important for a marriage. We’ve “known” this since before we were married. Every book, sermon, friend’s counsel on marriage has emphasized how important it is. And yet, this was our first time away from the girls. Our first nine years of marriage being completely child-free really got us into a bit of a rut of NOT having a “date time” because…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Grace in Marriage re: A Short-Lived Lipstick …

    There are many profound things that I could share from our time at the CCEF Conference on marriage this past week. But what is blazing in my mind as we rejoin the real world (cuddling with babies, changing diapers, starting laundry) was a simple moment of real grace from Fred to me that happened during the conference … I was out of lipstick. Totally out. My Clinique Surprise was down to metal and my dry lips were feeling it all the more in dry airplanes, hotels, and convention centers. So Fred said, “No problem. Let’s run to the mall during the first lunch break and get you some lipstick.” And…

  • CCEF Live Blogs

    CCEF Conference: ONE for Better and Worse

    Even though almost 3,000 of you have already clicked through to Replays of my CCEF Conference LiveBlogs, I have to assume that most of my readers won’t take the time to scroll through the tens of thousands of words I typed. Thus, I’m putting up this blog to summarize just a few nuggets from the conference. (Many of these were tweets! Yes. Yes. I finally tackled my fear of Twitter and tiptoed a little more into the 21st century. Can you believe it? Almost as scary as .mp3/Ipod thingies and cooking. Almost. You can follow me on Twitter at @tarabarthel.) Ed Welch: “Anything divisive in your marriage is against the…

  • CCEF Live Blogs

    LiveBlogs from CCEF National Conference 2010 – ONE For Better and Worse

    I’m so excited that CCEF has graciously allowed me to LiveBlog their conference and pre-conference events (!!). I hope you’ll join in the conversation and that my notes are even a small blessing to you. Hooray for the gospel of grace proclaimed through the ministry of CCEF! Blessings and joy, Tara B.   PS If you click on the CCEF LiveBlog category on this blog, you can view all of my LiveBlogs from the 2010 (Marriage) and 2008 (Addictions) CCEF Conferences.  

  • CCEF Live Blogs

    CCEF Conference – David Powlison & Ed Welch

    Sorry, friends! No LiveBlog tonight. Instead of getting to the session on time, Fred and I finished a long, hard conversation about our own marriage. Painful, but hopeful. A wise choice, I believe, in the long run. Even better than a LiveBlog … you can watch the LIVE video stream from the conference here. Enjoy! (And thanks, Fred, for prioritizing our relationship over attending a conference session on time. Way to love your wife! You continue to be the second best thing that has ever happened to me.) G’nite, friends—   Yours, Tara B.