Remember? Just a few years ago you married the love of your life. Everything was perfect. You couldn’t be happier with the union you two created, and the commitment you both made to one another. But now, only a few short years later, something has happened. It’s hard to describe …

5 Simple Steps to Strengthen Your Marriage Right Now Read more »

Importance of Nonverbal Communication Most nonverbal communication happens without us even realizing it. Recently I was on a zoom Bible study. I was multitasking: my phone was propped on the spoon rest; headset in my ears – while I cooked dinner, monitored my son’s time in the shower, fed the …

3 Proven Ways to Improve Nonverbal Communication in your marriage Read more »

The After School Slump When my son gets in the car, he’s generally pretty quiet. He’s 14 and he’s never been super chatty as soon as he leaves school. I always ask a general, throw-away question like, “How was your day?” He always says something along the lines of, “it …

How to ask the right questions with kids Read more »

Let’s start the discussion by ensuring we are all on the same page about encouragement. We’ve talked some already about how to encourage our children’s self concept, encouraging their decision making, and encouraging our spouse. Encouragement is also called social support in the communication world. We are letting someone know …

Two Types of General Encouragement & how to use them Read more »

Back in the day As a kid I was always been able to focus on one task for a long time. I could work for hours and while it was exhausting, I could get mounds of work done. Enter kids. Having kids leads one to become a multi-tasking queen. Dinner, …

Make the most of single tasking day: February 22 Read more »

Encouragement at home My husband works in a stressful job, as I’m sure yours does. He has managers and customers who all fuss at him for various reasons. When he gets home he’s just done. He is tired and stressed and generally not in a peaceful mood. My goal is …

How to Encourage Your Spouse: 6 Simple Strategies Read more »

Things I wish I’d known before my child became a teenager by Gary Chapman (yes, author of the 5 love language series) is a simple read with profound effects. Written with short chapters and easy to read language, you’re going to fly right through it. Topics include communication, psychology, faith, …

Nonfiction book Review: how to prepare for teenagers Read more »

Between family, finances, and food, we are besieged by demands on our resources. There are lots of places we can get help, though. Day-to-day stress busters My mother-in-law and I both love to watch Hallmark movies all year, especially during the holidays (or Christmas in July!). There’s something about wholesome …

6 Ways to Combat Stress Read more »