Remember When? 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. You had regular date nights and set aside time to focus on your relationship. …
Real life My husband is a great man. He works hard and has strong integrity. Most days he also treats me like a princess. He opens doors for me, helps carry bags, always has me go first, and generally treats me like a precious jewel. A few weeks ago my …
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 …
Weekends On Saturday you can often find me rushing around. If I’m not at a BJJ competition with my son, I’m wrapping up work, cleaning house, grocery shopping, baking/cooking, and tying up a million loose ends from the week before. A few Saturdays each month I’m also getting ready for …
The After School Slump When my son gets in the car, he’s generally pretty quiet. At the time of this writing, 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 school today?” He always says …
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. Introduction Encouragement is a powerful tool in relationships, but what drives us to uplift others? …
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 …
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, …
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 …