I have a question for you today. What kind of comments do you make to your spouse? Are they positive, encouraging, supportive, and uplifting or do they tend to lean more towards the negative, critical, and belittling side? Marriage researcher John Gottman, Ph.D., reveals that couples who are most happy and stable offer five positive…
A story is told of a discussion at a linguistic conference in London, England. This was supposedly attended by some of the best linguists in the world. They were competing to find the best definitions and explain the differences between the words “complete” and “finished.” Samsundar Balgobin was named the winner when he was posed…
Today’s children learn to read in pre-school and do advanced algebra in kindergarten. Well, maybe it just seems that way. But back in the Stone Age when I was in kindergarten, we learned more of the basics – like how to nap, play nice, and not eat the paste. I was reminded of those basic…
I recently sat with a couple in my office as they described a conflict they encountered. It seems that the husband and wife had agreed to meet at a restaurant for dinner one evening. The husband was held up at a meeting that ran long and arrived about a half hour late. This was not…
I recently read a letter from a women name Michelle, as related by authors Gary and Barbara Roseberg. It was such a clear reminder of how vulnerable we are. When that is combined with carelessness, the results can be devastating. I want to share that letter here today. “I helped lead a Bible study…
“Violation” is not a word that we use frequently (unless we spend lots of time in traffic court for speeding), but it is one we feel often. Someone ignores or disrespects us, they take something of ours that doesn’t belong to them, they disregard our feelings, and the list goes on and on. When these…
Want to be in better health? Most of us would answer “yes” to that question. Then you might like to know that your marriage just might be the ticket you have been looking for. In a study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, over 127,000 people were surveyed. Findings from this study revealed…
Conflict, fights, arguments, disagreements – these are all words that make us want to go hide. As I sit with couples on a daily basis, I listen to the creative ways that each party escapes in order to avoid all of those above words. While there may be something that is bothering them, they will…
You’re steamed – your fists are clinched as you grit your teeth – your face is flushed as you yell – you slam your hand down on the table or perhaps punch a wall. These examples are the looks of anger that is getting out of control. King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29:11, “Fools give…
“Safety” is a word that we feel more than we speak, when it comes to our significant relationships. We also frequently feel unsafe, not necessarily physically but perhaps emotionally. We all want to feel safe. However, we may go about achieving that safety in some very creative ways. Like Earl, in the cartoon above, I…