“Well, that depends – what’s the challenge?” Oh, no need to worry. It’s not eating something disgusting like eating a dish of bugs or scaling the face of Half-Dome in Yosemite. This should actually be pretty doable. “Ok. Well what is it?” you may ask. It is being kind to your spouse. While some may…
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I just finished a counseling session with a couple who talked about wanting to be on the same team, but then everything they discussed demonstrated that they are clearly fighting for their individual agendas. They are far from embracing a “team” concept. In a marriage we are two individuals who “become one”, creating a new…
DetailsYou come home from work and find your wife despondent. You ask “What’s the matter?” and she unloads on you about what one of your grown children said to her that left her feeling rejected. Wanting to help, you indicate that you will call that child and get this straightened out. But to your surprise,…
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I just finished sitting with a couple who are exhausted! In the last four years they have moved to 5 different states, one of them has been fighting off a significant health challenge, and they are attempting to navigate life with an 18 year old high school senior with ADHD. So, if you were guessing,…
DetailsI recently read a story written by Dr. Bo Brock, a Texas veterinarian, about his grandparents. It seems that his grandmother would sprinkle his granddad’s work pants with starch and iron them every day. This struck Bo as odd, because, as a farmer, many days his Papaw would not see another person the entire day. …
DetailsAt one time or another, all of us have experienced feelings of loneliness. While it may be temporary, for many it seems to be a chronic condition. A story from a recent PastorServe leter caught my eye as it discussed the magnitude of the problem in England. The letter states: The United Kingdom recently created…
DetailsIf so, know that you are not the only one. Loneliness seems to be increasing in near epidemic proportions. In our upside down society, we have more tools to connect with the world around us than ever before, and yet, even with these advantages, so many find themselves isolated and disconnected. One researcher discovered that…
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I recently sat with a client as he expressed his frustration over the fact that his wife doesn’t listen to him. Oh, she was present in the room but she wasn’t genuinely engaging with what he was saying. This would lead to him getting angry and sarcastic, which certainly wasn’t productive. As a matter of…
Details“Things will get better.” This is a phrase of encouragement that we use with regularity. And it is often very true. For example, you are sad at the loss of a pet – “Things will get better.” True. As we typically experience grief, experiences are integrated into our new normal and things do get better.…
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I see couples on a daily basis and most often they are individually very different from each other. One person is quiet while the other is more outgoing; one is spontaneous while the other plans out everything; or each are on opposite sides of the introvert/extrovert scale. People tend to marry people who are at…
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