What are the Rules for Engagement?

During the last three weeks we have been looking at how technology impacts our most precious relationships.  In recent years, cells phones have begun to occupy greater and greater prominence in our lives.  While it certainly puts the world at our fingertips, it also has contributed to incredible strain on our most significant relationships.  We…

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What are t he Ramifications?

Many of us were anxious to see 2020 come to an end with a hopeful fresh 2021. However, as we soon discovered, just because the date on the calendar changed didn’t mean that the problems of 2020 went with it. We are in March and the struggles are still with us. What are the ramifications…

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Weddings

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I have the opportunity to be involved in a fair amount of pre-marital counseling with couples.  I am always excited to see couples make this a priority in their relationship steps because it tells me that they are being intentional about protecting the commitment that they are making to…

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Weathering the Storms

For many, getting married was going to be the ultimate lifelong bliss that each and longed for.  We were going to be different from all of those other couples who seemed to fight and struggle with problems.  We had found the one who would make us happy and we would not experience the difficulties that…

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We Need Deadlines

In February 1963, an official from UNICEF approached Disneyland executives about building them a ride for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.  Initially, executives turned down the opportunity as they simply didn’t believe they had enough time to put a quality ride together.  However, Walt overruled his executive’s decision with his statement, “I’ve got an…

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Want to Suffer?

As you read that title, you are probably thinking, “Of course not.”  And that echoes the sentiments of most of us.  We hate suffering.  We want comfort.  We want to lay in a hammock, drink wine, nap, get a massage – anything that pampers ourselves.  But suffer – no thanks; I am happy to skip…

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Want to Live Longer?

Now that may seem like a silly question because the majority of people reading this would probably say -”Of course!”  Life and survival to live another day is a basic instinct hard-wired into our DNA.  God placed that drive in us so that we would live the life He has designed for us. If we…

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Want to Be Healthier?

“I am telling you, she gives me such a headache.”  “The way that he treats me leaves me with a churning stomach.”  “All we ever seem to do is fight – it makes me sick.”  Have you ever felt this way?  If so, you’re not alone.  In a study that was reported at the American…

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Want to Be Fixed?

When is the last time you went to your partner and said – “I am broken, please fix me?”  Or, “I have some flaws, would you please correct them for me?”  As you read these questions, you probably are thinking that I’m nuts (I may be but that is a different discussion for another time). …

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Want to be a Better Parent?

I was intrigued by a recent article in the OP/ED section of our newspaper, “Ten reasons to live without a smartphone.”  As I read numerous studies regarding the ways in which smartphones impact relationships, this caught my attention.  The author cites the high percentage of smartphone users in the 18 to 49 age bracket and…

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