Who is in Control?

Walking down a side street in New Orleans, my wife and I came across a sign outside of a restaurant that was a tad unusual. While most would advertise their “great food in a fine dining experience,” this one was different. The sign stated that the food was disappointing, the drinks were not all that…

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How’s Your Date Night?

Now if your first thought is, “What date night?” then this might be a timely post. Depending on your season of life, date nights can look very differently. If you are young with no children or are empty nesters, you may find date nights fairly easy to put together. But if you are like so…

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How’s the New Year Going?

So, we are about a month into the new year and I am wondering how it is going for you? Did you make any resolutions? Set any new goals? Dream up any new things you would like to see happen in 2023? If so – how’s it going? For many the resolutions and goals have…

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What Do You Expect?

“I’m really frustrated because I arrived home, expecting dinner, only to discover that nothing had even been done, no effort had even been made to start dinner!” Why did this person expect dinner to be ready? It might be because every other night dinner has been prepared. Or it could be that the person grew…

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Are You Nearing Burnout?

Burnout has been defined as, “an extreme state of psychological pain.” “It’s a response to facing prolonged, chronic stressors that go beyond your ability or available resources to overcome.” Professor Michael Leiter of Acadia University in Nova Scotia states that burnout has three components – “overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, and a sense of discouragement.”…

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Would You Like Some Help?

While those sound like good kind words; an offer to assist, to provide support – individual’s reactions often don’t seem appreciative. Why? I have found myself trying to carry an armload of stuff (probably too much stuff) to the recycle bin, and my wife says, “Would you like some help?” To which I reply, “No,…

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Are You on the Same Team?

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…

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What is the Purpose of Christmas?

That question may seem a bit strange. You may be thinking “I would understand if you asked “What is the meaning of Christmas?” But the purpose? Well, I’m asking about the purpose of Christmas. Was it established to support the fir tree industry? Or maybe its purpose is to give us a reason to decorate…

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How Much Do You Laugh?

You may think this a strange question. But I would really be curious to know. You see laughter is so easily lost. I mean, life is serious stuff – there are wars and rumors of wars (hmm), hurricanes, wildfires, political divide, and the list goes on and on. You might think, “What is there to…

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