There’s no way to overcome our weaknesses without knowing our strengths. Why? Almost without exception, our weaknesses are a reflection of our strengths being pushed to an extreme. Many family conflicts are caused by viewing another person’s strengths as weaknesses. A clear view of what naturally motivates another person can open the door to greater [...]
Tag Archives: conflict
The art of timing
There’s more to effective communication than putting together and then practicing the right message. Picking the right time and place to convey it is also crucial. In a marriage, meaningful words bring life-giving water to the soil of a person’s life. In fact, all loving relationships need the continual intake of the water of communication [...]
The importance of taking a time out to protect yourself in conflict
The question is: How can I honor God and my husband?
Question: I believe we should tithe, but my husband doesn’t. My husband is a Christian, but he believes tithing isn’t necessary. I disagree. How do I honor my husband and honor God? ? Answer: Tithing itself is not a difficult concept. Christians should live their lives open-handed—acknowledging that they are merely stewards of God’s possessions. [...]
The fear dance – understanding why you fight
My husband and I have been married for almost nine months. I must admit that marriage has been much more difficult than I’d expected. I knew we would have disagreements, but when we fight I shut down and don’t respond. I think this is because my family never talked things out. My husband’s family was [...]
A surprising way to a stronger marriage – Eliminate unhappiness
We like starting off chapters with a powerful illustration that brings home the point of the chapter in a way that only illustrations can. It can feel daunting at times to keep finding new stories and metaphors that work for each chapter. We will scour the Web, browse through books and books of writing illustrations, [...]
A Surprising Way to a Stronger Marriage – Disclaimer
Our newest book is “A Surprising Way to a Stronger Marriage: how the power of one changes everything!” This book is the culmination of working many years with couples in conflict through our Marriage Restoration Intensive program. It is the most powerful thing a person can do to positively impact/influence their marriage. We want to [...]
I Wish My Daddy Was A Dog
“Daddy, would you please play like you’re a little doggie?” These were the words that greeted me (Greg) when I would return home from work. Instead of wanting me to play with her toys or read a book, my oldest daughter, Taylor, when she was two, wanted me to get down on all fours and [...]
Becoming a great date
(This post is by Erin Smalley) “Enjoy life with the woman [or man] whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which [God] has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life…” (Ecclesiastes 9:9). This encouragement was written around the year 935 B.C. Even thousands of years ago, [...]
What's the real problem in your relationship? DNA Series Part 5
The Dance That Destroys Relationships Understanding and avoiding the relationship dance creates the biggest and fastest change in couples who visit our center. They leave holding hands because they finally get the “dance.” Between sessions at a marriage seminar in the Midwest, a clearly distressed couple, Dan and Celeste, approached my son Michael.8 He had [...]