The Three Levels of Grateful – Understanding how Gratitude Changes Lives

As Thanksgiving approaches, we will inevitably hear much about the importance of gratitude.  Our Facebook feeds will be filled with gratitude posts, Sunday school lessons throughout the month will focus on this topic, and as parents, we will try to help our children understand this principle before they begin asking for Christmas gifts. Yet as…

How to Say No

Do you find it hard to say no when other people ask things of you? Are you worried about what they may think of you, or do you always feel an obligation to help?  This can be especially challenging over the holidays when different people want your help or you attendance at more than you…

Everyday Family Traditions: Simple Solutions to Strong Families

Everyday rituals and family traditions such as walking the dog together when you both get home from work, Saturday morning chores, and bedtime routines are all opportunities to build and strengthen family relationships. Time set aside for these daily family traditions and rituals provides a sense of continuity and predictability – without which, families often…

Why Couples Fight: It’s Not About The Lemons

Marriage experts used to assume that couples fought mostly over what I call “content issues“–the things a couple discusses during a fight, such as money, in-laws, sex, and parenting styles.  They believed that if they addressed each individual content issue, they could help the couple improve their relationship.  But addressing the content of the fights often didn’t do much…

When Your Spouse is Addicted to Porn

Finding out that your spouse has a porn addiction is often devastating and overwhelming.  In recent studies of wives whose husbands are addicted to porn, researchers have found that woman describe their experience in the same way women describe finding out about an affair.  The deceit, betrayal, secrecy, shame, and feelings of inadequacy are the…