 |
 |
|
Good questions to ask yourself…
1. Am I a truthful person?
2. How will my children describe their childhoods?
3. Is this (my career) what I want to do with my life?
4. Am I regularly using all of my God-given talents?
5. Do other [...]
Filed under: Communication, Community, Compatibility, Control issues | 1 Comment »
My family is troubled. We are facing financial issues, relationship problems, and change (one sister is getting married, one sister is getting divorced). I am 23 and feel as if my parents are looking to me to be the wise one. In the meantime I am trying to build my own life and get an [...]
Filed under: Boundaries, Community, Compatibility, Differentiation, Difficult Relationships | Tagged: Family, help, responsibility | 2 Comments »
When I’m feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of making a living, parenting my children, trying to be a helpful member of my community, I try to preempt any feelings of self-pity by counting my blessings “one by one.” There is great wisdom in the Sunday School standard, “Count your blessings.” Gratitude can change everything. Dark [...]
Filed under: Community, Education, Faith, Family | Tagged: being grateful, counting your blessings | 1 Comment »
There are “injustice collectors” lurking in every organization…
He or she is very easily offended. Being offended (hurt, bruised) is a permanent condition.
His or her emotional life is akin to an over-ripe peach. Thus, the slightest disagreement, or your failure to smile (or thank, or praise) leaves him or her with a lingering bruise.
You’ve got to [...]
Filed under: Boundaries, Communication, Community, Victims | Tagged: difficult people, hurt, offended, Victims | 3 Comments »
“My parents are heavy smokers and I don’t want them smoking in my home. I am Biblically constrained to obey my parents and therefore feel I cannot ask them not to smoke when they visit me. Please help.” (Letter shortened)
You are an adult and therefore you are not “Biblically constrained to obey” your parents. Children [...]
Filed under: Biblical living, Communication, Community, Compatibility, Differentiation, Difficult Relationships, Interpersonal intimacy, Victims, Voice | Tagged: parents, permission, smoking, smoking in my home | 1 Comment »
Are you estranged from a family member? Here, modified according to your needs* and circumstances, and expressed in your own words and style, is the gist of offering a “Here I Stand” challenge:
“Here I stand, my son, despite our painful history, desiring to be a loving parent and grandparent to you and to your children. [...]
Filed under: Authentic love, Blended families, Boundaries, Communication, Community, Dads, Differentiation, Difficult Relationships, Family, Fathers, Forgiveness, Friendship, Generosity, Grace, Recovery, Relationships, Trust, Victims, Violence, Voice | Tagged: daughter, Forgiveness, parent, reconciliation, son | No Comments »
1. Your courage, determination and your willingness to fully live, your ability and willingness to employ all of your skills and expedite your wildest ambitions, will go a long way toward compensating for the absence of the other parent.
2. Being debilitated by the absence of a partner, living as if a successful life is impossible [...]
Filed under: Blended families, Boundaries, Children, Community, Dads, Differentiation, Difficult Relationships, Love, Parenting/Children, Relationships, Single parenting, Stepfather, Stepmother, Teenagers, Voice | Tagged: children of divorce, Dads, Family, moms, separation, Single parenting, solo-parenting | 1 Comment »
“I have known a woman for 4 years. We have lived together but broke up and got back together twice in the last year. She is deciding whether to be with me or another guy. I find this stressful and have asked her to make up her mind. She says I am not as warm as he [...]
Filed under: Attraction, Community, Compatibility, Control issues, Differentiation, Difficult Relationships | Tagged: Dating, difficult relationship, man, played, sincerity, tough love, woman | 3 Comments »
Dear Corrine:
You write about the crowded room of blogging and so I wanted to tell you how I got started. I never set out to blog. In fact I’d never read one until it was my own.
Here’s the brief story: I was writing a weekly editorial column for The Indianapolis Star but REALLY wanted to [...]
Filed under: Coaching, Communication, Community, Personal growth, Voice | Tagged: advice, help columns, how to, newspapers, Rod Smith | 4 Comments »
Dedicated to Younger Readers (From my book: A SHORT COURSE IN GOOD MANNERS for Middle School and All other Humans)
I will not apologize for adults who treat you with less than good manners, but I will try to articulate a few things that I know annoy younger people about some adults. When dealing with annoying [...]
Filed under: Authentic love, Boundaries, Children, Communication, Community, Compatibility, Education, Family, Growing up, Happiness, Humor | Tagged: church, communicating with youth, fun, kids, middle school, talking down to kids, youth groups | 2 Comments »
