Tag Archives: relationships

Getting Other Adults to Invest Into Your Teen’s Life

I truly believe that our teens need other adults to invest into their lives. While at one time grandparents were usually the outside parental influence in a teen’s life, today that has changed. Many grandparents are still working, live far away or are otherwise engaged in their own lives. If a teen doesn’t have the advantage of an involved grandparent, then parents may need to look elsewhere. Of course, care and caution must be exercised when deciding on who will invest into your teen’s life. I am so thankful for the wonderful youth program available at my church. It not … Continue reading →

The “Aha” Moments in Life

In my last parenting blog I wrote about a potential near tragedy that occurred in my home while I was out of town last weekend. My 17-year-old son’s friend had taken his BB rifle and was messing around with it when it discharged. It struck his friend in the throat, with the pellet now lodged in his tongue. Just one inch over and it would have been fatal. Since then the BB gun has been removed from my son’s bedroom and we aren’t sure about when (if ever) we are going to give it back. It has certainly been a … Continue reading →

Showing Appreciation to Your Spouse

Sometimes life can get in the way of appreciating your spouse. You go through each day doing basically the same thing. It isn’t until something different happens, that we sometimes realize how blessed we are to be married. That came to me this past weekend when I went away for three days to a writer’s conference in North Carolina. I have never been out of state, away from my husband. It was a little uncomfortable to be on my own figuring out flights and what gate I needed to be at. I have always relied on my husband for this. … Continue reading →

Do You Speak Your Husband’s Love Language?

We all have our own love language. In other words, what speaks love to one person might not be the same thing as another person. This is best explained in the book, “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. If you don’t already know what your love language is, you can find out by visiting their website. But I would also strongly encourage you to find out what your spouse’s love language is. This could make a significant difference in the way you interact with one another. It could even lead to a stronger marriage. Think of it this way. … Continue reading →

My Irrational Moment as a Parent

Ever have one of those irrational moments as a parent? The kind where you are so oblivious to how you are handling things that you are sure everyone else is crazy? Last week I had one of those. It was my son’s first official day of work. Up until then he had gone for either orientation or training but on his first official day he would be working a full five hours. He was supposed to text me when he got to work and text me when he was leaving. He was also supposed to come home and change before … Continue reading →

High School Behavior in Adults

High school behavior isn’t relegated just to teens. I have seen some of the same behavior that our teens struggle with, be just as much an issue with adults. I’m talking about when adults start to interfere in teen issues that should probably be left on their own. Parents who get overly involved in their teens lives not only prevent them from learning how to handle relational issues but they can quickly find themselves getting sucked into the same behavior we see in our teens. What I have learned is that I need to be very careful about what I … Continue reading →

Time Apart Isn’t a Bad Thing

Recently I have been thinking about how far my marriage has come. There was a time when my husband and I couldn’t seem to handle allowing the other one to go off and do something without each other. I recall the first time I wanted to attend a conference out of town with some friends. This was several years ago and it was called, “Hearts at Home.” As a mom with three young children, it sounded like the perfect opportunity to not only get away and get refreshed but empowered to come back and do my job as a wife … Continue reading →

Marriages Need Compromise

I think one of the most difficult things to do in a marriage, or in any relationship, is to compromise. Compromise means you are willing to do your part to make something work. It often requires that you give something up. Last week was one where compromise was greatly tested. My husband took a week of vacation, more or less just to use it up, along with the fact that our kids were on their first week of summer break. However I was not on break, so I still had a full workload. Of course, working from home has a … Continue reading →

Do You Know Your Spouse’s Greatest Needs?

I recently got together with a friend who was sharing a secret to her happy marriage. She divulged to me the frequency of her intimate relations with her husband and how in return he met so many of her needs. Those needs weren’t physical, nor were they emotional. They were doing chores around the house. Well I can definitely attest to the fact that I would love to see the dishes emptied, the laundry thrown in or the bathroom cleaned. But does my husband know this? Or do I just assume that he knows? You see, my friend and her … Continue reading →

Dating Men With Children or Without?

Dating after divorce is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was 39 when Hailey’s father and I got divorced; I hadn’t dated since I was 22. It was hard to put myself out there, to get to know someone after being with my husband for so long. I had forgotten how to flirt, how to meet people, what to say, how to behave on dates. Eventually it came back, just like riding a bike, you never really forget, but it was very different. The biggest thing I noticed was that even before I introduced a man to … Continue reading →