How to reconcile
Relationships require forgiveness if they are going to flourish. Inevitably we are going to wrong one another, and we need skill to know how to…
Own it.
Children have a sixth sense for hypocrisy. Adults do too. There's Hypocrisy (with a capital H) that rightly ruins credibility. This is avoided by a…
Tap the brakes
Instant communication isn't always a gift. How many times have we regretted responding too swiftly with words that were overstated because of the heat of…
Inside jokes
If you have siblings, you probably have inside jokes--some of them may go all the way back to your childhood. They may involve super-obscure references…
Always and never
Successful conflict resolution requires skillful communication. These skills can be learned, practiced, and made into habits. One of the several venues I teach these skills…
Underneath the door
Singer/songwriter Michael Card shares what it was like for him to grow up as the son of a medical doctor. If you have a few…
Clarity
Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn't mean anything else.C.S. Lewis,…
Flag or whistle?
In premarital counseling, in our session on communication, I give each person an invisible whistle or yellow flag--whichever they prefer. It's for calling fouls. Folks…
You hangry?
It took Diedra and me longer than we care to admit to notice that we were getting in petty arguments right before dinner. Eat some…
Long distance
I married my high school sweetheart after four years of mostly long-distance dating (we got to see each other occasionally). This was before cell phones.…