"Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright..." The carols try to tell us that this is a calm and silent time of year. But for most of us, the weeks leading up to Christmas can be anything but calm. You know the drill: office parties, shopping, baking, wrapping, relatives, Christmas plays and everyone's favorite - family pictures. It's...... >Read More

Tags: Christmas, Claire Colvin, Culture, faith & spirituality, finances, LIFE, priorities, stress, Women

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Are you lonely this Christmas? Come talk to a mentor. In 1962 I was preaching in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was single and it was Christmas time. I was heading home to Michigan to enjoy the holidays with my family. It was an extremely cold day and it was snowing. The wind was howling out of the north, blowing thick clouds of... >Read More

Tags: becoming a christian, Christmas, Culture, faith, faith & spirituality, family values, growing in your faith, holiday, John William Smith, Men, prayer, priorities, purpose, spirituality, Women

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As a nutritionist, I surprise people with my motto: if you're going to indulge, then do it right (have the full-fat version) and really enjoy it! I believe healthy eating includes food high in cream, butter, sugar or salt....just not every day and not every meal. It gets a little trickier during the holiday season with parties, potlucks and... >Read More

Tags: anita romaniw, Christmas, Culture, family values, health, healthy eating, Men, priorities, recipes, Women

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Did you realize that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the time spouses and family members are most ignored? Why? We get so busy doing things for our families that we don't take the time to spend with them. So take a few moments and express your devotion to each other. Are you mutually devoted? Then declare it! There... >Read More

Tags: Christmas, Claudia Arp, commitment, communication, David Arp, Family, forgiveness, healthy marriage, intimacy, marriage, Men, priorities, protecting your marriage, sex and love, Thanksgiving, values, Women, women and men

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The story is told of a couple that grew to find little to appreciate in one another. The daily tally of things one did that annoyed and aggravated the other was a growing list. More and more they did less and less together. In desperation the woman visited a counselor and took along her journal of all the attitudes... >Read More

Tags: annoyed, commitment, communication, couples, Family, FamilyLife Favs, fight, focus, healthy marriage, improving your marriage, irrations, marriage, priorities, protecting your marriage, record of rights, relationships, resolvingn conflict, spiritual growth, values

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It is often said that balance is the key to happiness. Financial balance is an important part of a balanced life. Life can sometimes be like the balance scales our grandmothers used years ago with many different aspects of our beings coming together to balance and form the people that we are. We work and play, rest and expend energy,... >Read More

Tags: balance, budget, communication, family values, finances, healthy marriage, LIFE, Money, priorities, protecting your marriage, values, World

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Have you ever met a person who refuses to make decisions together? You might ask, “What shall we have for supper?” and the uncooperative response may be, “I don’t care.  You decide.” Or you say, “I’m thinking we might take a trip to the coast this year.  What do you think?” only to hear, “Does it really matter? ... >Read More

Tags: challenges & conflicts, commitment, communication, decision making, decisions, FamilyLife Favs, healthy marriage, priorities, protecting our marriage, relationships, resolving conflict, sex and love, spouse

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