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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In difficult economic times like these, it’s natural to search for ways to cut expenses and reduce the pressure on your family income. Among the many ways to lower expenses, the easiest may seem to stop making donations to your favorite charities. If we truly believe in what these organizations are doing, discontinuing our financial support means...... >Read More

Tags: budget, charity, communication, Culture, donate, FaithLife Financial, Family, family values, finances, generous, healthy marriage, Money, newlywed, priorities, taxes, values, volunteer, World

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It would turn out to be another fateful day.  We were all together as a family with friends at a Mountain Lodge and I took a break from all the activity to relax and read in my room. That's where my daughter's boyfriend, Dan, found me and that began the fateful part of the day. He asked if we could... >Read More

Tags: adult children, better parenting, commitment, communication, Culture, Family, marriage, priorities, values, World

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Many families suffer “hole-in-a-pocket” syndrome, meaning the money they earn seems to slip away leaving no trace. As a result, plans we have for our family, home, church or charity giving and future are set aside.  We say “we can’t afford it” even when the family income suggests that the plans are – or should be – affordable. This...... >Read More

Tags: budget, challenges & conflicts, communication, FaithLife Financial, families, family budget, finances, financial decisions, healthy marriage, income, Money, pay check, priorities, resolving conflict, values

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I have my meals planned this week. But rather than posting my plan (it's just pasta Monday, fish Tuesday, meatless on Wednesday, frozen leftovers on Thursday), I thought I'd post my rationale for eating together.  When I was out walking recently, my daughter Katie said to me, "You know what I like about our family, Mommy? We eat together. It's...... >Read More

Tags: attitude problems, better parenting, character develoment, Culture, dinner, Family, FamilyLife, FamilyLife Favs, parenting essentials, quality time, Shelia Wray Gregoire, teenages, teens, values, World

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One of the most difficult parts of marriage is agreeing how to discipline. When one parent is more lenient, and one is more harsh, often parents fail to back each other up, and instead form emotional bonds with the kids. Here's a situation that happened in our family recently: One of our daughters, who had been very compliant, hit puberty,... >Read More

Tags: better parenting, communication, different discipline styles, discipline, Family, FamilyLife, parenting, parenting essentials, resolving conflict, sheila wray gregoire, spouse, teens, values

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Every now and then, an idea explodes through our collective consciences, challenging our notions about how life works. It happened in the fifteenth century when Galileo argued that the earth was round. It happened in the eighteenth century when upstarts in North America decided they wanted to govern themselves. And I hope, for some of you parents,...... >Read More

Tags: better parenting, character development, children, consequences, fail, Family, FamilyLife Canada, FamilyLife Favs, guide, parenting essentials, parents, Shelia Wray Gregoire, succeed, teach, teenagers, values

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