Dare to Care Interview

Today, I was interviewed by Kent Mattox and Cris Corzine on the weekly radio program of Caring Counseling Ministries in Marion, IL.
Caring Counseling Ministries

Christian Counseling for Southern Illinois

Caring Counseling Ministries performs a wonderful service by proving Christian Counseling for those in need in the Southern Illinois area.
Caring Counseling Ministries Header
I encourage you to check out their website at http://caringcounseling.webs.com/.
During the interview, I gave a history of my background in ministry and Christian Education, and we talked about my current involvement with Morthland College. The bulk of the interview dealt with my book: The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage: Six Keys to Marital Bliss. We had some fun in our discussion and we covered a smattering of the concepts presented in each of the six parts of the book.
My hosts were very gracious, and I think we all had a good time during our discussion.
If you have Windows Media Player (or something that will play a .WMA file) you will probably be able to listen to the program at the following link:
Dare to Care Interview

Cincopa WordPress plugin

(The file is large and takes a while to buffer. After several seconds I clicked on the gray progress bar-backing up slightly and it began to play. Please try it and wait even a minute or two. Well, the next time I tried it, it started right away. The first few comments were between programs, so the interview is actually there after a minute or two. Maybe I can tweak some more later. You may have to turn your speakers up a little; however, using headphones worked well for me.)
.
Bless you, and, anyway, I had a good time during the interview. (Their program usually airs on Friday afternoon from 2:00 to 2:30 on WGGH AM 1150 in Marion, IL.)
December 30, 2011 | admin | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Jack Canfield and The Success Principles

Chicken Soup for the Soul–Who has not heard of that? Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen started a wonderful series of encouraging and positive books, and that series has encouraged millions of people around the world.

In addition to that, Jack has written The Success Principles: Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be! It

The Success Principles

Jack Canfield and The Success Principles

looks to be a powerful book filled with 64 success principles.

This website is about successful marriage, so of course I am interested in success principles, especially as to how they can be applied to marriage.

Here are some intriguing benefits that can be received by applying the principles in Mr. Canfield’s book:

  • How to change the outcome of any event, simply by changing your response to it
  • How to complete past projects, heal past relationships and process old hurts, so you can embrace the future
  • How to say “no” to the good, so you’ll have room in your life to say “yes” to the great
  • Why you should drop out of the “Ain’t It Awful” Club and instead surround yourself with success, positive and nurturing people.

I noticed how those four principles could benefit any marriage.

“How to change the outcome of any event, simply by changing your response to it” is something I would like to look into from his perspective. In our marriage seminars, we talk about how to break a “crazy cycle”, in part using some ideas from Emerson Eggerichs.

“How to complete past projects, heal past relationships and process old hurts, so you can embrace the future” is another important principle. in the book, The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage: Six Keys to Marital Bliss, I talk

The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage

The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage

about the importance of the principle of “leaving” in which I talk about the importance of leaving behind past relationships and getting rid of “baggage” we bring with us into the marriage relationship.

“How to say ‘no’ to the good, so you’ll have room in your life to say ‘yes’ to the great” is a great principle. I have often said that the “good” is often the worst enemy of the “best.” It is easy to see that it is a good choice to choose the good over the bad; however, it is often less easy to see that we miss out on the best when simply settle for the good. We want to have marriages that thrive instead of those that just survive.

Speaking of choosing the best, one of the most popular and entertaining sessions of our marriage seminars is “Don’t Just Be in the Marriage Game. Go for the Championship!”

“Why you should drop out of the ‘Ain’t It Awful’ Club and instead surround yourself with success, positive and nurturing people” certainly sounds like good advice. That could help many marriages too.

Of course, I especially look for principles that are not contrary to the principles of the Bible. I do not think we create reality with our words, but if we set goals and follow through with action, we can certainly see great measures of success.

If you are interested in success in general, you might want to check out Mr. Canfield’s book. If you are looking for principles for a successful marriage in particular, you may find it very helpful to browse around on this site for a while.

December 14, 2011 | admin | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

Catching up with a Friend

It is always good to catch up with old friends, isn’t it.

I just talked with Bruce Droit, a friend all the way back to childhood.

Arnett's Country Store

How does this relate to this website? I guess the best answer is that you want your mate to be your best friend. Friends in general remind you of that.

Bruce and his wife Stacy run Arnett’s Country Store south of West Frankfort, IL. If you would like to check out their website you could go to Arnettscountrystore.com. They have many wonderful craft and decorative items that you might like to look at.

How does that relate to marriage? You want your marriage to be a thing of beauty, don’t you?

Check out The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage if you would like to make your marriage more beautiful than it already is, and while you are at it, you might want to mosey over to Bruce and Stacee’s website too.

November 11, 2011 | admin | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

Books Available at Morthland College

You can invest in The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage: Six Keys to Marital Bliss at Morthland College. Remember that you will also get a “two for one” coupon that will enable you to enroll in the Community Education Class, Making Your Marriage Sizzle–God’s Way! and bring one other person at no extra charge. Go by the administrative offices at 210 West Main St. in West Frankfort, IL, and pick up your copy today.

Tweak a Great Marriage to Make it Even Better

This is a great fun class for married couples who want to tweak their marriages and make them even better. That is the target audience, but you will notice in the comments on the website that some with serious marital issues have taken the principles that are presented in the above mentioned book and course and have restored their failing marriages.

September 25, 2011 | admin | Tags: , | No Comments »

Your Relationship Rescue Plan – How to Succeed in 3 Easy Steps

Yesterday, we talked about, “What do you really need to get back together?” Today, we will talk about how to formulate a relationship rescue plan.

We can safely assume that everyone would agree that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship. To be fair, many couples do get along very well, but perfection simply is not attainable. On the other hand, some relationships are so far from perfection that they are about to fall apart. If that hits a sore spot, then you may need a relationship rescue.

Even though there are no perfect relationships, you will do well to strive for perfection–to keep trying to improve your relationship. This is important because doing so keeps you focused on the relationship. Couples need to understand that being happy together doesn’t happen without any effort on their part. Good relationships take work. So, if you want to rescue a poor relationship, then you need to be willing to do whatever it takes to make it succeed.

Let’s be blunt. Accomplishing this won’t be easy. It’s hard enough when a relationship is running smoothly, and if yours has problems, it’s going to be much, much harder. But, as they say, all good things are worth fighting for. Get ready. Roll up your sleeves. Let’s get started!

Here are three easy steps to designing and implementing your relationship rescue plan:

1. Step back and look at things.
The first thing you need to do is take a step back and try to look at things as though you are on the outside looking in. How would you describe what’s going on? Where are you at fault? Where could you improve? What things are going well enough to keep you together for now? The goal of questions like these is to help you see things as they really are.

2. Talk to your mate.
Once you have an idea of what’s really going on, you need to talk to your husband or wife. This can be very difficult. The key here is to remain calm, honest, rational and respectful. Do not let things get out of control. You want to avoid arguing at all costs. All you are really doing is presenting the facts as you understand them. You may be surprised to find that your spouse has felt just as you have.

3. Make your relationship rescue plan.
Now that you have talked to each other, it’s time begin making a plan for relationship rescue. Your plan depends on your specific situation. Each person is different, and every couple is different. While there is not one plan that will work for everyone, there are some good resources available that can help you. There are websites, books, guides, counseling options and other resources out there. However, none of them will do you any good unless you actually take action on what you learn.

You need to commit to your plan. It takes time and work, but as your relationship improves, it will seem easier. It will be so much nicer when you start seeing results. Results are a great source of motivation. Once you get a taste of how well your relationship rescue plan works, you will be even more motivated to improve.

Learn more about formulating a relationship rescue plan at the Get Back Together Page on this website.

T.W. Jackson has some great resources that will help with developing your relationship rescue plan.

Happy planning to you!

November 14, 2010 | admin | Tags: , | No Comments »

What Do You Really Need to Get Back Together?

What do you really need to get back together? This could be where you are not physically apart–just where you had a little spat. That is not something that is of too much concern unless you do not resolve things and allow things to fester.

On the other hand, we may actually be talking about where one of you has moved out. What do you really need to get back together?

Do you need to apologize? Yes, but it must be done in the right way.

Are there some techniques that will just pester my spouse and drive him or her farther away? There certainly are. You need to be aware of those and avoid them.

Are there techniques that will cause my spouse to be drawn to me. The good news is, “Yes!” You need to implement as many of these as possible.

Could I ask for a second chance? Of course, but, again, you must be careful when doing this. Get as much information as you can when writing a second-chance letter.

Finally, you need to get a handle on your life, regardless of the outcome. When you do this, you will become more confident and more attractive to your spouse. Even if things don’t work out (although, they likely will workout if you apply techniques properly), you will come out better than you are now.

Check out more information on the Get Back Together Page, but don’t just stop there, go on to get The Magic of Making Up. That could be one of the best moves you make in the near future!

November 13, 2010 | admin | Tags: , | No Comments »