 By Lavern and Ronda Nissley
(This post is a follow up to Father's Day surprise from last week about a life-altering experience that almost took Ronda's life. If you aren't familiar with this back story, you'll want to read it first.) Robert Emmons, a leading researcher on gratitude, had this to say about it in a 2010 Greater Good Magazine post : "Gratitude is a social emotion. I see it as a relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we’ve been supported and affirmed by other people." He also provided 4 reasons on why gratitude is good. We'd like to share those 4 reasons as well as our own 7 points of gratitude surrounding a major challenge in our own marriage journey.
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 By Lavern Nissley
(This post is birthed out of a challenging, life-altering experience affecting Lavern & Ronda Nissley, Encompass co-directors.) Ronda was feeling some abdominal discomfort the Friday before Father’s Day, similar to an episode she had experienced earlier with diverticulitis. What worked before was antibiotics. So when she went to Urgent Care on Father’s Day and was sent to the ER for a CAT scan, she was still thinking, “I just need some antibiotics.” I joined Ronda in the ER after receiving her text that she had been sent there. We were not prepared for the results of the CAT scan.  By Ronda Nissley
Ronda is co-director with her husband, Lavern, at Encompass Connection Center. Her educational and vocational background is in long term care administration, having served as administrator of several facilities before stepping away to work together with Lavern in 2005. Your mom or your marriage? Which would you choose? You may have a quick, easy answer; however, as aging parents cycle through predictable stages of decline and dependency, it's not always clear where the priorities will land.  By Lavern Nissley
“They are not sleeping. They are not going to school. They are dropping out of social activities. A lot of kids have stopped playing sports so they can do this.” “We have one kid who destroyed the family car because he thought his parents had locked his device inside. He took a hammer to the windshield.” Ugh! What is the this?  By Lavern Nissley
The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman have been a cherished resource and wake up call for thousands of couples around the world. If you own a smart phone, there is now a fun, innovative way to take the Five Love Languages into a new frontier. Want to know more? Get ready to download a cool new free app.  By Lavern Nissley
(Danny Meyer is a former pastor and overseer in the Association of Vineyard Churches) If you are married, please stop and take 2 minutes to read some super marriage advice from a May 18, 2018 Facebook post by Danny Meyer, a personal friend and acquaintance. In this brief post he offers incredibly humble and transparent reflections on his 44 year marriage to Penny. No self-promoting heroism at all! Seriously . . . This. Is. Good. Stuff!  By Lavern Nissley
Whenever two or more people come together for any purpose, goal or objective, there is potential for things going horribly wrong or incredibly well, with plenty of intermediate options. Most of us have experienced both ends of this social emotionally laden continuum. What is it that influences one outcome or the other? Mathematician and relationship researcher John Gottman has developed 4 predictors of marriage failure and 4 predictors of marriage success based upon his observation of hundreds of couples. Want to know what they are?  By Lavern Nissley
If you had to build 3 very simple sentences, a subject and a verb, starting with the word "love", what would you come up with? Here are several examples: Love hurts. Love heals. Love trusts. Love tries. Love listens. All good and pretty accurate. But not what we're emphasizing in this post. Want to know the verb we're highlighting in a new social media campaign?  By Lavern Nissley
Want to hear a really inspiring testimonial of learning? These do happen, but rarely are they as uplifting as the one we're about to highlight here. Unfortunately, many couples see it as a stigma to reach out for assistance with their relationship. Some even seem to prefer "sneaking in" under cover of darkness so that no one they know sees them. I'm not kidding! But Derek and Taylor, the couple you are about to meet, saw it differently. At least after they got started. They are so glad they didn't push off seeking help until it was too late.  By Ellen Dudney
(Ellen served with the Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Springfield from 2008 through 2018, beginning as a Nurse Manager, then leading as Executive Director from 2011-2018.) Yes, Virginia, there is life after the working! I do not like the word “retirement”. It focuses on things ending, but it says nothing about the future. And, it makes me sound old – which I most certainly am not! How about if we call it “transition” instead. After all, I’m still the same person, with the same skills, interests, and passions – I’ll just be pursuing these in a different way, as will you. |
HostsLavern & Ronda Nissley are co-directors of Encompass. Married since 1978, both enjoy coffee, riding their tandem bicycle and working together to build strong relationships. 
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