 Dr. David and Theresa Mabry (center) with their children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations David and I had been married for 13 years when we took our first relationship assessment. He was getting ready to begin work at the Marriage Resource Center—what you now know as Encompass Connection Center—and we were invited to help teach relationship classes to couples.
I remember thinking, “Well, they’ve asked the right people! We've been married long enough to teach this stuff with our eyes closed.” Boy, was I wrong.
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 By Kristin Engler Guest Writer Kristin lives in Powell, Ohio with her husband, Jason, and they share four children in their blended family. Kristen and her family attend Newstart Church in Delaware and have a heart and passion to see blended families thrive. “No parent gives mercy better than one who is convinced that he desperately needs it himself.” Paul David Tripp Truer words were never spoken about parenting, but these words become even more emphasized in the child/parent relationship challenges that show up in blended families. There are many lessons God has taught me on the journey of life, but perhaps one of the most important has been what He’s demonstrated in our family by teaching us to love all of our children equally, regardless of blood. My husband, Jason, and I married in 2017 and each of us brought 2 kids to the marriage. Our ambitions of a cohesive and happy family were short-lived, as we began to navigate custody battles, children in various degrees of abuse and trauma, and even things like loyalty conflicts and jealousy. Jealousy? Certainly, you mean that of a child to their stepparent, right? Friends, I’m here to tell you that all the emotions have been present, for each of us, children and adults alike. We never could have foreseen the complexity of what we would navigate as we learned to parent our children together. What I know to be true is that ONLY with God can we truly learn what it means to love our children and our stepchildren and know them the way He does.
 By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations Parenting young children is a whirlwind of emotions. It’s excitement, exhaustion, frustration, joy, love, and everything in between—sometimes all at once. I’ve raised three children of my own, and I vividly remember feeling those highs and lows daily, if not hourly! Now, as I watch my oldest raise my grandchildren, I see those same ups and downs from the perspective of a grandparent. While the experience is bittersweet, it’s also a reminder of how precious these early years truly are. I want to encourage you: enjoy the here and now. This season may feel long at times, but it passes quickly. And the growth and development happening in these early years is so crucial—blink, and you might miss it.
So, how can you make the most of these formative years? Here are a few guiding principles to keep in mind:  By Abby Glaser Community Advocate In keeping with this month’s theme of parenting, I get to talk about something that often comes with a mix of excitement and dread—the teenage years! While I wouldn’t call myself an expert, I do have plenty of experience—I'm currently parenting my last two teens out of five! If you do the math, that means I’ve had a teenager in my house for 12 years… and I’ve lived to tell the tale!
 By Cindee Johnson Encompass Partner and Relationship Champion It was a setup from the beginning. A group outing for dinner with 15 other people where two of us showed up. We waited a little while, finally sat down to eat and soon barely noticed the others never arrived. We actually closed down the place at 2am, never running out of things to talk about, making plans to see each other the next day. Within months we were engaged, planning our wedding for exactly one year to the day of that setup date.
 By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations Want a healthier family? And we are not talking about food! Parenting is one of the most rewarding and challenging roles anyone can take on. It's a journey full of growth, learning, and love, but also fraught with difficult moments, stress, and conflict. That's why having a supportive framework can be a game-changer for both parents and children. Our program, Parenting for Kids’ Sake, is designed to help families experience growth in their parenting abilities by strengthening practical, time-tested skills.
 By: Joe Kowalski
Encompass Champion Like many of you I have a few choice verses and even books of the Bible I gravitate towards. The first book of the Bible I can remember reading was James, New testament, not very long and very practical for new a believer. There are several verses that even non-Christians would likely be familiar with even if they couldn’t cite them: John 3:16 (for God so loved the world…), Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning…), and then there are the verses that are often misquoted: ‘God helps those who help themselves’ most often attributed to Ephesians 2: 4-5, and ‘Money is the root of all evil’ pulled from 1 Timothy 6:10. And then there are those verses that we just can’t seem to get away from….in a good way. They pop up in sermons, in small group, and seem to apply to so many situations we are going through in life.  By: Kermit Rowe
Encompass Relationship Facilitator For better or worse, till death do us part, our family remains our family. We can ignore them, refuse to have a personal relationship with them, but we can’t ignore the blood connection to them given to us by God through our birth. If God is the God He claims to be – the holy, perfect one with no beginning or end, who has no evil or error in Him – then it follows that He makes no mistakes. And it follows that the family He placed us in is the family we are meant to be a part of. In His perfect, infinite wisdom. To question our family origin is therefore questioning Him. He could have sent us into any family, in any hometown, in any native country, at any point in history. But He chose to send us into the life and family we currently occupy.  By: Abby Glaser
Encompass Community Advocate This month our theme at Encompass is “start here!” This month is also Human Trafficking Awareness month! Considering that, I’d love to take a few moments to give you some info on human trafficking. I’ve worked with trafficking survivors for over 20 years now and serve on the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Coalition, so this issue is near to my heart. While the topic has gained more attention in the past few years, a lot of information floating around is often false. So, let’s start with a brief understanding of what human trafficking is. By: Ronda Nissley
Encompass Co-Director I grew up in the small town of Kalona, Iowa as the seventh of nine children. My mother never worked outside the home and Dad was employed by a variety of small Christian schools and church agencies – earning a modest income even by standards of that day. Looking back, I’m sure our family would have been classified as “poor” by pretty much any economic measure. To my parent’s credit, I never figured that out until I was an adult. Thanks to my mother’s large garden and skills as a seamstress-we were always well fed and clothed. |
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HostsDr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024. TOPICS
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Funding is provided by Clark County Job and Family Services, Charles L. Shor Foundation, Nehemiah Foundation, Springfield Foundation, Turner Foundation, and private donations and fees.
Program content is the sole responsibility of Encompass Connection Center and does not necessarily represent the views of the funders.
Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 37-1485217
Program content is the sole responsibility of Encompass Connection Center and does not necessarily represent the views of the funders.
Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 37-1485217