 (Steve and Sara completed the newly updated RINGS Experience Online with coaching in September, 2020)
We have been married for over 21 years. But we weren’t happily married. We had previously sought marital counseling, but that didn’t really help us to identify and acknowledge our strength and growth areas. And it certainly didn’t equip us with the understanding and skills to be more effective in our communication. We had a covenantal marriage, a promise to each other for better or worse. But life in the “worse” was not sustainable for us or our family.
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 By Lavern Nissley
There is something good and infectious about a good laugh. The other day, on Ronda's birthday, we had a brief exchange that led us both to laughter. Me: "I think you look good in your birthday suit." Ronda: "It has wrinkles." Me: "But it looks good on you." Ronda: "I guess it still fits." While intuitively it would seem that "laughter is the best medicine", there are some interesting findings on how it affects romantic and marriage relationships. By Lavern Nissley In April, 2016 John and Julie Balzer completed the RINGS Experience and then requested follow up step-family mentoring. Both had gone through previous marriage failures and wanted to ensure health in their current marriage journey. They completed most of their mentoring sessions before their wedding in mid-June, 2016. Let's listen in to their reflections. They are pretty specific and tangible on how they've been affected by gaining emotional intelligence and relationship literacy. Seth and Lisa Perdue are Encompass board members and have a compelling marriage story that they shared for Fellowship Church, January 27, 2019. As they indicate in their story, it is only with the help of God that they are still together, having navigated one of the most challenges hurdles and couple could face.  By Lavern Nissley
You would think that more time together is good for marriages, right? However, some countries are reporting increased divorce rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Travis Childress, in an April 20 blog post observed: "The problem, according to some experts, is that time together actually acts as an X-factor to the quality of the marriage. If the marriage is strong, time together can bring the couple closer together. If the marriage isn’t strong, it can drive the couple apart." We're interested in how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your marriage relationship. If you are married, we invite you to complete a brief survey, and we'll share the results this weekend from those completing it by noon Friday, May 8. Starting this month we'll be alternating blog posts and "our stories" videos on Tuesdays. Blog posts will appear on the 1st/3rd Tuesday and videos on the 2nd/4th Tuesdays. Everything we post here is under the umbrella of practical tips & insights for your relationships.  By Kermit Rowe
(Kermit is a relationship facilitator with Encompass) There’s no denying it … the holiday rush has kicked into high gear. Finishing the shopping and baking, the decoration hanging and last-second plan-making. Lots of “-ings” but not lots of time left to be “finish-ing” them. What’s a person to do? Or for the purposes of this post, what’s a couple to do? While checking our list twice, we do well to ask ourselves who should be at the top of that list.  By Lavern Nissley
After 12 years of providing RINGS (Real Intimacy and Growth Skills) for couples, we are rolling out a major update/upgrade. The overall look and structure has been refreshed. Want to take a sneak peek?  By Heidi Biswas
(Dave and Heidi are fairly new residents in Springfield, Ohio, with Dave joining our Encompass team in January, 2019 as Outreach Coordinator. You'll get an interesting and inspiring glimpse into their process of selecting wedding attire and atmosphere.) So we got married in our pajamas. It took me a little while to figure out that this was what I wanted. At the time of being engaged I didn’t know I had felt an expectation of how I was supposed to get married. The dress, the venue, the decorations, the guest list - I knew it wasn’t what I wanted, but that’s just how weddings are, and I felt some unspoken pressure that that was how it had to be, or I’d be letting people down. In preparation for the wedding, my sister and my mother would show me pictures of beautiful decorations and plates and dresses and ask which ones I liked best, but I remember not being able to answer very well.  By Lavern Nissley
I've never been a fan of the saying, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". Ronda and I have talked about it, and we both have found it somewhat derogatory and sexist. A 14 year research study in the UK took a look at this hypothesis and came up with some pretty interesting results. And some compelling implications. |
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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