By Cindee Johnson Relationship Champion and Encompass Partner It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to roast turkey and baked ham, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, stuffing, deviled eggs, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese, pecan pie, fresh dinner rolls, and…family. Ahhhh, the family. We gather together with family giving thanks with grateful hearts. Or do we?
Do we give thanks with grateful hearts? And, does it really matter? Turns out, it does. In fact, it matters a lot.
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By Dr David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director Have you ever looked at a couple and thought, “Wow, how did they get so lucky? They make marriage look effortless!” Here’s the secret: it’s not luck. Every strong relationship you see takes effort, patience, and intentional communication. Behind that sense of ease lies a shared commitment to building and nurturing the relationship—something every couple can cultivate.
By: Cindee Johnson
Encompass Relationship Coach Traffic was flowing smoothly on the fairly crowded Columbus, Ohio, roadway. As we neared a major highway split, the vehicle next to us floored it. Cutting through the area marked with yellow hazard lines, the driver suddenly shifted into our lane barely missing a concrete barrier that could have tragically stopped him. Our Jeep automatically sensed the reckless vehicle and slowed nearly to a stop. My husband Dave looked ahead breathing a sigh of relief that the Jeep offers such great safety features. At the same time, I watched in the passenger side mirror commenting that the Jeep nearly stopping was not safe and we were going to get rear-ended! By Lavern Nissley
Encompass Executive Director The term "new" sparks different responses, doesn't it? For some, "new" is associated with a freshly purchased item that is going to make life soooo very much better. For others, "new" is something that requires major adapting to yet another change. Which are you? And how can you best navigate the two sides of new? Testimonial by Thaddeus & Sara Williams
RINGS course & coaching participants This one-minute to-the-point testimonial contains 2 valuable takeaways they have that make marriage satisfying. See if you can catch them. By: Hollie Kowalski
Encompass Outreach Coordinator The holiday season is once again, upon me… uh, I mean us. I am an enneagram 2, wing 3. If you’ve never done an enneagram study, I highly recommend it. This study helped me learn so much about myself and my loved ones, why we are the way we are, and how to be healthier versions of ourselves. As a 2 wing 3 combination, I’m described as “the hostess,” and boy do I love hosting and entertaining others! Making our home festive, our gatherings joyous, and the season itself “perfect,” has been my goal in the past…even if it makes my Christmas, not so merry. Ha! I tend to put much undo pressure on myself during this season while trying to achieve perfection in every little Christmas thing, but this season I’ve decided to follow these guidelines to a less stressful and more peaceful holiday season: By Kermit Rowe
Encompass Relationship Facilitator The attitude of gratitude is powerful in any relationship, but especially so in marriage. As powerful as it can be, it can also be just as challenging. Our spouse is someone we’ve committed the rest of our life to, who probably knows us better than any other human being. They are reminded daily that we are not perfect, and we make mistakes. There are going to be times when we will give each other reasons not to be thankful, mainly because we do this life together. Here are some ways to overcome the challenge of taking the best thing to ever happen to us for granted... By: Ronda Nissley Encompass Connection Center Co-Director Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty – Anne Herbert, 1982
I am one of those people that can become so focused on my calendar and my “to do” list that I lose sight of other people as human beings. After all, I have important things to do and deadlines to meet. Please don’t get in my way or slow me down! I am constantly at war with time. It’s easy for me to become impatient with others that don’t fulfill my expectations. By: Abby Glaser It’s hard to believe the holidays are here! If you are like me, you are already making progress on your shopping list for Christmas. One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is seeing the generosity of our community. There’s something about the Christmas spirit that brings out the best in us! You may like to give to organizations that help those in need or you may prefer to do it yourself through adopting families or giving trees. However you spread Christmas joy this year, consider giving the gift of dignity! You may be wondering what that means... allow me to explain!
Each week in November we've been sharing stories from grateful couples who have seen their family trees forever changed through growing in relationship skills. This week we hear from Malcolm & Kristen Davis, Par & Helen Tolliver, and Gary & Andrea Keener who have all channeled their gratitude into the Power of 2 (P2), a monthly giving opportunity to "pay it forward".
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HostsDr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024. TOPICS
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