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PRACTICAL TIPS & INSIGHTS FOR YOUR

RELATIONSHIPS

How One Tool Strengthened Our Marriage

5/14/2025

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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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From Dysfunction to Flourishing

5/7/2025

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Mabry family portrait 1976. David is bottom left corner.
By Dr. David Marine Mabry
Encompass Executive Director
I grew up as the third of four boys in a rural, working-class family just outside a small Ohio town. To put it simply, we didn’t have much—and I don’t just mean financially. Our home was filled with stress, instability, and frequent conflict. I have few happy memories from those early years. What I do remember most is waking up to my parents arguing and navigating the constant emotional turbulence that came with it. 
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My mother carried deep emotional pain, and my father—quiet and passive—often disappeared into the background in the face of her outbursts. My brothers and I were largely left to figure things out on our own, often getting into trouble at home and school. We endured emotional abuse and confusion about what family was supposed to feel like. I lived with a constant sense of insecurity and instability. It felt like the ground beneath us could shift at any moment. ​

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A 20 year history of Encompass

9/4/2024

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In preparation for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Encompass on September 17, 3 pm at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, blog posts this month will focus on historical elements and highlights.

By Lavern Nissley
Executive Director of Encompass 2005-2024

You've likely had some contact or association with Encompass Connection Center programs, staff, board, or class/course alumni. What do you know about how it got started and the approach to make a difference in Clark County marriages?

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Diligence pays off

3/27/2024

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Julie and Ryan Preas, RINGS Experience participants
Our blog post theme for March is "Growth Areas." So, our blog post authors will be challenging us toward growth in personal awareness for the sake of strengthening relationships.

​By Lavern Nissley
Encompass Executive Director

Thursday evenings, 7-8 pm, were times I looked forward to for about 2 1/2 months. Why? It wasn't for recreation, spending time with family, or a favorite TV show. It was to spend quality time with Ryan and Julie Preas, a couple who signed up for our RINGS Experience education and coaching.

Even though Ryan and Julie weren't where they wanted to be in their 22-year marriage, they had a lot of the intangibles down like mutual respect, seeking peace, and growing together. But they didn't want to stay where they were. What a joy it was to watch them moving their health needle into more and more positives!
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From this
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To this

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Jesus is cookin' in there

9/13/2023

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The September theme for our social media and blog posts is devotion/faith. Gina Craun and her family experienced the ultimate loss, but through it all maintained their faith and devotion to each other and to God. See where it's brought them in the following blog post by Gina.

This was my 3 year old daughter's bold and unquestioning response when I asked her what she learned in her class while I was in service one Sunday.  I laughed and asked her what she meant and, without even looking up from the sucker she was trying desperately to unwrap, she informed me, “They said that Jesus lives in my heart… so I think right now He’s cookin’ in there.”


And you know what… I can’t disagree.

When our oldest son, Cainan, was 2 years old he was playing on the floor with his cars and seemed a bit sluggish.  When I felt his body burning up again, with yet another fever that month, we took him to our family doctor to get some antibiotics.  Little did we know that within 24 hours we would be packing overnight bags and be admitted to the closest children’s hospital. Within hours, our world was turned upside down and the word “leukemia” entered our daily vocabulary.  Because of the strength his specific type of leukemia possessed, chemo alone was not going to be enough.  We began prepping for a bone marrow transplant.  A transplant that our oldest son at 2 would be receiving and our youngest son, at 11 months old, would be donating bone marrow for.

During this time I began an online journal.  It was my goal to find God’s plan and purpose in each day and each step of our journey and share that hope and light with others.  I found such encouragement in this because… you see what you look for.  And I wanted to see what God was cooking up for our family through this.  ​

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In their own words: Gary and Andrea

5/31/2023

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After infidelity almost destroyed their marriage, Gary and Andrea Keener share why their giving to a cause for healthy marriages is an overflow of their own healing.

We're so grateful for and to this faithful couple. They embody the Encompass vision of Family trees forever changed. Their testimonial video below is inspiring and encouraging.

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Prepared to succeed in marriage

3/29/2023

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Jerrod and Ashley Evans
By Lavern Nissley
Encompass Executive Director

(Our March blog posts are featuring elements related to preparation. Thanks to Jerrod and Ashley Evans for sharing how they have been prepared through an Encompass resource.)

This past Monday I received an "out-of-the-blue" email from a couple who had taken the RINGS course and coaching two years ago. They are approaching their 15th anniversary, and their sense of confidence for their marriage to go the distance has greatly increased.

​I'd love to have them speak for themselves on the impact, particularly of how the tools and skills acquired in RINGS are affecting them two years later.

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Preparing Your One-liner

3/1/2023

 
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By Lavern Nissley
Encompass Executive Director

Is there a one-liner of 20-30 words that captures what you do at work? I know, many of us do dozens of things every day, and it would take more like 200-300 words to describe them all.

At a recent marketing consultation, I was invited to write such a one-liner, and in a bit you’ll see it.

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What we love about being married

11/30/2022

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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.
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When quitting is not an option

10/25/2022

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Testimonial by Chris & Amy Pruett
RINGS course & coaching participants

This one minute to the point testimonial contains a valuable principle from a couple who was on the ropes and hating each other. See if you can find it!

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    Dr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024.

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616 N. Limestone St. | Springfield, OH
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
  • Home
  • About ECC
  • Couples
    • Free Relationship Assessments
    • The RINGS Experience
    • RINGS Chat demo
    • 5 Love Languages Survey
    • RINGS to my community
    • RINGS Pathwright dashboard
  • Families
    • Free Parenting Assessment
    • Parenting for Kid's Sake
    • The REACH Experience
  • Organizations
    • FREE Workplace Teams Assessment
    • Work Smart, Live Well
  • Donate
  • Get in touch
  • BLOG
  • 20th Anniversary Event highlights