 By Dr David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director At Encompass, we believe that a healthy marriage is one of the greatest gifts parents can give their children. Not because the marriage is perfect, but because it is real—rooted in mutual respect, open communication, and a commitment to growth. Children who grow up watching their parents intentionally nurture their relationship absorb powerful life lessons that shape their emotional intelligence, relationship skills, and overall outlook on life. Here are the top lessons children learn when they are raised by parents with a healthy, growing, and vibrant marriage—a relationship that embraces both the struggles and the joys of life together.
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 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.
 Our blog posts in June will focus on reflections surrounding fathers, fatherhood, and their influence in our lives.
By Dr. David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director Times were not always good with my father, and I wanted things to be different for my children. Before I met my wife, Theresa, I was determined to be the best father I could be. I knew I wouldn't be perfect, but I knew I could be intentional. This intentionality made all the difference. Here are the actions and attitudes I worked on to be the best father I could be.  By Abby Glaser
Encompass Community Advocate I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of finishing well where it applies to parenting. Obviously parenting never really ends, but the seasons of it change! For context, my husband and I have five kids that range from 14-24. So, we have three out of the house now and two still left at home. We are in the home stretch of active parenting after two and a half decades of our lives revolving around it! When my kids were little, I often thought this would be the easier stage…what could be harder than breastfeeding and sleep deprivation and potty training? I laugh now at how unaware I was to the realities of parenting teens and young adults! While I’m not finished yet, I’ve learned a few things in this process of how to finish well with your kids that I wish someone had told me!  Our theme for November blog posts is on "finishing well." Especially the impact that doing so has upon relationships.
By Lavern Nissley Encompass Executive Director Finishing has been a major theme for Ronda and me the past several years. In 2018-2019 we moved our four octogenarian parents to Springfield from Central Illinois (my parents) and London, Ohio (her parents) to Springfield, Ohio where we could more easily support them in their twilight years. All of them eventually became residents of Forest Glen or Wooded Glen. We literally came into the world with nothing, unable to care for ourselves. And typically, that's how we're going to leave this world. Three of our four parents have crossed the final finish line of life: my Dad, November 12, 2021; my Mom, March 6, 2023; and Ronda's Mom, September 26, 2023. Ronda and I are also looking at closing a major chapter in our own lives as we step away from executive leadership at Encompass by June 1, 2024. So, finishing . . . finishing well has been on our minds a lot! My heart kind of jumped when I heard the theme for blogs this month.  The September theme for our social media and blog posts is devotion/faith. As always, there will be relationship health connections in terms of insights, tips, and tools.
By Lavern Nissley Executive Director of Encompass Would you agree that family is the primary means of transmitting faith to the next generation? It certainly seems clear from a familiar scripture in the Jewish Torah known as the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” So how is that done in our setting, some 3,500 years later? Is anyone actually writing stuff on doorframes and wearing headbands with faith messages?  The theme for August posts will be Finances/Money in Marriage, which seems to be a common issue between spouses. This post is a bit longer than usual and comes from Ron Blue, a financial planner and consultant for more than 30 years with some excellent tips.
Here is the summary of Ron Blue's post as well as an outline of the content. "Teaching kids about money is a matter of sharing your ideas and values with your kids as you go through the routines of daily life together." Motivation: The current cultural climate Foundation: Biblical perspectives and principles Application: Putting beliefs and ideals to work Method: "As you go" while teaching kids about money Our appreciation to Ron Blue for this content.  Ronda is the little girl sitting on her Daddy's lap. By: Ronda Nissley
Encompass Co-Director A year ago, I gifted my 92-year-old father a Storyworth subscription for Father’s Day. Each week, he was given a question to which he could respond or simply write his own story. Although we’re still working on completing and editing the stories into their final format, I’m sharing one that has given me a renewed appreciation of the huge responsibility he carried providing for a family of nine children.  Lavern with his Dad, David Nissley, June 21, 2020 Our posts during June will feature the themes of Fathers, Father's Day, Leaders/Leadership.
By Lavern Nissley Encompass Executive Director My Dad would have turned 90 tomorrow, June 8. Although much of my experience of him as a father included spillovers from his own unhealed and unresolved childhood (anger, anxiety, agitation), I still miss him and acknowledge positive takeaways from his life. He passed November 12, 2021 and is buried in Arcola, Illinois at the Sunnyside Mennonite Church cemetery. Mom was buried in the same plot earlier this year after her death March 6. Some of the content you'll see in this post is drawn from A Tribute to Our Dad that Ken, Karen, and I shared at his funeral. But his legacy and impact are anything but buried. In some quirky and interesting ways they live on both in and through me.  By: Hollie Kowalski
Outreach Coordinator Parenting a teenager is no small feat. We have four children, currently three teenagers. Nothing will send me to my knees in prayer quicker than my kids! Through the chaos, the conflict, the blessings, and the battles, I must keep reminding myself: God is in control. My husband Joe is a logical, levelheaded parent with much patience. I, on the other hand… well, I like to say I’m a very “passionate,” person, especially when it comes to my kids. Joe would interpret this as emotional and easily excitable, but also a “pro” when it comes to loving on, caring for, and guiding our children. Together, we make a pretty great team, but even the very best parents don’t always have the answers. So when we’ve been consistent, loving, patient, supportive, good role models (most of the time…) and we’ve “chosen our battles carefully,” where do we turn when one of our children comes to us with anger and insecurity that won’t subside, or when one of them just wants to give up due to the fear of imperfection, or there is an undeniable ache from a loss or a badly broken heart from “the one they thought they’d marry?” |
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HostsDr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024. TOPICS
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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