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Each week, we post the latest articles and new blog content across a variety of categories. Browse our latest.
Surviving Valentine’s Day after a Divorce
It’s here. Valentine’s Day. Chocolate, flowers, hearts, and Cupid are everywhere. The ideals and joys of romantic love are touted at every turn. For those in secure loving relationships it is a day set aside to celebrate your love for each other. For those in the midst of or following a divorce, just walking into a store at the beginning of February can be a reminder of what we have [...]
How to Slow Down Time: The Practice of Mindfulness
If you’re like most people, your days race by and you often wonder where the time goes. You may not even recall what you did a few minutes ago, or you may drive from one place to the next and not really remember the trip. Your mind wanders to the immediate future thinking, for example, “What’s for dinner?” or the far future, thinking things like “Will we have enough money [...]
When Nice Guys Rage
Nice guys and rage? Sure enough, these can tend to go together. Letting others have their way, constantly doing things for others and trying to please others all can lead to anger and resentment. In this video, Grant Stenzel takes a look at why nice guys rage, and what to do to keep this anger from building.
“Adolescents Affected By Divorce” Group to Start February 20th
Led by Michael Elgersma, MA LPC. Divorce is difficult for children of all ages, but can be especially difficult for teenagers. A significant event, like a parent's divorce or separation, can have a major effect on a teenager during this time in their life. It is helpful for teens to have support in place to help them process their experience. A support group like this allows teenagers the [...]
Those Lying Eyes: The Importance of Truth In Marriage
While there’s plenty of deception at the center of TV and movie plots, it’s not often people “in the real world” enter a relationship or marriage with the intention of lying to or manipulating their spouse. Humans, in general, like to be considered as honest and trustworthy, especially to those they care about most. However, while we all like to be perceived as truthful, most of us have lied [...]
Finding Hope in the Midst of Loss
"Our sense of personal identity depends largely on the roles we play and the relationships we have... Catastrophic loss is like undergoing an amputation of our identity." — Jerry Sittser, in A Grace Disguised These thoughts capture well my own experience when, on Valentine's Day 2008, I learned that my daughter had died from the shooting that took place that day at Northern Illinois University. So much of my identity [...]