Marriage

28 02, 2017

The Transitioning Parent

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:03-07:00February 28th, 2017|Letters, Marriage, Parenting, Personal, Relationship|

If we’ve learned anything in the years we’ve lead parenting classes, it is this: The parenting process is a series of relational transitions. In our Parenting Phases letter, we described four stages and the relational phases: Birth to Toddlerhood – Discipline Phase Toddlerhood to Childhood – Training Phase Childhood to Teenagers – Coaching Phase Late Teens though Adulthood – Mentoring/Friendship Phase It’s often difficult for parents to transition through each of these phases and make [...]

14 02, 2017

Every Day is Valentine’s Day!

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:03-07:00February 14th, 2017|Letters, Marriage, Personal, Relationship|

“Every day is Valentine’s Day!” This is the usual quip Rich jokingly says to Shelly every Valentine’s Day. Yet, joking aside, it does lead to a very important question. Are you intentionally expressing your love on a daily basis and is it being received effectively? Or is it only intentionally expressed on special occasions… like Valentine’s Day? Simply saying “I love you” every day is nice, but sometimes it’s meaning can easily become diluted and [...]

31 01, 2017

Permissive/Authoritarian Parenting Styles

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:03-07:00January 31st, 2017|Family Culture, Letters, Marriage, Parenting, Relationship|

Finding the balance between permissive and authoritarian parenting styles can be challenging. Often times, when left unchecked, they can create behavioral issues with your children and put a strain on marriages. This typically happens when one parent is perceived as fun loving and easy going, while the other is perceived as the harsh disciplinarian. Generally speaking, your parenting style tends to be the opposite of how you were raised. See if one of these descriptions [...]

17 01, 2017

The Potato Principle

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:03-07:00January 17th, 2017|Letters, Marriage, Parenting|

This past week we began leading a new Parenting from The Tree of Life class. Some of what we, along with Dave and Lis, advise in these weekly letters is derived from the ideas and teachings from this wonderful curriculum. One of the many concepts we love is The Potato Principle. The Potato Principle was born from a dining experience and shared by the Ezzo’s ministry associates Don and Karen Kurtz. It speaks to the [...]

27 12, 2016

5 Ingredients of a Great Marriage

By Lis and Dave Marr|2017-03-06T11:16:03-07:00December 27th, 2016|Letters, Marriage|

Here are 5 ingredients to consider as you cook up ways to improve your marriage in 2017. We say ingredients as if to a delicious meal because each plays a role in the overall experience - none standing alone, each interacting to enhance the whole. There is no priority among these elements as circumstances could make a case for the emphasis of any element over the others. Yet each flavor adds a spice that truly makes a [...]

13 12, 2016

Stepping Up

By Lis and Dave Marr|2016-12-13T06:07:13-07:00December 13th, 2016|Family Culture, Letters, Marriage, Parenting, Personal, Relationship|

Every week we are confronted with the same agonizing dilemma, what should we write about that is of interest and value to you? We have 500 people receiving these emails, each with a unique perspective as to what’s worth investing the 5 minutes necessary to pick up whatever we’re throwing down. The young parents with teeny little ones have different desires than more seasoned parents of middle-schoolers, so we sort of work up and down [...]

6 12, 2016

The Family Life Journey

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:03-07:00December 6th, 2016|Family Culture, Letters, Marriage, Parenting, Personal|

Life is a journey, not a destination. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Creating a thriving and vibrant family life is a journey. It is one that can provide fulfillment with meaning, purpose, and joy. However, it is not easy. It requires an intentional commitment to marriage and parenting that transcends many of the challenges and difficulties which inherently come from pursuing something meaningful. For this reason, we created OneFamily with Lis and Dave Marr. Our mission [...]

8 11, 2016

OneFamily

By Lis and Dave Marr|2017-03-06T11:16:04-07:00November 8th, 2016|Family Culture, Letters, Marriage, Parenting|

“God wants us to relieve suffering, pursue justice, facilitate reconciliation, and free the heart to love, but He desires for us to do so in a way that reveals His Character. It is not enough just to do well for others or to do things well. We must do well in our unique way in order to reveal the vast creativity of a God who loves to bring change through the most unlikely channels.” [...]

1 11, 2016

Rise Above

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:04-07:00November 1st, 2016|Letters, Marriage, Parenting, Personal, Relationship|

With the election one week away, one thing is 100% certain. A lot of people are NOT going to be happy! And guess what? That’s ok. We all understand that disappointment, frustration, anger, and disillusionment are a part of life. But how we deal with these emotions, and manifest them, can critically impact our lives and the lives of our spouse and children as we mentioned in our Emotional Expression letter. Learning to properly manage [...]

18 10, 2016

Time of Non-conflict (TONIC)

By Shelly and Rich Howard|2017-03-06T11:16:04-07:00October 18th, 2016|Family Culture, Letters, Marriage, Parenting, Personal, Relationship|

Blah. Blah blah. Blah. Blah, blah, blah! This is the sound or noise that children, spouses, and friends hear when we try to communicate during times of conflict. Meaningful conversations and effective communication never occurs when people are angry, frustrated, exhausted, feeling defensive or mentally preoccupied. You cannot teach a child the principles of self-control while they are having a “level 10”meltdown in the grocery store. Nor can you discuss marital issues (parenting, finances, in-laws, [...]