Weekly Overload (in 800 words or less)

Existential Family Stress and its Antidote Financial problems, disease or disability, natural disasters, and just plain not getting along can cause familial stress which can make the dreams of a happy life exponentially life more difficult. How we get into these situations and how we deal with them makes all the difference. In the Book of Genesis, God curses the earth so that it will bring forth thorns and thistles. God then tells Adam that by the sweat of [his] face he shall eat bread. In understanding that passage, we correctly assume that the earth has natural dangers, and it will be an uphill climb to provide for those we love and overcome those natural dangers. I believe that we fail to understand that thorns and thistles do not just come from rose bushes. The curse (or condition) that God put on the earth does not just apply to Urushiol found in poison ivy, or the sting of the bee. Instead, part of being on this earth is about facing the thorns and thistles of everyday life.  Fro

 Communication The famed psychotherapist Carl Rogers once said, “What is most personal is most universal.” We all face trouble and tribulation, sickness and satiation, grief, and grace, in our lives. Knowing how to express yourself in ways that truly communicate your feelings and thoughts to others can be extremely difficult. Knowing how to interact with those that are attempting the same can be equally confusing. Why is it so hard? Are there any means by which we can facilitate communication between those that need to be heard and those that can hear? Humans are not telepathic, though that would be efficient. The good news is though, humans express their emotions on their sleeves, and body language in vocal tone tells us much more than just the words in a conversation. Women seem to be exceptional at this compared to men, and their connection to their infant children probably heightens this ability and helps develop a relationship with their child. Sarcasm, for instance, is explicitly

 Marriage and Trust Last week I wrote about how your wedding day should be special but should not set your relationship up for failure. I wrote about how what really matters on your wedding day is love. Setting love as the pinnacle of your relationship is not just a wedding day thing, it needs to happen every day. The more that that love is expressed, communicated, and received the more that love will deepen. Once you are married, do everything you can to deepen that love. There will be good days and difficult days, euphoria and hurt feelings, and in those dark times it is easy to assume you made the wrong choice. Sometimes tragedy happens. I am reminded of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The drama ends badly because both star-crossed lovers end up dying. Even though they both die (and we might say prematurely) the story is actually not much of a tragedy. Everyone will die; the good part is that Romeo and Juliet did not fall out of love before they died, so therefore, not a tragedy. T

 Preparing for marriage So, you took an arrow to the knee as they say, and decided to tie the knot. You’re getting married. But how do you get married in a way that will set you and your spouse up for success? That seems to be the question everyone asks, but nobody can answer, until now. In this post we will go over three areas people tend to pay little attention to as they plan for and execute their big day. Finances- First off, weddings are expensive, right? Wrong, or at least they don’t have to be. If you have the money to waste on an ice sculpture commemorating your special union, go ahead. That ice sculpture will melt eventually, and so will your confidence in where you put your money. What about flowers? Flowers are nice, but do you really need a whole bouquet for every table? Probably not. Your special day doesn’t have to be your most expensive day, so don’t even get me started on destination weddings. If you require an excuse to spend money, spend it on something that will last