It’s the holiday season and guess who’s coming to the family dinner? It may be one of your least favorite family members because of previous conflicts. It may be that family member you were avoiding because of personal reasons. What if the conflicted person everyone else is avoiding is you? In this blog, I will share my top tips for reducing family conflicts during the holiday season so you can experience more peace, love, joy and happiness.

Tip #1- Reach out before you meet up. It can be beneficial to have a conversation with the person in conflict with before the family meet up. Romans 12:18 states, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (NIV). If someone has offended you, be the one to reach out by using this simple script. You can say, “I care for you and our relationship. When this ____ was done/said, it really hurt/offended me. I wanted us to use this opportunity to talk about it even though I have chosen to forgive you for hurting/offen...

Are you a thankful person? Are you a thankful spouse? Are you a thankful parent? Did you know that you can be intentional about being thankful? What does the bible say about being thankful and how is this connected to hopefulness? Let’s get started with a few well known verses.

“In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1Thess 5:18).

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col 3:15). 

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col 3:17).

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col. 4:2).

Just by reading these verses, you will quickly agree that thankfulness is important to God. However, what many do not always understand is how thankfulness is connected to hopefulness. Hence, a thankful heart is a hopeful heart. 

Hope is a critical component in everyone’...

I am sure that everyone has a deep desire for ORDER in your Home and even more so, if you have children. Every home has structure. Where ever there is structure, there is order. Where ever there is order, there are people placed to positions.

In marriage, there is structure and order. God’s structure and order for the family is, “Christ is head of man, man is head of wife, then the children follow” (1 Cor 11:3). God has placed the husband, wife, and children in different positions in the family, so that when working together, the family will experience peace, joy and happiness.   

Structure and order also include rulership. After God created this great universe, he then created man and said, “have dominion over,” or rule over. It was at this time, responsibility was given. So, because the structure and order on the home is, Christ is head of man, man is head of wife, then the children follow,” then there must be responsibilities attached to the husband, the wife, and the childr...

To build a lasting marriage means, to build your marriage on a lasting foundation. I have heard some people say, “My marriage is built on love and trust.” Others have said, “My marriage is built on peace and happiness.” Some would not dare say, even if true, “My marriage is built on lies, deception, money, lust and selfishness.” What matters is what God says a marriage should be built on.   

In Matthew 7:24-26, Jesus speaks of two builders. One who built his house on the rock and one who built his house on the sand. Then the rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew on both houses. However, only the house that was built on the rock did not fall.

It is the same with marriages. When issues, problems, and the pressures of life comes against your marriage, only those marriages built on the rock, which is Jesus, will be able to stand.  

I have found that it is okay to seek out help in the building process. Have a mentor or coach to help you along the way. Be apart of a small grou...