Momma was right, “Anger never fixes anything; it only makes things worse.” 1. Use your head before your mouth James 1:19 While the context of this exhortation is listening to God before speaking and getting angry, the principle certainly applies … Continue reading →

Our Marriage Is in Shambles! Jim and Sherrie came to counseling with that, unfortunately, well-worn phrase. The same phrase use used by both Jim and Sherrie on their PDI (intake form). Another phrase that often appears on this form, they … Continue reading →

Setting Sixty years ago, this week and next, you would have found me climbing ladders practicing a trade my friendly paint store manager made possible. I worked for the county school board a year earlier, painting school buildings for $3.00 … Continue reading →

Anyone who views my Facebook page will know that I have a hobby fascination with trains. My first encounter with a steam engine occurred at 7th and Penn Street, the main drag through Reading, PA. I was about six years … Continue reading →

Framing My Comments I responded to a local business survey recently—the questions related to how the current political leadership was impacting business in our area. One of the questions asked was about political affiliation. While I am a registered Republican, … Continue reading →

The Problem Odd as it may sound, a problem that appears in counseling is that one or the other mate has concluded that to honor the parents, the couple must obey the parents. John and Mary1 were married about a … Continue reading →

The Status of Marriage in America According to the new census data, the median duration of current marriages in the U.S. has increased an exciting eight months in the last decade. It jumped from 19 years in 2010 to 19.8 … Continue reading →

Framework Andree Seu Peterson’s piece in World magazine March 26, 2022, sets the framework of today’s rumination on the institution of marriage. I have often found her column a source of inspiration. In this one, Andree focuses on our contemporary … Continue reading →

Comparison of Characteristics A river has four characteristics that can help us constructively consider our lives. I have seen numerous young married couples in crisis because they experienced different lives than anticipated.  For example, Pam and I married on September … Continue reading →

Wow! I Did That When I Said I Do? The Contrast of Two Marriages My parents were married for sixty years. My aunt gave them a 50th-anniversary celebration. On the way to the dinner, I ask Pam, if we were … Continue reading →