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Showing posts from February, 2007

Verbal Self-Defense Written by: Devie Forrester, BA, Student

This article is inspired by an interesting read. Suzette Hagen Elgin, in her book The Gentle Art of Verbal Self- Defense, reminds us that the old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me” does not necessarily hold true. Words can hurt and when they do, they hurt terribly. Many of us have a working knowledge of forms of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual etc). How acquainted are we with verbal abuse? Could this be a form of abuse that we experience daily, be it on the receiving or giving end? Who do you call when you experience verbal violence? According to Elgin, when someone has been verbally abused, they often find themselves struggling to find the root of the pain and aggression that they feel, directing their anger inward rather than toward their aggressor. Very few of us are trained in verbal self-defense. There are four basic principles of verbal self-defense. Know when you are under attack How easy is it for us to exit a conversation

Memories in a Box Written by: John Trent, http://www.strongfamilies.com

After we fade into the distance, our children will have the pictures we’ve left behind. Dad, you’d be captivated – and learn something – by reading a great children’s book. It’s called The Memory Box (Whitman), written by Mary Bahr and illustrated by David Cunningham. It’s a great-tugging story that communicates a clear challenge for every father. The book tells about a boy’s relationship with his grandfather, captured during a summer vacation at his grandparents’ cabin. The grandfather has just learned he has Alzheimer’s disease, and he wants to make sure important memories won’t be forgotten. “It was your Great-Gram who told me about the Memory Box,” Gramps says. It’s a special box that stores family tales and traditions. An old person and a young person fill the box together. That way, no matter what happens to the old person, the memories are saved forever.” For the rest of the grandson’s vacation, you can

THE IMPERATIVE OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE AFTER THE ADDITION OF CHILDREN Written by: Linda Riley, LMFT

The Bible tells us that children are a gift and a blessing. Research tells us that marriage has many positive effects on children, but are children handicapped by a weak marriage? Among other advantages, children who live with happily married parents are: 1. Less likely to be seriously abused 2. Less likely to end up breaking the law or going to jail 3. Less likely to be depressed or have other mental problems 4. More likely to stay in school and do better academically 5. Less likely to have developmental and/or behavioral problems 6. Less likely to use drugs and be sexually active People are essentially lonely and can feel very isolated in modern life without the refuge of marriage and family. Family provides a haven from loneliness wherein we can feel accepted, loved and valued. Intimate relationships are built on the security of these feelings and when marriages don’t function properly they compromise the family’s ability to provide children with the acceptanc

THE MORE, THE SCARIER: Helping your children adjust to a new baby in the house By: Aaron Welch, LMHC

I must confess that I absolutely adore children. No lie. Ever since I was a child myself, I have enjoyed holding little babies, playing with toddlers, and interacting with elementary age kids. Heck, I even love spending large amounts of time with teenagers, which most people believe qualifies me for an institution (and not an institution of higher learning, either). When I was as young as 8 or 10 years old, I was volunteering to work in our church nursery. At age 15, I was willing to wash hundreds of dishes just so I could go to as many weeks of camp in the summer as I could. As a teenager, I was working as a member of faculty for weeks of camp where I could work with kids. At around that same age, I began to pray to God that He would allow me to have a family of my own someday. I know it seems unusual but, here I was, fourteen or fifteen years old and already hoping to have my own kids. Well, it took me longer than I expected but those prayers were finally answered in the affirmative.