Listen Up My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. –James 1:19 Listening doesn't come easily for most people. It is a skill that must be cultivated, and it takes time, self-control, and a genuine desire to seek understanding to be proficient
By Ashley McIlwain Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? Mark 8:18 “You hurt me so badly! I am devastated!” says the wife. “Well, you hurt me too, and you don’t know what I’m up against at work,” replies the husband. “You don’t care at all about me!”
By Ashley McIlwain Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. –Ephesians 4:31-32 If there is one guarantee in relationships, it is that you will
By Ashley McIlwain We lock our doors. We install high-tech alarm systems. We fasten our seat belts. We wear helmets. We look both ways before crossing the street. We use anti-virus software. We buy guns. We use antibacterial soap. The truth is, we want to feel safe, so we do everything we can to establish
By Ashley McIlwain Communication. We are all communicating all of the time. Whether with words, body language, sound effects, or the lack thereof, we are constantly communicating something to those around us. Communication can build relationships or they can destroy relationships depending on how we communicate, what we communicate, and our willingness to communicate. Communication
By Dr. Jeff Klick Most of us struggle with our past. We have failed, sinned, and generally messed up somehow someway. While this struggle is tough enough for our own minds to deal with, it is compounded when we marry. "The two shall become one," is a Biblical truth. Our reality often falls short of
By Ashley McIlwain It had been one of those weeks. One thing after another, and yet nothing major. Just small dings, bumps, and bruises that began to add up and weigh on me. As the week went on, I felt like a 2 liter of soda being shaken harder and harder with the pressure mounting
By Ashley McIlwain The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. –Proverbs 18:21 What we say matters. It matters more than we think. With our words we can build up or tear down. That goes for our spouse, our marriage, our friendships, and our own
By Steve McIlwain Hubs here. Who doesn’t love a good Hammer song? The rhymes, the pants, the moves; Hammer-time is always a good time. Oh you haven’t put on parachute pants and done the Hammer dance?? His persona was always high energy and fun, but there just might be a little bit more depth there.
By Ashley McIlwain The other day I was having a conversation with someone about how much perspective plays into relationships, conversations, and our general approach to life. We all have a filter that we sift our observations, discussions, and interactions through, which is why no two people see things exactly the same way. That’s also
