I used to think that having secure and loving relationships meant putting those relationships squarely in the center of my life. Like many women, I poured myself into caring for my people and managing our busy lives. I set out to be kind enough and patient enough, wise enough and funny enough, smart enough and…
No matter how agreeable we are, people-pleasing only leads to pitfalls and roadblocks in relationships. Here’s how to avoid the hazards of people-pleasing and find the true love you’re looking for.
byJody Lee Cates
Marriage
Where we focus first in our relationships is inevitably what grows. If you’re focused on things that are going wrong, things that aren’t meeting your needs or expectations, you might find yourself more frequently sharing words of disappointment or criticism. Maybe the person you’re having trouble with seems to ask more regularly, “Why are you…
byJody Lee Cates
Friendship
Making and keeping friends in life’s second half might feel different from when we were kids. But in some ways, it’s still very much the same. I spent the day yesterday with two women who have been friends since birth. Their parents brought them home from the hospital as babies to a neighborhood where they…
It’s no secret that every season of life brings growth and change. It’s how God designed us. We trust Him to make it happen and are pretty happy to know that we can place our confidence in His process. (Philippians 1:6) But when it comes to our relationships, many of us wish things would never change….
The gift of forgiveness doesn’t have to wait for any special occasion. But with the holidays fast approaching, you might find it’s a gift you’ll want to unwrap early – just in case you find yourself in the middle of some not so merry moments this holiday season. We all have them. Wounds that seem…