Marriage is a covenant relationship ordained by God from the very beginning of creation. A husband and a wife are meant to complete one another, complimenting and fulfilling one another in relationship. Marriage is the fundamental basis of the family. Adam and Eve started out in a perfect world. But even they let selfish desires, manipulation and deceit creep into their relationship. Of course Satan had a lot to do with that, but we won't get sidetracked with a lot of theology at this point. Suffice to say marriage can get really messed up if we aren't well prepared and ready to face certain difficulties that crop up shortly after the honeymoon is over. At best, these "love-sappers" can reduce our relationship to not much more than two people sharing the same domicile, devoid of purpose, fulfillment and meaning. Love is reduced to a flicker in these cases. At worst, marriage can become a battleground of hurt, distrust, betrayal, neglect, angry words, and daily emotional (or physical) pain. AT MSCCS we are aware of many of life's difficulties that threaten marriage. For the PREMARRIAGE PREPARATION couple it's essential to do a thorough evaluation of Strength and Growth Factors. Every engaged couple brings individual strengths into the relationship. These are identified and enhanced as elements of a good relationship. We build on these. And every individual brings growth areas into the mix. These are the factors that need some work (growth) to avoid potential trouble spots down the road. In CURRENT MARRIAGE REPAIR, honesty is the key to facing what's gone wrong, owning up to the damage it's done, and agreeing on new ways of approaching problems. Some of the "love sappers" that frequently must be addressed are:

• communication dysfunction
• dishonesty
• affairs
• pornography
• conflicts in parenting style
• distrust
• financial strain
• over-stressed schedules
• selfish priorities

Obviously this is a short list as space is limited here. Literally anything can become a love-sapping, marriage-threatening pitfall. Every marriage encounters tough times. I'm old enough to remember Ward and June Cleaver on TV. They were fun to watch, but not very realistic if we think they never had more than a half-hour  family problem to "solve" each week. God-honoring marriage takes honest and realistic preparation before it's entered into. PREMARRIAGE PREPARATION, with a few focused sessions can do be a good step in that direction. CURRENT MARRIAGE REPAIR takes even more work, painful honesty, confession, forgiveness and emotional re-connection. No marriage is beyond repair because no relationship is outside of God's redeeming grace. If you are committed to the process, we would be honored to be a part of the process with you.  

Families are the primary element of society. Unfortunately our culture has not done a very good job of preserving the family unit. Whether your family consists of Dad, Mom and one or more children, or a single Mom or Dad struggling to raise children on your own, the family is under siege in our society. Work demands, school schedules, extra-curricular activities, TV, video games, stress, financial difficulties, anger and poor communication skills sometimes make the home more of a battleground than a sanctuary. If  your family has gotten off track and needs help, read on. Perhaps I can lend a hand.

 I  love working with young children and pre-teens.  They teach me so much. I am a trained Play Therapist and can help you and your child improve your relationship, their happiness, and your parenting skills. Most parents are a natural at what they do. God gives grace along with the birth of the little one to help Mom and Dad cope with the new experiences and challenges of raising a family. Sometimes, however, things aren't quite like they should be. Children develop patterns of anger, sullenness, withdrawal and  defiance. Genetics plays a part. Childhood Depression, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Impulse Control Disorder are, in part, passed from one generation to another. Environment also plays a big part. That's where new and better parenting skills and relationship improvement ideas can help. God has granted me good success in working with troubled children and their families. Perhaps together we can put the fun back in your family, too.

Adolescense is often the toughest time of life. Not yet fully adult, but no longer a child. Difficult place to be ! The pressures to excel, be accepted, fit in, and be cool are a tremendous burden on the mind and soul of a young person. Hormones rage, friends betray, grades get hard to come by, parents demand a lot (just ask your teen !). One young high school lad recently confided in me, "I have to be there for everybody else, but who's there for me?" Adolescent Depression is rampant. Suicide among teens is the highest of all catagories. Sometimes just coping seems impossible. But it isn't!  If you are a  teen then let me challenge you that God is there for you, and likely so are your parents. It just doesn't seem like it sometimes. If you can find yourself in the confusion, learn who you are, accept yourself as remarkable no matter what your former best friend says, then you can make it. Almost everybody does. Maybe I can help make it a little less stressful for you. If you are a parent and not sure what to do next to help your teen over the hump of adolescence, maybe we can become a team that looks for the solutions that were there all the time. They just got shuffled under the confusion, angry words, and temporarily disconnect communication lines so common in families raising teens.