Resources

Q: I usually avoid conflict but that hasn’t been working. Is there such a thing as “healthy conflict”? Conflict is a part of life. Even if you moved to Antarctica and lived alone, you would probably end up in conflict with yourself. But we often treat any conflict as if it’s the equivalent of war. It’s common for people to try to avoid conflict entirely. But that’s not possible. Working from that premise that conflict is inevitable, the real question is whether it’s possible

What is the first memory that comes to mind when you hear the word conflict? How do you feel after experiencing a major conflict with someone you love? If you were asked to associate the word “good” or “bad” with conflict which would you choose? For many our first memory of conflict is a negative one. After experiencing a major conflict most people feel hurt, anger and frustration. Conflict can be negative and destructive, and there are clearly unhealthy ways of dealing with

Question My son just won't keep his room clean. Is this a battle worth fighting? Should I just close the door? Answer When we hit the wall of conflict over an issue with our child it can be a good time to take a few steps back to assess the health of the relationship. How is the relationship going overall? Are you spending enough quality and quantity of time with your teen? Are you talking to each other? Is there mutual respect and good boundaries? Do you pray together when a

I'd been to London several times as a single student but this was the first time my wife and I had been there together. We were on our way to Amsterdam to begin a two-week tour of Europe and had two days to spend in London. That was the good news. The bad news is we arrived just three days before the royal wedding was to take place. London was jammed with people from all over the world. But even more interesting was the uncharacteristic spirit of enthusiasm and optimism in th