The Power of Forgiveness

     I spend a lot of time reading various journals and articles describing the latest research on marriage and family.  Over the years I have found it fascinating how many secular studies wind up confirming insights and principles found in the Bible.  The latest of these has to do with the role of forgiveness in marriage.  I happen to be certified to use a marriage and pre-marital evaluation tool called Prepare-Enrich.  This tool was developed by Dr. David Olsen, a faculty member of the University of Minnesota.
     One of the relationship categories this tool measures is forgiveness, the ability of the couple to give and receive forgiveness following a hurt, conflict, or betrayal.  After thousands of these evaluations, here is what the Prepare-Enrich team has concluded:
"Forgiveness has been found to be a very significant component in the relationships of happy couples. In a study of over 7,000 married couple who took PREPARE/ENRICH, 87% of Vitalized couples (a vitalized couple has a very strong relationship with a very low probability of divorce) had high scores in forgiveness indicating it to be a relationship strength.  Devitalized couples (a devitalized couple has a very poor relationship with a high probability of divorce) had low scores in forgiveness indicating this was a growth area in their relationship."
     What Dr. Olsen is pointing out is that strong couples have a higher ability to give and receive forgiveness.  And this happens to line up with one of the most important relationship principles of the Bible.  Scripture is full of references to the importance and power of forgiveness.  In Colossians 3:12-13 Paul says, "Put on then, ... compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Try applying this truth to your marriage and you will find yourself in a much stronger relationship.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul

Celebrating Mom

Today we celebrate the important role that mothers play in all of our lives.  For some of us, it can be a day of mixed emotions as you may lave lost your mom and miss her.  And there are some women who have lost a baby recently or long to have a child but have not been able to conceive.  However, we don't want to take away from who are mom's are and what they do for us.  Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote the book of Proverbs and in his closing chapter, wrote of a godly, righteous mother.  Abraham Lincoln said that all he was, and hoped to become, was because of his mom.
A young girl was asked one day, "Where is your home."  Her answer, "Wherever my Mommy is."  I think that says it all.

Blessings,
Dr. Paul

More Judicial Insanity

In April US Federal Judge Edward Korman issued a ruling that the "morning after" abortion pill should be made available, without prescription, to any young woman of any age.  Last week the Obama administration's FDA leadership determined that it should be made available to girls as young as 15 years of age.  While this makes more sense than Judge Korman's ruling, this is still judicial insanity in my mind.  In addition to this medicine being made available over-the-counter, there is no requirement that the child have the parent's permission.
My wife substitutes as a school nurse and whenever a child comes to her office wanting an aspirin or a tylenol, she has to look up whether the parent has given prior permission for their child to have it.  If not, she has to call the parent and seek their permission over the phone before she can give it to the child.  Seems to make perfect sense to me.  But not to our government when it comes to abortion on demand, parental rights, and doing what is morally correct.
It really comes down to this, while my child can't get something as harmless as an aspirin in school without my permission, this idiot federal judge has ruled that my child can decide for herself to take a powerful, body altering, life destroying drug with my knowledge or consent!  Just one more example of how off our nation's moral compass has become and how far down the moral sewer we continue to descend.
I hope parents will take time to contact their members of Congress to demand that this order be overturned through common sense, morally responsible, parent respecting legislation.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul