Articles by “Alisa Grace”

Do you dread that awkward lag of conversation when you sit down to talk with your kid? Sometimes when we have conversations with our kids it can feel like they are complete strangers. If we make an effort to expand beyond the basic questions of 'how are you?' and 'what was your day like?' our kids may even become our friends. In this week's video, Alisa Grace gives us three questions to ask our children that help us grow closer together. 

Is it possible for a couple to grow closer through conflict? Chris and Alisa Grace break down how couples can find deeper intimacy using two valuable communication skills. Watch today's video to learn more!

This week's podcast is an episode of Stories of Hope where hosts Dan Broyles and Michal Wilson embark on conversations with real people who have real challenges. These stories of hope will draw you closer to God and to the people in your life.  Ten years into their marriage with two young children, Chris and Alisa Grace both found themselves unhappy, which served as a wake-up call for deeper emotional and spiritual intimacy to develop. Listen to the full story of how they turned an average marriage into a great marriage.

Starting a difficult conversation is never easy, but is possible with the right tools. Timing, tone, and phrasing are key components to have a fruitful discussion. In today's blog, author Alisa Grace outlines 7 communication tools that you can use to have a successful, healthy dialogue with your partner or loved one.

Dear CMR,

My boyfriend and I started dating in February before quarantine. It was lots of fun, so we started doing long distance when COVID hit. We’ve been doing long distance a while now, but he says he's lost energy for the relationship and isn't sure if he wants to continue. Right now we're on a break so we can take a breather, pray about it and think it through. Do you have any advice about “relational burn out” or if this might be a point where we call it off?

Signed,

Long Distance Burnout

Dear CMR:

I’m the father of a 3-year-old. Neither my wife nor I ever get enough sleep. When our daughter wakes us up in the morning, I try to quietly get her out of the bedroom so my wife can keep sleeping. More often than not, however, my wife spends this time on her phone emailing, texting, and reading news and social media posts. This bugs me. The way I look at it, if one of us can get a little extra sleep, that helps us both. I’m willing to handle the morning routine solo to make that happen. I’m not, however, willing to do it so my wife can get caught up on her work and social life while I fall further behind on mine. But if a gift is a gift—I’m not supposed to say how it gets used, right? Do I have a right to be annoyed here?

—Rather Be Snoozing

Changing your perspective to focus on the positive qualities of your spouse can completely transform your marriage. Alisa Grace shares four effective steps on how you can start doing this today!

As parents, raising kids isn’t easy. On one hand it can be thrilling and on the other hand, they can make you want to pull your hair out. In this week’s video, Alisa Grace shares five essential steps to raising emotionally healthy children from psychologist Dr. John Gottman’s book Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child.