The Best Marriage Ever

09/13/2023

The virtual bookclub coaching group is now full. If you’d like to read our book selection on your own, here’s the link:

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself (Revised and Updated) https://a.co/d/fCnWGTm

09/09/2023

I’m a big fan of Courtney Carver and her work with Be More with Less.❤️ Check out her healthy relationship tips here!

From romantic relationships and friendships to family ties and how you relate to co-workers, these relationship mistakes can be fixed.

09/02/2023

📣 Beginning Monday, September 25th!
7:00 pm CST

This 8-week women’s group is for you if you identify with any of these:
- value learning and growing
- say yes when you want to say no
- feel unappreciated and resentful
- identify as a “people pleaser”
- feel responsible for others
- put yourself last

I would love for you to join us as we explore the root of these tendencies and practice solutions together, based on Melody Beattie’s classic book, Codependent No More. (More than 5 million copies sold.)

Consider this a book club with a bonus!

➡️ $67 for the 8-week virtual group (approximately $8 per meeting) includes:

- 8 hours of group coaching
- 30 minute individual consultation
- Inspirational bookmark
- Weekly chance to win prize drawing
- Connection with like-minded women

🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️How to register?

1️⃣ Email me at [email protected]:
- Your name, cell #, email address, and mailing address

2️⃣ Venmo $67 to me:
-Brouwer
(Venmo image in first comment below)

3️⃣ Pick up your copy of Codependent No More:
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself (Revised and Updated) https://a.co/d/hFwvkcf

Mandy Hale said, “It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” I agree.❤️

Can’t wait for the 25th!

08/21/2023

Coming in SEPTEMBER…
📣 Virtual Bookclub Coaching Group! 📣

This has been brewing in my mind and heart for a while. I’m excited to kick off our first group with a book that was life-changing for me personally. ❤️

We will not only read and discuss the book together, but we’ll dig deep to actually APPLY the concepts in the book to our lives.

Stay tuned for details on the format and how to join!

08/02/2023

Q: How do you spell love?
A: T - I - M - E (time together)

Share this list with your spouse and each of you choose one date idea from the 99 listed (or modify or create your own). Then, schedule the dates and commit to making them happen. 📆

Try these date night ideas for rekindling love with your partner this summer.

07/21/2023

The ripple effect of addiction is widespread, and greatly impacts marriages and family relationships. Check out this article to learn about the fascinating “Rat Park” study and the important findings!

Most people are familiar with the drug experiments that use rats to demonstrate how addictive certain drugs are. Rats are hooked up to monitors and given the opportunity to choose regular water or water laced with drugs. In the experiments, rats choose the drugs, and this is used to show how addicti...

05/20/2023

Self Reflection: Bitterness
Here are seven signs from Julia Ayala that you might be struggling with bitterness:

1. You have imaginary conversations

2. You replay a conversation or experience over and over in your head

3. You feel the need to tell someone what he/she did

4. You are easily offended by this person

5. You have strong negative emotional reactions to things they say and do around you

6. You can remember details of things he/she said from months or years ago

7. You are keeping a list of offenses

If you can relate to these, I encourage you to devote some focused time to processing and healing this area of your life.

Whether it’s through reading, reflecting, journaling, praying, talking with a trusted friend or counselor, or a combination of these, I urge you to make this a priority.

The thing is, our bitterness not only negatively affects us personally, and our relationship with the person we harbor bitterness toward, we also inadvertently sow seeds of bitterness in the lives of many people we interact with.

Taking time to dig out the root of bitterness in our own life can begin a positive ripple effect of healing.

I just finished reading the plan “The Root of Bitterness.” You can check it out here:

"The Root Of Bitterness becomes a destructive force in people. It is a spiritual cancer, and left unattended will destroy a life..." Learn how to stop bitterness, uproot it and get it out of your life and stop it from poisoning your sphere of influence.

04/24/2023

Self reflection - how am I managing my time on my phone? How is it impacting my relationships? Are there changes I could make - boundaries I can set - that could increase my connection with my loved ones? ❤️

03/17/2023

Mark

My best friend, my life's greatest blessing and source of adventure.

We met 40 years ago, the spring of our freshman year at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. We both grew up in farming families, 30 miles apart.

I first noticed:
He's cute,
He's funny,
He plays guitar.

Enneagram-wise, he's a 7w8; I'm a 9w1:
He's extroverted, optimistic, and spontaneous.
I'm more introverted, also optimistic, and supportive.

I admire his passion and constant determination to make a positive difference in the world.

He has vision, and creates new things that didn't exist before - churches, ministries, books, articles, websites, newsletters.

Husband, father, grandfather, pastor, teacher, speaker, writer, mentor, recovery coach.

Always working on his own self improvement, he deeply desires and works toward helping men become better men, and to help everyone grow in faith and love.

I snapped this photo yesterday, while he was leading a virtual coaching call in a coffee shop. In it, I see a perfectly imperfect man who is committed, resourceful, caring, wise, insightful, and fun-loving.

What would I tell the 18-year old version of me?

Yes, he's the one.

03/06/2023

For the GUYS!

Check out this resource - A 90-day mentoring group to help men gain:
✅ s*xual self-mastery
✅ deeper intimacy, and
✅ spiritual renewal.

90-day mentoring and coaching program to help men gain s*xual self-mastery, deeper intimacy, and spiritual renewal

02/19/2023

Yesterday my husband Mark and I attended the wedding of a beautiful young couple. Actually, Mark officiated the ceremony. Since we were dressed up (doesn’t happen too often😏) and in a beautiful location, we said “yes” when the father of the groom offered to take our photo.

Attending a wedding can be an opportunity to take stock of your own marriage. As Mark shared in his wedding message to the couple, a good marriage requires maintenance. Like anything of value, marriage requires intentional care and upkeep.

If your relationship isn’t currently what you’d hoped it would be, or you could use a fresh perspective on how to grow closer together, message me. 💌