The Reluctant Missionary

Authentic stories from the travels of Michael Smalley.

Take your marriage to the next level marriage marriage mentoring the joy of difficult conversations Aug 21, 2020

What are the two most important things in life? No, it is not food and shelter.  It is not success at work or money.  Obviously. The two most important things in life are to honor God...

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Anchor your relationship in joy marriage spiritual growth the joy of difficult conversations Aug 20, 2020

What is the scariest movie, human, animal, or story for you? Me, it is Poltergeist reigning supreme at the top of my list. Perhaps tied with the freaking shark from Jaws, I still...

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The power of a sacred pause conflict management marriage the joy of difficult conversations Aug 18, 2020

"The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.' Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities." Charles Dickens wrote that, and...

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4 repulsive reactions you have to stop now conflict management marriage podcast the joy of difficult conversations Aug 17, 2020

Repulsive.  Just saying the word out loud should get your attention. "Arousing intense distaste or disgust." The Urban Dictionary defines repulsive as, "Something or someone that is gross and...

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The one thing you can't do conflict management marriage podcast the joy of difficult conversations Aug 14, 2020

When is the last time you heard, "You never do anything! I have to do everything around here!" Or at least some version of an irritated, angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, or disgusting...

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How about trying NOT being a jerk conflict management marriage the joy of difficult conversations Aug 13, 2020

Move from adversaries to teammates. The first three minutes of a difficult conversation matter:

In a six-year longitudinal study performed by John Gottman and Sybil Carrère, they...

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Move from adversaries to teammates conflict management marriage the joy of difficult conversations Aug 12, 2020

The first three minutes

  • In a six-year longitudinal study performed by John Gottman and Sybil Carrère, they discovered that they could predict the likelihood of a couple’s divorce by...
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The joy of difficult conversations conflict management marriage the joy of difficult conversations Aug 11, 2020

The joy of difficult conversations will lead you to the marriage you want. 

25 years of missing out on the true joy resulting from pain

  • I didn’t want to feel Judgment,...
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IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT

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