5 Ways To Build Healthy Relationships

Your family, your friends, your significant other... they all deserve to have a good relationship with you. And you will need to work hard to make your relationships with each of them work. Here are five tips for building healthy relationships.

1. Communicate with Them
If you want to keep your relationship with friends or family going well, then you will need to communicate with them. Tell them what is going on with you. Let them know if something is bugging you. Don't hold back, but be as open as possible.

2. Always be Honest
To go along with communication, honesty is a key component to any healthy relationship. You should never lie to your friends. You should never hold something back from your family. Let your loved ones know the truth about everything that is going on in your life, and your relationships will be much healthier.

3. Be Patient and Kind
Building a good relationship takes a lot of work. And you should dedicate yourself to putting as much work into it as possible. Practice patience. Be kind. Try to understand what your friend is going through, and give them time and space if that is what they need, while letting them know that you will always be there for them.

4. Manage your Time
Speaking of always being there for them, you should make the time to visit with your family often. Set up a day each month or week when you take time for them. Do what it takes to get hold of your time and to manage it, so that you can see your family and friends more, even if that means cutting out some time for hobbies.

5. Go Out of Your Way for Them
Actions mean more than words, and you will need to do what you can to show your friends, family, and significant other that you care. Go out of your way for them every chance that you get. Bring them flowers. Shovel a path to their car. The little things mean a lot, and you will show them that you care through every loving action.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13


By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

Finding Contentment.

You can always be looking for something bigger and better.

But you will only ever have one moment like this.

So don't rush it by.

Don't long for the future when you have a beautiful day to live in right now.

Don't ignore the every day moments. The things that seem mundane. But appreciate them. Appreciate where your life is at right now. Find contentment with what you have been given.

This is something that I need to do - we all need to do - more.

There are so many things to be grateful for in each moment of life.

Every breath that we breathe is something to be grateful for.

Every special moment. Every hug from a child. Every sunset we witness.

Find contentment in the everyday things.

Try not to long for the future or brighter days so much, but seek happiness and peace in the here and now.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

You Are Never Too Far Gone. God Is Ready To Forgive.

You are never too far gone to turn back again.

It's not too late for you.

As long as you have breath. As long as you have life.

God is waiting for you.

God loves you.

He knows all about your mistakes. He knows how many times you have fallen. How many times you have failed.

And He is ready to forgive.

God is waiting for you with grace and mercy. He is offering you a gift far better than any earthly treasure.

God's love for you is great.

His mercies are never ending.

God knows right where you are. And He is willing to help you up. To get you back on your feet. To give you a life you are happy to live.

God will give you the help that you need. All that you have to do is to call on Him.

Reach out to God, and He will help you.

It is never too late.

You are never too far gone.


By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

Jesus Christ Remains The Same. Through Everything That We Face, He Is The Same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Through everything in life, He is the one constant that we have to hold onto. He is there for us through the struggles and darkness.

In every situation. In our pain and weakness, Jesus remains the same.

In the stressful moments when we have no clue where life is going to take us, He remains the same.

Through financial struggles, He remains the same.

During times of loss, He remains the same.

Every day. Good or bad.

Every moment. Through every fear. Every excitement.

Jesus Christ remains the same.

We can count on Him to be there for us. We can know that He will help us through. We just need to call on Him.

We need to have faith, and to trust in the fact that He will never change.

Jesus loves us.

And He remains the same.

By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

Enjoy Each Moment Of This Year, 2017

None of us know what is to come for us in 2017.

None of us have a clue what the year will really bring, even if we have hopes for the year. Even if we have fears.

God is in control, and even the scariest of things don't have to be so bad if we trust in him.

Life is a wonderful, beautiful thing when we have faith in God to take care of us.

I didn't know what this year, 2016, would be before it happened.

Emily and I didn't even know that we would be published this time last year. We didn't know that it would happen in this timing, and we are grateful that it did.

There is so much good that comes unexpectedly. And there are hard things that come and that we have to deal with each year, too.

There is so much in life that we just can't control.

But there is beauty in the unknown. Good things happen when we aren't expecting them. Each milestone in life is so special.

Enjoy each moment of 2017.

Soak up each success.

Thank God for every good thing.

Love more. Fight less.

Trust more. Stress less.

Know that everything is going to work out for you. God will be there for you through it all.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28


By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken