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Relationship Coach PodcasterAward-Winning Author JOHN CERTALIC

HELPING PEOPLE OF FAITH FIND THE JOY WE WERE MADE FOR IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

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    You Were Made For This

    Our relationships are so important to living a fulfilling life, we do ourselves a favor when we do what we can to make those relationships the best they can be. To that end, listen to Episode 139 of You Were Made for This. You’ll learn the benefits of listening to this podcast in helping you find more of the joy God intends for you in your relationships.

    Latest Episodes

    “At the end of the day, nothing matters MORE than relationships.” — John Certalic

    • A better Christmas joy is the joy shared when people visit.

    207: How to Help the People We Love At Christmas

    December 6th, 2023|Categories: Family Relationships, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    In the 1947 classic Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life!, George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, goes through a tough time during Christmas in dealing with two serious

    206: Thankful for the Stories of Others

    November 15th, 2023|Categories: Finding Joy in Relationships, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    The Thanksgiving holiday will soon be upon us here in the US, so I’ve been reflecting on what I’m thankful for. And this year I’m thinking about things

    • A meaningful conversation deepens a relationship

    205: How to Have a Meaningful Conversation

    November 1st, 2023|Categories: Finding Joy in Relationships, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    To deepen our current relationships, or to develop new ones, it’s helpful to ask ourselves an important question. Namely, “How do I have a meaningful conversation with someone?”

    • Be stingy in sharing your story when listening to others

    203: Three Reasons for Being Stingy in Sharing Your Story

    October 4th, 2023|Categories: Becoming a Better Listener, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    There’s a school of thought out there that says to make friends it’s important to be vulnerable by sharing your story. Some call it “being authentic.” Yet it’s

    • Listen to someone's story

    202: The Best Stories

    September 20th, 2023|Categories: Becoming a Better Listener, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    Most of us like a good story. I have found that the best stories are those that draw us in with emotion. They’re usually about relationships and often

    • like wild flowers. we bloom and die

    201: Three Relationship Tools to Remember in September

    September 6th, 2023|Categories: Podcast, Relational Skills|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    Hello everyone, I’m back!  To start season 8 of this podcast we’re going to talk about three relationship tools we can use to become better listeners this fall

    Episode Topics

    Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation

    I recently read Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation 2023. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. A little long, but what

    211: A Men’s Breakfast Like No Other

    A men’s breakfast can be fun and still have a greater purpose than eating and conversation. When organized with a larger objective in mind it can be a

    210: Word of the Year for 2024 – Curious

    CURIOUS. It’s my pick for the 2024 Word of the Year. Curious. It’s an important relational skill we need to help us deepen our relationships with others.  Today’s

    217: God Will Surprise Us

    In the past dew episodes I’ve been talking about how I tracked down my birth father and met him for the first… and last time in my life.

    202: The Best Stories

    Most of us like a good story. I have found that the best stories are those that draw us in with emotion. They’re usually about relationships and often

     Recent Articles

    Now that We’ve Voted, What’s Next?

    Reader, I wasn’t going to write anything more about the election until I read Peggy Noonan’s column in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. She wrote something so encouraging and comforting that I just had to share it with you. “A Great Democracy Faces a Bad Choice” is Ms. Noonan's commentary on the notable flaws of both major candidates in this year’s presidential race. None of it was encouraging or comforting. But it’s what she says at the end that touched me. This week my own October surprise....

    Election 2024: A Relational Minefield

    Reader, It’s almost over. And it can’t come soon enough for me, how about for you? The 2024 presidential election here in the US. It reminds me of the podcast episode I did right before the 2020 election, episode 074. What was true then is still true today, four years later. Elections are relational minefields. They divide people and rarely, if ever, bring us together. In that podcast episode I mentioned a few things worth considering in 2020 that are also applicable here in 2024. Here’s a...

    “He Made Everyone Around Him Better”

    Reader, Legendary baseball star Pete Rose died a few weeks ago. He shares something in common with Tom Brady, whose football jersey was recently retired by the New England Patriots. Both men were described by their respective former teammates like this: “He made everyone around him better.” While this complement was made in the context of each man’s skill on the playing field, it could also apply to our relationships. He made everyone around him better makes me think of the people I know, who...

    Why I Almost Bought Another Water Bottle I Didn’t Need

    Reader, I’ve purchased just one water bottle in my life, but have collected quite a few more that were given to me for free. Water bottles from organizations promoting their brand, much like all the free pens and calendars we see everywhere along the marketing landscape. The last thing I need is another water bottle. But I almost bought one the other day because of the message printed on it. “What we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while.” I find this to be an inspiring...

    Two of My Favorites and Is it Too Early to Think Christmas?

    Dear Reader, In my Wednesday emails over the past few months, I’ve explained 4 of the 6 topic categories our podcast episodes fit into. The last two are Relational Skills Relationship Principles Two of my favorite individual episodes within these categories include: 037: The Two-Step Process to Solve Relationship Conflicts 045: Seven Relationship Lessons from the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made Click on the links above to give a listen. Or click on the links below to see a brief...

    Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016

    THEM is all about relationships and how to make them better. You’ll read real-life stories showing the joy found in bringing out the best in others, which brings out the best in ourselves.

    Have you ever wanted to understand and help someone who is depressed or angry? How about someone who is fearful, or has trouble forgiving and reconciling with others? Maybe you want to know how to better encourage someone.

    In THEM – The Richer Life Found in Caring for Others, John Certalic weaves together real-life stories that practically show how to help others – and ourselves – deal with the challenging relational issues that affect us so deeply.

    Winner of Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016. Endorsed by Dr. Laura Mae Gardner, Ruth Van Reken, Dr. John Powell, Stuart Briscoe, and numerous missionaries.

    Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016

    THEM is all about relationships and how to make them better. You’ll read real-life stories showing the joy found in bringing out the best in others, which brings out the best in ourselves.

    Have you ever wanted to understand and help someone who is depressed or angry? How about someone who is fearful, or has trouble forgiving and reconciling with others? Maybe you want to know how to better encourage someone.

    In THEM – The Richer Life Found in Caring for Others, John Certalic weaves together real-life stories that practically show how to help others – and ourselves – deal with the challenging relational issues that affect us so deeply.

    Winner of Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016. Endorsed by Dr. Laura Mae Gardner, Ruth Van Reken, Dr. John Powell, Stuart Briscoe, and numerous missionaries.

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