Stronghold Counseling Services, Inc.

02/23/2026

“Lord, I worry because I forget your wisdom. I resent because I forget your mercy. I covet because I forget your beauty. I sin because I forget your holiness. I fear because I forget your sovereignty. You always remember me. Help me to remember you. Amen.” (Tim Keller, 1950-2023)

02/22/2026

These days I find myself in a lot of emotionally taxing but intellectually barren conversations.

Mike Woodruff

02/21/2026

As long as we think we are not that bad, the idea of grace will never change us.

Mike Woodruff

02/20/2026

"There is nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it."— Dallas Willard

02/19/2026

“The worst thing a jerk can do is to turn you into a jerk.” —​ Frank Oppenheimer

02/18/2026

“If natural selection means the survival of the fittest and sacrifice of the weakest, Christianity is about the sacrifice of the fittest (Jesus Christ) for the survival of the weakest (us).” — Glen Scrivener

02/17/2026

https://vimeo.com/1165427826/3019976c5a?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Meet Shannon Yockey, MSW, of Stronghold Counseling in Yankton, SD. We provide hope without hype and guidance without judgement. Learn more at www.strongholdcounseling.com.

02/17/2026

“Ideas have consequences, and bad ideas have victims.” — John Stonestreet

02/16/2026

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”— Annie Dillard

02/15/2026

In a relationship built on friendship, mistakes are less likely to be seen as attacks and more likely to be viewed as human error. Friendship fosters the ability to give the benefit of the doubt. Instead of assuming their partner is being inconsiderate, the individual might think, They’ve had a long day. Maybe they forgot or didn’t realize how much this means to me. This mindset not only prevents the situation from escalating but also creates space for understanding and empathy.

Student of Love
by Laterras R. Whitfield

02/14/2026

Even when you don’t feel like doing something for your spouse, you can have faith that doing so will honor God and, likely, soften their heart.

Jesse and I try to do this well. And then we fail. Then we try again. And on some days, we succeed in making the other person feel truly valued. We choose to keep this cycle going, even when we don’t want to, to fight for the little things.

Don't Burn Your Own House Down
by Lindsey Maestas

02/13/2026

Marriage isn’t a scoreboard. It is not “If he apologizes, then I’ll soften” or “If she respects me, then I’ll love her.” That’s pride. And pride has destroyed far more marriages than even conflict ever has. Here’s the hard truth:



The way you love during a disconnected season speaks volumes about the maturity of your faith.



Are you choosing to reflect Christ, even when your spouse doesn’t? Are you outdoing one another in showing honor, even when it feels one-sided? Are you looking for the good, even when the hard parts are louder? Even in the seasons when we don’t “feel it,” our commitment to God, and our covenant promise, is to love one another, without conditions, through it all.

You’re not going to nail this perfectly, so go ahead and take a deep breath and release some of that pressure right away. The last thing I want to do is give my anxious friends even more to stress about! You’ll definitely have days when you just don’t want to serve your spouse or show them small acts of love because you don’t feel like they deserve it. It will happen. And as you foresee that, you can prepare to do otherwise. You can choose to remember that faith trumps feelings.

Don't Burn Your Own House Down
by Lindsey Maestas