Home Improvement Ministry, Christian Family Services

02/05/2026

Have you heard this seemingly witty saying, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to see every problem you encounter as a nail"? The origin of the statement is attributed to Abraham Maslow, the famous creator of the "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs."

Maslow was a very intelligent man to be sure. I've heard that Maslow line about the hammer and the problems articulated by some very intelligent people. I've come to a conclusion about the love for his seemingly witty saying. I think it is promoted by notably bright people who lack much mechanical skill.

I say that as one with some reasonable mechanical skills. What I know about humanity is this: we are tool makers, have been for millennia. Most of us tool users appreciate tool makers. They make our work easier whether a home project or tasks we take on in our work life.

Maslow was a psychologist, like the majority of those from whom I have heard that particular saying of his. I think there is often an implied meaning when used among Christian ministers that goes something like this: "You probably need the tools that we have developed in the field of psychology."

To be sure, the psychologists have discovered things and ways of approaching problems that can be helpful. What I have come to believe is that the secular field of psychology is missing some important tools which we, Bible-believers, possess. The greatest "tool" we possess as Spirit-filled Christians is the very Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth. THIS is the critical resource we all need to address the problems of life, whether they be in our relationships of within us.

When you struggle with life issues, it is wise to seek help that depends on more than the tools of the secularist. Dane Tyner

02/04/2026

The most skilled athletes enlist the help of coaches and trainers to perform at their best. That is not a sign of weakness but of wisdom. If you need to improve your performance as a spouse or a parent or as a person, contact us. Maybe together you will do better.

01/28/2026

It's an election year and rivaling parties are very loud. They can get you unnecessarily upset. This upsettedness can affect you at work, school, and HOME. Please use wisdom in what you choose to listen to and how much. It will help you keep personal peace through this year. If we can help you gain peace, contact us.

01/24/2026

If merely being a nice guy were the goal of Christianity, I would never have become one, at least not a real one. Honestly, before I came to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, I was a pretty nice guy.
I was never a criminal or even a mean person. I was a hard worker and appreciated at every job I ever had, including the US Navy where I served honorably for four years.

Before Jesus began changing me from the inside out, I was a devoted Chameleon, blending in with the environment where I was. Finding myself in a variety of environments, I became masterful at changing.

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ was challenging; as I said, He, too was very much into changing me, but not in the ways I had adopted. He wasn't trying to conform me to my surroundings so I would fit in; to the contrary, He was transforming me so as to make me stand out against the backdrop of the world.

Though I am still tempted to conform for acceptance, I find His Spirit helping me to resist that. Thankfully, I learned long ago that I can't please everyone. I can't even please God ALL the time, but I am loved anyway because He is merciful.

I endeavor to live by truth and let the chips fall where they will. When people reject me, it still hurts, but it is bearable knowing I am "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).

Please don't just act like a Christian, BE one, a real follower of the Lord Jesus! It is liberating beyond words. Dane Tyner

01/21/2026

What qualifies me to be a helper? Yes, I've studied quite a lot, earned a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. Honestly, what has helped me most is the scores of people who have trusted me enough to invite me behind their public facade to meet the real self. My own upbringing in a very dysfunctional family has also equipped me with more than a academic understanding of personal and relational challenges. Contact us if we might help.

01/17/2026

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Email from Home Improvement Ministry   Family Tips Donate Now Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11 ESV) Greetings

01/17/2026

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Email from Home Improvement Ministry   Family Tips Donate Now Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11 ESV) Greetings

01/14/2026

In his book, Man in the Mirror, Patrick Morley speaks of two components to our "standard of living." There is a material standard and our moral/spiritual/relational standard of living. Written 40 years ago, Morley stated that "for the last f40 years our material standard has soared while our moral/spiritual/relational standard has plummeted." Most of us invest much of our life to improve the material arena; too many invest very little in the more important arena of life. At H.I.M. we help people make better investments. Contact us if you're open to help.

01/08/2026

Saving money is generally a good thing, unless you are saving money you should be spending to save your life, your marriage or your family. We are here to help.

01/05/2026

Paul David Tripp wrote about a major life crisis his family suffered. His daughter, walking home from work, was hit by a drunk driver. He learned of the family crisis by a phone call from his wife and rushed to the hospital where his daughter was in ICU with major injuries.

Listen to his cry from the valley: "When I walked into that room, it was as if the whole world went dark. My heart cried, "Why, why, why?" Tripp goes on, "In an instant, we were cast into life-changing mystery, and our theological non-negotiables didn't take that mystery away."

Tripp's family endured "four years of travail" as they watched their daughter slowly recover. His next paragraph is a wonderful testimony of overcoming in terrible trials. Clinging to sound elements of our faith in God is evidenced is Tripp's following words: "We were comforted again and again with the thought that when it came to our daughter's accident, God was neither surprised nor afraid." He continues, ". . . there is no mystery with God. He is never caught off guard. He never wonders how He is going to deal with the unexpected thing." Then Tripp reminds us of a powerful truth of Scripture: "He (God) knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:22).

If you are in a dark place, God encourages you to remember what his family found in their dark valley: "God is with you in your moments of darkness because He will never leave you." Tripp adds to his encouragement these important truths to remember and trust: "your darkness isn't dark to Him, and your mysteries aren't mysterious to Him."

Like Tripp, I've had at least one major valley to traverse, and I, too, held on to these truths - whether they felt true of not. Hold on, my friend. Trust God with the whole of your life. Dane Tyner

01/05/2026

I have an announcement: I am a "trans" person! I am still being TRANSformed by the Spirit of God (Rm 12:2), rather than being conformed to this world. Dane Tyner

01/05/2026

We appreciate our friends who help us help. You're a blessing!