Last month we talked about being a God-centered spouse instead of a spouse-centered spouse. We saw how our focus determined everything in our marriage relationship. Were we focused on God or our spouse? This month we are going to elaborate a bit more on that concept and see how a God-centered focus can lead to an enduring love for our [...]
Last month we looked at the role of friendship in marriage. This month we look at how we can maintain and deepen that friendship thus providing a bond that can withstand life's storms and unexpected difficulties. Its usually the hard times that test a relationship. How well you do as a couple when you're going through difficult times is a [...]
This month's post is an excerpt from Rick Johnson's new book, Becoming Your Spouse's Better Half: Why Differences Make a Marriage Great. Johnson addresses a couple popular myths about marriage: 1. We all have a perfect soulmate that will complete us and make us happy for the rest of our lives—if we could only find them. 2. A great marriage [...]
This month we have an excerpt from one of Dr. John Gottman's books, "The Relationship Cure: A 5-Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships." In it we will discover what Dr. Gottman believes is the building block of connecting in relationships. As we learn what goes into creating meaningful connections, we can be more intentional about preventing emotional [...]
It never ceases to amaze me how different Sharon and I are in personality. We look at life in very different ways. We recently had another "discussion" about how different we are. And yet, despite those differences, we choose to love each other and strive for a more intimate, God-honoring relationship. There's no denying that most marriages are made up [...]
Have you ever wondered why some couples just seem to get along better than others? There are a variety of reasons why this happens and no two couples are exactly alike, but Dr. Gottman has found that Healthy Couples have a few things in common—Healthy Habits—that keep their relationship on-track. Its been said that when you get married you should [...]
This month Jim Mueller talks about Intimacy in Marriage—what is it, and how to get it. Like the author, our understanding of intimacy has evolved over the years. Our level of intimacy has also changed—for the better. While the dynamics of your relationship change through the years, your intimacy can continue to grow. We have found that even conflict, and [...]
There aren't many people I know that are not going through some distress due to the ailing economy. Some much more than others. We, ourselves are facing significant challenges that test our faith and trust in God as our provider. There's an air of uncertainty that threatens to shake our world. This uncertainty can add great stress to a normally [...]
Are you friends with your spouse? Someone once said "a friend is someone who knows you and likes you anyway". Do we really know our spouses and do we like them? We sometimes get so caught up in the “love” aspect of marriage we forget about the “like” part of it. It takes time and attention to really know our [...]
Back in September we looked at how fueling your fondness and admiration for each other was one of the most cricial elements in a rewarding and long-lasting romance. This month, we will examine Dr. Gottman's 3rd Principle for making your marriage work. If you view Hollywood's formula for romance as the standard and have consistently fallen far short, I have [...]
