Marriages only thrive as each spouse accepts responsibility for the impact of their own disappointments, fears and priorities on the relationship. by Dr. Harold L. Arnold, Jr. Jim and Irene sat at opposite ends of my couch, as far apart as possible. The tension between them so charged the room that I knew we were in for a rough ride [...]
Last month we began exploring why God seems to connect men and women who are very different from each other and bring them together in marriage. I suggested that God has a purpose in this (and it's not just for His amusement). We acknowledged that opposites do attract, which contributes to 50% of all divorces occurring in the first 7 [...]
If you're married, chances are your spouse is very different from you. I'm not talking you like vanilla ice cream and your spouse likes chocolate. I'm talking fundamental core differences. You are an introvert, but she is the life of the party. You are a tightwad, I mean saver, and he doesn't give a second thought to spending thousands of [...]
We have finally reached the end of our series. This month we talk about Dr. Gottman’s 7th Principle for Making Marriage Work—Creating Shared Meaning. If your marriage is incorporating the first six principles, there’s a good chance your relationship is stable and happy. But you still may find yourself asking, “Is that all there is?” Marriage isn’t just about raising [...]
You want to have children, he doesn’t. He’s a homebody, you’re ready for a party every night. She likes to spend money and enjoy life, you are frugal and like to save your money. You see opportunities and want to pursue them, she is adverse to risk and wants to feel safe. If you feel hopelessly gridlocked over a problem [...]
This month's post is the last of a three part series discussing how to cope with typical problems. [divider] payday loan one hourgrowportland.org/migration/ Last month we looked at three common sources of stress and conflict in marriage—Money, Sex, & Housework. This month we have some tips for perhaps the biggest culprit of stress in a marriage—children. The first child, for [...]
This month's post is part two of a three part series discussing how to cope with typical problems. [divider] Last month we looked at the typical problems of Stress and In-Laws. Maybe these aren't problems for you. Maybe you were saying to yourself, "I don't really have any issues with these things". If that was true for you, then maybe [...]
This month's post is part one of a three part series discussing how to cope with typical problems. [divider] How many times have you heard someone say, “a good marriage takes work”. Most people would readily agree with that statement, but what does that really mean? Every marriage is faced with certain emotional tasks that husband and wife need to [...]
Sharon and I just finished week one of the "Love Language Challenge". It's a five week challenge designed to have couples be more intentional about expressing love to their spouses—particularly in their primary love language. You may be thinking, I have no idea what my love language is, or my spouse's for that matter. No worries. There is an app [...]
This month's post is a bit long, but it has some great information on solving those problems that are not perpetual problems—those that cannot be resolved to mutual satisfaction. If you'll follow these steps, I think you'll find you can solve a lot more problems—and in a healthier way—than you have before. [divider] Last month we talked about perpetual problems [...]
