Category

Conflict

Jul 08
Love70

How to Respond When In-Laws Reject You

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family 357 Comments

What can I do if my in-laws don’t accept me? When someone withholds their blessing from you, that hurts. You feel rejected and “not good enough.” And when your in-laws are the people who have rejected you, the pain can feel almost unbearable. In today’s video, we’re discussing how to respond when your in-laws have rejected you. Not only is it hurtful to you that your spouse’s parents (or other relatives) have made it clear that they don’t approve of (or even like) you; it’s also devastating because it creates distance between your spouse and their family. Everyone is human…

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Jul 06
Love18

After the Honeymoon: When Routine Trumps Romance

By Communication, Conflict, Self Reflection 10 Comments

We all long for a lifetime of honeymoons–starry-eyed romance, long days on the beach, sleeping in, pampering, relaxation. The reality is, once newlyweds return from their romance-filled paradise, they step back into their daily routines, this time as a husband and wife. The first year of marriage is an adventure, regardless of what each person’s daily schedule looks like. Maybe both spouses are getting up and going to an office everyday, or maybe one is working from home and the other traveling for a living. Combining the busy schedules of two different people equals a situation that requires intentional care….

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Jul 01
Love18

Modern Partnerships: Marriage in Today’s Culture

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Self Reflection No Comments

Are more couples moving away from the traditional model of marriage and towards a partnership? In our experience, the ways individual couples function is something that is completely unique to every couple. This isn’t necessarily in the traditional or theological sense; rather, it’s about the dynamic that each couple settles on that works best for them. In today’s video, we’re discussing different relationship dynamics, and how couples tend to settle on whatever works best for them. Through third-party research and our own observation, we’ve seen three common relationship models: The peer marriage, where the spouses are partners who divvy up…

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Jun 29
Love243

What to Do When a Spouse Lies

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family

When you’ve caught someone in lies, it’s natural to doubt almost everything they say. And when that someone happens to be your spouse, the sense of betrayal is even more profound. How can you rebuild trust when your spouse has lied to you? Reasons Spouses Lie There are many reasons your spouse may be dishonest with you. Maybe they’re not fully coming clean because: They have already disappointed you, and they’re afraid of your reaction; They promised to change a pattern, and they haven’t; They promised to get something done, but didn’t…even though they meant to. People often lie not…

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Jun 24
Love16

Do I Need My Husband’s Permission to Pursue a Dream?

By Communication, Conflict, Time No Comments

I want to go back to school. Do I need my husband’s permission? When you find yourself hoping to pursue a dream, do you need your spouse’s permission to do that? You’ll need to make the final decision as a couple, but there is a way to navigate this situation successfully. If your spouse is present-oriented and comfortable with where you currently are–financially, relationally, lifestyle-wise, etc.–you may have to help him or her stretch a bit to see the future benefits of pursuing this dream now. This may be challenging for you, but helping your spouse to see the long-term…

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Jun 17
Love17

Ending the In-Law Comparison Game

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Self Reflection No Comments

How do I get my husband to stop holding my parents to the same financial standards as his parents? So your in-laws have gifted you with something very nice, or very expensive. Let’s say it’s a large sum of money to go toward a down payment on a home for you and your spouse. What happens when your parents can’t match the same contribution your in-laws have made? And how do you handle it when your spouse holds your parents to the same financial standards as his or her parents? In today’s video, we’re discussing strategies for ending the in-law…

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Jun 15
Love25

Intense Marriage, Intense Kids: How to Cope

By Communication, Conflict, Self Reflection, Time 6 Comments

Children are always a blessing. But children bring a tremendous change to your home and your relationship as you previously knew it. And if your kids have intense, spirited, strong personalities, the changes to your world are even more pronounced! If one of your personalities is also intense (or both!), this makes life all the more interesting. Today, we’re sharing a few tips on how to cope with intensity in your home. Actively manage your stress levels. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep your stress levels as low as possible. Intensity in your marriage or family…

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Jun 10
Love22

How to Choose the Right Church for Your Family

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Scripture, Self Reflection 6 Comments

We are looking for a new church. What suggestions do you have for choosing a church together? Finding a place to worship together can be a major challenge for you and your spouse. It’s not just about finding the right place for yourself as an individual; it’s about finding a place of worship that’s right for both of you (and your children also, if you have them). While you might not necessarily seek a congregation as a consumer, you still have to find that happy medium that works for your entire family–and that will take some careful consideration, observation, and…

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Jun 08
Love34

Building an Intimate Marriage: Grace & Forgiveness

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Self Reflection, Time 13 Comments

Marriage is hard work. The reality that we’re broken people becomes very apparent when we share our lives with someone else. We bring our unique personalities into the marriage, but we also bring our selfish nature. Frustration, friction, disagreements–they are all certain to show up, but the way we react to these issues and obstacles shapes not only our character, but the strength and the intimacy of our marriage. As much as we lead with love toward our spouse, we must also lead with grace and forgiveness. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works…

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Jun 03
Love20

What to Do When Your Spouse Leaves the Faith

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Scripture, Self Reflection 4 Comments

My spouse was a Christian, but just turned agnostic. My faith is important to me. What do I do? It’s devastating when your spouse leaves a faith that the two of you shared when you married. This is a totally unexpected turn of events, and it will rattle even the strongest person. You thought you had a completely wonderful spiritual match for life–what happened? More importantly, what can you do? In today’s video, we’re talking about what to do when your spouse leaves the faith. Because this revelation strikes at the core of what you value most, you need to…

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