All Posts By

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

Jul 13
Love19

3 Ways to Connect Spiritually When Your Beliefs Clash

By Communication, Conflict, Scripture 23 Comments

We’ve met many couples who have built successful marriages and relationships despite having different faiths, religions, and beliefs. Without exception, every single one of them sees their difference of beliefs as a challenge. When things of the spirit aren’t shared, that presents a lot of challenges to your marriage, as well as your children and your extended family. Navigating these challenges requires a great deal of grace and wisdom. In today’s post, we’re sharing three ways to connect spiritually with your spouse–even though your beliefs clash. Find your common ground. Intimacy is based on sharing. When you and your spouse…

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Jul 08
Love70

How to Respond When In-Laws Reject You

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family 360 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 22
Love22

Panic Monster: How to Help Your Spouse When Anxiety Hits

By Communication, In-laws & Family, Self Reflection 11 Comments

Anxiety. Most of us have been there: an issue that–to the outside world–seems arguably small balloons into a crushing, suffocating weight. Our hearts race. Our palms sweat. We descend into a spiraling panic, and find that it’s difficult (and even hopeless) to stop the feeling of dread building inside our chests. Most of us know what anxiety feels like when it’s happening to us, but it can be difficult to know how to help someone we love when they are being riddled with it. It’s easy to feel at a loss, not knowing what to do or say. Can’t they…

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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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