Jul 15
Love0

3 Ways to Calm an Argument with Your Spouse

By Communication, Conflict 4 Comments

There aren’t many things that are worse than getting in an argument with your spouse that just keeps escalating. No matter what either of you try to do, you seem to be at a stalemate. Or worse, things are starting to get a little ugly. Luckily, there are several ways you can defuse heated conflict with your spouse. Doing so will give you both the opportunity to step back, regroup, and come back to the discussion with a fresh perspective. Let’s dive in. 1. Slow your response time. Many of us struggle with the impulse to jump right in and…

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Jul 08
Love0

5 Ways Relationship Assessments Can Help You Strengthen Your Love

By Relationships No Comments

One of the most important things you can do for your marriage is to constantly work to cultivate deeper passion, intimacy, and connection with your partner. Relationship assessments are tools you can use to get to know one another better and strengthen your love. Wondering what assessments can do for your relationship? Take a look at some of the major benefits you and your partner will get from diving deeper into your own personalities, and your dynamic as a couple. 1. Explore how each of you engages in conflict. Each person has a different fight style, and it’s likely that…

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Jul 01
Love0

Can Marriage Mentors Help with Conflict Resolution?

By Marriage, Relationships 2 Comments

Are you dealing with a conflict in your marriage? Struggling to reach a workable solution–or just stuck in a stalemate? Marriage mentors can provide the support you need to help you and your spouse resolve conflict in your relationship, whether it’s a long- or short-term problem. Married couples face good and bad times throughout their marriages. It’s just a given. But sometimes, we find ourselves locked into an issue we can’t seem to shake. If you and your spouse are going through a hard time, there’s help available. One way to get support for your marriage is by connecting with…

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Jun 24
Love0

How to Back Your Empathy with Action

By Marriage, Relationships 3 Comments

Empathy is more than just taking an internal walk in your partner’s shoes. Instead, real empathy requires action. Without action, empathy won’t go very far in your relationship. As James D. Parker said, “Empathy alone matters little if we fail to act.” Empathy is transformative. It helps us see, hear, and understand one another like nothing else. And, when properly cultivated, it inspires action. We must back our empathy with action if we want to show our spouses how much we truly love them. So how can we back our empathy with action? Let’s dive in. 1. Set aside your…

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Jun 17
Love0

3 Truths About Anger Everyone Should Know

By Conflict, Relationships 10 Comments

Anger is a natural part of being human, but it can also become destructive when uncontrolled. Likewise, anger is a natural part of conflict. It’s important that we understand how to manage anger so that we can effectively manage conflicts in our marriages and other interpersonal relationships. Anger tends to be the result of a perceived injustice against us. When improperly processed and communicated, anger can damage relationships–sometimes irreversibly. Uncontrolled anger can muddy the waters of a good fight and prevent us from getting to the core of the issue at hand. Let’s look at a few truths about anger…

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Jun 10
Love0

3 Ways to Make Loving Like Jesus a Habit

By Self Reflection 2 Comments

“We are what we repeatedly do.” – Aristotle Not only in marriage, but in life, we need to love like Jesus did. Loving like Jesus allows us to step into all seasons and circumstances with the ability to love with mindfulness, approachability, grace, boldness, and selflessness. If we want to love like that automatically, we have to make it a habit. Although we as humans are not perfect and can’t expect to be, we can cultivate the habit of actively loving like Jesus. It takes time and intentionality, but it can be done–and your relationships will reap its rewards. Let’s…

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Jun 03
Love0

How Facts vs. Feelings Influence Your Spouse

By Communication, Marriage, Relationships One Comment

In marriage, spouses influence one another significantly–both consciously and unconsciously. Knowing whether your spouse is more influenced by facts or by feelings can add a great deal of productivity to your conversations. We’re all influenced primarily by either facts or feelings. When spouses’ primary points of influence clash, this can lead to difficulties in communication. But when we know the driving force behind one another’s primary influences, we can better anticipate how to communicate successfully. So how do you determine whether your spouse is influenced by feelings or facts? How to Know if Your Spouse is Influenced by Facts People…

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May 27
Love0

7 Secrets to a Peaceful, Fun Engagement

By Engagement One Comment

Engagement can be a roller coaster of emotions, both good and bad. Suddenly, you and your fiance have gone from being a carefree dating couple to planning a wedding. Often, wedding planning comes with a fair amount of stress, even though it can also be fun. And let’s not forget family pressures that crop up. Being engaged is a season that’s all about building anticipation for your upcoming wedding and the future you’re planning together. Today, we’re talking about seven secrets to keeping your engagement peaceful and fun. 1. Remember why you’re here. If you’re in the midst of planning…

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May 20
Love0

What Smart Love Looks Like, and Why It’s Important

By Relationships One Comment

In order to forge healthy relationships, it’s crucial to practice something we like to call smart love. Smart love allows us to make intelligent and informed decisions in all our relationships–ultimately strengthening and improving them. Today, we’re taking a look at what smart looks like, and a few ways you can practice it in your own relationships. It applies to relationships of all kinds, but for today’s purposes, we’ll focus on dating and engagement. Smart Love is Patient and Discerning Patience and discernment are incredibly important components of smart love. That’s because smart love is determined to find a good…

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May 13
Love0

6 Tips and Ideas for Your Small Wedding Ceremony

By Marriage 4 Comments

Are you and your fiance planning a small wedding ceremony? Whether you’ve planned a small wedding from the beginning of your engagement or have found yourself changing your plans, there are several things you can consider to make the experience memorable. Many couples opt for a small wedding for different reasons. Some choose to keep the budget and the guest list to a minimum because of how they’ve prioritized their spending. Others choose to elope. Still others may be faced with circumstances such as illness that prevent them from planning a large gathering. During this unusual season of collectively facing…

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