Mar 20
Love4

How to Stop the Never-Ending Money Arguments

By Communication, Conflict 3 Comments

Arguments over money are inevitable. Money is a hot topic and according to research is usually the number one source of conflict for couples in marriages. Money represents power, and is the source for meeting needs and wants. Because of this, it’s easy to feel like you have to protect yourself when a conversation with your spouse comes up about money. And feeling the need to protect your values and needs can often spiral into an argument. Money talks will rear their head from time to time in your relationship, it’s unavoidable and is an important conversation that’s necessary in…

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Mar 13
Love7

The Importance of Spiritual Intimacy

By Communication, Marriage, Scripture, Self Reflection 3 Comments

Spiritual intimacy is one of the most important, yet least talked about aspects of marital health. There are countless studies that show how important it is to share a spiritual bond. This intimacy encompasses your deepest core values, your mission and your passion for life. Spiritual intimacy in a relationship is developed through your activities together, such as attending church. However, it’s also a direct reflection of your journey inside as well. Your spiritual activities are external, while your spiritual values are internal and part of the core of who you are. These go hand in hand. Attending church together…

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Mar 06
Love2

Balancing Your Head and Heart: What to Do If You Are a Sympathizer

By Communication, Marriage, Self Reflection 5 Comments

“Our nervous systems are constructed to be captured by the nervous systems of others, so that we can experience others as if from within their skin.” – Daniel Stern Are you a natural sympathizer? If you answered yes, you likely find yourself rushing to the aid of your spouse, or others, when they are in need. Or, at least when you think they are in need. But are they? People with sympathetic personalities are much more inclined to let their feelings guide them than others. Their hearts take precedence over their heads. In certain situations, this is a very valuable…

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Feb 27
Love7

How to Build Friendships with Other Couples

By Communication, Marriage, Time 2 Comments

When it comes down to it, friendships are built off of having things in common. Whether it’s the same sense of humor, having shared interests, or going through similar life experiences, these are all things that can bring you closer together. This can come somewhat naturally when you are connecting with just one other person. However, when you are building a friendship with another couple this can get complex. You now have four personalities to mesh, rather than just two. Not to mention the pace of life we all live is so complex and can be dramatically different from couple…

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Feb 20
Love3

Speaking Your Truth: How to Become More Bold

By Scripture, Self Reflection 6 Comments

“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests…” – Luke 6:26 We’ve all been there. You are deep in a conversation with peers or loved ones and a certain topic comes up. While you listen to the person speaking you find that you’re lost, or perhaps you disagree. You smile and nod, and look around to see how everyone else is processing it. Will you seem ignorant if you ask a question? Or worse, speak up and have no one else agree…

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Feb 13
Love9

Strengthening the Intimacy in Your Relationship

By Communication, Marriage, Scripture 20 Comments

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Intimacy is the soul-to-soul and heart-to-heart connection that a couple has between them. It’s the defining moment in a relationship where you truly get each other. However, intimacy is fluid in a marriage. It’s easy to get distracted…

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Feb 06
Love4

How to Keep Romance Alive in Your Marriage

By Communication, Marriage 5 Comments

“Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine.” —Song of Solomon 1:2 With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching romance is often a topic on our minds. But how do you keep the romance alive after years of marriage? It’s not a surprise that we all go through different seasons of marriage. Some weeks, months, or even years, are harder and less romantic than others. This is normal and can take some work to rekindle the flame, but you can get through it. If you work hard at keeping the romance alive, it will be a game…

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Jan 30
Love13

Relationship Woes: How to Turn a Negative Attitude Around

By Communication, Self Reflection 4 Comments

“All that you achieve and all that you fail to achieve is the direct result of your own thoughts.” -James Allen Most everyone has experienced a bad attitude in their relationship. Believe it or not, there are ways you can turn this negativity around. After all, we aren’t born with bad attitudes – they are developed in our minds over time. With effort, we can protect ourselves against the bad attitude disease. There is no simple procedure to eliminating bad attitudes forever, but there are ways you can take a negative attitude and nip it in the bud. Today, we…

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Jan 23
Love7

Communication: The Most Important Skill to Have in a Relationship

By Communication 4 Comments

It’s no secret. The most important skill you can have in any relationship, especially a marriage, is communication. Experts agree that if you want to have a healthy relationship you need to learn how to communicate well. Communication is the foundation to getting connected and creating intimacy. And in order to have this intimate connection with your partner, it’s crucial that you have good communication skills. It’s mystifying sometimes when you want to connect, and are ready to, yet your communication suddenly breaks down and you don’t know why. Today we want to discuss two fundamental skills in communication that…

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Jan 16
Love9

Why Celebrating Your Spouse is Important: Part 2

By Communication 2 Comments

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” – William Shakespeare Last week we started our two-part series on how celebrating our spouse can sculpt a positive marriage. By saying positive comments, celebrating good news, and creating an awe wall, you will be well on your way to reinforcing a happy relationship. When we celebrate each other we feel closer, happier, and more secure in ourselves and our relationship. This week, we want to discuss an additional three ways that you can celebrate your spouse. 4. Don’t neglect the celebration of sex There’s no dancing around this topic,…

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