4 Ways to Support Your Spouse’s Creativity

By Communication, Time 9 Comments

Creative pursuits add an exciting dimension to our lives. Music, theatre, art, writing, dance–these are just a few of the creative outlets you or your spouse might enjoy. But if you’re not particularly creative, what are some ways to support your spouse’s passions? 1. Show interest in their creative pursuits. Your spouse’s passion for creativity adds meaning, joy, and purpose to their life–and it can do the same for you. Whether your spouse is painting, sculpting, dancing, writing, singing, playing music, or any number of other creative pursuits, it’s important to show interest in what they’re creating. Is your spouse…

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10 Romantic Fall Dates to Enjoy with Your Spouse

By Time 11 Comments

Fall is a beautiful and exciting time of year, with changing leaves, football season in full swing, and holidays right around the corner. Take advantage of the cooler weather and the wide variety of seasonal activities to go on some creative and romantic dates with your spouse. There are plenty of ways to fully enjoy the autumn, so we’ve created a list of 10 ideas to get you started. Have fun! 1. Go on a coffee date There’s never a wrong time to get coffee, but there’s something about fall that makes a hot drink seem more appealing. Cooler temperatures…

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Sexual Frequency in Marriage: 3 Common Questions

By Communication, Time 30 Comments

At some point in every couple’s marriage—often in the early years—the question of sexual frequency comes up. They might find themselves wondering how often they “should” be having sex, how to agree on frequency, or whether they’re normal. Today, we’re tackling three common questions about sexual frequency, and what you and your spouse can do to ensure the highest level of satisfaction and fulfillment for your marriage. My spouse and I have very different sexual needs. How do we get on the same page? Finding a healthy compromise between two different sex drives is a delicate, difficult subject for many…

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Finances: How to Get on the Same Page With Your Spouse

By Communication No Comments

Money is a loaded issue in most marriages because it represents the ability to get the things we need and want. It tends to become an issue of power, dictating who makes the decisions and whose dreams get fulfilled. Needless to say, discussions about money, bills, and budgeting can generate some powerful emotions. It’s not always easy to navigate money matters, especially in the early years of your marriage. In today’s post, we’re going to explore some ways you and your spouse can get on the same page about your finances–and stay there. Which one of us should handle the…

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3 Reasons Why Tender Touch Cultivates Deeper Intimacy

By Communication 19 Comments

When our oldest son was born, we learned more about the unbelievable power of human touch than we ever thought possible. He was born 3 months premature and weighed one pound–and our touch was life-sustaining to him. Over the months we spent with him in the hospital, we began to talk more about what tender touch does for us in our marriage–not the kind of touch that leads to something more in the bedroom, but the kind of touch that connects and reassures. Not only does touch cultivate deeper intimacy; it helps us communicate with each other on another level….

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5 Tips for Effectively Mentoring Another Married Couple

By Communication 3 Comments

You and your spouse have decided you’re ready to start mentoring another married couple. It’s an exciting prospect–but it’s also a little intimidating! How can you most effectively use your marriage to influence and help another couple? As marriage mentors, you and your spouse will walk with your mentee couple through one (or more) of three seasons every married couple experiences. We like to call this the Marriage Mentoring Triad: Prepare: your couple’s engagement or newlywed season, where you’ll support them as they work to launch lifelong love Repair: a time in your mentee couple’s marriage when they’re attempting to…

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How Marriage Mentors Can Strengthen Your Relationship

By Communication 16 Comments

Do you and your spouse have mentors for your marriage? Forging a friendship with a couple who has been married longer than you can be a great way to gain support and insight into married life. It’s important for you and your spouse to connect with another committed couple that’s passionate about marriage–and about guiding the two of you toward lifelong love. Marriage mentors can help during all of the three seasons in your marriage; we call this the Marriage Mentoring Triad. We look at the triad as three sides of a triangle that make up three major seasons every…

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Stuck in a Rut? 3 Ways to Revive the Excitement in Your Marriage

By Communication, Time One Comment

From time to time, every married couple gets stuck in a rut. It can happen for many different reasons, but the results are similar: ruts leave us feeling like life has just become “blah.” Fortunately, this is totally normal–and you two can work together to break out of your rut if you’re willing to put in the effort. Today, we’ve put together 3 ways to revive the excitement in your marriage. It’s important that you and your spouse work together to shake things up. Even though you might feel like you’re in a rut, your spouse might not; the important…

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How to Intentionally Pursue Joy with Your Spouse

By Communication 9 Comments

Keeping your marriage infused with joy is one of the greatest challenges–but can also be one of the biggest adventures–in your life as a couple. After the honeymoon, life can get bogged down by day-to-day drudgery and less-than-ideal circumstances that are beyond your control. And while it’s a little too easy to let these things drown your happiness, it’s important for the two of you to stay focused on finding the joy that keeps you moving forward, no matter what. Today, we’re sharing some tips on how to intentionally pursue joy together, so that when the going gets tough, the…

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Help! My Spouse Wants Me to Make More Money

By Careers, Communication, Conflict 17 Comments

You’ve weighed your career decisions, filtered your values and what’s most important to you, and decided on a job that will help you not only bring in a good income, but also balance those values and pursuits in the best possible way for your family–or so you thought. Suddenly, you’re getting outside pressure from your spouse to up your game…and you’re not sure where it’s coming from. Money is a hot-button issue in most marriages, but the it tends to really hit a nerve where individual income is concerned. Whether one or both spouses is working, it’s not uncommon for…

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