Jul 27
Love28

Extended Conflict: 5 Tips for Overcoming a Stalemate

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Self Reflection 14 Comments

Inevitably, you and your spouse will run into issues you can’t agree on that will lead to friction in your relationship. Instead of letting conflict simmer, unresolved–where it will eventually burn up your relationship–allow it to shed light. It’s frustrating and painful to get locked in a stalemate with your spouse…the one person you really don’t want to disagree with. Here are 5 tips for overcoming an unresolved conflict in your marriage. Don’t Avoid Conflict In the short run, it’s very easy to avoid conflict. But long-term, it can be damaging–so you can’t ignore issues, especially if you’ve reached a…

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Jul 22
Love24

Clash of Careers: Whose Is More Important?

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

Our career pursuits can sometimes clash. Whose career should take priority? When you and your spouse are both very passionate about the future, your career, and your dreams (both individual and shared), those things can sometimes collide.What do you do when that happens? Whose career and dreams should take precedence? In marriage, it’s important to negotiate a shared relationship–because when the goals and dreams of two people in a marriage clash, things can get very complicated. Today, we’re talking about ways to work together through conflicting career goals. Goals often require one spouse to sacrifice on the other’s behalf. Even…

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Jul 20
Love25

Frazzled Mom, Exhausted Wife: What to Do When Everyone NEEDS You

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family, Self Reflection, Time 17 Comments

Being a wife and a mom is one of life’s greatest joys. Partnering with your husband to raise a family is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling role; however, it’s challenging all at the same time. The role of a wife and mom is not only a huge blessing, but a huge responsibility–and it can leave you completely WORN OUT. The kids have fifteen different places they need to be and, on top of all that, they have a mile-long list of school supplies waiting to be purchased and thrown into their backpacks. Your husband’s working late, and needs you to set…

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Jul 15
Love16

Dealing With Changing Feelings in Marriage

By Communication, Conflict, Self Reflection No Comments

Is it normal to wake up thanking God for your husband one day, and the next day you can’t stand him? Welcome to true love. It may sound funny, but this is how it is! We’ve never met anyone who wakes up every single morning, looks at their spouse, and thinks they’re the luckiest person in the world. No–definitely not every morning (not even us!). You married a real person. Your spouse has great strengths, abilities, and character…but on the flipside, your spouse also has annoying habits and flaws, and I’ll bet he or she also makes plenty of mistakes….

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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 362 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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