Do You Need to Perform a “Bedroom Audit?”
Have “things” crept into your bedroom that are robbing you of physical intimacy? Have you created a pattern that sets you up for failure? Maybe it’s time to perform a “Bedroom Audit!” Karen and I routinely teach that one of the keys to physical intimacy is to make sure your bedroom is one of, if […]
Marriage Memorials for Memorial Day
As we celebrate Memorial Day … a day established to “memorialize,” or remember, our fallen heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country and our freedoms. Throughout this weekend a question has been rattling around in my head: “What can we do to “memorialize,” or remember, our spouses and children on a daily […]
Kick off the New Year with these Marriage Resolutions
It’s that time of year again where we all sit down and set those infamous New Year’s resolutions. You all know the regulars…let’s lose 10 pounds, read one book a week, save 10% of our paycheck. The problem is that these are resolved today and abandoned by the end of the week. So this year, how about bucking the trend and actually doing […]
How a Couple Should Deal with their In-laws and Outlaws
Whether you’re a newlywed or an oldie-wed like me, dealing with the in-laws and outlaws can be a challenge. That’s because your in-laws have shaped every aspect of your spouse’s life…and your parents, the outlaws, have impacted yours. So when the two of you start making decisions, both of your families of origins views begin to clash. Add some unsolicited advice from your in-laws and/or […]
God’s Message to Marriages at Christmas
Do you believe that God brings couples together for a purpose? One of the lessons of the Christmas story is that God ordained that Mary would be the mother of Jesus and that Joseph, Mary’s fiance, would act as Jesus earthly father. It was all in God’s plan that this special couple would usher in His great gift of salvation by […]
How to Keep Christmas from being the “Most Stressful Time of the Year” for Couples
We’ve all heard that song … it’s the most wonderful time of the year … But is it? Many of us set high and unrealistic expectations about what our Christmas should look like … add to that the buying gifts for kids and family … planning family gatherings … work parties and church programs and socials. Wow, sounds like the most hectic time of year. Oh, and one other thing: […]
Thankful Couples (Part 4)
The psalmist wrote “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever”, Psalm 118:1. You know,Thanksgiving is probably the most underrated, under decorated, and under celebrated holiday in America. Halloween is approaching Christmas proportions with all of its decorations and lights, and once all those are put away, the Christmas frenzy takes over. The Christmas specials start playing […]
Thankful Couples (Part 3)
When’s the last time you thanked God for your spouse’s spiritual life? We’re into week three of our Spouse Appreciation Month and we want to deepen our attitude of gratitude this week by focusing on the ways your spouse enriches your spiritual life, both as an individual and as a couple. The Apostle Paul was great at this. He often shared […]
Thankful Couples (Part 2)
“Thank you”. How many times have you said these two simple but wonderful words to your life-mate? Or have you, like me, gotten so busy you’ve forgotten to say those powerful affirmations to the most important person in your life? Last week I issued you a challenge to make November our Spouse Appreciation Month. My request was for you to say a […]
Thankful Couples (Part 1)
I read an article recently about a collector who purchased a Corvette stingray..you know, Chevy’s premier sports car back in 1989. While that’s interesting, the rest of the story is even more fascinating. This collector placed all these prized possessions in a storage facility and forgot about them. Now, almost 35 years later, many of these former gems are almost worthless due […]