Dealing with Your 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. Your “in-laws” have profoundly shaped every aspect of your spouse’s life. Your parents, the “outlaws,” have impacted yours. When the two of you start making decisions, both of your family of origin’s views and values can clash. Add some unsolicited advice from the in-laws and/or outlaws, and a showdown begins […]
Four Negative Consequences of Poor Listening Habits
Imagine this…you and your spouse arrive home after a long day and try to make an emotional connection. Soon you hear about frustrations at work or at home, the challenges of the boss and parenting, and all the activities that need to be attended this week. Somewhere in the midst of your whirlwind conversation, you slowly lose concentration and begin to […]
I am the Problem
David Tripp says “I am my biggest marital problem.” Say what?! What he means is that all too often we’re blaming our spouses or others for the condition or marriage is in. We find ourselves saying, “If only he would do this, or I’d be happier if she would..Or if we had more __________(fill in the blank) we’d […]
For Our Single Friends
For those of you who may be single…Have you ever caught yourself thinking “I’d be much happier if I was married, so hurry up and find somebody?” Well, if so, let’s take a minute to think about what God may want you to be learning while you are single and how these lessons could prepare you for marriage. […]
Five Ways to Battle Apathy in Marriage
Can you relate to this scenario? A couple finds themselves sitting next to each other night after night, refusing to admit they have an unhappy marriage. They’re dutifully going through the motions and as they turn off the TV and head to bed, he looks at her with romantic intentions. But they vanish quickly. It’s going to take too much […]
Is Netflix Hurting Your Marriage?
With Netflix having over 200 million subscribers and growing at record rates, my hunch is that many of you can relate to this scenario. My wife Janeen and I have five children that still live at home. After getting them to bed in the evening, we’re usually emotionally and physically spent. We’d heard of friends binge […]
Do I Need Counseling?
Here’s a question I get a lot, “Is our marriage at the point where we need some counseling?” I often joke and say if you’re asking me, it probably does. But that’s a loaded question and every situation is unique. Let me see if I can offer a few thoughts that might provide some clarity. Just like the […]
Building Safe Spaces
Over the years of doing marriage intensives for couples in crisis, we’ve seen many husbands and wives who don’t feel safe. I’m not just talking about being physically safe. There are lots of ways we can feel unsafe in our marriages. So here are four safe spaces we want to work on creating in our marriages. Number one is physical safety. Your […]
Easter and Marriage
We’re passionate here at The Marriage Hub about helping couples see how the Word of God speaks to their marriages. As we’ve been reflecting on Easter and the greatest act of love ever demonstrated to mankind, we saw several practical marriage lessons in the death and resurrection of Jesus.The first one is that this sacrificial giving is foundational to building a godly marriage. Paul’s mandate to […]
Dreaming Together as a Couple
When was the last time you and your spouse spent some time dreaming about your future together? Dreaming together as a couple can be one of the most exciting and uplifting conversations you can have. You did a lot of it when you were dating and engaged…dreaming about your future, family, home and career. Sharing dreams strengthens your commitment to one another as a couple because it unifies the vision […]