Extended Family Life
In the midst of doing life together, there will undoubtedly be changes, misunderstandings, hurt feelings, fears, strained communication, or unreasonable expectations at times. That’s just how relationships are. But hopefully those times will be few, and with good… Read More
Revealing Yourself
Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship; it will affect every aspect of your marriage. It can help you inform, explain, influence, and build intimacy with one another. Good personal communication is the act of revealing yourself—your past… Read More
Expectations: On Valentine’s Day and Beyond
Valentine’s Day is a time where expectations often run high, especially for women. But when you don’t understand what is expected, lots of conflict, stress, and frustration can arise. What’s really important to each of you spiritually, physically,… Read More
The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
I am interrupting the regularly scheduled blog to participate in a “blog tour”. So guess what? You’ll get two blogs today. Enjoy! This “tour” is similar to a chain letter (gasp!) for those who like to know more… Read More
Blending Family Communication
The challenges of communicating well in a blending family are many. Past hurts, current perceptions, expectations, and fears or frustrations affect communicating well. The adjustment process is a long and winding road, so providing extra measures of patience… Read More
In-Laws Not Out-Laws
Thankgiving is tomorrow, and many of us will be visiting family this holiday season. Knowing how to navigate in-laws—or future in-laws—is important for marital harmony. The reality is that in-law interactions can vary greatly. One set of in-laws… Read More
Money Matters
Before you marry, money is a critical topic to tackle. And after you marry, money is one of those things that can bring lots of stress, conflict, and worry, if you don’t deal with it well. Can you… Read More
So Long Single Life
You may have been single for a long time and have quite a circle of single friends who love their single lifestyle. But now they’re giving you grief because you’re getting married. You hear the jokes. You put… Read More
Great Expectations
The expectations we have heading into a second marriage are often quite different from those of a first marriage. Our past experiences and our current circumstances can overshadow the bliss younger couples might have going into a first… Read More
Picking Your Battles
Recently I’ve had several conversations with friends who are dealing with faith differences between them and their fiancés—or spouses—and all of them were quite concerned. It’s funny how nitpicky we can get about such things. One of you… Read More