Many Christians are discouraged because they are unable to conquer impure habits. Impure habits are a by-product of impure thoughts, and only as the battle is won in the thought life will there be hope of victory over impure actions. Satan wants you to believe that you’re the only one who has this problem and that [...]
Expect emotional discomfort. Resentment and negative feelings may have accumulated over time because your problems have not been dealt with properly. It’s time to address the issues despite the discomfort. Avoid the blame game. Pointing fingers at your spouse always leads to defensiveness and a breakdown in communication. Take responsibility for the hurt you have [...]
The wife’s voice was calm as she shared her need, but the husband’s reaction was swift. “What do you mean, ‘spend more time together at home’? When I’m home all you seem to want to do is sit on the couch and watch your favorite shows. How can that be spending time together? I would [...]
When you are in an unhappy relationship, you have three choices. Maintain status quo End the relationship Make it better That’s it—number three. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) most unhappy people choose Option 1. It feels strange to think most of us would choose – or at least accept – unhappiness as our relationship [...]
The divorce rate has actually been on a steady decline since the 90s, and it’s projected that 63% of couples that marry in the 2000s will never divorce. Still nervous? While there is no magic formula that can guarantee your marital relationship will last a lifetime, there are a number of sound principles you can [...]
Key Thought: Oneness grows only through the consistent practice of marital love by both spouses. (Corollary: Isolation develops through the inconsistent practice of marital love by one or both spouses.) Introduction: The ability to speak the same language is critically important for people (i.e. person to person, groups, nations, etc.) understanding and working together cooperatively [...]
When we enter into a relationship, we bring not only our love and warmth but also the attitudes, behaviors and habits from all previous relationships. Each of these relationships molded and formed us into the people we are today. Perhaps our most significant relationship was the one we had with our parent(s). The way in [...]
When someone you care about is grieving after a loss, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. The bereaved struggle with a variety of intense, painful emotions, which include depression, anger, guilt, and profound sadness. Often, they also feel isolated and alone in their grief, since the intense pain and difficult [...]
Boundaries are one of the most powerful tools you have in relationships. They make you feel like you matter and that you're safe. Asking for what you want makes relationships mutually satisfying. When boundaries are a struggle, you feel unsure of yourself. You go along with what others want because it's easier. You don't want [...]
An emotional "word picture" is a communication skill that brings to life the thoughts we want to share. It uses a story or object to simultaneously activate the emotions and intellect of another person. It causes them to experience our words, not just hear them. Five Reasons to Use Emotional Word Pictures: Word pictures have [...]
