Marriage Partnership articles from June 2006

Marriage Partnership archives from June 2006

Signs.(maintaining family relations)(Editorial)
June 22, 2006... Anne LaBarbara finally snapped. Her husband, Frank, told her he wouldn't be leaving his workplace at 5 P.M. to start their vacation as he'd promised. Instead, he opted to take care of some machinery that was breaking down at the plant his...

4 ways to rekindle intimacy.(couple minutes)
June 22, 2006... Don't just tell your mate you love her. Tell her why you love her. She knows you love her; she craves to know why. Adding "because" at the end of "I love you" increases intimacy in your marriage. "I love you because you're so unselfish...

The love experiment.(couples devotional)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God (3 John 11). As we drove to our rented beach cottage, I vowed that for the two weeks of...

Bring home the bacon.(couple minutes)
June 22, 2006... An old English custom, instituted during the reign of King John in the 1100s, might be the trick to a lasting marriage. The king offered the reward of a flitch (side) of bacon to competing couples who were required to state publicly that...

Give 'em a hand.(copule minutes)(control of stress in married people)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Sure, holding hands with your spouse is romantic. But did you know it can be therapeutic? Neuroscientists at the University of Wisconsin and University of Virginia found that married women under extreme stress who reach out and hold their...

Headline news.(dialogue with Christi Paul and Pete Paul)(Interview)
June 22, 2006... If you've ever tuned your television to CNN on the weekend, then Headline News anchor Christi Paul is probably a familiar face. Here's what Christi and her husband of three years, Pete, told us about the surprises in marriage and what makes...

Improving your $core.(paying debts)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Do you and your spouse need to borrow money for home improvements? A credit card with a low APR? A good FICO (credit score) is imperative to secure loans, a low interest rate, and in some cases even reasonable car insurance premiums. Here are...

Hope & healing.(marriage counselling)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... If you and your mate need to heal old hurts and find a new beginning, Marble Retreat may be your perfect destination. Previously open only to those in full-time ministry, Marble has recently expanded their program to include all couples....

Not just a kiss.(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... The lyrics from that old song are wrong--a kiss is definitely more than just a kiss. Here are a few facts about smooching: * A one-minute kiss works off 26 calories. * Our brains have special neurons that help us find our mate's...

The indoor drive-in.(that thing we do)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Ten years ago when my husband, Brian, and I met, one of our favorite dates was going to see movies at the local drive-in theater. We'd sit side by side, munching popcorn, and enjoying both the show and the sounds and smells of a warm summer...

The church connection.(survey report on marriage)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... According to The Data Almanac 2006 (Qstat USA), regular church attendance has a positive impact on the health of your marriage. Results from the recent National Survey of Family Growth revealed the divorce rate of church attendees is almost...

Confessions from an Honest Wife.(between the covers)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2006... Confessions from an Honest Wife by Sarah Zacharias Davis (Revell). After interviewing wives of different ages and stages, author Davis, daughter of apologist Ravi Zacharias, creates composite characters of women vulnerable enough to share the...

Not Your Parents' Marriage.(between the covers)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2006... Not Your Parents' Marriage by Jerome and Kellie Daley (WaterBrook). Assumptions have a way of getting you in a heap of trouble, especially if you're assuming--without any discussion--how you and your spouse will make real your wedding vow of...

How to Win a Family Fight.(between the covers)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2006... How to Win a Family Fight by Will Cunningham (Multnomah). Not too many couples would readily admit they enjoy fighting with their spouse, but when committed to marriage for the long haul, disagreements are inevitable. In his follow-up to How...

Blueprints for a Solid Marriage.(between the covers)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2006... Blueprints for a Solid Marriage by Steve Stephens (Tyndale). Are you in need of a marriage makeover? If so, you'll want to check out this great resource in which Stephens effectively compares a marriage to a home; depending on the condition,...

Choose your response.(communication in marriage)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Even in the best marriages, spouses get short with each other, pout, and make hurtful comments. How you respond to your mate's criticism can make all the difference. Consider these alternatives: Say "OUCH!" If your mate zaps you with...

"Why can't I come home?" My father's tough love taught me my proper place.(starting out)
June 22, 2006... What do you mean I can't come home?" I asked my dad, shocked. "I'm sorry, Jamie," he replied, "but if I allowed you to come home, I'd be interfering in what God is trying to teach you." "But I hate it here!" My husband, Mike,...

Lost in translation: when communication broke down, Dave and Merry Marinello had to learn a new language.(work it out)
June 22, 2006... Merry's side: He doesn't get it I opened the car door to blaring music that felt like nails on a chalkboard. How can he listen to that noise? I thought impatiently. Heaving a sigh, I clicked off the radio as I slid into the passenger...

Summer lovin': how to have a connection in this season that's ripe for rewards.(24/7)
June 22, 2006... Nothing tastes better than a vine-ripened tomato in the middle of summer. Summer is when the gardener reaps the benefits of what was planted and nurtured in the spring. Summer marriages are characterized by feelings of happiness,...

What about me-time?(couple counsel)
June 22, 2006... Q. I'M NEWLY MARRIED and have a lot of interests that don't include my husband (playing sports, volunteering at church, taking dance lessons). But I always have to negotiate to get to do them. I know marriage means sacrifice--but sacrificing...

Preventative counseling?(couple counsel)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Q. For many years, I wasn't as attentive to my wife as I should have been, and I know she suffered. Though things are better now, I was thinking of giving her a gift of counseling, so if any issue comes up that she feels she can't share with...

He says "no" to kids.(couple counsel)
June 22, 2006... Q. We've been married five years and I desperately want to have children, but my husband says "no". I feel I've been duped, since he said "maybe" to children before we were married. Whenever I bring up the topic, he shuts down. We're at an...

Going beyond our expectations: marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be--and more than we can imagine.(soul to soul)
June 22, 2006... A classic love song that still gets a lot of radio time goes like this: You're the meaning in my life You're the inspiration You bring feeling to my life You're the inspiration Wanna have you near me I wanna...

Think positive: spouses live up or down to our beliefs about them. Here's how to keep viewing yours in a better light.(Reprint)
June 22, 2006... One day I came home from work and found Erin in a bad mood. Something had clearly upset her. I concluded instantly that she was angry at me. I didn't ask her if this was true. I merely jumped to this conclusion. We were supposed to go on a...

Let loose and have fun! Try these 36 ideas for a summertime connection.
June 22, 2006... (1) Make a list of all the fun things that come to your mind. Think of things you've already done and really enjoyed. There are probably plenty of times when you've both said, "Someday I'd like to do that." Write them down and keep your list...

Shopping with my wife: on our (painful) trips to the mall, I got more than I bargained for.
June 22, 2006... My legs are rubber, knees about to buckle, calves cramping. In my delirium I grope for a resting place but find nothing. I can't feel my toes. I see mirages--chairs, benches--they flicker invitingly, only to vanish as I approach. I teeter on...

Sex the second time around: for remarried couples, intimacy has a whole new set of expectations and issues.
June 22, 2006... Sally and Matthew had their first argument on their honeymoon, and it was about sex. "I had this assumption that all men were sex maniacs," she says. "I was ready to go, and he wasn't ready to give that part of him. I finally asked him, 'What...

The plane truth: getting my pilot's license could be a boost for my marriage--if it didn't kill us first.(HUMOR)
June 22, 2006... "Why can't you take up golf?" I pleaded when my husband, Maury, announced he was going to learn to fly. Fly? First the red sports car, now this? Was this part of a man's "go-fast stage" of life? But the more I tried to talk him out of...

Just friends? The attention from my coworker was nice. A little too nice.
June 22, 2006... I looked up to find Michael's warm brown eyes focused on me. They were filled with tenderness, and his smile revealed bemusement. indulgence, and affection. I read an intense fondness in his expression--a fondness beyond what should have been...

8 safeguards against getting too close.(managing marriage)
June 22, 2006... The young mom chatted with me after a Hearts at Home conference. "Have you ever thought about having a conference for stay-at-home dads?" she asked. "There's a stay-at-home dad in our neighborhood who's become my best friend. We take the kids...

One-stop shopping: our once-a-year buying plan started of necessity. But it paid off big time!
June 22, 2006... "Do you own a restaurant?" a cashier at the warehouse club asked us. "No," my wife, Donna, replied. "But--the green beans!" the woman protested. We snickered. It was an easy mistake. Our contractor's cart was stacked with 42...

When kids come along: becoming parents forced us to reinvent our communication.
June 22, 2006... When our first child became an official toddler, it was impossible to have a decent conversation with my husband at dinner. Our daughter loved to sit at the table and sing at the top of her lungs. How could we discipline her for being happy...

The paper chase: finding that important document doesn't have to be an ordeal.
June 22, 2006... "Where's my fabric cutting board, sweetheart?" Silence. "Is that the big, bulky cardboard thingy that you keep under the bed?" Jim asked, slinking into the living room. Joyce clenched her teeth. "Yes." Jim shuffled his feet....

Family management makeover: there's help for making your home run smoothly.
June 22, 2006... When Lee and Rachael Hamilton married 14 years ago, they never dreamed their home would become so stressful that Rachael would enter a Life Makeover contest out of desperation. But she did. And she won. When I arrived at the Hamiltons'...

The cost of neglect: my work had become my mistress and my wife had had enough. What would happen to us?(back from the brink)
June 22, 2006... I couldn't explain why, but for months, I had a gnawing sense that my life was off track. And I certainly never would have guessed the marital havoc I'd reap because of my misplaced priorities. Feeling unsettled, and with the thought that...

Size does matter.(real sex)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Q. SEX IS PAINFUL for me. My husband's penis is too large for my comfort. What can we do? A. Since a woman's vagina is miraculously engineered to expand enough for a baby's birth, it seems logical to assume that sex should be possible...

Pornographic viewing.(real sex)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Q. I found out recently that my husband looks at pornography online. I'm frustrated, hurt, and betrayed. Plus I'm wondering if that's the reason he doesn't want to have sex with me. When I confronted him, he became angry and told me that I...

Missionary position.(real sex)
June 22, 2006... Q. My wife feels that the "missionary" or "man on top" position is the only acceptable position. Whenever I try to put her on top, she becomes angry, then, of course, we don't have sex. Help! A. Whatever position a husband and wife want...

Reaching the summit: the climb may be tough, but the view from the top is awesome.(ever after)
June 22, 2006... On belay!" wife, Tari, and I shouted, alerting our belayer that we were about to resume climbing. We thought it would be a good idea to let him know, since he couldn't see us from where he was. And if we slipped and started to fall, our lives...