Marriage Partnership articles from June 2007

Marriage Partnership archives from June 2007

Marriage changes things.(from the editor)(Editorial)
June 22, 2007... The other night Scott and I were dining out (our favorite pastime) when we began to discuss our relationship (also a good pastime). It started with Scott reaching over to take my hand while chewing his marinara soaked breadstick, and...

Play time.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Try these 4 TIPS to enjoy new activities together: PLAN YOUR TIME. Studies show that marital happiness is highly correlated with the amount of time spent together. So get out your calendars and find a time slot you two can call your own....

Why we stay married.(couples devotional)(The Couples' Devotional Bible )(Excerpt)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest in your souls."--Jeremiah 6:16 My husband and I reached a crisis point, dealing...

What are you really saying?(couple minutes)(understanding body language)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... NONVERBAL SIGNALS CARRY FIVE TIMES THE IMPACT OF SPOKEN WORDS. So understanding your mate's body language can go a long way to avoiding arguments and strengthening your relationship. Here are six strategies for communicating without words....

Summer travel tips.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... 5 STRATEGIES for smooth sailing and great bargains on that getaway: Call an airline 60 seconds after midnight on Wednesdays--that's when rates are lowered. Pack some of your kids' clothes in your suitcase and vice versa, so if one...

Exercise your way to better sex.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... We've all heard regular exercise can lower your weight and cholesterol. Now Dr. Jim Pfaus, a professor at Concordia University in Montreal who studies the biology of sexual desire, gives a new reason to hit the gym. "A single good workout can...

Spouse-proof your diet.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Marriage can be hazardous to your weight. The reason? Most couples don't know how to negotiate food issues, such as how, what, and when they eat. Try these three ways to avoid packing on pounds while spending time with your mate: 1....

Morning person vs. night person.(work it out)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... If you're a morning person but your spouse is a night owl, how do you cope with differing internal clocks? Chad and I have been married 35 years. I can still remember the shock of being awakened early on Saturday mornings by my new...

Speak up!(couple minutes)(maintaining good relationship with spouse)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Everybody enters marriage with assumptions of what a spouse is supposed to be and do. The problem comes when we hold our spouse accountable for not meeting the needs we never verbalized. If you're disappointed because your spouse isn't...

A passionate pursuit.(snapshot)(Phil and Heather Joel talk about deliberatePeople )(Interview)
June 22, 2007... For more than 12 years, Phil Joel was the long-haired bass player with the contemporary Christian band, the Newsboys. In early 2007, Phil left the group to pursue a new ministry: deliberatePeople (www.deliberatePeople.com), an organization he...

Cyber-addictions.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... "Not tonight, honey, I'm on the computer." Sound crazy? A recent study by Kelton Research found 65 percent of us spend more time with the computer than with our significant other. The Center for Online Addiction (www.netaddiction.com) lists...

Desperate Pastors' Wives.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2007... Desperate Pastors' Wives by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell (Howard). Meet four PWs (pastor's wives) who've formed a friendship in the sleepy mid-west Ohio town where their husbands minister. To avoid the "fish bowl" existences they...

The First Five Years of Marriage.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2007... The First Five Years of Marriage (Tyndale). Looking for the perfect wedding present? Focus on the Family has assembled more than a dozen marriage experts to tackle the most common issues newlyweds face in areas such as finance, sex,...

Working Families.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2007... Working Families by Joy Jordan-Lake (WaterBrook Press). When God puts a passion--a calling--in our heart, what does he expect us to do when the demands of marriage and parenting are added to our life? Jordan-Lake, a professor and former...

The pennant chase.(that thing we do)(keeping love forever between husband and wife)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... My husband, Michael, and I are both avid baseball fans--in fact, one of the first things we did together before we were even dating was attend a game. When we got married we decided to combine that passion with our love for traveling. It...

You said it!(being tolerant with your spouse)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... "The biggest gift you can give each other is allowing the other person to have his flaws and bad moments and frailties and to be tolerant and understanding of that. Not that we're always able to, but we try." --Annette Bening (with...

Oh, the mess: why can't he just pick up his stuff? Like me. Well, sort of.(starting out)(Column)
June 22, 2007... Ruth and Brian Bergen: married 3 years (on Valentine's Day); reside in: Manitoba, Canada; favorite activity: rollerblading One Saturday morning shortly after Brian and I were married, I made a disturbing discovery. Squeezing into the...

He spoils the kids.(couple counsel)
June 22, 2007... My husband always lets the kids override my authority. I've tried to talk to him about it, but he makes excuses. What should I do? A. Whenever one partner undermines the influence of another, it not only threatens the trust and safety of...

Common cents.(financial troubles)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... question "My spouse controls the finances. Whenever he wants something, there always seems to be money for it. But if I want something, we seem to be 'short.' What can I do to make this more equitable?" answer The person not...

Materialism in marriage.(common cents)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... A recent study finds that materialism isn't a good match for marriage. When spouses place high value on material possessions, they're more likely to experience financial problems, which in turn put a strain on their marital happiness. ...

How much house do we need?(common cents)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Thinking of buying a new house? Here are a few things to consider. 1. You're not just paying mortgage. You also need to pay for furnishings, window coverings, lawn maintenance, utilities, and insurance. 2. Cathedral ceilings are...

Solving conflicts without arguing.(twenty-four/seven)
June 22, 2007... Conflicts are inevitable. Arguing is a choice. Conflicts grow out of our uniqueness. The goal of conflict resolution is not to rid ourselves of our differences. The goal is to learn to work together as a team, using differences to make...

A tippy canoe and Barry, too: what a nearly disastrous dip in the river taught me about ...(soul to soul)
June 22, 2007... Spirits were soaring when my husband, Barry, and I, together with a group of our church friends, decided to canoe down the Tippecanoe River in northern Indiana. Lunches were packed, safety vests donned, suntan lotion liberally applied, and...

7 things you need to know about sex: sex seem like it's the same old thing? Does it feel frustrating at times? What you don't know about sex can hurt you and your spouse!
June 22, 2007... 7 things you need to know about sex: sex seem like it's the same old thing? Does it feel frustrating at times? What you don't know about sex can hurt you and your spouse! In our more than 35 years (combined) counseling couples, researching...

Marriage on par: we hated playing golf--and that's what made our time together so much fun.
June 22, 2007... We were two high school kids working at summer camp. It was raining, so I got out of my trench-digging duties. She was on break between doing a hundred campers' dishes. So we ran off to the golf course together. Miniature golf, that is. ...

BFF (best friends forever): the power of getting couples together to share life, struggles, and faith.
June 22, 2007... Our first "small group" experience began more than 13 years ago when my husband, Mark, and I were invited to join a couples' group. It was during our second year of marriage. Small groups were new in our church, and we didn't know what to...

Ghosts of marriage past: facing the unseen hurts that haunt your relationship.
June 22, 2007... It was a playful moment of laughter and lighthearted fun. My wife, Sharon, teasingly said, "Who do you think you are, anyway?" Suddenly, I felt anything but playful. I felt hurt and angry, and I didn't know why. I knew Sharon wasn't...

Don't touch that thermostat! Our temperature differences were amusing ... at first.
June 22, 2007... It was right after our honeymoon, when we set up house, that we revealed our true colors. Denny is red--not just the color of his beloved Nebraska Huskers football team, but also of molten lava, stove burners, and cinnamon candy. His body...

Inconceivable: the spiritual test of infertility.
June 22, 2007... New parents often describe childbirth and their part in it as "a miracle," "awesome," "glorious." To many, giving birth is a vocation, more important than anything else they will ever do. Some see it as sharing in God's creative power. ...

When Mr. fix-it won't do: after my wife miscarried, I realized she needed something from me that was different from my normal responses.
June 22, 2007... I had it wired. I read the books. I attended the seminars. I had T-shirts, even a lapel pin, that touted my proud claim to be a "Promise Keeper." The second line of my personal Life Purpose Statement was a bold pronouncement that I would...

When two become one: living on one income is more doable than you think! Here's how.
June 22, 2007... Georgia and Thomas Gentry of Des Moines, Iowa, were tired of their consumer debt. After eight years of escalating debt, they threw up their hands. "It seems as if the more we pay down, the more we charge. We don't want to work just to pay our...

Training for the long haul: marriage is a lot like running a marathon--but the rewards are even better.
June 22, 2007... Any athlete will tell you that the glamour event of Olympics track and field is the 100-meter sprint. Just watch these runners at the starting line--they strut like peacocks, showing off their muscles; pulling faces; mugging for the cameras;...

War on the homefront: just back from Iraq, Navy SEAL Mark Waddell suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. And his wife, Marshele, was clueless how to help.(portrait of a marriage)
June 22, 2007... Waves lapped the sand while fireworks lit the night sky with red, white, and blue sparkles. It was July 4, 2003, and thousands gathered at the Virginia Beach celebration to observe the patriotic holiday. Marshele and Mark Waddell watched the...

Recording ourselves?(real sex)
June 22, 2007... Our sex life has gotten stale. What do you think of my wife and me recording ourselves having sex, so we can watch later as part of our foreplay? MICHAEL: While there may not be anything intrinsically wrong with your idea, there are...

Stop, drop, and kiss: one small gesture sparked romantic evenings.(ever after)
June 22, 2007... A typical evening at five o'clock in our house would find me cooking dinner, my two small daughters desperately in need of a bath, and my ears perked, awaiting a magical sound--the garage door opener. This was the blessed signal that my...

It figures.
June 22, 2007... in a pinch, would you share your spouse's toothbrush? Sure, we kiss, so what's the difference? 67% Ew! That's way too much togetherness! 33% (4,672 respondents) i call my in-laws: Mom and Dad: 33% By their first...