Marriage Partnership articles from June 2008

Marriage Partnership archives from June 2008

Where's my appreciation?(Editorial)
June 22, 2008... Back in April the country celebrated Husband Appreciation Day, a day for "wives to reflect on the various ways their spouse enriches their lives." I loved the idea--especially since my husband does a ton of things for me, which too often I take...

Not just sticks and stones.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 22, 2008... Until I read "Positive & Negative Words" (Spring 2008), I never knew that it took more positive comments to outweigh a negative one. But I did know that the negative comments from my spouse are the ones I remember most. Following the...

What's really okay?(letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 22, 2008... I appreciated the article "Our Best Sex Advice." As a newly-wed in a Christian home, it's difficult to find out what's "okay" in the bedroom. We younger women of the church need advice in all areas--including sex. --Amy Bass, North...

Simply romantic.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 22, 2008... I loved "The Most (Unusual) Romantic Things." Too often we make things complicated. We think to be romantic we have to spend a lot of money or take a lot of time, and sometimes we're even tempted to give up because we just don't have the...

Do the little things.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking "the bigger, the better." Meanwhile our spouses simply want to know we care about them. When it comes to showing affection, A SINGLE ROSE CAN BE AS POWERFUL AS A DOZEN, and dessert at a local cafe...

Batter up!(couple minutes)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Want to have a great marriage? Head of the ballpark, says Howard Markman, director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver. Markman conducted a study that showed cities with major...

Talk cheap.(couple minutes)(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... You're running errands, can't remember the phone number for the dry cleaners, and don't want to pay your cell phone company $1.75 for a 411 call to find out. Good news! Check out these free options. 800-Goog-411: Google's information...

Sticking it out.(couples devotional)(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes."--2 Kings 20:3 There is woven into the fabric of marriage a sense of something ongoing. One woman, one man,...

How do you and your spouse: deal with differing vacation styles?(work it out)(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My husband's idea of a vacation is visiting museums and historical sites, while mine is visiting an exotic island to shop or sit on the beach. WE MEET IN THE MIDDLE. After we lay on the beach and share a picnic, we...

Fight for love.(Warren Barfield's Love Is Not a Fight)(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... Contemporary Christian artist Warren Barfield recalls how an argument with his wife led him to write "Love Is Not a Fight," one of the songs on his recent CD, Worth Fighting For. "When you let issues build in a marriage, the smallest thing...

Have we been doing date night all wrong?(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scientists now tell us that simply spending quality time together isn't enough to keep a relationship from getting stale. So what are long-married couples to do? REINVENT DATE NIGHT. Rather than visiting the same...

Keeping it real.(Chris Sligh)(Interview)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you watched season six of American Idol, you probably remember Chris Sligh, the wisecracking contestant who gave judge Simon Cowell a run for his money. Though he didn't win (Chris placed 10th), he participated in...

Don't take conflict to heart.(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... The way you resolve disagreements with your spouse doesn't just affect your relationship--it can affect your health. Researchers asked nearly 4,000 couples whether they vented their feelings during an argument of kept quiet. The results...

Disney--for grown ups?(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... While kid-friendly attractions may be the cornerstone of Walt Disney World, there's also a grown-up, less frenetic side to the "happiest place on earth." Here are four Disney best bets for couples who want to have some fun too. 1. At the...

Better Than Ever: 7 Secrets to a Great Marriage.(between the covers)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Better Than Ever: 7 Secrets to a Great Marriage by David Stoop, Ph.D. and Jan Stoop, Ph.D. (Jordan House). Many couples today are living in a "good enough" marriage, where nothing is awful--but nothing is wonderful...

His Brain, Her Brain.(between the covers)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] His Brain, Her Brain by Walt Larimore, MD, and Barbara Larimore (Zondervan). In ah age of female CEOs and stay-at-home dads, is it still relevant to think men and women are fundamentally different? According to Dr....

Date Night in a Minivan.(between the covers)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Date Night in a Minivan by Lorilee Craker (Revell). Children can be a huge blessing, but amidst the daily grind of wiping noses, laundry, and chauffer duty, marital romance can take a back seat-or even seem merely to...

A Matter of Wife and Death.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Matter of Wife and Death by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell (Howard Books). In this sequel to the novel Desperate Pastors' Wives, MP editor Kolbaba and Scannell pick up on the lives of four pastors' wives and...

Shall we dance?(that thing we do)(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Would you and Charlie like to learn to square dance?" Beth, a coworker, asked one day. "We used to dance a lot, but we've never thought about square dancing," I said dubiously. "Don't worry," she assured...

You said it!
June 22, 2008... "WHEN IT COMES TO PRIORITIES, I have a very, very simple approach. HEIDI IS NUMBER ONE AT ALL TIMES, then it's the kids, and then it's health and career." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --Pop artist seal about Heidi Klum, his wife of three...

Right of passage: it was my one bodily function too embarrassing to admit.
June 22, 2008... For a long time, I managed to completely avoid the issue. Like a little child who believes firmly if she covers her eyes no one will see her, I figured if I ignored the situation it would just go away. Sneezing I could handle. Coughing...

She doesn't take care of herself.
June 22, 2008... My wife used to look good and keep herself in great shape. But now, after two kids, she doesn't care what she looks like. She's overweight, constantly wears sweats, her hair is in a ponytail, and she doesn't wear makeup anymore. Half the time I...

Common cents.
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] question My wife and I keep hearing about the importance of using a financial advisor--but we don't know how to find a good one. None of our friends have any references, so we're at square one. And are they...

Pre-owned vehicles.(common cents)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shopping for a new car? Try looking for a pre-owned vehicle and saved money. A certified pre-owned vehicle refers to a used automobile that's been inspected by a factory trained technician and has possibly been...

Bed and breakfast getaways.(common cents)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thinking about a quick getaway to a Bed and Breakfast. (7) Here are a few tips to keep in mind. * BEWARE if you're asked to send a check and not a credit card with the full amount to secure your room. You need to...

The sandwich solution: how one wife returned good for evil.
June 22, 2008... Has your spouse ever cursed you? I hope not, but if it should happen, Jesus gave us clear instruction: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28). That approach...

He's practical; I'm not: how I learned not to take our personality differences personally.(soul to soul)
June 22, 2008... "That thing isn't doing much good" My husband laughed as I raised my battered purple umbrella, scant protection from the light drizzle. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm a packrat. I rarely throw away anything. No matter how shabby, if the...

7 steps to protect your future.
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My husband, Bob, and I had our mini schnauzers on a leash and were taking them for their morning walk. Our high-maintenance neighbor (who reminds me of the Wicked Witch of the West) came out of her house to get in...

Easy ways to save money.
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ENTERTAINMENT: Go to entertainment.com, enter your zip code, and review the coupons available for your area. For only $25 to $55, you may find half-price eating out options, discounted theater tickets, dry cleaning...

Tragedy strikes! Is your marriage prepared for tough times of grief?
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I've often likened the effect of grief on a marriage to a train going over a wooden bridge. If the bridge was fractured to begin with, the weight and trauma of the train will likely cause it to crumble. And even if...

What we need: contrary to popular teaching, love and respect aren't gender specific.
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I grew up believing, like most females bred on 20th-century evangelical Christianity, that women naturally love their husbands. It's preached from pulpits, written in bestselling books, and seems to be a convenient...

5 Things never to say to your spouse.
June 22, 2008... My six-year-old recently got in trouble for mouthing off to her teacher. Great. The teacher's concern wasn't so much about the behavior itself (although she certainly wasn't thrilled about it), but that the conduct was so out of character for...

Spouse, interrupted: my little digs made big holes in our relationship.
June 22, 2008... We've all been there. You're talking to a married couple--we'll call ours Mary and George--and George is telling a story. Or at least he's trying to, but he can't get through a sentence without Mary interrupting to correct every tiny detail....

Just because: there's hidden, but amazing power to saying yes.
June 22, 2008... I just found the home gym we wanted!" my husband, Scott, yelled from his office. "It's on eBay" "How much?" "$799." "You mean the one that sells for ten thousand?" I asked, impressed. "Yep, never used. The guy bought it, then...

What's the secret to a happy marriage?
June 22, 2008... MP tell all! Earlier this year we asked, "What's your secret to a happy marriage?" We were overwhelmed by your creative responses. Peri Simmons of Tennessee wrote: "When my husband, David, and I were still single, a common whine we used to...

When sex hurts: for thousands of women, intercourse is physically painful. Now there's help.
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Amanda and Randy had been married almost four months. Their honeymoon was great, except for the "main event." No matter how hard they tried, it just wasn't happening. With great embarrassment Amanda finally went to...

Terry, Terri quite contrary: where did my identity go?
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I never liked sharing, and two bodies becoming one flesh required sharing living quarters, family, friends, and even skin. In our case, we not only became one flesh, but also one name. I became Terri Hutchison,...

Lean on me: for Jennifer and Phil Rothschild, one spouse's disability brings surprising blessings.
June 22, 2008... "How do I look?" Jennifer Rothschild holds out her arms, patiently awaiting inspection. Setting aside the newspaper, her husband, Phil, carefully examines her from head to toe, smoothing a stray lock of hair and dabbing at a misplaced...

Fake an orgasm?(Column)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Is it ever okay to fake an orgasm with my husband? ISometimes I do because I'm just too tired and want to get it over with. MICHAEL: Many people would say, "Sure, go ahead. You're tired. He'll never know the...

Sex was my last priority: no lovemaking until everything was in order. Boy, was I wrong!
June 22, 2008... When I was first married, I strived for sterility. I wanted a clean house with washed laundry--and as much ordered chaos as possible in a family busy with three boys. This sterility seeped into my sexual relationship with my husband. My motto...

It figures.(Brief article)
June 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] what puts MY SPOUSE "in the mood": An intimate dinner for two: 10% Telling him he's a stud/her she's beautiful: 11% Cuddling: 41% Cleaning the bathroom: 6% Breathing: 32% (1,444...