Marriage Partnership articles from September 2002

Marriage Partnership archives from September 2002

A starter marriage? (From The Editors).(divorce in first five years)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
September 22, 2002... For weeks after my husband, Scott, and I were married, we'd look at each other incredulously and say, "We're married! I can't believe we're actually married." Eventually, though, the newness wore off and life became routine. I no longer...

The mystery of men. (Letters).
September 22, 2002... "How Men Really Think about Sex" by Paula Rinehart was great! I'm glad to find out there's more to a man's sexual desire than hormones. The author helped me realize it involves more on my end of the relationship, too. Jan Doyle, Indiana...

Eat, sleep, and be merry. (Letters).
September 22, 2002... Your sidebar "10 Ways to Reduce Snoring" was missing the most important culprit: food allergies. Having not slept in three years because of my husband's snoring, we looked into a lot of possible causes--until we discovered his diet was the...

Neighborhood networking. (Letters).
September 22, 2002... I enjoyed Jim Killam's article, "Witnessing to Neighbors." I especially appreciated that you included website addresses so we could get more insight on how to share our faith. My husband and I have been trying to figure out how to witness to...

Head in the right direction. (Letters).
September 22, 2002... In your Couple Minutes section, you refer to the "No-Nag Way to Get Him Healthy" and show a photo of a couple riding bikes--without helmets. While bike riding is a great activity, I recently survived a serious bike accident and am now sensitive...

The write stuff. (Letters).
September 22, 2002... I agree with Cindy Baum's co-journaling idea in "Become Pen Pals." My husband and I have journaled back and forth for three years and it's helped our relationship grow. We communicate better and feel less inhibited about sharing our thoughts,...

Rekindle romance. (couple minutes)(Cover Story).(Brief Article)(Column)
September 22, 2002... Okay. You know you need to improve your romance quotient, but you don't want to read a 200-page marriage manual telling you how to. In Lifewise magazine (March 2002), marriage gurus Dave and Claudia Arp provide a boiled-down formula for...

The good observer. (Couples Devotional).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Years ago, when my husband, Howie, was going through a period of depression, I sometimes got angry with him. It's hard not to be upset when you try to help, and in return you get a husband who comes home and tightens up the whole happy, relaxed...

To love, honor, and provide career advice. (couple minutes).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Executives were asked which of the following people they'd most likely approach first for advice when evaluating a potential job change: SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER 42% MENTOR 28% COWORKER ...

"Last night, we had ..." (couple minutes).(men forget meals, snacks)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Worried about whether to make that chicken baked, broiled, or fried? Don't fret, your hubby probably won't even remember what you served. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, women are the ones with better mealtime memories. Men...

Smile to live longer. (couple minutes).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Here's another reason to be happy. Optimistic people are more likely to live out full lives. In the 1960s, physicians at the Mayo Clinic gave personality tests to more than 800 adults, then 30 years later compared the subjects' death rates with...

It's a dirty job. (couple minutes).(housework)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 22, 2002... Who's doing your housework? For most Americans, it's a matter of math: he works, she works, and the family's schedule is booked with everything from committees to soccer practice. So who's got time to clean? Apparently, nobody wants to do the...

That's nuts! (couple minutes).(nut allergies)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Can kissing cause an allergic reaction? It can if you're allergic to nuts. Researchers from the University of California--Davis School of Medicine discovered people with nut allergies could have a mild reaction, such as itching or swelling,...

How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong. (Between The Covers).(author Leslie Vernick)(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 22, 2002... By Leslie Vernick At some point in your marriage, you probably figured out neither you nor your spouse is perfect. During those times, it can be tough to know how to love when you're hurt, angry, scared, or just don't feel like loving....

Better sleep together. (couple minutes).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Feeling tired all the time? As we age, sleep requires more skill. Here's a free lesson: 1. Learn your speed limit. The average American gets 8.1 hours of sleep. Find out what your body needs and do your best to get it. 2. Get more...

Family feud. (couple minutes).(arguments - statistics)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... What couples argue about most: 1. Money/Partner's spending habits 2. Which TV shows to watch 3. Too little time spent together 4. How to discipline the children 5. How the house is kept 6. Leisure plans 7. How to...

Shapshot. (couple minutes).(infertility)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Like many couples, musicians Mark and Brynn Gersmehl dreamed of starting a family. There was only one problem: Before Brynn became a Christian, she'd had an abortion, which scarred her fallopian tubes and made her infertile--something she...

Planning your financial future. (couple minutes).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Becoming a widow is difficult enough without having to worry about your family's financial future. Just ask Lisa Beamer, whose husband, Todd, was on the hijacked Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania last September 11. Fortunately, Todd and...

You said it! (couple minutes).(love - quotations)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... The course of true love never did run smooth. William Shakespeare If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question? Lily Tomlin Every man is a poet when he is in love. Plato Love conquers all things except...

Time for a marriage tune-up? Take a couple days away and ask each other the big questions. (Workout).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Those who counsel marriages in crisis report that the vast majority of marriages break apart not suddenly, but by a creeping feeling of loneliness, boredom, or anger. It's the little things that build to become the seemingly unsolvable things....

My husband ignores me. (Early Years).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. When my husband and I get together with his family, he ignores me. He isn't mean or degrading; he just focuses on his family. On the drive home from his parent's house the last time this happened, I brought it up and he didn't know what I...

When advice leads to fights. (Early Years).(couples)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. My husband and I have been married almost a year and it seems as if all we do is fight! He claims it's because I pick on him. That's not true. I just want him to do things right. But when I offer a suggestion, he gets angry. Then we end up...

I want some privacy. (Early Years).(couples)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. My wife accuses me of keeping her in the dark on what I do every day. But I don't see the need to tell her everything and feel we should respect each other's privacy. When I told her that, she got angry and said she couldn't trust me if I...

Our personalities collide. (Work It Out).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... John's Side: I Hate to Wait: I'd Rather Act I've got a Type-A personality, which means I'm driven and a problem solver. I'm also impetuous, so I tend to act first and pray about it later, especially when there's a problem. That's when I...

He shoves me. (Couple Counsel).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. My husband and I argue frequently. But lately he's begun to shove me. He claims it's just in the heat of the moment. While I'm certain I'm being overly sensitive to my husband's anger, I'm not sure his physical actions are okay. Am I...

"I don't do windows". (Couple Counsel).(household shores)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. I work full-time and I'm a mother. While my husband does help around the house, I wish he'd realize there's more to cleaning than just picking up things. He doesn't understand that after you pick up, you have to dust, disinfect, vacuum, wash...

His illness is killing us. (Couple Counsel).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. My husband was told recently he may have MS. The symptoms have really taken a toll on him because he gets tired now when he plays with our four children. He's only 27, and we've been married for 6 years. Plus lately, it seems as if all we do...

The secret ingredient: God's plan for how to have a truly adventurous marriage. (Soul To Soul).(couples)
September 22, 2002... I'd always wanted to ride the famous San Francisco cable cars. So recently, while visiting San Francisco, my wife, Sandy, and I made a beeline for the depot where we boarded one. The cable car was crowded, with no place to stand outside...

Could I forgive his emotional affair? (Back from the brink: a real-life story of a marriage in recovery).
September 22, 2002... TORTURED. I'd been barraged with thoughts of another man from our church. I prayed about it--with no reprieve. I tried not to think of him, but the thoughts wormed their way into my obsessed brain. After an internally trying month, I called my...

The secret to balanced living: do you have a balanced lifestyle? Here's how some couples have discovered physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental fitness. Journalist Renae Bottom reports on an exciting Christ-centered health program called First Place.
September 22, 2002... Bill Patterson knew he was overweight, but when his wife, Angie, asked him to join a healthy-living group at their church, his reaction was decidedly less than positive. "I had a bit of an outburst," laughs Bill, referring to his...

Why I love being Mrs.: 5 reasons to celebrate marriage.
September 22, 2002... With two decades of marriage to my husband, Rich, under my belt, I've experienced my share of moments when I've decided I couldn't live with him. They've usually occurred after we've argued about something or when my hormones have been on full...

What's so scary about submission? Six secrets about what the Bible really teaches.(couples)
September 22, 2002... One summer Saturday, hot and sweaty, I finished mowing the lawn and realized, This is the perfect time to spray Weed & Feed on the grass. I didn't have any Weed & Feed, though, so I walked into the kitchen and told my wife, Karen, "I'm going to...

Celebrating marriage on a lousy day: sometimes you just get sick of each other. So?(couples)
September 22, 2002... What a cruddy day. Lauren and I are mad at each other. Neither of us really knows why. It might have started in bed last night with her offhand remark, which I took the wrong way--or with my selfish, passive-aggressive response this morning....

Is a little space such a bad thing? How to take--and give--some "me" time.
September 22, 2002... As I off my 13-year-old son, Cody, at the scout meeting, I said, "I'm going to miss you this weekend." "Right, Mom." "I'm serious." "You're going to have the computer all to yourself. See ya." Cody reached out and mussed my hair,...

Strategic sex: go ahead. Put another category on your Daytimer and watch your love life improve.(couples)
September 22, 2002... The children were finally in bed, the house was quiet, the lights were low--and I was exhausted. Nevertheless, I could tell by the vibes I was getting from my husband, Robert, that sex was on his mind. Crawling into bed, I lay still, secretly...

Spiritually mismatched? My wife became a Christian--and that made me mad.
September 22, 2002... When my wife, Leslie, and I got married, we lived a fairy-tale life. We enjoyed the exhilaration and challenge of climbing the corporate ladder. We resided in an upscale neighborhood with our two children. And buoyed by our love for each other,...

Staying connected when your spouse is away: how to make sure absence really does make your heart grow fonder.
September 22, 2002... Got your backpacks?" I shouted above the clamor of five children in the car as they prepared to go to school. Yes! "Lunches?" Yes! "Homework?" Yes! And Um... "Um? Did I hear an Um?" I glared at my seventh-grade son,...

The appeal of porn: why men get hooked.
September 22, 2002... Laurie * had collapsed into bed at nine o'clock wiped out, as usual, from eight hours at work, coming home, preparing supper, and getting three school children to bed. She also managed to put a load of laundry into the washer and clean up the...

Competing with his past. (Real Sex).(couples)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. I know my husband was sexually intimate with other women before we married. At first it didn't bother me because he's now a Christian, he's been forgiven, and he chose me to marry. However, I still feel inadequate and inferior to these other...

My medicine affects my libido. (Real Sex).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. I've had a problem with my sex drive for many years. I think the reason may be because I was on a seizure medication for 14 years. (This medication is also used for depression.) After I had brain surgery, the seizures stopped and now I'm off...

What about videotaping? (Real Sex).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. Being very visual (as most men are), I'd find it exciting and intimate to watch my wife and I making love on video. Lovemaking in itself is obviously memorable, but why not preserve some of the memories for future enjoyment and "remembering"...

I don't have the energy. (Real Sex).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... Q. My husband and I have two children--one who's seven months old. I find it so hard to have the energy for sex. When we do have it, it's great. It just seems there are so many pulls on our time. Is this just a phase? Does it get better? ...

Keep it zipped: and save the world! (Viewpoint).(Brief Article)
September 22, 2002... "When you're tempted to stray, remember the faces of your wife and children and all the pain you'll cause for that brief moment of pleasure," the speaker told us during a men's retreat. He recommended taking along family photos and placing them...