Marriage Partnership articles from September 2004

Marriage Partnership archives from September 2004

A leqacy of love.(From the Editor)
September 22, 2004... As I write this note, our country is mourning the loss of former President Ronald Reagan. And a wife, Nancy, is grieving the loss of her husband of more than 50 years. My husband and I have been moved by the outpouring of love for our...

Being faith-full.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 22, 2004... Not only is Rick Warren's article, "The Purpose-Driven Marriage," timely and relevant, but our culture desperately needs to hear it. My wife and I recently celebrated our twenty-seventh anniversary. Twenty-two years ago we were skeptical we'd...

Back from the brink.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 22, 2004... "We Never Loved Each Other" gives me hope in dealing with my marriage. We married for a couple reasons: we had lust and thought it was love, and we wanted to escape our unpleasant family situations. We've been married 34 years and most of them...

Between the sheets.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 22, 2004... I was very, disappointed in "Married... with Passion" by Kevin Leman. I don't think I'm die only woman in fire world who's never refused her husband. I didn't learn anything from this article. Usually your articles give me food for...

How about ...(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 22, 2004... Your articles are great, but I don't know how to get my husband to read them or even get him interested in improving our marriage. How about an article on that? Allie Farmer, Ohio

Luxury money.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 22, 2004... I loved "What Fighting About Money Will Cost You"l We will rename our personal accounts "luxury accounts." That's a much better title than "allowance." Judy Luthy, California

One rule happy couples break.(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)(Cover Story)
September 22, 2004... Marriage Rule #1: Work on your union 2 4/7... NOT! Studies show that the couples who work the hardest their relationships are not the happiest, says David Niven, Ph.D., author of The 100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships (Harper San...

Lessons from a Hurricane.(Couples Devotional)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise (Jeremiah 17:14). Angela and I were living on the island of St. Croix when Hurricane Hugo struck. We took our two young daughters into the...

You said it!(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... "So much of making a marriage work is just about common sense. If something is important to your wife, you have to make it important to you too." --Jay Leno "I think wedding anniversaries should be counted in dog years. Seven regular...

Protect your identity.(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says identity theft, when someone steals your personal information and uses it to borrow money, charge items, or even commit crimes in your name, is the number one source of consumer complaints. Here are some...

Sweet smooches.(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Here are 3 ways to ensure a kiss is NOT just a kiss: 1. Chocolate kiss: Put a small piece of cherry-filled chocolate in your mouth and pass it back and forth while you kiss. No eating it! 2. Upside-down kiss: While he's...

MarriagePartnership.com surveys: that lovin' feeling.(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Have you kept romance alive in your marriage? 40 percent: Yes, we show affection for each other regularly 28 percent: No, we're hardly ever romantic with each other 19 percent: Yes, but we're feeling the squeeze ...

Want the secrets to a great marriage?(MP Marriage Seminar)
September 22, 2004... MARRIAGE PARTNERSHIP and CCN present a Marriage Revolution! This one-day seminar, nationally simulcast on October 2, 2004, will feature top relationship experts MP columnist Gary Smalley, Chip Ingram, Elisa Morgan, Steve and Valerie Bell,...

Accepting life's journey.(Snapshot)(making marriage work without )
September 22, 2004... At the age of 23, 2003 Dove award winning Christian singer Jeremy Camp lost his first wife, Melissa, to cancer--a tragic event that's now part of his testimony and his songs. In December 2003, Jeremy was blessed with a new bride: Adrienne...

Boost your creativity!(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Went to relieve stress and enjoy life together? Try these 5 fun ideas! 1. Eat out at a new ethnic restaurant. Try that little Mexican place around the corner, or explore the wonders of sushi. Find a spot that serves up great atmosphere as...

How do you resolve conflict?(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... "We go fishing, where neither of us can jump ship. Overtime, as we sit in the boat waiting for the fish to bite, we naturally chat. It feels less like discussion of a sensitive subject, and more like two friends out having a good time. We've...

Acting out.(That Thing We Do)(Jonathan's wife shares her life experience)(personal narratives)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Finding a mate who enjoys our passion for musical theater was a dream come true. Both of us grew up involved in musical theater, majored in music education, and planned to teach high school choir and direct musicals. After we were married,...

She ain't heavy ...(Couple Minutes)(5th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championships)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Looking for a new challenge to test your athletic prowess? On October 9, the 5th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championships will be held at Sunday River in Newry, Maine. Couples navigate a 278-yard obstacle course while the husband is...

Do sweat it--together: a good reason to go to the gym with your spouse ...(Couple Minutes)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Exposure to male pheromones, released in sweat, may brighten women's moods, reducing tension and increasing relaxation, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania. So next time he works up a sweat, don't be too quick to make him...

Powerful promises for every couple.(Between the Covers)(Jim and his wife Elizabeth shares their view)
September 22, 2004... "Most people don't realize there are as many as 30,000 promises in the Bible. Many apply to marriage," says Jim George, author of A Man After God's Own Heart. After almost 40 years of searching for and living with God's promises, Jim and his...

Moving violations: my husband's promotion meant uprooting our big city life to a small rural town. And I didn't like it.(Starting out: what I wish someone had told me)
September 22, 2004... My husband and I used to joke about the Starbucks located on every corner of downtown Chicago. Now we tease that there's a cornfield on every comer in file rural area we moved to a year ago. While it's humorous now, it didn't start that...

Not--so platonic friendship.(Couple Counsel)
September 22, 2004... Q. My male friend and I have both had marital problems. We started to meet at lunch to be a source of Christian support for each other. However, somehow, something more happened. While we haven't been physically intimate, we've confessed...

No more Mr. Mom: Patrick and Kristie Thompson had to redefine their expectations--and their job descriptions.(Work it out: real couples, real solutions)
September 22, 2004... Kristie's Side: I can't do everything When I married Patrick, I was rearing two boys from my previous marriage and working full-time. Patrick had spent the majority of his life battling a rare type of cancer that had rendered him...

Fixing those irritations: requesting change is a 3-step art. Here's how.(24/7: doing marriage God's way)(Karolyn's opinions on management of husband-wife relations)
September 22, 2004... Soon after the wedding, the process begins. That adorable, "perfect" person starts to irritate you. Behavior you could never have imagined appears. You discover your spouse doesn't know how to fold towels "over and under" and doesn't seem...

Marriage martyr: I was vying for the title of "most taken for granted"--but what did I expect to win?(Soul to soul: where faith and marriage meet)
September 22, 2004... Honey, where are my navy pants? Didn't you wash them?" "I can't worry about your clothes because I've got to get your son ready! Who else is going to do that?" "Well, I worked overtime last night! I didn't have time to wash and press a...

A child-centered life: what to do when your world revolves around your kids.
September 22, 2004... My six-year-old son, Austin, stood at the door and cried, "Mommy, don't go!" as I placed a small overnight bag in the car. My husband, Mark, had just called me from an out of town trip and asked me to join him for a 24-hour overnight getaway in...

Soulful connections: don't let these 4 myths about spiritual intimacy keep you and your spouse apart.(Valerie)
September 22, 2004... Although I'm not keen on stereotypes, I can't help noticing how women and men gravitate toward certain gender outlooks. For instance, consider men's and women's TV watching preferences. While I stubbornly cling to the hope that my wife,...

The real thing: through the years we've discovered what true God-love is and what it isn't--and what that means for our marriage.(A Marriage Revolution)
September 22, 2004... Growing up I (Mike) had all kinds of confusion about the crazy little thing called love. In the fifth grade, I got my first crush on Kathy. She had that Laura Ingles Wilder thing going with the braided pigtails. So cute! I chased her at recess....

Testing our vows: I thought I would have my best friend forever. Now I wasn't so sure.(A Marriage Revolution)
September 22, 2004... I have to go. I have a meeting." My husband, Dave, shuffled across the floor to pack his dust-covered briefcase. "Dave," I called softly, "you don't have a meeting. You're on medical leave, remember?" This was our weekly conversation...

A loving focus: to Dr. James and Shirley Dobson, unconditional love is a decision--one that requires more than the leftovers of their time.(A Marriage Revolution)
September 22, 2004... In a recent MP survey, we asked, "Which marriage expert do you trust most?" The top name, given by 72 percent of you: Dr. James Dobson. It's easy to see why! As founder of Focus on the Family, author of numerous best-sellers--including Night...

Mind games: how well do you know your spouse?(Quiz)
September 22, 2004... For Guys Only Guys, how much do you know about the state of your marriage and the gal you wake up beside each morning? How she thinks. What makes her tick. And why she asks you to move furniture in the middle of the night. Take this quiz...

When marriage gets tough: believe it or not, there are some good reasons to stay married--even when you want to call it quits.
September 22, 2004... "Divorce isn't the unforgivable sin," a friend hinted, not so subtly, after hearing my remorse over marrying a man with whom I had so little in common. From our first and throughout our dating, Kevin and I had been proof that opposites attract....

Hounded by the foxes: nabbing the thieves that steal your intimacy.
September 22, 2004... When Dara and Kevin were in premarital counseling, their pastor asked them to list five habits or personality traits about the other person that they found annoying. Data stared at her blank piece of paper-and said, "Honestly, nothing about...

Talking to yourself: it's not a sign you're losing your mind, but a means to a better marriage.
September 22, 2004... One of the world's longest marriages was celebrated recently. Lee Hoon-yo and Kim Bong-geum from South Korea celebrated their wedding anniversary. On their anniversary, the couple was given special gifts, including 182 roses... and hearing...

"It's over." Even my Christian counselor was suggesting divorce. Did my marriage have a chance?(Back from the brink: true story of how a marriage was saved)
September 22, 2004... That's it," my husband muttered, "I'm through." Watching his back disappear through our bedroom door, I wondered if he meant it this time. We'd often been challenged by conflicting schedules and discipline differences concerning our two...

Innocent pornography?(Real Sex)(Counseling: answers to questions from couples)
September 22, 2004... Q. My husband sees nothing wrong with occasional pornography. While he's not addicted, he thinks it's okay to watch it as entertainment. I asked him how he'd feel if it were the other way around, if I were the one looking at porn. But he...

Show me the money: I called it reinvesting. My wife called it stealing.(Ever after: marriage for a lifetime)
September 22, 2004... It was an innocent mistake. Norma and I had been settled for several years in Branson, Missouri, but still had bank accounts in Phoenix, where we used to live. I thought it would be good to combine everything into one bank, so I closed the...