Marriage and Family Blog

Different Styles in Movies and Marriage

July 1, 2014

My spouse and I differ in a lot of ways, but there’s one very big difference between us.  It’s not related to money, or sex, or kids, or in-laws.  It’s much more serious.  It’s about super hero movies vs Hallmark  movies.  This difference has been there from the day we got married, and it produces groans and […]

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Try Making the First Move in Marriage

June 24, 2014

Ever notice the difference between the dating couples from the married couples in a restaurant? The dating couples are animated.  They’re looking at each other, leaning into the conversation, laughing, asking questions, and telling stories.

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Is Your Marriage Magical or Mechanical?

June 17, 2014

Remember when your marriage was young?  Remember the fun, the anticipation, the magic?  Does your marriage still feel magical or has it become more mechanical?  If your marriage seems more mechanical than magical, there are three keys to getting the magic back.  I found them in a Steve Carrell movie called “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.”

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This Isn’t the Spouse I Wanted!

June 10, 2014

“What happened to the person I married?”  “Where did that person go?”  “I want that person back.”  This is not the person I thought I was marrying.”  “This isn’t the spouse I wanted!” Most people who have been married for any length of time have thought these things, even if they weren’t brave enough to […]

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Do You Look For Affirmation in Public Opinion or Personal Conviction?

June 5, 2014

We never really outgrow the desire to be liked by others.  We can be a grown adult with children and grandchildren, and still be concerned about whether people like us. We don’t approach people and ask, “Do you like me?”  That’s way too elementary school.  Instead, we look for affirmation in other ways…

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Figuring Out What to Keep and What to Tweak

June 3, 2014

In the last post, we talked about what it means to have a “normal marriage.”  Here’s a quick recap: Everyone’s marriage is “normal”…for them. There are parts of “normal” that work and should be kept. There are parts of “normal” that don’t work and should be tweaked. The key to making your normal marriage good is figuring out […]

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What is a Normal Marriage, and Is That Good or Bad?

May 27, 2014

When I started this blog, I didn’t really explain what I meant by the term “normal marriage.”  I just jumped right into talking about marriage and never really addressed it.  In this post, let me correct that oversight and talk about what it means to have a “normal marriage.” When you say the words “normal marriage” […]

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Marriage Grammar – Verbs

May 20, 2014

Verbs are action words that gives life to a sentence.  Think of the sentence, “Dick and Jane played.”  If you take away the verb, all you have is “Dick and Jane.”  Without the verb, it’s boring and goes no where. The same is true of marriage.  The right verbs breathe life into a marriage.

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Little Things Mean A Lot – Sit Together

April 29, 2014

Do you and your spouse sit together?  I’m talking about sitting close together.  Do you sit together on the sofa?  Do you sit together when you’re out to eat?  Do you sit together when you’re visiting friends? One of the laws of attraction has to do with proximity.

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Marriage Grammer – Possessive Pronouns

April 22, 2014

Possessive pronouns are general words that replace nouns and denote ownership.  (Feel like you’re back in school?)  They are words like: yours, mine ours, etc.  These words are very important to us.  Toddlers grab toys and say, “Mine!”  Children brag about something of theirs being better than someone else’s.  And most teenagers will sooner or later […]

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