Identifying & Ending Cycles of Harmful Behavior in Marriage

"I watched a video a while back that completely wrecked me. It’s a message delivered by Francis Chan where he talks about the parable of the sower. As he explained Jesus’ words, one phrase hit me like a ton of bricks: 'Don’t assume you are the good soil.'"

http://fiercemarriage.com/identifying-ending-cycles-harmful-behavior-marriage

5 Ways to Be a Better Husband

"Being a great husband is difficult. It’s much easier to coast through marriage on autopilot and settle for things being “ok” when our wives and kids need and deserve so much more from us..."

http://sixseeds.patheos.com/davewillis/how-to-be-a-great-husband/

7 Minute Marriage Solution

http://drjamesdobson.org/blogs/dr-tim-clinton/dr.-tim-clinton/2016/07/08/7-minute-marriage-solution

What To Do When You Want To Be Defensive

"I don’t like to be told what I’m doing wrong or when someone 'encourages' me to take some ground in specific areas of my life. I don’t like when my wife and kids, with lots of love, inform me that I hurt or offended them. I don’t like when my community sees some sin in my life and challenges me to grow. Lord knows I’m not perfect, but I sure don’t want you to tell me where I fall short..."

http://www.scottkedersha.com/defensive/

Is Now a Good Time to Talk?

"Words. Words are so important in a marriage. Words are so fragile in a marriage. Words are so frustrating in a marriage. Solomon goes as far as to say in Proverbs 18:21, that 'The tongue has the power of life and death.'"


http://couples.marriedpeople.org/2016/04/one-simple-rule-communication/?doing_wp_cron=1472142489.0420200824737548828125

Life is Short. Love Your Spouse

"Think in terms of two categories: guarding your marriage and cultivating the garden of your marriage. Defensive strategies (guarding) fend off the negative and deceptive claims of sin, and offensive strategies (gardening) pursue what is right and true..."

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/life-is-short-love-your-spouse

The 4 Clear Priorities for Love in Marriage

http://fiercemarriage.com/4-clear-priorities-love-marriage

The Second Attack

"By your act of reading this kind of a marriage blog on a regular basis, you are proclaiming your desire for a deeper, richer marriage that can serve the Kingdom of God. So the bad news is, if you’re reading this, your marriage is probably under increased attack. You are under increased attack.

So you need to be wise. And this post deals with one of the most subtle, clever attacks Satan ever levies: the cunning “second attack.'".....

http://www.garythomas.com/the-second-attack/

Building a Home Our Families Want to Return To

"Here’s the stark reality: If you can’t love, celebrate, and enjoy raising a sinful kid, then you can’t love, celebrate, and enjoy any child. If you can’t love and play with a sinful spouse, then you’ll never be able to take pleasure in any spouse, for the simple reason that you can’t find any sinless kids or spouses..."

http://www.garythomas.com/building-a-home-our-families-want-to-return-to/

12 Truthful Vows You Won't Hear at a Wedding

In a culture that idolizes romantic love, we don’t need any more Shakespearean vows. We need vows that will shape and impact marriages...

http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/263639-12-truthful-marriage-vows-you-wont-hear-at-a-wedding.html

How Porn Creates Angry Men

http://www.garythomas.com/how-porn-creates-angry-men/

What Are You Willing to Kill So that Your Marriage Can Truly Live?

“Sometimes, to give birth to intimacy, you have to kill what keeps you disconnected..."

http://www.garythomas.com/what-are-you-willing-to-kill-so-that-your-marriage-can-truly-live/

Why Killing Spiders Makes My Marriage Better

http://www.garythomas.com/why-killing-spiders-makes-my-marriage-better/

Prioritize Your Marriage

"One of the questions we get asked often is: 'What do we do specifically to make sure our marriage relationship remains #2 on our priority list?' That’s a great question and one that is a constant learning process for us as we grow and change as a family. Some of the things we do now, we will always do and then some things change as our kids grow and go through different stages of life..."

http://www.onefleshmarriage.com/2016/03/7-ways-to-prioritize-your-marriage.html

7 Financial Principles Couples Should Consider

"Finances are a hot topic in every marriage. It can be insanely stressful, and if we’re not careful we can get caught up in the comparison game. However we have learned a few principles that help us stay focused on the main thing: God..."

http://fiercemarriage.com/finances-marriage-7-principles-every-couple-consider

Is Your Marriage a Place of Trust?

"Are you building relationships of trust? Take time to look at yourself, your marriage and other relationships in the mirror of these questions..."

http://sovereignhopechurch.com/is-your-marriage-a-place-of-trust

Unplug: do something together

"When we think of adventure, we often believe it has to be an extended time and needs to take place in some far-off land. If that is something you can swing, great–but it doesn’t have to be a roadblock. You can have adventures  halfway across the world or even in very own city, but the key is to do something together..."

http://www.symbisassessment.com/blog/summer-unplug-go-adventure-together/?mc_cid=b4319ab793&mc_eid=82de7e3bbf

When You Are the Only One Trying

http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/challenges/spiritually-mismatched/do-you-have-a-one-way-marriage

Think Like A Team

Great resource...print this and post it somewhere where you will both see it.
(Taken from www.staymarriedblog.com)