The Ultimate Relationship Killer

"Because we feel that it is important to 'know thine enemies,' in today’s blog post we will share Dr. Gottman’s greatest relationship killers that he has discovered in his 40+ years of research. These venoms, with which you can poison your relationship, can all be characterized as ways of 'turning against' each other’s bids for emotional connection".....

https://www.gottman.com/blog/turning-against-bids-the-ultimate-relationship-killer/?utm_source=Marriage+Minute&utm_campaign=1f20ec23fa-MM_10312017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_56abe07ac5-1f20ec23fa-135378537

Help for the Gridlocked Couple

"...Gottman suggests is to make a list of the parts of the issue that you cannot yield. Then, make a list of the things you could yield. (The point is to be as flexible as possible with your spouse.) Next, you share your list and then, compromise with one another. Regroup after a couple months to see if your plan is working".....

http://www.stupendousmarriage.com/gridlocked-conflict

How to be WRONG even when you're right

"Every couple has disagreements and conflicts. It’s inevitable. In most cases, our goal is to prove we are in the right. Today, I’m proposing a different, more radical goal: to maintain your connection".....

https://www.heavenmademarriage.com/how-to-be-wrong-when-you-are-right/

How God Saved My Marriage

"God saved my marriage not by fixing my wife’s problems, but by helping me see my own and showing me mercy where I am wrong. After years of apologizing, extending grace, and learning, we now are far more likely to repent and forgive than to fight and scratch".....

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-god-saved-my-marriage

Stop Taking Each Other for Granted

"In a life-changing talk, Doherty makes an important point about marriage. He explains that the natural trend of marriage is for romance, affection, appreciation, and communication to decline over time, not because couples start to dislike each other but because they become too comfortable together".....

https://www.gottman.com/blog/3-daily-rituals-that-stop-spouses-from-taking-each-other-for-granted/

Differences Can Actually Make You Stronger

"Your differences can be your biggest asset as a couple—if you learn how to use them. Here are three steps for doing so".....

https://michaelhyatt.com/how-differences-with-your-spouse-can-make-your-marriage-stronger/

Help for a "hopeless" Marriage

"I am always grieved when I hear about another marriage that has ended in divorce, but I am also saddened by the many couples I know of who stay together but live with disappointment, having long ago given up on believing their relationship can ever be all they had hoped for. If that’s where you are, I want you to know that it is possible to turn a hopeless marriage into a hope-filled one".....

http://www.markmerrill.com/10-ways-to-go-from-a-hopeless-marriage-to-a-hope-filled-marriage/

My Spouse is Depressed

"Depression is one of the most misunderstood illnesses, and it often goes undiagnosed. Marriages all over the world suffer as a result of undiagnosed or untreated depression. Normally loving, affectionate spouses can become mean or abusive, which devastates intimacy and can lead to divorce".....

http://www.symbis.com/blog/spouse-and-depression/

Why Men Don't Change

"Many wives live with great frustration because they keep telling their husbands that something he is doing (or not doing) is causing them great pain, but the husband never changes. This confuses the wife. She thinks, 'If I knew I was doing something that was really hurting him, I’d stop it as soon as I found out. Why won’t he?'".....

http://www.garythomas.com/why-men-dont-change/

Poison That Will Kill Your Marriage

Bitterness comes when you hold onto hurt and refuse to forgive the person who hurt you. Most of the time, this comes as a result of ongoing actions of a small nature—lack of understanding, misuse of finances, harsh comments—that build up over time. Each offense takes residence in the heart, and at some point there is no more room left. That's when bitterness is manifested and causes the most damage.

http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/forgiveness/dont-let-bitterness-poison-your-marriage

Four Things Married Men Should Never Do

"So, you’re a married men. Congratulations! Being married can be awesome and liberating. You get to spend the rest of your life with your best friend and someone who complements you completely – it’s tremendous. The thing about marriage is that it actually provides a framework for you to thrive and flourish, to become your true self rather than someone who is just angling for another score. But even though marriage is a time for you to feel free, there are a few things that married men should never do. Here are four of them".....

https://www.xxxchurch.com/men/4-things-married-men-never.html?utm_source=XXXchurch&utm_campaign=6a81f62cd9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_10_4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6f5ecfab83-6a81f62cd9-69416647

5 Expectations that Ruin Marriages

"In marriage counseling, we almost always find that marital disappointment comes from unrealistic, and often unspoken, expectations spouses have one of another".....

http://ministry127.com/family-helps/5-expectations-that-ruin-a-marriage

5 Types of Couples...which one are you?

"Drawing from over four decades of research data, I have been able to categorize couples into five types: Conflict-Avoiding, Validating, Volatile, Hostile, and Hostile-Detached".....

https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-5-couple-types/?utm_source=Marriage+Minute&utm_campaign=c66e9b2e05-MM_10102017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_56abe07ac5-c66e9b2e05-135378537

Affairs are destroying our marriages

"I have determined that we need to start asking one another some tough questions. Like a man asking another man, 'Are you being the leader of your family and taking care of your wife's needs—spiritually? Emotionally? Sexually? Are you being sexually faithful to your wife? Are you being faithful mentally? Are you reading stuff you shouldn't?' And wife to wife: 'Are you sending your husband into the world hungry, with his sexual needs unmet? Are you a 'marriage bed magnet' that causes him to daydream at work about you!?'".....

http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/romance-and-sex/affair-proof-your-marriage

Setting up the boundaries for Mom and Dad

"For many of you, the act of leaving your parents will be one of the most difficult steps of your life.  But it’s a vital step in the process of growing up and establishing your own home".....

http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/getting-married/newlyweds/leaving-your-parents-the-balancing-act

5 Communication Mistakes Almost Every Couple Makes

"No matter how in tune you are with your partner, misunderstandings and communication gaffes are always possible. Here are five of the most common, yet avoidable communication mistakes that could harm a relationship".....

https://lifehacker.com/five-communication-mistakes-almost-every-couple-makes-1535461741

The Anger Iceberg

"Think of anger like an iceberg, a large piece of ice found floating in the open ocean. Most of the iceberg is hidden below the surface of the water. Similarly, when we are angry, there are usually other emotions hidden beneath the surface. It’s easy to see a person’s anger but can be difficult to see the underlying feelings the anger is protecting".....

https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-anger-iceberg/?utm_source=Marriage+Minute&utm_campaign=95954db141-MM_10032017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_56abe07ac5-95954db141-135378537

Trash Your Marriage in 8 Easy Steps

"Sue Bohlin offers a tongue-in-cheek look at eight ways to tear down one's marriage, complete with eight opposite, biblical ways to build it back up".....

https://bible.org/article/trash-your-marriage-8-easy-steps