Life Giving Words

invalidation

Getting Ready for a Not-So-Typical Holiday Season Together

"If you find yourself facing down a holiday season that looks nothing like your normal, festive routine, there are some things you and your spouse can do to make it happy and enjoyable for everyone. Let’s dive in".....

https://www.symbis.com/blog/7-ways-to-prepare-for-a-not-so-typical-holiday-season-together/

Choose One of These 12 Tiny Big Things for Your Marriage

"I hear over and over, 'Marriage is so complicated.' After 20 years of working with couples, I say over and over, 'Marriage is easier than you think.' Practice one of these tiny things for a week".....

https://marriedpeople.org/choose-one-of-these-12-tiny-big-things-for-your-marriage/

How to Know if You're in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship

"Three types of emotional abuse can easily be disguised: gaslighting, retaliation and projection. Recognize when you’re in an emotionally abusive relationship".....

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/how-to-know-if-youre-in-an-emotionally-abusive-relationship/

3 Lies About Porn That Could Be Destroying Your Marriage

"The truth:  Pornography doesn’t help couples stay faithful. It destroys the emotional safety in the marriage and in many cases, leads to increased infidelity as well as the breakdown of the marriage".....

https://www.lisamurrayonline.com/feed/2019/7/21/3-lies-about-pornography-that-could-be-destroying-your-marriage

4 Ways to Respond When Your Husband is Angry

"Have you ever wounded your spouse with words that slipped out during an argument? Maybe you meant to diffuse the fight with humor, but instead, you used sarcasm that stung your wife. Or perhaps you hoped what you said would appease an angry husband but it only upset him more. Today’s post, used with permission from iMOM, provides a solid plan for responding when your husband is angry (but husbands, these points apply when wives are angry, too)".....

http://www.markmerrill.com/4-ways-to-respond-angry-husband

Catch NOT Tennis

The Spirit-Filled Wife

"It’s fascinating to me that the role of a wife in a marriage is very similar to the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Here are five roles women play in marriage".....

https://marriagetoday.com/the-spirit-filled-wife/

The Spirit-Filled Husband

"No man ever accidentally becomes a Christlike husband. This only happens intentionally. You have to say to God, 'I want You to make me into a Christlike man.' Then you compare yourself not to the world’s standards of love, but to the standards of Jesus Christ."

https://marriagetoday.com/the-spirit-filled-husband/

Giving and Receiving Comfort

"We all want to be loved and understood by those aware of our past pains and present insecurities. But going one step further, a deeper bond is created when you and your spouse know how to intimately comfort each other and bring relief to individual or shared tension".....

https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/four-steps-to-giving-and-receiving-comfort-in-marriage

Hidden Triggers | Jamal & Natasha Miller

"Jamal and Natasha Miller share how the enemy uses your pain to get you and your spouse to believe you are on two different teams. Don’t let hidden triggers cause division, instead let them bring healing and togetherness".....

Exit Strategy

Steps to Reconnect When You Feel Disconnected

"Culture has distorted what makes passion sizzle in a marriage. Advertisements convey the message that a romantic getaway or expensive jewelry is the way to a woman’s heart, but I find the dull moments of relationships are the most significant of all".....

https://www.gottman.com/blog/3-steps-reconnect-feel-disconnected-partner/

Should we argue in front of the kids?

Complacency

Things Women Say to Men

"Both wives and husbands need to be willing to use words carefully and keep working at better communication. Don’t let these phrases become ruts because ruts lead to roots of bitterness. When your spouse says something you don’t understand, keep asking: 'What does that mean to you?'".....

http://www.markmerrill.com/things-women-say-to-men/

How to Stay Married When You're Stuck Between Raising Teenagers and Aging Parents

"Caring for family on both ends of the spectrum—growing kids and aging parents—can compromise even the healthiest marriage. For the many mid-lifers who find themselves pulled in two directions, it’s imperative for us to discern how to protect and nurture our marriages as we serve our families".....

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/october-web-only/divorce-marriage-midlife-stuck-between-needy-teens-aging-pa.html