"Marriages fail because of how right it seems to justify sinful responses to sin."
John Piper- via Twitter
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Rules for fighting
One thing that people appreciate during our class was establishing some rules for conflict. Here are a few of the suggestions:
There will always be conflict in relationships. Learn to build trust even in your disagreements.
- Don't bring up the past
- Don't go to bed angry
- Stop and listen
- Seek to understand before being understood
- Be willing to take the blame
- Trust the good in your spouse
There will always be conflict in relationships. Learn to build trust even in your disagreements.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A little humor
-I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
-Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.
-Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck. Nathan, age 10.
-Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.
-Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck. Nathan, age 10.
Monday, November 9, 2009
A grim reminder
A clear image of the tragedy of divorce. They both got half.
Lord, grant us the grace to be committed "as long as we both shall live".
Money Matters
A man said this his credit card was stolen, but he decied not to report it because the thief was spending less than his wife did.
A lot of frustration in marriage can come from a failure or inability to communicate well about money. Learning how to be on the same page in relation to finances can be a challenge. It takes time and energy to talk about these issues, but it must be done.
Ray Ortland says "Usually what wrecks married couples isn't the 'high cost of living', but the 'cost of living high'".
We are often caught in the cultural trap of buying things that we cannot afford. We create our own financial trouble by failing to be content. This frustrates our relationships. It often stops us from giving.
Any practical tips for effectively managing money?
A lot of frustration in marriage can come from a failure or inability to communicate well about money. Learning how to be on the same page in relation to finances can be a challenge. It takes time and energy to talk about these issues, but it must be done.
Ray Ortland says "Usually what wrecks married couples isn't the 'high cost of living', but the 'cost of living high'".
We are often caught in the cultural trap of buying things that we cannot afford. We create our own financial trouble by failing to be content. This frustrates our relationships. It often stops us from giving.
Any practical tips for effectively managing money?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Does marriage make you happy?
"Marriage has a better chance of making you holy than making you happy".
How do feel when you hear that statement?
I think that most who are married have realized the purifying affect that it has had on their character. In Ephesians, Paul talks about part of the husbands role in loving his wife is to lead her towards holiness. It states "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless".
I have found that if I am loving my wife as I should, that it tends to make me more aware of my own selfishness, pride, and desire for me to be happy. This does not always make me happy to see these traits in myself. But the awareness of them allows me to confess them and draw near to God in humility.
I do believe that the more we are pursuing holiness that ultimately we will be happier. So marriage can be a tool to help us get there if we allow it to.
How have you seen marriage make you more holy?
How do feel when you hear that statement?
I think that most who are married have realized the purifying affect that it has had on their character. In Ephesians, Paul talks about part of the husbands role in loving his wife is to lead her towards holiness. It states "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless".
I have found that if I am loving my wife as I should, that it tends to make me more aware of my own selfishness, pride, and desire for me to be happy. This does not always make me happy to see these traits in myself. But the awareness of them allows me to confess them and draw near to God in humility.
I do believe that the more we are pursuing holiness that ultimately we will be happier. So marriage can be a tool to help us get there if we allow it to.
How have you seen marriage make you more holy?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Talk Show
If you are interested in another tool to help facilitate the strengthening of your marriage, here is the link to a new talk show about marriage. Watch an episode if you have the time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fireproof
What sticks out in this clip from the movie "Fireproof"?
What do you notice about the husband and the wife?
What do you notice about their friends?
Do you trust your spouse?
Trust is a key ingredient to any healthy relationship. I believe that a lack of trust is a big part of many disagreements in marriage. So here are a few scenerios for thought.
When your spouse uses money in a way that you feel they shouldn't, do you trust them?
When your spouse says something that feels unloving, do you trust that they really do love you and just mispoke?
When your spouse tells you that they are working on improving a character flaw, do you patiently trust and encourage them?
Do you trust your spouse when they: go to the mall, train your children, talk to other people, are at work, say they need a break?
It becomes even more difficult to regain trust when you spouse has proven themself to be untrustworthy. Are you willing to be gracious and forgiving help them grow instead of treating them like they will never change?
What are your thoughts about the role that trust plays in a marriage?
When your spouse uses money in a way that you feel they shouldn't, do you trust them?
When your spouse says something that feels unloving, do you trust that they really do love you and just mispoke?
When your spouse tells you that they are working on improving a character flaw, do you patiently trust and encourage them?
Do you trust your spouse when they: go to the mall, train your children, talk to other people, are at work, say they need a break?
It becomes even more difficult to regain trust when you spouse has proven themself to be untrustworthy. Are you willing to be gracious and forgiving help them grow instead of treating them like they will never change?
What are your thoughts about the role that trust plays in a marriage?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)