Lip/Life Service for Your Marriage

by Harriet Hairston

I read an article last week from Crosswalk.com that challenged me to continue to change my pattern of speech with my husband.  Whitney Hopler described eight phrases that have the potential to change a marriage for the better.  Although my marriage is not in crisis (anymore), I’m always looking for preventative measures and fun ways to spice it up.  This article just added a tool to my repertoire.

Some of the phrases are a given:  saying “I love you” to your spouse on a regular basis should not just be lip service, but a way of LIFE.  Some phrases may speak louder to a wife than a husband, and the same vice versa.  But they are phrases that can definitely be used to change your marriage! For example:

• “I believe in you.” I said that to my husband a few years ago, and he told me that made him feel like a giant; like nothing was impossible for him.
• “I need ___________ from you.” Although the article discussed a wife saying this to a husband because they need clear, concise instructions, I’ve found that it worked even better for me.  Just this weekend, my husband expressed some concrete needs he wanted me to fulfill, and I found that getting black and white instructions from him that laid out EXACTLY what he wanted worked very well for me.

I would highly suggest this article as a good tool to use to open lines of communication with your spouse/significant other.

God bless!

~ Harriet

Harriet Hairston is a woman who slips and slides in and out of labels (military officer, human resource manager, minister, mentor, spoken word artist and teacher).  The only ones that have stuck so far are “wife” and “mother” (the most important in her estimation). The rest have taught her well that only what she does for Christ will last. There is one more permanent label she holds:  ”author.”  You can purchase her first book, ”Who Are You?“  simply by clicking on the link.  You can also contact her at harriet_hairston@yahoo.com

About the author

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.

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