It seems lately many of the themes of my interactions with couples and individuals in relationships has been about reconciliation. It’s challenging to decide when is enough simply enough. It’s equally challenging to make the conscious decision you are going to fight for your marriage, no matter what. The real question is always how you decide what is important enough to you … [Read more...]
8 Things You Need to Accept for Your Marriage to Work
Years ago, when I started dating my now spouse, I would get so annoyed because he had such a hard time planning things in advance. Now, we have been married for almost seven years, and guess what? He still has a hard time planning things in advance. Do I still get annoyed? Not as often, but occasionally I do. Over time I have come to realize that many of the problems that … [Read more...]
3 Signs that It’s Time to Get Some Help for Your Troubled Marriage
It’s unfortunate, but many people don’t seek help for their marriages because they believe they can manage things on their own. It may seem noble to decide that you can put in the work to improve your marriage without anyone else being involved, but it’s rarely that simple. There is nothing noble about refusing help when you actually need it. Sure, there are relationship … [Read more...]
5 Signs that Poor Communication is Killing Your Relationship
Somewhere deep inside of us we understand the value of good communication. After all, communication is what allows us to have some of the great things in life such as our relationships, careers and spiritual life. Yet, many marriages fail. When couples are asked why? They often site poor communication as the main culprit. According to national statistics poor communication is … [Read more...]
3 Reasons Why Your Spouse Cheated on You
Infidelity. It has to be one of the toughest marital problems for any couple to discuss. Trust and honesty serve as the foundation of marriage. People enter their unions believing that they can trust the person they just made a life-long commitment to. When something like infidelity happens, it shakes the foundation that the marriage stands on. Once there is a crack in your … [Read more...]
Should You Beg Your Partner to Stay?
The beautiful thing about marriage, at least in our culture, is that two people have mutually decided they love each other so much, they want to spend the rest of their lives together. They go into this commitment knowing that things won’t be perfect, and that times will get tough, but they feel confident that they have what it takes to stay the course and make their marriage … [Read more...]
5 Fears That Can Ruin Your Marriage
Fear is a beast. If you aren’t mindful, it just shows up wherever and whenever it wants, reeking havoc on your life and everything in it. Fear has this way of creeping up on us and stopping us in our tracks. It informs our decisions and stops us from becoming the best possible version of ourselves. If there is one thing we all need to get a handle on in our lives, it’s our … [Read more...]
Taking Responsibility Starts with These 3 Steps
As a coach, each client I work with at some point is going to have to take responsibility for their contribution to every situation, good or bad. We see TV shows where coaches and counselors talk about taking ownership of what we have done in our past which may cause detriment to where we are today. I think it’s important to note, especially when dealing with relationships, … [Read more...]
5 Keys to Releasing Fear Now
When I think of the number one emotion that causes the most pain to the human body, fear is the first thing that comes to mind. Fear cripples people and causes them to go into paralysis leaving a trail of sadness, unlived lives, and hopelessness. What I know for sure is you can conquer fear by living a life full of purpose. Each day choose to stare fear down and take action. … [Read more...]
Does Separation Lead to Divorce?
Sometimes couples cannot find resolutions to issues they have in marriage and decide to separate from each other. Many times, couples go as far as getting a legal separation which allows them to legally live apart while keeping the marriage in existence. I think a couple should try marriage counseling before someone moves out of the house. If after counseling a couple’s … [Read more...]
This Week’s Fab 5 Marriage Resources!
Here at BMWK we celebrate Black love everyday, but the official day to celebrate is March 17th which is "Black Marriage Day!" In our ongoing effort to help you strengthen and celebrate your love, here are our choices for this week's "Fab 5 Marriage Resources.' "Marriage ROCKS for Christian Couples" — Evidence suggests that African Americans have one of the lowest marriage … [Read more...]
Our New Website Provides Marriage Resources at Your Fingertips!
We're excited to share a new website that we just launched with you! It's called the BlackandMarriedWithKids.com Resource Guide and it's full of resources that will encourage, uplift and support your marriage, relationship and family. The guide is broken down into categories like: Books DVD/Films/TV … [Read more...]
5 Things I Wish I Had Known Prior to Blending My Family
In today's age, there are a lot of divorcees finding love again and people are choosing to place their desires for a successful career before marriage. Naturally, the prevalence of blended families is becoming increasingly popular. If you are considering blending your family, ask yourself if you have taken the necessary steps to ensure that everyone in the family … [Read more...]
Relationship Check-Up
by Tiya Cunningham-Sumter Those who know me know that I love, love! I get excited about the idea of love, romance and relationships. The key word here is "idea". Those of us that are involved in long-term, serious relationships know that it takes work to keep that idea, the love, romance and excitement going. It takes honesty, communication, along with commitment and … [Read more...]