Trust is an essential part of any relationship. It is vital to a marriage. You can’t have a business relationship without trust... how much more is this true in a marriage. Words like faith, belief, confidence, loyalty, and devotion come to mind when you think of synonyms for trust. All these words stir up feelings of security, safety, and a tight bond within the marriage … [Read more...]
How to Determine the Health of Your Marriage
by Amy Morin, Have you ever considered how to determine how good or healthy your marriage is? There isn’t a lab test or a thermometer that gives you a reading to tell you how you are doing. So, how do people know if their marriage is healthy or not? Unfortunately, for some people, they have no idea what their own determining factors would be, say nothing about their … [Read more...]
Marriage: Only Grown Folks Need Apply
I state the following only because at times I have been guilty of it myself: There is a game of love, but marriage is not a game. Marriage is not for the faint of heart nor for children. You are in this together for the sake of each other to make two better together than apart; To enjoy life and make it rich in ways money can't provide. It isn't a competition. It isn't about … [Read more...]
Is Love Enough to Sustain a Marriage?
I love my husband. I ‘m not the sappy type, so I’m not compelled to run off a list of reasons why. But trust me, I love that man with all I’ve got. Is that love enough, though? Is loving each other, through it all, enough to sustain our relationship? Is it enough to keep us together… always? People often say that love conquers all, but what does that really mean? Does it … [Read more...]
7 Lies I Tell My Husband
There comes a time every marriage when it's necessary to tell a tiny little lie. Be it to safeguard your spouse's feelings, or to not "blow a big surprise," or just keeping the peace, I think we've all done it. Although my cover will be COMPLETELY blown when he reads this, I wanted to share a few of the false statements that I tell my husband, some more often than others. Here … [Read more...]
The Kind of Wife I Never Ever Want to Be…
This year will mark the 13th year that my husband and I have been in a relationship. We've had good times where we've wanted to be around one another forever. But, there have been times when we've been so complacent we barely spoke to one another while we were in the same room. We've been rich (almost), poor, happy, poor and happy and sad. This right here is … [Read more...]
How To Get Rid of the Honey-Do List and Keep It Gone
Someone I know, a man, recently told me me he believes something in women's DNA requires them to always have a man tasked. He went on to say if we aren't doing anything then either something is wrong or we must have forgotten to do something we were told to do. I should point out this man is divorced, but plenty of married men feel the same way. In spite of this, I accidentally … [Read more...]
Keep Calm and Love Affectionately: Kids Need to See Affection
"Don't worry that your children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you". ~ Robert Fulghum Truer words have never been spoken. Just last week, my husband called home. We were running around, so I put him on speakerphone. As I was rushing our kindergartener out the door to catch the bus, she briefly spoke to him and ended the conversation with her usual: "I … [Read more...]
7 Reasons You Are Missing Out By Not Exercising With Your Spouse
Exercising with your spouse is something many couples do not do. As much as we all know the benefits of exercise, as well as the benefits of spending time, that surprises me. My wife and I have been in that group, but I'm happy to say that now we consistently work out together. Just Getting Started Over the summer we began jogging every other day, which is something I … [Read more...]
You Get What You Pay For
A couple weeks back when news of the $5 billion Facebook IPO broke I thought to myself, "I seriously needed to be in on that!" along with a few other choice words of regret. And I'm sure I'm not alone. As I read the articles and the list of investors who will soon be new billionaires or solidly established millionaires well into the hundreds of millions, I had much … [Read more...]
Would You Cut Off Your Marriage If It Was Your Hand?
After going over some bible verses and catching up on some personal development reading, I recently had a revelation about marriage. Both the institution and my own. I suddenly realized that I was missing a key piece of common sense information that can serve as a guide for me to all but ensure the success of my marriage. And what is this little gold nugget? My marriage and my … [Read more...]
When He Steps Up
by Eric Payne Several months ago on this site there were a number of articles that discussed the nuances and the problems that arise in marriages/relationships when the woman leads and is the major decision-maker. However,what happens if and when the dynamic changes, whether it be by circumstance --- the loss of a job, the birth of a child, or something similar --- or … [Read more...]
{Be A Better Spouse Challenge} Tip #15: Go On A Genuine Date Again
Remember the anticipation that was built into going on a date with the person that is now your spouse? The mixture of excitement and effort put into how you looked, working out to keep that body tight because you know he or she loved the fact that you cared about yourself. Finding the newest, hottest spots to hang to make that lasting impression --- making sure the car was … [Read more...]
Who Are You When You Argue?
by Eric Payne Arguments are an inevitable reality of the human experience. Even more once you start living the married life. In an argument with your spouse which person are you: The spouse that doesn't pay your spouse any mind because he or she is either 1) wrong; or 2) being emotional. The spouse that is always right. You dismiss/ignore whatever it is your spouse is … [Read more...]
Marriage Personified: My Weekend With The Tylers
by Eric Payne During my recent 4-day weekend at Disney World for Disney's Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence magazine, I was blessed with an unexpected treat. I got to work alongside Lamar and Ronnie Tyler, the founders of this site. We and several other bloggers were members of the New Media press corps invited to cover the event. Prior to the weekend, Lamar … [Read more...]