People sometimes say that marriage is complicated. I don’t think that’s true, though. The reality is, anything in life can be complicated if that’s what you make it. I think marriage can be simple if you approach it with a certain level of mindfulness. It’s probably fair to say that most people who get married hope and plan for a happy marriage. After all, we can all be … [Read more...]
3 Daily Habits that Can Help You Have a Healthier Marriage
They say with age comes wisdom, and I have to agree. The older I get, the more I see the relationship between how I live my life, how I feel, and the quality of the relationships that matter to me most. When I neglect to implement healthy habits and make myself a priority, everything begins to suffer, including my marriage. One of the biggest mistakes we make is expecting … [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 Things You Shouldn’t Do When the Going Gets Tough in Your Marriage
Marriage is designed to last a lifetime. Sadly, we all know that many marriages don’t. Some people enter their union with the best intentions but life happens, and despite efforts to stay together, things simply don’t work out. When a marriage falls apart, we all wonder what happened. Where did things go wrong? What could have helped them stay together? Unless it’s your … [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...]
9 Signs That Your Marriage is in Need of a Makeover
Every so often we forget about the things in our lives that matter most. Our forgetfulness isn’t intentional. We just get caught up in all of the responsibilities we have, and the things that once received so much of our attention now receive very little of it. This often happens in marriages. Over time the excitement of it all fades, and couples settle into a mundane … [Read more...]
5 Signs That You Forgot to Love, Honor, and Respect Yourself
When I got married, I promised to love, honor, and respect my husband. It was an easy promise to make because I was marrying a man I knew for many years and loved deeply. I trusted him (and still do), and he has never given me reason to distrust him (he still hasn’t). He promised the same to me, and we began creating a life together. Now, six years after our marriage, I can … [Read more...]
Why “You” Needs to Come Before Your Marriage
It can be hard to find balance in our lives. When you have a career, a spouse, and maybe even kids, giving everything and everyone what they need is tough. It often leaves us feeling discouraged and wondering how we will ever make things work without letting someone down. And then there is this whole notion of priorities. Of course, having a list of priorities is incredibly … [Read more...]
5 Huge Marriage Mistakes to Avoid
We all make mistakes. Sure, some are much bigger than others, but when all is said and done, we all fall short in some areas. When we make mistakes, it never feels good. Feeling like you made a bad decision, or like you came up short, can come with many repercussions. What’s often harder to deal with than the mistakes that impact us on just a personal level are the mistakes … [Read more...]
9 Unspoken Rules About Marriage that Speaks Volumes
When I took my wedding vows before God, I meant every word. I plan to love, honor and respect my husband until death parts us. I know he meant them, too. The vows we make, before God and the people we love most, serve as a spoken promise to each other. You can even call them rules, really. It’s like we are saying, “these are the rules we plan to play by so this thing can … [Read more...]
Marriage Stress is Real; 6 Tips That Help You Relax, Relate & Release
Do you ever feel like your life is out of balance? You hate your job, your husband is getting on your last nerve, the kids are driving you nuts, and no matter how much you try to stick to your budget, some unexpected expense always comes up. I’ve been there—feeling like no matter what I do, I just can’t seem to get everything right. When life gets like this, handing me … [Read more...]
9 Simple Ways to Create a Happier Marriage
I’ve had my share of ups and downs in life, and there is one thing I have become pretty certain of; life isn’t complicated, people complicate life. Managing our most valued relationships is not that difficult if we shift our thinking. From great parenting to making our marriages a success, implementing the simplest changes can make all the difference. We often hear people … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Transforming Your Life as a Wife
As women, we wear so many hats. We often do it gladly, because every hat we wear is a meaningful part of our lives. But doing something with joy in your heart doesn’t mean that there isn’t stress attached. Being a mom, having a career, caring for aging parents, and being a wife can all come with a good dose of stress. Out of all the hats we wear, that of wife can be one of … [Read more...]
Do You Know What Forgiveness Really Is?
Forgiveness is not justification for inviting, permitting or rewarding continued violations, offenses or abuse. Forgiveness does not absolve you of your responsibility to honor, esteem, respect — and protect — yourself. You can let go of anger, bitterness and resentment, forgive debts and forget losses, and pardon or excuse violations and poor treatment without staying in … [Read more...]