Category Archives: Creating The Marriage You Want

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Is Your Marriage Programmed to Fail?

We love our favorite television shows. We know the words to a half a dozen television theme songs, including The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, Big Bang Theory and Mike and Molly. We have gone through periods of watching too much TV!

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., “the average American watches more than four hours of TV a day”. That is an average of twenty-eight hours per week. In a 65-year life span, the average American will have spent nine years glued to the tube.

Make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times. So understand and be confident in God’s will, and don’t live thoughtlessly. Eph. 5:16,17 VOICE

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Five Secrets Every Happy Wife’s Husband Knows

The old story goes something like this. The father says to his son on the morning of his wedding day, “Would you like to fully understand how a woman thinks and work?” “I’d love to know,” the son replied. To which the father said, “Yea, me too!”

Women are a mystery to men. But there are some things that happy wives frequently tell us makes them feel very loved. Husbands need to pay attention as doing these things consistently in the relationship will lead to a happy wife.

Husbands, you must love your wives so deeply, purely, and sacrificially that we can understand it only when we compare it to the love the Anointed One has for His bride, the church. We know He gave Himself up completely to make her His own, washing her clean of all her impurity with water and the powerful presence of His word. He has given Himself so that He can present the church as His radiant bride, unstained, unwrinkled, and unblemished—completely free from all impurity—holy and innocent before Him. So husbands should care for their wives as if their lives depended on it, the same way they care for their own bodies. As you love her, you ultimately are loving part of yourself (remember, you are one flesh). Eph 5:25-28 VOICE

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Money Tips For Making Marriage Work

When divorce attorneys are surveyed about what the leading causes of divorce is, money seems to always be in the top two or three in their list. Ask any financial advisor and they will tell you that money problems are the number one leading reason for divorce in marriage.

We disagree. Marriage research and our own experience of working with thousands of couples tell us that money problems (and other problems) are symptoms of the real problem in the relationship. Most of the time when couples keep their hearts connected and their commitment level high, they will not look to divorce as they go through the financial highs and lows of life.

For the love of money—and what it can buy—is the root of all sorts of evil. I Tim 6:10 VOICE

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How Committed To Your Marriage Are You?

Most of us stood in front of God, family and friends and made a commitment to our spouse. We said we would take them to be our spouse, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and cherish, till death we part. Perhaps your vows were not exactly these vows, but generally these are the vows we took.

To those who are married, here’s my command: … it is not right for a wife to leave her husband… Likewise, the husband should not divorce his wife. I Cor 7:10-11 VOICE

Researchers have discovered that commitment plays a pivotal role in whether or not these vows are honored.

  • The more committed a spouse is, the higher the satisfaction is in the marriage.
  • Highly committed spouses are more likely to persist in making their marriage work.
  • Commitment is the most direct and powerful predictor of marital success.

But what makes a spouse committed?

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What To Do With Your Irritating Spouse

Over the years in working with thousands of couples we have heard just about marriage problem one could imagine. One of the most common marriage complaints is from a spouse who is irritated, annoyed and frustrated by something their spouse does or does not do.

“Live in harmony with one another…” Rom 12:16a NIV

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The Person Most Responsible For Your Marriage Problems

Relationships are hard.

Marriage is difficult.

What most of us want at the core of our souls is to do life forever with our spouse. We want to love each other until all of our parts stop working and our dentures get in the way of our kisses. We want to be there for each other in our golden years and in the final years. We want to love deeply and be loved deeply.

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Divorce Is Contagious

Did you know that when your friend’s marriage struggles, it affects your marriage?

According a Pew Research Center study, when a close friend or family member divorces, you are 75% more likely to divorce.  And if your friend’s friend divorces, it still impacts you. When a friend’s friend divorces, you are 33% more likely than other couples to divorce.

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. Eph 5:21 MSG

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Five Societal Reasons For The High Divorce Rate

We are frequently asked about why couples divorce. Our usual answer is focused on what couples do within their marriage that eventually leads to them living separate lives in the same home. The reasons commonly blamed for divorce, such as infidelity and financial issues, are really symptoms of the marital challenges already experienced in the marriage.

“I hate divorce,” says [God….He] says, “I hate the violent dismembering of the ‘one flesh’ of marriage.” So watch yourselves. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t cheat. Malachi 2:16 (MSG)