As you prepare for marriage, it will be important to learn how to stretch a dollar (or, whatever the currency is in your country!). You may already be accustomed to making money stretch, but if you are not pinching pennies now, there will likely be some point in your life and future marriage when money will be tight. Whether you are barely scraping by, making a decent living, or enjoying the abundance of your parents' wealth while you finish college, learning to make money stretch is a good skill to develop. Am I asking you to give up your morning coffee or to cancel your cable? Not … [Read more...]
Physical Intimacy and Dating: How Far is Too Far?
Before I was married, I was plagued with the following question: “How far am I allowed to go physically with my boyfriend before I am displeasing to God?” Revisiting the question now years after marriage, there is something that is now quite obvious to me... It is obvious that my heart was not in the right place back then. I was more interested in how close I could get to the fire without being burned instead of striving to please God and His holiness (i.e., running from the fire). Dating and engaged couples should definitely have determined, specified physical limits; however, the … [Read more...]
Are You Practicing for Divorce?
Relationships can be complicated and the less mature you are, the more complicated they will be. Breaking up and getting back together consecutively is a mistake often made in immature relationships. And immaturity is no respecter of age. There are teenagers who have far exceeded the maturity level of men and women in their fifties. Getting real and growing up is a choice while there are many others who prefer holding on to a childhood mentality into adulthood (2 Timothy 2:22-26). Why is breaking up and getting back together over and over again a problem? First and foremost, it is a sign … [Read more...]
Should You Appreciate Men and Women Differently?
Sometimes it takes a touching movie, tragic news, or observing a nasty fight between a couple in public to remind me how blessed I am to have Eric. We've been married several years now and we are past the stage of excitement every time the other one enters the room. As the days pass, I sometimes forget that he cannot automatically know what is going on in my heart. When I hear his car pull into the carport, I get excited. I'm so happy when he comes home from work. Yet, when he comes in the door he usually gets a smile and maybe a hug if my hands aren't covered in whatever I happen to be … [Read more...]
Celebrate Your Life!
Life is short. We have a limited amount of time on this planet and we spend too much of it stressed out, worrying, planning ahead, and finding the negative in our daily lives. So I'm encouraging you all to celebrate! Celebrate... what? Celebrate unique events and circumstances that you would not normally commemorate. When Eric and I first got married, we celebrated the 11th of each month because we started dating on June 11th and were married on June 11th. We honored the 11th day of each month by eating Thai food. But that is just one example of something to celebrate. Rejoice in the … [Read more...]
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