(Miss the beginning of this series?  Check out the other posts!) Who among us likes to be wrong? Let’s see a show of hands.... Pride is one of the most apparent displays of the fall of man. Most humans hate to be wrong and hate to admit when they are wrong. Even those who apologize for everything and walk through life with kick me signs on their backs don’t like to admit they are wrong. Their demeanor is a result of trying to lay low and produce harmony. It’s not because they have no pride. One downfall Eric and I have experienced in our relationship is blaming each other for … [Read more...]

To see the introduction or the first horseman to The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (predictors of divorce) series, please click here (introduction) or here (part 2). What comes to mind when you think of the word contempt? When I think of contempt, I picture someone with a scrunched up face, thinking about someone he or she cannot stand – someone who makes his or her blood boil – someone who has caused him or her deep pain and frustration. Whatever you think of when you think of the word contempt, you probably have the right idea. Dictionary.com defines contempt as the feeling with … [Read more...]

To see the introduction to The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (predictors of divorce) series, please click here. Out of the four horsemen to be discussed in this series, criticism is the one I have to guard against the most. A few nights ago, Eric and I were having a gentle dialogue about areas in our lives which we could improve. If I recall, I was more than happy to share my opinions with Eric on the areas in which he could improve. ~smile~ But, I had to ask him to share his opinions on my faults. He was careful in his delivery, which I appreciate, and the one area of improvement he … [Read more...]

Conflict is a part of all relationships. Whether we simply disagree with others from time to time, strike passive-aggressive blows under the table, or flat out throw down with vicious rhetoric, human beings don’t agree on everything. If you get married, have friends, or simply choose to pull your car out of your driveway on occasion, you will find some form of conflict in your life. There are two general schools of thought when it comes to conflict. There are those that live by the principle that all conflict is bad and should be avoided at all times and at any cost. Then there are others … [Read more...]