Of all the brilliant pieces of advice given to young couples, there are a few I feel that I must uncover as vicious, false myths: “If you want to grow closer to your wife or girlfriend, then shop with her.” “Even if you’re not interested, take the time to watch sports with your man.” “If you want to bond with your spouse (or spouse to be), cook with him/her.” So, let me take some time to expose these falsehoods for you… First, men are told, "If you want to grow closer to your wife or girlfriend, then shop with her." I'm sure there … [Read more...]
Wrapped Up Into Each Other
This morning, I was excited to go to a baby shower for a former co-worker. She glowed in her purple dress as she opened several wrapped adorable baby gifts. The room was packed and we all watched happily as she opened each item. She glowed and you couldn't help but feel her and her husband's joy as they anticipate the birth of their first child. As I surveyed the room, I thought of how important relationships are when it comes to these milestones in life. The mother to be is an extremely friendly and loving person. You can't be in her presence and leave in a bad mood. She has a way of … [Read more...]
Hanging Out with the Boys (or Girls)
Marriage is great and, if you work at it, your spouse can be your best friend. However, it is still important that you have some same-sex friends. Women can find their boyfriend’s, fiancée’s, or husband’s same sex friendships to be threatening: "Why doesn't he want to spend all his time with me?" Sometimes it can affect men the same way: "Why does she always need to spend time with her girlfriends? Am I not enough?" If your significant other has a comfortable number of same-sex friends (as determined by your significant other), it can be a tremendous blessing for your marriage. Men and women … [Read more...]
Compatible and Complementary Humor
Looking for someone with a "good sense of humor" may fade into the superficial and unimportant when a physical attraction is so strong; but, I assure you, similar senses of humor make a huge difference in a relationship. Proverbs 17:22 (NLV) says "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." Let's face it, life is hard. There will be a number of days when it is all you can do to get out of bed and face the day. Having a sense of humor about life and about yourself is a small thing that makes a huge difference in your outlook. Additionally, humor is a … [Read more...]
Energy Levels: The Tortoise and the Hare
In college, I was roommates in a dorm with my good friend, Robin. We nicknamed ourselves Tigger and Pooh. With her boundless energy, she was definitely Tigger; whereas, I was the low energy, cuddly one that wanted to sit somewhere, sip coffee and swap stories with friends, or lay around watching movies with friends... definitely Pooh. My idea of a great day with friends was a movie marathon with restaurant takeout breaks. On Saturdays, I would sleep as long as humanly possible. I just adored the feeling of the warm sheets and the gushy pillow. When I did get up, it was to get cereal and the … [Read more...]