As uncomfortable as some people are discussing it, sex is a huge part of marriage, and one for which you should prepare. And by prepare, I do not mean practice. ~smile~  In preparing for intimacy in marriage, you need to understand how your body works and how your future spouse’s body works (i.e. the sexual differences between males and females). You also need to understand how your parents’, friends’, and televisions’ views of sex have influenced you, and what you think is normal. You also need to know what your future spouse expects. Believe me, that is something you will want to know before … [Read more...]

Okay, I'll admit it. I love musical oldies. Growing up, I didn't listen to music from "my time" nearly as much as music from my parents' era. It just seemed more fun to me. So, on Pandora, I have a few oldies stations set up. I was just listening to I Think We're Alone Now by Tommy James & the Shondells. It's a song with a fun beat, but it struck me differently today than it did when I was a child. The lyrics that especially struck me were at the beginning. The song begins "'Children, behave!' That's what they say when we're together. 'And watch how you play!' They don't … [Read more...]

Eric and I decided to do something a little different with today's post. The couples who go through our pre-engagement counseling program are given an assignment of exploring and writing on the topic of why they want to be married. Recently, we came across an essay written by one of our clients that touched me deeply and so we are going to share an excerpt with you today. Our client was gracious to allow us to anonymously use the essay for this post. … During this jobless time, my habits and activities began to change, as I had time to consider what I was doing and how I was spending my … [Read more...]

A few years ago, I attended a bridal shower for a co-worker at Olive Garden. Before she opened her gifts, our boss presented the bride-to-be with a decorated box and then proceeded to read a story explaining the purpose of the mysterious metal box... She read about a young couple who got married with very little money. They weren't able to take a long honeymoon, but they planned a dream vacation to Hawaii. They decided every time they made love (my boss looked over her shoulder and whispered when she read that part) they would put a dollar in a metal box towards their Hawaii fund. Five kids … [Read more...]