The top 10 resolutions for each new year are often to: lose weight, get organized, spend less/save more, enjoy life to the fullest, stay fit and healthy, learn something exciting, quit smoking, help others in their dreams, fall in love, and spend more time with family.These are great goals, but studies show that without accountability, your goals will be out the window in a month. But what if you and your spouse made some fun resolutions to build up your relationship?Here are some examples to he…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ian-schneider-PAykYb-8Er8-unsplash.jpg8551280Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-11-27 00:00:002020-11-13 10:51:3410 Resolutions for a Healthy Marriage
From America to Indonesia, the headlines read, "Facebook is Causing 20 Percent of Today’s Divorces."“When I heard the statistic, I did some research to find its source,” says Jason Krafsky. Krafsky co-authored Facebook and Your Marriage with his wife, Kelli. “It turns out that an online divorce firm in the UK sent out a press release stating that Facebook was cited in 1-in-5 divorce petitions.
It isn’t unusual for people to make time to attend training to increase their job productivity, improve their golf swing or even enhance their cooking or gardening skills, but when was the last time you took time away to work on your marriage relationship?Imagine getting away for a week with your spouse and a few other couples with no worries about what time it is or who needs to be at what practice. No kids yelling, “Mommy” or bosses calling. No cell phones, computers, or tele…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Invest-in-Your-Marriage.jpg9001400Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-11-20 00:00:002020-11-13 10:59:36Invest in Your Marriage
For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Starry-eyed in love, couples stand before friends and family and recite these vows with total commitment to each other.“Many people believe that if they have found their soulmate and are deeply in love, they won’t have disagreements or bad things happen in their marriage.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/wayan-parmana-zzSawSRXRqY-unsplash-e1584214424760.jpg4811250Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-11-14 00:00:002021-02-17 10:50:32How You Can Keep the "Honey" in Honeymoon
'Twas four days before Christmas when all through the house, no one was stirring, not even your spouse. Stockings were hung by the chimney with care. What should you get her? Buyer beware!Your wife all nestled snug in your bed while visions of diamonds danced in her head.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/jeshoots-com-MCm43tSNVhY-unsplash.jpg8331250Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-11-14 00:00:002021-12-02 11:39:45How to Choose a Christmas Gift for Your Wife
Miss part 1? Don't worry – you can read it here!It did not take Dr. Chapman long to realize that having an attitude of service toward his wife transformed and actually saved his marriage.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/nathan-dumlao-lFFDJXu4GxQ-unsplash-e1584215575113.jpg5811250Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-11-13 00:00:002020-11-16 11:24:31Keys to a Healthy Family, Part 2
Margery D. Rosen, author of Seven Secrets of a Happy Marriage, a book based on her Ladies’ Home Journal column, Can this Marriage be Saved? interviewed hundreds of couples whose marriages were in distress and appeared hopeless.“The book is a compilation of columns over the years as well as information from social scientists to help couples have hope,” Rosen says.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/hian-oliveira-rDPoVyPRebo-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg13262048Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-11-10 00:00:002020-11-16 10:36:52There is Hope for Your Marriage
Early in their marriage Susan and Scott* wanted to please both of their families when it came to how they spent time together over the holidays. Her mom wanted them to celebrate Thanksgiving with her. His mom celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, so her mom requested Christmas Day at her house. Despite some angst over changing things up, it worked fairly well until their first child came along.
Have you ever thought about how today’s amazing technological advances affect relationships?There are very few places where you can’t technologically connect in some way. You can place calls whenever and wherever. It’s fairly inexpensive and there are no additional fees.
Do you want an awesome, amazing, mind-blowing marriage?The answer to that question is usually a resounding YES! But, it is quickly followed with something like, “I could only hope for that,” or “Only in my dreams.”“Based on my experience as a counselor, I think a lot of people feel like they are sentenced to a life of boredom when they marry,” says Darlene Karst, counselor, marriage educator and wife. “The reality is that could not be further from the tr…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/jose-escobar-q-kJCPPzya0-unsplash.jpg8331250Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-31 00:00:002020-11-25 09:44:31How You Can Have an Awesome, Amazing, Mind-Blowing Marriage
According to marriage experts, there are probably more fireworks going on outside the bedroom than inside.Data collected from the 2014 General Social Survey indicates that married couples have sex approximately 58 times a year. If you are under 30, however, it’s around 111 times. Approximately 15 percent of married couples haven’t made love with their spouse in the last six months to a year.In a TEDx talk, therapist Michele Weiner-Davis describes this phenomenon as the sex-starved marr…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/mio-ito-U8OYfPBceWE-unsplash-scaled.jpg13572048Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-31 00:00:002020-11-25 10:02:15Sex: From Sparklers to Fireworks in the Bedroom
Have you ever thought or said these words?I just can’t take it anymore… We’ve grown apart… I love you as a friend, but I’m not in love with you anymore… You aren’t the person I married… Things change.The crazy thing is, many happily married people also experience some of these feelings. It's true. Sometimes you feel like you can’t take it anymore.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/benjamin-le-roux-Dt5NZgX8R3I-unsplash-scaled.jpg20481366Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-31 00:00:002021-09-01 13:48:136 Tips for a “Til Death Do Us Part” Marriage
Is your marriage unexciting and dull? Have the feelings you had for each other on your wedding day become a distant memory? Do you ever look at other people and envy the spontaneity and freedom they seem to have?
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/anthony-tran-rvdlDB1D68c-unsplash-scaled-e1584217080828.jpg20481516Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-30 00:00:002020-11-30 12:27:004 Tips for Handling a Ho-Hum Stage in Marriage
When it comes to romancing your mate for special holidays like Valentine's Day or birthdays, some couples have a head start on the celebration. Why? They've discovered that making regular time for each other is linked to lots of relationship benefits.According to The Date Night Opportunity, a 2012 report released by the National Marriage Project, couples who manage to devote time specifically to one another at least once a week:Are markedly more likely to enjoy high-quality relationships…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hannah-busing-xfKEy_6x4pw-unsplash-scaled-e1584217355267.jpg10952048Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-30 00:00:002020-11-30 12:56:06How Date Night Can Boost Your Relationship
If you're married, you've probably had a spirited discussion or two with your spouse. Chances are, it's been about money, sex, jealousy over time spent outside the marriage, in-laws, child rearing or spirituality/faith.“Based on research, we have learned that these are six of the most common toxic subjects for couples,” says Beverly Rodgers, marriage and family therapist and co-author of Soul Healing Love. “These topics cause the greatest amount of conflict in a mar…
Hint: It does more than just get you out of the house.
In the early years of marriage, couples usually find it easy to schedule date nights. Once children come along and careers get more intense though, date night takes last place on the list of important things needing attention. Before long, couples find themselves going through the motions of marriage and stuck in a rut when it comes to romance, all the while looking for a cure.Guess what?
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/WhyDateNightMatters-suzana-sousa-264475.jpg9001400Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-23 06:30:002022-04-28 09:31:33Why Date Night Matters
Why do some couples embrace the empty nest while others end up in divorce court?“There are lots of sides to the empty nest that are complicated,” says psychologist, Dr. Susan Hickman. “Many experience depression, feelings of sadness, anxiety, identity crisis and significant grief.
“We love his parents, but they have a way of creating chaos between the two of us that has gotten to the point that we are seriously considering divorce,” says Karen.“I see this scenario in my office frequently,” says psychologist Dr. Susan Hickman. “In most instances, the parents of the now adult child didn’t have good boundaries when they were raising their child.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/HowToDealWithMeddlingParents-e1584293972459.jpeg6611400Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-17 00:00:002020-12-03 10:44:10How to Deal with Meddling Parents
Just say the word boundaries and watch what happens to people’s faces. Some immediately become suspicious and negative while others believe they are a good thing. Why does this word elicit such opposing responses?“Many people view boundaries as a way to restrain them,” says relationship coach, Dr.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/4StepsForSettingGood-BoundariesFences_In-Relationship.jpg9001400Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-16 00:00:002020-12-07 19:25:124 Steps for Setting Good Boundaries
In his book, Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married, Dr. Gary Chapman tells about the frustration he and his wife felt in the early years of their marriage. At one point, he shares that they went for weeks without cleaning the toilet. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t cleaning the toilet because that was something his mom always did.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/HowToDealWithUnspokenExpectations-emma-frances-logan-358437-1.jpg9001400Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2017-10-15 06:30:002022-05-10 11:50:16How to Deal With Unspoken Expectations
10 Resolutions for a Healthy Marriage
The top 10 resolutions for each new year are often to: lose weight, get organized, spend less/save more, enjoy life to the fullest, stay fit and healthy, learn something exciting, quit smoking, help others in their dreams, fall in love, and spend more time with family.These are great goals, but studies show that without accountability, your goals will be out the window in a month. But what if you and your spouse made some fun resolutions to build up your relationship?Here are some examples to he…
Facebook and Divorce
From America to Indonesia, the headlines read, "Facebook is Causing 20 Percent of Today’s Divorces."“When I heard the statistic, I did some research to find its source,” says Jason Krafsky. Krafsky co-authored Facebook and Your Marriage with his wife, Kelli. “It turns out that an online divorce firm in the UK sent out a press release stating that Facebook was cited in 1-in-5 divorce petitions.
Invest in Your Marriage
It isn’t unusual for people to make time to attend training to increase their job productivity, improve their golf swing or even enhance their cooking or gardening skills, but when was the last time you took time away to work on your marriage relationship?Imagine getting away for a week with your spouse and a few other couples with no worries about what time it is or who needs to be at what practice. No kids yelling, “Mommy” or bosses calling. No cell phones, computers, or tele…
How You Can Keep the "Honey" in Honeymoon
For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Starry-eyed in love, couples stand before friends and family and recite these vows with total commitment to each other.“Many people believe that if they have found their soulmate and are deeply in love, they won’t have disagreements or bad things happen in their marriage.
How to Choose a Christmas Gift for Your Wife
'Twas four days before Christmas when all through the house, no one was stirring, not even your spouse. Stockings were hung by the chimney with care. What should you get her? Buyer beware!Your wife all nestled snug in your bed while visions of diamonds danced in her head.
Keys to a Healthy Family, Part 2
Miss part 1? Don't worry – you can read it here!It did not take Dr. Chapman long to realize that having an attitude of service toward his wife transformed and actually saved his marriage.
There is Hope for Your Marriage
Margery D. Rosen, author of Seven Secrets of a Happy Marriage, a book based on her Ladies’ Home Journal column, Can this Marriage be Saved? interviewed hundreds of couples whose marriages were in distress and appeared hopeless.“The book is a compilation of columns over the years as well as information from social scientists to help couples have hope,” Rosen says.
Changing Family Holiday Traditions
Early in their marriage Susan and Scott* wanted to please both of their families when it came to how they spent time together over the holidays. Her mom wanted them to celebrate Thanksgiving with her. His mom celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, so her mom requested Christmas Day at her house. Despite some angst over changing things up, it worked fairly well until their first child came along.
Technology and Relationships
Have you ever thought about how today’s amazing technological advances affect relationships?There are very few places where you can’t technologically connect in some way. You can place calls whenever and wherever. It’s fairly inexpensive and there are no additional fees.
How You Can Have an Awesome, Amazing, Mind-Blowing Marriage
Do you want an awesome, amazing, mind-blowing marriage?The answer to that question is usually a resounding YES! But, it is quickly followed with something like, “I could only hope for that,” or “Only in my dreams.”“Based on my experience as a counselor, I think a lot of people feel like they are sentenced to a life of boredom when they marry,” says Darlene Karst, counselor, marriage educator and wife. “The reality is that could not be further from the tr…
Sex: From Sparklers to Fireworks in the Bedroom
According to marriage experts, there are probably more fireworks going on outside the bedroom than inside.Data collected from the 2014 General Social Survey indicates that married couples have sex approximately 58 times a year. If you are under 30, however, it’s around 111 times. Approximately 15 percent of married couples haven’t made love with their spouse in the last six months to a year.In a TEDx talk, therapist Michele Weiner-Davis describes this phenomenon as the sex-starved marr…
6 Tips for a “Til Death Do Us Part” Marriage
Have you ever thought or said these words?I just can’t take it anymore… We’ve grown apart… I love you as a friend, but I’m not in love with you anymore… You aren’t the person I married… Things change.The crazy thing is, many happily married people also experience some of these feelings. It's true. Sometimes you feel like you can’t take it anymore.
4 Tips for Handling a Ho-Hum Stage in Marriage
Is your marriage unexciting and dull? Have the feelings you had for each other on your wedding day become a distant memory? Do you ever look at other people and envy the spontaneity and freedom they seem to have?
How Date Night Can Boost Your Relationship
When it comes to romancing your mate for special holidays like Valentine's Day or birthdays, some couples have a head start on the celebration. Why? They've discovered that making regular time for each other is linked to lots of relationship benefits.According to The Date Night Opportunity, a 2012 report released by the National Marriage Project, couples who manage to devote time specifically to one another at least once a week:Are markedly more likely to enjoy high-quality relationships…
How Couples Can Handle Toxic Subjects
If you're married, you've probably had a spirited discussion or two with your spouse. Chances are, it's been about money, sex, jealousy over time spent outside the marriage, in-laws, child rearing or spirituality/faith.“Based on research, we have learned that these are six of the most common toxic subjects for couples,” says Beverly Rodgers, marriage and family therapist and co-author of Soul Healing Love. “These topics cause the greatest amount of conflict in a mar…
Why Date Night Matters
In the early years of marriage, couples usually find it easy to schedule date nights. Once children come along and careers get more intense though, date night takes last place on the list of important things needing attention. Before long, couples find themselves going through the motions of marriage and stuck in a rut when it comes to romance, all the while looking for a cure.Guess what?
Keys to Avoiding Empty Nest Divorce
Why do some couples embrace the empty nest while others end up in divorce court?“There are lots of sides to the empty nest that are complicated,” says psychologist, Dr. Susan Hickman. “Many experience depression, feelings of sadness, anxiety, identity crisis and significant grief.
How to Deal with Meddling Parents
“We love his parents, but they have a way of creating chaos between the two of us that has gotten to the point that we are seriously considering divorce,” says Karen.“I see this scenario in my office frequently,” says psychologist Dr. Susan Hickman. “In most instances, the parents of the now adult child didn’t have good boundaries when they were raising their child.
4 Steps for Setting Good Boundaries
Just say the word boundaries and watch what happens to people’s faces. Some immediately become suspicious and negative while others believe they are a good thing. Why does this word elicit such opposing responses?“Many people view boundaries as a way to restrain them,” says relationship coach, Dr.
How to Deal With Unspoken Expectations
In his book, Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married, Dr. Gary Chapman tells about the frustration he and his wife felt in the early years of their marriage. At one point, he shares that they went for weeks without cleaning the toilet. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t cleaning the toilet because that was something his mom always did.