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How to Stay Connected Without Shared Interests

By Connection, Quality Time 11 Comments

Do you and your spouse share interests or hobbies? If so, that’s great! Spending quality time together doing things you both enjoy probably comes easily to you. This is a relationship strength that will help you stay connected and nurture your friendship throughout your marriage. But what if your interests don’t converge? Are you doomed to drift apart? We don’t think so. In fact, maintaining separate interests and your individual sense of identity can be good for your relationship, too. It’s all about balance.

Let’s explore some tips for staying connected when you don’t share many interests. Read More

Couple hanging artwork in new house

3 Conversations to Help You Grow Together Through Change

By Resilience One Comment

Do you relish change – embracing new challenges and experiences with confidence and enthusiasm? Or do you prefer routine – feeling most comfortable with the familiar and knowing what comes next?

Whichever camp you fall into, change is inevitable. How we respond to it, of course, makes all the difference. Those who are averse to change might have practice in being intentional about how they manage transitions. Even for those that thrive on change, learning to take the necessary considerations can be a valuable lesson.

In marriage, changes and transitions bring about an added layer of complexity. Why? Because you’re not only managing two different thresholds for change, you’re also juggling the changes you go through as an individual, changes in your relationship, as well as how all of those factors affect your relationship. Phew! That sounds like a lot to manage, and it can feel that way, too. But one of the best things you can do throughout all of it is keep communicating. Here are three conversations to help you grow together and stay connected through change. Read More

Couple's intertwined hands on blanket

4 Times It’s Okay To Go To Bed Angry

By Conflict 7 Comments

When you think of cliché relationship advice, it’s hard to beat the adage of “Never go to bed angry.” It might sound idyllic, but when you find yourselves still hashing out an argument at 2am you might start to wonder if it’s advice worth following.

Every couple is different, so if this rule works of you, that’s great! If it doesn’t, you’re not alone. In fact, there are times when going to bed angry – or with unresolved conflict – is okay. In fact, it might actually be in your relationship’s best interest. Let’s explore. Read More

Happy couple dancing in the street

10 Ways to Connect in 10 Minutes or Less

By Connection 10 Comments

In an ideal world, you and your spouse get to enjoy a weekly date night and ample time each day to check in and connect. Reality looks different. Depending on your season of life, you might be lucky if you get a date night every couple months and a few minutes of quiet after the kids the are in bed – and before you’re both ready for bed, too. Even if things aren’t that hectic for you right now, sometimes you’re simply crunched for time. Do you have to sacrifice staying connected? We don’t think so. Here are 10 ways to connect in 10 minutes or less. Read More

couple sitting inside tent with lights

3 Essential Relationship Boundaries

By Relationship Basics 13 Comments

Picture this: a rare and precious jewel sparkles under a glass case atop a pedestal. Surrounding the treasure are some questionable characters who want to break into the case so they can have that jewel for themselves.

Now imagine your relationship is that jewel, and those characters are all of the external factors that, while not necessarily sinister in nature, have the potential to disrupt or damage the equilibrium of your relationship. This might seem like a dramatic comparison, but the idea is the same. We need to be protective of our relationship by creating boundaries in these areas: Read More

Premarital couple facing each other smiling sitting in back of car

Premarital Milestones to Appreciate Even After You’re Married

By Premarital 4 Comments

Marriage often seems to mark the start of your lives together. And yet, you had a life together before you were married, too. The milestones you went through when you were dating or engaged can lose a bit of their color with the passage of time and the start of a shiny new chapter of life. However, they are just as important to your story because they got you to where you are now. Here are the premarital milestones to appreciate even after you’re married. Read More

Smiling Couple Hugging Outdoors Leaning on a Wooden Fence

5 Ways to Show Commitment

By Relationship Basics 6 Comments

Will you marry me? ’Til death do us part. I do. For better or for worse. In sickness and in health.

What do these phrases all have in common? Well, we tend to associate all of them with commitment. While what they signify is important, at the end of the day, they’re just words. Commitment can be present even without a formal ceremony or vows, and it can be absent even with those things. The game-changer is how you live out your commitment to each other – the actions and attitudes that reinforce the verbal expression. Without further “I do”, here are five ways to show commitment. Read More

Couple Sitting on Deck Chairs and Kissing

Ask These Questions On Every Anniversary

By Connection, Premarital 9 Comments

How do you celebrate your wedding anniversary? Whether you go big or keep it low-key, an anniversary is something to take pride in. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the past year together in the context of your relationship. One way to make this a meaningful tradition is to ask each other these questions every year. (Consider jotting down your answers in a notebook or journal that you can look back on later!) Read More

How To Get The Most Out Of Premarital Counseling

By Premarital 11 Comments

Have you recently started premarital counseling or are you getting ready to? Are you still considering whether it’s something you should do? Whether you’re being required to complete premarital through you church or you’re seeking it out on your own, there’s one thing you need to know: you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Here’s how to get the most out of premarital counseling. Read More

couple with good communication holding hands while walking on urban pavement

5 Habits That Sabotage Good Communication

By Relationship Basics 13 Comments

When it comes to communicating with your partner, not every conversation is created equal. Sometimes you’re able to clearly convey what you want and you come out of it on the same page – and same team. Other times, wires get crossed, an innocent exchange gets derailed, and you find yourselves feeling frustrated and misunderstood.

We’re human – our own emotions, biases, and expectations can cloud our ability to convey exactly what we mean or accurately interpret what our spouse is telling us. Despite good intentions, you might actually be sabotaging your efforts toward good communication with these five habits. Read More