Our little girl isn't looking for advice; she's looking to connect. And she does that through what she shares, expecting reciprocation. So in two-and-a-half years, she's managed to teach my husband more about communicating with women than I have.
We spend lots of money and time preparing for the wedding day. The penguin suits and puffy white dresses, cakes, champagne, the guests, where the service will be, then the reception. A lot of work for just a few hours of time. Often, we spend more time and energy preparing for the wedding, than we do preparing for the marriage. What would happen if we actually prepared ourselves for marriage, not just the wedding? What might that ‘preparing the garden’ process look like? Read on for three tips to prepare YOUR garden for marriage!
Do you and your spouse use a single, joint checking account? Or do you choose to keep separate bank accounts? Have you considered the alternatives? I was frankly surprised at the responses I’ve heard to these questions over the past week or so. And I was really shocked at the emotional reaction that many have in defending the structure of their family finances.
The world outside shifts quickly when you're at home. It starts to feel too big; there's too much you need to protect your children from in it. But the truth is that the world outside isn't too big; it’s that when you let a part of yourself go—like your career—your world becomes smaller. And without balance, you lose perspective, a sense of proportion.
"Prayer changes things." We've all heard this, and many of us probably believe it, at least in theory. But can it really work in the day-to-day dealings of your marriage? Can prayer really strengthen your marriage? Can it even rescue a marriage that's crumbling?
As a self proclaimed feminist, I was surprised by how hobbled I was by my love for our first born, that I, who’d argued for years how important it was that women remain in the workforce after giving birth, couldn’t imagine being anywhere but home. I'd always prided myself on being independent and self sufficient, secure on my own two feet. Now, without a paycheck, I felt lost, unsure of my worth.
After watching my parents in their marriage, and learning what works and what doesn't on my own, here are 10 things men can do to better their marriages right away.
Author Kay Hymowitz has a provocative new book that asks whether the rise of powerful women have turned men into boys. In Manning Up, Hymowitz argues that men today are free from the traditional tests of manhood—marrying and providing for children, and this freedom comes at a price: an increasing number of men are stuck in a state of permanent adolescence.
You want to get married. And because you’ve grown up in a Christian environment that places marriage on a massive pedestal, this desire is neither surprising nor shameful. It’s merely something you’ve always assumed would be a part of your future. Yes, you are aware that the divorce rate in America continually hovers around fifty percent. You’re also realistic enough to recognize that in spite of what you learned from Jerry Maguire, a romantic partner is not going to "complete you." But, you want to have babies at some point in time, and as cheesy as it may sound, you still vaguely believe in love and think it’s possible that you might find it—yet your thirtieth birthday is looming on the horizon, and in the world of Christian dating, you are decidedly past your prime.
Every week we can manage, Traditional Love rounds up the best articles on the web about love and marriage and this week we found some doozies. NPR criticizes The Bachelor's choice of brides (oh snap!) and Stephanie Coontz calls marriage the "catalyst for divorce" and former child star Melissa Gilbert tries to recussitate her 16-year marriage. Phew. That, and more. What were you talking about this week?
