Family by God&#039;s Design

Old School Romance: The Spectacular Date Night

Date can boost intimacy and fun in a marriage…or it can lead to a cul-de-sac of frustration and loneliness. Consider these statements, four of the many I’ve heard over the years, describing date nights gone awry. “We were having a great date until he got drunk and ruined it all.” “She just can’t go one...

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April 22, 2017

Why Thank Your Spouse for Doing Chores?

I’ve heard it a thousand times (well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I have heard it a lot!): “Why should I thank her for doing what she’s supposed to do?” Or, “I’m not going to thank him for doing what a man’s supposed to do!” Or, “Why should I thank him for...

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April 17, 2017

Old School Romance With Surprising Benefits

Don’t have a lot of money? Wonder how to put a little romance in your marriage when you can’t afford a dozen roses, a fancy dinner out, or a movie and popcorn? Well, go “old school.” “Old school” romance often costs very little and still packs a punch! In fact, this “old school” romance tip...

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April 8, 2017

Simple, Every Day Marriage Boosters

Marital intimacy is built upon simple everyday activities. Here are a few of those simple every day activities you can use to strengthen your marriage. Hold hands every day. Hold hands while you take a walk. Hold hands while you watch TV. Hold hands while you sit together. Hold hands every chance you get. Give...

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March 13, 2017

A Two-Week Marriage Improvement Challenge

A research team from University of Rochester recently published an interesting study on marriage and compassion. They had 175 newlywed couples (married an average of just over 7 months) keep a two-week diary recording instances in which either spouse put aside personal wishes in order to meet their partner’s needs. These compassionate acts included meeting...

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March 6, 2017

Building a Purpose-Filled Marriage

Marriages benefit when partners take the time to reflect on their marriage and establish the driving values of their relationship. Your marriage will grow more intimate when you and your spouse acknowledge your common purpose and the values behind that purpose. Discussing your marital values and purpose will set you marriage on a trajectory of...

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March 4, 2017

Take Me Out to the Ballgame…For a Better Marriage

Baseball season is fast approaching and that’s good news for marriages. Let me explain. In the early 1990’s Howard Markman, director of The University of Denver Center for Marital and Family Studies, conducted an informal study of cities with major league baseball teams (See Baseball Preserves Marriage). He discovered that cities with major league baseball...

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February 13, 2017

Make Date Night Spectacular

Remember the movie Date Night (2010) with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey? It was a fun movie about a couple (Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) who went on a date to escape the bored routine of their life and spark up their romance. In their attempt to have a glamorous night out, they get mixed...

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February 6, 2017

Old School Time to Nurture Your Marriage

I hardly remember the day (even though it was not so long ago) when we had no cell phones or even pagers. Remember what it was like to have only one phone in the house…and that one attached to the wall? What did married couples do to stay in touch? How did married couples know...