Family by God&#039;s Design

Great Marriages Have CARP

Many people in the area I live (Western PA) know about the carp at Pymatuning, “where ducks walk on carp.” Over 300,000 people a year throw chunks of bread into the water and watch the carp literally swim on top of one another to eat it. So many carp clamber over one another that ducks...

Honor

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January 14, 2017

Your Marriage, Your Health

Remember the Vulcan blessing, “Live long and prosper.” To really live long and prosper a person needs health relationships. In fact, you might have heard of the impact of one particular relationship on health. Marriage increases health and well-being. Well, that statement is only partially true. Let me be more specific. Only healthy marriages result...

Celebration Honor

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December 10, 2016

Play for a Better Marriage

Play offers innumerable benefits to your marriage. Let me name a few. Play allows you to spend time with your spouse and enjoy your spouse’s company. This builds intimacy. Play can deepen and broaden your marital relationship. It provides a time in which we are absorbed in your marital relationship. Play helps to heal any...

Celebration

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December 3, 2016

Beatitudes for a Happy Marriage

Happy the couple who humbly serves one another; that couple shall inherit a joyous intimacy. Happy the couple who is attentive, observant, and studious of one another; they shall know their spouse deeply. Happy the couple who is intentionally responsive to one another; they will know a secure connection and deep friendship with one another....

Celebration Honor

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November 21, 2016

“You Complete Me” Kills a Marriage

At least two quotes came out of the movie Jerry Maguire (1996): “Show me the money” and “You complete me.” I wouldn’t mind if someone took the time to “show me the money.” Better yet, hand me the money. I’m glad to work for it, but I still want someone to “show me the money.”...

Grace Honor

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October 31, 2016

Happy Wife, Happy Life…& The Rest of the Story!

A recent study of 1,981 middle age heterosexual couples supports the saying, “happy wife, happy life” plus more! What could be more? Well, it’s not just about wives. “Happy husband, happy life.” “Happy wife, happy life.” They’re both true! A happy spouse contributes a healthier life over time. In fact, the principal investigator of this...

Celebration Honor

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October 22, 2016

Marriage Compelled By the Love of Christ

I recently had the opportunity to speak on marriage with a local congregation during their worship service. The passage for the morning was Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who...

Grace Honor

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August 29, 2016

The First Step in Effective Discipline

I read a blog from Greater Good entitled What Happens to Kids When Parents Fight. It is an excellent article and well worth the read. You can read it by clicking here. The author notes that children pay close attention to their parents’ emotions. They carefully observe their parents’ interactions and determine how safe the...

Family Shepherds

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August 13, 2016

Marital Conflict & the Fly on the Wall

Every married couple will experience conflict. Spouses disagree. Fortunately, the University of Waterloo is discovering ways to promote the successful resolution of that conflict. Here are two research based exercises they suggest for resolving marital conflict in a positive way: The Fly on the Wall. When you find yourself in conflict with your spouse, take...