Married Couples
Know Your Spouse’s Unique Love Profile
Falling in love is a conversion experience. Most of us start out as self-centred individuals and suddenly find ourselves caring more about someone else’s happiness than we do our own. Some of the joy that we associate with being ‘in love’ is really that freedom to be outside of ourselves, caught up in the goodness…
Read MoreMarriage Martyrdom
Blood Red In a sea of red, the Cardinals of the Church gathered over the past few weeks to farewell Benedict, elect his successor, and inaugurate Francis. The red of their dress signifies blood, not Christ’s blood, but their blood, that they have proven themselves ready to spill in service of the faith and the…
Read MoreCohabitation Myth
Many dating couples opt to live together before deciding to marry, because they believe that it is a responsible and prudent thing to do. They reason that cohabitating together will be like a trial marriage. They will learn all about each other’s habits and discover whether they are truly compatible. And when they do finally…
Read MoreMarrying the ‘Right’ Person
We came across a really interesting article the other day – You Never Marry the Right Person, By Timothy Keller. The author makes some really great points. Firstly, the Soul Mate thing that is so common among ‘marriage seekers’. We have this belief, that if we can just find our soul mate, that perfectly compatible…
Read MoreTwo of Us: Fault Finding
On criticizing your spouse Reflect Separately, say the prayer and spend some time reflecting on the questions. Write some notes so that you can share more fully with your spouse. Prayer: Father, I come to you this day with love and yearning. I want to be better at our marriage. I need your help so…
Read MoreTwo of Us: Topics of Conversation
A couple exercise to examine the patterns of our communication Reflect Separately, say the prayer and spend some time reflecting on the questions. Write some notes so that you can share more fully with your spouse. Prayer Father, I thank you for you and I thank you for myself and I thank you for…
Read MoreThe Sleep Deprived Marriage
I remember my parents once advising us as newlyweds: ‘Don’t go cheap on your bed! One of the best things you can do for your marriage is make sure you get good sleep.’ At the time, we were rather bemused. However, nineteen years of marriage and five children later let there be no doubt, this…
Read MoreThe 50-50 Marriage Myth
In our society, a lot people think that marriage is a fifty-fifty arrangement. That we each contribute equally to the relationship. The problem with this kind of thinking, is that it leads us to hold back and to keep score. We fell into this trap earlier in our marriage. When life started to get busy…
Read MoreThe Art of Seduction
The Post-Marriage Paradox When it comes to winning the affections of a woman, most men think of flowers, jewellery, romantic dinners, and copious amounts of admiring comments about her looks. It works pretty well most of the time… until they get married and start a family. Now, these same gestures can sometimes, to his utter…
Read MoreSince it’s Not the End of the World…Make Some New Year Resolutions
Every New Year’s Eve it’s the same. We resolve to lose weight, get fit, cut back on bad habits and bring more balance into our lives. And sometimes, we even DO follow through, even if only for a few months. These are not bad resolutions. The question is: are these things the ones on which…
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