Relationship Tips
#8 Marriage in the Wilderness
In this episode we reflect on Marriage in the Wilderness. All marriages will go through desert experiences and during the Season of Lent as we reflect on Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to pray and fast and how Christ was tempted by Satan we reflect on our own desert experiences in…
Read MoreThe Daily ‘I do’ When You’d Rather Not
At a recent business conference, a speaker made an offhand remark about having to recommit to her marriage vows every day. It was in the context of a discussion about the challenges of change management and how reforming a company culture requires persistence and recommitment in the face of setbacks and resistance. It was an…
Read MoreExpectations in Marriage
In this post we feature some extracts from a homily by Bishop Anthony Taylor of the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. Read the full article: here Expectations and Happiness Happiness is determined by our expectations and our ability to notice and rejoice in little things. If our expectations are modest, life will usually exceed our…
Read MoreThree Things I Wish I Knew Before We Got Married
The benefit of hindsight! There’s not a couple on earth who doesn’t have some words of wisdom about marriage to share with the young. I came across this on Facebook and was immediately impressed with insights articulated by this newlywed husband. We hope the SmartLoving community will find it helpful, and we’d love to hear what…
Read More#6 How to help a marriage in trouble
We all know someone whose marriage is in trouble or has ended. Often, they will drop hints or even speak openly in general conversation. How can we be supportive and helpful to friends and family when their marriage is struggling? Join us, and our guest, as we dig deep into our experience and share what…
Read MoreThe Perspective Check
When we reflect on our life, two things stand out as needing a reset: resentment and stress. Both of these undermine our relationship.
Read MoreChristmas Crazies!
If there is one thing that takes the edge off our Christmas joy, it’s the pressure of the consumer culture to give better, more unique, and thoughtful presents for an increasing multitude of people. No matter how much we criticize the materialistic values that dominate Christmas, every year, we get sucked into the eleventh hour…
Read More#5 Thoughts Emotions Needs
We’ve already explored how to deepen our communication as a couple but focusing on sharing our interior life, specifically, sharing at the more intimate levels of Emotions and Needs. But how do emotions and needs relate to each other? And importantly, how do our thoughts impact our emotions? In this conversation we’re exploring these nuances…
Read MoreDefiant Hope
Advent is a season of anticipation. The birth of any child, not least the Messiah, gives us cause for hope. Earlier this week, we heard the testimony of Chris and Natalie Stefanick, a couple who had journeyed through dark seasons in their marriage. Having survived sexual abuse as a child, Natalie found she needed many…
Read MoreCommitment
In his book, ‘The Power of Commitment‘, Scott Stanley (USA) provides some very useful insights into the nature of commitment. He identifies two types of relationship commitment: constraints and dedication. Constraint Commitment Constraint commitment refers to the ‘forces’ that resist the separation of a couple even when one or both partners would prefer to leave…
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