Habit Makers, Habit Breakers

Lately, we’ve slipped into a not-so-good habit. After dinner, and after all the normal stuff is done, we collapse onto the couch in front of the TV. We settle into our various devices – answering emails, prepping for meetings the next day or updating our SmartLoving social media accounts. Before we know it, a couple…

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You’re late! And other Marital Mishaps

There’s an age-old argument that seems to plague couples the world over. No, we’re not talking about the toothpaste tube or the toilet seat up or down debate. We’re referring to the ‘you’re late!’ issue. We’ve all been there. When our spouse keeps us waiting, it hurts. There can be good reasons for it, or…

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The Smarter Way to Love

|Loving smart is easy when you know how|

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love requires a conscious decision and focused investment. Loving the Smart way is easy when you know how. Our romance was a whirlwind of delight and passion. Over an intense two years, we courted with a dedicated focus: from the very beginning, it was clear that we were…

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Power and Passion

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Christians have a rather unusual perspective on passion. ‘Passion’ Sunday marks the beginning of Holy week and the holiest day in the Church calendar celebrates the ‘passion’ of our Lord. To the secular culture, passion is more about energetic living than about suffering and death. The dictionary offers the definition of passion as ‘a powerful…

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A Field Hospital For The Soul

We’ve written a lot about forgiveness, about the need to forgive others not just because Jesus’ commands us to do so but because it liberates us to receive love. As we approach 30 years of marriage, like most long-married couples we understand the relevance of forgiving the other all too well. But what about receiving…

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Stop Whining Already!

It might not be official church teaching, but the admonishment against complainers got as close as it’s possible to get when Pope Francis recently posted this notice on his residential door. Translated from Italian the notice reads: “You are forbidden to complain. Violators are subject to a victim mentality that decreases one’s sense of humour…

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In marriage, you get what you look for

Success in marriage can be as simple as looking for the right things. When we were dating, everything about the other seemed exciting and wonderful. Each discovery about the each other was a delight. There were still the stuff ups and let downs, but we lived in an aura of good will and such disappointments…

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Relationship Meltdown in Ikea

“Why do couples fight in Ikea?” friends asked us. They had made a long-planned store visit on the weekend and almost every couple they encountered, including themselves, were stressed, tense and exchanging angry words. What starts out as a highly anticipated, romantic outing too often degenerates into a ‘I should have stayed in bed’ day.…

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Lessons from Mr and Mrs Smith

Earlier this week the news reported that Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. Together for over a decade and married for two years, the Brangelina match appears to be over. Irrespective of the reasons for the breakdown of their marriage (and why it is anyone else’s business anyway), every broken marriage is…

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BreakThrough Strategy – TaNGo

Do you feel stuck in your relationship? Going nowhere? Frustrated and hurt by your spouse’s behavior?   Read on to learn about TaNGo, a powerful strategy from the BreakThrough workshop. For additional notes, visit the slide show at http://www.haikudeck.com/p/vT9bK4GbW4/breakthrough# Breakthrough – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires To find out more about the BreakThrough…

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