My husband and I were out with friends at a baseball game a couple of weeks ago. Though we were focused more on conversation than the game, my husband always knew what was happening on the field. Occasionally he’d comment on plays or erupt in cheers. A similar thing happens when the topic of sports comes up in conversation. He knows what teams … [Read more...] about Using Your Husband’s Love of Sports to Strengthen Your Marriage
handling differences
That It May Benefit Those Who Listen: The Harm of Doom and Gloom Advice
“Just you wait until…” I cringe when I hear those words. Why? The vast majority of the time they are followed by doom and gloom advice. Sometimes it’s the veteran wife to the newlywed: “Just you wait until you’ve been married for a few years. He’ll stop making romantic gestures and you’ll by annoyed by the quirks you think are cute now.” … [Read more...] about That It May Benefit Those Who Listen: The Harm of Doom and Gloom Advice
Christmas in July: Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas
Welcome to the fourth installment of Christmas in July 2013. You can read about the purpose of Christmas in July here. Links to the previous posts in the series are located at the bottom of this post. Have you ever experienced frustration, embarrassment, or other unpleasant emotions because your family didn’t discuss or didn’t agree … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas
Awesome Things About In-Laws
In-laws are frequently the object of stereotypes and jokes that portray them in a negative light. The image of in-laws, especially mother-in-laws, as nosey, disapproving, and overbearing is so pervasive that it’s nearly impossible to find accounts of positive in-law relationships. I’m blessed to have very good relationships with my … [Read more...] about Awesome Things About In-Laws
Forming Positive Relationships with Difficult Neighbors
Last week I wrote a post about the declining sense of connectedness between neighbors in our nation and why we need to reverse this trend (read the post here). It is often easy to assert the benefits of connectedness and make recommendations for getting to know your neighbors when speaking of neighbors in a general sense. The subjective view … [Read more...] about Forming Positive Relationships with Difficult Neighbors
Building Friendships with People Whose Views Differ From Yours
I met some amazing friends during college. Regardless of passing years and increasing geographic distance, many of my friends and I have managed to maintain our relationships. I have no doubt this is partially due to the fact that we share very similar views. With these girls, it’s easy to talk about anything because I know they’ll understand … [Read more...] about Building Friendships with People Whose Views Differ From Yours
His Way Works, Too
A few months ago I found my husband loading some dishes into the dishwasher. At first I was elated—after all, it meant there would be less work for me. As I watched him, though, I grew concerned because he wasn’t loading the dishwasher the correct way…you know, the way I load it. I started giving him some pointers regarding where certain … [Read more...] about His Way Works, Too
Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Embracing a Food Philosophy Without Judging Others
Our culture is rife with various food philosophies, which are the beliefs, attitudes, and values a person holds regarding food selection, cooking, and eating. The philosophies seem innumerable—real food, traditional food, organic, fair trade, free range, unpasteurized, locavore, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, etc. While the health and environmental … [Read more...] about Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Embracing a Food Philosophy Without Judging Others