Four Ways to Support Your Spouse in Tough Times

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Conflict, Listening, Marriage Health, When Life is Difficult

Ever been caught unexpectedly in a severe storm? There aren’t many things more terrifying. Even if you are not physically harmed by the wind or high water, the long term after-effects of a major storm can derail your life as you deal with damage to home and property. Forbes recently published a list of some of the worst storms ever …

Is Criticism Getting in the Way of Intimacy in Your Marriage?

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Conflict, Criticism, Goals, Intimacy, Listening, Romance

No marriage is perfect. And if we are honest, sometimes we all wish our spouse would speak or behave differently. In a healthy relationship, a husband and wife can communicate these irritations or frustrations in ways that don’t tear each other down. When there is mutual love and respect, such conversations can bring about positive results. By comparison, when spouses …

One Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Marriage Right Now

Melody MorrisCommunication, Marriage Health, Quality Time, Reconnecting

Recently I flew to visit my mother and took advantage of free on board wi-fi to catch up on emails. My husband was traveling in Africa, and we connected by Face Time just long enough for me to tell him I was on a plane and would try to reach him later. I looked at my phone, and felt incredibly …

Four Good Reasons to Pray Together

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommitment, Communication, Contentment, Faith, Marriage Health, Reconnecting

Pray together. It’s kind of a crazy idea when you think about it. The Creator of the Universe invites us into a conversation. We talk, and Almighty hears. We listen, and God has messages for us. Prayer is both intimate and powerful, and inviting God into your marriage relationship through prayer is full of possibilities. So while there are lots of …

Is It Possible to Fall Out of Love?

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommitment, Communication, Conflict, Divorce, Marriage Courses, Marriage Health, Reconnecting, Selfishness

Albert Einstein once said, “You can’t blame gravity for falling in love.” No indeed. So if you’ve been “bitten by the love bug” or shot by one of “cupid’s” arrows, you may seem “head over heels” or even “love sick”. Researchers have discovered chemical reactions in the brain that account for such behavior. It seems that increased levels of the feel-good …

We saved our marriage.

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Conflict, Divorce, Reconnecting, Separation

Did we return home after our weekend at A New Beginning all lovey-dovey and fixed? Absolutely not. But we did come home armed with tools, knowledge, processes, and most importantly, hope. We had hope that, with work, we could save our marriage.

Couple separated by wall - criticism

Criticism: An Enemy of Intimacy – Part 1

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Marriage Health, Uncategorized

The words we speak are powerful. You may be familiar with an illustration about bullying that has been widely circulated around the internet. A teacher instructed her students to take a piece of paper and crumple it, stomp on it, and really mess it up—everything short of ripping it. Then, she had them unfold the paper and try to smooth …

Couple blaming each other - defensiveness

Is Your Defensiveness Hurting Your Marriage?

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Marriage Health, Uncategorized

Defensiveness is a natural reaction. Everyone has heard a cat hiss or a dog growl when they sense a threat. Maybe you’ve even been the unfortunate victim of a skunk’s smelly defense mechanism. The Indonesian mimic octopus has quite an impressive defense system. This remarkable creature fools potential predators by impersonating other animals or objects. It can change its shape, …

Woman rejects man's gift of a plastic heart - different love language

Are You and Your Spouse Speaking Different Love Languages?

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Marriage Health, Romance, Uncategorized

Do you have trouble understanding what your spouse needs to feel loved? As soon as we were old enough to understand it, most of us were probably taught some version of “Do unto others as you’d have done to you.” The Golden Rule, as we call it, is a wise biblical principle to keep in mind as we deal with …