Older couple walking on beach.- close together.

From Separation to Sharing the Love: A Dynamic Marriage Journey

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommitment, Communication, Connection, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, Humility, Intimacy, Marriage Counseling, Marriage Courses, Marriage Health, Quality Time, Reconnecting, Selfishness, Separation, Uncategorized

Every Dynamic Marriage journey has a “before” story. For *Greg and Kate Watts, the story began when they met in 1976. According to them, it was love at first sight. We enjoyed being together and spending hours in great conversation.  We shared the same sense of humor.  Our interests were similar.  We enjoyed going to church together and our personalities …

Hand circling the word "facts" - choosing truth over marriage misconception

Don’t Let These Marriage Misconceptions Derail Your Relationship

Marriage Dynamics InstituteCommunication, Conflict, Contentment, Marriage Courses, Marriage Health, Patience, Uncategorized

Before getting married, most of us believe we have some idea of what makes a marriage successful. Consciously or subconsciously, we have formed opinions as we’ve made observations and absorbed information from other people, books, the internet, TV, or other sources. Unfortunately, some popular beliefs about marriage aren’t accurate. Some may contain a bit of truth, but they are not …

Couple holding hands in field - question that could change your marriage

The Question That Could Change Your Marriage

Marriage Dynamics InstituteConflict, Humility, Reconnecting, Uncategorized

Richard Paul Evans is the No. 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 35 novels. He has received numerous awards for his books, as well as his humanitarian work to help abused and neglected children and teens. Yet none of this helped him when his marriage began falling apart. The tension between Richard and his …

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 outdoors in fall - fun fall date night ideas

14 Fun Fall Date Night Ideas

Marriage Dynamics InstituteQuality Time, Reconnecting, Uncategorized

Have you taken time for a date lately? Just the two of you, with no little ones in tow? With the colorful foliage and a slight chill in the air, fall is a wonderful season to enjoy a romantic afternoon or evening together. Here are some fun ideas to inspire you… 14 Fall Date Night Activities Go for a hike …

Young African American family - keeping love alive while parenting

Balancing Marriage and Parenting: Keeping Love Alive While You Raise Kids

Marriage Dynamics InstituteContentment, Marriage Health, Reconnecting, Uncategorized

Balancing marriage and parenting is not for the faint of heart. For most of us, bringing home our first child introduces a whole new kind of love into our lives. Holding that newborn baby for the first time, we know we’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe and warm and happy. Yet we soon discover that bringing that little …

empty bird nest - reconnect during empty nest years

Reconnect with Your Spouse During the Empty Nest Years

Marriage Dynamics InstituteMarriage Health, Reconnecting, Uncategorized

A happily married friend recently shared that when her kids were growing up, she asked her husband, “What in the world are we going to do together when they leave?” They began brainstorming for activities they could do together. He loved to go fishing; she had no interest. She loved seeing plays, but they bored him to tears. He enjoyed …

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 …

A small heart sitting in a Bible - spiritual growth as a married couple

Will You Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing in Your Marriage?

MattFaith, Time Management, Uncategorized

Where is spiritual growth on your to-do list? It’s no secret; you have a lot to do. You and everyone else in the world. There are so many demands on our time, in fact, that the time we have with our spouses is highly limited. Distractions don’t leave, either, just because you’re under the same roof with your spouse. Kids …