How long has it been since you’ve written a love letter to your spouse? We found this sweet letter from a wife to her husband, and it inspired us. Because there’s something about an actual old-fashioned letter that is undeniably romantic—even when it’s written on a computer. In an age when too much communication comes in the form of a …
Grateful for the past—Anticipating the future at MDI
An open letter from our Executive Director: Fall classes are winding down, and we have one more A New Beginning workshop on this year’s calendar. It’s hard to believe, but very soon we’ll say goodbye to 2019 and launch into a new year. So much has happened! Marriage Dynamics celebrated 25 years of ministry this year. Recently, I sat down with our …
Gratitude: It’s Good for your Marriage
‘Tis the season for gratitude, aka Thanksgiving. And traditionally, Thanksgiving is marked by gathering around the holiday table with family and friends. (And watching football games on television. While enjoying another piece of pie.) Hopefully, in the midst of all the food and fun, we take time to give thanks for our blessings. Because Thanksgiving is all about gratitude. But …
Make the Holidays Easier on Your Marriage
Does your blood pressure rise when you look up and realize there are Christmas decorations out at your local big-box store, and it’s only OCTOBER? And feeling pressure to catch the Christmas spirit does not seem to make the holidays easier. Healthline surveyed more than 2,200 people and found that nearly 65% of people feel moderate or significant amounts of …
“Fall” in Love Again—A Dozen Autumn Dates
It may be 95 degrees at your house, but the calendar says Autumn has arrived. And the change of seasons brings a return to some familiar rhythms of life. Because kids are back in school. Friday night lights are ablaze in cities and towns across the country. And pumpkin spice is absolutely everywhere. After the lazy days of summer, life …
The Gift of a Strong Marriage (Part 2) — Stability
When you decide to get married, you start making plans. And after you marry, you keep making plans. But you know what they say. Life is what happens while you are making plans. My husband and I had a five year plan when we married. We knew what we wanted to do and where we wanted to be. And we …
Surviving the Empty Nest
The eighteen years or so that a child is at home are filled with all kinds of activity, and a wide range of emotions. And when that child leaves home—for college, or the military, to move into their own apartment or get married—the house may seem incredibly empty. If weekends have been filled with sporting events, dance competitions, youth group …
Communication: You Can’t Have a Great Marriage Without It
You can stay married – maybe even for a long time. You can raise happy, healthy children. And your life may appear successful. Others may see you and want what you have. But you know the truth. At home when all the kids are in bed—or grown and gone—and it’s just you and your spouse… are you lonely? Many couples …
Don’t Let These Marriage Misconceptions Derail Your Relationship
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 …
Gray Divorce-Older Couples Calling It Quits
Do you ever wonder why so many couples make it through twenty-five, or thirty or even forty years of marriage and then call it quits? “Gray divorce” usually refers to baby boomer couples who split up after a long marriage. And while the divorce rate in the United States has fallen slightly over the past twenty years, divorces among those …