She interrupted me mid-sentence…again. He left his clothes in a heap on the bedroom floor…again. Those annoying habits can be frustrating, especially when we’ve asked our spouse to stop doing them so many times. So what should you do? First, ask yourself, “Why does that habit really bother me?” A habit might frustrate us if we have a certain way of doing things and our spouse does things very differently. Second,...
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Thunderstorms here in Florida come and go…often very quickly. But what about the storms in our lives…the ones that don’t disappear so easily? Anxiety can be one of those storms, and it’s more common than we think. Anxiety affects 40 million adults in America…about 18% of our population. Recently, some of my friends shared with me their battles with anxiety. So what can you do if you experience anxiety? ...
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Most of us want to be in control of things. We want to control people. We want to control circumstances. Basically, we want to control our entire lives. But we all know that we rarely get to decide how life goes. Author Matt Mooney wrote about a time in his life when he realized that self-sufficiency was an impossible goal. Becoming a father for the first time revealed to Matt just how out of control he really is....
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Emotions are so powerful that at times they seem to overwhelm us. Emotions like jealousy, anger, fear, worry, and grief can put us on a reactionary path. But you don’t have to be controlled by your emotions. These tips may help. First, be the boss of your thoughts. Emotions certainly affect your thoughts, but your thoughts can also guide your emotions. Try to look at an emotional decision or situation with someone...
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Let’s face it: we all make mistakes. And more often than not, the recipient of those mistakes is our spouse. But small failures in a marriage don’t mean it’s time to give up. Instead, it’s an opportunity to be honest with ourselves about the areas we struggle in so that we can learn. So here are some common marriage mistakes and how to overcome them. First, we often take our spouse for granted. Instead, it’s...
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It’s easy to instruct your mate on how they can be a better husband or wife. But maybe it’s time to look at yourself. Maybe it’s time for you to be the best you can be. How? First, accept your spouse for who they are. Love them unconditionally. Accept their wonderful qualities…and their flaws. Second, applaud your spouse. When you see your spouse doing something good, encourage them with your words. Third,...
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Today I realized that I’ve been writing and speaking about how to have a great marriage, but I haven’t been putting all of it into practice. Why? Well, a house flood, new book, financial pressures, family health challenges, and busyness have all played a role in keeping me from focusing on my marriage. But there’s no excuse. So, what am I doing about it? First, I’m re-reading some of my own blog posts on marriage...
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