I’m talking about danger zones that lead to an affair.  Unlike road hazards, they are not always clearly marked with orange cones.  And, if you are not careful, you may hear yourself saying, “How did this happen?”  Here are some ways to help you steer clear of danger.  First, do you have an “office spouse” that you confide in?  Be careful.  Personal conversations should be reserved for your real spouse.  Second,...

It can happen without you even realizing it… you get married, days go by, years go by, and then—boom!  Your marriage is in trouble.  So what do you do?  Commit to rebuild your relationship with your spouse. The rebuilding process will take patience, determination, forgiveness, and honesty from both parties. If your marriage is really in trouble, here are 4 steps to marriage CPR. Along the way to rebuilding your...

You feel like it’s flat lined.  There’s no pulse—not a breath of life remains.  Before you pronounce it dead on arrival, there are four basic tools you can use to resurrect that dying relationship.  First, patience.  It took time for your relationship to need resuscitation; it will take time for it to get well again. Second, determination.  Choose to be committed to each other for life, no matter what, and work...

We’ve heard a lot about the “fiscal cliff.” But there’s an even more dangerous cliff that you may be on…the marriage cliff. Just like the fiscal cliff, we often tax our relationship by always demanding more and more from our spouse; we cut important relational programs; and, we refuse to deposit more into our relationship than we take out. As a result, we go over the marriage cliff and leave the relationship in...

Some people wouldn’t say much, but some would say degrading things about their spouse.  Sure, affairs do happen when things are going well in a marriage.  But sometimes, there have been years of neglect and loneliness…years of two people failing to give and love.  As my wife and I often say to each other, there are always two sides to every story.  And just as it may take two to pull the relationship apart, it...

Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are in the business of connecting people. Long-lost friends and classmates can be easily found, and relationships restored. But there’s a downside to social networking, too, especially when an old flame makes contact. In fact, marriages are breaking up over these “re-acquaintances.”  For some people, the temptation is just too much to handle. Your spouse should be...

After suffering poor health for decades, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in 1827 from lead poisoning. It was a slow and painful death. Bitterness in marriage is like that.  To find the antidote, we need to answer three questions.  First, what causes bitterness? Usually it’s not a single event, but several things that build up over time.  A wound here, an offense there… disappointment… betrayal. Second, what’s...