I’m a talker— I process verbally, I enjoy public speaking, I was on the speech & debate team in high school. My husband— Andrew— is a man of fewer words. He takes more time to process information. I’m actually struggling to complete this description right now, so I asked him for input. His response? “I think that’s it.” Yup, that about sums up our different…
The Art of Active Listening
Most people rarely experience being *deeply* listened to; you can give your spouse that gift! Last week we talked about Selective Hearing, which is all about catching every drop of what your spouse communicates. This episode puts that conversation on steroids: learning how to seek out and gain insight into each other and internalize it in healthier ways. If you ACTIVELY listen to this episode,…
You Love Your Phone More Than You Love Me!
Do you ever feel like you’re competing for your spouse’s attention? And your competition is… their phone? This is such a tricky subject to broach— mostly, I think, because we’ve all become rather attached to these little screens. They entertain, soothe, delight, and engage us with little-to-no pushback. People, on the other hand, generally require a bit more from us. I want to tell you…
Dealing with Selective Hearing
There are three types of selective hearing, all of which have the same result: poor communication. Today we talked through the common ways couples fall into selective hearing habits and cover tangible ways to break the habits in their relationship. We hope this episode helps you! Our new marriage learning project ~~Gospel Centered Marriage~~ is now open for enrollment! It’s a great way to build…
4 Keys to Connect with Your Spouse When Your World is Crumbling
Intimacy requires investment. Connection requires cultivation. We cannot expect marriages to grow and strengthen in the course of regular, daily life— or the added chaos of any trial!— if we are not willing to invest time, energy, and servant-hearted love in the relationship. In the early years of my marriage my husband and I had no clue how to cultivate real connection. It took years…
How to Talk About Sex
Every healthy married couple should not only prioritize sex but also communicating on the topic of sex. None would likely disagree (at least, not in most modern contexts), because what can a couple lose by talking about their sex life together? This a peculiar topic because it’s one area where we’ll heartily agree with the culture’s message: it’s right, good, and healthy to talk about…
Talking about talking
Healthy communication is like breathing: you take it for granted until you can’t do it. This week we’re starting a series on communication by laying some groundwork and dissecting the Bible’s most common verse about communication (hint, it’s not actually about communication). Finally, we cover 5 basic habits every couple needs to talk and listen with greater skill and intentionality. We hope it blesses you!…
5 Hurtful Phrases to Delete From Your Marriage Vocabulary
It’s impossible to define everything everyone should or shouldn’t say in every situation. However, there are some phrases that are usually unhelpful for marriage. Join us as we explore each one! Our brand new marriage learning project, Gospel Centered Marriage is now LIVE. It’s a great way to get a solid marriage foundation and finally get on the same page. Visit GospelCenteredMarriage.com to learn more.…
7 Steps to Confronting Your Husband About Pornography Use
This excerpt is taken from Aftershock: Overcoming His Secret Life with Pornography: A Plan for Recovery by Joann Condie with Geremy Keeton. More information on the book and other helpful resources can be found at the end of the post. One day—either today or several years ago—you learned that your husband has used pornography, and that may, or may not, have led to other unfaithful…
All About Attachment Styles
Attachment styles are all about the way you interact the way you do, particularly around need, affection, and conflict. In this episode we talked through the four common attachment styles for relationships and, as usual, looked at Scripture to see how the gospel informs this area of marriage. We hope it blesses you! Our brand new marriage learning project, Gospel Centered Marriage is now LIVE.…