Marriage & Family: Marriage: Health & Home
Helping couples grow their marriage through biblical principles
while living in the real world with real issues.
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Lessons from the Campaign Trail
When the opportunity arose last year for my husband to throw his name into the race for state representative, we both felt it was a step God wanted him to take. Throughout the campaign, we repeated to ourselves and anyone who asked that we felt Raf was called to run—not necessarily to win. But we believed God would use the race itself for God's glory—and to teach us or show us both something ...
Related Topics: forgiveness, Marriage, Lessons, political leaders, politics, Selfishness
When the Kids Move Out
My wife and I were sitting at dinner the other night and I noticed an annoying sound coming from the next room. Click … click … click. Like water dripping, or maybe something sparking. So I went to investigate.
It was the clock ticking.
This is a sound we haven't heard in our house for almost 24 years. Oh, it's been there all along, ticking away, lurking behind louder sounds: babies crying, ...
Related Topics: Adjustment, Empty Nest, Encouragement, Marriage, Time Together, parenting, Parenting, Adult Children
The Next Nineteen Days
We have just 19 days left. I am all too aware that these might be our last ones. If that's true, then what would we have left each other? I'm wondering. And hoping to answer well.
I remember like yesterday when he asked me to marry him. He started out by reminding me, "PKD [polycystic kidney disease] is a genetic disorder. When they tested me when I was 16, they said I didn't have it, but you just ...
Related Topics: Health, Legacy, longing, Love, Transitions, Family
No TV? No Problem
When my wife and I purchased our first home two years ago, we faced a decision we'd been dreading ever since the early days of our marriage: could we live without television?
At the end of our engagement seven years ago, Jess and I decided that we didn't want to spend money for cable TV. Maybe we were young and naïve, but we just couldn't justify that expense in relation to our income. Not that ...
Related Topics: Adventure, Communication, Popular culture, Television
Tattle Tales
My husband ate my lunch!
One Sunday afternoon I saut'ed some matchstick carrots, sliced sweet onion and mushrooms, seasoned it with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese, put it all in a plastic container, and put it in the fridge for my lunch on Monday.
Sometime between putting it in the fridge Sunday and seeing the empty container in the sink Monday morning, I realized my husband ate it.
He ...
Spiritual Heart Disease
Ever since my husband's open-heart surgery last year, I've been hyper vigilant about my heart health. Maybe a little too hyper. I've relaxed a bit now, but I was taking my blood pressure several times a day. (It's always low.) I pop fish-oil capsules and baby aspirin daily. I haven't eaten pizza in months, and I'm pretty much caffeine free.Despite my newfound vigilance, I started experiencing heart ...
Bedtime Lessons
The other day my husband made our bed. While this gesture isn't noteworthy in and of itself, my reaction to it is.
To give you some background, Barry grew up with a mom who made his bed every day. When he joined the Air Force and had to make up his bunk, he paid people to do it for him (or so he says). Then he married me, a compulsive, neurotic bed-maker.
Our system works well for us. As long as I can ...
Signs
Anne LaBarbara finally snapped. Her husband, Frank, told her he wouldn't be leaving his workplace at 5 p.m. to start their vacation as he'd promised. Instead, he opted to take care of some machinery that was breaking down at the plant his family owned.
If only he'd opted to take care of his wife who was breaking down.
When Anne Stormed into his office and demanded he shut down the factory, her mother-in-law ...
My Gift
Shirley handled the news far better than I did. Even though the doctor reminded her that she was in the high-risk category, she didn't seem upset. She had breast cancer and it had already spread into the lymph nodes. He informed her that after surgery, she would have six weekly chemo injections.
Shirley is one of those individuals who has never been physically strong and has suffered from many illnesses. ...
Related Topics: Cancer, Caregiving, Love, Partnership, Romance
Timing Is Everything
People used to feel sorry for Rich and me because of our work schedules. Now they're envious.
If only they knew.
While we dated and when we were first married, I was working a normal eight-to-five office job. Meanwhile, Rich worked 4 p.m. until midnight or later, but with Saturdays and Sundays off, although our weekends didn't start until he awoke around noon. And that was the extent of our time together: ...
Related Topics: Companionship, Compromise, Conflict resolution, Time management
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