Blending families is a labor of love, patience, and perseverance. Your combined family will need your persistent prayers to thrive. And your relationship must be shored up and well-supported to cope with everyday challenges. Mixing your new marriage, roles as parents and step-parents, and the unpredictability of children who may struggle with

The promise to love each other forever is a serious commitment. Some people get so overwhelmed by the gravity of it that their feet go cold for a while before they say “I do.” Others are so excited by the possibilities that they run down the aisle. Either way, nervous or gung-ho, you want your marriage to be blessed and healthy. You want it to

Choosing life together after infidelity is an honorable goal. But it is not an easy one. Affair recovery takes time. Trusting God with your marriage until you can trust each other again will be unlike any other challenge you have ever faced before. Why is it so difficult? Because betrayal is a hurt that drove a wedge between you. At first,

Can you remember how exciting those long talks were when you were dating, as you studied and learned about each other? Remember how you listened so intently to one another, getting to know this person, their likes, dislikes, and dreams. Now, it may feel like you know everything about each other, and there is nothing to really talk about. Yet,

One big reason couples seek marriage counseling is communication, or more precisely, a lack of communication. So, a few weeks ago, I discussed the first two horsemen of what Dr. John Gottman, relationship expert, has identified as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are ways of communicating that are detrimental to a relationship. The

We often get caught in negative patterns in our marriage or relationship making it hard to have good or effective communication. Basic, respectful communication can go out the window when we are in the heat of an argument or just plain hurting. We can blast each other with words from our hurt or sometimes feel like we are not even speaking the same language.