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The World Turned Upside-Down
September 11, 2001. March 25, 2016. November 24, 2024. September 28, 2025. These are days when time stood still and our world suddenly turned upside-down. There have been others, for sure, but these have been some of the most difficult days we’ve had to deal with in our 34 years of marriage. Julie: September 11 needs no explanation. March 25 is the day my mom took her last breath after 3 months in the ICU after a failed surgery. On November 24, John’s dad lost his battle with Alzheimer’s. And September 28 was the day we were told to leave our church and get home to safety as an active…
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Into the Weeds Naked
Solving recurring arguments involves setting boundaries, getting the root of the problem with gentleness. Let down your defenses, nurture your relationship and fight naked@
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Love Goals
Chris: They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We would say that the road to an unfulfilling relationship, may be paved with those same intentions. Does this sound familiar? You intend to be romantic, caring, sexy or fun but, you’re too tired, you come home late from work or you just simply forget. Is it because you’re thoughtless, because you care more about your job or because you have the romantic aptitude of a sponge? Maybe, but it is more likely that you are human, with good intentions. Michelle: But intentions are never really enough. I have ADHD. I can have a really great idea to…
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SAYING YES
Sometimes it seems so easy to say “yes.”
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Verbal Judo – Harmonizing Your Tone of Voice
Some time ago, we wrote about the importance of being aware of the Tone of Voice we use with our spouse. The gist of the post was that our Tone of Voice is the key culprit that begins most disagreements, hurts, and fights between spouses. We want to revisit this important topic and provide some additional helpful hints we’ve learned along the way.
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To Be, or Not To Be…Right?
John For this week’s post, Julie and I thought we would share some insights into an interesting and sometimes puzzling dynamic in our relationship. It all has to do with the idea of “being right.” In the midst of our usually life-giving relationship, the need to “be right” can often get in the way. Worse than that, it can cause breakdowns in our relationship that need to be healed. This is a challenge that we deal with frequently but are striving to manage more effectively.
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Happy Labor Day!
We at The Couples Post celebrate all the hard workers in our country whose effort benefits all of us in so many ways. However you’re celebrating Labor Day, we hope you have a wonderful one and we’ll be back next week with another post.
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Haven’t we had this fight before?
Jen: Life, kids, work and extra-curricular activities suck up so much of our energy each day, that when it comes to interacting with each other, we are often at the end of our rope. When we are having a disagreement we’ve had more than once, I feel worn down and don’t want to deal with it.
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Carefree Timelessness
We first heard about the concept of Carefree Timelessness years ago in a talk given by Matthew Kelly. He defines carefree timelessness as: “Time spent together with nothing to achieve other than the enjoyment of each other’s company.” In Kelly’s book titled, Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy, he writes: “Carefree timelessness is the reason young people fall in love so easily, and lack of carefree timelessness is the reason the rest of us fall out of love so easily. You had plenty of carefree timelessness when you were falling in love. You made it a priority.” Reclaiming What Matters Most We all get busy, but being too busy…
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Experiencing a Sunset: A Daily Inspiration
What is it about a sunset? How is it that this ordinary daily event inspires artists, musicians, and writers throughout the world? If the photo app on our phone is any indication, there surely is something about a sunset. Sitting on a beach together, gazing over the mountains, or simply sitting on our home deck after dinner, sunsets always seem to transport the two of us to a sacred place. Wonder and Awe Karen: We just returned from a vacation with our extended family. Scott and I had the opportunity to watch the sunset with most of our children and grandchildren. After a day filled with action-packed activities,…
