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Encourage
Encourage – it’ll change the world around you. But how? Here are some insights into encouragement and a free PDF download of 100 phrases to encourage!
A Christmas Game for the Family – Tell Stories and Start Conversations!
A Christmas Game - do you have favorites in your family? You probably have some downtime during the holidays when everyone needs some distraction - and a way to connect. Maybe you pull out the boardgames... What are your favorites? Games are a solid way to build...
Finishing Well – Encourage your family!
Finishing well. Starting strong. How do you do that? Finish Well. Start Strong. One way Robert and I finish our year is to "do plates". It's an exercise in reflection. In 2000 our family moved to another country - away from family and friends and everything...
Praying. For your spouse.
Where does prayer start? When are you prompted to pray? Do you pray for your husband or wife? Or do you just think about it... I've been reading a book on prayer and the church - "The Prayer Saturated Church" by Cheryl Sacks. There's nothing (much) about praying on...
Have Courage – Be a support!
A very long time ago the daughter of a wealthy man grew to an age of marriage surrounded by luxury. She lived on a large estate in England - "Broad Oaks". Of course, like all heiresses of that time she was expected to marry someone of equal or greater social status....
A Flicker or a Flame? Light the flame of hope.
Advent can be a time to build hope into your relationship as husband and wife. Light a flame of hope... Do you celebrate Advent in your home? For those who aren't familiar with the term "Advent", here's a tiny (inadequate) summary: Advent is the celebration and...
Reflections – Good or Bad?
How do you feel about mirrors? I'm not impressed with my own reflection, and except for a cursory glance to be sure I'm presentable, it's a rare day when I stand for any length of time in front of a mirror. And those 3-way mirrors in clothing stores creep me out! Who...
Encouragement in Action
I knew a friend wasn't feeling too chipper - she reached out via a text that said "Feeling really depressed and not sure why." This is not usually Merry! (yes - her name really is Merry!) Of course I texted back that we'd pray for her... But the story continues....
Know your Spouse’s Strengths
Strength. We all have strengths. Do you see your spouse's strengths? Robert and I did an interesting assessment last week. It's called Strengths Finder 2.0, part of a book written by Tom Rath, in association with Gallup. After purchasing the book, and opening the...
What will the years teach?
The years teach us a lot - and people who have collected many years together have a lot to teach. As I'm researching and writing on encouragement in marriage, I'm making it a habit to interview and talk to people married a long time. ("long-time" is relative to where...
How do you Apologize?
A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers. ~ Ruth Bell Graham In every marriage there will come a time - or many times - when you will need to say: "I'm sorry." If you ever have trouble getting your spouse to understand that you really are sorry, perhaps you...
But wait… there’s more!
Have you ever been in such a rush to leave the house that you forgot something? I did. This morning. After gathering my stuff to leave - purse, laptop case, bottle of water, and other miscellany - Robert helped carry stuff to the pickup. Being a bit late, I was very...
Food. Glorious Food.
Glorious food. We all need to eat - why not make it a celebration? OK. I confess. I'm not thrilled about cooking. I do cook. Often. And Rob is a very good husband because he never complains and is always appreciative even if what I make doesn't turn out the...
What Did You Expect?? – book review
First - I need to say thank you to Debi & Tom Walter - the hearts behind The Romantic Vineyard blog. We spent a lovely evening together visiting with each other in August. This book is one of their favorites and they so kindly sent us home with a copy. I've...
He Said, She Said, I Said – book review
I've spent the last few weeks reading for a short while every morning from the new book "He Said, She Said, I Said" by Barbara J. Peters. I read a lot - so to remember points from a book, I'll write a little sticky note with the idea and put it on the page. That...
Close the Gap – Prepare to Talk
Sometimes there are weighty issues to discuss. Conversations on topics that cause conflict are difficult - even for the most developed marriage. Make it easier on yourself by preparing to talk. Here are some fundamentals before starting a conversation on serious...
Accept Help to Show You Value Your Spouse 10 of 10
Accept help? Does your spouse offer help? If not, maybe you're the reason why... now, before you get all huffy, just consider: If you consistently say "It's OK - I can do it." when offered help - your spouse will stop offering because she/he doesn't feel needed. when...
Appreciate Your Spouse’s Personality to Value Your Spouse – 9 of 10
Appreciate your spouse’s personality – even if you’re similar or different. How do you identify and appreciate personality traits? Here are 3 ideas for you.
Share Your Schedule – Show You Value Your Spouse – #8 of 10
Share your schedule with your spouse - it's part respect, and part connection. After years of marriage, you can assume your spouse knows what you do during the day, during the week, during the month. But that's not always the case. And how can you value your spouse if...
Show You Value your Spouse – Honor Family Qualities and Quirks – #7 of 10
Family qualities. Quirks. Idiosyncracies. They show up in your spouse. Some behaviors, likes/dislikes, mannerisms, etc. you might appreciate and others are so different from your family that you find them difficult to connect with. Not one family on this planet are...
Laugh Together – Show You Value your Spouse – #6 of 10
Laugh together and understand what your spouse finds humorous. It’s the 6th of 10 ways to show you value your spouse. What makes you laugh together?
Make the Plan Work – Show You Value Your Spouse – # 5 of 10
It won’t always be smooth going when you arrange to spend time together with your spouse. How do you make the plan work if there are glitches
Encourage Your Spouse – 100th Post
This is the 100th post on Encourage Your Spouse. I began this blog (on Blogger) at the end of 2007. I think only my husband knew I was dipping my toe into the online world. Nobody else noticed. And that was perfect! I was writing for me - to keep myself...
Be on Time to Show your Spouse He/She Has Value – #4 of 10
Be on time – it’s one way to show your spouse how much you value her/him.Remember how you couldn’t wait to see each other when you were dating?
How You Value Your Spouse – #3 of 10 – Wait
Wait – let your spouse finish what they’re saying. Show your spouse how much you value her/him by giving them the opportunity to express their thoughts. #3 of 10 Point Marriage Tune Up.
Show You Value Your Husband/Wife – #2 of 10 – Brag
Brag about your spouse – which qualities do you admire about your spouse – download a free resource to make a list – Encourage Your Spouse
Showing you Value your Spouse – #1 of 10 – Respect
Show Respect - Value Your Spouse - How can that happen? This is the first of ten articles for a Marriage Tune-Up. What makes a husband and wife relationship work smoothly? Life moves fast. There are always so many issues and events in a day, and between our jobs, our...
Preparing to Decide
In successful marriages, husbands and wives share decision making. Now and again, making a decision is simple and easy - you've talked about the situation, and know each other's perspective and one direction makes the most sense. Badda-boom, badda-bing... the...
My Favorite Words
There are more than 100 words associated with "encourage". Did you know that encouraging your spouse is much MORE than just verbally 'rah-rah-ing' when an event is happening? Encouragement isn't about being a cheerleader. A cheerleader puts on a uniform at the...
A Favorite Book
I love to read - any book, all books, big books, small books, picture books, fiction or nonfiction, old or new, electronic or leather-bound... you get the idea. But in the last years, I've been really focusing on reading about and researching marriage - specifically,...
Achieving a Childhood Dream
Sometimes goals are life changing. Sometimes they're just a desire left over from childhood... Does your spouse know your goals or dreams? I've been in love with the idea of Schloss Neuschwanstein since I was a little girl - it must have been a symptom of reading...
Boundaries – who needs to know?
"A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude." --Rainer Maria Rilke Sometimes the best support you can give your spouse is to do nothing. I am, by nature, an introvert. Quiet-time/alone-time is imperative for my mental and...
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