Search Results for: blog big changes in a little marriage

Life Doesn’t Always Come in Neat Little Packages

Life doesn’t always come in neat little packages. That has certainly been something my husband and I have discovered over the past couple of weeks. In fact, our packages have consisted of things such as problems with our teens (some minor and some not), an unexpected medical emergency ($751), family drama during Thanksgiving, a job change for my husband, a vehicle dying on us, and now trying to figure out how three drivers can share two vehicles. All of this in just two weeks…and meanwhile, I am trying to enjoy what is supposed to be the best time of the … Continue reading →

Remarriage From a Child’s View

When I was eleven years old my mother remarried. At first I was pretty excited about her dating this guy. I finally had that father figure I had craved as a child. Then all of the sudden I realized that I no longer had my mother all to myself anymore. I felt like I was losing her. It had been just me and my mom for several years. We did everything together. We were inseparable. We stayed up late watching old movies in bed, we went to art museums together, we read books together, we went to the symphony together. … Continue reading →

Goal Setting and Marriage

It’s always interesting to hear or read about other people and what works in their marriages. We can often pick up tips and ideas we can incorporate to improve our own. Yesterday I read a blog by the wife of a footballer, talking about goals, not the goals scored in football although that did come into it a little, but setting goals in your life. Goal setting is something she said she learned from her husband who is big on the idea of goal setting. It gave me something to think about. Often when we get married we set goals … Continue reading →

Seven Habits That Will Harm Your Marriage

Avoiding the following seven habits may also help you avoid a divorce. Psychiatrist William Glasser, MD and his wife, Carleen Glasser, MA, co-authored a marriage advice book called Eight Lessons for a Happier Marriage. In the book, they mention “seven deadly habits” (they like numbers, it seems) that can lead to marital strife. They are: criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, threatening, punishing, and bribing. It seems sometimes in our marriages that we don’t even realize that we are doing some of these things–hence the fact that they are habits I suppose. While I haven’t read the Glasser’s take on these myself, … Continue reading →

Marriage and Loneliness

Mick and I have a number of 60s records and tapes. We also have a lot of those same songs on CD so that we can listen to them in the car, especially if we traveling to Sydney as we often do. The other day I listened to the words of Chapel of Love and thought what an idealistic picture is represented. ‘We’re going to the chapel and we’re going to get married and we’ll never be lonely any more.’ But is that the reality? Does getting married mean you are never, ever lonely? I don’t think so. And statistics … Continue reading →

7 Tips for a Good Marriage

When I told my husband I didn’t know what I was going to write for today’s blog, he suggested. ‘Five tips for a good marriage.’ ‘Okay, tell me what they are,’ I replied. ‘Pick a good wife,’ Mick said with a smile. ‘That’s only one,’ I objected. ‘Where are the rest?’ ‘There’s always the two key words,’ he said, trying to keep a straight face. I knew without him saying it what the two words were. It’s a standing joke in our house. The words? ‘Yes dear.’ Can you tell sometimes he finds it hard to be serious! So of … Continue reading →

Family Matters: Marriage Thicker Than Blood?

How devoted are you to your partner really? Devoted enough that if, for whatever reason, you had to choose between your husband/wife and your own family you’d choose your spouse? “Why on earth would I have to choose between the two, Courtney?” you may be wondering. “Surely nothing could be that bad it couldn’t be worked out.” Sadly, sometimes things are that bad. Sometimes things just can’t be worked out. For instance, sometimes a parent opposes a match so fiercely they throw down an ultimatum: marry him/her and I’ll never speak to you again. When my mom was living with … Continue reading →

Facing a Marriage Crisis

In a previous article I wrote about how alone I’ve felt lately. It’s to the point where I’m asking, “What’s the point of this relationship? Mostly he’s good to me, yes –when he’s available. And once in a while he does incredibly thoughtful things like how he did when he welcomed my mom. But the job is all-consuming anymore and he rarely has time for me. Not even when it’s serious stuff like it has been with my mom. And I don’t know if it really has to be that way, or if he’s using work as an excuse to … Continue reading →

Witness to a Marriage Miracle

If you are the product of a divorce like me, did you ever dream of your parents getting back together? I never had that fantasy. I just sort of accepted the situation for what it was and dealt with the new circumstances. However, I did wish my parents could at least talk to each other. For the first few months after the split they did. Sort of. My dad would come get me at my mom’s house for his weekend visitations. Things were always tense between my parents, but then things just got downright nasty. TNT I don’t know what … Continue reading →

Drs. Parrott Marriage Book Blog Tour Coming to Families.com

Shortly after I returned home earlier this month I received an intriguing email. It was from a Mr. Michael Pritchard with Zondervan. His subject line read “Courtney, Les and Leslie Parrott Marriage Book Blog Tour Invitation.” Marriage? Books? Blogs? Some kind of tour and an invitation? Didn’t look like the run of the mill spam. Turns out it wasn’t. Zondervan is a big Christian publisher and here they were asking me to help them with a very cool promotion idea. The chance to read Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott’s newest book Trading Places: The Best Move You’ll Ever Make in … Continue reading →