Search Results for: blog checklist of things to discuss before marriage

The Arts and Marriage

How often do you and your husband attend an arts event? You know what I mean; an art show, a play, a musical evening or a poetry reading? From what I see around me I’m guessing it would not be all that often. Last week we went to a play Romeo and Juliet and then on Saturday night Mick and I went to a musical gig with the Janet Seidel Trio. Janet is a jazz singer and we both thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The music was fabulous. Other times Mick and I have gone to poetry readings. He’s not greatly … Continue reading →

Marriage Preparation Classes- Part 2

Yesterday we touched on the value of marriage preparation classes for those coming from divorced parents. However, even where a couple does have a positive model to follow, marriage preparation classes are useful. Both our son and daughter went with their respective partners to marriage preparation classes while they were engaged and found them extremely helpful in giving them a clearer picture of what marriage is all about. The classes raised things they may not have thought about as well as identifying traits of each person that will affect the way they react in a given situation. For example, it … Continue reading →

Do Marriage Preparation Classes Work?

As many of you know I’m a big advocate for marriage preparation classes. But do they work, that is the question? The other day I received an e-mail giving me a link to an article about a study regarding marriage preparation classes. Thanks to Amanda Verzello for sending this to me. The article looks at whether marriage preparation classes work. The article didn’t appear to come to a definitive conclusion. It was very much yes and no. Yes, in the sense that in the majority of cases, it did improve communication between couples. To my mind anything that improves communication … Continue reading →

Predetermining Choices in Marriage

When one person makes most of the choices regarding the wedding, a pattern for the marriage can be set up. In your marriage does one partner determine the marriage choices? Did one person determine where you would live? Or was it a joint decision? It may not be as big a decision as that. It may be in myriad little decisions, like what you do in your free time, what you watch on TV, or what movies you see. Marriage is about give and take. Marriage is a blending together of two people with sometimes different tastes to make one … Continue reading →

The Glue That Holds Marriage Together

Sure love and sex and all those other things we’ve talked about are important but there’s one thing that is vital. Communication- I know it’s something I talk about often in connection with marriage. Communication is vital before marriage and once we are married. It’s really the glue hat keeps a marriage together. If you can’t talk, and really talk, to your marriage partner about anything and everything then it makes for a difficult situation. We all want someone who accepts us as we are and who understands us. That someone should be the person we’re married to. We should … Continue reading →

Part 3- Checklist of Things to Discuss Before Marriage

As promised here is part 3 and the final part of things to discuss before marriage Health Issues – any serious issues the other person may need to know about e.g. if you may be unable to have children or have a genetic disorder, then your partner needs to know.. Goals – Do you have the same goals for your life together? If not, are your goals compatible or is it going to prove a problem to reconcile them in your marriage? Friends – do you like you’re spouse’s friends and do they like yours? If not, then you will … Continue reading →

Part 2 of Things to Discuss before Marriage

Yesterday we looked at things to discuss before marriage. Here are some more things on the checklist of things that should be discussed. Attitudes towards work and family life. The person, who is a workaholic or a professional student always wanting to gain new skills, can have a detrimental effect on marriage. They may have trouble making time and making it a priority to nurture their marriage and family relationships. Finances and whether you will have separate bank accounts or a joint account. Even if there is a joint account, will each person have their own spending money that they … Continue reading →

Checklist of Things to Discuss before Marriage

Part of the joy of meeting new people and being in a relationship is getting to know them, their likes and dislikes. This means more than just things like their favorite color and movie, etc. It means getting to know their attitudes towards life and how they will react in a given situation. With a marriage partner it is even more important. Yet, I am constantly amazed at how little some couples communicate and talk to each other about major issues before they get married. Do they think they will just all resolve themselves because they love each other? It … Continue reading →

Baptism or Dedication for Your Baby?

When our children were young they were baptized because that is the way things are done in the denomination we belonged to. Children were baptized as babies. Probably neither my husband nor I questioned it because it was what we had both experienced and were used to. As we started to learn more about God, His Word and the Christian life, we thought if we’d had the time over we may not have had our children baptized. Instead we might have opted, as some couples have, for dedicating their baby to God. It is a question you and your marriage … Continue reading →

Perceptions of Homeowners and Tenants

People’s perception of homeowners and renters can be a funny thing. A common perception is that because the tenant doesn’t own the property they are not going to look after it the same way as if it was their own. In some cases that is true. We have been on the receiving end of that when we rented our home for nine months, while we were live-in houseparents at a children’s home. The people who rented for the first six months were ideal tenants and looked after the place as if it was their own. In fact they did want … Continue reading →