Have you ever heard the story about the newlywed husband who invited his ex-girlfriend over when his wife was out? It’s a funny story. Or at least it is now, but when it actually happened to me, I did not find much humor in it at all. Less than six months into our marriage, my…
A difficulty for many couples is learning how to handle conflict in marriage. Most of us don’t want to be mean or disrespectful to our spouse. Yet when we grow up with unresolved issues, emotional wounds, or poor role modeling from the adults around us, bad relationship habits can become ingrained. The good news is…
After my husband asked me out on our first date, we were inseparable. We couldn’t get enough of each other’s company. Our dating days were filled with joy, delight, anticipation, passion, and little conflict. But after we got married, into the newlywed years and beyond we started to grow familiar with each other. We saw…
All of us tend to have a certain way of resolving conflict—one of four basic fighting styles: 1. I’ll win at all costs (you control and attack). 2. I’ll never win (you give up). 3. I’ll withdraw (you just let it go or ignore it). 4. We’ll work together to resolve the issue. Though Gayle…
“How do I look?” I asked, turning one last time in the mirror before getting ready to leave for church. “Hmmm, actually, I think those pants are a little tight,” said Josh, my husband. We’d only been married about a year and this was the first time Josh had ever said anything negative about my…
