GPS to a Joyful Marriage

I’ve said it before and have heard it many times – men are simple, women are complicated.    Some men call us downright crazy.    While our thought patterns and communication may seem complex, it’s not a difficult task to make a woman feel loved.    Many men get overwhelmed by the multifaceted thinking of women and don’t realize how easily they can counteract that with a gentle word or action.    That, gentlemen, is an important fact you need to be aware of.    The simplest effort will go a long way. The problem is that we forget to show our spouse love.  We take it for granted that they know we love them.  Love is more than just a feeling; it’s a verb.  You need to act on it every day - actions really do speak louder than words.  You could say the words “I love you” three times a day yet never give your spouse time or attention, and I guarantee you, your marriage will not survive. I look at how challenging relationships can become.  When counseling couples, many will tell us

Last week I shared some eye opening statistics about pornography.  We all have a “thorn in our side” that may hinder our relationship with God and with our spouse; many not as obvious as the problem of pornography.  It may get in the way of God’s plan for our lives -- anything that comes before God like pornography, television, electronic devices, alcohol, drugs, sex and so on.  How do we find the freedom to live our life according to God’s plan for us?  The freedom that will also bring us the healthy, satisfying marriage we desire? “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.”   You can’t hide the real f

I wanted to share some more statistics (thank you Pastor Donny) on something that has an even greater negative effect on our society than electronic devices (my last post) – pornography. Statistics and other Reference Resources on the Impact of Pornography to Marriages, Families, and Society Pornography's Impact on Marriage & The Family Before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Committee on Judiciary United States Senate Testimony of Jill C. Manning November 9, 2005:   http://www.heritage.org/ Research/Family/tst111405a.cfm Complete Report reviewing all major research on pornography:   s3.amazonaws.com/thf_media/ 2010/pdf/ManningTST.pdf Impact on Society • Approximately 40 million people in the United States are sexually involved with the Internet 1 • 25% of all search engine requests are pornography related 2 • Sex is the number 1 topic searched on the Internet 3 • 15% of online porn habitués develop sexual behavior that dis