Tag: Marriage tips

How good are you at listening?

The Morning Thing found some wonderful marriage tips from Family Life Ministries.
The tips were written for married couples, but we believe that this advice could be used in any relationship.
Listening is such a vital part of communication. Take a look over this list and be encouraged to start being an active listener.

  1. People come away from talking to you possessing a better understanding of themselves.
  2. You wait a few seconds after your spouse has stopped talking to see if they have more to say.
  3. You practice “reflective listening,” using words like, “So I hear you saying that you’re …”
  4. You’re comfortable with abstaining from advice at times, to simply be with someone in their grief. 
  5. You ask questions that cause your spouse to explore what he or she hasn’t before.
  6. Your spouse frequently responds to you, “That’s a good question”―but it’s okay with you if you’re not the person with all the good questions.
  7. You refrain from interrupting.
  8. You’re comfortable with not having an answer for some of life’s unfixables.
  9. You use facial expressions that are receptive: soft eyes, nodding, eye contact.
  10. You pray silently for your husband or wife while listening, and ask God for wisdom in responding.2
  11. You refrain from finishing your spouse’s sentences.
  12. You ask for clarification when you don’t understand what your spouse means.
  13. You don’t feel the need to prove yourself as wise or helpful.
  14. Rather than planning your responses, you try to set those aside in your head and focus on what’s being said.
  15. Your spouse is noticeably comforted after you spend time listening to them.
  16. Your advice is highly individualized to your spouse, reflecting back what you’ve heard them say and steering clear of pat answers and cliches.
  17. You have time in your schedule to listen to your spouse.
  18. Before offering advice, you offer compassion and understanding: “I am so sorry. That sounds incredibly hard.”
  19. You share your own circumstances that relate, but are careful not to refocus the conversation on you, or to indicate your circumstances were worse/harder.
  20. You think of your spouse’s experience after you’ve left the conversation, internalizing their struggle. They’re on your heart, so you pray for them, too.
  21. More than a problem being fixed, you prioritize that your spouse feels heard, received, and understood.
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10 Marriage tips from couples that have been married 50 years or more

The Morning Thing is celebrating LOVE Week.
Today (2/10/21), we shared some great advice from couples that have been married 50 years or more.

We hope this list from www.cru.org encourages you and your spouse.
Click HERE to read the full article.

The following ten ideas, shared by couples married for 50 years or more, will help your marriage last a lifetime.

  1. You need a Savior. “We didn’t realize that it was two sinners who married each other. Two very sinful people who needed a Savior.” (Mona Sproull)
  2. Stay committed to one another. “Love is not a feeling, it’s a commitment … no matter what, I will stand by your mom.” (Charles Powell)
  3. Pray with your mate. “Rather than each of us having ourselves at the center of our thinking, there enters a willingness to let God be at the center.” (Jerry Bell)
  4. Forgive one another. “All I could think of was if God could forgive me of all of my sins, who am I not to forgive my husband.” (Joan Fortin)
  5. Realize that there’s no such thing as a perfect husband or perfect wife. “Christ has given me understanding and lets me know that everyone does something wrong sometimes.” (Mattie Foy)
  6. Have faith that God knows what He is doing. “A lot of people would ask me, ‘No children yet?’ And I’d say, ‘No, but I am sure having a good time telling you how to raise yours.’” (Jodie May)
  7. Trust that God gives grace and direction as we trust Him. “How can a parent trust the Lord when they lose a child? It takes a lot of faith.” (Richard Long)
  8. You’ll need to make compromises. “You can’t always have your way. I just thought that marriage would be a give and take situation.” (Nelda Davenport)
  9. Be objective and take the emotion out of problem solving. “If I say something to you that’s disrespectful to you and I don’t really know it, you need to trust my heart.” (Mona Sproull)
  10. Love your spouse. “The love comes from God.” (Mattie Foy)

What is the result of a marriage that lasts a lifetime? After 53 years of marriage, five children, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, Joan Fortin says, “I just see the blessings that God has given us through this marriage and the love that the family has for one another, and I could have missed all of that.”

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A Happy Marriage tip from imom.com

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These tips are for wives. Ladies – don’t we all want a happy marriage? A better and stronger relationship with our husband?
Well, there may be some things we just need to accept about our husband. 🙂

Now please keep reading and don’t hit delete!
imom.com shares 5 aspects that may need our acceptance as we work on building a stronger marriage.
Click HERE to read the full article. It’s good ladies!

1. Temperament
2. Money Style
3. Family
4. Past
5. Pace

 

The bottom line for all of the points above is that acceptance of our husbands can make our marriage stronger. Instead of focusing on what you would like to change about your husband, focus on his good points. If there’s something about your husband you can’t accept, talk to a trusted friend or counselor before you approach him. Talk to your husband in a kind way, even if you feel you need to be firm. Finally, while we can’t change our husband, we can change ourselves and our attitude toward him.

(Picture from www.imom.com)

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