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Dealing with Differences

Happy married couple standing outside. She's hugging his shoulders from behind.

God’s Design for Sex Reveals His Heart For Us

Husbands can reveal God’s loving, self-sacrificing movement into people’s hearts by the way they treat their wife. And wives can reveal God’s invitation to be filled with His strengthening presence.

A happy, mature couple smiling and embracing each other, demonstrating the strength and harmony that can come from dealing with differences in marriage.

Dealing With Differences in Your Marriage

Learning constructive ways to handle your differences is one of the most important things you can do to protect your marriage. You can decide to take control of your issues.

A couples dressed for a wedding walk through a field of wheat.

A Measure of GRACE

Inter-ethnic marriages are often plagued by communication lapses, typically because self-interests are prioritized over partnership. Effective communication requires grace-filled attitudes and behaviors.

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Overcoming Role Confusion and Boundary Threats

By following a three-step process, couples from differing ethnic backgrounds can overcome the marital stressors resulting from the conflicting cultural assumptions they bring to the marriage.

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Decision Time

Are you ready to transform your marriage by putting the principles of love and respect into practice?

A woman sits on the couch with here back turned to her husband, arms crossed in front of her chest with an annoyed look on her face. Her husband sits with his back turned to her with his chin on his hands as if frustrated. After being married for a while, your spouse’s patterns can turn from cute quirks to annoying habits. Knowing how to cope is important.

Coping With Your Spouse’s Annoying Habit

After being married for a while, your spouse’s patterns can turn from cute quirks to annoying habits. Figuring out how to cope so that you don’t become highly critical of your spouse is important.

A woman and man stand next to each other contemplating the difference between each other. God Designed men and women to be different in marriage. Here's how to honor those differences.

Understanding How Men and Women are Different in Marriage

Understanding how God made men and women different in marriage is one key to a great relationship. Here’s how to work with His design rather than against it.

A couple on the couch argues. Why do couples fight? Most often they fight about trivialities and nothing.

What Do Couples Fight About? You’ll Be Shocked by the Answer

All couples fight. And it feels as if we’re fighting about something. But when we look at our conflicts, they can sound pretty insignificant. Big things don’t ensnare us as often as the little things.

Remarriage doesn't wipe away memories and old habits. When such habits arise take time to discuss them, like this couple sitting on this couch.

Remarriage Doesn’t Wipe Away Memories and Old Habits

Remarriage may start a clean relationship slate, but it doesn’t wipe away memories and old habits. Your best response to your spouse’s remarriage mistakes may be uncommonly simple.

Better Together - Kirsten and Benjamin Watson

Better Together

Working through our differences makes our marriage stronger

mother daughter conflict

Mom: Friend or Foe?

Ask the Lord to give you empathy for your mother, to help you understand, and to show you how you can love and support her in her struggles.

Young-married-couple-sitting-on-couch-not-looking-at-each-other-and-cannot-agree

My Spouse Disagrees With My Dream: A Guide for Mentors

When one spouse wants to pursue their dream, but the other disagrees, what can they do? You can help them find a win-win solution.

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When Your Spouse Needs Empathy

While you and your spouse cannot trade places, showing empathy to each other can go a long way toward strengthening your relationship. John and Greg discuss how to show empathy, even when there is tension in your relationship. Featuring Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley.

Protect Your Marriage From Divorce

I felt no compassion or motivation to heal our marriage or protect it from divorce. That’s how bad our more than 10-year relationship had become. Yet we did make it. We’re living a marriage that not only measures up to our wedding-day dreams but also surpasses them. 

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Remembering What Brought You Together

Sometimes, it’s good to reflect on why you married your spouse. To help you do that, John and Erin discuss the benefits of remembering how you fell in love. Featuring Mrs. Melanie Shankle.

Couple laughing and holding hands by a window

Psychological Flexibility: The Most Underrated Quality in a Marriage

Learn the characteristics of psychological flexibility and how demonstrating this underrated ability can help strengthen your marriage.

Couple holding hands looking out at autumn trees surrounding lake

Finding Strength in Your Differences

If you find yourself married to your opposite, rejoice! You have access to a whole new set of skills and strengths that can make life a whole lot more well-rounded.

Close up of baby held in dad's arms, with mom standing next to him; both are smiling.

Survivors of Childhood Trauma Can Have a Good Marriage

He couldn’t see a thing. A pitch-black cell left Ian feeling hopeless. How did my life end up like this? Ian Humphrey hit bottom when he was put in solitary confinement after starting a fight with another prisoner. His past and the darkness of his surroundings spoke to his soul: You are a failure, unworthy …

How to Respond When Friends Reveal Tension in Their Marriage

Friends often confide in each other when they have marriage problems. So what should we say — or not say — if we want to help a friend who confesses a marriage issue? Here are some guidelines to help.

When the Past Is Present

Your spouse may act nothing like your ex, but without even realizing it, you might be unfairly reacting based on fears and emotions that are rooted in your previous marriage — these are triggers.