Donna is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, and Biblical counselor. She has been blogging through the Bible each year since 2012. She loves God's Word and sharing how freeing and practical it is. She is certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
Communication or the lack thereof is a problem in many relationships. How about yours? Do you ever feel like you talk to friends and family, even your spouse, but just aren’t sure you’re being heard? Do you feel you’re frequently misunderstood and when you keep trying it only leads to an argument? You’re not alone. But the answer isn’t getting angry, talking louder, or clamming up. What can we do instead?
We all want intimacy in our marriages, what the Bible calls a one-flesh relationship. We want our spouses to spend time with us, consult us about decisions, share our hopes and dreams, encourage us when we’re struggling, treat us kindly, and for there to be openness and humility. But are there things we should do or not do if we’re to achieve that kind of one-flesh marriage? And, if so, what are they?
We’ve been discussing the three components of marriage God laid out in Genesis 2.24 and other places in Scripture: leaving, cleaving, and what we’re calling “weaving,” growing in a one-flesh relationship. In the last post, we started talking about “weaving” and today we’re going to go a little deeper on the subject.
Are you faced with a problem that you don’t understand? I know I’ve got a few. There are relationship issues that haven’t sorted themselves out and some doors that are shut for no logical reason. There are questions with no obvious answers, family members who have been hurt unnecessarily, and challenges I wish weren’t there. How about you? How can we face those things without losing our faith and trust in God? And could they actually be God’s protection in some way?
Do our politicians understand that all power and authority come from God (Jn. 19.11) and He will hold those accountable who misuse it? Just as teachers have a higher accountability to teach the truth, those in authority will face a stricter judgment.
I first wrote this post a couple of years ago near the beginning of the year when many of us make fresh commitments to read more in the Bible, pray more, and in general, have a more effective quiet time. But when I came across it this morning, I thought it was worth republishing since it’s something most of us think about often.
While there is no right way or wrong way to do that, there are some things that can make our time with God more spiritually profitable and enjoyable. I’d like to share twenty-eight of them.
It’s time for our next marriage retreat. We’re so excited about seeing marriages like yours grow and get stronger.
Wherever you are in your marriage, you can take it to the next level with a Bible-based marriage retreat. Couples will get away and work on some of the most common marriage issues like communication, conflict resolution, growth in intimacy, and help understanding why you or your spouse responds as you do at times.
You’ll also enjoy beautiful accommodations and time spent with each other.
No matter what is going on this Resurrection Sunday, nothing can change the fact that “Jesus is Risen” and now sits at the right hand of the Father. And one day … He’s coming again!
And for those of us who belong to Him, life will never be the same!
If you want to know more about what that means, I pray that you will watch the video linked to this post.
Marriage can be one of the greatest human relationships there is. It can offer companionship, friendship, intimacy, and someone to rely on through the ups and downs of life. But sometimes marriage isn’t what you expected. Often marriage will test you in ways you weren’t prepared for.
Communication … it’s a big thing in all human relationships but it’s vitally important in our marriages. There are so many things that we need to communicate about … finances, children, work, schedules, even intimacy … and when we don’t do it well or hardly at all, it can lead to misunderstandings, hard feelings, and outright war.