by Harold and Bette Gillogly Summer is a terrific time to celebrate being a couple! Life can get so intense, can’t it? Maybe your life is full of a lot of “gotta’s.” We’ve gotta earn a living. We’ve gotta take the kids to soccer. We’ve gotta mow the lawn. Perhaps your life is so full of “gotta’s” that you have pushed […]
Archive | Relationship Skills
Is Integrity Worth the Cost?
Persevering Love Relationship Skillsby Harold and Bette Gillogly Can you imagine a tongue screw becoming a symbol of integrity? It became so in the city of Antwerp, Holland in the year 1577. Hans Bret, a young bakery worker, lived in Antwerp with his widowed mother during a time of perilous Protestant persecution in Europe. Hans was an eager […]
Handling Anger in Conflict
Anger Issues Relationship Skillsby Harold and Bette Gillogly It seems like we’ve been talking about fighting an awfully long time, doesn’t it? But there is a reason for it. For far too many Christian couples, Holy Wedlock has become Holy Deadlock. From our experience, we have to agree with counselors who declare that conflict is the greatest cause […]
Encouraged – Encourager
Relationship Skills Tough TimesHave you needed encouragement in the last few months? Most of us would say “YES.” Did anyone come alongside and speak a word of encouragement to you or do something for you that “picked you up”? Hopefully, you can say “YES” to that question as well. If you said “Yes” to both questions, did you […]
Becoming Refreshers
Relationship Skills“Uh-oh, look who’s coming. Whatever you do, don’t make eye contact. Quick — say something to me about this flower arrangement.” “Flower arrangement? Oh…uh… What a great flower arrangement! Those florists sure did a bang-up job on it this week. Don’t you think?” “Yes, indeed. Why, just look at those colors, the way they’re blended […]
Well What Did You Expect (Pt. 2 of 2)
Persevering Love Relationship Skills Thinking Pitfallsby Harold & Bette Gillogly Remember in our last Seeds for Growth, we found out there were two roads leading to two entirely different places. The first road is paved with “ought to be’s” – my wife ought to be…. My husband ought to be…. My children ought to be…. This road leads to a […]
Overcoming Defensiveness Pt. 2
Relationship Skills Thinking Pitfallsby Harold and Bette Gillogly In a previous Seeds For Growth, we began discussing defensiveness — our instinctive reaction of self-protection. We seem to go through life feeling we must protect ourselves at any cost. When our mate says something that pushes one of our hot buttons, we lash out in retaliation. Defensiveness is a […]
Overcoming Defensiveness (Pt. 1 of 2)
Relationship Skills Thinking Pitfallsby Harold and Bette Gillogly It’s instinctive. We all do it. Our mates say something perfectly innocent, we take it personally and become defensive. It’s as though we feel we must protect ourselves at any cost. In fact, that’s what “to defend” means: to protect. The problem is that protecting has two sides, for when […]
Keep Your Home Fire Burning
Marital Intimacy Relationship Skillsby Bob & Yvonne Turnbull As Susan drove home, she wondered what Jeff had up his sleeve. She hadn’t been able to concentrate since receiving his call earlier in the day. “The kids are staying at your mom’s this weekend. See if you can get away a little early so you can get a bag […]
Place Your Marriage First
Commitment Joy & Happiness Marital Intimacy Persevering Love Relationship Skillsby Bob & Yvonne Turnbull Have you noticed that too much hurry and speed of life can put a serious crimp in a marriage? We often think we will have time for one another when life slows down. Interesting how that time never seems to arrive. Before we know it, we have drifted apart in […]