MARRIAGE

Every marriage faces challenges. And from time to time we can use some help to get back on track and rekindle our first love. We have assembled resources and created groups to help your marriage thrive.

 

SIX ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A STRONG MARRIAGE

TRUST - It’s the foundation of every great relationship. Healthy couples are constantly extending trust and striving to be trustworthy. If trust has been broken, couples must both be honest with themselves and with each other and make appropriate, heartfelt apologies. Open, vulnerable honesty is not only an essential part of rebuilding trust; it is also one of the most essential elements of marriage—intimacy.

INTIMACY - When couples are entirely open, honest and free with one another, they can experience something so much deeper than a physical connection; they can experience oneness. Prioritizing sexual, emotional and even spiritual intimacy every week is the greatest gift you can give to your marriage.

CONNECTION - Too many marriages are over-committed and under-connected. There are so many competing priorities that confuse our relationship, including the attention we give to our kids instead of our spouse. Prioritizing your friendship, communication, and having fun together is essential to staying strong as a couple.

COMMITMENT - Marriage is more than a static commitment; it is a dynamic movement toward someone. Every couple faces a season when love is more of a choice than a feeling, and it’s those moments that we have an opportunity to create a foundation of security that can pave the way for intimacy. When two people are committed to one another and growing together, nothing can tear them apart.

GIVING - A great marriage is not built on a sort of an exchange of services; it's built on the idea of selfless, sacrificial love. When two people are committed to serving one another and placing the other's needs, wants and desires above their own, they will begin to describe their marriage with phrases like, "heaven on earth."

RESPECT - Respect comes from a deep understanding of our significant other, of their thoughts, reactions, opinions, values, and attitudes. When a marriage is in trouble, when one or both partners have lost their respect for the other due to mistakes, choices they've made, or other issues, watching a partner withstand trials, make different choices, and repair their share of the damage can lead to the growth of new respect. This newfound respect may become the soil in which the seeds of love are replanted, even when it seems like the marriage is over.

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