Category: Emotions

• How Certain Strong Desires Make You Vulnerable to Satan

  

  Is there an unmet desire or two that’s frustrating you in marriage? Maybe you want to reply, “Can you listen for an hour or two?!” At one point, this was my perspective too! 😉 Almost ALL of my marriage messes were and are due to my desires either clashing with my husband’s desires or allowing…

  BethSteffaniak

  August 30, 2020

  Desires, Emotions, Marriage, Spiritual Warfare

  Bible, Desires, Self-Control, Spiritual Warfare

• Managing the Emotional Storm Within

  

  Today, while I’m still recovering from a recent surgery, friend and blogger Terri Hutchinson is stepping in to share her wisdom on how to manage our emotional world. I met Terri back in in 2017 at a She Speaks conference, and we’ve remained in touch ever since. I hope you’ll check out her bio below…

  BethSteffaniak

  November 3, 2019

  Anger, Emotions, Marriage, Prayer, Resentments

  Anger, Emotions, Marriage, Peace

• How to Forgive the Past and Move Forward in Your Marriage

  

  Today, I’m excited to introduce to you my next guest blogger in the “Spring Clean Your Marriage” series—Julie Loos. She’s sharing about how subtle and destructive ruminating on our mates’ failures and limitations can be to our marriages. Be sure to check out her bio below, as well as making her feel welcome by commenting…

  BethSteffaniak

  June 2, 2019

  Acceptance, Alienation, Amends, Anger, Attitude, Bad Habits, Blaming, Boundaries, Christ-Centered, Communication, Counseling, Discouragement, Emotions, Encouragement, Expectations, Forgiveness, Humility, Marriage, Nagging, Negative Self-Talk, Pain, Positive Focus, Pride, Resentments, Self-awareness, Spiritual Growth, Spring Clean Your Marriage, Victim Mentality, Wounds

  Anger, Bitterness, Conflict, Counseling, Faith in God, Forgive, Forgiveness, Humble, Pouting, Pride, Prideful, Ruminating

• 6 Ways to Be a More Compassionate and Forgiving Spouse

  

  Have you ever noticed how hard it is to be compassionate toward your spouse when you’re angry with him or her? It gets even harder when we let our anger turn into bitterness because we’ve chosen not to forgive them. Ironically, keeping this same mindset and practice in place inevitably creates a hard heart as…

  BethSteffaniak

  February 17, 2019

  About Me, Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Blaming, Bonding, Boundaries, Brokenness, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Conflict, Connection, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage, Pain, Perfectionism, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Pride, Realistic Expectations, Resentments, Self-Protection, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Spouse I Want to Be Series, Vulnerability, Wounds

  Christ’s Forgiveness, Christlike, Compassion, Empathy, Forgiveness, God’s Love, Perspective

• 7 Ways to Become a More Passionate Spouse

  

  If being passionate was on one end of a continuum and being emotionally reserved was on the other, you would find me living at both extremes. However, a true continuum of passion would most likely have passion at one end, and apathy at the other. But that’s not the way I vacillate and vibe! I’m…

  BethSteffaniak

  February 10, 2019

  About Me, Affection, Affirmation, Attitude, Attraction, Bonding, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Connection, Desires, Emotions, Encouragement, Faith in God, Fear, Intimacy, Listening Skills, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage, Marriage Spark, Passion, Positive Focus, Prayer, Romance, Sex & Sexuality, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Spouse I Want to Be Series

  Active Listening, Affection, Affectionate Spouse, Attentive Spouse, Intimacy, Lovemaking, Passion, Passion in Marriage, Passionate Spouse, Sex

• 6 Ways to Apply God’s Word When Your Spouse Hurts You

  

  God’s word is like a salve that, when applied to the wounds and tension-filled moments we experience in marriage, soothes and heals. But just how do we apply God’s word when hurts come in life and marriage? Consider this day in the life of my marriage … I woke up to my husband’s cheerful greeting…

  BethSteffaniak

  January 19, 2019

  21 Days of Love Series, Acceptance, Affirmation, Anger, Attitude, Bible Study, Bible Study Tools, Blaming, Boundaries, Choices, Christ-Centered, Comfort, Communication, Conflict, Connection, Discouragement, Emotions, Enabling, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Grace, Love of God, Marriage, Pain, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Proactive, Realistic Expectations, Relief, Resentments, Respect, Responsibility, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Support, Trials, Vulnerability, Wounds

  Acceptance, Affirmation, Apply God’s Word, Bible Verses, Boundaries, God’s Truth, Grace, Marriage Conflicts, Marriage Hurts, Neglect, Spiritual Practices

• 5 Ways to Prayer Journal to Improve Your Attitude and Marriage

  

  I had just finished up loading the dishes into the dishwasher, while listening to worship music and offering up a prayer of joy. Little did I know how quickly my attitude would move from worship to all-out-war! You see, our 5 yo son (who is now 25!) wanted to go out to play in the…

  BethSteffaniak

  January 13, 2019

  21 Days of Love Series, About Me, Alienation, Anger, Attitude, Bible Study, Bible Study Tools, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Conflict, Discouragement, Emotions, Encouragement, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Marriage, Motherhood, Parenthood, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Proactive, Relief, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Truth, Wounds

  Bible Study, God’s Word, Journaling, Perspective, Prayer, Prayer journaling, Processing, Spiritual Growth

• 3 Ways to Fix Broken Communication in Marriage

  

  Today, I’m honored to offer one more post in my “Lessons Learned in Marriage Series”—this time on communication by guest blogger Crystal Twaddell. I hope you’ll read Crystal’s insights to find out how to navigate this challenge in marriage better. And be sure to check out her bio below, as well as supporting her with your…

  BethSteffaniak

  November 25, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Attitude, Avoidance, Boundaries, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Conflict, Connection, Conversation, Counseling, Differences, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Grace, Lessons Learned in Marriage, Listening Skills, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Openness, Pain, Perspective, Positive Focus, Proactive, Resentments, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Toxic Baggage, Unity, Validation

  Communication, Counseling, Emotions, Filters, Grace in Marriage, Listening Skills, Openness, Processing Pain

• 5 Ways to Love Your Man When He Doesn’t Listen

  

  Have you ever found yourself sharing something really close to your heart with your mate, only to realize he or she is far, far away? Not really listening at all? Ouch! In my marriage, this has been done to me and, quite frankly, done by me to my husband more times than I can count! It’s so easy to…

  BethSteffaniak

  September 26, 2018

  About Me, Acceptance, Anger, Attitude, Blaming, Boundaries, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Conflict, Confrontation, Conversation, Desires, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Grace, Listening Skills, Love, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Patience, Positive Focus, Prayer, Realistic Expectations, Self-Protection, Self-Reflection, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Practices

  #lovemyman, Communication, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Listen, Love Mate, Prayer, Trust God

• 6 Lessons that Motivate Me to Forgive My Mate

  

  I’ve always struggled to let go of offenses and forgive my husband from the heart. In the moment it feels like God needs my help to point out my spouse’s sin or at least to stop it from happening again. When I give in to that thinking it mushrooms. I feel like I need to…

  BethSteffaniak

  September 23, 2018

  About Me, Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Blaming, Choices, Christ-Centered, Confession, Conflict, Control, Denial, Emotions, Entitlement, Expectations, False Beliefs, Forgiveness, God’s Redemption, Grace, Lessons Learned in Marriage, Marriage, Marriage Mistakes, Negative Self-Talk, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Pride, Realistic Expectations, Resentments, Responsibility, Self-deception, Self-Protection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Surrender, Victim Mentality, Wounds

  Anger, Bitterness, Christ’s Forgiveness, Forgive, Forgiveness, Realistic Expectations, Redemption, Surrender, Trust in God, Wounds