Category: Mess Makers
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5 Texts You Should Never Send Your Spouse
This past weekend, my husband and I had the privilege of attending our church’s annual marriage retreat. Our guest speaker was Doug Fields,* an amazing communicator and family man. He reminded us that technology has connected us with our world, while very often disconnecting us from our spouses. So in that spirit, here’s my advice…
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Wedded Wednesday – Vulnerabilities in Marriage
I’ve been there. I’m certain you have too … standing at the end of a good long stretch of going without, straining to see if what we want and need is off in the distance. But it either seems out of reach or is withheld like some cruel joke. Any prolonged deprivation of a…
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I’m Having an Affair … With My Cell Phone!
Written by Gary Steffaniak Messy Marriage Team Member … at least, that’s what my wife says. Let me explain. Friday is my day off and usually my wife, Beth, and I spend the day together. When school is going on, our kids are not home, and typically the day is ours—an empty house with no…
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Are You Consumed with Status?
Continuing on in our “Consumed” Series … I don’t know about your family, but my kids are all gearing up for the start of the school year. Thankfully my two oldest sons are out of the rat race of middle and high school, where the pressures to be a part of the cool crowd are…
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Consumed – The Negative Side of Blogging
Have you noticed how the Olympic games have captured the world’s attention? Viewers are consumed by the footage of the opening ceremonies, competitions and rivalries. As for the athletes, they’ve trained relentlessly for this world event for years—some for decades—and are consumed with winning. Opening Ceremony of 2012 London Olympic Games It’s true that sometimes…
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Father Issues, God Issues, Husband Issues
Let me just say upfront … I have father issues. Of course, that translates into issues with “men” as well, which might explain the title of this blog! But the fact is that my father issues create another drawback … my father issues affect my relationship with God. I’ve done Bible studies, read books…
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The Gradual Slide to Disconnection
It’s a bittersweet moment to watch your son move from being a college student to being a college grad. I’m so happy for him and his huge accomplishment, but there’s something inside of me that wants to go back to the days when he ran to my arms for comfort or believed everything I said…
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Secrets
There’s a wall that is built brick by brick in marriage. It is a wall that is almost imperceptible and subtle because it rises higher and higher without much fanfare or attention. One minute you’re looking the other way and when you look back, there’s another brick obstructing your sight. How is this wall built?…
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Watch Out for the "Stupid Stage"
Last week my husband and I attended the AACC Marriage America conference in Orlando. Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage and leader of one of the tracks I’d selected, discussed a concept that stood out for me. In Thomas’ class he outlined the seasons of marriage. The first of the marital seasons he aptly named,…
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Giving My Husband the "Royal Treatment"
I’ve shared this before—I’m a genealogy geek. And I’ve snagged some interesting findings that reveal a lot about me, my husband, and ironically, our relationship. Here’s some of what I’ve found … I have several very distant lines that lead to royalty in my family. I’m a descendant of dozens of knights of England, several…
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