by focusing on these 10 essential areas, you’ll have a much better picture of yourself, your potential spouse and where you need to focus. my wife and i spend a session with couples about the families they grew up in, looking for strengths but also unexamined assumptions that could affect their marriages. good premarital counseling unearths these things by talking about your families of origin and how that’s likely to affect your marriage. in fact, this is still the hardest …

learn more… alcohol and the family about 8% of american adults abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. it is common for children to think that somehow they are responsible for the divorce. learn more… infidelity affairs can be devastating to a marriage and can cause tremendous emotional distress to the offended spouse and children in the marriage.

learn more… sexual disorders sexual dysfunctions are disorders related to a particular phase of the sexual response cycle. learn more… the death of …

the bible begins with a marriage and ends with a marriage. in the first months of my marriage, i went to a friend named carl wilson and said, “carl, you’ve been married 25 years. the enemy of our souls does not want a husband and wife to be one. if you want to be healthy, develop a marriage relationship where your spouse has access to the interior of your soul. if you’re a newlywed, you need someone to coach you …

so, the higher the postnuptial disappointment and divorce numbers climb, the more therapy and solid communication prior to “i do” seem to make sense. express what you believe about marriage and how you think it will benefit your lives. discuss how you are willing to protect and honor your commitment. clearly lay out your strategies for the short and long-term. consider what you both think will be necessary in the way of planning and sacrifice to achieve them. talk about …

the first rule in dating is the first rule in all of life: “you shall love the lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (mark 12:30). we hide our soul in him, and stop trying to save or prove ourselves. the key will be to lean on other christians who know you best, love you most, and have a proven record of telling you when …