A Gift This Valentine’s Day

This coming Friday is that day when you have the opportunity to express special appreciation and love for your wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend – that important person in your life.  How will you do that? I heard a commercial for a jewelry store the other day, telling listeners to not go with the appliance but…

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Still Dating

I remember a story from a number of years ago, that a friend related regarding his parents.  He said that when he was growing up, his “normal” was different from that of many of his school friends.  He related that his parents kissed in the kitchen every morning, his dad brought his mom flowers once…

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“There is No Try”

If you have ever seen the Star Wars movies, you no doubt remember the wise character of Yoda.  While not an imposing figure to look at, his Jedi Knight abilities were a force to be reckoned with.  He also had a unique way of phrasing his sentences.  One famous quote from the movies was the…

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What Do You See?

As I crawl out of bed in the mornings and make my way into the bathroom, I turn on the light and glance into the mirror.  Fortunately, what I see first thing in the morning gets at least slightly better before I leave the house.  But part of the reason that it improves is because…

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“Get On Really Well”

One of my favorite music groups growing up (and still today) was the Beatles.  Ringo Starr, who was the group’s drummer, has been married to his wife Barbara for more than 30 years.  In this day and age, that is rare, and even more so for a famous musician.  He said that the secret to…

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What?

As a child, I used to hear my parents speak a language that kept us kids from understanding them.  It worked pretty well until we got a little older and could figure it out.  You see, it wasn’t a real language but a made up one called “Double Talk.”  As an adult, I can’t begin…

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Practice, Practice, Practice!

How many times have we heard those words in our lives – “practice, practice, practice, “or “practice makes perfect?” I remember as a child hating to hear those words – “it’s time for you to go practice the piano.” I enjoy watching football and seeing skilled players make amazing throws and catches, efficient blocking patterns,…

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The Gift

I read a quote years ago which said, “Usually the husband regards himself as the head of the household, and the pedestrian has the right of way.  And, usually, both of them are safe until they try to prove it.”  This statement made me chuckle but it also reminded me of how often we get…

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Which is Most Important?

I recently had a discussion in my university Marriage and Family class regarding finances, which is often seen as a major source of marital conflict.  The discussion centered around debt and financial priorities.  It was interesting to hear what various students would go into debt for.  The list ranged from houses and cars to televisions…

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It’s Not About the Movie

One of the struggles that I frequently hear couples discuss is how to spend time together.  When they were dating – it was easy.  They couldn’t seem to spend enough time together and there was never a shortage of things they enjoyed doing – together.  But then they got married – they had kids –…

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