Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of performing several wedding ceremonies. Some of the couples, I have known while most of them I have not known. Each one has been special in some way or another. Primarily I have been a part of weddings at Garrison Gardens, which is owned by my good friends, Chuck & Karen Guilbert. I really appreciate them allowing me … [Read more...] about The 4 Beings that Turn a Wedding into a Marriage
Marriage
3 Keys to Spiritual Intimacy
“Man is not an island.” This quotation is actually from John Donne in 1624. It is a part of Meditation XVII which also says “…for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” The meaning of the quote “Man is not an island” is that man does not thrive on his own; he needs relationships and community in order to reach his total potential. Donne was a Christian author even though … [Read more...] about 3 Keys to Spiritual Intimacy
5 Steps to Emotional Intimacy
Many times as a marriage counselor, I have heard the phrase “he just doesn’t care about me.” Of course there have been many different variations of that phrase, but each time the same thing is meant…“We are not connected emotionally.” Emotional intimacy is one area of intimacy that is the hardest to achieve. There are a couple of reasons for this difficulty. Most men … [Read more...] about 5 Steps to Emotional Intimacy
Friendship In Marriage
Most of the couples that come into my office are in major conflict with one another. They tell me that they fight about everything. One couple even told me that they fight 24/7; that there was no peace in their lives at all. I questioned the truth of that statement, yet I knew that they really believed what they were saying. When couples get to the point that they feel that … [Read more...] about Friendship In Marriage
5 Reasons For Sex In Marriage
If we put the different areas of intimacy - physical, relational, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual - in levels of difficulty, physical intimacy would be at the bottom of the list or deemed one of the easiest to achieve, if not the easiest. Our society puts a high priority on the sexual relationship between two people. You cannot watch many television programs or go to … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons For Sex In Marriage