We did our best not to be hoarders, but counted the squares of TP, getting back to basics.

We cooked far more than we were accustomed to doing, but still made a take-out purchase at least once a week to support our local restaurants…we were passing it around. Tipped the staff there and also at the grocery and pharmacy.

My guess is now since most of this is all over there are a bunch of really good cooks and several more drinking problems surfacing across the nation.

Thankfully as a nation this current crisis has caused the reevaluation of our priorities: FAITH, family, community and freedom; and seeing the easy dispatch of liberty also reigniting that oft forgotten flickering flame…

Journalists became less important than janitors. Our nation’s best athletes became healthcare workers who rushed to assist those in need. The true heroes were not celebrities, but rather farmers, truck drivers, stock clerks, and supermarket cashiers.

The most valuable businesses did not glitter or present themselves with self-congratulatory award shows; they did what they have always done to keep our food supply flowing. Perhaps now, we will stop taking them for granted.

Effective now comfortably invisible workers are recognized as critical priorities; or as the government has officially designated them “essential services.” These folks form the network of our lives; they always have, but we seldomnoticed. Everything else is less than.

Any average hard-working American is worth more today than all those who chase the golden statues of Hollywood; and ultimately if they want to go down the superiority path… well, what they provide is essentially useless. 

That’s our nation and the grand tradition of faith in God and the values of Judeo-Christian ethics. Don’t lose sight of it, please…and yet we are in serious danger of losing it. https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/the-eight-stages-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-civilizations1/

People were tipping grocery check-out clerks and thanking them for taking the risk. I kept a few well laundered $5 bills when went out for anything as a means of saying ‘thanks’ to those who served me.

I sense this has just happened. We have a wonderful country, the greatest single force for good in all human history, and yet…we used to close our borders, with good reason, yet we are floundering on the world stage. Many things have been re-set, and will never be the same. But we must not waste this time. We must return to Faith and Practice, NOW.

So let’s ask ourselves the question, Dear Lord  in light of our current circumstances, what would You have me do now?

You can still check on older neighbors to make sure they are OK and make sure they have necessities. If older neighbors need something at the store, get it for them. Friends and neighbors who are anxious, send them a card or note with positive comments on it. Give people hope. If you don’t want to send a card, send an e-mail.

Order an extra lunch or dinner from a local restaurant just so you can give a tip to the delivery person who shows up at your door. Then stick the extra in the fridge and eat it tomorrow. We can do this. Recovery in the face of mounting inflation will be slow.

 No one is saying where we have been and where we are don’t stink; but some people know that standing around complaining about the comparative values of current life during this mess doesn’t actually accomplish anything. Complaining is not one of the Gifts of the Spirit.

So again, ask yourself:  Dear Lord  in light of our current circumstances, what would you have me do now?  Live your best life…You only have this moment once.

This Too Shall Pass…Thankfully as a nation this crisis is the stimulus for you to reevaluate your priorities: faith, family, community and freedom. Just do it?

Join me in praying that God will turn all this choas into another Great Awakening of faith and hope in HIM!! Do what you can to make it happen and leave the results in God’s hands. What will you do today?

The post <strong>Looking Back the Last Two Years</strong> appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

Keep that in front of me all day today and help me live like I believe it. Please, for Jesus’ sake and in honor of His magnificent gift. This I pray in His strong and might name. Amen

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In 1963, I was leading the music in a church revival meeting in Hurst, TX when a 4-year-old boy ran in front of my car. I knocked him down. I had to give him CPR and mouth-to-mouth and one of the most blessed sounds I ever heard was that little boy gasping for breath.

He got transported to the hospital. I came on to the church that evening not knowing what was going to happen and this is the song God gave me that night. It has meant much to me ever since…

After church that evening, I went to the hospital thinking the boy’s dad would want to beat me bloody. Instead, he came running down the hallway, slid up to me on his knees and hugged me. “Thank you for saving my boy.”

A long month in the hospital and 6 months in a body cast and he survived…but I shall never hear this song without knowing what it was like then…and often since…to cast all my hopes and cares on Jesus.

The post I know You Got this LORD appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Time cannot be saved. Let’s learn from the past, look to the future, but live in the NOW! Make it happen Today. When you have traded this day off for something, make sure you didn’t leave anything on the table–that the trade-off was worth the cost. Henri Nouwen: “The real enemies of our life are the ‘oughts’ and the ‘ifs’. They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and now.” One day at a time. Matthew 6:34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Give your spouse and best friends Random Acts of Kindness

Every day look for ways to give out “gifts.” Gifts are things you can do, that you don’t usually do, but that you choose to do. Make a list of those things you are willing to give as gifts. Perhaps put them in a jar and then pull at least one a day to give as a random kindness until it becomes your daily habit.

Live with a View to the End

People are born, they suffer and as G.B. Shaw so eloquently put it, “one out of one of us dies.” Take some reflective time and look forward to your own funeral and reflect on how you want to be remembered. Work toward becoming that kind of person. Get a copy of ForeTalk Seminars and visit the website. There are 7 critical questions to answer NOW instead of after you die.

Give Myself to Others

From my personal theological understanding, the only time Jesus Christ ever said He was being an example for us was when He washed His disciples’ feet. Invest yourself in what is good for others. As Zig Ziglar said, God rest his soul, “If you help enough other people get what they want, you will get what you want.”

Learn to Forgive and Forget

There ain’t no burden as heavy as carrying a grudge. If you are toting any, put them down this month and lose the cancer of resentment. Ultimately only the grudge-carrier gets hurt. Trust me, I’m a doctor and I’ve tried it both ways.

Face Adversity with Courage

Nearly everyone gets at least one knockdown punch. It’s not whether or not you will get knocked down; it’s how often you get back up. So when illness, an untimely death, job loss, children who go off the reservation, spouses who misbehave, learn how to grieve and heal. It is a process and it’s messy, but you can do it. Nothing comes your way without having first passing through the directive or permissive will of God and HE will provide strength to go through. Ultimately the question He will answer is this: In light of what has happened, Father, what do you want me to do now?

Keep a Sense of Humor

Complaining is not one of the 9 spiritual gifts. Happiness is a choice, pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. As Abraham Lincoln reminded us, “Most of us are about as happy as we decide to be.” You can spend your life making “Oh, ain’t it awful” noises, or you can be a positive happy spirit–on purpose. Both tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies. I don’t care how you FEEL…just DO IT.

Deal Kindly with Each Other

Lighten up. Be nice to your spouse, your children, and your co-workers. Would you be willing to take a 30 day Zero Negativity challenge in your home? Agree for a month that neither of you will say or do anything that is PERCEIVED to be negative toward each other. The receiver is the sole arbitor of what is Negative. Once you mess up, you have to start over until you can cobble together 30 consecutive days of ZN. Will you do that?

Walk Humbly

No arrogance, no rudeness. You have an awesome opportunity ahead this year with lots of promise and unknowns. None of us knows the end. Whether you end in wealth or poverty, and regardless of the political climate, walk humbly and gratefully for your blessings.

Make sure that manners and chivalry don’t die on your watch

Practice and model for your children and others…regardless of how many of your friends make fun: Say yes sir, no ma’am, thank you, please, you’re welcome, it was my pleasure…(please lose the ‘no problem’ junk). Stand up when a lady comes or leaves a table or enters a room, hold and open doors, walk on the street side of females,

Learn to use your words

Compliment one another, speak love all the time. Daily say to your wife/husband, “I love you because____________”. Celebrate special occasions and if you don’t have enough of them create more.

Final Note

Pray diligently for our nation to have a new Spiritual Awakening and for End Times Cover your bases on both sides…pray for either a new Great Awakening or for Jesus to come back, and soon!

Do What’s Right – Become what the nation was recently reminded of when the elder George Bush encouraged us to become, kinder and gentler.

Make it a GOOD year.

The post This Year I Resolve To: appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

with Leslie Barker of the Dallas News

As the holiday season quickly approaches, we thought it would be a good way to re-share our tips to make holiday conversations enjoyable and conflict-free

Listen and become curious.

If someone says something we don’t like or have a strong reaction to, we tend to go in “fight mode” and begin attacking and/or devaluing the other. The “conversation” then can quickly spiral downward. To offset that, try mirroring and repeat back what you heard them say, “If I heard you correctly, you said…” Then check to see if you got the information right, “Did I get that right?” and ask for more, “Is there more about that?” When there is no more, and you can really see the sense they are making, share your perspective on the topic. We need to learn to let other people be different and accept them. We can coexist feeling differently.

Avoid criticisms of each other.

If you think someone might not need an extra slice of pie, keep that bit of information to yourself. Our golden rule is: “No shame, blame, or criticism. Ever.”

Lighten up.

You can’t feel anxious and laugh at the same time. With that in mind, invite everyone to share something funny they read or witnessed or experienced recently. The Thanksgiving table can quickly be filled with collective laughter.

Show appreciation.

Go around the table and have everyone say something appreciative about someone else. Energy follows attention. What you focus on is what you get. The more you focus on things that are positive, the more that feeling grows in relationships. Appreciations bring safety. Safety invites connection.

Practice control.

It all starts with the brain. The lower brain reacts. The middle brain processes feelings and memories. The upper brain problem-solves. You can control which part of the brain you’re speaking from. It takes practice to not respond negatively when you are feeling reactive. But practice makes holidays peaceful.

Final Note

From the home of Barb and Dick Ivey to yours,

The post Tips for a Peaceful (and Thankful!) Holiday appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

Gathering data about the effectiveness of relationship education is a challenge because there are so many variables to navigate over a long period of time. However, when we do get solid findings from well-designed studies, it’s special. A recent Administration for Children and Families (ACF) study (called PACT– Parents and Children Together) is an example we’d like to share with all our couples and friends.

ACF (which is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services) funded research into the effectiveness of relationship education by studying two sites (one in Brooklyn and one in El Paso) that provide relationship education services to a large number of couples.

Overall, there were 1,595 participants–some unmarried, some married (59%), all low-income couples with kids.

What PACT sought to learn was how the attendees of these relationship workshops were doing one year later when it came to:

(1) the status and quality of the couples’ relationships,

(2) the quality of the co-parenting relationships, and

(3) job and career advancement.

Since 24k Gold Marriage and PREP are primarily concerned with helping couples succeed, we’ve narrowed the results to those findings. The impacts were modest but worth taking note of given the highly rigorous design of the study:

• the workshop improved the commitment partners felt for one another.
• the workshop improved levels of support and affection shown to one another.
• the workshop decreased frequency of destructive conflict behaviors.
• couples were more likely (than control group) to have stayed married after attending the relationship education workshop at 1 year out (by 4 percentage points).
• co-parenting relationships also improved after the workshop.
• instances of severe physical assault at 1 year after the workshop were 3% lower in treatment group (those who attended the workshop) than in the control group (those who did not attend the workshop).

Final Note

These findings reinforce our own experience. To our knowledge no couple who has joined us for at ,Marriage 3.0 Revive Restore Renew weekend AND has gone home to honor their Covenant Agreement for at least a year has ever lost their marriage. Contrarily, they thrive and grow.

“This past weekend was one of the most amazing experiences we

have shared together in the 2 years we have been together.

You two are the perfect role models for us to design our

marriage around. We can not thank you enough.”

Wish we could do more.

The post Does relationship education and coaching really work? appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

Love each other as I have loved you. – John 15:12

He wants to give you His power to love in a new and better way.

Much of what you call love may actually be little more than polite selfishness.

You say, “I love you,” but you really mean,

• “I love you because…”
• Because of what you do for me
• Because you’re pretty
• Because you’re handsome
• Because you’re smart
• Because you’re rich
• Because, because, because…
• Or you really mean, “I love you if…”
• If you meet my needs
• If you’re not too much trouble
• If you stay trim and fit
• Or you may mean, “I love you when…”
• When I’m successful
• When I’ve had a good day
• When you anticipate my every need and want
• When I feel like it.

Have a Servant’s Heart

Jesus calls us to a higher kind of love. You were never meant to do it on our own. The only time Jesus ever told His disciples to do what He was doing was in John 13:14-17. You can see from this passage that LOVE is a verb.

14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

“As I have loved you” requires first a Servant’s Heart. Are you willing

willing to put down all your “becauses” and your “ifs” and your “whens'” and prepare to serve your spouse? I mean really serve. Randy Stinson of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY says you need to find out what blesses your spouse and then do it well and do it often.

Gary Chapman says figure out your spouse’s primary love languages and deliver what blesses so that your wife or your husband gets to be loved the way she or he wants to be loved. www.5lovelanguages.com/profile

Choose to Forgive

The backside of loving with a Servant’s Heart is to love as Jesus loved, by having an increased capacity to forgive remembering all the while that you were corrupt and depraved when Jesus chose to forgive you.

Remember that what you hear from your spouse that is hurtful or distressing or urges you to angry responses is:

• More about him or her than it is about you
• It is NOT all about current events
• You need to learn to listen to the feelings behind the words being spoken and be quick to understand rather than to respond …and

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving

each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

– Ephesians 4:32

Disabuse yourself of the notion that you cannot let past hurts go. You can.

A caveat, however, if the hurt breaks trust, forgiveness does not mean regaining trust automatically or immediately. When husbands or wives break trust, it will take time to restore it. Forgiveness must be immediate, but trust can only rebuilt over time with repetitive trustworthy behaviors.

Final Note

One final note. Carrying a grudge hurts you more than it does the one who offended. That’s not just an idle throwaway, it’s the truth.

When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins, too.

– Mark 11:25 NLT

Forgiveness is a gift from God Himself to you.

Start by receiving this gift. You receive this gift by offering to God a prayer of trust. “Father, I trust in you for forgiveness. I know I cannot earn your favor. I trust you to show me how to forgive others to my very limits, trusting you to take it the rest of the way.”

Accept God’s gift. Then respond by passing the gift on to others.

Adapted from an excerpt from The Relationship Principles of Jesus by Tom Holladay as quoted in Devotionals Daily from Faith Gateway.

The post “As I Have Loved YOU” appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. My Mom made most of her clothes until arthritis crippled her fingers. She kept everything…even shards of bar soap. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.

• Use it up
• Wear it out
• Make it do or
• Do without

All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. She only gave me 1/2 stick of gum. Today, sometimes I will chew the entire pack at one time. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.

But then Mom died suddenly one February morning, and on that day before Valentine’s Day, in the company of my Dad (her husband for 70 years) she held his hand and whispered her last, “I’ll see you in the morning,” I was struck withthe pain of recognition that sometimes there just isn’t any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away never to return. So… While you have it … it’s best to love it … and care for it … and fix it when it’s broken … and heal it when it’s sick.

This is true. For marriage … and old cars … and children with bad report cards … and dogs with bad hips or cancer … and aging parents … and grandparents. You keep them because they are worth it, because you are worth it.

Some things you keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate you grew up with.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special …

You may have been married a long time or short, but marriage is important. Too many of you get into a rut and just go through the motions. Your marriage is special whether or not you are giving it special care or not. It is never too late to fix or renew your marriage. You CAN recover whatever has been lost.

One way is to engage with us for a Marriage 3.0 weekend.

Final Note

Develop a servant’s heart toward each other. Start today

and continue every day telling your mate,

“I love you, because______________.

Figure out what blesses your spouse and then do it well and often. The 5 Love Languages Quiz is a great tool. Clink on the link, take the quiz and bless each other every day.

Families matter to the Iveys. You do not have to use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Holler if need help.

The post Use It Up — Wear it Out appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

What do the summer months do to the intimacy between the Big Kids in your house? Do the demands on your time and attention rob you all of your intimacy until school starts up again?

Why not explore some ways that Summer can deepen your connection and enable you to spend some much–needed time together. Whether you have small children or teens, summer offers a wide variety of activities and opportunities that can bring you and your spouse closer than ever. Just do something together every week. This is not a dress rehearsal and it will be gone before you know it.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUMMER DATE IDEAS

• Summer cookouts with a few close friends
• Go to the movies together (get a baby sitter or go to a family friendly movie.
• Have a picnic
• Check out new restaurants
• Make homemade ice cream together
• Go to a concert
• Go to the lake or the beach. Rent gear if you don’t own it.
• Go fishing, regardless of what you catch
• During the summer, the warmth and beautiful weather offer plenty of chances to share activities you can’t participate in when it’s cold and dreary. Use the season to your advantage and plan plenty of romantic and fun dates.
• Play a few rounds of mini golf
• Go to a baseball or softball game together
• Spend a day at an amusement park
• Explore local items of interest that natives usually ignore: museums and historical sites

PLAN OUTINGS THAT MAXIMIZE FACE-TO-FACE CONNECTION

Whenever possible have kid free dates that enable you to sit face-to-face and concentrate on focusing on each other…device free. Make eye contact all the time.

Even if some of your dates mean having kids along, pay special attention to the things you do and see what really lights your spouse up. Then, talk about your favorite parts of each outing. How about some of these:

• If your area has a zoo, go and talk to your kids about what they see
• What kid doesn’t like a water park? Take along your Kindle or a good book and while the kids wear themselves out, relax and enjoy
• Go to the aquarium
• Take a sightseeing drive. Check out this website for car games you can play when there isn’t anything wonderful to see. http://www.minitime.com/trip-tips/10-Best-Car-Games-for-Kids-article
• Go on camping trips, as primitive as tents or as exotic as a rented RV
• Build a campfire and make s’mores.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE HOME TO CREATE SPECIAL SUMMER MEMORIES

• Pitch a tent in the backyard
• Ride bikes
• Play in the sprinklers…yes big kids too
• Have a water balloon fight
• Turn on the grill or smoker and teach your kids how to cook outdoors
• Have a water balloon fight

DON’T OVERLOOK SPECIAL ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR KIDS

While your kids are out playing, remember the sage advice from Erma Bombeck who said her kids didn’t know that house doors didn’t automatically lock then they went out side until they were 16. Steal a little kid-free time for a little romance.

CONSIDER THINGS LIKE

• Vacation Bible School
• Summer camps from other organizations
• Consider co-op babysitting with other couples who have kids the age of yours
• Summer art classes
• Summer dance lessons
• Junior chef classes

Final Note

What plans do you and your spouse have for spending a little extra time together this summer while the kids are out of school? Make it a priority or it just won’t happen. FAMILIES MATTER!

The post Summer Time appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

I really thought that was the way marriage was supposed to proceed and Archie Bunker became my hero. “Hey, while you are up, bring me the remote and make me a sandwich and bring me a beer!” [My Southern Baptist upbringing made all that true except for the beer.]

The most tragic part of all that was that I never understood the principle of having a Servant’s Heart in marriage. It was always about what YOU can do for me…and be quick about it.

I was not a good husband.

After too many years, God brought me The Gorgeous Redhead and I began, on purpose, to discover what it meant to serve in marriage. I can’t begin to tell you how hard that was to break those old habits…but both of us made a commitment to start.

We have been married 30 years. WOW. I am of all men most blessed. I love this pretty girl more today than ever before and I want her to have the best I have to offer.

We talk about the value of random acts of kindness…gifts, if you will. Things you can do for each other, that you don’t ordinarily do…but that you choose to do.

How does that play out at our house from my perspective? I started looking for those “gifts” that I could give my Sweetie. Here’s how it began and progressed:

• I hate doing dishes and especially emptying the dishwasher. First thing every morning I empty the dishwasher of clean dishes and put them away and wipe down the cabinets – servant’s heart.
• I make sure our fur baby, the red toy poodledoodle has fresh treated water for his teeth and food for the day – he thinks I’m a world class hunter – servant’s heart.
• When my bride wakes up I make her a cup of English Breakfast tea and deliver it to her chock full of fresh squeezed lemon – random act of kindness.
• I put my dirty clothes by the washer and sometimes do loads of laundry (makes her squeamish because I don’t always get the loads/temperature/cycles right – but I’m learning) – servant’s heart.
• Whenever I drive her car it’s usually out of gas. I go fill it – servant’s heart.
• I’ve learned how to be a pretty good cook and I frequently am the meal preparer – servant’s heart.
• I frequently make the bed with clean sheets, pillow cases and duvet cover – random act of kindness.
• pray over this gorgeous woman every morning. I want God to take good care of her and I want to live at least one day longer than she does – servant’s heart.

Final Note

I’m a slow learner, but I’m getting there. The only time Jesus told His disciples to emulate Him was when He put a towel around His waist and washed His guys feet.

What are you doing to have a servant’s heart to your

bride or hubby? Do it better, do it often and

do it better than ever before.

The post Archie Bunker Doesn’t Live Here Any More appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.

Get on the Same Page in the Book

A willing spirit begins with a readiness and willingness to go get help.

In unhappy relationships, the root cause of unhappiness is a lack of unconditional love and acceptance. Controlling, demanding and unrealistic expectations are just symptoms of that cause. Remember Emerson Eggrichs’ statement in his book Love and Respect about Expectations…”

they are nothing more than premeditated resentments.” That’s why it is so important for marriage partners to GET ON THE SAME PAGE IN THE BOOK.

Rebuild trust. Restoring trust requires reconciliation. Start by DOING trustworthy things regardless of how you feel about them. Take adequate time, paying attention to detail, and don’t be afraid to holler for help. The objective help of a Christian counselor or coach may be essential for the future of your relationship. Sin gains its strength from secrecy. Reconciliation gains strength by bringing the secret sin to light.

There are lots of choices for help. Couple of choices to consider:

One option among many is to look at what Barb and I do at 24k Gold Marriage www.24kgoldmarriage.org. We offer Marriage 3.0 – a concentrated weekend in a bed and breakfast setting of learning how to create a successful marriage. We help couples explore the path to Revive, Restore and Renew from whatever is not working in your relationship. Have you noticed how life seems to ge in the way? You get busy focusing on everything but the one you love and wonder what happened. I do not know of one relationship that could not benefit from focusing on what works and what works best in creating and sustaining a relationship that will last. Check us out.

,“Dick and Barb are fantastic people. They helped my wife and I through some tough times. Their processes and teachings made a dramatic impact on my life. They are honest and pull very few punches. They tell you what needs to be said not what you want. They have become life friends. We love you guys.”

Here’s what we know, couples who take seriously the processes we teach and practice them for a year will likely never lose their marriages and their lives will be much happier to the end. We have references.

Also take a look at Safe Conversations from Relationships First by Harville and Helen Hendrix https://relationshipsfirst.org.

Conflict to Connection – the power of RelationshipsFirst lies in their revolutionary interactive program, Safe Conversations. Safe Conversations is a new way of talking that makes it safe for everyone to connect through difference. Using a three-step process Safe Conversations teaches you to grow and become more present in your relationships.

Final Note

While rebuilding trust, a truly repentant spouse will show evidence by taking the initiative to restore trust in the marriage. The following is strong advice to a spouse who is sincere about repairing a damaged marriage.

• Prayerfully commit or recommit to the lordship of Christ in your life.
• If an affair was involved, break all ties with the affair partner, or, in the case of pornography or other addiction, put all necessary boundaries in place.
• Agree to help from spiritual mentors and accountability partners.
• Commit to Christian counseling/coaching including sorting through the issues leading up to the crisis and making necessary changes.
• Take personal responsibility for the damage done to your spouse and family, without shifting blame.
• Allow your spouse the time necessary to heal without applying guilt or added stress.
• Disclose secrets that block intimacy with your spouse in the presence of a pastor or counselor.
• Create a covenant of trustworthiness with your partner that lists important ways you each will be faithful to one another
• Set aside time each week to be with your spouse. Go out for coffee or a meal in order to build communication skills
• Face each other when you are out to eat and pay attention to each other. A device free zone.
• Give each other a random act of kindness every day. Pick something your spouse likes and do it. It’s a ‘gift’ – something you can do, but don’t ordinarily do, and you still choose to do.
• Make a list of your values and plan for how you will hold onto them during stressful times in the future. Hold up your end of the bargain even if your spouse slips.

The post Healing The Walking Wounded – Part 5 of a Five Part Series appeared first on 24k Gold Marriage.