Thriving Marriages 2nd Edition

Since our first publication of Thriving Marriages, we have given seminars on its content to over 300,000 people across the United States. Two areas emerged that needed further clarification and elaboration: how to make conflict resolution more effective and how to communicate our needs more clearly. As a result, we have rewritten Chapter 10: Solving Conflicts with Wisdom and Respect. The new chapter simplifies the conflict resolution process focusing on the role of Understanding, Validating and Acting, which we refer to as the UVA response. This type of emphathic response allows people to integrate their differences and transform the conflict into an opportunity to grow in their unity. The chapter also includes a new questionnaire which covers the skills required and can be used as a tool to engage in constructive dialogue. For those of you involved in Marriage and Family Life, Religious Education, and Adult Faith Formation ministries, we invite you to include this new edition of Thriving Marriages in your curriculum and ministries as well as our different audio formation materials that accompany it.

Do you wish you could beat the odds and have a thriving second marriage? While research shows that 67% of second marriages fail, Chris and Denise believe that there is hope to flip that statistic on its head. Through their own experience, they have learned valuable lessons about creating a relationship that not only exemplifies a vibrant partnership after divorce, but one that is even better the second time around. In this book, the Wideners will unpack their core values and philosophies, share practical tools, and tell real-life examples of fostering a healthy, thriving second marriage. Some of the topics that will be covered are: How to heal from past relationships so you don’t bring baggage into this one Picking the right mate Navigating step-children and exes Tackling the issue of money Effective communication and listening tools Meeting each other’s needs How to handle conflict Sex While much of this book is aimed at couples who are entering a second marriage, at its core, Chris and Denise believe this is simply a book about marriage. Whether you are newly divorced, widowed, beginning to date again or merely wanting to read more about communication and compromise, you’ve found the right resource. Learn from a couple who have experienced redemption and restoration in a second marriage, and truly know that it can be a gift that is far greater than any you’ve been given thus far.

"The healthiest, happiest marriages share a transformational secret: intentional rhythms... Chris and Jenni Graebe invite you to discover what those core essential rhythms are, how they work, and the results they can have on your relationships if you choose to practice them. With real life examples and inspirational guidance, you’ll learn how to envision the marriage you long for, identify the ruts that are keeping you stuck, and bring your deepest passions and priorities to life in your relationship."--

This is a true story that every husband and wife should read. Bob and Audrey Meisner had it all: a fruitful ministry, three beautiful children, a picture-perfect marriage. Their future seemed secure and their prospects bright-- until adultery threatened to bring it all crashing down. Faced with the greatest personal crisis of their lives, Bob and Audrey found hope and rescue through godly counsel an through learning the biblical principle of covering to protect their marriage and their family.

Weddings are only one small piece of a life-long marriage. Totally rewritten and rearranged, this second edition is directed toward ministry leaders; those leaders who are trying to make sense out of the changing relational landscape of the 21st century. This book is filled with practical tools for guiding healthy relationships and creating wonderful weddings.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.

Your Essential Guidebook for a Thriving Marriage Communication, support, affection, and encouragement are among the most important life skills that you need for marital success. Yet, they are rarely taught in a classroom. In our culture, these skills too often default to our upbringing coupled with hope the marriage will be loving, adventurous, and fulfilling. The reality is modern marriages encounter complex obstacles requiring more teamwork than ever before. Dr. Anne Brennan Malec helps you look past the planning and excitement of the nuptials to prepare you and your spouse for a happy, life-long relationship. You will learn proven ways to:  Break unuseful day-to-day habits and keep your relationship fresh and exciting  Prioritize your relationship to provide time for yourselves as a couple, and as parents  Openly discuss your financial goals and arrangements  Create a conversational safety zone to discuss difficult issues and maintain a satisfying intimate relationship  Face issues head on, rather than allow resentment to come between you  Forgive and to listen to what your partner needs from you to achieve forgiveness Marriage in Modern Life offers real hope by giving you the practical and actionable tools to help before problems arise. If your marriage is already in conflict, applying these principles can help you regain a balanced, fulfilling relationship.

Emery reviews the psychological, social, economic, and legal consequences of divorce, and examines how children's risk or resilience is predicted by interparental conflict, relationships with both parents, financial strain, legal/physical custody, and other factors."--BOOK JACKET.

What is the secret to a healthy, happy, fulfilling marriage? Nearly every marriage starts out happy, and if we're honest, nearly every marriage at some point becomes unhappy. Is there a solution? Can an unhappy marriage really get back to being happy? Can it be truly and authentically happy--even better than it was at first? Kevin and Marcia Myers, married for thirty-seven years through nearly every challenge a couple can face, emphatically say yes. Revealing seven practices that offer help and hope for a happy and enduring marriage, The Second Happy is a captivating, practical resource that provides the tools necessary to tune-up, overhaul, or even rebuild your marriage. Practices to sustain and strengthen marriage include the following: breaking the quit cycle; picking a fair fight so both people win; keeping disagreements from escalating; and removing pretense from your relationship. Rooted in Scripture and contemporary insights from the Myers' marriage, as well as real stories from other couples, this revelatory book shows how any marriage can regain depth, meaning and, yes, happiness.

How Christian couples can understand their personality types—and build a more powerful bond of love. He doesn't listen to me . . . I don't understand her . . . Why do we keep having the same fight? If you’ve ever felt baffled by the person you married, join Enneagram Coach Beth McCord and her husband, Pastor Jeff McCord, as they pull back the curtain to reveal why you and your spouse behave in different ways. Applying the Enneagram through the lens of the gospel, they provide practical steps, insights, and tools to better understand yourself and each other. This book will help you: Answer the question, “Why do they do that?” Stop committing “assumicide” about each other’s motives and dramatically improve your communication Relate to your spouse in ways they actually understand Awaken a tired marriage that feels like it’s on cruise control Defuse conflict before it starts, especially the same old “dance” Enjoy your spouse again, even if you’ve loved each other for years! Whether you’re preparing for marriage or celebrating a fiftieth anniversary, Becoming Us will revolutionize the way you understand yourself and your spouse, and transform your marriage into the powerful, loving, and satisfying relationship that God intended. “An insightful resource for those who want to understand themselves, their spouse, and their marriage through the lens of faith and the tool of the Enneagram.” —Ian Morgan Cron, Enneagram expert and author of The Road Back to You