A little relationship drama is healthy. Strong emotions are evidence that we care about someone. In fact, if a relationship is drama-free, it might lack appropriate passion or commitment. A lack of drama, however, usually isn't the problem. You know what I'm talking about. You've got that relative, coworker, or friend in a relationship who's all drama, all the time. When drama defines a relationship, you need to find the source and drain it out. Defining Drama Here are four of the most common sources of relationship drama. 1) The … [Read more...]

You lovebirds think you're ready to take your relationship to the next level, but are you sure? Before you get serious, here's a checklist of things to do, talk about, and inspect in your romance. Friends Most couples wait to meet the parents, but it's high time you meet your honey's close friends (and vice versa)—those interactions can reveal a lot. Facts Have a heart-to-heart about what you've experienced in your relationship histories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and what you're looking for in another … [Read more...]

Why do we have to marry flawed people? Wouldn't it have been much easier if God had worked it out so that we would be fully sanctified, then married? Who wouldn't want to marry a perfected person? Wouldn't that make marriage fundamentally easier and more enjoyable? Maybe God did get the order mixed up. Now, the reason we tend to think this way is precisely because we are so captivated by the kingdom of self. We are drawn to order, predictability, comfort, ease, pleasure, appreciation, fun, and personal happiness. These things are not … [Read more...]

Growing up, I knew everyone was watching me. Worse yet, I knew they wanted me to be a perfect kid. I was supposed to know the answers to all the questions, be at church whenever the doors were open, and personify God’s love in every waking moment of my life. All because my dad was the pastor. Living up to these expectations—even if unspoken—was exhausting. Even when I went to college, I lived under their heavy shadow. I was stuck in a mindset that I had to project the image of a perfect little Christian—or … [Read more...]

It’s all bachelorette Jen Schefft’s fault. And Neil Clark Warren’s. We watched the former date two dozen hunks and still not find someone up to par for a romantic relationship, and we’ve heard the latter talk up 29 (yes, 29!) areas of compatibility that are essential for a relationship to have any chance of lasting longer than a gallon of milk in your fridge. But shows like “The Bachelorette” and Internet dating services such as Warren’s eHarmony are just part of the reason we singles can … [Read more...]