Navigating life after divorce

Posted on October 2, 2012 in categories: Divorce, Naomi and Self Help. 0 Comments

Divorce is tough, and life after divorce may seem daunting when you’re in the thick of it. Here are three steps that will allow you to recover, learn and grow from your experience.

1. Give yourself time to heal

Nobody expects someone who’s just had heart surgery to be back to work the next week. Your heart, too, has been injured and it needs time to recover. Divorce is an emotionally and mentally draining process. Use this initial time-weeks, months, whatever seems right to you-to react to what has happened. Explore your emotions and let them flow through and away from you. Continue reading ‘Navigating life after divorce’

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Categories: Divorce, Naomi and Self Help

Was Jesus married and does it matter?

Posted on September 26, 2012 in categories: Marriage in the News and Naomi. 0 Comments

A miniscule piece of parchment is causing a big stir among historians by raising the question “was Jesus married?” At a conference this Tuesday, Harvard professor Karen L. King presented a Coptic text dating around 300 A.D. that references Jesus’ wife. According to her translation, line 4 of the parchment says, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…’. ” It continues to line 5 with “…she will be able to be my disciple.” Line 7 says, “As for me, I dwell with her in order to…”

Dr. King emphasizes that this in no way answers the question “was Jesus married?” Continue reading ‘Was Jesus married and does it matter?’

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Categories: Marriage in the News and Naomi

Pay attention to wedding jitters for a better marriage

Posted on September 19, 2012 in categories: Divorce, Marriage in the News and Marriage Prep/Engagement. 0 Comments

It’s natural to feel nervous before your wedding day. After all, it’s one of the biggest events of your life. At the same time, it pays to listen to your gut.

While we traditionally joke about and brush off nervousness before marriage, a new study by UCLA psychologists have found a link between wedding jitters and rates of divorce. Out of the 232 new couples enrolled in the study, 64% of individuals reported feelings of hesitation or doubt before tying the knot. Over all more men than women tended to have premarital doubts. At the same time, women’s worries were a better predictor of divorce. Continue reading ‘Pay attention to wedding jitters for a better marriage’

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Categories: Divorce, Marriage in the News and Marriage Prep/Engagement

5 myths about addiction and chemical dependency

Posted on September 13, 2012 in categories: In the Press, Marriage and Your Health and Naomi. 4 Comments

Uncontrolled, damaging addiction or chemical dependency is one of the top reasons to leave your spouse. At the same time, many spouses work together to successfully overcome alcohol, drug and gambling problems. Finding the strength, patience and understanding to help you or your spouse beat an addiction takes un-learning a lot of commonly accepted facts about addiction.

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Adi Jaffe is spurred on by his own experience with methamphetamine to study how addiction happens and how the government, hospitals, and loved ones can help addicts truly overcome their demons. In an article for CNN.com Dr. Jaffe highlights how certain “addiction myths”-often pounded into our heads as teenagers to scare us away from drugs-are misleading and counterproductive. Continue reading ’5 myths about addiction and chemical dependency’

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Categories: In the Press, Marriage and Your Health and Naomi

How to beat the top 5 relationship problems

Posted on September 10, 2012 in categories: Collaborative Decision Making, Communication, Marriage Issues & Relationship Skills, Naomi, Positivity and Sex and Marriage. 1 Comment

Every couple has their unique strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, there are a few major relationship problems that underwrite almost every marriage. If you’re finding yourself fighting, feeling distant, or otherwise “off” with your spouse, check out these top 5 common underlying problems and see if addressing them might get your marriage on track again.

1. Communication

You’ve probably heard many times “communication is key.” And it’s true. All of the below relationship problems rely on effective communication skills. Unfortunately, this isn’t something we’re taught how to do. Common communication mistakes include refusing to talk, nagging, sarcasm, using angry or accusatory language, and using “you” and “yes, but.” The symptoms of bad communication include feeling ignored, anxious, frustrated, or out of touch with your partner. Continue reading ‘How to beat the top 5 relationship problems’

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Categories: Collaborative Decision Making, Communication, Marriage Issues & Relationship Skills, Naomi, Positivity and Sex and Marriage

The 10 best love songs of all time

Posted on September 5, 2012 in categories: Intimacy, Just For Fun, Naomi, Positivity and Weddings. 0 Comments

Love: wanting it, getting it, loosing it. It’s the subject of songs since the beginning of music. In fact, I can’t think of a single artist who hasn’t written a song about love at some point. However, all love songs are not created equal. Here is my list of the best love songs of all time, the most well written, romantic, and/or heart achingly sung tunes from the past 60 years.

10. Christina Aguilera-Ain’t no other man

All of a sudden he or she is there-the person you want to spend the rest of your life with and you don’t want anyone else. That contentment is a big part of married life, and it doesn’t have to be boring as Christina shows in this sassy, sexy, womanly tribute to her man.

9. Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight

Being love makes the rest of the world seem that more beautiful. On a simple night out Eric Clapton communicates to his partner how much he loves and appreciates her. Definitely one of the best love songs ever. Continue reading ‘The 10 best love songs of all time’

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Categories: Intimacy, Just For Fun, Naomi, Positivity and Weddings

How I beat postpartum depression

Posted on August 23, 2012 in categories: Depression, Expert Advice from Dr. Hirsch, Marriage and Kids and Pregnancy and parenting. 2 Comments

It was a very long four months for both my husband and I. Which four months? The last month of my pregnancy and the first three of my sons life.

The last month of pregnancy was long because I was huge, cranky and not sleeping. The first three months of our baby’s life were harder because on top of the exhaustion and pain of recovering from a c-section, I, the expert, got blind-sided by a serious dose of postpatrum depression.

I share this to emphasize that prepartum and postpartum depression can sneak up on anyone. Physical discomfort, lack of sleep, and all those hormones certainly are contributing factors. So too are less tangible experiences of feeling out of control-out of control of your body, of your baby’s schedule (or lack thereof!), or of your ability to get your feet back under you in general. Continue reading ‘How I beat postpartum depression’

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Categories: Depression, Expert Advice from Dr. Hirsch, Marriage and Kids and Pregnancy and parenting

Marriage and taxes: 7 tips for newlyweds

Posted on August 15, 2012 in categories: Marriage Prep/Engagement, Marriage Q&A, Money and Marriage and Naomi. 2 Comments

First comes love, then comes marriage, then come taxes! If you’re one of the thousands of new couples married this spring and summer, get ready to embark on the adventure of marriage and taxes. The federal government provides many financial benefits to married couples, an it can be a little confusing how to go about getting them. Here’s a rundown of who your need to update on your new marital status and how to do it.

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1. Social Security Administration One of the most essential things for marriage and taxes is to make sure you name and social security number match. If you’ve changed your name after getting married, be sure to alert the Social Security Administration. How: File Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. The form is available on SSA’s website www.ssa.gov, by calling 800-772-1213, or visiting a SSA office. Continue reading ‘Marriage and taxes: 7 tips for newlyweds’

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Categories: Marriage Prep/Engagement, Marriage Q&A, Money and Marriage and Naomi

Strengthen marriage with a new perspective

Posted on August 10, 2012 in categories: Expert Advice from Dr. Hirsch, Just For Fun, Marriage and Kids and Naomi. 2 Comments

Here’s a sweet letter sent out from our head coach, Dr. Abigail Hirsch, about how her new baby inspired a strengthen marriage tip. Dr. Hirsch gave birth to her fourth child five months ago. At the end of August we’ll be featuring a post from her about her experiences with postpartum depression. Enjoy!

 

Hello Power of Two Member,

Today was a big day in our house. Our five month old baby just got big enough to sit in a high chair at the table with the

strengthen marriage

Our children can teach us skills to strengthen marriage.rest of us. This new perspective was transformative. All of a sudden his three big brothers noticed him. For pretty much the first time they started chatting away with the little guy. And, he in turn found their stories so funny he couldn’t stop chortling.

What does this have to do with marriage? For me, it was a wonderful reminder how just a little shift in perspective can make a huge difference in how people relate to each other. Continue reading ‘Strengthen marriage with a new perspective’

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Categories: Expert Advice from Dr. Hirsch, Just For Fun, Marriage and Kids and Naomi

The best articles of the week: on making decisions

Posted on August 7, 2012 in categories: Apologies, Collaborative Decision Making, Communication and Marriage in the News. 0 Comments

This week I found some amazing articles on making decisions and how choice impacts our lives and mental state. Julie Jeske talks about changing your mind about big decisions, James McNulty challenges our notions of turning the other cheek, and a California study questions whether our choice in marriage partners really leaves us any happier than an arranged marriage. Be prepared to have your mind changed!

You Can Always Change Your Mind-Part I via Julie Jeske

http://www.juliejeske.com/2012/08/you-can-always-change-your-mind/

You and your partner will face making decisions in your lives, and the stress of the big choices can put considerable strain on your marriage. Julie Jeske offers some fantastic advice: You can always change your mind. In fact, “by feeling like you always have to “get it right” you can sometimes be so paralyzed by fear of “messing up” that you don’t take any action.” It’s not always easy, convenient, or cost free, but you can always change your mind. Next week Julie will go over how to fix a relationship if you feel like changing your mind about your marriage, and I’ll be definitely reading along. Continue reading ‘The best articles of the week: on making decisions’

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Categories: Apologies, Collaborative Decision Making, Communication and Marriage in the News