“Traditions touch us, connect us, expand us.” —Rita Barreto Craig Traditions are a meaningful way to signal the holiday season. When we are children, traditions can feel magical. As we get older, though, finding joy in traditions can become more difficult.

“Whatever is not happening, make it happen.” —Anonymous One of the most famous Christmas carols, “Deck the Halls,” proclaims: ’tis the season to be jolly. But for many couples, the holiday season might not be joyful or jolly when it comes to sexual intimacy. Sometimes, it can feel like your sex life has gone on…

“Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy.” —Jefferson Bethke Expressing thankfulness is a simple yet powerful way to strengthen your marriage. Gratitude builds emotional intimacy, the workhorse of The 6 Pillars of Intimacy®. Because all the pillars are connected, expressing gratitude can strengthen more than just your emotional pillar, depending on the topic.

“When things change, make sure those changes are a part of the plan.” —Anonymous Out of the 6 Pillars of Intimacy®, one pillar stands out for often having expectations: sexual intimacy. When the expectation for sex goes unmet, what do you do?  You may feel confused when it happens. You might think, “I thought we…

“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling a void they didn’t know they had.” —Thom Jones Owning a pet can add joy and happiness to your marriage. There are plenty of benefits, such as spending time with your spouse while walking the dog, sharing the responsibilities of caring for…

“Nothing holds you back more than your own insecurities.” —Anonymous Confidence is an essential element of marriage. Feeling confident and capable is empowering. When you feel confident in your marriage, you can take action to help your marriage thrive. But when you aren’t confident, fear of rejection or failure can hold you back. Insecurity and…

“A sense of duty is useful in work but not in personal relations. People wish to be liked not endured with patient resignation.” —Anonymous Sexual intimacy is vital for a healthy marriage. But what happens when sex feels like an obligation or duty? What can you do when an enjoyable sexual connection is replaced with…

“You cannot control other people. You can only control your reactions to them.” —Anonymous Control is an interesting concept in marriage. According to Merriam-Webster.com, the definition of the word control as a verb is: to exercise restraining or directing influence over to regulate OR to have power over, to rule