• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

The keys to a succesfull and healthy relationship

eric246

Newbie
Apr 26, 2010
15
0
✟22,625.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I am an avid fan of psychology and sociology, and although I am about to be 21 (still young), I have been intrigued by couples, dating, and relationships for a while now. I did a lot of research and looked at cases of happy couples, unhappy couples, and couples that might think they are happy but really aren't. I really wanted to find out what made a good relationship, and what made a bad relationship, and if it was harder for some people than others.

I determined that a relationship was almost like a cake. There are many different types of relationships, such as relationships built on different hobbies, beliefs, music choice, etc. much like how cakes have different flavors, but overall, it's still built from the same basic ingredients. Whenever I see a couple that is happy, it's because they have all the ingredients needed to make that relationships work. For example:

To make a great relationship it takes dedication, love, communication, honesty, balance, independence, confidence, emotional openness, empathy, and a sense of humor.

I believe a relationship without one of those key parts is an unhealthy relationship, much like a cake with a missing ingredient. Could you imagine eating a cake with no sugar? No flour? No eggs? No butter? It would taste bad. It wouldn't taste like how a cake is supposed to taste. You might even add frosting (sex), and it would make it sweeter, but it still wouldn't hide the taste of the missing ingredients. If you made a new computer, but you forgot to put in one part, it wouldn't work. If you got a new deck of cards, but a couple were missing, it wouldn't be a very good deck of cards.

My whole point is, why should a relationship be different from any of the things I mentioned? A relationship can still function without one or two of those components, but it won't be as good as it could be. That requires hard work and effort on both members of the relationship, throughout your life! Remember that part! Some people get divorced after 5 years, some 15 years, and some 30 years! Why does it happen? They say they lost the spark, but it's not that at all. It's that they stopped trying. You could study and get good grades your entire life all the way up to the last semester of college and then decide, "Everything is great! No need to study anymore, I'm just going to live my life" but then you get D's and you get F's. You wonder how it happened, but don't realize that you stopped working for it.

You could work on your relationship for 20 years, then stop and think that the passion is gone, but it's more that they stopped caring. They stopped making that extra effort to say "I love you" in the morning before they leaved. He doesn't write her a little note and put it in her brief case so when she opens it at her depressing work place, she sees "You are the most special person in my life". She doesn't cook his favorite meal anymore because "it's too much work, and I'm too tired", even though he thought she made it because it was a sign of how she loved him. The little things are what build relationships, and they're also what tear them apart.

Just my opinion! Any thoughts? I hope I reached some people with this as well.
 

Luther073082

κύριε ἐλέησον χριστὲ ἐλέησον
Apr 1, 2007
19,202
841
43
New Carlisle, IN
✟46,336.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Intellectually you are more or less stating the obvious.

I think the biggest problem is not the ideals you communicate but the day to day actually putting it into practice. Its one thing to say that you want those things in a relationship and that those things are the foundation of a good relationship. Its another thing to actually day in and day out do them.

The key word that you implied but didn't explicitly say is selflessness. Being born naturally selfish, selflessness is difficult to do, especially consistantly. I think whats important here is realizing that in marriage sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. And that is all about love. There are only two reasons to do something you don't want to do. 1. Is because you have to. I didn't want to go to work this morning, but I certainly want to get paid. With my wife, I may not want to buy a certain thing or I may not want to go to a certain event. But my wife does and I love her, so I do it because I love her.

The other thing is knowing how to have a conflict and how to resolve those conflicts.
 
Upvote 0

eric246

Newbie
Apr 26, 2010
15
0
✟22,625.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Intellectually you are more or less stating the obvious.

I think the biggest problem is not the ideals you communicate but the day to day actually putting it into practice. Its one thing to say that you want those things in a relationship and that those things are the foundation of a good relationship. Its another thing to actually day in and day out do them.

The key word that you implied but didn't explicitly say is selflessness. Being born naturally selfish, selflessness is difficult to do, especially consistantly. I think whats important here is realizing that in marriage sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. And that is all about love. There are only two reasons to do something you don't want to do. 1. Is because you have to. I didn't want to go to work this morning, but I certainly want to get paid. With my wife, I may not want to buy a certain thing or I may not want to go to a certain event. But my wife does and I love her, so I do it because I love her.

The other thing is knowing how to have a conflict and how to resolve those conflicts.

Thanks for replying. Yes, I definitely agree that selflessness is a big part of marriage, if not the biggest part. I think when you agree to get married, you are saying "I care more about my spouse than I do about myself, and would do anything for them", and it part, hope that they do the same for you. I also agree with with your last statement about doing something you don't want to do because you have to, and doing something for someone else, which is unselfish.

Like you said, it's day to day, and you have to put in the work every day and treat each day like it's truly special, because it is. So many people take the simple things for granted, like food, shelter, electricity, and the things I mention above get caught in that taken for granted list as well.
 
Upvote 0

Autumnleaf

Legend
Jun 18, 2005
24,828
1,034
✟33,297.00
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
All relationships are hard work and effort.And its worth the "trouble " for most.

Love

Dallas

I'm of the mind that, if it don't come easy you better let it go. If it don't come easy there's no natural flow. Don't make it hard on your heart. You'll be better off alone. If it don't come easy you'd better let it go.
 
Upvote 0

Speculative

Senior Veteran
May 29, 2007
2,414
343
Seattle
✟34,750.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Methodist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
I'm of the mind that, if it don't come easy you better let it go. If it don't come easy there's no natural flow. Don't make it hard on your heart. You'll be better off alone. If it don't come easy you'd better let it go.
You are correct, but with marriage and kids, it's a little more difficult than that. With limited finances, and 2 child support payments to make, I would likely have to live in a shelter if I got divorced at this time. I need to hold on for 8 more years. And it IS hard on your heart. I'm having all kinds of health problems because of it. I might not make it.
 
Upvote 0

mkgal1

His perfect way sets me free. 2 Samuel 22:33
Site Supporter
Jun 22, 2007
27,338
7,348
California
✟596,233.00
Gender
Female
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
I'm of the mind that, if it don't come easy you better let it go. If it don't come easy there's no natural flow. Don't make it hard on your heart. You'll be better off alone. If it don't come easy you'd better let it go.
You and Tanya Tucker apparently share the same opinon.
 
Upvote 0

dallasapple

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2006
9,845
1,169
✟13,920.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I'm of the mind that, if it don't come easy you better let it go. If it don't come easy there's no natural flow. Don't make it hard on your heart. You'll be better off alone. If it don't come easy you'd better let it go.

Exactly be alone.And be "better off"..If you feel "better off " that way I doubt anyone will argue with you and you can be alone.

Love

Dallas
 
Upvote 0

Autumnleaf

Legend
Jun 18, 2005
24,828
1,034
✟33,297.00
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
You are correct, but with marriage and kids, it's a little more difficult than that. With limited finances, and 2 child support payments to make, I would likely have to live in a shelter if I got divorced at this time. I need to hold on for 8 more years. And it IS hard on your heart. I'm having all kinds of health problems because of it. I might not make it.

So you're going to bite the bullet for 8 years even though it might wreck your health? Wouldn't it be easier to just play nice and smooth things over?

I know a few guys in your position. I'm going on a quest. A quest to find a workable solution to your situation that men can live with. Then I will make a fortune dispensing this indispensible advice. I'll be the talk of the town. My ego will swell. Then God will prick my conceited pride and I will be left with a pile of money to live off of, and my fame will be gone. Maybe I'll hang out with Lady Gaga. She'll probably be a has been by then. Hopefully she'll age as well as Paula Abdual has.
 
Upvote 0

Speculative

Senior Veteran
May 29, 2007
2,414
343
Seattle
✟34,750.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Methodist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
So you're going to bite the bullet for 8 years even though it might wreck your health? Wouldn't it be easier to just play nice and smooth things over?
Well, yeah. That's what I'm TRYING to do--turn my anger inward. But you know, that's not healthy either. Any way you look at it, it's unhealthy. So, I'm kind of stuck.

The good thing for you is that if you're looking to make money off of dispensing advice, you don't even have to give advice that works. Just write a book and tell people that they have different love languages and they need to take love dares and stuff like that. Then get James Dobson to promote it. You'll be hanging out with Lady Gaga before she even has a chance to age.
 
Upvote 0

Autumnleaf

Legend
Jun 18, 2005
24,828
1,034
✟33,297.00
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Well, yeah. That's what I'm TRYING to do--turn my anger inward. But you know, that's not healthy either. Any way you look at it, it's unhealthy. So, I'm kind of stuck.

The good thing for you is that if you're looking to make money off of dispensing advice, you don't even have to give advice that works. Just write a book and tell people that they have different love languages and they need to take love dares and stuff like that. Then get James Dobson to promote it. You'll be hanging out with Lady Gaga before she even has a chance to age.

Good point, if my advice doesn't work I'll be able to sell the people more books.

Dog the Bounty Hunter did an interview once where he talked about when he went to prison in Texas. He gave a few tips in the interview for if you ever have to go to prison. One was, If someone asks you if you've ever been stuck you tell them you aint never been stuck anywhere.

Don't be stuck because you are not. Their are ever changing circumstances swirling around you that God has a divine hand in. Right now, I'd advise you to get a punching bag, a nice steak, or go to a place where you will be by yourself and nobody will hear you. Then hit/kick the punching bag, eat the steak and chew it thoroughly, or yell as loud as you want about what you want to for as long as you want to. Doing any of those things should help dispel built up anger. Repeat as needed.

Pray for God to show you an agreeable solution to your problem and wait patiently. Look for people who have been where you are at and ended up resolving things in a good way. Ask them for advice.
 
Upvote 0

Conservativation

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2009
11,163
416
✟13,552.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Good point, if my advice doesn't work I'll be able to sell the people more books.

Dog the Bounty Hunter did an interview once where he talked about when he went to prison in Texas. He gave a few tips in the interview for if you ever have to go to prison. One was, If someone asks you if you've ever been stuck you tell them you aint never been stuck anywhere.

Don't be stuck because you are not. Their are ever changing circumstances swirling around you that God has a divine hand in. Right now, I'd advise you to get a punching bag, a nice steak, or go to a place where you will be by yourself and nobody will hear you. Then hit/kick the punching bag, eat the steak and chew it thoroughly, or yell as loud as you want about what you want to for as long as you want to. Doing any of those things should help dispel built up anger. Repeat as needed.

Pray for God to show you an agreeable solution to your problem and wait patiently. Look for people who have been where you are at and ended up resolving things in a good way. Ask them for advice.

Well there is advice that sells, and advice that works, and advice that could birth an episode of Seinfeld.

Click the link above this page for the marriage ministry, watch the videos they have linked free.....and if you don't find entire patches of your hair missing, and where your nails were....now bloody stubs....you NEED caffeine!

But by all means, repack and parrot, that's the ticket, repack and parrot
 
Upvote 0

Speculative

Senior Veteran
May 29, 2007
2,414
343
Seattle
✟34,750.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Methodist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Don't be stuck because you are not. Their are ever changing circumstances swirling around you that God has a divine hand in. Right now, I'd advise you to get a punching bag, a nice steak, or go to a place where you will be by yourself and nobody will hear you. Then hit/kick the punching bag, eat the steak and chew it thoroughly, or yell as loud as you want about what you want to for as long as you want to. Doing any of those things should help dispel built up anger. Repeat as needed.

Pray for God to show you an agreeable solution to your problem and wait patiently. Look for people who have been where you are at and ended up resolving things in a good way. Ask them for advice.
This is all good, except for the steak part. I'm supposed to stay away from beef.

As for your last point, I've been trying to do this, but people like that are very hard to find. I've been to counseling, but all I get is people telling me it's all my fault, and I need to give even more, and expect even less for my marriage to work. I'm tired of "Christian" counselors who just want to blame the husband for all the troubles in marriages and think that all wives are just innocent little victims.

I thought coming to this forum might help out a little bit--and maybe it will--but so far most of what I've encountered are newlyweds who just want to brag about their sex lives and people who think other peoples' marital problems are just a big joke.
 
Upvote 0

Autumnleaf

Legend
Jun 18, 2005
24,828
1,034
✟33,297.00
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
This is all good, except for the steak part. I'm supposed to stay away from beef.

As for your last point, I've been trying to do this, but people like that are very hard to find. I've been to counseling, but all I get is people telling me it's all my fault, and I need to give even more, and expect even less for my marriage to work. I'm tired of "Christian" counselors who just want to blame the husband for all the troubles in marriages and think that all wives are just innocent little victims.

I thought coming to this forum might help out a little bit--and maybe it will--but so far most of what I've encountered are newlyweds who just want to brag about their sex lives and people who think other peoples' marital problems are just a big joke.

Skip the steak then, but don't substitute chicken.

What are people saying you are doing wrong? If one person says you are wrong so what. If a bunch of them do then you might want to see if they are all saying the same thing or not. None of us are innocent, none of us are the whole problem.

Newlyweds tend to have sex often. The joke is on them in a few years.

Marriage is hard. I know it. The trick is making your spouse feel good. If you can do that she'll love you long time. If you can't she won't stand to be around you if she can help it.

Its a matter of trying different things and using calibration to find out what works and stick with it.

Be specific in asking for help and you will get specific advice. What's wrong?
 
Upvote 0

mkgal1

His perfect way sets me free. 2 Samuel 22:33
Site Supporter
Jun 22, 2007
27,338
7,348
California
✟596,233.00
Gender
Female
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Skip the steak then, but don't substitute chicken.

What are people saying you are doing wrong? If one person says you are wrong so what. If a bunch of them do then you might want to see if they are all saying the same thing or not. None of us are innocent, none of us are the whole problem.

Newlyweds tend to have sex often. The joke is on them in a few years.

Marriage is hard. I know it. The trick is making your spouse feel good. If you can do that she'll love you long time. If you can't she won't stand to be around you if she can help it.

Its a matter of trying different things and using calibration to find out what works and stick with it.

Be specific in asking for help and you will get specific advice. What's wrong?
I have to agree. Sometimes we can get so overwhelmed, that we don't even know where to begin; but by identifying something specific, we can begin to work out a "plan".

Begin by identifying the greatest issue in your marriage...then, is there any reason you can't take that issue to your wife and get her perspective on it? For example...if you feel it is conflict resolution (or lack of)....let's say you present the issue to your wife by saying something like, "You know...I have been thinking, and I really feel that maybe somehting that has created some distance between us is that we don't seem to ever fully resolve problems...do you agree?" (just an example). It is important to not cast blame or accusations.
 
Upvote 0

Speculative

Senior Veteran
May 29, 2007
2,414
343
Seattle
✟34,750.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Methodist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Be specific in asking for help and you will get specific advice. What's wrong?
Well, I tried to do this, but I'm just not good about airing my dirty laundry in a constructive manner right now, so I deleted the post. Maybe I'll try again later.

Maybe I just need to find out what my love language is. I hope it's "Sitting around and watching football all day while drinking beer and eating pizza." My wife will have to let me do it, then, right?
 
Upvote 0