If, like me, you are striving to grow in grace as a godly husband then you will be helped by more counsel from Lou Priolo’s excellent book, The Complete Husband: A Practical Guide to Biblical Husbanding. Priolo writes: “Listed below are some transition sentences that may help you when you’re attempting to resolve conflicts with your wife. The list may be personalized according to the need of the moment (Eph 4:29).”

“I really appreciate your concern about this.”
“Thank you for being interested in this problem.”
“I’m glad you are concerned about this.”
“Am I hearing you correctly?”
“Am I hearing you right? Is this what you are saying?”
“Would you repeat that please?”
“Could you repeat that in a different way?”
“I see this is important to you; therefore, it is to me.”
“Let me think about that for a minute.”
“Thank you for taking time to share this with me.”
“Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to improve in this area?”
“Did I hear you say it upsets you when I ______________. Thank you for telling me.”
“Are you saying that you want me to discuss these kinds of issues with you before I make a decision?” (Be thankful!)
“How could I do (have done) that differently?”
“What, exactly, is it you see that I’m doing or saying wrong?”
“I wasn’t clearly seeing that.”
“Thank you for bringing that to my attention.”
“I’m glad you pointed that out to me.”
“When did that happen? I wasn’t aware of that.” (Be careful about the use of this statement; be sure that it is true before you use it!)
“I see that’s important to you, so I’ll make it a point to be more aware of it in the future.”

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Audio: Sacred Marriage: What if God designed your marriage to make you holy not happy

Gary Thomas wrote the book Sacred Marriage and you can hear him talking in the following mp3s.

1. Conforming to His Image
2. The School of Love
3. R-E-S-P-E-C-T
4. Emotional Affairs
5. A Sacred History
6. Choosing to Stay Married

Your Sacred Marriage

What if God designed marriage to make us holy instead of happy? And, what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God? Best-selling author Gary Thomas uncovers how your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and each other.

Part 1 - Conforming to His Image

What if God designed marriage to make us holy rather than happy? Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage, tells how God uses marriage to conform us to His image.

Part 2 - The School of Love

Have you ever thought of your marriage as the "School of Love"? Well, it is, and author Gary Thomas tells you how you can improve your grade point.

Part 3 - R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect--we're often concerned about getting it, but do we know how to give it? Author Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage, tells why and how you should respect your spouse.

Part 4 - Emotional Affairs

Just as iron sharpens irons, our daily marital struggles sharpen us. Author Gary Thomas talks about the emotional affair that threatened to destroy his marriage until God's truth redirected his course.

Part 5 - A Sacred History

Do you think of your marriage as having a sacred history? Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage, calls couples to persevere in their marriage if they want to experience the sweetness of commitment.