THE AWKWARD MOM

because uncomfortable conversations are the ones worth having

Tag: marriage (page 1 of 6)

I’m married. Can I have a best friend of the opposite sex?

Reading Time: 7 minutes

best friend of the opposite sex

Author’s note: One of my perennially best-traveled posts remains Christian, Married, and Attracted Elsewhere. It’s not unusual to be attracted to or feel connection with someone else.

But as followers of Jesus–how do we handle it? Is it kosher to be married and have a best friend of the opposite sex who’s not your spouse? read more

“We Never Fight”: The Problem with Zero Conflict

Reading Time: 4 minutes

we never fight

I was glad/sad to see high click-throughs for my recent post, When Valentine’s Day is hard.

Maybe I’m reading into it. But maybe some of you are army-crawling through hard times. Or know someone who is. (Or are curious to see exactly how I would tackle that beast.) read more

When Valentine’s Day is Hard

Reading Time: < 1 minute

valentine's day is hard

For some of you–Valentine’s Day is not a fluffy pink cloud, studded with chocolates. For some of you, Valentine’s Day is hard.

We stayed married another day. Three cheers. read more

Best Posts of 2022!

Reading Time: 5 minutes

best posts of 2022

Today, my oldest is headed for continued training with the Marines; the 1987 Nissan Z he’s been flipping–the one the still needs the muffler?–sits resignedly outside. My youngest, a delight and a straight-up handful, is with extended family.  And thanks to this past year’s new puppy, I’m up early.

(This morning’s tea choice: Stash’s Licorice Spice. But since we’re talking New Year’s, my favorite of 2022 has definitely been Tazo’s Glazed Lemon Loaf.) read more

When Your Internal Narratives Sabotage Your Relationships

Reading Time: 3 minutes

internal narratives

On Tuesday, my brain–well, my heart–undermined my marriage.

Here’s what happened on the outside. read more

“I’ll find you”: What we long to hear

Reading Time: 3 minutes

i'll find you

A few nights ago, I got a call from my son from his military base. Wanna know what was great?

He called me because he had a bad day. read more

Why Your Marriage Needs Sex (& other recent articles)

Reading Time: 2 minutes

needs sex

When my four kids were little and life resembled a 24-hour Bounty commercial, I read a statistic in Parents magazine that something like 78% of new moms, when choosing between sex and sleep, chose sleep.

Um. Duh. read more

How to Be an Emotionally Safe Place for Your Spouse

Reading Time: 6 minutes

emotionally safe place

When my husband and I tied the knot, I was pounds lighter–and not just because that was four kids ago. I was peering over the edge of anorexia.

My carefully constructed salads for most meals and stringent rules for all things eating meant I was consuming around 1200 calories a day. I jogged relentlessly. And I was only beginning to recognize the deep dysfunction beneath my white-knuckled control over my life–complete with spiritual overtones. read more

2021 Best Posts of the Year!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

But for the last few days, I’d been sifting through a few emotions about 2022. A new year comes with some gravity–especially after a tough 2021 for my family.

Recently I completed a yearly prayer of Examen–my second year of a new personal tradition. Like the Israelites standing at the Jordan and choosing stones of remembrance (Joshua 4), I’m looking back at how I’ve seen God writing His story in and around me. And how his presence has met me there. read more

How to Navigate a Ministry Marriage

Reading Time: 2 minutes

ministry marriage

Since dating over two decades ago, my husband and I have never not been in ministry. It’s assumed various avatars and levels of formality. And most of it? I love. I love my ministry marriage.

But I grinned without malice as my introverted husband headed to his elder meeting. “Make sure they know how valuable your words are, because you won’t have any left when you get home.” read more

« Older posts

© 2024 THE AWKWARD MOM

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons