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Dear CMR: My in-laws are having a hard time cutting the cord when it comes to my wife. They try to get involved in everything we do and it's causing us conflict. We're considering seeing a marriage counselor, but do you think her parents should be included in the marriage counseling? 

Never in the first year of dating my boyfriend did I think that he had ever struggled with pornography—not him: he was too good of a person! So when I heard that almost all men, especially college-aged men, have struggled with pornography at some time in their lives, I immediately thought, “At least not him!” I was so confident that he had never struggled with it, so I never thought to ask.

How often does conflict show up in your relationship? How often does that conflict resolve in a way that is helpful and affirming to you? Is that even possible? Dr. Chris Grace provides insight on how to grow as a couple through the way you engage in conflict. It can re-establish your connection to the person, rather than breaking it down. Take a listen!

With the holidays coming up, there can be a lot of small talk over dinner with family or friends. This holiday season, what if you were able to connect with those you are celebrating with in a deeper, more meaningful way? What if there was a way to go deeper while still laughing and having fun? In this week's blog, Alisa Grace shares an experience that led their family to adopt this fun, meaningful new tradition into their the holiday celebration!

"In marriage, joy functions like engine oil. It reduces relational friction, which not only helps us uphold our commitment but also rejoice in it. Joy runs deeper than happiness because it has the capacity to transcend the details of our lives."  Dorothy Littell Greco explains how choosing to find joy in marriage, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, can be a source of life for your relationship.

Friendships can be a huge source of support and encouragement to you in life. When you start out on a dating relationships or a marriage, those friendships will undergo a change. Are those friendships still important to maintain? What place do they serve in the relationship with your significant other? How much time should you spend with friends once that new relationship begins? Dr. Chris Grace and Dr. Tim Muehlhoff share today about some of the things they have learned over the years about friendship within those relationships!

These last few months I have been experiencing physical symptoms such as lightheadedness, fast heartbeat, loss of appetite/desire to eat, headaches, and fatigue. I have seen several doctors and gotten multiple blood tests done, but so far, everything has turned out to be normal. I find myself feeling anxious and wonder if my physical symptoms are arising from stress/not knowing how to cope with stress at work?

If we want a transformed marriage, we need to regularly confess our sins to each other. Confession is not indiscriminately spewing your feelings on social media. It’s an honest, humble admission of the ways we have fallen short of God’s laws. Soong-Chan Rah writes in Prophetic Lament, “Confession acknowledges the need for God and opens the door for God’s intervention.” All of us need God’s intervention if we want a long-lasting, satisfying marriage.