Is there any more critical in a relationship than being able to effectively communicate openly and transparently with each other? NOPE!!! There is not!

That is one of the reasons we are constantly doing podcasts about communications, teaching workshops that always include communications and, work very hard about improving our own communications. It is that critical!

In this podcast we:

• Share with you two very important skill sets in the form of our Speaker Checklist and our Listener Checklist. You can Click Here to download our PDF that covers these two skills!
• We will also share with you 10 No No's when it comes to effectively communicating with each other (and the rest of the world for that matter!)
• Have 7 Powerful Communication Tools we all need to be intentional about mastering and using day in and day out!
• Will teach you one of the most powerful techniques we teach in our workshops we call "The Two Chairs".

At the end of the podcast we give you 6 conversations you can use to practice the checklists, avoiding the No No's, the 7 tools and the chairs! Here are the  6 Great Conversations we created just for you: 

1. One thing I would like for us to find common ground on is … 
2. It really hurts my feelings when you … 
3. One thing you could do that would really make me feel loved is ….
4. I would like to see us reduce our spending on … 
5. When it comes to our families could we …
6. The one thing I think would make us a better team is …

Also, in the podcast we referred to one of our favorite tools, The Relational Needs Survey and learning more about making our partner feel loved. Here are the links to the two podcasts about the Relational Needs Assessment! Take the time to do this and watch how your relationship grows!!! 

• Click Here to access the podcast on How To Make Your Partner Feel Loved!
• Click Here to access the podcast on Getting the Most From Your Relational Needs Survey!
• Click Here to download the Relational Needs Survey!

As always, if you have any questions or if we can help in any way please feel free to reach out to us by responding to this podcast post or go on over to our YOUR Marriage Matters Facebook Group!

Be sure and join us next week as we tackle the 2nd most important skill set we all need to develop - solving problems and resolving conflict! 

Click Here To Listen To The Podcast! 

Never ever forget how much YOUR Marriage Matters!

Jim & Christie Jacobus

What better way to answer that question than going straight to two "Nearlywed" couples that are just weeks away from saying :I do" and interview them?

 
Hannah and Austin

 Mindy and Chris

In this week's episode we ask these guys some great, even tough, questions about what their seriously dating and engagement phases have been like! You will hear them answer, very candidly, the following questions:

• Why do you want to get married?
• What have been some of the struggles you have faced while dating and engaged?
• What have been the fun parts of this time in your lives? Any unexpected blessings?
• What, if anything, do you think will be different once you say "I do"?
• Imagine you have been married for 30 years ... what would you want people to say about you individually and as a couple? 
• What is one piece of advice or insight you would want to give our couples out there that are engaged or seriously dating?

This was both a fun interview and a great learning experience. We trust you will enjoy it!

• For your homework this week Click Here to download our discussion on creating a "Bucket List" together!
• And, Click Here to download our Speaker/Listener Checklist to guide you through the discussion above!
• Additionally we encourage you to join our Facebook group by Clicking Here!

Jim & Christie Jacobus

Hey gang!

In this podcast episode we preview a series we have entitled The 4 Foundations of A Great Relationship! It is intended to do exactly what the title says. As you are seriously dating or engaged we want you to begin working on the 4 things that will become the backbone of you experiencing everything you hope for if/when you walk down the aisle together to say "I DO"!

We will be covering the following:

• Communication
• Conflict resolution and/or problem solving
• Creating a shared vision
• Committing to being the best version of yourselves both individually and collectively
• And, we have an interview with a few couples that are currently engaged and just months, or weeks, away from saying I DO to get their insights on this very important time in their lives!

We will also be sharing a little bit of our story and how we got here as well as the importance of commitment and intentionality! So, we trust you will enjoy this overview and join us in the weeks to come as we tackle these critical pieces to your success as a couple!

• For your homework this week Click Here to download our discussion on creating a "Bucket List" together!
• And, Click Here to download our Speaker/Listener Checklist to guide you through the discussion above!
• Additionally we encourage you to join our Facebook group by Clicking Here!

Have an awesome week and join us for our podcast on Communication Skills!

Jim & Christie Jacobus

Are we excited about you getting married? Yes, we are! Are there reasons to hit the STOP Button on getting married? Absolutely! Are these "life sentences"? Now way! But, if not dealt with before you walk down that aisle and say "I DO" they will cause you a world of hurt. If not dealt with now they could very easily lead to a divorce at a later date.

What are good reasons to hit the STOP Button?

• Addiction
• Abuse
• Response to internal or external pressures
• Thinking marriage will fix your fiancee
• Not having a "non negotiable" met by your future spouse

In this podcast we go into each of these in detail and provide you with some options when it comes to dealing with them. Again, these are not life sentences. As a matter of fact, we have seen some of the strongest marriage we know come out of a couple's dedication to dealing with one or more of these marriage killers!

There are also a handful of reasons to hit the PAUSE Button on your nuptials as well. Meaning we are going to acknowledge these challenges and begin to address them now. The great thing about this approach is it helps us develop our communication and problem skills during our engagement which is a microcosm of what are married life is going to be like together!

There you have it! 5 Reasons To Absolutely Hit the STOP Button On Getting Married!

If you have any questions please let us know. We are always here to help! Here are a couple of things you can do to help us ...

• Click Here to download our Speaker Listener Checklist!
• Click Here to join our Your Marriage Matters Facebook Group!
• If you enjoyed the podcast we would appreciate your giving it a 5 star review! That will help others find it more easily.

Join us next week as we kick off a new series on The 4 Foundations of A Great Relationship!

Jim & Christie Jacobus