How to Move From a Marriage That’s Stuck to a Marriage That Sticks

Ok, confession time. When I was a teenager, I got stuck parking. I’m not talking about parking your car in a parking spot at Walmart. I’m talking about getting stuck on some deserted back road because I wanted to “spend some time” with a girl.

I will avoid the details to spare myself the painful self-disclosure, but I remember that feeling of being stuck. My first thought was, “This is no big deal. I’ll just get out and rock the car a little.” When that didn’t work, I thought, “Ok. I just need a little traction.” So I put rocks, limbs, and anything I could find under the rear wheels to give me some traction. Then I got behind the car to push, telling my girlfriend to give it some gas. Those of you who are smarter than me can guess what happened next. I was bathed in a hail of mud, rocks, and sticks…but the car remained stuck.

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One Thing You Must Do if Your Marriage is in a Rut

Ever feel like your life was in a rut? I was struck by that feeling this morning as I grabbed my usual stuff and headed out the usual door at the usual time to do my usual job. Don’t get me wrong, I really love my work and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Still it’s easy to feel stuck in the “same old, same old.”

The same can be true in marriage.

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3 Things You Need To Know

Right after we married, my wife and I moved 650 miles from home and I went to work in the oil fields of Oklahoma. Being young and inexperienced, they put me with an older man who could show me the ropes.

I would arrive at a job site and eagerly jump out of the truck to get started. But this man would make me slow down and say something like, “Here are some things you need to know about this job.” He didn’t tell me everything I needed to know about the job, but he told me the few big things I needed to know to make the job go better.

I wish someone would have come to me before I got married and said, “Here are some things you need to know about marriage.

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Happily Ever After?

“And they all lived happily ever after.” We’ve heard these word as children, when our parents would read us our favorited story for the umpteenth time. We’ve heard these words as parents, as we’ve read our own child’s favorite story for the umpteenth time.

“Happily ever after” are the words that bring closure to the story. They are the words that resolve the dissonant chords of the story. They are the words that say, “Everything’s alright now.” They are the words we all look for. They are the words we all long for.

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What I’ve Learned About Marriage From Buying a House – Part 5

“You’re not done yet.” This is what I’ve been telling myself lately. We’re very close to moving into a new home, and I’m sure some of you are tired of hearing this continuing saga. I’m with you. I’m tired of living it. Still, this experience keeps teaching me things about about marriage…especially this week.

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