|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
4 Financial Tips During a Struggling Economy
4 Tips to Keeping a Marriage Strong
She Got the Ring - Now What? He got down on one knee. The box was opened; the question asked. She said yes! Now what? While many women rush to begin planning wedding details, one Oklahoma counselor urges engaged couples to think more about the marriage details. Kim Kimberling, Ph.D., is a family counselor in Oklahoma and author of “Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime.” He has taught a marriage preparation course for 10 years and the divorce rate for those who take his course and marry is just 5 percent. Kimberling stresses that preparing for a marriage meant to last a lifetime is more important than preparing for the wedding day. “We know from 10 years of history with this course that couples who do premarital counseling have a much greater rate of success than those who do not,” Kimberling said. “We spend years preparing for a career that may last 40 years. Why not spend time preparing for a marriage that you want to last 50, 60 or even 70 years?” Kimberling encourages couples to take a marriage preparation course as soon as they decide to marry, perhaps even as early as when they are just contemplating becoming engaged. “If a couple is seriously dating and considering taking the next step, they should take the course to help them decide whether or not to make the jump to engagement,” Kimberling said. He also advises couples who are married, but never had premarital counseling, to give it a try in the first year of marriage. They may learn things about their partners they never knew, Kimberling said. Here are some key questions men and women should ask before marrying: - Do close friends and family support the relationship? If not, why? - Do you have common goals and values? - Do you have cultural differences and if so, have you dealt with them? - Are you free from past relationships?
For more information about Kimberling’s course visit www.prepformarriage.com.
###
Engagement 101 - 4 Key Questions
Keeping the Romance Alive As important as a good sexual relationship is to a marriage, most couples never talk about it in a positive way, said Dr. Kim Kimberling, an Oklahoma City counselor. “We live in a sex driven culture and still have no idea how to build a healthy sexual relationship in marriage. We have soul-less sex,” Kimberling said. Kimberling created a training series for couples preparing for marriage and has offered it to couples for ten years in the Oklahoma City area with incredible results. While the national divorce rate continues to hover at 50 percent, the divorce rate for those who take Kimberling’s course and marry is just 5 percent. Kimberling recently published his first book and DVD series, called “Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime.” Sex in marriage is a gift from God, and should be enjoyed, Kimberling said. Kimberling offers the following steps to building a healthy sex life in marriage:
For more information on Kimberling’s Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime book and DVD series, click here.
Financial stress can cause huge rifts in any marriage. In fact, money is one of the top areas of conflict for many couples, said Dr. Kim Kimberling, an Oklahoma City counselor. Kimberling recently published his first book and DVD series, called “Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime.” His course, offered for 10 years now in the Oklahoma City area, has produced incredible results. The divorce rate for those who take his course and marry is just 5 percent. It is even more impressive when one considered the course is offered in a county where the divorce rate is about 60 percent. Making sure both people are on the same page and working towards the same goals is important to solving financial problems, Kimberling said. “First, finances have to be a ‘we’ thing in a marriage. The husband and the wife both need to be involved,” he said. “Both need to commit to keep their finances in order. Second, a couple has to know where they are financially.”
Kimberling offers a four-step solution for couples to get out of financial trouble:
For more information on Kimberling’s Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime book and DVD series, click here.
Communication is Key
Couples spend a significant amount of money and time preparing for the wedding day, but often very little actually preparing for their marriage. That may have a lot to do with the startling divorces statistics in Oklahoma and the nation, where more than half of all marriages end in divorce. But a local counselor has found that with the right preparation couples may be able to turn those statistics around. Dr. Kim Kimberling created a training series for couples preparing to marry and has offered it for ten years in the Oklahoma City metro with incredible results. While the national divorce rate continues to hover at 50 percent, the divorce rate for those who take Kimberling’s course and marry is just 5 percent. One of the most vital keys to a successful marriage is communication, Kimberling said. “A couple has to make a commitment to make the time for communication and to make communication a priority,” Kimberling said. “Research tells us that before marriage couples talk an average of three hours a day. After marriage that drops to five minutes a day.” A couple needs daily time to concentrate on communication. Allot a time where just you and your spouse sit and talk, face to face, without distractions such as the television or radio. Kimberling offers his top tools to couples for effective communication: STOP – Everything else that you are doing. LOOK – With your entire body. LISTEN – Actively. Make sure you listen and engage in the communication.
To find out more information about Kimberling’s Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime book and DVD series, click here.
De-Stress Your Marriage This Holiday Season Most newlywed couples face one of their earliest challenges of their marriage this time of year – where and with whom to spend the holiday season. What if his family lives in state but hers lives in Wisconsin? What if there are children from previous relationships? And parents always seem ready to apply that extra pressure to make theirs the holiday celebration of choice. Kim Kimberling, Ph.D., author and counselor, said he has seen the holiday pressure cooker and its impact on couples. While it’s difficult to handle for even seasoned couples, the stress is magnified for newlyweds. “There are family pressures and there often are money pressures too,” said Kimberling. He added couples who take on more than they can handle in either area may face added conflict in their relationship. Kimberling recently published his first book and DVD series, called “Preparing for the Marriage of a Lifetime.” He said there are a number of ways to help ease the stress for new couples during the hectic, pressure-filled holiday season Make decisions early It’s best to decide early and together as a couple how you will celebrate your holidays with your families and each other. How much can you afford to spend as a couple on gifts? Set a budget and stick with it. “I always tell couples the sooner they make a decision the better,” Kimberling said. “This gets everyone on the same page.” He suggested that couples talk to their families early too and let them know what they have decided about how they plan to spend the holidays. If money is tight, you may talk to the family about buying gifts just for the children in the family or having each family member buy for just one other family member. “I know one young couple came up with a fabulous way to give gifts without adding the stress of debt to their new marriage,” Kimberling said. “They made coupons for family members. One got a couple for one night of babysitting a month for the next year. Another got a coupon for homemade cookies once a month. It was a great way to give a gift from the heart without breaking the budget.” Don’t be afraid to break with tradition Kimberling said he knows many couples who celebrate holidays on days other than their calendar designations, such as having a Thanksgiving dinner the day after or opening gifts on Christmas Eve with one family and Christmas day with the other. “This is great because the focus becomes family getting together rather than the day,” he said. Make your own traditions as a couple Kimberling suggests newlyweds form their own special holiday traditions that they can build upon. For example, Kimberling and his wife Nancy always exchange a gift on Christmas Eve after spending time with their families. It’s been a tradition for 35 years. Stand together The most important advice he can give, Kimberling said, is for couples to present a united front, no matter what their decision. “Her family may be pulling her in one direction and his in another. If they stick together, they can stand strong with the decisions they have made as a couple for themselves and their own personal holiday traditions.
For more information on Kimberling and his book, visit www.PrepForMarriage.com.
###
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
webdesign and management by Evergreen Productions, Inc.