A Love Language Minute: Teamwork in Marriage

July 16, 2009 Teamwork in Marriage Who cleans the commode at your house?  Has it always been true?  If you are the one who cleans, are you happy with this arrangement?  Who takes care of what in a marriage?  This is the question that often leads to conflict.  Many couples do not agree on these issues before marriage.  They wake up six weeks into the marriage to discover that no one is cleaning the commode.   If this is a trouble spot for you, let me encourage you to take action.  Make a list of all the things that must be done on a regular basis.  Put your initials beside the ones that you think are your responsibilities.   Ask your spouse to do the same.  Then negotiate your differences.  Try it for six weeks and see how it works.  Re-negotiate if necessary.  Remember that you are a team! Who does the taxes at your house?  I must confess that role is mine in the Chapman household.  It's not a task I relish, but I've done it each year since the beginning of our marriage.  Why me?  Why not her?  In our case, it's at my wife's request.  She doesn't mind writing numbers as long as they are on the face of a check. But when it comes to balancing the check book, she says it hurts her stomach. Each of us have skills and interests, likes and dislikes, and these tend to guide us as we decide how to work together as a team in marriage.  It really doesn't matter who files the taxes, but it's nice if we can agree. Agreement brings harmony.  That's what marriage is all about - husband and wife working together for the common good. Adapted from The Marriage You've Always Wanted by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.   News & Updates Be the first to get exciting updates on Gary Chapman's books, radio programs, and conferences through this brand new online community. Visit the blog. Join the conversation--get live updates, access exclusive photos, and give Dr. Chapman your ideas. Become a fan of Gary Chapman on Facebook.    ____________________________________________________ Building Relationships Radio Saturday, July 16: God's People in Hard Times This has been one of the most popular programs of the past year--a message Dr. Chapman gave at his home church titled, "God's People in Hard Times." What is the purpose of suffering in our lives? How do you make sense of the seemingly random negative things that happen to God's people? Don't miss this stirring message. Tune in to Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, the weekly radio broadcast brought to you by Moody Radio and Moody Publishers. Listen live online Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. CST at moodyradio.org, check your local radio station, or download free podcasts and get more information. Featured Book Coming August 2009! The Marriage You've Always Wanted ________________ ________________ Gary Chapman Conference Schedule 8/1 - Louisville, KY 8/8 - Maple Grove, MN 8/15 - Roxbury Crossing, MA 8/29 - Cabot, AR Click here for more info.   ________________ View an archive of past emails. Give your feedback. © 2009 Moody Publishers Gary Chapman photo © Boyce Shore & Associates Forward email