COMMUNICATION
Bonding for Busy Spouses
Courtesy of Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists
CBN.com – You know the drill: get up in the morning, kiss your spouse goodbye, go to work, pick up the kids, kiss your spouse goodnight, repeat. Sound familiar? Probably so, if you’re anything like today’s modern couple. Hey, you’ve both got busy lives – but, wait a second. Did he forget your anniversary, again? Did she blow off your birthday? What’s going on here?
Many couples find themselves increasingly becoming strangers and are looking for a solution. Couples Chat God’s Spirit: Ideas and Conversations for Marriages and Couples to Empower Their Relationships, the new release by “couple-preneur” Geoff and Kristin Gembala, attempts to restore those weakened bonds – one five-minute lesson at a time.
“Marriage means different things to different people at different times. No two marriages are alike,” says coauthor Kristin Gembala, who also released the children’s workbook Kid’s Chat God’s Spirit last year. “Geoff and I have always searched for simple, quick ways to study, grow together, and improve our lives - we have four children and two businesses, so it’s important to squeeze quality time in with each other whenever possible. This book gives busy couples a chance to talk about what’s important in their lives and to grow together.”
Couples Chat God’s Spirit is a Christian devotional designed to reestablish vital communication between couples, and reintroduce them to the spiritual foundation of their marriage. Kristin Gembala is a former teacher and business entrepreneur, while Geoff Gembala is a financial expert with Primerica. Together, they pool their
wisdom in Couples Chat to cover such diverse topics as instilling a giving spirit in your children, to planning
your family finances.
Read an excerpt from the book below.
* * *
Let’s Chat!
When flying on an airplane, how does it not crash? The pilot is in constant communication with people on the ground. How does a major league baseball player know whether to bunt or steal to win one for the team? He watches the coaches communicate to him through signs. How does God communicate with us? Through His word in the Bible and other ways as well.
So if communication does everything from saving lives to showing the path to salvation, shouldn’t we make it the foundation of our partnerships? Won’t it keep our relationship alive and give it longevity?
Communication is the key to open all doors in life. Sometimes communication can be difficult and may hurt others. You must learn to communicate tactfully. Always start with a genuinely positive statement. Then express a concern if needed. Learn to live life looking for the good! When in a conversation with our son’s teacher about his hitting another student in class, I strongly suggested that we first talk about some strengths she saw in him. Then the “bad” items were easier to deal with. It allowed the topic of our discussion to be neutral, instead of each of us on the defensive. Train your mind to think of a positive thought first, before you enter into a conflict.
We must also be open and willing to listen to others. One of the ways to evaluate the strength of organizations and people is by their ability to self-evaluate. Do they open themselves up for critique in order to improve? For example, a church or school can send out a survey to its members to gather information to determine whether they are meeting their member’s needs. New ideas from the members can also contribute to making the church or school the best it can be!
The same is true in our relationships, especially our marriages. In order to be better, stronger, and closer we must communicate and be willing to listen. We must ask each other and God how we can improve, for the sake of our families and ourselves.
Items for Discussion
1. Do we look for the GOOD in people and in our lives?
2. How do we communicate with each other?
3. What is a form of communication we should add to our marriage? (Post-it notes, Hallmark cards, emailing during the day?)
4. Do we take time to ask what the other needs?
5. Are we always evaluating our relationship to make it better?
Scripture to Study
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19 (NIV)
Want to know more? Purchase the book.
About the authors:
Geoff and Kristin Gembala live in St. Louis, Mo., with their four children and dog CoCo Chenille. They are the co-founders of Appreciate the World, Inc., an inspiration-based company that aims to distribute resources all over the world to those in need. Fifty percent of net profits from Couples Chat will be donated to the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to support of individuals
For more stories like this one, sign up to receive Family News from CBN.com in your email every Friday.
CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
|