Laura's Strengthening Marriage Blog

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Equality means that any man and woman who wants to marry can do so. Any other combinations are going to have to find something else to call it, since “marriage” is already taken. Marriage was defined and created by God. It’s not up for human redefinition. 
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Miss California recently got caught up in a heated controversy about marriage when answering an interview question during the Miss USA pageant. I’m not a big fan of beauty pageants, but I’m now a big fan of Carrie Prejean who stood up for marriage!
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How would you define a healthy sexual relationship in marriage? While there may be a number of ways, the following represents my definition of a healthy sexual relationship:

1. Mutually Fulfilling. Lovemaking is mutually enjoyable and satisfying for both husband and wife. (This would include regular orgasms for both husband and wife.)
2. Open Communication. Husband and wife communicate openly and honestly about sex–including their needs and preferences. This ability allows them to reconcile the many differences that will inevitably arise in the sexual relationship.
3. Satisfactory Frequency. Both husband and wife feel satisfied with the frequency of lovemaking. (My husband thought I should include that it be at least once a year! : )
4. Emotional Connection Beyond the Bedroom. In order for the intimate relationship to come full circle there must be good emotional connection outside he bedroom as well. 

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Male Sexual Socialization

In doing some research, I stumbled onto some fascinating insights about men and their sexual socialization.

With the advent of Viagra-type products, there is an increasingly reductionistic and medicalized focus on the sexual functioning of body parts while ignoring the relational aspects of sexuality.

The trend to medicalize sexuality and reduce problems to body parts feeds into the cultural phenomenon of boys and men being socialized to be disconnected from their emotions, limiting their capacity for intimate communication and connection.

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What a delightful surprise to find that “Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog” was selected as one of the Top 10 Best “Love” Blogs for women by the AllWomenStalk.com website. I was in good company with other blogs from “Understanding Men” to Glamour magazine. Read the rest of this entry »

My good friend, Julie de Azevedo Hanks, is holding a monthly “Cultivating Sexual Desire in Marriage” workshop for women. This is a great way for women to learn to embrace sexuality and find greater fulfillment in their marriages. Read the rest of this entry »