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	<title>Laura&#039;s Strengthening Marriage Blog</title>
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	<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog</link>
	<description>Official Blog of Author and Intimacy Expert Laura M. Brotherson</description>
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		<title>Couples Photo Contest Entries</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-photo-contest-entries?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=couples-photo-contest-entries</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-photo-contest-entries#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:19:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Couples Photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Misc/Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anniversary Inn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[couples]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Date Night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimate relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passionate relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romantic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romantic getaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentines Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1403</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re loving the entries for our 2012 Couples Photo Contest. Check out some of our first few entries&#8230;  (See if you can find the stow away in this photo! LOL! : ) Be sure to get your pictures in soon, as there will likely be less competition this year for this fabulous prize! But it&#8217;s well worth [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">We&#8217;re loving the entries for our <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-contest-with-a-twist" target="_blank">2012 Couples Photo Contest</a>. Check out some of our first few entries&#8230; </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMAG0075-crop-400px.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1408" style="margin: 4px; border: black 1px solid;" title="IMAG0075-crop-400px" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMAG0075-crop-400px.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>(See if you can find the stow away in this photo! LOL! : )</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMAG0078-crop-400px.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1407" style="margin: 4px; border: black 1px solid;" title="IMAG0078-crop-400px" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMAG0078-crop-400px.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" /></a></p>
<p>Be sure to get your pictures in soon, as there will likely be less competition this year for this fabulous prize! But it&#8217;s well worth the effort for a chance to get out of your hectic life and into the escape and romance of <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/strengthening-marriage-discount-at-the-anniversary-inn" target="_blank">The Anniversary Inn</a>.</p>
<p>Your photo may be worth nearly $300 if it is chosen for this year&#8217;s winner of a romantic getaway to the amazing <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/strengthening-marriage-discount-at-the-anniversary-inn" target="_blank">Anniversary Inn</a>.</p>
<p>Click <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-contest-with-a-twist">here</a> for all the details of this annual couples contest!</p>
<p><span id="more-1403"></span></p>
<div>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
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<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://feedburner.google.com']);" href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.kickstartcart.com']);" href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><strong><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em>StrengtheningMarriage.com</em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></strong></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Developing a Sexual Identity</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/sex/developing-a-sexual-identity?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=developing-a-sexual-identity</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/sex/developing-a-sexual-identity#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:30:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marital Intimacy Show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[And They Were Not Ashamed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Best Marriage Advice blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fixing marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hot monogamy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura M Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage after infidelity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strengthening Marriage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=703</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post is in connection with episode #030 &#8220;I Am a Sexual Being, and It&#8217;s Good&#8221; of The Marital Intimacy Show. For your convenience, the questions from that episode are posted here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I&#8217;ve recently come across some interesting research about women and the sexual issues they face, and what some of the best approaches [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-704 aligncenter" style="margin: 8px; border: black 1px solid;" title="couple-happy" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/04/couple-happy.jpg" alt="couple-happy" width="246" height="366" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This post is in connection with <a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/i-am-sexual-being-and-its-good-developing-sexual-identity" target="_blank">episode #030 &#8220;I Am a Sexual Being, and It&#8217;s Good&#8221;</a> </em><em>of <a href="http://thewinonline.com/shows/marital-intimacy-show" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a>. For your convenience, the questions from that episode are posted here.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</em></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve recently come across some interesting research about women and the sexual issues they face, and what some of the best approaches are for helping women with these issues. It really boils down to women developing a sexual identity, or having that foundation for their intimate relationship in marriage.</p>
<p><strong>Sexual Identity</strong></p>
<p>What is a sexual identity? Basically it means that you see yourself as a sexual being, and embrace that as a good thing. And I&#8217;d even take it a step further to say that part of a healthy sexual identity is understanding the fact that your sexuality is of God. <span id="more-703"></span></p>
<p><strong>Questions for Developing Your Sexual Identity </strong></p>
<p>What I&#8217;d like to share here are some of the questions provided in the research, so that you can begin to explore these issues on your own. I&#8217;d suggest you get a notebook and begin to do some writing&#8211;investigating these questions.</p>
<p>Here are 15 questions to ponder, and do some writing about:</p>
<ol>
<li>What do I think about sex? What does sex mean to me? What does sex mean to God?</li>
<li>What do I think about my body&#8230;all parts of it?</li>
<li>How did I learn about sex? What was I taught?</li>
<li>What do I want from sex? What do I want it to accomplish?</li>
<li>What kinds of things give me pleasure, even if not sexual?</li>
<li>Which of my senses give me pleasure? Touch? Taste? Sight? etc.</li>
<li>What am I passionate about, even if it&#8217;s not sexual? (Have a conversation with yourself about passion itself.) &#8230;Where are your passions? What do they say about you?</li>
<li>If your passions are non-sexual, what does that mean for you?</li>
<li>Have I ever been passionate about sex?</li>
<li>What was different then? What was different about me then?</li>
<li>Where did my passionate self go?</li>
<li>What things might I need to grieve over regarding passion in my life? Sexual or otherwise? (A lot of women have experienced some pain and heartache about sexual things&#8230;Those issues must be addressed and healed&#8211;usually with the help of a therapist.)</li>
<li>What keeps me from wanting and/or enjoying pleasure now?</li>
<li>What would it mean and what would it look like if I took responsibility for reconnecting my passion to my sexuality?</li>
<li>What would it mean to my husband if I embraced my sexuality? What would it mean to my children?</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<p>Foley, S. (2003). Women in sex therapy: Developing a sexual identity. <em>Contemporary Sexuality, 37(9)</em>, 7-13.</p>
<p><strong>Related Resources:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>PODCAST &#8212; <a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/i-am-sexual-being-and-its-good-developing-sexual-identity" target="_blank">Episode #030 &#8220;I Am a Sexual Being&#8230;&#8221; </a>on &#8220;<a href="http://thewinonline.com/shows/marital-intimacy-show" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a>&#8220;</li>
<li>ARTICLE &#8212; &#8220;<a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/embracing-sexuality/">Embracing Sexuality</a>&#8220;</li>
</ul>
<div>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
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<tbody>
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<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><strong><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em>StrengtheningMarriage.com</em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></strong></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>New Couples Contest&#8230;with a Twist!</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-contest-with-a-twist?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=couples-contest-with-a-twist</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-contest-with-a-twist#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:29:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Couples Photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Date Night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Misc/Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anniversary Inn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[couples]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimate relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passionate relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romantic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romantic getaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentines Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1315</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Get your cameras ready! We’re excited to announce our annual Couples Contest / Valentine’s Giveaway to the romantic Anniversary Inn. And to celebrate the release of And They Were Not Ashamed in eBook form (Kindle, Nook, etc.) we are adding a &#8220;prop&#8221; to the couples photos for you to send us. Just send us a photo of you and your [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Get your cameras ready!</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_6928-crop-400pix.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1382" style="margin: 4px; border: black 1px solid;" title="IMG_6928-crop-400pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_6928-crop-400pix.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="259" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We’re excited to announce our annual <strong>Couples Contest / Valentine’s Giveaway</strong> to the romantic <a href="http://www.anniversaryinn.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Anniversary Inn</strong></a>. And to celebrate the release of <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/we-have-ebooks" target="_blank"><em>And They Were Not Ashamed</em> in eBook </a>form (Kindle, Nook, etc.) we are adding a &#8220;prop&#8221; to the couples photos for you to send us.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Just send us a <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/couples.php" target="_blank"><strong>photo</strong></a> of you and your spouse with a copy of our book or eBook <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/They-Were-Ashamed-Strengthening-ebook/dp/B006G2XO9K/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&amp;qid=1325737633&amp;sr=8-1">And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</a></em> for a chance to win a fabulous ~ <strong>FREE</strong> ~ one-night getaway to the delicious <a href="http://www.anniversaryinn.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Anniversary Inn</strong></a> of your choice, in the suite of your choice! (Valued up to $289!) &#8230;and that&#8217;s any Anniversary Inn in any state!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span id="more-1315"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The book-prop in your picture can be the print version or if you want to show the <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/we-have-ebooks" target="_blank">eBook</a> just pull up the cover on your eReader and put that in the photo too.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">After last year&#8217;s creativity we can&#8217;t wait to see what this year brings with the added prop!  You&#8217;re only limited by your imagination&#8230;! : )</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Contest Details</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To enter the drawing, send us your favorite husband/wife photo by <strong>Saturday, February 18th</strong>, 2012 to <a href="mailto:couplesphotos@strengtheningmarriage.com" target="_blank">this email</a>. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">All photos will be posted on our <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/couples.php" target="_blank"><strong>Couples Photos page</strong></a>. So, send us your <strong>uncropped, 300 dpi/high res</strong> photo with your first names, and how many years you’ve been married.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Even if you&#8217;ve sent us a photo before, you are welcome to send us a new one! You can see all the fabulous couples photos from previous years <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/couples.php" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The lucky couple will be drawn and contacted by the end of February through email, and also announced on <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/couples.php" target="_blank"><strong>our website</strong></a>. Let the picture taking begin! : )</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>You Can All Be a Winner!</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Even if you aren’t selected as the winner of this <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/couples.php" target="_blank"><strong>Valentine’s Day giveaway</strong></a>, you can still be a winner by reserving a room at <a href="http://www.anniversaryinn.com/" target="_blank"><strong>The Anniversary Inn</strong></a> for you and your honey! (Don&#8217;t forget to ask for the <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/strengthening-marriage-discount-at-the-anniversary-inn" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">25% off StrengtheningMarriage.com discount</span></a></span>!)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You’ll love the in-room jacuzzis, complimentary sparkling cider, and cheesecake, as well as the delectable complimentary breakfast. It’s one of my favorite places to stay for a romantic getaway!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">p.s. Feel free to share this contest if you have a blog or Facebook Page.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">   <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/cruise-2011-couple-w-book-200px.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1383" style="margin: 4px 25px; border: black 1px solid;" title="cruise-2011-couple-w-book-200px" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/cruise-2011-couple-w-book-200px.jpg" alt="" width="133" height="200" /></a><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mitt-Romney-Laura-crop-200px.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1384" style="margin: 4px 25px; border: black 1px solid;" title="Mitt-Romney-Laura-crop-200px" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mitt-Romney-Laura-crop-200px.jpg" alt="" width="133" height="200" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">   <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_9310-200px.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1385" style="margin: 4px 25px; border: black 1px solid;" title="IMG_9310-200px" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_9310-200px.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="200" /></a><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tanya-book1-200px.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1386" style="margin: 4px 25px; border: black 1px solid;" title="tanya-book1-200px" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tanya-book1-200px.jpg" alt="" width="133" height="200" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/couples-photos/couples-photo-contest-entries" target="_blank">Click here</a> for some of this year&#8217;s photo entries!</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
<table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
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<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><strong><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em>StrengtheningMarriage.com</em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></strong></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Sex is Easy&#8211;Lovemaking Takes Effort</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/sex/sex-is-easy-lovemaking-takes-effort?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=sex-is-easy-lovemaking-takes-effort</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/sex/sex-is-easy-lovemaking-takes-effort#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:37:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pornography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimate relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura M Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marital Intimacy Show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mutually fulfilling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual relationship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/intimacy/sex-is-easy-lovemaking-takes-effort/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The mechanics of &#8220;having sex&#8221; are fairly simple, but really &#8220;making love&#8221; and developing a good intimate relationship takes some time and effort. Movies, pornography and other media tell us that sex is&#8211;or should be&#8211;easy, which is a set up for problems in a real relationship. For those who have ingested pornography, it&#8217;s difficult to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Couples kiss closeup face" href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2008/01/couple-kiss-closeupface-150pix.jpg"><img style="border: black 1px solid;" title="Couples kiss closeup face" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2008/01/couple-kiss-closeupface-150pix.thumbnail.jpg" alt="Couples kiss closeup face" width="145" height="181" align="right" border="1" /></a></p>
<p>The mechanics of &#8220;having sex&#8221; are fairly simple, but really &#8220;making love&#8221; and developing a good intimate relationship takes some time and effort. Movies, pornography and other media tell us that sex is&#8211;or should be&#8211;easy, which is a set up for problems in a real relationship. For those who have ingested pornography, it&#8217;s difficult to have a healthy and accurate perspective of sexuality, and to separate fantasy from reality.</p>
<p><span id="more-54"></span><strong>Pornography&#8211;The Sex Mis-educator</strong></p>
<p>Pornography is a dangerous sex educator of many misconceptions. Studies are showing that because parents are not having open discussions about sex and intimacy with their children that porn and other media are being the educators. (This also applies to spouses who do not talk openly with each other about their sexual relationship.) For many people the media is not only the primary source of sex education, but the only education they receive.</p>
<p>&#8220;Sex&#8221; is one-dimensional, whereas “lovemaking” encompasses all dimensions of the marriage relationship. From pornography, young people (and adults) begin to believe that what they see is real and normal.</p>
<p>Porn objectifies women (and men) as mere objects of sexual desire. Porn makes viewers forget the fact that sex was designed for the shared enjoyment of two people&#8211;husband and wife&#8211;who have feelings as well as differing needs and expectations.</p>
<p>Porn leads people to believe that men and women are both always (and equally) interested in sex. Imagine the surprise when someone finds that their spouse needs to feel close emotionally before they are ready for sexual expression.</p>
<p>Porn is all about self-gratification not mutual fulfillment. Porn leaves out the interpersonal and emotional elements of lovemaking focusing solely on the physicality of sex. This makes sex feel selfish, or frustrating for those who don&#8217;t want to engage in the mental and emotional connection needed in a healthy relationship.</p>
<p>If the blueprint of a &#8220;normal&#8221; sexual relationship comes from pornography or sexually-explicit movies, one might be surprised to find that one&#8217;s spouse has a different idea of what&#8217;s acceptable sexually, or that they are not comfortable with certain things. It may not even cross the media-saturated mind that one&#8217;s spouse might think any differently about sex than they do.</p>
<p>Porn teaches that men and women are both equally enthusiastic about engaging in any kind of sexual behavior, and that people can make demands without regard for the feelings and preferences of the other. If couples aren&#8217;t communicating, then two different sexual blueprints are likely to collide.</p>
<p>Pornography represents a one-track mind on a one-track adventure. Imagine one’s surprise to find that their spouse is not constantly planning the next sexual adventure, or making it a full-time obsession to devise ways to spice up one’s sex life.</p>
<p>Pornography portrays sex as so easy. No relationship issues. No rejection. No foreplay. No hassle. No need to be nice and considerate and loving toward the other throughout the day. Just pure, selfish pleasure and fantasy.</p>
<p>Porn is sexual fantasy. Porn is sex without intimacy. Sex without the context of intimacy is empty and can never satisfy.</p>
<p><strong>Intimacy is Scary</strong></p>
<p>Intimacy is inherently anxiety producing. It involves self-disclosure, self-awareness, and self-acceptance. It involves sharing the good, bad and the ugly about yourself. If you don&#8217;t necessarily like who you are, it&#8217;s a real challenge to openly share yourself with another.</p>
<p>Intimacy involves being vulnerable. It involves exposing ourselves&#8211;body, mind and soul. Sex is easy if you can just avoid the intimacy stuff! But the intimacy stuff is part of what turns &#8220;having sex&#8221; into &#8220;lovemaking.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the primary cause&#8217;s of husbands being the lower-desire spouse is the fact that true intimacy can be terrifying. They&#8217;d rather not risk it. They&#8217;d rather just keep their distance. This also makes porn a seemingly-perfect escape. It&#8217;s sex without the &#8220;scary&#8221; part.</p>
<p><strong>What&#8217;s in Your Sexual Blueprint?</strong></p>
<p>Think about how much influence the media have had on your mental blueprint of what sex is all about. The media-educated mind has some sexual unlearning to do, and some new learning to acquire. It requires each of us who have had less-than-an-ideal sexual education to face up to what we&#8217;ve been taught and what we&#8217;ve accumulated from various questionable sources. We&#8217;ve got some homework to do!</p>
<p>So while media may have led you to believe that sex or lovemaking is easy, always hot and full of romance, or should be, the good news is that with a willingness to learn about the realities of a healthy sexual relationship, and with a willingness to change, sex can become what it was designed to be&#8211;a mutually fulfilling physical, emotional and spiritual expression of love and passion. It&#8217;s worth the effort!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
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<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Have You Lost That Lovin&#8217; Feeling about Kissing?</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/lost-that-loving-feeling?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=lost-that-loving-feeling</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/lost-that-loving-feeling#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:47:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advice on marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Divorce Busting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gary Chapman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intimacy advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laura M Brotherson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love and marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marital Intimacy Show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michele Weiner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mutually fulfilling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[open communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual relationship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1306</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many couples have lost that lovin&#8217; feeling when it comes to kissing and making out! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When was the last time you and your spouse made out?! Many couples have lost that lovin&#8217; feeling when it comes to kissing and having fun making out. When couples were dating, kissing was an exciting and savored experience. But [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><em>Many couples have lost that lovin&#8217; feeling when it comes to kissing and making out!</em></strong></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lhs3Rj71gpo?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p align="center">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>When was the last time you and your spouse made out?! Many couples have lost that lovin&#8217; feeling when it comes to kissing and having fun making out.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span id="more-1306"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">When couples were dating, kissing was an exciting and savored experience. But after marriage many couples seem to abandon sensual, lip-to-lip (face or neck) kissing, not only because additional sexual pleasures are now available, but maybe for other more intimate reasons of which they may not be aware.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">So go park somewhere after <strong><em>date night</em></strong> with the agreement to have some fun sensually and/or teasingly exploring each other&#8217;s face, lips, mouth, neck, ears, and eyelids with kissing, nibbling, touching&#8211;being as creative as possible&#8211;without any pressure or expectation that it will lead to something more.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Add a little background music to help set the mood. As I explain in the book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/They-Were-Ashamed-Strengthening-ebook/dp/B006G2XO9K/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&amp;qid=1325712278&amp;sr=8-1">And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage Through Sexual Fulfillment</a> </em>intimacy is best without expectations or strings attached!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">So <em><strong>when</strong></em> was the last time you made out with your spouse?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>Related Resources:</strong></em></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/bliss-kiss-restoring-lost-art-kissing-part-1">&#8220;The Bliss of a Kiss&#8211;Restoring the Lost Art of Kissing (Part 1)</a></em><em><a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/bliss-kiss-restoring-lost-art-kissing-part-1">&#8221; Episode #26 &#8211; The Marital Intimacy Show podcast</a></em></div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/bliss-kiss-restoring-lost-art-kissing-part-1">&#8220;The Bliss of a Kiss&#8211;Restoring the Lost Art of Kissing (Part 2)</a></em><em><a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/bliss-kiss-restoring-lost-art-kissing-part-2">&#8221; Episode #27 &#8212; The Marital Intimacy Show podcast</a></em></div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://thewinonline.com/episode/bliss-kiss-restoring-lost-art-kissing-part-3"><em>&#8220;The Bliss of a Kiss&#8211;Restoring the Lost Art of Kissing (Part 3)</em><em>&#8221; Episode #28 &#8212; The Marital Intimacy Show podcast</em></a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
<table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feedburner.google.com']);" href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>. </em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.kickstartcart.com']);" href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Self-Help Sex Therapy</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/self-help-sex-therapy?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=self-help-sex-therapy</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/self-help-sex-therapy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:36:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1289</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that I am pretty heavy into counseling and therapy in my practice I am finding it difficult to find enough time to help everyone that is requesting my services. In addition, there are some who may not be able to afford counseling or who have spouses that won’t talk to anyone about it…at least at this [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/book-n-MIS-400pix.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1290 aligncenter" title="book n MIS-400pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/book-n-MIS-400pix.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="205" /></a></p>
<p>Now that I am pretty heavy into <a href="http://www.cherrylanecounseling.com/id75.html">counseling and therapy</a> in my practice I am finding it difficult to find enough time to help everyone that is requesting my services. In addition, there are some who may not be able to afford counseling or who have spouses that won’t talk to anyone about it…at least at this point.</p>
<p>So, the purpose of this post is to provide some first steps for individuals or couples while they are waiting for additional help (particularly those on my current waiting list) or for those who are on their own in trying to improve their intimate relationship.</p>
<p><span id="more-1289"></span><strong>1. Read and Do the Homework in <em>And They Were Not Ashamed</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Step 1</strong> of your self-help sex therapy is definitely to read (either together or on your own) my book <em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank">And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</a></em> and do the homework suggested at the end of each chapter. This is similar to the kind of counseling work I would do with clients in sessions (and the homework I would give as well) to help clients identify what is getting in the way of them enjoying the sexual relationship as God intended it.</p>
<p>One of the reasons I wrote this book was because many people unfortunately wont go see a sex therapist, but they will read a book in the privacy of their own home. My book is available <a href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=23&amp;products_id=32">on CD</a> or at <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B002VA8K68&amp;qid=1322529433&amp;sr=1-1">Audible.com</a> for you to listen to. It will soon be available as an ebook in it’s various formats. Yay!</p>
<p><strong>2. Listen to The Marital Intimacy Show Podcasts</strong></p>
<p><strong>Step 2</strong> is to listen to as many of my short and sweet <a href="http://thewinonline.com/shows/marital-intimacy-show" target="_blank">Marital Intimacy Show podcasts</a> as you can, and do at least a brief writing afterwards of the highlights and/or anything that caught your attention as applicable to your situation. These episodes are like FREE mini self-help counseling sessions that I would be having with you and/or your spouse if we were in a session together. </p>
<p><strong>3. Utilize my Other Resources</strong></p>
<p><strong>Step 3</strong> is to be sure you are utilizing the other resources I have for addressing your sexual questions and issues. In addition to the MIS audiocasts, other resources I have include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>My blog – <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/" target="_blank">Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog</a>.</strong> You’ll find many articles and posts that address the common issues couples face. My blog here also has a great reservoir of conversations between myself and our fabulous blog followers asking questions and trying to help each other out with their marital and intimacy challenges. You can find that information in the <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/open-forum-discussion/" target="_blank">Open Forum</a> sections on this blog.</li>
<li><strong>My Articles.</strong> I’ve written <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/news.php" target="_blank">over 50 articles</a> available on my website strenmarr.com to help you think through some of the challenges you may be facing. I generally provide some suggestions or action items for you to actively work on various dimensions of your life and your relationship.</li>
<li><strong>Facebook and Twitter.</strong> Social media is another great resource for information sharing, so be sure to join us on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow" target="_blank">Marital Intimacy Show</a> page and my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage" target="_blank">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a> page on FB or follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/LauraBrotherson" target="_blank">@LauraBrotherson</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy" target="_blank">@MaritalIntimacy</a> to receive daily insights and motivation to help you strengthen your marriage.</li>
<li><strong>Newsletter.</strong> My <a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php">“Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter</a> is another resource to provide help in strengthening your marriage.</li>
<li><strong>Straight Talk Q&amp;A</strong> — In my “<a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/qa.php">Straight Talk Q&amp;A</a>” I’ve answered a lot of common questions that I’ve received over the years that can also help you figure out some helpful solutions for your own situation.</li>
<li><strong>More Books on the Way.</strong> Since there is no chance I’ll ever be able to help all those who may want or need my individual time and services, I am working on my next two books that again are very much what we would be working on together in counseling sessions. One of these next books will encapsulate the key secrets of female sexuality and the other will highlight the important aspects of male sexuality. These will be additional valuable resources for couples to have for additional self-help sex therapy.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>4. Get Professional Help</strong></p>
<p><strong>Step 4</strong> is to get professional help if the above steps are not enough.</p>
<p>I was telling my husband the other day that I just had to get doing my podcasts more frequently and to get our next two books written because I’m just not being able to reach enough people who want my help and he said, “You know Laura, that may be true, but I’m not sure any of those things can actually replace someone talking with your directly.” It was certainly a sweet thing for him to say, but it is also kinda true.</p>
<p>There’s a magic that happens in the process of counseling together that you really can’t recreate any other way. So, do get some help if the above suggestions are not enough. Thankfully for many couples it is enough to help them shift their sexual relationship! But that won’t be true for everyone.</p>
<p>So, to recap, (1) read my book <em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank">And They Were Not Ashamed</a></em>, (2) listen to <a href="http://thewinonline.com/shows/marital-intimacy-show">my podcasts</a>, (3) read and use the other resources on my website <a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em>StrengtheningMarriage.com</em></a>, and then (4) seek out professional help in the form of counseling or even just a couple consultations.</p>
<p>I hope this gives you some guidance as you engage in your own self-help sex therapy and work toward creating a wonderful, mutually fulfilling sexual relationship in your marriage!</p>
<p><em><strong>Related Resources:</strong> &#8221;Self-Help Sex Therapy&#8221; episode #057 The Marital Intimacy Show podcast</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
<table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feedburner.google.com']);" href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p> <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>. </em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.kickstartcart.com']);" href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
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		<title>Yay for Date Night!&#8212;Quotes &amp; Resources</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/yay-for-date-night?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=yay-for-date-night</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/yay-for-date-night#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Date Night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intimacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=553</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s Friday night. Do you have some plans for date night with your spouse?! It need not be expensive, just something to give you a chance to reconnect after a long week. It&#8217;s also great for emotional foreplay for both husband and wife! : ) One of the purposes of date night is to build [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-554 aligncenter" style="margin: 4px; border: black 1px solid;" title="IMG_3050-600pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/IMG_3050-600pix.jpg" alt="IMG_3050-600pix" width="346" height="178" /></p>
<p>It&#8217;s Friday night. Do you have some plans for date night with your spouse?! It need not be expensive, just something to give you a chance to reconnect after a long week. It&#8217;s also great for emotional foreplay for both husband and wife! : )</p>
<p><span id="more-553"></span></p>
<p>One of the purposes of date night is to build positive associations of fun and enjoyment with your spouse and the relationship you share. It&#8217;s just too easy for the weight of the world to pull you apart without dedicated time and attention for pleasurable reconnecting with your spouse. Don&#8217;t let the opportunity pass you by!</p>
<p><strong>DATE NIGHT QUOTES</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>More marriages die of neglect than of anything else. Don&#8217;t forget Date Night!</li>
<li>Date Night is insurance for your marriage.</li>
<li>Date night is great emotional foreplay for both husband and wife.</li>
<li>Date Night&#8211;It&#8217;s cheaper than marriage counseling! : )</li>
<li>If women would spend more time working on the sexual relationship in their marriage and less time on other things (like what to do for date night) their relationship would improve by leaps and bounds. The truth is that improving the sexual relationship is probably the single most effective thing couples can do to build a strong marriage, because to get the sexual relationship working well already requires that most other important dimensions be nurtured as well.</li>
<li>Date night gives you a chance to get away from it all and slip into &#8220;couple mode&#8221; for a few delightful hours.</li>
<li>Date Night&#8211;It&#8217;s my favorite night of the week!</li>
<li>Date night is NOT optional for those who want to create a close and connected intimate relationship.</li>
<li>Date Night &#8212; Just do it!</li>
<li>Date Night &#8212; When there&#8217;s a will there&#8217;s a way!</li>
<li>Date Night&#8230;it&#8217;s definitely worth the effort!</li>
<li>Date night helps to keeps the fun in the relationship. When the fun goes out of the marriage then the motivation to deal with the inevitable challenges goes too.</li>
<li>Marriage requires constant nourishment. Date night nourishes the relationship mentally, emotionally, physically and even sexually…if you’re lucky! : )</li>
<li>Date Night is a great way to easily take care of &#8220;Tenderness, Thoughtfulness, Teasing, Talk, Touch, Time&#8221; which are all part of the &#8220;8 T&#8217;s&#8221; of feeding into and nourishing female sexuality.</li>
<li>&#8220;Couples can do a lot to improve their marriages by going out alone to do something special, just the two of them, with no children tagging along&#8221; (~ Gary Panetta).</li>
<li>&#8220;Marriage is work. Your marriage is going to be only as good as the work you put into it&#8221; (~ Kristy Hemmele).</li>
<li>Date night is not Family night! Get a babysitter and go enjoy some alone time with your honey. Strengthening your marriage with regular date nights is the best thing you can do for your kids anyway!</li>
<li>Date Night – “Creating informal rituals when you can connect emotionally is critical in a marriage” (John M. Gottman, <em>The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work</em>)</li>
<li>&#8220;One drawback of long-term love is that many couples allow dating to fall by the wayside. The two of you can easily fall into a routine and into the mind-set that just being together is enough. However, continuing to &#8216;date&#8217; your long-term love will help your relationship go the distance&#8221; (Dr. Laura Berman).</li>
<li>Date night can be a real oasis in a couple&#8217;s life!</li>
<li>Date Night &#8212; It&#8217;s my light at the end of the tunnel!</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>OTHER DATE NIGHT RESOURCES</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Blog</strong> &#8212; <a href="http://loveactually-blog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Love, Actually Blog</a> (wonderful and creative date ideas)</li>
<li><strong>Blog</strong> &#8212; <a href="http://thedahlingdatingdivas.blogspot.com" target="_blank">The Dating Divas</a> (12 dating diva girlfriends share their fun and inexpensive date ideas)</li>
<li><strong>Article</strong> &#8212; &#8220;<a title="Permanent Link to Date Night is NOT Optional" href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/date-night-is-not-optional/" rel="bookmark">Date Night is NOT Optional</a>&#8221; by Laura M. Brotherson</li>
<li><strong>Article &#8212; </strong>&#8220;<a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/raising-the-bar-on-date-night/" target="_blank">Raising the Bar on Date Night</a>&#8221; by Laura M. Brotherson</li>
<li><strong>Article</strong> &#8212; &#8220;<a href="http://www.redbookmag.com/love-sex/advice/43-date-night-ideas" target="_blank">43 Date Night Ideas</a>&#8221; (fun date night ideas from Redbook magazine)</li>
<li><strong>Article</strong> &#8212; &#8220;<a href="http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/article.aspx?cp-documentid=23312740" target="_blank">Date Night on a Dime</a>&#8221; (fun and inexpensive Date Night ideas)</li>
<li><strong>Website</strong> &#8212; &#8220;<a href="http://www.hotdateideas.com/date-ideas" target="_blank">Hot Date Ideas</a>&#8221; (lots of different Date Night ideas)</li>
<li><strong>Article</strong> &#8212; &#8220;<a href="http://www.markmerrill.com/2010/12/14/8-outside-the-box-date-ideas/" target="_blank">10 Outside-the-box Date Ideas</a>&#8221; (fun new date ideas!)</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-906  aligncenter" style="margin: 2px; border: black 1px solid;" title="DateNight-1--150pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/DateNight-1-150pix.jpg" alt="DateNight-1--150pix" width="150" height="227" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
<table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feedburner.google.com']);" href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p> <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>. </em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.kickstartcart.com']);" href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
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		<title>We Have eBooks!</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/we-have-ebooks?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=we-have-ebooks</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/we-have-ebooks#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gift Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      eBook &#8212; And They Were Not Ashamed &#8211; just $4.99 til Jan 10th, 2012!  We have eBooks! We’re thrilled to finally have our book And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment available in eBook format for all you eBookers out there! Click here for our eBook if you have the Amazon Kindle and click here for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ebook-And-They-Were-Not-Ashamed-Kindle-150x191.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1279" title="ebook-And They Were Not Ashamed Kindle-150x191" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ebook-And-They-Were-Not-Ashamed-Kindle-150x191.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="191" /></a></strong><strong>     <a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ebook-kindle-vs-nook-225x150.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1278 alignnone" style="margin: 4px;" title="ebook-kindle-vs-nook-225x150" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ebook-kindle-vs-nook-225x150.jpg" alt="eReaders" width="227" height="150" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> eBook &#8212; And They Were Not Ashamed &#8211;<br />
just $4.99 til Jan 10th, 2012! </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>We have eBooks! </strong>We’re thrilled to finally have our book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006G2XO9K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</a></em> available in eBook format for all you eBookers out there!</p>
<p>Click here for our eBook if you have the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006G2XO9K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a> and click here for our Nook Book if you have a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/and-they-were-not-ashamed-laura-m-brotherson/1037091478?ean=2940013451797&amp;itm=2&amp;usri=laura+m+brotherson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nook from Barnes &amp; Noble.</a></p>
<p><span id="more-1273"></span></p>
<p><strong>New to eBooks?</strong></p>
<p>For those of you who are new to the world of eBooks, an eBook is an electronic book in a downloadable digital format readable on computers, cell phones (through eBook apps), or other electronic devices or tablets such as the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes &amp; Noble Nook reader, or an iPad tablet.</p>
<p>Amazon.com is where you would get my eBook if you have a Kindle or Kindle app on your cell phone (iPhones, Smartphones, Droids, etc.) or if you have an e-reader tablet (iPads, Droid tablets, etc.).  <a href="http://Noble.com/" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble.com</a> is where you would download my eBook for your Nook tablet.</p>
<p>You can learn all you need to know about the world of eBooks in this informative article if you are just now entering (or contemplating) : <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-Book Reader Should You Buy?”</a></p>
<p>To purchase the eBook <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006G2XO9K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</a> </em>by Laura M. Brotherson<em>:</em></p>
<ul style="text-align: center;">
<li style="text-align: left;">Click if you have the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006G2XO9K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Click here if you have a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/and-they-were-not-ashamed-laura-m-brotherson/1037091478?ean=2940013451797&amp;itm=2&amp;usri=laura+m+brotherson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nook from Barnes &amp; Noble </a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/facebook.php"><img title="facebook" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2009/10/facebook.jpg" alt="facebook" width="150" height="56" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>For more tips to strengthen your marriage join us on Facebook!</strong></p>
<table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><img title="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix.jpg" alt="StrengtheningMarriage-FB-icon-75pix" width="73" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/StrengtheningMarriage">Strengthening Marriage, Inc.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><img title="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2010/01/coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75.jpg" alt="coverart_tmis_laura_m_brotherson_75x75" width="75" height="75" /></td>
<td valign="top"><strong>FACEBOOK PAGE</strong></p>
<p><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog<br />
</strong>     <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Entries<br />
</a>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommentsForLaurasStrengtheningMarriageBlog" target="_blank">Subscribe to Blog Comments</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe to The Marital Intimacy Show<br />
</strong>     <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feedburner.google.com']);" href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=win_mis&amp;amp;loc=en_US" target="_blank">Receive Email Updates for Each Episode</a></p>
<p> <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert, Laura M. Brotherson, is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></a>. </em></p>
<p><em>Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, marriage and family therapist, and host of “<strong><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.kickstartcart.com']);" href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">The Marital Intimacy Show</a></strong>” on The Women’s Information Network (The WIN). </em></p>
<p><em>Visit her website </em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a><em> to learn more and to </em><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php" target="_blank"><em><strong>sign up</strong></em></a><em> for her “Straight Talk about Strengthening Marriage” newsletter.</em></p>
<p><em><a title="www.StrengtheningMarriage.com" href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong>StrengtheningMarriage.com</strong></em></a> is your trusted resource for education, products and services to strengthen marriages . . . intimately!</em></p>
<p><em>© Copyright 2012 Laura M. Brotherson. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Ways to Connect with Laura!</strong></p>
<p><em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);" href="http://www.facebook.com/MaritalIntimacyShow"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/facebook.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/MaritalIntimacy"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','itunes.apple.com']);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-marital-intimacy-show/id337958524"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/iTunes-Z.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','feeds.feedburner.com']);" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/win_mis"><img src="http://www.juliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /></a><a href="http://www.strengtheningmarriage.com/signup.php"><img src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/gr_cttool_md.png" alt="" width="47" height="40" /></a><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.youtube.com']);" href="http://www.youtube.com/StrengthenMarriage"><img src="http://cdn.thewinonline.com/images/youtube.png" alt="" width="40" height="39" /></a></em></p>
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		<title>Hey Guys! &#8212; New Book to Understand Women</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/miscfun/hey-guys-new-book-to-understand-women?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=hey-guys-new-book-to-understand-women</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/miscfun/hey-guys-new-book-to-understand-women#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:19:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Misc/Fun]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1284</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here is volume 1 of the new book “Understanding Women.” Good luck to all you men out there…you’re gonna need it! I’m just glad God saw fit to make men not so complicated! : )]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/book-understanding-women.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1285 aligncenter" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: black 1px solid;" title="book-understanding women" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/book-understanding-women-202x300.jpg" alt="" width="202" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Here is volume 1 of the new book “Understanding Women.” Good luck to all you men out there…you’re gonna need it! I’m just glad God saw fit to make men not so complicated! : )</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Celebrating 20 Years with My Sweetheart</title>
		<link>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/celebrating-20-years-with-my-sweetheart?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=celebrating-20-years-with-my-sweetheart</link>
		<comments>http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/celebrating-20-years-with-my-sweetheart#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:50:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura M. Brotherson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Couples Photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/?p=1226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In honor of 20 years of marriage to my sweetheart, Kevin, I&#8217;ve gathered some of our couple/anniversary photos throughout the years (2011 &#8211; 1991) to share with you. You&#8217;ll also find a link to some fun marriage tradition ideas to help you celebrate your years together and make them continually better and better! Related Info [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In honor of 20 years of marriage to my sweetheart, Kevin, I&#8217;ve gathered some of our couple/anniversary photos throughout the years (2011 &#8211; 1991) to share with you. You&#8217;ll also find a link to some fun marriage tradition ideas to help you celebrate your years together and make them continually better and better!</p>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-1244   alignnone" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2011-Kevin-Laura-20th-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2011-Kevin-Laura-20th-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1246" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2011-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2011-Kevin-Laura-5x7-8001-214x300.jpg" alt="2011-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1247 aligncenter" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2010-Kevin-Laura-5x7-crop-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2010-Kevin-Laura-5x7-crop-800-300x251.jpg" alt="2010-Kevin-Laura-5x7-crop-800" width="300" height="251" /></p>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-1248 alignnone" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2009-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2009-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="2009-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1249" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2008-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2008-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="2008-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><span id="more-1226"></span></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1243" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2007-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2007-Kevin-Laura-5x7-221x300.jpg" alt="2007-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="199" height="270" />  <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1253" style="margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2006-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2006-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="2006-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1242" style="margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2005-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2005-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="2005-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1241" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2004-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2004-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="2004-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1240" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2003-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2003-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="2003-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1239" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2002-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2002-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="2002-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1238" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="2001-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/2001-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="2001-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1237" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1996-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1996-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="1996-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1256" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1994-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1994-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="1994-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1257" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1993-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1993-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="1993-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1258" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1992-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1992-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="1992-Kevin-Laura-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1262" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1991-Kevin-Laura-wedding-seattle-5x7-800" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1991-Kevin-Laura-wedding-seattle-5x7-800-214x300.jpg" alt="1991-Kevin-Laura-wedding-seattle-5x7-800" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1236" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1991-Kevin-Laura-wedding-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1991-Kevin-Laura-wedding-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="1991-Kevin-Laura-wedding-5x7" width="193" height="270" />   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1235" style="margin: 1px; border: black 1px solid;" title="1991-Kevin-Laura-5x7" src="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/wp-content/uploadedstuff/2011/07/1991-Kevin-Laura-5x7-214x300.jpg" alt="1991-Kevin-Laura-5x7" width="193" height="270" /></p>
<p>Related Info &#8212; <a title="Permanent Link to Wedding Anniversary Traditions" rel="bookmark" href="http://strengtheningmarriage.com/blog/marriage/wedding-anniversary-traditions/">Wedding Anniversary Traditions</a></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
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<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
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<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
<p><em>Marriage and intimacy expert Laura M. Brotherson is the author of a bestselling book on sexual intimacy and marital oneness entitled, <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inspirebook.com']);" href="http://inspirebook.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&amp;products_id=30" target="_blank"><span style="COLOR: #467aa7"><strong>And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment</strong></span></a>. Laura shares her passion for building strong marriages and families as an author, intimacy expert, relationship consultant, and host of the online “<a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.kickstartcart.com']);" href="http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1101278" target="_blank">Marital Intimacy Show</a>.” </em></p>
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<p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong></p>
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