“There's a lot of evil and hopelessness out in the world, but we don't have to experience that when we have each other and when we know Christ,” explains co-host Linda Hutchinson. Emotional wellness within a relationship is what keeps marriages healthy and strong year after year. In Parts 1 and 2 of their Summer of Love Series, co-hosts Merrill and Linda Hutchinson shared their Marriage Assessment tool for evaluating the quality of a marriage, breaking it down into four categories, emotional connectedness, spiritual connectedness, physical intimacy, and communication skills. Today, Merrill and Linda discuss emotional connectedness and provide five specific ways to reignite the spark, so you can both begin to dream again for the future you are building together.

Emotional wellness is all about how you and your partner feel about each other. Think about how you felt about your spouse back when you were still dating. Do you still feel that same level of excitement now? Do you still dream for your future with them in mind? If you and your partner have lost some of this emotional connection, don’t worry. You can start to rekindle emotional wellness through intentional communication and empathy. Check in on your partner’s emotional state, making note of how they are doing, and doing what you can to lighten their load. Remember that when you decided to marry, two became one. Try to view situations from your partner’s perspective. Fuel one another’s hearts and the hope for the future you will share together will begin to flourish again. 

Consider whether your actions are helping or hurting your partner’s heart. You both decided to commit your lives to one another and that means that you cannot be selfish with your behavior. Complete the linked Marriage Assessment to see where you and your partner stand on emotional connectedness and start taking steps today to reignite dreaming with one another. 

Quotes

• “Sometimes we have very unrealistic expectations and we really set our partner up for failure when we put them on a pedestal, when we expect them to complete us, and to give us something that really God is the one that's intended to give us, not our partner.” (8:26-8:45 | Linda)
• “Let's go about pursuing those dreams and seeking out that connection with your partner the right healthy way.” (10:27-10:33 | Linda)
• “Are you helping or hurting your partner's heart?” (18:07-18:09 | Linda)
• “When you committed your life to one another, you committed to share the load together.” (23:37-23:42 | Linda)
• “The key is empathy.” (24:14-24:15 | Merrill)
• “There's a lot of evil and hopelessness out in the world, but we don't have to experience that when we have each other and when we know Christ.” (25:55-26:02 | Linda)

Links
Summer of Love Assessment: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZPpGt0BsmNwkaBsUSwoUBTsYtf4K4dDFqJJI1uDxoOs/edit?usp=sharing

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ubpZ1AggkiU Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/636718/13113598-rock-solid-families-podcast-summer-o

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