Enriching, Revitalizing, and Rescuing Marriages

    In-laws…love ‘em or hate ‘em? The parent/child relationship is one that develops over many years and is intricate and complex. It is no wonder, then, that an in-law relationship can be arduous and strenuous, especially in its beginnings. Nonetheless, there are some things the parents-in-law and the children-in-law can do to encourage the process of building a relationship.             As we look to the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Exemplar, we can unders tand the first step in building a relationship, it is love. Express love for your in-laws and gratitude for all they do for you. Your parents-in-law raised the person you deemed suitable to marry; or, on the other end, your daughter/son-in-law loved your child enough to marry him/her, and that is a big deal. Before I even got married, I could see myself being a member of my husband’s family. I never felt a sense of competition with my mother-in-law for Devin’s time and attention. It felt like she was encouraging him t

                 “I’ve learned that when you try to control everything, you enjoy nothing.” – LULU – THEGOODVIBE.CO                 Let’s talk control! Some people relish a sense of power, while others recoil at the idea authority. Whatever your preference, there are two stages of life I want to discuss today where the careful management of control is necessary in the maintenance of good relationships.                 The first situation of control is within the parent/child relationship. The idea of parents “controlling” their children raises the hackles on the back of some people’s necks. They see it as their job to encourage their child’s free spirit. On the other hand, keeping tight reigns on a child’s privacy and always having the last (and sometimes only) say over a child’s decision-making is what brings other parents a sense of comfort and control. So, who is right and where do you fit on the scale?                 Parents give us a stable launching pad from which to