Let’s have some fun! Communication is challenging whether in marriage, with our children, with our co-workers, or with nationals. But sometimes improvement comes when we step back and look at it from a different angle.

My husband came up with the idea of using animals as pictures of human communication. Take a look at these and see if you can identify yourself or someone else you are trying to communicate with. Note that we sometimes act like different animals in different situations. Puppies can become clams if they are intimidated.

Have fun with the animals, and no fighting or self-condemnation, please. [Read more…]

Communication in marriage requires work. It takes time and effort to keep it healthy. Living and working cross culturally can add to the difficulties of communication with our husband. His work may involve hours of struggling to listen to people with deep needs. He’s worn out with listening by the end of the day.

We, on the other hand, may feel we are using every bit of our emotional reserves to deal with a life that seems totally foreign and unintelligible. The demands of keeping our children safe, our house clean, and food on the table don’t leave time and energy to listen to our husband’s plans for a future project or his thinking process in preparing his next sermon.

[Read more…]