How safe do you feel in your relationships?  Last year, ECFI 1.5 Generation Congregation’s vision was to build a community of trust and transparency.  I wonder how much of it has come true in your relationships, or does it seem like an unachievable goal?  

As Valentine’s Day draws near and many singles start to feel the pressure of not being in relationships. However, it is a good time to think about what we (singles and married) are getting ourselves into in pursuing marriage relationships.  It is not a surprise that we operate on a lot of unexamined beliefs.  The same goes for our beliefs about marriage.  What makes some marriages work and some don’t?  If your answer is good conflict resolution, communication skills, or active listening, you’re on the same boat as many people including marriage therapists who are often frustrated by how difficult it is to make marriage work even with good communication skills (Gottman & Silver, 2015).