& meet dozens of singles today!
User blogs
I remember the night I finally had proof of the affair. I had suspicions for months but nothing to stand on. And then one night I did.
Like a train, it hit me square in the chest, knocking me straight off my feet and flat onto my back. I sat there on the kitchen floor, struggling to catch my breath. My mind was spiraling as I tried to process through what those pictures really meant.
Discovering infidelity in your marriage is like being the only house on the block destroyed by the tornado, except the damage is only visible to you. You feel exposed and laid bare, yet confused by the fact that no one is coming over to help you rebuild your house. As the chaos whirls around you, figuring out how to step even one foot forward can seem impossible as heaviness sits upon your chest. So, here are six steps to begin getting you back on your feet:
**This information can also give you a little wisdom on how to help a hurting friend. A lot of the time, when we’re at our lowest, those around us want to help but we don’t know how to communicate what our needs are.**
Counseling
Go to counseling together. Although friends are wonderful resources, find a third-party who has no relationship with either of you (so that there’s no bias on either side) but whom you can trust. Make the financial sacrifice, no matter how tight expenses are. Counseling will ALWAYS be cheaper than a divorce. Often, churches are a great place to look because they greatly value marriage and will be more willing to work with you. Some even offer free or low-cost counseling services. Call around and find the right place.
Social Media
Take a break from your social media accounts. Comparison can eat you alive if you let it and social media is one of its biggest fuels. Scrolling through beautifully filtered happy families, pregnancy announcements, and engagements will only hurt you more. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you’ll find your support system there. Instead, invest in trusted friendships around you; real people who can love you through this season.
Support Network
Find one or a few trusted friends to confide in and hold onto them. Make time for them to come over and let them come. Let them hold your baby. Let them bring you coffee or food. Answer their texts and calls. Let them love you. And also let them be a sounding board to challenge, encourage, and love on you. It takes a village. And when life falls apart, our village is there to carry us through and remind us that we are capable and not alone.
Get Some YOU Time
Find a few hours once a week where you can have some time to yourself… and I don’t just mean nap-times. Whether you have a trusted friend who can entertain your children for an hour while you get a pedicure or if you need to hire a babysitter so you can sit by yourself in a coffee shop and journal, do it. Do something for yourself that can take your mind off of the hurt or give yourself the time and space to sort through it. Allow yourself to feel all the feelings you can’t around the littles. Do whatever you can to help you feel refreshed.
Keep Track of Everything
For your own sanity, start making little notes on whatever seems weird or off. It might seem like craziness, but trust me, there is something so incredibly freeing about being able to get these details out of your head and onto paper. Trust your gut and that little voice in your spirit. This is a fine line to walk but it’s necessary.
Remember That You Are Loved
You have purpose. You are beautiful. You are worthy. No spouse and no circumstance can take that from you. And please, please remember that your worth is NOT dependent on others' opinions. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed. Your spouse’s infidelity has more to do with them than it does with you. And never let anyone try to convince you otherwise.
It’s okay to feel devastated. It’s okay to feel alone. For better or for worse gets really confusing right now as you wrestle through broken trust and betrayal. But this doesn’t have to be the end. Just like a home wiped out, you can always rebuild. It requires a new set of tools, willing workers, and determination, but the house doesn’t have to remain rubble.
Written By Lindsay Kelleher
Lindsay is an entrepreneur mama who works hard from home to support her 2 beautiful girls through her hand-lettered sign business, Ink & Oak Design Co. When not running her business, you can find her writing, designing, or looking for new coffee shops and hiking trails in Lake Tahoe to enjoy. Above all, she loves making new memories with her girls and exploring the world with them!
Source: https://www.marriage365.org/blog/discovering-infidelity-in-your-marriage
What better gift could you give your newly engaged friends or family than their very own “Happily Ever After”?! We sure can’t think of any! 😜
A few years ago, after some time working with couples, we realized that there was a certain “intimidation factor” when people hear the phrase “premarital counseling”. So, in response, we worked hard to do away with that stigma by creating an online premarital counseling experience that is interactive, practical, fun, and easy-to-use.
We consistently hear from couples all over the globe about how our course has been successful in setting them up for their Happily Ever After. So, if you’re looking for a gift to give the newly engaged couple in your life, or the soon to be engaged couple, we’ve got it right here and I’m going to give you 3 reasons WHY to give it as a gift and the best way to give it to the people you love so much.
Our online premarital course Happily Ever After….
….is easy to fit into any schedule.
Happily Ever After is an online course that fits into any schedule in whatever way works best for the couples! They can watch the videos separately, or together, and can watch them in full-length or break them up as they so desire. There’s even an option to listen to the audio of each video which is a great idea for someone who travels or listens to podcasts often. The connecting questions, worksheets, and action plans are also flexible and easy to do in short portions or in full-length, as well. No matter how busy or long-distance the engaged couple in your life is, this course will fit into their lives and benefit them greatly!
….sets a solid foundation for every future marriage.
Premarital counseling is important for every engaged couple because it sets realistic expectations for what is to come and gives couples a chance to make sure they are on the same page with topics like in-laws, sex, money, communication, conflict, boundaries, roles and responsibilities, etc., and that is exactly what our course offers! During this season of engagement, your friends and family members will begin to shift their minds, hearts, and lives to the big “I DO” that they are about to make, as well as the adjustments that are coming with every moment after. Give them the gift of making sure they’re on the right track!
...is interactive, practical, and FUN!
There are only a handful of premarital options out there that have exceptional information, but a rare few have exceptional tools and information and fun! Our course gets couples talking and connecting on a deep level like never before and leads them to have fun while doing it! They’ll laugh, talk, connect, and maybe even cry as they work through each section of our course. Furthermore, and to put the cherry on top, when they come out on the other side, they’ll have a rock-solid foundation on which to build their new life together.
Ready to gift Happily Ever After to the engaged couple in your life?!
HERE’S HOW:
Head to happilyeverafter.org and purchase the course using your own information.
When your purchase is complete, you will be emailed a code with instructions on how to log in.
Forward that email, including the code and instructions, to the engaged couple!
It’s that easy!
Source: https://www.marriage365.org/blog/the-best-present-for-the-engaged-couple-in-your-life
