All Posts By

Jared Dees

Aug 12
12
Alternative Budgeting Methods

3 Alternatives to the Budget You Never Keep

By | Finances, Marriage Enrichment | No Comments

Can’t keep your budget? It’s OK, we can’t either. If you asked me, I’d say we’ve always created a budget, but we haven’t always kept the budget. Don’t get me wrong, I love budgeting. I have spreadsheets, reminders, and an in-depth system for categorizing transactions in Mint. I set aside time each month to go through all of our personal finances and see how we did the month before. I’m what Dave Ramsey would call the nerd, not a free spirit. Here’s the thing, though: I’m married. I didn’t really keep a budget before marriage, but after I started reading personal finance books and blogs, I realized it was important for us to try out a few different budgeting methods. That’s where the confrontations about money began. I was the nerd, and when it came to money, she was the free spirit. Why You Need a Budget Rule #1 of…

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Apr 02
2
Francis Address to Engaged Couples

Afraid Your Marriage Won’t Last? Here’s a Simple Way to Make Sure It Does (HINT: It’s Endorsed by the Pope)

By | Marriage Enrichment, Marriage Preparation, Spirituality | No Comments

The name of the Together for Life book is no coincidence. When couples join together in holy matrimony they vow to be true to each other in sickness and health as long as they both shall live. They vow to be together for life. Today, however, many people are afraid of making such a long-term commitment. In a recent address by Pope Francis to engaged couples (actually it was more like a Q and A with the pope), he expressed this unfortunate tenancy in our culture that leads us to fear forever. Pope Francis spoke about this fear, saying, “[This is] a general fear that comes from our culture. To make life decisions seems impossible. Today everything changes so quickly, nothing lasts long.” The Holy Father went on to point out a common practice of many couples who decide that when the sentiment is gone, the marriage should end as…

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Oct 23
0
Year of Faith Married Couples

10 Ways Married Couples Can Celebrate the Year of Faith

By | Marriage Enrichment, Spirituality | 3 Comments

As many of you know, we are now celebrating a Year of Faith in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There have been a lot of suggestions for what to do to celebrate the Year of Faith as a parish, but what can married couples do? Here are ten ways you can celebrate the Year of Faith with your spouse in 2012-2013: 1. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains a synthesis of the Catholic faith. The Catechism is broken up into four parts: the profession of faith, the sacraments, morality, and prayer. People tend to be a little intimidated when first picking it up, but the Catechism contains excellent descriptions of our faith. All too often we let the media and hearsay influence what…

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Sep 10
23
Patron Saint of Marriage

Who Is the Patron Saint of Marriage?

By | Spirituality | 2 Comments
Who is the patron saint of marriage and married people? Actually there is more than one patron saint of marriage and many patron saints of various aspects of marriage and family life in the Catholic Church. These holy people lived exemplary lives of service to God. Many of these saints selflessly prayed for their spouses or protected the sanctity of marriage despite the challenges of married life. The patron saints of marriage include: Saint Adelaide of Burgundy (Patron Saint of Second Marriages) Saint Gengulphus of Burgundy (Patron Saint of Difficult Marriages) Saint Joseph (Patron Saint of Married People) Saint Monica (Patron Saint of Married Women) Saint Priscilla (Patron Saint of Good Marriages) Saint Rita of Cascia (Patron Saint of Difficult Marriages) Saint Thomas More (Patron Saint of Difficult Marriages) Saint Valentine (Patron Saint of Happy Marriages) Below you can find a brief biography of each patron saint of marriage along...
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Jul 02
1
Communication and the Theology of the Body

Effective Communication and the Theology of the Body

By | Communication, Marriage Enrichment, Marriage Preparation | No Comments

The topic of “communication” is popular in marriage preparation programs and pre-Cana retreats. There is nearly always a witness talk on communication in marriage, because it is so important to the success of any relationship. These are often very practical and personal talks. But what about the spiritual side of communication? What does communication have to do with theology? John Paul II’s Theology of the Body provides an important spiritual perspective on the topic of “communication” that can help frame these witness talks and other marriage preparation discussions about communication between couples. To put it simply, we communicate the truth about ourselves as married couples through our bodies. This act of communication should reveal what is at our deepest core: we are made in the image and likeness of God as a communion of persons. Communication in Conventional Language John Paul II specifically addresses “communication” in his catecheses on Genesis…

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Jan 12
1
Praying with Your Spouse

Praying with Your Spouse Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

By | Marriage Enrichment, Spirituality | No Comments

When my wife and I were preparing for marriage we had a lot of questions about living a spiritual life together. We were already spiritual people, but we found praying together to be kind of hard. We wanted to be sure we started things off right in our marriage in the hope that it would last a lifetime. So we started asking questions about praying together: How do you pray with your spouse? When do you find time to pray with your significant other? What prayers do you pray together? We didn’t get many answers at the time, but we’ve learned to develop certain habits of prayer together that we can feel comfortable practicing. Finding the Best Time to Pray Together The key to setting up these habitual times of prayer with your spouse is to look closely at your schedules and routines and attach prayer on top of what…

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Sep 07
0

Have You Talked About Debt With Your Future Spouse?

By | Finances, Marriage Enrichment, Marriage Preparation | No Comments

The amount of consumer debt in the United States is striking. More and more couples are finding themselves overwhelmed with student loan and credit card debt as they enter into marriage. This is a serious issue that needs to be discussed in the preparation for marriage. How to Talk about Debt with your Fiancée/Fiancé 1. Set Aside a Time to Discuss It Financial conversations that occur in passing are never a good thing. Set aside some time to discuss your financial debts with your future spouse. List them on a sheet of paper. Consult some of the websites below for some help in guiding this discussion. 2. Set Financial Goals Together I wish I would have read Dave Ramsey’s book The Total Money Makeover before I got married. I knew debt was bad, but I really didn’t know where I should put the money that I was saving each month….

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