101 Tips for a Happier Marriage: Simple Ways for Couples to Grow Closer to God and to Each Other

by Jennifer Roback Morse, Betsy Kerekes

Overview

101 Tips for a Happier Marriage: Simple Ways for Couples to Grow Closer to God and to Each Other offers Catholic couples concise, practical, and at times humorous suggestions for creating and sustaining a more joyful, peace-filled marriage that is steeped in the beauty and mystery of Catholic faith.

Insights from marriage and family scholar Jennifer Roback Morse combine with the stories of young mother and wife Betsy Kerekes to make this a book for any Catholic couple—young or old—wanting to nurture their marriage. 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage is designed to help Catholic couples improve their relationships by making small changes in their habits, attitudes, and spirituality. Suggestions for everything from the most mundane aspects of marital life (housework, budgeting, weekend football) to the make-or-break components (forgiveness, kindness, prayer) help readers to love and appreciate their spouses anew.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594714467
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	10/14/2013
Pages:	123
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jennifer Roback Morse, a renowned marriage and family scholar, is the founder and president of the Ruth Institute. She is the author of three books and the coauthor of 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage. Her numerous academic and public-policy articles have appeared in such publications as the Journal of Economic History, Forbes, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, and National Review online. She has spoken around the globe on marriage, family, and human sexuality, and her work has been translated into several languages. Morse earned her doctorate at the University of Rochester and taught economics at Yale and George Mason Universities. She and her husband live in Louisiana, and they have two grown children.

Betsy Kerekes is the coauthor of 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage. Her professional experience includes working in journalism and public relations for Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she graduated summa cum laude in writing, with a minor in communications. She also did proofreading and subscriptions management for Patrick Madrid's Envoy magazine, has contributed to Aleteia, MercatorNet, Catholic Lane, Catholic Exchange, CatholicMom.com, The Southern Cross, and Creative Minority Report. Kerekes is a blogger and also serves as editor and director of online publications at the Ruth Institute, where she also writes weekly newsletters and manages the blog. She telecommutes from her home near San Diego, where she homeschools her three children.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1-6 Make a Decision to Love 1

7-16 Adjust Your Attitude 9

17-24 Realize That Your Marriage Matters 21

25-32 Check Your Expectations at the Door 31

33-39 Take Action to Improve Your Marriage 41

40-46 Get It Done without Drama 49

47-59 Recognize That Winning Is for Losers 57

60-62 Understand the Physiology of Fighting 71

63-70 Handle Criticism Gracefully 75

71-82 Soothe Yourself to Let Go of Grudges 85

83-86 Ask for Help without Whining, Complaining, or Demanding 99

87-90 Offer Help without Being Demeaning 105

91-97 Make Forgiveness More Important Than Sex 111

98-101 Appreciate Your Spouse 191

Conclusion 125

Editorial Reviews

"As someone who, through the grace of God and a lot of hard work, was able to rebuild a marriage, I can say that this book offers so much to couples who may be struggling. First and foremost, it helps husbands and wives understand the true definition of marriage as God ordained it. Second, it is filled with practical and very doable action items for everyday people with busy lives. If couples truly make an effort to apply the advice in 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage, their relationship--not only with their spouse but also with the Lord--will be the best it can be." --Teresa Tomeo, Host of Catholic Connection

"How can something as wide and complex as marital conflict be addressed by a book so slender and simple? Our culture stresses the wedding day and forgets the married life--until the wheels start coming off and then it's often too late. But there is hope. This wise and practical book is not only for couples who want to make their good marriages great, but even better for couples who, for their own unique and pain-drenched reasons, find themselves tempted to give up on the dream. To Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes go the laurels for this much-needed manual for strengthening men and women for what G.K. Chesterton called the 'duel to the death which no man of honor should decline.'" --Patrick Coffin, Host of Catholic Answers Live

"This is the best assimilation of received and gathered wisdom on marriage I've seen. In short and pithy darts of advice, the authors deliver universal truths in sharp and witty zingers that are at times brilliant revelations and bracing reminders of what we 'can't not know,' but somehow keep forgetting. This book is for every couple preparing for the sacrament and every couple holding up the institution through thick and thin. Bold and practical, this gem is a gift and a guide for everyone in all stages of life. I love it!" --Sheila Liaugminas, Host of A Closer Look

"101 Tips for a Happier Marriage is full of practical, helpful ideas to keep a marriage alive and well. It should be handed out to every couple going through a pre-Cana program. If every couple followed its advice, there would be many more happy and successful marriages!" --Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur, Author of The Catholic Baby Name Book

"At last! A good and reliable guide to what it takes to make a marriage work and make it last a lifetime. …This little gem of a book should be read by every married couple and by those planning to get married." --Joseph Pearce, Author of The Quest for Shakespeare

"The Morse-Kerekes approach to making marriage last is a solid, frank presentation to the major issues that come up or can come up in any marriage. In addition, in the anti-marriage climate of our time, the authors face frankly the arguments given for deviant or alternative ways and directly point out why such views are erroneous. This is a very fundamental approach by writers who know in depth what is at issue for families, Church, and society." --James V. Schall, S. J., Professor of Political Philosophy, Georgetown University.

From the Publisher