Relationship Advice: Follow Your Gut!

by: Justin C Luyt

Relationship Advice: Follow Your Gut! Copyright � 2005 Justin C. Luyt The Spirit of Romance http://www.SpiritOfRomance.com When people seek relationship advice from a trusted friend or family member, it is most likely a waste of time, says relationship author Justin Luyt. "We ask for relationship advice often when we feel we do not have the answers to our relationship challenges," Luyt says. "We grasp for external wisdom, with the false belief that we do not know the answers, but if we are being authentic to ourselves, we have those answers." Luyt recently published The Spirit of Romance, a book that offers readers practical relationship advice and uses interactive planning tools to not just change thoughts, but feelings and behavior, too. Using the term "Spirit", Luyt defines the inner source people must acknowledge before looking honestly inside themselves instead of seeking relationship advice from others. "We know why we are where we are in the relationship," Luyt says, "but often avoid our own internal introspection. Spirit challenges us to grow and learn." He insists that by strengthening relationship with Spirit, people can truly grow and move past the challenges at hand. "When we ask for help from a friend, it is for an ear... not guidance," he summarizes. Throughout his book, Luyt offers a look at self-reflective relationship advice, all based on Spirit, which allows people to see others in their true light, as people filled with desires, dreams and vulnerabilities. Luyt writes people seek mutual personal and spiritual growth as the basis for any relationship. His ideas of Spirit inspire people too look within their core being to experience something they can understand and feel completely. This acceptance of Spirit negates the need for outside relationship advice when people can answer the crucial questions with knowledge from within. When a relationship changes form or course, people have it within their Spirit to redirect their energies from sensitivity and vulnerability to spiritual strength. This strength gives people the ability to become their own relationship advisors because they have gained the insight necessary to overcome false doubts. Luyt writes, "People are here to grow; and spiritual growth occurs in a space of love, not fear." Through his public speaking and counseling work, the South African native has developed the Accelerated Romance Coaching Program, a one-of-a-kind mentoring and coaching system for singles and couples. Various Fortune 500 companies have used his trans-continental engagingly fresh, out-of-the-box and into- reality approach for group seminars, training and coaching. His book, The Spirit of Romance, is available at: http://www.SpiritOfRomance.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- Justin Luyt has been doing Coaching and Consulting for over 12 years. He is the published author of "The Spirit of Romance" and facilitates numerous seminars. To contact him call 1-877-7ROMANCE begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-877-7ROMANCE      end_of_the_skype_highlighting and his book is available at: http://www.SpiritOfRomance.com

Justin Luyt has been doing Coaching and Consulting for over 12 years. He is the published author of "The Spirit of Romance" and facilitates numerous seminars. To contact him call 1-877-7ROMANCE begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-877-7ROMANCE      end_of_the_skype_highlighting and his book is available at: http://www.SpiritOfRomance.com Contact him at http://www.SpiritOfRomance.com

 

How to keep the passion aflame

by: Jake Markus

The honeymoon is over. Maybe you�ve been together a few months, a few years, or even a lot of years. At some point, though, the early flames of passion will fade and you�ll start looking for ways to reignite them.

You�re in luck, then, because that�s exactly what this article is about!

1. Have Fun Together

Remember the fun times you had when you first started dating? You laughed, you played, and you spent time enjoying each other�s company. There�s no reason for the fun to stop just because you�ve been together for a while. Think about some of these options:

- Collect cartoons or jokes that your spouse will enjoy
- Play a game together, like checkers or backgammon
- Do something unexpected to surprise your spouse
- Do a puzzle together
- Make popcorn and watch a favorite movie

2. Be Romantic

What did you used to do when the two of you were romancing each other? Jump start the romance by going back to some of those previous activities that generated warm feelings. Maybe you used to:

- Eat dinner by candlelight
- Hide a love note in your spouse�s lunch
- Build a fire and relax in front of it
- Take walk in the moonlight

3. Go Back To Dating

One way to jump start your relationship is to �date� each other again. Add to the fun by calling to ask each other out, and the one doing the asking then plans the date. To make it more challenging, set a budget limit for the date. You�d be amazed at how much fun it is to be creative and plan a date for $30 or less.

Once you�re on the date, treat each other as you did when you were first getting acquainted. Men, open the car door for your lady. Women, put on a special dress and flirt with your gentleman.

4. Do The Little Things

Are You Hooked to the Power Source?

By Kimberly Chastain http://www.christianworkingmom.com/ As Christian�s we are often very independent. We try to do everything and often feel we do everything. Are there times when you are frustrated, tired, irritable, and have no energy? I am not selling you a vitamin supplement, so don�t worry. I have recently realized this past week how little I turn things over to the ultimate Power Source - God. Lord, I cannot do this in my own strength. If the children argue one more time - I will scream. God, help me to know what to say without screaming. Lord, what is your agenda for me today - you know I all ready have one figured out. Do we see the many requests of our children as divine interruptions or just another thing to do on our list? I know often I grow weary and God needs to fill my tank. We fill our tanks with junk food or junk TV for that matter, but do we go to the Ultimate Power Source? Do you feel some of the things that bother you are really to small to talk with God about or not a big deal? I am convinced that God wants to hear the smallest details of our lives. I have found when I share my frustrations with Him I take a deep breath and calm down. I have more patience with my children, spouse, or work situation. Please don�t hear me saying I have it all together, I certainly don�t. I am learning daily to stay connected to my Power Source. That could be a prayer on the way to work or a prayer on the way home from picking up my children. I encourage you daily to connect to your Power Source even if it is a quick prayer for strength, wisdom, or whatever your needs are for the day. �I will supply all your needs, according to my riches in glory in Christ Jesus.� Philippians 4:19 � 2005 Kimberly Chastain Kimberly Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was recently featured in the book the Myth of the Perfect Mother. She is the author of �Help My Preteen/Teenager is Driving Me Nuts!!!� To purchase a copy of this e-book please visit www.kimberlychastain.com/parenting. To schedule a free, initial coaching session send an email to free@kimberlychastain.com or visit http://www.christianworkingmom.com. Feel free to make comments on this article at the Christian Working Mom Blog, http://kimberlychastain.com/my-journal. The Text Information Box above MUST be included for reprint privileges. You may reprint this article in it�s entirety with the attached text box.

Kimberly Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was recently featured in the book the Myth of the Perfect Mother. She is the author of �Help My Preteen/Teenager is Driving Me Nuts!!!� To purchase a copy of this e-book please visit www.kimberlychastain.com/parenting. To schedule a free, initial coaching session send an email to free@kimberlychastain.com or visit http://www.christianworkingmom.com.

 

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Amaze Your Lover - 16 Romantic Ideas To Keep Them Happy

by: Jessica Kihara

Some people have a natural ability to romance the oppposite sex and others seem like they don't even know what it means. However, everyone should know how to make their partner's heart melt because it's one of the finest acts of seduction. For Your Wife/Girlfriend: 1. Kidnap her for a surprise picnic. Plan your rendevous for the weekend or when you both have a free day. Make sure she doesn't have any plans. Then you tell her to come with you to the supermarket or something along those lines. Give her time to get ready, get in the car, and pick up some take-out food. Then head to a nice empty beach or park and explain to her that you're having a romantic getaway! 2. Write her a poem. If this is not your thing, there are lots of places to get some inspiration. Try a poetry book, romantic song, etc. Just don't repeat anything word for word because it may sound familiar to her and she'll know you faked it. 3. Cook her a delicious meal, light some candles, dim the lights and CLEAN the house! When she gets home, she'll be speechless. 4. Hold her hand everytime you go out. If this isn't possible (because one of you is carrying a baby or pushing a shopping cart) then make sure to maintain some form of physical contact. This will make her feel like you're proud to be with her and can't keep your hands off her! 5. Give her a spa like treat. Fill your tub with warm water then add some milk and honey. Invite her in, give a a nice scrub down, then sit behind her and give her a firm yet gentle scalp massage. 6. Plan a photography session. Let your wife or girlfriend get all dolled up for you, then take pictures of her that you'll keep in your wallet, office, or car. Tell her that she's beautiful and that she takes amazing pictures. 7. Get up a few minutes before her one day and write a simple "I Love You" on a post-it. Stick the post-it on the bathroom mirror or someplace she'll be sure to see it. This is guaranteed to make her feel special and lovey-dovey! If you wan't to expand on this idea, you can leave sweet little notes for her in so many other places too! 8. If you're an artist, take inspiration from Titanic and draw, paint, or sculpt your lover. You'll get the best resluts if your masterpiece actually looks good but if not, tell her you could never create something as beautiful as her. For Your Husband/Boyfriend: 1. After a hard day at work, give your man an exquisite back massage. Use some aromatheraoy massage oil to relax and soothe him. 2. Wear lingerie. This might not seem like the most romantic thing to do, but he will absolutely love it. He will definitely appreciate the effort you made and it'll seem super-romantic to him! 3. If your lover shaves his face, you do it for him. Play some romantic music, lather him up, and use slow, gentle strokes to shave him. DO NOT cut or nick him! Just take your time and he'll feel satisfied and taken care of. 4. Take some time out to just look into each other's eyes. Appreciate his presence, his scent, and his warmth. If you feel like kissing him, go for it! 5. Pretend to need him. Men like to be the ones to protect you, so tell him you get scared when he's not around or that you feel safe with him there. 6. Cuddle him unexpectedly. Warning - do this when you two are completely alone so that he won't feel uncomfortable or embarassed. To keep him happy, stop before he feels crowded. I suggest you hold him for about 5-6 minutes, then give him some space. 7. Buy him tickets to a football or basketball game that you know he wants to see. To keep things romantic, go with him and cheer for his team! 8. Cook him a huge feast, let him stuff himself, then you load the dishes in the dish washer while he rests. When you're done, sit near him and stroke his arms while whispering sweet nothings in his ear. These are great tips that you can use anytime. Good for special occassions such as anniversaries or when you just want your partner to feel extra special. Don't ever let your significant other forget how much you care. Keep them feeling warm and fuzzy and they'll treat you so much better! Jessica Kihara To join our newsletter and special report, simply send a blank e-mail to mailto: newsletter@sensationaltreasures.com GHM Industries, Inc. http://www.SensationalTreasures.com

 

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Addicted to the Drama

by: Karen Fish

There are presently 6 billion people living on Planet Earth. World Peace is the ideal that all 6 billion of them will learn to live in Peace and Harmony together, united in Holy Matrimony, until death by natural causes do them part. Lets start off small. Lets see if we can get two of them to live together in Peace. Samuel Twain is a 54 year old Harvard Graduate, former Law Professor, District Attorney, Defense Counsel, turned extremely successful Mutual Fund Owner. Obviously we are not talking chopped liver here. We are talking Midas, in his professional life, and Murphy, in his personal life- the only law he has known is Murphy�s Law- or so he thinks- way too much. Sam is currently married to Jane, a stunningly attractive woman, popular, brilliant, composed, a ballet, tennis, golf, community involvement enthusiast, on the outside, the perfect woman. Sam and Jane have raised two magnificent children, Dawn, a 26 year old physician, married to Alan, a 28 year old physician, and Gail, a 21 year old doll about to be married to a young wonderful lawyer named Richard. They are all in perfect health, living in Boca Raton Florida, on the outside, the family envied by the entire world � a modern day Pleasantville family. Unfortunately, the entire family is caught in the throes of grief and misery, as if the Titanic had just hit the Iceberg in the Icy Atlantic Ocean late at night, and the Captain just realized that they forgot to load the lifeboats. How could this be? Well, have you ever heard of a little 3 letter word called sex? Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychiatry, who had intimate relations with his mother on a regular basis, said that every 3 seconds men have a sexual thought. It must have been all that time spent sitting in his chair with his stopwatch that led to his fascination with Fransz Antoine Mesmer, the father of faith healing, and hypnosis, if you don�t count the Jewish born Rabbi and Creator of the Universe, the Messiah to 2 billion Christians and 1 billion Muslims, Jesus aka Joshua aka Yeshua aka The Holy Spirit aka God the Father Almighty, you know who I�m talking about. Sam and Jane have spent hours if not days with their relationship counselor Dr. Ellen Friedrich, who is still working on the case, without any success. She is wondering how she passed 11 years of medical school but can�t seem to get the perfect couple of the Universe to function peacefully together. Sam has spent so much time bouncing from Baby Thomas� crib room, to hotel suites, to his palatial country estate in the Hamptons alone, that when the border guard asked his address, he began to drool uncontrollably and had to be fitted with a cloth between his teeth and a straight jacket to prevent him from chewing his jaw off. So what is at the root of Sam and Jane Twain�s misery? Well, 8 years ago, a lovely woman, Dawn, divorced from 2 alcoholics, came to work as a secretary in the office of Sam Twain. To say that the chemistry between Sam and Dawn was and continues to be hot, is like saying that Adolf Hitler wasn�t really that enamored with Jewish people. Sam and Dawn not only set the bed on fire at an age when Sam should be going blind from Viagra, but they also have a blazing red hot friendship. At the same time, Sam is still madly in love with Jane, even though 30 years of practice seems to have cooled off the sheets somewhat. One would think that of these 3 intelligent and mature adults, at least one of them after eight years of this relationship turmoil would have been able to say good bye to one of the others, but unfortunately we are dealing here with human beings, and life is not that simple. Sam cannot bring himself to leave Jane because he loves her so. Sam cannot bring himself to leave Dawn because he likes her so and Dr. Freud may have been wrong � it may have been every 2 seconds. Dawn cannot break up with Sam because he is the answer to all of her financial emotional sexual and life problems, and Jane cannot bring herself to throw Sam out of the house because she so loves Sam, and knows that even half a husband is better than cyber dating - an endless series of coffee dates with every mishegena in the world and their own shtick galore. Perhaps this is the answer to World Peace � it�s never going to happen. Maybe the Black Eyed Peas were right - we�re all too addicted to the drama. http://www.thetempleoflove.com (The Peace Site) This article is free for republishing

Karen Fish is a writer currently living in Los Angeles California. http://www.thetempleoflove.com