Let’s get something straight: physical needs are important and must be provided for. But, emotional needs are equally important. In my work I have specifically developed an exercise to get couples to begin to recognize these needs and how they can go about them to improve the provision of satisfying the emotional requirements that we all have.

Here are the Emotional Needs:

Control
Love
Respect
Trust
Security
Affection
Purpose
Faith

Every person has a need for these in their lives, but here is where things get interesting.

Think about needs like you would think about food. We all need a certain number of calories in order to survive. We would never look at a person that needs 3000 cal/day and tell them they should just eat 1500 cal/day because that’s what another person needs. We are all different with different levels of need. The same holds true with the emotional needs.

Just for the sake of having a reference point, use a scale of 1-10 and rate yourself in each of the following emotional needs. For right now, don’t think too much, just give yourself a score and reason why you scored yourself that number. (We all have slightly different definitions and territories, or “taste” in each of these areas. Just like food!)

What happens when you don’t get the amount or type of food you need? Hungry, malnourished, etc… The same holds true with not reaching the number you wrote next to your emotional need. You begin to starve emotionally!

Here’s where provision comes in. Within our marriage, we have the responsibility to help meet the needs of our spouse. This includes emotional needs. And as I said earlier, seldom do we see a couple due to a physical need not being met, food, water, shelter, but, we regularly see couples because emotional needs are not being met.


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As a Strong Dad and husband, we are to honor our wives. Proverbs 31 gives us a biblical description of this lady.

Proverbs 31:10-31 (NIV):

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will enrich his life. 12 She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. 13 She is a diligent and hardworking woman. 14 She rises while it is still dark and provides food for her household and tasks for her servants. 15 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 16 She girds her loins with strength and makes her arms strong. 17 She sees that her trading is profitable; her lamp does not go out at night. 18 She puts her hands to the spindle and her fingers to the loom. 19 She generously opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hand to the needy. 20 She does not fear the snow for her household, for all her family are clothed in scarlet. 21 She makes coverings for her bed and linen garments for herself. 22 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 23 She makes linen garments and sells them, and belts for the merchants. 24 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she laughs without fear of the future. 25 She speaks with wisdom, and her tongue gives instruction. 26 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 27 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her: “Many women have done noble things, but you surpass them all.” 28 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 29 Give her the praise she deserves; let her deeds proclaim her worth. 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

A Guide to Honoring Your Wife, Based on Proverbs 31:10-31

What to Do:

• Respect her intelligence and abilities. Acknowledge her contributions and value her opinions.
• Provide for her needs. Ensure she has everything she needs, both materially and emotionally.
• Be faithful to her. Maintain emotional and physical fidelity.
• Praise her publicly. Celebrate her accomplishments and virtues in front of others.
• Listen to her attentively. Give her your undivided attention when she speaks.
• Support her dreams. Encourage her aspirations and help her achieve her goals.
• Be gentle with her. Treat her with kindness and compassion.
• Be patient with her. Understand that she may have different perspectives or needs.
• Be a source of strength for her. Offer support and encouragement during difficult times.
• Love her unconditionally. Show her your love and affection every day.

What Not to Do:

• Belittle her. Never make her feel small or insignificant.
• Control her. Allow her to make her own decisions.
• Neglect her. Spend quality time with her and show her that she is important to you.
• Criticize her. Focus on her strengths and avoid negative comments.
• Lie to her. Honesty is essential in a healthy relationship.
• Take her for granted. Appreciate and cherish her.
• Be selfish. Put her needs before you

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It is estimated that at least 40% of all families in the United States are Blended Families. Whether it be divorce, death of a spouse, or adoption, in some form or another, we find ourselves blending together families members that are not of the same biological descent. In fact, both Hutch and Carl are in blended family situations.

This show tackles the many different dynamics that the blended family presents. It is not unusual for couples to go into this situation with their eyes closed to all the possible challenges they will be facing. Differing cultures, genetics, and environments are just the start of what the blended family will be dealing with.

The goal of this show is not to scare people away from blending their family with another. Rather, to educate and inform in order to help couples prepare for what they may be experiencing down the road. Learning to communicate the challenges and develop and understanding of how to approach them as a couple will go a long way in reducing problems to more manageable levels.

One big takeaway is the importance of humbling yourself to get help prior to blending your families. Working with a counselor to discuss and develop a plan to move forward is worth every penny you will spend.

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#Rocksolidfamilies,#familytherapy,#marriagecounseling,#parenting,#faithbasedcounseling,#counseling,#Strongdads,#coaching,#lifecoach,#lifecoaching,#marriagecoaching,#marriageandfamily,#control,#security,#respect,#affection,#love,#purpose,#faith,#mastersofdisaster,#storms,#disasterrelief,#tornados,#hurricanes,#floods