Michael and Amy Smalley - expert advice on dating, marriage, and parenting

How to get your kid to accept your influence over dating

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

I just had the most amazing conversation with my 10-year old daughter while eating at Chile's on our daddy date. The conversation started when Reagan said, "I think there's a boy at school that I'm starting to like." I did not react negatively, harshly, or freakishly at what my ...

Couples who live apart ‘create housing shortage’

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

The problem is so great that by 2026 there will be 4.5 million more households but one million too few homes to house them. Couples who live apart 'create housing shortage' - Telegraph.

10 things you should talk about before you get married

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

You've asked enough questions of your photographer, caterer and florist that you feel pretty clear on what they should give you on your wedding day. 10 things you should talk about before you get married - al.com.

Call to action: Pastor issuing 7-day sex challenge

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

The pastor of a mega-church says he will challenge married congregants during his sermon Sunday to have sex for seven straight days -- and he plans to practice what he preaches. Call to action: Pastor issuing 7-day sex challenge - 11/17/08 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com

Is Your Family Mission Minded?

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Often, parents and teachers ask their children, What do you want to be when you grow up? In a world that is increasingly self-seeking, self-centered, and self-absorbed, the answers are consistently more egocentrica movie star, a rock star, a dance star. Even within the church, this present generation is ...

Parenting Tips

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Eric Erickson, the renowned developmental psychologist, proposed that every stage of life offers a challenge. The last stage -- late adulthood -- is about reconciling with our past. There are two possible results: The positive outcome is feeling content with the choices of the past, and the negative outcome is ...

Intimacy helps reduce stress hormones level in couples

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich, Switzerland has revealed that stress hormone levels are generally lower in married couples who have an intimate relationship. Intimacy helps reduce stress hormones level in couples Health.

Conservatives plan to reduce cohabiting couples’ rights

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Unmarried couples who live together would be denied rights married couples receive under a new Conservative plan. Pre-nuptial agreements would be made legally enforceable to encourage people to marry. The proposals, from the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, are set out in a report by his Centre for Social ...

Is There an Overparenting Epidemic?

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

A hefty review in last weeks New Yorker magazine takes on several books about overparenting, the toxic combination of treating kids with excessive permissiveness and outsize expectations (some of which I touched on in this post last week). The Juggle - WSJ.com : Is There an Overparenting Epidemic?

Spot baby abusers early - when they’re toddlers

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Readers of The Washington Post learnt about the case of Baby P under the headline Britain in shock over abuse death of toddler. And so we have been, shocked clean out of our wits. Or, as the admirable Martha Kearney put it, in a preface to a radio interview with ...

An evening of preaching and worship with youth

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

One of my most favorite evenings while in Zim was speaking to a youth rally at Central Baptist Church in Harare. The room was packed with young adults, probably about 300 total. I gave a simple message on how to not have sex before marriage. But before I spoke, they had ...

Swimming with the elephants

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

There are things that happen to you in life that feel unbelievable when they happen; like they couldn't possibly be true. But swimming with the elephants in Zimbabwe was not a dream, but yet still a dream come true! {vidavee id="16446" w="320" }

The lion attack in Zimbabwe

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

You may have heard by now that I posted a status update in Facebook that got quite the reaction from my friends. All I did was simply share an experience of getting rushed by a lion while in Zimbabwe, but failed to mention that I was actually on the ...

Parenting teens is hard, but not impossible

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Parenting teens is hard, but not impossible | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press.

Divorces Drop in Economic Downturn Say Nation’s Top Divorce Lawyers

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Divorces Drop in Economic Downturn Say Nation's Top Divorce Lawyers - International Business Times -.

French court overturns Muslim virgin marriage annulment

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

.: Capital News :.

A family devotional: Desiring God’s will over your own

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Our pastor, Ken Werlein, was preaching today on overcoming the storms in your life and he read from Daniel 3. It is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. There is a verse or two that really stood out to me this morning and I thought it would make a great ...

I love my iPhone

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

I can now post pics and text from my iPhone staight to the blog! This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for me :-)

Couples Romantic Cooking Party | NBC Los Angeles

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Couples Romantic Cooking Party | NBC Los Angeles

FOXNews.com - Study: Divorce Can Be Deadly - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

FOXNews.com - Study: Divorce Can Be Deadly - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News.

Pastor’s Sex Challenge For Congregation, The Early Show: He Urged Them To Have Sex With Their Spouses For Week Straight - CBS News

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Pastor's Sex Challenge For Congregation, The Early Show: He Urged Them To Have Sex With Their Spouses For Week Straight - CBS News.

‘Second Life’ ends couples’ first marriage

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

AFP: 'Second Life' ends couples' first marriage.

My Response to an Ugly Email or My Wife is a Beautiful Glorious Woman

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Here is a post from several years ago.Â I had not received an email like this before. It just makes me shake my head and wonder what gospel he knows. Ben, Your marriage is not restored. Once your wife cheated on you, you have no marriage. It's over. It is ...

Help Me, I Hate My Husband

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

I recently received the following from a reader: I think I hate my husband. I love him but I’m start to hate the sight of him. We never get to spend time together and I am bitter over it. He is careless with his finances and I’m tired of being a babysitter. I ...

Post-Cognitive Psychotherapy

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Both ACT and Schema Therapy are what you might call Post-Cognitive Therapies. I tend to hate it when people start using phrases with “Post” as a prefix. I still don’t quite know what the popular term “Post-Modern” is supposed to mean, for instance. I figure if I’m going to create ...

Body of Evidence: Holding Patterns

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Maternal attachment arms babies for growth.

Parents Dropping Errant Kids in Nebraska

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Remember when your parents used to threaten to sell you to gypsies? These days, all they need to do is threaten you with a trip to Nebraska.A "Safe Haven" law, designed to protect newborns and infants, lets parents abandon their kids at various mandated locations, no questions asked. Legislators drafted ...

Marriage Tip for: 11/15/2008

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Christian marriage is a covenant, not a contract. Contracts are 50/50 agreements that can be broken if either party fails to fulfill their part. A covenant is a sacred promise in which each gives 100%. Do you?

Deciphering the Video Game Ratings

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

We’ve talked about television ratings and movie ratings so that leaves us with just one last set of ratings; video game ratings. How are games rated? Video games seem to have the most stringent review process than any of the three genres. Again there are no federal laws that require game publishers ...

More touching photos from our trip so far!

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Check out my Facebook album for 48 more photos of our trip so far. There are some classic photos in there! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=61107&l=e97eb&id=727702115

A photo journal from Houston to Paris to Johannesburg

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

First of all, God is good! We arrived late from Paris to JoBurg, making us miss our connection to Harare. British Airways and Air France, and I'm trying to word this as nicely as possible, were not helpful in any way. They both basically told Casey and I to "kiss ...

The day is coming to an end

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

I must say that many of my negative beliefs about France are unfounded. Everyone I met today was kind and helpful. For those of you who know me as a friend, you will understand how much the following issue stressed me out. I talked Casey in to getting on the ...

The severe head cold in Paris

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Well. Casey and I are in Paris for our 14 hour layover :-) Paris is beautiful but it's not quite the city of love when your with another guy. We wish our wives were here but we are still having a blast seeing the sites. I would ask for your ...

A marriage and family guy goes to Zimbabwe

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

For those of you who want to pray for me and my friend Casey as we travel to Zimbabwe, I thought it might be cool to post my schedule so you could pray about specific things. The following is an email from Chris, one of my new Zimbabwean friends, and ...

‘As goes California, so goes the nation’ - San Jose Mercury News

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

'As goes California, so goes the nation' - San Jose Mercury News.

World’s heaviest man Manuel Uribe gets married

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

World&squo;s heaviest man Manuel Uribe gets married | Herald Sun

Couple married for 73 years buried side by side

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Couple married for 73 years buried side by side -- chicagotribune.com.

California can lead the way by rejecting Prop 8 - San Jose Mercury News

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

California can lead the way by rejecting Prop 8 - San Jose Mercury News.

Greeting cards announcing divorce?

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

Steve and Mia: Greeting cards announcing divorce? | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/31/2008

Now we have to plan ‘couples play dates?’

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

"If a stranger approached you on the street, demanded your phone number and asked to be your friend, would you do it? Of course not, because that's insane and it violates the basic tenets of human interaction." http://www.momlogic.com/2008/10/daddy_dozen_13.php

The Sambilis on essence of a successful marriage

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

"Edward and Hellen Sambili are not just husband and wife, they are best friends whose big job titles are not as important as their love for one another, writes KWAMBOKA OYARO" "Holding hands and looking into each others eyes, Prof and Dr Sambili sang together: "I want God to use me"" http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1143997841&cid=499

What has your mind has you

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

My pastor Ken Werlein gave this quote today in regards to overcoming storms in your life: "What has your mind has you." If you focus on what's wrong in your life, you will experience the wrong. "One small stone and a sling of faith, that is all you need to make ...

Cohabiting couples’ splits test the courts

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

"As the number of adults who opt to purchase homes, have children and start businesses together without getting married rises, these types of "common-law kerfuffles," as some courthouse observers call them, are testing the legal system's ability to adapt to new ways people live." http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081025/NEWS03/810250365/1017/NEWS01

Woman suing over husband’s missing brain

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

NEW YORK, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A 71-year-old New York woman wants $4 million from those responsible for losing her late husband's brain. Read the rest here.

Divorce can raise deed, loan issues on home

info@gosmalley.com (Michael Smalley)

"Q: I am recently divorced. We had two houses. In the divorce, I got one and he got one. We both signed quitclaim deeds to each other. However, I needed to refinance mine to pay off the bills I accumulated just to get my house back into livable shape. (It ...