How good are you at mind reading? How about your spouse? If you’re anything like us, you find mind reading to be a really frustrating experience — for BOTH spouses!
How many times have you heard (or said) similar statements to these:
“Well, he (or she) should know how I feel about _____ and how it would upset me.”
“He (or she) has eyes and must see I could use help… why do I have to ask for it? No one would have to ask me!”
“If I have to ask for _____, why bother? Do I have to spell out everything I need from him (or her)?”
Do any of the above statements and questions sound familiar? In our 37 plus years of marriage, we’ve foolishly used them all, plus a few more. Through experience though, we’ve learned that “when mind reading is taken out of the marriage as an expected form of communication, husbands and wives and families can be spared a multitude of unnecessary frustration.”
In the Bible God tells us, “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. A wise man has great power and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.” (Proverbs 24:3-6).
So to help us to wage a victorious “war” against miscommunication, we’d like to share a few simple communication tools from some gifted advisers.
One idea comes from Dr Steve Stephens: [Read more →]






