by Angelique Perales - Sunday, March 3, ZUZ4, 4:30 PM Hello Class, Which article was most impactful for you? Why? The article that was more impactful to me was "25 Common Marriage Problems Faced by Couples & Their Solutions." Why? Because after having been married for 24 years everything that this article described was everything we went through. We tried the different solutions including therapy, separation, and I just doing what interested me while he stood home and did what interested him. I just did not work out. I matured, grew, and wanted a healthier, active life and he did not. What are some of the critical issues facing marriages today? I would have to say lealousy Finances and Intruders Social media. 2. Communication - Both partners must be able to communicate honestly and effectively without judgement, anger, or emotional upset. Disagreements and arguments cannot be resolved without communication. The issues need to be addressed or the problem will only escalate. "One of the most common causes of marital problems includes lack of communication or miscommunication" (Pace, 2023). 3. Anti-Christian Culture - Having a marriage that is not biblically grounded and rooted strong in the Lord may cause the downfall of a marriage. "Marriage and family are at the heart a divine institution that is the target of intense spiritual warfare" (Kostenberger, 2024). The devil likes to steal, kill, and destroy. He will look for any door whether the husband, wife, or children to cause strife and chaos. "If a house divided against itself, that house cannot stand" (New International Version, 2011, Mark 3:25). References: what would you consider to be the top three topics to cover in pre- martial counseling? 1. Stress - How to oversee stress. Marriage has it's joy, fun, and happiness but there will be days where the marriage will go through challenges. Each partner should have a list of coping mechanisms that they can utilize whenever a stressful situation occurs before hand so when it sneaks in the couple individually or together will know how to respond. It is not knowing what to do when the crisis arises that usually gets us in trouble. "Stress within a relationship needs to be managed in a healthy manner, or it can destroy the relationship" (Pace, 2023). 2. Communication - Both partners must be able to communicate honestly and effectively without judgement, anger, or emotional upset. Disagreements and arguments cannot be resolved without communication. The issues need to be addressed or the problem will only escalate. "One of the most common causes of marital problems What are some of the critical issues facing marriages today? I would have to say Jealousy, Finances, and Intruders. Social media has a significant impact on relationships. In fact, it is what caused my divorce or what started the decline of my previous marriage. There is not only jealousy among partners (husband and wife) but there are also people outside of the marriage that are jealous of the marriage you might not even know about. This was another reason my marriage ended. When it comes to intruders it can be when one partner or another is addicted (or spends more time and focus on) the internet (computer), their phone, social media, video games, the television, being at the gym a lot, shopping, relatives, family members, and friends, even the church. Financially when one spends too much money, does not budget, or does not put priorities into perspective. What would you consider to be the top three topics to cover in pre-