Hey Everyone! This is JFSurvivor and her boyfriend!
Everything I have to say will be in pink and everything my boyfriend has to say will be in blue (to keep it simple and to stick with the CC thing where girls names are pink and boys are blue. I am not advocating for gender stereotypes!!)
So my boyfriend and I were looking a book called, "What I wish I knew before I got married" (because we are planning on getting married). This book had a lot of good things to say. One thing that has really been AMAZING for us is this concept of "listening time." Listening time is where instead of saying, "we need to talk" you say, "I would like to have a listening time." Then you sit down, tell them what the topic is and listen to what the other person has to say before voicing your opinion only asking questions to clarify. Then once the other person has said all they have wanted to say then you say what you want to say and the other person listens while asking questions to clarify. Then once everyone has said what they need to, the two of them work together to come to a solution or agreement. If a solution or agreement can not be met at that moment you "put the issue on the table" and come back to it in a day, a week, a month or even a year.
Another important point the book mentioned was compromise, where each side sacrifices a little so that a common goal can be reached.
I guess this idea of listening time we can take it out of the relationship factor and apply it to our everyday interactions. If me and my girlfriend can effectively communicate through listening time then if we did the same thing to others, even ourselves as Christians we could potentially prevent a lot of unnecessary conflict. What are some ways that we as Christians can listen and put aside listening time for others?
I think this is a good example of submitting to one another. What are your thoughts? I also think this would be great in the BIBLE DISCUSSION FORUM!!!!! So this can also be used when discussing controversial topics too.
Everything I have to say will be in pink and everything my boyfriend has to say will be in blue (to keep it simple and to stick with the CC thing where girls names are pink and boys are blue. I am not advocating for gender stereotypes!!)
So my boyfriend and I were looking a book called, "What I wish I knew before I got married" (because we are planning on getting married). This book had a lot of good things to say. One thing that has really been AMAZING for us is this concept of "listening time." Listening time is where instead of saying, "we need to talk" you say, "I would like to have a listening time." Then you sit down, tell them what the topic is and listen to what the other person has to say before voicing your opinion only asking questions to clarify. Then once the other person has said all they have wanted to say then you say what you want to say and the other person listens while asking questions to clarify. Then once everyone has said what they need to, the two of them work together to come to a solution or agreement. If a solution or agreement can not be met at that moment you "put the issue on the table" and come back to it in a day, a week, a month or even a year.
Another important point the book mentioned was compromise, where each side sacrifices a little so that a common goal can be reached.
I guess this idea of listening time we can take it out of the relationship factor and apply it to our everyday interactions. If me and my girlfriend can effectively communicate through listening time then if we did the same thing to others, even ourselves as Christians we could potentially prevent a lot of unnecessary conflict. What are some ways that we as Christians can listen and put aside listening time for others?
I think this is a good example of submitting to one another. What are your thoughts? I also think this would be great in the BIBLE DISCUSSION FORUM!!!!! So this can also be used when discussing controversial topics too.
