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10 Things You Can Do To Strengthen Your Relationship

A strong, supportive Chaldean relationship is built from a couple's words and actions. With work, children, and other responsibilities, sometimes it is easy to take your spouse for granted or forget to do the things that strengthen the marriage. Here are some ten little things every Chaldean couple can do that will have a big payoff for your marriage says Jennifer Kinaya, marriage counselor and researcher on the psychology of better relationships.

1. Give your spouse a compliment. Better yet, brag about your spouse to others when your spouse is in earshot. It will boost self-confidence, and your spouse will want to continue making you happy and proud.

2. Find something to laugh about. Laughter helps us cope with stress and the pressures of our busy lives. A sense of humor helps marriages survive problems, large and small.

3. Have a shared activity both of you enjoy. It can be anything from going out to dinner, dancing, or gardening. You may need to make time to do them together, but this is a great way of keeping intimacy alive and well.

4. Treat your spouse the way you want to be treated. Be respectful if you want to be respected. This approach helps establish the fact that both parties have a responsibility in the marriage.

5. Take time to touch. The value of human touch is amazing. Eight to ten meaningful touches a day help you maintain physical and emotional health.

6. Be willing to compromise, just not on principal. It is okay to give up some of your wants for the sake of what your spouse wants. Willful sacrifice is love. Identify the situation as a compromise to avoid having unresolved anger or resentment later. Remember it is always better to lose a battle and win the war.

7. Give a smile. An easy but powerful way to value your spouse is to smile and tell your spouse how you feel.

8. Discuss the things that bother you. Letting things build up day after day without discussing and resolving them leads to anger and resentment that hurt your marriage. The more quickly something can be addressed and taken care of, the more time you will have for the enjoyable and healthy parts of your relationship. Just be mindful of your spouse’s mood. If they are not ready to listen don’t nag or push the issue. Give them a chance to gain their bearings and reflect over the issue.

9. Communication is key. Without communication, any team is in trouble. It is important to communicate your thoughts, plans, ideas, and opinions on a consistent basis. Equally important is communicating your feelings—the joys, sorrows, and frustrations we all experience.

10. Chart your course. Charting a course establishes a shared vision for your marriage. It also can be useful to establish some markers to ensure you are moving towards your goals.

Filed in Health & Fitness, Living & Lifestyle, Opinion and Editorials :: By Ann Bahri on Thursday, July 10, 2008 :: 2011 Views

Mar Addai Church, MI USA

Mar Addai Chaldean Catholic Church
24010 Coolidge Hwy.
Oak Park, MI 48237
Tel: (248) 547-4648
Fax: (248) 399-9089

Congregation Organizer:
Rev. Michael J. Bazzi

Church Founding Pastor:
Rev. Stephen Kallabat

Current Pastor:
Rev. Stephan Kallabat

Parochial Vicar:
Rev. Fadi Habib Khalaf

Parochial Vicar:
Rev. Sulemina Denha

Rev. Stephen Kallabat

Fr. Stephan Kallabat was born in Telkaif, Iraq. After completing seven years of scholarly work for the priesthood in Mosul, Iraq Fr. Kallabat was accepted at the prestigious university in Rome. There he spent six additional years of scholarly work in the areas of philosophy and theology and an additional four years in scriptural studies.

Ordained a priest in 1966 by Pope Paul VI he returned to Iraq to serve the Holy Family parish until his departure to Michigan, U.S. in 1979 to serve the growing population of Chaldeans. Fr. Kallabat was appointed assistant pastor, then pastor of Mar Addai Parish in Oak Park, Michigan.

Hitting the ground running, Fr. Kallabat is credited with raising the necessary funds to provide Chaldeans in the local area a church and community center of their own. Fr. Kallabat continues to serve the parish and Chaldean community as their pastor.

Rev. Fadi Habib Khalaf

Fr. Fadi Habib Khalaf was born in Baghdad May 10, 1974. Fr. Khalaf graduated from Baghdad University in 1997 and soon after joined the Chaldean seminary in Baghdad. While there Fr. Khalaf earned a scholarship to attend the Urbanian Pontifical University in Rome. There he earned another bachelor’s degree in theology and was ordained deacon in Rome on May 8, 2004.

Fr. Khalaf then returned to Baghdad where he was officially ordained as a priest. Afterward Fr. Khalaf returned to Rome to further his studies. In 2006 Fr. Khalaf was appointed to serve Chaldeans in the United States.

In the summer of 2006 he arrived to the Chaldean diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle and was cardinated into the Diocese and elected to serve at Mar Addai parish on March 15, 2007 as the Parochial Vicar.

Rev. Suleiman Denha

Rev. Suleiman Denha was born in Telkaif, Iraq. He began his priestly studies in 1951 in Mosul, Iraq and was ordained in 1959. Fr. Denha taught in Telkaif until 1961, when he was appointed pastor in Basra, Iraq in 1966.

After immigrating to the Unite States in 1979, he was appointed to serve the Chaldean community in Virginia. A year later, Fr. Denha was recruited to assist the much larger population of Chaldeans in Detroit.

Upon his arrival Fr. Denha assisted Fr. Yasso at Sacred Heart Church. In 1982 he was asked to temporally assist St. Joseph Church in Troy, returning a year later Sacred Heart.

In 1991, he was appointed to Mar Addai Church in Oak Park, Michigan as the Parochial Vicar, where he still serves the community today.