YOUR CRUSH MAY BE GOOD FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP

I am not an expert, but from what I have observed – I have concluded that the person you like can serve as a booster for your relationship.

Are you in a relationship? Are you also harbouring a secret crush? It turns out this might not be such a bad thing after all.

A new study has shown that having an unspoken crush probably isn’t doing your relationship any harm and, in some cases, may even contribute to an increased level of intimacy with your partner.

The study was conducted by sexual health researchers at several American universities and published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy.

The researchers surveyed around 200 women, all of whom had been in a relationship for at least three years. Most were married, and aged between 19 and 56. The women filled in an online questionnaire where they answered questions about their partners and other sexual attractions.

As many as 70 percent of those involved in the survey said that they had been attracted to someone else while in a relationship. Perhaps not surprisingly, most of these crushes happened at work.

When asked if they were worried about their crushes, most of the women said they weren’t, stating that having an attraction to someone else hadn’t affected how they felt about their partners, nor had it had any kind of negative effect on the relationship.

A small portion even said that being attracted to someone else had strengthened their relationships by making them feel more attracted to their partners. This may be the result of increased sexual desire being unleashed within the relationship.

As long as you recognise where the line is drawn in your relationship, infatuations at work or elsewhere may well be perfectly healthy and safe. We’re certainly not suggesting you seek out a crush, but if you have one, and you remain committed to your partner, perhaps you needn’t worry too much. 2 Timothy 1:7

HOW GAY ARE YOU?

I am not an expert, but from what I have observed - I have concluded that many people are sexually lost. Do you identify as straight, or gay, or somewhere in between? A new poll suggests we may be becoming more open-minded about our sexuality as a nation.

According to a YouGov poll, nearly half of 16 to 24 year olds don’t identify as either completely straight or completely gay, and nearly a fifth of us of all ages also fall somewhere in the middle.

The poll used a scale of sexual orientation originally devised by Dr Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s which asks people to give themselves a number from 0-6; 0 being exclusively heterosexual and 6 being exclusively homosexual.

72 percent of respondents to the recent survey rated themselves as completely heterosexual, with 4 percent rating themselves completely homosexual. The remaining 19 percent fell somewhere in the middle, although this figure rose to 49 percent for 16 to 24 year olds.

Only 2 percent placed themselves directly in the middle of the scale, with the majority leaning more towards the heterosexual side. Sexual orientation may not be as black and white (or indeed grey) as we sometimes think.

The trends around younger adults may suggest that we, as a nation, are becoming more sexually open-minded with time, but may also point to the idea that youth and young adulthood can be a time of uncertainty and exploration, when we are still getting to know ourselves and our sexual identities, and figuring out who we are. Leviticus 20:13

MIDDLE-AGED COUPLES ARGUE ABOUT MONEY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE

I am not an expert, but from what I have observed – I have concluded that conversations around money is quite sensitive. A survey has shown that money worries are the top cause of rows among middle-aged couples.

The money website SavvyWoman.co.uk has published the results of a survey about women and money, including how it can lead to arguments between couples. Money was the top cause of arguments for couples aged between 35 and 54, and second overall for all age groups, beaten only by disagreements about keeping things clean and tidy. Some 2,000 people were surveyed, 1,400 of whom were in relationships. Other sources of conflict included household chores, in-laws, sex, social lives, and previous partners. One third of co-habiting couples - couples who live together but aren’t married – said they didn’t have a joint bank account. This was also true for a quarter of married couples.

Many people also said that they didn’t have much knowledge of their partners’ finances. Nearly half of all respondents said they didn’t know how much their partner earns, what they save each month, and how much they might owe.

The survey also looked at other money issues in relationships. One in ten of the women surveyed said that they had been left dealing with the debts of ex-partners after a breakup.

Patriots, if you are planning on moving into a new phase in your relationship like getting married or moving in together, it can be really useful to have a conversation about money. This is particularly important if you are struggling financially or dealing with debts, as an early conversation can prevent things escalating and give you a better chance of dealing with things together. Matthew 6:21