The Third Option International

The Third Option International The Third Option is an on-going skills based group program to build better marriages. Each of the fo Painful endurance or divorce?

Many of us manage our marriage as a series of choices between “His” desires and “Her “desires. We may choose either end of the balance line: either “Peace at any price” or “Letting it all hang out.” Why do we see only two options? Both options fail to bring us together, but instead tend to move us to extremes. Break through the clutter of past baggage and misunderstandings. Find the healthy middle ground, a program called THIRD OPTION. Third Option is an on-going skills based group program that has been building healthy marriages since 1988. Each 14 session cycle covers a comprehensive set of tools useful for developing better understanding, sensitivity and trust while learning more effective speaking and listening skills. The Third Option means reconciliation. When couples are struggling they will say they have “tried everything” but what they usually mean is they have tried the same two extreme options over and over, never finding what works. (Example: they have stuffed their anger, or they have attacked with it. Neither will give them the marriages they want.) The Third Option combines skill-building workshops and sharing from mentor couples with a peer support group that is caring and accepting.

01/14/2026

We expect our spouse to always say the right thing.
Always show up the right way.
Always meet needs they were never meant to meet alone.

And when they don’t, we start keeping score instead of offering grace.

Marriage isn’t about controlling outcomes or fixing flaws.
It’s about choosing surrender over perfection.
Letting your spouse be human.
Growing together instead of demanding arrival.

Grace creates safety.
Safety creates intimacy.
And intimacy is what actually sustains a marriage.

🤍🤍🤍

01/13/2026

Finding Joy

01/13/2026
01/13/2026

We’ve all been there—days where stress is high, and everything feels like a race against the clock. But stress doesn’t have to be your enemy. It can be a powerful force that drives action, creativity, and focus.

So why do we let it spiral out of control?

Because we don’t always manage it well. When stress becomes chronic, it wears us down, making us feel overwhelmed and stuck. But the secret isn’t about getting rid of stress—it’s about how we handle it.

What if instead of letting stress consume us, we use it to grow stronger?

What if we took moments throughout the day to breathe, to pause, to reset? What if we set boundaries to protect our time and energy?

Small changes like these can completely transform how we respond to stress.

Stress isn’t a monster lurking in the shadows. It’s a natural part of life. The power lies in how we choose to face it. Will you let it control you, or will you take control back?

Start here 🔥 Receive a free stress assessment when you sign up for our newsletter: https://www.rekindlexmhub.com/newsletter_signup

01/13/2026

John Roedel

01/13/2026

Marriage will expose what you never realized you were carrying.

The way you shut down.
The way you raise your voice.
The way you avoid hard conversations.
The way you learned to protect yourself instead of letting someone get close.

Most of us didn’t grow up watching healthy communication. We learned silence, sarcasm, walking away, or brushing things under the rug. And then we bring those patterns into marriage without even realizing it.

A strong marriage doesn’t pretend those patterns don’t exist.
It has the courage to unlearn them.

To pause instead of react.
To listen instead of dismiss.
To choose understanding over being right.

Unlearning is uncomfortable. It requires humility. It asks you to look inward instead of pointing fingers.

But when two people are willing to do that work, love deepens. Safety grows. Connection changes.

Marriage isn’t about perfection.
It’s about becoming better together.

🤍🤍🤍

01/12/2026

Take your good marriage to great with Marriage Encounter

01/12/2026

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10475 Cosby Manor Road
Utica, NY
13502

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+18556249476

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Our Story

Many of us manage marriage as a series of choices between “His” desires and “Her “desires. We may choose either end of the balance line either “Peace at any price” or “Letting it all hang out.” Why do we see only two options? Painful endurance or divorce? Both options fail to bring us together, but instead tend to move us to extremes. Break through the clutter of past baggage and misunderstandings. Find the healthy middle ground, a program called THIRD OPTION. Third Option is an on-going skills based group program that has been building healthy marriages since 1988. Each 14 session cycle covers a comprehensive set of tools useful for developing better understanding, sensitivity and trust while learning more effective speaking and listening skills. The Third Option means reconciliation. When couples are struggling they will say they have “tried everything” but what they usually mean is they have tried the same two extreme options over and over, never finding what works. (Example: they have stuffed their anger, or they have attacked with it. Neither will give them the marriages they want.) The Third Option combines skill-building workshops and sharing from mentor couples with a peer support group that is caring and accepting.