There are so many stories of infidelity these days. Whether it's someone from Hollywood, a neighbor, or someone at work or church, you’ve probably seen at least one marriage end because of unfaithfulness. But nobody gets up one morning and sets out to destroy their marriage out of the blue. It’s almost always a long process that they themselves may not even be aware of. It can start so subtly, but it can get out of hand quickly. But how does one avoid this subtle and dangerous thing that they … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong While Living With Others
The past six months have felt like a whirlwind. Back in June, our landlord decided to sell the house that we’d lived in for four years. We had been extremely blessed to rent a four bedroom house for the cost of a studio in one of the country’s most expensive real estate markets. Sadly, it was time to move on. In those four years, rent has skyrocketed to the point that we can barely afford a one-bedroom apartment, and even that is only with significant cuts to our already-tight monthly … [Read more...]
6 Tips for Handling the Holidays Like a Boss
Are you stressed about the idea of planning holidays with your family, your spouse’s family, and also wanting to have your own traditions? Family expectations can lead to quite a bit of frustration. Honestly, I never really understood how holidays could be stressful or difficult until I got married. With the words “I do”, I suddenly had more than myself or my family to think about. I now had to think about my husband’s family, and also the fact that Adam and I were now our own little family, and … [Read more...]
5 Tips to Create Rest in Your Life
What is rest and why is it so important? In Genesis 2, God had just finished creating the earth in six days. On the seventh day, he rested, blessing that seventh day and making it holy, because it was on that day that he rested from all His work (Genesis 2:2-3). Why did God rest? He didn’t rest because He needed it. He took time to rest to show us that we desperately need it in our lives. The idea of rest is a difficult concept for me. I’m a driven person and have trouble when I don’t feel … [Read more...]
How Strong Friendships Inspire Healthy Marriages
Have you ever felt alone? It’s not fun, especially in the hard seasons of life. In contrast, have you ever had someone walk with you through hard times? Ecclesiastes 4:12 talks about the benefits of not walking alone: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” God has designed us to walk through life with others … [Read more...]
How to Goal-Plan for Massive Success
Planning is one of the most essential tools for success in life, and planning out your marriage goals with your spouse is no exception. Jess and I take some time every year to look back on the previous year and set goals for the future. It’s a pretty small time investment, but the results have been nothing short … [Read more...]
A New Perspective Taught by a Clogged Pipe
9:35 pm. That is approximately when our evening took a dire, drastic turn. We had just spent a lovely, lazy evening in front of the TV and were headed to take a shower. Well, that plan changed drastically when the water started to rise as I was finishing my shower. At first, we thought that it was just my hair clogging up the drain again, but then we realized that none of our toilets were flushing either … [Read more...]
Powerful Marriage Advice from an Accidental Adventure
You’ve been up since 5 am, flown clear across the country with a few stops at different airports along the way, landed and grabbed a rental car much smaller than the one you reserved, and made it out of the airport just in time to be stuck in rush hour leaving the city, so a twenty-five minute drive is set to take you an hour. Sound fun? I thought not, but that’s where Jess and I found ourselves last October … [Read more...]
3 Quick Tips to Become a Couple with Clear Purpose
Have you ever finished a really big project with amazing results? I’d be willing to say it started with a goal and followed a plan until it was finished. Most amazing things start with a goal and follow a plan, why should your life be any different? Setting goals as a couple … [Read more...]
How to Guard Your Marriage Against Decay
Decay. When does it happen? Have you ever had a cavity? Do you know exactly what date it appeared? Not when you discovered it, but when it first became a cavity. If you’re like me, you have no idea. I can think back to a range of time, say between the previous dentist visit and when the dentist pointed it out or my tooth started to hurt, but that could be a window of half a year or more. It’s one of those things that you don’t notice until someone points it out to you or you feel pain … [Read more...]