B eing passionate about all things in the marriage arena, I've read many books on how to improve your marriage--they have loads of different techniques, tips, and tricks, and so many of them are fantastic and really helpful. But what's at the core of it all? What does it all boil down to? Brass tacks. The net net. The TL;DR. What would it be? If I could only ever give one piece of marriage and/or life advice to everyone and anyone in any and every situation for the rest of my life, it would … [Read more...]
#22: What Makes Christian Marriage Different?
Have you ever thought about what makes Christian marriage different? Or why having a marriage that is founded on God makes all the difference? We’ve talked before about how to make Jesus the center of our marriages and our home, but on today’s podcast episode, we dive into the WHY behind the how. Having Jesus at the core of our marriage grounds us and unites us better than anything else ever could. #22: What Makes Christian Marriage Different? Mentioned in This … [Read more...]
Why “Doing Nothing” Can Actually Help Your Marriage
A few weeks ago, we were exhausted. We had been working a ton, Jess was right in the middle of her school quarter, and life just felt really overwhelming. When I asked Jess what she wanted to do on our day off, we eventually came to the idea of a picnic in a local park. So Jess packed a lunch and we grabbed a blanket and headed off to the park. We sat down and had the first bit of our lunch. Once we had finished, we had the weirdest feeling. The “lunch” checkbox had been checked off in our … [Read more...]
6 Ways a Wife Provides for Her Home
I n Christian marriage, we generally view the husband as the provider. And while this is true, wives provide in a marriage too, just in a different way. Husbands are responsible for setting the spiritual direction and the tone for the home, but wives have a vital role to play as well. Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” It is not good for him to be alone. Wives, we are called to be our husband’s … [Read more...]
The Secret Weapon Behind Unity
B etween the two of us, Adam is a much better apologizer. He’s much quicker to seek resolution than me and deeply desires to resolve conflict. I find that I tend to sit in my pride and justification for why I think I’m right longer than I ever should. The thing is, the longer I make up self-gratifying excuses for why I’m right, the more bitterness and resentment begin to plague my heart. Pride is scary that way. It can embed its claws into any crevice it can find and the longer we allow it … [Read more...]
4 Powerful Biblical Truths about Marriage
W hen we first get married, everything seems perfect. It seems as if the love that we share will sustain us. It seems as if we will be able to work through any argument with ease, that the butterflies will never fade, and our spouse will never be able to let us down. If you’ve been married any length of time, you know that this just isn’t the case. Marriage is wonderful and beautiful, but that beauty takes work. To have an intimate marriage that reflects the love of Jesus, we have to deal … [Read more...]
7 Steps to Achieve Best-Friend Status with your Spouse
O ne of the most profound things I have ever heard was the idea that after 30, 50, or 70 years together, we hopefully will not only still love our spouse, but still like them too. This idea really caught me off guard the first time I heard it. Wouldn’t the goal be to love our spouse? Isn’t liking them natural and love more difficult? While the Bible calls us to love our spouse, we are not called to like them. “Liking” our spouse is a feeling, whereas “loving” them is a choice. And “liking” is … [Read more...]
The Real Definition of a Provider
A man naturally feels a strong desire to provide for his family. This is a God-given desire. However, as a culture, we have defined “provision” as purely financial. While it’s good to provide financially, God calls husbands to a much higher standard. The call for a husband to provide goes far beyond financial security to his full investment and involvement. But what does that look like? In short, a Husband should provide: A safe, loving place for his family A safe place can mean … [Read more...]
#10: Marriage Retreats: Breathing Life Into Your Marriage (Dr. Matt Turvey)
Today, we had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Matt Turvey, director of Winshape Marriage. He talks about how marriage retreats help to jumpstart the healing process for a couple that's struggling. They can also be a great way for a couple that's doing well to be proactive and breathe new life into their marriage, providing a solid foundation to continue building on. He has great wisdom and believes that couples need to actively address the little things before they become big wedges. His advice … [Read more...]
Choosing Thankfulness over Frustration
If you’ve read my previous blog, you know I tend to analyze things to death, often focusing solely on the flaws. After writing that blog, I saw another important lesson that I missed the first time. Not only do I often see the worst in myself, but I tend to see the worst in my wife far more often than I would like to admit. The same is true in many marriages--the little things grate on you after a while, then you have a choice to make--will you focus on the negative or the positive? I have … [Read more...]
