A Tale of Two Weddings
My husband and I have five children – three sons and two daughters. And both of those daughters are getting married this summer! Pretty much any time we say that to someone, their eyes get big, and they say something…
Merry Married Christmas: Tips for Handling the Holidays as Newlyweds
My daughter recently got engaged! She will be the first of my children to get married, and it has me looking both backward and forward this Christmas season. Looking Backward I remember those first Christmases that my husband and I…
The Good, the Bad, and the Fruity: What’s Growing from Your Marriage?
Loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled… Would you describe yourself using any of these words? Would your spouse describe you using any of these words? No doubt you recognize these words as being the fruit of the…
Are You Seeking God’s Kingdom First in Your Marriage?
My eyesight isn’t terrible, but I do much better when I’m wearing my reading glasses. Letters are distinct, and I’m not having to strain and work so hard to figure out what it is I’m reading. I’m less likely to…
Choose Your Next Words Carefully
When my husband and I started dating in January of our senior year of college, we were pretty straightforward with each other. We agreed that as soon as one of us knew we weren’t going to get married, we would…
How Well Do You Know Your Spouse?
My husband and I have had the opportunity to go on several cruises over the years, and one of the typical activities for entertainment during the week is a live version of “The Newlywed Game.” The cruise director finds three…
Drifting in Marriage? Find Your Anchors.
Have you ever had an entire argument with your spouse that they didn’t even know about because you had the whole thing in your own head? Or made up a scenario about “what probably happened” in a particular situation before…
Honoring the Father by Honoring Their Father: Leading Your Kids in Appreciating Dad
For many years when my children were little, I had a tradition of playing a certain song as we kicked off our Father’s Day celebrations for my husband. The song was “Family Man” by Andrew Peterson, and in that song…
Connect Four: Ways to Connect with Your Spouse Mentally, Emotionally, Physically, and Spiritually
A triangle. That’s the shape of marriage that my husband and I were always taught to work toward. The two points on the base of the triangle represent each of us, and the point at the top represents God. So,…
Sow the Seeds and Watch for Weeds: How Tending to Marriage Is Much Like Tending to a Garden
My husband Kevin is the primary gardener in our family. He researches, designs, plants, tends, and harvests the garden in our backyard. It isn’t huge, but almost everything in it is living and growing. Now, his gardening efforts haven’t always…