Marriage

Marriage is a beautiful gift and precious blessing that provides us with an endearing and unique type of love, bonding us together as one, but it doesn’t even come close to the unconditional and unfailing love that our God offers us!

I would venture to guess that most married couples can identify with escape, business meeting and maintenance dates in their relationship. But it is essential to be intentional about creating romantic memories, too.

If your spouse is struggling with substance abuse today, know they are not alone. It has become more common within the past few years for people to struggle with addiction. All of your pain and heartache over your spouse is valid, but do not lose hope.

For marriage to be what God designed it to be, we must choose to be committed to our mate and our marriage. Commitment is not based on feelings. Feelings cannot build a solid marriage. Love is not the basis for marriage. Marriage is the basis for love.

Here is the key: if you suddenly start performing a bunch of thoughtful gestures for your spouse, don’t get bitter if they don’t return the favor or even notice. It’s not about tit for tat, it’s about showing the person you married that you haven’t forgotten about them, and that they matter to you. If serving your spouse is making you bitter and resentful, then take those feelings to Jesus and let Him examine your heart.

You have eighteen years with your children, and then they grow up to have their own lives. But when you got married, you vowed to be with your spouse "till death do you part." You'll be with your spouse much longer than you'll have your children in your home. Set a good example of what a healthy marriage will look like by putting each other's opinions first, even if there are moments when you don't agree with your parenting strategy or the other's perspective on life.

Your husband wants a lover, not a mother. And when you talk to him like you talk to your children or even use the same phrases with him that you use with them, an internal annoyance meter goes off that communicates to him: She’s treating me like a child.

Do you sometimes find it hard to be honest with God regarding the fertility problems you face? I know that I do at times. Perhaps sometimes it just feels easier to give God my best spiritual performance by telling him what I think he wants to hear instead. Perhaps a part of me still thinks my healing is based on my goodness or how well I weather the challenge.

The other day, I was helping my middle daughter fold her mountain of laundry while listening to 80’s songs (which, to be honest, was part of the reason I was helping her because I love the music from my generation), when my husband came into her doorway with “that face.” Maybe you know the face I am talking about. It’s the face of a question that speaks no words but declares the immediate need for attention. Deep down, I knew we needed some couple time; it was well overdue.Let’s just say raising three daughters, who range in age, poses a bit of a strain on our union at times. So, with a quick wink to my girl, I signaled that she needed to finish her laundry, and I was going to spend some quality time with her dad. Yet, before I walked out of her bedroom, she gently grabbed my arm and asked the sweetest question – How do you stay so in love with dad after all these years?Honestly, it caught me off guard, and I wasn’t really sure how to answer that so jolly on the spot, so my immediate response was, “It takes work.” But, if I were to really dig deeper into that question, I would add that it takes intentionality and humility to submit, serve in love, and allow your own heart to be sanctified.Maybe you have also pondered that question. Whether it be your own marriage or that of another couple you admire, you want to know the blissful secret. Marriage surely is a beautifully complicated relationship, isn’t it? But how often do we address this question, or the quality of our love barometers, when things are good? Better yet, to make it more personal, how do you respond when your marriage has hit a stride and is currently in a “sweet spot”? Well, grab your sweetheart and get ready to open the lines of communication, because we’re going to talk about it!

If you’re navigating retirement as a married couple, here is how to protect your peace and pursue God together in this new season.

If you feel your marriage is falling apart, I hope to offer you some ideas for getting back on track. The following ideas are too simplistic for marriages involving abuse. They are intended for those who are growing apart and need help to find their way back to one another.

We need to talk about emotional needs, deep wounds, and other issues that may come between us. Conflict may arise when this happens, but when you are committed to your marriage, you can be assured that you will always work things out.

Studying the Easter story brings couples closer together by making Jesus the center, deepening their conversations, strengthening their faith, and providing a deeper understanding of God and each other. Let this be a priority this year and be changed by the wonder-working power of the Easter story.

One of the specific ways we love our spouses is by saying “no” to things that cause distance or division. Consider these 5 things you can say “no” to in order to better your marriage.

They think back to their intimate times and feel like it was all a fraud. Their minds start spinning with how they were able to carry on marriage with this dark, dirty secret lurking in the corners. A spouse will feel deep betrayal and be forced to navigate some incredibly difficult feelings and emotions. They will feel like they were cheated on and be devastated that their spouse's sexual intimacy was projected onto someone other than them.