Marriage

Lessons learned from marrying young

July 23, 2014

My husband and I started dating when we were sixteen. I saw a sixteen year old at Panera Bread the other day, and I can hardly believe that I was her age when I started falling for Luke. I love the fact that we have grown up together, changed together, and figured out who we are together. But even though our years of dating gave us a…

Romancing your spouse

July 17, 2014

Don’t forget what made your relationship great. Put the romance back in your relationship.

5 ways to keep little irritations in marriage from exploding

June 26, 2014

In one of the greatest love poems of all time, King Solomon commanded, “Catch for us . . . the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).  What a picturesque way of describing the little things that can mar a marriage relationship. Little things like leaving dishes in the sink instead of in the dishwasher…

Alone in marriage

June 19, 2014

When you first said, “I do,” did you have any idea it would be like this? Are you currently carrying more than you bargained for? Everyone who marries will eventually encounter a season or two where the weight of the relationship ends up on their shoulders. Spouses get sick, distracted, selfish, or overworked; they pursue further…

What if you open a gift and singleness pops out?

June 12, 2014

Calling singleness a gift reminds me of Christmas gifts I used to get from my grandmother.  When I would discover she had my name, I steeled myself for what was to come, because several times, she gave me white cotton underwear!  “What sort of Christmas present is that?” my young mind would scream to myself as I tried to hide my…

The KISS approach to marriage

June 5, 2014

When conflicts arise, making a marriage work can seem incredibly difficult…even impossible. Though emotions become intense, heated, sad, fearful, or even avoidant, don’t despair. These are all clues that you and your spouse really care! If you didn’t care, there would be very little emotion. Many couples, however, don’t…

Tips for smart stepmoms

May 28, 2014

Re-marriage brings new challenges especially for the children. Laura Petherbridge shares insights on how to thrive as a stepmom.

• Audio

Tired mom

May 22, 2014

We have a question from a listener. “I am 5 months pregnant, work fulltime, and have a 3 year old son. When our son needs anything in the night my husband expects me to get up and take care of it.  I am tired! How can I get him to help?” It’s time for an “adult conversation” between Mom and Dad.  They need to see if they…

How to evaluate your marriage at its deepest levels

May 15, 2014

Have you ever wanted to know how to evaluate the health of your marriage? There are two simple filters that reveal the “spiritual temperature” of your relationship. You can get an accurate view of how your marriage is doing from a biblical perspective. You can see how you’re doing emotionally and spiritually simply by looking…

Is there marriage after kids?

May 1, 2014

An op-ed piece in the New York Times entitled “Till Children Do Us Part,” seems to suggest that being a parent can be hazardous to marriage. “Over the past two decades many researchers have concluded that 3’s a crowd when it comes to marital satisfaction. More than 25 separate studies have established that marital quality…