This is an issue that will make or break your marriage. Men, we are constantly barraged with culture’s standard of womanly beauty. We’re told over and over again that a beautiful woman must be skinny, tall, wear certain clothes, act a certain way, and have a risqué appetite for sex. (The same is true for the opposite sex as well, but this post is written specifically with…
5 Tips (and Tools) for a Stronger Marriage
Every time of year is a good time to intentionally strengthen your marriage. Many couples Selena and I speak with do have goals, but they rarely include family/marriage related endeavors. Why not? It’s hard to say, but as believers, we’re called to be thoughtful, faithful stewards of EVERY aspect of our lives. So, for a few moments, I want to give you permission to think…
Breaking the Ice in Communication “Cold-Snaps”
In my last post, I discussed 5 habits for building rock-solid communication in your marriage. What I wrote was based on personal experience and scripture, but they’re all proactive measures for communicating more effectively. What do we do when we’re already IN a frustrating moment/season and we don’t know how to break loose? How can we break the ice and let our guard down when everything inside of…
The Best Intimacy is Spiritual Intimacy
Everyone wants to be closer to their spouse. Closer in every way. It’s reflected in the many questions we get, like: How can we grow in our faith together? How can we build Christ-centered rhythms into our daily and weekly lives? In this week’s podcast, we tackled those questions by exploring the topic of Spiritual Intimacy. Among the things discussed are prayer, Scripture reading, spiritual…
The Amazing Joys of Marriage
A few months ago, Selena and I got to meet one of our heroes in person: Gary Thomas. We were walking into the dining room of a retreat center when we saw Gary and Lisa approaching. Before I could awkwardly introduce myself, he warmly and enthusiastically greeted me: “Hey Ryan!”, he said. I couldn’t believe it. “He knows who we are?” I thought. (In hindsight, it…
Sometimes Familiarity Hurts
One of the biggest sources of strife in marriage is being unequally yoked. In this week’s podcast episode, we sought to answer one of the hardest questions we face: What is the husband or wife to do if their spouse isn’t trying or won’t re-engage with the relationship? There’s no easy answer, and everyone’s situation is different. And, if I’m honest, I struggle to answer…
The 3 Non-Negotiables in Marriage
Everyone builds their marriage on something. What is your marriage founded upon? More importantly, is the foundation of your marriage secure? In this episode, we explore what we consider the 3 non-negotiables for marriage and take a look at how when they’re in place, everything about your marriage will change. I hope it blesses you!
The 5 Love Languages (Podcast)
In this episode we discussed Gary Chapman’s amazing book, The 5 Love Languages. In their discussion they explore whether or not they are biblical, and how they can help/hinder your marriage in the different seasons you’re in (pre-kids, having little kids, no kids, retired, etc.). After recently taking the quiz online (go to 5LoveLanguages.com to take the quiz yourself), both were surprised by their results…
The “Spectrum of Sex” and Why You Need It
Regular and consistent sex is extremely important for a healthy marriage. But life gets busy, disconnection happens, and sometimes sex is burdensome. All of these things can lead to a lack of intimacy and a decrease in sexual satisfaction. If unchecked, it can create deeper issues like pornography addiction and bitterness. So how do we keep sex consistent and meaningful? Selena and I have discovered…
Are You Over-Focusing On Your Marriage?
In this episode, Ryan and Selena discuss how our earthly marriage is simply a shadow to our eternal marriage with Christ, and the implications of living too focused on the happiness level of our marriage rather than the One we were created for can have … As marriage ministers, it’s important for us to continually point people to Christ and commission marriages for the gospel…