This year we’re trying to do something different. We’re not too different from most folks in that we’ve exchanged thoughtful cards, I’ve given Selena roses, and on a few occasions, jewelry. But this year, our entire focus has changed to treasuring each other. My tendency is to wait until the last minute, buy something to make up for lost time, and hope Selena feels loved. As…
5 Indispensable Habits for Rock-Solid Communication
There’s such security knowing that we’re both in this marriage thing for the long haul. Selena and I are far from perfect…FAR. In fact, we’ve had two significant arguments in the past 15 hours, and that includes 7-8 hours of sleep, hanging out with friends for 3 hours, and about 2 hours of work. That leaves about 2-3 hours where we’ve been alone together and we…
Our 7 Most Read Posts of 2015
This past year has been incredible. For us, it’s been a year of change, a year of momentum building, and a year of immense growth. Though God is present and working in every moment, in the past year His work has been especially evident to us. There have been hard times for sure (the loss of friends and family, sickness, and stress), but God was always…
Trust Your Gages: Navigating Storms in Marriage (part 2)
In my last post I explained how I was flying home late one night and the foggy weather coupled with darkness made it impossible to see where the plane was landing. I got a little nervous but had to remember that the pilots have a whole suite of instruments (gages) that tell them everything they need to know for a safe landing. Many times in…
Trust Your Gages: Navigating Storms in Marriage (part 1)
I was traveling for work recently and the flight home was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had lately. It was a long day of travel with the last leg being a late flight, scheduled for arrival at 10pm. Darkness coupled with foggy Seattle weather made for a particularly perilous landing…or so I thought.
3 Surprising Truths About Losing & Finding True Intimacy
Every couple wants greater intimacy. There’s nothing like feeling truly connected to one another – like you’re walking in sync, your hearts are beating to the same rhythm, and you don’t know where you end and your spouse begins. It’s truly, truly remarkable. I’d even say it’s a miracle. What is it about the marriage bond that allows us such astounding intimacy? Why are we wired…
3 Marriage ‘Mines’ and How to Avoid Them
No idea has impacted our marriage quite like the concept of biblical stewardship. When you hear that word you may have preconceptions about what it means, like how it probably has to do with your finances. That’s part of it, but stewardship is so much more! The biggest game changer for us was the notion that we are stewards, not owners, of everything we have.…
Tragedy, Community, and the Church Being the Church
Tuesday night I visited the family of a high school friend, Matt, in the hospital. Matt was hospitalized the Sunday prior because of an unknown congenital heart defect that resulted in catastrophic heart failure. I got to visit him in his room that night I went to visit. We prayed with him briefly and just stood beside the bed trying to make sense of everything. What…
5 Things Having a Daughter Has Taught Me About Loving My Wife
Having a daughter has taught me more about being a good husband than I ever thought possible. The idea is simple: what if I saw my wife through God’s eyes? How would I change how I treated her? Loved her? Cared for her? As you can imagine, seeing your spouse through God’s eyes changes everything. Everything. This post will hopefully show you just a few of the…
3 Ways to Hear Her Heart: Decrypting Your Wife’s Words
Gentlemen, this post is for you. Let’s just be honest, we aren’t wired like our wives; especially when it comes to communication. Sometimes it feels like she’s speaking a completely foreign language. We try to listen and respond the best way we know how; why does it sometimes have the complete opposite of the intended effect? This has happened to us more times than I care…