We, like most of the country, have been freezing our tails off lately. Apparently there’s a polar vortex (among other things) blasting across North America. We’re getting a taste of the arctic, and it tastes like chattering teeth. Though I’ve not particularly enjoyed the cold, it did teach me something about marriage and biblical manhood. The Thermostat Conundrum This is an extremely serious issue all married couples…
A Prayer That Left Me Gloriously Ruined
Few ideas have affected our marriage more than this one: marriage is more about holiness than happiness. This isn’t to say marriage isn’t happy at all, just that holiness is the higher priority. How has this focus changed us? Well, if and when happiness conflicts with holiness, holiness must win. When we’ve gone through rough patches together, there were times when both Selena and I thought we’d…
Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness
Recently I’ve been burdened with the word “hope”. Many of us face those tough and sometimes scary moments of feeling hopeless in our marriage. It begs the question, where does our hope come from? Can our hope be sustained in the midst of continual hurt and feelings of hopelessness? Absolutely.
How Our Friendships Affect Our Marriage
All too often I’m guilty of allowing ungodly friendships to have a “say” in my marriage. I’m not saying we’re suppose to shun all of our married unbeliever friends and never hangout with them. What I am saying is that having filters on who we let have a voice in our marriage is a way of fighting fiercely for it.
4 Surprising Facets of Transparency in Marriage
When we talk about transparency, the response is nearly unanimous: it’s a vital part of marriage and relationships. You really can’t build a meaningful bond with your spouse if you’re hiding part of yourself. But most often, hiding is our first instinct.
5 Phrases Every Wife Needs to Hear Daily
I heard a story of a man and his wife who were having difficulty communicating. She felt undervalued and he felt nagged. She felt that his love for her was fading, and he felt like she was getting overly needy. Flustered, she explained, “I’m not sure you even love me any more!”. In response he quipped, “Honey I said I loved you the day I…
6 Reasons Men Should Watch Where They Look
Men like to look at pretty ladies. Groundbreaking discovery, I know… For a Christian guy – i.e., a man who follows Christ wholeheartedly and seeks to live with integrity as a result – this desire presents problems. When a pretty lady passes us on the sidewalk, something inside drives us to look – once, twice, even thrice, or more. This looking “twice, thrice, or more” is cause for concern. It seems harmless (you’re…
7 Habits to Maintain Your Integrity When Traveling
Traveling is risky business. While it’s physically safe to travel, being away from home poses unique risks to your marriage if your character and integrity are weak. In fact, you’ll face the temptations and integrity-compromising situations I’ll be discussing in everyday life, but during solo travel they’re much more apparent. Traveling is an escape of sorts. You’re whisked away on a plane to a faraway…
3 Ps That Can Poison Your Marriage (Part 1)
Pennies, perversion, and pride. Selena and I have experienced each ‘poison’ for sure; there’s no getting around it. In fact, each poison tries to rear its ugly head and we’re often engaged in full blown warfare to keep them at bay. They are truly poisonous, they will kill your marriage unless addressed with God’s help. In this post, I’ll discuss our ‘propensity for poison’ and cover the first…
Interview with Craig Gross, Founder of XXXChurch.com
When I picked up “Open” and read a few chapters, I quickly got that familiar feeling: this book is going to make me mad. I don’t say that because of the way Craig writes or the statements he makes, I say that because I knew this book was going to challenge me into uncomfortable action. There are books you read for fun and some you…