We’ve been pretty quiet on the blog lately, and for good reason. We had a little girl on December 1st! I wanted to take some time and share explicitly with you (because we love our FM community), and to process through a few things we’re already learning about what it means to be married and parents simultaneously. Many of our readers have been parents for…
My Wife Doesn’t Complete Me
As much as I want to echo Mr. Maguire, I can’t. Selena doesn’t complete me, and nor do I complete her. “You complete me” is a famous line, said during the romantic crux of Jerry Maguire, a mid-90s ‘dramedy’ blockbuster. Since then, phrases like this one and “you had me at hello” have become comic relief staples for many “bromances” and lighthearted Friday night movie-quote sessions.…
20 Simple Axioms for Marriage
Sometimes the simplest epiphanies have the most profound impact. I’ve found these tiny axioms to be helpful in keeping us on point in our marriage. We’ve written a few posts that reinforce some of these (linked below), but in every case they’ve helped us keep the important things first.
Video: What does selfless love look like?
UPDATE: Ian and Larissa have recently written a book about their remarkable story. It’s called “Eight Twenty Eight”, and you can check it out on their website. We talk about selfless love quite a bit. It truly is the ultimate goal for married couples to understand and live out selfless love: both in how we love each other and in how we experience Christ’s love.
Video: What Does 50 Years of Marriage Look Like?
So what does 50 years of marriage and friendship look like? Bill & Glad show us a glimpse. I simply had to share their story. As Selena will attest, I’m not really a cryer. It’s not that I don’t feel, I think I’m just pretty even-keel about things. I think she can count on one hand the times she’s seen me cry…our wedding day, the death…
Christ’s Love Compels Us: Are we loving our spouses the way God intended?
This past weekend I was challenged to rediscover the love of Christ in my life. Why? Because I was feeling slightly burnt out from ministry; a little overwhelmed by life (being pregnant is NO JOKE) and my patience was wearing thin – blame the tiredness of pregnancy or my inability to deal with the daily challenges of life…I was depending on myself and failing miserably.
You Are His Beloved
I’m reading “Life of the Beloved” by Henri Nouwen, and it’s messing with me in an incredible way. I can’t articulate fully how it’s affecting me but I wanted to share an excerpt that hit me especially hard this morning. The book is phrased as a letter to one of Henri’s friends. It has a fatherly tone where he gently encourages, challenges, and wishes for…
Conquering Mountains: For Her or For Nothing
Wives, encouraging your husband helps him more than you know. If other men are like me, we live to impress and inspire our wives. Your meaningful, intentional affirmation is like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart! Last week I summited Mt. Rainier for the second time. At the peak, there’s a steel box with a log book inside.
Covering your spouse
Ever had those mornings where the chaos seems to escalate the closer you get to the door? Welcome to last Tuesday morning in the Frederick household. Every year Ryan and I take about a week off and take our time driving up the west coast to visit family and friends and to escape the blazing heat of the desert for a few weeks.
Keeping the Sabbath: rest, refreshment, and recognition
Growing up, I never really studied the meaning of the Sabbath. I knew it was on Sunday’s and that it was basically a day to relax from work and have fun. It wasn’t until I was a married adult that I began to realize and discover how much we NEEDED a day of rest together. Although I wasn’t completely off in my understanding, I’ve definitely…