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…
Love Never Fails, or Does It?
“Love never fails” is such a tidy phrase; but is it true? We post often about how love never gives up, how marriage has “no plan B”, and as long as you stick together you can make it through anything. We’re strong proponents of fighting hard for your spouse, and loving especially when times get hard.
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.
4 Reminders to Help When Your Marriage is Tough
I sometimes doubt our ability to help marriages. Even as I write this, Selena and I are having communication difficulties. This morning we had a minor, stress-induced argument about trivial things (taking out the garbage, walking the dogs, and cleaning the bedroom). I left to do some work, she’s at home doing the most important work: loving and instructing our daughter. We’re both feeling unresolved…
Is Social Media Causing Sin In Your Marriage?
I’m not sure there is enough space in this post to write about the affects of technology on marriage, but here’s a bit about my personal struggle with it lately.
4 Things Every Husband Needs to Hear Daily
Men don’t often receive credit for their complexity. One of my biggest annoyances is how husbands are often portrayed in commercials and TV shows: emotionally unaware, irresponsible, wide-eyed, and well… a little dumb. Those portrayals provide for a half-hearted chuckle, but they’re caricatures. I’d like to clear the air a bit. I may not speak for every man, but I have a feeling I speak for most.
Thankfulness: Learning How to Speak a New Language
If you asked me how I would describe my life in one word, I would of course have to use two and say “in-between.” Our latest life adventure has taken us to the small fishing town of Westport, WA where we are blessed to be able to enjoy summer a stone’s throw away from the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
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.
From Palms to Pine Trees: Life Lessons and Transitions
As you most of you probably know, Ryan, Dela and I are in the middle of a major life transition. And to be honest, the transition is much harder than I anticipated. Suddenly all the little things that frustrated me
Slivers, Secrets, and Shame: Why Transparency in Marriage is an Absolute Must
Selena and I have had our secrets. We’ve hidden things from each other in our marriage, both purposefully and passively. We’ve masked poor financial choices, hidden sexual addiction, and “failed to mention” costly mistakes. It wasn’t until relatively recently that we discovered the power of transparency in our marriage.