We’ve all had those moments in our marriage where it seems like everything is perfectly synchronized. It’s like a beautiful song; everyone is on the same wavelength; hubby understands everything we’re saying, both of you are on the same page about everything; intimacy is amazing and you’re marriage feels like it’s thriving on every level. And then the inevitable conflict happens.
Young couple: if we could have coffee together, here’s the one thing I’d tell you
Someone asked me the other day, “If you could have coffee with every young couple who reads your blog, what would you say to them?” The question caught me off guard and I didn’t know how to answer them right away. After a few days of hashing through quick responses, I kept coming up short. I even asked our Facebook family what they’d say (below); the comments are awesome, but…
Sean Lowe: Faith, Fighting Fiercely and His First Year of Marriage
Ryan and I had the privilege of sitting down with last season’s The Bachelor, Sean Lowe, to talk about his first year of marriage to the lovely Catherine (Guidici) Lowe (who had a prior commitment). We asked him some pretty pointed questions about his faith in Jesus, how he fights fiercely for Catherine in their marriage, and how they navigate being normal newlyweds despite their not-so-normal dating relationship.
The Mingling of Souls | An Interview with Matt Chandler
Few pastors have had as potent an impact on our lives and marriage as Matt Chandler. This came as an unexpected surprise when I began listening to The Village Church podcast last May. Why? Certainly, Matt is a gifted communicator but that’s not the source of his effectiveness. Many men are gifted communicators, but what makes Matt’s preaching really stick when Selena and I hear it is…
Fierce Marriage & Family Update #1
It’s funny, we get pretty personal on this site about our marital struggles and epiphanies, but on other things we tend to under-share. I think we assume that not many folks would be interested to hear the nitty-gritty details of our everyday lives, or perhaps we just don’t make time. Either way, we see the FM community as a valuable extension of our family and friends –…
Eyes Fixed on Jesus In Trials and Transitions
Proverbs 21:19: “It is better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.” Lately God has been convicting me about being “that wife.” As most of you know, we try to keep things transparent and real here in the FM community, so here we go…
10 Resolutions for a Better Marriage This Year
This is my favorite time of year: the time between Christmas and New Year’s day. It’s a perfect blend of the rest of and reassurance of Advent and the anticipation of a new start. We can reflect on the past year and be refreshed as we prepare for the next. It’s a time to feel ambitious. Some start new diets or exercise regimes, others make career and financial goals. In all…
5 Phrases I Tell My Wife, and I Hope She Believes Me
Words can be so unbelievable. They’re cheap, right? All you have to do is utter a few syllables in a semi-coherent manner and voila! – speech. We hear and read words all the time. You’re reading words now, and you followed words to arrive here. Just spend a few minutes acutely aware of words and you’ll quickly see what I mean. We’ve even learned how to subconsciously filter out untruths…
The Polar Vortex, Generous Love, and Biblical Manhood
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…
3 Timeless Truths About Love, Family, and Marriage
Nouns without verbs lose their meaning. Love without action is just a word. How can we best act out love in our marriages and lives? A recent unexpected conversation taught me three timeless truths about love, family, and marriage. They’ve dramatically helped me, and I hope they do the same for you.