Hi there! I’m Zena, the editor at Fierce Marriage and Fierce Parenting. I read this excerpt from Gospelbound by Collin Hansen and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra and was so encouraged by it— this line in particular got me: “[My wife’s illness] is not some big distraction. This is not some huge detour. This is the path God has for us, and it leads somewhere good.” I…
Do You Know that You are Loved?
Throughout my life, all of my biggest struggles have grown from the same root. Whether it was years of being addicted to pornography or years of feeling extreme loneliness and insecurity, it all came from the same place— not truly believing God could love me. And until that root issue was addressed, there was no way for me to love Jamie, much less anyone else.…
Boundaries and Your Children
Children are awesome, but having kids at home (particularly young ones) can have some not-so-awesome effects on a marriage. Today is the second in our series on Boundaries, and we discuss how and what boundaries are necessary between you and your kids for the good of your union. It was a lively discussion and we hope it blesses you! Read the Full Transcript Read the…
All About Boundaries
Boundaries are biblical. Boundaries are also intuitive: we all know we need them. Still, why do we feel that our boundaries in and around our marriage are constantly in flux or non-existent? In this episode we looked at three main reasons why we lack clear boundaries in marriage, and talked through some of the underlying principles that help us live with stronger boundaries in marriage.…
The Art of Active Listening
Most people rarely experience being *deeply* listened to; you can give your spouse that gift! Last week we talked about Selective Hearing, which is all about catching every drop of what your spouse communicates. This episode puts that conversation on steroids: learning how to seek out and gain insight into each other and internalize it in healthier ways. If you ACTIVELY listen to this episode,…
4 Keys to Connect with Your Spouse When Your World is Crumbling
Intimacy requires investment. Connection requires cultivation. We cannot expect marriages to grow and strengthen in the course of regular, daily life— or the added chaos of any trial!— if we are not willing to invest time, energy, and servant-hearted love in the relationship. In the early years of my marriage my husband and I had no clue how to cultivate real connection. It took years…
Be Romantic or… Repent??
What if someone told you that you needed to repent for a lack of romance in your marriage? You’d probably respond like us: bewildered, defensive, and with nervous laughter. In today’s podcast episode we’ll dig beneath the surface understanding of romance and talk about how how it’s connected—in more ways than one—to the states of our hearts. It was a fun, challenging talk but our…
Reconciled: An Excerpt from Francine Rivers
The following is an excerpt adapted from Francine Rivers’ devotional A Path to Redeeming Love: A Forty Day Devotional. My husband, Rick, and I have known one another since fifth grade. We went out once during our freshman year of high school and then dated others while remaining good friends. When I was in my senior year of college and Rick was serving as…
What, Exactly, is a Gospel Centered Marriage?
If we’re not careful, the word “gospel” can become cliche and ineffectual in our hearts, but as the people of God, we must never move beyond the miracle and outworkings of it! In this week’s episode, we took a deep dive into what it means to be a truly gospel centered couple. And, as usual, we had some fun along the way! We hope the…
Rhythms > Resolutions
Rhythms are one of God’s graces in this life. Days, seasons, years—all have reliable, consistent, and predictable rhythms. How can we reflect God’s faithfulness through our own? And how could our mundane rhythms be more powerful and productive than grand resolutions? In today’s episode we discussed our misgivings and excitements around goal setting, and offered some biblical thoughts that (you guessed it) are contrary to…