First Things (Priorities, 1 of 4)

“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.” As Christians, we have the clearest and most compelling reason to live life differently by design. Except, so many of us live just like everyone else: prioritizing this life and the things of this world over eternity and the things above. In this episode we’ll kick off our series on priorities by looking at what the…

Observing Sabbath is a Marriage Game-Changer

My husband and I are two very different people. I love to-do lists, house projects, and feeling “accomplished” and “productive.” My husband loves to relax and enjoy the many, many ways God has blessed us.  To complicate things, my husband works full-time and I stay home with our two young kids full-time. I often feel frustrated because I never seem to get enough done. My…

Following God Wherever He Leads

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.…

When Your Serving is Motivated by Fear

Early in our marriage, I set out to win the “Best Wife in the World” award. I was certain if such an award existed, I would not only be a top finalist; I would take home the gold for sure. I would be the kind of wife that other women would dream about being. I would be the kind of wife who would make any…

Identifying *and* Explaining How You Actually Feel

Talking is a skill, and not everyone has it. In fact, most don’t! This is usually a result of being obscured—or unseeable—to ourselves. A skilled communicator knows how to identify and explain how they feel, and that usually starts with knowing how to examine your own heart and mind. In this episode we talked through the biblical foundation for knowing yourself for the purpose of…

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…

The Warfare of Prayer

Everyone knows marriage has incredible highs and very frustrating (and difficult) lows. In today’s episode, we shared how we’ve been in a prolonged “funk” lately but have found a path forward through prayer. Listen in as we discuss the miracle of prayer for believers and practical ways you can make praying a part of your ongoing battle strategy in your fight for a God-honoring, flourishing…

5 Things To Say To Your Spouse Daily

Let’s get practical. In this episode we discussed five phrases you can say to each other every day that will ensure the “structural trends” in your marriage are for the better. While each of these phrases will sound common, as we discovered, each one represents a profound underlying belief you hold (or don’t hold) about God, yourselves, and your marriage. We hope this episode blesses…