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The World Turned Upside-Down
September 11, 2001. March 25, 2016. November 24, 2024. September 28, 2025. These are days when time stood still and our world suddenly turned upside-down. There have been others, for sure, but these have been some of the most difficult days we’ve had to deal with in our 34 years of marriage. Julie: September 11 needs no explanation. March 25 is the day my mom took her last breath after 3 months in the ICU after a failed surgery. On November 24, John’s dad lost his battle with Alzheimer’s. And September 28 was the day we were told to leave our church and get home to safety as an active…
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To Be, or Not To Be…Right?
John For this week’s post, Julie and I thought we would share some insights into an interesting and sometimes puzzling dynamic in our relationship. It all has to do with the idea of “being right.” In the midst of our usually life-giving relationship, the need to “be right” can often get in the way. Worse than that, it can cause breakdowns in our relationship that need to be healed. This is a challenge that we deal with frequently but are striving to manage more effectively.
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Money Matters
Let’s be honest. Money matters. When you get married, you’re not just sharing your Netflix password and your space—you’re also merging your bank accounts, bills, and spending habits. Money issues pop up all the time in married life. How you deal with finances together can make or break your happily ever after. Compatibility Counts Julie: We all have financial “baggage” or attitudes that affect our spending, from our upbringing to our personal experiences. John and I have very similar backgrounds. Coming from large families with a mom who stayed home to care for us when we were young meant that every penny counted. Neither of us were extravagant, and we were both savers. When…
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Everything We Need to Know We Learned…From a Baby?
Grandparenthood has been all we dreamed it would be – and more. We have loved every moment! Our grandson is nearly 7 months old and changing rapidly. He is learning new things every day. As he lay peacefully sleeping in my arms recharging his little batteries, it dawned on me that he isn’t the only one learning. In many ways, the student has become the teacher. We have learned so much from our little guy!
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Spring Cleaning
JULIE In the wee hours of the morning of March 20, Spring quietly tiptoed in while we were sleeping! And although the layer of snow we received later in the day suggested otherwise, another winter had passed. The time for new life had begun, and with that also came Spring cleaning.
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I Get to Love You
Click HERE to listen to the beautiful song, I Get to Love You by Ruelle JULIE Today I completed my 60th lap around the sun. It is a day of reflection, of looking back at my life through the rear-view mirror. I breathe a sigh of relief that I have been allowed to run the race this far when my younger sister and four of our closest friends were not so lucky. I have learned the hard way that growing older is indeed a privilege. As I glance across the room at John, I am so grateful for the privilege, especially that we completed the last 35 laps hand-in-hand. I…
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Merry Christmas!
May the magic of Christmas live in your hearts and in your marriage every day. Merry Christmas from our Couples Post family to yours.
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Opportunities for Intimacy
John Over the years, Julie and I have had many opportunities for intimacy – to experience a much greater sense of “into-me-see.” We’re not talking about physical intimacy where we share our bodies, but rather emotional intimacy where we share our hearts and souls. Grabbing onto these opportunities has strengthened our relationship and given it richness, new life, and deeper meaning.
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Patience, Patience, Patience!
“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” Barbara Johnson Julie: Our daughter-in-law is now 13 days overdue with our first grandchild. We’ve known he was coming since Feb. 9, the news of his upcoming arrival being my best birthday present ever. Looking back now, it seems like an eternity – and I’m not the one carrying him! Patience may be a virtue, but it is certainly not one of mine. This has been the cause of many rifts between John and me over the years.
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Big Challenges, Big Rewards
John How often do you as husband and wife take on challenging tasks together? What has been your experience when you do? Julie and I recently took on organizing a regional Worldwide Marriage Encounter convention for over three hundred people in a city a couple of hours away. We knew going in that this was going to be stressful, tiring, complicated, and a big challenge, especially as it would be bilingual (which we are not) and include a Children’s Program. It would push our limits of confidence and abilities as individuals and as a couple. We also believed that it could be an opportunity for big rewards – to grow…
