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Decisions, Decisions
Learn a simplified decision-making process for married couples. When facing hard choices, remember that "we" come first. This article outlines how to pause, zoom out, and make important decisions together for a stronger marriage.
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Play!
Play is not just for kids. It strengthens bonds as a married couple and as a family. Studies have shown play builds trust and boosts the emotional and mental well-being of children and parents. Play adds joy to life and who doesn’t need that! Play is an outlet for stress. Unlike scrolling or vegging in front of the TV, active play burns calories and connects us with others in real time.
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What Was Your Success Today?
Michelle: When I was younger, I loved watching the Summer Olympics. I especially remember watching the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. There are two reasons that specific Olympics reigns supreme in my memories. The first reason is that my grandparents lived in Los Angeles and they had tickets to many of the track and field events. While my grandparents brought back some Olympic pins as souvenirs, it was my grandfather’s reverence when telling us about President Ronald Reagan opening the Olympic Games and my grandmother’s stories of all of the amazing athletes they saw from countries all over the world, that pulled me in. But my second reason…
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Sunrise, Sunset
As we look back on 30 years of marriage, we can see the ways our relationship has been like a journey from sunrise to sunset.
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Relationships: Why Your Circle Matters
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn Whether we realize it or not, the people we spend time with are shaping our thoughts, habits, and even our values. When we spend time with positive, purpose-driven people, we find ourselves growing in that direction. But the opposite is also true: if we surround ourselves with people who are negative, cynical, or self-destructive, we’ll drift that way without even realizing it. The Influence of Friends on Marriage A Pew Research study found that people were 75% more likely to divorce if a close friend or family member divorced. Even having a friend of…
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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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Into the Weeds Naked
Solving recurring arguments involves setting boundaries, getting the root of the problem with gentleness. Let down your defenses, nurture your relationship and fight naked@
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Love Goals
Chris: They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We would say that the road to an unfulfilling relationship, may be paved with those same intentions. Does this sound familiar? You intend to be romantic, caring, sexy or fun but, you’re too tired, you come home late from work or you just simply forget. Is it because you’re thoughtless, because you care more about your job or because you have the romantic aptitude of a sponge? Maybe, but it is more likely that you are human, with good intentions. Michelle: But intentions are never really enough. I have ADHD. I can have a really great idea to…
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SAYING YES
Sometimes it seems so easy to say “yes.”
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Verbal Judo – Harmonizing Your Tone of Voice
Some time ago, we wrote about the importance of being aware of the Tone of Voice we use with our spouse. The gist of the post was that our Tone of Voice is the key culprit that begins most disagreements, hurts, and fights between spouses. We want to revisit this important topic and provide some additional helpful hints we’ve learned along the way.
