5 Signs Your Spouse is Not Ready to Rebuild Trust | #MarriageMonday

“I’m leaving. I have no intention of returning. I’m pursuing the other relationship and I want a divorce.” Jill: The hardest day of my life was when I heard those words. My husband walked out of the house and my whole life turned upside down. Mark: When I uttered...

6 Common Things We Hear in Marriage Coaching | #MarriageMonday

Mark: Jill and I developed our marriage ministry because we wanted to use our own marriage pain and healing work to help others, and boy did we get a huge number of requests once we started offering marriage coaching. Jill: You know, we’ve received hundreds of...

Dear Frustrated: When You Want to Change Your Spouse

Dear Mark and Jill,  I don’t like to be late to anything, and especially not to church. When I realize we’ll be late, my energy is zapped, I get frustrated and shut down. My spouse, on the other hand, is less concerned with being on time. This has been a...

What Our Uganda Trip Reminded Us About Marriage | #MarriageMonday

Jill: If you’ve been following us on Instagram and Facebook or seen some of our past blog posts, then you know that we recently traveled to Uganda to minister to the marriages of pastors there. Mark: We were also able to teach on relationships at Uganda Christian...

How to Know If You’re Ready to Rebuild Trust | #MarriageMonday

Jill: Mark and I often say that we have been married for 39 years—29 of them happily. Mark: That’s right. In the 10 unhappy years, our marriage was a mess in many ways. You wouldn’t have thought it looking in from the outside because we were doing everything “right.”...

Lessons Learned in 40 Years of Marriage | Episode 150

You may recall that Mark and I are doing marriage training in Uganda for pastors and their wives. In case you missed it, you can hear the whole story here in Episode 135: To Uganda with Love. To make sure you continue to receive encouragement and value for your...

7 Questions to Ask Your Spouse Approaching Summer | #MarriageMonday

Jill: You know, summer is one of my favorite seasons. The sun is out, I get to tend to my garden, and I love getting to enjoy time with our grandchildren while they are on school break. Mark: I do as well. Along with summer, though, comes busy schedules, BBQs to...

How to Have a Safe Conversation | #MarriageMonday

Jill: I think it’s accurate to say that most of our conversations as Mark & Jill 1.0 (before our crisis) were not very emotionally-safe conversations. But now as Mark & Jill 2.0 (since we have been intentionally investing in our marriage), our conversations...

Redefining Your Family Priorities: How to Make the Right Sacrifices

Ask any parent and they will tell you all the things they have sacrificed for their newborn, toddler, child, teen, or young adult. When Mark and I were in the thick of parenting, we often sacrificed our time, energy, finances, and more for our family. We still do at...

Love is a Choice with Dr. Gary Chapman | Episode 143

If there is one principle I have learned in nearly 40 years of marriage, it’s the principle that love is a choice. It’s a decision. It is not a feeling. Dr. Gary Chapman believes that as well because Love Is a Choice is the name of his newest book. Dr. Gary Chapman is...