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...
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...
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...
Years of mentoring hurting couples and navigating our own hurting relationship have led us to conclude that the number one cause of divorce isn’t money or sex or infidelity or even communication. These are all secondary issues of the deeper issue. They are symptoms of...
When Mark and I went through the dark season in our marriage, it’s no surprise that we sought out counseling. However, what most people find surprising is that our counselor focused more on untangling our childhoods than our skills as a couple. That was exactly what...
Our marriage went off the tracks in 2011, when Mark was in a full-on midlife crisis, affair included. It would take us two years to move from being on the verge of divorce to a healed and improved Mark & Jill 2.0. I wouldn’t wish anyone to go through infidelity;...
In the past, we have shared about some shifts we have made to our evening routine to feel better connected in our marriage. We thought it’s about time we talk about better connecting in the morning as well! The mornings are such an important part of the day for...
Jill: One of our favorite ways to support marriages is through our Marriage 2.0 Intensives. Whether a couple is in crisis or not, these intensives move good marriages to become great and hurting marriages to find the hope and help they need. They are hosted at our...
Jill: In every marriage, prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have in our toolbox. When we pray (together or on our own), we have the opportunity to align our own desires to God’s. We also have the opportunity to talk directly to God lifting up to Him...
For this #MarriageMonday, I am sharing an adapted excerpt from my book My Heart is Broken: Your Next Steps for When Your Spouse is Unfaithful. When we are betrayed in our marriage, or when any hard things happen in our life, what can we hold on to for stability? “I’m...
For this #MarriageMonday, we’re sharing an adapted excerpt of Is There Really Sex After Kids? In the midst of diapers, dishes, and soccer games, how do we find emotional oneness? How do we deepen our intimacy level outside the bedroom? Intimacy builders help us...
Once we get married, it’s important that we continue to grow emotionally, as that will strengthen our ability to relate to our partner. Today’s #MarriageMonday is about evaluating your past in order to have a great future. Mark: Have you ever done an internship in...
Feeling connected in a marriage is essential. However, there are many threats that can undermine this connection and lead to a feeling of distance. In today’s #MarriageMonday, we’re exploring five of the main reasons couples lose that feeling of...
Infidelity: it’s not something we ever thought would be part of our story, but it happened to us. And we healed. Now God is allowing us to bring hope and help to those who are walking a similar journey. If you’re here because the bottom has just dropped...
Mark: With the Thanksgiving weekend behind us, we officially find ourselves in the Christmas season. There’s just something about this time of year: The tree is up, the decorations are out, and everything just feels a little extra cozy. Jill: We’ve had to...
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