What To Do With Your Imperfect Marriage

We left the marriage counselor’s office feeling a bit overwhelmed with the realization that sometimes marriage is really hard. Our nearly 30 years of marriage had experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We knew for better and for worse. This season...

Flash Point or Growth Point?

Mark: Jill and I have had our share of conflict over the years.  In our 34 years of marriage, we know the realities of conflict and for many years we would clash with one another and it would be a flash point in our marriage.  A flash point happens when we have...

Is It Your Marriage or Is It You?

Mark: When I walked away from our marriage seven years ago, I was absolutely convinced Jill was the problem. In fact, I had a well-rehearsed list in my head of all the things she did wrong and all the ways we were wrong together.  I was tired of dealing with the same...

The Slow Fade of Unforgiveness

Jill: One of the parts of our marriage seminars that Mark and I enjoy the most is the Q&A sessions. This is where we get to hear stories of how the content and conversations are making a difference. It’s where attendees ask questions. It’s also where...

It’s a Valentine’s Day Pop UP!

Do you know you can attend a mini-marriage seminar every week? If you’re wanting less conflict… if you’re seeking to move the needle on your marriage… if you want to be more loving and patient with your spouse… if you want to become a better spouse or a stronger...

Dialing Down Defensiveness

Mark: For today’s Marriage Monday, we thought we’d share one of our videos from the No More Perfect Marriages Curriculum.  This is a set of videos available for free for individuals, couples, small groups, or marriage ministries.  It’s available at...

If You Win You’ll Lose

Mark: Jill and I aren’t big sports fans but we did watch some of the Super Bowl yesterday.  It was quite a game! Jill: After the game, we were talking about the fact that there’s no marriage Super Bowl, although many times we approach marriage as if...

How To Clean Up A Relational Mess

Mark: Well it was bound to happen at some time. We’ve both been different people since putting back the pieces of our broken relationship six years ago. We interact differently, we respond differently, we work to think differently. But Friday night we went back...

Four Ways NOT to Talk With Your Spouse

Mark: Words matter. But even more than the choice of our words, it’s the way we deliver our words that can make the biggest difference in relationships. Jill: In marriage, the way we deliver our words can add more meaning to them than we often intend. Or in some...

Our Shared Purpose

Mark: Last Fall, Jill and I were challenged by our friends Greg and Julie Gorman to begin thinking about the core values of our marriage. These are shared values that help us to clarify our shared purpose.  As individuals we may have personal core values that our...
Does Your Marriage Need A Holiday?

Does Your Marriage Need A Holiday?

Jill: December is a full month for most of us. Shopping. Christmas entertainment and school programs. Holiday parties. Church Programs. Baking. Decorating the tree. Holiday gatherings with extended family. Travel. New Years. Mark: We’re adding a wedding in...

How To Let It Go

Hello Jill and Mark: I need advice on how to learn to “let it go” when it comes to marriage. This is in relation to things like broken promises about household projects and such. I realized this morning that I need to figure out how to let it go. Signed,...