A Relationship Worth Fighting For

Mark: We recently did a Dive Deep Interview with Beth and Jeff McCord for our No More Perfect Date Night members. It was such a fabulous interview that we decided to ask Beth if she would provide a Marriage Monday blog post about the enneagram and how it can help your...

Little Foxes (and One Big One) that Can Destroy a Marriage

Today’s #MarriageMonday is brought to us by Sharon Jaynes, author of the new book Lovestruck: Discovering God’s Design for Romance, Marriage, and Sexual Intimacy. Not only that but we’re giving away a copy of one of her books! Want to enter the giveaway,...

You CAN Rebuild Trust In Your Marriage

I lifted the phone out of my husband’s hands. He was so tired lately and had fallen asleep in bed while texting.  I’d been out of town for the day and had come home late to find him already in bed. As I went to plug it in for the night, I saw a conversation on the...

5 Easy Steps to Wreck Your Marriage

It doesn’t take much effort at all to destroy a relationship. In fact, it’s quite easy. Just follow your feelings and give energy to every little negative thought in your head and you won’t just be sauntering down the road of destruction, you’ll be running down it....

7 Ways To Stay Connected When You’re Apart

Mark: Last Tuesday, June 25,  was our 36th wedding anniversary. If you’ve been hanging around her for very long, you KNOW that’s a BIG DEAL!  (If you haven’t been hanging around here very long, you can read our story here.) Jill: We had plans for...

Let Your Spouse Do What’s Important to Them

Jill: The last two Saturdays were the first Saturdays we’ve had home in months. Our speaking schedule keeps us traveling on the weekends in the spring and the fall. However, summer brings a change of pace and we’re home more on the weekends. Mark: Jill...

Five Red Flags Your Marriage May Be Destructive

Our #MarriageMonday posts are written to help couples dig deeper, connect intentionally, and to become more tuned into the everyday challenges and realities of marriage. But what if you’re dealing with something more? What if you’re in a toxic...

Which “C” Are You Doing?

Jill: One of the things we love doing is helping couples in crisis find the hope and help they need. However, many times by the time they reach out for help, one spouse has either left, engaged in an affair, or shut their heart down to their spouse. Mark: Their...

What’s Leaking Out?

Mark: You’ve had one of those days, I’m sure. The days where you can’t seem to make your spouse happy. Everything you do is wrong. They’re impatient, easily frustrated, and just plain old fussy. Jill: It’s easy to think that their mood has something to do with you....

I’m Just A Little Bit Off Today

Mark: Last week I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Emotionally that is. I just woke up irritable, short-tempered, and easily frustrated. I was just a little bit off. Jill: I noticed Mark seemed to be just a little sensitive, so I wasn’t surprised when he said to...

Five Things to Say When the Love Goes Away

Mark: Jill and I hear it all the time: “I’m not so sure I love my spouse anymore.” It’s entirely possible that thought has entered your mind at some point. If it hasn’t, it’s entirely possible it might someday. Jill: Honestly, it’s bound to happen to most of us...

Turn Frustration Into Communication

Mark: Jill and I and our daughters Anne and Erica spent the weekend with hundreds of moms at Jill’s Mom Getaway Day in Rochester, Minnesota. It was a full weekend of fabulous music, teaching, and getting to hear the stories of so many wonderful moms. Jill: The...

It’s Not About You

Mark: I am an extrovert and Jill is an introvert. As an introvert, Jill needs her space. You see, introverts refuel by being alone. Extroverts refuel by being with people. In general, I want to be with her–and others–to refuel my tank. Jill: In the early...

The Slow Fade of Unforgiveness

Jill: In our No More Perfect Marriages book, we identify the seven slow fades we find every couple experiences in marriage. As more and more people are reading the book, attending the seminars, and reading the blog series, they’re identifying other slow fades that...

Is Distraction Pulling Your Hearts Apart?

Jill: One of the things I love about being an author is having the opportunity to start a conversation on a topic, fully knowing that those who read the book or hear you speak will keep broadening your grasp of the subject. Mark: In our No More Perfect Marriages book,...