Mark: When we found out Jill was pregnant with our fourth child I was angry. We had an appointment on the calendar for me to have a little “snip snip” surgery and the stick turned blue two weeks before surgery. I spent much of that pregnancy angry at Jill...
Mark: This past weekend was another tough weekend for Jill and I. We’ve shared before about our son’s mental health journey (and here too). Walking into a hospital Saturday morning after our son overdosed once again and seeing him on a ventilator is not...
Mark: Yesterday Jill and I spent the afternoon cleaning up from our garage sale. We boxed up the items that were left in order to donate them. Then we cleaned the garage. It was dirty work in many ways. I loved that she jumped right in and joined me. Jill: Every few...
Mark: Last night we spent time with some friends who are coming through a hard season of healing in their marriage. We spent the evening sharing with each other about lessons learned along the way. Jill: The topic of compassion came up and we talked about the many...
Mark says: Sometimes in marriage, the little things are really the big things. Jill says: Today’s Marriage Monday is short and sweet. A simple challenge to you to do something intentional to connect with your spouse. Mark says: Here are a few ideas: Send him or...
Mark: This weekend Jill spoke at a women’s retreat in Grove, Oklahoma. I traveled with her to manage the book table. On the way home, the final leg of our flight was overbooked. They were looking for volunteers to stay an extra leg in Detroit. We had both...
Mark: Yesterday, Jill and I went to see the movie “War Room.” It was excellent and such a reminder of the power of prayer. Jill: It’s so easy to become lax in praying for our spouse, yet doing so always changes our marriage in some way. Sometimes...
Mark says: Today we start another round of Whole 30 eating. We did it initially in January and I was amazed at how much better I felt after dropping 10 lbs and eating healthier. I admit, though, my motivation is based upon Jill’s desire. Left to my own, I would...
Mark says: What we say and what we don’t say in our marriage is a measuring stick for the health of our marriage. Jill says: Did you know the Bible talks about the power of our words over 3,500 times? That alone indicates that our words are pretty important!...
Jill says: Last week I was chatting with an event photographer who told me, “I shoot a lot of engagement sessions and weddings. Sometimes I get the opportunity to do a photo shoot of a couple celebrating a longtime wedding anniversary. I find it interesting that it’s...
Mark says: We’ve all been there. Our spouse does something that frustrates us. We react in frustration and let them know how we feel. Jill says: Because we’re frustrated, we come across very strongly in our communication. Our spouse responds to our strong...
My friend Cheri Keaggy released a powerful album three years ago. “So I Can Tell” is the light that has come out of a dark season of Cheri’s life. The songs are heartfelt expressions of a woman who has come to know God deeply. She sent one my way...
Mark says: Jill and I heard a story the other day that ended with this line, “They could have known love but they settled for a truce.” Jill says: The moment we heard it, we both looked at each other and said, “Wow, that is a sad statement.” It...
Mark says: Navigating conflict is one of the hardest parts of marriage. We see situations through different eyes. We hurt one another without realizing it. Jill says: When we try to talk about our hurt, too often we both try to put our perspectives—our hurt—out there...
Jill says: Last Thursday was our 32nd wedding anniversary. (Of course, we both thought it was #33 until we did the math!) If you’ve been hanging around here very long, you know that celebration has been hard won! Mark says: Anniversaries can offer a bit of a...
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
