How to Rebuild Trust in a Relationship | Episode 6

How do you rebuild trust when it’s broken? In this episode, Mark and I tackle the question we’re asked ALL. THE. TIME. We’re digging into rebuilding trust in a variety of relationships…not just marriage. After all, we deal with broken trust in...

A Letter From God On Your Wedding Day

June 25, 1983 Dear Mark and Jill, Today you are bringing your lives together through marriage. This is a relationship I have brought together for a purpose but you don’t understand that yet. You have stars in your eyes and no understanding of how I will use marriage...

Lessons Learned From An Imperfect Marriage | Episode 3

Every marriage has a story. Ours is no exception. I was so excited to sit down with Mark to share a bit about our journey as well as how we went from Mark and Jill 1.0 to Mark and Jill 2.0. There’s no denying that over the years we have had lots of ups and...

When Anger Hurts Your Marriage

Jill: Over the past two months, we’ve found that anger is a recurring theme with many of the couples we are coaching. For some it’s always been there and for others, the quarantine life is increasing or introducing anger. Mark: In our early years, my anger...

Why Scheduling Sex Can Be Important For Your Marriage

The young mom on the other end of the phone poured out her frustrations. She desired sex, but her husband could care less. As the parents of five, all under the age of six, they rarely found time for each other outside the bedroom, let alone inside. She confessed that...

Do You Demonize to Rationalize?

Jill: Believe it or not, when a marriage starts to experience distance it usually starts with our thoughts. Mark: When I look back on my part of our marriage crisis nine years ago, my thinking was hurting our marriage BIG TIME. I ruminated in my mind all kinds of...

Why Courage Is Needed In Marriage

Mark: I love woodworking. It’s a hobby and a skill I’ve enjoyed my entire life. When it comes to fixing houses, I am a natural craftsman. I know what to do and I usually know what tool I need. Jill: Mark is amazing as a handyman and builder. I usually...

What Ruts Are Hurting Your Marriage?

Mark: Several years ago, Jill and I and our son Austin traveled to Yellowstone National Park. On our way there, we stopped at a historical site where you can actually see the Oregon Trail. You see, so many wagons traveled the Oregon Trail that it indented the land and...

Empty Nest, Marriage, and Loving Your LGBTQ Kids

In the Spring of 2020 I had the opportunity to share three programs on Family Life radio. We talked about three different subject on the three days of programming: empty nest, marriage, and loving your LGBTQ+ kids. If you’d like more information about any of...

How To Pray Together As a Couple

Mark: I confess that praying together is not something Jill and I have always done well. As a pastor, I could pray with just about anyone except my wife. Why is that? Fear of judgment. My own lies in my head. My fear of disappointing and not doing it right. Those are...

The Slow Fade of Child-Centeredness

Jill: Over the past few months we have coached quite a few young couples that have felt their hearts are miles apart. As we dug into each of their stories, it became evident that parenting had taken over their lives, leaving their marriages on autopilot. Mark: In our...

What Is Your Response to Conflict?

Mark: Conflict handled without care can bring out the worst in us. Unless we’re intentional about responding rather than reacting, we can end up with a mess to clean up. Jill: It’s rare that we both haven’t contributed to the mess in some way. So we...