Are you struggling with connection in your marriage? Has it been ages since you and your spouse laughed together? We get it. Life gets busy when you are constantly managing to-do lists, work, taking your kids from one place to another, and more. When your schedule is...
When was your last conflict? Whether it was a spat with your spouse or a clash with a close friend, odds are it felt pretty intense. Most likely, it made you feel disconnected from a person you really care about. Most of us don’t think of conflict as a way of...
Can you remember the last time a kind word lifted you up? Perhaps it came from a trusted friend, or maybe your boss took a moment to recognize how skilled you are at what you do. Words of encouragement do more than just let us know we are appreciated or noticed—they...
Note for the Listener: As you can probably guess from the title, we talk candidly about sexual intimacy in this episode. We recommend listening to it away from young ears if you have children at home. You may have heard us mention our Date Night Community. Well, we...
Jill: Each and every week, you’ll find us on a Sunday afternoon sitting around our kitchen table together. This is a special time we set aside to make sure we are on the same page when it comes to our marriage, our calendar, and important tasks. (I shared about it...
Where is it that you most experience connection? Whether it’s grabbing tea with a friend, sharing a meal with family, or even gathering together for a game night, there’s something so inviting and connecting about a table. It’s a place where community is formed, a...
I have my hubby, Mark, with me this week for a conversation on conflict in marriage. Now, conflict is inevitable when you live in close quarters with someone, but even more so when you merge lives together! How you approach life can rub up against the way your spouse...
Jill: What we learn from childhood can stick with us even up to our adulthood and affect how we behave in marriage. In our formative years, we develop our belief system, our view of the world, and the means by which we cope in times of stress. Mark: As we meet with...
Jill: Can you believe that summer is here? The days are getting longer and hotter, and our summer calendar is already starting to fill up with baseball games, pool parties for the grandkids, and projects around our 100-year-old farmhouse. Mark: Despite a busy...
We know from experience that marriages and relationships don’t end in a day. Usually, it’s a slow fade of little things that chip away at the relationship bit by bit until there’s almost nothing left. While some of these slow fades are easy to spot, there are others...
Back when our kids were still at home, April Fools’ Day was always a favorite day of the year for some of them. In fact, we used to have a side sprayer on our sink, and their favorite prank each year was to rubber band the handle so it would spray whoever turned...
Dear Mark and Jill, Thanks for taking the time to read this. I’m reaching out because I’d love your advice. I’m married to a wonderful man and we have 2 great kids, ages 12 and 15. We’ve made it through a lot in our marriage and we are very committed to each other....
“I’m leaving. I have no intention of returning. I’m pursuing the other relationship and I want a divorce.” Jill: The hardest day of my life was when I heard those words. My husband walked out of the house and my whole life turned upside down. Mark: When I uttered...
Jill: When we were first married, I started making plans for Mark’s birthday for the first time as a married couple. I made plans the only way I knew how: with a homemade cake and having family over for dinner. Mark: This was a sweet gesture, however, my family always...
“…It is not good for the man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18) Jill: Did you know that God created you for sex, intimacy, and connection? It was His idea! Did you know that He finds it beautiful and pleasing that a married man and woman would experience this ultimate...
