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...
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...
Jill: I think it’s accurate to say that most of our conversations as Mark & Jill 1.0 (before our crisis) were not very emotionally-safe conversations. But now as Mark & Jill 2.0 (since we have been intentionally investing in our marriage), our conversations...
Years of mentoring hurting couples and navigating our own hurting relationship have led us to conclude that the number one cause of divorce isn’t money or sex or infidelity or even communication. These are all secondary issues of the deeper issue. They are symptoms of...
Forgiveness is so important, but it isn’t something that usually comes naturally. This is why it’s one of the God-tools we cover in No More Perfect Marriages. In today’s #MarriageMonday, we’re exploring what it looks like to use the God-tool of...
On today’s #MarriageMonday, we’re talking about clutter. Specifically, cleaning up some of the “clutter” that can so easily accumulate in our marriages over time. Jill: It’s spring cleaning time! Here in Illinois, it’s finally...
Jill: Welcome back to #MarriageMonday! Today, we are taking a look at the power of our words. Our words are powerful, and that power can be used both positively and destructively. When Mark and I think of our marriage before crisis and our marriage after crisis, we’ve...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
Mark: Our emotions are important–God gave them to us. However they don’t always tell us the truth. Jill: Emotions can be like waves that toss us to and fro…that’s why we need the anchor of Jesus Christ to give us a peace that passes...
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