“What do my daughters need from me?” and “What can they learn from me?” are two questions Pastor David Ake has asked himself in his path to raising two amazing, smart, and beautiful daughters. Though he cannot lay claim to all the ideas presented here, as he has been encouraged by multiple (and sometimes contrasting)...
A Second Opportunity to Get Valentine’s Day Right
Valentine's Day was earlier this week. Some of us got it right, some of us got it wrong, and some of us missed it all together. And to most of us in the parenting-younger-kids phase of our lives, Valentine's Day is more about getting your kids to school with a Valentine box than celebrating...
Holidays and Your Marriage
Welcome to Christmas and the holiday season! It’s always such a great moment of anticipation to look forward to the weeks ahead, especially with the opportunity to share the experiences and joy of the season with our beloved spouse. Yet this incredible time of joy and celebration can be incredibly taxing and detrimental to...
Confessions of a Jealous Husband
"I have a big jealousy problem in my marriage. It's not quite what you think it is, though. There are no fits of rage, no yelling or carrying on with passive-aggressive comments or behavior. It's just that there are these other smaller human beings that live in my home . . ." This week...
Making Time for Your Marriage
In a pandemic world where the house is full of people and time seems short, finding a lot of extra time for our marriage can seem a rather challenging goal. David and Jamie Ake, leaders of Stonebriar's Marriage Ministries and The Rooted Marriage online community, share with us some ideas to make time and space...
For Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness and In Health
The Beauty in a Long Marriage Dennis and June Brady began their marriage adventure on a snowy Saturday in January of 1965. Over the past 55 years of marriage, they have lived a full life, raising two children and now being blessed with three grandchildren. We asked them to share their story with us...
The Art of Lawn Care and Investing in Your Marriage
Let Me Ask You A Question . . . If I were to invest in you this year by getting you a personal coach and a support team, what would you want to improve, change, or grow in your own life? Would you get in shape? Would you learn a new cooking skill, make...
Three Steps to Discovering Your Spouse
It’s almost fall, and football season is right around the corner. Though my favorite is college football, really all football is fun to talk about, debate, understand, and even play. Much of that joy is rooted in reminiscing about the glory days of the past, taking stock in the facts of the present, and...
What To Do When Your Marriage Hits a Speed Bump
SCREECH! BAM!!! CRUNCH… We’re all familiar with the sound, feeling, and shock of an auto accident. The surprise, tensing, jolt, surge of adrenaline and the wave of frustration and anger we experience is soon followed by the inevitable question… What do I do now? There is a subtle irony that our auto insurance companies...