Marriage is a tricky topic to discuss. Most of us would not be willing to hold up our marriage as an example for others to follow. After all, we know what goes on in our own homes. But in 2013, Tony and Lauren Dungy published a book that changed the way I approach my...
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...
A Good Marriage and A Healthy Family
"On the path to a good marriage and a healthy family, I feel like a pioneer on a long wagon train journey to Oregon. As I look forward, I see good country ahead, and yet I know that there are hidden dangers." This week on the blog, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl shares some...
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...
Love that Lasts a Lifetime
I am a sucker for a good love story, and I admire couples who have weathered the test of time. I always want to know the secret of couples whose have love that lasts a lifetime. One such couple is Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll. He is the Senior Pastor of our sponsoring church, Stonebriar...
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...
Draw Near in Troubling Times
I am going to take a little detour from our normal path of encouragement for your parenting journey and share with you where I am right now. It is my prayer that parts of this story will resonate with you and you will find encouragement in knowing you are not alone. You see, I am...
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...
Forgiveness Points to a New Direction
When I think of February, Valentine’s Day and love immediately pop into my mind. Those thoughts are quickly followed by the thought that spring is here in Texas. (A short winter is one of the benefits of living in the southwest.) It would be ideal if we could all approach love with the same level of...