The Emotional Labor of Kin Keeping: Why Men Should Call their Moms
When it comes to kin keeping, who does the emotional labor of keeping relationships with extended family close?
Why Your Spouse NEEDS You To Have Other Friends
There’s something wonderful you can do for your marriage that will feed and protect it. I’m not talking about reading a marriage book, or even praying together. The gift you can give to your marriage that I want to talk about this week is intentionally to have other friends outside your marriage.
Soul Care is Vital … For ALL Your Relationships
Many of us live our lives w/o margins: rushed, stressed, fatigued. Our soul care is nonexistent, and we treat our internal worlds terribly.
Ruin a Marriage in 19 Ways (plus 1 Way to Save It)
Here are 19 ways I could ruin my marriage. I share this not to be morbid, but to keep me aware of the small decisions with huge impacts.
What Are You Doing to Pursue Your Spouse?
Over the years I’ve learned it’s the small ways you pursue your spouse in marriage every day that grow a marriage.
Stressed? Here’s God’s Solution For Anxious Couples
Everyone has some stress in their life, but far too many couples are out-of-control busy and tell us that their lives are just too hectic and stressed out.
Boring Marriage? What Should You Do?
What should you do if you feel like you have a boring marriage? You might not connect "intimacy, passion, connection" with "reading a book."
“Fair” Marriage = Both Spouses Give 100 Percent
The 50/50 marriage is an arrangement of trade-offs and compromises, with spouses keeping score so one person never gets more or gives more than the other. Serving and submitting to one another are replaced by an emphasis on getting what is rightfully yours. Marriages only work when each spouse is giving 100 percent.
What to Do When You Don’t Have Any Energy Left For Your Spouse
After a full day of work and dealing with the kids, do you feel like you don’t have much time or energy left for your spouse? We often hear from couples about the stress of their busy lives. They work full time, go to school, raise kids, serve at church, and they wonder why their marriages are having difficulty.
3 Golden Rules for Rekindling Romance
Many couples expect romance to just happen, but we have found that intentionality is the key to rekindling romance. When the stress of life gets in the way of our romance, Cathy and I proactively apply what we call the “Three Golden Rules for Romance.”
It’s Important To Be Friends With Other Married Couples
Is it important to build and maintain friendships with other couples? Yes! Having friendships with other couples is very important.
Husbands, You Are Third On Your Wife’s Priorities List
To have a God-honoring marriage, I must realize that I am third in my wife’s allegiance. The best marriages are built on these priorities.
Find Time To Find Jesus In The Middle of Busyness.
The lesson is painfully clear: connecting with Jesus is a better choice than busyness.There will always be more to do! Know what I mean?
The Affair You Don’t Even Know You’re Having
Now more than ever, technology addiction is a threat to meaningful connection. Is it leading you straight to an affair?
Attacking Anxiety in Your Marriage
I realized I had a black hole-sized blind spot in my life. I was an anxious person. I had anxiety in marriage, and didn't even know it.
Healthy Marriage Habits: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, & Yearly
To develop a healthy marriage, it is important that two vital elements come together.
First, at some point you must draw a line...
Dare to Find the Positive During This Pandemic
As the weeks of pandemic cascade into months of avoidance of our human kind to save lives, new norms are settling in. ...
What To Do If You’re Bored With Your Marriage
Want to know what to do if you're bored with your marriage? Here's helpful information if you're feeling bored with your marriage.
Q:...
What to Do When You Are Last on Your Spouse’s To Do List?
Today's post from the always-helpful America's Family Coaches is a great conversation starter between you and your spouse. The desire to feel...
Mercy & Justice: A Healthy Marriage Balances Both. Here’s How to Do That.
What’s the best way to grow towards intimacy with your husband?
Hint: that’s a trick question.
There’s actually not a correct answer to that...
If the Devil Can’t Make You Bad, He’ll Make You Busy
“If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy!” That’s what a friend of mine wrote me on the day...
Are Finances Supposed to Be the Man’s Job?
Q: My husband is terrible at handling the finances because he hates paperwork. I like to take care of the bills, but...
The 1 Thing Your Christian Marriage Needs More Than Passion
Your Christian marriage needs this more than passion. One thought from Angela Duckworth’s book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance struck me as...
This Weekly Routine Will Build the Marriage of Your Dreams
Companionship inventory, marriage meeting, weekly marriage check in or check up- whatever you call it, if you want the marriage of your...
Want a Happy Marriage? Stop Asking Your Spouse to Do This.
Don’t you think it would be cruel to ask your spouse to hold down five jobs?
Let’s say your...
You Have a Strong Marriage, When You’re Doing This Together.
I first fell in love with my wife during a conversation about an ex-girlfriend. Granted, this "ex" was a girl I dated...
Want 2019 to be a GREAT Year? Ask These 3 Questions.
Longtime TM partner, Scott Kedersha, recently wrote a fantastic post on how to reflect on your past year. While it's not all...
6 Ways to Make Your Marriage Last a Lifetime
Want to know how to make your marriage last a lifetime? The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. What’s the...
Does Your Marriage Need Some Peace and Quiet?
I will never forget the day I came home from work to find my wife hiding in the bathroom. Our kids were ages six, three, and...
Why Saying “I Was Wrong” Will Transform Your Marriage
If you are old enough to recall the sitcom Happy Days, you’ll remember “The Fonz.” Henry Winkler played the character of Arthur Fonzarelli, the coolest...
A Marriage Lasting Longer Than the Wedding Ceremony
Looking for a great gift to give to an engaged couple that will help them get spiritually prepared for marriage?
Are you half of an...
The Devastating Consequences (on Children) of Distant Marriages
The word “triangulation” should haunt every parent actively raising children, and it should warn all of us to not allow our marriages to grow...
3 Great Reasons to Schedule Your Sex Life
Today's topic is yet another great post from Sheila at To Love, Honor, and Vacuum. Today's debates the pros and cons of calendaring out...
How to Have a Passionate Marriage, Even With Kids Still in the House
Today's post comes from our amazing friends at Sexy Marriage. They have an incredible wealth of resources on their site, so make sure to...
4 Easy Habits That Will Transform Your Marriage
Today's post comes from Phil @ Connected Marriage
I try to invest my time, my money and my resources on things that will pay me...
20 Quick Tips for a Great Marriage
I love how today's post from Richard Nicastro and Love and Life Toolbox doesn't try and reinvent the wheel. There's a reason so many marriage...
The Sexiest Habit Your Marriage Needs (it involves a calendar)
One of the most memorable sermons I've ever heard was centered around the phrase "love is intentional." The talk was ultimately about evangelism, but...
Not Spending Time With Your Spouse Is Okay
Okay, okay, that's not entirely true. Of course you need to spend time together. But this is a great article for the younger marrieds...
5 Tips for Walking the Career/Family Tightrope
There may come a time when your spouse’s job (or your job) begins to cause friction in your marriage. What can you do?
When the...
5 Ways to Have a Romantic Marriage Forever
With this post on romantic marriage, Rachel Lee at Be Thee Inspired goes DEEP on this topic, including some really practical "how to" suggestions.
Like many...
Something More Important than Spontaneity
My marriage is the reverse of what today's article by Hannah at Authentic Intimacy describes: my wife is the planner, and I'm the one...
How to Be a Mom Without Losing Your Mind
We have a 3 and 1 year old in our family, and I've watched how hard it is for my wife to feel like...
May the Force Be With You(r marriage)
Just like Paul Gibson describes himself in his post today, we're pretty big Star Wars nerds here at Thriving Marriages. So when we saw...
To My Husband: it’ll get better
The other day we were watching our show on Netflix, and I loved the smile on your face when you talked excitedly about one...
How to Avoid Relational Fatigue
This is an excerpt from a great new marriage book by Jim Burns and Doug Fields. If you want more like today's post, check...
1 Easy Way to Have a Great Weekend with Your Spouse
Want to have a great weekend with your spouse?
Sometimes here at Thriving Marriages we post long, detailed content that dives into the deep waters...
What if Your Marriage Isn’t Broken?
The screen on my iPhone froze up the other day. The buttons worked but anything that involved touching the screen ... nothing. I couldn't...
When Busy Equals Broken
This last weekend I had the privilege to speak to several hundred couples at our Refreshing Your Marriage conference. Without a doubt, the number one issue...
The Couple that Prays Together
I want to report the results of a fascinating research project led by Christopher Ellison at the University of Texas, San Antonio. and reported...
Is Self-Care Selfish?
Is it selfish, sinful, or unspiritual to take care of yourself? Yes, if you are completely unbalanced and care only for yourself in a...