The “Seven-Year-Itch” Is Real … But You Can Avoid It.
My husband and I are leading a Bible study with mostly newlywed couples. After a few weeks, we noticed how often we...
Your Parents’ Divorce Doesn’t Mean You’re Doomed to Get Divorced Too.
Q: I want to get married, but my parents had a terrible marriage and got divorced. Does my parents' divorce mean my...
Husbands, Love Your Wives Like Jesus. Here’s 3 Tips For How to Do That.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her – Ephesians 5:25
We have all read it...
Noticing Is Not Lusting: Why We Need to Reframe the Conversation about Men, Sin,...
If you notice a woman is beautiful, is that a sin? Are you lusting after her in your heart?
If you read many...
Close the Loop: The One Vital Habit That Will Keep Your Marriage Moving Forward
The moment you do or say something that hurts your marriage partner, you stand at a fork in the road. Whether you...
Love Is a Choice, Especially When You’re Not Feeling It.
When my wife and I were going through marriage problems, the last thing that I wanted to hear was love is a...
Issues With the In-Laws? Maybe You Need to Create Some Healthy Boundaries. Here’s How.
It’s important to establish healthy boundaries with your in-laws. Otherwise, you can add a lot of stress to your marriage relationship. But...
Ultimatums Are Bad, Right? Actually, They’re VITAL For a Thriving Marriage. Here’s Why.
When things happen in married life, whether bad or good, a common reaction is to blame (or give credit) someone else.
While they may have...
Adultery Is Alarmingly Common, But It Doesn’t Have to Happen to You.
For men and women, adultery begins in the heart. And for men particularly, it begins when the heart is not guarded against...
Not Sure How to Write a Love Letter? Here Are 100 Love Letter Prompts
If you want to know how to write a love letter, check out this best list of love letter prompts on the...
Husbands, You Come Third On Your Wife’s List of Priorities
One of the most frequent requests I get is to write a book specifically for husbands. The reason I haven’t done that...
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...
The Greatest Gift Marriage Offers Us Isn’t What You Think
Today's post from Gary Thomas is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. We think marriage is a place to receive...
Your Marriage’s Scratches and Dents Are What Make It Priceless. Here’s Why.
Mike and I recently attended a wedding. The bride was stunning, and the groom gleamed with pride. Not a dry eye in...
Accept Your Spouse As They Are, Even When Who They Are Changes
People change. Very few of us have the same figure or physique we had on our wedding day as we walked down...
1 Secret Every Man Needs to Know About Their Wives
Every day we hear from men who desperately want help and encouragement for their wives. Most commonly, they complain that their wives...
We All Believe Lies. Which Ones Do You Struggle With?
A few weeks ago I moderated a late night panel at the Merge premarital class at Watermark Community Church. The panel included two couples who...
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...
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...
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...
Want to Improve Your Marriage? These 3 Small Changes Will Lead to Huge Results.
I am often trying to find ways of making myself a better person. I imagine all of us at some point wish we...
Husbands, Your Wives Need These 10 Things, They Just Don’t Know How to Ask
I remember watching What Women Want not long after its release in 2001. The movie chronicles a man, Nick Marshall, who receives a fresh...
When Something We Value Is Broken, We Fix It.
One major key to our 30 plus-year marriage is that Ramona has been blessed with startlingly low expectations. Today she was ECSTATIC when I...
What Are You Doing to Pursue Your Spouse?
You need to make it one of your highest priorities to pursue your spouse. One of my biggest concerns as a married...
Your Spouse’s Perspective Is Annoying. You Should Listen Anyway!
I don’t know about you, but I often overlook the Lord’s eternal perspective. He sees all of time, from beginning to end,...
The Only “Fair” Marriage Is When Both Spouses Give 100 Percent.
Happily married Eric and Jill climbed out of bed at their normal Saturday morning hour. They had a lot to do around...
Husbands, We Need to Be Fully Present With Our Wives. Here’s How.
I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, but I feel like most men do. We think about our bills, the check...
Does Your Sex Life Feel Broken? You Can Always Rebuild It! Here’s How.
Today a reader is asking, “how do you reset your sex life?”
What if it’s been really difficult in the past, but now...
A Marriage That Can’t Forgive, Won’t Survive
Miranda had been spending money on a secret credit card for months. She hid receipts, she removed price tags, she sometimes even...
Is Your Past Hurt Making You Kind or Cold To Your Spouse?
Today's post from Doug Fields doesn't directly mention marriage, but man is it so applicable. In marriage our personal wounds, past experiences,...
4 Ways To Build A Strong Community That Supports Your Marriage
We all need a marriage community – a support system around us of couples our age, and maybe a mentor couple that’s a...
Your Day Isn’t Complete Until You’ve Served Your Spouse
The way Lisa treats me might make some young women nauseous, because she serves me like we’re living in a 1950s sitcom....
5 Signs That Your Marriage is Going to Make It
People often ask us, how can I tell if my marriage will last? In some cases, it may not be easy to...
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...
6 Great Books to Give (or Read) for Valentine’s Day
You know you love it. Or maybe not. Regardless, Valentine's Day is coming like a freight train and you might be lacking...
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...
Your Spouse is More Important Than Work
It seems like this conversation happened just yesterday, but it actually happened before Cathy and I had kids. I was a youth...
10 Ways to Get Back the Spark in Your Marriage
How do you get that spark in marriage if you feel like you’ve lost it?
How do you rekindle...
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...
The 1 Vital Thing Your Spouse Needs to Hear From You Today
A quick note up front. I (Josh) love talking about how to create and sustain healthy marriages. If you are a pastor...
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...
Set These Realistic Goals for Your Marriage in 2019
A few years ago, at the suggestion of a friend, Troy and I began the tradition of setting goals for our marriage...
Last Year Was One of the Hardest Years of My Life … but One...
Most of the time here at Thriving Marriages we bring you the best content we've found around the web for building a...
A Resolution for Great Communication
In this new year, make a resolution for better communication with your spouse! Communication is the process of sharing yourself verbally and...
The Best Christmas Gift You Can Give Your Spouse
“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will...
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...
How Married Do You Want to Be?
How earnestly do you want to feel close to your spouse?
Enough to kill something for it?
3 Lies That Lead to An Affair
There are three lies that every couple should not believe because they could lead to an affair. A common pitfall, which all...
How Your Family of Origin Impacts Your Marriage Now
The term family of origin is familiar to some but many not everyone. Everyone should have an understanding of it, being that...