marriage Archives

Guest Post: In a Generation that is Staying Single, Here’s Why I Got Married

By: Kathryn Andersen

My name is Kathryn, and I’m a statistical anomaly.

I’m one of the 27% of millennials who are married.

Student debt, cohabitation, and the “failure to launch” phenomenon have all been blamed for the plummeting marriage rates for people my age.

While those may certainly be factors, I think there’s one, huge, underlying issue that is mostly to blame. The best way I can explain that issue is through my story of cliff jumping.

Ever since I can remember, just the sight of a place called the “Hole in the Rock” — a tall cliff jumping spot on the lake my family frequently visited — was enough to make my heart pound and my hands sweat.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage November 14, 2019 by Jim Daly

Saving Your Marriage with Love and Respect

You never know how God will intervene in a time of crisis. In the darkest part of Lisa Shea’s marriage struggles, hope showed up in her mailbox in the form of a book.

Her marriage was in trouble as soon as it got started. In their first 14 months together, she and her husband experienced most of life’s biggest stressors. They both got new jobs after they relocated out of state away from friends and family, and they got pregnant and had a baby.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, crisis, marriage November 14, 2019 by Jim Daly

Asking the Right Questions of Your Child’s Future Spouse

I proposed to Jean the old-fashioned way. I asked her mom and dad for permission to marry her. Honestly, I think they were shocked with me. They weren’t a Christian family, so they didn’t fully appreciate the rich view of marriage offered in the Bible.

So, when I went to them and said, “I really want to marry your daughter. Would you give us your blessing?” they were slightly befuddled and didn’t quite know how to respond.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, parenting October 29, 2019 by Jim Daly

God Used Our Friends and Family to Save Our Marriage

Have you ever had loose thread in a shirt? It seems like such a small thing, doesn’t it? But one small tug and you realize that thread is part of a much larger problem. The next thing you know, your shirt is unraveling right before your eyes.

A marriage can have loose threads, too. Husbands and wives don’t always see eye-to-eye, and they don’t always communicate well. The next thing you know, little resentments crop up.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage October 25, 2019 by Jim Daly

Finding Contentment and Happiness as a Wife

My wife and I often discuss our relationship in terms of a theme. It could be “forgiveness,” or “grace,” or maybe “patience.” Then we try to weave that theme into every part of our marriage. Not only will we try to be more patient, for example, but we’ll make patience a part of our conversation with one another for that season of life.

Sometimes all it takes to infuse a marriage with more happiness is a few small changes.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, relationships October 7, 2019 by Jim Daly

Flourishing in Your Marriage

Todd and Karen Ehman were convinced they were perfectly matched for one another … until they went to premarital counseling.

They underwent a battery of tests and expected their counselor to tell them, “Your relationship was made in heaven. You’re going places. You’re going to do great things for God.” Instead, he held Todd’s profile in one hand and Karen’s profile in the other. He said, “I have to be honest with you. I know you love each other, and you love the Lord.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: conflict, marriage, relationships October 4, 2019 by Jim Daly

Examining Your Part in a Difficult Marriage

Darryl and Tracy Strawberry are living proof that with God’s help, any couple can overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable and build a happy marriage. Their life together has been a difficult but rewarding journey.

They met each other in recovery. At the time, neither one was living for the Lord, and they were both broken people.

Darryl was $3 million in debt. He had been a power hitting, eight-time Major League All-Star who earned four World Series championships in 17 seasons with teams like the New York Mets and the New York Yankees.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: broadcast, conflict, couples, marriage September 16, 2019 by Jim Daly

Working Together as a Team in Your Marriage

The secret to winning in a team sport is no secret at all. Teammates have to share a common goal and know how to work together to achieve it. When you wear the same uniform, it’s not about “me,” it’s about “we.”

That commitment to unity is what makes a marriage work, too. But working together as a team isn’t always easy.

Just ask Joshua and Christi Straub. Their teamwork isn’t so great sometimes, either. And that’s saying something.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, couples, marriage September 13, 2019 by Jim Daly

Can We Talk? Communication Advice for Husbands and Wives

Dr. David Clarke says most guys are clams. Clams bury themselves in the sand and are quite content to hide there. Guys like to hide relationally. They’re naturally much better at tasks that require strength, confidence, and leadership. Those are key skills in business and sports, but they’re not especially useful when it comes to a relationship with a woman.

Women want closeness – connection, understanding, openness, and intimacy. That’s why when a woman’s husband clams up and hides, she tries to pry him open.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, couples, marriage September 5, 2019 by Jim Daly

If You Want a Great Marriage, Do This

Hurdlers don’t usually stumble on the open stretch of track. Victory or defeat is mostly about clearing the obstacles.

It’s the same for marriage. Relationships don’t stumble when everything is calm, and life is rolling along smoothly. Problems tend to develop when couples encounter some kind of stress.

Those moments are an opportunity for husbands and wives to work together as a team.

My wife and I have gone through quite a few transition periods. We’ve faced challenges in our extended families, relocated to new cities, and raised two boys.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: book, broadcast, marriage, relationships August 29, 2019 by Jim Daly