Do you have a fierce marriage?

Authors Ryan and Selena Frederick describe a “fierce marriage” as radically pursuing each other in light of Christ’s relentless love.

They experienced the truth of that idea firsthand two years into their marriage. After taking jobs in Switzerland, Ryan developed a persistent cough he dismissed as the flu. Doctors gave him antibiotics and painkillers and told him to return for a checkup in a few days. His health soon took a terrible turn for the worst, and he was diagnosed with a congenital defect called endocarditis, a life-threatening inflammation of the inner lining of his heart chambers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage February 22, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One of the biggest reasons marriages collapse is that couples expect love to be easy, which means they aren’t willing to stay committed to one another when things get tough.

Any of us can show love to our spouse when life is clicking along smoothly or when we feel our needs are being met. But to have a marriage that endures, love must go much deeper. Love only has the opportunity to show its true colors when it’s tested.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 23, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hurdlers don’t usually stumble on the open stretch of track but when they’re attempting to clear the obstacles.

Likewise, marriages don’t stumble when everything is calm and life is rolling along smoothly. Problems tend to develop when couples encounter some kind of stress.

My wife, Jean, and I have gone through numerous transition periods. We have faced challenges in our extended families, relocated to new cities, and raised two boys. One of the biggest challenges to our marriage – ironically enough – was when I became the president of Focus on the Family.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 23, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Ladies, if you want to talk to your husband in a way that he’ll listen, here’s a tip you may never have thought about: follow the design of sports talk shows on television.

Broadcasters know how guys think and how to speak their language. Switch on a sports show, and you’ll notice that they spend a lot of time showing highlights of great plays. The clips are fast-paced and drop guys right into the action. It’s not until after the clip is rolling that the announcer offers a more in-depth explanation of what’s happening.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 18, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What does intimacy look like in a thriving marriage?

Pronounce the word “intimacy” as “Into me, see,” and the answer becomes clearer.

Healthy couples learn to “see into” one another’s hearts. They discover their spouse’s likes and dislikes, prioritize their spouse’s needs, and see life from a perspective that’s different from their own.

Intimacy is not an empty emotion that comes and goes but a commitment, a beautiful action in which we give of ourselves freely, even sacrificially (1 Cor.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 18, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

More often than we realize it’s the simple everyday things that make the biggest difference in a marriage. Here’s an easy one for you to try: Encourage your spouse to do something that’s important to them.

I had a chance to do that on a summer vacation my family took to Glacier National Park in Montana. We all hiked to a place called Hidden Lake. It was spawning season for the trout, and the bears were especially active.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 3, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Julie and Clay’s first baby was due any time. To celebrate and to enjoy one last date night before the baby’s birth, Julie planned a romantic dinner. That evening, Julie was first to arrive at their favorite restaurant, and waited.

And waited.

Clay was supposed to come there straight from work, but after twenty minutes he was still a no-show.

Julie called his phone. No answer.

Thirty minutes passed.

Then an hour.

Clay and Julie eventually lost their reservation, and Julie’s expectations for the night were ruined.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 3, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Most couples don’t realize how simple it can be to make a good marriage great. Or to infuse a struggling marriage with new life. To make your marriage better, give these three ideas a try.

The first idea is to avoid sarcasm. The word “sarcasm” means “to tear flesh.” Sarcasm strips a joke of its humor and replaces it with anger, resentment, and jealousy. There’s a thorn beneath the laugh that cuts people. Instead of sarcasm, season your words with love and respect.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage December 27, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A lot of women enter marriage expecting connection, conversation, and intimacy with their husbands. But when the intensity of that initial romance fades – as it always does – some wives begin to wonder, “Did I marry the wrong man?”

Dr. Juli Slattery’s answer to that question is: “The secret of intimacy in marriage is not finding a hero to be your husband but finding the hero in your husband.”

To achieve that, Dr. Slattery encourages women to understand a dynamic woven into every human relationship: relational power.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage December 20, 2022 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura