marriage Archives

Mike Pence Is Right to Keep Boundaries around His Marriage (Guest Post)

Thanks to Vice President Mike and Mrs. Karen Pence, it seems like everybody’s talking about boundaries in marriage right now – and as a husband-and-wife team that equips couples to strengthen their marriages, we couldn’t be happier.

This national conversation started after a Washington Post profile of Karen Pence that highlighted how close and loving her marriage to the vice president is – and also included this line:

“In 2002, Mike Pence told the Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either.”

That sentence has sparked a lot of controversy from critics who think the practice is sexist, outdated, or might hinder a professional woman’s career.

Topics: Current Events Tags: marriage, news, relationships March 30, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Does Love Really Mean in Marriage?

There’s probably no more important word to define marriage than this one: love. But what is love, really? Is it simply an emotion we feel, or is it something deeper?

In some ways, you can’t fault most of us in the English-speaking world for being confused. The word love has itself become something of a generic term in American culture. The richness of its meaning has been lost.

Ancient Greek had four different words for love, each of them conveying a very particular nuance.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage March 28, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hope for Marriages on the Brink of Divorce

I want to tell you a story that recently made a big impression on me.

A few weeks ago, Rick and Linda (not their real names) checked into our Hope Restored Marriage Intensive Experience at the Focus on the Family Retreat Center in Branson, Missouri.

The counselors at Hope Restored specialize in bringing severely broken marriages back from the brink of divorce.

Rick and Linda’s union was in deep trouble, riddled and rocked by infidelity, among other things.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage March 23, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Harnessing a “Fierce” Personality to Bless Your Marriage

Fire can cook you a nice steak, or it can burn your house to the ground. The difference lies in how well you harness its power.

It’s the same with a strong will. There is a lot of good that comes from having what LeRoy and Kimberly Wagner describe as a “fierce” personality. But a strong will gone wild can wreak havoc in a person’s life.

Fierce doesn’t have to mean obnoxious, loud, or rude. A fierce woman can be strong and beautiful.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, relationships March 16, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Wives, Do You Speak “Male”?

Picture two people.

One speaks Chinese. The other speaks English. Let’s say their relationship makes it imperative that they communicate effectively. What do you suppose would be the best way for them to do that?

Not only do they speak different languages, their entire view of the world may differ radically from one another. Short of having a translator at the standby every waking moment, one of the two is going to have to learn the other’s language.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage March 9, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is It Possible to Have an Argument-Free Marriage?

Is it possible to enjoy an argument-free marriage? Fawn Weaver, our guest on yesterday’s radio program, says that you can.

Now, before you dismiss her belief in marital bliss too quickly, I encourage you to give her a listen. She’ll tell you plainly that you won’t build an argument-free marriage by striving for peace at all costs, by avoiding serious conversations, or by sweeping important issues under the rug.

She says the key to eliminating arguing is effective marriage communication that gets to the truth of a matter and that genuinely resolves conflict.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage March 2, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Incompatibility Doesn’t Have to Destroy Your Marriage

Author Leo Tolstoy once said, “What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.”

Tolstoy’s profound insight is precisely why a successful marriage isn’t a matter of fate, chemistry, or a roll of the dice. Good relationships are about finding common ground in the midst of differences that naturally occur between two people.

The problem is, a lot of couples give up on each other too easily.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage February 14, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

New Study Disproves Three Myths about Cohabitation

We’re currently in the midst of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14), a yearly celebration that recognizes the importance of this most basic human institution.

We’re also living in an age where cohabitation rates are increasing, in part because our culture increasingly doesn’t value the importance of God’s sacred and foundational gift to men and women.

Too many couples simply don’t see the value in getting married. To them, “marriage is just a piece of paper.” From their vantage point, marriage doesn’t bring any added benefits as long as they’re “secure” in their relationship.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, marriage, pop culture, promos February 8, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

You’re Preparing for Valentine’s Day, But Are You Ready for the Day-to-Day?

Step into any drug store this week and you won’t be able to miss the fact that Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. The aisle filled with candy is beginning to grow crowded. The selection of cards is starting to get picked over. Open the paper or surf the Internet and you’ll see media outlets are beginning to run an assortment of holiday-related articles, from date ideas to odd gifts suggestions (“Name a roach to show your love,” anyone?).

Topics: Current Events Tags: marriage, promos, relationships February 7, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Lesson Adam and Eve Can Teach About Cherishing Your Spouse

“…to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

A lot of us recited similar vows at our wedding, but no sooner did we walk the gauntlet of flying rice than the word “cherish” began fading from our vocabulary. We didn’t mean for it to happen. The years went by, we settled into our lives, and we woke up one day with a marriage that was missing something deeper, more satisfying.

Visible light is perceived as only one color, but shine it through a prism, and you discover it’s actually a whole rainbow.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage January 23, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura