The Greatest Enemy of Every Marriage
What is the opposite of Love? If you said Hate, well, I hate to disagree with you. but I’m convinced that the opposite of love is really selfishness. And in marriage, selfishness often makes you the worst threat to your marriage.
Consider these truths about selfishness:
When selfishness has a seat at the dinner table, it always demands to be fed first.
The human heart is naturally bent towards selfishness…it wants what it wants, now.
Selfishness is a root problem. Most major problems at the root of crumbling marriages, even extramarital affairs, are rooted in the rotten core of selfishness.
Selfishness is all about getting, but real love is all about giving [Tweet this].
Selfishness assigns value to a spouse for what they do, but real love grants honor for who a spouse is.
Forget New Year’s Resolutions: Remember One Word
If you’re like most people, you came up with some new resolutions for yourself, your marriage, or your family. New Year’s Resolutions can be hard to keep, as I’ve blogged about before. So this year, I’m endorsing a simpler idea: Remember one word. A friend of mine named Bobb Biehl inspired me to do this. Recently, I found […]
How to Make This Year a Year of Growth for Your Children
As the New Year approaches, you may have started to schedule your children’s medical and dental appointments, calendared their parent-teacher conferences and sports activities. Those things may be important, but it’s even more important for you to plan for your children’s growth. So reflect today on where they are and what they need from you to help them advance in every aspect of their life.
#97 How to Find Joy in the Daily Grind (Podcast)
Joy: We all want it, but few of us have it. Why? Because every day, people and circumstances overwhelm our lives and steal our joy. Things like fear, anxiety, jealousy, death, loneliness, and illness sneak in. These difficulties consume our thoughts and drain our energy until we’re left feeling incapable of joy. But in spite of these setbacks, I believe joy is still possible. And I believe you deserve to find that joy!
So on today’s podcast, my wife, Susan, and I will be sharing 3 ways to find joy in the daily grind.
4 Steps to Marriage CPR
When a person needs resuscitation, the signs are obvious: they stop breathing and become non-responsive. It’s no question that a person displaying these symptoms requires immediate help if they’re to survive.
But when it comes to marriage, the signs and symptoms of a couple needing resuscitation are not so obvious. Why? Because over time, couples learn to adapt and function despite their critical status. Yet, over the years, I’ve heard from thousands of couples who claim that simply functioning in marriage is not what they really want. They want to experience joy and fulfillment…they want to thrive! So how can we bring a dying relationship back to life? It’s time to administer some marriage CPR with these four steps.
#96: Restoring Your Marriage Against the Odds (Podcast)
The difficulties we face in life have the power to break or strengthen our marriage…the choice is up to us. We can choose to harbor resentment and unforgiveness or we can choose to embrace love and restoration. It all comes down to one thing: if we have faith that our marriage is worth fighting for. Luckily, God offers us this faith and works alongside us to restore our marriage no matter how difficult the trial.
Even after experiencing the pain of adultery, failure, and loss, Justin and Trisha Davis made the decision that their marriage was worth fighting for. This husband and wife duo founded RefineUs Ministries—a church movement to build healthy marriages and families. They currently live in Nashville as speakers and teachers. So on today’s podcast, we’ll be talking with this couple about how faith restored their marriage.
26 Meaningful Things I’ve Learned in 26 Years of Marriage
In 26 years you can learn a lot about something. And let me tell you, I’ve learned a ton in my 26 years of marriage. Over the last few years, I’ve shared much of what I’ve learned through my blog posts. So today, I’ve put together 26 of the most meaningful things I’ve learned in […]
3 A’s of Empathy in Marriage
Sometimes, my wife, Susan, doesn’t need or want me to do things for her or fix things for her. Sometimes she’d rather I just feel things with her. That’s what empathy is all about. Empathy deepens a marriage through a shared understanding, perspective, or experience. I realized the importance of empathy from, of all people, an NFL coach.
#95: My Pledge: Be a Better Elf This Christmas (Podcast)
Presents…snow…mistletoe…There’s nothing better than the holiday season! Except when you throw in angry shoppers, long lines, and sleepless nights wrapping gifts. That’s when the chaos has a way of overwhelming the cheer. And Christmas becomes more stressful than peaceful. But not this year! Because this year, my wife, Susan, and I pledge to be better elves.
