• How to Have an Extraordinary First Year of Marriage, Pt. 2

    Last time, we saw six choices that can help make our first year of marriage—or any year, for that matter—extraordinary. Today, we’re going to look at six more. Whether we’re engaged, newly married, or married for decades, we can all start today, by God’s grace, to make our marriages the best they can be. #7: Be interested in what interests your spouse. James tells me he’s read more books since meeting me than he has in the rest of his lifetime. That’s a credit to him for wanting to care about something that interests me. On the other hand, I’ve gotten into mountain biking because of him and really enjoy…

  • How to Have an Extraordinary First Year of Marriage, Pt. 1

    Just over a year ago, my husband and I said “I do.” Like most new couples, we received lots of advice, and we welcomed what wisdom others had to share. However, one reoccurring comment troubled me: “The first year of marriage is hard.” Although I understood that we would both have adjustments to make, I didn’t like this “survivalist” mentality. After all, Jesus came so that we could have life “more abundantly” (John 10:10), and surely that concept applied to marriage, part of His design. But what did I know? Well, I have good news. The first year of marriage doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can truly…

  • 4 Core Strengths in Marriage, Pt. 2

    Today, I’m excited to share the second part of this Core Strengths series by my friend and author Tami Myer who blogs at Manna for Marriage. If you missed last week’s post, you can go back and review the first two strengths needed for your marriage by clicking here. Personally, this posts are timely, since James and I celebrate our first anniversary this week (social distancing style). I’m so grateful for an amazing first year of marriage, and next week, I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned this first year. But for now, please join me in welcoming Tami once more as she shares her last two points with us. Post…

  • 4 Core Strengths in Marriage, Pt. 1

    If you received my newsletter this month (if not, you can get next month’s by clicking here), you may be looking forward to my friend Tami’s post as much as I am. Tami blogs at Manna for Marriage where she encourages and equips couples in their marriages. As my husband and I near our one-year anniversary, I asked if she would share some advice for building a strong foundation for the future. Well, I have good news. She shared so much excellent material with me that we decided to break it into two posts: this week and next. Please join me in welcoming Tami today! By Tami Myer Every marriage…

  • 6 Things Singles Need to Know about Marriage, Pt. 2

    If you missed last week, you’ll want to look back at the first in this two-part series by Tami Myer. In these posts, she maps out a beautiful and biblical perspective on marriage for Christian singles. Today, we pick up where we left off last time with the fourth thing singles should know about marriage. If this post is a blessing to you, please leave a comment below-or share it with your single friends to encourage them in their walk. *** #4. Marriage will not complete you. Single people are not “halves” waiting for their other “halves” to join them. Two single people are two complete people. But after a…

  • 6 Things Singles Need to Know about Marriage, Pt. 1

    Tami Myer is my friend and fellow writer who blogs about godly marriage and what that looks like. I asked her if she could share a biblical perspective on marriage for singles that we could apply to our walk now, and she graciously said yes. Whether you’re a teen, young adult, or adult who’s not yet married, it’s my hope that Tami’s two-part series will bless you as much as it has me. *** Why should singles care about the topic of marriage? If marriage is not on your radar or even on your wish list, you may think that the subject is not relevant for you right now. But regardless of your…