We all want to finish well as couples, right? We sure do! Well, it’s the daily decisions we make individually and together that influence how our marriages fare in the long run. Because of this, it’s important to be purposeful to live out the day-to-day in a way that positively affects the years to come. So how can we keep moving toward the finish line united? Listen in as we share why right now matters to the long-term of your marriage. You’ll hear how the choices you make today affect...

Today, we’re talking about how the friends we keep make a difference in our marriages. It’s not only important that as couples we have community, but also that we’re purposeful in whom we bring into our confidence. So, we’re going to share what we call a “friendship inventory” you can do to make sure you’re confiding in the right people. It’s also a helpful tool to determine whether you’re being this kind of friend to others. Plus, if you’re struggling to even have the right people in...

We’ll tell you that having kids is well worth the effort. There’s nothing like it. We’ve found that God uses parenting to refine and change us in a way other things can’t. That said, parenting has been one of our most challenging team efforts yet. Sometimes the different upbringings and different personalities we’ve brought to our marriage complicate rather than contribute to and enrich our parenting. We’ve had to work hard not to allow these areas of difference to divide us. While we’re...

Sometimes we sit back and wonder how we made it through our weeping years. But here we are, still married, still friends, and still liking each other. It wasn’t easy to remain united when miscarriage, multiple job losses, debt, and a house that wouldn’t sell desperately fought to pull us apart. While an attitude of “us vs. the problem” helped, we realized we couldn’t stop with the idea of us against the world. We needed more. Today, we’re talking about how to walk together through the really...

For us, laughter and a sense of levity or lightheartedness has carried us through the years. Laughter has been, as Proverbs 17:22 says, “good medicine” for us. But laughter isn’t something that comes easily for all couples. While we’re not experts on why other couples struggle to laugh together, we do know one of the reasons we can. It’s because we make intentional efforts to live out our marriage with unburdened hearts. An unburdened heart is a lighthearted heart. Why? Because it’s one...

Bilbo Baggins once referred to adventures as “nasty disturbing comfortable things that make you late for dinner.” In some ways, he’s right. Adventures aren’t simply exciting, thrill-seeking activities. They stretch us in ways that force us to change. What does this have to do with conflict in marriage? Conflict is often uncomfortable and inconvenient. It disturbs our status quo and can even disrupt dinner plans…or gasp!…date nights. We often react like Bilbo and think, “Sorry, I don’t want...

After we got married, we were surprised by how differently we celebrated holidays and birthdays. One of us loved to go big, while the other preferred to treat them like any other day. But, as we’ve slowly learned over the years, differences like that don’t have to divide us. When we approach them with the right attitude, they can unite us. As a couple, our differences can serve as a great reminder that we need teamwork. We need unity, cooperation, and commitment. And, as we band together for...

From its inconceivable R.O.U.Ses to its iconic lines, the 1987 film The Princess Bride is a favorite at our house. For us, one of the most memorable characters is Inigo Montoya. His patience and persistence as he hunts for the six-fingered man remind us that it takes time to execute a “death wish.” But what does a “death wish” have to do with marriage? While we joined a new team when we promised, “I do,” that doesn’t mean the unity and cooperation we talked about in episode 1 are going to be...

Have you ever watched curling matches during the Winter Olympics? We have! One year, we found ourselves hooked on this sport that’s nicknamed “chess on ice!” And, as we observed the strategy, intentionality, and sweeping that curling requires, we couldn’t help but compare it to marriage! Every team, whether it’s in curling or in marriage, does better with a game plan. Yet, it’s the sweeping—or grace—that helps us as couples bring home the gold. Grace is to marriage what sweepers are to...

As a couple, we’ve had a lot of firsts! From the first time we met over 19 years ago to our first kind-of date to the first time we held hands. So, on this very first episode of the Team Us podcast, we share some of those firsts with you. Yet we don’t stop there! We also talk about the very first human team—Adam and Eve. They’re a duo we consider history’s most infamous couple. Because, as we all know, they really messed up. But here’s where our conversation might be different from a lot...