As Leslie settled into bed, more than ready for a good night’s sleep, Todd walked into the bedroom and gave her “the look” she knew so well—the sly grin and twinkle in his eye that meant he had romance on his mind. Leslie tried not to let a sigh slip out. After running afternoon carpool, juggling karate and ballet lessons, making dinner, helping with homework, and returning work emails, she was so exhausted that she had zero interest in sex.... Read more
Matt and Jessie never used to fight, but there have been a lot of arguments, or almost-arguments, the last few months. Matt is on the verge of losing his job due to a restructuring at his company, and they have three kids under the age of five. So he’s tense and on edge all the time, and little irritations tend to blow up into arguments. Jessie can’t stand the kids being around that. And she hates conflict in general, so... Read more
Recently, a man at one of my conferences spoke up about a marital issue that had been bubbling up for a few months. He works long hours in a high-stress job, and his wife texted or called him several times a day to talk about small matters such as dinner plans or what happened on the playground that day with their preschool-aged daughter. As he talked, I realized that he was getting frustrated because he thought she was bothering him... Read more
If you knew my mom, you would pretty quickly notice a few things about her. She can wander into any kitchen and wander out again with a stellar five-course meal. She writes amazing music; folk songs, lullabies, and astoundingly beautiful choir music for churches. And she is small but mighty. Even at 4’10” and 90 lbs she was a giant among those in the rural Rescue Squad where she served for many years, until last fall when she and my... Read more
Hey everybody! I want to announce something very exciting that we have been working on for a year now. This new project is the culmination of months of work and partnership with my friends at FamilyLife. I love drumrolls so . . . drumroll please! We are launching a new podcast called “Questions Every Wife Is Asking!” FamilyLife is full steam ahead in launching a series of podcasts—one of which is specifically targeted at marriage, called “Married With Benefits” (isn’t... Read more
After another heated argument, Josh and Hannah came back together with calmer attitudes to sort out what was going on. Lately they had been getting irritated with each other and they wanted to figure out why. Josh had been saying that Hannah doesn’t appreciate him, and she fiercely disagrees with that. But he says she never thanks him for things he does around the house like taking out the trash or mowing the lawn. Hannah certainly appreciates everything he does,... Read more
Things have been busy around here but I needed to take a moment to tell you some wonderful news! I am excited to announce that my second devotional from iDisciple is HERE! It is a project near and dear to my heart—and I’m thrilled to let you know it is especially written for mothers (and just in time for Mother’s Day! It’s called Find Peace: A 40-day Devotional Journey for Moms and I’m so proud to add it to what... Read more
Hey, everybody! I’m coming out of my writing cave for a few short minutes to give you all an update on the progress of our book deadline. Also, I’d love to ask for a specific prayer request. Read more
Dear Girls, Can we have an honest conversation about something that might be a little awkward? It’s not about sex . . . at least directly. But it is about boys and sex and what they think when they see girls, and all the images that swirl around in their brains. It’s an especially important conversation because, as I was scrolling through social media the other day, I couldn’t help but feel a burden for you when I saw picture... Read more
We are approaching wedding season! April, May and June are filled with shopping the registries, excitement for friends, and final preparations for an awesome day for a beautiful bride and groom. And yet . . . even as they prepare for a lifetime together, how many times will that bride and groom (or the rest of us) hear those sneakily discouraging statistics that make them wonder whether a lifetime together is possible? (Even, perhaps, at the wedding, the well-meaning officiant... Read more
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