Karen didn’t even need to glance at her daughter’s facial expression—she just heard the vocal equivalent of an eye roll. Her teenager was giving her the usual speech about not wanting to go to youth group at their church … again. Karen knew there was no easy way to require her daughter to attend youth group that evening without encountering a dramatic blow-up followed by the silent treatment. Now that the teenage parenting years were upon them, Karen and her... Read more
Our staff meets weekly at a local cafe. I love the breakfast food, the kind servers, and the familiarity of our home office away from home. Recently, though, I saw this new sign posted near the back wall to help customers find the bathrooms … and my heart sank. It seemed funny, at first. Then the impact sunk in. Seeing the sign reminded me of a time I was heading to the airport to speak on a Christian women’s cruise.... Read more
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
Wives, how much input do you think you should have in your husband’s work endeavors? I recently heard from a woman whose husband runs his own construction business, and even though he’s in charge she says it really does feel like “their” business in most ways. She used to be in the industry, so she knows the market. And she’s been very supportive of him dipping into their personal finances to personally pay the staff when things have been tight.... Read more
Headlines about Millennials divorcing less splashed across the news outlets this past week. Phillip Cohen from University of Maryland recently published a study focusing on the noteworthy decline of divorce in the last decade. Shaunti and I were thrilled to read about this study and glad it has garnered so much media attention. Both of us have been keeping our eyes open for new research since collaborating together on The Good News About Marriage in 2014. This study indicates a... Read more
Husbands, how would you rate your marriage? The Iron Sharpens Iron ministry for men recently conducted a single-question survey of 1,500 married men who attended their events. And that was their question: How would you rate the state of your marriage in 2018? The answer options were: “struggling,” “fine,” “good,” and “godly.” Conventional wisdom—based on some inaccurate but commonly quoted statistics that are demystified in my book The Good News About Marriage—would assume that the majority of marriages are on... Read more
**This article is part of our August and September 2018 Guest Blog series. During a particular intense ‘sandwich generation’ season (launching my daughter to college and my son to high school, helping my parents move to Atlanta, and tackling a major research deadline), I am taking this opportunity to introduce my readers to the insight of some key partners. Enjoy!** The relationship between father and daughter can be a beautiful thing. But it can also be a bit fragile. Once... Read more
Husbands, get in the habit of telling your wife she is beautiful. Every little girl dreams of finding her prince and knowing she is his princess. Husbands, you need to know that even after years of marriage, your wife probably still has some of that little girl inside. A little girl who wants to know she is still your leading lady. And one of the greatest ways you can get that truth to “stick” is by regularly telling your wife she is... Read more
Wives, if your husband ever seems inconsiderate, assume he doesn’t want to be Ladies, have you ever had one of those moments when you were at the boiling point over something your husband did that seemed inconsiderate? Even when we love and respect our husbands, at times our emotions can get the best of us — especially when we get hurt or deeply disappointed by something he said or did. Or didn’t do! Perhaps he left his clothes on the... Read more
Recently I wrote “This is what inadequacy feels like to your man” to pull back the curtain on some deep male emotions – and help women see that seemingly “minor” things can trigger painful feelings in our men. But the next step of understanding is just as important. So let me ask you a question: Have you ever seen your husband or boyfriend suddenly shut down in the middle of an emotional discussion, right when you most wish he would engage? ... Read more
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