7 marriage lessons from the Reagans

Last updated on: March 8, 2016 at 11:40 am By Dave Willis

Embed from Getty Images Former First Lady, Nancy Reagan, recently passed away and as the politicians and pundits weigh in on her legacy, one theme continues to emerge as one of her proudest achievements and most important priorities…Her marriage. Regardless of your political preferences, most everyone agrees that Nancy and her “Ronnie” had a rock-solid marriage for more than half a century. As I’ve researched more about their lives and their love for each other, I believe there are some... Read more

7 signs of a dysfunctional relationship

Last updated on: November 1, 2022 at 1:55 pm By Dave Willis

I was recently donating blood at our local blood bank, and as I laid in that chair with a needle in my arm slowly siphoning a pint of blood from my body, there wasn’t much to do except watch the TV screen broadcasting a daytime talk show. The host was interviewing a couple in crisis. The man in this relationship was abusive, financially irresponsible and reckless in other areas of life, and the woman seemed to be enabling his behavior... Read more

Before you judge someone, consider this…

Last updated on: March 6, 2016 at 4:11 pm By Dave Willis

It’s tempting to judge people based solely on what we see on the surface, but that’s never a good idea. As Jesus pointed out, we can be so quick to see the flaws in others and blind to our own flaws. It’s not our job to judge a person’s heart or motives, and even when we try, we’re not very good at it, because we can’t see a person’s whole story. Here’s what I mean… (more…) Read more

4 things every married couple needs to know about SEX

Last updated on: March 3, 2016 at 10:58 am By Dave Willis

When my wife Ashley and I interact with couples online and in person, we’re seeing a common trend…So many issues in marriage can be traced back to frustration, miscommunication or dysfunction related to SEX. It takes much more than a great sex life to build a stellar marriage, but it’s nearly impossible to build a strong marriage without it! Sex is a complex issue and there are many more than four pointers involved, but I strongly believe these four truths below could... Read more

Happy marriages aren’t for everyone

Last updated on: March 2, 2016 at 9:12 am By Dave Willis

Have you ever seen a “happy couple” holding hands and laughing or posting a picture online and you had the instinct to roll your eyes? Maybe you’ve even had thoughts like, “That’s fake. Happy marriages are a myth.” Or maybe, “That must be nice, but I’ll never have a marriage like that.” Or perhaps you’ve settled for a less-than-happy marriage because you’ve convinced yourself that, “Happy marriages aren’t for everyone.” (more…) Read more

4 Ways to Survive a Politically-Divided Marriage

Last updated on: July 17, 2017 at 3:10 pm By Dave Willis

It's relatively easy to ignore opposing political opinions when they're coming from the internet or co-workers, BUT it's much harder to have a political divide when it's your spouse! Read more

The 5 signs of a REAL apology

Last updated on: February 29, 2016 at 3:43 pm By Dave Willis

We have ALL blown it before. We’ve all had times when we need to seek forgiveness and we’ve all had times when we need to extend grace to someone. One of the hottest songs on the radio right now has Justin Bieber singing, “Is it too late now to say Sorry?” And those simple lyrics represent a timeless question: How do we give a real apology and how do we know when someone is giving a real apology to us? (more…) Read more

10 questions every couple needs to ask

Last updated on: August 23, 2017 at 2:36 pm By Megan Schmidt

Do you ever find yourself having the SAME conversations over and over with your spouse? Communication in marriage can quickly get into rut when we get on autopilot and all our conversations center around “shop talk” (schedules for the week, errands to run, kids’ activities, bills, etc.). Healthy communication is a lifeline for your marriage, so we need to make it a priority (beyond the shop talk). Below are ten questions which could lead to some of the most intimate... Read more

3 ways to instantly improve your marriage

Last updated on: February 22, 2016 at 3:42 pm By Dave Willis

This past weekend, my amazing wife Ashley and I had the privilege of speaking at a marriage conference where we ended up learning much more than we taught! We interacted with some extraordinary couples from all walks of life. Some had been happily married for half a century, others were newlyweds, and some had overcome (or were in still in the midst of) some incredible challenges. Many of these couples shared with us their best marriage advice. These nuggets of marriage wisdom... Read more

The biggest mistake parents make

Last updated on: November 1, 2022 at 1:49 pm By Dave Willis

A few weeks ago when my family went to an amusement park. We had already paid a lot of money just to park the minivan in the parking lot, and now we were about to pay the inflated ticket prices at the park entrance. I was studying the sign and saw that said, “Children under age three admitted FREE.” Our son, Chandler, had just turned three years old a few days before. He’s small for his age and looks younger than three.... Read more