My wife Ashley and I hosted a marriage conference this past weekend. We love doing those kinds of events, because we get the opportunity to connect with couples and hear about their joys and their struggles. I met one man who’s trying to keep his marriage intact and he told me a heartbreaking (but familiar) story. They weren’t trying to hurt each other, but they didn’t seem to know how to stop doing it. (more…) Read more
My wife Ashley and I just had our fourth baby. Having a new baby in the house has made me feel more nostalgic than usual and I’ve reflected back on my own childhood. I’ve thought about the memories that stick out in my mind and I think about the memories I want my own children to hold onto. I want to be intentional about every precious moment. (more…) Read more
This is a picture of my great grandparents, William and Lucille Willis, the first five of their nine children and my great great grandmother who lived with them in their two-room farmhouse. My grandpa was their oldest son (on the far left of the photo) and my Dad was their first grandchild. Dad spent much of his childhood on their farm in Chandler, Indiana and he still recounts those memories as the greatest of his life. (more…) Read more
Last week, I did one of the most difficult things of my life. A friend of mine from church who has suffered with chronic pain made the desperate decision to end his own life. I got the call from his heartbroken sister. I learned that my friend’s mother didn’t yet know the tragic news. I felt that I needed to be part of walking with this family through their darkest hour, so I volunteered to go with with the siblings and tell... Read more
I recently received an email from a woman who was having an emotional affair. The sad-but-familiar story began by describing a “friendship” she had developed with a man at work and it had progressed into something much more. The relationship hadn’t yet crossed into physical/sexual contact, but they were flirting with the idea and getting closer to those forbidden lines with each passing day. (more…) Read more
As I’ve worked with couples in crisis, one pattern I’ve observed is that most unhealthy couples share a common trait: A lack of trust and honesty. Healthy couples, by contrast, always have strong levels of trust and honesty. In marriage, your level of intimacy with each other will always be based on your level of honesty with each other. I’m not always in favor of “tests” in marriage, but there may be times when it is helpful to evaluate and... Read more
Recently, my amazing wife Ashley recently wrote an insightful post on “The Big Lie that leads to a Lonely Marriage” and it stirred up a lot of conversations. Through those conversations, we’re learning that many individuals feel “alone” in their marriage. There are different degrees of loneliness in marriage, and we’ve heard statements like this: “My husband just doesn’t understand me.” “I’m the only one who seems to care about this marriage.” “My wife doesn’t seem to care about my needs.” “We’re just going... Read more
I used to think I was a good listener. Being a “good listener” is one of those things most people think about themselves. We all believe we’re good drivers, good listeners, and have a good sense of humor, but listening is one of those areas where we don’t see our own blind spots. I learned this the hard way. (more…) Read more
Below is a simple exercise to help you evaluate your dreams and priorities, but first, I have to tell you an amazing story. Something crazy happened to me this week. I was offered one million dollars. Here’s what happened… A few years ago, I started the Facebook “Marriage” Page and it currently have over 840,000 subscribers and reaches over one million people every week with marriage-building tips and tools. It’s a great privilege to be able to encourage couples all over the world.... Read more
Yesterday, I shared a post on the 5 things your wife needs every day, and it stirred up a LOT of conversations. As promised, I’m writing the sequel and focusing in on the daily needs of husbands. Understanding each other’s needs is vital to the longterm health and happiness of your marriage. As I stated in the first post, this list isn’t meant to be comprehensive or universally applicable to every single marriage (because we’re all unique), but I do believe these... Read more
Dave Willis
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