By Sharon Peterson Children are a blessing from the Lord. They can also create a strain on our marriage relationship. While children present challenges for both moms and dads (and especially if you are a single parent), In this post I want to focus on moms since they tend to be the most affected by the demands of parenting—particularly during [...]
"A child is a grenade. When you have a baby, you set off an explosion in your marriage, and when the dust settles, your marriage is different from what it was. Not better, necessarily; not worse, necessarily; but different." Nora Ephron, Heartburn Virtually every study that has looked at how people make the transition from couplehood to parenthood confirms her [...]
This past Sunday at our church, the speaker made a remark that he has learned more about Jesus' love for him through his relationship with his wife than any other means. I immediately concurred with that statement. My wife is God's gift to me to teach me about His love for me—and how I need to love others. Here are [...]
A few days ago I was talking with someone about the importance of friendship with our spouse and remarked that I believed having a deep friendship with your spouse is at the core of a healthy and happy marriage. It made me think about this article from Doctors Leslie & Les Parrott. They have some good things to say about [...]
Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m not a big fan of resolutions—at least not the New Year variety. Usually, I tend to follow through on resolutions when I am convinced—or convicted by the Holy Spirit—that I need to make a change, not simply because a new year is starting. That said, the new year seems like a good time [...]
This month we begin to look at Commitment 2: We will make growth and change our daily agenda. Marriage really is just a long-term exercise in gardening. If you’ve done any gardening you know there simply aren’t any shortcuts. Gardens begin with hard work. Clearing and tilling the land isn’t fun, but it’s essential. Digging holes for the seeds isn’t [...]
This month we continue looking at Commitment 5: We will deal with our differences with appreciation and grace. OK, you've acknowledged that you and your spouse are different. The problem you really need help with is not so much that you are different, but how your sinful choices when dealing with your differences deepen your trouble rather than solving it. [...]
Recently, my wife Sharon and I pulled out all the Christmas stuff to start transforming the decor of our home from Fall to Christmas. Turkeys were replaced by jolly Santas, and Fall leaves gave way to evergreens and the scent of pine. A big part of our yearly Christmas tradition has been going to cut down our Christmas tree [...]
In case you weren't aware, today is Groundhog Day. If you've ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray, you know that he is a TV weather reporter covering the Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA. The problem is, every day he wakes up, he finds himself re-living the same day over and over again. Maybe you've felt [...]
We've finally finished up the leftovers from our Thanksgiving feast and already we are wrapped up in anticipation of what lies ahead—Christmas! We really enjoy this time of year and have several family traditions that make it special for our whole family. We already have our tree up, because we go as a family to cut it down the day [...]
