Family Blog

How to Transform Your Marriage into an Uncommon Marriage

We all want to have a strong marriage.

We all want to find joy and fulfillment and passion and friendship and love in our marriages. But more often than not, we’re left feeling discouraged and exhausted and empty. We begin with high hopes on our wedding day, only to find that things aren’t as easy and wonderful as we’d hoped.

So how can we transform our current marriage into an uncommon marriage? Coach Dungy has two practical ideas for you and your spouse:

1. Stay Focused on Your Marriage. First, it’s crucial that you prioritize your marriage. When you spend all your energy on your career and your kids and your hobbies, you come home exhausted at the end of the day. This leaves no energy for you to love your spouse well and invest in your marriage. So be sure to begin to intentionally save time and energy and love and heart for your spouse!
2. Let God Lead Your Marriage. And above all, be sure to let God lead you and your spouse in your marriage! When you are deciding how to discipline your children, look to Christ. When you are deciding how to spend your money, look to Christ. When you are deciding where to live or work or worship, look to Christ. Trust God to lead you in every aspect of your marriage!

What are some other bits of marriage advice you’ve heard over the years? We’d love for you to share in a comment below!

 

How to Persevere Through Failure

Everyone wants success. But few are willing to work through the failures along the way.

When we face failures in life, our first instinct is to give up. We feel defeated and lost and distraught, unsure of whether to continue pursuing our dreams. We allow our failures to paralyze us in fear and keep us from reaching ultimate success.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

In this life, we will chase after success in our careers and our marriages and our families. But no earthly success will bring us everlasting joy. Instead, all these successes (and failures!) are simply preparing us for the glory of Heaven, pointing us to God more and more.

So no matter what you face this week, trust that God is using your weaknesses AND your successes to prepare you for an eternity with Him.

Seeking God’s Voice in a World of Noise

There are tons of voices vying for your attention. Some are trustworthy voices: your spouse, your pastor, your close friends, or your coworkers.

But then there are the voices of this world. And these are the voices we must watch out for.

There are the voices on social media, asking why your life isn’t as fun and exciting as everyone else’s. There are the voices on television, telling you that you should act this way or that way. And there are even the voices in your own head, suggesting that you should fear change, that you should try harder, and that you’ll never be good enough.

But there’s one voice that trumps all other voices–good and bad. And that is the voice of the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

So don’t get swept up in the noise of this world. Instead, keep your eyes on Christ this week and seek after HIS voice!

How to Trust God with Your Marriage

Whether you’ve been married for months or years or decades, there’s one thing that all married couples have in common: they don’t have it all figured out. In other words, even the most seasoned of couples are still learning each and every day.

Nothing can prepare you for marriage. No book or conversation or podcast can fully convey the depth of a shared covenant between two people. So when you take your vows on your wedding day, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Questions crop up and answers are no where to be found. How should you handle your money? How should you raise your kids? How should you decide what church to attend and where to live and where to work? The list of questions goes on and on and on.

But God comforts us with Isaiah 40:28-31 which says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

In other words, you don’t have to have it all figured out. You simply have to trust that God will lead you and your spouse through all the questions that come along with marriage. So take your spouse’s hand this week and walk forward, asking God to guide your steps and help you trust Him more.

3 Simple Reminders of Who God Is

Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day tasks of life, that we forget simple truths about who our God is. We fall into a mindset of focusing on life’s struggles–neglecting what we’ve learned about God’s goodness.

So today, we want to take some time to remind you (and us!) about God’s character so that we’re better prepared to walk through life with hope and love.

1. God Created Us. First and foremost, we need to remember that God created us. He designed our innermost being and therefore knows us better than anyone else. This means that He is the best person to turn to in times of trouble because He is sovereign and just.
2. God Will Never Leave Us. It’s also important to remember that God will never leave us. We all face trials in life: we lose our job, we get into arguments with our spouse, we mess up as a parent, we find out a friend is sick. But no matter the situation, we have to keep in mind that God is always with us–working things together for our good!
3. God Will Always Love Us. Above all, we must always keep in mind that God loves us. No matter how far we’ve strayed from him, no matter what we’ve done, and no matter how guilty or shameful we feel, God will never stop chasing after our hearts.

What are some other truths about God that we need to be reminded of? Share your thoughts in a comment below!

The Power of Your Mind

Have you ever heard that saying, “What is down in the well comes up in the bucket”? In other words, what we feel in our hearts eventually comes out of our mouths–good or bad.

For some of us, this is a comforting thought because our minds are full of good things. We have love for our neighbors, admiration for our spouse, and care for our children.

But for others, this is an uncomfortable thought because our minds are darker than we’d like to let on. We are constantly battling jealousy over our neighbors, bitterness towards our spouse, and frustration towards our children. We can’t imagine if what was down in the well came up in the bucket! So how can we take the first step to changing this?

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think on these things.” This is God’s instruction to us. If we want to speak kindly, then we must think kindly. When you begin to judge or doubt or lust, chase those thoughts out of your mind! Instead, focus on what is true and honorable and pure.

So this week, we want to challenge you to reset your mind and fill your heart with good things!

How to Press on Through Failure

You’re going to fail in life; it’s inevitable.

You’re going to upset your client. You’re going to disappoint your boss. You’re going to forget your friend’s birthday. You’re going to offend your spouse. You’re going to break a promise to your kids. In life, failing is inevitable.

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But the story doesn’t end there. Your moment of failure isn’t your final moment. Instead, it’s up to you to stand up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward.

God’s word encourages us in Philippians 3:14 which says, “…one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.”

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So don’t let your past keep you in chains. Ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and press on!

What to Do When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

Are you disappointed with the way your life is turning out?

Maybe you had a very specific plan for how you wanted your life to go. Maybe you hoped to be married. Maybe you hoped to have kids. Maybe you hoped to own your own business. Maybe you hoped to be free of debt. Maybe you hoped to own your own home.

We all have hopes and dreams. But oftentimes, life doesn’t go as planned.

So what do we do when we look around and realize that our lives are not where we hoped they’d be? Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

In other words, we’re called to trust God despite unforeseen or discouraging circumstances. And we must remember that change is always possible when our faith is in Christ.

How to Stay Content

Contentment is not an easy thing to experience in today’s culture.

We face commercial after commercial after commercial, enticing us with the latest trends and fashions and gadgets. There’s always something new vying for our attention, promising to (finally!) make us happy.

So how can we remain happy and optimistic and content in our lives despite the culture we live in?

Philippians 4:12-13 says, “I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation: whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

In other words, we need to stop chasing after what we don’t have. We need stop believing that more money or more love or more affirmation will make us happy. And instead, we need to rest in who God is and the strength we have in Him. Because this is a blessing that will never be taken from us. Then, and only then, will we find true contentment.

Why You Don’t Have to Figure it Out

Over the years, it’s inevitable that we learn. We grow and change and figure things out. We understand what’s good for us and what’s not, what’s healthy and uplifting and what’s unhealthy and harsh.

And in the back of our minds, we begin to believe that one day we’ll have it all figured out. So we strive for that day, hoping that eventually no more mistakes will be made.

But here’s the truth: we’re never going to have it all figured out. Never. Life is one long season of learning, and we will continue to learn lessons each and every day. And while this may be discouraging to hear, it’s actually a blessing in disguise. Why?

Exodus 14:14 says, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” In other words, God doesn’t want us to have it all figured out. He doesn’t want us to have it all together. Instead, He wants us to be able to rely on Him and His perfect grace.

So don’t worry about figuring it all out. Simply lean into God and know that He will continue to fight for you.