marriage Archives

New Study Disproves Three Myths about Cohabitation

We’re currently in the midst of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14), a yearly celebration that recognizes the importance of this most basic human institution.

We’re also living in an age where cohabitation rates are increasing, in part because our culture increasingly doesn’t value the importance of God’s sacred and foundational gift to men and women.

Too many couples simply don’t see the value in getting married. To them, “marriage is just a piece of paper.” From their vantage point, marriage doesn’t bring any added benefits as long as they’re “secure” in their relationship.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, marriage, pop culture, promos February 8, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

You’re Preparing for Valentine’s Day, But Are You Ready for the Day-to-Day?

Step into any drug store this week and you won’t be able to miss the fact that Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. The aisle filled with candy is beginning to grow crowded. The selection of cards is starting to get picked over. Open the paper or surf the Internet and you’ll see media outlets are beginning to run an assortment of holiday-related articles, from date ideas to odd gifts suggestions (“Name a roach to show your love,” anyone?).

Topics: Current Events Tags: marriage, promos, relationships February 7, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Lesson Adam and Eve Can Teach About Cherishing Your Spouse

“…to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

A lot of us recited similar vows at our wedding, but no sooner did we walk the gauntlet of flying rice than the word “cherish” began fading from our vocabulary. We didn’t mean for it to happen. The years went by, we settled into our lives, and we woke up one day with a marriage that was missing something deeper, more satisfying.

Visible light is perceived as only one color, but shine it through a prism, and you discover it’s actually a whole rainbow.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage January 23, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Steps of Kindness That Can Transform Your Marriage

Today’s broadcast has me thinking a lot about one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It reminds me of how I ought to conduct myself in the name of Christ. In Romans 2:4, Paul tells us that it’s “God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.”

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit – an expression of God’s nature through us – and one of the most powerful tools for Christians who wish to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world around them.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, promos January 12, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Honor Your Marriage by Cherishing Your Spouse

As we look forward to Honoring Marriage in February, I asked Greg Smalley, who heads up our marriage efforts, to guest blog on a sometimes-overlooked aspect of honoring marriage: cherishing your spouse. I hope the content Greg shares below will bless your marriage. -J.D.

I have been to many weddings in my lifetime, and I have heard couples declare their love for each other in ways that brought tears to my eyes. I have listened to words that caused me to laugh out loud, and sadly, I’ve heard couples say things that made me shake my head in disbelief.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage, promos January 11, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Do You View Your Spouse’s Differences?

Sometimes perspective is everything, isn’t it?

Take marriage as an example. It’s easy for husbands and wives to fixate on their differences, maybe because those differences can easily become the source of marital conflict.

From there, it’s only a short leap for a spouse to think that their way of doing things is better, or their thinking is superior.

It’s like a story I heard once of an English professor who wrote a simple sentence on the classroom board for his students to punctuate.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage January 5, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: A 96-Year-Old Man, the Wife He Misses, and a Love Song

Today I want to share some sad news, and to remember a good man.

Fred Stobaugh, the elderly widower whose love song for his wife of 75 years went viral in 2013, passed away on Nov. 23.

“Oh Sweet Lorraine” eventually made Fred the oldest person to appear on the Billboard’s Hot 100 – and even helped save marriages in the process. Truly, the love he had for his wife was inspiring.

I want to honor Fred today, as well as his sweet Lorraine, by re-running the original post I first shared three years ago.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, marriage, news, wife December 13, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

In Cooking and Marriage, a Little Spice Makes a Big Difference

I don’t cook dinner very often. I think Jean prefers it that way. Her degree is in bio-chemistry. Not only is she smart, but she naturally thinks in terms of precision. Recipes are to be followed. If the instructions call for one cup of flour, she’ll measure exactly one cup. She’ll even use a knife to scrape off the excess, so the amount is perfect. I’ve even seen her add more if it’s not quite full.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage December 9, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Finding New Life after the Death of a Spouse

No matter how strong your faith, the death of a spouse can rattle it. That’s how deeply a heart can be broken. The richer the love, the worse the suffering.

Tricia and Robb’s love was like that, thanks to God’s grace and a lot of hard work. Early on in their marriage, Tricia felt ungrateful for Robb. Over time, her ingratitude grew into openly criticizing him. His quirks and idiosyncrasies, once so charming, became irritating.

But Tricia and Robb got to work and built a strong and fulfilling marriage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, marriage December 1, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Avoid Christmas Debt

Jean, the boys and I are having a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday together. I hope your family is too.

Although depending on when Black Friday sales began in your neighborhood, Thanksgiving was probably over well before your clocks struck midnight earlier this morning.

The race to Christmas has begun.

With every retailer fighting over your hard-earned dollar for the next four weeks, do you worry it’ll take until next Christmas to get this Christmas paid off?

Americans spent nearly $580 billion last year for Christmas.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, marriage November 25, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura