Marriage

No one bears more responsibility for the spiritual trajectory of his household than the spiritual leader of the home, the husband. Husbands must lead by example, leading their wives and children in prayer, worship, and the study of God’s Word. There are responsibilities that belong to husbands and fathers, not simply pastors or other ministers.

A marriage thrives when both the husband and wife love Christ more than anyone in life, including their spouse. And when they look to The Lord as their provider - rather than demanding their spouse meet all their needs. When you learn to devote your heart to loving the Lord, there will be a natural outpouring of thankfulness and God's love spilling out of your heart and onto those around you - especially your marriage partner.

Regardless of your current financial situation, there is always hope (for your marriage and finances) when you start talking to one another and addressing what God says matters most.

“Leave and cleave” seems old-fashioned, but what can we learn from it?

Between all the decorating, shopping, baking, and gift-wrapping, it can be a busy time of year when you may wonder how you are going to fit anything else in, much less a date night! However, well-orchestrated holiday date nights may be just what your love needs to keep the festive spark alive and well! Besides that, it may even make all the other things on your to-do list a little less daunting.So, whether you make time to catch the latest cheesy holiday rom-com, fall down in a bed of snow to make angels, or attend a local festive event, the holiday season marks a perfect time to create special date nights that will speak your love language and touch your romantic heart. Ahh, feel the weight of all the holiday stress slowly melt away.Sounds great, right? But maybe the thought of getting childcare, trying to find the right event, or planning something special among all the other holiday things you have to do sounds more overwhelming than enjoyable. I can understand that. When our daughters were younger, we didn’t always seize the opportunity to go out. However, we did make a pack with a few friends to switch off childcare nights, and let me tell you - that was such a blessing! Finding ways to pre-plan now may be all you need to take the chance and make the most of your date nights together!Now, are you ready? Discover some unique and fun date nights below that are guaranteed to spice up your love this holiday season and get you both in the Christmas spirit.

As wives, we want to show our husbands they are loved. Our gifts are a chance to let them know they are appreciated and seen. Consequently, we women can feel a bit of pressure when shopping for our husbands. We are often also bearing the load of shopping for everyone else in our homes, too! All the planning, budgeting, buying, and more add a layer of stress to this time of year for most married women.

As a Type 6, he fears not having security or support and being blamed, targeted, or abandoned. He wants security, guidance, and loyalty. When he is facing something intense or challenging, he wants to talk about it. As a Type 9, I fear conflict and tension. I want peace and harmony. I'll forget myself and go along to get along and end the conflict.

The Christmas season can be very hectic for couples. With everything that must be done, it leaves little room for romance. However, intentional couples can still spark romance in their relationships while getting into the Christmas spirit. Regardless of a couple’s budget, the suggestions below will help them enter the Christmas spirit while sparking a little romance. Here are seven romantic dates to get couples in the Christmas spirit:

In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to get so caught up in the doing that we disconnect from our spouse. There’s always a task that needs to be completed and a plethora of things and people vying for our attention. We get into our routines and, somewhere along the way, forget to communicate—not just schedules and needs, but the important things, like how much they mean to us and why we appreciate them.It can be challenging to show my spouse consistently that I appreciate what he does. I don’t know about you, but I am pretty good at expressing and demonstrating my appreciation for other people in my life, whether it’s my kids, coworkers, people at church, even the clerk at the grocery store. Unfortunately, sometimes I neglect to put that same effort into sharing how much I love, value, and appreciate my spouse and all he does.My husband works full-time to provide for us so I can homeschool our two children. He also cooks dinner almost every night (I am a terrible cook, and, thankfully, he loves to cook) and helps in countless other ways every day with the kids, household, various projects, and so much more. After 16 years of marriage, it’s easy to fall into our routines and take for granted the many ways my spouse blesses me every day, which is why I’ve started being more intentional with showing my spouse how much I appreciate him.Here are seven simple ways to let your spouse know how much you value them:Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Bernardbodo

Just like you distribute your earnings to pay bills and meet basic expenses, make giving a budget item that is an essential part of expenditures.

As believers, there should be issues that are offensive to our God and should stoke righteous anger. When the enemy is tampering with our marriage, that is most certainly a time to be angry – with the enemy!

Since the season of thanks is upon us, let's go ahead and recognize the one person in our life that we should appreciate the most, our spouse. It is so easy to set aside our love for them in our hustle and bustle society, neglecting those precious notions that bless our spouse. We allow all the other things vying for our attention to take place in front of them. It's super easy to do and often feels like our relationship with our spouse is like two ships passing in the night. There are many days my hubby and I hardly get a word in to each other during the day; we are running here and there and are exhausted. We fall into bed, say a soft goodnight, and I lay there realizing that we didn't even have a meaningful conversation that day, just maybe a few texts here and there. We are committed to spending our life with our spouses; shouldn't we prioritize that? Prioritizing our love for them and showing them gratefulness for who they are not only builds the bonds of marriage but creates peace in the relationship.In Ephesians 4:2-3, we read, "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." In this passage, Paul is encouraging the people of Ephesus. He is reminding them that they are part of the body of Christ, and we are His representatives and should be shining the light of Jesus in how we live our lives. How much more should we be shining Christ's love in our own families, especially to our spouses?Here are four ways to show your spouse you are grateful for them:Photo credit: ©Getty Images/YakobchukOlena

You can find this phrase on trendy home decorations and throw pillows, but can you find it in the Bible? Either way, does it prove to be true?

We can see that marriage is an intimate and complementing union between a man and a woman in which the two become one physically, in the whole of life.

If happiness is your primary expectation of marriage, you will most likely find yourself disillusioned and disappointed. Let's talk about God's view of marriage.