International Marriage Travel in Morocco We love to travel. Recently we returned from an overseas trip to Morocco. It was the 58th country we’ve traveled to together. (We have a goal to visit 80 countries by the time we’re 80 years old and refer to it as “80 by 80!”) It was a marvelous time experiencing a new country and making memories together. We were building our marriage. Travel is something we enjoy. It’s a fulfilling adventure whether we are doing it as a vacation or as marriage conference speakers. Have you ever thought about going on an international trip as a couple? It really could ..read more

credit: PeopleImages “Happy New Year!” These words bring hope. Beginnings. New opportunities. Motivation. A chance to start again. Dreams. As a new year approaches, we look forward to the opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to improve our marriage.  According to a 2022 poll by YouGov, 37% of Americans said they had a goal or resolution they wanted to achieve in 2023. 87% said they were very or somewhat likely to keep it through the year. What would you like to achieve or do differently to build your marriage in the new year? What steps can you take to improve your marriage starting ..read more

Communication Problems in Marriage (credit: istockphoto, Fizkes) Communication problems in marriage can sabotage intimacy and connection, can’t they? Do you and your spouse struggle to communicate? We do. Do you desire more effective and meaningful conversations? We do. From time to time, most of us have difficulty expressing our thoughts, beliefs, or needs to our spouse. It’s normal. But what are the warning signs that you and your spouse are having serious problems communicating? According to a recent study by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), communication problems in marr ..read more

Brad & Heidi in South America celebrating 40 years of marriage! This summer we celebrated 40 years of marriage, a huge milestone. For us, it’s an epic accomplishment especially when we think of the struggles we had earlier in our marriage.  There was a season where we didn’t know if our marriage would survive or not. Thanks to the Lord, a lot of hard work, and a great counselor our marriage survived and today is stronger than ever.  Your marriage may be healthy and strong, or perhaps you’re in a challenging season, or maybe you’re ready to give up.  Whatever season you’re ex ..read more

Image credit: jacoblund Today is Father’s Day so we are celebrating the dads in our lives. If you were making a short list, what would you say makes a truly outstanding dad, one that rises above all others? There’s one perfect Father and it’s our heavenly Father. As we look at Him, we see the qualities of a great dad.  Here’s our list of the five traits an exceptional dad has. An exceptional dad… 1. Leads his family spiritually. Dads like this feed their own souls. They spend time reading the Bible, praying, and teaching their family about God. It’s from their own spiritual growth that th ..read more

Photo credit: PeopleImages What are you looking forward to this summer? We would love to hear your answers to that question. We’re looking forward to spending a lot of time with our kids and two grandchildren. And in June we are super excited to celebrate 40 years of marriage! Summer is a season to rest, reflect, and recharge. As a couple, take time to talk about the rhythm of your family this summer. What are your goals and priorities for your marriage and your children? What problems do you want to address and how will you measure success? How can you create fun memories with your kids? Wh ..read more

The #1 reason most people marry is love according to Pew Research. Many people have a healthy marriage that lasts for decades, but others don’t. How can you tell there may be trouble in your marriage? Istockphoto credit: Ridofranz Here are the twelve warning signs for your marriage… 1. Keeping secrets. Secret keeping indicates a lack of trust and respect for one’s spouse. It also can mean we are participating in activities we know our spouse would disapprove of and we don’t want to rock the boat. Be transparent with your spouse. It’s the way to build intimacy. 2. Prioritizing your children ove ..read more

We are excited to introduce you to our newest ministry partners at Build Your Marriage, Rex and Andrea Minor! \ We’ve known the Minors for over 24 years as colleagues in ministry and dear friends. Rex and Andrea now provide fee-based professional pastoral counseling for couples through Build Your Marriage. If you, or someone you know needs their ministry, read on to learn how to connect with them and share this post with others! Here’s a brief Q & A with Rex and Andrea… 1. Why are you passionate about marriages? Because we believe marriage is one of God’s best discipleship tools to grow us ..read more

Do you know couples who work together? Maybe they both work from home, or they are employed by the same company or educational institution. Perhaps they run a business together, live on a farm, or work in law enforcement. In our marriage we’ve worked together at various times. For eight years we were employed at the same church. Brad was the Senior Pastor and Heidi was the receptionist. Couples who work together share unique challenges.   So how can your marriage thrive when you work together?  What can you do to build your marriage? Here are five ideas… 1. Don’t compete w ..read more

Do you have a friend whose marriage is in trouble? You want to “be there” for them, but what does that look like? How can you help them and show them you care? Just as individuals are unique, so are marriage difficulties. A lot of factors can contribute to a troubled marriage – environmental stress, the emotional health of each spouse, length of the marriage, whether or not children are involved, and the level of commitment from each spouse. You may have seen trouble brewing in your friend’s marriage for a while. Or perhaps you were blindsided. Whatever the circumstances, your friend is hurti ..read more