“my own vineyard I have neglected” Song of Songs 1:6 “my own vineyard is mine to give” Song of Songs 8:12 Like the muse in Janis Ian’s Grammy-winning, “At Seventeen,” the young bride in the Bible’s Song of Songs feels the sadness in lyrics like “dreams were all they gave for free to ugly duckling... The post The Romance of Redeeming Love appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

I used to think all I wanted was a marriage where we never fight and always feel head over heels in love. Come to find out, I want an authentic and raw marriage that adapts to the changing seasons of life. Marriage is loving each other through the messes: It’s brewing the other person a... The post I Still Do – Through The Messes and Chaos of Life appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

“Marriage can be a great stumbling block to spiritual growth.” It is in the confines of a marriage, the daily living together, the total commitment that we made to our spouses on our wedding day, that our deep-rooted selfishness as individuals is exposed. In the first few years of marriage, some of us discover that... The post Discovering Yourself in Marriage appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is more delightful than wine. (Song of Songs 1:2 NIV) Rascal Flatt’s Country song “I Love to Love you Out Loud,” narrates the story of a love so deep it erupts into public expression. In a similar way, the bride of the... The post Loving Out Loud appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

“I feel like a foreigner in this country without you.” I had only been away from home for a few days when my husband wrote these words to me. It doesn’t matter where we are in the world, if we are not together we feel just a wee bit ‘adrift’ as individuals. He feels ‘alone’... The post 6 Safeguards in Marriage appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

If I could go back in time twelve years and give myself advice as I prepare to marry my husband, I would give myself this advice: Never say divorce that first time. When my husband and I encountered our first few losses and became emotionally distant from one another, divorce rolled off my twenty-year-old tongue... The post Dear Younger Me appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

“So on the seventh day he (God) rested from all his work.” —Genesis 2:2b My family and I just returned from a vacation in Florida. As the days to leave approached, we packed, scouted out places where we wanted to eat, and talked about the different games we wanted to play at the beach. I... The post Four Ways to Mentally Rest on Vacation appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

“Observe, record, tabulate, communicate. Use your five senses. Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell, and know that by practice alone you can become expert.” ~William Osler God has created us with five main senses: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. We need to learn to incorporate, develop and use... The post Enrich Your Marriage by Using Your 5 Senses appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

“Every time I tried to tell you, the words just came out wrong, so I’ll have to say I love you in a song.” —Jim Croce Most of us find it difficult to express the emotions that at one moment excite and the next enervate us. Rich and I often commiserate with couples who express... The post Love is a Song appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more

“Our life is a constant journey, from birth to death. The landscape changes, the people change, our needs change, but the train keeps moving. Life is the train, not the station.” ~Paulo Coelho God is the One who has laid down the railway tracks of our lives. My husband Steve and I have a mutual... The post Marriage: A Single Line appeared first on Start Marriage Right ..read more