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Marriage

A male and female couple walk hand-in-hand into an orange sunset. Soul mates are not mentioned in the Bible, but the bible offers all kinds of advice on how to build a lasting relationship with your spouse.

Soul Mates: What Does the Bible Say About Discovering Love?

The term “soul mate” does not appear in the Bible. However, the Bible does provide us with plenty of guidance to help us form lasting relationships.

A young bride and groom stand in a beautiful, mountainous landscape at the edge of a lake. Watch out for these unrealistic expectations in marriage.

How to Overcome Unrealistic Expectations in Marriage

Learn how to identify the two most unrealistic expectations in marriage and open the door to a healthy relationship with your spouse.

A couple sitting across from each other hold hands, in support of each other. Be on the lookout for warning signs of mental health issues.

Warning Signs that Your Spouse Has Mental Health Issues

When spouses stay alert to changes in each other, they can catch warning signs of possible mental health issues early on and seek the help they need.

A man places the ring on a finger of his bride at their. There is much power in the marriage vows.

Living Together but Not Married? Consider the Power of the Vow

A marriage vow is a special and powerful promise — and we need it for many reasons. If you’re living together but you’re not married yet, consider the power of the vow.

A man and a woman are standing together at their wedding. The woman is wearing a floral headpiece and a white dress, while the man is dressed in a dark suit.

5 Traditional Marriage Vows: What They Mean and Why They’re Still Important

There’s a reason traditional marriage vows have endured for centuries.

A young couple sits at a table, stressed out over finances. Financial abuse in marriage is a real problem.

What Is Financial Abuse in Marriage?

Darby Strickland, a counselor and teacher at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, defines financial abuse in marriage and offers advice for helping wives who are oppressed in this way.

Shadow of a man with an abusive wife. He sits alone with his head in his hands, grappling with the fact that women abuse men too.

Male Abuse in Marriage? Why an Abusive Wife Is No Laughing Matter

Can men experience abuse in marriage? Why is it so hard to see a man as a victim of abuse?

A man comforts his sad wife. Here's how to help a depressed spouse.

How to Help a Depressed Spouse

It’s not easy to know how to help a depressed spouse, but this advice can get you started.

A young husband pleads his case with his wife while she holds her head in frustration. The wife wants better communication.

Wife Wants Better Communication in Marriage: A Guide for Mentors

When talk between spouses seems shallow to them, what’s missing? How can you help a couple have better communication in marriage?

A young wife gives her husband encouragement.

Encouraging Your Spouse through Positive Communication

Couples can build a healthy marriage when they offer encouragement to bring about change, growth and the fulfillment of potential.

A husband and wife sitting on a couch talking to each other. There are four types of communication to strengthen your marriage.

Four Types of Communication to Strengthen Your Marriage

The key to a great marriage is communication. What kind of communication? Dr. Greg Smalley recommends couples have four key marriage conversations.

Promotional image for the Focus on the Family broadcast "Identifying Triggers in Your Marriage"

Identifying Triggers in Your Marriage (Part 1 of 2)

Based on their book Marriage Triggers, Amber and Guy Lia discuss common, everyday things – from house cleaning and backseat driving to workaholism and lack of intimacy – which can provoke anger and tension in marriage. Our guests explain how couples can identify those ‘triggers’ and deal with them in a healthy way. Jim Daly’s …

A man and a woman sit next to each other on a couch, with the man looking away off in the distance while the woman lowers her head and wipes away tears.

Should I Stay Or Go?: When Marriage Vows Are Betrayed

If you’re struggling with the difficult choice of whether to stay in a less than perfect marriage, the answer you seek feels heartbreakingly complicated. Because it is.

A photo of a man hiding a bouquet of roses and a gift box behind his back as a surprise for Valentine's Day.

25 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Your Spouse

It’s not always easy to find the right gift for your spouse. We’re here to help with a list of Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him or her. Check it out!

Photo of a woman's arms holding off a man's arms in a struggle.

What Is Sexual Abuse in Marriage?

Darby Strickland, a counselor and teacher at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, defines sexual abuse in marriage and explains how wives are oppressed in this way.

A small red toy fire truck holds wooden blocks spelling out “LOVE,” symbolizing the strength and importance of love in a first responder marriage.

15 Tips To Resuscitate Your First Responder Marriage

All relationships take work, but your first responder marriage may make the Jones’ look like a coffee-fetching “internship.”

Advent Reflection - Painting of husband and wife driving wagon, with church, playing children, and ladies in the background by Morgan Weistling.

A Lasting Love: Advent Reflections for Couples

Seasonal devotions based on a frontier painting by Morgan Weistling

Man takes care of his chronically ill spouse with love throughout marriage.

Love and Trust through Chronic Illness in Marriage

Monica wondered if Brent would still love her if she couldn’t be everything she had always dreamed of being as a wife. What impact would being bedridden for weeks or sometimes months have on a brand-new marriage?

Childhood trauma

Is Childhood Trauma Impacting Your Marriage?

Each person comes to their wedding with a unique set of life experiences and levels of childhood trauma that impact the marriage relationship.

Is ‘Overwhelm’ Hurting Your Marriage?

Insidious, overwhelm is the urgent that competes with – and often wins – in the daily war between the important and the urgent.