Last night I dreamt that my cousin, Nancy, and her husband, Greg, were marrying after years together. First of all, in typical dream-like-suspension-of-reality, this is absurd. Nancy and Greg are married, and have been for years. They have…
I always blog on our anniversary. This, I suppose, is obvious, as I am clearly thinking about marriage, our marriage, and the nature of intimate relationships. And I am, as always, grateful for my spouse and our partnership. As I’ve mentioned…
“We will be friends until forever, just you wait and see.” – Winnie the Pooh I did not marry my best friend. Did you? For many of my couples, yes. They happily say they are marrying their best friend. I love that. I think it is likely more common to…
I knew this day was coming. Of course I did. It’s marked on my calendar, but I often wonder why I bother. It’s not like my mind, my body, my heart need the reminder. Today marks a full decade without my Mom. The motherless decade. I often say that time…
The thick of early-childhood parenting is stressful. At least it was for us. All of a sudden we had this not-so-easy baby/toddler making demands on us while we juggled work and running a house. I know some folks just fly first-class into parenthood….
Everything is hard. That is my mantra these days. I acknowledge that, perhaps, it is not the best mantra. But I am not known among family and friends for being the perpetual ray of sunshine. Instead, I am known for my commitment to speaking the…
I’ve spent the past three weeks amusing myself (and hopefully you) by poking holes in bad marriage advice. Each time, I’ve attempted to present more honest truths about marriage, and wonder more creatively about the marriage relationship….
I recently led a workshop on rethinking rituals at Phillips Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While planning out the class, I asked my colleague and friend, Professor Allie Utley, what she thought those attending might want to hear. Without hesitation,…
It’s engagement season. Which means wedding planning begins in earnest for many couples. Beautiful notebook planners are being purchased, budgets set, and timelines established. Well, here is a reminder as you launch into vendor interviews:…
I have spent the past few weeks laser-focused on rituals – what they are, why we have them, the whole nine yards. Why? Well, I am teaching a workshop on “non-churchy” rituals for colleagues at Phillips Seminary in Tulsa next week, and I sure want…