May 20, 2025
What if . . . what if you could have a professional officiant? And what if that someone wasn’t a stranger . . . or even all that strange? Someone who is trained to create and hold ritual space? To speak about the marriage commitment in significant ways? Someone whose career and calling has been telling couples’ stories in consequential ways, setting them off on the marriage adventure with a few more tools in their belts?
May 1, 2024
And so we come to what is apparently the most challenging question I ask my couples. Why Marriage? Why are you getting married? Now, when I first started asking this question, I had no idea it would be so difficult. I didn’t intend for it to be difficult….
July 27, 2023
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…
October 14, 2022
“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…
September 22, 2022
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….
September 1, 2022
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…
August 18, 2022
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….
August 10, 2022
Oh, hey! It’s my third installment in debunking those pithy, and supposedly helpful, statements we all hear about marriage. So far, I’ve taken “Never go to sleep angry” and “Love conquers all” to task. This week? This one is a piece of work. “Marriage…
January 21, 2022
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…
October 7, 2021
When I was in high school, we had to read “A Tale of Two Cities.” Upon completing the book, I was angry. I mean really, really mad. I’d just spent a week reading an entire book only to have **spoiler alert** the hero die at the end. In fact, I was so upset,…
