By Ricinda Perry “Would you edify me please?” These words have resonated and continued to replay in my mind over and over. It wasn’t long ago that my husband and I went on a trip to North Carolina. While the setting was warm and inviting during our stay, the couple we were visiting had no
By Ashley McIlwain The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. –Proverbs 18:21 What we say matters. It matters more than we think. With our words we can build up or tear down. That goes for our spouse, our marriage, our friendships, and our own
By Ashley McIlwain If someone were to keep a running list of all of my mistakes and missteps during my life, they would need the world’s largest notebook and a tenacious writing hand. The truth is I screw up all of the time and have since I can remember. Constantly, I battle between what I
By Ashley McIlwain Communication. It’s such a key component to every relationship, and yet, it’s also one of the most challenging. Many couples report problems in their relationship where communication has broken down. The issue is then perpetuated and escalated by the continued breakdown of their ability to converse about it. The inability to communicate
By Coleen York “Hey! How are you?” “I’m good! And yourself?” We speak these words most of the time without even really thinking. It’s become a standard greeting, almost as second nature as breathing. I’ve noticed though, that very rarely do we ever take the time to listen, REALLY listen, to what is on the
By Ashley McIlwain When I look around me, I realize how blessed I am with inspirational, successful marriages. My parents just celebrated their 37th anniversary. My sister and her husband their 11th. My husband, Steve’s, parents just celebrated 42 years. Just last month our board members, Greg and Rosemary, hit the 40 year mark. Steve’s
By Ashley McIlwain I feel like everywhere I turn someone is attacking or doubting the validity, significance, benefits, and splendor of marriage. It grieves my heart because marriage rocks. It really does, and I think a lot of why we’ve lost our sense of appreciation for it is because we’ve screwed it up so badly.
By Steve McIlwain Hubs here. Love is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some it’s a lifetime. For some it’s right now. For some it’s until it doesn’t work anymore. Our culture tells us that love is a fleeting sensation with an open exit door available whenever it fades. The idea
By Ashley McIlwain In a world of social media and smart phones, the concept of privacy is becoming extinct. We’re constantly being pulled into a self-revealing state of mind that beckons us to share that, post this, and all around put our private lives on public display. But how much is too much? I open
By Ashley McIlwain I cannot control life. My circumstances, the good and bad, my relationships, outcomes, the extent of my success – these are all things that are out of my control. Despite my best efforts, daily, I realize just how limited I really am. While frustrating, confusing, and sometimes angering, I find myself coming
