Marriage with Jim and Teresa

10/16/2026

DATE NIGHT ISN’T JUST ABOUT WHERE YOU GO. IT’S ABOUT WHO YOU REMEMBER TO BE TOGETHER.

One of the easiest things to lose in a long marriage is the part of you that simply enjoys each other.

Not discussing bills.

Not solving problems.

Not talking about the kids.

Not managing schedules.

Just laughing.

Talking.

Eating something good.

Doing something fun.

Being husband and wife instead of two people running a household.

Teresa and I have learned that connection doesn’t always require something elaborate.

Sometimes it just requires intention.

A dinner.

A walk.

A movie.

A little music.

A reason to put everything else down and remember:

I still like this person.

Date night is not magic.

But it creates space.

And sometimes that space is exactly what a marriage needs.

When was the last time you and your spouse went somewhere just to enjoy each other?

10/12/2026

EVERY MARRIAGE HAS A LEFT TURN AND A RIGHT TURN.

Most mornings, when I come down these stairs, I have a choice.

Go left toward the comfort of the couch and refrigerator.

Or go right toward the gym.

One direction feels easier in the moment.

The other requires discipline.

Marriage works a lot like that.

Couples make those kinds of choices every day.

Go left and avoid the conversation.

Or go right and have it.

Go left and protect your pride.

Or go right and apologize.

Go left and keep score.

Or go right and forgive.

Go left and hope the problem fixes itself.

Or go right and get the help you need.

Here’s what Teresa and I have learned over more than 41 years:

Either way, you are choosing pain.

There is the pain of discipline.

And there is the pain of regret.

The pain of discipline may hurt now.

The pain of regret usually hurts later — and often longer.

Strong marriages are not marriages without pain.

They are marriages where two imperfect people keep choosing the kind of pain that leads to growth, healing, honesty, and connection.

And even then, we need grace.

Because two imperfect people cannot build a healthy marriage by willpower alone.

We need Christ.

So maybe the question is not:

“How do we avoid pain?”

Maybe the better question is:

“Which direction are we choosing in our marriage today?”

10/09/2026

DON’T GIVE YOUR MARRIAGE THE LEFTOVERS.

One of the easiest things to do in a long marriage is give your best energy everywhere else.

Work gets your focus.

Kids get your attention.

Church gets your service.

Friends get your laughter.

And then your spouse gets whatever is left.

Teresa and I have had to learn that a strong marriage does not stay strong on autopilot.

It still needs attention.

Conversation.

Laughter.

Affection.

Prayer.

Time.

Not because something is wrong.

Because something valuable is worth tending to.

Sometimes the problem is not that we stopped loving each other.

It’s that we stopped giving the marriage our best.

Your spouse should not always have to live on what remains after everyone else has had their share of you.

10/06/2026

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS A COUPLE CAN DO IS KEEP GROWING TOGETHER.

Teresa and I are still in Oklahoma City learning alongside other YouVersion content partners, and I’ve found myself thinking about something bigger than Bible plans.

After 41+ years of marriage, we are still learning together.

We still sit in rooms where someone knows more than we do.

We still ask questions.

We still talk afterward about what challenged us.

We still ask, “How can we do this better?”

That matters.

Because marriage can become stagnant when two people stop being curious.

Curious about each other.

Curious about God.

Curious about how they can grow.

Curious about what their next season might require.

A strong marriage is not two people who have everything figured out.

It’s two people who are still willing to grow together.

Don’t just grow old together. Keep growing together.

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

WE’RE STILL LEARNING HOW TO SERVE COUPLES BETTER.

Teresa and I are in Oklahoma City with YouVersion and other content partners, learning more about creating Bible plans for the Bible App.

After 41+ years of marriage, years of teaching, coaching, writing, and helping couples, we still believe one of the healthiest things a husband and wife can do is remain teachable together.

We’re not here because we’ve figured it all out.

We’re here because we want to keep growing in how we communicate biblical truth in ways that actually help people.

And honestly, that’s marriage too.

Healthy couples keep learning.

About each other.

About God.

About how to communicate.

About how to serve.

The goal isn’t to arrive.
It’s to keep growing together.

10/03/2026

STRONG MARRIAGES KEEP LEARNING TOGETHER.

Teresa and I are headed to Oklahoma City for three days with YouVersion and other content partners to learn more about creating Bible plans for the Bible App.

After more than 41 years of marriage, one thing we’ve learned is that strong couples never stop learning.

Not about marriage.

Not about each other.

Not about God.

And not about how to better serve the people He has placed in front of them.

We’ve taught together.

Written together.

Counseled and coached together.

Raised a family together.

But we’re still students.

Still asking questions.

Still stretching.

Still learning how to communicate timeless truth in ways that actually help people where they are.

That’s one of the things I love about doing life with Teresa.

We’re not just growing individually.

We’re still growing together.

And I think that matters more than most couples realize.

A healthy marriage is not two people who have figured everything out.
It’s two people who are still willing to learn together.

What’s something you and your spouse are still learning in this season?

10/01/2026

YOU DON’T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

Teresa and I have learned this one the hard way.

Sometimes one spouse is deeply bothered by something the other person honestly does not understand.

And that can become dangerous fast.

Because the temptation is to say:

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“That wouldn’t bother me.”

But marriage gets healthier when you learn this:

I don’t have to feel what you feel to respect that you feel it.

I don’t have to agree with every reaction.

I don’t have to see it exactly the way you do.

But if it matters to you, it should matter to me.

That’s part of loving someone well.

Not dismissing what we don’t understand.

Not making our own emotional reaction the standard.

Sometimes the most loving response is simply:

“Help me understand why this matters so much to you.”

That question has saved us from more than a few unnecessary arguments.

What do you think — does feeling understood matter more than being agreed with?