• Date Night,  Relationship Advice

    Give Experiences Instead of Gifts This Valentine’s Day

    The results are in. Many of us, especially millennials, are choosing experiences over things. I’m no millennial, and I do like my things. But my husband and I have often commented that those things we own, if not careful, can sometimes hold us. They take our time, make us anxious, and can be taken away. I think my millennial friends might be onto something. My husband and I love to reminisce; when we do, it’s about our experiences. So, I thought I’d explore ways to give experiences instead of gifts this Valentine’s Day. Get ready to fall in love with these fun date ideas.   1. Take a class together.…

  • Relationship Advice,  Relationship Preparation

    Until Death Do Us Part

    My Dad died since we spoke last. It’s been two weeks, two days, and nine hours since I received the call. I’ve spent a lot of time pondering my Dad’s life and what it meant. It’s funny how you don’t think about those things in everyday life. Well, until death do us part. It’s a victorious story, and particularly relevant with Valentine’s Day upon us. I’ve written about the moment when I met my husband’s parents at age eighteen. I’ve explained how it marked me forever because it showed me what a healthy marriage looked like for the very first time, and it set me on a path toward achieving…

  • Life Advice,  Relationship Advice

    Turn Down the Noise for a Happy New Year

    This is an article from last year, with a few revisions. I think it’s worth re-sharing. The United Nations declared 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. How do you think we did? I think we can do better. It’s up to us, really. I’d like to suggest that in order to do that, we turn down the noise and have a truly happy new year. I have learned that the things to which we give our attention set our direction. And our direction determines our destination. I Learned This Lesson Early My husband, Bobby Martin, is a professional drag racer. He drives the race car, and one…

  • Communication in Marriage

    How To Show Appreciation To the Love of Your Life

    Growing up, my family had the best tradition at Thanksgiving. Gathered around the table, we would each take our turn and share what we were most thankful for that year. My brother was always funny, as he’d take the opportunity to poke fun at everyone for things that happened throughout the year. But then, right at the end, he’d hit us with the sentimental zinger that always made me and Mom cry. Dad and Mom always said they were thankful for the same thing every year: Family. I don’t remember what I said, but I recall how those words of appreciation reminded us that were weren’t just four people existing…