How in-synch are you and your spouse when it comes to money? On a scale of 1-10, with 1 meaning you’re living on separate financial planets and 10 meaning you complete each other’s financial sentences, where on the scale would you put your marriage? Now do quick reality-check by asking your spouse the same question. […]
Every healthy relationship involves conflict. In fact, psychologist John Gottman, who has spent more than 20 years studying what makes marriages last, believes that “fighting . . . can be one of the healthiest things a couple can do for their relationship.” In his book, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, which I highly recommend, Gottman […]
Have you ever felt like a stranger living in a strange land? Like somehow you’ve woken up in a place where you don’t speak the language? I felt that way while watching a morning news segment about financial infidelity. The host mentioned the results of a national survey in which: 71% of married Americans acknowledged […]
A divorce attorney once told me that when money is the issue that comes between couples, as it often is, the most common problem is that the spouses were living separate financial lives. Often, unbeknownst to the other, one was taking their relationship to the edge of a financial cliff, usually by racking up a […]
As we prepare to close out 2017, here’s a look back at this blog’s most popular articles from the past year—the top 10, along with a few extras. My hope in sharing them is that they may spur some ideas that’ll help you plan ahead for a great 2018. 1. The Case Against Frugality. With apologies […]
When my friend, Craig, lost his mom to cancer, it was a defining experience for him. He loved his mom. That was obvious by the moving tribute he gave during her memorial service. But he often thought of her simply as a hard-working, low-income single mom, not as a woman of significant influence. During a […]
My new book, “Money & Marriage”, free on Kindle and Nook this week only, has just been released and is already causing something of a stir. The first reviewer on Amazon slammed the book, complaining that I and/or my publisher “left out the very pertinent fact that this is a religious book.” The reviewer went […]
I couldn’t be more excited that this week marks the official release of my new book, “Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples.” It’s been on my heart to write this book for a long, long time. I’m sure it isn’t news to you that money is a very common […]
With the hype that surrounds each holiday, it’s easy to get jaded and miss all that’s good about the occasion. This year, what helped me focus on the best parts of Valentine’s Day was rereading one of the most powerful love letters I’ve ever come across. Union Army Major Sullivan Ballou wrote the letter to […]
“He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” – John 21:5-6 Do you have any […]
