PILLAR: PRAISE There we were, standing inside this big wooden heart at Dollywood. And when I looked at this picture later, I started thinking about how easy it is to stand beside the person you love every day and forget to tell them what is still in your heart. Bill and I have been together long enough that I could easily assume he already knows how I feel about him. He knows I love him. He knows I appreciate him. He knows I am thankful for him. But does that mean I should st

Prayer: Inviting God Over, Around, and Between Us Looking at this picture of Bill and me standing underneath that massive natural bridge, I couldn't help but think about covering. There we are, smiling together, while this enormous rock formation towers over us. We look pretty small underneath it! And maybe that's not such a bad picture of marriage. Because as much as Bill and I love each other, neither one of us is big enough or strong enough to cover everything the other pe

Meditation Pillar This week Bill and I had a little fun with one of those AI photo filters that transformed us into a colonial couple living in early Maryland. We both laughed at how realistic it looked. For a moment, it felt like we had stepped back into history. But after the laughter, I found myself thinking... Every generation has faced challenges in marriage. The clothing has changed. The technology has changed. The distractions have changed. But the heart of marriage ha

The Sabbath Together Pillar "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." — Mark 6:31 After pouring ourselves into the women at our Return to the King retreat in Kentucky, Bill and I did something we desperately needed. We rested. Not for a few hours. Not for one evening. But for an entire week. And what a gift it was. We headed west into the beautiful mountains of West Virginia, where God reminded us once again that He is the greatest Artist of all. Our fi

The Action Pillar "Serve one another humbly in love." — Galatians 5:13 (A little note before we begin...) First, forgive us for getting this week's blog out a little later than usual. Bill and I are currently enjoying a much-needed vacation together, and we've been soaking up every minute of this precious time. We'll share more about that adventure in next week's blog. For now, I wanted to share something that has been on my heart since our Return to the King retreat in Kentu

The Action Pillar One of the things I love most about Bill is that he is always willing to come along on my adventures. Sometimes he's a little more... cautious than I am. Take the Freedom 250 Festival, for example. We spent a couple of evenings walking the fairgrounds together. We rode the Ferris wheel, explored the exhibits, listened to music, and made memories celebrating America's 250th birthday. By the end of the night, we were exhausted. Between all the walking, the sum

Reconcile Daily by Choosing to See Your Spouse Again I think all of us can fall into this trap. We stop seeing our spouse as the person we fell in love with and begin seeing them only through the lens of responsibilities. Bill becomes... the nanny. the driver. the one who takes out the trash. the one who fixes things. Jodie becomes... the ministry leader. the grandmother. the employee. the planner. Without realizing it, we stop seeing the man or woman we once couldn't wait to

Why Connection Must Be Intentional Recently, Bill and I had the privilege of participating in a marriage roundtable discussion at our church. As we listened to other couples share their stories, experiences, and lessons learned, one theme kept surfacing over and over again: Healthy marriages stay connected on purpose. No one accidentally builds a strong marriage or wakes up one day and discovers they have drifted closer together. Connection requires intention. And in today's

Why protecting your peace is more important than winning an argument Bill and I rarely fight. In fact, after nearly sixteen years of marriage, I can count on one hand the things that truly get under my skin. But there is one thing that can make me grip the armrest a little tighter… Bill's driving. Now before he reads this blog and starts defending himself, let me just say: he is an excellent driver. However, he also likes to drive a little closer to other cars than I would pr

Adding Color to Your Marriage When Bill and I wrote Pamper Your Marriage, we didn't just want couples to learn the pillars, we wanted them to live them. But here's something I've discovered after nearly fifteen years of marriage: Even healthy marriages need fresh paint from time to time. Not because they're broken. Not because they're failing. But because life has a way of making everything feel ordinary if we're not intentional. Walls fade. Furniture gets worn. And relations

Praise Pillar Focus - Sometimes Appreciation Grows in Absence This week I learned that my Superman's greatest superpower isn't what he does for our family, it's knowing where his strength comes from. Last week, Bill was out of town helping his family. Of course, I missed him. But what surprised me most wasn't how much I missed his companionship. It was how much I missed everything he does. You see, Bill is the primary "nanny" in our household. Living with my daughter and gran

Finding Joy Together Even in Seasons of Grief This past Sabbath, Bill and I found ourselves laughing, singing, and making silly faces at a dueling piano bar with our family. And honestly? It was healing. My daughter had arranged the evening for all of us as a way to celebrate my brother’s life together. What could have been only a night of sadness became something surprisingly beautiful - a night filled with stories, music, laughter, and connection. As I looked around the tab

Trusting God With the Seeds We Plant This past weekend, Bill and I had the opportunity to do a book signing at the John 3:16 Bookstore. And honestly? We were so excited just to be there. A couple days before the signing, we were also invited to share our story and ministry on the John 3:16 podcast. Sitting together and talking about marriage, faith, healing, and the heart behind Pamper Your Marriage reminded me why we wrote this book in the first place. Not to become famous.

When Marriage Requires Grace, Space, and Spiritual Strength Life has a way of becoming very full. Right now, Bill and I are living with my daughter and helping care for our grandchildren. It’s a beautiful season… but also a busy one. And if I’m being honest, I’ve noticed something lately. I’ve been intentionally pouring so much time into my daughter, our family, and everything around me… that sometimes I unintentionally neglect giving time to Bill. Not because I don’t love hi

When Serving Becomes a Language of Love The other night, Bill brought me a plate. Not just any plate… A beautifully arranged platter of fresh vegetables and fruit. Simple. Intentional. Thoughtful. And in that moment, I was reminded of something so powerful: Love isn’t just spoken… it’s served. Bill has always been someone who shows love through his actions. He doesn’t always say a lot…(And if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t mind hearing it a little more often 😉) But he lives it

When Your Marriage Becomes the Ground Where Vision Grows Recently, I created a vision board for Pamper Your Marriage as well as every area in our life. Not just a collage of dreams…But a declaration of what I believe God is building through our marriage. And if I’m being honest… I don’t fully see the path yet. But we are praying into it. There are moments in our walk with God where He shows us what… But not always how. I can clearly see: Strong, God-honoring marriages Couples

The Power of Building Each Other Up As Bill and I continue seeking God for the path to the mountaintop vision He’s placed in our hearts, we have realized something important… Even when the path isn’t clear, there is always something to praise. We don’t fully see where God is leading yet. We have seen glimpses. We have felt confirmation. We have taken steps. But the full picture? Not yet. And in this space, we have a choice: We can grow frustrated…Or we can grow grateful. So w

The Meditation Pillar in Marriage Last week, I shared how Bill and I discovered something powerful while reading Hebrews 4 that rest is the first step . It was exactly what we needed in that moment—to stop striving and trust God before trying to figure anything out. But what we didn’t realize at the time was… that was just the beginning. Bill and I have been talking a lot about the vision God has placed on our hearts. I can see it clearly. I can feel it. I believe it’s from G

This past Sabbath, Bill and I had one of those moments where you just know… God is speaking. Not loudly. Not dramatically. But clearly. A Mountaintop Vision… Without the Path Before our devotional time, we had been reading Crazy Faith by Michael Todd together. One line stood out to us: "God will either give you the path to the mountaintop…or the mountaintop view without the path." And that hit home. Because I’ve been carrying a vision. A mountaintop vision. I can see it. I c

Bill and I just had another beautiful Sabbath Together weekend , and I’m reminded again how powerful it is to simply… pause. No rushing. No pressure. Just presence. 💕 This weekend looked simple—resting, laughing, and yes… playing Qwirkle together (which got a little competitive 😄). But what may look ordinary on the outside was actually sacred on the inside. Because Sabbath isn’t just about stopping work…It’s about making space for connection . In our Pamper Your Marriage D