Ideas for returning to each other.
Browse the Journal.
Search for something specific, or browse by format and topic.
Searches titles, descriptions, topics, categories, and the full text of every published Journal piece.
More topics
Latest from the Journal
Fresh essays and stories for the conversations, seasons, and ordinary moments that shape a marriage.
Search the Journal
Results from across all published Essays and Stories.

EP 3: Eli Said “I’m Fine.” Naomi Believed Him.
Eli says he’s fine. Naomi makes the apparently reckless decision to believe him. What follows is a mildly ridiculous evening of sighs, hidden meanings, family interference, and one important discovery: being deeply known is not the same thing as being magically readable.

Your Spouse Is Not a Mind Reader. Unfortunately.
We want our spouse to know us deeply—but sometimes “you should just know” turns love into a guessing game. Here’s why clearer communication can actually make marriage feel more, not less, intimate.

How to Reconnect With Your Spouse After a Busy Week
When life gets crowded, reconnecting doesn’t require a perfect date night. Start with a few small, intentional returns to each other.

EP 2: Grace Has Been Ready Since 6:22. Andre Is Looking for His Other Shoe
Grace has been ready since 6:22. Andre is still taking out the trash, helping a child find a water bottle, and—somehow—missing one shoe. What looks like a fight about being late turns into a funny, tender lesson about patience, consideration, and learning not to turn every difference into a verdict on the person you love.

Love Is Patient. Unfortunately, Your Spouse Is Taking Forever.
“Love is patient” sounds beautiful until your spouse is moving at a speed that tests your sanctification. What does patience actually look like in the ordinary frustrations of marriage?

EP 1: Marcus Needs Space. Tasha Needs an Answer.
Marcus needs a little space. Tasha needs to know whether “later” means twenty minutes or next Tuesday. One ordinary Tuesday night becomes a funny, tender lesson in how to step away without leaving the person you love behind.

When One of You Wants to Talk and the Other Needs Space
One spouse wants to talk it out now. The other needs room to breathe. Neither need is automatically wrong—but couples need a way to take space without turning it into abandonment.