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Is This Why Relationships Fail?

If you had three seconds to state your most important relationship, what would you come up with? If you're married, it would likely be your spouse. Single? Maybe your best friend, sibling, or even parent. No matter which life stage you're in, "relationship" is an evident…

The Business of Being Married

My husband and I consider financial planning a prime date night activity. We sit close together at the kitchen table sharing our favorite take-out meal, desserts, and coffee. We pray together, then start working through the papers we each have spread out in front of us. We laugh,…

When Christmas Changes

When it comes to Christmas, I challenge you to find a more diehard fan than myself. Growing up, I often "joked" (not really a joke) that I wanted to dedicate an entire room in my future house to year-round Christmas decorations. My parents gave each Mechling child a small…

My Crowd-Sourced Marriage

Sharla Langston had a unique journey to finding her husband at the age of 50. Find out the secret to her success! ------ 4word: What made you want to minister to single Christians looking to marry? Sharla: Having married for the first time at 50, I don’t…

Don’t Let Work Come to Dinner

No one wants workplace stress and drama. It's not like we go into the office in the morning and announce to our co-workers that we are currently accepting exorbitant doses of gossip, last-minute deadlines, impossibly difficult clients, and emotionally draining decisions regarding work/life balance. (And if you are…

“Secret Recipe” for Marriage Success

I don’t cook. In fact, I struggle to follow recipes that have more than three ingredients, so when people ask me what the secret recipe is for a long, happy marriage, I giggle at the irony. I guess being married 25 years qualifies my husband and I to…

When Plans Get Changed.

When two people enter into a marriage, they often have grand plans and dreams for what the next few decades might look like. Perfect house, perfect children, and perfect careers are usually some of the top items on their list. Sonja Wilson and her husband Dan were no…

The Business of Being Married

My husband and I consider financial planning a prime date night activity. We sit close together at the kitchen table sharing our favorite take-out meal, desserts, and coffee. We pray together, then start working through the papers we each have spread out in front of us. We laugh,…

What Honky Tonk Taught Me About Submission

One of my favorite things to do is take country dance lessons with my husband. I’m sure you’ve heard everything’s bigger in Texas, and Ft. Worth is home to the largest Honkytonk in the world: Billy Bob’s, so that’s where we go to learn. We aren’t very…

Elf OR Tumbledown Shack?

Wife: What are you wearing to your boss’s party this weekend? Hubby: My black suit. Wife: Has it been cleaned since the last time you wore it? Hubby: Silence. Wife: What did you get him for his retirement? Hubby: Just a stare in return tells me I’ll be…

How to Build a Highly Happy Marriage

If having a highly happy marriage is the goal, then that means a “good” or “happy” marriage isn’t enough. So how do you get there? What’s the secret? Today, we’re speaking with author and researcher Shaunti Feldhahn about her new book, “The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages.” The results of…

A Path to Joy in Singleness

Valentine’s Day is coming up, but instead of a blog on romance, my guest writer today will share her story of singleness. Jennifer Howell is a business marketing development officer (and 4word woman!) here in Dallas. She has a passion for encouraging single women, and she’s currently launching…

Getting Engaged

After four plus decades of being single and going through all the ups and downs of dating, I amazingly met the man I was meant to be with, fell in love and even more amazingly, got engaged last November. Waiting for God’s best was full of difficult lessons.…