A few weeks ago, I was having lunch with a friend who was having some problems in his marriage. He began to walk me through their issues, and they weren’t unique or different or unsolvable. They were real and they were serious, but not exclusive to their relationship.

At one point in our conversati...

I (Justin) have received some pretty harsh criticism online the past few days. I’ve tried to pretend it away like it hasn’t bothered me, but it has stung pretty bad. 

This morning, God brought to mind a blog post I wrote three years ago, that gave me a dose of perspective. I hope it speaks to you t...

One of the biggest mistakes I make as a Christian is that I underestimate the spiritual battle I’m a part of every day.

For years, I thought that people who talked about spiritual warfare were a little off their rocker. I knew it was in the Bible…but in my mind…it wasn’t relevant today. I didn’t wa...

This past weekend, Trisha and I had the opportunity to speak at Parkview Christian Church. It is an amazing church and we were honored to spend the weekend with them.

Sunday morning, we finished our message during the 9AM service and walked down to the front row of seating as the special music star...

I’ve struggled with burnout several times and in several seasons of life and ministry. Some seasons of burnout were fixed by a vacation or a weekend away. Other seasons of burnout were accompanied by a deep depression and an inability on my part to “fix” it.

A few months ago, I found myself in the ...

A few months ago I felt God prompt me to get away with my boys for the weekend. So this past weekend the four of us went to Father/Son camp in Indiana through an organization called Mission Uprising. We had a blast.

But God used the weekend to expose some things in me and some things in my relation...

Last week, Emma Johnson mentioned me on Twitter and invited me into a conversation on a blog post she wrote about marriage. The title of the post intrigued me, so I clicked on the link: “A 10-year contract will save marriage“. The premise of the post is that “marriage” as we’ve known it is dead and ...

As parents, Trish and I are constantly picking up after our kids. If we aren’t picking up after them, we are getting on them to pick up after themselves. Pick up your towel. Pick up your cereal bowl. Pick up your socks. Pick up your shoes. They have a natural talent of leaving things behind. They ar...

What if I told you that your greatest struggle, your most repeated sin (the one you have promised yourself and God you’ll never do again, but you keep on doing it) is probably only a symptom of a much bigger deal in your life?

In our story, the affair gets all the attention; has all the shock value...

Yesterday I shared part one of two about the small, insignificant mistakes many couples make early in marriage. It isn’t that the mistakes are big, it is that if left unidentified over time, they become obstacles to the marriage God has in mind. You can read part one HERE.

Today I want to share par...

Mistakes in any marriage are inevitable. No one is perfect so naturally two imperfect people spending their lives together has the predicability of mistakes. But there are some mistakes that carry heavier weight than others. There are some mistakes that start small when you first get married but hav...

I want to be desperate for God. I want to desire an intimate relationship with God more than I desire anything else. What is true about me, and maybe true about you is that I tend to pursue and am desperate for what God can do for me, more than I am desperate for God, Himself. I am desperate for the...

Trish and I spent the weekend in Buda, Texas speaking at The Connection Church. Early Saturday morning, Trish was sitting on the couch and I was standing looking over my notes, when she looked up from her phone with a sad look on her face.

“Justin, I want you to know Brennan Manning passed away.” S...

As Justin and I share our story, the affair gets all the attention, but what I have come to realize is that I had a forgiveness issue long before the affair. I had mastered the art of unforgiveness, and felt clueless about what true forgiveness looked like.

One of the questions I always get is, “Ho...

A few weeks ago Trish and I were getting ready to go to bed and the tension in our room was thick. There had been no argument. There was no disagreement. But there was distance. Something was wrong. You could feel it.

As we were laying there, I finally just said it, “What is the deal? What is wrong...

At any given time in my life, I have relationships that aren’t what I want them to be. I have relationships that aren’t what I thought they would be. I have relationships that are disappointing, dysfunctional and strained.

I long to have God improve a friendship or transform my marriage, or repair ...