Strong marriages are not the ones without storms. They are the ones built before the storm arrives. Staying honest, staying soft, and building something that holds when life does not go to plan.
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Rules of Resilience · Day 1They entered marriage with hope and a picture of how their life together would unfold. They expected some difficulties, but they did not anticipate the pressures that eventually came: the financial strain, family responsibilities,…
Rules of Resilience · Day 2They loved each other, but they had assumed that love would carry them through anything. During the easier seasons, they rarely discussed their finances, prayed together inconsistently, avoided certain conversations, and kept postponing the…
Rules of Resilience · Day 3Your spouse comes home quieter than usual. They answer your question briefly, place the phone down, and seem distracted. That is what happened. But almost immediately, another story may begin forming in your mind:…
Rules of Resilience · Day 4They had been married long enough to know each other’s weaknesses. Unfortunately, they had also begun rehearsing those weaknesses in their minds. When something went wrong, old thoughts returned quickly: He never listens. She…
Rules of Resilience · Day 5After learning to question the negative stories they had been telling themselves, they realised they needed a clearer story about where they were going. For months, most of their conversations had centred on what…
Rules of Resilience · Day 6Writing down their vision gave them hope. For the first time in a while, they were not only discussing what needed to change. They were talking about what their marriage could become. But within…
Rules of Resilience · Day 7They had been having the same disagreement for months. Each conversation ended with one spouse explaining what the other needed to change, while both walked away feeling unheard and frustrated. Without realising it, they…
Rules of Resilience · Day 8Once they stopped trying to manage each other, they faced another difficult task. They had to acknowledge what was true about their marriage and the season they were living through. Some things were improving,…
Rules of Resilience · Day 9After acknowledging the difficult season they were in, they realised something else: they had been trying to carry too much by themselves. They prayed privately, worried quietly, and did their best to keep functioning….
Rules of Resilience · Day 10Once they recognised that they needed support, they began looking more closely at what they had already built around their marriage. They had people they could call, but some relationships had not been nurtured…
Rules of Resilience · Day 11After looking at the areas of their marriage that needed strengthening, they began to recognise something important. Some of the resources they needed could come from trusted people, wise counsel, and better preparation. But…
Rules of Resilience · Day 12Naming their areas of growth brought clarity, but the couple soon discovered that clarity alone was not enough. During their next disagreement, the same patterns returned. One became defensive. The other raised their voice…
Rules of Resilience · Day 13They had begun practising healthier communication, but there was still one conversation they avoided. Whenever the subject came close, one of them changed the topic. The other quietly decided it was not the right…
Rules of Resilience · Day 14When they finally had the conversation they had been avoiding, it did not unfold perfectly. One spouse shared a concern, and the other immediately began explaining. Before long, the conversation shifted from listening to…
Rules of Resilience · Day 15Once they began speaking honestly and listening with less defensiveness, they were able to look at their difficult season differently. The pain was still real. There were still questions they could not answer and…
Rules of Resilience · Day 16As they reflected on what their difficult season had revealed, they also recognised something else. Although they had begun talking about the hurt, parts of it were still shaping how they treated each other….
Rules of Resilience · Day 17As they chose healing over bitterness, the couple noticed how tired they had become. They had carried unresolved concerns, repeated disagreements, family responsibilities, and private disappointments for so long that weariness had started to…
Rules of Resilience · Day 18Once they spoke honestly about what felt heavy, the couple began making changes. They shared certain responsibilities more fairly, sought support in an area they could not resolve alone, and released expectations that had…
Rules of Resilience · Day 19After reconnecting with the purpose of their marriage, the couple felt encouraged. They knew what they wanted their relationship and home to represent. But they also had to admit something difficult: they were tired….
Rules of Resilience · Day 20As they became more intentional about rest and renewal, the couple noticed something else. Their marriage did not need as much pressure. It needed more of the things that brought them joy. For a…
Rules of Resilience · Day 21As they looked back over the past few weeks, the couple realised that their circumstances had not changed completely. Some conversations still needed to happen. Certain wounds were still healing. They were still learning…