Les Parrott III's Blog

There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact.
I Corinthians 6:16

The loss of passionate romance is a common complaint in marriage. It seems that once the confetti and rice are swept away and the last of the wedding cake is put in the freezer, so is the couple’s passion.

But marriage in no way requires passion to be put on ice. Love grows less exciting with time for the same reasons that the second run on a fast toboggan slide is less exciting th...

Why is everyone hungry for more? “More, more,” they say. “More, more.” I have God’s more-than-enough. More joy in one ordinary day.
Psalm 4:6-7

Every couple about to be married, whether they admit it or not, harbors dreams of a “perfect” life together. Many newlyweds have told us how “lucky” they felt on their wedding day.

At some point, however, every husband and wife realize that they are not a perfect match. They don’t think, feel, and behave in the same ways. Merging their two personalitie...

And you will make a new start, listening obediently to God, keeping all his commandments that I’m commanding you today. God, your God, will outdo himself in making things go well for you.
Deuteronomy 30:8-9

Recently we sat on the floor in a crowded airline terminal and played a game of Scrabble on our trusty iPad. We had about thirty minutes to kill before we could board our flight and a quick game would do the trick.

We’ve had a longstanding competition in our marriage with this game. We play...

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke 2:13-14

Pastor Mark Buchanan lives with his wife and three children in Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He’s also the author of a book, Thinks Unseen, whose goal is to help you to be of more earthly good by becoming more...

While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-21

Can you imagine for a moment how the Christmas story might have been written if Mary and Joseph had not had the ca...

Say only what helps, each word a gift.
Ephesians 4:29

Everyone lives by a set of rules that is rarely spoken but always known. Needless to say, unspoken rules become more vocal when our spouse “breaks” them.

This became painfully obvious to us when we visited our families for the first time as a married couple.

One Christmas, we flew from Los Angeles to Chicago to be with our families for the holidays. The first night was at my (Leslie’s) house.

As was my family’s custom, I woke up early in...

Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.
Colossians 4:2

“The doors of happiness remain locked,” says our friend, Fawn Weaver, founder of the Happy Wives Club website. “When they are unlocked, they swing open quickly and widely but close right behind them. They must be reopened throughout each day and there is but one key that fits that lock: Gratitude.”

Studies back up this poetic notion. A growing body of research has tied an attitude of gratitude to numerous benefits, including ha...

We must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever.
I Corinthians 6:16-17

When we talk to engaged couples about increasing the odds of lifelong love we often get a question about cohabitation. That’s why we added a “cohabitation” section to the updated edition of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts.

Not so long ago, it was called “shacking up” and it was rare, about 1 in 141 couples.

Today, it’s closer to two thirds of couples. To put it...

Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband.
Hebrews 13:4

You’ve heard this before: Your brain is your most important sexual organ.

The statement underscores that the human sex drive operates out of the “cortex,” that thin outer layer of the brain where all learning takes place.

Humans use their highly developed brains to learn how, when, where, and whether they will give expression to their sexual urges—this ability for control is what separates us fr...

Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.
Proverbs 15:2

If you want to improve communication in your marriage, you’re probably thinking you need a new technique or strategy.

We get that.

But we also believe that for truly great conversations you have to understand each other’s hardwiring. You’ve got to understand what makes each of you feel emotionally safe.

Seldom if ever does someone say, “I feel unsafe and that’s why I’m doing what I’m doin...