We are excited to announce the next book in our TimPlusAnne REAL LIFE Marriage Book Series "SOULgasm Caring for Your Soul and the Soul of Your Marriage" is completed and available on Amazon. Our TimPlusAnne REAL LIFE Marriage Book Series includes … [Read More...]

I will never be considered a prolific blogger. In fact, the last post I made was in October of 2017 when I joyfully shared that Willow Creek Community Church selected Heather Larson and Steve Carter to replace founding pastor Bill Hybels as he … [Read More...]

Dear friends, This weekend Willow Creek Church took a spirited and courageous step in announcing the successors to Bill Hybels After co-founding (along with Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian) Willow Creek 42 years ago; Bill Hybels announced that Willow … [Read More...]

Recently one of our favorite websites "THE JUNIA PROJECT" posted a blog tim wrote about Headship Feel free to check it out at http://juniaproject.com/who-cares-about-headship We encourage you to read the "comments" ... and feel free to pass this … [Read More...]

As we begin another year, I’d like to invite every husband-wife-and couple to consider making “MARRIAGE GOALS & DESIRES” for 2017. Personally, I define a GOAL as being different from a DESIRE. A GOAL is something a person can accomplish without … [Read More...]

In light of the hustle, bustle, constant verbal/mental chatter, and insane pace of everyday life ... will you pause for a few moments? Pause for a moment … And think about: identity, gender, race, ethnicity, cultures, countries, and communities that … [Read More...]

Throughout decades of church and para-church involvement, Anne and I have been able to meet and serve alongside many Christian leaders. These women and men love God and are passionate about investing in others. If you are a Christian leader, THANK … [Read More...]

Growing up I was never much of a reader. However, the older I get the more I enjoy reading. Raising our four children, I always encouraged them to read. Now I challenge our five grandkids to read, and I remind them that leaders are readers. As a … [Read More...]

It seems that we are living in a culture where fear gets lots of attention. For example, turn on the TV and evaluate a typical thirty-minute news program. Note the number of stories where fear is subtly, or not so subtly, the main character in the … [Read More...]

A healthy church/ministry functions best when it is led by healthy leaders. A healthy marriage functions best when a husband and wife prioritize their relationships—with the Lord, themselves, and each other. A healthy lifestyle includes ongoing … [Read More...]

Often holidays invite me to reflect and remember. Reflect on the privilege and responsibility of being a dad, spiritual dad, and grand-dad. And remember my dad ... and so many spiritual dads who have impacted me throughout my life time. I thank God … [Read More...]

I was recently asked; “what marriage advice would you give to newlyweds?” That’s a good question … following are some things I would share with newlyweds (and with all married couples). 1- First off, (this may sound counter-intuitive) but I'd … [Read More...]

When you hear the word AGENDA …what comes to your mind? Merriam-Webster defines agenda; “… an underlying often ideological plan or program”. Do you have an agenda for your life? Early in my counseling training I was told that “a person is … [Read More...]

Throughout decades of counseling anne+i cannot count the number of times we’ve watched a spouse look into their husband or wife’s eyes and—usually in a BIG-voice—confidently declare: “You ALWAYS” and “You NEVER” These statements are generally … [Read More...]

As a retired fire chief with a twenty plus year career on a Chicago-suburban fire department, I’m always drawn to firefighting stories. This past week in Fresno, California firefighters were battling what appeared to be a routine fire. However, in … [Read More...]

We recently saw the movie Selma. In the comfort of our theater seats we observed what we can only imagine African Americans endured—and in many ways continue to endure. As followers of Christ who believe in the egalitarian[i] principle of full … [Read More...]

The movie version of Fifty Shades of Grey is now available, and the media frenzy and opinions of bloggers-pundits-and talk show hosts has increased exponentially. Briefly, Fifty Shades of Grey tells the story of a handsome, wealthy, successful … [Read More...]

Submission in marriage often comes with lots of negative baggage. In fact, many people refer to submission as the “S”-word. Let’s review the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. He begins Ephesians chapter 5 talking about walking in … [Read More...]

We believe authority is at the heart of much marriage misunderstanding and debate. Over the years traditional-hierarchical-complementarian marriage-view proponents have described their perceived authority to us in different ways. VARIATIONS ON A … [Read More...]

Headship can often become a divisive issue in marriage discussions—especially in religious circles. Various “infallible” headship interpretations and accompanying dialogue could fill a library. Our experience is that people will endlessly argue the … [Read More...]

Life is lived in a story.... (tim)  "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun." Every one of these ingredients are easy to recognize....except the "special sauce". No one knows the secret … [Read More...]

Life is lived in a story....(tim) Anne+i believe marriage is a vision quest, an endless pursuit of the Trinitarian God in who's image we are created. The following quote by an unknown author touches on the amazing uniqueness in marital oneness: … [Read More...]