To keep our marriage fortified amid the fast pace of life and closely connected during the busy seasons of ministry, we have three tools to help us make certain that we are connecting daily, weekly, and quarterly.

Daily Connection: Of the utmost importance are our individual, intimate times alone with Christ. Individually spending time in God's Word, praying, and journaling each day are non-negotiable standards in our marriage. In addition, we don't leave the house in the morning without taking each other's hand and praying together for protection. This prayer only takes about two minutes, but it significantly impacts our entire day and keeps us functioning in a "team of two" mindset.

Weekly Connection: Every Sunday evening at 7:30 we meet on our living room sofa to spend time in God's Word together. We each take turns leading this weekly devotional time, which lasts about one hour. Our time together consists of reading a Scripture passage and then talking about its application to our marriage. ...