Addiction. Depression. Anxiety. Unfaithfulness. Suicidal thoughts. Job loss. The list includes many of the reasons marriages disintegrate. Adelle and Travis Graham experienced them all – and more. But instead of letting adversity tear them apart, the couple leaned into God’s strength, pursued healing and now offer hope to others suffering similarly. 

Committed, visionary leaders like the Byron and Francine Pirola will continue to pass the Catholic Church’s beliefs and values to the next generation. Their commitment has led them to serve in Catholic lay leadership roles at the parish, diocesan and national levels for more than three decades. The Pirola’s teach that “marriage is not just for life-long happiness, but a healthy marriage is central to the proclamation of the Gospel.” Through their work they’ve helped and continue to help countless couples have strong, loving relationships.

Life holds many surprises. Despite our best laid plans, we can look up like the prodigal son and realize we are not in the place we imagined we’d be.

This was the situation for author and coach Kari Trent Stageberg. Like so many young people, Kari spent a desert season away from faith and family, eventually becoming a survivor of domestic abuse. As Kari accepted God’s love and the blessing of her family, she learned that there is nothing the Lord can't heal.

Now working closely with her father Dr. John Trent, Kari co-runs StrongFamilies with him as CEO, assisting in running day-to-day operations. She also writes books and creates many resources to help the next generation of newly marrieds and young families.

Together, Dan and Danielle Macaulay are a voice for marriage as they blend their unique skills and talents to create a complete date night package for couples.

Their wisdom holds true for churches, worship teams, women’s groups, and couples they reach through their Married UP ministry. They stress that both spouses “married up,” as they are each made better by the other.

Their marriage is in trouble — real trouble. The husband or wife may have anger issues, experienced abuse or infidelity. Where do they turn for help? Isn’t counseling expensive? How does a couple even find a counselor who will offer godly advice? Isn’t it easier just to call it quits?

Houston-area Hans and Star Molegraaf, founders of Marriage Revolution ministry and long-time FamilyLife speakers, have walked in those shoes and can provide a path forward. They offer biblical resources, counseling and events “to turn your love around,” through their website, noting, “When marriage is hard, life gets harder.”

Joe and Stephanie DeMott are planning their 50th wedding anniversary next year. But things have not always been so rosy for the couple who founded Missionaries2Marriages 10 years ago and have dedicated the last 38 years of their lives ministering to couples in the U.S. and across the globe.

During their own journey of healing, they realized that they needed to pour out what they learned, as God showed them the importance of testimony.

Sue and Tony Morris remain an ordinary couple, juggling family, work and church activities. But this ordinary couple has done extraordinary things – including spearheading thousands of volunteers as they serve as leaders for Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter is the Gold Standard of Catholic marriage curricula as it continues to be the most popular faith-based marriage enrichment in the world. A non-profit movement, WWME exists as its own entity and presents more than 4,000 experiences in nearly 100 countries every year.

Before she became the voice of Catholic media, Teresa spent 20 years in the secular world following her dream career in broadcast journalism. Her husband, Dominick Pastore, likewise was climbing the corporate ladder as a successful architectural engineer. They should have been on top of the world, but striving for career success had taken a toll on their relationship. Their marriage was imploding, but the more they tried to fix it in their own strength, the worse their struggles became. Six years in, the couple had run out of ideas and was almost ready to call it quits.

It was an invitation to a Bible study that changed the trajectory of their lives. The Bible Study ignited Dominick’s relationship with Jesus and once Teresa joined Dominick in study and developed her relationship with Jesus, their marriage started to grow.

God is faithful. He promises a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair… and to repay for the years the locusts have eaten.

The rebirth of Brad and Lisa Valencia’s now 22-year marriage could be described no less vividly.

Twelve years ago, it seemed their relationship was dead. Brad had walked away from life with Lisa, leaving her alone with three small children, one just nine months old. Divorce papers had been prepared. Lisa was about to sign, until a phone call from Brad caused her to pause.

He told her he felt God calling him back in forgiveness to the faith and family he’d left.

Pornography. We don’t talk much about it in Christian circles. It’s that dirty little secret hiding behind closed doors and computer screens quietly destroying marriages. The world’s number one site, Pornhub, estimates sixty-four million people click on its link EVERY DAY. Forty million Americans are regular users, and one in three are women.

Pastor and author Nick Stumbo serves as Executive Director of Pure Desire Ministries, the non-profit that helped him find victory over his decades-long struggle with pornography addiction and helps thousands of couples become sexually healthy.

You’ve seen them – men and women sitting in church week after week by themselves. Or maybe that person is you. You may have found Christ after marriage or returned to the faith in which you were raised, but either way – you are pursuing a relationship with God, while your spouse is… not. 

Coach and speaker Lynn Donovan offers wisdom and support to those in a spiritually mismatched marriage. Her work offers hope and help to a Christian learning to be united with their spouse, even when he or she holds very different beliefs.

If you’ve hit your 40th birthday and you’re married, you’ve probably felt the pull of midlife. Maybe it’s the squeeze of taking care of an aging parent and the kids. Or a corporate restructure has jumpstarted early retirement. Perhaps an empty nest has caused you and your spouse to wonder if you even know each other. Any and all of these situations can cause a midlife couple to pause and take inventory of their lives and the state of their marriage.

Dorothy Greco, award-winning photographer, author and speaker, addresses midlife issues and transparently shares lessons learned as she and her husband, Christopher, have navigated the past 33 years of marriage together … and in so doing drawn closer to God and each other.

Agape Catholic Ministries, founded and led by French-born U.S. citizens Christian and Christine Meert, offers a Pre-Cana program that combines the convenience of online and on-demand access with the ability to build relationship with a role-model couple. Its curriculum is inspired by and closely follows Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Pastor, speaker, author and consultant Rob Rienow, DMin, has a heart for the Gospel and a passion for marriages and families. He feels called to share the message that God created marriage and the home as the bedrock of culture and civilization. Sadly, these concepts have lost traction in modern western culture.

Do you know what we need more than anything else to address these problems? We need more people who love Jesus Christ and who are willing to lay down their lives for Him.

The Rienows believe God created marriage for two main purposes. 1) To reflect God’s glory as a picture of the love between Christ and the church. 2) To raise godly children who will advance the kingdom of Christ to the next generation.

Most people would agree that raising ten children over 39 years of marriage qualifies someone to be considered an expert in family dynamics. The fact that psychologist Dr. Ray Guarendi and his wife adopted those children, some from very difficult circumstances, lends even more credibility to the advice he offers through his practice and media ministry.

Sometimes it seems like a struggling marriage is just so stuck, there’s no way back to a loving relationship. Is it even possible to overcome long standing habits and hurts? Can a couple battle back after the betrayal of infidelity? Sue and Roy Milam, founders of Cornerstone Marriage & Family Ministries, have seen thousands of marriages healed over their almost three decades working with couples and leading A New Beginning intensive weekends.

People unhappy in marriage often believe their only option is divorce. Once they file, they find themselves on a “divorce superhighway – with no off-ramps or exit signs,” to quote a respected judge in Minnesota. However, thinking about divorce does not have to mean a death sentence for a marriage. A couple can get help to determine the best path for them before making a life-changing decision. (with Russ Berg)

Marriage ministry leaders Mary and Dave Gothi couldn’t have come from more disparate backgrounds. Despite their differences, the two shared a passion for helping couples weather the storms of marital distress. They’ve now been married for 27 years, during most of which they have worked to help couples improve their marriages, and, since 2010, live on mission to make a difference in the world.

Many symptoms in our troubled society point to a need for a revival of men and benevolent masculinity. Too many men, young and old, feel isolated. Siloed, stressed, pressured – without connection and direction they wander and detour through life, failing to fulfill their God-given purpose. Former NFL quarterback, author and leader for families Jeff Kemp wants to turn the tide. He inspires men with a simple message: Friendship is the way of Jesus.

You’ve reached a point in your life when you realize something needs to change. Maybe it’s in your finances, your parenting or your relationships. But getting started is overwhelming! How to even begin? Dr. Randy Carlson, counselor, best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio host, believes living a better life is easier than you think.