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.

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.

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.

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.

Whether engaged or newly married, young couples need a supportive community with authentic relationships. Ryan and Mary Rose Verret began working with engaged couples in their local parish to develop a better way to prepare them for a lasting marriage and reconnect them to their church family. The Verret’s created the Witness to Love program in 2012 for engaged couples to choose married mentors from their church to journey with them as they prepare for their married life together.

What could NFL football possibly have to do with marriage? Marriage coaches George and Tondra Gregory could not have imagined at the beginning of their ministry journey that one day they’d be given an opportunity to serve as chaplains to one of the hottest franchises in professional football, helping team members defend against divorce and win in their marriages.

There’s nothing more delightful than to hear your spouse laugh. It’s pure gold knowing the person you love is feeling joy and having fun, say Jay and Laura Laffoon, authors and speakers who create opportunities for spouses to connect and grow as they laugh together. They dub their work “Edutainment,” as they combine education with entertainment during date night events and marriage conferences where they transparently share the messiness of their 35-year marriage.

Ladies, are you seeking engaging and real encouragement from the Bible? Practical ways to warm up the atmosphere of your marriage and home? Purpose and meaning in your life? Look no further than the wisdom from prolific writer Karen Ehman.