Shannon’s Blog

In this blog series, I’m giving you a “sneak peek” into my “Reader Mailbag” – sharing actual questions I’ve received from (and answers I’ve shared with) folks who struggle over “Real Relationship” issues – just like you and me!   I hope the series is both eye-opening and edifying!  And…

In this blog series, I’m giving you a “sneak peek” into my “Reader Mailbag” – sharing actual questions I’ve received from (and answers I’ve shared with) folks who struggle over “Real Relationship” issues – just like you and me!   I hope the series is both eye-opening and edifying!  And…

It’s the time of year that I enjoy the least – when Old Man Winter comes and steals the leaves off the trees, and steals my mojo as a result!  The sun doesn’t kiss our bare skin for months at a time… our legs don’t get shaven for weeks at…

Today is Day #6 of my Daniel Fast – eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.  I’ll soon be incorporating other WHOLE foods (or foods in their natural state, avoiding foods that are processed to the point that they lack much real nutritional value at all).  But surprisingly, I…

Many have asked, “What’s on your list of New Year’s Resolutions?” My answer:  To be HEALTHY in every way! SPIRITUALLY – I’m reading through the New Testament and journaling what I sense God speaking directly to me as I go. MENTALLY – I’m deeply engrossed in research for my next…

Hot Tip #73 – Get Financial Peace – Part 4 To wrap up our 4-part series on incorporating financial peace into your marriage relationship, I’d like to tell you about the most radical thing we’ve done, and the huge impact that it’s had on our marriage (and marriage bed)! But…

Hot Tip #72 – Get Financial Peace – Part 3 In addition to (1) establishing a small emergency fund, (2) paying off all debt except our house, and (3) putting aside 3-6 months’ worth of expenses in a savings account, we followed Dave Ramsey’s 4th and 5th baby steps toward…

In an attempt to keep the Advent Season sacred, I’ll be taking the month of December off of blogging. In the interim I’ll be sharing with you how Dave Ramsey saved our marriage and helped US find Financial Peace!   I’ll reconnect with you in January with some really EXCITING…

I was talking to my teenage daughter the other day, who is about to celebrate her first Valentine’s Day with a steady boyfriend.  I was asking, “What are you going to do for _________?”  (I’ll keep his name anonymous for the sake of her privacy so I don’t wind up…

Morning has broken… broken our 2-week sexual sabbatical.  Not a chosen one, but one brought about by the “stuff of earth competing for our allegience” (as the late Rich Mullens sang).  Work schedules… waiting up late for teens to come home… concerns about the direction of the economy… relational stresses robbing…

I just read an article on Fox News’ website that hurts my heart as badly as how Natalie Dylan is trying to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder (see the blog just before this one).  You can find the full article at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480605,00.html, but here’s the highlights… “CRITICS…

In light of my last blog about inviting your husband into your healing process when you’ve been sexually abused, I was incredibly saddened to read this article about a young woman who’s choosing to abuse herself…   Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than £2.5 million A student…

For years, I never told my husband that I’d been sexually abused by some of my uncles.  Why?  Because (1) I was stupid enough to think that because I didn’t let them actually have sex with me that it didn’t effect me, and (2) because I didn’t want him to view…

Making “Relationship Resolutions” Special thanks to The TODAY Show for having me back to New York last month for a “Relationship Roundtable” discussion with Kathy Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Saturday Night Live comedian Finesse Mitchell, and Lesley Rotchford, editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. The segment aired this morning, but can be…

No deep thoughts on marriage… no challenges for your sex life… just the warmest of wishes for a very merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years! I’m enjoying time off with my hard-working hubby, crazy-busy 16-year old daughter, and bored-out-of-his-mind-until-school-starts-back 13-year old son.  I’ll begin blogging again January 2nd,…

It’s been making headlines in the media a lot lately — special emphasis on how important it is for married couples to have frequent sex.  I completely agree, but is it possible to focus so much on quantity that we forget the importance of quality in our sexual relationship? I’m all about…