Pastor Chris and Kristi on marriage
Q: What is the best thing about your spouse? Why?
Pastor Chris: Her beauty and her patience. Because they both get better with age!
Kristi: His sense of adventure and spontaneity because he balances out my "planner" personality.
Q: How did you know you had found “the one”?
Pastor Chris: She was very attractive, and we were on the same page in our faith. We were equally yoked.
Kristi: We had both grown up in homes with similar faith foundations, and he was super fun to be around.
Q: What is one of your favorite memories from your married life?
Pastor Chris: The birth of our children and our Colorado/Cancun vacation for two weeks, just the two of us.
Kristi: Going on trips with just the two of us (no kiddos), if even only a weekend getaway to Omaha.
Q: In regards to your marriage, what is your favorite Bible verse/passage?
Pastor Chris: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Phil. 4:8-9
Kristi: "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." James 1:19
Q: In your opinion, what’s the secret to a happy marriage?
Pastor Chris: Constantly guarding my thoughts about my wife and choosing to focus on the best things about her.
Kristi: Not getting hung up on the little things. Choose to go to battle only over the things of significance.
Q: Describe a moment during your marriage when you had to lean on God.
Pastor Chris: During the 3 month period that we were deciding to plant a church from scratch.
Q: A lot of young people think getting married is just an old-fashioned, unnecessary ceremony. Do you think marriage is worth it?
Pastor Chris: Absolutely! I can't imagine doing life without her!
Kristi: Marriage is so worth it! When you have a marriage built on the Bible's definition of marriage with Christ at the center, God will richly bless your marriage and use it as a testimony of His love.
Q: What advice would you give couples who are going through a season of struggle?
Pastor Chris: The same God on the mountain tops is the same God that meets us in the valley; God's character doesn't change because of our circumstances. Surrender to God, pray, and surround yourself with authentic Christian community.
Kristi: It's so worth it to persevere through the struggle! Surround yourselves with a community of believer friends that can encourage and support you through the struggle. Also, extend grace and forgiveness to your spouse because God has extended us so much grace and forgiveness!
Q: What advice would you give couples who are going through a season of peace?
Pastor Chris: Cherish it, relax in it, be grateful for it, and don't take it for granted.
Kristi: Enjoy and cherish this season because we are not guaranteed an easy life! It's almost inevitable that we will have hard times, as well.
Q: True or false: Love is enough to sustain a marriage.
Pastor Chris: If you consider love just a feeling, then false. If you are talking about a biblical unconditional love defined by action and sacrifice, then true.
Kristi: False. If love is just a feeling, what happens on the day I'm mad at my spouse? Grace and forgiveness are also needed to sustain a marriage.
Q: Anything else?
Pastor Chris: There is one thing that can keep a marriage together forever, and that is forgiveness. The deeper we understand and experience the grace of Jesus Christ, the more we can extend that to our spouse.
