After we finally put the kids down to bed, my wife and I decided to sit down and finally put down some thoughts about what we've been learning over the last six years of marriage and family. One of the first things that we wanted to start with is to challenge our modern expectations of the good life.

So here's the key question that will shape the most significant portion of your life: what do you expect from love, marriage and family? More specifically, what part does pain and trails play in your theology of progress and growth. Whether we realize it or not, most of us will often resort to the common assumption that, though discomfort is unavoidable, we need to work as hard as we can do avoid it.

The great plot twist of the gospel is that God accomplishes victory through situations that feel like defeat. Through death, he gives us life. And it is through our daily embrace of death that we grow in wisdom, maturity and richness of heart. This idea puts a completely different spin on what we expect from love, marriage and family. Enjoy the show!