Whole Hearts and Fulfilled Dreams
An interview with Chip and Theresa Ingram
OnePlace: Chip and Theresa, what are some practical ways you've discovered to keep your romance alive all year around?
Chip: I think for us, keeping our love alive and fresh really has to do with developing a habit of really talking with each other every day. We make it a priority to figure out each day a way to really connect with each other (with the obvious exception of those crazy schedules that happen sometimes).
Theresa: One of the special things we do that I so look forward to is having a little date each Friday morning. Chip is off that day and after sending Annie to school, we go to one of our favorite breakfast spots and spend a couple of hours or so just sharing with each other. It's wonderful to have him listen to what is happening in my life and know that he really cares. Just his listening to me and knowing that he is supportive of me helps me feel very loved.
OnePlace: It seems married couples often get into ruts, like just talking about the kids, or our jobs, or day-to-day "business." Do you plan times to dig a little deeper in conversation?
Chip: We go in seasons, but we are usually trying to grow spiritually or intellectually in some way together, so we're often reading books together and sharing. If I hear a really good teaching tape, I'll give it to her, or visa versa, and then we'll go out for a cup of coffee and discuss it.
OnePlace: What other types of things do you do to build up the "team" aspect of your marriage?
Chip: One thing we do is set goals together. If one of us is struggling in an area or wants to accomplish a specific thing, often we'll decide to do it together as a team. We've scheduled time to walk regularly together, we've gone on diets together, decided together to eat fewer sweets. On a more spiritual level, I think praying together is honestly one of those things that doesn't come as easily for us as people might assume, but I think it's very important.
Theresa: Chip and I have such different personalities, gifts and abilities; but we come together as a team in serving the Lord in ministry. I'm learning that it's our ministry, not just his ministry. Even though he is the one up front most of the time, without my support and prayer, he would not have been able to accomplish all that he has in his life. We truly know that we need each other.
OnePlace: What about those chores that need to get done in order for a household to run smoothly… have you found a way to turn any of them into "romance boosters" instead of "necessary evils?"
Theresa: Interestingly enough, I would say that one of the things that has really kept our love alive is that we do our bills together. We lay out the bills and write out the checks together, and I find that the discussion that follows about the events coming up, where we'll spend our money, how much we should save, how much we should give, keeps a lot of the tension out of our lives. It's the catalyst for a lot of great discussion and we make a lot of important decisions during these times. The result is a romance that's much more alive.
About the author: Chip Ingram is President of Walk Thru the Bible in Atlanta, GA, and Teaching Pastor of Living on the Edge, a national radio ministry.
Walk Thru the Bible partners with the local church worldwide to teach God’s Word in relevant ways for lasting life change. To fulfill this mission, Walk Thru the Bible creates and distributes high quality, award-winning resources in a variety of formats, helping individuals “walk thru” the Bible with greater clarity and understanding. Walk Thru the Bible seminars are taught in over 45 languages by more than 50,000 men and women in over 90 countries; Living on the Edge radio ministry broadcasts on more than 800 radio outlets reaching nearly one million listeners a week; and more than 100 million devotionals have been packaged into daily magazines, books and other publications that reach over five million people each year. Walk Thru the Bible was founded in 1976 and is based in Atlanta, GA.