Embracing Change as We Age: Finding the Incline in Every Season of Life

by Mary Jackson | Sep 2, 2026 | Faith & Spirituality, Marriage & Relationships

Embracing Change as We Age: Finding the Incline in Every Season of Life

With the death of Dolly Parton, I found myself thinking that Dolly was a standalone because everyone loved her. Even if you weren’t a fan of her music, you had to love her heart, honesty and compassion.

Her death also caused our nation, and perhaps the world, to view death in real time and face a reality none of us can escape: we are all going to die.

It’s hard to believe I’m eighty-three. And even though aging has been kind to me, I’m still aging!

One of the biggest challenges of growing older is accepting my inevitable decline while learning to hop onto a new incline as I move from child to parent, to grandparent, to great-grandparent, which I’m really looking forward to!

Facing the Fear of Change

The biggest obstacle to seeing and rejoicing in the new “incline” ahead of me is, plain and simple, fear.

I believe the majority of us fear change.

One tried-and-true way of dealing with fear is called exposure therapy. When it comes to change, that can mean spending time thinking about the inevitable changes coming our way and envisioning ourselves letting go, until the thought of those changes loses some of its power over us.

Things like:

I feel my competence declining.
“That is me.”

Those close to me begin to notice that I’m not as sharp as I used to be.
“That is me.”

Other people receive the social and professional attention I once received.
“That is me.”

I have to decrease my workload and step back from daily activities I once completed with ease.
“That is me.”

I may one day no longer be able to work.
“That is me.”

My kids have their own lives, and I may have to call them more often than they call me as they become absorbed in their own families and lives.
“That is me.”

From Decline to Incline

Fear makes us blind.

But if you can sit with your decline without fear, you may begin to see the incline waiting for you.

There is wisdom you must give.

There is the joy of watching your children have children, God willing.

There are relationships to deepen, things to learn, people to love and, perhaps most importantly, an opportunity to look more directly toward eternity.

That is not a phase to flee from. That is awesome!

Jesus tells us:

“Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:25

And THAT, my friend, is the key, not only to avoiding a midlife crisis, but to living every season of life fully.

We do not have to cling desperately to the life we once had.

We can embrace the life God is giving us now.

Now you know.

A Prayer for Letting Go

I will end today’s reflection with a prayer traditionally attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val:

Lord Jesus,

From putting my career before the people in my life, deliver me.

From distracting myself from life with work, deliver me.

From my drive to be superior to others, deliver me.

From the allure of the world’s empty promises, deliver me.

From my feelings of professional superiority, deliver me.

From allowing my pride to supplant my love, deliver me.

From the pains of withdrawing from my [career] addiction, deliver me.

From the dread of falling into decline and being forgotten, deliver me.

Amen.

Marriage Encounter: More Than 50 Years of Strengthening Relationships and Restoring Hope

by Mary Jackson | May 14, 2026 | Marriage Encounter

For more than five decades, Marriage Encounter has helped couples reconnect, strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and discover that even difficult seasons can lead to renewed hope and lasting love.

For more than fifty years, Marriage Encounter has been serving, celebrating, and helping restore marriages for couples throughout Minnesota, neighboring states, and beyond. Since 1972, Marriage Encounter has walked alongside couples who desire something more for their relationship, family life, and future together.

Originally created as a gift for healthy marriages, the weekends began to evolve during the late 1970s as more couples attended while facing real challenges including communication struggles, emotional distance, hurts, and uncertainty within their relationships. Today, some couples attend simply to strengthen an already healthy marriage, while others arrive carrying heavier burdens and wondering where to turn next.

What many couples discover is that they truly have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Marriage Is Not About Perfection

Marriage Encounter is not about pretending a marriage is perfect. It is about creating intentional time together to communicate honestly, listen more deeply, rebuild trust, and reconnect emotionally and spiritually.

Time and again, couples leave saying they feel renewed, hopeful, and better equipped to move forward together. Many describe finally discussing topics they had avoided for years, identifying long-standing challenges within their relationship, or rediscovering affection and friendship they thought had disappeared.

Others speak about learning practical communication tools, experiencing meaningful forgiveness, and finding reassurance that their spouse remains committed to the relationship and future they are building together.

Stronger Marriages Strengthen Families

The impact of Marriage Encounter extends far beyond one weekend.

Stronger marriages create stronger families, healthier relationships, and more connected communities. Couples often describe the experience as a gift that continues giving for generations. One couple shared that they “began to like each other again,” while another described their marriage as “renewed and revived.”

Many speak about feeling closer physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Others express gratitude for the openness and transparency of the presenting couples whose experiences made it easier for them to share honestly themselves.

Hope Continues One Couple at a Time

The stories shared after every Marriage Encounter weekend continue to serve as powerful reminders that hope can grow even in difficult places. Couples consistently describe improved communication, deeper understanding, renewed intimacy, forgiveness, and a stronger sense of purpose within their marriage.

Some even leave inspired to help other couples through the ministry themselves.

Marriage Encounter continues to provide a place where couples can step away from daily distractions, focus intentionally on one another, and rediscover the strength and grace available within their relationship and through God’s presence in their lives.

Join Us for the August 1-2 Marriage Encounter Weekend

If you are looking to strengthen your marriage, reconnect with one another, or simply invest in your relationship, now is the perfect time to take that next step.

Join us for the upcoming August 1-2 Marriage Encounter Weekend and experience time dedicated entirely to your relationship and future together.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Is God Calling You Back to Marriage Encounter?

by Mary Jackson | Apr 21, 2026 | Couple Resources, Faith & Relationships, Marriage Encounter, Marriage Enrichment

Try to remember your original Marriage Encounter weekend. What feeling rises up in your heart?

Was it peace… hope… a deeper sense of love and commitment?

Was it simply a weekend you attended, or was it an experience you felt called to be part of?

So many couples walk away changed, touched by grace in ways they never expected. While not everyone feels called to become involved right away, that invitation does not disappear. It remains gently waiting.

For some, the call to serve comes immediately. For others, it unfolds slowly over time.

Whenever that stirring returns to your heart, know this: it is never too late to respond. God works in His time, and when you feel that nudge again, it may be His way of inviting you to share the gift you once received.

Our community of Team Couples who serve as facilitators for Marriage Encounter would welcome you with open arms and joyful hearts.

Serving in this way is more than helping others. It is also a gift you give to your own marriage. Even if you choose to serve just once a year, the grace you experience, the connection you deepen, and the love you rediscover can be truly profound.

The process itself is simple, enriching, and non-threatening. You are never alone in it. God works through each couple in a unique way, using your story, your love, your challenges, and your willingness to bless others.

If you feel even the slightest nudge in your heart, it may be an invitation worth exploring.

Please call Mary at 651.454.3238 or email mary@marriages.org.

She would love to talk with you.

Strong Marriages Strengthen the World Around Us

by Mary Jackson | Feb 18, 2026 | Marriage Enrichment, Marriage Reflection

Here is the article. There’s a lot of truth in the idea that strong marriages ripple outward. When two people commit to loving each other well—especially when it’s hard—that stability doesn’t just bless them. It shapes children, friendships, churches, neighborhoods. Throughout history, cultures have relied on families as their foundation, and when those relationships are steady and healthy, communities feel more grounded too.

I really like the image of family being a laboratory for learning how to love. Marriage can be one of the most intense classrooms for that. It has a way of exposing selfishness pretty quickly. The daily, ordinary choices—doing the dishes, running errands, listening when you’re tired—become the real proving ground. That’s where “Love sincerely. . . Hold on to what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other” from Romans 12:9–10 moves from theory into practice.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that marriage isn’t the only path to becoming loving and mature. Single people, widows, close friends, ministers, priests—each relationship gives opportunities to grow in patience, generosity, and self-giving. A healthy culture needs all of those vocations. Love isn’t limited to one state of life.
What stands out most is the humility that comes with time. After decades together, love looks less like grand gestures and more like quiet faithfulness. It looks like respect, forgiveness, and choosing the other person again and again. When couples live that way, they don’t just strengthen their own bond—they quietly strengthen the world around them, and we thank God for that!

MN Marriage Encounter has been building strong marriages since 1972. Nobody is turned away based on their ability to pay. Our Scholarship Fund covers the cost of a Marriage Encounter for couples in a financially difficult situation. We are attempting to build our monthly donors, please consider giving $20, $40, or $50 a month to sustain this crucial ministry. Thank you immensely for whatever you are able to give at: https://marriages.org/donate/

Choosing Hope and Faith When Life Gets Heavy

by Mary Jackson | Jan 22, 2026 | Faith & Relationships, Marriage Enrichment, Marriage Growth

Choosing Hope and Faith When Life Gets Heavy

Today I feel moved to touch on something most people only understand after they have lived a while. Hope and faith are not just nice ideas. They are things that actually show up when life gets heavy. It is easy to talk about them when everything is fine, but they become real in complicated and painful seasons when there is nothing else to lean on.

When Hope and Faith Become Real

My friend’s illness highlights this so clearly. When health, control, and certainty disappear, hope and faith do not erase the suffering. Instead, they give it meaning and direction. They become less about things turning out perfectly and more about trusting that we are not alone and that something good can still grow, even in the middle of the struggle.

Finding Meaning in Illness and Uncertainty

In seasons like this, hope and faith take on a deeper shape. They remind us that hardship does not define the end of the story. Even when answers are unclear and the road feels overwhelming, faith allows us to keep moving forward, believing that God is present and working in ways we may not yet see.

How Hard Seasons Strengthen Marriage

This belief touches marriages as well. The hardest seasons often shape the deepest intimacy. When couples walk through fear, conflict, or uncertainty together and choose not to run from it, those moments can become the foundation of real unity and love. These experiences stretch us, soften us, and teach us how to truly see each other as we are. Two imperfect people learning to celebrate their differences.

Trusting God and Each Other Through the Struggle

Hope and faith may be difficult to measure or define, but they are incredibly powerful. They do not take us around the crisis. They carry us through it. On the other side, we often find a deeper kind of joy than we could have imagined before. Make the choice to focus on hope and faith, in the Lord and in each other.

« Older Entries