““The Garden You Grow: Creating the Marriage You Desire with Intentional Love”
Welcome to Dear Emmanuela….
Where wisdom meets grace for your journey to lasting love.
Creating the Relationship You Desire Starts with Daily Intentionality
As a Christian dating and marriage coach, I sit with countless couples who find themselves wondering, “How did we get here?”
They didn’t plan to drift apart.
They didn’t expect their covenant to feel more like a contract.
They just woke up one day and realized that something beautiful had been buried under years of busyness, unspoken frustrations, and unmet expectations.
I hear it in different voices, different stories, but it’s always the same heartache.
One husband said, “We’re polite, but we don’t laugh like we used to.”
A wife recently confessed, “We haven’t had a real conversation in months. I feel more like his roommate than his wife.”
These moments break my heart—and stir it with compassion. Because I know this: love can be rekindled, but not passively.
The marriages we dream of don’t happen by accident. They’re built—on purpose, with prayer, with intention, and with God.
Intentional Love Begins With Vision
Proverbs 29:18 tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The same is true for marriage. Couples without vision often drift into disconnection—not because they stopped loving each other, but because they stopped seeing where they were going.
Ask yourself:
What kind of marriage do we want to build?
What values do we want to live by?
What legacy do we want to leave behind?
When you both know the why, it becomes easier to navigate the how.
Intentional Actions Water the Relationship
Love thrives in the little things. A text that says, “I’m praying for you today.” A soft word instead of a sharp one when you’re frustrated. Scheduling a date night—even if it’s just pizza after the kids go to bed.
Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.” In marriage, the “least” things—your tone of voice, your presence, your encouragement—carry eternal weight.
Start small. But do daily.
Intentional Healing Breaks the Cycle
Being intentional also means confronting what’s not working—with grace.
Unforgiveness is like poison in the soil. Left unaddressed, it chokes love’s potential. But forgiveness, boundaries, and honest conversation can uproot what’s dead and make room for new life.
God never calls us to ignore pain—but to redeem it. As you choose healing, you open the door to deeper connection.
Intentional Faith Anchors Everything
No strategy or communication tip can replace the transforming power of God’s love.
When both partners commit to pursuing Christ individually, their marriage becomes more than just a union—it becomes a testimony. And even if one spouse isn’t there yet, your intentional walk with God still carries weight. Your prayers matter. Your example matters.
As Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
A Final Thought
Most struggling couples are looking for a step by step plan on how to have the marriage they desire. What I tell couples is that the first step is deciding to become the kind of spouse that builds with intention. Everything starts with a decision!
So let me ask you,
What kind of marriage do you desire—and are you planting the seeds today that will bloom tomorrow?
Start small. Start now. But start intentionally.
Because the marriage you long for isn’t found—it’s built, hand in hand, with God.
Contact me at https://www.wivesintraining.com/couples-consultation
With faith in God for your love story,
Emmanuela Rodenberg
Author of How to Attract a Godly Husband
Minister of the Gospel
Certified Christian Marriage Coach
Christian Dating & Relationship Coach
Founder & CEO, Wives in Training International
P.S. Hit reply and tell me — what’s one thing you're praying for in your marriage? I’d love to pray with you! 🙏 or what’s your biggest challenge with dating
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💌 Got a Question for Emmanuela?
Have a question about love, dating, or marriage that’s been on your heart?
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