{"id":4383,"date":"2026-02-28T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/?p=4383"},"modified":"2026-03-06T14:06:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:06:24","slug":"how-to-build-a-strong-marriag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">4<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"yoast-breadcrumbs\"><span><span><a href=\"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/\">Home<\/a><\/span> \u00bb <span class=\"breadcrumb_last\" aria-current=\"page\">How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve been married fifty-six years! What\u2019s your secret?\u201d The eyes of the young woman sitting next to me at the ballgame grew to saucer size. I laughed. If there were only one secret, someone would have written it on a coffee mug long ago. Building a lasting love\u2014a strong <a href=\"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/valentines-day-marriage-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marriage<\/a>\u2014requires dogged determination and daily decisions built on a shared foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harry\u2019s and my common commitment to Jesus and our relationship tops the list. Even when the days are long and the nights hard. Especially when frustration overflows and tempers rise. Beyond that is the refusal to murder one another, although the temptation might have been there on occasion. Like all marriages, we\u2019ve had sweet seasons and strained ones. Rather than secrets, I can offer three insights that have strengthened our staying power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-reinforce-the-framework-the-necessity-of-encouragement-to-build-a-strong-marriage\" data-level=\"2\">Reinforce the Framework: The Necessity of Encouragement to Build a Strong Marriage<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-inspect-the-interior-reframe-critical-thoughts-to-protect-your-partnership\" data-level=\"2\">Inspect the Interior: Reframe Critical Thoughts to Protect Your Partnership<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-strengthen-the-structure-with-mutual-submission\" data-level=\"2\">Strengthen the Structure with Mutual Submission<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-join-the-conversation\" data-level=\"2\">Join the Conversation<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-reinforce-the-framework-the-necessity-of-encouragement-to-build-a-strong-marriage\">Reinforce the Framework: The Necessity of Encouragement to Build a Strong Marriage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Look for ways to encourage one another.<\/strong>&nbsp;Harry and I met on my first day at Baylor University and soon began dating. The mandatory religion class hooked me. Scripture came alive. I loved learning background details and deeper meanings. I wanted to switch my major and immerse myself in biblical studies. But my parents insisted I stick with elementary education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward eight years, by which time Harry was pastoring, and we were married. When a young ladies\u2019 Bible study class needed a teacher, Harry thought about my excitement at sharing new nuggets I\u2019d learned. \u201cSince you love digging into Scripture, why don\u2019t you try teaching adults?\u201d He saw a possibility in me I never imagined. Although my stomach did somersaults, I agreed. Without his encouragement, I might never have heard God\u2019s call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone benefits from encouragement\u2014both the giver and the receiver. Sensitivity to our spouse\u2019s needs and gifts requires attentiveness. We can\u2019t encourage what we don\u2019t notice. Harry\u2019s observation nourished both my soul and our relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEncourage each other and build each other up.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1%20Thessalonians%205%3A11&amp;version=NLT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1 Thessalonians 5:11<\/a> NLT)<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3913\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/photo-by-luis-quintero\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/vibrant-crowd-at-a-conference-with-a-focus-on-an-attentive-participant.-2833037-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Photo by Luis Quintero\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/vibrant-crowd-at-a-conference-with-a-focus-on-an-attentive-participant.-2833037-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_Wall-demolition.jpeg?fit=300%2C251&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"removing wall to strengthen marriage\" class=\"wp-image-3913\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-inspect-the-interior-reframe-critical-thoughts-to-protect-your-partnership\">Inspect the Interior: Reframe Critical Thoughts to Protect Your Partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Listen to your self-talk.<\/strong>&nbsp;My internal dialogue about Harry or our situation impacts the external dynamics of our relationship. When he asked me to add the cleaners to my already packed to-do list, I cringed. As if I had no choice. But changing my \u201chave-to\u201d mindset to a \u201cget-to\u201d one reduces my resentment. My attitude adjusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-talk can incite conflict or invite understanding. When I rehearse my irritation, I further inflame my selfish, self-centered nature. If I reframe his request as an opportunity to serve Jesus by helping my husband, my emotions shift. Although I can\u2019t control my feelings, I can revise my thoughts, which will redirect my reactions and reinforce our partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSumming it all up, friends, I\u2019d say you\u2019ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious\u2014the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Philippians%204%3A8&amp;version=MSG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Philippians 4:8<\/a> MSG)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strengthen-the-structure-with-mutual-submission\">Strengthen the Structure with Mutual Submission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Let go of the drive to dominate.&nbsp;<\/strong>My father told Harry before we married that I\u2019d never lost an argument. An exaggeration, to be sure. But he was right that I hated to admit defeat. Sometimes I argued for control rather than clarity. I spoke words I later regretted. Not habits that build a strong marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our disagreements decreased when I surrendered my need to have the last word or win every argument. Not that I\u2019ve eliminated that tendency, but I\u2019m at least aware and trying to rein in my quick tongue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marriage, after all, is a covenant, not a competition. If one wins, we both lose. To seek a double-win over dominance results in a stronger partnership. Instead of silencing my voice, I\u2019m listening for God\u2019s and embracing a victory for us, not just for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSubmit to one another out of reverence for Christ.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Ephesians%205%3A21&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ephesians 5:21<\/a> NIV)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Psalm%20127%3A1&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Psalm 127:1<\/a> reminds us that unless God builds a house, we labor in vain. He\u2019s the true architect of a lasting marriage, inviting us to partner with him in building a relationship that honors him and blesses us.<\/p>\n\n\n<span class='bctt-click-to-tweet'><span class='bctt-ctt-text'><a href='https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnancylucenay.com%2Fstaging%2F8869%2Fhow-to-build-a-strong-marriag%2F&#038;text=How%20to%20Build%20a%20Strong%20Marriage%3A%203%20Lessons%20from%2056%20Years%20Together%20by%20%40NancyLucenay%20on%20Beyond%20the%20Front%20Door&#038;via=NancyLucenay&#038;related=NancyLucenay' target='_blank'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together by @NancyLucenay on Beyond the Front Door <\/a><\/span><a href='https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnancylucenay.com%2Fstaging%2F8869%2Fhow-to-build-a-strong-marriag%2F&#038;text=How%20to%20Build%20a%20Strong%20Marriage%3A%203%20Lessons%20from%2056%20Years%20Together%20by%20%40NancyLucenay%20on%20Beyond%20the%20Front%20Door&#038;via=NancyLucenay&#038;related=NancyLucenay' target='_blank' class='bctt-ctt-btn'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-join-the-conversation\">Join the Conversation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How have these ideas worked for you or someone you know? What other secrets can you share? I\u2019d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in the Comments box at the bottom of the page. (If you don&#8217;t see the Comments box, click Read More and scroll down.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve been married fifty-six years! What\u2019s your secret?\u201d If only there were one. Building a strong marriage doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It grows from daily decisions\u2014encouraging one another, guarding our thoughts, and choosing unity over winning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[551],"tags":[460,571,570,569,568,459,572],"class_list":["post-4383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marriage","tag-beyond-the-front-door","tag-build-a-strong-marriage","tag-encouragement","tag-marriage","tag-mutual-submission","tag-nancy-lucenay","tag-self-talk"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together - Nancy Lucenay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to build a strong marriage? Learn 3 faith-filled lessons from 56 years together: encourage often, guard your thoughts, and choose unity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together - Nancy Lucenay\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Want to build a strong marriage? Learn 3 faith-filled lessons from 56 years together: encourage often, guard your thoughts, and choose unity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@NancyLucenay\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@NancyLucenay\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nancy Lucenay\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nancy Lucenay\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30\"},\"headline\":\"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-28T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-06T19:06:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":811,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Beyond the Front Door\",\"Build a Strong Marriage\",\"Encouragement\",\"Marriage\",\"Mutual submission\",\"Nancy Lucenay\",\"Self-talk\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Marriage\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#respond\"]}],\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together - Nancy Lucenay\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-28T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-06T19:06:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Want to build a strong marriage? Learn 3 faith-filled lessons from 56 years together: encourage often, guard your thoughts, and choose unity.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1\",\"width\":1366,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Build a strong marriage\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Beyond the Front Door\",\"description\":\"Connecting Faith to Life\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30\",\"name\":\"Nancy Lucenay\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1\",\"width\":1425,\"height\":1645,\"caption\":\"Nancy Lucenay\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1\"},\"description\":\"Retired pastor\u2019s wife, Bible teacher, &amp; writer. Connecting faith to life\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nancylucenay.com\\\/staging\\\/8869\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nancylucenayblog\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nancylucenay\\\/?fbclid=IwAR2CNKUTu-_u2pxXv7xEWhFYk8apr3LNT_-rqs0kWb7t5QFoFb7anvyqHNU\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/nancy-lucenay-b05079115\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/NancyLucenayAuthor\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/NancyLucenay\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@nancylucenay2025\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together - Nancy Lucenay","description":"Want to build a strong marriage? Learn 3 faith-filled lessons from 56 years together: encourage often, guard your thoughts, and choose unity.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together - Nancy Lucenay","twitter_description":"Want to build a strong marriage? Learn 3 faith-filled lessons from 56 years together: encourage often, guard your thoughts, and choose unity.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","twitter_creator":"@NancyLucenay","twitter_site":"@NancyLucenay","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nancy Lucenay","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/"},"author":{"name":"Nancy Lucenay","@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/#\/schema\/person\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30"},"headline":"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together","datePublished":"2026-02-28T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-06T19:06:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/"},"wordCount":811,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/#\/schema\/person\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","keywords":["Beyond the Front Door","Build a Strong Marriage","Encouragement","Marriage","Mutual submission","Nancy Lucenay","Self-talk"],"articleSection":["Marriage"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#respond"]}],"accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/","url":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/","name":"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together - Nancy Lucenay","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-28T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-06T19:06:24+00:00","description":"Want to build a strong marriage? Learn 3 faith-filled lessons from 56 years together: encourage often, guard your thoughts, and choose unity.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","width":1366,"height":768,"caption":"Build a strong marriage"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-build-a-strong-marriag\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Build a Strong Marriage: 3 Lessons from 56 Years Together"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/","name":"Beyond the Front Door","description":"Connecting Faith to Life","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/#\/schema\/person\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/#\/schema\/person\/59c03f215eeae6f8fa302d6d6d1caa30","name":"Nancy Lucenay","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1","width":1425,"height":1645,"caption":"Nancy Lucenay"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Lucenay-Nancy.jpg?fit=1425%2C1645&ssl=1"},"description":"Retired pastor\u2019s wife, Bible teacher, &amp; writer. Connecting faith to life","sameAs":["https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nancylucenayblog","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nancylucenay\/?fbclid=IwAR2CNKUTu-_u2pxXv7xEWhFYk8apr3LNT_-rqs0kWb7t5QFoFb7anvyqHNU","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nancy-lucenay-b05079115\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/NancyLucenayAuthor\/","https:\/\/x.com\/NancyLucenay","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@nancylucenay2025"]}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/114_How-to-Build-a-Strong-Marriage-3-Lessons-from-56-Years-Together.jpeg?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paUWAp-18H","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4383"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4397,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4383\/revisions\/4397"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}