The UP's of Marriage: Nine Practices That Help Couples Actually Change.

By Jason K Shanks and Dr. Don Gilbert PhD

Most couples don't fail because they stop loving each other.
They fail because no one ever taught them how to stay close.

You promised forever. You meant it.

But somewhere between the wedding, the bills, the late-night arguments, and the silent car rides, something shifted. The same frustrations keep resurfacing. Conversations grow shallow. You love each other, but you no longer feel as connected as you once did.

In The UP's of Marriage, counselor Dr. Don Gilbert and pastor Jason K. Shanks offer nine simple, repeatable practices that help couples move from reactive patterns to intentional connection.

Blending biblical wisdom, practical tools, emotional insight, and decades of real-life counseling and pastoral experience, The UP's of Marriage gives couples something rare: hope that feels practical and practices that actually help.

Inside, you'll discover:

- Why many marriage struggles are alignment problems, not simply effort problems
- How to communicate in ways that create safety instead of defensiveness
- The pause that can keep difficult conversations from turning destructive
- How practiced forgiveness and encouragement reshape the climate of a relationship
- A practical framework you can remember in the middle of real life

You don't need a perfect marriage.
You need practiced love.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H2S3SGTZ
• ISBN13: 9798198298033
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"