4092 Marriage is the Ultimate Stanley Cup

Release Date: 06/13/2026

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

As parents, it's easy to lose sight of the goal. We stress about how good we are at this — replaying conversations, grading ourselves on tone, wondering if we handled the moment the "right" way. Somewhere in that pressure, we start believing our job is to have it all put together. So when we're handing our children the lessons we think they need, all we can hear in our own head is: hear me out. Because the last thing you want is your child shutting down your wisdom. You've lived what you're teaching. You've got the scars, the hindsight, the answers. You want to be heard — and that want...

4132 Been There, Dump That

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

You know the phrase, "Been there, done that." It's the verbal shrug we give when something no longer impresses us, no longer scares us, or no longer has anything left to teach us. To put a twist on the phrase to serve you better, why not enhance it: been there, dump that. Because here's something we never sit around and talk about when it comes to growth — it's not just about picking things up. Those new habits, new skills, new mindsets. Growth is just as much about what you're willing to put down. Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . The...

4131 Fear Isn't Who You Are

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

Fear rarely shows up looking like fear. It shows up looking like "that's just who I am." It shows up as "I've always been this way." It shows up in the sentence that starts with "I'm not the kind of person who..." — and ends right before you find out you actually could have been. That's the sneaky part. Fear doesn't usually announce itself. It just quietly moves into the identity you've built for yourself, unpacks its bags, and starts paying rent. And over time, you stop noticing it's even there. You just think it's you. But fear isn't who you are. We all carry a version of ourselves...

4130 Find the Gift in the Grind

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

Some days don't ask permission. They just show up — loud, full, and relentless. The alarm goes off before you're ready. The inbox is already three messages deep before your coffee's even brewed. Somewhere between the meeting that ran long and the errand you forgot, you look up and realize the whole day has passed you by, and you can barely remember a single moment of it. This is the trap of a busy life: we get so wrapped up in doing that we forget to notice we're living. And in that forgetting, we lose something precious — the ability to see the good that's been sitting right in front...

4129 Why Your Hustle Needs A Pause

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

How many times have you pushed through the day fueled by caffeine and sheer will, only to realize by evening your decisions are fuzzy, your energy is gone, and your brain feels like mush? Your decisions are only as good as the sleep you got the night before. Your actions are only as strong as the rest of your body took the day before. Your productivity hinges on how still and quiet your mind has been — not how fast it’s been spinning. It's no wonder why your hustle needs a pause. The culture today glorifies nonstop motion as the only path to success. But the consequence is a society on the...

4128 The Room is Never Empty

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

There's a version of faith that lives in a building. You walk in on Sunday, sing the songs, hear the message, maybe even feel something shift in your chest. Then you walk out, get in the car, and by Tuesday afternoon you're back to running your week on your own steam — making decisions, carrying stress, fighting battles — like you're the only one in the room. You know that gap between the sanctuary and the rest of your life is where a lot of us quietly live. Not because we stopped believing, but because we started treating God like a scheduled appointment instead of a constant presence....

4127 Are You Sleeping with a Stranger?

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

People change. That’s a truth we all accept, or at least give a nod to in passing, yet rarely sit with deeply. Time moves on, circumstances evolve, and the very essence of who we are shifts in subtle and profound ways. So why does it feel so strange with the person you share a bed with—are you sleeping with a stranger? When you lie down beside your spouse tonight, take a moment to ask yourself: Are you sleeping beside the person you once knew, or a stranger who lives in their skin? Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . Change Is the Constant...

4126 You're Not Lost, You're Just Sightseeing

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

Life doesn’t come with a map. It twists and turns, throws detours at us, and sometimes drops us in places we never expected. This reality hits even harder when you’re raising kids—because now you’re not just navigating your own path; you’re guiding little explorers through their own confusing journeys. Overwhelm can take over, leaving you with questions: “Am I doing this right? Are we lost?” But the thing is that you’re not lost; you’re just sightseeing. When you’re sightseeing, you don’t panic because you’re off-course. You pause. You take in the landscape. You explore...

4125 It's Okay to Look Back

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

Looking back at your past is natural. It’s part of being human. We reflect on where we came from, what we’ve endured, and how we’ve grown. But there’s a line between glancing at your history and living inside it. Be careful how long you hang out with your past. Like Doris Roberts said, “It’s okay to look back, just don’t stare.” Some people get stuck in their past like it’s a favorite hangout spot—even a safe one. They replay old mistakes, clutch grudges, or drown in regrets. Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . This isn’t...

4124 Put the Phone Down

Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo

We live in a world wired for distraction. Endless notifications, the addictive drag of social media feeds, and the constant buzz of other people’s highlight reels can pull us from what truly matters. We wonder why we feel stuck—trapped in what has happened, fixated on what didn’t work, and overwhelmed by the noise of life. But here’s the brutal truth: if the past leads your present, you’re not moving forward—you’re treading water. Put the phone down. Stop scrolling through other people’s curated moments, the endless barrage of “perfect” lives. Desire to be supported and...

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Marriage is the ultimate Stanley Cup—a hard-fought victory that only comes to those willing to play the toughest game of their lives. It’s not just about feeling in love; it’s about showing up day after day, battling through unexpected setbacks, and trusting your teammate when the pressure’s crushing. Like a hockey team on the ice chasing the biggest prize in sports, couples who win this game know that every pass, every hit, and every moment of grit counts toward the ultimate goal: a marriage that lasts.

Think about a hockey team chasing the Stanley Cup. They’re not just skating around for fun. Every pass they make, every shot they take, every shift they endure under brutal pressure—it's coordinated, intentional, and high stakes. Missing a play can cost them a chance at the big prize. Yet, despite bruises, setbacks, and fatigue, they push forward, leaning on each other, trusting their skills and instincts, and adjusting their game plan as they go.

Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the Kairos FREE Online Community. https://createyournow.com

Marriage works the same way. It isn’t about being perfect or avoiding conflict; it’s about learning how to play together through the chaos. When you hit rough patches—arguments, disappointments, external stressors—those are like the big hits on the ice. You don’t fold. You support, strategize, and roll up your sleeves to push through.

Examples of the Game vs. Real Life

The Comeback Play: A hockey team might trail 3-0 at the end of the second period but come back with a fierce third period that wins them the game. In marriage, that’s like weathering a particularly bad season—financial strain, illness, or loss—and emerging closer and stronger through teamwork and resilience.
Line Changes & Shifting Roles: Hockey teams rotate players to keep energy high. Couples have to shift roles and responsibilities too—sometimes one partner leads on finances, the other on parenting, or one takes a step back professionally to support the other. Flexibility keeps momentum alive.
Penalty Kill: When a team is short-handed, they defend harder and play smarter to avoid conceding a goal. Marriage’s penalty kill moments are the times you face crisis—disagreements that threaten the relationship, tough life changes. How you defend your bond in those moments determines whether you survive or lose ground.

Marriage is the ultimate Stanley Cup, and it can be strengthened to the point of winning it all!!

The K.I.S.S. ~ Play to win it all!

You have to be in it to win it! And that takes commitment and dedication.

3 Things Couples Must Do to Win Their Stanley Cup in Marriage

Build Relentless Teamwork
Trust isn’t a given. It’s built in the daily passes—the small acts of kindness, honest talks, dependable follow-through. If you don’t have each other's backs in the trenches, you won’t win the long game.
Communicate Like Pros Under Pressure
No one’s perfect on the ice. But great teams talk through plays, share intel, and keep each other alert. Couples must master honest, clear communication—especially when it’s hard. Speak up before issues snowball and listen to understand, not just respond.
Keep Adjusting the Game Plan
What worked in season one might not work in season five. Life throws curveballs. Growth demands that you adapt—your parenting styles, financial goals, even your lifestyle habits. Stubbornness is a quick way to lose the cup. Flexibility is your best offense.

Make no mistake—marriage is a brutal, demanding game. But like hockey’s greatest trophy, it’s the hardest-earned prize with the sweetest victory. If you commit to it like a Stanley Cup team, your marriage doesn’t just survive the season—it wins for a lifetime.

"Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!"

#RelationshipBuilders #CreateYourNow #LoveAndMarriage

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Cover Art by Jenny Hamson

Photo by Canva.com

Music by Mandisa - Overcomer

http://www.mandisaofficial.com

Song ID: 68209
Song Title: Overcomer
Writer(s): Ben Glover, Chris Stevens, David Garcia
Copyright © 2013 Meaux Mercy (BMI) Moody Producer Music (BMI)
One Songs (ASCAP) Ariose Music (ASCAP) Universal Music -
Brentwood Benson Publ. (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The K.I.S.S. ~ Play to win it all!

"Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!"

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