Have mental health struggles affected your marriage?  When one spouse is struggling, both spouses are affected, often in different ways. After our conversation with Dr. Mork last week, we wanted to reflect on what she shared how it relates to what we have experienced in our marriage.     To connect with us on social media: Facebook  Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we wanted to talk to the mental health expert and our fellow podcaster, Dr. Melissa Mork.  Dr. Mork is a clinical psychotherapist, speaker, author, and professor who speaks clearly to issues of mental health.  In this interview, we tackled the hard questions that arise when one spouse is struggling with mental health issues. Mental Health with Dr. Mork podcast More about Dr. Mork     To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram ...

Does your spouse’s driving drive you crazy?  Can you get through a road trip without feeling very frustrated? Many of our worst traits show up when we’re on the road and in stressful driving conditions. In this week’s episode, we share how we avoid driving each other crazy while driving!    To connect with us on social media: Facebook  Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

This week we are talking to our new friends Shawn and Jayneen, and theirs is a unique and powerful story.  How does a marriage survive when one spouse is self-destructing?   After their marriage was almost completely destroyed by infidelity and a five-year separation, God redeemed not just their marriage, but healed them as individuals.   Hear all the skills and wisdom they learned on their journey from brokenness to wholeness.    Shawn & Jayneen's Needs Posters    To connect with us...

Ladies, do you want to receive a Mother’s Day gift from your husband?   Even though we are not their mothers, we do need their encouragement!  In this episode, we talk about one of the best gifts you can give the mother of you children: unwavering dedication to your family.  We share 6 principles that Joe has practiced in supporting Tara as a mother. M- Model Respect  O- Offer Resources  T- Talk about the kids  H- How can I help? E- Encourage her  R- Radical Involvement    To connect...

Do you like to cuddle with your spouse?  Cuddling isn’t just for babies and puppies!  Taking time each day to hold each other and enjoy that physical closeness is great for our physical and mental health!  In this episode we share about why we love cuddling and how it has benefitted our marriage!   To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

This is our final week in our series on the Gottmans’ Four Horsemen.  Our final horseman is stonewalling, which is when one person withdraws and refuses to engage in a conversation.  When is stonewalling harmful and when is it helpful?  How do we handle conflict when we are flooded with uncomfortable emotions? In this episode we share our experience with stonewalling and how we keep it from hurting our connection. Gotmman's Four Horseman: Stonewalling  More about Stonewalling from the...

We are in third week of our series on the Gottman’s Four Horsemen.   One of the most dangerous of all the horsemen is contempt, which John Gottman calls the “sulfuric acid for love”.   Contempt begins when simmering negative thoughts about our spouse grow into a belief that our spouse is inferior to us and is insignificant. In this episode we share about the dangers of contempt and how it can creep into our marriage.  The Gotmman Institute: Contempt Contempt in Marriage: Greg Smalley To...

This is our second episode in our series on Gottman’s 4 horseman as we tackle to the topic of defensiveness.  When the horse of defensiveness is running wild in our marriage, we go into self-protection mode and take responsibility for our behavior. In this episode we’re sharing our struggle with defensiveness and some of the ways to combat it.  Gottmans' Four Horsemen: Defensiveness To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email:...

This episode is our first in a series where we are discussing the Gottmans’ work on the “Four Horsemen”: the four conflict patterns that can cause damage in our relationships and marriages.  We’re starting with criticism, which is bringing up a concern by describing our partner (You always you never) and attacking them as a person.  When the horse of criticism is running wild in our marriage, we will feel devalued, rejected, and hurt. In this episode, we share our struggle with criticism and...

Every week, we love to share the stories behind our smiles.  We talk about how we pursue connection and find joy even in the struggle.  But we know that you have a story behind your smiles, as well!  Have you and your spouse overcome obstacles in your marriage?  Is there a time God intervened in an otherwise hopeless situation?  We’d love to hear about it!  We’re handing you the mic so you can share your story.  You can click HERE to use our new WowGod microphone.  Just click on the...

This week we are so excited for you to meet our new friends, Craig and Jennifer Sakata.  After marrying later in life, they have learned to love well despite their different childhoods and expectations for marriage.  They share their story of becoming one and living in grace even when facing miscarriage and grief.  Their love story is a beautiful testimony of God’s grace in marriage! Jennifer Sakata is a speaker, author, and podcaster who nurtures joy at the corner of real grace and real...

We all carry burdens and in marriage, we each have unique struggles.  The problem is when we fall into the trap of comparing our loads and wanting to be the one who has it harder. In this episode, we talk about the difference between empathy and sympathy and how it affects our ability to love.  To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

Does your spouse understand the hardships you have been through and how it has affected you?  Joe and I have both often failed in understanding the ways we each have suffered.  In this episode, we talk about the role of empathy in growing true intimacy.  To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

Do you ever feel like the odds are stacked against you?   The odds against us are real and we all have challenges that affect our marriage.  We recently we had an opportunity to speak at a marriage event about how God has worked in our marriage to help us face the odds that were against us.  In this episode, we share the audio from that live event titled, “Beating the Odds”!  To learn more about the ACE score: Dr. Gottman’s Ice Bucket The Deepest Place by Dr. Curt Thompson ...

One easy and fun activity Joe and I both enjoy is reading together!  There are so many books we’ve read that have sparked great discussions or even just gave us a good laugh.  In this episode, we discuss a few books we've read that have really impacted us.  The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis  The Body Keeps the Score Hope is the First Dose Orthodoxy  The Deepest Place To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email:...

Do you remember those times when you missed someone you love?  When you felt like couldn’t spend another minute without them being nearby?  Even though it can be painful, missing each other is a result loving and being loved!  Telling each other "I missed you" is a beautiful expression of love!  In this week’s episode, we’re talking about those times when we miss each other!  To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com ...

It’s the season of romance, expectations, and disappointments.   Has finding ways to show romance ever been difficult for you and your spouse?  We haven’t always got romance right either, but it’s never too late to learn!  In this week’s episode we share about our struggle with getting romance right!    To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

One common barrier to healthy communication is interrupting.  In a world overly full of distractions and interruptions, it’s getting harder and harder to finish a sentence when you are in a conversation.  In this week’s episode, we talk about our struggle with interrupting… while trying not to interrupt each other!    To connect with us on social media: Facebook  Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

Do you like the cold?   It’s the time of year for us when the temperatures are dropping and it gets cold!  The cold can feel miserable!  But besides the weather, how does it feel when your spouse is being “cold” with you?  When there’s a chilliness in your relationship?  In this week’s episode we’re talking about being cold and how to add warmth and heat to your marriage.     To connect with us on social media: Facebook  Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email:...

When we see so many people around us hurting, it can feel overwhelming. No one individual can do it all, but we can start with one!  Whether we’re speaking in a microphone or just a telephone, it always comes down to our impact on one person.  And that often is the most rewarding kind of help we can give.  Who is that one person that God has put in your path that you can offer hope to?   In this episode, we share the value of helping one-on-one and how to impact one child’s life through the...

Happy New Year!!  So it’s that time… when many of us are thinking about what goals we have for the new year.  No matter how long you’ve been married, there’s always room to grow. In this episode, we discuss some of the ways we want to grow as individuals and as a couple in 2024.   To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

Growing intimacy and connection in your marriage is impossible if all we do is shut each other down.  Joe and I fall in that trap when we stay in the mindset of, “That won’t work”!  In this episode we share a better phrase to use that will build your marriage instead of tearing it down.  (In Case You Missed it Ep. #2)    To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram behindoursmiles.com wowgod.com Email: [email protected]

This week we want to introduce you to our new friends, Elisabeth Klein and her husband, Buzz.   They share the difficult parts of their story with wisdom and grace, a story that includes living in an abusive marriage, separation, and divorce.  Their transparency is refreshing as they share the challenges from their first marriages, in their courtship and remarriage, and in blending families.  Hear how they moved from brokenness to healing and how God brought them together for a second...

Merry Christmas!! We hope you’re having a beautiful Christmas season with your family!  We wanted to take a quick moment to say hi, wish you a Merry Christmas and share some good news in our family’s lives!   If this season has been hard for you, please check out Episode 9, Why don’t you like Christmas?  If you’re looking for a fresh way to hear the story of Jesus with your family, check out the In Fulfillment podcast!  To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram ...