Team Us: A Christian Marriage Podcast

We unpack the popular myth that marriage is a 50/50 relationship. But we aren’t stopping there. We’ll also talk about how the counter to this 50/50 myth — that marriage needs to be 100/100 — isn’t always realistic either. TAKE THE “US TIME” CHALLENGE Ask your spouse practical ways you can encourage them when they aren’t able to give 100 percent. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE “How to Marry the Right Girl: A Mathematical Solution” by Robert Krulwich at NPR.org (https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/05/15/312537965/how-to-marry-the-right-girl-a-mathematical-solution) “Astronomer Johannes Kepler solved life’s hardest problem: marriage” by Ethan Siegel at BigThink.com (https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/johannes-kepler-solved-marriage/) “Why the 50/50 Plan Won’t Work in Marriage” by Dave Boehi at FamilyLife.com (https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/gods-plan-for-marriage/why-the-50-50-plan-wont-work-in-marriage/) “Marriage Is Never 50/50 — Brené Brown” on The Tim Ferriss Show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfL4RTuC9Bk) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What do you believe about conflict in marriage? There’s a popular marriage myth that says healthy marriages are conflict-free marriages, yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. Listen in as we debunk this myth and share why couples in healthy marriages do experience conflict. TAKE THE “US TIME” CHALLENGE Spend some time searching conflict styles. There are five primary ones (competing, collaborating, compromising, accommodating, and avoiding). Reflect on which ones you and your spouse best fit and have a conversation about them. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Debunking Handbook (https://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~katie/kt/natsgc/Debunking_Handbook.pdf) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you heard that love is all you need to make a marriage work? This marriage myth couldn’t be further from the truth. Today, we debunk this myth and talk about how you need more than love if you want your marriage to go the distance. TAKE THE “US TIME” CHALLENGE Revisit your vows. Remind yourselves of what you promised when those “in love” feelings were at their newest and strongest. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE “A Psychologist Debunks 10 Common ‘Marriage Myths” by Mark Travers at Forbes.com (https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/01/17/a-psychologist-debunks-10-common-marriage-myths/) “Why Your Vows Matter More Now Than Your Wedding Day” by Adam Hillis (https://medium.com/publishous/heres-why-your-vows-actually-mean-more-now-than-your-wedding-day-a49dc0d83b93) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all bring individual talents, abilities, and ambitions into marriage. On today’s episode, we share four ways to encourage and support your spouse in pursuing and accomplishing their personal aspirations and goals. 4 PRACTICAL WAYS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR SPOUSE'S ASPIRATIONS AND GOALS Ask your spouse what their aspirations and goals are and what tools or resources they may need to achieve them. Help your spouse make the time to pursue and accomplish their aspirations and goals. Encourage your spouse to take risks and step out of their comfort zone and support them in practical ways when they do. Celebrate your spouse’s milestones both big and small. TAKE THE “US TIME” CHALLENGE Think of one personal goal or aspiration you have for 2025. Share it with your spouse and give them ideas on how they can encourage and support you. Then, ask them what they aspire to and ask how you can encourage and support them. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE “Supporting Your Spouse’s Goal Is Good for Your Marriage” by Greg Smalley at Focus on the Family (https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/why-supporting-your-spouses-goals-is-good-for-your-marriage/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We don't have to be Scrooges to benefit from reflecting on Christmas past, present, and future. In this episode, we talk about how looking back, living now, and planning ahead together can enrich our marriages. TAKE THE "US TIME" CHALLENGE If you’ve been married five years or more, practice nostalgia with your spouse. Ask each other about your favorite Christmas you’ve spent together and why it stands out to you. If you have been married less than five years, plan ahead on where you want to be relationally next Christmas. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE “Here’s why there used to be so many Christmas Day weddings” by Daisy Goddard at Find My Past (https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/discoveries/christmas-day-weddings) “How Christmas Memories Can Enrich Your Life” by Mark D. Roberts at Fuller De Pree Center (https://depree.org/de-pree-journal/how-christmas-memories-can-enrich-your-life/) “’Tis the Season for Nostalgia: Holiday Reminiscing Can Have Psychological Benefits” at APA.org (https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/12/nostalgia) “Look Ahead to Strengthen Your Relationship” by Barton Goldsmith Ph.D. at Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-fitness/201310/look-ahead-strengthen-your-relationship) “What Is Active Listening?” by Amy Gallo at Harvard Business Review (https://hbr.org/2024/01/what-is-active-listening) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Should you vent to your spouse? Today, we talk about what venting is and share three key questions to ask yourself before you dive into an emotionally-charged vent. 3 KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK What fuels my desire to vent about this particular frustration, situation, or person? If I vent in my emotional-charged state, will we be reacting or responding to whatever has upset me? Will what I share be beneficial to my spouse and our relationship? TAKE THE "US TIME" CHALLENGE If you find yourself ready to vent about something this week, pause first. Ask yourself these three questions and determine if you need to calm down before sharing. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE “The Rock Cycle: Volcanic Gases,” The Geological Society (https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3601.html) “Venting Doesn’t Reduce Anger, But Something Else Does, Study Says” by Russel McLendon, Science Alert (https://www.sciencealert.com/venting-doesnt-reduce-anger-but-something-else-does-study-shows) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you been striving for the perfect marriage? Today, that striving stops. Our guests, Mark and Jill Savage, say that no marriage is perfect, but the good news is that every marriage can get better. Listen in as Mark and Jill share their story and the fundamentals they’ve learned to grow a healthy marriage. TAKE THE "US TIME" CHALLENGE Put into the practice the tool of grace that Mark and Jill talked about. Maybe even think of a creative way you can practice it — for example, how Mark took Jill sunglass shopping at the Dollar Store. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) CONNECT WITH MARK AND JILL Listen to the No More Perfect Podcast with Jill Savage (https://jillsavage.org/podcast/) Visit Mark and Jill’s website (http://www.markandjill.org ) Follow Jill on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jillsavage.author) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jillsavage.author) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do you and your spouse tackle everyday conflicts? Today, we share three of our favorite tools for working through those smaller disagreements or disputes. TAKE THE "US TIME" CHALLENGE Pick one of the tools we shared to try this week when you face conflict with your spouse. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you and your spouse struggle to move from work mode to romance mode? Kyle and Ariel Tresch join us to talk about work-love balance for couples. They share practical tips you can start using today. TAKE THE "US TIME" CHALLENGE Try one of Kyle and Ariel’s three suggestions for transitioning from work mode to romance mode. As a reminder, they are: Nostalgic transitions, treasure hunt, and mortality frame. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) CONNECT WITH KYLE AND ARIEL Listen to the Couplepreneurs Show on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-couplepreneurs-show/id1742008020) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0mY3DbhH1WVQ7w6tMqnx7R) Follow Kyle and Ariel on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/couplepreneurs/) Join Kyle and Ariel’s Facebook group for entrepreneur couples (https://www.facebook.com/groups/couplepreneurscommunity/) Kyle and Ariel’s website (https://www.kyleandariel.com/) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As couples, we can look for insight into how to improve our marriages in a variety of places. In this episode, we’re turning to the modern musical. We share some timeless relationship insights we can take away from three of them. TAKE THE "US TIME" CHALLENGE Have a date night and watch or listen to one of these musicals and talk through some of the insights we’ve shared. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Did you enjoy this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/team-us/id1565819107) TEAM US RESOURCES Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.