Behind Our Smiles Marriage Podcast

Sexual intimacy requires a vulnerability and giving of ourselves like nothing else that we share in our marriage. Then throw in previous trauma, marital disconnection, and the demands of modern life, and it's not surprising that we're not always "in the mood." In this episode, we talk about how we overcome our obstacles to sexual intimacy. Content note: Although we do discuss the effects of trauma...

Friendship is one of God's greatest blessings when we're willing to love others as we love ourselves. And although we can claim thousands of friends thanks to social media, real friendships are still hard to find. In this episode, we talk about the value of growing real friendship in and out of our marriage. To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram Or at behindoursmiles.com

We're celebrating one year of podcasting! In honor of our podcast-aversary, we're taking you behind the scenes of Behind Our Smiles. It was not easy learning to work together- we usually have different opinions about how things should be done and when. In this anniversary episode, we talk about the challenges and benefits of working together as a married couple. To connect with us on social media:...

We all have a desire to be noticed and admired. Don't we all want to be amazing? In our marriage, we can be our spouse's #1 fan and remind them of all the ways they are amazing. In this episode, Joe and I talk about the power of admiration. "I'm proud of you." "I'm attracted to you." "I'm impressed by you." "I like you." "I'm proud of the way you _____." "I'm attracted to your _____ (inside and ou...

In this episode, we're talking about some of our favorite episodes from our first year of podcasting. Whether you are new to our podcast or a regular listener, we hope you enjoy this quick look back on some of the lessons that have most impacted our marriage. To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram Or at behindoursmiles.com

So much of life requires us to trust God, especially when things look a bit crazy. Adventure is always a mix of fun with a little risk mixed in. In this episode, we talk about those faith-building situations we have walked through and the power of a positive attitude in the face of uncertainty. Studio C's "An Unfortunate Fortune" skit To connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram Or at be...

We are so excited to introduce you to a very special couple in our lives: Tara's parents, Tim and Lynette Kosloskus! They have been married for almost 54 years and have so much godly wisdom to share. We've talked about their influence in our lives in previous episodes but now you get to hear from them and see why we love them so much. They share their early love story, Tim's struggle with alcohol,...

We all have needs, and God has given us the ability to meet needs as well. But when we don't know what those needs are, we lose the opportunity to build love and trust into our relationships. In this episode, we talk about communicating and meeting needs in marriage. Resources mentioned in this episode: KEEP YOUR LOVE ON Book To connect with us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Or at behindoursm...

Sitting on the couch and watching TV is a super popular and easy way to spend time with your spouse. But screens can prevent us from spending quality time together, and we can easily waste valuable time just surfing Netflix if we're not careful! In this episode, we talk about how we use TV time to grow our connection and how to honor God in what we watch. To connect with us on Social Media: Facebo...

One common way to grow communication with your spouse is to "talk about your day." But what if one spouse is not particularly interested in talking about their day right when they walk in the door? Do we have to talk about our day? In this episode, we talk about how to "talk about our day" in a way that respects both spouses' needs.

No matter how long we have been married, there is always more to learn about each other. It's like we're always in school! Every day is an opportunity for God to teach us how to love better if we're willing to learn. In this episode, we talk about becoming a student of your spouse.

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.

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.

In this episode, we are going behind the smiles of authors/speakers, Mark and Jill Savage. After 28 years of marriage, they experienced one of the hardest challenges a marriage can face: infidelity. Mark and Jill share some of the slow fades and the spiritual and emotional battles that preceded the near death of their marriage. Most importantly, they share how they found restoration and healing as...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and how we think about our husband or wife affects how attractive they are to us. In this episode, we share the habits and attitudes that help us to grow our physical attraction to each other.

Do you know the right way to do something? Is your way better than your spouse's? But what if your spouse thinks his way is better? In this episode we try to figure out whose way is the "right" way and where humility fits into that question.

We've all been taught to say please and thank you. But how often do we say thank you to our spouses? Don't they already know I appreciate them? In this episode we talk about the value of showing appreciation to your spouse.

Whether you have experienced trauma or not, it's common to "feel triggered." In our marriage, we have had to learn to understand Joe's triggers from the abuse he experienced as a child. In this episode, we share how God has helped us to name and mitigate the triggers we both experience.

Do you have Fan Wars in your house? One person who prefers the fan be on, and the other one who needs it to be off? In this episode, we laugh about our dilemma with the fan and how we work through our differing preferences.

In honor of Father's Day, we are talking about one key characteristic of a good father: loving their children's mother well. In this episode, we share why it's important to prioritize your marriage above your children and how that has helped us build a strong family. https://www.wcicfm.org/a-higher-priority/

Happy 25th Anniversary to us!! As we celebrate 25 years of marriage, Joe and I reflect on our wedding day and what we've learned about marriage through the eyes of our four children.

As we approach our 25th anniversary, we can look back and remember the times when we wanted to give up. When our conflicts seemed unresolvable. But as we trusted God, and leaned into each other, we learned to reconcile in a God-honoring way. In this episode, we share about the power of perseverance in marriage and what it looks like to "work it out."

We are so excited for you to meet our friends Brian and Carole Pucel. When they married in 1982, everything seemed to be bliss until Brian began to follow Jesus, much to Carole's dismay. Brian's new-found faith almost destroyed their marriage, until Carole slowly became curious about what had caused this change in her husband. Years later, another crisis hit when anger and pride almost destroyed t...

Do you ever get in a season when busyness takes over and there's no breathing room in your schedule? Often when that happens, our marriages are the first to suffer. We're more impatient, show less grace, and become disconnected from each other. In this episode, Joe and I share how protecting the margin in our lives has grown our marriage and sexual intimacy.

With our habit of multitasking, truly listening is a skill that we must continually work on. Listening to each other is one of the most selfless things we can do and grows our connection in massive ways. In this episode, we share our struggles with learning to listen well.