IMbetween Podcast on Marriage, Parenting, Faith, and Everything In Between

In Episode 173, we interview Christa Hardin about the Enneagram and how this tool can deepen the love you have for one another. We discuss the importance of individual work and creating a safe environment in relationships. Christa explains the concept of seasons in marriage, comparing them to the changing seasons in nature. She emphasizes the need for couples to engage in deeper relational work du...

Bonnie Gray knows a thing or two about being stressed. During the first year of the pandemic, Bonnie's once full, black hair began falling out. Overwhelmed by the exhaustion of disrupted routines and pressure to meet expectations at work, parenting, ministry and a bottomless checklist of To Do's, Bonnie focused on meeting everyone else's needs at the expense of neglecting her well-being. With her...

Anyone feeling tired, stressed, and overwhelmed? Are you looking for a tool to simplify your life and bring back the calm, peace, fun, and love in your home? Us too! In this episode, you will discover how brain science can increase the connection with your spouse and your children. We interview author and speaker Cherilyn Orr on the stoplight approach. You will discover the link between brain scie...

In this episode, you will learn about the benefits of couples therapy and discover practical steps to inspire your spouse to attend therapy. You will also learn how to approach your spouse who may be resistant to attending therapy, and how you can present therapy as an opportunity rather than an obligation. Overall, this episode emphasizes the importance of communication, understanding, and patien...

What is an affair, how do they start, and how can you affair proof your marriage? In Episode 169, we interview Braden and Kristen Hafner on common reasons marriages are susceptible to affairs, the role of trust in affair-proofing your marriage, how to identify potential vulnerabilities in your marriage, and how to rebuild trust and recover from infidelity if it has already occurred in your marriag...

Divorce is a complex and emotional experience and not a "fuzzy feeling" topic. No one wants to think about the possibility of their marriage ending in separation or divorce. However, understanding the potential factors that may contribute to a marital breakdown can help you work to strengthen your relationship and avoid potential pitfalls. In this episode, you will discover the 5 divorce-predictin...

Have you ever felt like you're constantly pushing yourself to change, but it never seems to stick? Maybe you've been told that you'll finally see the results you want if you try harder. But what if that's not the case? In Episode 167, we interview Neal and Carly Samudre about what happens when you start with joy. They will challenge the idea that pushing through blood, sweat, and tears is the only...

Friendship can enrich your life in many ways. Good friends teach you about yourself and challenge you to be better. They encourage you to keep going when times get tough and celebrate your successes with you. But friends do a lot more than give you a shoulder to cry on; they also positively impact your health. Some research even says friendships are just as crucial to your well-being as eating rig...

A child dealing with anxiety can be a challenging and unpredictable experience, much like a rollercoaster ride with its ups and downs. Some days may feel manageable as their parent, while others may feel overwhelming. In Episode 165, we interview Licensed Profession Counselor Justine Froelker about how we can connect with our children who deal with anxiety. As parents, one of the most important th...

We are going to give you a framework to be able to set your family's weekly rhythm. You can establish a routine for your family, despite how chaotic or busy your lives are. Just as you may create a family budget to direct where your money goes, you can establish family rhythms to direct where your time goes. If you do not take authority over your time, you risk living in the tornado of whatever ev...

No area of a couple's life offers more potential for embarrassment, hurt, and rejection than their sexual relationship. On the other hand, when everything is connected...when relational transparency and emotional honesty meet physical desire...wow...that’s a recipe for great sex. Great sex helps produce greater relational and emotional intimacy, and it just keeps snowballing in the best way possib...

Are you raising kids who are kind and compassionate? It is critical to demonstrate to our children what it means to include others instead of excluding them. In episode 162, we share with you some ideas of how we can raise kids who are “includers” by modelling what that looks like.  For the full show notes, including date night questions and journal prompts about this episode, go to IMbetween.org/...

Perhaps you are familiar with Dr. Gary Chapman's The 5 Love Languages. It has been revolutionary to individuals, couples, and families worldwide. Truity, a company that offers a variety of online personality quizzes, wanted to build on Dr. Chapman's work. They surveyed over 500 000 people about what makes them feel loved and discovered that there are seven distinct ways of showing and receiving lo...

We were recently asked about what advice we would give to younger couples, and so that’s what we want to unpack today. If we were to write a congratulations card to your wedding or sit down together to chat with you about those first precious years of your marriage, here’s what we would say… For the full show notes, including date night questions and journal prompts about this episode, go to IMbet...

Hope can seem like such an elusive thing. In Episode 159, Drake Farmer unpacks for us what hope is, where we should put our hope when we are going through a difficult season, and how to be full of love, fueled by faith, and addicted to hope. For the full show notes, including personal journal prompts and discussion questions for you as a couple, go to IMbetween.org/episode159 Connect with us on: F...

Sometimes our spouse can feel like our best friend. And, other times, they can drive us crazy! In episode 158, we want to give you 4 ways to stick together when you feel bored, irritated, or frustrated with your spouse. For the full show notes, including date night questions and journal prompts about this episode, go to IMbetween.org/episode158 Connect with us on: Facebook | Instagram Learn more a...

No one wakes up and decides,  " I’m going to ruin my marriage, neglect my kids, and cause mistrust in my family." Yet, sometimes our spouse and children can feel like they have taken second (or last) place to our personal goals and busyness.  In Episode 157, Dr. Josh and Christi Straub share with us how seven core decisions can help us put what’s most important center stage in our lives. If you ca...

With the rising costs of gas, groceries, and pretty much everything in life, are you feeling the financial strain like we are? In Episode 156, we’re so thankful to be talking with the founders of SeedTime money, Bob and Linda Lotich. They answer the tough question, "Finances are killing my marriage. What do I do?" Bob and Linda Lotich have spent the last 15 years helping millions discover true fin...

The gift of Enneagram for relationships is that it offers us insights and perspectives of others. If you've ever found yourself questioning why your spouse does certain things in some ways or reacts to certain triggers in other ways, this episode is for you. In episode 155, we interview Enneagram coach, Dani Cooper, about how the Enneagram can help you understand your spouse at a deeper level. She...

Whether you're a bride-to-be, a mother-in-law-to-be, or a woman who has been braving the in-law relationship for decades, every daughter-in-law and mother-in-law needs help navigating their relationship sometimes. In Episode 154, we chat with mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, Barbara and Stacy Reaoch, about practical ways the in-law relationship can genuinely thrive in the midst of difficulty...

Known as 40 days to give up chocolate, alcohol, social media, or a "quick" way to diet before Easter, the Lenten season can easily be misunderstood. It’s not in the Bible and Jesus never told us to do it, yet the ancient Church declared the months before Easter a fasting season, and millions of Christians still observe it today. In Episode 153, we interview best-selling author, Tsh Oxenreider, abo...

Whether you realize it or not, parenting happens in habits. We make meals, we get in cars, we answer SO many questions, we discipline, and we do bedtime. So much of our relationship with children happens through these ordinary rhythms of the day, and yet how often do we go through these motions as if they were meaningless? How often do we just blaze through these mundane “chores” to finally get so...

Today, we’re going to be discussing how to support your hurting spouse when you are hurting too. This topic hits close to home because we’ve lived it this past year. In May of last year, we said goodbye to Daniel’s dad after a brave 16 month battle with cancer. Thankfully, we were literally there to say goodbye to him. We had flown into Daniel’s hometown on Sunday and his dad unexpectedly passed a...

Marcus and Chris have spent years studying human relationships and were previously on our podcast talking about the connection between joy and marriage. Now they offer parenting principles derived from the way our brains are hardwired. As you'll soon find out, joy isn’t some abstract concept, but a neurochemical reality that arises from the choices we make.  Listen to this episode to learn how to...

This episode is just in time for the holidays! Are you looking for the PERFECT gift to give to your loved one, friend, co-worker, or neighbor? Are you tired of dropping hints to your loved ones about what you want, only to be disappointed by their gift-giving? If you want to give or receive the perfect gift, the Enneagram can help guide you. Dr. Drew Moser takes us through the perfect gifts to ind...