Operation: Thriving Marriage

Welcome to Episode 58 of Operation: Thriving Marriage, challenging the negativity surrounding marriages. In this episode, we delve into the abundance of negative articles on marriage, discussing what not to do and how to make things better. Break free from the cycle of negativity. Thriving marriages highlight the positive aspects, such as building and reliving memories together, celebrating wins,...

Welcome to Episode 57 of Operation: Thriving Marriage! In this episode, we explore the crucial distinction between intimacy and sex within a marriage. Join us as we delve into the challenges faced by couples who share deep connections but find passion missing in their relationship. Discover the biblical perspective on the importance of sexual expression in marriage and explore practical solutions...

Welcome to Episode 56 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast - "Listening During Tough Conversations." Join us as we explore the intricate dance of communication in marriage, focusing on the challenging yet crucial skill of effective listening. In our discussion, we address the common notion that listening is often more challenging than expressing oneself. We delve into the complexities, part...

Welcome to Episode 55 of Operation Thriving Marriage! In this episode, we delve into the transformative power of validation in building a thriving marriage. From the importance of validating our spouses in various aspects of life to recognizing and overcoming the pitfalls of invalidation, we explore how positive reinforcement fosters oneness and spurs personal growth. Discover key habits that vali...

Welcome to Episode 54 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast. In this episode, Bryon and Jen delve into the heart of Christian prayer challenges. Many Christians grapple with guilt surrounding their prayer life, openly admitting to falling short. Bryon and Jen tackle this issue, emphasizing the transformative nature of prayer that extends beyond mere conversation with God. Highlighting Jen's...

This is our 2 year anniversary episode! In this episode Bryon and Jennifer take listener questions. When is it ok to seek advice outside of the marriage? How do you raise kids when you have different backgrounds, opinions, and traditions? What is the best way to build trust after repeated infidelity? We seem to hear about husbands wanting sex more often, how do you navigate when the wife seems to...

Welcome to Episode 52 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, "Happy!" While we often say marriage isn't about happiness, we delve into why it's crucial to prioritize happiness correctly. Unhappiness can lead to dissatisfaction, conflicts, and decreased problem-solving abilities in a marriage. We discuss the problem of declining happiness in the US and worldwide, emphasizing the importance of...

In episode 51 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, Bryon and Jennifer shares thoughts on the tricky subject of prenuptial agreements. Prenuptial agreements have gotten a very bad wrap in the evangelical church. It’s often said that couples should not get them because they should not be planning for their divorce.  Marriage is sacred to be entered into with the commitment that you will stay...

In this milestone 50th episode, airing on October 9, 2023, of "Communication Breakdowns," we dive deep into the critical topic of communication breakdowns within marriages. Host Jen starts by sharing a personal example of a case where communication faltered, highlighting the importance of effective communication in relationships. Discover the root causes of communication breakdowns in marriages, w...

  Welcome to the Operation: Thriving Marriage podcast. In this episode we dive deep into the importance of maintaining balanced and healthy friendships within your marriage. In today's fast-paced world, many of us fall into the trap of believing that our spouse should fulfill all our friendship needs. But is that realistic? This podcast explores the problem with this unrealistic expectation, how i...

In this episode of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, we dive deep into the essential element of any thriving relationship - mutual respect. We'll start by asking a fundamental question: Who do you respect, and why? Join us as we explore how respect plays a pivotal role in maintaining strong and healthy connections. When we talk to couples in crisis, a recurring theme emerges - the erosion...

Debunking Unrealistic Marriage Expectations Join us for a thought-provoking episode as we dissect the common motivations behind marriage decisions and evaluate whether these expectations hold up in reality. Delve into the realm of marriage misconceptions and uncover its deeper purpose. **The Issue - Challenging Unrealistic Marriage Beliefs:** Embark on a journey to explore the misconceptions that...

A lot of podcasts talk about why marriage is important and insight into how to stay marriage. We often forget to talk about how much fun it is to be married. In this episode, Bryon and Jen celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary with the audience telling stories about their wedding day and sharing some of the things they enjoy about being married. 

Welcome to episode 45 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, airing on July 31, 2023. In this thought-provoking podcast, we address the pervasive issue of pornography within Christian culture. We examine conflicting data on pornography usage among Christians and its detrimental effects on relationships and marriages. Throughout the episode, we explore the negative impacts of pornography, suc...

In this episode hosts Bryon and Jen delve into the significance of apologies in fostering healthy relationships. Despite lawyers often discouraging apologies due to potential legal implications, Bryon and Jen explore how apologies are essential for healing the rifts caused by our actions. They confront prevalent misconceptions about apologies, such as the mistaken belief that saying sorry signifie...

Join us in this episode as we delve into the challenges couples face in maintaining self-determination while becoming a cohesive unit in marriage. Though the ideal is unity, it's natural for both partners to desire independence and resist control. Tracing the roots of the struggle for control, we find it originates from the fall and the introduction of sin and selfishness. Through interviews with...

In this episode, we delve into the often difficult and taboo subject of money within marriages. We explore the challenges of discussing finances and provide strategies to strengthen relationships through open and honest conversations. Research shows that while money may not be the main cause of divorce, it is a significant contributor to marital stress. The key issue lies in differing values aroun...

In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the concept of "mission" and its different meanings. One host, with a military background, associates mission with combat and military objectives. However, the other host highlights the common Christian perspective of mission, which is often focused on evangelism and spreading the gospel. They emphasize that the mission of humanity goes beyond evangelism...

In this episode of the Operation Thriving Marriage podcast, the hosts delve into the topic of happiness and its connection to thriving marriages. They begin by sharing quotes from ancient philosophers, one suggesting that true happiness is only attainable after death and the other emphasizing the impossibility of achieving happiness in our present lives. This leads to a discussion about society’s...

In this episode of the Operation Thriving Marriage Podcast, Bryon and Jennifer discuss the concept of love languages and how they can differ between individuals in a relationship. They highlight the importance of understanding and accepting these differences to avoid conflict and misunderstandings. The hosts also delve into the challenges that arise when love languages collide, particularly when o...

In culture today there are a lot of competing messages about masculinity. It gets even trickier when you start listening to different people try to define biblical masculinity. In this episode we focus on what the Bible does say about masculinity and highlight areas that are often presented as biblical but where the Bible is actually silent. We then try to give men some direction on how to be the...

Lust is a common experience. Contemporary culture treats lust as normal and not a problem. “You can look but you can’t touch.” That is not how Jesus treats lust. He says lusting is the same as adultery. Lust is a problem that must be addressed. It objectifies the object of lust and damages the intimacy in marriage.   Link to the article mentioned at the beginning of the episode. https://www.desiri...

When we get married we become one but we don’t lose who we are. Our personalities are part of who we are as individuals. These differences are important and can sometimes lead to conflict. Couples will often mishandle these differences by ignoring or exaggerating them. In this episode we hope to help you learn how to manage your differences in a healthy way.   Link to the article Jen read: https:/...

Divorce is not desirable. It is definitely not what we want for your marriage, but the reality is that divorce is an option. When pretending that divorce is not an option it prevents us from dealing with the issues that lead to divorce. We can’t prevent divorce by saying it’s not an option. We can only prevent divorce by dealing with the issues that lead to divorce.