With U Podcast

🎄 A gift for the season from our family to yours. In this special Christmas bonus episode, we invite you to step into the ancient story of hope fulfilled. The Promise and the Gift is a Scripture-based Christmas reading that traces the story of Christ from the dawn of creation, through the words of the prophets, to the quiet wonder of a child born in Bethlehem. We'll walk through the promise o...

Welcome to the 100th episode of With U Podcast ! Recorded live in the Czech Republic, this special episode celebrates three decades of friendship, ministry, and intentional Christian living through the European Summer Study Program (ESSP). We sit down with David & Kriste Sveen, Kurt & Meg Tillman, Bill & Sandy Skowera to share stories of showing up, walking alongside others, and seeing...

In this episode we discuss the storyline and themes from the film The Ballad of Wallis Island. Brought to a windswept Welsh island to play a private gig, folk music duo McGwyer Mortimer revisit their mismatched dreams and reasons for breaking up the band. Through beautiful music, lonely landscapes, and quirky character interactions we explore themes of regret, loss, letting go, and loving again. —...

Friendship changes as much as we do over the years. In this episode, we get a little nostalgic about our earliest playmates, our situational sideline pals, and our long-lasting authentic friends. We share the challenges of staying connected in busy times, and highlight why friendship is essential to human thriving. With a few personal stories about baseball and hula hoops, we reflect on our gratef...

On many past road trips, we’ve taken time to enjoy the scenery. But this time, we’re working while driving—and bringing you along for the ride. On our way to a secret sabbatical destination to kick off a new writing project, we share our thoughts on what makes a good coworker, how to nurture a healthy work culture, and our hopes for blending our work styles in both our professional and personal pa...

What happens when four generations from four states gather for a four-day vacation? We recently traveled with family ages 10 months to 80 years for a holiday on Mackinac Island, Michigan. In this episode, we share what we learned about planning lightly, staying connected, and adjusting to a wide range of needs on a multi-generational trip. From ferry rides and horse-drawn carriages to rowdy meals...

Every birth story leaves a lasting imprint. Whether your experience was joyful, complicated, or deeply challenging, the way you remember and tell it shapes how you carry it into the rest of your life. You’ll hear why birth is more than a medical event, how to shift from trauma to transformation, and practical ways to reclaim your story as a powerful rite of passage. — To go deeper on this topic, c...

Food is never just food. In this episode, we explore the many ways meals shape our social lives, reflect our culture, and reveal our inner world. From family dinners to first dates, guilty cravings to sacred moments, we unpack what’s really happening when we sit down to eat. Pull up a chair—this one’s for anyone who’s ever had feelings about food. — Produced by Zach Van Dyke

Here we go again, choosing conversation prompts from a bowl and answering them on the spot. From Tara’s big 80’s hairstyle to David’s brown Ford Pinto, our stories take a turn into vintage territory. Whether you’re looking for a way to move past routine topics on date night, make family dinners more fun, or add some joy to a road trip, we hope this episode gives you great ideas for questions that...

In this playful episode, we take turns pulling fun conversation prompts from a bowl and answering them on the spot. From the time we accidentally camped by the side of the highway, to Tara’s sushi struggles, to David’s unapologetic love of pickle and bologna sandwiches—this episode is full of lighthearted stories and laughter. Whether you’re looking for a way to move past routine topics on date ni...

Some dates live on in our bodies, minds, and hearts. Whether it’s recognizing a birth, a loss, a wedding, or a tragedy, anniversaries can be time-stamped reminders of who we are, where we’re headed, what we’ve learned, and what we’ve lost. In this episode we talk about how grief can echo across generations, and how rituals and reflection can help us navigate the emotional terrain of significant da...

What if emotions aren’t just something we feel on our own, but something we do — together ? In this episode, we sit down with Batja Mesquita, author of Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions , to explore the idea of emotions as not just internal experiences, but relational ones. Drawing from cross-cultural research and personal stories, Batja challenges the Western idea that emotions live solely...

What makes a relationship healthy—and what signals that something might be off? In this episode, we dive into the essential topics of red flags, boundaries, and deal-breakers. We talk about how clear, healthy boundaries create safety, build trust, and protect love—not restrict it. We also explore the warning signs that a relationship may need help, and the serious signals that indicate deeper prob...

Busted! Top 5 Relationship Myths What if the relationship advice you believed was actually hurting your connection? We’re calling out the lies we’ve been told about love, like “fighting = failure” and “compromise always means 50/50.” This week we’ll take a look at some common myths about relationships, and identify what’s realistic, what’s red-flag material, and what actually leads to real connect...

While seasons of waiting are universal, they’re rarely easy. Why does uncertainty feel so stressful? What makes waiting so uncomfortable? And more importantly—how do we live well when the outcome is still unknown? In this episode, we explore the emotional and spiritual tension of living between hopefulness and helplessness . We discuss the differences between passive and active waiting, and offer...

Do you ever feel like the cultural pressure to stay busy pushes you to your tipping point? In light of our own experience living on the edge, we discuss finding the balance between productivity and wellbeing. We share personal anecdotes about the simpler, less hurried times in our lives and discuss strategies for mitigating the sense of rush, such as focusing on fewer things, working at a natural...

Whether you're continents apart or just living on different schedules, long-distance love can bring its own struggles and strengths to a relationship. In this episode, we share personal stories from our own seasons of separation, surviving on handwritten letters that took weeks to arrive. We explore the value of intentional communication, the risk of growing too used to separate rhythms, and the o...

Where do you go to gather ? This week we're diving into the idea of “third places”—those everyday gathering spots that create space for connection, conversation, and community. We start by reflecting on where we used to hang out as kids (baseball fields or malls, anyone?), then explore the sociological roots of the term coined by Ray Oldenburg. Third places—like libraries, parks, and coffee sh...

In this episode, we explore why real, face-to-face conversation feels harder than ever — and why it still matters so much. We reflect on the dying art of meaningful dialogue, and share why David’s teenage prank phone calls might have actually helped him practice tools for conversation. Whether you’re looking to connect more deeply or just get past awkward small talk, this episode offers thoughtful...

Parenting doesn’t stop when our children become adults — it just changes, sometimes in ways no one prepares us for. In this episode we are joined by longtime friends Adi and Ema Ban, who share both personal experience and professional insight from their work in marriage and family ministry in Romania. Together, they explore the tender and often challenging transition from raising children to relea...

Whether hospital candy striping, cub scout camping, youth sport coaching, or 5K fundraising, our vision for volunteering is about building community, character, and connection. In this conversation, we share our earliest (and most memorable) volunteer moments, how service shaped our marriage, and why we keep saying yes to unpaid work. Whether it’s for a one-time event or a long-term commitment, we...

Most people are pretty serious about sleep, and yet we’re often just not getting enough. If solid, uninterrupted sleep is so vital for our body’s health and repair and our brain’s optimal functioning, it’s also an important foundation for healthy relationships. This week we discuss the pros and cons of new trending ways to get more zzz’s, including mouth taping and the “sleep divorce.” We also wal...

In this laugh-out-loud episode, we take a lighthearted dive into the little things that get under our skin. From expensive greeting cards to 4-way stops, from audible breathing to ducks in Jeeps—no bugaboo is off limits. But it’s not all rants and eye-rolls. We also share some thoughts on how to handle pet peeves without letting them pile up or mess with your relationships. Because sometimes, the...

If we can’t force forgiveness, how do we take the first step? In this episode we talk about why forgiving someone who wronged us is undeniably good for our own health. We examine some common misunderstandings about forgiveness, and debunk the idea that to forgive means to forget or accept the hurt. Through a true and remarkable story of a woman who forgave unimaginable offenses, we learn about the...

Join us as we talk with Jessica Love, a friend and singer-songwriter who blends her passion for music with therapeutic practices. Jessica discusses the impact her son and his medical challenges have had on her life and career, and together we explore the intersection of music, therapy, harmony, and healing. Stay tuned for Jessica’s thoughts on the power of presence over performance, and get the sc...