In this week’s episode, Ashley shares 20 marriage lessons we learned from our First Year.

It’s based on one of our popular blog posts.

You can read the post by clicking here.

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Marriage Resources Mentioned

Original blog post for this podcast episode.

5 Love Languages Online Quiz

5 Love Languages Book

Love and Respect

Boundaries in Marriage

Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting.

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 032: The 20 Marriage Lessons We Learned as Newlyweds appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

As a newlywed, adjusting to married life and to each other will not be easy, but its necessary for your marriage to succeed.

In this episode, we share tips on how to adjust to married life, and some of the adjustments we had to make during our first year.

You can also read this post about adjusting to married life.

How to Listen to this episode

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If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 004 How to Adjust to Married Life as Newlyweds with Marcus and Ashley Kusi appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In this episode, Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo share their first year of marriage story.

They have been married for more than 18 years, have 2 beautiful kids, and live in San Diego California.

Together, they help married couples to be intentional about their marriage, enjoy sex, love, and be committed to their marriage.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Adjustment, challenging, and difficult.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Taking action in your marriage.

2. How to harmoniously relate with your in-laws.

3. An exciting and hilarious moment you do not want to miss.

4. Date Nights.

5. Schedule IT.

How to Listen to this episode

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You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Jesus Calling: Devotional Journal

Intimacy Ignited

He Zigs She Zags: Get Your Communication on the Same Path

7 Days of Sex Challenge

Contact Links

Website

Podcast

Facebook

Twitter Handles: Tony @TonyMDilorenzo   Alisa @alisadilorenzo

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 003 Take Action in Your Marriage with Tony and Alisa Dilorenzo appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Megan Claire is our guest for this week. Megan is a travel blogger who blogs at Mapping Megan and calls the world home.

She has been married for 2 years, enjoys traveling around the world with her husband Mike.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

 Adventurous.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Long distance relationship before marriage.

2. The importance of having supportive in-laws.

3. Giving each other space.

4. Creating open lines of communication.

5. Making time alone time for yourself.

6. Respecting and putting your spouse first.

7. Learning from other couples.

How to Listen to this episode

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Marriage Resources Mentioned

Travel couples and blogs.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

You Tube

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 028 How to Create Open Lines of Communication with Your Spouse with Megan Claire appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guest for this week is Roger Whitney.

Roger has been married for over 24 years to his wonderful wife Shauna, have 2 children, and live in Forth Worth, Texas.

Roger helps individuals and couples plan well, and invest wisely for retirement.

He is also the host of the Retirement Answerman podcast.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

 A whirlwind.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Bringing your own energy to your marriage, and having your own identity in marriage.

2. Surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to bring the best out of you.

3. Dealing with little annoyances before they build up and destroy your marriage.

4. The secret to a good marriage.

5. Having lots of little conversations.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resource Mentioned

Church

Contact Links

Website

Can You Retire Webinar

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 017 Dealing with Little Annoyances Before They Build up with Roger Whitney appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guests for this week are Mark and Marie Oates.

Mark and Marie have been married for over 6 years, have a son, and live in Nashville, Tennessee.

They love helping couples untangle the messy parts of their relationship at Nashville Marriage Studios!

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Easy, and smooth.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to deal with your political differences, selfishness, and adjusting to life under ONE roof.

2. Setting rules for your house, marriage, and family.

3. How to deal with your in-laws.

4. The role of values in your marriage.

5. How to deal with the pain of divorce, and benefits of pre-engagement counseling.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

The Power of Two

Free Communication eBook – (This is the free resource Ashley mentioned in this week’s episode.)

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 019 How to Communicate Your Feelings and Emotions with Mark and Marie Oates appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In today’s episode, Jackie and Stephana Bledsoe share their first year of marriage story.

They have been married for more than 13 years, have 3 beautiful kids, and live in Indianapolis.

Jackie is the speaker, writer, and host of the 7 Rings of Marriage Show. Stephana is the director of a Home School Co-op in Indianapolis.

Together, they help couples build healthy and lasting marriages.

Dimensions Photography

Description of first year in one or two words

Eye opening and challenging.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How  to resolve the sexual intimacy differences.

2. Communicating your needs to your spouse.

3. The Seven Rings of Marriage

4. Date nights.

5. Pre-marital counseling. 

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

A Marriage Without Regrets

The Power of a Praying Wife

The Power of a Praying Husband

Contact Links

Website

7 Rings of Marriage Show

Facebook

Twitter

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons at the end of this post.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 005 How to Resolve Sexual Intimacy Differences with Jackie and Stephana Bledsoe appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guests for this week are Ryan and Cassie Celestain from the popular lifestyle blog True Agape. They help couples build endurance for their marriages and families.

Ryan and Cassie have been married for 4 years; have an 7-month-old baby girl, and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ryan works in the oil and gas industry, and Cassie is a stay at home mom.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Ryan: Awesome  

Cassie: Easy 

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1.The importance of learning your spouse’s Love Language.

2. Building a strong foundation for your marriage

3. Being content with who you are individually, and together as a couple.

4. Taking responsibility for your actions.

5. Addressing issues early on before they become major issues.

6. The 24-Hour Rule.

7. Looking towards something together as a married couple.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Player below the title of this episode.

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

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Marriage Resources Mentioned

The Secret to Making your Husband Feel Loved – A Free Resource from Cassie and Ryan to you.

The Five Love Languages

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 022 The Importance of Learning Your Spouse’s Love Language with Ryan and Cassie Celestain appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In this week’s episode, Kimanzi and Tanya Constable share their first year of marriage story.

Kimanzi and Tanya have been married for over 15 years, have three energetic children, and live in Maui, Hawaii.

Kimanzi is an author, speaker, life and business coach, whose mission it to help people live life by their own design and create true freedom in life. Tanya is a well respected Nurse Aid.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Interesting to confrontational.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to overcome insecurities in marriage.

2. Seeking help when needed.

3. Are you living or existing?

4. Getting on the same page financially.

5. How to relate with your in-laws.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Fireproof Movie

Fireproof Book

Love & Respect

Bible

Contact Links

Website

Are You Living Or Existing Book by Kimanzi Constable

Facebook

Twitter

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 008 How to Overcome Insecurities in Marriage with Kimanzi and Tanya Constable appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guest for this week is Jesse Forster.

Jesse lives in Kazakstan, has been married for 4 years and has two children.

He is the host of Father Nation podcast, a podcast dedicated to helping fathers become great parents.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

New roommates.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Learning how to express yourself.

2. Learning how to communicate effectively.

3. Sacrificing your wants for the needs of your spouse.

4. How to communicate with in-laws even with language barriers.

5. Why listening to your spouse is important and how to do it.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Married Friends

Bible

Contact Links

Website

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 025 Why Listening to Your Spouse Is Essential for Effective Communication with Jesse Foster appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Living in an RV is not easy, and that’s what our guests for this week, Jon and Jema Anderson do every day.

Jon and Jema have been married for over 20 years, live and work full time in an RV, and have 4 kids.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Jema: Chaos.

John: Intense.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to overcome sexual addiction in marriage.

2. Struggling with doing things differently as a couple.

3. Talking about your problems, inward struggles, and issues together.

4. How to communicate about sex and intimately.

5. How to express your feelings and emotions.

6. Dealing with sexual addiction.

7. Why keeping secrets is harmful to your marriage.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Getting help from the government programs.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 031 Walking Through Sex Addiction with Jon and Jema Anderson appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In this week’s episode, Leslie Samuel from Become A Blogger shares his first year of marriage story.

Leslie is a blogger who loves playing piano and believes in changing the world one blog at a time.

He has been married for over 8 years to his beautiful wife Marguerite, have a son, and lives in Michigan.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

A learning experience.

Some of the topics discussed are:

1. How to manage your finances together.

2. How to compromise on your marriage expectations.

3. Choosing between your family or career.

4. Understanding each other, and your goals as a couple.

5. Never try to change your spouse.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Financial Peace University

Baby Wise

Sheet Music

Contact Links

Website

Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening.

You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 010 How to Manage Finances and Marriage Expectations as a Newlywed with Leslie Samuel appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In this weeks episode, our guests are Jim and Teresa Adams.

In this week’s episode, our guests are Jim and Teresa Adams.

Jim and Teresa have been married for more than 29 years, have 4 children, and live in Jackson, Mississipi.

Jim is certified marriage coach, and Teresa is a licensed professional counselor. Together, they co-host The Family Matters First podcast.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Learning experience.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to enjoy your hobbies after marriage.

2. How to decrease, and allow your marriage to increase.

3. Investing in your marriage.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Sheet Music – This is the book we (Marcus and Ashley) plan on reading together as part of our goals for 2015.

A Weekend to Remember

The 5 Love Languages

Love & Respect

The Power of a Praying Husband

The Power of a Praying Wife

Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family

Raising a Modern-Day Knight

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 016 Investing in Your Marriage with Jim and Teresa Adams appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guest for this week is Kimberly Esrkine.

Kimberly has been married for more than 3 years and lives in Montana.

She is a Nukes Air Force Officer, and one of the Divas at Dating Divas.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

 Amazing and difficult. 

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Being happy with yourself before marriage.

2. Learning to communicate often, and effectively.

3. Being conscious of your spouse’s needs and wants.

4. How to compromise with your spouse on your marriage expectations.

5. Marriage will break you down first, and then build you up.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Military One

Bible Study Groups.

Marine Spouse’s Groups.

Free Communication eBook – (This is the free resource Ashley mentioned in this week’s episode.)

Contact Links

Website

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 018 How to Compromise with Your Spouse with Kimberly Erskine appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In today’s episode, Steve and Beth Tessler share their first year of marriage story.

Steve is a mail handler and retired Navy personnel, and Beth is a surgical coordinator.

They have been married for over 19 years, have 2 kids, 2 step-children from Steve’s first marriage, and reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Challenging and Adventurous.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to unite stay united.

2. How to overcome the struggle of living apart as a military couple.

3. Seeking help and support when needed.

4. Cooking together as a couple.

5. Getting rid of debt.

Listen to their first year story, the struggles, exciting moments, and what they wish they had known before getting married.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

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Marriage Resources Mentioned

Stupendous Marriage Show

Contact Link

Twitter

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 006 How to Unite and Overcome Struggles with Steve and Beth Tessler appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In today’s episode, we give an update about health issues we are going through right now. How it has impacted our marriage, life, and family.

Plus what you can learn from our health struggles to apply in your marriage. Our health issues started last summer and played a huge role in our decision-making process.

We also talked about our new book, First Year of Marriage: The Newlywed’s Guide to Building a Strong Foundation and Adjusting to Married Life.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email click here.

Resources Mentioned

First Year of Marriage: The Newlywed’s Guide to Building a Strong Foundation and Adjusting to Married Life.

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

Image courtesy bngdesigns

The post 040 Dealing with Long Term Health Issues in Our Marriage appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Welcome back! Alison Chrun from California is our guest for today.

Alison has been married for 8 and a half years, is a mom to two boys, and presently pursuing her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

She blogs at Appetite for Honesty and writes for large blogs such as Scary Mommy and The Huffington Post.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Exciting.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Becoming ONE as a couple with your finances.

2. Should you merge your finances?

3. How to decide whether to buy a house before having babies.

4. Getting married to a new culture.

5. How to express your feelings with your spouse.

6. Benefits of open and honest communication with your spouse.

7. Why you should help your spouse.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Resources Mentioned

The experience of growing up with divorced parents.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 039 New Marriage, New Culture with Alison Chrun appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Heath and Alyssa Padgett are our guests for this episode. They have been married for 1 year and 1 month.

Heath and Alyssa live in an RV, and spent their first year of marriage traveling for 200 days across the lower 48 states of America. They recently finished visiting all 50 States.

The amazing thing about their honeymoon is Heath working a different job in every state while they traveled together.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Adventure.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to be together as a couple 24/7.

2. Working together side by side.

3. Letting go of unneeded things to focus on your marriage.

4. Why having a common goal to work on together is necessary.

5. How to take bold action on your dreams.

How to Listen to this episode

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You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in email, click here.

Resources Mentioned

FREE marriage eBook from Alyssa and Heath

Slowing down to the speed of life

Meaning of Marriage

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Pre-marital Counseling

Contact Links

Website for Heath

Website for Alyssa

Facebook

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 038 Honeymooning Through All 50 US States as Newlyweds with Heath and Alyssa Padgett appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Tanja Pajevic is our guest for this week. She has been married for 10 years, lives in Boulder Colorado with her husband and their two sons.

Tanja is a former Fulbright Fellow to Slovenia, writer and consultant. She is also the author of the best-selling marriage book, 9 Steps to Heal Your Resentment and Reboot Your Marriage.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Big Change.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Getting married later in life.

2. How to create joint and separate bank accounts.

3. Raising kids while adjusting to each other and married life.

4. The benefits of humor and laughter in marriage.

5. How to resolve crisis together.

6. Learning to give and take in marriage.

7. The importance of deeper and meaningful conversations.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email click here.

Resources Mentioned

To Raise Happy Children Put Your Marriage First

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 037 Creating Laughter and Meaningful Conversations in Marriage with Tanja Pajevic appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In today’s episode, Jason Pockrandt share’s his first year of marriage story. Jason has been married for 2 years, is the father to a beautiful girl, and lives in Bay City, Michigan.

He is a Speaker, Life Coach of Live To Give, and author of The Confident Father’s Guidebook: Five Steps to Personal Transformation, Rediscover your worth, and live the life you desire today.

Jason also coaches, speaks, and serves other husbands and fathers who want to reconnect to their passions and purpose.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Outlandishly exciting.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to deal with two different family upbringings/ dynamics.

2. Embracing new changes in your life as a married couple.

3. How to deal with finances together as a couple. Should you combine your finances or not?

4. Getting through the adjustment period.

5. Learning to live together under one roof as a couple.

6. Dealing with relationship struggles with relatives.

7. Speaking your spouse’s love language religiously.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Resources Mentioned

Five Love Languages

Financial Peace University

The Disc Personality Profile Assessment

Contact Links

Website

Jason’s FREE gift to you

Twitter

Email: jason@jasonpockrandt.com

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 036 As a Newly Married Couple Should You Combine Finances? with Jason Pockrandt appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

It’s been a while since we released a new episode. Our move to a new city coupled with Marcus’s new job has kept us very busy for the past month.

If you have moved before with kids under 3 years of age, you know its not as easy as moving to a new house without kids.

But we are very excited to share updates about our move, communication in marriage book, and the podcast with you.

First, we want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, or purchased our book:

Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting.

We are very happy to see the impact it’s making in marriages all over the world.

Second, after pondering over how many episodes to release each month, we have decided to release a new episode every other week instead of the weekly episodes.

Lastly, listen to this week’s episode to learn more about why we made this decision and our future plan for the podcast.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

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Resources Mentioned

Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 035 After Our Move… with Ashley and Marcus Kusi appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

How will you describe your family in one word?

In this week’s episode, Ashley shares one of the important things that has helped us enormously in our marriage.

It’s called a Family Theme. 

And due to us choosing one for our family, our decision-making process has become easier.

Our family theme has also impacted our family positively. Hence, the reason why Ashley talks about it in this episode.

How to Listen to this episode

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Resources Mentioned

FREE Family Themes eBook

Family Theme Blog Posts

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 034 Choosing a Theme for Your Family with Ashley Kusi appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

This week, Paul Angone is our guest. He has been married for 7 years, has two daughters, and lives in San Diego, California.

Paul is the author of All Groan Up: Searching for Self, Faith, and a Freaking Job, and the best-selling book 101 Secrets for Your Twenties.

He is passionate about helping twenty somethings and thirty somethings discover their purpose, and live life to the fullest.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Adventure and complex.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Building a strong foundation for your marriage.

2. Traditional marriage roles reversal.

3. Having honest and hard conversations with your spouse.

4. How to deal with marriage expectations.

5. What to do when you feel attacked and defensive.

6. Childhood patterns that affect you, and your marriage.

7. Choosing each other over anything else.

How to Listen to this episode

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Resources Mentioned

Crown Financial

All Groan Up

101 Secrets for Your Twenties

Financial Peace University

Contact Links

Website

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Support The First Year Marriage Show by shopping at Amazon.com

P.P.S. Do you find it difficult communicating with your spouse? Check out our recently compiled list of the best marriage communication books for couples today.

The post 033 Honest and Difficult Conversations with Paul Angone appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In this week’s episode, Ashley shares 20 marriage lessons we learned from our First Year.

It’s based on one of our popular blog posts.

You can read the post by clicking here.

How to listen to this episode

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Marriage Resources Mentioned

Original blog post for this podcast episode.

5 Love Languages Online Quiz

5 Love Languages Book

Love and Respect

Boundaries in Marriage

Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting.

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 032: The 20 Marriage Lessons We Learned as Newlyweds appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Living in an RV is not easy, and that’s what our guests for this week, Jon and Jema Anderson do every day.

Jon and Jema have been married for over 20 years, live and work full time in an RV, and have 4 kids.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Jema: Chaos.

John: Intense.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to overcome sexual addiction in marriage.

2. Struggling with doing things differently as a couple.

3. Talking about your problems, inward struggles, and issues together.

4. How to communicate about sex and intimately.

5. How to express your feelings and emotions.

6. Dealing with sexual addiction.

7. Why keeping secrets is harmful to your marriage.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Getting help from the government programs.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 031 Walking Through Sex Addiction with Jon and Jema Anderson appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Alex Barker from Michigan is our guest for this week. He has been married for 5 years and has two children.

Alex is a pharmacist by profession, an online business coach part-time, and former host of the well known Leadership Dojo podcast.

Note: Click here to get access to the Bonus Session about sexual challenges with Alex.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

 Challenging-reward.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Looking for common themes with your marriage issues.

2. Standing up for what you want.

3. Sexual challenges in the first year.

4. Taking responsibility for your actions.

5. How to listen to your spouse with two key principles.

6. Helping your spouse stand up for their decisions.

7. The joy of improving yourself due to your spouse’s characteristics.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Bonus content on sexual challenges

Marriage Counseling and Therapy.

Contact Links

Website

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 030 Standing up for Your Spouse and Marriage with Alex Barker appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

This week’s episode features Mike and Monica Louie’s  First Year Story.

Mike and Monica live in Vancouver, Washington, have two energetic kids, and have been married for five and a half years.

Mike is a law enforcement officer and Monica blogs at ourdebtfreefamily.com where she helps people take control of their money so they can pay off debt and work toward true financial freedom.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Mike: Adventurous.

Monica: Exciting.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Communicating face to face with your spouse.

2. Learning each other’s habit.

3. Talking calmly with your spouse.

4. How to deal with the loss of a family member.

5. Getting out of credit card debt.

6. Working together as a team on your finances.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

The Total Money Makeover

Financial Peace University

Love and Respect

The Five Love Languages

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 029 Getting out of Student Loans with Mike and Monica Louie appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Megan Claire is our guest for this week. Megan is a travel blogger who blogs at Mapping Megan and calls the world home.

She has been married for 2 years, enjoys traveling around the world with her husband Mike.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

 Adventurous.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Long distance relationship before marriage.

2. The importance of having supportive in-laws.

3. Giving each other space.

4. Creating open lines of communication.

5. Making time alone time for yourself.

6. Respecting and putting your spouse first.

7. Learning from other couples.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Player below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in email click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Travel couples and blogs.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

You Tube

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 028 How to Create Open Lines of Communication with Your Spouse with Megan Claire appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Amanda Snodgrass is our guest for this week.

She has been married for 15 years, is a mom to 3 children, and works in the medical field.

Amanda lives in Kentucky and blogs online at Post Traumatic Wife. Her blog is dedicated to helping wives and family members of soldiers with PTSD.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Crazy.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

2. How to make sacrifices for your marriage and family.

3. Learning how your spouse communicates.

4. How to deal with two different belief systems.

5. Benefits of marriage counseling.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Player below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Confessions of a Terrible Husband Podcast

Power of a Praying Wife

A Weekend to Remember

Contact Links

Website

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes.

Click here to leave your review and rating.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 027 How to Compromise on Different Belief Systems with Amanda Snodgrass appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guests for this week are Josh and Erin Bender from Australia.

Josh and Erin have been married for 13 years, have 2 kids and have been travelling around the world since 2012.

Together they provide excellent global travel information and resources to couples, parents, families and individuals through their website.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

 Talking and Listening.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to deal with marriage expectations.

2. Combining your strengths and weaknesses to excel as a couple.

3. How to deal with falling out of love.

4. How to set boundaries when you work from home.

5. Having an exciting First Year.

6. Investing in your marriage.

7. Learning from older couples and role models.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Five Love Languages

Boundaries in Marriage

Sheet Music

Have a New Husband by Friday

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 026 Fitting Your Work Life into Your Marriage and Family with Josh and Erin Bender appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guest for this week is Jesse Forster.

Jesse lives in Kazakstan, has been married for 4 years and has two children.

He is the host of Father Nation podcast, a podcast dedicated to helping fathers become great parents.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

New roommates.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Learning how to express yourself.

2. Learning how to communicate effectively.

3. Sacrificing your wants for the needs of your spouse.

4. How to communicate with in-laws even with language barriers.

5. Why listening to your spouse is important and how to do it.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Married Friends

Bible

Contact Links

Website

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 025 Why Listening to Your Spouse Is Essential for Effective Communication with Jesse Foster appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

In today’s episode, Ashley shares the audio version of Chapter 7: 7 Simple Steps for Getting Started, of our new eBook on Communication in Marriage.

You can get a copy of the book by clicking the link below.

Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting

A summarized version of the 7 Steps are:

1. May I have your attention, please?

2. No yelling.

3. A mile in your spouse’s shoes.

4. Confirm understanding. 

5. Change your style and hit the home run. 

6. Take a break.

7. Rinse and repeat. 

How to Listen to this episode

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You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 024: 7 Simple Steps for Effective Communication in Marriage (Without Fighting) appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guests for this week are Warren and Betsy Talbot.

Warren and Betsy have been married for more than 10 years, live in Spain and co-host the popular marriage podcast, Married With Luggage.

They also enjoy showing couples what they have learned about love by traveling around the world.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Difficult.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. How to fight with your spouse without attacking them.

2. How to deal with different marriage expectations.

3. Benefits of an Annual Love Contract.

4. Putting your marriage first.

5.  How to resolve differences in your marriage.

6. Why you need a team mindset.

7. Giving yourself permission to dream big.

How to Listen to this episode

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Marriage Resources Mentioned

Annual Love Contract

Cutting for Stone

Contact Links

Website

Annual Love Contract

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 023 An Annual Love Contract for Your Marriage with Warren and Betsy Talbot appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guests for this week are Ryan and Cassie Celestain from the popular lifestyle blog True Agape. They help couples build endurance for their marriages and families.

Ryan and Cassie have been married for 4 years; have an 7-month-old baby girl, and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ryan works in the oil and gas industry, and Cassie is a stay at home mom.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Ryan: Awesome  

Cassie: Easy 

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1.The importance of learning your spouse’s Love Language.

2. Building a strong foundation for your marriage

3. Being content with who you are individually, and together as a couple.

4. Taking responsibility for your actions.

5. Addressing issues early on before they become major issues.

6. The 24-Hour Rule.

7. Looking towards something together as a married couple.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Player below the title of this episode.

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

The Secret to Making your Husband Feel Loved – A Free Resource from Cassie and Ryan to you.

The Five Love Languages

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 022 The Importance of Learning Your Spouse’s Love Language with Ryan and Cassie Celestain appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.

Our guest for this week is Justin Ricklefs.

Justin has been married to his beautiful wife Brooke for 12 years, have 5 children, and live in Kansas City, Missouri.

Justin works as a Sales Executive with a technology company and loves photography.

Description of  First Year in one or two words

Fire Hydrant. 

Some of the topics we discussed are:

1. Adjusting to married life while in college.

2. Making sacrifices for your marriage, and talking about your unspoken marriage expectations.

3. Looking out for your spouse.

4. How to deal with the Holidays without neglecting your spouse.

5. What to do when things do not go as planned.

6. Carving out time to spend with your spouse.

7. Asking for forgiveness.

How to Listen to this episode

Click on the Play button below:

You can also listen on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

If viewing this in an email, click here.

Marriage Resources Mentioned

Learning from other couples.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

If you enjoyed this episode, we will truly appreciate it if you:

1. Leave us a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. Click here to leave your review and rating.

2. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone you believe will benefit from listening. You can use the Social Media buttons on the left.

3. Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments section.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy your marriage, enjoy your life!

P.S. Need help with your marriage? Click here.

The post 021 How to Carve out Time for Your Spouse and Marriage with Justin Ricklefs appeared first on Our Peaceful Family.