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We're all guilty of seeking that elusive "silver bullet" – the one magical secret that transforms an ordinary marriage into an extraordinary one. But what if the answer isn't found in grand gestures or revolutionary techniques, but rather in simple, consistent choices made day after day?

In this deeply personal episode, Greg and Jess pull back the curtain on their 13-year relationship to share four foundational principles that have sustained them through blended family challenges, busy schedules, and life's inevitable ups and downs. Their candid conversation reveals how intentionally having fun together, embracing selflessness, letting go of minor irritations, and prioritizing communication creates the bedrock of lasting love.

Jess shares a particularly powerful perspective on "not sweating the small stuff" that stems from her experience of losing her first husband – a reminder that the very things we complain about (laundry left unfolded, items on countertops) are actually privileges of having someone in our lives. Meanwhile, Greg opens up about his journey from being communication-avoidant to recognizing how essential honest dialogue is to relationship health.

What makes this episode especially valuable is its practicality. Rather than offering vague platitudes, Greg and Jess provide specific, actionable challenges you can implement immediately: a five-minute question exercise to improve communication, ways to redefine "fun" that fit your current life stage, and the transformative practice of serving your partner with zero expectation of return.

Whether you're in the honeymoon phase, navigating the roommate years, or rebuilding after a rough patch, these time-tested principles offer a roadmap for creating a relationship that doesn't just survive but genuinely thrives. Ready to move beyond searching for silver bullets and start building something that lasts? This conversation is your starting point.

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Family culture doesn't happen by accident. Drawing on corporate experience, we discovered how establishing core values could transform our blended family's dynamics and create an intentional environment for our children to thrive.

With sticky notes spread across our kitchen table, we invited our children (ages 8-12) to help identify what mattered most to our family. This collaborative process resulted in six core values: Love, Communication, Service, Together, Fun, and Faith. Each family member selected one value that resonated personally with them, then painted it on canvas as a visual reminder of our shared commitments.

These values became guideposts for daily life together. When arguments threatened to escalate, our communication value reminded us to speak respectfully and take a cooling-off lap around the neighborhood if needed. When weekend mountain bike races consumed our time, our fun value pushed us to find creative ways to make these trips enjoyable for everyone. Our faith value encouraged questions and personal discovery rather than forced participation.

The real power wasn't in the pretty canvases hanging on our walls—it was in modeling these values consistently. Children don't learn from what we say but from what we do. Even when we stumbled (and we certainly did), returning to these core principles helped reset our family's direction.

Whether you're in a newly blended family, raising teenagers who challenge every boundary, or just beginning your parenting journey, establishing core values provides a foundation for intentional family culture. Start small with just one or two values—what matters is beginning the conversation about what your family stands for and how you'll live that out together.

What core values would you choose for your family? We'd love to hear which principles guide your home.

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Picture this: a well-worn table, rescued from an old hunting lodge, standing at the heart of a bustling blended family home. Not particularly beautiful or expensive, but carved with a "P" by small hands and refinished with love. This humble kitchen table became the gravitational center of our family life - where boundaries were established, hearts were mended, victories celebrated, and a family culture was forged.

In this deeply personal conversation, we reveal how something as simple as consistent family meals became the anchor point that helped our family of six navigate the sometimes choppy waters of blending. We share the intentional practices that made our table sacred ground - the no-phones rule, our cherished "highs and lows" tradition, even the amusing "shirts must be worn" policy (thanks to our perpetually shirtless teenage son).

What's fascinating is that we didn't realize what we were building at the time. We were just trying to wrangle four kids from different households into some semblance of togetherness. But twenty years later, our now-adult children still gravitate to that table when they visit, still ask to share highs and lows, and even our daughter-in-law has embraced these seemingly small but mighty traditions.

Beyond just our table, we explore how creating intentional gathering spaces throughout our home fostered what TikTok now calls a "living room family" - where children naturally gather in common areas rather than retreating to bedrooms. These weren't accidental choices, but deliberate decisions about the kind of family culture we wanted to create.

Whether you're part of a blended family or simply looking to strengthen your family bonds, this episode offers practical wisdom about how physical spaces shape emotional connections. What anchor points are you creating in your home? Where does your family naturally gather? The culture you're building might be happening around something as simple as your kitchen table.

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Your perspective shapes everything about how you experience your marriage. Are you constantly focusing on what your partner does wrong, or are you actively looking for the good? In this candid conversation, Greg and Jessica share how their vastly different life experiences shaped their mindsets about family, relationships, and overcoming trauma.

Jessica reveals the profound shift that occurred when she had to decide whether to live as "the widow" after losing her first husband at 32 with two small children. Through counseling and learning about "Eucharisto" - the practice of active gratitude - she discovered how to find joy even amidst devastating loss. Her powerful realization: "He's there to do it" became her response when hearing others complain about their spouses' annoying habits. The simple gift of presence became everything.

Greg opens up about his transformative experience running a half-marathon with zero training after his divorce, sobbing through the final mile as he processed years of pain and the fear of becoming like his abusive father. This physical challenge became a metaphor for his life: "I can do more than I think I can."

Both hosts emphasize that choosing not to be victims doesn't mean denying their trauma - it means refusing to let their hardest moments define them. This mindset has shaped how they parent their blended family and approach their marriage, deliberately looking for positive rather than dwelling on annoyances.

Try this simple exercise: pause right now and text your partner three things you love about them. As Greg brilliantly sums up: "You will find what you're looking for. If you're looking for positive, you're going to find it."

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Greg and Jess share their dating journey from first meeting through getting engaged and married, exploring how they've maintained their relationship while raising four children in a blended family.

• Started with Facebook messages and texts before meeting at Waffle House for their first date 
• Second date was at a rock climbing gym in Atlanta 
• Realized they were in love on the same day while Greg was installing a bike rack
• Nanny (Jess's grandmother) gave Jess a ring to give to Greg, unknowingly answering his private prayer
• Got engaged at St. Simon's Island after dating for just months, with all four children present
• Married in October 2012, only eight months after meeting
• Made dating each other a priority throughout their marriage despite busy schedules with four kids
• Found creative ways to connect including coffee dates before grocery shopping
• Took annual trips without children to invest in their relationship
• Emphasized putting phones down and being present with each other

Remember to date each other no matter how chaotic life gets. When kids eventually leave home, your relationship needs to be strong enough to continue thriving as a couple.

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Join Jess and Greg as they unpack how they handled expectations for all four kids. We unpack how we handled discipline with all the children and how we managed expectations for everyone in the house on a weekly basis. We also briefly dig into what kind of environment they wanted to create in their home including specific word choices used to support the culture they created.

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Today we start to unpack the huge topic of communication and expectations.  Join Greg and Jess as they unpack how different personality traits influence relationship dynamics and communication. 

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From scarred and skeptical to safe and secure, Greg and Jess brought baggage of trust issues in two very different ways. Join us as we unpack this baggage together! 

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Meet Greg and Jess the ones behind the mic! We're excited to introduce our new podcast where we dive into real-life conversations about the ups and downs of relationships, from navigating second marriages to unpacking the baggage we all bring. Join us for laughs, insights, and some unforgettable stories!  In this first episode we talk briefly about how we both found ourselves single after 10 plus years of being married.