Joining us on Relationship Real Talk is Dr. Brad Wilcox, whose profound insights into the institution of marriage cut through the noise of an individualistic society. We're thrust into a discussion that uncovers the underpinnings of modern-day relationships and the cultural forces shaping them. Traversing the landscape of affluent living and its impacts, Dr. Wilcox brings to light the intertwining of financial management and marital success, inviting us to reconsider the wisdom in uniting resources with our significant others. His evidence-based stance boldly challenges the skeptic views, advocating for the foundational role of marriage in both personal and societal flourishing.

What does it truly mean to tie the knot in today's world? Our heartfelt dialogue with Dr. Wilcox reveals a treasure trove of advantages that married life offers over the single alternative. From the financial leaps bound to men's earnings post-marriage to the emotional oasis that marriage and children provide, we examine the multifaceted rewards that come with saying "I do." Our episode paints a vivid picture of how the commitment of marriage serves as a catalyst for a richer, happier, and more meaningful existence, debunking myths that question the value of this age-old institution.

Ever wonder what makes a marriage not just survive but thrive? We're not shy about sharing our personal recipes for a robust marital bond. We break down how to shield love from the chilling effects of parental divorce, and why education and stable employment are the bricks that pave the way to a prosperous union. Dr. Wilcox and I swap notes on the sacredness of date nights, the embrace of extended family, and the shared tapestry of faith, shining a beacon for those navigating the crossroads of love and life. By the end of our conversation, you'll be left with more than just food for thought—you'll be equipped with a roadmap to achieving the quintessential balance of bliss and stability in marriage.

Some of you may know a DTR as the conversation every couple must go through to understand where they stand with each other: define the relationship. Well at Live the Life, we know DTR as something else. It's the simplest tool that we use in every one of our programs: the Daily Temperature Reading. As Ashley and Cameron break down this skill they will also teach the importance of each aspect. Whether you want to learn more about your friends or want to have an intimate conversation with your spouse we encourage you to DTR this week!

It's National Marriage Week, so of course we're going to talk about L O V E! But what is it? If you go by Webster's definition it leaves a lot to be desired. In this episode, the Briggs take the 5 Love Languages test and discuss what love means to them, how Love Languages change and how we can learn to love our spouse in a way that will meet their needs and bring us closer.

In this Episode Ashley, and her husband, Cameron, discuss their first 8 months of marriage; the ups, the downs, the good, the bad and the ugly. They talk about subjects such as the myth of "the one", standards for dating, the mental load, what dating apps have done to the culture, the biggest surprises and challenges in their first year. 

"Drifting apart is slow. It's like going down a lazy river... and then before you know it you're at the waterfall thinking 'How did I get here"?  This week we speak with Lisa May, our Regional Director in South Florida. She speaks about the importance of couples staying connected even when raising children, how to choose emotional vulnerability to create bonding and the different skills we teach to allow couples a practical way to implement emotional openness in a relationship.

In this episode Alphonso sits down with Tank and Sarah Ackerman from Live The Life's Tallahassee Office to talk about parenting with different personalities. Tank and Sarah open up about how they met and share their experience parenting 4 kids with 4 of the different personality identities from Smalley & Trent personality test. Parenting is hard work, but the Ackermans explain how important it is to understand your child's personality and how that can be used to parent effectively and ultimately create a stronger relationship with your children instead of more conflicts. 

This is a little bit of a throwback but in this episode Alphonso and Ashley attended the National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education Annual Summit in Utah with some of our Live The Life Family from around Florida! Joining us we have Logan Kelly (North West Florida Office), Angie & Jimmy Cash, Doug Stephens(Tallahassee Office), and we get a surprise visit from Lisa May(South Florida Office) and our Co-Founders Richard & Elizabeth Albertson.

We go around the room and talk about what brought us to work for Live the Life and the impact we have seen Live The Life have on couples and even students we work with. This is great episode to get to know the personalities of the different regional offices.

On this episode, Richard, Ashley and Alphonso, interview Babu John from India, who talks about his work over India. His work consists of rescuing people from prostitution, helping orphans from living on the street (including adopting over 20 of them himself), sharing the gospel in a Christian hostile country and so much more! But how does he do all of this and keep his family as a priority. Listen to this episode to learn how to be a mission minded and family focused. 

In this episode, Ashley and Alphonso go over some of their biggest lessons learned from 2022 as well as what they wanna do differently in 2023. If you are wondering what you can do in 2023 to have your best year yet and challenge yourself this year we encourage you to give this episode a listen. 

Coach Mike Norvell takes being a leader incredibly seriously. He understands that it's not just about how a player performs on the field, but also how they live off the field. Coach Norvell understands that his leadership doesn't end on the field, he also needs to be a present and involved leader in his home.  He brought our Adventures in Marriage program to his coaching staff to invest in his coaching staff and his own marriage. Coach has also implemented Wife Walk Wednesdays where spouses go out and walk together to spend some quality time with each other.  He also brings the team, the staff, and their families together for "Family Dinner" on Sundays. In our world today we see leaders we admire and respect fall prey to the breakdown of their families, we need more leaders like Coach Mike Norvell who understands you can't be successful in the world if you're not successful in your home.