Matt and I did a webinar and Q&A on the Insanity Cycle that happens too often in marriage conflict. It was a two hour event, the first hour public and the second a private Q&A over Zoom with registered participants.

This is the first hour where Matt and I walk you through why couples find themselves looping sometimes on the same argument- for years. It is common for couples to get into an unhealthy pattern of triggering each other. Getting out of that pattern is the hard part. Once you start triggering each other, it is hard to get out of that downward spiral we call the Insanity Cycle. Are you ready to change the way you and your spouse fight? Are you ready to end the unhealthy patterns and get back to respecting each other?

Here is some of what we cover in this episode:

• A walk through the Insanity Cycle and how couples stay stuck in it

If you would like to hear Part 2, where we take your questions and dive deeper, you can find it on the LG Shop! This digital download includes Part 1 & 2 Videos as well as a listening guide to help you apply it to your life and marriage.  While you're there, take a look at some of the other digital downloads as well!

It's a BONUS episode of The Lifegiver Podcast!  We knew wrapping up the parenting series would not be complete without talking about our youth and college age kids. There is a lot of anxiety on returning to college during COVID season and that is on top of the stress families already have about paying for college!  

Anthony O'Neal, author, speaker, and Dave Ramsey Personality joins us to talk about how right now could be one of the best times to go back to college debt-free.  Anthony wrote the best-selling book, "Destroy Your Student Loan Debt" and travels the country talking with parents and college students about how they can avoid the mistakes he did.  

Listen in as he shares his story, tells you how college is way more affordable than you think, and how you can take advantage of this season to make it more affordable. By the way, Anthony also grew up as a military kid with his father in the Army and understands the stressors of military life!  

Find out more about Anthony O'Neal Here: https://www.anthonyoneal.com/

or listen to his show on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/aonealministries

Find resources for your service marriage at www.life-giver.org

It is the end of the Parenting Series on the Lifegiver Podcast! There have been so many wonderful guests during this season and Corie wraps it up with an episode about raising teens. Reflecting on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Corie explains how you can help your child through the difficulty of establishing better routines in the chaos of COVID and school as well as how helping them find their place of belonging can mean everything.

Here is the Awareness Wheel, created by Couples communication that is referenced in this episode.  

Listen to Corie's original episode on Maslow's Ladder: https://www.life-giver.org/the-secret-of-resilience/

Find resources for your service marriage at www.life-giver.org

Sleep issues and separation anxiety are a real thing for so many parents.  With today's anxiety and fear during COVID and back to school criteria, children's fears can manifest at night leaving you frustrated, exhausted and hopeless. Without a good night's sleep, you and your children will struggle to function.  In this episode, I talk with Colleen, a dedicated spouse of a veteran and mom of three boys with a master’s degree in psychology. After years of sleep deprivation and exhaustion with her own son, Colleen was inspired to write her first book about a magical knight- a bear that was determined to protect children from their fears. She wanted to help other moms and young children which led to the creation of Sir William the Brave Knight. 

Listen in as she shares her story, hope for yours and some ways you can find your own peace and courage to help your children whatever they might be facing.

If you would like to find out more or order your own Sir William the Brave Knight: https://magicalorderofbraveknights.com

If you are interested in strengths coaching, please make an appointment at www.corieweathers.com.

Find resources (including the Lifegiver Newsletter) for your service marriage at www.life-giver.org

Interested in joining the Lifegiver Facebook group to discuss this episode and more? Click here.

Interested in giving back?  Donate a couple of dollars to the podcast at Patreon.

Music by Rudy Vaughn

“Few things are as difficult for parents as watching their kids struggle. It's especially hard not knowing how to help them!”

Now more than ever, mental health and behavioral issues are climbing which can be pretty scary as a parent. Many military and first responder families take the leap to get help from their child only to have to move or start over.  Do you ever feel like you are wasting precious time waiting for all of them to communicate and start making progress? How many times has your child acted out on a weekend and you wish the professional could have seen it themselves but they aren’t open until Monday?  Meet Tommy Black. He’s a clinician that teamed up with some other really cool professionals that made an app to get your child’s wellness back into your hands again. ESTEEM is an app that helps parents track their child’s emotional and behavioral challenges.  Complete with resources, tracking software, and more, you can have complete control of your child’s healthcare at your fingertips.  Receive automated goals that encourage progress. Celebrate small wins that add up to big improvements! ESTEEM also makes it super easy to have teachers, counselors, and any other other professionals share important information about how your child is doing in one place so you can make the best decision for your child. Join us as we talk about why he created the app as well as some really encouraging words about how you can parent through the COVID crisis.  You will love this interview!

Download the ESTEEM App today: https://www.chooseesteem.com/

If you are interested in strengths coaching, please make an appointment at www.corieweathers.com.

Find resources (including the Lifegiver Newsletter) for your service marriage at www.life-giver.org

Interested in joining the Lifegiver Facebook group to discuss this episode and more? Click here.

Interested in giving back?  Donate a couple of dollars to the podcast at Patreon.

Music by Rudy Vaughn

What kind of relationship do you have with the public school system?  Does it give you anxiety?  Do you feel like you are always trying to advocate for your child- especially if you relocate a lot?  What if we could all work together (better) just a little bit more? What if (like any other relationship) we listened more and built a relationship of understanding?

I invited Dr. Keith Mispagel, superintendent of Fort Leavenworth School District 207 to the podcast. He has a doctorate in military child transition and studied what kids need to be resilient and thrive academically.  Even more, his district transitions almost 1,200 new military families every summer for the Command and General Staff College that teaches some of our military's most competitive officers  To put it plainly, he is a rockstar leading his staff in welcoming and helping children of all ages transition only to do it all again the next year.  I can honestly say it was the best year ever for my kids (who were weary of transition as it was).  He is now teaching other districts how to build better relationships with military parents and kids.

Listen in as we talk about the school-parent relationship and what the public schools are going through to make the next year a safer one for our kids.

If you are interested in strengths coaching, please make an appointment at www.corieweathers.com 

Find resources (including the Lifegiver Newsletter) for your service marriage at www.life-giver.org

Interested in joining the Lifegiver Facebook group to discuss this episode and more?  Click here.

Interested in giving back?  Donate a couple of dollars to the podcast at Patreon.

Music by Rudy Vaughn

Are you struggling with making a decision about whether your kids should go back to school with COVID numbers still climbing?  This is possibly one of the most stressful decisions our culture of parents have ever had to make. If your kids have been in private or public school settings pre-COVID, how do you decide whether they go back when there are reports of children dying?  In this Lifegiver LIVE, we talk about the questions I’m hearing in my sessions as well as questions you’ve submitted.  We talk about 

• How to talk with your kids about this decision 

If you are interested in strengths coaching, please make an appointment at www.corieweathers.com 

Find resources (including the Lifegiver Newsletter) for your service marriage at www.life-giver.org

Interested in joining the Lifegiver Facebook group to discuss this episode and more?  Click here.

Interested in giving back?  Donate a couple of dollars to the podcast at Patreon.

Music by Rudy Vaughn

I couldn't be more excited to have Sarah back with me for another episode of the podcast.  Sarah joined me last season for the round table discussion and again on our faith based episode of Where is God in the Dark Places. Sarah is married to a SWAT officer and she shares some of what she wishes she would have known in her early days as a newly married LEO wife. Any job can "change you" and the service profession can definitely have an impact on a person's way of handling life, kids, other people, and even our marriage.  But in this conversation, Sarah shares how she has learned to embrace some of those changes as strengths and which have become an area she and her husband can work around or talk through if needed.  

If you are interested in strengths coaching, please make an appointment at www.corieweathers.com 

Interested in joining the Lifegiver Facebook group to discuss this episode and more?  Click here.

Interested in giving back?  Donate a couple of dollars to the podcast at Patreon.

Music by Rudy Vaughn

I have been a long time fan of Reboot Recovery-

"REBOOT helps people overcome trauma through faith-based programs. Our courses, training and online community are open to anyone connected to military or first responders. If the same old therapy or medication has left you feeling hopeless, you've come to the right place. At REBOOT, we’re overcoming trauma together and can't wait for you to join us."

In this episode, Bryan Flanery a veteran who struggles with TBI, shares his story of trauma, faith, and how the genuine relationships of those behind Reboot changed his life.  You will be changed by this episode.  Contact Reboot for more on how you can get involved, find a small group and get the support you need as a military or first responder couple.

Hear more of Bryan's story here: https://neveralonemilitary.com/stories/view/bryan-flanery 

Interested in subscribing to the Lifegiver Newsletter? Subscribers get discounts on their first session with Corie and find more information on building a community of Lifegivers. Click here to subscribe. 

Want to give back?  Send a monthly cup of coffee to keep us going by being a supporter on our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/lifegiver

My good friend Cierra joins the podcast to talk about her experiences as a National Guard spouse.  We so often hear about the challenges of National Guard families- that they don't have access to the programming active duty families have and that living in the civilian community can be isolating. So in this interview, Cierra shares her experience of deployment while living in the civilian community and the challenges National Guard life brings into their marriage.  National Guard and Reserves are now deploying just as much as active duty and Cierra gives fantastic tips on how she has learned to manage the home, school, and work while also building a connected marriage.  

Interested in subscribing to the Lifegiver Newsletter? Subscribers get discounts on their first session with Corie and find more information on building a community of Lifegivers. Click here to subscribe. 

Want to give back?  Send a monthly cup of coffee to keep us going by being a supporter on our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/lifegiver