Simplify Complexity: Christian Relationship Advice & Help

I believe this saying is not only true in sports, but in relationships. As a spouse you should always be seeking to grow. How can you be a better husband? How can you be a better wife? One way to be intentional to grow in your relationship is by setting marriage goals, and what better time to set goals, than in the New Year.

New Year Resolutions are a great way to start a new year. A person has an opportunity to reflect on their past. Consider things that went well, things not so well, and list areas of improvement. To keep making the same mistakes, but expecting different results is insane. If you want your marriage to be better then do better. Don’t repeat the mistakes you made last year in your marriage. Take time to reflect with your spouse. Ask the question, what are areas I can improve in and then set S.M.A.R.T. marriage goals

Sometimes when it comes to goal setting we need help. In this podcast we share key New Year marriage goals that are impactful, but also easy to implement. We offer examples of how you can apply them and more importantly measure their success. Invest in your marriage today and it will pay dividends throughout the year.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace and Keonte McDonald

• For the next ten days until January 15, 2022 I will have my book Chasing Happily Ever After on sale for only $5.00 (50% OFF).
• On January 20th we will host a FREE Marriage Tune-Up Webinar. To register click here.
• Join our mailing list for other great updates throughout the year.

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When it comes to weird uncles, hardheaded cousins, or even that overly intrusive Mother, family dynamics can be challenging. So much so terms such as Monster-in-laws are used to describe them. Although we all have “THOSE” family & in-laws it doesn’t mean challenging family dynamics have to destroy your relationship.

When it comes to family sometimes you can feel you don’t have choices, but that’s a lie! You always have a choice. Although they come at a cost and aren’t easy, setting boundaries when dealing with family is critical to a successful marriage. Loving a sibling or parent, doesn’t mean you have to be a door mate, nor does it mean they have the right to destroy your marriage. In this podcast we want to talk about the challenge dynamic of family and in-laws, offering advice and tips that will spare you future headaches.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace & Keonte McDonald

The post Dealing with Family & In-laws this Holiday Season! appeared first on Simplify Complexity.

Thankfully when approaching relationships a person doesn’t have to choose between looks vs character. Both play an important role within relationship. Yet, too often people place more emphasis on looks rather than character. Most people when choosing whom to date are driven by external attraction. Unfortunately, the emphasis of external attraction keeps people from seeing the most important part about a person and the success of a relationship. Who a person is on the inside (i.e. character).

I believe in our culture we put too much emphasis on what we see. Whether marketing campaigns or social media the battle against superficiality is what relationship face. Although attraction plays an important role within a relationship, it shouldn’t be the primary thing that drives your relationship. People shouldn’t move into a committed relationship primarily based on looks, and they also should be moved out of a relationship when looks fade. In this podcast we take a hard look at the battle between looks vs character. We share helpful hints to maintain a healthy perspective of both as you navigate your relationship.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace & Keonte McDonald

The post Looks vs Character: The Battle Against Superficiality appeared first on Simplify Complexity.

In the age of social media, blogging, and streaming people are sharing more personal information about themselves in an ever increasing way. Yet, when sharing, when do you cross the line. When can sharing become damaging, to you personally. This is extremely problematic in the area of relationships. One of the challenges of sharing too much information about your relationship, is it involves more than just you! We may not always realize the impact or effect of what we share has on our spouse or mate.

In this podcast episode we take a look at how much information one should share about their relationship. We use a recent example of Jayda Pickett and Will Smith. Some people felt Jayda had crossed the line as she began to talk about her sex life between her and will smith. Putting their business in the streets! Although they are not your average couple as they live a very public life, there are some things that we can learn from their experience. No matter where you are in a relationship process, understanding the balance of how much you share on social media or in social groups is important to maintaining a healthy relationship. We want to encourage you to communicate with your mate and build boundaries as to what you share publicly with others concerning your relationship.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace and Keonte McDonald

The post How Much Is Too Much When Sharing About Your Relationship appeared first on Simplify Complexity.

There are ideas people hold that aren’t always true. Unfortunately, people pass on these false ideas or personal preferences as truth, forming myths. Myths can be passed down from generation to generation, mentor to pupil, or even through social media platforms. Although something sounds true, or people say it’s true, it doesn’t always mean it’s true. God warns us to be vigilant. The need to be vigilant is also important when dating. God desires for everyone to avoid the negative effects of falsehoods. There are Christian dating myths that are causing confusion or challenging people as they search for a mate.

When it comes to Christian dating myths there are many views and perspectives people hold. Unfortunately, people share these views and preferences as truth, when they are not. In this podcast we welcome special guest Eric Demeter, author of How Should a Christian Date, to the show. We have fun exploring various false ideas surrounding dating and hopefully liberating people from a closed perspective.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace, Keonte McDonald, and guest Eric Demeter

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Weddings can be amazing, but they can also be extremely costly. The average wedding in America is 30,000 dollars. Yes, you read that correctly. People are spending on a wedding the same price you can buy a car, or a down payment on a home. Is spending this amount wrong or something you should feel guilty about? How much should a person spend on a wedding?

Often times women and even men have thought about their dream wedding from the time they were children. To them this is a once in a life time experience, and their feelings are to spare no cost. Therefore when dealing with peoples dreams and expectations you have to be sensitive. Although you may disagree, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your opinion is the right one.

In this podcast episode we take a close look at the subject of how much a person should spend when planning a wedding. We share from a non-biased perspective, and then a personal perspective when approaching this subject. We then offer helpful tips for couples when discussing this subject among yourselves to avoid disagreements. Finally we give two exceptions when a cost for a wedding can be outside the will of God.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace & Keonte McDonald

Did we miss something? Please leave your comments and share.

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Sometimes relationships face challenges as a result of incidences between a couple. This can be a spouse who does something dishonest, or a partner who says hurtful things. Yet, in relationships there are some traumatic events that don’t come from the couple, but rather come from outside sources. For example, this can be a spouse who loses a mother or father, or one who get’s let go from their job. These outside traumatic events in relationships can be just as harmful to a marriage as an internal argument, if not handled with care and respect.

There are times when life just isn’t fair. Moments, when you get blindsided. Over the past two years, people all over the world have been dealing with the distress of a pandemic, losing loved ones, financial woes, and health scares. These events can bring distress upon an individual. Eventually this stress will find its way to erode a healthy marriage or relationship. You can’t ignore outside challenges that are happening to your partner. How you approach the trauma your partner maybe experiencing is critical to your relationship’s health and future.

In this podcast episode we talk about some of the outside traumatic events couples experience in relationships, and how those events might negatively impact couples. We offer helpful tips you can apply in these challenging moments, even if you feel frustrated or unsure how to help.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace and Keonte McDonald

The post How to Approach Traumatic Events in Relationships appeared first on Simplify Complexity.

There a lot of things we can compare marriage too. Some people compare marriage to a rollercoaster, and the ups and downs one may experience. In my book, Chasing Happily Ever After, I compared building a house to building a solid relationship, and the importance of a strong foundation. Even God compares marriage to our relationship with Him. So is it a fair to say marriage is a business. Recently there was a post on social media where a particular person did just that in justifying their actions and viewpoints. Which begs the question, is marriage a business?

“Men need to stop disrespecting women and asking them to marry them with a 1 carat diamond ring. If you can’t afford a ring 3 carat or better you can’t afford a wife. It’s bigger than being materialistic. Rather, it’s about being able to see with your third eye. It is about being able to read in between the lines that marriage is a business. 

Whether y’all like it or not, Disney messed peoples heads up with, “happily ever after”. You cannot start a business without some type of financial backing! What can we do for each other??? If you don’t have enough money to spend on an inanimate object such as a ring, you are not ready to invest in a business (i.e. marriage). Go back to the drawing board.”

When we hold certain perspectives, those perspectives shape how we see and live. For example, when someone has the perspective that sex is sacred and only meant for marriage. It will cause a person to keep themselves from multiple sexual partners and saving sex for marriage. On the other hand, if someone views sex as a tool for enjoyment and to be explored. It will most likely cause that person to be promiscuous and have multiple sexual partners.

When it comes to comparing a marriage to a business. We have to ask how does that impact our actions. Does doing so have a negative impact or positive impact upon how one approaches relationships. In this podcast episode we take a look at this comparison, and answer some of these questions. In the end is marriage a business?

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace and Keonte McDonald

The post Is Marriage a Business? appeared first on Simplify Complexity.

A diamond ring has become a staple among what is offered when proposing in marriage. Yet is it superficial of a woman to reject a man’s engagement, if he offers something other than a diamond? This is a sensitive subject because many women feel passionate about marriage and the engagement process. This subject recently came up as a topic circulating on social media. Which begs the question, is it superficial to demand a diamond engagement ring. In this post a particular woman, who will remain nameless posted the following…

“Men need to stop disrespecting women and asking them to marry them with a 1 carat diamond ring. If you can’t afford a ring 3 carat or better you can’t afford a wife. It’s bigger than being materialistic. Rather, it’s about being able to see with your third eye. It is about being able to read in between the lines that marriage is a business.

Whether y’all like it or not, Disney messed peoples heads up with, “happily ever after”. You cannot start a business without some type of financial backing! What can we do for each other??? If you don’t have enough money to spend on an inanimate object such as a ring, you are not ready to invest in a business (i.e. marriage). Go back to the drawing board.”

This post has drawn many responses as it says a lot! Even while reading it, it may have struck a cord within you. Although there are many things we could talk about when reading her post, one subject that pops up is the thought of being superficial, and whether or not an attitude of demanding a diamond shows a lack of character or understanding?

The emphasis of our topic today centers around the word “demand.” There’s nothing wrong with a woman wanting a diamond ring, or even asking for one. The question that we’re asking is, is it superficial to rejects one’s engagement if the ring is not a diamond. In this podcast episode we have fun discussing different points of this post, but then we also take a serious look at what is superficial, and when we are possibly lacking depth in our approach to relationships.

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace and Keonte McDonald.

The post Is it Superficial to Demand a Diamond Engagement Ring? appeared first on Simplify Complexity.

Being single isn’t purgatory, an in-between period of life that you have to suffer through until you get to something better (aka marriage). First off, who said marriage is something better. If you ask some people, marriage can be jail, but that’s a different topic. Singleness is an amazing part of life that you don’t want to miss out on. Yet, if you are not careful a discontent spirit can cause you to do just that. The key is to getting the most out of singleness is YOU!

Life goes through seasons, and each season of life we are told to enjoy it. Yet with each season of life we are growing and becoming better people. Singleness is no different. You have the ability to make the most of it. In this podcast we share tips that can help you find the joy of being single before you miss it. If you’re content in your singleness we maybe be able to offer ways that you can make it even better. Ultimately, we want to encourage those who are single, not to miss out on this amazing time period of your life. Get the most out of thing on this because once it’s gone. It’s Gone!

Hosted by Pastor Brian Wallace and Keonte McDonald

Key Scripture:

Eccl. 3:1-5 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,  a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them…. Eccl. 3:22So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Picture Copyright: mimagephotography – 123RF Photo

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