The Family First Podcast

The Family First Podcast episodes:

• 01.17.2019

  #143: How to Overcome Obstacles in Life with Faith

  Scars. We all have them, whether they are the time we fell off our bike when we were young or the emotional ones we carry with us as an adult. Every scar has a story! On today’s show, we will...

  
• 11.06.2018

  #142: What I Learned about Perseverance and Trust from Case Keenum

  How many of us struggle with trust? I know I do. Sometimes you just have to persevere. But it can still be hard to believe what you cannot see. Trust is something I have to work on daily. I am...

  
• 03.27.2018

  #141: 4 Things to Do When You’ve Failed

  What is your lifelong dream? Is it to be the parent of a star athlete or have your own business? Whatever it is, having a dream energizes you (even on Monday mornings) as you passionately drive closer and closer to...

  
• 03.06.2018

  #140: There’s More to the Song, “I Can Only Imagine”

  Based on the incredible true-life story that inspired the beloved, chart topping song, I Can Only Imagine is a song that brings ultimate hope to so many often in the midst of life’s most challenging moments.  Amazingly, the song was...

  
• 10.24.2017

  #139: The Star with DeVon Franklin (Podcast)

  For centuries one story has touched the lives of people across the world. This holiday season you’re invited to discover the story of the first Christmas from an entirely new perspective, and today on our show we have DeVon Franklin,...

  
• 10.03.2017

  #138: Every Man’s Bible with Tony Dungy

  The great thing about integrity is that it is truly no respecter of position or wealth or race or gender.  It is not determined by shifting circumstances, cultural dynamics, or what you’ve previously achieved.  From the moment you are born,...

  
• 08.22.2017

  #048: 5 Ways to Be Your Daughter’s Hero (Podcast)

  When my daughters were young, it was easy to be their hero. All I had to do was carry them around the house on my shoulders, read them their favorite story, or play with them in the yard. But as...

  
• 07.25.2017

  #137: 10 Questions to Ask Your Spouse Every Year

  Good conversations lead to connection and intimacy. The best way to facilitate a good conversation is to ask great questions. Whether you feel like you know your spouse well or not, there are questions that will be helpful....

  
• 07.18.2017

  #136: 5 Ways to Break Free from the Pornography Trap

  Pornography is a beast that kills – kills the soul and ravages relationships. No one is immune to pornography. Everywhere you turn, it’s becoming more and more available. At the same time, men are becoming less and...

  
• 07.11.2017

  #135: Trust: The Key to Unlock Intimacy in Marriage

  If someone were to ask you the question: What is the key to intimacy in a marriage? What answers do you think you’ll receive? I can imagine a lot of words that might be racing through your mind....

  
• 06.06.2017

  #134: The New Dad’s Playbook with Benjamin Watson (Podcast)

  NFL athlete and Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson knows a thing or two about big games. But he says the biggest game in life—parenting, specifically fatherhood—is one for which there is no playbook. Watson shares, "I could find clearer direction...

  
• 05.30.2017

  #133: Is This the Root Cause of Your Marriage Problems? (Podcast)

  What is the opposite of love? If you said hate, well, I hate to disagree with you, but I’m convinced that the opposite of love is really selfishness. And in marriage, selfishness often makes you the worst threat to your...

  
• 05.23.2017

  #132: 4 Ways to Fight for Your Marriage (Podcast)

  You and your spouse are allies, not enemies. We must fight for our marriage because we love. We must fight for who we love. We must make war to make love last in marriage. Make war against those things that...

  
• 05.16.2017

  #131: You Married for Better, but What about for Worse? (Podcast)

  When I got married…I didn’t expect conflict, financial pressures, or challenges with children. I always thought the tough part about marriage was finding the right girl. I thought that once I found her, being married was the easy part. When...

  
• 05.02.2017

  #130: Why You Need a Relationship Bucket List (Podcast)

  Busyness is a thief that steals meaningful time and lasting memories. Creating a relationship bucket list will be helpful; it will work in all phases of your life and all relationships. Being INTENTIONAL is the key to having a strong...

  
• 04.04.2017

  #129 Unfair Expectations You May Have of Your Spouse (Podcast)

  Expectations: It's a huge word in marriage and something that many couples, ourselves included, struggle over. We oftentimes have unfair and unrealistic expectations when we go into marriage or even throughout our marriage. When we were writing our two new...

  
• 03.28.2017

  #128: 7 Must Do’s and Don’ts for Your Marriage (Podcast)

  It's been said that we should never say never in our marriage and we should never use the word always, because, usually, they are unhelpful in navigating through issues or through conflict, but today we are going to talk about...

  
• 03.21.2017

  #127: 5 Things Husbands and Wives Wish the Other Knew (Podcast)

  Today we have an exciting show because we are going to be talking about things that spouses wish the other knew. In List #8 of our newly released books, Lists to Love By for Busy Husbands and Lists to Love...

  
• 03.14.2017

  #126: 7 Truths About Marriage (Podcast)

  Susan and I recently released our new books, Lists to Love By for Busy Husbands and Lists to Love By for Busy Wives and we both felt it very necessary to have our first list in both of our books...

  
• 01.10.2017

  #125: 8 Things Parents Should Do for their Kids Every Day (Podcast)

  When we initially think about what we should do for our kids every day, we think of things like help with homework, make their lunches, take them to school, but really it’s the relational things that they will remember. ...

  
• 11.29.2016

  #124: Top 8 Habits to Break as a Family (Podcast)

  There are lots of not-so-great choices families make once in a while with no major consequences. But when those choices become habits, you’ve got a problem. Such is the case with most of these 8 negative habits to kick. If...

  
• 11.22.2016

  #123: What Not to Say to Your Spouse During a Fight (Podcast)

  Toxic words poison, and sometimes even kill relationships. I confess there have been too many times when harsh, harmful words have come out of my mouth toward my wife, Susan. It grieves me. I’m continually working hard to choose...

  
• 11.15.2016

  #122: 4 Things To Do When Your Spouse is Feeling Down (Podcast)

  This can be a challenge for both husbands and wives. When your spouse is feeling down, it’s hard to put yourself in their shoes. There used to be days where Susan would vent to me about an issue...

  
• 11.01.2016

  #121: Impacting a Child’s Life – Mentoring, Fostering, Adopting (Podcast)

  We are in the month of November and some may not realize that this month is National Adoption Month. National Adoption Month hits home for both Susan and I because we have two adopted children as part of our...

  
• 10.04.2016

  #120: 5 Manners You Must Teach Your Children (Podcast)

  One of the hallmarks of this year's presidential campaign has been plain rudeness on both sides, from the primaries to the conventions. We also see that lack of basic courtesies and manners on television, online, social media, and in life....

  
• 09.27.2016

  #119: Prickly Spouse? Prepare for the Porcupine Part 2 (Podcast)

  During last week’s podcast, we started discussing the trigger points of conflict that Susan and I have and how we try to disarm them. We will continue with a few more this week.

  
• 09.20.2016

  #118: Prickly Spouse? Prepare for the Porcupine Part 1 (Podcast)

  In our 28 years of marriage, Susan and I have had our fair share of conflict. What causes marital conflict, you ask? Well, a root cause is our selfishness. It’s frustrating because it seems like a constant struggle that...

  
• 09.13.2016

  #117: Celebrating Family and Fatherhood with Tony Dungy (Podcast)

  It’s been almost 20 years, and it’s amazing what God has done with the organization of All Pro Dad. All Pro Dad is one program under Family First, the non-profit organization that provides parenting, marriage and relationship resources that...

  
• 09.06.2016

  #116: How to Raise Your Child to be a Leader (Podcast)

  A leader is simply someone who has followers-followers they influence. Susan and I have tried to raise all 5 of our children to be leaders. We’ve taught them it’s not just what you do, it’s who you are at the...

  
• 08.16.2016

  #115: Anger: Face It, Find It, Figure it Out (Podcast)

  Today we will be sharing with you a little bit about a very important topic that we all have faced and we are all trying to figure out, and that issue is anger. Nobody likes it, but everybody deals with...

  
• 08.09.2016

  #114: 4 Secrets You Must Know About Your Spouse (Podcast)

  For many years, our family went to the lake house of our close friends. We always did a lot of water skiing there. My parents were part of a water ski show when they were young and I inherited their...

  
• 08.02.2016

  #113: 4 Ways to Crush Comparison in Marriage (Podcast)

  The topic we will be discussing today is increasingly becoming more of an issue in relationships and in marriages – a lot of it has to do with technology and this is what it is: comparison. If you feel like the...

  
• 07.26.2016

  #112: 4 Strategies to Help Solve Your Marriage Problems (Podcast)

  Think back to when you first started to pursue your spouse. It required commitment, hard work, and imagination. If winning them over required that back then, why does it surprise us when neglect hurts our relationship after we walk down the aisle? They wouldn’t...

  
• 06.14.2016

  #111: 6 Things That Keep Couples Connected (Podcast)

  Every husband and wife want to feel connected with one another…but sometimes busyness, the daily grind, stress and strain can get in the way and cause a feeling of NOT being connected…and when that happens, “marriage drift” sometimes occurs and...

  
• 06.07.2016

  #110: 5 Bad Behaviors Your Kids Must Conquer (Podcast)

  As parents, we always wonder if we’re doing this thing, called parenting, right…doing everything we should. And what do you do when your child starts exhibiting some bad habits and behaviors at a very young age? Lying, cheating, showing disrespect… Dealing...

  
• 05.31.2016

  #109: How to Overcome Loneliness in Marriage (Podcast)

  Today's topic is one that affects really every marriage if you've been married for any length of time.  It's about loneliness. As humans, we are not meant to be isolated. We all crave deep and lasting connections with other people. But we...

  
• 05.24.2016

  #108: Forgiveness: What It Is and What It Isn’t (Podcast)

  So, let’s say that you’ve been wronged…wronged by your spouse, child, close friend or coworker. You thought you could count on them. You thought you could trust them. They let you down. It hurts. The pain runs deep inside you....

  
• 04.19.2016

  #107: 7 Things to Avoid When Fighting with Your Spouse (Podcast)

  On today’s podcast, Susan and I are going to be talking about a topic that affects each and every one of us. Many couples we’ve talked to through the years, especially newlyweds, assume that arguing in marriage is bad, counterproductive, and...

  
• 04.12.2016

  #106: 4 Ways Parents Discourage Their Kids (Podcast)

  Over the years, Susan and I have learned that all 5 of our children , now all in their 20s, all need one thing and that’s encouragement. We have good intentions and try to help; and, as parents, we may...

  
• 04.05.2016

  #105: 6 Ways to Push Your Spouse Away (Podcast)

  It’s so easy to push your spouse away without even realizing it. On several occasions, I’ve pushed Susan away and created a distance between us with my critical and condescending words. And Susan would tell you that she’s pushed me...

  
• 03.29.2016

  #104: 5 Things You Must Know About Your Spouse (Podcast)

  How well do you really know your spouse? I don’t mean the color of their hair and eyes, or where they were born and went to school. That’s their biography, their exterior. But what about their inner life: thoughts and...

  
• 03.22.2016

  #103: 4 Things Kids of Divorce Wish They Could Say to Their Parents (Podcast)

  Over the years, we have worked with teens and adult children of divorce who were raised in two homes. Many times, they literally wanted to shout, “STOP PUTTING ME IN THE MIDDLE!!!” Unfortunately, most kids never have the courage to...

  
• 03.15.2016

  #102: 8 Reasons Why Your Marriage May Be Better Than You Think (Podcast)

  Did you know that your marriage may be better than you think? Too many couples don’t appreciate the good marriage they have because they are too focused on the perfect marriage they want. Susan and I have experienced this in...

  
• 03.08.2016

  #101: 3 Things Your Spouse Should Expect from You (Podcast)

  Expectations. They are a very important part of marriage and we all have them, don't we? Husbands and wives should be able to expect certain things from one another; there are nonnegotiable marriage expectations that should be the same for...

  
• 03.01.2016

  #100: 6 Things You Should Stop Doing to Your Spouse in Public (Podcast)

  When I wrote about the 7 things that husbands and wives should stop doing in their relationship awhile back, some spirited comments and conversations resulted. On today's podcast, Susan and I want to address 6 things that you should stop doing in public---things that can...

  
• 02.23.2016

  #99: 7 Things Teenagers Secretly Want You to Know (Podcast)

  Susan and I have raised 5 children through the teen years. Teenagers are trying to figure out life…who am I? Where am I going? Do I have what it takes? Am I beautiful? Teens have a lot going on under the...

  
• 02.16.2016

  #98: The 7 Rings of Marriage (Podcast)

  Too many marriages end in divorce. One of the reasons for this is couples today are not prepared for all the good and bad that may happen in marriage. So are you prepared? On today’s podcast, Jackie and Stephana Bledsoe...

  
• 12.22.2015

  #97 How to Find Joy in the Daily Grind (Podcast)

  Joy: We all want it, but few of us have it. Why? Because every day, people and circumstances overwhelm our lives and steal our joy. Things like fear, anxiety, jealousy, death, loneliness, and illness sneak in. These difficulties consume our...

  
• 12.15.2015

  #96: Restoring Your Marriage Against the Odds (Podcast)

  The difficulties we face in life have the power to break or strengthen our marriage...the choice is up to us. We can choose to harbor resentment and unforgiveness or we can choose to embrace love and restoration. It all comes...

  
• 12.08.2015

  #95: My Pledge: Be a Better Elf This Christmas (Podcast)

  Presents...snow...mistletoe...There's nothing better than the holiday season! Except when you throw in angry shoppers, long lines, and sleepless nights wrapping gifts. That's when the chaos has a way of overwhelming the cheer. And Christmas becomes more stressful than peaceful. But...