Can laughter and spontaneity really strengthen your marriage? In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad and Marilyn Rhodes share hilarious stories (including hang gliding and hot yoga!) and practical wisdom about how fun isn’t optional—it’s essential.

They explain why couples stop having fun, how to break out of routines, and how to plan meaningful (and sometimes silly) experiences that bond you closer together. Whether your relationship feels stale or you’re just looking to mix things up, this conversation will help you rediscover joy in your marriage.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
- How to bring fun back into your marriage
- Why play is essential for emotional connection
- Marriage date night ideas (beyond dinner and a movie)
- How to plan fun without stressing your spouse out
- Creative low-cost date ideas for couples
- Balancing spontaneity vs. planning in your marriage
- How laughter helps couples heal and connect
- Making memories that outlast hard seasons
- Why intentional fun strengthens your relationship

KEY VERSES:
📖 Philippians 4:6-8 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
📖 Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
📖 Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

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What do you do when anxiety, depression, or emotional burnout hits your marriage? In this deeply personal episode, Brad and Marilyn open up about one of the hardest seasons of their lives—when emotional overwhelm, grief, and burnout took a toll on their relationship. They share what helped, what didn’t, and why seeking professional help earlier could have made all the difference. If you or your spouse are in a heavy season, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone—and that grace, community, and honesty can carry you through.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
- How to support your spouse through anxiety and depression
- Signs of emotional burnout in marriage
- Why counseling is a gift, not a weakness
- Practical ways to lighten your partner’s load
- Breaking the stigma of mental health in Christian marriage
- What to say (and not say) to a struggling spouse
- How Sabbath and rest can help heal emotional exhaustion

KEY VERSES:
📖 John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
📖 Genesis 2:18 – The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
📖 Romans 8:1 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
📌 Instagram: instagram.com/gracemarriage
📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace_marriage

Ever feel your spouse can’t do anything right—even down to the way they drink coffee? You’re not alone.

In this episode, Brad and Marilyn Rhoads join host Rick Dayton to explore how intentional gratitude can shift your entire marriage dynamic. They break down a simple but powerful “eye exam” practice, share how perspective shapes connection, and talk honestly about how frustration creeps in even for long-time couples. Plus, Marilyn shares the moment gratitude rewired her heart after a silent standoff over a house.

This isn’t about blind optimism—it’s about rewiring how you see your spouse so you can start building from a place of appreciation instead of irritation.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
- How to practice gratitude in marriage when you don’t feel thankful
- Why gratitude can transform your relationship (even during hard seasons)
- What to do when your spouse annoys you and everything feels off
- A simple journaling habit that can help save your marriage
- How specific compliments build stronger emotional connection
- Why most couples overlook this powerful gratitude reset
- An “eye exam” exercise that helps couples reconnect emotionally
- How gratitude impacts your mental health and your marriage
- Why focusing on your spouse’s strengths can change everything
- The difference between saying “thanks” and showing true appreciation

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
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📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace_marriage

After years of secrecy, addiction, and betrayal, Bill and Carolyn Rieser were ready to call it quits. But when all hope was gone, God stepped in. In this powerful follow-up to our last episode, Bill shares the miraculous moment of grace that saved his marriage—and his life. If you’ve ever felt like your marriage (or your life) is too far gone, this story is proof that redemption is real. Brad and Rick join Bill in unpacking how God not only restored what was broken but used it to fuel a mission to help others do the same.

In This Episode:
- The moment Bill surrendered everything
- How Bill's wife to forgave the unforgivable
- What true peace looks and feels like in a marriage
- Why your marriage is worth one more try—even if it feels hopeless
- How men can become guardians of peace in their home
- The power of testimony, forgiveness, and a life fully surrendered

Key Verses
📖 Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”
📖 Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
📖 Acts 20:24 – “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task… the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Like what you’re hearing??
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

Follow Us:
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Bill Rieser had it all....then he lost everything. In this episode, hear from Bill as he shares his incredible journey from a troubled childhood in East Harlem to a life transformed by the grace of God. Growing up without a father, Bill struggled with pain, addiction, and broken relationships. Despite his talent as a basketball player, his life took a downward spiral until a series of events led him to encounter the true love of Jesus Christ. This episode sets the stage for his powerful redemption story, which will continue in the next episode.

Like what you’re hearing??
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

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Children are a gift from God, but can they actually hurt your marriage? Many couples unknowingly make their kids the center of their world, which can lead to exhaustion, disconnection, and marital drift. In this episode, Brad and Marilyn Rhoads discuss why a marriage-centric home is healthier than a child-centric home, how to balance parenting and marriage, and why prioritizing your spouse benefits your kids in the long run.

Discover:

- Why 2/3 of marriages experience a drop in satisfaction when kids enter the picture
- How travel sports and over-parenting can hurt your marriage
- The danger of the empty nest crisis—and how to avoid it
- How to raise independent kids without losing your marriage in the process
- Why prioritizing your marriage is one of the best things you can do for your kids

Take Action: 

✅ Evaluate Priorities – Are you giving all your energy to your kids at the expense of your marriage?
✅ Set Boundaries – Avoid overcommitting to activities that pull you and your spouse apart.
✅ Make Date Night Non-Negotiable – Even if it means missing a kid’s event.
✅ Give Each Other Breaks – Swap responsibilities so both spouses get time to rest.
✅ Teach Kids Independence – Let them solve problems instead of catering to every need.
✅ Communicate as a Couple – Check in regularly to keep your marriage strong.
✅ Don’t Worship Your Kids – Keep your marriage first; it’s what gives kids security.

Like what you’re hearing??

✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

Follow Us:

📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
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Want a stronger, more connected marriage? Date your spouse—every single week. In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad and Marilyn Rhodes join Rick Dayton to break down why dating isn’t just for the early years of marriage—it’s the key to long-term connection, joy, and resilience. Whether you’ve been married for one year or 25, weekly date nights should be a non-negotiable.

Discover:

- The #1 best thing you can do for your marriage outside of your faith.
- Why dates don’t have to be expensive (but they do have to be intentional).
- How to keep phones, kids, and distractions from sabotaging your time together.
- The secret to planning dates that actually strengthen your connection.

Your marriage deserves consistent investment—start making date night a priority today!

Key Scriptures:

📖 Genesis 2:24 – “…a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
📖 Ecclesiastes 9:9 – “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun…”
📖 Song of Solomon 2:10 – “My beloved spoke and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.’”
📖 Proverbs 5:18-19 – “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”
📖 Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Like what you’re hearing??

✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

Follow Us:

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Disagreements in marriage are inevitable—but they don’t have to be destructive. In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad and Marilyn Rhoads alongside Rick Dayton break down the rules of engagement for handling conflict in a way that strengthens your relationship rather than tearing it down. Learn how to communicate effectively, listen well, and fight fair so that disagreements lead to growth instead of resentment.

Art of Healthy Disagreement Framework: https://tinyurl.com/3wyh9j65

Discover:

- Why avoiding conflict can hurt your marriage more than facing it.
- The 8 rules of engagement for resolving disagreements with grace.
- How to listen well, respond wisely, and stop fights before they escalate.
- The power of prayer, patience, and using “I statements” to de-escalate tension.

Don’t let conflict drive a wedge between you and your spouse—learn how to disagree well and grow closer in the process.

Key Scriptures:

- James 1:19 – “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”
- Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
- Ephesians 4:2-3 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Like what you’re hearing??

✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

Follow Us:

📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
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Many men think their marriage is fine—until it’s not. In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad and Rick dive into the common mistakes men make, from ignoring their wife’s requests to underestimating her emotional needs. Discover how small cracks in communication and responsiveness can lead to major marital struggles—and what you can do to fix it before it’s too late.

Discover:

- Why men often feel their marriage is fine while their wife feels disconnected.
- The danger of non-responsiveness and how small neglects build resentment.
- The key warning signs that your wife is feeling unheard, unimportant, or hopeless.
- Practical strategies to listen better, prioritize your marriage, and strengthen your connection.

Key Scriptures:

- Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
- 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
- Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Like what you’re hearing??

✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

Follow Us:

📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
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In this episode, Brad and Marilyn Rhoads, along with Rick Dayton, continue their inspiring conversation with Jamus and Annie Edwards. Jamus, a pastor, and Annie, his wife, share how Grace Marriage has profoundly impacted their marriage, their church, and their community. They offer practical wisdom on investing in marriage intentionally and fostering authentic discipleship within the church.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

1. Personal Transformation Through Grace Marriage:
   • How Grace Marriage helped Annie focus on gratitude for God's work in Jamus's life rather than dwelling on frustrations.
   • Jamus's realization of how the grace and love of Jesus must shape his relationship with his wife.
2. The Power of Proactive Marriage Discipleship:
   • Jamus shares how Grace Marriage reduces crisis counseling in his church by fostering healthier relationships.
   • Why prioritizing marriage health leads to healthier families, churches, and communities.
3. Cultural Shift in the Church:
   • How Grace Marriage has created a culture of authenticity and vulnerability within the congregation.
   • The ripple effect of healthy marriages on children's ministries, student ministries, and the church's overall atmosphere.
4. Practical Takeaways for Couples:
   • The importance of regular date nights and how the Edwards recommitted to weekly intentional time together.
   • Real-life examples of how Grace Marriage serves as a time to reset and refocus.
5. A Call to Action for Churches:
   • The need for a proactive, ongoing approach to marriage ministry as part of church discipleship.
   • Brad's vision of marriage ministry becoming a standard part of church life, similar to youth and premarital counseling ministries.

Key Quotes:

• "You can't behold Jesus more clearly and not walk away not loving your spouse more clearly." – Jamis Edwards
• "The greatest thing we can do for kids and teenagers is to see mom and dad have a good marriage." – Jamis Edwards
• "Discipleship is more than just sitting and learning; it's living it out." – Annie Edwards

Key Scriptures:

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind…”
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.”
• Matthew 19:6 – “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Like what you're hearing??
- Subscribe and Share: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Grace Marriage Podcast and share this episode with friends or family who need encouragement.
- Join Grace Marriage: Ready to strengthen your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn more about our proactive, grace-based approach to marriage.
- Leave a Review: Your feedback helps us reach more couples with the life-changing message of grace.

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