Extraordinary Marriage Episodes

"What would I actually do if I spent more time with my wife and kids? What does that look like?" "I went on a getaway with my husband and I was bored. I couldn't wait to get back to the kids." "I've been going on more dates with my husband (because of the 28-Day Challenge) but we're not enjoying them. He doesn't like to do what I do, and I don't like doing what he does." "My husband and I went away and it was amazing, but I hated returning to the kids who just fight and quarrel every day." "I wa...

In this series about raising well-adjusted kids and better family stability, we're now diving into the 2nd level of the Extraordinary Family Life Pyramid -- Marriage! YOU are the foundation of your family life, followed by your MARRIAGE. Without strong INDIVIDUAL mental, emotional, spiritual, social, physical, and financial health you don't have the 'solid footing' necessary to raise well-adjusted kids. The same is true when it comes to your marriage. You and your spouse are providing the ...

In Greg's work as a coach, he often hears something like this: "Yes I agree, but how do I talk to my spouse about that???" Sometimes we're shocked that a spouse feels like they can't bring up a topic with their 'better half' -- even if it is a sensitive one. But then we remember that we used to be there too. And in this episode, we share a personal experience about a topic that was off-limits for about a decade or more... and how we worked through it. Eventually, we got to the point where we...

This episode would not be complete without listening to these episodes as well: What Wives Need to Know About Their Husband's Sex Drives And What Men Need to Know About Themselves Sex-quel Follow-Up Episode with Rachel Denning ⁠Husbands, How to ACTUALLY Listen to Your Wives (And Why She Needs It)⁠ Masturbation & Cheap Sexual Acts are a Poor Substitute for Real Connection -- A Message for Teens & Spouses This episode was in response to a question we received: I just listened to on...

At work, home, family life, and marriage, it’s easy to blame the circumstances of life or to say ‘That’s just the way things are’… But the reality is that we’re often participating in, perpetuating, or creating our own chaos in marriage and family life — but that means we also have the power to prevent it with intentional planning and preparation. Of course, many couples and parents think “I don’t have time to be intentional and strategic like you’re describing. Our life is so crazy busy!” But...

In our work with couples and clients, we often come across marriages that are struggling. One of the MANY reasons this happens (or at least continues as an issue) is because of the husband’s inability or lack of skill in listening to his wife effectively in a way that she needs him to. Just as women need to understand a man’s need and desire for sexual intimacy, he needs to understand her need for emotional intimacy. This is challenging because it is often communicated in a way that can be undes...

We received another question from a mom who was interested in joining my Family Charts & Systems course and community. In an email I sent out, it said: As a mother of seven children, my life seriously changed forever once I learned how to FINALLY get organized. So when moms tell me they don't have a system for chores or study time, I'm like... "Say what?!" I get it. Some of you don't like systems. You'd rather live free-flowing and in the moment. I was that mom too, about ten years ago. Bu...

Greg and Rachel are still in Norway leading two trips. The first took place in Tromsø, 225 miles north of the Arctic Circle where they fed reindeer, went dog sledding, and saw the Northern Lights while cruising the harbor. The 2nd trip spans from Oslo to Flåm to Bergen and back where they're cruising fjords, taking spectacular train rides, and learning about Viking and Hanseatic history. Because of these trips, this week’s podcast is a special treat -- an audio taken from an exclusive presenta...

Hey everybody! Greg and I are in Oslo, Norway with our family, recovering from jet lag. In a few hours, we fly to Tromsø, 220 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Tomorrow begins our first Norway trip where 18 other people will be joining us for reindeer sledding, dog sledding, and the Northern Lights. (Check out our 2023 travel schedule and join us here!) This week’s podcast is audio taken from our most recent coaching session for the Extraordinary Family Life Formula. We discussed why boys and...

2:20 "If you haven't played video games in the last 10 years, they have become more addictive. The people who create games, and other media, are strategically using their knowledge of psychology and neurology in their favor. In schools, competition is being removed and discouraged and many boys are turning to video games. 7:17 From your experience, being married, raising boys, and working with boys, what have you perceived boys want and need? Tony Robbins teaches every human being has 6 basic...

We like to get our podcast topics from issues that really ‘fire us up’ (it makes for better discussions). This week, I was fired up by some comments left on an Instagram Reel I created about allowing ‘boys to be boys’ with audio taken from our recent Workshop on Boys Adrift — The Growing Epidemic of Undermotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. Some of them said things like: This post really misses the mark. The toxicity that exists around masculinity has nothing to do with children h...

"My husband and I have been struggling a great deal in our marriage, mostly over parenting issues. We have specifically been struggling with our 13 year old daughter who told us she is gay." Many emails and questions we receive from parents begins with something like this statement above. Spouses are struggling in their marriage, and it's often because of disagreements in parenting approaches or issues they're facing with their children that they're not sure how to handle. They will tell u...

We’ve been asked several times over the years by coaching clients and others regarding masturbation. Specifically, they want to know how to approach masturbation in general — with their children or teens, and in their marriage. Is it normal for teens to masturbate? What are the side effects or outcomes? And what about in marriage? Is masturbation okay or normal, especially if your sex drive doesn't match up with your spouse? We’ve also been asked by young adults and college students IF or WHY ...

We are busy people. And so are you. We have a LOT going on, as I’m sure you do too. Human nature often makes us feel that we’re “too busy” to do things like morning routines or rituals. We’re “too busy” to do morning discussions with our family. But because you are so busy is exactly why you MUST do family discussions and devotionals. (When we use the term devotional we don't necessarily mean it as a religious activity, although it certainly can include religion and spirituality.) Daily family...

Can we start with a ‘slap’ in the face? In all sincerity, most of us suck at communicating with other people, especially in our family relationships. Plus, ‘communication’ seems like such a vague or broad topic. What exactly does it mean? And how do we improve it? We’re not the experts. And we still struggle communicating in some relationships or situations. We came to our marriage with giant deficits in ‘communication skills’. We both suffered with shyness and were terrified to even talk ...

Many of us have been taught or grown to believe that unconditional love is the highest of virtues. And in many ways it makes sense. Loving others — without conditions — seems to be the highest level of love possible, partly because it sometimes seems so unrealistic, especially when it comes to family members. (It’s even difficult to get clear on exactly what we’re talking about because we only have one word for ‘love’ in English. In Latin there are at least three — Eros, Agape, and Philia). Bu...

We regularly receive questions from parents and spouses on all sorts of topics — and we love it! If you have a question please don’t hesitate to ask us. You can leave a voice message for us on our podcast page, or you can email us support@extraordinaryfamilylife.com Recently we received some questions about marriage — specifically how to have more engaging conversations and intellectual connections with your spouse as opposed to discussing the mundane life logistics all the time? Along those ...

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode Greg and I are answering some often asked questions about how to get your spouse on board. This could be getting them on board with your big dreams and goals, or simply on board with the process of growing and improving. There’s nothing worse than starting to learn, grow, and develop as a person but then to feel that your spouse is getting left behind or, even worse, creating their own self-sabotage. One question we received said, As I’ve foc...

What are good beliefs and practices around money in your marriage? What if one spouse brings in the income and the other stays home, who should be in charge of how it’s spent? Does the non-income earning spouse have any say on how the money should be spent?What if one spouse wants to save every penny and the other sees it as a tool for experience and growth?What if one spouse wants to approve every purchase before anything can be spent? What if they become upset when they feel you spend in a way...

Many marriages are merely okay, or even slowly dying simply because men are inadvertently neglecting their wives. Gentlemen, you’re living far below your privileges in your marriage. Inadvertent negligence is costing you the spark, romance, and relationship you could have. With a little awareness and a few simple habits, you can totally transform your marriage. How is your health and fitness? It is affecting your relationship!Do you have clear boundaries between work life and family life? That i...

Creating a great sexual relationship in marriage isn’t about checking a box or meeting expectations—it’s about cultivating a deep emotional connection, understanding your partner’s real needs, and shifting your mindset around intimacy. In this episode, we explore how men and women experience love and stress differently, and how miscommunication can cause resentment and disconnection. We share the habits, perspectives, and emotional awareness that have helped us transform our own marriage—and how you can do the same to build lasting connection and passionate intimacy.

"Just because you've been with yourself for your entire life, doesn't mean you understand yourself." This is true about your spouse too. Just because you've been married to them for ___ years, doesn't mean you understand them And these statements are especially true when it comes to sexuality... understanding your own sexuality, and your shared relationship with your spouse. Just because you have sex with your spouse doesn't mean you're good at talking about it or doing it. Sexuality is a part o...

A very well-known couple with a seemingly good marriage recently announced their divorce publicly. It was a shock to a lot of people including me. But I get to do coaching for a couples every week and I know what’s often going on behind the scenes.The main reason good marriages fail is that most couples leave the quality of their marriage to chance, even though they don’t think they are. And that is the greatest danger!The longer you are married, the more deliberate, intentional, and strategic y...

With so many misconceptions about what it means to be a man, and so many men living far below the standard, we all need to put forth the greatest effort to help boys and men be real men! "At each moment in man's life, he is either a King or a slave. As he surrenders to a wrong appetite, to any human weakness; as he falls prostrate in hopeless subjection to any condition, to any environment, to any failure, he is a slave. As he day by day crushes out human weakness, masters opposing elements wit...