In this episode, we discuss how the mental health struggles of one spouse can impact the other and the marriage as a whole. We talk a bit about some of the things a spouse SHOULD DO and some of the things they SHOULD NOT DO when trying to support and help spouse who suffers with anxiety and depression.  We hope you enjoy this episode and that God is able to use it to help you or someone you love in one way or another. If you have any questions or if there is a topic that you would like us to do a video on in the future, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage. Thanks for listening and God bless!

In Part 2 of our series on Marriage & Mental Health, TJ discusses some of the things that have helped him manage and even thrive in his battle with anxiety and depression. No one tool works 100% of the time in this struggle and that is why it is so important to put as many tools as you can in the toolbox. Hopefully you will find some useful tools in this episode.  1. Exercise/Diet/Sleep 2. Having something tangible to look forward to; SERVE others 3. Do not isolate- You are at your weakest when you are alone and isolated. Force yourself to be around those you love and those who love you on a regular basis. Open up to them about your struggle. 4. Go see a counselor. 5. Lean into God through constant prayer and reading of His Word. Philippians 4:6-7- 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 5:6-7- 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Romans 8:18- 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 6. Get Divine Perspective: Choose to believe that God has a purpose for your pain. 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my   power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18- 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. We hope you enjoy this episode and that God is able to use it to help you or someone you love in one way or another. If you have any questions or if there is a topic that you would like us to do a video on in the future, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage. Thanks for listening and God bless!

Mental Health is a BIG DEAL! It is estimated that about 1 in 4 adults in America struggle with a diagnosable mental health issue and this time of year (the Holiday Season) can be particularly difficult for many people mentally and emotionally. The truth is, our mental health impacts every area of our lives including our marriage and family. This episode is Part 1 of what will likely be a 3 part series dealing with mental health and marriage.  TJ kicks off the series by discussing why we chose to address the topic of mental health and then goes into detail about his own personal struggle with anxiety and depression. We truly believe that God desires to use each of our unique stories of struggle to provide HOPE to others who may be struggling. TJ has had the opportunity to share bits a pieces of his story in public settings before but time constraints never allowed him to tell his whole story. This episode tells provides as many details as we can recall.  We hope you enjoy this episode and that God is able to use it to help you or someone you love in one way or another. If you have any questions or if there is a topic that you would like us to do a video on in the future, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage. Thanks for listening and God bless! 

We were sitting on the porch this morning spending time with God and each other and thought it might be a good idea to just film a short video. We hope to do more of these in the future and we are aptly calling them "Imperfect Marriage Shorts." Hope you guys enjoy it and get something out of it.    Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, subscribe, and share. If you have any questions related to marriage or have a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please leave email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage. You can view the video of this episode along with all of our other videos at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAIpuBpCfTgr73vRUHG0N-g. Thanks you and may God Bless your Imperfect Marriage and family.   P.S. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

In this episode we discuss the importance of making sure you are where you are supposed to be and how it can protect (and potentially save) your marriage.   Being where you are supposed to be includes…   -Being a man/woman of your word and having integrity.  -Being present and taking care of the responsibilities God has given you.  -Not allowing yourself to be alone with members of the opposite sex.  -Not interacting with exes or any member of the opposite sex inappropriately on social media or through text.  -Not visiting sexually explicit or even sexually suggestive websites.   If you find yourself somewhere you shouldn’t be or doing something you shouldn’t be doing…  1. Stop IMMEDIATELY.  2. Confess to God and ask for His help to stop.  3. Confess to someone you can trust and who you know loves you (ideally your spouse).  4. Forgive yourself and ask God for the strength and courage to deal with whatever consequences you may face as a result of your sin.    Our Bible verses for this episode are…    2 Samuel 11:1- In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.   *Do yourself a favor and read the whole story of David’s life in the books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel.    James 5:16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.   Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, subscribe, and share. If you have any questions related to marriage or have a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage.    Thank you and may God Bless your Imperfect Marriage and family.

In this episode we discuss financial freedom and how it relates to marriage and family.   Freedom for us means…   1. Being totally debt free including the mortgage  2. Being able to follow God and actually DO what He says. Not having to tell Him “no” because of financial reasons.     3. Having a fully funded retirement where we will not need to rely on the government or be a burden to our children.  For more information on how to budget, become DEBT FREE, save for retirement and much more, we STRONGLY recommend checking out Financial Peace University by clicking the link below.   https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/financial-peace  Our Bible verse for this episode is…   Proverbs 22:7  7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.   Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, subscribe, and share. If you have any questions related to marriage or have a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage.    Thank you and may God Bless your Imperfect Marriage and family.

Sacrifice means giving up something I love (stuff, pleasure, my selfish desires) for something (a healthy marriage and family, a peaceful home, good mental/emotional health) or someone (God, my spouse, our family) I love more.   In this video we discuss the biblical financial principle of sacrifice and what that looks like in our marriage such as…     -How saving and living below our means is a form of sacrifice     -Delayed gratification and QUALITY over quantity/immediacy     -Having a more eternal vs temporal mindset   Our Bible verses for this episode are...   Matthew 6:19-21- “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.    Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, subscribe, and share. If you have any questions related to marriage or have a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage.    Thank you and may God Bless your Imperfect Marriage and family.

In this video we discuss the biblical financial principle of stewardship and how it helps us achieve our goal of generosity.     Our Bible verses for this episode are...  James 1:17- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.    2 Corinthians 9:7- Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.   In the video we mention the CHAMP1 Foundation which is a nonprofit that is near and dear to our hearts. Some of our best friends in the world started the foundation after their son was diagnosed with an extremely rare gene disorder. To learn more about CHAMP1 or to donate, please visit https://champ1foundation.org/  Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, subscribe, and share. If you have any questions related to marriage or have a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage.    Thank you and may God Bless your Imperfect Marriage and family.

In this episode we kickoff a series on finances in marriage. We will address questions like, “What would we say is the most important practice when it comes to finances in marriage?” We will also discuss a couple times when we were not on on the same page financially and how God walked us through those instances.    Our Bible verse for this episode is…  1 Corinthians 1:10- I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.    We mentioned how blessed and grateful were are for having been introduced to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) when we were engaged. We cannot recommend this course highly enough for anyone interested in taking control of their finances, getting out of debt, and building wealth in order to “live and give like no one else.”    Click the below to learn more FPU and sign up for a class.  https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/financial-peace/class  We will spend the next few episodes outlining our financial goals and priorities.    If you have any questions or prayer requests or if there is a topic that you would like us to do a future episode on, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage. Thanks for watching and may God bless your "Imperfect Marriage!"

A marriage made of two imperfect people can never be perfect and that's okay!    We are passionate about marriage and have felt for some time that God has been calling us to share what He has blessed us with to help others build healthy marriages and families. Marriages and families full of LOVE, JOY, PURPOSE, & FUN.    In this first episode we will explain WHO we are, WHY we are doing this, and HOW we got here.    If you have any questions or prayer requests or if there is a topic that you would like us to do a future episode on, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on Instagram @Imperfect_Marriage. God bless your marriage and family!