Check Your Vertical

CYV IS BACK!! Thank ya Jesus! We can't believe that it has been 6 months since we sat behind these mics. So then, where have we been? Tune in to this weeks episode to hear the real and raw story behind our unecpeted pause and how through it all, God has been faithful. As always, thank you for loving and supporting us on our journey.  

These aren't our favorite episodes to share, as you can probably tell in our voice, but they are necessary to speak about. We know so many of you are suffering or have suffered. Many of you have been affected by grief and trauma that continuously shows up in your life in very sneaky and painful ways. As we walk through our suffering, we want to validate the real, deep pain is causes while always pointing you back towards Jesus, since He is where our hope is. 

In this episode we continue our discussion on the importance of breaking generational communication and focusing on building a new foundation for generations to come. Tune in to hear ways that we are being intentional to allow the Lord to create a NEW way in us, regardless of where we have come from. 

Last epsisode we discussed marriages being formed by feelings. If you haven't listened to that episode then I would encourage you to listen to that first before this one. It's important not to allow our feelings to dictate our behaviour, especially in marriages. Even more so, it's important to understand where these feelings derive from, particularly in communication. Typically, we do not naturally grow in our communication. What was shown to us growing up is what we will do when we're adults. Recognizing this is vital to growth not only your marriage but in all relationships of value. Tune in to hear us discuss what this looked like for ourselves & our marriage, plus 4 steps to begin intentionality for yourself. 

We live in a culture that tells us our feelings are facts. Or, to live in YOUR truth or MY truth. This is not only untrue but also unbiblical. The heart is deceitful above all else and should not be forming our actions. Many marriages are struggling because of this very thing. Learning to manage our feelings while leaning into God's truth can rescue any marriage. Tune in to this weeks episoide as we discuss how we've worked through our feeling-formed marriage. 

Join us on this week's episode as we recap Scott's mission trip to the DR with our good friend Jim Bossler. Scott and Jim had the honor of serving the people of DR together alongside a team from our local church, Riverwood Chapel. We're excited to have Jim on with us as he shares his insight into this specific trip along with his passion, love and joy for serving others across our borders. We hope this episode shines light on missions along with lighting a spark in you to serve in a way that challenges all of our comfort in a new way.  If you are local and are interested in missions with Riverwood Chapel, then please visit their website for more information: Riverwood Chapel

This was a whirlwind of an episode that takes us through detours and back roads. But all these roads eventually lead us to one place, faith in the one who directs our path and knows are destination. We only need to trust the journey. 

Happy New Year and welcome to a new season of CYV! We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with friends and family. We are excited to be back and want to get your hearts and mind set up well for the new year to come. We often talk about trusting God with all things in our life. Which as you know, this can be extremely difficult at times. In any relationship, trust is vital for growth. But, to trust someone, you must first know them. This includes knowing God, your creator, on a level that is different than any other relationship. So, how do you do that? Tune into this week's episode to hear how we our knowing God more so that we can continue to grow into an unwavering, faith-filled relationship with him. 

For many, the holiday season is a joyous time filled with excitement and magic. But for some, this season can bring feelings of anxiety and stress due to unhealed relationships with family memebers that we love. We've invited Lisa Anderson, host of the Boundless Podcast, on to discuss how to have healthy holiday boundaries for your marriage and beyond.  You can connect with Lisa at Boundless.org  30 Days FREE with Covenant Eyes    

Wait.Fight club? In our marriage?? And there are rules for this?? YES! And guess where you can find them - In God's word! Tune in this week to hear the 4 rules in fight club in marriage and how you can produce LIFE when entering into a disagreement with your spouse.  Covenant Eyes PROMO CODE CYV - 30 day free trial

Do you see your spouse as a gift? Are you more focused on the things that annoy you about them or the positive attributes you love about them? This holiday season, fix your focus and set your eyes on the one whom all good gifts come from and see how having an attitude of gratitude for our spouse can save your marriage.  Covenant Eyes 30 days free with promo code CYV - Covenant Eyes  

On this episode we will hear a powerful testimony by Brandon and Tonia. Their marriage was deeply impacted by a porn addiction and it took an ultimatum along with some serious accountability to help them restore thier vows. Tune in and hear thier story of redemption and restoration through Gods grace and Covenant Eyes. 30 days free with Promos Code: CYV Covenant Eyes Restored Vows: A Porn Recovery Series for Couples : Restored Vows

Ok, so this episode is really a recap about our recent marriage retreat with The ISI Life. The title is to entice you to stay through to the end! We were humbled and honored to be speakers at the ISI marriage retreat this past weekend. There were so many takeaways that we just couldn't wait to share with you. If you aren't chasing your wife, then what are you actaually doing?? Tune in to hear us share how this weekend was and how our marriage will grow even more from it!  We are also excited to share our new Facebook community with you as well. The CYV mission is to unite marriages around the gospel to provide hope and restpration to those in need. If you are looking for a place to connect with other couples, be encouraged and seek Jesus then this might be the place for you. This is a new launch and we would love for you to join us from the ground up!  Link to our group: CYV Community Group Information on ISI: The ISI Life

On this episode, we have a fun opportunity to sit down and chat with a CLE hometown hero, Travis Hafner and his wonderful wife Amy. Travis and Amy have a powerful testimony about coming to Christ during their marriage. Together, they had to learn how to navigate their new faith while facing various life obtacles. As you may know, no two people come to Chrsit the same way at the same time. This can be especially true when it comes to marriage. Tune in to hear how they spurred on each others faith while growing individually in Christ. Along with being a wife, a momma to 3 boys and a speaker, Amy is also the co-creator of a daily devotional called S.O.A.R. Now thru Dec. 7th 2022 you will receive 10% off her site by using code: VERTICAL. Link: https://soarjournal.org/    

If the title doesn't tell ya, then let me preface this by saying: This isn't an episode that I would listen to with littles in the car. We are fresh off a marriage conference with world renound Julie Slatterly and Authentic Intimacy. If you aren't familiar with Julie then buckle up! She is a powerhouse speaker and teacher in the field of God, sex and your marriage. Which also happens to be the title of her new book...one that you should absolutley purchase.  Tune in for a chat with us as we dive into the conversation about sex, intimacy and God's design for it in your marriage.

It's been 2 years since Scott shared the truth with Mandie about his affair. Tune in this week to hear us discuss how we are doing now and what has helped us get to this point. As always we hope you are encouraged through our testimony and above all, seek Christ first.

In this episode Mandie had the oppurtunity to interview Scott! Yes, he is the co-host of this show BUT he is also a man on a mission! Scott's passion is helping men rise up and overcome what the world's view of them is by bodly stepping into the way God created them to be. Tune in to hear these 5 characteristics of a biblical man discussed & how they have evolved over the years in Scott and our marriage.

Have you ever heard the phrase that 'pain draws you near to God"? If you have been listening to our testimony over the last year than you know that our marriage and life has faced many trials and has endured much pain. I would imagine most of you listening have also experienced trials similar to this in your life as well. Those dark seasons can feel very lonely, cold and similiar to walking through darkness. If this darkness in our life brings us so much pain and discomfort, why then would we or anyone for that matter be thankful for it? Isaiah 50: 10-11 lets us know that even in our darkest dasys, our faith in Christ is the only light we need. Do not light your own torch! Tune in and journey with us as we explore being thankful for the darkness. 

We here at CYV are honored to welcome author, speaker and friend, Jerrad Lopes to our show! His ministry came at just the right time for Scott at a local men's conferance and the rest is history. Normally when we have a guest on we love to dive into them and the work the Lord has led them to lead, but this convo took a turn and we are here for it! Tune in to hear some gospel truth as two testimonies collide. This is an episode you don't want to miss.  You can connect with Jerrad at www.dadtired.com Benediction:                                                                                                       I am not what I do                                                                                             I am not what I have                                                                                         I am not what people say about me                                                                I am the beloved of God, It's who I am!                                                            No one can take it from me                                                                              I don't have to worry                                                                                         I don't have to hurry                                                                                         I can trust my friend Jesus and share his love with the world.

Have you ever known someone to be married 29 times? Well, Evan and Susan have! Growing up, Evan & Susan had observed only 3 choices when it came to marriage - married & miserable, divorced and desperate, or single & cynical.  Together, they choose happily ever after, every day. Tune in to hear their wild and fun testimony and how they've been able to keep their marriage thriving since their FIRST 'I do' Links:  EvanLovesSusan.com  MarriageofGreatness.com   Here is the link for their book on Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Happily-Ever-After-Evan-Money/dp/B09H944YY6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=122BCRJ5O66D4&keywords=Happily+Ever+After+Evan+%26+Susan+Money&qid=1661798065&sprefix=happily+ever+after+evan+%26+susan+money%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1

When it comes to having a healthy marriage, let alone being redeemed rescued, and restored,  you absolutely need two to tango! We never want to mislead you into thinking one of us did enough to save our marriage.  The reason we were able to have a redemption story, is because we BOTH surrendered our lives to the Lord, laid down our weapons, and met at the cross. It was our individual work of ourselves that led to the healing of our marriage. It will always take two willing people to heal what has been broken. This is our story.

For the majority of our marriage, finances have been a deep struggle for us. They are one of the main reasons that divorce seemed imminent. But God. Through this exhausting journey, we have learned a few things that we hope will encourage you through managing finances in your marriage and even finding gratefulness while living in a season of no. 

Turning 40 has had us looking at life a bit differently these days. This last year has taken us to a place that has challenged our persepctive on life in so many ways. What we have learned more than anything is that the best antidote to hardships is gratefulness. We hope the tools provided in this episode will help you walk through any challenge life throws at you and do it all with a grateful heart. 

In this episode, we are honored to share the mic with our friend Aisha Taylor. She is a powerhouse for the Lord, sharing her wisdom through experience that empowers single moms to stratagize and financially prepare for their next level so they can reclaim their time and live in true freedom. This episode is filled with God's truth, love and redemption in even the most fear filled moments of life. You don't want to miss this girl who is on fire for the Lord!   Order your copy of, “Navigating the ‘Impossible': A Survival Guide for Single Moms from Pregnancy Through the First Year of Motherhood”  navigatingtheimpossiblebook.com YouTube: fnphenomenal.com/youtube  Instagram: instagram.com/fnphenomenal  Phenomenal Moms Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/phenomenalmom/

2 Corinthians 10:5 talks about taking every thought captive to make them obedient to Christ. This means that we have to challenge the thought pattern of this world and our mind to what God's word said. But, how do we do that? Tune in to hear how Mandie uses this 3 step process to stay in control of her thoughts, weigh them against God's word and then begin to speak truth into the lies we believe.  

John 8:32 says "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" There is freedom in bringing the truth to light and pain when its kept in the dark. Hear how the truth set both Scott and Mandie free and how you can break the chains and experience freedom in your own life!

This week, Scott and Mandie continue the conversation from last episode. (45) In that show, Mandie shared her testimony prior to dating Scott. This week, they take us into how God's deep love shown to through the forgiveness of her sins allowed her to show that same love towards Scott. Tune in to hear some more real, raw and relatable testimony that will surely speak to your heart.

The question has been asked now so many times as to how Mandie was able to begin the process of forgiveness towards Scott after his affair. The answer to that can be found in Mandie testimony and how she was rescued, redeemed, and restored before they started dating. Those who have been forgiven of much, forgive much. Tune in to hear Mandie's vulnerable & humble story of how the Lord rescued her from her Egypt. 

It's been a while since we offered an update on our lives. Tune in this week to hear the good, the great and the challenges we're still facing. We thank you for your constant support and encouragement through this season and hope that in all things, Jesus is glorified.

This week, we are joined by our very good friend and now author Traci Morrow, as we celebrate the launch of her new book! As always, we will share some real, raw and relatable marriage talk and how this book can be a guide to help your one-of-a-kind messy marriage.  pick up Traci's new book here:  Real-life Marriage: Navigating Your Beautiful, Messy, One-of-a-kind Love Story https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612545491/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_M9DZ6D44N65ZS37D6Y5Z

It's a hodge podge podcast filled with; Mother's day, book launch, fasting and more! Scott and Mandie talk about their life, challenges and faithfulness in it all. As always, real, raw and relateable marriage talk to help you through your beautiful mess. 

In this episode, Scott and Mandie discover that they both have patterns in their grief journey. Recognizing these patterns has been a bit triggering and caused additional frustrations and anger at times. This has brought them to a place of having really hard conversations that will hopefully bring healing to the unhealed wounds in their marriage. Join in on their discussion and see how choosing grace in their grief is helping heal their wounded hearts. 

Tune in to hear a fun convo with author, speaker and radio host Doug Fitzgerald. Doug's leadership is on the cutting edge of growth and development, focused on achieving big goals and priorities,  continually growing a vision to help and serve others and creating tools to achieve success that actually work!  You can connect with Doug at Oneshotonelife.com

Show Notes: In this episode, Scott and Mandie discuss that it's okay not to be okay. Sometimes, we truly have to get to the end of ourselves before we allow the Lord to heal our hearts. Real, raw and vulnerable, that is Check Your Vertical.   "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Early on in our marriage,  we were informed that marriage wasn't for the sole purpose of our own happiness. Huh?! Can you say that again? To say we were shocked would definitely be an understatement. I mean, doesn't the world tell you to chase happiness? Especially in marriage? That, if you're not happy then it's time to go? Or if you aren't happy in your marriage then you chose the wrong person? This is so counter cultural that we just might ruffle some feathers. Tune in to hear how pursuing holiness over happiness saved their marriage. 

Scott and Mandie are very excited to welcome Michelle Myers onto the show! Michelle co-leads a ministry for working women called She Works His Way with her best friend, Somer Phoebus. She loves reminding women of the gospel-centered purpose for their work - both at home and in their careers. Tune in to hear Michelle's powerful message for woman in the workplace seen through the lens of Christ.    You can find more information about their online network, live events and full ministry at: sheworksHisway.com    Their book, She Works His Way: A Practical Guide to Do What Matters Most in a Get Things Done World puts the heart of their ministry in book form is available on Amazon and or their site  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764237691/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_BHK6Y0APVR3M9848DT3Z

In this episode, Scott and Mandie welcome author Ashley Wichlenski on the show to talk about her beautiful testimony and mission. As we know, the Lord can make beauty from ashes and Ashley's story is just that. She will share how the Lord rescued her from a very dark place, brought her into His light and then sent her heart out on a mission of sharing God's truth with young girls across the world! You do not want to miss this episode because He truly is the keeper of our hearts.    For more information on Ashley's mission or how to help get these books into the hands of young girls around the world, head to; www.thekeeperofmyheart.com

Proverbs 4:23 says "For above all else, guard your heart, as everything you do flows from it."  Just as we need to have a lens of Christ so that we can try to view life as God does, we also need to have a heart of Christ to allow our actions to align with what God desires of us. Our motives do matter and without having Christ as the filter of our heart than we can miss the life the Lord has laid before us. Tune in to hear Scott and Mandie discuss how we can still do the "right" things but still have the wrong motive of the heart. 

It is a sad truth that most marriages do not survive after the loss of a child. The main reason being that each spouse grieves differently than the other. It's that simple, yet so true and painful. Scott and Mandie discuss in this episode how their grief looks different on each other and how they are being intentional towards their own healing while being patient towards each others grief. Yet again, eyes on Christ, through the storm. 

Scott and Mandie are honored to welcome author and speaker Amy Seiffert on their show! Join in on this fun convo and hear how grace has not only played a major roll in their marriages but how it has quite literally saved it.    You can follow Amy Seiffert on Instagram. You can find her mini devotions on YouVersion Bible App   Purchase her books on Amazon: Grace Looks Amazing on You: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496440617/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_Q5S9EPW3SH1HWAJST5EX     Chin Up: Wearing Grace, Strength, and Dignity When Motherhood Unravels Our Souls https://www.amazon.com/dp/1976398096/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_7TAQEA1WPQCH5P9Z0H6D

here is this quote from our son's speech meet poem that says "too much of anything often leaves one with a feeling of regret". For years, Scott & Mandie have said to each other that their greatest gifts can also be our greatest weaknesses.  This has shown up many times in their marriage. God has gifted us with our own personalities, gifts and natural traits that are all uniqueand wonderful. But, any of these gifts used too much can become a negative experience in your life and marriage. So how do we find the balance were all in need of? We look to the one who was perfectly balanced in all things his whole life; this of course is our savior Jesus Christ. Hear how Scott & Mandie recognize their gifts and how too much of them caused problems in their marriage. 

So something crazy happened. We posted our 1st few videos on tiktok and one of them blew up! Apparently, people get all shook up when they hear you've remained married after a betrayal. Who knew?! The majority of the responses were so encouraging, but as usual,  there were some who had strong opinions. So we decided to address those opinions on here instead of responding to them individually. Join us as we discuss some of these comments together in hopes that our hearts can be heard and there be an even greater understanding of what God can do in our most challenging seasons. 

Scott's journey has truly been a beautiful testimony of how Jesus can redem us and Gods love can renew a man's heart. In October of 2020, Scott blew up his life by finally coming clean with his affair. He knew he needed to change everything in his life and that started with his relationship with the Lord. Scott needed deep counsel and accountability which put him on his face in the office of Tom Chamberlin. God clearly put Tom into Scotts path to help him navigate the road ahead. Scott and Tom have worked diligently together every week for the last 15 months and through their work together, Scott has overcome many obstacles of his life. Tune in to hear Scotts humble journey through counsel and how it brought him to being the man he is today. We pray Scott's story helps other men seek counsel for their life as well and begun their journey of redemption as well. 

Scott and Mandie are honored to sit down with Pastor Andrew F. Carter and hear his testimony of how the Lord redeemed his life. Andrew had lost everything by living for this world and even ended up in the one place he vowed never to be in. Andrew's testimony brings hope to those who have struggled through many difficult trials like foster care, divorce and even prison and shows how the Lord redeems from the hardest of hearts. Scott also got a chance to circle back around to the topic of porn and its damaging effects on men in the church while also providing actionable steps to begin this darkness into light.    You can follow Andrew F. Carter across all social media platforms:   IG: https://instagram.com/andrewfcarter?utm_medium=copy_link   Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdhYJyST/   Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/AndrewFCarterMinistries

Porn is destructive to your marriage and your life, plain and simple. It was never a part of God's design yet so many Christian men and woman are enslaved by this sin and cannot break the chains that bind them. Know that if you struggle in this area, you are not alone. There is healing and hope for you and your marriage. Hear Scott's real and raw testimony about how the Lord plucked him from depths of darkness and brought him into the redeeming light. 

Most men don't know what it means to be the spiritual leader of their home, mainly because it was not modeled for them growing up. Woman tend to be weary of a man as their "leader" because they think it gives their husband control & power over them. So what does it really mean for men to be the leader God has called them to be? Let's say this, it looks more like having humility with a servant heart and NOT having control & or dominating his wife and kids.  Hear Scott's journey into stepping up as the spiritual leader and what that looks like being lived out in their home.  Scripture for this episode: 1 Peter 5:2-3 1 Timothy 3:2-7 1 Corinthians  8:9     Here are the steps & links to do the Bible in a year plan!   *Step 1 - Download the YouVersion Bible App   https://j794q.app.goo.gl/t5eLgqpefmYiWHLK9     *Step 2 - Locate the Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble under "Plans"    https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/17553   *Step 3 - Locate the Bible Recap Podcast with Tara-Leigh Cobble wherever you listen to Podcasts     https://open.spotify.com/show/2lWv2RlsyMSMzerbAb1uOx?si=b7_o9VgLTk-AIcCaRkPYYA&utm_source=copy-link   *Step 4 - In the bible App, start on Day 1 of the Bible Recap. You can read the chapters straight from your Bible, or the app; Or you can listen to the chapters read to you through the app.    *Step 5 - After reading today's devotion, go to the Bible Recap Podcast and listen to that days episode.   Louie Giglios Children's Devontionals -    https://amzn.to/3tddIF4 https://amzn.to/3HV5NAq https://amzn.to/3zPGehh        

We are honored to ring in the New Year with our besties JR & Angela! We will laugh, joke & drink some bubbly all the while diving into topics that challenge married couples today. Hope you join us for the fun! 

The holidays are here and with the joy of the season can also come pain for a lot if people. Scott and Mandie know this all too well. Its easy to focus on the hard and painful moments when life seems to be unraveling. But, our God never stops working and though we face trials of many kinds, God is still doing miracles!  Hear how Scott and Mandie continue to seek out God and his mighty deeds even in the face of life's battles. 

**Please listen with caution**   In this episode,  Scott and Mandie walk you through the series of events that led to losing their boy Vinny and almost losing Mandie. Please know that this episode may trigger someone who has walked through a traumatic experience themselves, so please prepare your heart before listening. They share this in the hopes that you see Jesus through it all but if you feel this may hurt you more than help you then please come back to this episode when your heart is ready to hear it. Through this all, they're hope is that you know that even if life doesn't turn out the way we plan, God is still good.    "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

Scott and Mandie are back in studio to discuss the last couple weeks of their life. Sadly, they lost their baby boy at just 22 weeks and almost lost Mandie's life as well.   This week, the unraveling of it all begins. Scott and Mandie invite you on their journey as they discuss the traumas they experiemced all the while refelcting on the goodness of Christ. Though this has been extremely difficult to navigate, they know that the Lord has placed them here for such a time as this and will continue to be obedient in their walk, even through their suffering.

Scott & Mandie are back in studio after some very emotional and traumatic experiences. Instead of jumping into all the details of what they've been through, they decided to bring 3 of their children in to have a fun discussion and laugh, a lot! Please enjoy this lighthearted episode where we meet Louie, Franco & Gia and hope that they bring a smile to you  through whatever season you may be in. Kids really do say the silliest things! Especially in front of a mic! Enjoy!