Relationship Realtalk

In this Episode Ashley, and her husband, Cameron, discuss their first 8 months of marriage; the ups, the downs, the good, the bad and the ugly. They talk about subjects such as the myth of "the one", standards for dating, the mental load, what dating apps have done to the culture, the biggest surprises and challenges in their first year. 

"Drifting apart is slow. It's like going down a lazy river... and then before you know it you're at the waterfall thinking 'How did I get here"?  This week we speak with Lisa May, our Regional Director in South Florida. She speaks about the importance of couples staying connected even when raising children, how to choose emotional vulnerability to create bonding and the different skills we teach to allow couples a practical way to implement emotional openness in a relationship.

In this episode Alphonso sits down with Tank and Sarah Ackerman from Live The Life's Tallahassee Office to talk about parenting with different personalities. Tank and Sarah open up about how they met and share their experience parenting 4 kids with 4 of the different personality identities from Smalley & Trent personality test. Parenting is hard work, but the Ackermans explain how important it is to understand your child's personality and how that can be used to parent effectively and ultimately create a stronger relationship with your children instead of more conflicts. 

This is a little bit of a throwback but in this episode Alphonso and Ashley attended the National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education Annual Summit in Utah with some of our Live The Life Family from around Florida! Joining us we have Logan Kelly (North West Florida Office), Angie & Jimmy Cash, Doug Stephens(Tallahassee Office), and we get a surprise visit from Lisa May(South Florida Office) and our Co-Founders Richard & Elizabeth Albertson.We go around the room and talk about what brought us to work for Live the Life and the impact we have seen Live The Life have on couples and even students we work with. This is great episode to get to know the personalities of the different regional offices.

On this episode, Richard, Ashley and Alphonso, interview Babu John from India, who talks about his work over India. His work consists of rescuing people from prostitution, helping orphans from living on the street (including adopting over 20 of them himself), sharing the gospel in a Christian hostile country and so much more! But how does he do all of this and keep his family as a priority. Listen to this episode to learn how to be a mission minded and family focused. 

In this episode, Ashley and Alphonso go over some of their biggest lessons learned from 2022 as well as what they wanna do differently in 2023. If you are wondering what you can do in 2023 to have your best year yet and challenge yourself this year we encourage you to give this episode a listen. 

Coach Mike Norvell takes being a leader incredibly seriously. He understands that it's not just about how a player performs on the field, but also how they live off the field. Coach Norvell understands that his leadership doesn't end on the field, he also needs to be a present and involved leader in his home.  He brought our Adventures in Marriage program to his coaching staff to invest in his coaching staff and his own marriage. Coach has also implemented Wife Walk Wednesdays where spouses go out and walk together to spend some quality time with each other.  He also brings the team, the staff, and their families together for "Family Dinner" on Sundays. In our world today we see leaders we admire and respect fall prey to the breakdown of their families, we need more leaders like Coach Mike Norvell who understands you can't be successful in the world if you're not successful in your home.  

Today we interview Pastor CalCope and his wife Aliss about their ministry, their story and their sweet beginnings. They have dedicated their life and ministry to showing others that love can last forever… after all. Check out their podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-13-premarital-coaching-testimony-with-carlos-and-sandra/id1631695947?i=1000581106547

You may know him as the rooftop Pastor, but Pastor Corey Brooks is so much more than that. This episode talks about rest, forgiveness, how he got started, haters, and even how music affects his work. Pastor  Brooks who has spent countless days on a rooftop advocating for his community is truly an amazing man and a captivating speaker. One of my favorite quotes from this episode that I believe captures the heart and passion behind his vision is, "Uncomfortable situations are the breeding grounds for miracles." If you would like to learn more about his organization or even give to his cause please follow the link below.https://www.projecthood.org/pastor-corey-b-brooks

You may know him as the rooftop Pastor, but Pastor Corey Brooks is so much more than that. On this episode, we talk about rest, forgiveness, how he got started, haters, and even how music affects his work. Pastor  Brooks who has spent countless days on a rooftop advocating for his community is truly an amazing man and a captivating speaker. One of my favorite quotes from this episode that I believe captures the heart and passion behind his vision is, "Uncomfortable situations are the breeding grounds for miracles." If you would like to learn more about his organization or even give to his cause please follow the link below.https://www.projecthood.org/pastor-corey-b-brooks

Today's families look a little different than they did 20 years ago. We have families coming together after a remarriage, children getting fostered or adopted and many other unique scenarios that make family dynamics a little more difficult. In today's episode, we interview Ron Deal, who is a leading expert on blended families. He has spent the last 15 years creating and providing resources for these “new-normal” families and talks to us about how we can support these families.

"Does anybody stay together anymore"? This was one question asked by a teen in 1991 that sparked Joneen Mackenzie to write her world-renowned curriculum; REAL Essentials. She saw a need to re-think how we teach sex education and make it more about relationship education. By making her lessons fun and interactive she has started a movement that is impacting the next generation. Learn more about her and her amazing organization, Center for Relationship Education (CRE) at myrelationshipcenter.org

On this episode Ashley and Alphonso decided to have a little fun! They found an article with over 80  Relationship questions/debate points and picked a handul of questions to get each others viewpoints. Go through these questions with your partner and let us know how you did! We hope you get a little more insight on your relationship opinions and how you feel about relationships of past and present.article:https://www.elimucentre.com/relationship-topics-to-debate/

In a recent AARP article (we know, we know) a concept called "Grey Divorce" has been called an epidemic. But what is that? Grey Divorce is a marriage that ends after decades of marriage, usually after children have grown up and left the house. These couples have lost touch and, with the absence of their children, feel like they have nothing holding them together. BUT there is always hope, as we have seen in many of our programs intimacy and connection can be restored and marriages healed. Alphonso and Ashley talk about how these relationships get to this point and how to help couples from ever  starting down that path.

Where do we draw the line between defending our partner and causing harm to another in their defense. In this podcast Ashley and Alphonso tackle this question that was raised by the "incident" between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars. While it is very important to defend your spouse and be a united front, we talk about healthy ways to do that rather than resorting to violence. We talk about how to support your partner in different situations without having to throw a sucker punch (either physically or emotionally). 

On this week's episode Ashley and Alphonso open up about their experiences with Post Traumatic Relationship Syndrome (PTRS) as well as what research has to say about it. PTRS is an anxiety disorder that occurs subsequent to the experience of physical, sexual or severe emotional abuse in the context of an emotionally intimate relationship.  A lot of people have experienced relationship trauma and don't know how to deal with it. This episode explores different ways people can identify and start dealing with their PTRS. If you or a loved one has experienced PTRS please seek professional help to start the process of healing. Articles:-https://www.healthline.com/health/relationships/relationship-ptsd#what-it-is-https://thriveworks.com/blog/relationship-ptsd-effects-of-an-emotionally-abusive-relationship/-https://www.instyle.com/lifestyle/hump-day/relationship-ptsd-https://www.bustle.com/p/7-signs-you-have-ptsd-from-your-past-relationship-that-you-probably-never-realized-9561680

May is Mental Health Awareness month and in honor of this we want to talk to all of our listeners about how to check in on friends who may struggle with mental health disorders, as well as checking in on ourselves. Mental Health is something that everyone needs to take care of, but not everyone knows how to. In this episode we talk about some different questions you can ask to check in on people you love to let them know you love them and are there for them. We get perspectives from both people who suffer from diagnosed mental health disorders as well as people who deal with the normal mental health struggles that come from being human. We challenge you to check in on a friend this week and get the conversation going! Here is the article we reference in the podcast with the questions that may be good to go over: https://idontmind.com/journal/just-checking-in-ten-minutes-ten-questions

On a previous episode we brought Bill Harper on to discuss manhood and to talk about his mens bootcamp Return to Glory. We brought Bill back this week after some of the men at Live the Life experienced the bootcamp and all it had to offer.  Alphonso sits down with the fellas and they share some of their emotional and spiritual journeys they experienced at the bootcamp. Even though there were very powerful and sincere moments, the guys also brag about who had the sharp eye at paintball and the hot hand on the basketball court.

"Why not prepare for where you're going rather than just deal with the convenience of where you're at?" Today we talk with Pastor Wayne Lanier about pre-marital education and how culture tells us to do what is convenient over what is smart. Pastor Wayne has been working at  Celebration Jacksonville with premarital couples for over a decade. We discuss questions like: why is going through pre-marital education so important, is cohabitation good for my relationship, what is the biggest misconception couples have when they get married and much more. We're excited for you to hear all the knowledge, wisdom and truth Pastor Wayne brings. 

When we first talked about pornography it was more from a broad research stand point. This episode Alphonso and Ashley sit down with some of the Live the Life staff members to have a honest conversation about porn and how it is used and viewed today.  Alphonso pulls topics and details from the article " Is porn harmful? The evidence the myths and the unknowns" by Jessica Brown and the group has open dialogue on what was presented.  Topics from porn in virtual reality, possible brain parts shrinking, and the effects porn has on relationships and more were discussed. Tune in and see how real people feel about pornography.Article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170926-is-porn-harmful-the-evidence-the-myths-and-the-unknowns

This week we have a part two to episode 26 "No One Wants to Talk About, Everyone Goes Through: Loss". Last time we talked about the purpose and benefits of utilizing hospice as a service to help caregivers with the stress and management of caring for a loved one. On this part of the episode  Big Bend Hospice invited Nancy Sanguiliano and Pat Goodwin two volunteers to share some personal stories. Nancy Is a Licensed Clinical Social worker with a specialty certification in Gerontology and has worked in varied settings during her professional career including nursing homes, home health care and several not for profit agencies addressing the specific issues and needs relating to aging patients and their families/Caregivers. Pat is a licensed clinical social with extensive experience as in the health care, including hospitals, long term care facilities, home health and hospice. With their expertise they were able to shine some light on some perspectives of the families and what they go through during the time  loved one needs a caregiver. For more information on hospice and what Big Bend Hospice you can go on their website:https://bigbendhospice.org/

On this week's episode Ashley and Alphonso sit down with Bill Harper a retired Air Force Pilot who is hosting a "Return to Glory" retreat for men April 7-10 based on John Eldridge's work and host of books on men. Bill does a great job with breaking down the retreat without revealing too many surprises the retreat has in store. They also discuss the state some men are in now and the need for men to fellowship amongst men. For more information on the retreat go to to https://returntoglory.regfox.com/return-to-glory

In todays society people are constantly moving fast trying to put together their own pathways to success. In the race for success we can overlook the most important thing in our life: people we love. On this episode Ashley and Alphonso open up about their busy lives with work, hobbies, side hustles and love. They go over some points from the article "20 Things to Know Before Dating an Entrepreneur" and their perspectives on what this article has to say.

In this episode we talk with Becky about how she took a mission trip with her family to Haiti when she found her passion and calling helping the community there. She has gone back a dozen times since her first trip in 2014. She has some great insight into their culture and how the breakdown of the family has contributed greatly to the breakdown of communities much like we have seen in our own country. This episode is a great chance to hear about what is happening in other communities as well as find out how you can get involved with Becky's non-profit, Haiti Awake. 

We all know the Christmas songs that promise "Joy to the World" and "Peace on Earth", but for a lot of us that is the opposite of how we feel during Christmas time. There is pressure to give the perfect gift, to host the perfect party and to have the perfect family. Oh how we have twisted this season. Jesus came because he is the only perfect thing and we cannot possibly do anything that compares to his perfect sacrifice. This is also a time where we see a huge spike in divorce, right after the holiday season. No one wants to ruin Christmas or allow other people to know that the facade is crumbling. Instead of counting down the days until the new year when you can finally be rid of the baggage of your relationship, this year we want to offer you hope. You can have joy, peace and goodwill in your marriage, right now. If you feel hopeless please reach out to us and we can help: Ashley@livethelife.org

One of the most humbling and rewarding things we get to do at Live the Life is serve our military. For over 5 years we have been serving bases, not only around the country, but around the world. In this episode we talk to Chaplain West about all of the amazing services the Chaplain Corps provides for men and women on base. Because of them, we are able to offer Adventures in Marriage retreats for married couple and Family Frontiers for families. We have seen a dramatic shift in loneliness, which is a huge indicator of suicide, and we talk about how that has been a reoccurring theme from weekends: couples feel bonded and connected in a way that makes them feel like they are not alone. In some cases, Adventures in Marriage has been able to save, not just their marriage, but their life. We want to say thank you to all the men and women who fight so bravely to protect our country. 

For some of us cheating is the cardinal sin, the one thing we can't forgive and we will definitely never forget. On this episode we talk to Jimmy and Angie who tell us the story of how the Lord stepped in and gave them the ability to forgive in the face of unfaithfulness. Jimmy and Angie were married for 16 years, they were focused on work, they weren't communicating and they allowed that to become the norm. That lead to a gap in intimacy and ultimately separation. Listen to hear how God used a seemingly impossible situation to create a bond that is now stronger than ever. 

You may be familiar with Live the Life, but do you know the whole story? You may not know that it involved Christian music star Michael W. Smith, a president before he was president, a woman telling her husband she was done with their marriage and how that one act has impacted hundreds of thousands of people. Well today we get the good, the bad and the ugly of how Richard Albertson started Live the Life and where we are now. 

This week we take on a heavy topic: how to deal with the terminal diagnosis of a loved one. We are joined by Big Bend Hospice Social Worker Charles Hyde and  Volunteer Department Manager Katie Mandell. You may have questions like: what services do hospice offer? What exactly is hospice? or even, what does hospice cost? Big Bend Hospice can take stress off of a caregivers relationship by walking you through this difficult process.  We tend to look over and not prepare for future situations and as a result our relationships can be effected. Charles and Katie give us information and shed light on some negative stigmas that can help families and marriages thrive when loss is at our doorstep. For more information on hospice and what Big Bend Hospice you can go on their website:https://bigbendhospice.org/

This was a fan favorite so we decided to  bring the boys back! In this week's episode of Relationship Realtalk the men of North Florida regional office, Richard Albertson, Doug Stephens, Cameron Briggs, and Jimmy Cash, join Alphonso again to have an open, honest discussion about men finding their worth in today's society, men dealing with the pressures of life, and the benefits of having support.  Whether you're new in a relationship, married for a while or single, every guy will get something out of this episode!

*WARNING* this episode contains graphic material about abortion procedures. On this episode we are joined by  Bre Craven-Crockett and Sherri Daume. These wonderful women work in our local pregnancy centers, Mosaic Clinic and A Woman Pregnancy Center(AWPC) here in Tallahassee, Florida . We dive into quit a few  serious topics as these ladies share information not only about the services that Mosaic Clinic and AWPC offer but we discuss sexually transmited infections(STIs), and we have a real, unfiltered discussion on what abortion is and the other choices women have for unplanned pregnancies.  If you would like to find out more information you can visit their websites here:AWPC Website:https://awomenspregnancycenter.comMosaic Clinic:https://mosaicclinictally.com

Ok...ok... That is a little dramatic. BUT sometimes marriage can feel very suffocating and unfulfilling. Today we talk about how important preparing for your marriage actually is in order to have a happy, fulfilling marriage. We talk with BYU Professor, Dr. Alan Hawkins and his research assistant, Tiffany Clyde. They wrote the article: Revising Premarital Relationship Interventions for the Next Generation. This article covers 4 main areas that pre-marital education needs to cover to be effective in reaching todays couples: 1) Individualism and Commitment Ambivalence, 2) Meaning of and Attitude about Marriage, 3) Premarital Relationship History and Experiences and 4) the Effects of Media. We cover each of these topics and why they are so important to discuss BEFORE you get married to help couples have the marriage they want. 

In this episode Ashley and Alphonso tackle an interesting topic: marriage problems. They argue that there is no such thing as marriage problems, instead there are people problems that we bring into marriage.  We typically try to use  marriage as a “magical” fix or switch we flip to make our relationship perfect.  But then when things go wrong, marriage is the scapegoat, the focus of our blame: my marriage didn't work. What we really need is to own our individual mess, work to fix that and then we can begin a happy, healthy marriage.  

On this episode of Relationship RealTalk Alphonso and Kaylyn  go over one of Live the Life's most used tools: the Daily Temperature Reading (DTR). The DTR is basically a menu for discussion which provides a way for couples to connect and bond. We start with appreciations to get that dopamine flowing in our brains then it takes you through other important topics such as new information and constructive ways to ask our partner to do something different: complaints with requests for change.  All of the steps in the DTR are scientifically proven to produce bonding in a couple, but you can also use this with friends, kids or coworkers! As Kaylyn and Alphonso go over each step and give real life examples of each section you'll see how easy it really is to do. To find out more information on the DTR and more of our marriage tools be sure to visit our website www.livethelife.org

This week we talk about the importance of mentorship with inner city youth. Alphonso is joined by Cameron Briggs and special guest Ernie Sims. They discuss the mentorship opportunities with inner city youth and highlight some of the work done with The W.A.Y. Ministries. The W.A.Y. Ministries is a non-profit organization designed for the purposes of "Winning America's Youth" to Jesus Christ. The vision is to develop and establish Christian based programs, services and branches in the State of Florida and around the country. You can find out more information on this organization and find out how to get involved at www.winningamericasyouth.com

On this weeks episode Ashley has a full team in the studio with her! We have the ladies of the Live The Life North Florida office on this episode to answer and speak on topics based off of their own experiences. Each woman has a different background and are in different levels of their relationship so there are plenty of different perspectives on the topics. Nothing like women coming together sharing experiences and building each other up!

On this weeks episode we have Tank and Sarah Ackerman returning to talk more about their relationship. This time we go more into detail about the interracial aspect of their marriage and some of the challenges that have come with being in a interracial relationship. We go over stereotypes, meeting the family, parenting, and they share some tips to an overall healthy marriage.  Tune in for for for a real conversation with a real couple, who has a real story!

In this episode Ashley and Alphonso invite their significant others to answer some great questions ranging from “when did you first think I was attractive?” to “what do you think we need to work on most in our relationship?”. Tune in for some personal Relationship Realtalk. 

Everyone walks down the aisle thinking, "This will last forever". But what happens when it doesn't? As 2 women who have gone through the heart break of divorce and lived to tell the tale Ashley and Zakiya talk about how divorce has impacted their relationships, what they have learned from their divorce and things they have had to do to grow through that pain. Whether you are fresh out of a divorce, living your best single life or happily remarried this podcast is for you.

Has your marriage seen real hardship? Has pornography, addiction, affairs or anything else taken away your hope at ever making your marriage work? Hope Weekend is an intensive weekend that is highly effective on starting couples on the road back to trust and love. In this episode we talk to Hope Weekend facilitator and coach, Doug Stephens, about why Hope Weekend is so effective and how God redeems even the most broken relationships.

Have you ever felt unsafe in a relationship? Have you ever wondered if a friend was actually super clumsy or maybe in an abusive relationship? Unfortunately, 1 in 3  women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. Hearing that statistic is a little shocking, since most people keep their abuse hidden. But domestic violence isn't just physical, it it also emotional and psychological. In this episode we talk with Kelly O'Rourke, who is the Director at the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC), about the many faces of domestic violence.  We cover things like what the definition of domestic violence (DV) is, what the signs of DV are, how to be there for a friend who may be going through DV and much more.  The DVCC provides training and education for the awareness of domestic violence issues in the Tallahassee area. Learn more about DVCC by visiting their website: http://www.thedvcc.org/

Did you miss us? We took some time off but now we are back like we never left! On this week's episode Ashley and Alphonso open up about their own personal relationships with some interesting questions pulled from our very own Adventures in Marriage playing deck of cards. Availabe on our website www.livethelife.org

Do you want to know more about what a healthy relationship looks like? In part II we add in Tank and Sarah as we tackle subjects like video games and boundaries? We also see who in the office believes in "the one". This roundtable discussion with our staff continues the conversation about the top 10 questions people ask about relationships. Tune in to learn more!

When was the last time you went on a date with your significant other? Today we talk about the importance of Date Nights and how it will increase intimacy, fulfill emotional needs and bond us to our date. Dr. Dianne grande is a psychologist in the Chicago area and she gives us the top reasons why couples don't go on dates and how to make them a priority again. To learn more you can visit her website here

Do you want to know more about what a healthy relationship looks like? Have you ever wondered what "toxic" really means? Is your relationship something to fight for or is it time to call it? We have a roundtable discussion with our staff to talk about the top 10 questions people ask about relationships. Tune in to learn more!

In this weeks episode of Relationship Realtalk we talk to Tammy and Jay Daughtry who came together to make a beautiful blended family. They realized the need for step-families to have direction in navigating the mirky waters of bio parents and step parents and how these family dynamics play out with the whole family, so they created their own non-profit that helps these blended families thrive. Tammy and Jay talk about everything from how to help children not get lost in the transition of adding a new parent in the home to what role step parents take in blended familes. Listen to learn more and visit them online at http://modernfamilydynamics.com/

This weeks podcast is for the boys! In this week’s episode of Relationship Realtalk the men of North Florida’s Live the Life gather around and have an open, honest discussion about relationships and being a man in 2020. With each man being in a different level of relationships a we share a wide variety of perspectives on things such as healthy relationships, love vs lust, insecurities in relationships, and more!

In this episode we talk with Daryl Fletcher about how humans are built for connection, but often we try to control before we connect. Learn more about how to gain the relationships we long for and life we’ve always wanted.

Social media, video games, and technology: are they harmless or hurtful? In this weeks episode we interview Melanie Hempe, the founder and president of Families Managing Media (screenstrong.com), about the risks of technology on our brains and in our relationships. Melanie shares a little insight on her personal life and how it created the passion to educate people on the effects of the all things digital media (video games, social media, smart phones)

“A partner can complement you, but they can’t complete you... not only is that untrue but it’s unfair”. When we hear the famous Jerry Maguire line, "You complete me" a lot of girls swoon, but is this really what relationships were made for? This week Katie Bulmer comes on and talks about some powerful truths that all women need to hear. We talk about things like emotional needs, what God, and science, say about sex, and how it's never too late for you, no matter what has happened in your life. You can learn more about Katie and her work at katiebulmer.life

On this week's episode we were joined by Richard Albertson the founder of Live the Life and we discussed porn and the effect it has on the individual and his/her relationship. Is porn really that big of a deal?