Team Us

Have you ever looked at your spouse and asked, “What do we have in common?” Maybe there have been times when you’ve even felt like you have more differences than similarities. In marriage, there’s always the potential for our differences to eat away at our unity—especially if that’s what we focus on. Today, we’re sharing five practical ways you and your spouse can stop your differences from dividing you. How to Stop Your Differences from Dividing You Understand that you are innately different Don’t despise each other’s differences Learn to appreciate and respect each other’s differences Have shared interests that unite you Spend time together   Us Time Challenge  Identify one difference that’s been dividing you and your spouse lately. Take some time to think about what you can appreciate and respect about that difference. Then, tell your spouse—and be sure to keep it all positive!   Team Us Resources  Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/)   Links Mentioned in This Episode Loving Him Well by Gary Thomas For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn 9 Lies That Will Destroy Your Marriage by Robert Paul and Greg Smalley   Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How often do you intentionally stop to praise your spouse? To recognize and affirm their character or actions? Many of us probably cringe at answering these questions because we know we could do better! If you struggle to feed your spouse praise regularly, this episode is for you. Listen in as we share some practical steps we all can take to criticize less and affirm and build up our spouse more. 3 Ways to Praise Your Spouse More Adopt a grace-filled perspective Check your vocabulary and the tone of your praise Keep your praise focused on your spouse Us Time Challenge Make it your goal to praise your spouse more this week! Team Us Resources Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/)  Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you remember the “Anyone can cook” catchphrase from the film Ratatouille? Well, we believe anyone can record a podcast—including you and your spouse. Listen in as we share some ways podcasting together has strengthened our marriage, and we think it can strengthen your relationship too. 3 Ways Podcasting Can Strengthen Your Marriage Podcasting gets you talking. Podcasting helps you be vulnerable. Podcasting is a fun, shared activity. Us Time Challenge Record a podcast together! It doesn’t have to be long, fancy, focused on marriage, or even distributed on iTunes. You can record it for family and friends and simply post it on your social media feed. And be sure to tag us when you do! Team Us Resources  Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/)  Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parenting can be wonderful, but it is also demanding and exhausting. We have four kids—we get it! It can be easy to put our spouse and marriage on the back burner. But today, we’re encouraging you not to do that! Listen in as we share three practical reasons why your marriage relationship needs to take the highest priority after your relationship with God. (And know, this is a conversation full of grace for whatever parenting season you are in!) 3 Reasons Marriage Comes Before Parenting Your marriage is a life-long, interdependent commitment Your spouse and your marriage aren’t static Your kids need you to put your spouse first Us Time Challenge Spend time together! If your schedule and current parenting stage don’t easily allow for a date, find time together at home. Sit on the couch or back porch and talk. Take a walk, or have a fun conversation while you drive. The point is not to put your relationship on the backburner! Team Us Resources Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Links Mentioned in This Episode “I’m 99% Mother and 1% Wife — And It Has to Be That Way” at GoodHousekeeping.com (https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a31760/balancing-mother-and-wife/) “I’m 49% Mother and 51% Wife — And It Has to Be That Way” at iBelieve.com (https://www.ibelieve.com/relationships/i-m-49-mother-and-51-wife-and-it-has-to-be-that-way.html) Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What kind of couple do you want to be 5, 10, or 20 years from now? We recently spent a week surrounded by couples who are older than us, and we asked ourselves this exact question. Listen in as we share our thoughts on how you can grow older together and love the couple you become. The Kind of Couple We Want to Become Youthful in spirit Joyful in heart Hopeful in perspective Us Time Challenge Ask yourself: What kind of couple do we want to be in 5, 10, or even 20 years. Then come up with a game plan to start becoming that couple.  Team Us Resources Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever thought, “My marriage would be a lot easier if my spouse had a personality more like mine”? If so, you’re not alone. We’ve all had moments where something about our spouse’s unique wiring annoys us. Listen in as we talk about what you can do in those moments when your spouse’s personality drives you nuts. 3 Things You Can Do When Your Spouse’s Personality Drives You Nuts Consider your spouse’s upbringing and past influences. Respect your spouse’s individual wiring even when you don’t understand it. Pick your spouse instead of picking a battle. Us Time Challenge Pick one of the popular personality tests out there and take it with your spouse. Then talk about your results and share something positive about your spouse’s personality that now makes more sense to you. Team Us Resources Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you and your spouse ever been on a getaway together or a family vacation and it didn’t go so well? We can relate! Today we’ll share a few of our stories, list some reasons you might be experiencing conflict away from home, and give you five marriage survival tips to help you vacation-proof your marriage.  5 Possible Reasons Couples Have Vacation Conflict  1.    We’re out of our normal routine.2.    We’re “living” in small spaces.3.    We have different vacation styles.4.    We’re sleep deprived.5.    We’re navigating challenges with kids. 5 Must-Pack Marriage-Survival Tools for Vacation 1. Accurately assess your situation and realize sometimes it will bring out your worst.2. Remember that you’ll be home soon and back to those regular, comfortable habits.3. Fake it until you make it. You know you love your spouse; you just don’t feel like it.4. Have a common enemy.5. Laugh about it together and don’t wait until it’s all over. Us Time Challenge This week, look back at a previous vacation that maybe didn’t go so well. Talk and laugh about what you could have done differently. Focus on your own behavior and attitudes, not your spouse’s.    Links Mentioned in This Episode •    “Your Daily Routines Aren’t Mundane—They’re Actually Keeping You Sane and Healthy (It’s Science)” from RealSimple.com (https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/benefits-of-routines)  Team Us Resources •    Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) •    FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/)  Connect with Ted and Ashleigh •    Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) •    Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/)  •    Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if every time you go out on a date with your spouse, all you talk about is work, bills, schedules, and — if you have them — kids? As vitally important as those things are to discuss, we chat about how you can have a date-night conversation that’s NOT about work, bills, schedules, or kids. Listen in as we share four steps you can put into practice. 4 Steps to Date-Night Conversations That Deepen Your Connection Set a timer. Pick out conversation starters in advance. Choose questions wisely. Listen well and be curious. Us Time Challenge  Go on a date night and practice these steps. Make sure you and your spouse each pick out a conversation starter or two that you want to ask the other. Links Mentioned in This Episode “15 Things Happy Couples Talk About That Draw Them Together” from LifeHack.com (https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/15-things-happy-couples-talk-about-that-draw-them-closer-together.html) Karen Ehman’s free printable, “Getting to Know You Again Date Night Questions” (https://karenehman.com/freebies/)  Team Us Resources Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, we’re doing something a little different! Instead of hearing from us, you’ll listen in on a conversation we had with Todd and Brooke Tilghman. Todd is best known as the Season 18 winner of NBC’s The Voice, and what we really love about their story is that if it hadn’t been for Brooke, Todd would have never auditioned for the show. Talk about teamwork! Todd and Brooke are high school sweethearts who have been married for 24 years and are the parents of eight kids. They wrote a book called Every Little Win, and Todd recently released a new single called “Dig My Grave.” Join us as we talk with Todd and Brooke about practical ways your marriage can go the distance. Us Time Challenge This week, look for small opportunities to spend time connecting with your spouse. Maybe it’s on a ride to the grocery store, taking a walk together in your neighborhood, or doing the dishes. More from Todd and Brooke Tilghman Visit Todd’s website (https://toddtofficial.com/) Get Todd and Brooke’s book, Every Little Win: How Celebrating Small Victories Can Lead to Big Joy (https://amzn.to/41n0tjV) Follow Todd on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/toddtilghmanmusic/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/todd_tilghman/) Follow Brooke on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brooketilghman/)     Team Us Resources  Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever heard of the game “In So Many Words”? We play it to kick off this episode on communication. But while word games can be fun, sometimes communication in marriage is frustrating. We’ve all felt it! So, how do we navigate it? Listen in as we talk about communication killers that might be frustrating conversations. We also share three steps you can take when talking to your spouse is a challenge. 3 Steps to Take When Communication Is Frustrating Take a break Identify what really happened Try again Us Time Challenge  Google communication games for team-building. Pick one to play with your spouse. Links Mentioned in This Episode “5 Communication Killers and How to Avoid Them” (https://www.altaredmarriage.com/5-communication-killers-and-how-to-avoid-them/) Team Us Resources Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/) FREE Team Us Study Guide (https://ashleighslater.com/team-us/free-team-us-study-guide/) Connect with Ted and Ashleigh Website (https://ashleighslater.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashleighslater_author/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ashleighslaterauthor) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.