FTUPLIFE: Recent Episodes
Chris & Cindy Brown
Welcome to a real life relationship based podcast that all listeners, whether dating, engaged, newly weds, or married several to many years can listen to and hopefully take something away and apply! Chris & Cindy Brown have formed a new style of relationship based training in a sense that both may come from completely different backgrounds which at times may produce a different perspective, even disagreements that could lead into issues which dissolve the relationship. So how can they disagree and still avoid the issues that relationships in our culture suffer from? So here we go...
We are back and diving head first into scripture and the controversy around what that looks like in your relationship. Listen in as Chris & Cindy provide their take on love and hate.
Listen in as Chris and Cindy are back in the Love Languages approaching the end, in your relationship do you feel that Love is truly enough? Can Love conquer all...
Each Love Language has been covered, now what is yours.. and will your spouse agree? Listen in as Chris and Cindy offer insight on how to discover your primary Love Language. It may even be different than what you originally thought...
In the Final Love Language Chris & Cindy dive into Physical touch! To feel secure in your relationship, your marriage, can rest on those intimate, physical encounters... but what happens when insecurity has risen up..? Listen in and GET PHYSICAL
Here we are on Love Language #4, Acts of Service. How do you serve your spouse, and indeed this can be hard especially when things are not so great. Do you think that actually cutting the grass or cleaning the house would fall into 'Acts of Service' ... great question? Listen in as Chris and Cindy roll out their perspectives and see if in your relationship this matches!
The universal concept of gift giving. Thinking of your partner and simply getting them something to show this... is this hard for you to do, or think of, or does this come easy? There is also the gift of self.. interesting? Subscribe and listen in as Chris & Cindy tackle her Love Language.
Love Language number 2 is flowing from words of affirmation into some Quality time. What does Quality Time actual mean, you would be surprised to learn that Quality Conversation is nestled into this Love Language. Listen in and discover for yourself, and your partner, if this Love Language fits you. Subscribe and listen in...
Love Language #1 = Words of Affirmation. So ask yourself, "Do i speak affirmations over my marriage, my partner, our life together"? Interesting question for all couples as in a covenant relationship we are too purposefully build our partner up. How words can tear us down.. There is a way to express hurt, pain, and even anger in a KIND way. Listen in and subscribe.
Welcome to a brand new series based on Gary Chapmans book titled, The 5 Love Languages... lets dive into this reading and literally layout this book based on our thoughts with regards to our marriage and if/how this book can be applied. "I got 5 on it" fits perfectly into the theme of this book. So listen in, grab the book, and lets see where your marriage falls.
Here we go, Chris & Cindy back on the sex and security and this time where are the kids... how difficult is it to have children and still find time to enjoy one another? Men, it is the pursuit, and for my ladies it is the mindset... agree??? Subscribe and listen in...
ED is this hidden epidemic that most men find almost impossible to disclose, outside some sort of treatment provided by a mens clinic. The worldwide prevalence of erectile dysfunction is expected to increase to 322 million men by 2025. (International Journal of Impotence Research, 2000). ED affects about 30 million men in the United States. (Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension, 2012). Then roll over to women and the simple lack of sex drive... due in part to a number of reasons and circumstances. These issues can divide a marriage quickly.. listen in as Chris and Cindy tackle this super sensitive area in a relationship...
Listen in as Chris & Cindy come at this topic from opposite directions. In your marriage what does intimacy look like... is the end goal of intimacy to basically get the clothes off each other, or is there more. Intimacy can come in many forms so what does it mean in your marriage? #BeBetteratMarriage #FaithFirst
Here we go with those unrealistic sexual expectations from within your marriage, not necessarily the worldly expectations that started this sex series but the expectations you get from your spouse. Listen in as Chris and Cindy come at this ideal of what is expected sexually inside the confines of your home per say... the vulnerability to admit what you like sexually and even what you do not like! ... and then at the end of the podcast wait for the Get Deeper questions and answer along! Hit us up at ftuplife.com and leave feedback. We love you all.
How difficult, or awkward, even in your marriage to tell your partner what you like and do not like when it comes to sex? Communication that is not self seeking, but uplifting and open will lead to you both being vulnerable, which in turn will lead to a better, healthier sex life. Be Better at Marriage from a faith first mindset. Check out the sex question date idea Chris and Cindy talk about... goto ftuplife.com.
It can be reasoned with every couple that the earliest influences on our sexuality are the household and societal sexual norms that we grow up with. This is unfortunate but the truth. If you were raised in a place where those around you, for religious or cultural reasons, feel that sex is bad or even dirty, you might suppress your own sexual exploration within your relationship. Sex is good and to be enjoyed freely within the confines of your marriage, but is that what our culture is teaching us? Listen in as Chris and Cindy fight against this societal normality we all live in with regards to sexuality and give their sexual perspectives on how they keep their intimacy at the forefront of their marriage!
It is a common theme in a relationship to date each other, but is it common in a marriage? We all hear this "do not stop dating each other" but what does this actually mean coming from a woman's viewpoint, and then throw the mans viewpoint on top of that. What do get? You get an FtupLife Podcast that jumps right into this topic. Listen in and grow your marriage, let Chris & Cindy help your relationship, especially when it comes to the ever popular cliché of dating one another in a marriage! We love our listeners so check us out on ftuplife.com and any and all feedback is welcome!
Here we go into the world of what each other likes to do, how we like to spend our time outside the relationship even? This would be called hobbies... or a lifestyle in that it is something each of you enjoy. The key is that hopefully these hobbies can overlap at times and be enjoyed together! Listen in and Chris and Cindy discuss their hobbies and how separated time on a consistent basis can lead into a rut in your marriage. The long hunting weekends over a period of 3-4 months that leads into fishing trips, or the long golf trips for men. My ladies are on the girl weekends and spending hours in the garden. It most certainly matters the time spent apart and the individuality needs to remain. The issue of the Rut can come from the consistent chose of being active in your hobbies vs being active in your marriage! Spend the same < or run the cup over > time and energy to have fun in your relationship! Watch your marriage improve... Check us out at ftuplife.com and enjoy! May it strengthen your marriage.
Here we go into the world of friendships, from couples to that person you have been friends with since middle school. There can be tension in your relationship when at times attempting to choose who to spend time with comes into play, is a an entire girls weekend necessary and for the woman is this something that is anticipated and looked forward to vs the man who looks forward to the golf week with the guys. The problem is not necessarily in the action but more in the possible anticipation of getting away from your spouse? Ouch.. are friends needed, of course, but who comes first. This is such a real conversation to have so listen in as Chris and Cindy tackle this issue, and explain how they deal with this in their ftuplife!
Living through your children is a popular analogy and has been thrown around for years. Why does it seem no one sees this in the relationship, hence the RUT that starts to form.... and make no mistake the longer the RUT holds onto your relationship the deeper it can be to climb out. Listen in and Chris & Cindy take this discussion into what some would consider offensive territory. As a man should we not pursue the woman, as a husband it is our responsibility to pursue our wives regardless of whether your son is the star quarterback, or your daughter is the star basketball player. Being a good parent does not translate in giving your everything for your child. Yes, be a great Dad, and yes, be a loving Mother, but the end game is the union between him and her, the husband and the wife. Comments, or feedback are always welcome! And pay attention at the end for new questions you can answer with your spouse, like an ice breaker "would you prefer window or isle seat?"
The RUT, that point which can come and go it seems at various times in your relationship to where there is just a DULL. Tell the truth and be honest here, has at any point in your marriage, in your relationship, that you have felt like you are just high fiving your partner on the way out the door. This happens to all couples as we are all busy. Busy with work perhaps, pursing your career coupled with this pressure to produce or provide something for the family. What about school, and the continuing education with the goal of again achieving a better job. Listen in and Chris and Cindy give you a full podcast of casting a vision of dedicated time for each other while in the midst of work, school, or kids and their activities even. This podcast allows an uninterrupted dedicated 2 minute segment per perspective coming from Cindy, and then Chris. How do they bring it back together although at times disagreeing on the subject? Stay tuned in all the way to end for some surprise 'Lets Get Deep' questions, and answer these off topic deep centered random questions with your partner.
Here we go! Listen in as Chris and Cindy dive into a new series they are calling 'The Rut'. This concept of couples practically falling into this dull in their relationship, and this can be happen based on numerous things going on in their lives. Why not begin the series with Growth. We all need need to be growing, both in the reflection of who we are individually, and as we relate to our partner in our relationship. So why is it that at times it seems one in the relationship is pushing, looking to better their outcomes either financially, or personally even, while yet their counterpart seems to be content, or worse idle. The insight offered up in the ftuplife podcast series by Chris & Cindy not only hit this topic straight forward as they both allow the other a solid 2 minute thought breakdown, but also how to bring it all back together. It can be hard to be patient, and offer up a compromise, when you feel as though you are the sole dreamer, that you are the only 1 who has the Vision of bigger, greater accomplishments. The question of "there has to more" falls heavily into the thought process, this desire to work and achieve, and build. How exciting when the couple is in this mindset together! Subscribe and listen in, comments and feedback are welcome.
It must be noted that first and foremost having children is a blessing. Indeed happy is the man whose quiver is full. With this said how is that children play such an important and at times critical role in where the money goes in a marriage, in a relationship. Listen in as Chris & Cindy tackle this very issue and come at this from two points of view and how they bring it back together as a couple when it comes to spending money on your children. As in our culture there is a perception of parents living through their children; such as sports, even activities the child may be involved in. So as a married couple how do you deal with this. The stress pulling couples in all sorts of directions can be exhausting which opens the door for all kinds of possible problems, with money leading the way. What are your thoughts after listening, where do you fall on the spectrum of spending money on your children, the where and why? Do you and your spouse agree on the direction of the money being spent. Our goal is help couples, those in relationships, build a stronger connection, through compromise, but most importantly through faith. Chris & Cindy even through a little icing on the cake when discussing the idea of pets and where that takes couples financially? Interesting on where you may land on the idea of money and pets. Listen in, subscribe, and grow your relationship.
So your InLaws, outside the premise of if you get along with them, or even like them? What happens when the relationship with your 'InLaws' involves the ever sensitive issue of money? Listen as Chris and Cindy take this difficult issue and dissect from both perspectives. Whether on the giving end or the receiving end of how money is distributed to or from your Inlaws, it can be difficult to manage! What happens when the circumstances dealing with your Inlaws is 1 sided in that your partner is pushing money in that direction. Family is always difficult and then throw money on top of that could greatly increase tension, if not bitterness. Give some feedback, and comment, as this podcast hits this issue straight on. There is always compromise, but how do you get there in your relationship with this issue?
Back in our Money series in an ftuplife with a focus on Debt. Coming into your relationship, what if your partner has debt? Does the amount of debt matter. Debt can be a very heavy burden and allot of tension will arise if not handled correctly. In our culture today of getting that quality education to better yourself what happens when you bring massive amounts of student loans into your relationship. Even better, if your partner is just an excessive spender and their credit card balances are, shall we say full. Tough conversation to have but how do you handle this?
So our Money series continues on the topic of the dreaded BUDGET. No matter where you are in your relationship lets cover whether or not you are in this budget mindset together, does one or the other not typically into the budget principal. I firmly believe that a person, a couple, can be disciplined together in their money habits without needing a budget. Well, my beautiful wife believes disciplined spending is automatically a budget, but is it? As you listen and relate to either perspective, if not both depending... learn something and take away an action item to sit and discuss with your partner. Make that decision together! We truly love our listeners, so please share our podcast and direct listeners and followers to our website to learn more at ftuplife.com.
Still in the Money series and in this episode we discuss "wants"! When it comes down to it in your relationship there are times when your wants may outweigh the wants of your partner. Listen to Chris & Cindy talk on this very topic and open up about their difference approaches, and perspectives, and still come back to a foundation that kept their marriage strong for over 25 years. So, do you just go buy what you want because you want it, or do you go buy something in a mindset of some type of retaliation for what your partner has bought as it was something they wanted. Interesting? This can be problem in some relationships for sure. This 'want' mentality on other side can be deadly and effective communication is a must. So listen and see where your relationship falls. Lets get better at relationships, and especially marriage. It will only make our world better.
This podcast stays in our MONEY and marriage series. This series will be a 7 week dynamic overview on the different pieces of MONEY within a relationship. How can in this society two people, a couple, with different careers, possibly different education levels come together and decide who's money is it? Are there separate bank accounts, are you responsible for some bills while your partner is responsible for others? Typically in a relationship, a marriage, one makes more money than the other. So how does this effect the layout of what the money is used for, does this effect the feeling of being less valuable perhaps...? Let us help by providing our intimate thoughts and feelings on this topic with the goal of allowing some common behaviors to line up. In fact, we desire to give couples the opportunity to discuss the issue based on what they hear, the struggles and complexities when it comes to His Money vs Her Money ( or should there be such a division? ). We love feedback, and questions from our audience, so check out our website ftuplife.com and subscribe. We love each and every one of you!
Welcome to a real life relationship based podcast that all listeners, whether dating, engaged, newly weds, or married several to many years can listen to and hopefully take something away that will help strengthen that bond with their partner in life! Chris & Cindy Brown have formed a new style of relationship based dialect in a sense that both may come from completely different backgrounds which at times may produce a different perspective, even disagreements that could lead into issues. So how do they disagree and still avoid the issues that relationships in our culture suffer from. Married 26 years with 3 children; 25,21, and 17 with 2 grandbabies listen as the format will give each a 2 minute window to state the reasoning if a disagreement is at hand...listen and learn how to disagree but still have a great relationship. You may find yourself choosing a side perhaps, so be warned. In this podcast we are beginning are series on MONEY! Yes, the dollar bills.. to we choose the "End Goals" to start us right. In your relationship do your End Goals match up? If not, listen .. subscribe .. and learn! Blessings