3 Reasons Valentine’s Day Creates PRESSURE (And How to Get on the Same Page)

💡 Ever had a moment in your marriage where something just clicked? In this episode, we sit down with marriage expert and bestselling author Dr. Emerson Eggerichs to talk about the powerful “light bulb moments” that can completely reframe the way couples see each other. What if the issue you keep arguing about isn’t actually about who’s right and who’s wrong? What if it’s just… different shades of right? Are you accidentally treating a preference like a moral issue? Could there be a “third option” that honors both of you? If you’ve ever wondered why the same conflict keeps resurfacing in your marriage, this conversation might be the breakthrough you’ve been looking for. Resources: 🚢 Get in on the DYMC Cruise happening in spring of 2027! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/dymc-cruise Love and Respect Ministries https://www.loveandrespect.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

💔 Ever felt like quitting your marriage… even though you promised you never would? In this powerful conversation with Lindsey Maestas, we talk about the silent resentment, exhaustion, and disconnection that can creep in during the early years—and what to do before you “burn your own house down.” Lindsey shares how sleep deprivation, unmet expectations, and poor communication nearly unraveled her relationship, and the surprising shifts that brought friendship, intimacy, and joy back to life. If you’ve been feeling stuck, unseen, or just worn out, this episode will both challenge and equip you. Resources :📖 Don't Burn Your Own House Down by Lindsey Maestas (workbook available) https://a.co/d/09anf8My 🎙️ Living Easy Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-easy-with-lindsey/id1481805272 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

❤️‍🩹 What if the real problem in your marriage isn’t “communication”… but resistance? Join us as we interview Dr. David Burns to unpack why so many couples say they want a better relationship—yet subtly fight the very change that would heal it. Are you truly willing to let go of being right? Could the breakthrough you’re praying for be on the other side of owning your part? If you’ve ever felt criticized, misunderstood, or stuck in the same fight on repeat, this episode will challenge and equip you in the best way. Resources: Feeling Great App https://www.feelinggreat.com Feeling Good by David Burns https://a.co/d/07STA9Xc Feeling Good Together by David Burns https://a.co/d/05hYPoCz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🕯️🏡 If you’ve ever wanted to be “that house” - the one that gathers people, builds community, and makes everyone feel welcomed - but hosting somehow turns into stress, tension, and resentment between the two of you… tune in. Abby Turner Kuykendall (author of Let the Biscuits Burn) joins Karissa to talk about the real emotional obstacles behind hospitality in marriage: mismatched expectations, introvert vs. extrovert dynamics, unspoken resentment, and the pressure to make everything look perfect. You’ll walk away with practical ways to plan ahead, delegate without bitterness, and shift your mindset from entertaining to truly loving people well. Are you hosting to impress… or to serve? Resources: Abby's website https://abbykuykendall.com Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall https://a.co/d/0726oALl Abby's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abby.kuykendall?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

💘😅 Valentine’s Day is supposed to feel romantic… so why does it leave so many couples feeling more discouraged than connected? Listen in as Adam and Karissa break down three surprisingly common reasons Valentine’s Day can actually make your marriage feel worse - even if you’re not “in crisis.” What would change if you talked about Valentine's Day Expectations before the day arrives instead of hoping it magically works out? You’ll walk away from this with simple conversation starters that can help you stop dreading Valentine’s Day and start using it as a chance to actually reconnect. Resources: Shop all DYMC Card Decks HERE https://www.amazon.com/stores/DearYoungMarriedCouple/page/F43B8EB3-1B18-40CF-8510-B409AE625D90?lp_asin=B07PMYDMV3&ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandLogo_sto Get our FREE Valentine's Day Intimacy Menu HERE https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/pl/2148741723 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

✨ What if the reset your marriage actually needs isn’t a new system, habit, or goal - but a clearer focus? In this episode, we sit down with O.S. Hawkins to talk about what it looks like to strip away the noise, the pressure, and the expectations and come back to the center: Jesus. ♥️ We explore why strong marriages are built from the inside out, how your relationship with God shapes every other relationship in your life, and why family has always been at the heart of God’s design. This conversation is thoughtful, grounding, and a powerful reminder of what really matters for your marriage and your walk with Christ. Resources: Free resources, books, and devotionals available at https://www.oshawkins.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🌱🔥 What if the things you’re avoiding talking about are the very things shaping your kids the most? Hear us sit down with Kristen Miele of Sex Ed Reclaimed to talk about the quiet ways intimacy fades in marriage, how kids sense more than we think, and why silence around sex and sexuality leaves a lasting mark. This conversation reframes awkward moments as sacred opportunities for discipleship. When hard questions come up, will your kids come to you first? This episode challenges, equips, and invites you to lead with honesty instead of fear. Resources: Sex Ed Reclaimed: https://www.sexedreclaimed.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🌊⚓ What does it really take to stay connected after decades of marriage - through storms, trauma, transitions, and everything in between? In this conversation, Rev. Charles and Stacey Robinette share hard-earned wisdom from over 30 years of marriage, unpacking why love isn’t about smooth sailing but about learning how to row together when the waves hit. They open up about healing from past wounds, carrying each other through uneven seasons, and what it actually looks like to let Jesus lead your marriage - not just be invited aboard. Resources: Counseling w/ Adam & Karissa https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/counseling Smooth Sailing: Making Love Last Forever! https://a.co/d/6knpft1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

💛🥘 When you picture a blended family, do you picture a blender spinning a whole bunch of ingredients together for a couple minutes until they're well-combined? Plot twist: blended families are less like a blender and more like a crock pot. Each vegetable/meat cooks at different frequencies and it takes a whole lot longer than a blender until the meal is complete. In this episode, we sit down with Ron Deal of FamilyLife Blended to talk aboutwhy blended families are built in a crockpot, not a blender, how fear from past relationships quietly sabotages trust, and what it really looks like to support your marriage while parenting kids with history, opinions, and loyalty binds. Are you rushing closeness that can only come with time? Are you expecting roles that haven’t been earned yet? This conversation will reframe how you see progress, conflict, and hope in a blended family - and remind you that slow doesn’t mean broken, it means wise. Resources: Family Life Blended: https://www.familylife.com/familylifeblended/blended-families/ Counseling w/ Adam & Karissa: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/counseling The Mindful Marriage Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindful-marriage-breaking-cycles-and/id1066959663?i=1000733826467 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎆 BEHIND THE SCENCES: Take a look at a year that stretched, surprised, and shaped everything we’re building next!  Adam and Karissa pull back the curtain on what really happened in 2025—from thousands of couples served, marriages rebuilt, to an entire team that grew their families while carrying the mission forward.  What’s in store for 2026?! What are couples actually craving in this season? What happens when marriage tools move from theory into real life? Listen to hear some exciting things coming down the pike!  Resources:  Counseling with Adam and Karissa: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/counseling Porn Recovery Focus Group for Men: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/porn-recovery-focus-group prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped DYMC Cruise Spring 2027 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflhyH7KjL6JMI16tgUQ0ItHSIxlq9OxNUw2yuAB4d6-sbO_g/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114888067190670829946 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices