The quiet moments matter most when life won’t slow down. We gather around the tree with scripture from Isaiah 9 and Matthew 1 to center on Emmanuel—God with us—and then get real about Christmas in military life: deployments, duty, distance, and the tug-of-war between family expectations and a soul that longs for rest. You’ll hear the stories that shaped us: the frantic trip with a newborn during a wartime tour, the ceramic angel that shattered and became a turning point, and the surprising peace we found when we stopped chasing “home” and started guarding a holy, simple Christmas right where we live.

We also share small, sticky traditions that carry big meaning: reading Luke 2 before gifts, slow mornings with cocoa, and nighttime drives to see lights that preach hope into dark streets. Hospitality becomes a mission as we open our door to Marines and young families who can’t travel, keeping the morning for our nucleus and the afternoon for anyone who needs a table. Along the way we name the roots beneath holiday stress—loneliness, expectations, fantasy—and offer a counterpractice that works in any zip code: be here now. Presence over perfection. Gratitude over comparison. Real life over curated feeds.

If duty has you standing post or separated by oceans, this conversation offers both comfort and a plan. Carve small pockets of quiet into a packed schedule. Trade obligation travel for intentional time, even if it’s just an hour behind a closed door to read, pray, and breathe. And if you’re catching up, revisit our recent episodes on loneliness and dating your spouse; they thread directly into a healthier, happier holiday. Subscribe, share this with a military friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the show. What expectation will you release to make room for presence this Christmas?

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We would LOVE to hear your thoughts and take questions you would like us to answer about on future episodes of the podcast.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, from our families to yours!

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Stop treating your marriage like a shared calendar and start treating it like a love story you’re still writing. We dive into what it really means to date your spouse—how to define a “good date” together, set clear expectations, and build rituals that bring back pursuit, play, and intimacy without adding pressure. From military separations to the grind of parenting, we unpack why logistics aren’t connection and how to carve out time for presence, laughter, and deeper conversation.

We get practical about planning: put the date on the calendar first, agree on the vibe, and protect it from turning into a work meeting. You’ll hear simple prompts that change the tone fast—questions like “What’s been on your mind?” and “How can I love you better?”—and why those only build trust when paired with action. We talk phones-down meals, the power of eye contact, and how small acts of follow-through create safety that invites honesty. If money or childcare is tight, we share at-home date ideas that still feel special: early bedtime for the kids, candlelight steak for two, a saved movie, and time to flirt without interruptions.

Joy matters too. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s glue. Try playful traditions like an alphabet restaurant tour, a beach walk, or a game night that lets you be silly. Physical affection belongs on the list—move beyond perfunctory kisses and bring back warmth and excitement. And if you’ve slipped into the “roommates” rut, use this as your pivot point. Pick one night, one simple plan, and one brave question. Keep them how you caught them: pursue, plan, and play. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review with your favorite date idea—we’ll try a few on our next night out.

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RESOURCES FROM TODAYS EPISODE

1. Date Your Wife: get it here--- Amazon.com: Date Your Wife (Audible Audio Edition): Justin Buzzard, Lyle Blaker, One Audiobooks: Audible Books & Originals

2. Strengthening Your Marriage: get it here--- Amazon.com: Strengthening Your Marriage (Audible Audio Edition): Wayne A. Mack, Jim Denison, christianaudio.com: Books

3. For our friends in the Southeast, The Billy Graham Retreat center does FREE Military Marriage Retreats, you just have to get yourself there. Check the dates out here--- Events - Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove

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The holidays can be beautiful and brutal at the same time, especially when you’re stringing lights while your spouse sleeps in another time zone. We open up about years of missed anniversaries, a harrowing IED incident right before a birth, and the quiet ache that creeps into December—and we share the practices that turned survival mode into steady joy.

Grounded in Philippians 4:4–8, we unpack why rejoicing isn’t denial; it’s a deliberate habit that pushes back anxiety through prayer, gratitude, and disciplined attention to what is true and lovely. We talk about the difference between numbing with busyness and actively cultivating peace, along with the simple rituals that help: reading an Advent plan together through an app, using email threads with clear subjects to keep multiple conversations moving, and leaning on the FORD framework—Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams—to ask better questions when mission details are off-limits. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s okay to enjoy Christmas without your spouse, we make the case for permission and purpose: service exists so that families at home can actually live the freedom being defended.

Community is a lifeline here. When travel isn’t possible, we show how a local church and small gatherings can replace isolating nights with meaningful connection. For parents, we offer ways to keep the deployed partner present in kids’ memories through traditions, stories, photos, and care packages. And we share how trials can mature love and make reunions sweeter than any gift under the tree. Separation hurts, but it can also deepen gratitude, strengthen faith, and reframe what really matters.

If this resonates, share it with a friend who needs hope, follow the show, and leave a review so more military families can find these conversations. Subscribe for new episodes and tell us what topics you want us to tackle next.

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