Advertise on podcast: The Marriage Huddle

From serving as missionaries in Africa to building a life centered around hospitality, community, and family, Jeremiah and Missy Weismann share how God has shaped their marriage through every season. They reflect on adoption, parenting, vocation, and the ongoing process of learning how to pursue God’s calling together. In this episode, they talk honestly about identity, sacrifice, partnership, and creating a home where people feel welcomed, seen, and loved.

In our third episode with Counselors in the Huddle, we welcome Matt Kenney and Kevin DeKam for a practical conversation on how technology can subtly shape marriage over time. They explore how easy habits, constant accessibility, and cultural normalcy can create distance in relationships without couples even realizing it. The conversation also briefly touches on how alcohol can shape patterns of connection and disconnection in marriage. This episode offers grounded insight into recognizing drift early and making intentional choices to protect intimacy and connection.

In this episode of The Marriage Huddle, we sit down with Steve and Kathy Ippel who have embraced grandparenting as a meaningful mission—intentionally investing in the next generation with purpose and faith. They share how this calling has shaped their marriage, the practical ways they pour into their grandchildren, and the wisdom they’ve gained through the years. This conversation offers encouragement for both grandparents and young families, highlighting the beauty of legacy, unity, and living with generational impact in mind.

In this episode, we hear from Jake and Abby Loomans, who have walked through infertility, miscarriage, and additional medical challenges along the way. They share the realities of grief and the weight it can bring into a marriage. As they open up about their journey, we talk about how suffering shapes connection, the importance of walking through grief together, and the hope that can be found in the Lord even when outcomes are uncertain.

This week the microphones are in the hands of the women. Stephanie TeSlaa, Ann Jansen, Renee Kenney, and Susan Wilkins reflect on what it means to be a wife through the lens of ezer kenegdo—helper, encourager, challenger, and partner. Through honest stories of self-sufficiency, unmet expectations, and learning to trust God’s design, they unpack joyful partnership, biblical submission, and vertical alignment with the Lord. With wisdom shaped by many seasons of marriage, they share how God uses struggle, surrender, and grace to form wives who fight for their husbands, bring life with their words, and grow in deeper companionship together.

This week the microphones are in the hands of the men. Matt Kenney, Mark TeSlaa, Ron Jansen, and David Wilkins reflect on servant leadership, shared partnership, and the importance of a vertical orientation toward God. They explore how husbands can lead with humility, presence, and collaboration, embracing their wives as teammates rather than going it alone. With honesty and practical wisdom, they unpack how marriage challenges shape character, deepen friendship, and provide a mission for growing together in Christ-centered love.

This episode continues the conversation as host Stephanie TeSlaa and her husband, Mark, explore the role of a wife through the lens of Genesis. They examine the Hebrew phrase ezer kenegdo, uncovering the depth and strength of this role as God intended it. The conversation then turns to Genesis 3, where they look at how the Fall distorts God’s original design for marriage and introduces tension into roles meant to function in partnership. Together, they reflect on how understanding both design and distortion helps reframe marriage with clarity and hope.

In this foundational episode, host Stephanie TeSlaa sits down with her husband, Mark, to explore how our upbringing and experiences shape what we believe it means to be a husband and a wife. Together, they return to Genesis 1–2 to examine God’s original design for marriage and its place in His world before distortion enters the story. The conversation begins to unpack the role of a husband through the Hebrew words abad and shamar, framing leadership as a priestly calling of responsibility and care rather than power or control.

Money often reveals what we value, fear, and trust—especially in marriage. In this episode of The Marriage Huddle, we sit down with Matt and Madeline Boersen to explore how finances impact unity, decision-making, and trust between spouses. We talk about the money stories we bring into marriage, the tension that can arise, and the safeguards that help couples navigate finances together. This conversation invites couples to see marriage as a gift God uses to shape our hearts and steward what He’s entrusted to us.

Marriage doesn’t cancel your dreams, it reshapes them. In this episode, Aaron and Glori Goodrich get real about what happens when two visions collide and have to become one. Together with Stephanie TeSlaa, they unpack sacrifice, emotional maturity, and choosing unity without losing how God uniquely wired you. With honesty, humor, and practical wisdom, they share how conflict can actually refine a shared vision. If you’ve ever wrestled with how to pursue dreams without losing unity in marriage, this episode is for you. Discussion Questions: Do you relate more to the visionary side or the detail/discernment side in how you approach dreams and decisions? When dreams or ideas get shared in your relationship, what usually happens first: excitement, resistance, anxiety, or shutdown? Why do you think that is? How do your past experiences or family story influence the way you dream, plan, or slow things down in your marriage? Are there dreams (big or small) that one of you has felt hesitant to voice? What might help create more safety around sharing them? The conversation emphasized values like simplicity, generosity, and hospitality. Which values matter most to you as a couple, and what is one step you can take this week to live into them together? After listening to this episode, what is one practical change you could make to better honor each other’s gifts instead of working against them?

In our second episode with “Counselors in the Huddle, we welcome Gary and Lisa Heim—authors of True North: Choosing God in the Frustrations of Life—share how frustration, disappointment, and everyday pressures can quietly pull our hearts “south” in marriage. They unpack their True North framework and explore how God uses frustrating moments not to divide us, but to transform us as we learn to turn toward Him and toward one another. Drawing from their story and decades of counseling work, Gary and Lisa show how God can use frustrating moments to form us. They offer simple but powerful practices that help couples turn toward grace, gratitude, and deeper connection. Discussion Questions: When you think about the idea of going “south” versus turning “north,” what did you resonate with most from Gary and Lisa’s explanation?Where do you tend to go when you feel frustrated—toward grumbling, blame, withdrawal, grasping for control, or something else?How do you see God inviting us to turn “north” in this season—toward grace, openness, gratitude, or dependence on Him?What helps you feel safe and heard when you’re frustrated? What makes it harder? How can you invite God into that space to be more available to receive from your spouse?Where might we need to slow down and listen differently to each other during moments of tension or irritability?Gary and Lisa talked about grace and gratitude as pathways north. What’s one practical step we can take this week to move toward grace or gratitude in our relationship?What did God highlight for you individually through this conversation? What did He highlight for us as a couple?

God created us with desires—good and life-giving longings meant to draw us closer to Him and to one another. But when those desires are mishandled in marriage, they can quietly turn into demands that lead to disappointment and disconnection. In this episode, Matt and Renee explore how our desires can become a place where God does His refining work. They share how to bring those longings to Him first, communicate them with humility, invite His perspective when disappointment surfaces, and allow God’s grace to transform both our hearts and our marriage. This is a conversation about surrendering control, rediscovering gratitude, and letting God reshape our hearts so that our desires lead to connection, not division—drawing us closer to Him and to each other. Discussion Questions When you hear the words desires and demands, what comes to mind in the context of your marriage? What are some desires you brought into marriage that have changed or deepened over time? What do you notice about yourself when a desire starts to become a demand? In your relationship, which expectations tend to cause the most friction or misunderstanding? What helps you reorient your heart toward gratitude and grace instead of resentment or entitlement? Where might God be inviting you to release control and trust Him with a longing that hasn’t been fulfilled yet?

Grief touches every part of life — our hearts, our relationships, and the way we show up to one another. In this episode, Gary and Kathy Stowie share the story of a profound loss and how it shaped them individually and as a family. We’re also joined by Nancy Kingma, a counselor who walks with individuals and families through grief and trauma, offering insight into how couples can remain connected with compassion, patience, and grace. This tender conversation invites us to slow down, honor the weight of loss, and remember that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. Discussion Questions: What stood out to you from Gary and Kathy’s story or from Nancy’s insights?How has grief touched your life or the life of those close to you?When you are hurting, how do you feel most cared for?What might it look like to simply be with someone in their grief rather than trying to fix it?How can we become more comfortable creating space for grief—in our marriages, friendships, and church family?Who in your life might be carrying grief quietly?For those currently experiencing grief, what has been challenging and what has helped? Where have you sensed God meeting you?

hey were doing all the right things—raising kids, building careers, keeping busy. But somewhere along the way, Greg and Kris Zimmer’s marriage started running on empty. What began as busyness turned into distance, and before they knew it, the divorce papers were on the table. In this episode, they share how God stepped in, woke them up, and began rebuilding a love that was nearly lost. Discussion Questions: What does busyness look like in your current season of marriage? How is it affecting your ability to connect? In what ways has “doing good things” (career, kids, church, commitments) ever distracted you from “being present” in your marriage? How do pride, avoidance, or exhaustion make it harder to admit when your relationship is in trouble? What are some healthy ways you and your spouse can check in on your connection before disconnection takes root? What does repentance or humility look like in marriage when one or both spouses realize things need to change? Do we need to make any changes in our marriage or family to prioritize a healthier marriage?

Letting go is not easy, especially when your child gets married and the responsibility you once carried shifts to their spouse and to God. In this episode, Stephanie TeSlaa talks with Bruce and Sue Osterink about what it looks like for parents to support that transition with grace. Through honest stories, practical wisdom, and even a roll of “holy duct tape,” they share how to stay loving and present without overstepping, helping your child’s marriage thrive. Discussion Questions: DQ1: How does seeing the importance of marital unity change the way you interact with your adult child(ren)? DQ2: How can you change your approach to family expectations—such as holiday, etc.—that may cause tension in your relationship with them or create stress in their marriage? DQ3: What does it look like to support your adult children's decisions when you do not agree with them? DQ4: In what ways can you shift your role from being your child’s first stop for support to encouraging them to go to their spouse first? DQ5: How do you and your spouse navigate tension in your own marriage that arises from the process of letting go? DQ6: If you realize you’ve unintentionally created a wedge in your child’s marriage, even years later, what steps can you take together to repair and support their relationship?