Episode 12: The Ring

Happy Valentines Day! Today we celebrate love and all that love gives. But how often do we associate freedom with love? In this episode, Gabe and Wendy discuss how the love in their relationship brought true freedom for each of them. As they reflect on their relationship and think about they ways that each of them found freedom in their own lives through one another, they will also share with us the ways that each of us can find freedom in our love. 

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and share it with a friend or social media. Thank you for taking the time to join us here at the Love and Freedom Podcast. 

It's Christmas time, and around this time of the year it's normal to think about gifts - both the giving and receiving. And its also not uncommon that someone out there, one of our listeners, may be looking for an engagement ring to give as the perfect gift to the one they love. 

In this episode, Gabe shares a little behind the scenes with us about when he was looking for the perfect ring to give to Wendy when he proposed to her. As usual, the story is a little unusual, but it has it funny moments, its "ah-hah" moments, and some deep lessons moments. 

Apart from the just the engagement ring acquisition itself, Gabe also shares a little bit about why diamonds and gold are both great illustrations of love. Those connections alone are worth the time that you take to listen to this episode. 

So please join Gabe and Wendy as they discover love and freedom. 

If you have ever started a business of launched out in some sort of endeavor with your family, especially if you have young children, you are bound to walk away with stories to be told. The early years of Ava Laurenne Bride is no exception. Gabe and Wendy have many people and experiences that they recall and celebrate today as we share this episode on Thanksgiving Day.

For those who may be listening to this podcast but have never had the opportunity to visit Ava Laurenne Bride in Fredericksburg, VA, you should check them out. You can find them on their website, Facebook or Instagram.

Recently, the bridal boutique has moved into a newly renovated space still in Downtown Fredericksburg, and it is exquisite. Its definitely worth seeing and experiencing. But in this episode, Gabe and Wendy take a little stroll down memory lane. So much happened as a shop and as a family in their first location, and this episode is filled with memories and stories of that space.

We hope that you will enjoy the conversation as Gabe and Wendy share a little of what makes their business so special.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Wendy surprises Gabe with a question about love and freedom that speaks to the very foundation of any relationship.

Just like a good foundation is necessary for the construction of a new house or a strong trellis is necessary for the growth of a vine, a relationship depends on a few vital elements that are critical to its health and longevity. Commitment is one of those elements. And unlike some might be inclined to believe, commitment actually brings freedom rather than enslavement to those involved in a relationship.

Enjoy this exciting and thoughtful new episode as Gabe and Wendy share their thoughts and experience on love and freedom.

If you are interested in checking out the video that Wendy references of Gabe and Wendy sharing their "first day of school" experience with their kids, you can find it here. 

Often times fear is the antithesis of freedom. And even though fear for one person might seem ridiculous to another, there is usually always a legitimacy of fear for the person that is afraid. So how does someone move from fear to freedom? And how do you come along side someone with fear and help them overcome their fear. 

In this episode, Gabe and Wendy help address this topic of fear through a story of their own. Did you know that Piranhas exist in every body of water known to man? They do. At least that was Wendy's thoughts and feelings... for a while. And that reality made her fear getting into almost any body of water known to man. Ok, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. But still, her fear was real. 

Listen to this episode as Gabe and Wendy share their story and provide insights through it regarding the journey of fear to freedom. 

Please share this episode with a friend if you think it can be helpful to them. And take a moment to leave us a good review wherever you listen if you have enjoyed listening to our podcast. 

Love seems to be an obvious topic to talk about when it comes to relationships and marriage, but where does "freedom" come in? Is there really a connection between "love" and "freedom"? 

In this episode, Gabe and Wendy dive deep into this discussion on the importance that love has when it comes to freedom and how true freedom provides the space for love to blossom. The two are inextricably connected. 

Perhaps you are searching for true love and you think that maybe you have found it, but you find that you feel oppressed or contained. On the other hand, perhaps you feel that you need to keep close tabs on the significant other in your relationship or exercise extraordinary control over them in order to achieve the love you desire. 

Gabe and Wendy discuss how neither of these are answer to finding true love. Listen in on this conversation while they share their own story and how freedom unlocked the door for love and how true love bring freedom. 

Something that people often dream of and eagerly anticipate sometimes even from childhood is their wedding day. Wouldn't it be great to discover the secret to the perfect wedding day?

In this episode, Gabe and Wendy share the secret that they have discovered that guarantees the perfect wedding day. It might seem far fetched or a bold promise, but I think that you should listen and see for yourself.

Please take a few minutes after listening to this episode and share with us about your hopes and dreams for your wedding. Or maybe you are already married and would like to share with us what you look back on as being a big part of the success of your wedding. We would love to hear from you.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for joining us, and if you like our podcast, consider giving us solid written review.

Episode Notes:

The Prayer performed by Gabe and Wendy on iTunes

Gabe and Wendy singing the prayer
(YouTube clip from original location)

Larkins By the River in Greenville, SC

Ava Laurenne Bride in Fredricksburg VA

After a little time away, we are back. 

Today we wish Gabe and Wendy a happy anniversary! On special occasions such as this, it is natural and often appropriate to look back on the big moments that were part of the journey that led up to this milestone moment that is so precious. But what about the little things, the annoying moments that seem more of an inconvenience than anything. 

Well, in this episode Gabe and Wendy take what was truly an inconvenience in their dating life and turned it into something special. Something this that caused temporary separation in their dating life, later became a lesson that held them together.  

This is The Dead Spot. 

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment and give us a five star rating and an honest review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Thank you for being a part of this conversation.

Do you have a special day that stands out to you like none other? If you do, there is probably a story behind it that gives all the reasons why. 

In today's episode Gabe and Wendy share a favorite story of theirs about the first anniversary of July 22; it is pretty incredible. You are going to want to listen to it all. So, grab a chair and a snack and enjoy this special episode of Love and Freedom. 

Do the little things in your relationship matter to you? And how do you see them in light of the big things? In this conversation, Gabe and Wendy share a few stories about their relationship and reflect on how the little thing even going back to when they first started dating ended up being big things.

Also, during this coming week we will be remembering July 22, the most uniquely special day of the year for Gabe and Wendy.  We will be sharing a special episode with you on that day; you will not want to miss it. 

Please join in our conversation about love and freedom. We want to hear from you.