Check Your Vertical

When it comes to having a healthy marriage, let alone being redeemed rescued, and restored,  you absolutely need two to tango! We never want to mislead you into thinking one of us did enough to save our marriage.  The reason we were able to have a redemption story, is because we BOTH surrendered our lives to the Lord, laid down our weapons, and met at the cross. It was our individual work of ourselves that led to the healing of our marriage. It will always take two willing people to heal what has been broken. This is our story.

For the majority of our marriage, finances have been a deep struggle for us. They are one of the main reasons that divorce seemed imminent. But God. Through this exhausting journey, we have learned a few things that we hope will encourage you through managing finances in your marriage and even finding gratefulness while living in a season of no. 

Turning 40 has had us looking at life a bit differently these days. This last year has taken us to a place that has challenged our persepctive on life in so many ways. What we have learned more than anything is that the best antidote to hardships is gratefulness. We hope the tools provided in this episode will help you walk through any challenge life throws at you and do it all with a grateful heart. 

In this episode, we are honored to share the mic with our friend Aisha Taylor. She is a powerhouse for the Lord, sharing her wisdom through experience that empowers single moms to stratagize and financially prepare for their next level so they can reclaim their time and live in true freedom. This episode is filled with God's truth, love and redemption in even the most fear filled moments of life. You don't want to miss this girl who is on fire for the Lord!

Order your copy of, “Navigating the ‘Impossible’: A Survival Guide for Single Moms from Pregnancy Through the First Year of Motherhood” 

navigatingtheimpossiblebook.com

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2 Corinthians 10:5 talks about taking every thought captive to make them obedient to Christ. This means that we have to challenge the thought pattern of this world and our mind to what God's word said. But, how do we do that? Tune in to hear how Mandie uses this 3 step process to stay in control of her thoughts, weigh them against God's word and then begin to speak truth into the lies we believe.  

This week, Scott and Mandie continue the conversation from last episode. (45) In that show, Mandie shared her testimony prior to dating Scott. This week, they take us into how God's deep love shown to through the forgiveness of her sins allowed her to show that same love towards Scott. Tune in to hear some more real, raw and relatable testimony that will surely speak to your heart.

The question has been asked now so many times as to how Mandie was able to begin the process of forgiveness towards Scott after his affair. The answer to that can be found in Mandie testimony and how she was rescued, redeemed, and restored before they started dating. Those who have been forgiven of much, forgive much. Tune in to hear Mandie's vulnerable & humble story of how the Lord rescued her from her Egypt. 

It's been a while since we offered an update on our lives. Tune in this week to hear the good, the great and the challenges we're still facing. We thank you for your constant support and encouragement through this season and hope that in all things, Jesus is glorified.

This week, we are joined by our very good friend and now author Traci Morrow, as we celebrate the launch of her new book! As always, we will share some real, raw and relatable marriage talk and how this book can be a guide to help your one-of-a-kind messy marriage. 

pick up Traci's new book here: 

Real-life Marriage: Navigating Your Beautiful, Messy, One-of-a-kind Love Story https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612545491/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_M9DZ6D44N65ZS37D6Y5Z

It's a hodge podge podcast filled with; Mother's day, book launch, fasting and more! Scott and Mandie talk about their life, challenges and faithfulness in it all. As always, real, raw and relateable marriage talk to help you through your beautiful mess. 

In this episode, Scott and Mandie discover that they both have patterns in their grief journey. Recognizing these patterns has been a bit triggering and caused additional frustrations and anger at times. This has brought them to a place of having really hard conversations that will hopefully bring healing to the unhealed wounds in their marriage. Join in on their discussion and see how choosing grace in their grief is helping heal their wounded hearts. 

Tune in to hear a fun convo with author, speaker and radio host Doug Fitzgerald. Doug's leadership is on the cutting edge of growth and development, focused on achieving big goals and priorities,  continually growing a vision to help and serve others and creating tools to achieve success that actually work! 

You can connect with Doug at Oneshotonelife.com

Show Notes: In this episode, Scott and Mandie discuss that it's okay not to be okay. Sometimes, we truly have to get to the end of ourselves before we allow the Lord to heal our hearts. Real, raw and vulnerable, that is Check Your Vertical.  

"my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Early on in our marriage,  we were informed that marriage wasn't for the sole purpose of our own happiness. Huh?! Can you say that again? To say we were shocked would definitely be an understatement. I mean, doesn't the world tell you to chase happiness? Especially in marriage? That, if you're not happy then it's time to go? Or if you aren't happy in your marriage then you chose the wrong person? This is so counter cultural that we just might ruffle some feathers. Tune in to hear how pursuing holiness over happiness saved their marriage. 

Proverbs 4:23 says "For above all else, guard your heart, as everything you do flows from it."  Just as we need to have a lens of Christ so that we can try to view life as God does, we also need to have a heart of Christ to allow our actions to align with what God desires of us. Our motives do matter and without having Christ as the filter of our heart than we can miss the life the Lord has laid before us.

Tune in to hear Scott and Mandie discuss how we can still do the "right" things but still have the wrong motive of the heart. 

It is a sad truth that most marriages do not survive after the loss of a child. The main reason being that each spouse grieves differently than the other. It's that simple, yet so true and painful. Scott and Mandie discuss in this episode how their grief looks different on each other and how they are being intentional towards their own healing while being patient towards each others grief. Yet again, eyes on Christ, through the storm.