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Welcome to the Expedition Marriage podcast—a place where you can find hope, encouragement, fun, and some practical tips for enjoying the journey of marriage. We are Chris & Jamie Bailey, Christian counselors and marriage coaches, and we’re excited to share with you all that we have learned about marriage, not only from our own marriage, but also as trained professionals.
Ep. 156: Curiosity Over Offense – How Staying Spiritually Mature Can Transform Your Marriage
Have you ever noticed how quickly small misunderstandings can spiral into full-blown conflicts? One simple comment can turn into a wall between you and your spouse if you let offense take over. But spiritual maturity calls us to a different path—one that chooses curiosity, compassion, and connection over pride and defensiveness.
Ep. 155: Healing Your Marriage After Chronic Illness
When chronic illness enters a marriage, it doesn’t just affect one person—it touches everything. Routines shift, intimacy changes, energy drops, and even the way you see each other can be altered. In this honest and hope-filled episode, we talk about the silent grief couples carry, the changes they face, and how to begin healing and reconnecting in a new, grace-filled way. We even share our own personal story.
Ep. 154: When Love Feels Like a Roller Coaster: Understanding the Vacillator in Marriage
Does your relationship ever feel like it swings from intense connection to deep frustration—and then back again? If so, you may be married to a Vacillator. In today’s episode, we’re diving into what it’s like to live and love with this emotional love style, and how you can find more stability and connection together.
Ep. 153: When One of You Can’t Say No: Understanding the Pleaser in Marriage
Does your spouse always say “yes,” avoid conflict, or seem overly focused on making everyone else happy—even at their own expense? You may be married to a Pleaser. In this episode, we’re unpacking what it really means to be married to a Pleaser—how this love style forms, how it impacts your relationship, and what both of you can do to create deeper emotional intimacy.
Ep. 152: When One of You Shuts Down: Understanding the Avoider in Marriage
Do you ever feel like you’re talking to a wall? If so, you might be married to an Avoider—someone who disconnects emotionally, struggles with vulnerability, and often insists they’re “fine” when they’re anything but.
Ep. 151: Letting Go of Control: Trusting God with Your Marriage and Your Spouse
We’re unpacking why we try to control our marriages, what’s really behind that urge, and how learning to surrender our grip and trusting God can bring peace. You’ll gain insight, scriptural truth, and practical steps to help you trust God more deeply with your marriage and your spouse.
Ep. 150: Powerful Emotions Meant to Be Experienced in Your Marriage
Powerful emotions in marriage aren’t the enemy—they’re God-given tools meant to stir your heart toward action, deeper intimacy, and meaningful connection. In this episode of Expedition Marriage, Chris & Jamie dive into some common powerful emotions that, when understood and embraced biblically, can strengthen your relationship and reignite passion.
Ep. 149: The Different Decades of Marriage — Every Season Has a Purpose
Chris & Jamie walk through the different decades of marriage—from the idealistic 20s to the legacy-filled 70s—and share biblical wisdom and practical encouragement for every stage.
Ep. 148: How to Use Your Marriage as Your Best Parenting Tool
What if your most powerful and best parenting tool isn’t a strategy at all—but your marriage itself? In this episode, we’ll show you how a Christ-centered, connected marriage naturally overflows into your parenting.
Ep. 147: Safe and Sound: How to Co-Regulate in Marriage and Become Each Other’s Safe Place
In this episode, we’re talking about the powerful (but often overlooked) practice of co-regulation—and how it can transform your marriage into a place of emotional safety, healing, and connection.
Ep. 146: Leaving and Cleaving: What It Really Means and Why It Still Matters in Marriage
We’re unpacking the biblical command of leaving and cleaving (Genesis 2:24) and explore how it goes far beyond the honeymoon stage. Whether you’ve been married one year or twenty, failing to fully “leave” and properly “cleave” can lead to emotional disconnection, blurred boundaries with parents, and lingering tension in your home.
Ep. 145: Storm Proofing Your Marriage
Storm proofing requires building a resilient marriage through a foundation of Jesus. Look at signs of a shaky foundation and practical steps to strengthen your relationship, understanding the importance of spiritual intimacy and connection.
Ep. 144: Is Your Emotional Bucket Overflowing? How to Recognize and Release Emotional Flooding in Marriage
We’re discussing emotional flooding in marriages when our emotional buckets are too full and how that shows up in behaviors like snapping or shutting down. Hosts Chris and Jamie provide insights into identifying signs of emotional overwhelm, practical coping strategies, and the importance of creating a safe space for emotional expression and connection within relationships.
Ep. 143: Is Jesus Just a Guest in Your Marriage?
We’re exploring whether Jesus is truly at the center of your marriages or merely a guest. Get insights on how to ensure your marriage is Christ-centered, including recognizing signs of drift and practical steps for realignment. Individual spiritual growth is important for a united relationship.
Ep. 142: When You’re Fighting for Your Marriage Alone
Feel that you’re fighting for your marriage alone? Feel that your spouse is disengaged? This episode addresses maintaining faith, setting healthy boundaries, and the importance of persistent prayer. Additionally, it introduces 30-day prayer challenges tailored for spouses, emphasizing support and connection through faith.
Ep 141: Learning to Wait Well. Patience, Faith and God’s Timing in Marriage
Do you wait well with patience, faith, and God’s timing for positive changes in life and marriage? Restore wonder and trust amid frustration, and learn practical steps and biblical insights on maintaining hope during challenging seasons while understanding personal growth during these times.
Ep. 140: When the Past Shows Up Uninvited: Understanding Implicit Memory in Marriage
Implicit memory effects marital reactions and dynamics. We explore how unrecognized past experiences influence present relationships, offering biblical encouragement and practical steps for healing and transformation. Listeners are invited to understand their emotional triggers and improve communication for a stronger marital connection.
Ep. 139: Out with the Old, In with the New: How to Renew Your Marriage God’s Way
Out with the Old and In with the New focuses on renewing marriages through heart transformation based on the biblical teachings of Ephesians 4:22-24. Learn about essential changes for lasting improvement, including recognizing old patterns, embracing truth, and walking in love and unity, alongside practical steps to achieve this transformation.
Ep. 138: When Fools Rush in: What Proverbs Teaches Us About Conflict
The podcast episode discusses how to respond wisely during emotionally charged conversations in marriage, guided by biblical Proverbs. It emphasizes the importance of tone, timing, and self-control in communication. Listeners learn strategies to pause and reflect, promoting connection and understanding, especially in conflict situations.
Ep. 137: Feeling Angry, Anxious, or Discouraged in Your Marriage? Let’s Talk About It!
This episode examines common emotions in marriage—anger, anxiety, and depression—seeing them as signals for unmet expectations and goals. It advises listeners to reflect on these emotions, connect their desires with faith, and emphasizes the importance of God’s support in overcoming emotional struggles.
Ep. 136: Games People Play in Marriage: Breaking Free from Relational Patterns
This episode “Games People Play in Marriage” explores unhealthy relational patterns that couples often fall into, hindering intimacy and connection. It offers insights into recognizing these games, understanding the emotional needs behind them, and fostering healthier communication through biblical principles, encouraging couples to strengthen their relationships.
Ep. 135: Is Your Phone Silencing What Matters Most?
In a world full of dings, buzzes, and endless scrolling, it’s easy to slowly drift away from the things that matter most—our connection with God, our closeness with our spouse, and the purpose we were created to live out. In today’s episode, we’re exploring how the enemy uses everyday distractions, especially our phones, to silence what’s most important.
Ep 134: First Things First, How to Protect Your Marriage in Life’s Busy & Hard Seasons
When life gets overwhelming—whether it’s from busyness, health struggles, or a hard season—it’s easy to let your marriage quietly slip to the back burner. In today’s episode, we’re talking about why putting first things first matters more than ever when you’re under pressure.
We’ll explore the hidden costs of busyness, how to recognize when it’s time to say “no” to good things to protect the best things, and why you must be intentional about hearing from God in every season. Plus, we’ll share practical steps to help you and your spouse stay connected, even when life feels heavy.
If you’re feeling stretched thin, stressed out, or spiritually distant, this conversation is for you.
Ep. 133: Midlife Marriage Check-In: 5 Questions to Strengthen Your Marriage
Is your marriage at a midlife crossroads? Tune in to this episode, where we dive into 5 essential questions every couple should ask to strengthen their relationship. From dreaming about your future together to understanding your personal responsibility in your marriage, we’re giving you practical steps to keep your marriage strong and thriving.
Ep. 132: Boundaries and the Nervous System
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Christine Baker, a trauma specialist and somatic therapist, to explore the connection between setting boundaries and maintaining a healthy nervous system. Boundaries are essential for protecting your peace, especially in toxic relationships or challenging situations, but they can be incredibly difficult to establish and enforce.
Ep. 131: Betrayal Trauma and the Nervous System
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Christine Baker, a trauma specialist and somatic therapist, to discuss the impact of betrayal trauma on the nervous system. Betrayal can leave us feeling broken and stuck in patterns of fear and hypervigilance, but understanding how our nervous systems respond is the first step toward healing.
Ep. 130: Nervous System Regulation in Marriage with Dr. Christine Baker
In this episode, we’re chatting with Dr. Christine Baker, a trauma specialist and somatic therapist, to explore the crucial role that nervous system regulation plays in marriage.
Ep. 129: Freedom from a Mediocre Marriage
God wants you to have more than a mediocre marriage. He wants you to break free from mediocrity because it does not represent who He is or how He loves His bride, the church. In this episode, we’re diving into the dangers of living a lukewarm life as a couple and looking at the example Jesus gives us to follow that will make your marriage thrive.
Ep. 128: Creating an Emotionally Healthy Home
Is your home emotionally healthy? Would you know how to identify it if it wasn’t? On this episode we’re sharing some great info to help you determine if the things that go on on your home are producing safety or creating a lack of it.
Ep 127: Learning to Embrace Change as a Couple
Today, we’re diving into a topic that every couple encounters: learning to embrace change together. Whether it’s a new job, moving to a new city, starting a family, or any other life transition, change is inevitable.
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*Disclaimer: The information discussed in this podcast is meant for entertainment purposes and is not meant to replace counseling or working with a trained healthcare professional.