Marriage on a Tightrope

In this episode of Marriage on a Tightrope, Allan and Kattie dive deep into the complexities of mixed faith marriages. From their personal journey to actionable strategies, they offer support and insight for couples navigating differing beliefs within their relationships. 💡 WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE 1. Mixed Faith Marriage Challenges * Faith Transition: Allan shares his transition from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while Kattie remained a believing member. They open up about how this shift led to imbalances and tension in their relationship. * Lack of Resources: With limited support available early in their journey, they created Marriage on a Tightrope to fill the gap for other couples. * Sunday Struggles: They candidly discuss how Sundays became a flashpoint for conflict around church attendance and family activities. * Loss of Spiritual Intimacy: The absence of shared spiritual practices created distance, forcing them to find new ways to connect. 2. Strategies & Resources for Mixed Faith Marriages * Marriage on a Tightrope Workshop * A 7-week course (6 required sessions + 1 optional Q&A) designed for couples navigating mixed faith dynamics. * Topics include communication strategies, building trust, parenting approaches, and managing spiritual differences. * 🗓️ Next Workshop Starts: Sunday, April 6th | 7–9 PM MST * 💻 Format: Live Zoom sessions + recordings available for flexibility. * 🔗 Register: tightropemarriage.org [https://tightropemarriage.org] (Click "Join our workshop") * Communication Techniques * Soft Start: Initiate conversations gently to avoid defensiveness. * Own Your Role: Recognize and take responsibility in moments of conflict. * Express Emotions: Open up to foster empathy and deeper understanding. * Emotional Regulation: Tools to stay grounded and manage physiological reactions during tough discussions. * Parenting in a Mixed Faith Marriage * Encourage your children’s autonomy in their spiritual journey. * Balance your expectations with respect for your child's beliefs. * Explore diverse rituals that honor both parents' perspectives. * ✨ Resource Highlight: Uplift Kids [https://upliftkids.org] for value-based, non-religious lessons. 3. Personal Stories & Experiences * Allan & Kattie reflect on their own mixed faith journey, particularly around parenting and Sundays. * Natasha Helfer shares a heartfelt story about her teenage son’s choice to attend church as a way to connect with his late father, underscoring the importance of safe, open family environments.

Marriage on a Tightrope is excited to announce a new parenting workshop with Uplift Kids.  One of the more difficult aspects of a mixed faith marriage is figuring out what and how to teach your children.  In this episode, we welcome Jon Ogden and Michelle Larson from Uplift Kids to talk through some of these challenges, and we outline the exciting details of our new 3 week parenting workshop which starts Sunday January 12th, 2025. More details about this episode: 1. About Uplift Kids * An organization offering resources for mixed faith marriages with a focus on children’s emotional and spiritual development. * Introduction of guests Jon Ogden and Michelle Larson, highlighting their backgrounds and roles at Uplift Kids. 2. Personal Experiences with Uplift Kids * Kattie's journey using Uplift Kids for family activities during COVID and its unbiased approach to family discussions. * Michelle's story of returning to her family farm, integrating her work and personal life, and her daughter's personal growth through Uplift Kids resources. * Jon’s experiences, including the impact of Uplift Kids during his son’s bullying and transformative family camps. 3. Uplift Kids Offerings * Curriculum on topics such as kindness, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and more, available through weekly or daily engagements on upliftkids.org * Events like family camps, with plans for more retreats. 4. Announcement of the Three-Week Parenting Course * Course Details: * Starts January 12th, with Zoom meetings on Sundays at 7 PM MT. * Offers live sessions and a one-year access to resources. * Content Overview: * Week 1: Children’s wellbeing with Amanda Suarez. * Week 2: Developmental needs of family members with Michelle Larson * Week 3: Using Uplift Kids in mixed faith marriages with Jon Ogden * Registration Details: upliftkids.org/join/tightrope [https://upliftkids.org/join/tightrope]. * Special Offer: 50% off for the first 30 couples thanks to a generous donor who covered half the cost for the first 30 couples.

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Tyson and Kylie Woollard, a couple who has navigated the complexities of a mixed faith marriage. They share their personal journey, the challenges they've faced, and the strategies that have helped them strengthen their bond despite their differences. Whether you're in a similar situation or simply curious about mixed faith dynamics, this conversation is full of valuable insights. Key Takeaways: * Open Communication: Tyson and Kylie emphasize the importance of ongoing dialogue about beliefs and values. * Finding Common Ground: They share practical tips for identifying shared goals and interests that transcend religious differences. * Building Respect: The couple discusses how mutual respect and understanding can help bridge gaps and foster harmony. * Creating Safe Spaces: Learn how they cultivate environments where both partners feel safe expressing their beliefs. Join Our Community: We invite other couples navigating mixed faith marriages to reach out for an interview opportunity! Share your story and insights with our listeners. Connect with us on social media: * Facebook: Marriage on a Tightrope * Instagram: @marriageonatightrope Get in Touch: We’d love to hear your comments, questions, or experiences. Email us at marriageonatightrope@gmail.com. Thank You for Listening! If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review. Your support helps us reach more couples in need of encouragement and guidance.

Join us on this week's episode with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife in discussing the topic of "Sexuality and Self: Creating Strength in Ourselves and Our Intimate Relationships". We sit down to talk about this subject as it pertains to the upcoming Safely Gathered Women's Retreat 2024.    We talk about why women lack a sense of self and how we can develop in our own sexual wants and desires. We also touch on what Dr. Finlayson-Fife wants everyone to know about their sexuality and self.    To sign up for our Safely Gathered Women's Retreat you can go here. [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safely-gathered-womens-retreat-2024-tickets-938009320127?aff=oddtdtcreator] To get $10 off use the code JFF10.   Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is an LDS relationship and sexuality coach with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. Her teaching and coaching focus on helping LDS individuals and couples create greater connection and passion in their emotional and sexual relationships. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Finlayson-Fife has created five empowering and highly-reviewed online courses [https://www.finlayson-fife.com/courses]. Each course was designed to give LDS individuals and couples the tools requisite to creating healthier lives and stronger intimate relationships. Dr. Finlayson-Fife also offers many workshops and retreats [https://www.finlayson-fife.com/workshops] where she teaches these life-changing principles in person.   Dr. Finlayson-Fife is a frequent guest on LDS-themed podcasts on the subjects of sexuality, relationships, mental health, and faith. She is also the creator and host of Room for Two [https://finlayson-fife.com/coaching/room-for-two], a popular sex and intimacy coaching podcast.

We are so excited to have Life Coach Alyssa McBride on the show today!     In this episode we talk about navigating your personal identity in a Mixed Faith Marriage. We also touch on building self confidence, setting boundaries, and how to manage stress and anxiety. We finish the episode with a discussion about embracing change.    If you would like more information about Alyssa and you can contact her, you can do so here:   website: https://www.thriveandshinecoaching.net/ [https://www.thriveandshinecoaching.net/] Retreat waitlist: https://forms.gle/w8hp43vs7jgd3on38 [https://forms.gle/w8hp43vs7jgd3on38]   instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriveandshine_coaching/ [https://www.instagram.com/thriveandshine_coaching/] email: alyssamcbride@thriveandshinecoaching.net [alyssamcbride@thriveandshinecoaching.net]     Our announcements this week:   1) We start our Workshop on a Tightrope in ONE week, Sunday August 4th.  Do you need communication tools? Do you want quality content by a professional who has designed a course for your Mixed Faith Marriage? Do you want to connect with other couples facing similar difficulties? @everyone If  you find that your current marriage circumstances are difficult to navigate then we want to see you in our workshop. Here are some quick facts about us. *Natasha Helfer [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2227903863922046/user/1119664427/?__cft__[0]=AZXIo4lQUpVUTTb6oqezZlZ7MKNUI14u70jNZRnJhoZxSY94FFxWVmRFpZsGaffAag6yIuyzvvJ0RpdXi7UAEDDZmBQyjKp-eb6H0o35zn5rAoAK34caNpXcViQESMrJ49UA0ugP3jhw7YxjkXr673rhhQjqp37HKef1rbFPD09YvoGOIemD_AJBexENUNlKa1CELX9zj3ojJTVbYGKuhAGw&__tn__=-]K-R] is our professional therapist with decades of work and experience in this area. She has come up with the material as well as at home exercises. Natasha will be there for every class to answer questions and provide clinical help   *YES you CAN use your HSA to pay for the workshop   *YES we do each meeting LIVE via Zoom on Sunday nights from 7-9 pm MST   *Yes we structure our weeks so each week builds to the next in order to have the difficult conversations surrounding children, church leaders, "tenders" (anything that could be difficult to talk about). In addition you learn tools to communicate effectively   *Yes you learn from other couples   *Yes hundreds of couples have done this course and report at the least it's helped with their communication and at most saved their marriage   For additional questions please message us. If you are in need of financial help for the course, please message us. We are excited for the couples who have already signed up and are excited to move their marriage forward. You can go here to sign up: https://kattie-mount.mykajabi.com/offers/N8SjnFMX/checkout [https://kattie-mount.mykajabi.com/offers/N8SjnFMX/checkout?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0zlhSqbCH9lVObAcncfUJ0gpgRhzFm61WbFvXcYN7aKmsg4MMxTg7KWts_aem_cA3J6n6xjbwcVoSV0nekhQ]   2) Safely Gathered Women's Retreat 2024 tickets are on sale now!   The retreat will be held Thursday Sept 5th from 830 am to 9 pm at the Hale Center Theater in Sandy, Utah. We are honored and excited to have the amazing Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife to join us and talk about "Sexuality and Self; Creating Strength in Ourselves and Our Intimate Relationships." We have a fantastic day planned just for our audience. This is sure to sell out and we would love to see you there. Go to this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/938009320127?aff=oddtdtcreator [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/938009320127?aff=oddtdtcreator] Please let us know if you have any questions. We would love to answer them for you.   3) Finally we will have a table again at the Faith Matters Restore Conference. If you have any questions what that is you can go here to get tickets and learn more about it: https://faithmatters.org/restore-2024/ [https://faithmatters.org/restore-2024/] You can get a 20% discount on your tickets by using the code: TIGHTROPE.