PODCAST · education
Marriage Talk
by Sheldon and Valerie Dean
Welcome to Marriage Talk… where we chat about marriage, family and everything in between. We're Sheldon and Valerie Dean and we work with FamilyLife Canada, seeking to bring help and hope to marriages. Our desire is to work through life together here on the podcast. We’re going to talk about different topics in a conversation based style that will hopefully launch you into some thinking and a safe intentional conversation with your partner. We’ll share from our life experience, as well as interview other couples about their life situations and how they’ve handled things. Both the good and the not so good. Our hope is that through these intentional conversations we will all learn to critically think through topics, chat about how these topics are impacting our marriages, and discuss in practical terms what it looks like as we live out our lives. So come join us as we process life, marriage and family in a way that is fun, engaging and filled with help and hope.
Episodes
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121 - The Sweetness of Doing Nothing (with guest Chris McKenna)
In today’s episode, Sheldon and Valerie sit down with special guest Chris McKenna for an honest and insightful conversation about something that touches all of our lives—our relationship with technology. They explore how our devices are shaping not just our habits, but our relationships and…
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120 - Jesus Centered Sexuality (with guest Matt Cline)
In today’s episode Matt Cline from Restored Ministries joins Sheldon to talk about Jesus Centered Sexuality and how our temptations can actually be seen as opportunities if we change our mindset. Matt is the founder and director of Restored Ministries which aims to equip individuals and churches…
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119 - Found You... Again
Have you ever stopped to think about how God never changes? 🙌 Hebrews 13:8 reminds us: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. But while He remains constant, we are always changing—growing, and learning. And honestly? That’s not a bad thing. But sometimes, change can make us…
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118 - Take a Deep Breath… and RELAX
In a world that’s go-go-go, when was the last time you actually slowed down? 🤔 No, not just scrolling on your phone—but truly relaxing? 🎨 Maybe it’s coloring like you did as a kid. 📖 Getting lost in a good book. 🌱 Digging in the garden (weeds and all!). 🙏 Taking a quiet moment with God....
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117 - Line ‘Em Up & Let’s Go!
Welcome back to our RE-series! Last week, we dove into the power of Reconnect, and today, we’re shifting gears to talk about Realign—because, let’s be honest, sometimes life completely messes up our plans, and we need a reset! So, picture this: you’re on a cruise, living your best life, and they...
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116 - Bridging The Distance
On your wedding day, you probably thought, ‘We’ll always feel connected.’ But as life gets busy, distractions creep in, and that sense of closeness can start to fade. The good news? It doesn’t have to stay that way. In today’s episode, Sheldon and Valerie dive into some common distractions that...
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115 - Sensitive & Intense Kids (with guest Lynne Jackson OTR)
Sheldon and Valerie have the privilege of interviewing Lynne Jackson about the online course from Connected Families called Sensitive and Intense Kids. Lynne has over 27 years of experience as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist working with children with sensory processing disorder, ADHD...
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114 - When/Then Lie
Sheldon and Valerie talk about the age old when/then lie. The idea that our contentment and gratitude is conditional on something being attained or achieved and how we tend to justify unhealthy behaviour in trying to achieve that condition. We talk about how the escape from this cycle is in...
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113 - Returning To A Rule Of Life
Sheldon and Valerie return to their conversation about having a Rule of Life. This is something they learnt about from Ken Shigamatsu in his book “God in My Everything”. Ken talks about how we can experience God in every part of our lives when we are intentional in the way we live, caring for and...
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112 - Returning To Scott and Joanne's Marriage Journey
What a blessing it was for Sheldon and Valerie to sit and visit with Scott and Joanne Williams this past year. They are two people that absolutely love Jesus and you will hear that in their marriage story. Scott and Joanne have a story of redemption, forgiveness, healing and God’s faithfulness....
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111 - Returning To Father's Day
Valerie and Sheldon had the privilege of sitting down with their dads, Terry Breker and David Dean, earlier this year to talk about their journey of fatherhood. It was another great episode from 2024, full of personal stories with once again a few tears.
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110 - Return To Mother's Day
As the year draws to a close we are returning to 4 episodes from 2024. Each week we’ll play an episode from this past year that was highly listened to and ones that Sheldon and Valerie received comments on. Today we are returning to the interview Sheldon and Valerie did with their mothers Brenda...
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109 - Enjoy Christmas
Sheldon and Valerie talk about some changes they have made to be able to enjoy the Christmas season. It hasn’t always been merry and bright, but there have been unmet expectations, and frustrations over the years. The reason we celebrate is Jesus but the “celebrations” this time of year can be...
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108 - Why The Change?
Ever had the thought… ‘I think my spouse becomes a different person when we are around extended family.’ Sheldon and Valerie have a conversation on what to do if you or your spouse become different around family as well as some reasons why that might be happening. With Christmas right around the...
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107 - It's All Connected - Part 2
Sheldon and Valerie continue their conversation on how our sex lives in marriage are intertwined and connected to the rest of our relationship. Today they talk about some differences that could be affecting the physical intimacy in your marriage. Links from episode: Weekend Getaway -...
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106 - It's All Connected - Part 1
Sheldon and Valerie talk about how our sex lives in marriage are intertwined and connected to the rest of our relationship. So if we want to improve our sex life the first place to start could be to look at the satisfaction and health of the rest of our relationship. Links: Weekend Getaway…
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105 - Their Marriage Journey (with guests Jared and Courtney LaCoste)
Sheldon and Valerie sit down with Jared and Courtney LaCoste to talk about their marriage journey. Jared and Courney have been married for 13 years and have called Regina home for the last 4.5 years. They have three kids together ages 9, 8 and 6. Jared works in Regina full time with Athletes in...
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104 - Rule Of Life
Sheldon and Valerie talk A Rule of Life. Something they learnt about from Ken Shigamatsu in his book “God in My Everything”. Ken talks about how we can experience God in every part of our lives when we are intentional in the way we live, caring for and growing in our spirit, mind and body. He…
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103 - How Do You Relate
Sheldon and Valerie talk about three ways that Jesus related to people. He was compassionate, made connections and showed courage. There are lessons we can learn from Jesus in relating to our spouse and kids. Compassion is a heart posture that moves us to action. Building connection through...
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102 - Let's Give Thanks
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!! Sheldon and Valerie talk about the importance of gratitude and together they process seeing the good or bad in a situation, how we can make a shift in our thinking and the importance of honesty. Processing Questions What are you thankful for today? What would help…
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101 - I Don't Have To Manage My Spouses Emotions
Sheldon and Valerie talk about realizing we don’t have to manage our spouses emotions. It was so freeing once they realized this and they share reasons that made it difficult for them, but they also share how understanding they don't have o manage each others emotions has been so helpful in their...
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100 - Mental Load
Sheldon and Valerie talk about mental load and what has helped them in this area of their marriage. In short, mental load are the things we need to remember in life to keep things going. Mental load is one of those elements of marriage that once again Sheldon and Valerie have had to work on in...
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99 - Temper Taming 101
Sheldon and Valerie have a conversation with Stacy Bellward from Connected Families about 6 Practical Tips To Tame Your Temper. Though the focus of this episode is on parenting, the tips that are talked about in this episode will help us in our marriages and even at work too. Stacy has worked…
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98 - Zero To Sixty
Sheldon and Valerie talk about what to do when life goes from zero to sixty and it feels like you and your spouse are drifting from the frantic pace. They will share a few things they do that helps them as well as share a little formula to use in your relationship.
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97 - What Builds Trust
Sheldon and Valerie talk about 6 ways we can build trust in our relationship. Intentionality; Consistency; Follow Through; Allowing For Conflict; Admit When We Make A Mistake, and Care For People.
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96 - Underestimating Difficulty, Overestimating Ability
Sheldon and Valerie talk about the tendency to underestimate the difficulty of things and overestimate our abilities at times and how it's good to be realistic and honest with ourselves. The solution to this is to gain understanding and tools so that we can overcome these difficulties. Processing...
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95 - Their Marriage Journey (with guests Scott and Joanne Williams)
Sheldon and Valerie chat with Scott and Joanne Williams. Scott and Joanne Williams live in Fredericton, NB where they work together in their business, raised their children and enjoy church ministry and a life full of rich friendships. They are the proud parents of 3 incredible children – Taylor...
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94 - Canoe Lessons
Sheldon and Valerie talk about lessons they learnt while paddling the Churchill River for 5 days with a group of 20 friends and family. They share some of their highlights and life lessons which include: When you tip you can still smile; It’s ok to lighten the load; Steer towards your…
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93 - Building Culture - Part 2
Sheldon and Valerie continue their conversation on building culture focusing on building block #4, “write down your core value statements”. The three steps are: Step 1: Think of what you want your values to embody; Step 2: Isolate the unique principles; Step 3: Create memorable language that’s...
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92 - Building Culture - Part 1
Sheldon and Valerie talk about creating culture in our marriages and families. They chat about a blog by Carey Nieuwhof titled 5 Essential Building Blocks of a Healthy Church Culture and the principles he uses in building church culture. Processing Questions: What is the current culture of your...
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91 - Their Marriage Journey (with guests Eliane and Darren Lee)
Valerie and Sheldon interview Elaine and Darren Lee on their marriage journey. The things they have done well and the things they have learned from along the way. Darren is a Quality Assurance Manager working for a global tech company. Elaine is a Strategic Projects Lead working in Power to…
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90 - Their Marriage Journey (with guests Pat and Anita Neuman)
Sheldon and Valerie interview Pat and Anita Neuman on their marriage journey. The things they have done well and the things they have learned from along the way. Pat and Anita Neuman are actually part of the volunteer team that helps with FamilyLife Canada’s Weekend Getaways in the maritimes.…
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89 - Love Ya But We Need Some Space
Valerie and Sheldon talk about what to do if grandparents are being too involved in our lives. In this episode they introduce 3 elements that can help parents navigate the conversation with grandparents that are too involved (1. Be A Team; 2. Make A Game Plan Together; 3. Have The Honest...
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88 - Stuck In Marriage Traffic
Sheldon and Valerie talk about being stuck in a gridlock, not the traffic kind but the marriage kind. They unpack the 5 steps to move us out of gridlock identified in the book “The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work” by Dr. John Gottman. Step 1 - Be A Dream Detective; Step 2 - Don’t Solve...
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87. - Three Dads Talkin'
We have the privilege of having my dad, Terry, and Sheldon's dad, David, on the podcast today and of course Sheldon is here with us also. I will be interviewing them on their journey of fatherhood.
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86 - Their Marriage Journey (with guests Randy and Donna Carter)
Sheldon and Valerie talk with Randy and Donna Carter (founders of STM Ministries) about their marriage journey. The things they have done well and the things they have learned from along the way. Randy and Donna Carter began speaking at marriage conferences in 2015 after experiencing a…
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85 - What Will They Say?
Sheldon and Valerie talk about how we will be remembered. What kind of attributes and character traits, what kind of person do we want to be remembered for? They talk about some things we can all do to make sure our family is getting our best.
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84 - Takin' Care Of... Myself???
Sheldon and Valerie talk about self-care. Why it matters, what it can look like and the benefits of taking care of ourselves. They talk about the balance between loving and serving others while also taking care of our own mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.
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83 - Three Moms Talkin'
Sheldon interviews Valerie, Brenda Breker (Valerie's mom), and Edith Dean (Sheldon's mom) on their journey of motherhood. This episode is full of laughter and tears and we trust it will be an encouragement to those who listen.
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82 - Making the Switch - Part 2
Sheldon and Valerie talk about another 5 strategies we can do to make the switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This is part 2 of the series. To hear the other 5 strategies tune in to episode 81.
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81 - Making The Switch - Part 1
Sheldon and Valerie talk about 5 strategies we can do to make the switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This is a two part series and next week they will talk about another 5 strategies.
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80 - Do I Have A Growth Mindset?
Sheldon and Valerie talk about the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and three markers that will help us determine which mindset we have. Those markers are our expectations, how we communicate and handle conflict. FamilyLife Parenting Conference Article that is discussed in...
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79 - I'm Scared To Show You The Real Me
Sheldon and Valerie talk about vulnerability; why we should be vulnerable; what happens when we are not vulnerable; and how we can become more vulnerable. FamilyLife Canada
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78 - Need Some Hope
Sheldon and Valerie talk about how to build and restore hope in our relationships.
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77 - Touch Matters
Sheldon and Valerie talk about why non-sexual touch is important, what it does in a relationship, and what it can look like.
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76 - How Are You Living?
Sheldon and Valerie talk about the concept of how life is meant to be spent.
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75 - Building Resilience - Part 2
Sheldon and Valerie talk about 6 factors that we can use to train ourselves to be more resilient. This episode covers the last 3 in this two part series. Here is the link to the Culture Translator that is mentioned in this episode.
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74 - Building Resilience - Part 1
Sheldon and Valerie talk about 6 factors that we can use to train ourselves to be more resilient. This episode covers the first 3 in this two part series.
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73 - Guard Rails
Sheldon and Valerie talk about four guard rails they recommend to have in marriage.
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72 - Turning Towards Each Other
Sheldon and Valerie talk about how we respond when our spouse or kids make an attempt for a positive connection with us, do we turn towards or away from them?
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to Marriage Talk… where we chat about marriage, family and everything in between. We're Sheldon and Valerie Dean and we work with FamilyLife Canada, seeking to bring help and hope to marriages. Our desire is to work through life together here on the podcast. We’re going to talk about different topics in a conversation based style that will hopefully launch you into some thinking and a safe intentional conversation with your partner. We’ll share from our life experience, as well as interview other couples about their life situations and how they’ve handled things. Both the good and the not so good. Our hope is that through these intentional conversations we will all learn to critically think through topics, chat about how these topics are impacting our marriages, and discuss in practical terms what it looks like as we live out our lives. So come join us as we process life, marriage and family in a way that is fun, engaging and filled with help and hope.
HOSTED BY
Sheldon and Valerie Dean
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Marriage Talk have?
Marriage Talk currently has 122 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Marriage Talk about?
Welcome to Marriage Talk… where we chat about marriage, family and everything in between. We're Sheldon and Valerie Dean and we work with FamilyLife Canada, seeking to bring help and hope to marriages. Our desire is to work through life together here on the podcast. We’re going to talk about...
How often does Marriage Talk release new episodes?
Marriage Talk publishes regularly with 122 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Marriage Talk?
You can listen to Marriage Talk on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Marriage Talk?
Marriage Talk is created and hosted by Sheldon and Valerie Dean.
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