
Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage
Did you know the Hebrew root word for marriage is the same as mess? Okay, maybe not, but it wasn’t a stretch to believe, right? This is the podcast for Christian married couples who are in the middle of a messy moment. They need to laugh. They need clear, practical advice. And they need to hear from someone with an actual degree in this thing. Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley are those people. They have reached millions of couples through their counseling practices, books, events, and work at Focus on the Family.
Latest episodes

Jun 12, 2023 • 35min
What Do You Do Before You Get Married?
How can you prepare for marriage well? Greg and Erin see to answer that question in the episode by talking about premarital and some practical things Christian couples should do before marriage! Dr. David Gudgel joins them to talk about the importance of commitment. Plus, we’ll hear from newlywed, Megan Seeley about what questions she had before marriage! Receive the book Ready to Wed for your donation of any amount! The Focus on the Family Marriage Assessment is designed to evaluate the strength of 12 essential traits of your marriage. Do you know your marriage's strengths and weaknesses? Visit our store for a copy of the book Sacred Pathways. What questions should you ask a young man who wants to marry your daughter? Answers to these 12 big, important, overarching questions might hold the key to your daughter's future happiness. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

6 snips
Jun 5, 2023 • 28min
The Importance of Marriage Mentoring
Who do you go to when you want help with your marriage? In this episode, Greg and Erin talk with Walt and Barb Larimore about the importance of marriage mentors and how important they are when you are struggling in marriage. Plus, you’ll hear from some friends of the ministry about who they go to for marriage advice! Receive the book Fight Your Way to a Better Marriage for your donation of any amount! Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. Invest in Your Marriage with Mentors We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

May 29, 2023 • 25min
Love is Sacrifice
What does it look like to sacrifice in a relationship? In this episode, Greg and Erin talk with Pastor Bob Lepine about why it is important to sacrifice in marriage. You’ll also hear from Bill Arbuckle with a devotion about how you can show love to your spouse through sacrifice. Receive the book Love Like You Mean It for your donation of any amount! Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. Are You in an Abusive Relationship? We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

May 22, 2023 • 33min
How to Keep Your Marriage Strong (Part 2)
What makes a strong marriage? Greg and Erin continue the conversation with Levi and Jenni Lusko about making marriage investments that will prepare you and your spouse for hard seasons. You’ll also get to hear Greg and Erin ask each other questions they believe every couple should be asking each other every week! Receive the book The Marriage Devotional for your donation of any amount! The goal of a great marriage conversation is to affirm what your spouse is doing right, to exchange ideas and to offer suggestions for the future. Use these conversation starters to get started. Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

May 15, 2023 • 39min
How to Keep Your Marriage Strong (Part 1)
How can you invest in your marriage? What does a strong marriage look like? Join Greg and Erin as they talk with Levi and Jenni Lusko about how they built up their marriage. They also share how they kept their marriage strong after losing their young daughter. Plus, you’ll hear from Christian counselor Kari Aho, about how to heal after a tragedy. Receive the book The Marriage Devotional for your donation of any amount! Link to Counseling Services 10 Signs of an Emotionally Abusive Relationship The Feeling Wheel Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

4 snips
May 8, 2023 • 32min
How to Improve Communication in Conflict
How can we communicate better with our spouse in conflict? In this episode, Greg and Erin talk with Katharine Hill about how conflict can actually strengthen your marriage and help you to communicate better with your spouse! Plus, you’ll hear from some friends of the ministry about conflict styles. Receive the Book "If You Forget Everything Else, Remember This: Building a Great Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Communication with Your Spouse Video Series What is Your Conflict Style? Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

May 1, 2023 • 38min
Are You in an Abusive Relationship?
What does an abusive relationship look like? What are the signs you should be looking for? Join Greg and Erin as they talk with Gary Thomas about what a physically abusive or an emotionally abusive spouse looks like. Plus, we’ll hear from Christian counselor, Tim Sanford, about what practical steps men and women can take to get out of an abusive relationship. Link to Counseling Services Abuse in Marriage Video Series Have You Lost Hope in Your Marriage? For couples in crisis, you can still put the pieces of your marriage back together with Hope Restored. 10 Signs of an Emotionally Abusive Relationship We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

Apr 24, 2023 • 27min
Managing Your Triggers in Marriage
Everyone says things that they don’t mean in the heat of an argument, but how can we find ways to strengthen our communication with our spouse when we’re triggered? Join Greg and Erin as they discuss how to communicate better with your spouse in a fight with guests, Guy and Amber Lia. Plus, you’ll hear from some friends of the ministry about how they handle conflict with their spouses! Receive the book Marriage Triggers for your donation of any amount! The Focus on the Family Marriage Assessment is designed to evaluate the strength of 12 essential traits of your marriage. Do you know your marriage's strengths and weaknesses? Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

Apr 17, 2023 • 30min
Men and Women: Working Through Your Differences
We all know that there are differences between men and women, but how do we use them to strengthen our relationship? Dr. Mike Bechtle joins Greg and Erin to discuss some biological differences between men and women and how he and his wife have learned to best communicate with each other. Plus, we’ll hear from newlywed, Saundra Mena, on how she and her husband worked through their gender differences in marriage! Receive the book I Wish He Had Come With Instructions for your donation of any amount! The Focus on the Family Marriage Assessment is designed to evaluate the strength of 12 essential traits of your marriage. Do you know your marriage's strengths and weaknesses? Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

Apr 10, 2023 • 31min
Spiritual Warfare in Marriage
What do you do when your marriage is under a spiritual attack? In today’s episode, Greg and Erin talk with Jason and Tori Benham about what spiritual warfare in marriage looks like and how to combat it. Plus, you’ll hear a devotion from Bill Arbuckle on how you can fight for your marriage spiritually! Receive the book Beauty in Battle: Winning in Marriage by Waging a War for your donation of any amount. The Focus on the Family Marriage Assessment is designed to evaluate the strength of 12 essential traits of your marriage. Do you know your marriage's strengths and weaknesses? Conversation Starters for Date Night Visit our store for a copy of the book Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage: 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance. We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.