More questions keep coming in so Elliott and I recorded another Q&A episode for you! “Helene” has been on at least 75 dates over the last 5 years. She’s frustrated that the guys she’s into never pursue her while the ones she’s not attracted to want to date her. She’s concerned that maybe now she’s putting up walls after so much disappointment. “Janey” says she matched with a guy on a dating app 2 years ago. She asked him a question and he responded, but then she never responded back. She thought he was out of her league. Recently she saw him on another dating app and she wants to message him. What should she say? “Linda” wants to know our best advice for an engaged couple as they plan for marriage. Join us to hear our thoughts on these questions. Click the link in the show notes below if you’d like us to answer a question for you! Ask Elliott and me a question here! Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

When we’ve been on the dating scene for a while and endured so much heartache, how can we believe good men still exist? It’s so easy to give up hope, but we don’t want to become bitter or demoralized! In this Q&A episode, Elliott and I answer your questions: “Valerie” wants to know how she can possibly trust men again after her boyfriend of 6 months broke up with her right after her miscarriage of their baby. “Sarah” has been in 3 long term relationships and each time she caught her partner lying about debt, infidelity, and drugs. She worries she’ll never be able to meet a man of integrity. “Maggie” recently got back together with her ex who used drugs recreationally when they dated before—which is why she broke up with him. He says he’s left that lifestyle behind but she still wonders if she’ll ever be able to fully trust him. Join us to hear strategies for healing and rebuilding hope and trust. Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

How often do you ask yourself, “How am I doing?” If you're like most of us, the answer may be–not often enough! Detroit Pistons psychotherapist, Dr. Corey Yeager, invites us to ask ourselves this very question. His new book, “How Am I Doing? 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself” provides thought provoking prompts for deeper self knowledge–of who you’ve been and who you intend to become! I highlighted some of my favorite quotes from Dr. Yeager’s book and asked him to elaborate on them. Specifically, we explore: The importance of being sure you’re the one writing your story! Listening to your inner voice and monitoring your self talk. Growing up, Dr. Yeager heard things like, “Don’t become someone your family wouldn’t recognize!” How do we honor our family of origin while still resonating with our authentic selves? The tension between “Making the right choice” vs. “Making the choice right!” The impact of untruths we tell ourselves! Dr. Yeager’s definition of True Freedom and the heavy responsibility inherent to freedom. How we can frame our pain and struggles as gifts! How “personifying” your relationship with anxiety provides you with control over what feels uncontrollable Dr. Yeager’s book digs deep yet remains accessible to all–no matter where you are in your journey toward self discovery! Dr. Corey Yeager Website: https://doctorcoreyyeager.com/  Dr. Corey Yeager's Book - "How Am I Doing?": https://www.amazon.com/How-Am-Doing-Conversations-Yourself/dp/1400236762  Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We're wrapping up our series on Dr. Chapman's 5 Love Languages with a couple more I've developed over my 30+ years working with couples—challenge and presentation!  1. Challenge: How we challenge each other in a committed romantic relationship—to be the best version of ourselves, in relationships, career, family, and faith—is critical mortar solidifying or weakening, your love language wall. Research shows one of the main reasons marriages break down is boredom! But couples who commit to challenging one another via encouragement and exhortation toward growth and development, strengthen their intimacy and keep their connection exciting!  2. Presentation: How we present our partner to others displays how we view him/her. Furthermore, when we’re married, our spouse is a representation of us at all times. How partners present each other to family, friends, and community is another enormously important language that allows the other five love languages to thrive or be denied. Listen to learn how challenge and presentation interact with the 5 Love Languages and please let us know your thoughts!  Quizzes, Resources, & more: Website: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Chapman, G. (1992, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015). The 5 love languages: the secret to love that lasts. Northfield Publishing.  Pastor Elliott's Love Language Assessments (based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/793lofijjenc7qe/AAC2Ve_MiXMpx97YfH9pHebLa?dl=0  Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson  Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/  Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook  Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We’re kicking off Valentine’s Week with a series on Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages. We’ll be devoting an episode to each love language and rolling them out every day this week. Even if you’re familiar with Love Languages, this series is for you! We’re taking a broad approach to them by including their influence on our friendships and family relationships, in addition to our romantic partnerships. Elliott & I discuss the following: Fascinating research behind the power of touch. Don’t all men have physical touch as their top love language? The importance of pacing physical touch as your intimacy develops and how this relates to hookup culture.   How men and women experience touch differently based on our differing physicalities.  Repairing physical touch after infidelity.  Attachment styles as they relate to physical touch.  Elliott shares stories of the impact of Love Languages from his 30+ years of working with couples. Join us today and throughout the week for a deep dive into the influence of Love Languages on every relationship in your life! Quizzes, Resources, & more: Website: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Chapman, G. (1992, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015). The 5 love languages: the secret to love that lasts. Northfield Publishing. Pastor Elliott's Love Language Assessments (based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/793lofijjenc7qe/AAC2Ve_MiXMpx97YfH9pHebLa?dl=0 Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We’re kicking off Valentine’s Week with a series on Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages. We’ll be devoting an episode to each love language and rolling them out every day this week. Even if you’re familiar with Love Languages, this series is for you! We’re taking a broad approach to them by including their influence on our friendships and family relationships, in addition to our romantic partnerships. Elliott & I discuss the following: Why acts of service in partnership may feel harder to receive for people who were single for a long time.  How acts of service are critical to couples in crisis recovery.  The vulnerability inherent to giving and receiving acts of service.  How to communicate which acts of service you desire and why it’s important you do so! Elliott shares stories of the impact of Love Languages from his 30+ years of working with couples. Join us today and throughout the week for a deep dive into the influence of Love Languages on every relationship in your life! Quizzes, Resources, & more: Website: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Chapman, G. (1992, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015). The 5 love languages: the secret to love that lasts. Northfield Publishing. Pastor Elliott's Love Language Assessments (based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/793lofijjenc7qe/AAC2Ve_MiXMpx97YfH9pHebLa?dl=0 Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We’re kicking off Valentine’s Week with a series on Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages. We’ll be devoting an episode to each love language and rolling them out every day this week. Even if you’re familiar with Love Languages, this series is for you! We’re taking a broad approach to them by including their influence on our friendships and family relationships, in addition to our romantic partnerships. Elliott and I explore the following: How to give gifts in the early days of a relationship.  Values which lay at the root of gift giving. If your love language is gifts, are you inherently materialistic? How our family of origin influences our feelings about giving and receiving gifts.  Elliott shares stories of the impact of Love Languages from his 30+ years of working with couples. Join us today and throughout the week for a deep dive into the influence of Love Languages on every relationship in your life! Quizzes, Resources, & more: Website: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Chapman, G. (1992, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015). The 5 love languages: the secret to love that lasts. Northfield Publishing. Pastor Elliott's Love Language Assessments (based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/793lofijjenc7qe/AAC2Ve_MiXMpx97YfH9pHebLa?dl=0 Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We’re kicking off Valentine’s Week with a series on Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages. We’ll be devoting an episode to each love language and rolling them out every day this week. Even if you’re familiar with Love Languages, this series is for you! We’re taking a broad approach to them by including their influence on our friendships and family relationships, in addition to our romantic partnerships. Elliott and I explore the following: How to negotiate time—even in the early stages of your relationship. I share an example from when Dan and I were first dating and I was late to pick him up from the airport! Why couples need to understand the values beneath their conception of time and how sometimes, you share the same values, but express them differently. How to approach your partner with a request for more time. Spoiler alert—words of affirmation come in handy! How the family life cycle impacts your navigating of quality time. Elliott shares stories of the impact of Love Languages from his 30+ years of working with couples. Join us today and throughout the week for a deep dive into the influence of Love Languages on every relationship in your life! Quizzes, Resources, & more: Website: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Chapman, G. (1992, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015). The 5 love languages: the secret to love that lasts. Northfield Publishing. Pastor Elliott's Love Language Assessments (based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/793lofijjenc7qe/AAC2Ve_MiXMpx97YfH9pHebLa?dl=0 Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We’re kicking off Valentine’s Week with a series on Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages. We’ll be devoting an episode to each love language and rolling them out every day this week. Even if you’re familiar with Love Languages, this series is for you! We’re taking a broad approach to them by including their influence on our friendships and family relationships, in addition to our romantic partnerships. Elliott and I explore the following: Why Words of Affirmation may be the most important love language! How to express Words of Affirmation even if you’re not someone who feels comfortable sharing your emotions. The difficulty of receiving Words of Affirmation when we don’t feel confident or self-assured—and how to learn to receive them despite our insecurities and woundedness. How to give Words of Affirmation to ourselves—and why doing so is a gift to our current or future partner! Elliott shares stories of the impact of Love Languages from his 30+ years of working with couples. Join us today and throughout the week for a deep dive into the influence of Love Languages on every relationship in your life! Quizzes, Resources, & more: Website: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Chapman, G. (1992, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015). The 5 love languages: the secret to love that lasts. Northfield Publishing. Pastor Elliott's Love Language Assessments (based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/793lofijjenc7qe/AAC2Ve_MiXMpx97YfH9pHebLa?dl=0   Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

All of us face loneliness. We need to acknowledge and move through loneliness to be empowered and encouraged in our relationships. Last week I gave a message on loneliness at Judson University and we wanted to share it with you. There are three universal circumstances that automatically generate loneliness. I used the acronym TFL (tackle for loss for you football fans) for these 3 life conditions: Transitions Fear Loss Loneliness is inherent to these 3 conditions and therefore, it's an unavoidable aspect of life; but we can abate it and even make peace with it. Loneliness is especially challenging during Valentine's week—whether we're single and wishing we weren't or we're feeling lonely in the context of our romantic relationship. Our team at Love and Life and the Love & Life community are here to help you throughout Valentine’s and beyond! Elliott Anderson Work with Elliott, Books, & More: https://linktr.ee/pastorelliottanderson Dr. Karin Website: http://loveandlifemedia.com/ Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBook Instagram: @dr.karin Single is the New Black: Audiobook Audible: smarturl.it/SITNB-Audible iTunes: smarturl.it/SITNB-iTunes