{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"250. Wanting to Believe: The Marriage Shift That Changes Everything","description":"Wanting to Believe: Re-Enrolling Each Other Into What\u2019s Possible This episode came out of a conversation Chris had this week \u2014 and it hit him so clearly that he realized he and Melissa had never talked about it publicly before. They\u2019ve shared openly about the hard seasons in their marriage. They\u2019ve taught frameworks for having honest, productive conversations about what isn\u2019t working. But in this episode, they talk about the missing piece that made all the difference when their marriage was at its lowest: They started talking about what they wanted to create \u2014 before there was any evidence it was possible. Chris shares how a couple he was advising had been doing \u201ceverything right\u201d \u2014 having authentic conversations, communicating well, addressing issues \u2014 yet still felt stuck. And the realization was simple, but profound: they were only talking about what was broken\u2026 not what they believed could exist on the other side. Melissa takes the conversation deeper, sharing a moment from their own marriage when there was absolutely no evidence that things would improve. No proof. No results. No momentum. And yet, she chose to hold onto something smaller, but powerful: the desire to believe a miracle could happen. They talk about faith \u2014 not as certainty, but as willingness. Wanting to believe, even when belief feels impossible. And how that willingness created the foundation for real change. Throughout the episode, Chris and Melissa reflect on how repeatedly re-enrolling each other into a shared vision \u2014 \u201cI want to be married to you. I want our marriage to be amazing. I believe we can create something beautiful together.\u201d \u2014 slowly shifted the trajectory of their relationship. This isn\u2019t about ignoring what\u2019s not working. It\u2019s about balancing honest conversations with intentional vision-casting. Because if the only seeds you plant are about what you don\u2019t want, that\u2019s exactly what keeps growing. If your marriage feels stuck\u2026 if you\u2019re tired\u2026 if belief feels hard \u2014 this episode is an invitation to start where they did: You don\u2019t have to fully believe. You just have to be willing to want to. LINKS: All Links Family Brand!  stan.store\/familybrand familybrand.com\/quiz familybrand.com\/retreats.   Episode Minute By Minute: 00:00 \u2013 Chris introduces an unexpected episode topic 01:10 \u2013 Why they\u2019ve never talked about this before 02:15 \u2013 Authentic Conversations vs. vision-casting 03:15 \u2013 Asking the question: \u201cWhat are you trying to create?\u201d  04:05 \u2013 Melissa reflects on their separation 05:10 \u2013 Faith when there is no evidence 06:10 \u2013 \u201cWanting to believe\u201d as the starting point 07:25 \u2013 The scripture story and \u201chelp my unbelief\u201d 08:40 \u2013 Talking about what\u2019s possible before it\u2019s possible 09:50 \u2013 Planting seeds through language and vision 10:55 \u2013 When you don\u2019t know what a good marriage looks like 11:50 \u2013 Looking for models and borrowed belief 12:45 \u2013 Re-enrolling each other during hard seasons 13:40 \u2013 Choosing to be on the same team 14:30 \u2013 Final encouragement: start with wanting to believe     ","author_name":"Family Brand: Take Back Your Family","author_url":"https:\/\/familybrand.com\/","html":"