Episode 65 - Why So Many Relationships Fail Before They Begin: Love, Timing, and the Truth About Relationships Before Marriage

How do two people who once imagined a future together gradually become strangers? In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge's broken engagement to Belle offers a familiar picture of relationship drift. Over time, his priorities shift, his pursuit of financial security takes hold, and the woman he loves is displaced. Their final conversation brings years of growing distance into focus. In this crossover episode of The Wedding Chaplain Podcast and The Ebenezer Project, pastor and author David Anderson explores marriage, romantic relationships, and family life through the people surrounding Scrooge. Drawing on Day 11, "The Slow Drift," from his book The Funeral of Ebenezer Scrooge: Experiencing Change and Finding Meaning at Christmas, David considers how ordinary choices shape the relationships we treasure. Belle's honesty, the Cratchits' affection, and Fred's welcoming home invite us to examine how our daily habits shape what our loved ones experience. Building on Romans 12:9–13, David offers practical ways to recognize distance and start moving toward one another again. Honest conversation and renewed attention create opportunities for repair, while consistent actions help rebuild connection. Whether you are dating, preparing for marriage, or nurturing relationships within your family, this episode asks a personal question: What are my repeated choices teaching the people I love about their place in my life? Scrooge's transformation invites us to consider what the change we begin today could make possible for someone we love. Pick up a copy of David's book, The Funeral of Ebenezer Scrooge: ScroogeAndCratchit.com Pick up a copy of David's Book, Before God and These Witnesses, today: https://www.amazon.com/Before-God-These-Witnesses-Community/dp/1662876270. Listen and connect: The Ebenezer Project: EbenezerProject.com

In this episode of The Wedding Chaplain Podcast, David talks with Nancy Perpall, author of The Malnourished Marriage. Drawing from her experience as a critical care nurse and more than thirty years as a family lawyer, Nancy offers a unique perspective on how relationships become depleted and how couples can strengthen them. Nancy identifies five emotional nutrients every marriage needs: communication, sex and intimacy, humor and play, compromise and patience, and trust. Their conversation explores romantic expectations, recurring conflict patterns, and practical habits engaged and married couples can use to nourish their relationship for years to come. For Nancy Perpall's social media accounts, please find them all linked below: Website: https://nancyperpall.com/ Nancy's Blog: https://nancyperpall.com/blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyperpallauthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyperpall/ David Anderson's Linktree Profile The Wedding Chaplain Website Pick up a copy of David's book, The Funeral of Ebenezer Scrooge today: https://scroogeandcratchit.com/ Pick up a copy of David's Book, Before God and These Witnesses, today: https://www.amazon.com/Before-God-These-Witnesses- Community/dp/1662876270. Find the Wedding Chaplain on social media: Facebook Instagram X LinkedIn Pinterest Sponsor: EWed Insurance

In this episode of The Wedding Chaplain Podcast, David talks with Jodie Howard about building a lasting marriage through seasons a couple could never fully predict. Jodie and her husband, Reggie, have been married since 1992. Together, they raised four children while navigating the demands of Reggie's 28-year career in the United States Navy. Their family's journey also includes parenting their daughter Rosie, who was born with cerebral palsy. Jodie shares what military life taught them about remaining connected through distance and uncertainty. She also reflects on raising a family, growing together as individuals, navigating an interracial marriage, and preserving emotional intimacy across more than three decades. At the center of their story is a daily commitment to keep choosing each other. This conversation offers engaged and married couples an honest, encouraging picture of enduring love. It will help couples look beyond the wedding day and begin developing the grace, communication, and commitment needed for the life they will build together. For Jodie Howard's social media accounts, please find them all linked below: Website: https://JodieHoward.com/ Jodie's Blog: https://JodieHoward.com/blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodieHowardauthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/JodieHoward/

Engagement is a joyful season, but it can also become one of the most stressful seasons a couple will face together. Between wedding decisions, family expectations, budget conversations, guest lists, schedules, and the pressure of preparing for a life-changing commitment, many couples discover that stress can affect the way they communicate, make decisions, and stay connected.

In this episode of The Wedding Chaplain Podcast, David Anderson talks with Dr. Laura Sicola about one of the most important foundations of a healthy marriage: communication. Laura is the author of Speaking to Influence. Dr. Sicola is a leadership communication and influence coach, author of Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice, host of the podcast Speaking to Influence: Communication Secrets of the C-Suite, and a TEDx speaker whose talk is titled "Want to Sound Like a Leader?" Start by Saying Your Name Right has been viewed millions of times. In addition to her work with leaders, executives, and organizations, Dr. Sicola and her husband also lead communication workshops for engaged and married couples in churches throughout the Philadelphia region. This conversation helps engaged couples think carefully about the way they use words, tone, body language, and listening as they prepare for marriage. Wedding planning often brings major decisions, family expectations, financial conversations, and emotional pressure to the surface. Dr. Sicola explains how couples can communicate with greater clarity, confidence, respect, and connection during those conversations. David and Laura also discuss the gap between what one person thinks they said and what the other person actually heard, how small communication habits can create closeness or tension, and why healthy communication before marriage can shape the daily rhythm of married life. Whether you are engaged, newly married, or simply wanting to communicate better with the person you love, this episode offers practical wisdom for building trust one conversation at a time. For Laura Sicola's social media accounts, please find them all linked below: Website: https://laurasicola.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlaurasicola/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlaurasicola/ X: https://twitter.com/LauraSicola LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaurasicola/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWri2F_hhGQpMcD97DctJwA TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurasicola