August 4, 2025 • 25 mins
Why does fun matter in a marriage and how do we fit it in? Amanda and Lou Cavaliere share how they've navigated the challenges of prioritizing fun in their 22-year marriage despite having completely different interests. Be sure to share with your spouse, partner, or friends who could enjoy it too!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the Meet Hope Podcast, where we have
conversations about faith andhope.
Hope is one church made ofpeople living out their faith
through two expressions inperson and online.
We believe a hybrid faithexperience can lead to a growing
influence in our community andour world for the sake of others
.
Welcome to Hope.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hi everyone, Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast.
My name is Ashley Black and I'mexcited to be here today with
you, our listeners, and I alsohave with me Amanda and Lou
Cavalieri.
Hey guys, how are you doing?
Hi, Ashley, Great.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Hi, so thank you for being here.
So today's episode we'retalking about how to have fun in
our marriage and, amanda, thisepisode came out of you recently
, on a Sunday morning, you weretalking about something in
marriage and family parentingministry and you talked about
prioritizing fun and I went oh,that might be a really great
(01:02):
conversation, and so that's kindof how we landed here.
You guys also host a smallgroup for couples, for married
couples.
Right, we do?
Yeah, correct, and so, yeah, sothanks for being here.
So, since we're talking aboutfun, how good are you at having
fun?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Thank you for asking.
So we will be married 22 yearsthis summer and before we got
married we went through apre-marriage mentoring program
at the church we were attendingat the time and we do the same
thing here at Hope.
We do pre-marital mentoring andpart of that is taking a survey
, answering a lot of questions,right?
(01:38):
So I answered a lot ofquestions separately, lou
answered a lot of questionsseparately, and then the machine
spits out the results.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yes, I remember Chris and I doing it and I'd be like
what are you putting?
That's cheating.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
We didn't cheat we didn't cheat, but we were like
what are you going to say aboutus?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It was fine, just for everybody listening.
It went fine.
Yes, yeah, it obviously wentfine, right?
So?
Speaker 4 (01:58):
we met with the way that we did it back then.
23 years ago, we met with ourpastor and he sits down across a
desk from us and he pulls outthe papers and he's like well,
these are very interestingresults.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Always something you love to hear.
I was like oh no, different,interesting, unique, great,
makes you feel real comfortableright away.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
And he says you guys scored 100% on communication and
connection.
He's like I've never seen thatand we were like feeling great.
We're like, yes, we communicate.
We're going to be the perfect,you're so great, and he said but
you scored a 40% on leisure.
He's like this doesn't make anysense, right?
(02:40):
Like leisure, the fun stuff istypically the stuff that people
do well, and you have to work atthe other things.
And so I mean I'm kind of likewell, what's the big deal?
Right, so we can communicateand we can, we're connected, so
we don't have so much fun.
Except, fun is actually areally big deal.
But because we are so differentand a lot of couples are right
(03:04):
we are wired so differently.
We have completely differentinterests.
Fun is hard for us.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Okay, can you tell us a little bit about what your
different interests are?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Sure, Well, a man doesn't like to ride a bike.
So just to let everyone knowwhere I'm coming from here, I
mean, that's a better question.
That person probably said likewhat do you know the?
Other doesn't like to do.
No, but in all seriousness.
I mean I grew up playing sports, and I mean always outdoors
Like only read a book if I wasrequired to do so for school,
(03:38):
whereas Amanda loves to read youknow You're extroverted, I'm
extroverted, I'm introverted toread, you know, and you know
you're extroverted.
Extroverted, which again I thinkis the same in a lot of you
know, relationships, marriages,um, you know, one is usually the
extrovert, one is introvert,but that, I mean, that's not got
created.
Us, you know to be differentand I think that's a lot of
times, opposite attract.
(03:59):
Um, so, you know, I'm sure thatthere's a lot of couples, or
you know people out there, thatprobably struggle with the same
thing, Trying to find likeinterests and things to do
together.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, so it's that you know we have to actually
work at finding things to dotogether for fun.
Because there's not a whole lotthat we both enjoy doing for
fun.
Yeah, I will say.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I got Amanda on a bike 20 years into our marriage
Nice, but not on a road.
Got Amanda on a bike 20 yearsinto our marriage but not on a
road.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Not on a road.
I had to be on a back statepark.
Baby steps.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
We were the only ones in the park, I think.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I like that you said in the beginning or when you
were talking about the surveythat you did, that you were like
it's not a big deal, because Ifeel like when you're getting
into a serious relationship,when you get engaged and you
choose to get married, like it'snot necessarily stressed, like
it's assumed that you're alreadylike have fun together because
that's how you dated and so.
(04:54):
But all those other things arelike you hear them everywhere
like you have to be good atcommunicating, conflict
resolution, like there's likeall these, like bars that you
feel like you have to meet tohave a good relationship.
So I get that.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
That why you'd be like why is that a big deal?
And truly, and where it getstricky is what life gets busy.
Right, you get married, you're,maybe you have kids, and the
first thing to go is the funstuff.
Right, we're working, we'retaking care of teenagers, we're
working, we're taking care ofteenagers, we're caring for
aging parents, we're payingbills, we're taking care of the
(05:26):
house on and on and on and on.
So we're exhausted a lot, andso the first thing to go often
is the fun things.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, but do you believe God cares about us
having fun?
A thousand percent yeah, me too.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Yeah, obviously A thousand percent.
I think all of us.
We wouldn't be at hope if wedidn't think that Nehemiah 8.10
says the joy of the Lord is mystrength.
We get strength from joy, andso when life gets hard and it
does get hard we need to havethat joy to help carry us
(06:01):
through it.
And so what joy provides isthat connection with our spouse
that will help to carry usthrough the more challenging
days, Right, Um, and it justwe're going to go through
seasons that are going to beeasier than others and, um, even
(06:22):
just in a regular year, likesummer, it's easier to do date
nights or it's easier tovacation and things like that.
And then the busier seasons ofthe year, those dynamics change,
and so it's important to becultivating and taking time in
our lives to build that joy into help us when life gets more
challenging.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Absolutely, because we were talking about last night
in our small group how busynesssteals our joy and our fun and
how important it is, like yousaid, to cultivate that and like
I was reading in Galatians 5.22, the fruit of the spirit is joy
, and you were mentioning theNehemiah verse, and when you
walk by the spirit as aChristian, there should
(07:03):
obviously be joy in our life.
And so you had mentioned toohow we get so busy.
And I wanted to add driving thekids.
We were joking earlier how whenthey were on the mission trip
it was, I don't think I filledup my gas tank once, and then
they get home and then we'retaxing them and driving them all
around and I dated myself there, so we just talked about it.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
We Ubered them all around and I dated myself there,
so we just talked about it.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
We Ubered them all around Because you have two
teenagers, yes, and so we'retrying to figure out how to be
in two different locations atthe same time and so, yeah, so
usually the first thing to go isthe fun and marriage.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, especially if you have two and you're in two
different places often.
Yeah, like passing With dad oryeah, two and you're in two
different places often, right,yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:43):
like passing, you know that.
Or yeah, like he'll take one,I'll take the other and keep
people have multiple children,or you're even split even more
and more and more, you know, orwhatever the demands are,
whether it's not kids, it couldbe just work, it could be,
parents.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It could be anything that are pulling us yeah, when
we live in a culture that's likealways on them on the move like
chris and I talk about this alot like we, since we went
through the pandemic, somethingthat came out of it for our, our
family and us as a couple waslike we recognized, like how
much we felt like we were doingand we wanted to be better about
like slowing down or like beingmore intentional about what we
(08:19):
chose to spend our time on andwe're not perfect in it in any
way.
But it's like a lot of ourconversation is around like
before we say yes to something.
It's like okay, what's gonna belike?
Is it what?
Like?
Is it gonna pull away from ourfun over here or is it gonna
pull away from time together andyou know, um?
But?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
but we don't live in a world that rewards slowing
down and no having no fun, youknow, yeah, yeah, everything's
got a big, got a big 100 milesan hour, and that's again the
slowing down.
And again we talked about thatlast night.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
What do?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
you do to slow down, and what does that look like?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
What did some of the people in your small group say?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
So it was an interesting conversation.
Some are really good about hey,we're going to just take a day
Retirement day.
Retirement day.
They call it a retirement dayand we're just going to go play
pickleball, or just.
We talked about eitherintentionally slowing down, so
(09:20):
figuring out those times of ourlives when we are more hurried
or more rushed, like morningsare crazy.
So the night before we're goingto get all those things under
control so that we're notrunning all the time or we're
not going to be on our phone orwalking in the door like we're
going to try and slow that down,or we're going to pay more
attention to those spontaneousopportunities, like when we are
(09:41):
driving somewhere and there'llbe like a lookout and Lou will
say, hey, let's pull over andlook, and I'm always like no
we've got to get to where we'vegot to get to, but saying yes to
more of those smallopportunities to like let's stop
and watch the sunset, let'sstop and dance to this song in
our kitchen, right, and evenjust those little things, if we
(10:02):
can build them in our day, help.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You know, those are the moments that bring us joy,
yeah, and what I hear you guystalking about in that is also
like listening to each otherwhich I'm sure gets harder if
you have kids and if life getsor work brings more demands as
you move up in your career orthings change, you know, and it
can be harder.
I think it can be easier.
We're not as far along in ourmarriage as you guys we will be
(10:28):
married seven years this yearbut I've noticed for us it gets
harder.
There I feel like it's like thefirst yes.
I stopped saying like, not notbecause we mean to, but because
we have to say yes to our kids,or we have to say we have to go
feed them or we have to go dothis, and I don't know what the
(10:50):
right word is.
You feel like you can lean onthat person a little bit more in
hard times and that's a goodthing, but also Psalm 90 talks
about teaching us to number ourdays.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
For us to be keenly aware that every day is a gift
and we want to make sure that,within each day, we are turning
towards our spouse, whether itbe in a small way, like dancing
in a kitchen, or a larger way,like taking the whole day to go
do something together.
We want to be turning towardsour spouse every day because it
is a gift.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Yeah, I love that phrase turning towards our
spouse.
So why have fun now?
Because, like you guysmentioned, life gets hard, yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yeah, it will.
And the marriages that willhave a better chance to survive
are those when you have a strongemotional connection with your
spouse, right, and we draw fromand we lean on a strong
emotional connection with ourspouse because of the shared
experiences we have, right.
So we might think, oh, we'regoing axing, like that's kind of
dumb and you know like what isthat.
(11:54):
But you know, we go and we havea great time with one another,
with other couples.
It creates that experience thatdraws us closer right.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Those things build intimacy and that is so
important to the health of amarriage yeah, and the
playfulness refreshes our soulsand lifts us out of those daily
ruts that we were talking aboutearlier.
It does.
It truly lightens our loads andbrings us closer together, like
you're saying.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Yeah, play is not just for kids.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I recently was talking to another adult about
this how, as adults, we don'tplay, we don't engage in play,
and how much there isplayfulness in the spirit of God
, and how we're invited intothat and what it does for our
bodies and our minds when weplay you know, and so yeah, so.
(12:42):
So how do you guys have fun?
How would you suggest othercouples have fun if for them
this is something where they'relike wow, we haven't, we haven't
been pursuing this yeah, yeah,yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
so one of the things that we were challenged to do
when we got married was to spenda weekend away each year
together, so we have reallyworked hard at making sure that
we always prioritize that, andso we will plan.
It's usually around ouranniversary, a time where it's
two or three, maybe four nightsthat we get to get away, and
(13:17):
this has looked different in allseasons, like when our kids
were babies.
we couldn't do that, and so itwas like a night down the shore,
or even sometime we had tobring a baby because they were
tiny, or during COVID.
This didn't work, you know butand there were times where money
was tighter, so we had to besuper creative of like, oh, we
have a friend who has a house,can we borrow it for a weekend?
Speaker 2 (13:37):
that kind of thing yeah, and it's important for
everybody listening to know,like, when you make us, when we
make suggestions here, yes, itis not like the hard and fast
like and it was went, perfectand it's no like an arrow to
it's no it's.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's going to change and it's going to look different
for everyone.
But something that we did learnwas this is an investment in
our marriage.
So, there were times when wewere like, gosh, there is not a
whole lot in our savings accountand it probably isn't the
smartest thing and we're notsaying to be reckless with your
finances, but money that youspend into that time, you are
making an investment in yourmarriage, right?
(14:12):
So we try to prioritize that asbest as we can.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
And even the date nights.
Date nights.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
So when we go away, we try to build in like we try
to always go somewhere differentCause I'm like.
I'm like I want to go someplacenew.
There's so many places.
And he was like let's just goto the same place every year
Cause we loved it.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I mean Chris and I are the same.
I'm similar to you.
I've got my.
I love making a Google map list.
I love looking where we'regoing and I make a whole list of
like look at all these placeswe can do and eat and go, and
he's like I'm good with, thebeach was great, let's go.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
But to that.
There is adventure in that.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
There's adventure in and again that shared experience
of creating those new memoriesright, and so we have done
things like white whitewaterrafting.
I did go biking.
I went biking twice.
I went biking in virginia anddelaware, just so you know.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
I got on a bike twice everybody lou looks like he's
gonna go look that up I onlyrecall one of those events and
Chincoteague and Cape Ham Open.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Okay, I think you're right.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Wine tasting, sailing just different things.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Hiking.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Yeah, and then date nights here.
So we've done things like youknow.
We did a date night withfriends where we went and like
learned how to cook something,and that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
That was a lot of fun here with church.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
we've done, we've done the ax throwing, we've done
bowling, we've done bonfirenights, game nights, you know it
.
It doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to be crazy,
but when you try new thingstogether, it creates, you know,
when we learn new things, itcreates new neural pathways in
our brains.
Creates, you know, when welearn new things, it creates new
neural pathways in our brains.
Right, and we can do that ourentire life.
(16:01):
So the more new things we learn, the more pathways in our brain
that are getting, that aregetting created, the more
connected we're going to be toour spouse when we share those
things with them.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, that's a really great visual.
Even just to think about, likewhen you ever seen graphics of
like neurons and brain things,like you could even imagine,
like in both of you making newones, they're moving towards
each other.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I was thinking while you were talking about how
grateful I have been for coupleswho have gone before us who
have provided little likemoments of investment in us in
those ways when it's when we'rein a're in a new season of our
life.
So when we had our first son, Ireally appreciated someone, um
(16:41):
a friend of ours who goes herein.
At my baby shower the gift waslike one baby thing, but then it
was like two or three boardgames and like a book and there
was post-its on each one and itwas like, look, I know there's
not gonna be a lot of time, butwhen our kid, when we were in
between those like waking hours,we would play cribbage.
And so here's a cribbage boardand like learn how to play and
(17:03):
it was like so thoughtful Thenit was so like it met us right
where we were.
Something else Chris and I tryto do right now because of the
season of life we're in.
So, if anybody's listening, wehave a five-year-old and a
one-year-old is.
we found that we have a pocketof time where our schedules line
up during the week and everyother week that we go and get
(17:24):
coffee and uh in the morningwhich like took us a while to
recognize, because usually youthink like date night, you have
to get child care and also theydon't go to bed really well
right now, and it's just like awhole thing.
And so it's been a.
We both look forward to it thatwe're like, even if it's just a
half an hour that we we dropthem off, child care comes, we
(17:44):
run to get a cup of coffee andwe try to be intentional about
talking, and so that's how we'vehad to get creative with our
schedule and it is all aboutcreativity.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
We do a lot more date lunches now during the school
year because both kids are atschool and if he has some time
off and I can get away likethose two hours first of all,
lunch is cheaper.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
We're not exhausted, you know.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
And that's okay.
Like, however you build thetime in.
Maybe it's a saturday morningbreakfast thing, maybe it's a
when our kids were little we'dput them to bed a little earlier
and order dinner in, you know,and just like have have that
time at home.
Yeah, it doesn't really matterhow you do it or what it looks
like for your marriage, justthat you are making it a
priority yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So it changes as seasons change, Does it?
Speaker 4 (18:28):
it doesn't always is it always fun?
It's, you know I.
What we are finding is thatsomething that was maybe fun 20
years ago isn't fun anymore.
As we are changing, so are ourinterests.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
We just went to a concert.
That's what she's talking about, do you?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
guys have an example.
Yes, we do.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
So before interests, we just went to a concert.
Do you guys have an example?
Yes, we do.
Before we were dating, we wentto a concert and we used to go
to a lot of concerts early inour marriage and we loved it.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
We loved it.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
We haven't been in a long time and we went to a
concert two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
The company was great .
Speaker 4 (18:57):
We had a lot of fun we had a lot of fun with the
people we went with, but we thenrealized at like 10 o'clock
we're like we're tired.
I was ready for bed and we wantto go to bed and we it was a
fun night and we're done, youknow and our friends.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Just like my ears were ringing, I had an earplug
in.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
I was like man and we're like I don't, I don't know
that we find this so much funanymore, and that's okay right.
Everything changes to be fun.
It's not anymore.
Let's try something else.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's that's so important.
Um, so you mentioned that as amarriage ministry here, that
that you host date night.
Yep, yeah, I want to talk moreabout.
Do you want to talk more aboutthat?
Speaker 4 (19:34):
So we try to do date nights about every four to four
to six a year, I would say here,depending on the season of year
, and we try and build in somethings we do here at hope and
some things we do off site.
Um, just opportunities to gettogether with other couples,
because you want that connectionwith your spouse and it's also
nice to connect with othercouples too, right, yeah, um,
(19:55):
build some community andrelationships around that as
well.
So the next one coming up isour, our annual cornhole
challenge, which is in august.
Yeah, which, how many yearshave you?
Speaker 2 (20:05):
guys, this is the third year.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
So, we do this right at Hope.
It is just a fun night.
You know it's not.
If you're like a serious need,all the rules cornhole player,
leave that at home.
But it's just a fun night to betogether.
We have snacks, we have prizes,we have childcare available for
people with younger kids, andthen we do different things
(20:27):
throughout the year.
So last year we did the AxeThrone, we did a game night, we
did a bonfire night, We've donerestaurant nights, we've done
bowling.
We've done different things andI'm always looking for new
ideas.
So anybody who has an idea fora date night, I'm happy to reach
out to me and we are happy tomake that happen.
Sometimes there are costs,sometimes they're free,
sometimes they're here,sometimes they're home.
(20:47):
It's, you know, just mix it up.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Lots of different options.
Lots of different options.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
That's great, yeah, to meet everyone's different um
interests, cause there's a lotof them, and you know what
Trying new things is soimportant?
Yeah, so sometimes we trythings.
You know he likes the.
He likes the sports stuff.
I'm not so great in it, butI'll play pickleball.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
The other day.
I was going to say the otherday.
She's like do you want to gopick a?
Speaker 4 (21:07):
woman.
And you're like say yes beforeshe changes her mind and like he
likes to run, I like to walk.
But sometimes we're like do youwant to go for a walk with me?
Speaker 2 (21:26):
And He'll walk with me a little bit and then he'll
run, or the opposite.
It's just finding ways.
What is something fun that eachof you would like to try?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
I'm throwing this at you, oh, you are throwing this
at me In real time.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
We can cut it if it doesn't go well.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Let's say traveling.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Well traveling.
We have not gone to anothercountry together where maybe
English is not the firstlanguage.
Um, there's lots of places Iwould like to go.
Lou would like to just goskiing every year, cause he's a
winter.
He's a winter fun person, I'm asummer fun person.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
So do you do, do both , do you rotate?
How do you?
Speaker 3 (22:05):
guysanda just sends me on a ski trip that is not.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
That is not fully true so because he loves to ski.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
He does, he goes on an annual ski trip with friends
from high school which I alsothink is important for you guys
to share.
That it is okay, it is good todo to try each other things.
And it is good to have time togo do the things that you do,
because that also, I thinksometimes that also helps draw
you back towards each other.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Absolutely yeah, he goes every winter for four days
with his friends from highschool skiing, and I'll go to
the beach with my girlfriend youknow, in warmer season which?
Is so important, but we alsotake our family ski trip every
year we do we take the kids andI go.
I don't ski, but I'm happy tohang out at the house and read,
because that's what's fun for me.
And then the summer we tend todo summer We'll do a summer
(22:58):
warmer weather vacation?
Yeah, so we do.
We do try to get to the wintervacation too.
It's not just the summervacation.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Plug for the Hope ski trip which a bunch of us are
planning.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Are you planning one?
I'm sure that would be popular.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Ryan Tomlinson to give him credit.
He's the one who approached me.
Contact.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Lou about a ski trip that sounds fun.
I have never been skiing, Iwould love to learn, but it
terrifies me a little bit.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
It is terrifying.
I have tried it.
I feel like if you didn't learnas a kid you look silly.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Do one of the things I want to do Skydiving there you
go, that's very adventurousAmanda.
I'm an adventurer.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I don't know that, I'll do that.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I used to go mountain climbing.
We'd have to rope in, rappeldown.
I think you'd like that.
Yeah, some repelling.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Mountain climbing I would do.
I would try mountain like realmountain climbing, not just like
on a rock wall in a gym.
I would try mountain climbing.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
There you go, there you go.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
All right.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
So you guys report back about how mountain climbing
goes.
Yeah, I love that.
Well, I love thank honestlysharing with us about how you
have fun, where you're different, why that's okay, why it
matters to have fun, and then itcan be.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
It's it, it was hard for us, and it's.
Some couples do this easily andsome don't, and it's it's just
something that you can worktowards.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Well, if you're listening,thank you so much for being a
listener.
If this episode meant somethingto you, pass it on to another
couple.
Maybe that you know that iswanting to pursue some fun.
Or maybe you're going to textit to your spouse or your
partner today because you wantto go have fun with them.
But please share with a friend,and you can always find us here
(24:40):
at the Meat Hope podcast.
We have new episodes everyMonday, and you can find us at
meethopeorg podcast or in yourfavorite podcast app and on
social media, and so, until then, we hope that you find a way to
have fun today and we'll seeyou next time.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we
continue our conversationsabout faith and hope.
If you don't already, pleasejoin us for worship on Sundays
or on demand.
You can learn more atmeethopeorg or find us on
(25:22):
socials at Meet Hope Church.
Welcome to the Meet Hope Podcast, where we have
conversations about faith andhope.
Hope is one church made ofpeople living out their faith
through two expressions inperson and online.
We believe a hybrid faithexperience can lead to a growing
influence in our community andour world for the sake of others
.
Welcome to Hope.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hi everyone, Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast.
My name is Ashley Black and I'mexcited to be here today with
you, our listeners, and I alsohave with me Amanda and Lou
Cavalieri.
Hey guys, how are you doing?
Hi, Ashley, Great.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Hi, so thank you for being here.
So today's episode we'retalking about how to have fun in
our marriage and, amanda, thisepisode came out of you recently
, on a Sunday morning, you weretalking about something in
marriage and family parentingministry and you talked about
prioritizing fun and I went oh,that might be a really great
(01:02):
conversation, and so that's kindof how we landed here.
You guys also host a smallgroup for couples, for married
couples.
Right, we do?
Yeah, correct, and so, yeah, sothanks for being here.
So, since we're talking aboutfun, how good are you at having
fun?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Thank you for asking.
So we will be married 22 yearsthis summer and before we got
married we went through apre-marriage mentoring program
at the church we were attendingat the time and we do the same
thing here at Hope.
We do pre-marital mentoring andpart of that is taking a survey
, answering a lot of questions,right?
(01:38):
So I answered a lot ofquestions separately, lou
answered a lot of questionsseparately, and then the machine
spits out the results.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yes, I remember Chris and I doing it and I'd be like
what are you putting?
That's cheating.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
We didn't cheat we didn't cheat, but we were like
what are you going to say aboutus?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It was fine, just for everybody listening.
It went fine.
Yes, yeah, it obviously wentfine, right?
So?
Speaker 4 (01:58):
we met with the way that we did it back then.
23 years ago, we met with ourpastor and he sits down across a
desk from us and he pulls outthe papers and he's like well,
these are very interestingresults.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Always something you love to hear.
I was like oh no, different,interesting, unique, great,
makes you feel real comfortableright away.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
And he says you guys scored 100% on communication and
connection.
He's like I've never seen thatand we were like feeling great.
We're like, yes, we communicate.
We're going to be the perfect,you're so great, and he said but
you scored a 40% on leisure.
He's like this doesn't make anysense, right?
(02:40):
Like leisure, the fun stuff istypically the stuff that people
do well, and you have to work atthe other things.
And so I mean I'm kind of likewell, what's the big deal?
Right, so we can communicateand we can, we're connected, so
we don't have so much fun.
Except, fun is actually areally big deal.
But because we are so differentand a lot of couples are right
(03:04):
we are wired so differently.
We have completely differentinterests.
Fun is hard for us.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Okay, can you tell us a little bit about what your
different interests are?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Sure, Well, a man doesn't like to ride a bike.
So just to let everyone knowwhere I'm coming from here, I
mean, that's a better question.
That person probably said likewhat do you know the?
Other doesn't like to do.
No, but in all seriousness.
I mean I grew up playing sports, and I mean always outdoors
Like only read a book if I wasrequired to do so for school,
(03:38):
whereas Amanda loves to read youknow You're extroverted, I'm
extroverted, I'm introverted toread, you know, and you know
you're extroverted.
Extroverted, which again I thinkis the same in a lot of you
know, relationships, marriages,um, you know, one is usually the
extrovert, one is introvert,but that, I mean, that's not got
created.
Us, you know to be differentand I think that's a lot of
times, opposite attract.
(03:59):
Um, so, you know, I'm sure thatthere's a lot of couples, or
you know people out there, thatprobably struggle with the same
thing, Trying to find likeinterests and things to do
together.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, so it's that you know we have to actually
work at finding things to dotogether for fun.
Because there's not a whole lotthat we both enjoy doing for
fun.
Yeah, I will say.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I got Amanda on a bike 20 years into our marriage
Nice, but not on a road.
Got Amanda on a bike 20 yearsinto our marriage but not on a
road.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Not on a road.
I had to be on a back statepark.
Baby steps.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
We were the only ones in the park, I think.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I like that you said in the beginning or when you
were talking about the surveythat you did, that you were like
it's not a big deal, because Ifeel like when you're getting
into a serious relationship,when you get engaged and you
choose to get married, like it'snot necessarily stressed, like
it's assumed that you're alreadylike have fun together because
that's how you dated and so.
(04:54):
But all those other things arelike you hear them everywhere
like you have to be good atcommunicating, conflict
resolution, like there's likeall these, like bars that you
feel like you have to meet tohave a good relationship.
So I get that.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
That why you'd be like why is that a big deal?
And truly, and where it getstricky is what life gets busy.
Right, you get married, you're,maybe you have kids, and the
first thing to go is the funstuff.
Right, we're working, we'retaking care of teenagers, we're
working, we're taking care ofteenagers, we're caring for
aging parents, we're payingbills, we're taking care of the
(05:26):
house on and on and on and on.
So we're exhausted a lot, andso the first thing to go often
is the fun things.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, but do you believe God cares about us
having fun?
A thousand percent yeah, me too.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Yeah, obviously A thousand percent.
I think all of us.
We wouldn't be at hope if wedidn't think that Nehemiah 8.10
says the joy of the Lord is mystrength.
We get strength from joy, andso when life gets hard and it
does get hard we need to havethat joy to help carry us
(06:01):
through it.
And so what joy provides isthat connection with our spouse
that will help to carry usthrough the more challenging
days, Right, Um, and it justwe're going to go through
seasons that are going to beeasier than others and, um, even
(06:22):
just in a regular year, likesummer, it's easier to do date
nights or it's easier tovacation and things like that.
And then the busier seasons ofthe year, those dynamics change,
and so it's important to becultivating and taking time in
our lives to build that joy into help us when life gets more
challenging.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Absolutely, because we were talking about last night
in our small group how busynesssteals our joy and our fun and
how important it is, like yousaid, to cultivate that and like
I was reading in Galatians 5.22, the fruit of the spirit is joy
, and you were mentioning theNehemiah verse, and when you
walk by the spirit as aChristian, there should
(07:03):
obviously be joy in our life.
And so you had mentioned toohow we get so busy.
And I wanted to add driving thekids.
We were joking earlier how whenthey were on the mission trip
it was, I don't think I filledup my gas tank once, and then
they get home and then we'retaxing them and driving them all
around and I dated myself there, so we just talked about it.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
We Ubered them all around and I dated myself there,
so we just talked about it.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
We Ubered them all around Because you have two
teenagers, yes, and so we'retrying to figure out how to be
in two different locations atthe same time and so, yeah, so
usually the first thing to go isthe fun and marriage.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, especially if you have two and you're in two
different places often.
Yeah, like passing With dad oryeah, two and you're in two
different places often, right,yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:43):
like passing, you know that.
Or yeah, like he'll take one,I'll take the other and keep
people have multiple children,or you're even split even more
and more and more, you know, orwhatever the demands are,
whether it's not kids, it couldbe just work, it could be,
parents.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It could be anything that are pulling us yeah, when
we live in a culture that's likealways on them on the move like
chris and I talk about this alot like we, since we went
through the pandemic, somethingthat came out of it for our, our
family and us as a couple waslike we recognized, like how
much we felt like we were doingand we wanted to be better about
like slowing down or like beingmore intentional about what we
(08:19):
chose to spend our time on andwe're not perfect in it in any
way.
But it's like a lot of ourconversation is around like
before we say yes to something.
It's like okay, what's gonna belike?
Is it what?
Like?
Is it gonna pull away from ourfun over here or is it gonna
pull away from time together andyou know, um?
But?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
but we don't live in a world that rewards slowing
down and no having no fun, youknow, yeah, yeah, everything's
got a big, got a big 100 milesan hour, and that's again the
slowing down.
And again we talked about thatlast night.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
What do?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
you do to slow down, and what does that look like?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
What did some of the people in your small group say?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
So it was an interesting conversation.
Some are really good about hey,we're going to just take a day
Retirement day.
Retirement day.
They call it a retirement dayand we're just going to go play
pickleball, or just.
We talked about eitherintentionally slowing down, so
(09:20):
figuring out those times of ourlives when we are more hurried
or more rushed, like morningsare crazy.
So the night before we're goingto get all those things under
control so that we're notrunning all the time or we're
not going to be on our phone orwalking in the door like we're
going to try and slow that down,or we're going to pay more
attention to those spontaneousopportunities, like when we are
(09:41):
driving somewhere and there'llbe like a lookout and Lou will
say, hey, let's pull over andlook, and I'm always like no
we've got to get to where we'vegot to get to, but saying yes to
more of those smallopportunities to like let's stop
and watch the sunset, let'sstop and dance to this song in
our kitchen, right, and evenjust those little things, if we
(10:02):
can build them in our day, help.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You know, those are the moments that bring us joy,
yeah, and what I hear you guystalking about in that is also
like listening to each otherwhich I'm sure gets harder if
you have kids and if life getsor work brings more demands as
you move up in your career orthings change, you know, and it
can be harder.
I think it can be easier.
We're not as far along in ourmarriage as you guys we will be
(10:28):
married seven years this yearbut I've noticed for us it gets
harder.
There I feel like it's like thefirst yes.
I stopped saying like, not notbecause we mean to, but because
we have to say yes to our kids,or we have to say we have to go
feed them or we have to go dothis, and I don't know what the
(10:50):
right word is.
You feel like you can lean onthat person a little bit more in
hard times and that's a goodthing, but also Psalm 90 talks
about teaching us to number ourdays.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
For us to be keenly aware that every day is a gift
and we want to make sure that,within each day, we are turning
towards our spouse, whether itbe in a small way, like dancing
in a kitchen, or a larger way,like taking the whole day to go
do something together.
We want to be turning towardsour spouse every day because it
is a gift.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Yeah, I love that phrase turning towards our
spouse.
So why have fun now?
Because, like you guysmentioned, life gets hard, yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yeah, it will.
And the marriages that willhave a better chance to survive
are those when you have a strongemotional connection with your
spouse, right, and we draw fromand we lean on a strong
emotional connection with ourspouse because of the shared
experiences we have, right.
So we might think, oh, we'regoing axing, like that's kind of
dumb and you know like what isthat.
(11:54):
But you know, we go and we havea great time with one another,
with other couples.
It creates that experience thatdraws us closer right.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Those things build intimacy and that is so
important to the health of amarriage yeah, and the
playfulness refreshes our soulsand lifts us out of those daily
ruts that we were talking aboutearlier.
It does.
It truly lightens our loads andbrings us closer together, like
you're saying.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Yeah, play is not just for kids.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I recently was talking to another adult about
this how, as adults, we don'tplay, we don't engage in play,
and how much there isplayfulness in the spirit of God
, and how we're invited intothat and what it does for our
bodies and our minds when weplay you know, and so yeah, so.
(12:42):
So how do you guys have fun?
How would you suggest othercouples have fun if for them
this is something where they'relike wow, we haven't, we haven't
been pursuing this yeah, yeah,yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
so one of the things that we were challenged to do
when we got married was to spenda weekend away each year
together, so we have reallyworked hard at making sure that
we always prioritize that, andso we will plan.
It's usually around ouranniversary, a time where it's
two or three, maybe four nightsthat we get to get away, and
(13:17):
this has looked different in allseasons, like when our kids
were babies.
we couldn't do that, and so itwas like a night down the shore,
or even sometime we had tobring a baby because they were
tiny, or during COVID.
This didn't work, you know butand there were times where money
was tighter, so we had to besuper creative of like, oh, we
have a friend who has a house,can we borrow it for a weekend?
Speaker 2 (13:37):
that kind of thing yeah, and it's important for
everybody listening to know,like, when you make us, when we
make suggestions here, yes, itis not like the hard and fast
like and it was went, perfectand it's no like an arrow to
it's no it's.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's going to change and it's going to look different
for everyone.
But something that we did learnwas this is an investment in
our marriage.
So, there were times when wewere like, gosh, there is not a
whole lot in our savings accountand it probably isn't the
smartest thing and we're notsaying to be reckless with your
finances, but money that youspend into that time, you are
making an investment in yourmarriage, right?
(14:12):
So we try to prioritize that asbest as we can.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
And even the date nights.
Date nights.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
So when we go away, we try to build in like we try
to always go somewhere differentCause I'm like.
I'm like I want to go someplacenew.
There's so many places.
And he was like let's just goto the same place every year
Cause we loved it.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I mean Chris and I are the same.
I'm similar to you.
I've got my.
I love making a Google map list.
I love looking where we'regoing and I make a whole list of
like look at all these placeswe can do and eat and go, and
he's like I'm good with, thebeach was great, let's go.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
But to that.
There is adventure in that.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
There's adventure in and again that shared experience
of creating those new memoriesright, and so we have done
things like white whitewaterrafting.
I did go biking.
I went biking twice.
I went biking in virginia anddelaware, just so you know.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
I got on a bike twice everybody lou looks like he's
gonna go look that up I onlyrecall one of those events and
Chincoteague and Cape Ham Open.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Okay, I think you're right.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Wine tasting, sailing just different things.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Hiking.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Yeah, and then date nights here.
So we've done things like youknow.
We did a date night withfriends where we went and like
learned how to cook something,and that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
That was a lot of fun here with church.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
we've done, we've done the ax throwing, we've done
bowling, we've done bonfirenights, game nights, you know it
.
It doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to be crazy,
but when you try new thingstogether, it creates, you know,
when we learn new things, itcreates new neural pathways in
our brains.
Creates, you know, when welearn new things, it creates new
neural pathways in our brains.
Right, and we can do that ourentire life.
(16:01):
So the more new things we learn, the more pathways in our brain
that are getting, that aregetting created, the more
connected we're going to be toour spouse when we share those
things with them.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, that's a really great visual.
Even just to think about, likewhen you ever seen graphics of
like neurons and brain things,like you could even imagine,
like in both of you making newones, they're moving towards
each other.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I was thinking while you were talking about how
grateful I have been for coupleswho have gone before us who
have provided little likemoments of investment in us in
those ways when it's when we'rein a're in a new season of our
life.
So when we had our first son, Ireally appreciated someone, um
(16:41):
a friend of ours who goes herein.
At my baby shower the gift waslike one baby thing, but then it
was like two or three boardgames and like a book and there
was post-its on each one and itwas like, look, I know there's
not gonna be a lot of time, butwhen our kid, when we were in
between those like waking hours,we would play cribbage.
And so here's a cribbage boardand like learn how to play and
(17:03):
it was like so thoughtful Thenit was so like it met us right
where we were.
Something else Chris and I tryto do right now because of the
season of life we're in.
So, if anybody's listening, wehave a five-year-old and a
one-year-old is.
we found that we have a pocketof time where our schedules line
up during the week and everyother week that we go and get
(17:24):
coffee and uh in the morningwhich like took us a while to
recognize, because usually youthink like date night, you have
to get child care and also theydon't go to bed really well
right now, and it's just like awhole thing.
And so it's been a.
We both look forward to it thatwe're like, even if it's just a
half an hour that we we dropthem off, child care comes, we
(17:44):
run to get a cup of coffee andwe try to be intentional about
talking, and so that's how we'vehad to get creative with our
schedule and it is all aboutcreativity.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
We do a lot more date lunches now during the school
year because both kids are atschool and if he has some time
off and I can get away likethose two hours first of all,
lunch is cheaper.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
We're not exhausted, you know.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
And that's okay.
Like, however you build thetime in.
Maybe it's a saturday morningbreakfast thing, maybe it's a
when our kids were little we'dput them to bed a little earlier
and order dinner in, you know,and just like have have that
time at home.
Yeah, it doesn't really matterhow you do it or what it looks
like for your marriage, justthat you are making it a
priority yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So it changes as seasons change, Does it?
Speaker 4 (18:28):
it doesn't always is it always fun?
It's, you know I.
What we are finding is thatsomething that was maybe fun 20
years ago isn't fun anymore.
As we are changing, so are ourinterests.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
We just went to a concert.
That's what she's talking about, do you?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
guys have an example.
Yes, we do.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
So before interests, we just went to a concert.
Do you guys have an example?
Yes, we do.
Before we were dating, we wentto a concert and we used to go
to a lot of concerts early inour marriage and we loved it.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
We loved it.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
We haven't been in a long time and we went to a
concert two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
The company was great .
Speaker 4 (18:57):
We had a lot of fun we had a lot of fun with the
people we went with, but we thenrealized at like 10 o'clock
we're like we're tired.
I was ready for bed and we wantto go to bed and we it was a
fun night and we're done, youknow and our friends.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Just like my ears were ringing, I had an earplug
in.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
I was like man and we're like I don't, I don't know
that we find this so much funanymore, and that's okay right.
Everything changes to be fun.
It's not anymore.
Let's try something else.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's that's so important.
Um, so you mentioned that as amarriage ministry here, that
that you host date night.
Yep, yeah, I want to talk moreabout.
Do you want to talk more aboutthat?
Speaker 4 (19:34):
So we try to do date nights about every four to four
to six a year, I would say here,depending on the season of year
, and we try and build in somethings we do here at hope and
some things we do off site.
Um, just opportunities to gettogether with other couples,
because you want that connectionwith your spouse and it's also
nice to connect with othercouples too, right, yeah, um,
(19:55):
build some community andrelationships around that as
well.
So the next one coming up isour, our annual cornhole
challenge, which is in august.
Yeah, which, how many yearshave you?
Speaker 2 (20:05):
guys, this is the third year.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
So, we do this right at Hope.
It is just a fun night.
You know it's not.
If you're like a serious need,all the rules cornhole player,
leave that at home.
But it's just a fun night to betogether.
We have snacks, we have prizes,we have childcare available for
people with younger kids, andthen we do different things
(20:27):
throughout the year.
So last year we did the AxeThrone, we did a game night, we
did a bonfire night, We've donerestaurant nights, we've done
bowling.
We've done different things andI'm always looking for new
ideas.
So anybody who has an idea fora date night, I'm happy to reach
out to me and we are happy tomake that happen.
Sometimes there are costs,sometimes they're free,
sometimes they're here,sometimes they're home.
(20:47):
It's, you know, just mix it up.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Lots of different options.
Lots of different options.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
That's great, yeah, to meet everyone's different um
interests, cause there's a lotof them, and you know what
Trying new things is soimportant?
Yeah, so sometimes we trythings.
You know he likes the.
He likes the sports stuff.
I'm not so great in it, butI'll play pickleball.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
The other day.
I was going to say the otherday.
She's like do you want to gopick a?
Speaker 4 (21:07):
woman.
And you're like say yes beforeshe changes her mind and like he
likes to run, I like to walk.
But sometimes we're like do youwant to go for a walk with me?
Speaker 2 (21:26):
And He'll walk with me a little bit and then he'll
run, or the opposite.
It's just finding ways.
What is something fun that eachof you would like to try?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
I'm throwing this at you, oh, you are throwing this
at me In real time.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
We can cut it if it doesn't go well.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Let's say traveling.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Well traveling.
We have not gone to anothercountry together where maybe
English is not the firstlanguage.
Um, there's lots of places Iwould like to go.
Lou would like to just goskiing every year, cause he's a
winter.
He's a winter fun person, I'm asummer fun person.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
So do you do, do both , do you rotate?
How do you?
Speaker 3 (22:05):
guysanda just sends me on a ski trip that is not.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
That is not fully true so because he loves to ski.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
He does, he goes on an annual ski trip with friends
from high school which I alsothink is important for you guys
to share.
That it is okay, it is good todo to try each other things.
And it is good to have time togo do the things that you do,
because that also, I thinksometimes that also helps draw
you back towards each other.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Absolutely yeah, he goes every winter for four days
with his friends from highschool skiing, and I'll go to
the beach with my girlfriend youknow, in warmer season which?
Is so important, but we alsotake our family ski trip every
year we do we take the kids andI go.
I don't ski, but I'm happy tohang out at the house and read,
because that's what's fun for me.
And then the summer we tend todo summer We'll do a summer
(22:58):
warmer weather vacation?
Yeah, so we do.
We do try to get to the wintervacation too.
It's not just the summervacation.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Plug for the Hope ski trip which a bunch of us are
planning.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Are you planning one?
I'm sure that would be popular.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Ryan Tomlinson to give him credit.
He's the one who approached me.
Contact.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Lou about a ski trip that sounds fun.
I have never been skiing, Iwould love to learn, but it
terrifies me a little bit.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
It is terrifying.
I have tried it.
I feel like if you didn't learnas a kid you look silly.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Do one of the things I want to do Skydiving there you
go, that's very adventurousAmanda.
I'm an adventurer.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I don't know that, I'll do that.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I used to go mountain climbing.
We'd have to rope in, rappeldown.
I think you'd like that.
Yeah, some repelling.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Mountain climbing I would do.
I would try mountain like realmountain climbing, not just like
on a rock wall in a gym.
I would try mountain climbing.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
There you go, there you go.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
All right.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
So you guys report back about how mountain climbing
goes.
Yeah, I love that.
Well, I love thank honestlysharing with us about how you
have fun, where you're different, why that's okay, why it
matters to have fun, and then itcan be.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
It's it, it was hard for us, and it's.
Some couples do this easily andsome don't, and it's it's just
something that you can worktowards.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Well, if you're listening,thank you so much for being a
listener.
If this episode meant somethingto you, pass it on to another
couple.
Maybe that you know that iswanting to pursue some fun.
Or maybe you're going to textit to your spouse or your
partner today because you wantto go have fun with them.
But please share with a friend,and you can always find us here
(24:40):
at the Meat Hope podcast.
We have new episodes everyMonday, and you can find us at
meethopeorg podcast or in yourfavorite podcast app and on
social media, and so, until then, we hope that you find a way to
have fun today and we'll seeyou next time.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we
continue our conversationsabout faith and hope.
If you don't already, pleasejoin us for worship on Sundays
or on demand.
You can learn more atmeethopeorg or find us on
(25:22):
socials at Meet Hope Church.
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