Trust, Betrayal, Conflict, Intimacy & Finding Community | Live from Hope Church

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Our father/daughter team is here to make your next trip a true vacation. We have long valued building lasting memories, celebrating milestones, and exploring together as a family. Now we want to help you do the same. To be honest, we have loved planning seamless, well-organized travel almost as much as the trips themselves. Now we want to help you!

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Andy and Bethany record a playful, slightly chaotic “puppy pod” episode of Slightly Off Script focused on ways they’ve changed their minds in marriage and life. They announced the podcast is shifting from mostly weekly releases to a twice-a-month schedule to prioritize stronger content, including interviews, one-on-one episodes, and live podcasts. They share a recent nearby hotel getaway they almost canceled, highlighting the value of putting time away on the calendar and how rested they felt afterward. Then they walk through “marriage assumptions rewritten,” discussing healthier views of conflict (aiming to accomplish rather than win), evolving perspectives on romance and intimacy (as a shared delight and the importance of talking outside the bedroom), flexibility in marriage roles across seasons, parenting shifts (less stress about food, more strict with electronics, and increased intentionality around in-home discipleship), caring less about appearances, and changes in confidence, insecurity, ambition, productivity, and impact. In a rapid-fire section, they joke about past trends and hobbies (including Bethany’s former love of PT Cruisers, her furniture refinishing phase, Andy giving up basketball, Bethany competing in power lifting, and their increased travel). They close by noting changes they’ve seen in each other, a funny puppy accident during recording, and promoting an upcoming marriage conference in Quincy, Massachusetts (first weekend of March) hosted by Harbor Church on the Cape at the Marriott, with extras like a photo booth and Boston Improv, plus directing listeners to andyneedham.com for their travel schedule.

00:00 Welcome + Big Update: Moving to a Twice-a-Month Release Schedule

01:37 Show Intro & The “Puppy Pod” Chaos (Maple May Joins the Mic)

02:54 Practicing What We Preach: The Overnight Mini-Retreat That Reset Us

06:29 Today’s Topic: Marriage Assumptions We’ve Rewritten

07:19 Conflict: From “Fighting Is Bad” to Healthy Growth & Long-Term Goals

08:35 Romance & Intimacy: Reframing Sex, and Talking Outside the Bedroom

10:48 Marriage Roles: Flexibility, Seasons, and Letting Go of “Traditional” Guilt

12:53 Parenting Shifts: Food Stress, Phones/Electronics, and Discipleship at Home

15:43 What Matters Less Now: Appearances vs. Healthy Family Priorities

16:46 Personal Growth & Identity: Confidence in Christ, Insecurities, and Aging Together

18:45 Insecurity Doesn’t Disappear—You Learn to Recognize It

19:09 Letting Go of the “Destination” Mindset (Faithfulness Over Success)

20:58 Being Faithful With Your Gifts (No More Competing or Comparison)

22:35 Redefining Productivity: Limits, Stewardship, and Grace

24:43 Impact Isn’t Always Bigger: Learning to Love Smaller Rooms

25:34 Rapid-Fire Lightning Round: Trends, Annoyances, and Old Hobbies

29:17 What We Never Expected: Powerlifting, Travel, and Growing Up

30:29 What’s Changed in Us: Chill, Driving, and Marriage Banter

32:41 Wrap-Up: Puppy Chaos, Conference Plug, and Final Goodbyes