The Imperfect & Normal Families Only Podcast

We’re back after a long break! On this episode, Barrett and Jenifer share a very special conversation that Jenifer had with blogger and inspirational mom Krisi Monsivaiz, who just happens to be one of her best friends. During a special weekend away in Savannah, Jen and Krisi set up a mic and recorded an important conversation about family, faith, and taking a long-term view for our kids. Listening in will encourage you no matter where you are in your journey, and it will remind you of the importance of walking through life with good friends. Along the way, they reflect on their Great Marriage Getaway retreat and introduce a series of interviews that you will get to hear in the coming weeks.

Why are there so many checklists? On this episode, Barrett and Jenifer tackle part two of what they feel is perhaps is the most important component of building a healthy family life. (If you haven’t listened to part one yet, do that first.) It may or may not have anything to do with a list. Along the way, they discuss some funny ways people characterize marriage on Twitter, the crazy couple who got married at 100 and 102, and how to recover when you treat your spouse terribly….in her dreams.

On this episode, Barrett and Jenifer take a tongue-in-cheek look at our fascination with lists…and all the people who make promises that if you just do “these things,” your family will be awesome. More importantly, they explore a critical (but often neglected) dimension of the Christian life that makes all the checklists and top 10 lists unnecessary. Along the way, they discuss a recent study on teen sexting, loving your kids (even if you don’t always like them), and why men who take their wives to action movies rarely get any action when the movie is over.

On this episode, Barrett and Jenifer welcome a very special guest….Jenifer’s younger sister Julie. They share openly and honestly about some incredibly difficult struggles their families have had to endure (and continue to endure). They offer hope of God’s activity and redemption in the midst of the pain, reminding us that God can use hard times to bring about good things in our lives and families. Along they way, they share a few embarrassing stories from childhood, discuss a troubling article about sex workers from Teen Vogue, and offer some great resources to help your family get through hard times.

On this episode, Barrett and Jenifer talk about why it’s so important to carefully guard your marriage from outside forces. If you value your marriage, it’s worth protecting! They specifically discuss boundaries in opposite sex relationships, with technology, and with your extended family. Along the way, they also dish on “the talk,” whose job it is to kill spiders, and what we can learn about marriage from Beyonce’s Homecoming concert on Netflix.

On this episode, Barrett and Jenifer discuss how all the issues our pre-teen and teenage girls face are amplified by smartphone technology. They examine a study that chronicles the sharp increase in depression, anxiety, and suicide among our daughters’ generation. In response to the many stories parents have told us about their daughters finding porn, Jenifer has a special segment where she talks to girls about God’s love and His plan for restoration. Along the way, they talk about the challenges of modern parenting, lying to their kids about the ice cream truck, and a dad’s role in shepherding his daughter’s heart.

In the second part of a two part series, Barrett Johnson examines the ways that porn is negatively affecting today’s families. He shares part two of the live talk he recently gave, focusing on what a family must do to stay on guard. (You need an action plan!) He also shares the “four streams of healing” for those who find themselves stuck in a pattern of addiction. The question of the week is one that he and Jenifer encounter often: “What if my spouse thinks porn is no big deal?”

In this unique episode, Barrett Johnson addresses the porn epidemic head-on. After giving a brief introduction (and an apology for his pollen-induced congestion), he shares part one of a live talk he recently gave about the unavoidable impact of porn on our families, focusing on just how widespread the problem is. He also answers a specific question about when to talk about “self-gratification” with your kids (the M word might get flagged here), and shares a ton of resources that will help you to have healthy (and necessary) conversations about porn with your kids.

How can a husband express love to his wife in ways that keep them powerfully connected? On today’s episode, Barrett and Jenifer discuss the truth that most wives have a real need for a satisfying love relationship with their husbands. And they have a built-in barometer that lets them know when they have that or not. Barrett shares some simple things a husband can do that go a long way to make his wife feel cherished. Along the way, they discuss toddlers & their vomit, how long a french fry can survive in a mini-van, and a study that connects the amount of housework a man does and how much sex he has.

How can a wife bring out the best in her husband? On today’s episode, Barrett and Jenifer talk about the incredible power a wife wields when she encourages her man. They also discuss some very practical ways that a wife can become the cheerleader he longs for, including how most popular movies totally get this truth. Along the way, they share Forbes’ list of the 9 toughest jobs (number one will surprise you) and talk about the worst story in the history of mankind involving a preschooler, some poop, and a Chick-Fil-A restroom.

Do you secretly wish that you could fix your spouse and make them more of what you want them to be? On today’s episode, Barrett and Jenifer discuss how you can join God in your spouse’s transformation, but they also suggest that many of the things we want to change in our spouse are actually God-given differences that we need to value. Along the way, they discuss toilet seats, the recent college admissions cheating scandal, and how the greatest challenge of parenthood is helping your children find their shoes.

It’s one of the scariest jobs that parents have, but in our rapidly changing culture, it’s one of the most important. On today’s episode, Barrett and Jenifer suggest some practical ways to get your family talking about God’s design for sex. Along the way, they discuss some kids’ reactions to the “birds and bees,” the 70% premarital cohabitation rate, and why Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell bored their kids when talking about where babies come from.

On this, our first “official” episode, we jump right in and deal with an unmentionable topic. And we mention it…a lot. We talk about why so many couples are NOT having sex and what to do about it. Along the way, we have a quiz to see how messed up your family is, a brief discussion of The (virgin) Bachelor, and some thoughts on how to have sex when the kids are still awake (and in the room next door).

Welcome to the launch of the official podcast designed exclusively for imperfect & normal families. If you’ve got the perfect marriage and your kids are always awesome, them move along…there’s nothing for you here. If you sometimes feel like your family is making it up as you go along, then you’ve come to the right place. On this, our first episode, Barrett and Jenifer Johnson introduce who they are, why they’re doing this thing, and what you can expect in upcoming episodes.