The Speakeasy

This episode is an invitation to rethink what a thriving marriage actually looks like. If you've been focused on loving your spouse but wondering how to genuinely like them too, this conversation is for you. I sat down with Christian counselors Chris and Jamie Bailey of Expedition Marriage to discuss building a marriage where both people are willing to let God transform them. Their story is proof that healthy marriages aren't built by perfect people. Chris and Jamie share how their relationship began before either knew Christ and how years of anxiety, unhealthy expectations, and emotional struggles nearly derailed their marriage. Jamie opens up about severe anxiety and panic attacks, while Chris discusses the helplessness he felt trying to "fix" something he couldn't control. Together, they explain how counseling, faith, and learning healthier patterns moved them toward healing. Here are some great resources Chris and Jamie shared to help you on your journey: For Wives: CLICK HERE For Husbands: CLICK HERE Sponsor: CrowdHealth If you're tired of the traditional health insurance system, CrowdHealth offers a community-based alternative designed to help families access quality healthcare without many of the frustrations of conventional insurance. Learn more at JoinCrowdHealth.com and use code SPEAKEASY for a special offer. #Marriage #ChristianMarriage #Relationships #ExpeditionMarriage #ChrisAndJamieBailey #TheSpeakeasyPodcast #CrowdHealth #MarriageAdvice #FaithAndFamily

What if Bible study didn't feel dry, intimidating, or guilt-driven, but instead felt alive, honest, and deeply formative? In this episode of The Speakeasy Podcast, Blake sits down with Faith Womack, author of No More Boring Bible Study and self-proclaimed Bible nerd, to talk about how Scripture can actually come to life in your everyday faith. Faith shares her powerful story of growing up with Scripture misused and weaponized—and how God redeemed that pain by drawing her into a deep, life-giving love for His Word. Together, they unpack: Why Bible study often feels boring (and why it doesn't have to) How cultural Christianity and performance pressure distort our approach to Scripture Why chasing "mountaintop moments" can actually hold us back How to read the Bible with clarity, context, and confidence Why it's okay to go slow, camp out, and stop treating God like a vending machine This conversation is freeing, grounding, and incredibly practical, especially if you've ever felt overwhelmed, bored, intimidated, or burned by Bible study. Whether you're brand new to reading Scripture or have been in it for years, this episode will help you shift from pressure to presence and rediscover the beauty of God's Word. "The Bible isn't boring, we just haven't always been taught how to read it." Sponsor: Cozy Earth Upgrade your rest with Cozy Earth's luxury bamboo pajamas—soft, breathable, and temperature-regulating. Backed by a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. ✨ Shop at cozyearth.com and use code SPEAKEASY for a special offer.

This episode continues an unexpected but timely series focused on strengthening families at the start of the year. Blake sits down with Pastor Craig Thompson, author of Fighting for Your Family, for an honest, practical conversation about marriage, parenting, and spiritual warfare. Too often, the hardest battles feel like they're inside the home—spouses clashing, tension with kids, constant frustration. But Craig reframes the fight: your spouse and your family are not the enemy. The real shift happens when couples stop fighting each other and start standing back-to-back, fighting for their family's mission and future. Together, they unpack: What spiritual warfare actually looks like in everyday family life Why humility, prayer, and "going first" matter more than being right How fighting your own flesh changes everything The power of encouragement, honor, and apology in marriage Why community and the local church are essential for healthy families If you're carrying tension from last year—or want to protect what God is building in your home—this episode offers biblical clarity and tangible next steps. Whether you're married, dating, parenting, or preparing for the future, this conversation equips you to stand firm and fight well. Sponsor: Cozy Earth Upgrade your home with Cozy Earth's luxury bedding, towels, and pajamas—soft, breathable, and made to last. Try it risk-free with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. ✨ Get up to 20% off at cozyearth.com with code SPEAKEASY. Sponsor: CrowdHealth Frustrated with traditional insurance? CrowdHealth is a healthcare alternative built on transparency and community. Pay a monthly fee, get access to bill negotiators, lower-cost prescriptions, and when big needs arise, the crowd helps cover the rest. ✨ Start for $99 for your first 3 months at joincrowdhealth.com with code SPEAKEASY. (CrowdHealth is not insurance.) Your family is worth fighting for—together.

Happy New Year and welcome to the very first Speak Easy episode of 2026. To kick off the year, Blake dives into a topic that impacts every family—even if we avoid talking about it: healthcare. In this episode, Blake sits down with Andy Schoonover, CEO of CrowdHealth, to unpack why so many people feel trapped in traditional health insurance, how the system actually profits, and what alternatives exist for families who want more agency, transparency, and community-driven care. Andy shares his personal breaking point with insurance denial, how cash-pay medicine exposed the cracks in the system, and why CrowdHealth was built to give people a real exit ramp. Together, they explore rising deductibles, denied claims, negotiated medical bills, prescription costs, and why "healthcare" often feels more like "sick care." This conversation goes beyond policy—it's about autonomy, informed choices, and breaking out of systems that no longer serve us. If you've ever asked, "What am I even paying for?" or wondered if there's another way, this episode may open a door you didn't know existed. CrowdHealth is a healthcare alternative that lets members crowdfund medical expenses, negotiate bills, and access care without insurance networks or massive deductibles. ✨ Try it out for $99 for your first 3 months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com/speakeasy. (CrowdHealth is not insurance.) Sometimes opting out is the first step toward freedom.

Merry (belated) Christmas and welcome to "dead week"—that weird, quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year when nobody knows what day it is… and honestly, it's kind of wonderful. This is the final Friday of the year, which means we're wrapping up the Ending Well series—seven weeks of looking back at 2025, redeeming the hard parts, and hunting down the goodness God planted along the way. Today's episode is where everything comes together. Not as separate lessons—hearing God, going a different way, pruning, embracing the ordinary, releasing usefulness, becoming the wife and woman I want to be—but as integration: when revelation becomes rhythm. When what God taught you doesn't just live in a journal… it starts living in your nervous system, your choices, your peace, and your presence. We talk about what it means to become the same person everywhere—at home, at work, in conflict, in rest. Not the performing self, people-pleasing self, or defensive self—but the authentic self God created. The shift from constantly feeling "split" to finally feeling rooted. From Romans 7 ("why do I keep doing what I hate?") to Psalm 1—steady, nourished, bearing fruit in season. This episode is a testimony: God is big enough to change you. To grow self-control. To cultivate peace. To help you stop showing up to every battle you're invited to—and still keep your courage when it's time to stand firm. The fire of 2025 didn't leave me untouched, but it refined me. And the fruit is showing up: steadier peace, clearer discernment, deeper roots, anchored hope, and—maybe for the first time—actually liking who I'm becoming. If you feel stuck, scattered, or like you'll never change… come with me. The water's a little scary, but it's good. Sponsor: PreBorn A woman considering abortion is twice as likely to choose life if she can see an ultrasound or hear the heartbeat. PreBorn provides free ultrasounds and continues supporting moms with resources, classes, and aid—up to two years after birth. 💛 It's $28 to fund one ultrasound. Give at preborn.com/speakeasy and help give the gift of life.