{"id":302101,"date":"2010-08-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/opposites-attract\/"},"modified":"2010-08-30T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-08-30T15:00:00","slug":"opposites-attract","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/opposites-attract\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposites Attract"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What attracted you to your spouse?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2010-08-30.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"30.96M","filesize_raw":"32465018","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[2949],"podcast_series":[7751],"cwp_profile":[9210,9042],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302101","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-abuse","podcast_series-choosing-to-see","cwp_profile-mary-beth-chapman","cwp_profile-steven-curtis-chapman","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/302101\/opposites-attract","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302101\/opposites-attract","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"e7Jj5biZ0B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/opposites-attract\/\">Opposites Attract<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/opposites-attract\/embed\/#?secret=e7Jj5biZ0B\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Opposites Attract&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"e7Jj5biZ0B\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What attracted you to your spouse?","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2010-08-30.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Steven Curtis Chapman remembers coming to the point in his marriage where he realized his wife, Mary Beth was a great gift to him. A gift given by God so that Steven could see things he wouldn't otherwise see about himself.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 My whole spiritual journey has been, \u201cGod I'm way more messed up than I thought I was, and you're using this woman to show me that.\u201d\u00a0 And, probably using me in her life to show her how much she needs you as well because that's really what marriage is about. It's going to show us how broken we are. How selfish we are. How much we need a savior.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Monday, August 30<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey.\u00a0 And I'm Bob Lepine. Today Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, share with us about their romance, their courtship, and about the sanctifying impact of being married to one another. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Thanks for joining us. You know, it's not often that\u2026now listen, they're whispering. We're on the radio and they\u2019re whispering to each other.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Each other.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I was...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You would think they would have come in here prepared.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> I was blinking Morse code.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I had this professionally-put-together introduction, and they're whispering back-and-forth. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Whatever you want to say Mary Beth.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> Hi, this is Mary Beth Chapman and my husband, Steven Curtis today on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. And today, we are interviewing Dennis Rainey, and what is it that you do?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, it's your show now?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 An actual takeover has occurred.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 We do have a lot of fun here.\u00a0 If you don't recognize the name, I want to say 'Shame on you,' but not everybody does, so let me just take a moment. Mary Beth Chapman is the President of <em>Show Hope<\/em>, which is a ministry that has provided a lot of assistance, financial assistance, to couples who are interested in adopting children.\u00a0 She's written a book called <em>Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope,<\/em> which we do hope to talk about here in a moment.\u00a0 And, she's married to a young man who, well, does a little singing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Steven Curtis Chapman. He's won five Grammy's.\u00a0 Fifty-six Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.\u00a0 And, his latest album is \"Beauty Will Rise\" which was released last year.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMary Beth, I want to talk to you about really the home you grew up in, and then ultimately how you met. You grew up in a home that was all about planning, consistency, security.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh, yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And, you ended up marrying somebody who was not exactly from that same background.\u00a0 Take us back to your home and kind of introduce us to your parents and the home you grew up in.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, I was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio.\u00a0 The house we moved into\u2014when I was ten months old\u2014is still the house that my parents live in today, so not much changed in my world.\u00a0 I went to the same school \u201cK-8\u201d and then went to high school 9th-12<sup>th<\/sup>\u2026 same school system.\u00a0 My dad, one of my heroes, worked at International Harvester Company, a truck factory, for 30 years. My mom never had her driver's license until after I had mine, and I was the baby of the family.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy brother is nine years older; my sister is seven years older, and then me. So, when I literally say, 'not much changed' - not much changed. We had the same routine, grocery store on Saturday, and the summers we spent our time at a little athletic club.\u00a0 My brother was my swim coach, we grew up swimming competitively.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHonestly talking about the book, <em>Choosing to SEE<\/em>, there's a line in there that I say, 'Not much changed or the only thing that changed in my seemingly changeless world was the question of whether my salvation was secure.'\u00a0 Because I had so many questions for God, and theologically, was I saved or was I not saved?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I became one of those little \u201ccontrol freaks\u201d and decided that when I went to college that I was going to marry an accountant\u2014that's the safest, most predictable person I could envision.\u00a0 Having a 9-to-5 job, with not much opportunity to vacate other than in the summer, and that would be great. Dinner would be on the table at 5:30 pm, and we would raise a couple of children in a very safe, predictable environment.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 That's not what happened at all.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 No. It's not. God either didn't hear me or knew what was best for me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 When you got to college and you met the guy who had the mailbox next to you... right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 No. The mail box\u2026the same mailbox.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh, the same mailbox.\u00a0 Because your maiden name is Chapman.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 My maiden name is Chapman. God had to do something creative, because I was truly not looking for a mullet-wearing, green guitar playing...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chapman\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chapman.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mullet-wearing?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mullet-wearing. He sported the best mullet.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I'm trying to picture that, Steven.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh, I've seen the pictures.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh, he had it.\u00a0 I'm talking curled even, curled in perfectly.\u00a0 It wasn't the wild mullet, it was the perfected mullet\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Quit.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, you met him your freshman year because there was a mistake in the mailbox?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 No. Actually, what happened was, I'd go to my mailbox and there would occasionally be a bill\u2014not a personal note\u2014but like a third notice or something.\u00a0 It was usually addressed to \u201cSteven Chapman.\u201d\u00a0 I thought, this must be who I'm sharing my mailbox with because everybody shared mailboxes.\u00a0 So, I never thought really anything about it. And, then Steven if you'd like to take over on how we actually met...?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I sincerely had the thought that\u2026wouldn't it be crazy?\u00a0 Sometimes you meet the person that you marry at school.\u00a0 Wouldn't it be crazy to meet somebody with the same last name?\u00a0 I mean what if Mary Beth Chapman was like a babe, and really cool, and I met her and we fell in love and got married.\u00a0 Somebody with the same last name\u2026that would be pretty crazy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I was walking into the cafeteria one day with a buddy of mine, Greg Kroker.\u00a0 And at the doorway\u2014I'll never forget\u2014she was coming out.\u00a0 And this really beautiful young lady\u2026she spoke to my friend Greg and said \u201cHi,\u201d and after she passed, I said \u201cWho was that?\u201d\u00a0 She had\u2014I remember\u2014she had on a denim jacket.\u00a0 And that was back in the day when you'd wear those big buttons, usually a rock band or something.\u00a0 You know, buttons on your jacket\u2014the '80s thing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, hers were all <em>Precious Moments<\/em> buttons.\u00a0 Like those, you remember, those little <em>Precious Moments<\/em> figurines\u2014like \"honk if you love Jesus\" with a little girl looking at a goose.\u00a0 I was like, \u201cGreg, who was that?\u201d\u00a0 And he said, \u201cThat is Mary Beth Chapman.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I sort of put out the feelers around campus, and a good buddy of mine knew her and knew some of the people from Springfield, Ohio who she grew up with.\u00a0 And so I was like \u201cHey, check out and kind of see, you know, Mary Beth Chapman, I'm kind of interested.\u00a0 Has she got a boyfriend? What's the story on this?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAt one point, he came back to the dorm and said \u201cI just saw Mary Beth.\u00a0 She's coming back from the cafeteria and coming across campus\u2026Twelve o'clock, Mary Beth Chapman. She's coming across if you want to say hi to her.\u201d\u00a0 And it was Sunday, because I still had on my Sunday-go-to-meetin'...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Sunday Hillbilly best.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 My Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes and...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You ran out there without your shoes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I ran out without my shoes. It was Fall because it was the beginning of school. I don't know why we remember these goofy things. I cannot remember things I should remember, but I remember this.\u00a0 I remember running out the door because I had dress socks on, you know...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Polyester.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Polyester\u2014 so everything sticks to them. And by the time I got from the door to her I had leaves, I had...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> He had slippers.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I had leaf slippers on my feet. \"Hello, I'm Steven Curtis Chapman. I'm from Paducah, Kentucky, and I have leaves on my feet.\u00a0 Would you go out with me?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong> And, that's how we sort of officially first met.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 We spent a lot of time just walking and talking, and really getting to know each other.\u00a0 So, when I say \"first date,\" it's not that we went from the leaf slippers to first date.\u00a0 It was many walks through campus and reading letters from my parents together.\u00a0 And so the first date he had a good sense of who I was and I had a good sense of who he was. So, I'm going to preface that because he kissed me on the first date, and so that's a big no-no in the Chapman family.\u00a0 And so the boys give him grief because technically he did kiss me on the first date.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This was after Red Lobster?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> Well, yes.\u00a0 Well, here's what happened.\u00a0 Obviously, I know I look young but I'm not young.\u00a0 It was back in the day of no cell phone, and he said, \u201cI'll pick you up at whatever time, and I said \u201cOkay, I'll be ready.\u201d\u00a0 And, I'm an Ohio Chapman and we're ready a half hour early\u2014and that's really being on time.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, he was going to pick me up after \u201cChapman-Henderson\u201d\u2014that was the name of the college band\u2014and he was going to pick me up after they played.\u00a0 Well, they were playing at the VA Lodge.\u00a0 It was Veterans' Association Night and they had the Chapman-Henderson...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Telling war stories. And we hadn't played yet.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> And, he can't call me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah, so we're at this...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> Two hours late.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Two hours.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 For the first date?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And, you still went out with him?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, we went to Anderson.\u00a0 Anderson had closed dorms - guys weren't allowed in girls' dorms and girls weren't allowed in guys' dorms, except for when they rotated--every weekend there was a different dorm that was open. That weekend it was my dorm so he could actually walk up to my room and pick me up. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I'll never forget it; he comes walking into the room and I'm standing there beside a \u201cNo Parking Any Time\u201d sign.\u00a0 A sign that was cemented into about a 200 pound cement thing that my roommate and I borrowed from the front of Decker Hall\u2014which we thought would be good decoration for our room.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You had vandalized the campus?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis: <\/strong>\u00a0Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, we borrowed a sign.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thank you for speaking truth.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 No.\u00a0 We borrowed a sign and put it into my Ford Pinto and drove it to the dorm room, one of the first weeks of school.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Did that trouble you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I mean, did it cause you to think twice about this cute young thing?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I'm sure going back now and looking was a part of that \u201cMan, she took that sign\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 shouldn't have done that.\u00a0 But, you know, it's living on the edge.\u201d\u00a0 I'm sure that's part of what does attract us to each other, and there's bound to be something in that because she thought \u201cWell, this is a guy that plays by the book.\u201d\u00a0 And in the midst of all that, God obviously had this wonderful mysterious plan of bringing us\u2014two very opposites\u2014together.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You've been married now for more than 25 years.\u00a0 I want you both, because we've established the fact that you're different.\u00a0 In fact we could tell a lot more stories.\u00a0 There are many more in the book that we could tell about this.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that you probably could tell that aren't in the book, too.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 But, here's the question.\u00a0 How have Mary Beth's strengths and who she is, as a woman, enlarged your life, as a man?\u00a0 And Mary Beth, I want you to answer the question from your perspective that God did call you to marry an artist who's definitely not an accountant.\u00a0 But, I want to know how he has been used by God to paint the landscape for you.\u00a0 Steven Curtis what about you first?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Some of the things that, early on, where I really blew it, in this sense, Gosh, I need to shape her into this person that I think she's supposed to be.\u00a0 You know, hammering on her with Scripture, and spiritual...if you do it like this, it would be more spiritual and totally missing the wildness of God, in different ways.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI mean when my wife got a tattoo, we've told that story before.\u00a0 I wrestled and I struggled, and before God...\"What is the deal with me?\"\u00a0 I know I need to learn something here, and I know this sense of, \"Oh is that right?\u00a0 Is that not right?\"\u00a0 You know, \u201cShould you do that?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI just couldn't celebrate the difference of how God was showing up in her life, and the wildness of\u00a0 that because there was so much in me that said, \"No, it's got to look like this.\u00a0 It's got to be between these guard rails.\"\u00a0 I think God has used her to just show me the wildness of God.\u00a0 To show me more of who God really is and His beauty.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 He paints outside the lines.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, yes.\u00a0 Amen!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Your wife paints outside the lines.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And you're busy building the guard rails, and she's busy painting outside...What about you Mary Beth?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Which is interesting too, because you would think the artist\u2014the songwriter\/artist\u2014 might be the guy that's painting outside the lines, and being more of the wild one.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And the woman who wants dinner on the table at 5:30 pm?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong> ... would be more inside...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> ...the box.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 It's almost...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 We're so messed up...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, that's right\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 It's almost like there are two areas where we're opposites.\u00a0 The artist that should be outside the lines has the wife who's actually outside the lines.\u00a0 But that's the wife, who wants the structure and everything alphabetized in her spice cabinet.\u00a0 He's the one who is now trying to do the guard rail thing.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I want you to still answer the question, but back to you, Steven.\u00a0 Could it be that God has used Mary Beth in your life to help you as an artist, and a songwriter, create more creatively and give yourself more freedom, as your career has rolled along?\u00a0 Have you seen that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, there's no question that, I mean it sounds so clich\u00e9 to say it, but it is absolutely a thousand percent true, that I am the songwriter that I am.\u00a0 The messages, the things that I've communicated in the songs through the years it's a result of \"us.\"\u00a0 It's not Steven Curtis Chapman writing these songs.\u00a0 It's our life being lived out together.\u00a0 It's the tears.\u00a0 It's the pain.\u00a0 It's the wrestling with these things, together.\u00a0 The weeping through it.\u00a0 The messing it up.\u00a0 The repentance.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd the very songs that I've written, through the years, you can go back.\u00a0 She and I could sit and tell stories of every song, and take it back, probably, to a story of pain, to a story that involved tears, and involved heartache.\u00a0 To say that this came out of that soil of the pain of trying to put these two very opposite people together.\u00a0 And yet, yes.\u00a0 Out of that God brings songs like, \"I Will Be Here.\"\u00a0 And songs like, \"Go There With You.\"\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot just the songs specifically about Mary Beth and me, but just my whole spiritual journey.\u00a0 God, I'm way more messed up than I thought I was, and You're using this woman to show me that, and probably using me in her life to show her how much she needs You as well.\u00a0 Because that's what marriage is about.\u00a0 It's going to show us how broken we are.\u00a0 How selfish we are.\u00a0 How much we need a savior.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mary Beth?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, I echo that.\u00a0 With Steven in his creativity, as far as a songwriter and being an artist, I think that's allowed me the freedom to be creative in that, maybe being a bit more playful, and loosening up a little bit.\u00a0 Not that I haven't been loosely fun with practical joking, but just to be able to go, \u201cOkay, it doesn't have to fall into this exact line.\u201d\u00a0 The kids don't have to be exactly scheduled, although I still struggle with that, because I love structure.\u00a0 But obviously, being married to someone who doesn't have a problem with structure, or the lack of, then it obviously helps me to see that a little bit of give and take here, is good.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBecause if we really look at marriage, isn't it interesting how so much of the way women are made, and so much of the way men are made, it's like they are opposite, just the way we are physiologically, scientifically, we're so opposites.\u00a0 The message in being opposite is that we're called to serve each other; to give each other, not 50%, but 100%.\u00a0 And expect nothing in return\u2014which I do not do very well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Let me ask you this.\u00a0 I just want you to imagine that you've gone to Anderson, met an accountant.\u00a0 Married an accountant.\u00a0 Dinner on the table every night at 5:30 pm.\u00a0 Two kids.\u00a0 Picket fence.\u00a0 How would you be different?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think that I would be really, really sad.\u00a0 Much more melancholy than I already can be anyway.\u00a0 It's so interesting how God wired us.\u00a0 I'm playful in the practical joking, fun-loving kind of side, but I'm a melancholy person in that I would get more energy being home at night.\u00a0 Watching the news where he might have more fun being out with people.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI have thought that.\u00a0 Actually, I would be a mess, because God has me with exactly who I need to be with.\u00a0 And we have experienced so many amazing, amazing opportunities, and amazing experiences together.\u00a0 Not that I have anything against accountants, because I have a very good accountant.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You had enough ignorance, but you also had enough glue that when the pressure got poured on, you held it together.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Mary Beth:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 By the grace of God...\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Steven Curtis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 ...you held it together.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You never know what you're really getting in the other person when you say \"I do,\" in marriage.\u00a0 The commitment is what creates the safety.\u00a0 For two selfish, imperfect people to discover one another's uniqueness\u2014how they complement the other, and yet, to keep going, despite falling down, disappointing each other.\u00a0 Maybe not doing it right many, many times.\u00a0 Having to ask forgiveness.\u00a0 Having to ask for grace\u2014over and over again.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara and I have talked about it many, many times.\u00a0 I can't imagine it right now.\u00a0 We're coming up on our 38th year of marriage, and I cannot imagine starting out.\u00a0 I mean, Barbara and I have lived a lifetime of shared experiences and memories, and of incredible mountain tops, as you guys have.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut also, of deep dark valleys, as you guys have as well.\u00a0 We've gone through those together.\u00a0 And you've done that; that's what you chronicle in your book.\u00a0 I don't know how anybody makes a marriage go the distance today, or does life, without the cross of Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I think what you've written in the book is remarkably transparent.\u00a0 And, because of that, I believe it's going to bring real encouragement and hope to a lot of people.\u00a0 I hope a lot of people pick up a copy.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can go to FamilyLifeToday.com to get a copy of Mary Beth Chapman's new book, <em>Choosing to SEE<\/em>.\u00a0 Again, our website:\u00a0 FamilyLifeToday.com.\u00a0 Or, you can call for more information at 1-800-358-6329.\u00a0 That's 1-800-\"F\" as in Family.\u00a0 \"L\" as in Life.\u00a0 And then the word Today.\u00a0 Again ask for information about the book by Mary Beth Chapman called, <em>Choosing to SEE<\/em>.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me also mention, <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is listener-supported.\u00a0 If you can help support the ministry this week with a donation of any amount, we'd love to send you a copy of Steven Curtis Chapman's new music CD called, \"Beauty Will Rise.\"\u00a0 Most of the songs on the CD reflect the season in life that the Chapman's have just been through.\u00a0 The CD is our gift to you, this week, when you make a donation of any amount to support <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tType the word \"CHAPMAN\" in the key code box on the online donation form, if you'd like to receive a copy of the CD.\u00a0 Or, call 1-800 FL TODAY...1-800-358-6329.\u00a0 You can make a donation over the phone, and just ask for a copy of the CD from Steven Curtis Chapman, called \"Beauty Will Rise.\"\u00a0 And we want to say thanks, in advance, for your support of the ministry.\u00a0 And especially to those of you who, here during the month of August, got in touch with us and made a first time donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe've been keeping track of how many first time donors have given a gift this month.\u00a0 And there's a little gauge on our website that you can look at and see how many new donors we've added during the month of August.\u00a0 And we appreciate those of you who have made a first time donation.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tToday and tomorrow, if you're a first time donor and you make a donation of a $100 or more to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, we want to send you a gift certificate so you and your spouse can attend one of our upcoming FamilyLife Weekend to Remember\u00ae marriage getaways.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is a great getaway weekend for you and your spouse to enjoy together.\u00a0 And the certificate, so that you can attend, is our gift to you when, as a first time donor to FamilyLife, you make a donation to FamilyLife of a $100 or more, either today or tomorrow.\u00a0 So, again, go online at FamilyLifeToday.com to make your donation.\u00a0 Or, call 1-800 \"F\" as in Family, \"L\" as in Life, and then the word TODAY.\u00a0 And let me say thanks again for your support of the ministry.\u00a0 We appreciate those of you who are financial partners with us in this work.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way, let me encourage you to mark your calendar now for November 5, 6, and 7.\u00a0 That weekend is Orphan Sunday Weekend this year.\u00a0 And together, with Steven and Mary Beth and Focus on the Family, FamilyLife's <em>Hope for Orphans<\/em> is teaming up to produce a 1-hour webcast, featuring Francis and Lisa Chan.\u00a0 Your church can get plugged into this webcast and can bring attention to the plight of the orphans.\u00a0 You can find out more when you go to our website, which is FamilyLifeToday.com.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you can be back with us tomorrow when Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman are going to be here again.\u00a0 And we're going to shift our conversation to the tragic event that happened in the Chapman family, a little over two years ago now.\u00a0 I hope you can be here as we talk about that tomorrow.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire Broadcast Production team on behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey.\u00a0 I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife, of Little Rock, Arkansas.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today.\u00a0 Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts for you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. 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