{"id":314791,"date":"2025-05-20T03:29:17","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T07:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T10:56:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T14:56:08","slug":"our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story, The Next Chapter &#8211; Kirsten and Benjamin Watson"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>God\u2019s story for Kirsten Watson and NFL Super Bowl champ Benjamin Watson has spiraled them through 15 NFL seasons, seven kids, and plenty of plot twists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>God\u2019s story for Kirsten Watson and NFL Super Bowl champ Benjamin Watson has spiraled them through 15 NFL seasons, seven kids, and plenty of plot twists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":312569,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","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","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/f3a702b9-1bdd-4f4e-b315-b2d100ea9cfd\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:23:18","filesize":"21.37M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2025-05-20 03:29:17","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2809],"tags":[],"podcast_series":[8594],"cwp_profile":[9830],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-314791","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commitment","podcast_series-sis-take-a-breath-kirsten-benjamin-watson","cwp_profile-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2025\/02\/image_bbee74.jpg?w=1024","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\/314791\/our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/314791\/our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson","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=\"UNU7oQ3UFz\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson\/\">Our Story, The Next Chapter &#8211; Kirsten and Benjamin Watson<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/our-story-the-next-chapter-kirsten-and-benjamin-watson\/embed\/#?secret=UNU7oQ3UFz\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Our Story, The Next Chapter &#8211; Kirsten and Benjamin Watson&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"UNU7oQ3UFz\" 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\/2025\/02\/image_bbee74.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"God\u2019s story for Kirsten Watson and NFL Super Bowl champ Benjamin Watson has spiraled them through 15 NFL seasons, seven kids, and plenty of plot twists.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=n8P7TSJLN84\">Ann's plant Illustration<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/sis-take-a-breath\/\">Get Kirsten's book Sis, Take a Breath: Encouragement for the Woman Who\u2019s Trying to Live and Love Well (but Secretly Just Wants to Take a Nap) on our shop.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Every donation to FamilyLife in May will be matched. <a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/may-2025\/?cru_source=D0002408AT&amp;cru_medium=podcast&amp;cru_campaign=May2025\">Donate today on our website<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<ul>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2025-05-20.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae with Dave and Ann Wilson - Web Version Transcript<\/p>\n<p>This content has been generated by an artificial intelligence language model. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided will most likely not be entirely error-free or up-to-date. We recommend independently verifying the content with the originally-released audio. This transcript is provided for your personal use and general information purposes only. References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the use or interpretation of this content.<\/p>\n<p>Our Story, the Next Chapter<\/p>\n<p>Guests:Kirsten and Benjamin Watson<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Sis, Take a Breath (Day 2 of 3)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:May 20, 2025<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Did I ever think we would be in the NFL as long as we were?\u2014absolutely not. All of the moves, all of the kids, homeschool\u2014there's this\/I can go down the line and say: \u201cThat was never part of my list of things I want to do before I die,\u201d\u2014it's just not! But it's been better than anything I could have written myself. The fact that it's with Benjamin\u2014the fact that we have these kids, who have moved all over the country and had these experiences\u2014that had we been in a different situation, I don't know how it would have turned out. It's like going back to how we originally met, and how we've always been intentional, I could not have imagined doing it with anyone else.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the<\/p>\n<p>relationships that matter most. I'm Ann Wilson.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:And I'm Dave Wilson. And you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com. This is FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You know, after 33 seasons in the NFL, as team chaplains in Detroit\u2014and I'm not even going to talk about how many games we lost\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I have 35 years.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You did have a couple more years [Laughter]\u2014they got rid of me, but they kept you around\u2014the wives wanted to meet with you, and you had a Bible study with the wives\/\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I did.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014Detroit Lion wives. But we've been around a lot of NFL couples\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014and a lot of great couples.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes; we speak at a conference, every offseason for the NFL, called Pro Athletes Outreach, which is a Christian conference, where they bring in players, and couples, and single\u2014it's just an amazing opportunity\u2014we get to know a lot of couples and players from other teams, which is great. But you know\u2014we've said this before\u2014one of the couples, that just strikes you the first time you meet them, and then when you hear the depth of their relationship and their walk with God, it impacts you; and that's Benjamin and Kirsten Watson.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: They're a remarkable couple; but not only are they remarkable, they're just fun. They're deep spiritually; but man, are they relatable. We already got to hear their love story.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It was fun to hear them talk about that.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: If you missed that one, go back and listen to it; because nobody can tell it like they tell it. It's a beautiful story. But then their love story\u2014they end up having kids\u2014and not just one or two. You're going to hear today\u2014they ended up having seven children\u2014and they're raising them now, post-NFL career.<\/p>\n<p>Let's talk about parenting. Tell us what it's like parenting seven\u2014count that: seven kids\u2014even as you were in the NFL.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Yes; well, when we first went to marriage counseling, we sat in the living room of the pastor, and he said, \u201cHow many kids do you want?\u201d I said, \u201cI think four is great; that would be great number.\u201d Ben was like: \u201cI was thinking four too,\u201d and \u201cWe really are meant for each other; because I don't want to have six, because six is\u2026\u201d\u2014he comes from a family; he's the oldest of six. He\u2019s like, \u201cSix is too much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014\"too many.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: I said, \u201cTwo\u201d\u2014I come from a family of two\u2014I was like, \u201cTwo is just not enough; so four is even, and that's a good Christian number to bring into the world.\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u201cFour is a Christian number\u201d; okay.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014an American Christian number. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Exactly!<\/p>\n<p>We set into this thing called marriage, with thinking we would have four kids. Then, we had four; and I look\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014in four and a half years.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Yes, we had four really quickly. Well, we had to\u2014let me just say this: we were married for three years before\u2014we had to make sure we still really liked each other. [Laughter] We know we were called to love; but those first three years, I was like, \u201cWe can't bring anybody else up into this mess. [Laughter] We got to figure some stuff out before we have some kids.\u201d We finally decided we did like each other, officially. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Yes\u2014four and a half years\u2014we had four kids: two girls and two boys. I remember looking at Benjamin, saying, \u201cI just don't think our family's done.\u201d He's like, \u201cWait, you're going back on our promise? [Laughter] We said four\u2014for good\u2014we got two girls, two boys; everyone has a partner.\u201d I was like, \u201cI just don't think that's it, Benjamin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Weren't you exhausted?\u2014four in four and a half years.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: I don\u2019t know what was wrong with me.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: She loves to be\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Oh, here we go! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: She loves to be like the one that everybody's: \u201cWow! How do you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: That is not true!<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I mean, there\u2019s something to that. I think there's something to people being like, \u201cWow! How are you doing it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Or maybe I'm connected to the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That's what I was going to say; yes! \u201cKirsten, you are connected to Jesus; and He's talking to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: He is telling me: \u201cYou think four; but it's not four, Kirsten.\u201d That's what I was listening to.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So you decided it's five.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014and beyond. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Okay, so what happened? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: What do you mean what happened? You know what happened. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Well, we know you had five. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Well, we had five; we had number five. Benjamin was not super excited\/he's like, \u201cWait; what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I wasn\u2019t excited about it.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: I think the way I told you was after an away game, like it was all\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: We come back from playing the Bears, right?<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: How do you remember that?<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: How do I remember?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, they remember all of that.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: No; actually, no. I think\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: He probably had three touchdowns, you know, whatever. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: It was the week before we played the Bears.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Oh, whatever.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Because I remember playing the Bears after I knew because I had to like get some serious prayer from my teammates, especially Luke McCown, right before we\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: They had six; he's probably thinking it was fine.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: That\u2019s why we were talking.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I come home from a game\u2014right before that, we play the Bears\u2014and then I go upstairs, and you had left like the\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: \u2014the pregnancy test.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014the pregnancy test upstairs on the counter. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Yes, because I just wanted you to see it.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Yes; I'm walking up there with my luggage. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: The luggage\u2014I felt like came through\u2014it was like \u201cBoom.\u201d I was like, \u201cI think he saw it\u201d; he saw the test. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I\u2019m running down the stairs, like, \u201cWhat is this?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Yes, so we had number five\u2014which you look back at it: can you imagine our life without Eden?\u2014absolutely not.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: No, no.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: We had her; and then I was like, \u201cBabe, Babe, five is such an awful number to end on. It's odd; she doesn't have a friend. We go on a roller coaster, who is she going to ride with?\u201d He's like, \u201cI'll ride with her.\u201d \u201cThen who am I going to ride with? We all need a person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was really like, \u201cKirsten, I think five is enough.\u201d I said, \u201cYou know what? I'm not going to bring it up again.\u201d And then one day, months later, he was like, \u201cLet's go for number six; and I was like, \u201cHere we go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cThank You, Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: \u201cThank You, Jesus,\u201d\u2014exactly Ann\u2014I was like, \u201cThis has been like planned; this is part of a good plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And then, we had our first miscarriage. I remember looking at\u2014talk\/looking at\u2014I'm saying, looking at God\u2014because I remember just looking up\u2014being like, \u201cThis is not part of the plan. This is nowhere\/this is not supposed to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And then we got pregnant again, and I had another miscarriage. I was like, \u201cGod, we're trying to bring people into\u2014you know the arrow\u2014you talk about shooting arrows, God, in the Bible; that's what we're trying to do,\u201d\u2014like\u2014\u201cGet on board.\u201d [Laughter] I just remember thinking, \u201cI'm asking for a baby,\u201d\u2014like that\u2014\"then, we\u2019ll have number six.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And then, eventually, \u201cLet's just take a break; and then, we'll try again.\u201d We tried again; and then, we found out it was twins. [Laughter] I was like, \u201cI did not ask for that, Lord. Thank You, but what in the world?\u201d We're still at an odd number.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No; now, you got the perfect number.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I said, \u201cI should have been more specific in my prayers that I didn't want six.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: He said, \u201cSix was too much\u201d; so he got seven.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I should have said six or more, right? I just left it at: \u201cLord, I don't want to have six kids.\u201d God was like, \u201cOkay, well, you're going to have more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: So yes, now we have seven; and two of them are in heaven. It's just definitely more than we ever\u2014Benjamin just said this morning\/he's like: \u201cI look over there, with you\u201d\u2014the twins are sitting on me, and he just said\u2014\u201cI never knew, when I saw you on the yard at Georgia, that this is what our life would be, 17 years later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It's just crazy; the twins are crazy. I didn't\/I wish I would have known that this happened, and there were parents out there all my life, because I would have been praying for you. [Laughter] Because I need so much prayer\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014the multiples are no joke.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: \u2014with these multiples. It's not regulation. I don't really know why the Lord doesn't just leave that for animals and not people; it should not happen. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It only happens in select people [whom] He calls, and He knows they\u2019ll be good.<\/p>\n<p>I think\u2014to those of us that have two kids\/three kids\u2014we\u2019re like, \u201cSeven?\u201d How did you find time to write a book? [Laughter] And you've got all these kids too. But why was it important to you to do that?<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Yes, it's funny; because, when I think of the top ten things that I wanted to do in my life, book is probably, I don't know, five hundred. [Laughter] It was just never on my radar. It was always kind of a joke\u2014when we\u2019d go somewhere, and someone would just pull me aside to ask me a quick question, like, \u201cYou should write that down,\u201d\u2014I'm like, \u201cI don't know that it's true. I'm just\/this is just my opinion about things.\u201d It was kind of an ongoing joke.<\/p>\n<p>And honestly, it got to a point, where Benjamin was saying, \u201cYou need to write a book.\u201d I was like, \u201cBenjamin, I don't have time to write a book. I don't want to write a book. I don't even have things to say; because right now, I just don't even know what I'm doing. Who is going to take what I have to say and to consider: \u2018I don't know what I'm doing\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Literally, I remember being in prayer, and I said, \u201cGod, this book thing keeps coming up. If You want me to write a book, make it so clear.\u201d I'm talking like: wool, wet around; wool and no\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cGive me that fleece.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Exactly! \u201cNow, it has got to be so clear.\u201d Literally, within that week, I got a call from Benjamin\u2019s book guy saying, \u201cHey, I had a publisher reach out who wants to talk about doing a book.\u201d I was like, \u201cAre you kidding me, right now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And then, I told a friend; and she's like, \u201cYou know what? I have a perfect person to help you write this book.\u201d I'm like, \u201cYes, she's probably busy\u201d; and then, I get a text. She's like, \u201cNo, she would love to work with you.\u201d I'm like, \u201cWhat?!\u201d I was like, \u201cOkay, God, I'll write the stinking book; okay?!\u201d [Laughter] That was literally my response to writing the book you have in your hands. It was not all fun, and flowers, and games. It was definitely an act of obedience and a little bit of a push from all those people around me that thought I should do it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It's pretty remarkable. You guys think back on that day in Georgia\u2014like Benjamin, when you saw Kirsten in her red pants and that light came down\u2014you never thought you would be where you are today. Is it better?<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014than that day when I didn't have kids? [Laughter] Are you really asking this question? Are you really asking parents of seven? Can we define better? Let\u2019s define better. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I think she means better than you imagined it could be. [Laughter] That's what she means.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Your journey is so unexpected, right?\u2014you never thought\u2014but like I think about each of those kids\u2014look what you're doing\u2014your legacy.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Yes, I do think I never would have drawn this up, of course.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I think a lot of people could say: \u201cI look at my life, and where I am now\u2014where I thought I would be\u2014and I can't draw that up,\u201d you know, positively or negatively. In my case, it is definitely positive. Even on the most tired days, with the kids\u2014there's still something special about having life in your home; and having the ability to teach; and to see them grow; and to even be tired, because your kids want to do different things\u2014those things are all blessings.<\/p>\n<p>I think, looking back on it, I had no idea what we were going to get into; I had no idea. I did know\u2014and I do remember saying this, probably to you; or at least, saying it in my head\u2014that I wanted you to be the mother of my children. Like I was trying to find someone, who would be a good mother to my children; and you fulfilled all that\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Thanks, Babe.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: \u2014and more, because I didn't think we were going to have seven.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: I know.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I was only thinking that, you know, you'd be good for four. [Laughter] But you turned out to be great for seven.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Listen\u2014wait, wait, wait\u2014well, side note about that. In our counseling\u2014remember, I'm thinking I'm going to do corner office, tailored suits, beautiful briefcase; you know, the parking thing is going to have Mrs. whatever on the thing\u2014and he sits there with our pastor, and the pastor is, \u201cWell, after you have kids, like what will your family look like? What do you think? What are your dreams?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin starts first; he answers first. He's like, \u201cWell, you know, I just would hope that Kirsten would stay home with all of our kids.\u201d [Laughter] I think my neck went so quickly to roll and look at him, like, \u201cDo you know whom you are marrying?\u201d That was never anything that I thought about\/that I had seen. My mom was a teacher, so she worked; but she had the summer [off]. It just did not even come to mind.<\/p>\n<p>When he said that\u2014I was like, \u201cDo I need to marry this man, because he thinks\u2026\u201d\u2014and here we are. It's like how the Lord will change your heart when you think that something is the way you should go. He will pull you\u2014if you listen\u2014and say: \u201cI have a better plan,\u201d and \u201cGuess what, Kirsten? All those dreams, I'm not going to let them go to waste. It's going to look different than what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I look back at it, and think, \u201cDid I ever think we would be in the NFL as long as we were?\u2014absolutely not.\u201d All of the moves, all of the kids, homeschool\u2014there's this\/I can go down the line and say: \u201cThat was never part of my list of things I want to do before I die,\u201d\u2014it's just not! But it's been better than anything I could have written myself. The fact that it's with Benjamin\u2014the fact that we have these kids, who have moved all over the country and had these experiences\u2014that had we been in a different situation, I don't know how it would have turned out. It's like going back to how we originally met, and how we've always been intentional, I could not have imagined doing it with anyone else.<\/p>\n<p>There are days, where I'm like, \u201cI just want to go somewhere. [Laughter] I just want to go somewhere. You can come too, babe; but these people are going to stay.\u201d [Laughter] But there are more days, where I look around, and I just look at what's happening\u2014I'm listening to the volume of the noise\u2014and I'm thinking: \u201cThis is good,\u201d and \u201cHelp me to remember, and appreciate, and enjoy, and like lean into what's going on.\u201d I'm grateful now that he's not playing football; that he's there to see it as well, and to experience it, and to hear it. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Oh, I always heard it. [Laughter] You think crowd noise is loud; just walk into our house about 5:00. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Exactly; it's a ride for sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You know, Benjamin and Kirsten, you\u2019re talking about God doing so much more. It's my life verse\u2014I love it\u2014I pulled it up as you guys were talking about it: \u201cNow to Him\u201d\u2014it's Ephesians 3:20\u2014\u201cNow to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever; amen.\u201d When Paul wrote that, he was, I think, echoing what we've been talking about\u2014it\u2019s like, you know, just like the Watsons; for you [Ann] and I when we started out\u2014never would we ever dream that God was going to do immeasurably more than what we\u2014and we had big dreams\u2014but: \u201cMan, look at what God\u2019s done!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Did you ever, ever, ever think, growing up, that you would be a pastor?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Never; in fact, I was pretty convinced that would be the last thing. I was going to make sure I didn't do it\u2014one thing: that would be it\u2014\"I\u2019m not going to be a pastor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I would have thought, and I even said to you when we went to seminary, \u201cHey, I'm all about: \u2018Yes, let's go to seminary\u2019 but don't ever let me be a pastor\u2019s wife\u201d; and yet, it was amazing.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You can add onto that: \u201cDid you ever, ever, ever think you'd be sitting in a studio, recording audio for radio and podcasts, about marriage and family?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: No, no.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u201cNever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And \u201cDid you ever think we'd have three sons, who are now married, and six grandkids, that are living for Jesus and trying to impact the world for the kingdom?\u201d\u2014because God used us to change a legacy, that was not following Christ, to a legacy that's about following Christ.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That is the beauty of following Jesus; that He knows what will fulfill us more than we know. Because man, I want to make my own plans; I feel like I know the right way to go, and I know it will make me happy. We all feel that.<\/p>\n<p>But to submit our lives\u2014our futures and our happiness to Him\u2014that is\u2014remember doing that the first time?\u2014it's scary!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I was going to say: \u201cEvery time; it's a daily\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014\"choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014\"surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: The word is \u201csurrender\u201d\u2014\"not my will; Your will\u201d\u2014\"I don't want to do what I want to do. I want to do what You want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And boy, those dark days\u2014when the kids were little, and we were fighting in our marriage, and we were exhausted;\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Aw, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and we wondered if we were doing what God wanted us to do\u2014\u201cHang on; keep surrendering every single day to Him, especially when you've lost hope or energy; and let Him continue to do His work in you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Because He's a God that loves you\u2014He knows you; He sees you; He created you; He knows what will bring you joy; He knows the hardships that we face\u2014and He also knows, \u201cOh, I'm using this; and wait \u2018til you see, on the other end, the person that you'll become as I shape you.\u201d Nobody wants to be shaped.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I think, for the Watsons\u2014just you guys having those seven kids\u2014that is shaping you.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: We can say this\u2014because we're empty nesters now\u2014and that means we're old: [Laughter] \u201cEmbrace every moment\u2014even as chaotic, and loud, and frustrating as it can be\u2014embrace the moment. There's going to be a day you're going to wish it was that loud again in your house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, absolutely. I remember your mom: when our kids would leave her house, she was, \u201cOh, I'm not even going to clean my windows; I just want to see those fingerprints.\u201d I remember thinking, \u201cAre you kidding me? [Laughter] Those fingerprints are throughout my entire house. And it's not just fingerprints\u2014like the walls\/the knicks\u2014all of that.\u201d And she's right. Now, I look back and think, \u201cOh man, those were good days.\u201d I didn't think it in the moment; [Laughter] but now, I see the richness.<\/p>\n<p>You guys brought up the Scripture of Psalm 127\u2014I wanted to read some of that, because you guys are totally the picture of this\u2014starting in verse 3: \u201cBehold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.\u201d You guys filled your quiver!<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: We're filling it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cHe shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.\u201d You guys are living that life of following Jesus, surrendered. You're inspiring.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for all you're doing, and thanks for the legacy that you're creating. Can't wait to see what these kids are doing and what God has for you guys next too.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And I would just add, being a chaplain for three decades, it's rare that a couple like you come into a locker room. What a gift\u2014to not only a team and an organization\u2014but to a city and the country. Thank you for using your platform to impact people for the gospel; I know that\u2019s your call.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, look at you\u2014you're both authors\u2014look at you guys\/what you're doing.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: It's crazy.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: I'll tell you what: we thank you for that encouragement. We also thank you for being trail blazers yourself, and for being a demonstration\u2014not only to the teams that you were on\u2014but being able to do that outside of the NFL but, also, across the NFL. We were never with Detroit; but through Pro Athlete Outreach, we were able to see you all. You all have spoken in our lives in ways that you probably will never know. I'll be able to\/I can say that a lot of other people can probably say the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>I think that's the beauty of the body of Christ, is that you can be in your lane; but you also get encouraged by people who are ahead of you, behind you, and beside you. You guys have been that for us, too; so thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: \u2014100 percent; yes! We thank you for\/I mean, we're together because of that tree, Ann. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We love you guys.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: What a nice blessing from the Watsons.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And a reminder: her book is called Sis, Take a Breath. It's just super-<\/p>\n<p>encouraging\u2014as a woman, as a mom\u2014as a woman who\u2019s trying to follow Jesus and<\/p>\n<p>live out what He's called us to do. You're going to love it.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:And you can get your copy online. Just go to the show notes at FamilyLifeToday.com; click on the link, and that's where you can buy that book.<\/p>\n<p>You know, it's amazing what I heard from the Watsons: their marriage was changed at a weekend that we spoke at.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I know; isn't that crazy?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: It's crazy to think the things that God gives us to present on stage literally changed their life, changed their kids\u2019 life. It's amazing how God does that; that's what He does.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And it changed our lives at a weekend, and the information that they heard from us\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014we just stole from FamilyLife. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And it was a FamilyLife marriage conference that we first attended; that's what we're teaching them.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, you can go get that information any time you want at a Weekend to Remember.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I think, so often, we as wives\u2014we want and long for a better marriage\u2014we want to jumpstart our relationship.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Hey, so do we; we just approach it a little differently.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I think one of the best ways that has helped us\u2014and it could help you\u2014is go to a Weekend to Remember marriage conference; it can change everything.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I thought: \u201cA boring long weekend, where I miss all the good games on TV\u201d; but here's what I found out\u2014it's awesome: you laugh; you fall in love; we talk about stuff that really matters\u2014and we even talk about that stuff; and it's a great, great weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014and it's fun.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes; and you can sign up right now. I'm telling you: \u201cGuys, you can sign up; go to FamilyLifeToday.com.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And the wife can sign up.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Either one of you\u2014just pick one anywhere you want\u2014get there. Trust us\u2014I mean it\u2014trust us: \u201cIt will be life-changing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve benefited from the FamilyLife Today transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs of producing them and making them available online?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2025 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife.com<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/314791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314791"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=314791"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=314791"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=314791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}