Welcome to Marriage Talk… where we chat about marriage, family and everything in between. We're Sheldon and Valerie Dean and we work with FamilyLife Canada, seeking to bring help and hope to marriages. Our desire is to work through life together here on the podcast. We’re going to talk about different topics in a conversation based style that will hopefully launch you into some thinking and a safe intentional conversation with your partner. We’ll share from our life experience, as well as interview other couples about their life situations and how they’ve handled things. Both the good and the not so good. Our hope is that through these intentional conversations we will all learn to critically think through topics, chat about how these topics are impacting our marriages, and discuss in practical terms what it looks like as we live out our lives. So come join us as we process life, marriage and family in a way that is fun, engaging and filled with help and hope.
121 - The Sweetness of Doing Nothing (with guest Chris McKenna)
In today’s episode, Sheldon and Valerie sit down with special guest Chris McKenna for an honest and insightful conversation about something that touches all of our lives—our relationship with technology. They explore how our devices are shaping not just our habits, but our relationships and overall well-being.
Chris brings a thoughtful perspective on what it looks like to parent in a hyper-connected world and makes a compelling case for reintroducing an ancient practice into our modern lives: the sweetness of doing nothing. Together, they unpack why it's more crucial than ever to carve out space for rest, presence, and intentional living in our daily routines.
This interview is part of the upcoming Confident Parent Series, launching April 28, 2025, from FamilyLife Canada. Don’t miss out on the full lineup of conversations and free resources designed to encourage and equip parents across the country.
👉 Sign up for the FamilyLife Canada newsletter to be the first to access this inspiring series and more!
https://mailchi.mp/familylifecanada.com/9ozfzlbmh3 (https://mailchi.mp/familylifecanada.com/9ozfzlbmh3)
Chris McKenna is the founder of Protect Young Eyes and President of The Better Tech Project. Chris is a respected digital safety voice, creating valuable and practical resources for families and schools. His impactful 2019 testimony before the US Senate initiated a series of hearings to further online child protection policy. Years of gritty effort earned PYE the 2020 Dignity Defense Award from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the 2024 Child Safety Award from The Phase Alliance.
Recent state-level legislation co-authored by Chris - the Child Device Protection Bill - passed in Utah and moved through multiple chambers in six other states. It will force devices to enable existing content filters when activated by a minor.
He is a technical advisor to Angel Kids AI and works closely with digital safety advocates and legislators to craft policies that reign in abusive technologies. As a representative of the Human Change Movement, Chris spoke at the 2024 and 2025 World Economic Forum.
Under his guidance, the Protect Young Eyes team conducts presentations worldwide to parents, professionals, and schools, and gained recognition by being featured in the Childhood 2.0 movie. Their website, courses, and private parent community show caregivers step-by-step how to prepare and protect their children in digital spaces.
Chris cherishes family, including road trips with his four children, connecting with nature, running, romping with his pups, and almost anything sweet.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protectyoungeyes/ (https://www.instagram.com/protectyoungeyes/)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mckenna-75962211/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mckenna-75962211/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/protectyoungeyes (https://www.facebook.com/protectyoungeyes)
Website: https://protectyoungeyes.com/ (https://protectyoungeyes.com/)
Links for items talked about in the episode:
3 Things To Get Started - https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/start-here (https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/start-here)
5 Habits of a Tech-Ready Home on-demand course for parents - https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/course (https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/course)
The Table - https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/the-table (https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/the-table)
Processing Questions:
How do you think your children interpret your relationship with technology?
How would introducing some sweet nothingness moments in your life help?
What’s one small step you could take today that could make a big impact in your household tomorrow?
5 Apr 2025
120 - Jesus Centered Sexuality (with guest Matt Cline)
In today’s episode Matt Cline from Restored Ministries joins Sheldon to talk about Jesus Centered Sexuality and how our temptations can actually be seen as opportunities if we change our mindset.
Matt is the founder and director of Restored Ministries which aims to equip individuals and churches to have victory over the epidemic of pornography and sexual brokenness in our world. Matt has been a leading speaker and coach in Canada on the topic of sexual brokenness since 2014 and has seen countless lives radically changed all around the world through his ministry.
Restored Ministries - https://www.restoredministries.ca/ (https://www.restoredministries.ca/)
Pure Freedom Community - https://purefc.ca/ (https://purefc.ca/)
Processing Questions:
What has shaped your view of sex and sexuality?
Next time you are tempted what would it do to ask God “what are you teaching me about you in this”
Where do you turn to find your value?
29 Mar 2025
119 - Found You... Again
Have you ever stopped to think about how God never changes? 🙌 Hebrews 13:8 reminds us: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. But while He remains constant, we are always changing—growing, and learning.
And honestly? That’s not a bad thing. But sometimes, change can make us feel like we don’t recognize the person we married… or even ourselves.
That’s why today, Sheldon and Valerie are talking about rediscovery—the adventure of continually learning about each other in marriage. Think back to the early days… the excitement of discovering new things about your spouse, the little surprises, the curiosity. That doesn’t have to fade! But it does take intentionality.
Let’s be couples who never stop discovering—who stay curious, who lean in, and who pursue each other daily. ❤️
Processing Questions From Episode:
In what positive ways have you changed since getting married?
In what positive ways have you seen your spouse change since getting married?
In what area do you feel you need to rediscover your spouse? What ways do you feel you need to reintroduce yourself to your spouse?
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,692
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
4.6 / 5
10 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 81 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
100
Social presence
0
YouTube
74
Engagement
81
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