Authentic Love

Ron and Laura Swan have been married for 33 years and even though the first 5 years were definitely a difficult challenge, since surrendering their lives to Jesus in 1996 they have seen God work in them and in their marriage ever since. In fact, they would tell you that they continue to grow closer and closer to each other and that their marriage still gets better every single day! They have served as elders within Harvest City church since 2011 and have been a part of the church since 2002. In their spare time they love to travel and also to spend time with their kids and grandkids.

Are you single? Dating? Engaged? Married? How was your Valentines day? Our Authentic Love hosts, Dabria, Hanna, and Dami discuss their experiences, expectations, and point of view when it comes to Valentines day. They also talk about how we can celebrate Feb 14th whether we're single or not. There are so many ways to celebrate Valentines day. It can be simple, special, or extra special. What is your preference? Join our Authentic Love Team by listening to "Shades of Pink" episode.

Josh and Jenny Kachaluba met through volunteering in the church as youth leaders back in 2021. They now serve together in youth, RISE and as life group leaders, and feel passionate about volunteering and serving being a fundamental part of their relationship and their individual growth. Josh is an electrical technologist at Evraz and Jenny is the Next Gen Pastor at Harvest City. They got married in 2023 and had celebrations in 3 different countries! Their own journeys of personal healing through counselling is something that has been essential to their relationship and they are both big advocates for seeking help and working on your own brokenness first. Their hope is to be used as a couple to help mentor other couples, and to walk out a marriage that is authentic and FUN!

It's almost Christmas time and Authentic Love is delving into how to make sure you're able to balance expectations, traditions and overload of activity to ensure a restful season. Join hosts Heather and Hanna as they discuss their family traditions and how things changed as their families grew.

Authentic Love is back with another Story Time episode. Join host Hanna and special guests Kim and Andrew as they share about what it was like to meet in high school and get married young. Kim and Andrew share what dating was like in the 90's and what hasn't changed since then when it comes to maintaining a Godly relationship.

There's so much to learn about someone when you're in a relationship so how do you know what to ask? Join Heather and Dami from the Authentic Love team as they discuss things you and your partner should talk about before getting married. Learn how to identify dealbreakers, talk about expectations and what has shaped the other person into who they are.

The right person will come at the right time you just need to be patient. The waiting season is the time to get yourself ready spiritually, mentally, and physically. Join Authentic Love team and Demi as they talk about the importance of preparing before stepping into a relationship.

Trust is earned. Trust can be easily broken. Chances are we've all heard something along these lines before. Join the Authentic Love team as they talk about how trust is built, how to discern who to trust, and why it's important for you to have trust in God before your relationship.

Canada. Colombia. California. What could possibly link these three places? Join Authentic Love to hear the latest story time episode to find out. Special guests Jeff and Ana delve into their story which included establishing clear expectations, consistent communication, and leaning on God for His perfect timing. Plus tune in to hear about the proposal that wasn't.

The idea of pursuing in relationships has been in the church for a long time, but what does it really mean? Help the Authentic Love and special guest Justin determine what dropping your handkerchief would like in today's culture and listen as they discuss what it looks likes to pursue someone. They look at who should make the first move, if pursuing ever ends, and the art of being direct.

Relationship timelines don't always align with our plans, and it can be hard to know how to embrace where you are when it seems like you've been waiting forever. Join Authentic Love and special guest Kara as she walks through both the joy and hardship that came with her waiting season. Listen as Kara talks about rewriting her list, praying for her future husband, and chasing after the other desires of her heart while trusting that God would meet her in the waiting.

There are so many things to learn when you're in a relationship, and when you're from different cultures there's another layer to learning about your partner. Janie and Heather are joined by their husbands Josh and Kirk to talk about their experience dating across cultures. They tackle everything from different approaches to food, respect for family, and the new adventures being with someone from another culture has brought them.

Content Warning: This episode addresses themes of abuse and gaslighting. When forever doesn't turn out to be forever how do you find the strength to rebuild and trust God? What does it look like to walk through the pain of a broken relationship with honor and authenticity? Join Authentic Love and special guest Dabria as they delve into how to completely surrender to God when the direction you thought you were headed shifts. Dabria shares her experience of resilience, relying on God, and how to dream again.

Whenever you take the leap to pursue a relationship there's a possibility it won't be reciprocated. When faced with rejection it can be really easy to become bitter or resolve not to take that risk again, but those are not healthy answers. Join the Authentic Love team as they talk about maintaining your identity in Christ through rejection, the vulnerability it takes to put yourself out there and how to respond well when having to turn someone down.

Authentic Love is back with another story time episode. Join Heather, Teddy and special guest Jill as she shares the story of how she met her husband. Listen into first date impressions, the power of grace and how third time really was the charm. Also, find out how Heather made a guest appearance the first time Jill met her husband!

Change is inevitable, but it can often be hard to adjust to. When it comes to relationships there's a lot of change that happens, but one of the biggest changes is the relationships you have with people outside of your significant other. How do you make space for those in your life that aren't in the same season as you? Join the Authentic Love team as they talk about the good, and bad, ways they've maintained friendships while being in a relationship, and how both singles and couples can make space for one another's needs despite the changes to their relationships.

Content Warning: This episode addresses themes of physical and emotional abuse and gaslighting. What's the differences between preferences and red flags in a relationship? Do all red flags mean you need to walk away from the relationship? Even once a red flag is identified, it's not always easy to know how to respond to them. Join the Authentic Love team as they delve into the various sizes of red flags and how to respond to them.

After a breakup it can be hard to know what comes next and how to move forward with hope. The season of singleness after a breakup is difficult to walk through, and understand God's plan in the midst of it. Join the Authentic Love team and special guest Ben as they discuss ways that have helped them work through a breakup and how to make sure you're taking care of yourself. Ben shares about a recent relationship that ended, and how he's been connecting with God, rediscovering himself, and the hope he has for what's to come.

There's no one size fits all solution when it comes to meeting someone, but it's important to know where your heart is when you're looking. Join the Authentic Love team as they discuss different perceptions of online dating and how it factors into the church. Listen in as they answer questions around discerning if online dating is right for you, the heart approach to take, and some practical experiences about how it has and hasn't worked for them.

Online Dating. Long Distance Relationship. This month's episode features the story of special guests Timothy and Dionne and how they unexpectedly found love. From the first DM to getting engaged it's a fantastic journey of choosing to commit, knowing what's important when seeking a relationship, and above all pursing the Lord in your desire for a relationship.