Have you ever wondered what’s really going on behind those smiles? On today’s episode of Living the Grace Life, I’m joined by Joe and Tara Buchanan, co-hosts of the Behind Our Smiles podcast. They vulnerably share how God’s grace met them in the middle of a marriage most counselors would have said won’t last, and how healing replaced heartbreak.
Behind Our Smiles Conversation
In our conversation, we explore:
- What happens when family systems collide
- Substitutes for grace in marriage, including self-sufficiency and unrealistic expectations
- Self-awareness opens the door to vulnerability and transformation
- Rhythms of grace that nurture connection and trust
- John 15 and what it means to truly abide in the source of grace
A Behind Our Smiles Question
At the end of the day, grace invites us to wrestle with Joe and Tara’s question: “We all need fixing, and we all need God to transform us, but into whose image, and into what kind of person?”
Whether your marriage feels strong and life-giving or fragile and exhausting, today’s episode is an invitation to real grace for your real life–the kind that meets you behind the smiles and leads you toward deeper healing and hope.
💬 Grace Behind Our Smiles from Joe and Tara Buchanan:
“Grace is not going to flow when I’m still in my head counting.”
“The source of grace is the Vine. Maybe I haven’t received grace from my husband recently, but I’ve received grace from the Lord and that’s the starting point.”
“It may not get better tomorrow or next week or next month. But in time, as you trust God, He will lay out the plan. He’ll give you the next step. Not the next 10. But if we trust Him with one step at a time, He will lead. In time, we begin to see extraordinary advances in our marriage.”
Scripture Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
🌿Joe and Tara Buchanan on Behind Our Smiles podcast
🌿Jennifer and Craig Sakata on Behind Our Smiles, Episode 130 “I Just Wanna Hear the Heartbeat”
🌿Jennifer Sakata on Behind Our Smiles, Episode 155 “I’m a Verbal Processor”
🎶 Joe and Tara’s go-to grace song Abide
Connect with Joe and Tara Buchanan:
Website: behindoursmiles.com
Instagram: @joeandtara
Facebook: @tarabme
Related Episodes:
Ep. 71 How to Live Deeply Loved | Bill and Kristi Gaultiere
Ep. 40 Be Still and Be Loved | Michael John Cusick
Ep. 39 God’s Steadfast Love in Daily Life | Rachael Adams
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