Podcasts about francie winslow

269. Questions for More Connection and Laughter in Marriage with Casey and Meygan Caston   *Disclaimer* This episode contains some mature themes and listener discretion is advised.   2 Corinthians 1:4 NIRV "He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves receive comfort from God."   *Transcript Below*   Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you share three of the questions from your most recent book, specifically the ones people have told you unlocked the best conversations in their own marriage? You say you're an unlikely couple to help support marriages. Will you share a glimpse of your own backstory? What are a handful of ideas for ways couples can strengthen their connection with one another?   Casey and Meygan Caston are the Co-Founders of Marriage365. Casey and Meygan were perfect examples of what not to do in marriage. Three years into marriage, they found themselves having racked up more than $250,000 in debt, fighting constantly, and were ready to call it quits. Despite the 12 failed marriages between their parents, they knew this wasn't the legacy they wanted for themselves or their children. They began reading and educating themselves on how to do marriage the right way. The result of their journey is Marriage365, where they millions of people worldwide through their books, social media, retreats, and their online streaming service, Marriage365.   Marriage 365 Website Marriage 365 App Marriage 365 Books Marriage 365 Coaching   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Sample of Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: 4 Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life With Your Spouse With Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 5 Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  6 Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 89 Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery 108 Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder 135 Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand 155 Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 156 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 158 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta 165 Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas 186 Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: An Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Special Patreon Release: Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder 252 Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcript*   Music: (0:00 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:15)  Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.    I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse.   To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org.    Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Casey and Meygan.   Casey Caston:  Thanks for having us. Excited to be here.   Laura Dugger: So, thrilled to have both of you, and let's just dive right into one of your sweet spots. How can open-ended questions change a marriage?   Casey Caston: (1:16 - 2:33)  Yeah, well, if you think about when we first met somebody that we fell in love with, fell attracted to that first date, as you're sitting across the table, you are looking at that person with so much curiosity. Like, who is this person? What are their hopes and their dreams and their life experiences?   What are they afraid of? Where are they going in life? And that curiosity drove us to ask really good open-ended questions.   Like, tell me more about yourself. It's funny because we were just reading in Proverbs this morning that in a man's heart, he has a purpose, but a man of understanding draws from the deep wells to pull that out. And I just, I always think about how a great question plums the deep wells of a man's heart or woman's heart.   And that attraction, that energy we feel, helps us with asking great questions. But then what happens is when we get married and we move into the wash, rinse, repeat of childcare and chores and, you know, the mundaneness of going to work, coming home, dinner, like, it can really sap all of the romance out of a relationship. And so, what happens is we fall into asking really boring questions.   Meygan Caston: (2:33 - 2:34)  Like, how was your day?   Casey Caston: (2:34 - 2:36)  What's picking up the kids?   Meygan Caston: (2:36 - 2:37)  What's for dinner? Yeah.   Casey Caston: (2:38 - 3:18)  So, we realize that when the well is dry, so to speak, you're not asking those great questions. We need prompts. We need an outside prompt because I don't think naturally we would ask great questions to spark this, you know, connecting conversation.   And I will tell you too, that if you just dropped in and, you know, just ask your spouse, like, “Hey, so, tell me some boundaries we need to set up with your parents.” People are going to be like, “Excuse me, where did that question come from? And what's the question behind the question?   What's your motivation here?” But those are conversations we need to have. We just need prompts.   So, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (3:19 - 3:32)  Well, I love that response. And I'm also curious after working with so many married couples, what have you seen as that connection between these amazing prompts for open-ended questions and emotional intimacy?   Meygan Caston: (3:34 - 4:20)  Yeah. Well, kind of like what Casey was mentioning about, um, just that curiosity of getting to know each other. I think the other part of asking those open-ended questions and having these deeper conversations is really about intentionality.   Like you still care about me. You still want to know about my heart. Well, for us, 25 years later, I still care about you.   I still love you. And I think that of course, as women, we long for that emotional connection. And I don't think that men realize it, but they actually long for that too.   And it's creating a safe place for spouses to share, to cry, to even, um, dream together about their future. And I think, again, if we don't give ourselves those opportunities and we're not intentional with that, we get stuck in the mundaneness of marriage.   Casey Caston: (4:20 - 5:03)  But, uh, and I would add to that, that curiosity, Meygan, I've talked about how curiosity is the pursuit of something. Right. And we all long to be desired to be pursued.   I mean, that is, that underlying communication is so powerful in relationships, because if you think about it, if you're not being pursued and your spouse isn't curious, I mean, that's like the, the heart of apathy. It's like, I don't care. And I know that people aren't intentionally trying to communicate that, but when you feel that, like my spouse doesn't really care about what I dream about or what I'm hoping to achieve this year, they just come home and they just watch TV or they're on their phone.   Meygan Caston: (5:04 - 5:18)  Right. That communicates a lot non-verbally. And so, that's why these open-ended questions are something that we should never stop being a learner of each other and of ourselves.   And that will provide that emotional intimacy.   Laura Dugger: (5:19 - 5:45)  That's so good. And obviously your resources are amazing. I would love, because you have these 365 Connecting Questions for Couples.   And so, I want to just hear maybe three of these questions that come to mind for you guys, especially as you've heard, these are the ones that tend to unlock something deeper in the conversation.   Meygan Caston: (5:46 - 6:07)  Absolutely. So, August 3rd is, are you someone who spends a lot of time in deep thought, processing things before making a decision, or do you tend to make quick decisions? Why or why not?   That question has genuinely sparked so much conversation between us and even like with our kids and other couples. Maybe you can explain why.   Casey Caston: (6:07 - 6:11)  Yeah. Well, I'm Mr. Impulsivity, so.   Meygan Caston: (6:11 - 6:29)  Yeah, you are. Where I, I don't, I wouldn't consider myself a deep thinker, but I definitely like to make pros and cons lists and think through things. But if you think about a dynamic between a husband and a wife, you know, there are so many decisions that you make together, small and large, your whole life, every day.   Casey Caston: (6:29 - 6:30)  Decision-making is huge in relationships.   Meygan Caston: (6:31 - 6:57)  And it's an everyday thing that couples are tackling. And it's important to know that no one is better than the other. It's not that a deep thinker is better than a more impulsive person. It's kind of more just naturally how you are. Have you always been this way? Do you like that about yourself?   Wow. You know, well, when it comes to these bigger decisions, I do spend, make more time, you know, thinking through and pros and cons. Oh, well, with small decisions, I'm more impulsive. I mean, you could just talk about that for hours and hours.   Casey Caston: (6:57 - 7:01) Yeah. But what's interesting is I tend to think more futuristic and big picture.   Meygan Caston: (7:01 - 7:01)  Yes.   Casey Caston: (7:01 - 7:03)  Even though I'm impulsive in the moment.   Meygan Caston: (7:03 - 7:05)  And I cannot, I can't do that.   Casey Caston: (7:05 - 7:06)  You are Ms. Realist.   Meygan Caston: (7:06 - 7:08)  Just tell me today, tell me this week.   Casey Caston: (7:09 - 7:10)  I can't think about this fun sponge.   Meygan Caston: (7:11 - 7:11)  Yes. Yeah.   Casey Caston: (7:12 - 7:15)  Because I'm like, let's dream big. And she's like, yeah, but what's happening today?   Meygan Caston: (7:16 - 7:49)  Yeah. Yeah. Another great question is January 18th.   How can we romance each other during the day in anticipation of sex? Because as we all know, us ladies, we need the foreplay. But again, I think that husbands also enjoy the foreplay.   But I don't think that couples are having these conversations. I think they think a foreplay is, well, once we enter into the bedroom, you know, and what we like to say is it's anything positive is foreplay. So, a thoughtful text, you know, a flirty I'm going to grab your hand to empty out the dishwasher.   Casey Caston: (7:49 - 7:50)  Amen.   Meygan Caston: (7:50 - 7:55)  Yeah. You know, it's those kinds of conversations. But like, I would never think of asking you that.   Casey Caston: (7:56 - 7:56)  Right.   Meygan Caston: (7:56 - 7:58)  Right. Thankfully for those.   Casey Caston: (7:58 - 8:10)  But as you know, Laura, like couples that need to talk about their sex life. And if you don't talk about your sex life, most oftentimes there's a lot of assumptions. And that leads to, you know, dysfunction.   Meygan Caston: (8:11 - 9:14)  Well, and missed expectations. Totally. Yeah. And then I have another question. April 25th is how do our differences help complement each other?   Oh, so, kind of another one of those things, like with making decisions. Every single couple has differences. And we always tell people Casey, and I are more different than alike.   I think people see us online and whatnot. And they hear, oh, we're both extroverts. We are. So, we have some similarities. We're both stubborn, very competitive, both competitive. But in the day-to-day operations of who Casey and Meygan are, we make decisions, we run our lives, run our business, run our business.   We are completely opposite. And what I think it's good to do for couples is to actually own your differences rather than shy away from them or make yourselves feel bad, like, oh, I wish we were the same. I get it.   You know, we actually are attracted to those things when we're dating. That's why opposites attract. But then when we get married, it's like, why doesn't he do everything the same way? I do it because I do it the right way. That's what we think. Right.   Casey Caston: (9:15 - 9:21)  Well, you heard the joke that marriage is about becoming one. And in the earlier years, it's about which one.   Meygan Caston: (9:21 - 10:14)  Yeah. Which one? Which figure out?   Yeah. And so, that question really allows you to identify your differences, but then go, how do they balance each other out? And I think for me, as someone who is organized, type A Casey's very spontaneous.   If we were both type A and structured, we wouldn't have a lot of fun. We really wouldn't. His spontaneity really brings out that side of me.   But if we were both spontaneous, our bills would never be paid, and we'd be broke. So, you know, I'm a I'm a saver. He's a spender.   You can see the balance in that. It's good that we're both those things. Right.   I'm on time. He's late. We could continue going on and on and on and on.   But I think that he's a risk taker. I'm a complete play it safer. And so, those really draw out a beautiful balance in our marriage versus trying to change one another.   So, I hope that question sparks listeners to really ask your spouse that and have fun with the conversation.   Laura Dugger: (10:15 - 11:03)  Well, you chose three great ones. I love it. And they draw out such different parts of our personality.   You highlighted where Casey's more futuristic. Meygan, you're more present. Some people will connect with questions that direct them more past oriented.   And so, our orientation to time comes out and the meta conversations, the talking like having the conversation about your conversation. Just so much goodness. And yes, especially with sexual intimacy.   So, many couples report that it is much harder to engage in conversation about sex rather than just have sex. And like you said, missed expectations can be one of the blow ups there, among many other things. So, you have questions that don't shy away from all forms of intimacy.   Meygan Caston: (11:04 - 11:10)  Yeah. And to also say we have a lot of fun questions, too. Like, tell me about what your bedroom looked like when you were a teenager.   Casey Caston: (11:11 - 11:12)  That's a great one. I love that one.   Meygan Caston: (11:12 - 11:47)  Let's talk couples. If you had a really hard day with the kids or at work, pick a fun question. You don't have to go by the date.   If you don't like the question, it's triggering, then flip to the next one. But going back to that emotional intimacy and connection that you were talking about, Laura, is you have to have those deep questions and those conversations. And you did when you were dating, because if you went on a date with your husband and you were like, hey, tell me, you know, what do you want to do when you retire?   And he was like, I don't know. Yeah, you'd be like snooze fest. This guy's boring, right?   Or if he was on his phone the whole time, there was something intriguing about your spouse.   Casey Caston: (11:47 - 11:48)  I don't know. I don't know.   Meygan Caston: (11:48 - 12:01)  Yeah, there was something intriguing about your spouse when you were dating and you were asking those questions that should never stop. Just like we hear that quote, never stop dating your spouse. Well, never stop learning about your spouse.   It's the same thing. Absolutely.   Laura Dugger: (12:02 - 12:16)  And I love how you two have such a humble approach because you say that you're a very unlikely couple to help support marriages. So, will you let us in on your own backstory?   Meygan Caston: (12:17 - 12:46)  Yeah, well, can I just start off by saying this? We live in a county that has one of the highest divorce rates in the nation. So, it's 72 percent divorce rate where we live.   We also come from there's 12 marriages between our parents. So, we come from so much divorce and trauma. And then we also got married very, very, very young.   So, all those statistics were against us on top of that. I'm just going to start off by saying that. Casey Caston: (12:46 - 13:18)  Yeah, my mom's been married six times. So, when by the time I hit junior high, I had probably like nine different iterations of home life and different dads and step siblings and half brothers. And all of that between both of our parents.   There's just there's some mental illness. There's affairs. There's all this trauma that was really unprocessed.   But then when Meygan and I saw each other, it was like we knew the wounds that we shared. It was like almost like a trauma bond.   Meygan Caston: (13:19 - 13:19)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (13:19 - 14:08)  Like, oh, I've got abandonment. So, do you. And, you know, let's do it's like, wow.   So, let's make each other happy. And dating was just all the fun stuff, right? It was long walks along the beach.   It was going to street fairs or, you know, going out and having fun. And then we're like, if this is what life could be like, then we should do this forever and ever and ever. And just, you know, we were so doe eyed of like and optimistic about how marriage life would look like.   So, then once we did get married, done, done, done, we had to like work through stuff. Now, I was so conflict avoidant because I was afraid if there was conflict, then that means that there's going to be distance between Meygan and I and she might leave me.   Meygan Caston: (14:08 - 14:24)  Oh, there's another there's another difference. I'm a fighter. He's a fighter.   So, anytime we would have conflict triggers, you know, emotional regulation, I was like, we're going to go for it. Now, of course, my fighting tactics were not healthy. I yelled. I blamed. I was very aggressive, assertive.   Casey Caston: (14:24 - 14:37)  Conflict was very scary for me. Now. Now, Meygan, she's like wanting to deal with issues. And here I am, like trying to run for the hills. And she's like, he doesn't care about me. And I'm like, I'm trying to protect the marriage by not dealing with it.   Meygan Caston: (14:37 - 14:49)  So, you never really resolved anything. We would fight really bad. We broke all the fighting rules.   And then there was no true resolve, no apologies, no remorse. And you just kind of move forward.   Casey Caston: (14:49 - 15:06)  And so, then we piled ourselves like we had over two hundred fifty thousand dollars of debt when we started to try to work on getting pregnant. We we dealt with infertility. We I have ADHD, so that creates a lot of that's fun.   A lot of fun for the marriage.   Meygan Caston: (15:06 - 15:08)  The divorce rate is very high with ADHD.   Casey Caston: (15:08 - 15:10)  My life gets to teach you patience.   Meygan Caston: (15:11 - 15:11)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (15:12 - 16:44)  But and then we have a child with special needs as well. So, we we had like if there's something that could go wrong, it it went wrong. We had you know, once we got married, there was toxic in-laws that boundaries that were crossed.   So, it just nothing for us came easy. And so, that's why we were the least likely to succeed in marriage. I mean, if we there was a couple doomed from the get go, it was Meygan and I believe a hundred percent that God used those trials, those hardships to create marriage.   Three sixty five. He gave us the strength to, you know, have the courage to say we're not going to follow in our parents footsteps. We're going to change that.    You know, it ends with us literally like we are going to change and break this generational sin because it goes back many, many generations for both of us. Our whole family is littered with divorce. And now like when we approach marriage, it because of where we've come from, it wasn't all flowery.   It was really tough. We have to be practical and very tactical with our advice, because when you're sitting across from a couple that's angry and resentful. We have to sit there and go, we know what that's like.   And here's exactly what you need to do next. I'm not going to give you a platitude. I'm not going to give you some flowery statement or we're not going to just talk through it.    No, we're going to give you a tool and an action step that's going to help you. Laura Dugger: (16:46 - 18:56)  Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Do you feel like you need a weekend away with your spouse and a chance to grow in your relationship together at the same time?    WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that provides weekend marriage retreats to help couples grow closer together in every season and stage of life from premarital to parenting to the emptiness phase. There is an opportunity for you. WinShape Marriage is grounded on the belief that the strongest marriages are the ones that are nurtured, even when it seems things are going smoothly so that they're stronger if they do hit a bump along their marital journey.   These weekend retreats are hosted within the beautiful refuge of WinShape Retreat, perched in the mountains of Rome, Georgia, which is a short drive from Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga. While you're there, you will be well fed, well nurtured and well cared for. During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication and more.   I've stayed on site at WinShape before, and I can attest to their generosity, food and content. You will be so grateful you went to find an experience that's right for you and your spouse. Head to their website, winshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage dot org slash S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I'd love to hear even more into the redemption part of it, because Marriage 365, you had shared before we had recorded that you launched that in 2013. So, just to get the timeline straight, had you already done some work and some counseling before you launched that?   Meygan Caston: (18:56 - 19:26)  Or what was that journey? Yeah, so, we always say we it took us two years to fall in love and get married. It took us three years to destroy our marriage, and it took about four or five years to repair our marriage.   It was, as you know, Laura, it is not a quick fix when your marriage is as bad as ours. And so, our story is unique in the sense where we were both not wanting to get help for our marriage. I love you, babe, but he was resistant.   He didn't want to go to therapy. His family didn't go to therapy. That wasn't normalized.   Casey Caston: (19:26 - 19:31)  Well, my faith background said that therapy is bad from the from the devil.   Meygan Caston: (19:31 - 19:38)  It was specifically your parents. But from the devil. Yeah, because I have a faith background, too. And my parents went to therapy. But that's what I was saying.   Casey Caston: (19:38 - 19:40)  My background was that you don't do that.   Meygan Caston: (19:40 - 21:16)  Yeah. So, I was wanting to get divorced and he wouldn't divorce me. He was like, no.   So, if you're going to do it, you got to do it. And so, I got help for myself. And I had the most amazing woman who a therapist who just walked me through basically how to save my marriage by myself.   And she goes, listen, you know, at the end of the day, if you want to make a better marriage, it starts by making a better you. You have zero control over Casey. You have 100 percent control over you.   He's not here. You are. I can show you how to communicate, how to forgive him even without getting an apology.   I can show you how to bring to his defenses down. I can show you how to create boundaries so he doesn't yell at you anymore. I mean, and that's literally for 13 months I worked on myself. And I believe that that is what genuinely changed everything. And that's really the message behind Marriage 365 is if you want to make a better marriage, it starts by making a better you. Stop waiting around for your husband or your wife to get on board.   They may never. Then you're only going to build resentment while you sit there and wait. At the end of the day, you're responsible for how you show up.   And so, in that 13 months, the hope was, of course, that I would positively influence Casey, which I did. And he saw the change in me. Everything changed.   I mean, like we both used to be yellers, right? We would both yell and scream. And I was like, I'm not going to yell anymore.   Like, I just I don't want to be a yeller of a mom. I don't want to be a yeller of a wife. Like, I don't like this part of me. My mom was a yeller. I mean, oh, yeah, I hate this. And I just remember like one day he came walking in and he was all heated and frustrated and he started yelling at me. And do you remember what I did, babe?   Casey Caston: (21:17 - 21:33)  Yeah. She looked at me and calmly said, you know, I can tell that you're very upset. I really want to have to listen to what you want to share with me.   Why don't you go outside, take a break, come back in? We're going to sit back on the couch. We can talk about it. I'm here for you. And I was like, what a change.   Meygan Caston: (21:33 - 22:07)  Who is this person? I changed the way that we did marriage. I did that.   And I tell people that I didn't do that once. I didn't do it twice. I did that for months because we had habits we had created.   But I was like, that was like a new boundary. I'm like, I'm not going to engage with him when he's angry. It's been triggered.   Nothing good is coming from this. So, it was all of that we started to really adopt and learn together because he's like, you're a different person. Like, it was obvious we were doing the tango.   And now I was doing the rumba and he was over there doing the tango. And I'm like, come join me in the healthy rumba over here because it's way better.   Casey Caston: (22:07 - 22:09)  And so, for toxic tango.   Meygan Caston: (22:09 - 23:20)  Yeah, we went to a marriage. Yeah, we went to a marriage intensive. And we did some therapy.   We did a lot of self-help. But through that journey, this is kind of where we started Marriage 365 is. First off, we couldn't afford therapy.   We needed to pay off all that debt that we had with a lot of student loan debt, a lot of stupid debt. What do you do if you can't afford therapy? What do you do if you don't have a good therapist?   What do you do if you have a bad experience with therapy? What do you do if the books aren't enough? And that was there was a really big hole and missing part in the marriage.   I don't say industry, but in the marriage space, where were all the online resources? Because this was back again in like 2010 when like podcasts weren't even around, social media was just becoming a thing. And it was really hard.   We were really disappointed with the lack of resources there were for marriage. And it felt like every church you go to, there was, you know, the missions ministry and the children's ministry and the youth groups. And all those are great.   Where in the world are all the marriage ministries? Then we found out only 3% of churches have actual paid marriage ministries. And I thought, that's messed up.   That's reverse. It's supposed to be the opposite, because then everything else will work itself out, as we know, with what research shows.   Casey Caston: (23:20 - 23:21)  Same with men's ministry, by the way.   Meygan Caston: (23:21 - 23:22)  Yes, same with men's ministry.   Casey Caston: (23:22 - 23:23)  Men's and marriage.   Meygan Caston: (23:23 - 23:26)  That's like the stepchild.   Casey Caston: (23:26 - 23:33)  Tech guy slash men's guy slash, you know. Children's persons can also do marriage.   Meygan Caston: (23:33 - 23:40)  So, we really just started helping our friends out. Obviously, people could see the change. Then people would come to us. We started helping couples at our church.   Casey Caston: (23:40 - 23:48)  And we had a ghoul pool. Like people were like, we give you guys another like ten months and then we're expecting you.   Meygan Caston: (23:48 - 23:51)  Yeah, everyone that knew us thought we'd get divorced.   Casey Caston: (23:51 - 23:52)  We were messy.   Meygan Caston: (23:52 - 23:58)  We were bad. Yeah. So, to see the complete transformation. And again, I go back to that work we did was on ourselves.   Casey Caston: (23:58 - 25:31)  And I just have to say that if you want to make a better marriage, it starts by making a better you. If you're hearing that. And you're kind of in a one sided marriage right now, I got to just say, I know that message sucks because it's a message that says you have to go first.   And that's not fair. In a marriage, you're supposed to be a team. But I do want to say there's so many couples that are stuck. Waiting for their spouse to join them on the let's get healthy train. So, their spouse doesn't join them. And then what they do is they kind of lean back, fold their arms and go, well, I guess we're stuck.   But I want to say that that's there is a message of empowerment to say you do have influence and the ability to steer your marriage in a healthy way. I have lots of regret that I did not join that train much sooner. But the story is that Meygan, you know, became the hero of our journey.   And that is something that I work actively so that I'm never in that place again, that I am the one that's always actively trying to improve myself, that I'm a better communicator, that I'm not a yeller, which we've ditched that a long time ago, that that I'm considered of Meygan's needs. And I'm even like attuned to like, what is she feeling? And how do I meet her where she's at?   Laura Dugger: (25:32 - 25:54)  Which is amazing that watching Meygan, it was compelling enough for you to join in. And it's admirable on both sides, the work that you've done. And are there any specific areas that you grew in that now you teach couples? I'm thinking specifically under conflict and repair or communication.   Casey Caston: (25:55 - 27:42)  Yeah. So, I remember those early years and every single week was chaos to chaos. Like coming home, it'd be like, what's for dinner?   I'm hungry and we need to make a decision now. Or, you know, it's Friday night or Saturday morning. What's going on this weekend?   Or where's all our money going? It was very, it was very reactionary. And I remember reading through Stephen Covey's, you know, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.   And the first habit is be proactive. You cannot be intentional with your life. You cannot create purpose and meaning unless you are proactive with your life.   So, Meygan and I, you know, I'm working in a company and every single week we get together and we go through what are everyone's goals? What do we need to accomplish this week? We find alignment and the week goes really well.   We've got KPIs. We've got all these like, hey, as a team, you know, work team, here's what we're trying to accomplish this week. And it just kind of dawned on us like, well, why don't we do that in marriage?   Why don't we do that for a family? You got a family of six. You got six people running around the house. All have agendas. And you are trying to find alignment so that, hey, this is what the family is all about this week, right? We've got tournaments.   We've got parties. We've got projects. We've got meals.   And I think for so many couples we talk to, they live. Life with purpose on like building their career or their business or purpose with other areas of their life. And then when it comes to family, they wing it.   Meygan Caston: (27:42 - 27:43)  They just wing it.   Casey Caston: (27:43 - 28:31)  Yeah. And it's like, well, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. It's the winging attitude creates chaos.   And so, Meygan and I love to teach this tool called the Weekly Marriage Business Meeting. And it is all of the logistics of our relationship schedules, meal plans, budgets, connection time, sexy time, alone time, self-care time. Yeah.   And and we kind of set with intention the week ahead for us. And we go through all the decisions of who's going, what, where, when. And all of that's done.   So, when you walk into the day, you're not like stressed about what's supposed to be happening. There is alignment and there's no missed expectations.   Meygan Caston: (28:31 - 29:27)  Yeah, there's no fights anymore about, well, you said you'd be home at six. No, I didn't. I said I'd be home at seven.   We sync our calendars. And I think, too, a big thing with this is we've noticed we fight when we don't do this now. It's one of those tools that it's prevented most of conflict.   I mean, we say it will on average for the most couples that use it. We have at least over 10,000 couples we know right now currently using it that are our members that they say it cuts conflict in half in half, because what you're doing is you're even scheduling that connection time or date night time where you're like, no matter how busy we are, when are Casey and Meygan going to get to be Casey and Meygan?   And that's so important, because again, if you're winging it and you're just trying to find time to connect, well, you've got four kids, we've got two teenagers. It's never going to happen. Right. And so, the weekly marriage business meeting is definitely one of the amazing and favorite worksheets and tools that we've taught and that we use ourselves because it works.   Casey Caston: (29:28 - 29:28)  Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (29:28 - 29:59)  What a game changer. That is awesome and so practical, so intentional, which we're all about. But then also we had talked about emotional intimacy earlier and emotional intimacy is interconnected with sexual intimacy and communication is the root issue.   And that's what you teach couples. So, what are some conversations that couples can begin so that they can grow in both of those types of intimacy and enjoyment?   Casey Caston: (30:01 - 31:34)  Yeah, so, I feel like I have to start off by saying I got this so wrong when we were first married. It's OK. I forgive you now.   Yeah, because, you know. Let's just let's be we'll be we'll be completely transparent. So, Meygan and I waited to have sex until we were married.   So, now I actually waited till I was married to have sex. And I thought that under that purity guideline, I was promised maybe by a youth group, maybe by a convention, that if you withhold sex and remain pure, God is going to bless you with the best sex life when you're married. And that just simply did not happen.   Like when we first got married, I really got went into the bedroom thinking. I don't know what foreplay is, but let's have intercourse until I come and then we're done. And that's sex. That's our sexual intimacy. And we missed out on so many intimate ways of knowing each other and sex being an obligation and something like I just was demanding of it from Meygan. And. What I've come to discover and what I love to teach other men is that sex is so much more broader than just having intercourse. I mean, there was this total understanding like, well, I feel good during intercourse. This feels very stimulating, which means that Meygan must feel the exact same way while we're having intercourse.   Meygan Caston: (31:35 - 31:35)  Nope.   Casey Caston: (31:36 - 32:35)  Because that's because listen, I never had sex before. But anytime I watched a rom com, you know, the guy threw up, you know, against the wall or they're having intercourse and she's going and he's going and they're having a great time. Like this must be what sex is all about.   And what I've discovered now and I get to teach other men is that emotional intimacy is kind of the birthplace of sexual expression of love, right? That we we create safe places for our wives to to open up. And because of that, they become more willing and wanting that that sexual expression rather than us just coming in and saying, OK, it's time for sex.   Let's go. And so, when we talk about just this book, this 365 Connecting Questions for Couples, I tell my guys, I'm like, hey, if you want to have great sex, start here because that is foreplay.   Meygan Caston: (32:35 - 33:48)  That's start here. It's good to know my heart, not just use me for my body, which can feel like that for a lot of people. And I think going back to the emotional intimacy, I think that, again, you had that when you were dating or you wouldn't have gotten married.   There was no way you were. If the person was boring, closed off, if, you know, your spouse was just completely on their phone every time, you wouldn't have had that second, third, fourth date. So, there was emotional intimacy at some point, which means you can't ever say we never had it.    You can always get it back, but you can have to be intentional. And I think a great way is we call it connection time. I think date night scares a lot of people.    I think it's the idea of. We have to go to a restaurant, we have to spend money, we have to find a babysitter, all these hurdles that you have to go through to make it happen, so then couples just don't even do it. So, we're like, listen, if you if that's overwhelming to you, then try connection time.    And really what that is, it's still undivided, you know, attention and time with you and your spouse. Maybe it's smaller, maybe it's 15 minutes, 30 minutes. And I know for when our kids were little, we played board games and card games and they'd go to bed, you know, at 7:30 or 8:00 PM.    And we would bring out Yahtzee.   Casey Caston: (33:48 - 33:51)  There'd be a lot of trash talking over chutes and ladders.   Meygan Caston: (33:52 - 34:29)  But we would play. We would play games. And it was our time to connect.    And when we didn't talk about the kids, you know, we just chatted about our day and again, going through some of these connecting questions that didn't even really exist yet, but they were in our heads. Taking a walk with the dog and, you know, going to a little local coffee shop, even if it's just 30 minutes and sharing and talking and exploring that emotional intimacy should never stop again. And that's going to give people opportunities to then go into the bedroom, like Casey mentioned, more willing and more excited to be intimate to each other because it's like, oh, that's right.    We like each other. We're still married. We're still friends.   Casey Caston: (34:29 - 35:15)  You bring up a great point. Like I said, I think sitting down over the table, staring at each other can be intimidating for a lot of guys, because especially if this is not a regular habit in your relationship and taking a walk for guys when we're doing something and maybe it's less intimidating because we're not even staring at each other. But that kind of like getting the, you know, oxytocin going, like getting moving, like that kind of adrenaline can actually stimulate guys for good conversations and processing things.    And so, what we hear from a lot of couples that take our book, maybe they'll take a picture of the question and they'll go, Hey, let's take a walk. And then they'll use the question on their walk.   Meygan Caston: (35:15 - 35:15)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (35:15 - 35:24)  And that gets conversations going. So, if that's like a on ramp onto this, that's a that's a great starting point for a lot of people.   Laura Dugger: (35:24 - 36:48)  Oh, that's so good. And I love how you say just an on ramp, because the goal is more intimacy overall together to know one another, be known. And I love that you're showing this is not a manipulation factor.    This isn't ask these questions so we can be more active in the bedroom, regardless of whichever spouse is the higher desire one. But this is to really enhance all levels of your relationship. And as you talk about oxytocin, it just makes me think such an interesting cycle that the Lord created where I will speak more stereotypically that where women require the emotional connection and then they open up and enjoy sex more.    But then men, once they've had sex and they just have this like 500 percent increase of oxytocin in this neurochemical bath that opens them up emotionally. And we could see it even as we view our differences. You could be upset because they're opposite or we can see it as a gift that they can fuel one another.    And then we get more of a holistic picture of overall intimacy. So, I'll also link to quite a few episodes because we do about one per month where we dive deeper into sexual intimacy. S   o, I can link all of those in the show notes.    But Casey, were you going to say something?   Meygan Caston: (36:49 - 36:50)  I want to say something to it.   Casey Caston: (36:51 - 37:16)  He loves. Well, so, we're talking chicken and egg, right? Like who gets the emotional intimacy, who gets the physical intimacy first?    And I just think that there's if we approach our relationship with selfishness, well, then neither people get satisfied. But if we are in an approach to serve one another and be selfless lovers. So, men would be like, you know what?    I want to meet my wife's emotional needs.   Meygan Caston: (37:16 - 37:16)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (37:17 - 37:38)  Like and I do believe that men are the spark of initiation. If you're a husband out there listening to this, like that one of your greatest gifts to marriage is initiation. You were the one who asked for the first date.    You were the one who got down one the knee. You are the spark of initiation. And I believe that God's created women as nurturers of that initiation.   Meygan Caston: (37:39 - 37:41)  And to clarify, you're not talking just about initiating sex.   Casey Caston: (37:41 - 37:43)  Well, yes. Just everything.   Meygan Caston: (37:43 - 37:55)  Initiating, just initiating, initiating a weekly marriage business meeting. Women are so turned on by when a husband's like, hey, I don't necessarily know what we want to do for a date night, but I want to take you on a date. Can I get an amen, Laura?   Laura Dugger: (37:55 - 37:56)  Right, sister?   Meygan Caston: (37:57 - 38:14)  Hey, women are turned on. Listen, men, women are turned on. If you say, you know what?    I know that like this has been an issue with my parents and I don't even know how to handle it, but I really want to have that conversation. Oh, my gosh. Just initiating the conversation is all we're looking for.    It's OK that you don't have all the answers.   Casey Caston: (38:14 - 38:14)  Yeah.   Meygan Caston: (38:14 - 38:23)  But for men that avoid stonewall, escape, numb out, busy themselves, it is such a turnoff. It is so not what we want.   Laura Dugger: (38:23 - 39:55)  I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit theSavvySauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Heinrichsen from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities. And we are thrilled with the final product.    So, I hope you check it out there. You're going to find all of our podcasts now with show notes and transcriptions listed a scrapbook of various previous guests and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living. You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nation with the good news of Jesus Christ.    So, make sure you visit theSavvySauce.com.    Okay, so, then continue the conversation with just overall intimacy. What are some examples of de-escalation techniques that you recommend to couples who are in conflict, ones that can maybe help the strained relationships so that they can be repaired?  Yeah.   Meygan Caston: (39:55 - 42:19)  Yeah. So, a big thing that I've learned as someone who's very direct, I can tend to be on that, like I mentioned, fighter side. And I know a lot of women, studies have shown 75 percent of us ladies are the ones that typically bring up the issues.    So, just be aware that there is a gender difference there. And if you're a dude, there's nothing wrong with you if you're in, you know, that 75 percent or 25 percent. But I think the biggest thing I've recognized is to remind your spouse in the very beginning of the conversation, why you're having the conversation.    You know, I love you. I love us. I want to see us be the best people that we can be.    I want to see us enjoy marriage and enjoy life. I love you. Like bring the positivity and the reminder that you're better together than apart.    And really, that's part of what we call a soft startup, right? There's a lot of different soft startups you've heard of. You know, I feel when you I need those work to but I like to take it a little bit deeper to say, remind your spouse how much that you love being married to them.    Or again, whatever the issue is like we have the most. Let's say it's parenting. Casey and I are very different in our parenting styles.    Last night would have been a great difference of how that happened. But like reminder that like we both love our children. We both want the best for our kids.    No one doubts that. We both have made we made two beautiful, wonderful, quirky children. Right.    And so, even you can start the conversation with that. But I wish that more people did that because I think people are are, you know, I'm really upset about something. OK, well, the second you say that defenses, sorry, but defenses are going to go up.    We want to keep the conversations defenses low, guards low, right, de-escalation. And so, use soft startups, use kind, positive language. But I think another thing behind that would be come to the conversation processed.    Do not have these conversations 11 o'clock at night when you're tired or when you're hungry. Do not have these conversations when it just happened and you haven't had the time to just like stop. Think about what do I really need?    Why did that trigger me? What am I hoping to achieve? Why is my husband acting this way?    Oh, is he under a lot of stress? Yeah, we got to give ourselves time to sit and process before we even use those soft startups. So, that would be my advice for de-escalation.   Casey Caston: (42:20 - 43:04)  And mine actually would be an apology. I think that we all make mistakes. And when you think about a couple that's maybe living reactively, just winging it, I doubt that there's ever an apology that's given on either side because it takes a little it takes awareness to recognize, gosh, you know what?    My that little comment I just made that probably had a little zing to it. Or, you know, I really let my spouse down by not parenting the children the way she would want me to. Or, you know, I said I was going to do something and I didn't.    And I let my partner down. You want to de-escalate a tense situation. Apologize.   Meygan Caston: (43:04 - 43:04)  Yeah. Own it.   Casey Caston: (43:05 - 43:12)  When you apologize, you know, you're taking all of the heat out of the fire. They really are.   Meygan Caston: (43:12 - 43:16)  And you're validating your spouse's feelings. Who doesn't want to be validated and seen? Everybody does.   Casey Caston: (43:16 - 43:38)  And then you're taking responsibility and accountability for your actions, which is the trust builder for relationships. So, that's why when you talk about high conflict relationships, there aren't a lot of there's not a lot of trust there. It's not a safe place anymore.    So, to create that safety, we want to we want to build trust back into the relationship.   Laura Dugger: (43:39 - 43:50)  Those are fantastic. And do you guys just have maybe a handful of ideas for ways that couples can strengthen their marriage with one another?   Meygan Caston: (43:51 - 44:09)  Absolutely. I would say, obviously, the weekly marriage business meeting. I mean, I know we talked about it, but the important thing is to schedule it, put it in the calendar because you don't want to wing it.    And that way it's showing, oh, you're prioritizing us. Taking walks has been a big one for us. Playing games is a big one.   Casey Caston: (44:09 - 45:18)  The 60 second blessing is where we intentionally spend time. 60 seconds reminding our partner of how much we love them, using our words to say, like, I saw how hard you work for the family. I love how you take care of the kids and kind of reminding your partner, like I see the goodness in each other.    I think it's really important because. Day to day life, we can just be very transactional, and if we again, we have any sort of criticism or, you know, our words just are not flavored with life, well, proverb says, you know, our words have the power to give life or to give death. Right.    So, the words that we speak, if we evaluate. Are we producing what I call weed seeds? Or are we planting fruit trees?    Because weed seeds choke out the garden. Those sharp, critical words can leave your garden looking pretty shabby, whereas being intentional by speaking positive over each other. It's like planting fruit trees.    And who doesn't like a good, juicy orange? Right.   Meygan Caston: (45:18 - 47:15)  Well, and the 60 second blessing, you know, you start off by writing five to seven positive things you love about your spouse. And so, one spouse shares their list for 60 seconds and then the second spouse shares their list. And it's this habit that we actually started doing after our marriage intensive that we did as we were repairing our marriage because we had yeah, we had we had spoken such mean and harsh words or just a lot of roommate stuff.    And we needed that positivity. And it's a great foreplay tip, by the way, just to sit, sometimes sit down and go, I just need to tell you how wonderful you are. Like, who doesn't want to hear that about themselves?    I think another thing that Casey and I have recognized it is the only thing, by the way, Laura, in our marriage, the only thing that has ever stayed consistent. That's we have fun together. We laugh a lot, even in hard times.    Yeah, it wasn't as enjoyable, but we still had fun. And, you know, again, fun is different for everybody. We don't ever want to judge someone else's fun.    But we are constantly like we we are sarcastic. But that's for us because we have high trust levels. I usually tell couples if you're, you know, in a fair recovery or you have low trust levels, sarcasm is probably not great.    But we're very playful. We have again, we play a lot of fun games and we play ping pong and cornhole and we take our dogs on our dog on a walk. And we, you know, we're going to try to go ax throwing in April.    We've never done that before. Like there are fun that we've taken dance lessons. So, we like to think out of the box and do new things or things that we know that like how many games of Yahtzee have we played?    I don't even know. I mean, we've lost count. Or gin rummy, you know, I mean, we just play Sequence or Rummikub like we play them all.    And for that for us, that's really fun. We dance a lot. We love the 90's music.    Like get out your favorite playlist and just dance and sing and be goofy. Like I think if couples were to laugh and enjoy each other more and be able to laugh with themselves, I think that there would be more marriages that would stay together. Laura Dugger: (47:16 - 47:39)  That is something that I've even experienced in this time together. You guys are so fun to be around. And that's very life giving to others.    But I can see where it starts in that secret place between just the two of you, your best friend. And you share a lot of this goodness with Marriage 365. So, can you let us know all the different things that you have to offer?   Casey Caston: (47:40 - 48:48)  Yeah, I would probably say the number one way that people experience all of the resources that we've created over the years is through our mobile app. So, we have an app that has over a thousand pieces of videos, workshop, worksheet, excuse me, courses, challenges. We even have a checkup so you can actually rate kind of your marriage.    And that is a great way for people to be able to have access, you know, on the spot if they're dealing with an issue, they don't know how to get through and they're looking for a tool or a conversation to help them work through that. That our app provides such a valuable resource. I mean, beyond that, you know, some couples need a little bit more hands on approach.    So, we do coaching. We have a coaching staff actually to handle all the incoming couples that are saying, hey, can you can you help us out? And again, I just want to say coaching is really, really focused on giving action plans and homework and accountability to our clients.    And coaching is really, really helpful if you're like, I just need to know what to do next.   Meygan Caston: (48:48 - 49:17)  Yeah. We do intensives for couples that are in crisis, you know, there that are seriously considering separation or divorce or an affair recovery and that we have an over 90 percent success rate because we went through an intensive when we were struggling and it was something we knew we wanted to get trained on and do. And it's a full two days with Casey and I.    I mean, two days back-to-back. We know you. We get Christmas cards from all of our couples, you know, every year.    We love it. And it's they become almost I mean, yes, they're our clients, but they almost become like our friends.   Casey Caston: (49:17 - 49:45)  Yeah. And then probably personally, one of my favorite things that we do is we host our own couple's getaway. And this is a four-day experience.    It's not your it's not like a typical retreat where you're sitting in a conference room, you're just getting lectured all day. We're actually facilitating tools and then giving couples opportunities to work on them. Then some free time to really spend some time making great memories.    We have a dance party. It is a ton of fun.   Meygan Caston: (49:45 - 49:55)  We make sure. Yeah, we make sure it's fun. It's more it's definitely more for couples who are doing OK or want to do better, not they're not ideal for couples in crisis because it's going to be very uncomfortable.   Casey Caston: (49:55 - 49:56)  I love our retreats.   Meygan Caston: (49:56 - 49:57)  I know.   Casey Caston: (49:57 - 49:58)  I love interacting with her.   Meygan Caston: (49:58 - 50:05)  And of course, we have our social media. You can just search Marriage 365 and then we have our website, too. And we have our books, of course.   Casey Caston: (50:05 - 50:09)  Oh, and I have a men's group. I know I launched a five-week men's reset. . Meygan Caston: (50:09 - 50:34)  Needless to say, Laura, we're really busy. I do a lot. I think that's what's funny, right?    I think that people see us online and they think that we just have an Instagram, or we just have Facebook. And I'm like, we've been doing this for 12 years and we have a staff of 12 people. So, we reach a lot of people.    And we because marriage is never a one stop, you know, one size fits all. It's it's true. There are so many different dynamics, and we want to be able to help as many people as we can.   Laura Dugger: (50:35 - 50:59)  Wow. Thank you for sharing that. We will add all of those links.    I love all these different offerings that you have and that will meet people in whatever phase they're in. But you two already know we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for both of you, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Meygan Caston: (51:00 - 51:47)  Mine would be I would want every single person to think about becoming more confident. And that starts with becoming more self-aware. I think that that is completely changed who I am.   And I'm we're raising two kids, and I see the confidence that they have. And we're modeling that but also walking them through how to be self-aware. And really, that starts with having to be one with your thoughts, turning off the phone, sorry, turning off the podcast, sometimes turning off the music and just actually sitting and really going.    Do I really know my thoughts, my feelings, my values, my personality, my good, my bad, my ugly? And we don't do this enough. We are busy ourselves.    We're distracted constantly. And I think that it's really harming our mental health. And so, that would be my savvy sauce.   Casey Caston: (51:47 - 52:30)  Hmm. I love that, babe. It's kind of hard because we find so much alignment.    I mean, I would that's exactly what I would say, too. Um, I, you know, my focus in twenty, twenty-five has really been turned towards helping husbands. And there's a quote that Henry David Thoreau says that many men live lives of quiet desperation and they die with their songs still inside them.    And most guys are terrified of stopping and evaluating. And so, for me, creating space too. Listen, I do a 10, 10, 10 practice in the morning.   Meygan Caston: (52:30 - 52:32)  That's what I thought you were going to say.   Casey Caston: (52:32 - 52:32)  Yeah, yeah.   Meygan Caston: (52:32 - 52:36)  Well, I was like, I bet you he's going to talk about it because it's been life changing for you.   Casey Caston: (52:36 - 53:01)  Yeah. So, I spend 10 minutes of scripture reading. So, that's input.    Then I spend 10 minutes of quiet meditation where I'm sitting and I'm in a listening posture. And I mean, I think about everything from lasagna to the last wave I serve to. But there's intentionality about just opening myself like here I am.    I'm ready to be downloaded on like what you have for me today.   Meygan Caston: (53:01 - 53:02)  God be one with your thoughts.   Casey Caston: (53:03 - 53:18)  Yeah. And all sorts of things come up. And then I spent 10 minutes journaling.    And that process is just and that's like the output. Right. So, now I've got input.    I've been listening and now I get to write stuff out. And that's been a huge game changer for me.   Laura Dugger: (53:19 - 53:43)  Wow, I love both of those. You two are just refreshingly vulnerable and such an incredible mixture of intentional and lighthearted. And it has been so great just to sit under your teaching today.    So, thank you for sharing your story and for helping all of us. And thank you just for being my guests.   Meygan Caston: (53:43 - 53:45)  Oh, you're welcome. It was a pleasure to be here.   Casey Caston: (53:45 - 53:49)  Yes, you asked great questions that plumb the deep wells of Casey Meygan.   Laura Dugger: (53:52 - 57:35)  One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.

Top Ten from 2024: #4 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn   *DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults.   **Transcription of original episode**  224. Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn   Deuteronomy 29:29a (NKJV) "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us"   Questions and Topics We Cover: Are there any specific questions you recommend we ask our spouse periodically? Will you elaborate on your finding that "men and women tend to have different insecurities that the process of sex can help heal or hurt"? You write "Having a comfortable way to signal (and receive) openness or interest will create connection and prevent much pain." So, how can couples begin to develop their own private language or signals to communicate effectively in a healthy manner?   Thank You to Our Sponsor: The Sue Neihouser Team   Shaunti Feldhahn received her graduate degree from Harvard University and was an analyst on Wall Street before unexpectedly becoming a social researcher, best-selling author, and popular speaker.   Today, Shaunti applies her analytical skills to investigate eye-opening, life-changing truths about relationships, both at home and in the workplace. Her groundbreaking research-based books, such as For Women Only, The Kindness Challenge, and Thriving in Love & Money, have sold more than 3 million copies in 25 languages. Her books and studies are popular in homes, counseling centers, and corporations worldwide.   Shaunti (often with her husband, Jeff) has spoken around the world, sharing her findings with audiences ranging from churches to women's and marriage conferences to arena events to youth camps and cruises (yes, those are particularly painful…). Her research and commentary are regularly featured in media as diverse as The Today Show, Focus on the Family, The New York Times and MomLife Today. Shaunti, Jeff, and their two children live in Atlanta and enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.   Secrets of Sex and Marriage Website   Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 63 Maximizing Sexual Intimacy During the Three Most Challenging Phases of Marriage with Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

We welcome Francie Winslow of Heaven in Your Home to talk about why and how to integrate body and soul for better sexual pleasure and intimacy. Sponsor Calm your mind, reduce stress, and elevate your mood while nourishing your skin with Share the Soap's organic aloe and goat milk lotion scented with essential oils. Experience true body-soul integration as this luxurious lotion soothes your skin and harmonizes your emotional well-being. Aroma skincare at its best! AND buy any size lotion and get a your-choice, FREE lip balm through May 31 using code FCWMAY. Put both items in your shopping bag, and the lip balm will show FREE. Visit Share the Soap From the Bible  Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25 So God created mankind in his own image,     in the image of God he created them;     male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself — by Him, I say, whether they be things on earth or things in heaven. Colossians 1:19–20 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14 (NKJV) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:3–5 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42 Resources Francie Winslow's website Heaven in Your Home Podcast – Francie Winslow The Romantic Vineyard | Debi & Tom Walter The Gospel in the Bedroom – Hot, Holy & Humorous What Is Lusting? – Hot, Holy & Humorous Episode 193: Making the Most of Your Five Senses Essential Oils Roller Balls | Amazon Mindfulness & Meditation During Sex - Hot, Holy & Humorous Great Are You Lord- All Sons & Daughters Lyrics | "It's your breath in my lungs" Episode 182: Pray About Your Sex Life (Quickie) Betrayal & Sexual Addiction with Bonny Burns – Heaven In Your Home Thanks for joining us at the virtual kitchen table for another great chat! We'd love for you to join our inner circle by supporting us on Patreon. You can contribute to our wonderful ministry while getting some fun perks for yourself! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/c/ForChristianWives And if you could, leave a rating and/or review so that others can find the show. Please also check out our website and webinars at forchristianwives.com. And visit our individual ministry pages for more resources as well: Strong Wives - Bonny Burns  Honeycomb & Spice - Chris Taylor  Hot, Holy & Humorous - J. Parker  

In this conversation, Francie Winslow shares her transformative journey from the constraints of purity culture to embracing a vibrant and fulfilling sexual life within marriage. She discusses the importance of understanding sexuality as a divine gift, the need for education and growth in sexual intimacy, and the detrimental effects of silence and shame surrounding women's sexuality. We also talk about the historical context that has shaped women's views on their bodies and sexuality, advocating for a shift towards embracing the beauty and joy of sexual expression as part of God's design. The conversation highlights the significance of vulnerability and open communication in fostering healthy sexual relationships. Takeaways Sex is often viewed as a man's need, which is a misconception. Understanding one's body and sexuality is crucial for growth. Silence around sexuality breeds shame and misunderstanding. Women often lack joy and ownership in their sexuality. Sexual intimacy is a key aspect of spiritual growth. Vulnerability is essential for meaningful sexual experiences. Healing from past shame can enhance sexual relationships. Sex is a gift that should be celebrated and explored. Community support is vital for women on this journey. Invite God into your bedroom for healing. Community and resources are essential for growth. Experiences in the sex trade highlight the need for compassion. Sexual healing is crucial for many individuals. Understanding female anatomy is vital for intimacy. Husbands should be students of their wives' bodies. Sexual intimacy should be nourishing, not performance-based. Enjoy the show! On the Xtended version … In this XTD conversation, Francie and I explore the sacredness of sexuality, the importance of community and education in sexual wholeness, and the need for healing in sexual relationships. We discuss personal experiences that shaped their understanding of sexuality, the role of husbands in nurturing intimacy, and the necessity of bringing light to often taboo conversations about sex. . Sponsors … Cure Hydration: Get 20% off your first order! Stay hydrated and feel your best by visiting https://curehydration.com/passion and using promo code passion at checkout. Alloy: Get your Alloy prescription today. Visit https://myalloy.com/PASSION today for $20 off your first order! #agegracefully Academy: Join the Academy and go deeper. https://smr.fm/academy The post Reclaiming Women's Sexuality | Francie Winslow #720 first appeared on Sexy Marriage Radio.

How can women overcome fear and shame around their bodies and embrace the beauty of God's design for sex? Whether from purity culture, other messages, or poor experiences, many women don't see their bodies and sex as good or beautiful. Francie Winslow, host of the podcast “Heaven in Your Home” went through her own struggle with this, and joins Juli to explain how she is learning to embrace the goodness of God's design.   Guest: Francie Winslow   Website: franciewinslow.com Instagram: @franciewinslow   Strong Foundation To Starting Well: Claiming A Healthy Vision For Married Sex Pleasure & Orgasm: Passion & Practicals Of A Wife Receiving Pleasure   Java with Juli: #550 What to Do When Sex is Painful   Java with Juli with Dr. Juli Slattery – Christian Discussions on Marriage, Sex and Singleness.

*DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults   252. Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner   Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are a couple of your most important tips for newlyweds? What are your favorite recommendations to share with couples who want to be proactive and enhance their sexual intimacy, even if things are currently going pretty well? Will you define what constitutes a sexless marriage and share  any trends you've seen over the years?   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner are best known for their pioneer work in encouraging people of all faiths to connect their sexuality with their belief system ─ helping them embrace sex as good and of God. Dr. Clifford is a licensed clinical psychologist and Joyce is a registered nurse and clinical nurse specialist. They are highly respected authors and speakers, in addition to being parents and grandparents.    Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner's Website   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Books By Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner: Enjoy! The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women The Married Guy's Guide to Great Sex Restoring the Pleasure The Gift of Sex: A Guide to Sexual Fulfillment Sex FAQ We Didn't Have Time to Cover Today  Information on Pelvic Pain    Previous Savvy Sauce Episodes with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner: Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner    Maximizing Sexual Intimacy During the Three Most Challenging Phases of Marriage with Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner   Additional Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen  Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna  Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 222 Pornography: Protecting Children and Personal Healing, Victory, and Recovery in Christ with Sam Black Special Patreon Release: Holy Sex: An Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery Special Patreon Release: His Desires and Her Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen 224 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn 227 Resolving Conflict in Marriage with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo  Patreon 28 Re-Release: Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder Patreon 23 Her Desires and His Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Patreon 26 Holy Sex with Dr. Juli Slattery Patreon 28 Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder Patreon 29 Remaining Sexually Engaged Through The Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma Patreon 49: Story of Healing from Sexual Betrayal in Marriage: An Interview with Bonny Burns Patreon 52 God, Sex, and Your Marriage with Dr. Juli Slattery   Connect with The Savvy Sauce Our Website, Instagram or Facebook    Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Welcome back to NEW episodes of the Heaven in Your Home podcast with Francie Winslow. Francie is back at the microphone after a season of personal challenges and reflection, with fresh enthusiasm to help you understand the beauty of your body and sexuality in the context of your faith. Your body is good, a temple of the Holy Spirit.    We are diving into the often-taboo topic of female pleasure and sexuality, exploring how shame and disconnection can hinder intimacy in marriage. Let's reclaim our understanding of pleasure as a gift from God.  And, let's talk about the healing and restorative power of sexual intimacy within a Christian framework.   Episode Highlights: Return from a Season of Reflection The Importance of the Body in Faith Exploring Female Pleasure and Sexuality Navigating Sexuality in Christian Life Healing and Reclaiming Pleasure Embracing Pleasure and Vulnerability The Design of Pleasure: Understanding Our Bodies Invitation to Explore: Valuing Pleasure in Marriage   Resources and Invitation to Go Deeper:   Keep learning with Francie! Join the Circle group mentorship. This is a SWEET community of women, connected with the purpose of seeking God's heart for their reclaiming a redeemed view of sex and sexuality. Inside the circle, we will explore and discover the good news about God's heart for sex. Learn more here:  The Circle 101 Course: Strong Foundations to Starting Well CLAIMING A HEALTHY VISION FOR MARRIED SEX   To build a love that lasts, you must begin with a strong foundation. Whether you're newly engaged or in need of a new lens, this course is essential. You'll be equipped to set a Biblically integrated and practically grounded vision for sex, marriage and the calling to steward the gift of pleasure and intimacy. This course is pivotal as you begin to unlearn unhelpful perspectives and sift through shame, lies and painful messages you've received over the years. Learn more here. Donate to the Heaven in Your Home Ministry: Your one time donation will allow us to continue to produce and distribute teaching and resources. Thank you for partnering with us! Donate here.   Connect with Francie: Receive Francie's weekly newsletter  

Welcome to episode 4 of 5 in our Summer Series called, Cultivating an Emotionally Healthy Marriage. Joining us for a conversation about sex is our dear friend, a licensed marriage and family therapist whose specialization in graduate school was sex therapy, Laura Dugger.In this episode, Laura talks about how sex makes everything better. Wait until you hear the research! With honesty, vulnerability, and a solid dose of fun, Josh and Christi's interview with Laura includes:The hidden benefits of sexHow to talk to your spouse about sexReasons for, and how to, schedule sexIndividual differences when it comes to sexThe God-given purpose of sex in marriage We hope you download the pdf files that go along with these episodes (found in show notes below) and use them in your small groups, with your spouse, or as a companion guide to the content.Show Notes: How Marriage is Saving Me: Sign up for weekly devotionalhttps://shorturl.at/NtnCq Download the free discussion guide pdf for the Summer Series. https://www.famousathome.com/summerseriessignup Ladies, register now for Tender & Fierce!https://www.famousathome.com/tenderandfierce Men, join the interest list for our exciting, upcoming men's discipleship journey! https://www.famousathome.com/mensinterestformListen to this episode on Youtube by clicking here.https://youtu.be/NzgcDR013P0RESOURCES MENTIONED BY LAURA DUGGER: Listen to the Savvy Sauce Podcast! hosted by Laura Duggerhttps://thesavvysauce.com/Dr. Jennifer Konzen podcast episode: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzenhttps://shorturl.at/mPQvW Visit The Art of Intimate Marriage Website: Access to Dr. Konzen's book, podcast, sex therapist training, and a marriage video series.https://www.theartofintimatemarriage.com/Listen to Dr. Douglas Rosenau podcast episode: Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenauhttps://shorturl.at/EfLZ8Read A Celebration of Sex by Dr. Douglas Rosenau: A guide to enjoying God's gift of sexual intimacyhttps://amzn.to/4cMWVfk Listen to Dr. Michael Sytsma podcast episode: Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsmahttps://shorturl.at/A2pHOListen to Francie Winslow podcast episodes: Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1https://shorturl.at/Mx9Iw Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2https://tinyurl.com/bddr6b58 Listen to Drs. Clifford and Joyce Penner podcast episode: Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Pennerhttps://tinyurl.com/5n897dpn Time stamps:(0:38) Introduction(3:31) An introduction to Laura Dugger(6:00) Laura's journey into becoming a sex therapist(8:15) Disclaimer about the sex conversation(9:33) Specific ways sex makes everything in your life better(11:28) Biblical foundation for sex(15:45) Addressing body image(21:11) Healthy ways to have conversation about sex(27:30) Common differences in couples(31:08) Purity culture, pornography, and rewiring our brains for healthy connection(33:35) Talking about desire discrepancy and scheduling sex(38:27) Testosterone in women and best time of day for sex(40:40) One piece of advice for husbands(42:44) One piece of advice for wives(44:54) How to know when to reach out for outside support(49:00) The last word

Francie Winslow joins me in this encore episode to talk about the amazing gift of physical intimacy in marriage. You will be blessed and uplifted by her candidness and her refreshing perspective on God's precious gift. *PLEASE NOTE* If you usually listen with your children around, you may want to hear this episode in your headphones first. We discuss physical intimacy in marriage and use physiological names for body parts. Join my free email list here Connect with me on Instagram Ask a question on a future show

Can you relate? Growing up in a good, Christian family, you conversations about sex were mostly about biological reproduction or God's word on chastity.  Perhaps those conversations served you well as a teenager, but after married, you're left with a lot of questions and maybe even painful experiences as the realities of sex and marriage didn't fit with what you thought it would be.  I used to think sexuality and spirituality were incompatible. However, after digging into our own Christian theology, I came to understand that it supports embodiment, sensuality, and sexuality in a very positive way. I look around and I see a God who is powerful, creative, passionate, and very personal. Of all the religions, I think ours ought to be the most sex positive. Even if you're not a Christian, there's no denying that some of the most meaningful experiences we can have is being loved and desired deeply by another person and experiencing a special kind of pleasure. And this experience is spiritual and transcendent.   My guest today is Francie Winslow, a friend and the fellow podcaster. And here's some of what we talk about: Francie's story of sexual healing and growth How frequency of sexual experiences doesn't automatically translate to quality of sexual experiences How sex fits with spirituality Connected to the deeper meaning of sensuality to God's design for us Advice on creating margin in your lifestyle, so you have time and energy leftover to invest in your marriage relationship  Francie's black belt sex tip at the end, which my wife and I have tried it out since the time we recorded this episode. We had such a great time doing it, we're definitely going to make it a regular part of what we do! Find out more! You can also find this episode on our YouTube channel! You may also be interested in following us on Instagram or downloading our free app, Intimately Us!

*DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults   224 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn   Deuteronomy 29:29a (NKJV) "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us"   Questions and Topics We Cover: Are there any specific questions you recommend we ask our spouse periodically? Will you elaborate on your finding that "men and women tend to have different insecurities that the process of sex can help heal or hurt"? You write "Having a comfortable way to signal (and receive) openness or interest will create connection and prevent much pain." So, how can couples begin to develop their own private language or signals to communicate effectively in a healthy manner?   Thank you to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Shaunti Feldhahn received her graduate degree from Harvard University and was an analyst on Wall Street before unexpectedly becoming a social researcher, best-selling author, and popular speaker.   Today, Shaunti applies her analytical skills to investigate eye-opening, life-changing truths about relationships, both at home and in the workplace. Her groundbreaking research-based books, such as For Women Only, The Kindness Challenge, and Thriving in Love & Money, have sold more than 3 million copies in 25 languages. Her books and studies are popular in homes, counseling centers, and corporations worldwide.   Shaunti (often with her husband, Jeff) has spoken around the world, sharing her findings with audiences ranging from churches to women's and marriage conferences to arena events to youth camps and cruises (yes, those are particularly painful…). Her research and commentary are regularly featured in media as diverse as The Today Show, Focus on the Family, The New York Times and MomLife Today. Shaunti, Jeff, and their two children live in Atlanta and enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.   Secrets of Sex and Marriage Website   Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen  Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner  Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 63 Maximizing Sexual Intimacy During the Three Most Challenging Phases of Marriage with Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna  Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma     Patreon 23 Her Desires and His Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Patreon 26 Holy Sex with Dr. Juli Slattery Patreon 28 Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder Patreon 29 Remaining Sexually Engaged Through The Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma Patreon 49: Story of Healing from Sexual Betrayal in Marriage: An Interview with Bonny Burns Patreon 52 God, Sex, and Your Marriage with Dr. Juli Slattery   Shaunti's Previous Episode on The Savvy Sauce: Understanding Men and Women Better with Shaunti Feldhahn   Shaunti's Co-Author's Most Recent Episode on The Savvy Sauce: Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and goodies!   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

You're not going to miss this incredible interview Alana and Tiera had with Francie Winslow. She get's vulnerable and shares her journey towards healing from purity culture, how husbands can help their wives desire intimacy, and how we can experience pleasure everywhere. Links from today's episode: Heaven In Your Home Podcast FrancieWinslow.com ⁠Get on the waitlist for February's Unite & Ignite membership!!⁠ Want more from Kingdom Sexuality? Come hang out! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to hear YOUR review at the beginning of an episode??? Leave one on Apple Podcasts or send us a DM on Instagram- you might just hear it in the next one!

What negative beliefs have you internalized about sex? Do you think of intimacy as a good gift from God? For much of human history, intimacy has been a place of pain and brokenness, an area where we have lacked discipleship. So I would be remiss not to include this topic in our Strengthen Your Marriage series. Francie Winslow is on the show today and she's letting us in on her healing journey when it comes to sex, marriage, and the mission of God. She invites us to heal, find freedom, and shift our mindsets to more accurately reflect what God intended for us. Francie's ministry includes sexual discipleship for women. She teaches, not as an expert, but as a Christian woman pursuing healing and wholeness for herself, rooted in Scripture and theology. You'll hear us talk about… Correcting wrong beliefs about sexuality God's design for intimacy Vulnerability with your husband Overcoming barriers to intimacy Connecting to your body Francie has a BA in Political Science and a Masters in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Il. She lives in Northern Virginia and is crazy about life with her husband and their five kids. Francie currently ministers as a podcast host, mentor, writer and as a speaker for churches and women's conferences.   GET THE SERIES REFLECTION GUIDE   GET ALL THE SHOW NOTES

Kristin was recently a guest on the Heaven in your Home podcast with Francie Winslow where they discussed hope after pornography. We encourage you to listen to Kristin and Francie's discussion before listening to this podcast. The Heaven in your Home episode was released on October 9, 2023 and was episode 173. Here is a link to the podcast on Spotify and Apple: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XpxQesHBfy7g4z6JIKDFo?si=c70b6bb0b41b4186 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/173-hope-after-pornography-with-kristin-richardson/id1493541368?i=1000630651569 In this episode we discuss Todd's response to Kristin's discussion with Francie and discuss more about our story and the power of hope. If you would like to contact us, you can email us at fearlessinlovepodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

This is part two of an interview with the amazing Francie Winslow, a bold woman of God who hosts a podcast about sex in marriage! Go listen to part one of this interview first before you dig into today's great show! Heather and Francie cover a lot of ground today, talking about what to do if body image issues are impacting your sex life. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: Sex is connected to our entire life story: It's not just a disconnected act, but rather an opportunity for naked vulnerability and acceptance, mirroring the love and grace found in the gospel. Let's shift the focus from the culture of pornography and physical pleasure to experiencing love and oneness, resulting in a life-giving and fulfilling sexual journey. Nourishing our bodies and souls: Our bodies are sacred and temples of God. Let's embrace them as vessels of God's spirit and recognize that pleasure and intimacy are God's provisions for healing and nourishment. Reclaim your body as something good that God created and see sex as an act of worship. Let's break the silence and stigma surrounding this important topic and create a healthy dialogue within our faith communities. Overcoming challenges: Whether you're struggling with vaginismus, dealing with the aftermath of purity culture, or seeking to strengthen your connection with your partner, there is hope and support available. There are practical resources available to help address and heal sexual challenges. It's time to understand the spiritual connection to our bodies for breakthroughs in our sexual journeys in marriage. Connect with Francie Winslow at: www.franciewinslow.com or listen to the Heaven in Your Home podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heaven-in-your-home/id1493541368 Connect with Heather and Compared to Who? and learn more about the upcoming course and coaching opportunities at: www.improvebodyimage.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Francie Winslow of the Heaven in Your Home podcast joins Heather for a vulnerable, authentic, and helpful conversation about sex and body image issues. Francie opens up about her own struggles with feeling average and not measuring up to society's standards of beauty. Throughout the conversation, we explore the idea that true beauty lies in the confidence that comes from God alone, not from having the body of your dreams. Francie shares her own journey of discovering the importance of being receptive to marital intimacy and embracing her own sexual pleasure. We discuss the challenges women face in being receivers and offer practical advice for overcoming insecurities. It's a conversation filled with vulnerability, healing, and biblical insights. Connect with Francie Winslow and check out the Heaven in Your Home podcast here: https://franciewinslow.com Connect to Heather and Compared to Who? here and learn more about starting on your journey to body image freedom: www.comparedtowho.me or improvebodyimage.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we teach kids that God made their bodies and that He made their bodies good? Are there creative and intentional ways to connect with kids and help them develop a Biblical theology around their bodies? In this episode, Juli connects with her friend Francie Winslow, a mother of six on a mission to imprint upon the hearts of her children the beauty of God's design of their bodies and vision for their sexuality.   Guest: Francie Winslow     Francie's Instagram: @franciewinslow Francie's Website: franciewinslow.com/ Podcast: Heaven in Your Home Album: Heaven in Your Home Family Music Blog: 5 Reasons You're Not Talking to Your Kids About Sex (and  How to Overcome Them) Java with Juli: #460 How to Have Mini and Many Conversations About Sexuality With Your Kids

In this episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility, we discuss God's Design for Sex and how to hold the goodness sex brings marriages during the hard season. We delve into the topics of sex and intimacy, challenges when trying to conceive and exploring a deeper understanding of connection within relationships. We have Francie Winslow, host of Heaven in Your Home Podcast that talks about sex, marriage and the mission of God.  The discussion begins with Francie sharing her personal story of her relationship wiht god and  the concept of purity and the potential challenges faced by individuals who struggle to embrace their sexuality after marriage, leading to feelings of disconnection and how to get through those. Francie invites listeners to consider God's purpose and intent for intimacy, drawing inspiration from the biblical account of Adam and Eve. The idea that becoming "one flesh" extends beyond physical union is explored, highlighting the notion that fruitful living encompasses bringing forth goodness and benefiting the world through intimate connections. Moving forward, the episode discusses how sex can feel more like a job or chore within the infertility community. Caitlin and Francie also discuss intimacy with your partner and offer practical thoughts for those who feel exhausted or stuck in a sexual rut. The importance of viewing intimacy in a broader context is emphasized, with an emphasis on understanding that sex is more than a mere act. Genuine connection, vulnerability, and prioritizing one's unashamed, authentic self are vital aspects of nurturing and nourishing each other in a relationship.This concept can get lost when a couple's focus is trying to conceive.  The discussion continues by stressing the significance of building and maintaining connection and intimacy, particularly during challenging seasons. Practical tips for jump-starting marital connections are shared, aiming to reignite passion and intimacy. Shifting gears, the podcast delves into a candid conversation about female pleasure, providing insights into women's anatomy, such as the clitoris, and the importance of understanding individual preferences and pacing in order to experience pleasure. The episode mentions resources like Bonnie Burns' book "Unlock Your Orgasm," which offers guidance on enhancing intimacy and exploring pleasure within relationships. Concluding the episode, the focus turns to nurturing intimacy during pregnancy when individuals may not feel their most beautiful. Francie and Caitlin disucss various ways to build intimacy during this transformative period, encouraging listeners to explore the different facets of connection beyond physical appearance. Overall, this episode serves as an enlightening and thought-provoking exploration of sex, intimacy, and connection, encouraging listeners to stay connected during the more difficlt times.  If you would like to learn more about Francie Winsow you can visit her website: www.FrancieWinslow.com   Thank you to our Season 2 Sponsors. Be sure to use the code on their site for a Food, Freedom and Fertility discount. Proov Testing Kit and online app 15% OFF in $15 or more FFF15   FullWell: FFF10 10% pre-natal, fish oil or men's pre-natal The Prenatal Nutrition Library: FFF20 20% You can find us on IG at FoodFreedomFertility

Having Francie Winslow here with us on the podcast is always a delight, and as you'll hear, she's not afraid to unpack tough topics—like the body and sexuality. Today, she's sitting down with Alisa to share how parents can learn to navigate this topic well with their kids. Francie explains why and how our bodies are meant to know God and show God, and you'll learn why this matters. She's also giving us easy steps to begin the conversation and even teaches us to use music as a fun starting place. If you've ever felt this topic was too daunting, Francie breaks it down with love and wisdom.  Francie has a passion for teaching the heart of God for bodies, sexuality, family, and the home. This busy mom of six just released her new program, Heaven in Your Home Family Music, where she's bringing the power of music to spark conversations with kids around their bodies. She also hosts the podcast Heaven in Your Home. You can connect with Francie at franciewinslow.com. Ready to go deeper? We just launched our new challenge, Jesus Revealed: An Active Devotional! You'll journey through the seven 'I Am' statements of Jesus while you move your body with six REVING the Words and one Be Still and Be Loved. You'll also have a devotional for each statement that will help guide your exploration into the revelation of Jesus. You can head over to the RW App to get signed up today! Have you downloaded the RW App yet? Before you hit play, go to the app store and download the free RW App. You can also check out our exclusive REVING the Word episodes for RW+ subscribers! Try RW+ out free for seven days and press play on our brand new workout, RevXing the Word.  We love our Rev community and think you will too! Be sure to get connected with us at: The Official Revelation Wellness Facebook / Instagram / RevWell TV / Youtube   Your reviews matter to us and help spread the good news, so please leave us one where you listen to your podcast! If we read your review on our show, we'll send you a gift from the Revelation Wellness Store!   We'd also love to hear from you! So leave us a VOICE MESSAGE here!  Tell us what you thought about this episode and how God met you in this episode.

Having Francie Winslow here with us on the podcast is always a delight, and as you'll hear, she's not afraid to unpack tough topics—like the body and sexuality. Today, she's sitting down with Alisa to share how parents can learn to navigate this topic well with their kids. Francie explains why and how our bodies are meant to know God and show God, and you'll learn why this matters. She's also giving us easy steps to begin the conversation and even teaches us to use music as a fun starting place. If you've ever felt this topic was too daunting, Francie breaks it down with love and wisdom.  Francie has a passion for teaching the heart of God for bodies, sexuality, family, and the home. This busy mom of six just released her new program, Heaven in Your Home Family Music, where she's bringing the power of music to spark conversations with kids around their bodies. She also hosts the podcast Heaven in Your Home. You can connect with Francie at franciewinslow.com. Ready to go deeper? We just launched our new challenge, Jesus Revealed: An Active Devotional! You'll journey through the seven 'I Am' statements of Jesus while you move your body with six REVING the Words and one Be Still and Be Loved. You'll also have a devotional for each statement that will help guide your exploration into the revelation of Jesus. You can head over to the RW App to get signed up today! Have you downloaded the RW App yet? Before you hit play, go to the app store and download the free RW App. You can also check out our exclusive REVING the Word episodes for RW+ subscribers! Try RW+ out free for seven days and press play on our brand new workout, RevXing the Word.  We love our Rev community and think you will too! Be sure to get connected with us at: The Official Revelation Wellness Facebook / Instagram / RevWell TV / Youtube   Your reviews matter to us and help spread the good news, so please leave us one where you listen to your podcast! If we read your review on our show, we'll send you a gift from the Revelation Wellness Store!   We'd also love to hear from you! So leave us a VOICE MESSAGE here!  Tell us what you thought about this episode and how God met you in this episode.

Women, how do you see your body? Do you see it the way God does? Did you know that He designed sex to be pleasurable, AND designed parts of your body with no other function but for the sole purpose of PLEASURE? Sister, it's time to shift into an all-encompassing sexual experience with your husband. Tune into this episode to hear more!

Mamas, God designed sex and it is a great gift to us in marriage, but sometimes it can also lead to frustrations and hurt feelings. The world has such a fractured view of sex, but we think part of the reason sex has become so distorted in our culture is that we're not having these kinds of conversations. We're sure you can tell by the title of this episode that this is not going to be a G-rated discussion! Now would be a great time to hit pause if there are kids around and find a way to listen privately, perhaps even alone with your spouse. We're talking about sex today with our friend Francie Winslow, the host of the Heaven in Your Home podcast and an outspoken advocate for Biblical intimacy between husbands and wives. Join us for this hard, yet importantly honest, discussion. Find more from Francie at her website, www.franciewinslow.com and as always, join the conversation with us on Instagram at @momtomompodcast.

I am a child of the 90s, and I vividly remember going to a True Love Waits rally where the speaker held up beautiful rose and slowly began tearing its petals off one by one until there was nothing but an ugly stump left. Of course, this was meant to illustrate what happens to our hearts when we choose to give ourselves away over and over before marriage, but there was always something about that image that didn't sit well with me. Why? Because it completely leaves out God's ability to redeem and restore things that are dead. Many people who were influenced by this message have come forward saying it hurt them more than it helped them. Because of that, I wanted to take a deep look at how it has affected us as women, and what the true message of the Bible is about purity...so we can teach our children what's true and good, and so that we can find healing if we need it. Join me and my special guest, Francie Winslow, as we talk about: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The good and bad things that came from the purity movement of the 90s. What the Bible actually says about purity. The biggest hurts and challenges women of the 90s face related to the purity movement. How to find healing and move forward with hope. How to pray for our children as it relates to their purity. Tune in now! LINKS:  Show Notes Get the Psalms Part 2 Prayer Calendar Praying for Your Child's Purity

Ep. 112 - Married women have tons of burning questions about intimacy and sex. "Where did my libido go the second I got married?" and "I've never had an orgasm. How can I overcome this?" and "How to know what's okay in bed and what's not?" The list goes on. Christian married women need help, direction and hope in this area. Google isn't cutting it. We need real advice from a real sex expert. Join us today as we ask Francie Winslow many crucial questions about married sex. To learn more about God's design for sexuality, gender, and Biblical womanhood, grab a copy of: Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girls Heart.NEW Personal Retreat Journal Girl Defined: God's Radical Design for Beauty, Femininity and Identity Not Part of the Plan: Trusting God with the Twists and Turns of Your Story Love Defined: Embracing God's Vision for Lasting Love and Satisfying Relationships Shine Bright Devotional 8-Week Girl Defined Mentorship Course Biblical Counseling Link CONNECT WITH FRANCIE WINSOW Heaven in Your HomeSupport the showFOLLOW US:GirlDefined.comInstagram YouTube Facebook Pinterest

Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage: An Interview with Francie Winslow, Part 2   "Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge;" Isaiah 5:13 NKJV   Questions and Topics We Discuss: Will you elaborate on the science of sex? When two become one, what has God designed to occur at a hormonal level? What is your best list of benefits that come from a husband and wife connecting sexually on a regular basis?   Jesus captured Francie's heart at a young age, and she has been on an adventure following Him since then, fueled by a love for His word and His presence.   As a young woman Francie served in Mother Theresa's home for the dying in Kolkata, sat in brothels with girls trapped in the sex trade of Chang Mai, slept in the bush of Namibia to reach tribal people and orphans with the Gospel of Jesus, visited the homes of the poor in the Dominican Republic, and helped with the rebuilding and development of a village in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami.   For the past few years, Francie has been focused on writing and speaking about God's good gift of intimacy in marriage.  She's been featured on Christianity Today's blog and Moody Radio, The Don't Mom Alone Podcast, and Java with Juli, and several others as she shares about the power of sex in marriage. Most recently, she's launched a podcast called Heaven in Your Home where she talks all about sex, marriage and the mission of God.   In it all, Francie is passionate about inviting others to experience God's tangible love that has the ability to transform every area of life.      Francie has a BA in Political Science and a Masters degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Il.  She currently lives in the suburbs of Washington DC with her six kids and husband.    Francie Winslow's Website Francie Winslow's Podcast   Episodes with Dr. Michael Sytsma on The Savvy Sauce: Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview   Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse   Desire DIscrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Remaining Sexually Engaged Through the Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma (Paying Patrons Only)   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Francie's Green Superfood Recommendation   Recommended Resources to Learn about Sex: Celebration of Sex The Art of Intimate Marriage Passion Pursuit Enjoy! The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women Restoring the Pleasure The Married Guy's Guide to Great Sex   Additional Recommended Resources at www.thesavvysauce.com   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Top Ten from 2021: #4 Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects: An Interview with Francie Winslow, Part 1   "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3+4 NIV   Questions and Topics We Discuss: What has the Lord taught you about sexual intimacy within marriage? How does sex that happens in the secret place inside our marriage overflow to the rest of our lives, benefitting each arena? What are a few positive messages to replace the negative lies we've previously bought into about sex?     Jesus captured Francie's heart at a young age, and she has been on an adventure following Him since then, fueled by a love for His word and His presence.   As a young woman Francie served in Mother Theresa's home for the dying in Kolkata, sat in brothels with girls trapped in the sex trade of Chang Mai, slept in the bush of Namibia to reach tribal people and orphans with the Gospel of Jesus, visited the homes of the poor in the Dominican Republic, and helped with the rebuilding and development of a village in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami.   For the past few years, Francie has been focused on writing and speaking about God's good gift of intimacy in marriage.  She's been featured on Christianity Today's blog and Moody Radio, The Don't Mom Alone Podcast, and Java with Juli, and several others as she shares about the power of sex in marriage. Most recently, she's launched a podcast called Heaven in Your Home where she talks all about sex, marriage and the mission of God.   In it all, Francie is passionate about inviting others to experience God's tangible love that has the ability to transform every area of life.      Francie has a BA in Political Science and a Masters degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Il.  She currently lives in the suburbs of Washington DC with her six kids and husband.    Francie Winslow's Website Francie Winslow's Podcast   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Today I am delighted to welcome Francie Winslow of Heaven in Your Home Podcast to the show! She has a wonderful testimony and wisdom to share with us about the blessing of our bodies and physical intimacy with our husbands. I know you will be as blessed and encouraged as I was! Connect with Francie: franciewinslow.com Heaven in Your Home Podcast Instagram @franciewinslow For show notes and more, visit kirstenvossler.com

Ep. 078 - We are going there. We're having an open and honest conversation about sex as a newlywed couple. This has been a highly requested topic and we're excited to offer some practical, spiritual and insightful advice for this area of your marriage. Today is extra special. We brought Francie Winslow from Heaven in Your Home to share her best advice on sex. We also brought Clint and Charity from Restored 2 More on the show as well. They shared such helpful and practical advice on this topic. This is an episode you'll want to share with all of your married friends. It filled with  incredible biblical truth. Grab the Marriage Guide - 150 Questions to Strengthen Your Marriage SALE - Sex, Purity and the Longings of a Girl's Heart BookAdditional Links Mentioned in the Show Connect with Francie Winslow Connect with Clint and Charity Body Talk Basics Intended for Pleasure book Dear Young Married CoupleGirl Defined Resources Not Part of the Plan: Trusting God with the Twists and Turns of Your Story Love Defined Book Girl Defined Book Shine Bright Devotional 8-Week Girl Defined Mentorship Course Biblical Counseling Link Support the show

Abby is joined by Francie Winslow, an expert in helping people rediscover "God's design for connection and intimacy in your marriage." Join Abby and Francie as they navigate sex, intimacy, and struggles in marriage — and point people to God's design for intimacy and pleasure. *** CAUTION: Adult conversations are discussed in this episode, which is not suitable for young audiences. FOLLOW ABBY: - Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms - Follow Abby on Twitter - Follow Abby on Facebook - Follow Abby on Instagram FOLLOW FRANCIE: - Follow Francie on Facebook

I am deeply encouraged and impacted by leaders, authors, and pastors all over the world (thanks to internet!). I wanted to take one episode just to do some shoutouts for people I love and am deeply encouraged by. I think you should follow them on social media, read their books or blogs, and listen to their podcasts- I know you will be encouraged! I could have listened 50 more, but here are the names of people I talked about on this episode: Jess Connolly, Francie Winslow, Alisa Keeton, Christine Caine, Anjuli Paschall, Katia Adams, Maverick City Music, Derwin Gray, & Jackie Hill Perry.  And here is the link for the tanning drops I can't stop taking about:  https://amzn.to/3NZqLSs

Get ready for all the sex advice we SHOULD be equipping young women with: How can Christian women shed shame about sex and embrace it as a God-given gift for marriage? What ripple effects can an amazing sex life have on your family and even society? What to do if you're experiencing trouble having an orgasm? What are some tips for becoming a more sensual woman?Host of ‘Heaven In Your Home' podcast, Francie Winslow, walks us through her best practices on how to have an amazing married sex life.WATCH this interview on the POPlitics YouTube HERE at midnight eastern.New episodes of ‘The Spillover' post every Friday at Midnight Eastern. Subscribe to this podcast and leave a 5-star review.Conservatives talk a lot about the propaganda that saturates Hollywood. The fashion industry is no different. Everyone from small clothing lines to big designer brands typically fund left-leaning causes. Not These Three Boutique. Their clothes are trendy, affordable, and they support freedom. Find them on Instagram @shopthesethree and use code TPUSA30 for 30% off your order.

The dream team is back for Part 2 of our Marriage and Sex mini-series. Dr. Juli Slattery and Francie Winslow help us understand why healthy sexuality is a vital part of our marriages and how we can overcome lies and previous barriers or pain and move forward. Whether you have been married twenty five years or three months, this episode will help offer a Godly perspective and encourage you to lean in to sex the way God intended. If you are looking for wisdom in this area, you will find it here. Java with Juli Podcast Heaven in Your Home Podcast with Francie WInslow Finding the Hero in Your Husband by Juli Slattery Rethinking Sexuality by Juli Slattery and Gary Thomas The Married Guy's Guide To Great Sex by Cliff and Joyce Penner A Celebration of Sex

We start at the top of this episode saying we've got the "dream team" on. We're not joking. Dr. Juli Slattery and our dear friend Francie Winslow are two of our favorite women. They bring wisdom and roots into any conversation having to do with marriage. And since we can't get enough of them, we're bringing them back next week for Part 2. In this first half of our conversation we talk about why marriage matters, the power a wife holds in a marriage, and whose responsibility it is to change when things aren't going well. This isn't a conversation that pretends everything is easy or all of our marriages are conflict-free, it IS a conversation however that reminds us that marriage is about a bigger story and putting the effort in to work toward health is worth the work. If you are struggling to remember when things were good, if you are needing a reminder about the purpose of marriage, if you simply don't know where to start in choosing hope, this conversation could be for you. Juli and Francie are a trusted pair. They have your best interest in mind and remind us all that God is for us and for marriage.

Intentional Marriage and Parenting with Drew and Sara Anthony   Psalm 16:11 (NIV) "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."   Drew and Sara Anthony will celebrate 28 years of marriage this year. They have 4 children ranging in age from 16-24. In addition, they run a house flipping business together. Drew and Sara recently discovered a passion for sailing. They combined their love for sailing and heart for helping strengthen marriages by leading marriage sailing adventures. They've seen God at work throughout their whole marriage and for that they are so grateful.    Questions and Topics We Discuss:   Were there any traditions or habits you established as an engaged or newlywed couple that set you up for success? As you reflect back, what are some things you did during the season of raising little children that you now see the payoff as they are becoming adults? How have you kept the romance alive through all these stages of marriage?     Sara's Blog Post on Her Goal Group   Marriage Themed Podcast Episodes on The Savvy Sauce:   A God-Honoring Relationship Between a Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law with Annie Chapman    Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen    Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau    Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner    Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand   How to Align Your Finances with Your Values with Natalie Taylor   Managing Family, Career, and Health with Leslie Neslage   Reflecting Jesus in Our Relationships with Rach Kincaid   Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt   Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter   Gender Differences and Common Conflict in Relationships with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George   Being Intentional with Marriage, Parenting, Rest, Personal development, and Leadership with Pastor, Podcaster, and Author, Jeff Henderson   Patreon 4 Understanding Service Marriages with Licensed Professional Counselor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers   Practical Steps for Discipling Our Children with Licensed Professional Counselor, Jen Rathmell   Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau   Practical Parenting Tools with Author and Speaker, Sue Heimer   Understanding and Utilizing the Enneagram in Your Life with Enneagram Coach, Beth McCord   Deep Dive into the Enneagram with Your Enneagram Coach, Beth McCord   Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack   Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese   Understanding Gender Differences in Marriage with Dr. Ted and Ang Bryant   Marriage and Motherhood with Counselor, Wife, and Mother to 5, Aja Duncan   Top 10 Listener Questions Related to the Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law Relationship with author, Annie Chapman   Practical Life Tips with Blogger, Rach Kincaid   Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Author, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers   Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma   Perspective in Parenting in the Midst of Sorrow, Betrayal, and Grief with Former Children's Pastor, Teacher, and Writer, Penny Harrison   Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen   Understanding the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator to Improve Your Marriage, Family, and Work Relationships    Marital Communication and Intentional Family Life with Author, Speaker, and Podcaster, Susan Seay   Maximizing Sexual Intimacy During the Three Most Challenging Phases of Marriage with Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner   Stress Management, Self-Care, and Offering Grace to Important People in Our Life with Author and Popular Speaker, Jill Savage   Simple Solutions to Help You Prepare For, Enrich, or Save Your Marriage with Dr. Matthew Turvey   Thriving at Work, Home, and Life with Author, Blogger, Podcaster, and Business Owner, Crystal Paine   Understanding Temperaments to Improve Your Relationships Part 1 with Author and Communication Coach, Kathleen Edelman    Understanding Temperaments to Improve Your Relationships Part 2 with Author and Communication Coach, Kathleen Edelman   Effective Parenting for Toddlers Through College with Wife, Mother to 8, and The Exchange Founder, Elizabeth Pehrson   Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese   Parenting the Prodigal Child And God's Desire For Redemption With Mother-Daughter Duo, Claire Stanfill and Tindell Baldwin   Radical Business and Radical Parenting with Gary & Marla Ringger, Founders of Lifesong for Orphans   Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George   Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller   Fruitful with Laura Dugger   Ordering Your Priorities with Kat Lee   5 Love Languages with Dr. Gary Chapman   Four Personality Types with Dale Wilsher   Visionary Parenting and Grand-Parenting with Dr. Rob Rienow   Applying Business Strategies to Your Home Management with Susan Seay   Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery   Technology and Parenting with Arlene Pellicane   The Enneagram Explained with Sarajane Case of Enneagram & Coffee   Understanding Men and Women Better with Shaunti Feldhahn   Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein   Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein   Understanding and Delighting in Our Differences with Bill & Pam Farrel    Guiding Our Children Through Their Emotions with Julie Roth   Thriving with Kids at Home During Quarantine with Amanda Leman   Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen   Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt   Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Ways to Enjoy Summer with Your Family with Krista Gilbert   Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard   Communication and Healthy Conflict Resolution with Kelley Gray   Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder   Powerful Purpose of Introverts with Holley Gerth   Building Love Together in Blended Families with Ron Deal   Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner   Living Intentionally with Shunta Grant   Romantic Love in Marriage with Dr. Willard Harvey   Parenting All Temperaments with Jenny Boyett   Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington   Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day   Rhythms of Renewal with Gabe and Rebekah Lyons   Parenting 0-18 with Daniel Huerta    Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler   Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand   Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton   Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two)   Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry   Intentional Questions to Ask Our Kids with Susan Seay   Biblical Response to Emotionally Destructive Relationships with Leslie Vernick   Connection and Correction in Parenting with Chad Hayenga   Temperaments and Power of Words in Parenting with Kathleen Edelman   Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes   Nine Ways to Connect with God with Gary Thomas    Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1   Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2   Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta   Beneficial Rhythms in Marriage with Chris and Jenni Graebe   Inspiring Perspective in Parenting with Kay Wyma   Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas   Patreon-Only Marriage Related Episodes:   Patreon 7 Intentional Family Life with Podcasters, Heather Toews and Heidi Bolt   Patreon 9 Healthy Relationships with Our Friends and Our Spouse with Author and Speaker, Sue Heimer   Patreon 16 Enjoy a Thriving Marriage with Dr. Matthew Turvey   Patreon 19 Applying Personality Training to Parenting with Dale Wilsher   Patreon 20 Personal Stories of God's Provision with Hope Ware   Patreon 21 Leading in Parenting with Arlene Pellicane   Patreon 22 Vision in Motherhood while Parenting a Child with Special Needs   Patreon 23 Her Desires and His Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen   Patreon 26 Holy Sex with Dr. Juli Slattery   Patreon 28 Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder   Patreon 29 Remaining Sexually Engaged Through The Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Patreon 34 Lead with Questions in Parenting with Stacy Bellward   Marriage Related Articles:   Our Valentine's Day Tradition   10 Recommendations for Enjoying Sex More in Marriage   Rhythms and Why They Matter   Fun Daily and Weekly Marital Enrichment Habits   Fun Monthly and Yearly Marital Enrichment Habits   How Do You Know It's Worthwhile?   Marriage Scripture I am Loving   Marriage: Foundational Questions to Promote Connection   How Does Your Family of Origin Affect Your Marriage?   How is Self-Awareness Beneficial in Marriage?   Most Helpful Gender Difference to Understand   One Enjoyable Way to Serve Together in Marriage   Practical Ways to Rekindle Love in Marriage   Healthy Communication in Marriage   Marriage: Growing in Conflict Resolution Skills   Ten Financial Questions to Ask Your Spouse   Wise and Practical Marriage Tips   Our Wise and Foolish List in Marriage *Bonus Content When You Join Our Email List*   Sex in Marriage, Part One   Sex in Marriage, Part Two   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Marriage Resources   Sexual Wholeness Resources   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Have you considered the value of having a mentor to help you grow your womanhood, femininity and your sex life? We tend to live pretty independently, but that's not how God created us to live. We are created for community.  It is easy to embrace the idea of mentorship when it comes to spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, child-rearing…but what it would look like to have a mentor that can help you live more fully alive as a woman, in your sexuality. This is all God's territory! Listen in for some good ideas for inviting another woman into your life to explore the theology of the body, the beauty of the way God created women and how to celebrate sexuality and sexual pleasure. It can be as simple as deciding to read a book or listening to this podcast together.   A few resources Francie mentions:   Authentic Intimacy with Juli Slattery, click here Rethinking Sexuality by Juli Slattery, click here Dr. Jennifer Degler, click here The Discipleship Circle by Francie Winslow (join the waitlist for Spring enrollment), click here And, if you want to avoid the drift and lean into your marriage connection, Join the Jumpstart Your Marriage Connection course. This 5 part study will provide teaching, practicals and declarations to help you grow your marriage connection. Join the Jumpstart Your Marriage Connection, click here To subscribe and get more resources from Francie, click here And, Francie is partnered with MyCounselor.Online as a resource for Biblically based counseling. You'll receive a 25% discount on your first session. Click  here And, Francie's favorite place to find resources to bring a little something to the marriage bed is Married Dance. Use discount code MerryMarriage for 10% off site wide. Click here Thanks for joining Francie on this episode of Heaven in Your Home. We hope you'll be inspired by this episode, and feel led to share it with someone you know would be ministered by Francie's message. Connect with Francie: Website Instagram Please share Heaven In Your Home with your friends!  

Last week we talked about how to have hard conversations with your spouse. This week, we're highlighting one of the topics that is so often difficult to talk about--sex. Joining us is our dear friend, Christian sex therapist, Laura Dugger. In this episode, Laura talks about how sex literally makes everything better. Wait until you hear the research! With honesty, vulnerability, and a solid dose of fun, Josh and Christi's interview with Laura includes: The hidden benefits of sexHow to talk to your spouse about sexReasons for, and how to, schedule sexThe God-given purpose of sex in marriage Show Notes: SIGN UP FOR THE FAMOUS AT HOME NETWORK BY FEBRUARY 9! You have until February 9 to join the Famous at Home community! Be a part of exclusive content, live coaching, and offers as well as group discussions, a community of families who are like-minded, and live Q&A sessions with Josh and Christi. LISTEN TO THE SAVVY SAUCE PODCAST! A podcast hosted by 3 stay-at-home moms (1 being Laura Dugger) existing to invite people into a space to meet with Jesus and be filled with joy to overflowing. DR. JENNIFER KONZEN PODCAST EPISODE: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen VISIT THE ART OF INTIMATE MARRIAGE WEBSITE! Access to Dr. Konzen's book, podcast, sex therapist training, and a marriage video series.LISTEN TO DR. DOUGLAS ROSENAU PODCAST EPISODE: Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau READ A CELEBRATION OF SEX BY DR. DOUGLAS ROSENAU: A guide to enjoying God's gift of sexual intimacy LISTEN TO DR. MICHAEL SYTSMA PODCAST EPISODE: Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma LISTEN TO FRANCIE WINSLOW PODCAST EPISODES: Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 LISTEN TO DR. CLIFFORD AND JOYCE PENNER PODCAST EPISODE: Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce PennerAssortment of Books LISTEN TO GARY THOMAS PODCAST EPISODE: Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas READ MARRIED SEX BY GARY THOMAS: A Christian couple's guide to reimagining your love life LISTEN TO DEBRA FILETA PODCAST EPISODE: Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta READ DR. JULI SLATTERY'S BOOK! Passion Pursuit (co-authored with Linda Dillow)

God chose to reveal Himself in an actual body. He came in human flesh. But for hundreds and thousands of years, our culture has gotten it wrong. Churches have gotten it wrong. There is so much shame and confusion around sexuality and body image. There is also so much hope. Francie shares with us the hope she has found through years of study, prayer, and research regarding what God says about our bodies. I know you will be encouraged. Simply put: God made all of you and all of you is good. Please check our her resources & podcast, "Heaven In Your Home," where she shares incredible wisdom and gives practical steps to engage this important topic. https://franciewinslow.com

Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1   "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3+4 NIV   Questions and Topics We Discuss: What has the Lord taught you about sexual intimacy within marriage? How does sex that happens in the secret place inside our marriage overflow to the rest of our lives, benefitting each arena? What are a few positive messages to replace the negative lies we've previously bought into about sex?     Francie Winslow says Jesus captured her heart at a young age, and she has been on an adventure following Him since then, fueled by a love for His word and His presence.   As a young woman Francie served in Mother Theresa's home for the dying in Kolkata, sat in brothels with girls trapped in the sex trade of Chang Mai, slept in the bush of Namibia to reach tribal people and orphans with the Gospel of Jesus, visited the homes of the poor in the Dominican Republic, and helped with the rebuilding and development of a village in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami.   For the past few years, Francie has been focused on writing and speaking about God's good gift of intimacy in marriage.  She's been featured on Christianity Today's blog and Moody Radio, The Don't Mom Alone Podcast, and Java with Juli, and several others as she shares about the power of sex in marriage. Most recently, she's launched a podcast called Heaven in Your Home where she talks all about sex, marriage and the mission of God.   In it all, Francie is passionate about inviting others to experience God's tangible love that has the ability to transform every area of life.      Francie has a BA in Political Science and a Masters degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Il.  She currently lives in the suburbs of Washington DC with her six kids and husband.    Francie Winslow's Website Francie Winslow's Podcast   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

In this episode,  Francie Winslow shares incredible insight about sex, marriage, educating our children, and the mission of God! She describes how God creates our bodies and sexuality for good purposes, enjoyment, and an instrument of oneness with God and our spouse.  We discuss how to heal from harmful perspectives we may have developed and how we can experience God's design and plan for sex with our spouses.  Listen now to gain tremendous wisdom, and be sure to check out all that Francie is faithfully creating for more of to experience growth, healing, and restoration!More Resources:http://franciewinslow.com/http://franciewinslow.com/discipleship-circle/http://franciewinslow.com/podcast-heaven/Our Resources:https://restored2more.com/https://www.instagram.com/restored2more/

In today's episode I interviewed Francie Winslow, host of the Heaven Your Home podcast, and speaker and teacher on the power and purpose of intimacy.  Francie is such a gift to our time, speaking on marriage and sex in a biblical and real way. We talk all about how to find satisfaction in our marriages, what do we do when we're not being satisfied, and the purpose of sex, as well as how to work through roadblocks within sex. Find Francie @franciewinslow and check out her "Heaven in Your Home" podcast. 

In this episode, we start to tackle the subject we've been teasing about since we started the podcast…sexual intimacy. We've titled this episode, “Let's talk about sex, baby!” If you know the song, you know! Sex is awesome! It is a good gift from God. But like every good gift, our enemy the devil wants to destroy it, and that's exactly what he has done with sex in so many marriages. He's destroying it. In the next episode we're going to talk about some tips to thrive sexually in marriage, but today we are going to talk about roadblocks to sexual intimacy. Remember, sex is fruit. It's the fruit of being healthy in the other four areas of intimacy. And I would add, sex is fuel. I believe when you are truly healthy in the first four levels of intimacy, the fruit will be sexual intimacy. Sex was designed only for marriage, and marriage, in part, was designed for sex. Not only for sex, but that's part of the design. So, if you are not experiencing regular and consistent sexual intimacy in your marriage you will never have the marriage God designed. 20% of US couples live in what's called a non-sexual marriage. A non-sexual marriage is a couple who has had sex fewer than 10 times in the previous year. 15% of marriages have not had sex in the last 6 months. And 2% of marriages are considered sexless marriages, meaning there has been no sexual intimacy for over a year, and sometimes it's years. We talk about physical, relational, emotional, and spiritual roadblocks to sexual intimacy. Both Sabrina and I got VERY real and raw about different roadblocks we've experienced in each of these areas and how we try to overcome them. Just because the struggle is real, doesn't mean you have to surrender to the struggle. Instead of fighting about sexual intimacy in your marriage, fight for it! Scripture: Genesis 2:25 25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 3 The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Links: Episode 020 Authentic Intimacy - Dr. July Slattery Books: The Naked Marriage by Dave and Ashley Willis Passion Pursuit: What kind of love are you making? By Dr. Juli Slattery What's It Like to Be Married to Me?: And Other Dangerous Questions by Linda Dillow Podcasts: The Naked Marriage with Dave and Ashely Willis Java With Juli with Dr. Juli Slattery Heaven In Your Home with Francie Winslow

In this episode I chat with Guest Francie Winslow about the power of sex in marriage to bring not just connection but union under God as one. Francie discusses the challenges we face to creating connection in our marriage and shares her story. She also gives a Biblical framework as we look at lens the way God intended it to be.  Shownotes at kindledpodcast.com

(This episode originally aired in 2016) Francie Winslow shares the exponential impact marital intimacy has on the world around us. Sex is a multiplying factor in our lives, not just with producing kids, but producing a massive amount of connection. In the past two years Francie has been doing extensive research on theology of the body. Exploring how God stamped His image on us. How we express our roles as image bearers through sex in marriage. God is an invisible God who wants to make himself visible to us. When man and woman come together as one it’s his invitation for humanity to become one with God. Intimately connected with Him. Francie shares their own family stress and her personal struggle with anxiety. Things that can disrupt marital connection. She vulnerably shares how she and her husband have purposefully chosen sex over isolation. God’s training us to fight for connection and for each other instead of against each other. Love Francie’s practical tips for keeping technology in check. So often screens and devices creep in between couples, increasing the distance and decreasing the intimacy. Don’t miss the list of great resources below to help train your children in forming a healthy perspective of the body and sex. What we chat about: Francie’s journey to learn sex isn’t dirty or a duty but a delight. Her recent study of theology of the body. How anxiety and adoption stress led Francie and her husband to choose to have more sex (you read that right). How technology impacts our marital connection and practical solutions Help and healing for women who struggle with their view of sex. A reminder to daily do the things that keep you alive as a person. The Ripple Effect of sex in marriage. A word of encouragement for the single mom. Training our kiddos in a healthy sexual worldview (check out Francie’s resource list below). Connect with Francie:   Links Mentioned: Sign up for Francie's free newsletter (http://franciewinslow.com/) As a bonus you will receive a free digital download of a Prayer to Ignite the Ripple Effect in Your Home along with 7 Days of Marriage Declarations to Experience More of Heaven’s Possibilities for Your Marriage. " Heaven in Your Home Podcast Soul Freedom (encore)Episode The Power of Sex in Marriage Episode Andy Crouch Beth Moore’s Daniel Study** Francie’s Resource List: Theology of the Body Books for Kids by Monica Ashour Every Body is Smart: God Helps Me Listen & Choose** Every Body Has a Body: God Made Girls & Boys** Every Body is a Gift : God Made Us to Love** God Has a Plan for Boys & Girls ** Every Body Has Something to Say** Every Body Has Something to Give** Get these books (as many as you can!) and read them over and over and over.  They are great for a range of ages – not just toddlers.  Not only will it help form a great spiritual foundation for your kids as they enter a sexually intense world as kids (sadly it happens young these days), it will help you as a grown up re-learn how to think about bodies, sexuality and identity.  It will also help give you simple, common language to use on an everyday basis in your home.  They have all been such a big part of us growing in this new way of seeing the gift of sex as a family. For older kids: The Talk: 7 Lessons to Introduce Your Child to Biblical Sexuality** by Luke Gilkerson (there are several others to go with this series too).  Loving this one right now with my 8 year old.) Before I Was Born (God’s Design for Sex)** by Carolyn Nostrum Good Pictures, Bad Pictures : Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids ** by Kristen Jensen Theology of His Body/Theology of Her Body** by Jason Evert (This was written with college kids in mind, but I found it super helpful and use it woven into conversations with my kids.) For those who want more depth…Theology of the Body for Beginners** by Christopher West **Amazon Affiliate Link Featured Sponsor: Prepdish: Get two weeks for free if you go to http://prepdish.com/dma  

Sherri Crandall and our guest Francie Winslow agree that connecting with Jesus is the first step to being open to the ways God wants us to nurture our families. Francie talks about ways to manage our own feelings and gives practical tips that can strengthen our marriages. Find more from Francie, including her "Heaven in Your Home" podcast at franciewinslow.com.

Maybe our time of “family worship” is less about a devotional and more about our first love devotion to God overflowing in devoted love to the people in our home. Today’s podcast takes us out of a traditional box of “family devotions” and inspires us to live lives of devotion to God!

Join Alisa with a down to earth and vulnerable conversation with Francie Winslow. Jesus captured Francie's heart at a young age, and she has been on an adventure following Him since then, fueled by a love for His word and His presence.  As a young woman Francie served in Mother Theresa's home for the dying in Kolkata, sat in brothels with girls trapped in the sex trade of Chang Mai, slept in the bush of Namibia to reach tribal people and orphans with the Gospel of Jesus, visited the homes of the poor in the Dominican Republic, and helped with the rebuilding and development of a village in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami. For the past few years, Francie has been focused on writing and speaking about God's good gift of intimacy in marriage.  She's been featured on Christianity Today's blog and Moody Radio, The God Centered Mom Podcast, as well as several other podcasts as she shares about the power of sex in marriage. Most recently, she's launched a podcast called Heaven in Your Home where she talks all about sex, marriage and the mission of God. Follow Francie on Instagram - @franciewinslow Join us for our first ever Revelation Wellness® Couch to 5k. This training program is going to help you crush the lies that you believe that keep you from running the race - the race of living well and free in the body you have been given!  Join The Official Revelation Wellness® Facebook community. 

Join Alisa with a down to earth and vulnerable conversation with Francie Winslow. Jesus captured Francie’s heart at a young age, and she has been on an adventure following Him since then, fueled by a love for His word and His presence.  As a young woman Francie served in Mother Theresa’s home for the dying in Kolkata, sat in brothels with girls trapped in the sex trade of Chang Mai, slept in the bush of Namibia to reach tribal people and orphans with the Gospel of Jesus, visited the homes of the poor in the Dominican Republic, and helped with the rebuilding and development of a village in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami. For the past few years, Francie has been focused on writing and speaking about God’s good gift of intimacy in marriage.  She’s been featured on Christianity Today’s blog and Moody Radio, The God Centered Mom Podcast, as well as several other podcasts as she shares about the power of sex in marriage. Most recently, she’s launched a podcast called Heaven in Your Home where she talks all about sex, marriage and the mission of God. Follow Francie on Instagram - @franciewinslow Join us for our first ever Revelation Wellness® Couch to 5k. This training program is going to help you crush the lies that you believe that keep you from running the race - the race of living well and free in the body you have been given!  Join The Official Revelation Wellness® Facebook community. 

Francie and her husband decided to try an experiment. How would their home life change if they got rid of their T.V.? Francie shares the details of what a life minus Game of Thrones looks like. Listen to this if your home feels chaotic, you are tired of yelling at your kids and want to have more fun with them, you feel distracted all the time, or you feel like you have no margin to do the things you love. Selected Links: Francie's website  MOPS   Show Notes: 1:03 Mandy’s Introduction 4:20 Are you breathing just a little 4:40 Introduction of Francie Winslow 5:20 Mandy and Francie start talking about getting rid of the TV 6:55 Earthquakes in D.C. 7:45 What to do about family members who "need" TV 8:58 What are the biggest differences you've seen from getting rid of the TV 10:35 Do your kids get along better without TV 11:30 Are movies bad for your kids 13:00 Was your husband on board for this? 13:55 What about phones and other tech in your house 15:45 What are the motives for my use of technology 16:45 Taking a week off from reading anything 17:20 How to respond to people who say kids need technology early to adapt to it 18:45 Why does Francie’s husband ask permission to use his phone 20:10 What’s the best advice you never got 21:25 Rhythms of rest 22:46 3 Practical tips for recalibrating tech in the house

WARNING: Episode #200 of The Revelation Wellness Podcast is NOT for the faint of heart. Join Alisa today as she talks with Francie Winslow concerning the gift of technology and how to live in a digital world without losing your soul. This podcast is for anyone who desires to live a deep life but finds themselves continually distracted by the pull of social media, emails and/or the internet. Don't worry, you are not alone. Alisa and Francie will share honestly their stories of struggling to get free from this kind of frenetic living in order to live more deeply and focused.      Social Media Could Be Killing Your Spiritual Life. (Relevant article) https://relevantmagazine.com/article/social-media-could-be-killing-your-spiritual-life   Deep Work: Cal Newport https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692   Quit Social Media: Cal Newport Ted Talk https://youtu.be/3E7hkPZ-HTk   Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Power https://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Solitude-Silence-Experiencing-Transforming/dp/0830835458/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498678874&sr=1-1&keywords=invitation+to+silence+and+solitude   Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives For Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Rhythms-Arranging-Spiritual-Transformation/dp/0830833331/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0830833331&pd_rd_r=23RX6AA027SCKXGQZXZF&pd_rd_w=WXxVh&pd_rd_wg=Uuu1b&psc=1&refRID=23RX6AA027SCKXGQZXZF   Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now by Douglas Rushkoff https://www.amazon.com/Present-Shock-When-Everything-Happens/dp/1617230103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498679148&sr=1-1&keywords=present+shock+douglas+rushkoff   Switch On Your Brain https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Your-Brain-Happiness-Thinking/dp/B00F937YH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498680934&sr=8-1&keywords=switch+on+your+brain

WARNING: Episode #200 of The Revelation Wellness Podcast is NOT for the faint of heart. Join Alisa today as she talks with Francie Winslow concerning the gift of technology and how to live in a digital world without losing your soul. This podcast is for anyone who desires to live a deep life but finds themselves continually distracted by the pull of social media, emails and/or the internet. Don't worry, you are not alone. Alisa and Francie will share honestly their stories of struggling to get free from this kind of frenetic living in order to live more deeply and focused.      Social Media Could Be Killing Your Spiritual Life. (Relevant article) https://relevantmagazine.com/article/social-media-could-be-killing-your-spiritual-life   Deep Work: Cal Newport https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692   Quit Social Media: Cal Newport Ted Talk https://youtu.be/3E7hkPZ-HTk   Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Power https://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Solitude-Silence-Experiencing-Transforming/dp/0830835458/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498678874&sr=1-1&keywords=invitation+to+silence+and+solitude   Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives For Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Rhythms-Arranging-Spiritual-Transformation/dp/0830833331/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0830833331&pd_rd_r=23RX6AA027SCKXGQZXZF&pd_rd_w=WXxVh&pd_rd_wg=Uuu1b&psc=1&refRID=23RX6AA027SCKXGQZXZF   Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now by Douglas Rushkoff https://www.amazon.com/Present-Shock-When-Everything-Happens/dp/1617230103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498679148&sr=1-1&keywords=present+shock+douglas+rushkoff   Switch On Your Brain https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Your-Brain-Happiness-Thinking/dp/B00F937YH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498680934&sr=8-1&keywords=switch+on+your+brain

Francie Winslow has a special place in our hearts. A woman of the Spirit, she humbly speaks wisdom to us at every turn. Whether her earnest prayers or gentle approach to guiding her children's hearts, we are always encouraged to take that next step, do that next thing. As a homeschooling mom who tries to simplify her life in order to keep quiet and restful rhythms, she often goes against the grain, or at least the typical. She has been speaking and writing often these days on intimacy in marriage, but this episode centers on her family rhythms and her intentionally minimal use of technology in her daily life so that she might make space for God to speak to her heart and for her to respond. In this episode you will learn how their family creates and practices daily declarations about the truth of who they are, how she is keeping multiple journals at once, and the power of words to build people up or tear them down. Like all of our conversations with Francie, you will leave feeling inspired to focus with more intentionality on the parts of your life and the relationships that matter most. Please listen to our precious sister!

Three years ago she directed us to soul healing. Two years ago she reminded us of the power of sex in marriage. Francie Winslow is back. This time to share what she's learned about the exponential impact marital intimacy has on the world around us. In the past two years Francie has been doing extensive research on theology of the body. Exploring how God stamped His image on us. How we express our roles as image bearers through sex in marriage. God is an invisible God who wants to make himself visible to us. When man and woman come together as one it's his invitation for humanity to become one with God. Intimately connected with Him. Francie shares their own family stress and her personal struggle with anxiety. Things that can disrupt marital connection. She vulnerably shares how she and her husband have purposefully chosen sex over isolation. God's training us to fight for connection and for each other instead of against each other. Love Francie's practical tips for keeping technology in check. So often screens and devices creep in between couples, increasing the distance and decreasing the intimacy. Don't miss the list of great resources below to help train your children in forming a healthy perspective of the body and sex. What we chat about: Francie's journey to learn sex isn't dirty or a duty but a delight. Her recent study of theology of the body. How anxiety and adoption stress led Francie and her husband to choose to have more sex (you read that right). How technology impacts our marital connection and practical solutions Help and healing for women who struggle with their view of sex. A reminder to daily do the things that keep you alive as a person. The Ripple Effect of sex in marriage. A word of encouragement for the single mom. Training our kiddos in a healthy sexual worldview (check out Francie's resource list below). Links Mentioned: Soul Freedom (encore)Episode The Power of Sex in Marriage Episode Andy Crouch Beth Moore's Daniel Study** Francie's Resource List: Theology of the Body Books for Kids by Monica Ashour Every Body is Smart: God Helps Me Listen & Choose** Every Body Has a Body: God Made Girls & Boys** Every Body is a Gift : God Made Us to Love** God Has a Plan for Boys & Girls ** Every Body Has Something to Say** Every Body Has Something to Give** Get these books (as many as you can!) and read them over and over and over.  They are great for a range of ages – not just toddlers.  Not only will it help form a great spiritual foundation for your kids as they enter a sexually intense world as kids (sadly it happens young these days), it will help you as a grown up re-learn how to think about bodies, sexuality and identity.  It will also help give you simple, common language to use on an everyday basis in your home.  They have all been such a big part of us growing in this new way of seeing the gift of sex as a family. For older kids: The Talk: 7 Lessons to Introduce Your Child to Biblical Sexuality** by Luke Gilkerson (there are several others to go with this series too).  Loving this one right now with my 8 year old.) Before I Was Born (God's Design for Sex)** by Carolyn Nostrum Good Pictures, Bad Pictures : Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids ** by Kristen Jensen Theology of His Body/Theology of Her Body** by Jason Evert This was written with college kids in mind, but I found it super helpful and use it woven into conversations with my kids. For those who want more depth…Theology of the Body for Beginners** by Christopher West **Amazon Affiliate Link Sex is a multiplying factor in our lives, not just with producing kids, but producing a massive amount of connection.

Heather MacFadyen, mother of four boys, interviews guests discussing the topic of staying God-centered...both replacing "me" with "He" and remembering we are centered in Him.

Today's interview is with Francie Winslow. She is a wife and mom of 4. She is a blogger, writer, speaker, and regular contributor for various online magazines and ministries. Today's topic can be a difficult one because the topic of sex in your marriage is so very personal.  I love Francie's Biblical perspective, though, and I know you will be blessed by her words, no matter how your intimate life may be going at the moment. She has so much wisdom to share, so let's get started.

Heather MacFadyen, mother of four boys, interviews guests discussing the topic of staying God-centered...both replacing "me" with "He" and remembering we are centered in Him. /

Heather interviews Francie Winslow, author of the blog, "Up, In and Out". They discuss the topic of spiritual health. Is there something blocking a deeper relationship with God? A brokenness or past hurt in need of healing? Francie guides the listener through the process of restoration and freedom. She also gives ideas on how to help our children process their own feelings and lies they believe, directing them to the truth in God's Word.