Podcasts about your marriage

As we prepare to step into the New Year, Ann and Cassandra take a look back on our theme for 2025, “Your Marriage has a Mission,” and dig into our new theme for 2026, “Take It to Heart.”We'll talk about:– the witness of our marriages on the path of infertility– how we can embrace big missions, but also those smaller, everyday, but still beautiful missions in this season– how we're inviting this community to take God's infinite love to heart in the New YearThank you so much for listening and for your continuing support. It is an honor to walk with you!LinksSupport Springs and this podcast!

Send us a textAs the new year approaches, many couples hope their marriage will feel different—but without intention, January often looks a lot like December.In this episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, Christine invites you to slow down and reflect on who you are becoming and how that inner evolution shapes the way your marriage feels over time. Through a guided visualization, simple habit-setting, and practical tools, you'll learn how to approach the new year with clarity, compassion, and direction.This episode is designed to be one you return to—especially as you begin forming new habits in January and beyond.In this episode, you'll explore:A guided visualization to connect with your future selfHow small daily habits create meaningful change in marriageUsing visual reminders to stay focused on your intentionsThe role of accountability in ongoing growth

Why does attraction fade- and what can we do about it?  In this episode, we get real about attraction in long-term relationships. The spark doesn't always burn forever, and losing sexual interest doesn't mean the relationship is doomed. We talk about why attraction naturally shifts over time and how couples can ignite intimacy. We explore: Why attraction fades in relationships The 4 types of intimacy (and why they matter) Sexless marriages and normalizing libido changes What erodes desire over time How to bring spark, novelty, and connection back Join us for a real conversation on attraction, intimacy, and what keeps the spark alive over time. Today's Hosts: Matt Landsiedel Michael DiIorio Support the Show - viewer and listener support helps us to continue making episodes - CONNECT WITH US - Watch podcast episodes on YouTube Join the Gay Men's Brotherhood Facebook community Get on our email list to get access to our monthly Zoom calls Follow us on Instagram | TikTok Learn more about our community at GayMenGoingDeeper.com - LEARN WITH US - Building Better Relationships online course: Learn how to nurture more meaningful and authentic connections with yourself and others. Healing Your Shame online course: Begin the journey toward greater confidence and self-worth by learning how to recognize and deal with toxic shame. Gay Men Going Deeper Coaching Collection: Lifetime access to BOTH courses + 45 coaching videos and 2 workshop series. Take the Attachment Style Quiz to determine your attachment style and get a free report. Chapters (00:00:00) - When Attraction Fades in Gay Relationships(00:04:24) - 4 Types of Intimate Relationship(00:10:11) - How To Keep The Fire In Your Relationships(00:15:06) - What Causes Attraction To Fizzle For You(00:18:01) - How to Keep the Sex Fire Alive in Your Marriage(00:21:21) - 3 Tips For Keeping Intimate Relationships Alive(00:23:47) - Gay Men's Brotherhood: Sparking Your Love Life

Send us a textCan a marriage really change after years of struggle and effort?In this episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, Christine reflects on more than a decade of inner and relational work and shares what truly shifts when couples stay committed to the long work of healing. This is an honest, hope-filled conversation for anyone who's been doing the work and wondering if it's worth it.Christine explores the seasons most couples move through—from early attempts to fix things, to the lonely middle where growth can feel one-sided, to the quiet transformation that happens over time when inner work reshapes the relationship from the inside out.If you're feeling discouraged, tired, or uncertain about your marriage, this episode offers perspective, encouragement, and a gentle invitation to keep going.Episode Timestamps00:00 – Can your marriage really change?00:35 – Reflecting on over a decade of marriage work07:05 – The early years: when therapy helped us talk, but not heal11:12 – The turning point: when inner work became non-negotiable13:57 – The lonely middle: doing the work before your spouse is ready15:59 – The long view: why inner work still matters17:53 – When both partners begin the work21:59 – A gentle invitation to stay with the work

In this episode of the Fight for Your Marriage podcast, Lori interviews Mike and Leigh Ann, who share how God has restored their marriage and is now using them to minister to others.   Mike and Leigh Ann thought they had they had a strong marriage. Leigh Ann was unaware of a secret that Mike had carried with him for decades. One secret led to another, and on the eve of their 28th anniversary, Leigh Ann's world came crumbling down as the truth was exposed.   In this episode, we talk about:  How accountability played a role in recovery The importance of being honest with others about our secret sins How to support loved ones who are struggling with addiction How to forgive someone who has hurt you  Whether you are battling addiction or trying to support someone who is, this conversation will give you hope and practical wisdom as you seek God's power to heal and restore.   We appreciate your feedback. If this episode touches you, please leave us a five-star rating and review, helping us reach new listeners with hope for their marriage. You can also subscribe to our show on YouTube, Spotify, or iTunes.   Click here to give a year-end gift   Forgiveness Bundle   Pure Desire Ministries   Download the episode transcription here     Follow on Instagram - @rejoicemarriageministries   Follow on Facebook - @rejoicemarriageministries   Every day, you can receive encouragement straight to your inbox through our Fight for Your Marriage Devotional and find free resources and prayers to pray over your marriage. To take advantage of these resources and others, visit https://rejoiceministries.org   We appreciate your feedback. If this episode touches you, please leave us a five-star rating and review, helping us reach new listeners with hope for their marriage. You can also subscribe to our show on YouTube, Spotify or iTunes.

Scott is changing jobs! This week, the team honors Scott as he transitions off Harris Creek's staff and shares the story behind his big vocational change—how he processed the decision, invited community, and listened to the Lord's leading. The conversation offers couples a model for making major decisions with humility, unity, and intentionality. The MTR team also discusses the exciting future to come with the podcast!Discussion Questions for Couples1- When you face a big decision, do you tend to move fast or slow? How does that impact your spouse?2- What role does community currently play in your decision-making? What role should it play?3- How do you personally respond to vulnerability—your spouse's and your own?4- Are there areas where you might be making decisions independently rather than mutually?Resources:Episode 43- The not so secret Guide to In Laws (ft. Dave Willis)Episode 49- We are Made for People (ft. Justin Whitmel Earley)Episode 63 - Celebrating One Year of MTREpisode 102 - A Story of Redemption and Forgiveness (ft. Kevin Kelli Mainz)Episode 103 - Protecting Your Marriage from InfidelityEpisode 121- Christ is the Melody of Your Marriage (ft. John Elmore)

Send us a textAs the year comes to a close, this episode invites you to pause and reflect on how your marriage has actually felt—not to judge it, but to learn from it. Christine shares a personal story, practical reflection tools, and simple next steps to help you move into the new year with clarity, intention, and hope for deeper connection.Timestamps:00:00 Reflecting on Your Marriage as the Year Ends01:06 Welcome to AwakenYou in Your Marriage03:01 A Long-Awaited Vacation and Choosing Connection06:55 A Simple Year-End Marriage Reflection Exercise09:37 Understanding Patterns in Your Marriage10:45 Recognizing Seasons of Marriage12:20 Self-Examination and Personal Growth13:11 Practical Steps to Improve Your Marriage14:36 Guided Reflection and Planning for the Year Ahead18:37 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

In this episode, CCEF faculty discuss the often overlooked issue of stagnant marriages, exploring the subtle signs of disconnection and the importance of intentionality and spiritual friendship in marriage. They emphasize the need for curiosity and community support, as well as the difference between a covenant and a contract in marriage. They highlight practical steps couples can take to revitalize their relationships, including small gestures of love. Mentioned in this episode: If you've been encouraged by our podcast this year, would you consider giving a gift to CCEF today? Your support would go to immediate use today to help equip the global church for thoughtful, biblical conversations about matters of the heart. How can I avoid growing apart from my spouse in a season of suffering and grief? | Video by Aaron Sironi What Has Been Most Helpful in Your Marriage? | Blog post by Ed Welch Sexual Intimacy in Marriage: A Joint Trust | Blog post by Aaron Sironi

Send us a textIf it feels like you're the only one doing the emotional work in your marriage—planning the date nights, initiating the hard conversations, circling back after conflict—you are not alone.In this episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, I'm unpacking the quiet weight that builds when one partner carries all the relational responsibility. I share a real-life coaching story, offer a playful mindset shift to break the stalemate, and walk you through tools that invite both spouses into the work of connection.Timestamps:00:00 – Are You Carrying the Emotional Weight?00:56 – Welcome to AwakenYou Podcast02:02 – The Burden of Emotional Labor in Marriage03:44 – A Real-Life Example: The Silent Stalemate05:24 – Creating New Habits Together07:10 – The Importance of Shared Responsibility07:44 – Overcoming the Silent Stalemate13:32 – Practical Tools for Shared Investment15:19 – Encouragement and Final Thoughts18:27 – Invitation to Connect and Closing RemarksReady to stop carrying the weight alone?Let's talk. Book a Courageous Love Conversation and let's explore what shared connection could look like in your marriage.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFac...

Episode 219 - Trust, Truth, and Tense Talks - Dad Strategies for Marriage RecoveryTrust is the foundation of any healthy marriage—but when it's broken, even everyday conversations can feel like navigating a minefield. This episode explores the warning signs that trust is eroding, why it matters for dads, and practical ways to rebuild connection with your partner and kids. Whether you're just noticing distance or working to heal after hurt, you're not alone—let's talk honestly about trust, respect, and hope for your family.3 Signs Trust is Fading in Your Marriage (for Dads)Communication Feels Like Navigating Shaky GroundWhen trust is strong, you can talk about anything. When it's shaky, you walk on eggshells, afraid that any word or topic could set off conflict. Instead of open and spontaneous connection, conversations become guarded and stressful. As a dad and partner, you might find yourself second-guessing every word or avoiding important topics altogether. Taking small, honest steps—like sharing feelings even when it's tough—can open the path to rebuilding safety and trust.Checking Up vs. Checking In: Which One Are You Doing?It's normal to check in with your partner out of care, but when trust fades, those moments shift into suspicion—“Where were you? Who were you with?” Instead of genuine connection, you find yourself interrogating or feeling interrogated. Choosing to check in daily, with curiosity and respect, helps restore emotional safety and turns tense interactions back into moments of support.You Default to Negative InterpretationsWhen trust is lost, it's easy to assume negative intentions—seeing innocent actions through a lens of doubt. This cycle can reinforce hurt and distance for both partners. One powerful change: choose to believe the best in each other and give your partner the benefit of the doubt, just as you'd want for yourself. This mindset shift can slowly break the cycle and bring hope back to your marriage.Key Takeaways for Dad Space ListenersIf trust is low, communication will start to feel tense and unsafe—be gentle with yourself and your partner as you work through it.Checking in should be a sign of care, not control. With practice, you can rebuild mutual respect, even after setbacks.Dads play a key role in modeling trust and honesty, both in marriage and with their kids.Real trust grows from small, consistent choices to communicate openly, assume the best, and repair mistakes together.___https://dadspace.camusic provided by Blue Dot SessionsSong: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Is a co-worker or family member driving you crazy? Learning styles expert Cynthia Tobias explains that the way we process information impacts us both at home and at work, and illustrates how our friends and family may perceive the world very differently than we do. The Way We Work OR The Way They Learn Getting to Know the Way We Work PDF Have You Lost Hope in Your Marriage? Counseling Services and Referrals If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Weekend, please give us your feedback.

What's secretly hurting your marriage?

Dr. John Townsend, bestselling author and psychologist, offers tips for married couples to set healthy boundaries. Hear his insight into the steps to experience freedom in your marriage and develop a mutually fulfilling relationship. Receive a copy of Boundaries in Marriage– or a bundle of two -- and an audio download of "How to Set Healthy Boundaries in Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Get More Episode Resources If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Dr. John Townsend, bestselling author and psychologist, offers tips for married couples to set healthy boundaries. Hear his insight into the steps to experience freedom in your marriage and develop a mutually fulfilling relationship. Receive a copy of Boundaries in Marriage– or a bundle of two -- and an audio download of "How to Set Healthy Boundaries in Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Get More Episode Resources If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

In this episode of the LeggLife Podcast, “Traveling Together Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Marriage),” we're diving into what it's really like to spend three full weeks together on the road — or in our case, in beautiful Mexico. After nearly a month of shared spaces, long travel days, and plenty of adventure, we came home not only still married but not even sick of each other! We're sharing our best tips for traveling as a couple — from managing stress and expectations to giving each other space and keeping things fun along the way.New episodes are uploaded weekly on Saturday mornings at 7am Pacific / 10am EasternSupport us and the LeggLife Podcast by becoming a patron at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / legglife  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about LeggLife by following us on:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.youtube.com/legglifeak/?su...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / legglifeak  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / legglife  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach us via email at legglife@gmail.com

If you've ever laid awake wondering whether to fight for your marriage or finally let go, this episode will feel like a lifeline. Relationship expert and master life coach Sharon Pope joins Wendy to unpack the midlife “stay or go” dilemma: why so many women feel emotionally alone in marriage, how disconnection happens (and how to repair it), and what it really takes to find peace with your decision.   You'll hear compassionate, practical guidance on renegotiating your relationship as you evolve, using separation strategically (not as limbo), clearing mental clutter to access your inner wisdom, and why “fine” isn't the life you're here to live. We also explore the fear of the unknown, the impact on kids at every age, and Sharon's path from confusion to clarity—plus next steps if you're ready for Marriage 2.0 or to “Divorce Differently.”   What You'll Learn Why midlife marriages often drift into disconnection—and how to rebuild connection How to tell if it's you, your partner, or the circumstances causing the distance The power of renegotiating your marriage as you evolve How to clear mental clutter and access clarity about staying or going Why separation can be a healthy reset, not a failure How to find peace—whether you choose Marriage 2.0 or Divorce Differently  

Marriage is a unique gift of God, but sometimes it can be hard to navigate. That’s why George and Tondra Gregory are dedicated to helping couples build a successful game plan within their marriage. When you work with your spouse and adopt a winning mindset, you can create a strong and healthy marriage. Receive a copy of The Marriage Game Plan by George and Tondra Gregory and an audio download of "Build a Winning Game Plan for Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Get More Episode Resources If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Marriage is a unique gift of God, but sometimes it can be hard to navigate. That’s why George and Tondra Gregory are dedicated to helping couples build a successful game plan within their marriage. When you work with your spouse and adopt a winning mindset, you can create a strong and healthy marriage. Receive a copy of The Marriage Game Plan by George and Tondra Gregory and an audio download of "Build a Winning Game Plan for Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Get More Episode Resources If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

In this 3 part podcast titled Finding Clarity in Your Marriage, even when the rest of the world feels uncertain, Betsy explores how we can find inner stability when the world around us feels chaotic. Betsy offers a helpful tool at the end of each podcast in this series so listen into part 1 and […]

Here is part 2 in the 3 part series entitled How to Find Clarity in Your Marriage. In part 2 Betsy delves into how waiting impacts one's unconscious mind which can drain energy and erode self trust. Stay tuned until the end when Betsy offers an exercise to identify the effects of waiting. Transcript: Welcome […]

In the 3rd and final podcast in the series entitled Finding Clarity in Your Marriage, Betsy talks about the importance of inner strength and how we can create it for ourselves. Betsy goes over the ‘ladder of change' and offers listeners practical exercises like stability statements to help us train our brains to create stability […]

Running a business does NOT happen in a vacuum. As business owners, our personal lives and working lives are deeply intertwined — each affects the other. So can you grow your business without sacrificing your relationships? In this episode of the HerBusiness podcast, I'm sitting down with Life Coach and Relationship Expert Sharon Pope to explore the intersections of business and love. We're talking through power dynamic shifts, outearning your partner, muting ambitions to ‘keep the peace', and how to fill your own cup. If you have ever felt torn between growing your business successfully and navigating your personal relationships (because it is a struggle to balance both!), this is the episode you need. Here's What You'll Discover in the Episode: Why you can't separate your “business self” from your “personal self” as an entrepreneur (even though we all certainly try!) How to prioritise yourself first, before both the business and others, so you're never pouring from an empty cup What to do if you're evolving in life and business… but your partner isn't The hidden dynamics that come to play when women start outearning their partners, and how to navigate them How to have the hard, but needed, conversations that create connection rather than conflict in relationships, while running a successful business Why your business community is so crucial when your friends or your partner don't fully understand the business journey Mentioned in This Episode: The HerBusiness Network Learn More about Sharon Pope Read Sharon's bestselling book: Stay or Go: How to Find the Confidence & Clarity You Need to Either Fix the Struggles in Your Marriage or Move Forward without Regret Get your copy of The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Episode 136 - Fear is Not the Boss of You, with Jennifer Allwood Check out reviewer Melanie Macoun, The Health Shift    

When you hear the word “betrayal,” you probably think of infidelity. But there's another kind of betrayal that can wound just as deeply, and often goes unnamed: emotional betrayal.It happens when your spouse turns away instead of toward you… when the trust that they'll be emotionally safe with you gets broken. Sometimes it looks like confiding in someone else instead of you. Sometimes it's dismissing your feelings, withholding vulnerability, or creating secrecy around outside friendships.The effects? You might start doubting yourself, you might close yourself off to them, and even start wondering if you're too needy, or feeling abandoned in the very relationship that's supposed to feel safest.The good news: emotional betrayal doesn't have to be the end of the story. Naming it is the first step toward healing.

Have you ever noticed how some of your biggest arguments seem to happen on the weekends? Everything feels fine during the week, then Saturday comes—and suddenly you're at each other's throats over something small.You're not alone. This happens to so many couples, and there's a reason why.During the week, we're busy and distracted. Little annoyances get pushed aside, but they don't disappear—they quietly pile up. By the weekend, your spouse is around more, reminding you of those unresolved frustrations. Add more time and proximity, and it becomes the perfect recipe for triggers.The good news? You can prevent this.In this week's episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, I'm sharing how a simple 20-minute weekly marriage meetingcan clear out the emotional “gunk” before it builds into a blowup. You'll learn:Why these weekend fights aren't random—and how to stop them before they start.A simple framework for a short weekly reset that actually works.How daily two-minute check-ins (one of the tools I'll be teaching in my upcoming Adventures In Marriage course) can keep you connected during busy weeks.Imagine heading into your weekend already aligned, connected, and clear on what you both need—not bracing yourself for another argument. That's what this reset can do.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFac...

Do you ever look back and wonder… what happened to the romance?When you were dating, it seemed so natural—the late-night talks, the thoughtful gestures, the spark of being pursued. But somewhere along the way, after the relationship felt secure, life got busy. Careers, kids, and responsibilities took over, and the pursuit faded.And with it, sometimes desire will fade too.This week on AwakenYou in Your Marriage, I'm sharing the final bonus episode of my sex series: “What Happened to the Romance?” We'll unpack:Why romance feels so effortless during dating but fades after marriageHow cultural and gender assumptions fuel disconnectionSimple, powerful ways to rekindle pursuit and spark desire againI'll also share some exciting news about my newest certification as an Adventures in Marriage instructor—because sometimes the bravest thing we can do is start a courageous conversation and get someone on our team to help us find the way forward.If you've been feeling the distance, this episode is for you. Press play on your drive home, during your workout, or while you fold the laundry—you'll walk away with both clarity and hope.And if this series has been meaningful, would you take a minute to leave a review? It helps other couples who are searching for hope to find this podcast.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFac...

266. Choosing Fun and Adventure in Your Marriage and with Your Family: An Interview with Dan & Sam Mathews   Isaiah 55:12 MSG “So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause. No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines— Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God.”   *Transcription Below*   Dan and Sam Mathews have been married since 2014 and currently reside in Missouri with their two kids, Canyon and Ember. Since the moment they got married, Dan and Samantha have been living a life of sacrifice and faith. From backpacking in Arkansas to RV road trips across the US, they have always taken the adventurous route. Sam is a lifestyle vlogger and content creator, and Dan hosts a hunting podcast in addition to his social platforms. Together they share their life of adventure online with millions of followers. Follow them on socials @wearedanandsam.    Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are a few adventures you're so grateful you said yes to in life? Matthew 25:26 MSG says, "That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that!" So drawing your wisdom from the Lord, how does your faith fuel your sense of adventure?  How can we begin to enjoy an adventurous life in our marriage and with our family?   Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce Podcast: 82 Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller 242 Stories Series: He Gives and Takes Away with Joyce Hodel     Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   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.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger:  (0:11 - 1:47) 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.    The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman's Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com.    Dan and Sam Mathews are my guests for today, and you may know them from all the social platforms at WeAreDanAndSam.   They live a life of high faith and delightful adventure, and their book, Always Choose Adventure: One Couple's Journey of Chasing the Things in Life That Matter Most, is actually going to release this month. I would highly recommend it. It was an amazing read.   I read through it so fast, and it was a great combination of enjoying the stories but learning so much along the way. It's kind of like our chat for today. We're going to cover various stories, but Dan and Sam are also going to give us simple and practical ideas and tips for adding a sense of fun into our marriage and into our family life.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Dan and Sam.    Dan Mathews: (1:47 - 1:48) Thank you for having us. We're excited. We are really excited.   Laura Dugger: (1:49 - 1:59) Well, I'm so excited to journey back and get to hear more of your story, but will you first just give us an overview of what current life looks like right now?   Sam Mathews: (2:00 - 2:29) Yes. Currently, I'm 22 weeks pregnant with our third baby. We have two kiddos.   Canyon is almost nine. Ember is seven. We live in Southern Missouri.   We love adventuring and traveling, and Dan hunts. We share life on every platform, so just lifestyle, vlogging, and sharing our adventures. We recently settled down in a home, and so this is our first time doing DIYs for ourselves.   Yeah, it's a fun season right now.   Dan Mathews: (2:29 - 2:46) And Sam loves to host, so I think we have 48 parties scheduled this summer and knocked out a couple already, but yeah, we're excited about life, excited about adventure, and sharing that with people and how they can actually get out and adventure more.   Laura Dugger: (2:47 - 3:01) You do that so well, but if we're going back then to more of the origin stories, will you both share your journey of growing up and your stories that eventually led for the two of you to overlap with one another?   Sam Mathews: (3:01 - 3:37) Yeah, definitely. It's always been me, my mom, and my sister. My mom was a single mom raising us, born in California, but then she moved us to Southern Missouri when I was young, and this was a great place to raise us.   In the Bible Belt, we were raised pretty much in church. She did an amazing job as a single mom, just caring for us and pointing us to Christ. We got plugged into a church very early on.   We volunteered there. My sister and I worked there. We attended there, and so we're really involved, and that's how I met Dan when he came to Bible College.   Dan Mathews: (3:37 - 4:58) Yeah, I grew up in central Wisconsin. We went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, was very, very involved with the kid's ministry and youth group and just any opportunity I could be around that church community, I was. We had a group called Master's Commission that would come up and do outreach at our church.   They were from Florida, and I was like, man, I want to do that one day. These guys are awesome. They're doing human videos, and they're all musical.   My dad's brother and his family moved down to Southern Missouri, and I get a call one day right after high school. They were like, “Hey, there's a Master's Commission program down here. If you want to do it, we'll pay for it.” I was like, “Sure, let's do it.” Almost no questions asked, just kind of like, all right, tell me the date I have to be there. Then, I started packing stuff up and quit my job and moved down knowing absolutely nobody. I got plugged into the church. I became very, very involved, and then just built a community, and through that, I went there with Sam's sister, her older sister, and I got to know Sam, and then I ended up working out at the gym that she worked at.   Sam Mathews: (4:59 - 5:00) Which was at our church.   Dan Mathews: (5:00 - 5:15) Which was at the church, and so we were just around each other all the time, and that kind of developed over years and years and years. Then one day, I was like, wow, this chick is awesome, and now we're here doing podcasting.   Laura Dugger: (5:16 - 5:32) Which is incredible. Okay, so just to pause, and you go into more of these stories, love your books, so easy to read, but can you take us back to what you both first thought of one another when you were meeting those days at the gym? Oh, gee.   Sam Mathews: (5:33 - 6:22) For sure, Dan is the life of the party, like he is comedy, and just, he has all the jokes, and definitely a charmer with all the ladies, but so fun to be around, and not only his humor draws you in, but I didn't grow up with a father, and so I liked the, I don't know, like strong aspect that he had, just like the confidence, and then his relationship with the Lord was something that I desired to have for myself, you know, a leader in a couple like together, someone to point me towards Christ, but the lightheartedness and jokes and humor keep the hard days fun, but that for me was, you know, I always can count on you for a good joke.   Dan Mathews: (6:23 - 6:41) Yeah, I, when I first met Sam, it was kind of in a group setting, and it was with her older sister with my younger brother, and it was like, oh, this is, you know, Justine's sister. Little sister. Didn't really think a whole lot of it, but after a couple years, I think you were probably a sophomore at that time when I first met you.   Sam Mathews: (6:41 - 6:42) Yeah.   Dan Mathews: (6:42 - 7:36) And, and then after a couple years, it was like she was volunteering in the youth group, and she was on the recreation staff at our camps, and so it's like we were spending more time together, and I'm like, oh, Justine's sister's kind of cute, and yeah, we started, we started just kind of a friendship. We were just around each other all the time. I mean, like before we were dating, we're really interested in each other.   It's like I was walking back from the lake, and she'd hop on my back, and I'd just give her a piggyback ride up to the cabins, and then looking back, I'm like, wow, our lives just were really intermingled and overlapped for years and years, but early on, she was younger. She had braces. She was a hip-hop dance instructor, so I mean, she would have like one sweat pant leg rolled up, high-top Nikes on all the time, like thought she was the coolest thing ever.   Laura Dugger: (7:36 - 7:52) I was. I didn't think. Oh, that's amazing.   I love that, and my husband and I were also friends first, and I feel like that does set you up well in marriage. Like you've got your built-in buddy.   Sam Mathews: (7:53 - 8:30) Exactly. I was going through pictures yesterday, because I was going to post a trend online, and it was like, oh, how cute. How many months have you been married?   And it's like months? You put a picture for every year, and it's like we've known each other since like 2008, maybe 2009. Then, like started our like dating in 2010. I look at pictures of us from 2010 as a couple. I'm like, oh, my gosh, we've grown so much just like, you know, like physically, but even just relationally and spiritually, and like it's crazy looking back, and so thankful for so many years of friendship with him, but you know, relationship-wise, it's been great.   Dan Mathews: (8:30 - 8:52) Well, and I feel like doing life together is a great model before ever like the romantic side comes in. You get to know the person in group settings. You get to know who they are without the interest, because people can put on a different face once you're trying to impress somebody, you know, but we were just being our genuine selves around each other for a long time.   Sam Mathews: (8:52 - 8:59) Probably saw some stupid moments, some hard moments, but that's, yeah, that's what you want to see before you get into a relationship with someone.   Laura Dugger: (9:00 - 9:12) Absolutely. Yeah. And as we're starting back that far, then when you reflect back, what are some of the adventures that you're most grateful you've said yes to in life?   Sam Mathews: (9:13 - 10:38) Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I feel like dating, we weren't even dating at this point, the canoe trip when you did a master's commission, and that was so fun.   It was like all of his friends, my sister, all the master's commission group went kayaking, and I decided to tag along as a sibling, and his brother did, and maybe a couple others. And that was fun, but it also gave me an opening into how Dan adventures, because his way of adventuring is way different than mine. I grew up, like I said, with a mom.   We would camp at a cabin, and you'd pack the car full of everything you need. Dan would literally just put everything in a backpack and hike in two miles to go camping. And so being in that group, going kayaking, it was so fun, and it sparked this new love for adventure and new desire to learn a new way of adventuring.   That was so fun. I mean, that was before we were married, but this is kind of jumping far ahead, but when we were married, we moved to Colorado for a couple of years, and although it was a hard season for us, we learned so much. We gained so much from it.   A lot was birthed in us in that season. I mean, physically, I welcomed my daughter. We welcomed our second child in Colorado, but spiritually, I think God planted a lot of seeds that it may not have been a tangible adventure of being out in the woods, but spiritually, we were in the woods, and we grew so much, and I'm glad we said yes to it because it opened the door and led to so many other things.   Dan Mathews: (10:38 - 12:31) Yeah, I feel like a lot of our adventures, some are traditional. I mean, a big adventure for me was leaving home. I mean, I moved straight out of my parents' house to a different state, and that was totally crazy for me.   But then watching Sam, I mean, she moved out to California for a summer, went to a ministry out there. Then I saw her go to Colorado and Nanny for a couple, all summer long, and so I was like watching this, and we were talking, and I realized, like, we're both all in on an adventurous life, and even when we don't have the answers, it's like, is the Lord telling you not to do it? No?   Okay, well, then we'll see what happens, and I thought that was really cool to watch her just like, oh, I'm going to California for a summer, and at first, I was like, please don't. I don't want you to come all the way to California, but then I was like, that's going to be so incredible. Like, you're just leaving everything behind and starting over for a whole summer in a different state, and so that was like the early dating years where we were kind of doing our own adventures, but we were watching and encouraging each other in doing them, and then we started actually going out and camping and floating rivers and hiking up waterfalls, and if you've never camped in the backcountry with someone, I suggest doing it. It's a great metric for if there's someone you want to marry.   Like, if you can figure out canoeing and camping, you're probably going to be okay in marriage. That's good. And so, yeah, we started doing that stuff, and then from there, it was just like one after the next, going to Alaska, camping in grizzly country by ourselves, and it's our first time there.   Like, we've done some pretty wild things, some pretty traditional things, but at the end of the day, all of the adventures are what brought us together.   Laura Dugger: (12:32 - 12:45) Well, and just thinking of the adventure that drew you together, and then also your current platforms on socials and vlogging and preserving all of these pictures, like you said, you've captured all the pictures throughout the time.   Sam Mathews: (12:45 - 12:45) Yes.   Laura Dugger: (12:47 - 12:58) When you look back, do you feel like God had given you little seeds of what was yet to come or what kind of career you would be in someday, or was this totally a shock to both of you?   Sam Mathews: (12:59 - 13:57) You know what? Looking back at pictures or even videos that I took, I could see how it was something that the Lord was birthing in us, and I would say probably me so more than Dan. I think Dan's like, whatever you want to do, I'm along for the ride type of thing.   It probably wasn't his first choice as a career, but now that we're in it, we love it and we're thankful for the blessing it is to our family and the time that we get to spend with the kiddos. But I look back and I started videoing and taking pictures like years before even starting on social media, and then even the first few months in the year of sharing, it was like I didn't know what I was doing, but I still wanted to just share life and encourage people and love on people and inspire people. And yeah, it's crazy to look back on, but I also see the work the Lord was doing to get it all started before we even thought about it and knew that it would be something that we'd be doing.   Dan Mathews: (13:57 - 16:00) Yeah, and I feel like with Sam, she gets promptings from the Lord that she doesn't know what it is. She doesn't know what it means. And early on, I think the very first one, she's like, babe, I just have this feeling like a big change is coming.   And I'm like, anymore? Like, do you have any more information for me? That's not a whole lot to go off of.   And I mean, in the conversation, I was like, okay, we'll see. Then I just forgot about it. And I mean, it was like the next day.   There was an issue at work, just a very immoral thing that they were asking us to do as employees. And I was like, no, I can't be part of this. And I called her right after, and I was like, babe, I think this might be it.   Like I'm going to resign tomorrow. And we talked and prayed, and I only had like a five-minute car ride home. We talked, prayed, got off the phone, and immediately I get a call from my buddy.   And he's like, “Hey, dude, don't know what you're doing for work right now, but I've got a job for you if you want to come work at this place I'm at.” And I was like, “Oh, my gosh.” So then two years later, the same thing happened.   She's like, I feel like a change is coming. Boom, big change. Two years later, I feel like a change is coming.   All of a sudden, we're in a car moving out to Colorado. And it was just like that cycle. And so now when she's like, hey, there's a change coming, I'm like, oh, my gosh.   I got to pack my bags. Something big's happening. I know something major is happening.   And so, I don't know that early on either of us expected us to be where we are today. But we knew that we wanted to prioritize time together. We wanted to prioritize time with our kids and above all of it, time with the Lord.   And if we could get those three in the right order, it didn't really matter where we were. It didn't matter what state we were in. If we were living in a bumper pole camper, an RV, a tiny home, or a regular sized house, we just knew that we had to prioritize those things, and everything was going to work out.   Laura Dugger: (16:01 - 18:03) Truly. And that's the promise from Matthew 6:33, that you're really living that out. And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago. If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed.   They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible.   They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple, Welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different. I've known Sam and Stephen and their lives my entire life and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today.   Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you and they appreciate your business. Learn more at their website, samlemanchevy.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.    There's a verse that you quoted in your book, and I had never read it before, in the message translation.   So, it's Matthew 25:26 that says, “That's a terrible way to live.” It's criminal to live cautiously like that. So, drawing your wisdom then from the Lord, how does your faith fuel your sense of adventure?   Sam Mathews: (18:04 - 19:50) Yeah, a lot of faith and trust. Several points in our life have been like a crossroads where we feel like we want to almost desire more out of everything to go towards the direction where God is leading us, where we don't know the outcome. We don't know what's ahead.   We don't know what's coming and it's forcing us to trust the Lord, to have faith, even though we're fearful of it. Or we look at another option where it's like, you know what, this is very comfortable. We know the outcome.   We know what's going to be required of us. We know how we're going to get there, how we're going to pay for it. And it was something we didn't desire.   We liked being in a position where we needed the Lord. We're reliant upon Him. And so, you know, we talk often in the book about being comfortable.   And I feel like when you're in a comfortable setting in life, it's safe. There's no risk involved. There's little to no trust in the Lord.   I say that, you know, there's more to the story of that. But that you don't want to be at a place where you don't need God, where you don't need to rely on Him. And so, for us, we just encourage people that if you do find yourself in a comfortable place, to maybe step out of your comfort zone a little bit.   To what's an area where you need to trust the Lord more? Is it finding that new job that you've been waiting for, that you've been hoping for? Is it moving to the state that's closer by your family or closer by your friends that you really desire but you're scared too?   To not just be comfortable and stay for the sake of not being fearful or not, like knowing what's next, but instead step out, trust the Lord, you know, as long as you have peace and as long as you feel that yes from Him. And just lay fear aside and move forward with the Lord.   Dan Mathews: (19:50 - 21:54) Yeah, with every big decision that we make, we're led by peace. And we've said it for years. If either one of us don't have peace about it, we're not doing it.   But when there are multiple doors open, we say we're going to choose the most adventurous one. If we don't feel a specific direction from the Lord, let's just pick the most adventurous one. And it's kind of become common practice for us to not have really many of the details planned out on a major decision on a trip.   And people are like, do you have any idea of what you're going to do when you move there? Or how long you're going to be traveling the country in an RV? And we're like, nope, we'll figure it out.   I joke with my buddies all the time because they're like, “I mean, how do you know everything's going to be okay? How do you know this?” I go, well, between me and God, we've got everything figured out.   And they're like, “Oh, okay, I get it.” I'm like, “well, the Lord has everything figured out, but I can throw myself in that team, you know?” And I feel like it's been an encouragement to some of our friends as they watch it.   And they're like, whoa, you guys did it. I'll talk about it for years. And even when we moved out to Colorado, in our minds, we were going to move out there.   All of our friend group was like, one person needs to move. And then everybody else is going to slowly follow out. Well, we end up moving out there.   And I'm like shooting my buddies messages like, “All right, when are you coming out? And one by one, it was like, “No, I don't think we're coming.”   No, it's not going to be for at least five years. It's going to be, you know, maybe when the kids graduate, all of these different responses. And I'm like, man, that was one of the biggest things that we missed when we were out there.   But we knew that moving to Colorado, taking a pay cut, paying more in rent, like all of those things were a stepping stone to get us to where we were today, to trusting the Lord and starting our first business together, trusting the Lord with our finances, with our time. And really putting us in a position where we were fully dependent on him for our survival.   Sam Mathews: (21:54 - 22:40) And so even if something doesn't work out, we mentioned a couple of stories in the book where we may have moved forward without peace, and it did not end well. But the Lord always brings it around and teaches us something from it or a situation where we felt the peace to move to Colorado, but we were only there for two years. It was hard on us financially.   We got into debt. We had no friends, no family out there. It was a hard season.   We still gained from it. So instead of looking at something as a complete loss, we still look to find the good. You know, what did the Lord birth in us?   You know, like Dean said, spiritually, we grew together. Financially, we started a business. Like so much good came from it that even though it maybe on paper or to others, it didn't make sense.   It was still good. And something that the Lord, yeah, started for us.   Laura Dugger: (22:41 - 23:05) And you've learned those lessons and now you get to share them with others. Even super practical with this one. Our family has never done the RV thing before, but even just dipping our toes in and trying a vacation that way.   What tips do you have for families, maybe who aren't traveling around, living out of their RV, but vacationing with one, what are some of your best tips?   Sam Mathews: (23:05 - 24:27) I just saw a video of someone sharing the other day where they took their family of, let's see, four, six total on an RV for the first time. And I was like, oh no, because the first warning I give to everyone is you have to drain your poop through the hose. If you're out on that, RV life is not for you.   RV vacation is not for you. Do you have to get down and dirty and take care of a few things? There's a lot more maintenance that comes with RV vacationing or RV life.   And I usually have the dirty work for Dan to do and I'm inside cooking, cleaning. But an RV has all your basic needs. You can still go to the bathroom, you can still shower, there's a toilet, there's a bed.   It's just on a lot smaller scale. And if you're not good with being in close proximity with all your children or your spouse, then you may just need a little bit of a bigger space to stay in. But it's fun because you get to navigate it together and you get to learn just a new way of life or new way of traveling.   And yeah, the maintenance of the restroom, you have to have water hookups, or you need solar for electric or you have to be hooked up to electric. The great part is you can go anywhere, and you can get right up close to some great adventures. Our favorite spot to park an RV is the rim of the Badlands.   It's so pretty. Is it the North Rim?   Dan Mathews: (24:28 - 24:28) Yeah.   Sam Mathews: (24:28 - 24:54) It's gorgeous. You wake up to the sun rising over it and it's the most peaceful thing to be right there next to it. And you can't do that with a cabin in the woods.   But the benefit to a cabin in the woods is that's its own adventure. And so just do a little bit of research on the maintenance required for setting up, tearing down the RV in order to get on the road and to like park it and set up.   Dan Mathews: (24:55 - 26:44) I like how you weave some of the worst parts about our RV life in there. But I will say being on the road, traveling and like just kind of deciding on the way is one of the greatest things ever. I did not, like we definitely had a plan.   It was like, “Hey, we're gonna stop one time.” Growing up, we've got five kids. So, it was like, we're stopping one time to go to the bathroom.   If you have to go, you're just gonna have to hold it type of thing. We were fairly structured in the traveling to a place. But being in an RV, it really opens up so much to where you can on the way be like, oh, I just saw a billboard.   I wonder what that is. Look it up. How far away is it?   Hey, what if we take a 45-minute detour and go check this out? Like we found places in the middle of Kansas that 1% of the population knows about. We camped.   There's spots that you can camp on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Like no guardrail, back your vehicle right up, walk out the door, sit there, have coffee or whatever in the morning. And that was like our favorite part about it.   There were nights that we would drive until like one in the morning. And we might be sleeping in a truck stop. But we were on the way to Glacier National Park or to the Oregon coast or wherever.   And so, I feel like ditching the schedule and just kind of figuring it out as you go is one of the most freeing things on a vacation. And the other nice part about it is if you find a place that you absolutely love and you're like, we want to spend four days here, do it. You don't have a new reservation somewhere else that you have to get to.   You can just go wherever the wind blows, have fun with the family. And yeah, I think everybody needs to do it at least one time.   Laura Dugger: (26:44 - 27:02) Oh yeah, for sure. What a great challenge to step outside our comfort zone like you said. Well, one other amazing adventure that you've embarked on together is becoming a surrogate twice, I believe.   Will you tell us a little bit more about that process and that experience?   Sam Mathews: (27:03 - 31:10) Yeah, definitely. So, in 2018, we had our daughter and she was a little bit more work than our first. So, our first was super easy.   Ate well, slept well, like barely cried. And our daughter, maybe it was just her being a girl. A little bit more needy and required some extra grace and some more prayer for patience on my part.   But at that point, I was like, yeah, I think I'm done. Having children of our own and parenting our own children because even raising two kids is going to be a task. But I didn't feel like I was done carrying children.   And I'm like, I still want to have babies, but I don't want to have more to parent. How do I do that? But I felt like the Lord just laid surrogacy in my heart.   And I started thinking about it, praying about it, researching it. And I brought it up to Dan like, hey, what would you think about me doing this? And I had to educate him a little bit on like what being a surrogate was.   As a gestational surrogate, I wasn't carrying an embryo with an egg that was mine. So, I'm not biologically related to the baby. And after some prayer, we both felt at peace about it.   And so, we walked through that door and started the process of meeting a couple or going through an agency to start a journey. And yeah, we've done two now. So, in 2022, I delivered a baby boy for a couple.   And then in 2024, so just last year, I've just actually in a few days, I'm going to hit my year mark of my second belly bud being one and a little girl for a couple. And it was like the most, one of the greatest adventures I've been on. And I've gained so much from it.   And it's so rewarding to see someone who desires to be a parent, to be a mom, but physically can't. To see them walk that road and just step into the role that like watching her become a mom is like, you can tell that's what she was meant to be. That's what the Lord had for her.   And it's so fun seeing the joy of their family and watching her grow up and like being a part of her life. That, yeah, like we just encourage other people, if you're able to do something like that, or no matter what it is, it's not just surrogacy, but if God's calling you to something that may require a lot more from you or something that is not normal, it's not traditional, you don't see it a lot, like just step out and do it. And yeah, it's been fun.   It definitely grouped Dan and I closer together. Spiritually, he was there for me in times of emotional hardship. Pregnancy in itself is hard, but to do it multiple times, you know, this is my fifth pregnancy now.   There's a lot of roles that he takes on to care for the kids more, to care for me more. And we've grown closer and just his love for me, seeing it that even though it's not our baby, like he's still caring for me and taking care of me as if it was. And the Lord, I've had to rely on the Lord so many times because pregnancy and birthing in itself is a miracle.   To go through moments of transfer, like the embryo doesn't always take the first time on a transfer or your levels are off or maybe one of the ultrasounds is, you know, something doesn't look good on it. We're constantly relying on the Lord and it gives us an opportunity to share with intended parents, you know, someone who didn't have hope, didn't have anything to look forward to for parenting their own children, to just like be an encouragement to them spiritually and then share these journeys with others publicly has been a great way just to share our faith and to share how going through a surrogacy journey caused us to rely on the Lord and, you know, point everything back to Christ and, you know, God being just very pro-life and we're excited to bring this life into the world.   And so, yeah, definitely a big adventure to embark on to bring two babies into the world that aren't ours, but one of like the greatest things I've ever done. It's awesome.   Laura Dugger: (31:11 - 31:25) It's a beautiful sacrifice and I'm sure others are also wondering at that moment when you meet the baby that you've been carrying, how did you handle those emotions of sharing the baby?   Sam Mathews: (31:25 - 33:42) Yes. Yeah, definitely. So, when you go into surrogacy, you know, from the beginning that it's not your child, especially as a gestational carrier, not related to it.   Throughout the pregnancy, all these milestones that you hit, you're excited for it, but you're excited for it for the parents. So, finding out, you know, there's a heartbeat and seeing the baby for the first time on ultrasound, you're excited for them. Finding out the gender, you're excited for them.   You know, delivering the baby, you're excited for them that you do a lot of mental prep, but there's also like a lot of research that shows to like plan something after delivery for your family to do, something for you to do with your kids so that when you do leave the hospital, you don't think about what you don't have anymore. You think about what you do have at your house with your family. And so, it may seem hard.   I think a lot of times people compare it to adoption where the birth mom is literally giving up her child to somebody else and the hardship that that would cause on her as a surrogate. And I can only speak for myself because I'm sure there are times where it is hard for a surrogate. But for me, it wasn't because I did a lot of mental preparing, emotionally preparing that I knowing that this child wasn't mine going into it.   I knew that at the end of it, I would deliver the baby and the baby would be taken from me and I'm not raising this child. And a lot of times you don't even touch a baby until like maybe you're discharged to see the baby before you leave. So, it's not like I'm delivering the baby.   The baby's being given to me and I'm holding and I'm bonding with it. And then it's being taken away. It's no, this is from the moment it comes out of the womb.   It is their baby and it's in their care. And again, seeing their face, their joy, the moment where like they're seeing their child for the first time is so rewarding. And that's something that I would never want to take from them.   It was never my role to be this baby's mother. It was to just carry their baby and to bring their baby into the world. And so, it's not as hard as you think, thankfully.   I mean, I wouldn't have done it a second time for sure if it was. And we're praying about a third one. But it's so rewarding.   And yeah, you know from the beginning that it's not yours. So, it's easy to, in a sense, pass the baby off.   Laura Dugger: (33:43 - 34:56) Well, that's a story that really encapsulates stewardship. I think that's a great example.    Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips, and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights?   Make sure you access all of this at thesavvysauce.com by clicking the button that says join our email list so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month. Enjoy.    For both of you, your lives are just fascinating mostly because you're living this life of faith and sacrifice. So, it's compelling to get to hear how you're actually doing that. But then I love how you call out that you don't recommend people go to the other extreme and become reckless and chase adventure. You discern between choosing adventure and chasing adventure.   So, I'm wondering if you can give us any of your definitions or parameters around what choosing adventure does and does not look like for you.   Dan Mathews: (34:57 - 38:00) Yeah, I think that choosing adventure for us is looking at opportunities where we can spend as a family, where we can get outside of our comfort zones and just really put it in the Lord's hands. Have fun along the way, you know, whether it's ziplining or jumping off a cliff, like a lot of people think adventure has to be this grand thing and super dangerous. And for us, it isn't really.   Like there's been a couple of times where we've been like, this got crazy quickly. Maybe we could have planned it out a little bit better. But at the end of the day, it all worked out.   And so, when we talk about people choosing instead of chasing or not being reckless, it's all about like, do something new, do something fun, do something that puts you outside of your comfort zone, but isn't going to put you in a bad position. I'm not the guy that's like, you know what? Never swam across Lake Michigan.   I'm going to give it a go, see how it happens, and see what happens. If that's the case, it's like maybe start out with a triathlon and see what you're going to do and work your way up. And so, I don't ever want anyone to take the book or take the things that we say or the adventures that we've had in life and think I'm going to do something absolutely crazy that doesn't make sense.   That's not logical. That's not safe. Like, that's not what this is about.   It's about just getting outside of your comfort zone. And the more you're outside of it, the more comfortable you become with being uncomfortable. And I tell people, like on some of my backcountry hunts, I want to be comfortable in suffering.   Like when I'm really, really struggling physically to climb up a mountain with a 70-pound pack on my back, I want to be like, I know I'm making it out of this. It's not fun in the moment. Like it hurts.   My legs are burning. My back hurts. I feel like I need a break, but I'm going to keep pushing through.   And when I look back on that, I'm going to go, that was brutal and awesome. And I loved every second of it. And I feel like that's how, how we view our trips, our road trips.   I mean, driving, what was it? Thirty something thousand miles in a couple months and visiting dozens and dozens of states. It was like, there were times where it was like, I don't want to be on the road anymore.   The wind is literally about to tip the RV over. I'm almost taking out construction cones or running into things because I had never driven an RV before. And the very first place we go is Wisconsin.   And we drive right past Chicago and there's like construction for a hundred miles. And so it's like all of those things, they were fun. Yeah, they were scary in the moment we got through, we were never in any real danger.   And so, yeah, I feel like it's a stair step when it comes to adventure. I didn't start out just wandering around Alaska by myself. It started with going down to Arkansas, being five miles away from the vehicle and then kind of built from there.   Sam Mathews: (38:00 - 39:50) Yeah, to not be reckless, like to, you know, we talked about this earlier to move forward when you have peace. And just because you have peace with it, someone else may not understand it. But with peace, like there's wisdom too.   You don't want to move forward with a lack of peace and not using wisdom in a decision because yeah, that will get you in trouble and that will cause hardship and pain later down the road. But if you have peace about something and there is that open door and you feel the release from the Lord to go on this adventure, then do it. And even though if it doesn't work out, you know, God will still work everything out.   But yeah, like Dan said, when you, the more you do things that are outside your comfort zone or that, you know, even others may not agree with, but you feel at peace with and you're moving forward, the easier it becomes to do those. And the more you would trust the Lord. And like you said, again, it doesn't have to be some grand adventure.   We encourage people that if they're new to choosing adventure and they're new to stepping outside their comfort zone, try like a new restaurant one day, go to like a new, I was thinking the other day, we live in Missouri and we always travel outside of Missouri for adventure. I'm like, we need to do a six-month adventure just within Missouri. Like we drove two hours South and through Missouri to go to Georgia last week.   And we were driving down this hill on one of the roads. I'm like, this looks like, it looked like Georgia already, or it looked like Colorado, the hillside and the trees and the fog, I'm like, this is beautiful. And I look down, I'm like, oh, we're still in Missouri.   So, there's so much to adventure and to explore in your own backyard or down your street that it doesn't have to be something crazy wild. We're not saying go, you know, jump out of a plane and skydive or something, but just start small, start where you have peace and where you feel the Lord's leading.   Laura Dugger: (39:52 - 40:26) That's great. I love having a handful of practical things. I think of my brother, Drew and his wife, Amanda, when their kids were really little, they just drew a two hour radius to see what places would be fun to go invest and explore.   Or for us, I would say one of our most recent adventures, we didn't know what it would look like on the other side, but it's become one of our favorite things in life and probably our best decision in parenting for us as we started homeschooling our kids last year. And it has been a wild adventure.   Sam Mathews: (40:26 - 40:27) That's an adventure.   Laura Dugger: (40:28 - 40:36) So, any other tips to get people started? Those are even trying the new restaurant. Yeah.   Anything else like that that you would say?   Dan Mathews: (40:37 - 42:13) The nice thing is that we all have this supercomputer in our hand or in our pocket all the time. And there are so many lists of like the top 10 places to see, places to eat. There's books that are just like places to canoe before you dive, places to hike before you dive, and they have all of this stuff listed out.   And so, it's not that you have to be a pioneer and find a new place that nobody's ever been before. Look at the research that people have done before you and look at lists, get on Pinterest or any social media platform and try to just figure out what are practical things that you can do. And then you can also say, how difficult is this going to be for me?   Do I really need to jump that far into it right now? Or should I just go to a local park that might have a cool cave that I can explore? Or maybe there's a creek near the house and like, what if we just go down there and see if we can find fish or crawdads or try to skip rocks?   My kids, that is one of their favorite things. I'm like, I love doing it as a kid. I didn't realize how exciting just the act of watching a rock skip on the water would be for kids.   And so there's, yeah, there's a million different resources online for things that you can practically do close to home. And it might, for some people, just be trying that DIY project instead of calling a carpenter to put yourself up, you know, or a handyman. Like, give it a try.   The worst that's going to happen, you have a hole in your wall. Now you watch a video on how to patch it.   Laura Dugger: (42:14 - 42:37) That's so good. And I'm seeing a theme. A lot of these are getting outdoors and nature.   That's always an adventure. But then I'm even thinking simple things in conversation, trying out a new question, even with a loved one. Or you said at the beginning that you love hospitality.   So inviting somebody new into your home. I think any of that novelty is just really good for us. Yeah, definitely.   Dan Mathews: (42:38 - 44:32) Yeah, I think even making it a point in conversation when somebody asks you how your day is, instead of just saying good and continuing on, actually stop and talk to them. Because a lot of people, their biggest fear might not be going on a road trip, might not be financial ruin. It might just be opening up and being vulnerable with another person.   And so it could be the person at the office that you've never actually had a conversation with. You know each other. You might wave when you walk by their desk.   But actually talk to them. Get to know them. Tell them about yourself.   And so the book has a lot of those types of things lined out where it's like it might not be physical. It might not be out in nature. It might be within your home.   It might be, I mean, some people need to do this with their kids. Like that might be the scariest thing is talking to your teenager. Like actually having a conversation.   And we're going to sit down and we're going to have a meal together and actually talk as a family. And so, yeah, it looks different for everybody. And that's one thing, because our passion is being outside.   Like Sam wants a houseboat. She wants to buy a houseboat and renovate it and live in it for a certain amount of time. And we've had other people who a bunch of homeschool families bought sailboats and sailed all around the world as they were homeschooling their kids.   And I heard that and I was like, yeah, yeah, we're going to have to do that at some point. But I know for a lot of people, just going outside is a big deal. And so it looks different for everybody.   We do give a lot of nature examples, but there's different ways for every type of person, every level of. What would you even call it? Social.   There's a lot of different levels to the social scale. And so no matter where you are, there's something for you to be a little bit more adventurous.   Laura Dugger: (44:34 - 44:42) OK, so like I said, you've made a compelling argument for getting outside of our comfort zone. Why do you think some of us resist this attractive lifestyle?   Sam Mathews: (44:43 - 46:46) Yeah, I think there's fear in it. There's sadly nowadays, you know, what will other people think of me? What will what if we fail?   What if we lose money? What if we what if I look a certain way that I don't want to appear to others? And that's where you just have to think back to Christ.   Like what is it? What really matters at the end of the day? It's how God views you.   And if you fail, oh, well, what if the Lord like just opens up so many doors and creates an avenue for you to get out? Or what if so much good comes from it that we can't be afraid of failure? Again, move forward cautiously with wisdom and with the Lord's peace and direction.   But in our book, we share one of our biggest adventures was going out to Colorado and renovating a van for five days. And we broke down on the side of the road, something no one wants to do in the desert, in the middle of twice. We did twice.   We broke down in the middle of Kansas and then in Colorado again. And it was we'll be honest, it was not fun. It was one of like the scariest times.   But looking back, like we're so thankful we did because so much good came from it. Like we met some amazing people who helped us along the way. And it's now one of our favorite stories to tell of encouragement that just because you say yes to adventure and just because something bad happens, it's not all a waste.   And I think, yeah, that fear just keeps people from being able to move forward and being like, you know what? Like I'm comfortable right here in my house, my kids in public school, not going anywhere because I know where my money's coming. I know like what's happening tomorrow.   I know how people are going to respond. And I'm just going to like stay here. Not that that's a bad thing, because the Lord needs people in every season in every situation.   But if he's prompting you to step out and to try something new, like don't be afraid of what's required from you or what could happen. You never know like where it could lead.   Dan Mathews: (46:47 - 48:10) Yeah, I think a lot of it is those few things, fear, pride, or just you believing that God isn't big enough or doesn't care about your situation. And unfortunately, a lot of people are there where I really want to try this, but like what if things go wrong? And for us, it's like when things go wrong, that's where the Lord provides.   That's where the Lord directs. That's where he leads. That's where his word can be the lamp to your feet and a light to your path.   When you're trying to do it all on your own and you're staying in this safety net of comfort, nothing amazing happens in that place. And so, we've seen it time and time again, the Lord's provision, the Lord's provision in our lives and not only the provision financially, but actually like setting us free from constraints like social constraints of like you have to work nine to five. We heard that over and over and over.   And I'm like, well, the nice thing is Sam and I are both hard workers and super driven, and I'm sure we could get jobs again. Yeah, so like worst case scenario, we run completely out of money and we go back to go back to work. And I'm like, what does failure actually look like?   And I try to get people to break it down for me. People who are like, I'm glad that worked for you, but that couldn't work for us. And I go, why?   Sam Mathews: (48:10 - 48:10) Yeah.   Dan Mathews: (48:11 - 48:20) Like, why couldn't it work for you? And they're like, well, I like what happens if it doesn't work out? And I'm like, let's expand on that as far out as we can think.   Sam Mathews: (48:20 - 48:21) Even the worst.   Dan Mathews: (48:21 - 48:24) Like, does that work? Like, are you going to die? No.   Sam Mathews: (48:24 - 48:24) Yeah.   Dan Mathews: (48:24 - 49:02) Like, no, you'll probably just come back home if it doesn't work out, you know? And so, trying to trying to show people that because the fear of the unknown is pretty significant to people. Something completely new to them that they've never tried it's really challenging to get people to take that first step.   But once they do, the second step is easier. The third step is easier. And pretty soon you're jumping and sprinting and you're like, whoa, this whole life is out here that I didn't even know existed.   So yeah, I definitely think it's those three, though.   Laura Dugger: (49:03 - 50:59) That's good. And it makes me think that typically the way that we grow our faith is action. We put our faith into action and God gives us with more faith when we're faithful with the little faith that we have.   And it also makes me think back, I believe it was episode 82, 82. Traveling With Your Family With Teacher, Wife, and Mother to 4,, with the guest, Katie Mueller. I'm going to link to it. I think you guys would love it where she parallels what God called people to do throughout the Bible with travel, what that looks like today, practical, fun things.   But Sam, something that you said reminded me of this when you're like, “Well, if nothing else, it's going to be a great story.” And she referred to that, like when things went wrong growing up on their travels, they laughed so hard about those memories. And in their family, they tragically lost their dad very unexpectedly.   Actually, her mom, I'll link to Joyce Hodel's episode as well. She shares that story. But their family has all of these stories and all of these memories from choosing adventure.   So that makes me start to think of marriage and family. And as we put that together with adventure, you guys always make adventure feel approachable, even in parenting. And I'm thinking on page 15, you wrote that as a kid, anytime you get to drive cross country, stay at a hotel or eat at a restaurant, it's an adventure for no reason other than it's a break from the norm, right?   And you know what? That's the whole point. Choosing adventure is about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new.   There's no right or wrong way to do it. So, with that in mind, Dan and Sam, how can we begin to enjoy this adventurous life in marriage and in family?   Sam Mathews: (51:00 - 51:49) Yeah. Bringing your kids along is such a fun, it requires a little bit more packing, but such a fun aspect to adventure. And going on date nights with your spouse, trying something new, experiencing it together, finding something you enjoy together, but realizing that it can also, there's another level of fun to have your kids along with.   And sometimes we'll drive 30 minutes away and stay at a hotel for a night just because it's a new place to go and the kids love it. And it doesn't have to be expensive. They go putt-putt and that for them is the greatest thing.   If you end it with ice cream, it's even better than the cherry on top, that it's just something fun for them. But yeah, realizing that it can be a family thing, but it could just be you as a couple too. But yeah.   Dan Mathews: (51:50 - 54:56) Well, and for kids, there's so much adventure to be had right at home or right in your backyard. I bought, I went to Walmart one day and I bought two extra large king-size sheets just so that we could do forts. I was like, I'm gonna put these in the closet and now I've got like the alligator clips and so I can clip them to different things.   And when it's a rainy day and the kids are bored and we're stuck inside, it's just a break from the norm. And then they'll be like, mom, dad, come see what we did. And they might build like a little shop where they sell us stuff inside of their fort.   Or they might make beds for us and for the stuffed animals and for our dog and all of these different things. And so, breaking out of the norm is just what adventure is. Like if they're not used to that, if they're not used to that time together, like some days it's, we're gonna go jump on the trampoline and they're like, wait, both of you at once?   Normally one of us is getting stuff done and the other one's hanging out with them. And when all of a sudden it's like both of us unexpectedly are walking to the trampoline, they're like, oh, family trampoline jump. If you need really good ideas for adventure and you're a parent, just watch Bluey.   If you haven't seen Bluey, that dad is awesome. And like we used to do the claw game. I would put all of their stuffed animals in my lap.   My thumb was the joystick and then my other hand was the claw and they had to move it and I would pick up the stuffed animals. And to them, it was the greatest thing they'd ever done. And we saw it on a cartoon.   And so, incorporating family into it, I feel like it's just, it's really easy. And aside from excuses, there's no reason not to get the kids involved in it. Also, there's a million books about getting kids outside.   And so, like checklists that they can do. Every national park, if for those that don't know or haven't visited national parks, I didn't know this because we didn't go to any national parks growing up, but your kids can become a junior ranger. They get these booklets and they get badges of the individual parks and they have to learn about nature and about the animals that are there and about the history.   And so that became a thing for the kids. Every place we went, it was like, “Oh, I need a junior ranger badge.” And I mean, they had wooden badges just lining their chest.   Like they were some war hero and they absolutely loved it. And so there's things like that locally in nature parks and stuff. But doing it together.   I mean, that's what it's all about. For me, I watched the guys on TV and I'm like, that guy just went to New Zealand by himself or like watching alone. I'm like, I don't want to do that.   It would be pretty crazy, I feel like. I think everybody needs some type of alone time here and there. But for me, I want to share this stuff with my wife, with my kids, with my buddies.   And so, yeah, that's what it's all about.   Sam Mathews: (54:56 - 55:07) Yeah, like you said, have those stories to tell with your family, of your family members. That way, if something does happen and they pass, you have so much to look back on of the memories you're able to share together.   Laura Dugger: (55:09 - 55:15) Absolutely. And to bring those up and share them with our kids while we are together. They love hearing stories about when they were little.   Sam Mathews: (55:16 - 55:16) Oh, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (55:17 - 55:29) And you guys have taken it a step further where you document it then and preserve. So if we want continued inspiration after this conversation, where can we go to follow you two and your adventures?   Sam Mathews: (55:30 - 56:08) Yes, we do. Our kids love watching our travels and stuff. We share along for videos and stuff on YouTube, Facebook.   But we share our life on every platform. We are Dan and Sam. Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook.   And then Dan has his hunting content over at the Nomadic Outdoorsman. And yeah, we share day-to-day life, what that looks like, lifestyle. But then our travels, our adventures, mom life, welcoming a new baby, our surrogacy journeys, whatever life looks like at that time and how we're enjoying it, what God's teaching us, where we're going.   And we laugh along the way, the encouragement and try to inspire you to live an adventurous, fun-filled life.   Laura Dugger: (56:09 - 56:28) Love it. We'll add links to all of those things in the show notes for today's episode. And you two may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, as my final question for both of you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Sam Mathews: (56:31 - 57:15) Ooh, practical knowledge. Let's see. I would say with motherhood, don't think that, I don't know if this would be considered savvy sauce, but it's just a good reminder to myself that as a mom, you may think you're alone in something, you're going through it, and it's just you, but you're not.   You are with a community of people who are feeling the same thing that you're walking through, going through the same thing, and just reminding yourself you're not alone because I think it makes the journey a lot easier to know that there's other people walking through the same season, the same hardship, the same joy, the same trials as you. And it makes life a little bit easier when you feel less alone.   Dan Mathews: (57:16 - 58:26) I think for me, it would be that your kids are going to be an extreme version of what you are. So, if you're showing fear and decisions, if you're hesitant, if you're not trusting the Lord, that's gonna be compounded in their lives. And they're just a more magnified mirror image of what their parents are.   And so, we try to, in everything that we do, go, is this something that's gonna set up our kids for success? And it's not like, oh, we have to have money in the bank for them, you know, for a retirement fund one day or a college fund. I'm talking like everyday lessons.   If I put my phone screen in front of my kids, they're gonna do that more and more and more. If I prioritize things that aren't meant to be prioritized over my wife, they're gonna see that. And so, we try to be very, very clear about what our priorities are.   We try to live intentionally, showing them the right way to do things and being an example to them. And so, yeah, that'd be my savvy sauce.   Laura Dugger: (58:27 - 58:49) I love it. You two are so full of integrity and you definitely shine the love and the light of Jesus brightly by the way that you live. So, I know I'm leaving this conversation feeling very inspired to choose adventure.   And I just wanna say thank you for being my guest today.   Sam Mathews: Thank you so much for having us. It was a joy.   Dan Mathews: (58:49 - 58:50) It was a blast.   Laura Dugger:  (58:52 - 1:02:06) 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.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “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.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents

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Last week we asked: How Do You Know if There Is Hope for Your Marriage? This week, we get vulnerable with four women who've lived it. Some stayed. Some left. All of them share the turning point that changed everything.Yes, you can move beyond the pain and get the life you want.www.beyondaffairs.com 360.306.3367

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Have you ever loved your spouse deeply but felt your body shut down when they reached for you?Maybe you've wondered…“Why don't I want sex the way I used to?”“Why does my mind feel so distracted—or even resistant—when I want to feel close?”If that's you, I want you to take a deep breath and hear this:

Conflict is an inevitable part of marriage, but it doesn't have to be destructive. In fact, conflict can be healthy; couples who learn how to "fight fair" often enjoy stronger marriages. Tune in for a humorous and engaging discussion as husband-and-wife counseling team Les and Leslie Parrott offer practical advice on how spouses can avoid destructive conflict and learn to "fight a good fight" that will strengthen rather than damage their relationship. The Good Fight Reactive Cycle Assessment Have You Lost Hope in Your Marriage? Counseling Consultation & Referrals If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

We tackle listener questions today from a wife who doesn't even want to want sex, a woman wanting to know how to prepare for her wedding night and marriage, and a wife who can't seem to get all the way there with orgasm. Sponsor Mismatched desire in your marriage? Let's talk about what it means, why it happens, and how to grow closer through it. Sign up for our new masterclass on Sexual Desire Differences today! From the Bible That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 Resources Episode 209: Pursuing Sexual Growth Intimacy Mentoring - Honeycomb & Spice Email Chris about Intimacy Mentoring Episode 191: What Is Sexual Betrayal and How Can You Address It? Build True Intimacy: Creating a Connection that Stands the Test of Time by Dan Drake, Joanna Raabsmith, and Matthew Raabsmith The Intimacy Pyramid Sensate Focus Therapy | Cornell Health Everything You Need to Know About Sensate Focus Touch by Linda Weiner, LCSW | YouTube Sexual Clarity for Christian Women • Strong Wives Rethinking Sexuality: God's Design and Why It Matters by Dr. Juli Slattery God, Sex, and Your Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories about God, Love, and Relationships by Dr. Carol Tanksley Why Isn't Sex Like What You See in Movies? - Hot, Holy & Humorous Episode 146: The Spectrum of Sexual Desire - Sex Chat for Christian Wives Understanding Your Sex Drive – Webinar Replay – ONLY $5! Pillow Talk: 40 Conversations about Sex for Married Couples by J. Parker Episode 231: Choosing a Lube (Quickie) Virgin Bride Guidebook: Wedding Night Answers by Bonny Logsdon Burns Preparing for the Wedding Night - Hot, Holy & Humorous Wedding Night Sex - Hot, Holy & Humorous What I Wish I'd Known Before the Wedding Night - Hot, Holy & Humorous Sex for the Clueless Bride - The Marriage Bed Sex for the Clueless Groom - The Marriage Bed How Menopause Impacts Your Sex Life - Hot, Holy & Humorous Mindfulness & Meditation During Sex - Hot, Holy & Humorous Bezwecken – DHEA Oval Suppositories Bezwecken OstaDerm-V Crème (Vaginal Dryness & Menopausal Atrophy Vaginitis Support) Help For Vaginal Dryness • Bonny's Oysterbed7 (with more about DHEA) Dealing with Vulvovaginal Atrophy without Hormones | The Forgiven Wife 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://patreon.com/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

There was a season in my marriage when we were having sex… but something still felt painfully off.We weren't fighting. We were doing the “right” things.But emotionally, we were disconnected — and I felt it most clearly in the bedroom.We were going through the motions — like fast food intimacy.It gave us temporary relief but left us hungry for something deeper.Maybe you know what that feels like…Maybe sex has become a routine task you check off the list.Or maybe it's been so long, you don't even know where to begin.Maybe you're wondering: Is something wrong with me… with us?You're not alone — and nothing is wrong with you.AND something different is possible.In this week's episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, I talk about:Why sex can become a substitute for emotional connection — and how to tell the differenceHow to shift from “performance” to presenceWhat I did in my own marriage to stop blaming and start healingWhy foreplay starts right after sex ends (this insight is a game changer!)And a powerful visualization to help you reconnect with what your heart really wantsIf sex has become disconnected, distant, or just not what you hoped it would be, I invite you to listen in.You are not broken. You're just human. And your desire for meaningful connection is not too much — it's holy ground. Let's honor it.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFac...

In this week's episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, I'm talking about something most of us have never taken the time to unpack—what we learned about sex… and how those lessons still live in our bodies, our minds, and our marriages today.For many of us, sex was never talked about at all.For others, the messages we received were shame-based, fear-driven, or wrapped in unrealistic ideals.Some of us absorbed confusion or silence. Others absorbed pressure, fear, or even distorted ideas of what it means to be desired.In this episode, I share a deeply personal story about my own early exposure to pornography, the lasting impact it had on my sense of worth, and how that confusion showed up in my marriage. I also talk about the harm of being dismissed by someone I turned to for help—and how our stories deserve to be met with empathy, not judgment.If you've ever felt shut down, ashamed, or like something's “off” in the way you connect with your spouse…This conversation will help you see that you're not broken. You just haven't been given the space to understand what shaped you.✨ There's a journaling prompt at the end to help you reflect, and if you're ready to take a first step toward healing, I'd love to invite you to a free Courageous Love Conversation.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFac...

Emotional Intimacy in Marriage: 3 Daily Habits That WorkIs your marriage starting to feel more like a business partnership than a loving bond? Without emotional intimacy, couples drift into routine and lose the trust and validation they crave. In this episode of Reconciling Marriages with Coach Jack, you'll learn simple but powerful daily habits that rebuild connection — even if you're the only one trying right now.What You'll Learn:How to define emotional intimacy so you and your spouse know what you're working towardThe most common problems that kill emotional closeness — and how to fix themThree practical daily habits that free up time, increase validation, and cut out the neutral time that drains loveWant to Work With Coach Jack? If you're struggling to reconnect with your spouse, Coach Jack's Re-Connections Coaching Package gives you a step-by-step plan to restore trust, desire, and emotional closeness — without conflict or pressure. Learn more and get started here.Key Takeaways:Emotional intimacy needs daily nurturing — it doesn't just “come back” on its ownValidation is the antidote to defensiveness and distanceQuality time beats neutral time every time — make it happen with small changesAdditional Resources:Is There Hope for Your Marriage? How to Know – Understand when and how real change can happenConnecting Through "Yes!" – Coach Jack's book on rebuilding love through agreement and validationWork one-on-one with Coach Jack to repair your relationship using small, easy steps that rebuild connection quickly. Visit CoachJackIto.com to learn more about relationship coaching.

In today's episode, I am dropping a brand-new framework—straight from my own mental oven—showing you how to tell if your marriage feels like a nourishing refuge or a never-ending war zone. I am sharing a raw story about crying in the car with her task-focused engineer husband and turns it into a masterclass on collaboration, personal responsibility, and the power of a single re-frame. ✨ EPISODE AT A GLANCE Sanctuary vs. Battleground—what those vibes actually feel like day-to-day, leaks in the roof and all. The 80 % Rule for “safe enough” and why thriving might ask you to raise that bar. Maggie's Three R's: Re-IMAGINE, Re-NEGOTIATE, or Re-LEASE when things stop feeling safe. The Sanctuary Scale (1 = war zone, 10 = oasis) + game-changing coaching questions. Two ways to “release”: shift expectations or lovingly exit the relationship. How to know if you need specialized support instead of another communication tip. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Questions for Couples Journal Private Coaching with Maggie Episode 58: The Power of One Episode 181: Compound Stress Syndrome, The Stroy/State Cycle & Turning into an Opportunity for Connection in Your Marriage  

Men's Mental Health: You Are Not Alone “I can't hide myself I don't expect you to understand I just hope I can explain What it's like to be a man It's a lonely road, and they don't care about what you know It's not about how you feel but what you provide inside that home.” — Dax, “To Be a Man” This is the chorus of Dax's song “To Be a Man”—and I know some husbands out there can really relate. The pressure. The silence. The weight of holding it all together by providing. So as we wrap up June and Men's Health Month, I want to speak directly to my brothers: You don't have to walk through it alone. Taking care of your mental and physical health isn't weakness — it's wisdom. It's strength. And it's one of the greatest things you can do for yourself, your marriage and your family. No matter where you are in this season—or how deep the struggle feels right now—know this: There is hope. And there is help. Let's talk about it. David    Mentioned in this episode: Dax - "To Be A Man" (Official Music Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHxip2x-PLc&ab_channel=Dax   Related episodes: EP 73 Your Marriage and Mental Health : Prioritizing Your Mental Health and Support for Spouses with Dr. Adeola Adeyemi (Part 1)   EP 74 Your Marriage and Mental Health: Prioritizing Your Mental Health and Support for Spouses with Dr. Adeola Adeyemi (Part 2) ................................................................................................

If you ever feel like a completely different version of yourself when you're under stress—snappy, shut down, or just plain tapped out—you're not alone. Stress doesn't just impact how you feel in your body. It can totally hijack how you show up in your relationships… especially your marriage.In this episode, I'm joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw, and we're unpacking how unprocessed stress silently fuels miscommunication, emotional disconnection, resentment, and repeated blow-ups in partnership—even when you love each other deeply.You'll learn how stress physically rewires the way you interact, and why you keep reacting in ways that don't reflect who you really are.We're diving into: ✔️ The two types of stress that show up in marriage—and how to tell the difference ✔️ Why your brain shuts down communication and turns conflict into a battlefield ✔️ How to recognize when you're about to "pop" and how to stop the spiralIf you've ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “Why did I say that?” or “Why do we keep having the same fight?”—this episode is a must-listen.

Have you ever found yourself spiraling after something your spouse said or didn't say?It might've seemed small—but the emotional response inside of you? Felt big.And maybe you even asked yourself, “Why did that hit me so hard?”This week's episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage is all about what happens when current pain stirs up something deeper—and how learning to tend to these moments in real time can actually begin to heal wounds that have been there for years.You'll hear:✨ Why emotional triggers in your marriage often have deeper roots✨ A simple practice to help you process pain instead of stuffing it down✨ How real-time healing helps stop the cycle of blame, shutdown, and disconnect✨ Why tending to today's wounds softens the power of the pastThis episode is especially for you if you've been doing the work but still feel stuck in patterns that keep resurfacing.It's a compassionate, hope-filled reminder that healing doesn't always mean doing more—sometimes it means slowing down enough to feel what's already asking for your attention.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFac...

It feels like nothing is changing… but it is.There's a moment on the journey of growth that can feel downright cruel.You're showing up. You're doing the work. You're staying present, using the tools, praying through the pain…And still, nothing seems to be changing.Not fast enough. Not visibly enough.And that old voice whispers, Why bother?If that's where you are right now, I recorded this week's episode just for you.✨ It's not that you're doing it wrong.It's that you're in the middle — the sacred, quiet stretch where the muscle of change is forming before it's visible.In today's episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage, I talk about what it means to live in that middle space — the part where you're sometimes still falling into old patterns, but you're also starting to notice them and choose differently.I'll share a story from one of my coaching clients — a woman who, in the face of emotional shutdown and discouragement, kept showing up for herself and her relationship. She didn't get it “right” the first time. Or the second. But she kept coming back. And her courage was building something far more powerful than perfection.This episode is your reminder that:Falling into the hole doesn't mean you're failingYou can regulate, recover, and re-enter with loveAnd your heart is already protected by a God who is holding you as you growSo if you're weary from doing the work and wondering if it's making a difference — please don't miss this one.CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving RelationshipUnlock deeper connection in your marriage with my free guide, Daily Prompts for Deeper Connection with Your Spouse—get it now! Start feeling more connected and loved in your marriage today with my free Reclaim More Love in Just 3 Days process. This process will have you learning how to shift your focus, in a healthy way, and nurture thoughts that build connection and transform how you feel about your marriage. More resources and how you can start the process of Awakening(YourTrue)You and being the partner who creates your best version of what marriage looks like for you: https://christinebongiovanni.com/Join my AwakenYou newsletter for weekly marriage tips and early announcements of upcoming offerings.Book your free Courageous Love Conversation here.InstagramFacebook

Guest Bio: Chelsea Damon is the author of I Thought This Would Make Me Happy: How to Fight Less, Forgive Faster, and Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage and Together with Christ, A Dating Couple's Devotional: 52 Devotions and Bible Studies to Nurture Your Relationship. She is also the author of chelseadamon.com, a website where moms and wives are encouraged to cultivate healthy, Christ-centered lives and relationships. Damon and her husband Josh met while attending college, where they grew in their faith and dated for three years. They were married on the windy coast of Washington in 2013. Throughout their dating and marriage relationship and into parenthood, they've been learning what it means to live loving God and others in a self-love world. Today, the Damons have three biological children, are foster parents, and spend their time looking for new places to hike and explore beautiful South Carolina.     Show Summary: Did you think marriage or a specific relationship would fix all your problems and fully heal you? While marriage is a beautiful gift from God, it can also be really hard. Some seasons are filled with joy and excitement while others are filled with anger and arguments. Chelsea Damon realized she was expecting that marriage would make her happy and storing up resentment towards her husband during the first few years of their marriage. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they learn how Chelsea overcame her resentment and began to apply grace to her marriage with the help of God. You don't want to miss this God Hears Her conversation.     Notes and Quotes:   “I like to use a little assessment of whether something is starting to be an idol in our lives is, ‘Would I lose my self of identity if [this thing] was taken away? Or would I lose my hope and my future if that was taken away?'” —Chelsea Damon  “[When dealing with disillusionment], I really had to fall back on my relationship with Christ, and in doing so, He really taught me that through fire He really is the only thing that is going to truly fulfill me.” —Chelsea Damon  “One of the great dichotomies in the Christian faith is that when you surrender control, you gain so much more.” —Chelsea Damon  “. . . we're doing the work and we're ready to be receptive to God's Word and what He has to say to us. And that's the only place where what He plants can grow deep roots and get a foothold in our lives to bear fruit.” —Chelsea Damon    Verses:   The Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13:1-23    Links:   Chelsea's Book, I Thought This Would Make Me Happy: https://www.amazon.com/Thought-This-Would-Make-Happy/dp/0310367778  Chelsea's Website: https://chelseadamon.com/  Chelsea's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelsealeighdamon/  God Hears Her website: https://godhearsher.org/  Watch the Video Podcast Here: https://www.youtube.com/@GodHearsHerODBM  God Hears Her email sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/sign-upsfmc   Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast  Elisa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisamorganauthor/  Eryn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eryneddy/  Vivian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivmabuni/  Our Daily Bread Ministries website: https://www.odbm.org/

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle & Scott talk with Dr. Juli Slattery from Authentic Intimacy about how past sexual abuse impacts individuals and their marriages. With biblical truth, personal insight, and expert care, Dr. Slattery shares how healing can happen in safe relationships marked by trust, patience, and grace. We hope this episode provides hope and healing for those affected by sexual abuse. Scriptures Referenced (in context):Rom 12:15John 10:10PS 34:18Rom 8:28 Resources:Juli's Ministry – Authentic IntimacyJuli's Podcast – Java with JuliBooks: Surprised by the Healer, by Linda Dillow and Juli Slattery; God, Sex, and Your Marriage, by Juli Slattery Questions to Discuss:1. What stood out to you most from this conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery?2. What does it look like to be a “safe place” for your spouse?3. How can we invite—not demand—intimacy in our marriage?4. Are there past wounds (sexual or otherwise) we need to process personally or as a couple?5. Who are safe people or resources we could pursue if we need help?

In this heartfelt and honest conversation, Dr. Kim sits down with Jimmy Rollins to unpack the real-life highs and lows of marriage. They dive into why communication, forgiveness, and a strong support system are so crucial—and how those things have played out in their own lives. From the power of simple daily appreciations to creating a safe space for open conversations, Jimmy and Dr. Kim get real about what it takes to build (and rebuild) a strong relationship. They also reflect on how easy it is to chase success in the wrong places—and how to shift the focus back to what matters most. Whether you're in a great season or struggling to find your footing, this episode is full of practical wisdom and encouragement to help you grow and heal in your marriage. Episode Takeaways: Every marriage is hard and requires effort. Forgiveness is a decision, while reconciliation is a process. Daily appreciation can reignite connection in marriage. Creating a safe space is essential for open communication. Winning at the wrong things can harm your marriage. Community support is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships. It's important to examine your own behavior in marriage. Practical steps can lead to significant changes in relationships. Couples should seek resources and mentorship for guidance. The goal in marriage is to think together, not alike.   Questions to Discuss:  Are there areas of your marriage you are trying to ignore? Are there areas you are trying to change your spouse? How would you rate the community you have to support your marriage? What one thing can you say “no” to today, so that you have more margin to say “yes”  in your marriage.    Quotes: "Forgiveness is a decision." "Community is what keeps us sober." "You're not in it by yourself." "Every marriage is hard." "The goal is not to think alike." "The best days are ahead of us."   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   Use our FREE Weekly Marriage Check Up Guide to keep intentionally winning in your marriage! Want an opportunity to dig into God's Word as you prioritize your marriage. Try this Awesome Marriage YouVersion reading plan: Traffic Signs and Your Marriage: Part 1 If you haven't browsed our site, you've GOT to check out the marriage resources we have over at AwesomeMarriage.com, and browse our online courses at AwesomeMarriageUniversity.com !  Sign up for Dr. Kim's Marriage Multiplier email for practical weekly marriage tips! Now is the perfect time to join our Marriage Changers program. Enjoy every resource of the month plus bonus content from Dr. Kim and Mrs. Nancy. Join now, just in time to receive our May “7 Most Popular Resource Bundle.”

While serving your spouse is a wonderful thing, it can only go so far. The truth is that some things will only change in your marriage when you give them to God in prayer. Ryan and Selena Frederick are on a mission to inspire couples to pray for each other for 40 days, with the goal to make it a regular habit in their relationship. They’ll address why praying Scripture is so effective, how prayer can reset your heart when you’re upset with your mate, and ways that prayer makes you a more unified couple. Receive the 40 Prayers for My Spouse bundle and the audio download of the broadcast "Making Prayer a Priority in Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive. Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

If you have ever felt disconnected with your spouse- particularly in the area of communication- this episode is especially for you.  Steven and his wife, Tracy, walked through more than two decades of disconnection. Twenty-five years is a long time to feel lost in your marriage. To feel like no matter what you try, you just can't find your way back to each other. They loved God. They were raising six children together. They wanted their marriage to thrive. But somehow, they kept missing each other. Their communication felt off, and it wasn't just about words—it was about how every part of their life as a couple felt misaligned. Marriage Problems After 25 Years: Feeling Stuck and Disconnected Steven and Tracy did what many couples in their situation try to do. They sought help. They met with counselors and pastors. They heard wise advice. But for some reason, it just didn't seem to stick in their day-to-day lives. They felt like they were doing all the right things, yet their relationship still felt strained. The alignment they hoped for—spiritually, emotionally, practically—kept slipping through their fingers. It's hard to describe how wearying that becomes over time. You start to wonder if it will ever change, or if you're destined to just live alongside each other, rather than truly enjoy the beauty of partnership that marriage is meant to be. Signs of Hope: When One Spouse Begins to Change What began to open things up wasn't what Steven expected. He started to notice a softness in Tracy. A new warmth in her communication. She seemed more open, more willing to engage in conversations in a way that felt safe and inviting. And that tenderness in her sparked something in him. He realized, deep in his heart, that he wanted to experience that same kind of shift. He didn't want to keep circling the same frustrations. He wanted his heart to change too—not just so things would feel better, but because he longed to love her well. There's something so beautiful about that. Sometimes, it's the gentle transformation in one spouse that awakens the hope in the other. And that's exactly what happened for Steven. How Focusing on Personal Growth Can Transform Your Marriage What truly began to move the needle for Steven was recognizing where his focus had been all along. For many years, like so many of us, he had been looking at his wife's responses, her choices, her attitude. But when he started to reflect more deeply, he realized the bigger breakthrough would come from within himself. That shift—from focusing outward to focusing inward—was a game changer. Instead of waiting for Tracy to change, he opened his heart to the changes God wanted to do in him. He began to see how his own patterns of thought and communication were shaping their dynamic. And as he leaned into that growth, the atmosphere of their marriage began to change. Learning to Communicate Better in Marriage Steven described it as learning to dance. For years, he and Tracy were moving to different rhythms. Even when they had good intentions, they kept stepping on each other's toes. When you don't know the steps, no matter how much you love the other person, the dance feels clumsy. Missteps are frustrating and discouraging. But as Steven grew in understanding and grace, he began to move in rhythm with his wife. He learned how to lead with humility and gentleness. And as he did, Tracy responded. She became more willing to follow his lead—not because she was forced to, but because it felt safe and loving to do so. Their dance transformed from awkward steps to something fluid, connected, and beautiful. Why Humility Is Key to a Stronger Marriage What I find so deeply inspiring about Steven's journey is the way he embraced humility. He didn't cling to pride. He didn't stay stuck in frustration, demanding that his wife change first. Instead, he knelt before God—both literally and figuratively—and opened his heart to being transformed himself. That posture of surrender made space for God to work powerfully in his life and marriage. And it's a reminder for all of us: no matter how broken things feel, when we choose humility and invite God into our hearts and homes, He begins to weave a story of redemption that's more beautiful than we could have imagined. What a Healthy Marriage Looks Like After Healing Today, Steven and Tracy still face challenges, but what's different now is how they handle them. What used to take days, weeks, or even months to resolve now takes minutes—sometimes even seconds. They've learned to recognize when they're drifting out of alignment and come back quickly to unity and connection. Their marriage isn't just surviving anymore. It's thriving. There's joy. There's intimacy. There's a deep excitement about what God is continuing to do in their relationship. It's a miracle of grace, truly. There Is Hope for Your Marriage, Too Friend, if you find yourself where Steven once was—tired, discouraged, wondering if things will ever change—I want you to hear this clearly: there is a way forward. Take courage. Let hope rise in your heart. Open yourself to the possibility that the story isn't over—and that the next chapter could be more beautiful than you've imagined.   With love,   Belah & Team   PS - Want to know more about the current health of your marriage? Take our free Marital Health Assessment to discover your Marital Health score and receive further insight on next steps. PPS - Here is a quote from (another) recent graduate: “Tension between us is pretty much gone! Our relationship, our discussions have become much more peaceful, easygoing and playful than before. My wife has become more affectionate and has initiated intimacy more! We can now discuss physical intimacy and not argue. She has told me many times how she likes the changes she sees in me…Other people around us, even strangers, have noticed something different about us.”

We've talked about the fact that many women struggle to ‘flip the switch' and enjoy married sex, and we've talked about what might contribute to that. But we haven't talked about what husbands can do to help their wives enjoy sex. Juli shares a conversation from Gary Thomas' Podcast where she was a panelist alongside Debra Fileta and Belah Rose.   Host: Gary Thomas   Featured Speakers: Dr. Juli Slattery, Debra Fileta, MA, LPC and Belah Rose   Gary's Website: garythomas.com Gary's Newsletter: garythomasbooks.substack.com   Book: Married Sex by Gary Thomas and Debra Fileta, MA, LPC Book: Rethinking Sexuality by Dr. Juli Slattery Book: God, Sex and Your Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery   Juli's Website: authenticintimacy.com Debra's Website: debrafileta.com Belah's Website: delightyourmarriage.com   Please support Joy and Zack Skarka on GoFundMe   Java with Juli with Dr. Juli Slattery – Christian Discussions on Marriage, Sex and Singleness.

In this episode, Brooke Thomas and her husband, Brett Thomas, share the #1 secret to building a marriage that not only survives the test of time but thrives through every season. With over 20 years of marriage, they've learned powerful lessons that have kept their love strong, vibrant, and growing—even through the hardest moments. Brooke and Brett dive into practical strategies, faith-filled insights, and real-world advice to help couples create a thriving marriage that lasts. Whether you're newly married, celebrating decades together, or somewhere in between, this episode offers valuable secrets to help you strengthen your relationship, deepen your connection, and navigate each season with love, joy, and peace. Tune in to hear the #1 secret that will transform your relationship and empower you to build a marriage that goes the distance!   Show Notes: Timestamps: 

Real fulfillment isn't found in how much you accomplish, but in learning to enjoy God and your spouse. John and the Smalley's bring up how a lot of couples are on the verge of burning out from doing too much. Plus, Brad Rhoads talks with his wife Marilyn and Jim Daly about a time where a loving friend confronted him on trying to accomplish too many things at once. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the book The Grace Marriage for your donation of any amount! Focus on Marriage Assessment Listen Anytime Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage Loving the Story of Your Marriage (Part 1 of 2) Support This Show! If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Dr. Juli Slattery recognizes that many couples possess a poor foundation for understanding God’s design for intimacy — that our sexual relationship is a metaphor for the intimacy God longs to have with each one of us. Therefore, God is very interested in our sexuality and, in fact, designed sex for our pleasure. She encourages married couples to have “covenant love” rather than contractual love. (Part 2 of 2) Receive the book God, Sex and Your Marriage plus a free audio download of the broadcast "Rethinking Godly Sexuality in Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive. Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.