The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Conversation Starters, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling

Do you believe that God has "better" for your marriage? Do you want to join God in discovering all he has for you? In Episode 32, we heard from Ron and Amanda Falk about how God has invited them on the journey to discovering the freedom and sanctification he has for them in their marriage. It hasn't always been easy or smooth but it has been good. On today's Thursday Thought, we follow up with some reflections on what sanctification might and might not be in marriage and we pray for the humility and grace we need to be open to what God wants to do in our marriages. Grab your Bible, journal and your favourite drink and join us as we seek God's heart for our marriage! Next steps If you'd like prayer or support for your marriage, or even find a marriage mentor, we'd love to connect with you: info@livingmarriages.com Please consider supporting this non-profit ministry through prayer and charitable donations. You can find out more at our website: http://livingmarriages.com  

Counselling is often seen as a "last ditch" attempt to save a marriage that is in crisis. But what if that wasn't the only time seeing a counsellor could be beneficial? Today's guests, Ron and Amanda Falk, began seeing a counsellor when things were actually pretty OK in their marriage and have enjoyed incredible growth and fruit in their marriage because of it!  In today's episode we chat about: The benefits of counselling in helping them understand themselves and each other better and how their communication has improved How counselling did help in a time of crisis as well God's heart for marriage as a place of hope and freedom and their call from God to become marriage mentors Resources One tool that they mentioned has been helpful for them is the "Ultimate Intimacy App" designed by a Christian couple. You can find more information on that app here: https://ultimateintimacy.com/ To become a marriage mentor (or find mentors) in Canada, please visit: https://www.familylifecanada.com/become-a-homebuilder/#become-a-marriage-mentor   Next Steps If you'd like to get a hold of us, we'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com We are a non-profit ministry and need your prayer and financial support to keep this podcast going! Please consider supporting us http://livingmarriages.com  

Grab your Bible, journal and your warm favourite beverage and join us for this Thursday Thought as we reflect on and pray through our money stories that we brought into our marriage. Aaron shares some of his money story and how God has been doing a work of healing in his life around his scarcity mindset. He'll also lead us in a Lectio Divina around Psalm 37:1-7 as we get to hear from the Lord how he invites us to trust and delight in him, especially as it pertains to our money story. Next steps Get in touch! We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com We are a non-profit ministry! If you're feeling called to support us, please visit our website to find out how you can make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com  

Money, Sex and In-Laws: These are often the three most intense areas of conflict in any marriage.  On today's episode, we dive into the area of finances and see how our "money story" (how we were raised to view and treat money) can impact our marriage. We'll also invite you to explore your money story with your spouse with some of these great conversation starters provided below! Sample Questions to Ask About Your Money Story (from Shaun Maslyk, CFP) What were your childhood experiences with money? What is your earliest money memory? What are your childhood memories, both positive and negative, about money? What money lessons did you learn from your mother, father or another parental figure? Resources https://www.moneysense.ca/columns/a-rich-life/whats-your-money-story/ If you'd like to support the work of Living Marriages Ministries (a registered non-profit,) you can make a charitable donation at our new website! http://livingmarriages.com Get in touch with your feedback, prayer requests or episode ideas: info@livingmarriages.com  

Sex is a beautiful and wonderful gift that God has given us within the context of marriage. It is something that we can enjoy, that we can serve one another in and that ultimately is an act of worship.  However, sex can also be a pain point in many marriages as we wrestle with past trauma, shame and bad teaching. On this Thursday Thought, we reflect, together with God on our understanding of sex and his hope for us in this area. We ask some important questions of why we think of sex in the ways we do and if there are areas of surrender and healing we need from God. We pray for God's perspective on sex and to increase the sexual intimacy in our marriage. We also encourage you and your spouse to go back to Episode 28 and our conversation with Kristen Miele. After listening to that and then this episode, spend time with your spouse in a safe and curiosity-filled conversation about sex in your marriage. We pray that it will bless you. Have some thoughts, questions or would you like to reach out? We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com Please also consider making a charitable donation to keep this non-profit podcast on the air: www.livingmarriages.com We thank you for tuning in, for your prayers and support! 

Is sex something that has brought you and your spouse closer together, or has it been a pain point in your marriage? Is sex something you can talk about freely with each other and your kids, or is there a cloud of shame that still hangs over the subject? We are so thrilled to be joined on this episode by the founder of Sex Ed Reclaimed, Kristen Miele as she shares God's heart and vision for the beauty of sex in marriage. On this episode:  We talk about how our upbringing affects our sex life in marriage, including the effects of "purity culture" teaching We hear God's heart and design for sex and how it is in essence, worship We discover how learning to talk about sex with our kids is not only essential for them but good for our marriage To find Kristen's incredible resources and curriculums, please check out her website: https://www.sexedreclaimed.com/ You can get 15 percent off at Kristen's site with the coupon code CHRISTIANPARENTING Have any questions or feedback? Get in touch with us: info@livingmarriages.com  

When our kids look at our marriages, what do they see?  Even if you don't have kids, this episode is for you because our marriages matter to others, including the next generation. Join us for this Thursday Thought in which we reflect on and pray about our discussion from Ep. 26 in which we learned that “if we truly want what is best for our children, we need to want what is best for our marriage as well."  Grab your journal, your Bible, a pen and find a quiet spot for a time of reflection and prayer as we seek God's healing and his best for our marriages so they may be a blessing to others, especially the next generation. A Breath Prayer from Psalm 147:3 Inhale: You Heal The Brokenhearted Exhale: And Bind Up Their Wounds  

It's so easy to believe that marriage only matters to a husband and a wife. But as God has really been laying on our hearts, it's time for us to realize that our marriages matter to so many more, especially the next generation. Whether you have kids or not, this episode is for you. Now, to the parents listening - this episode is not a guilt trip about the ways in which your marriage is hurting your children. It is though, as we found, a gracious "wake-up" call from the Lord to realize that if we truly want what is best for our children, we need to want what is best for our marriage as well. In this episode, we discuss: God's vision for the next generation of marriages How our marriage can impact our children's well-being positively and negatively How the simple practice of apologizing to our spouse and children can be transformational Quote: “In his lab, John found that the amount of stress hormones that show up in a child’s 24-hour urine sample accurately reflects the quality of the parents’ relationship. The worse the marriage, the more stress hormones there are in the child’s urine. There’s no question that the cradle that holds the child is the parental relationship. The cradle can either gently soothe the child to sleep or violently throw her to the floor.” (Dr. Daniel Segel from the Forward to "10 Principals For Doing Effective Couples Therapy") Resources 10 Principles For Doing Effective Couples Therapy by Drs. Julie and John Gottman https://www.gottman.com/product/10-principles-for-doing-effective-couples-therapy/ An Article On the Work of Dr. Gordon Harold https://danieldashnawcouplestherapy.com/blog/parents-fighting-in-front-of-kids#:~:text=In%20another%20study%2C%20Gottman%27s%20research,with%20happy%20and%20stable%20marriages. A Summary of Some of Dr. Harold's Findings https://www.familysolutionsgroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Inter-Parental-Conflict-and-Family-Separation.pdf An Academic Study on "Constructive" vs. "Destructive" Conflict https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3829624/#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20marital%20conflict%20places,Grych%20&%20Fincham%2C%201990).   Have questions? Want to get in touch? We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com Your support, both financial and prayer, make all the difference! To make a charitable donation, please visit our website: livingmarriages.com  

In Episode 24, we had the privilege of having a conversation with Christie Thomas about the importance of small faith habits in discipling our kids. In this Thursday Thought, April leads us in a time of reflection and prayer, giving us a chance to celebrate with God the little habits we might be sharing in already that form us and our children and asking God to help us build simple, new habits that will stick. (Even if you don't have children, this episode is for you as small faith habits matter to all of us!) So grab your journal, your Bible and find a quiet place to spend some time with us and the Lord! Resources: Little Shoots Deep Roots with Christie Thomas https://littleshootsdeeproots.com/ Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker https://littlehousestudio.net/books We would love to hear from you about some of the little habits that have worked for you and your family's spiritual life. You can e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com If you'd like to support us with a charitable donation or find out more about us, please visit our website: www.livingmarriages.com  

How do you foster a sense of spiritual connectedness with God and your spouse when you also have the reality of little ones bringing daily joy and chaos? This is a challenge that we share with many of our listeners. That's why we're so excited to chat with Christie Thomas from Little Shoots, Deep Roots about ways in which we can cultivate a deeper spiritual journey "with" our kids instead of "in spite" of them! In this conversation you'll hear: Why small habits rather than large changes are much more effective in discipling your kids Some small practical habits that will help your kids grow with Jesus Why and how God is freeing us from the guilt of hypocrisy in raising and discipling our kids To find out more about Christie's incredible ministry (including books, videos and her new podcast), please visit her website: https://littleshootsdeeproots.com/ For more on Living Marriages or to get in touch with us, visit us at our website: www.livingmarriages.com or email us: info@livingmarriages.com