This week we conclude our powerful Unpacking the Baggage series with some details on the process of unpacking marriage baggage, and dealing with what’s underneath. I’m so thankful for Dr. Kim’s biblical wisdom on this topic, as well as the excellent guests we heard from this month. If you missed the previous episodes of this series, make sure to go back and listen for some powerful wisdom on how to heal your heart and your marriage.  We pray this episode is helpful to you and your marriage. Episode highlights include:    Some of the physical signals that can help us prevent overreactions    Slowing down the process to identify relationship triggers    How to begin healing from relationship triggers and figure out what’s underneath   What to do if you don’t know what’s underneath      *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here!    RESOURCES    44 Tips to Better Sex in Marriage: Sexual Intimacy Cheat Sheet   The  L.O.V.E. Your Way Through Marriage Course, by Chris and Jamie Bailey, is a journey of connecting and learning all the necessary steps to start having healthy conflict. Use promo code AWESOMEMARRIAGE for 10% off!    

Unpack the Baggage In Your Marriage: How To Let It Go   | Ep. 558

Far too many couples are just surviving their marriage when it was meant to thrive. This is the place for practical tips on how to build an awesome marriage. Our passion is to help you strengthen your marriage.

Dr. Kim Kimberling hosts the show. Dr. Kim is the President of Awesome Marriage, has been married for 53 years, and has been a professional counselor for 40 years. He is the author of 7 Secrets to An Awesome Marriage and 14 Keys To Lasting Love. 

Dr. Kim is joined by co-host Lindsay Few, Content Director for Awesome Marriage. She has been married for 20 years. Her husband is a church planter, and they love ministering to married couples together. 

Tune in each week to hear practical ways on how to have an awesome marriage!

This podcast is brought to you by the ministry of Awesome Marriage.

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Does lust have a place in marriage? What sets it apart from sexual desire? Today we’re working through the reasons this question matters for your marriage, and how to have a marriage that glorifies God in every aspect, including how you steward your sexual desires.  We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage.  Episode highlights include:      Defining the difference between lust and desire, biblically    The godly purposes for sexual desire in marriage   Specific reasons why misused sexual desire is destructive    How to maintain purity in marriage    Why porn affects your marriage even if your spouse doesn’t know you use it     *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here!  QUOTES    “Lust is more about what you see, what you’re attracted to and what it can do for you.” - Dr. Kim Kimberling   “In the Bible, it’s not like they lived in a Puritanical culture at that time. No, it was probably every bit as bad…we just access things in a different way now.” - Dr. Kim Kimberling   “If we look at Scripture, lust was never mentioned in a positive light.” - Lindsay Few    “We won’t ever clear that bar, but he’s taken care of it through his life, death and resurrection, so there is grace and forgiveness.” - Lindsay Few    “The best sex is within the context of a Christian marriage.” - Dr. Kim Kimberling   “If it’s reduced to that ‘just get it over with’ kind of situation, whoa. Red flag. The goal is not just to satisfy the urge, the goal is mutual enjoyment, pleasure, connection and building of the marriage.” - Lindsay Few   “Vulnerability is uncomfortable, but it can lead you to prevent something a lot more painful.” - Lindsay Few      MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:     If your marriage has been damaged by porn, our free  5 Steps to Healing After Porn Betrayal webinar with Dr. Kim is a great first step toward healing   Our  Marriage Undefiled Online Course with Matt Cline takes a deeper look at ways to heal and restore your marriage    Sign up  HERE to get the Couple’s Conversation Guide for each week’s new episode    Getting Your Sex Life Off To A Great Start by Cliff & Joyce Penner   The Gift of Sex by Cliff & Joyce Penner    The Best Way to Affair Proof Your Marriage (Past Episode)    Does your sex life need a reboot? Improve your sex life with our Locking Lips Kissing Game!     

Lust vs Desire: What's the Difference? | Ep. 613

Most couples are not going to be completely aligned with sex drive. There are a lot of factors that  can cause this, but there are also a lot of solutions! Today we want to equip you to have a productive approach to making your sex life the best it can be in marriage.  We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage.    Episode highlights include:     Why is it so hard to have a productive conversation about sex?    Should the lower-drive spouse “just do it” for the spouse’s sake? Why or why not?    Why respecting your wife’s drive level helps her feel sexy    Ways to respect your spouse’s drive      *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here!    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:    What would happen if you took the next 4 weeks to reframe your spouse and your marriage with a biblical approach? Learn how to have a better perspective – and a better marriage, with our  Reframing Challenge   Does your sex life need a reboot? Improve your sex life with our Locking Lips Kissing Game!    If your marriage has been damaged by porn, the  Marriage Undefiled Online Course provides a path to rebuild trust and repair your marriage.     Click  HERE to get the Couple’s Conversation Guide for each week’s new episode!     

How to Handle Mismatched Sex Drives in Marriage | Ep. 612

Do you hope to break generational patterns of pain? Are childhood hurts haunting your marriage? Today’s guest Kristen Hallinan is a writer and speaker, and today she helps you see how to identify and break generational patterns to find hope, healing and redemption. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage.    Episode highlights include:      How your past trauma can affects your current reactions    What makes it so hard to break cycles    Red flags of unhealthy family dynamics    How to work with God to find his redemption    Steps to making a redemption plan for your marriage      *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here!    QUOTES   “It can be easy to say, ‘Why didn’t I know better?’ You didn’t know better because that’s all you knew.” - Kristen Hallinan    “The more I’ve gotten to know who God is, the more I understand who I am.”- Kristen Hallinan    “I used to believe if I just tried hard enough, I could grow up and create this perfect family.” - Kristen Hallinan      MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:    Sign up  HERE to get the Couple’s Conversation Guide for each week’s new episode    Learn more about how to make your marriage conflict healthy by joining Dr. Kim for the 8 Guidelines for Fighting Fair Webinar    Dr. Kim recommends the book, The Body Keeps the Score    Grab Kristen’s book, Legacy Changer for more great info on the topic   Follow Kristen on Instagram and check out her website  

Breaking Generational Cycles For a Healthy Marriage with Kristen Hallinan | Ep. 611

Today we are sharing the final episode with Kathy McAtee Young and her story of finding safety after decades in an abusive marriage. In this episode Kathy shares some of the barriers that prevent spouses in abusive marriages from seeking safety and help, ways to begin moving out of the abusive relationship, and the ways healing begins afterward.    Don’t miss the conclusion to Kathy’s story. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage.    Episode highlights include:     Reasons that abused spouse don’t trust their own judgment   Steps to get out of an abusive marriage   Is it ever appropriate to intervene if you believe someone is being abused?    What the process of healing looks like after you get safe     *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here!    QUOTES   “One of the hallmarks of an unsafe relationship is confusion.” - Kathy McAtee Young     “God sees you. He cares. And he is faithful.” - Kathy McAtee Young    “We don’t want your pity. Compassion, yes. There is a difference.” - Kathy McAtee Young   “Healing is a lifestyle, not a finish line.” - Kathy McAtee Young    “When you can name it, then you can process it.”  - Kathy McAtee Young    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:    Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline : 800-799-7233 https://www.thehotline.org/   Visit Kathy’s website to learn about the helpful resources and services she offers    Kathy can also be reached for coaching on Instagram    This previous episode explains a Biblical perspective on abuse     Lies That Keep You With Your Abuser with Dr. David E Clarke | Ep. 541      

Escaping an Emotionally Abusive Marriage Part 3: Help to Get Out and Get Safe | Ep. 610

Today in Part 2 of Kathy’s story, Kathy shares the ways she sought support from the church when she realized her marriage was in trouble, the responses she received, and the effects that had on her marriage. In this episode Kathy shares why it’s not possible for the abused spouse to end the abuse, and the difference between biblical versus unbiblical advice about abuse.  We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage.  Episode highlights include:      Interventions the church put in place, and why they were not successful    The wake up moment that turned things around for Kathy    What is an appropriate response to spousal abuse?    The red flags that advice or counsel about abuse is unbiblical      *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here!      Red flags that advice or counsel about abuse is unbiblical     They won’t call out that abuse is abuse   They will not call the abuse sin   The safety of the abused spouse is not top priority    There is no call for repentance    They advise you to stay, regardless    Blaming the abused for the abuse    QUOTES   “There is one person responsible for abuse: It is the abuser.” - Kathy McAtee Young    “The Bible definitely commands forgiveness. It does not command reconciliation.”  - Kathy McAtee Young      MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:    Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline : 800-799-7233 https://www.thehotline.org/   Visit Kathy’s website to learn about the helpful resources and services she offers    Kathy can also be reached for coaching on Instagram    This previous episode explains a Biblical perspective on abuse     Lies That Keep You With Your Abuser with Dr. David E Clarke | Ep. 541    

Unpack the Baggage In Your Marriage: How To Let It Go | Ep. 558

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