In this heartfelt anniversary special, Anna celebrates 15 years of marriage by sharing honest reflections on her journey from a wounded young woman with broken templates for love to building a thriving covenant marriage. With vulnerability and humor, she recounts early marriage mishaps (including a thrown suitcase and the "cuddling crisis"), and offers practical wisdom for navigating conflict, staying unified, and allowing marriage to do its sanctifying work. Whether you're married, engaged, or single, Anna's transparency about her struggles and breakthroughs will encourage you that love can grow deeper through challenge—and that God's grace is big enough for all our messy moments.

Key Points

• Prayer is the primary work of marriage - Your role as a wife includes powerful intercessory prayer for your husband, creating shifts in the spiritual realm and transforming your own posture

• Remember you're on the same team - Fight the problem, not each other; see your spouse as your ally, not your adversary

• Marriage represents Christ and the Church - Your union is an earthly picture of a heavenly reality, making it a primary target for spiritual attack

• Recognize your husband's unseen contributions - Like Dwight in The Office, there are countless ways your spouse serves that go unnoticed until they're gone

• Embrace the "other" - You don't need another version of yourself; you need the complement your spouse provides

• Marriage is about sanctification, not just happiness - It's "open heart surgery" meant to transform you, not just a fairy tale ending

• Stay in the conversation - Address issues in the moment, look for the stories underneath the conflict, and break unhealthy dance patterns

• Use love languages as bridges - Knowing and meeting your spouse's love language can rapidly de-escalate conflict

Scriptures Referenced

• Westminster Shorter Catechism (not Scripture but referenced): "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever"

Books & Resources Mentioned

• Vision Driven Marriage podcast by Leslie & Doug Davis: https://thevisiondrivenmarriage.com/podcast-library/

• Derek Prince's teachings on prayer and marriage: https://www.derekprince.com/radio/456

• Brené Brown's work on shame and vulnerability, including:

  • Listening to shame - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psN1DORYYV0

  • The Power Of Vulnerability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

Movies Referenced

• Sleepless in Seattle - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/

• Jerry Maguire - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/

• Still Breathing (with Brendan Fraser): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120211/

Connect with Anna at the Overwhelmed to Overcomer podcast for more honest conversations about faith, family, and freedom in Christ.

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MUSIC CREDITS

Theme music: Brave New World

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Artist: Fantoms

Inspiring Hopeful

Audio source: Jamendo

Artist: Aliaksei Yukhnevich

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