When Mark and I went through the dark season in our marriage, it’s no surprise that we sought out counseling. However, what most people find surprising is that our counselor focused more on untangling our childhoods than our skills as a couple. That was exactly what we needed in order to restore our marriage and move forward!

We all have a past, but what we don’t often realize is how much what happened “then” affects us now. (Even if your "then" wasn't very negative!) This is the topic we are going to dig into in this conversation and it applies to every person, even if you aren't married.

Helping me navigate this is Pastor Elliott Anderson, who is the Assistant Professor of Psychology at Judson University and the Pastor at Solid Rock Church in Elgin, IL. Elliott’s areas of expertise include counseling, identity formation, sexuality, addiction, adoption, foster care, marriage, family, and the integration of faith and psychology. He’s the author of several books and co-host of the podcast Love and Life Media. When I learned about his resources, I couldn't help but notice how similarly he speaks and thinks to Mark and I!

In this conversation, you'll hear:

• Why the key to your future often lies in the past
• The three A's that tear down intimacy
• The importance of making the decision to find healing
• And so much more!

I really enjoyed talking with Elliott and am eager to share this episode with you!

Show Notes:  https://jillsavage.org/elliott-anderson-142

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Our marriage when off the tracks in 2011, when Mark was in a full-on midlife crisis, affair included. It would take us two years to move from being on the verge of divorce to a healed and improved Mark & Jill 2.0. I wouldn’t wish anyone to go through infidelity, however, it can be a wake-up call that reveals the places of hurt, pain, and dysfunction that should have been addressed a long time ago.

In this episode, Mark and I are sharing more about recovering from infidelity and the essentials of healing broken trust. We work with many couples who are at different stages of the infidelity journey, which is why we are so open with our own story.

It can be so valuable to have someone walk alongside you as you navigate rebuilding trust and recovering from infidelity, but even more than that, our hope is that this episode will give guidance to anyone no matter where you are on this journey. 

Join us as Mark and I share:

• The first step to recovering from infidelity
• The difference between conviction and condemnation
• Why hoarding our hurts damages your marriage
• And more!

Infidelity recovery is absolutely possible! And you can have an even better marriage than what you had before.

Show Notes:  https://jillsavage.org/affair-recovery-141

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Welcome to another bonus episode of the No More Perfect Podcast! We love surprising you with extra podcast content that's super practical and beneficial for your life – it's our way of saying thank you!

Mark is joining me as we dive into the often challenging world of communication within a marriage, as a result of our Love Styles. Many people experience anxiety or avoidance when it comes to expressing emotions and connecting with their spouse. We're exploring how to handle those moments when we might take things personally and offer an alternative perspective to reframe our responses in those situations.

We hope this bonus episode brings encouragement and support to you this week!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/bonus-140/

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Are you an innie or an outie? We’re not talking bellybuttons here; we are talking about how you deal with clutter. Innies tend to "file," while outies tend to "pile." I am naturally an outie, so I tend to pile, and that led to some disorganization challenges that took me quite a bit of time to finally overcome.

After 30 years in women’s ministry, I know that home organization is a topic that many of us struggle with. So in this episode, I asked my friend, Crystal, to join me for a conversation about organizing. Crystal Larkin is the owner of Crystal Clear Professional Organizing and former Director of Speakers for Hearts at Home.

Join me as Crystal shares:

• The obstacles that prevent us from clearing clutter
• Strategies to C.L.E.A.R. clutter
• The importance of decluttering before you organize
• And more!

I’m so excited to dive into this topic with her today!

Show Notes:  https://jillsavage.org/crystal-larkin-139

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

For those of us who are married, we would testify that there are times when marriage is hard. There are ups and downs and challenges that we face while learning how to blend two lives into one. You may often hear Mark and I talk about that in this space.

Relationships can often hit bumps in the road. This is true of marriages, family relationships, or close friendships. But sometimes those relationships are more than disappointing or difficult. There are times when marriages can be destructive and relationships are toxic. If we are in a destructive relationship, what should we do?

My guest, Leslie Vernick, specializes in this. She helps women walk in truth, find their voice, and invite their partners into healthy change so that destructive patterns can be broken. Leslie is a relationship coach, international speaker, and author of seven books, including The Emotionally Destructive Marriage and The Emotionally Destructive Relationship. She lives in the Phoenix, AZ area and has two children and three grandchildren.

Join me as Leslie shares:

• What the Bible says regarding relationships and wicked people
• The difference between challenging and destructive relationships
• Unhealthy relationship patterns we can bring into marriage
• And more!

I hope you are encouraged and strengthened by this conversation!

Trigger Warning: I want to let my listeners know this episode contains mentions of physical abuse, rape, and injury to a child. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, consider skipping this one or at least skipping the story of injury to a child at 11:00 - 11:30.

Show Notes:  https://jillsavage.org/leslie-vernick-138

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

I’ve got a question for you: What happens when life hits you hard? Do you crawl inside yourself and hide? Do you throw your hands up and give up? Or do you wipe yourself off and get back up again?

In this episode, I am talking about resilience, and to help me do that is my friend, Kelley Tyan. Kelley is a wife, mother of two, as well as the author of the book and host of the podcast, Addicted to the Climb.

Join me for a meaningful and uplifting conversation as Kelley shares her wisdom on:

• What it means to be resilient
• How focusing on fear produces more fear
• The power of setting your mind to do something
• And more!

This is such an important conversation. I hope it is exactly what you need to hear today!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/kelley-tyan-137

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Life transitions can be tricky. There are hard changes that we don’t see coming and then there are welcome changes that we also have to navigate. Change in general can bring a flood of conflicting feelings from joy and delight to vulnerability, fear, and anxiety. As one season closes and another begins, we often find ourselves asking: What on earth am I supposed to do now? That’s what we are going to be talking about in this episode.

My guest, Nicki Koziarz, like so many others, has wondered “what now” during seasons of change. She has often felt lost in the middle spaces of life, including transitioning from working in an office to working from home, raising teenagers on the edge of adulthood, and navigating the painfully slow process of adoption. Nicki recently dug into the middle spaces of life in her latest book, Your New Now: Finding Strength and Wisdom When You Feel Stuck Where You Are. Nicki is an author and speaker at Proverbs 31 Ministries.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The core struggles we face in seasons full of transitions
• The different stages of life
• Why we should dream about our future
• And more!

I know you will be encouraged by what Nicki shares about life and experiencing changes!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/nicki-koziarz-136

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Boy, do we have a story for you! It’s a story of how God connects the dots and meets needs even when we can’t see how circumstances could ever connect in that way. This summer, Mark and I are going to minister to marriages in Uganda but to tell you how we end up preparing to minister to hundreds of pastors and their wives, we have to tell you about a road trip to Florida. This episode will look a little different from our regular episodes as we share how a pit stop at a coffee shop led to Mark and me booking a trip to Uganda.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How we decided to put a trip to Uganda on our calendar
• God’s unique ability to connect the dots and cause our lives to intersect
• The importance of being open to what God is doing
• And more!

Listen in to hear how God orchestrated events for us to connect with pastors in Uganda!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/pastor-zachariah-135

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

In today’s gotta-have-it-all culture, exhaustion and hurry seem to be a badge of honor. We hustle hard, strive even more every day, and believe our “superhuman” tendencies are amazing! But the truth is they are alarming!

So what does it take to rock the boat enough to wake up our soul and address this? My guest today, Christy Boulware, has asked that question of herself. A severe panic and anxiety disorder diagnosis forced her to stare the answer dead in the eyes. Her fast-paced, heavily driven life finally caught up with her.

After taking steps to heal from her nervous breakdown in 2011, Christy turned her pain into purpose and founded Fearless Unite, a nonprofit organization that helps men and women of all ages overcome fear and anxiety by stepping into their God-given purpose and identity. She’s the author of the new book, Nervous Breakthrough: Finding Freedom From Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It.

As a quick warning for my listeners, I want to mention that there will be instances where we talk about suicide in this episode. If you have an aversion to this topic or are around little ones, I recommend skipping this episode.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Christy’s story of overcoming her severe panic and anxiety disorder
• Some of the key factors that cause stress or can trigger anxiety
• The role surrender plays in managing our fear and anxiety
• And more!

I hope this conversation is encouraging to you wherever you listen!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/christy-boulware-134

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

How do you find peace when you are not in a very peaceful state of mind? And where do you find the words to talk to God about peace when it feels like your whole life is spinning out of control? In a world that is filled with stress and anxiety, it can seem that peace is difficult to find. We often turn to prayer too late and then wonder why it didn’t work.

Helping me dig into this topic is Brooke McGlothlin. She is the co-founder of Million Praying Moms. Brooke is also a podcaster and author of six books. One of her latest books is Everyday Prayers for Peace. She’s a wife of over 21 years and a mom to two teenage boys.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The role that prayer has in our job as moms
• Understanding the difference between our role and God’s
• How to uncover peace in your everyday life
• And more!

I'm praying this conversation is encouraging to you wherever you listen!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/brooke-mcglothlin-133

You're invited to our Transform Weekend October 24-26, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...