If you are anything like me, then you long to see Jesus working in the day-to-day, mundane parts of life. But let’s be honest: Oftentimes we are so busy and so anxious that it’s hard to see His work around us. While He is at work, the Enemy is at work to keep us blind to God’s activity.

In this episode, I am talking with Wendy Pope, an author and a speaker as well as the founder of Word Up Ministries. Through her ministry, she invites women to live experientially with Jesus to rediscover His beautiful character. Today we’re exploring how to see God at work in our lives, and how we can connect with Him in the daily and mundane.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The importance of connecting with Jesus in our everyday life
• Why we need to move towards being self-feeders spiritually
• Why God wants us to choose to be His friend
• How we can be confident God is at work even when it doesn’t feel like it

I hope this conversation is an encouragement to you this week!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/wendy-pope-82/

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...

Trigger / Content Warning: I want to be sure my listeners are aware that in this episode we will be talking (in general terms) about sexual abuse. If this could be a trigger for you, I want to recommend that you listen carefully, listen with someone else, or consider skipping this episode if necessary.

This week's episode will be a little different. My guest is not an author or a speaker, but instead is an everyday mom who attended one of my Empty Nest, Full Life Retreats. It was at the retreat that she shared her story with me, and I was so touched by it that I asked if she would share her story here on the podcast.

My guest is Katrina Cowen, a mom to five adult children, and a counselor with a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling. But as she shares today, her pursuit of counseling was actually unexpected, and came through her own journey of processing events she had miscategorized from her childhood.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• The importance of digging into the depths of your story
• How shame clouds the lens we look at life through
• Why we can be confident that God's faithfulness remains through the highs and lows of life
• That it is never too late for you to pursue a new calling or a life-long passion

Katrina truly has so much wisdom to share, and I am eager to share this episode with you!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/katrina-cowen-81/

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 have a question for you today: How do you do with incorporating play into your life?

If I were to ask myself that question, my honest answer is I don’t do a very good job of making play a part of my life. Sure, when my grandkids are over at my house, I do a pretty good job of that, but outside of those times, this is an area that I need to grow in. I think many of us feel the same: We often don’t even consider the role of play as adults.

Today, my guest is Courtney Ellis, who says, “Play helps our faith stick.” In our conversation, she’s breaking down why that is!

Courtney is a speaker, pastor, and the author of Happy Now: Let Playfulness Lift Your Load and Renew Your Spirit. She invites people to let go of their most serious selves and grant them permission to engage in curiosity and wonder of all kinds.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The science of unlocking happiness
• What often stops us from engaging in play as adults
• How play helps us more deeply connect to God
• Why useless things aren’t really all that useless
• And so much more!

This episode really gave me so much to think about. I hope it does the same for you!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/courtney-ellis-80/

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...

“Especially when grief is fresh, it is going to sneak up on you.” – Chrystal Evans Hurst

I have such an important episode to share with you today. We are talking about times when life gets hard. And specifically, we are talking about how to hold on to faith when life breaks your heart.

To help us dive into this topic is my guest, Chrystal Evans Hurst. She is the daughter of Dr. Tony Evans, a preacher whose sermons were aired across the country in the ’80s and today airs on more than 1,400 radio outlets in over 130 countries. In the last few years, their family has dealt with eight deaths, disappointment, and struggles.

As a result of walking through this, Chrystal’s heart is to share their journey openly to help others navigate their own journey of grief and struggle. Chrystal is a speaker and best-selling author of the books She’s Still There and Kingdom Woman, and recently wrote a book with her family called Divine Disruption.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The impact of experiencing multiple hard things in life
• How to acknowledge what you need while you’re grieving
• Why emotions are there to inform us but not to guide us
• How to respond when we feel like God has disappointed us

Whether you are currently in the middle of something hard or not, this is a conversation full of truth that you really don’t want to miss.

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/chrystal-evans-hurst-79/

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...

We’re back with another bonus episode! These shorter episodes are always a fun way to bring you some extra podcast goodness as a way to say thank you for your support of this show.

After recording this week’s episode with Tim Shoemaker (such a good one if you haven’t listened yet!), we started having a conversation about the power of Christian fiction on our faith, and I just had to hit record! Honestly, this is something I’d never been able to articulate before, but Tim broke it down so clearly.

Nonfiction is written to our heads, with the hopes that part of it will trickle down to our hearts. Fiction is actually written to go straight to our heart. As we are looking to deepen both our faith and our children’s faith, it’s important that we consider the important role that Christian fiction can play.

In this bonus episode, Mark and I are sharing the fiction books that have been most impactful on our faith, as well as sharing the bonus conversation with Tim Shoemaker!

This one was a lot of fun and I found it really helpful, so I hope you do as well. Listen in!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/bonus-fiction-faith/

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...

What if your family devotions looked less like sitting in the living room listening to someone read and more like electrocuting a pickle? Or converting a leaf blower into a toilet paper launcher? Or lighting toothpaste on fire? That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But I’m actually not kidding!

My guest today, Tim Shoemaker, is the author of The Very Best, Hands-On, Kinda Dangerous Family Devotions. And let me tell you, he is SO much fun to talk to and has an inspiring heart to equip parents in teaching their kids about Jesus.

In this episode, you’ll:

• Discover ideas to help you think outside the box in teaching your kids spiritual truths
• Learn how creative teaching mirrors the way that Jesus taught in the Bible
• Identify the ways you need to shift your perspective as a parent
• Hear how you can keep the respect of your children and remain a meaningful voice in their lives

This conversation was so refreshing to me. It is one you really don’t want to miss. Listen in!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/tim-shoemaker-78/

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 a “do-er?” Are you someone that just loves to check things off of their to-do list? I know I am! I survive off of my to-do list and it often begins to control my life. If that is you as well, this episode is just for you. We are going to dig into a story in the Bible that may be familiar to you, but that we need to reframe our perspective on.

My friend, Katie Reid, joins me for this conversation. She is the author of both Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done and A Very Bavarian Christmas, co-host of The Martha + Mary Show, and a singer-songwriter. Most importantly, she loves to inspire others to live out their God-given purpose with tenacity and grace so that they can stand on truth and walk in freedom.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• When we need to let our to-do lists go
• That the way you are wired is not a mistake
• What it looks like when we strive for things that God has already given to us
• When we need to say “yes,” say “no,” and ask for help.

There were SO MANY helpful nuggets of wisdom in this conversation. It was such a refreshment to me. I’m grateful to be sharing it with you today!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/katie-reid-77/

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...

Mark and I often get the opportunity to speak on marriage topics, but rarely do we get the opportunity to preach a Sunday morning message together. In today’s episode, we are sharing a unique message that Mark and I have actually given internationally, but had the privilege of delivering at The Church Next Door in Columbus, OH called “Where’s Jesus in Your Car?”

In this message, we are sharing our marriage journey and how both Mark and I had to learn what surrender looks like by allowing Jesus to sit in the driver’s seat of our life (and stay there). It can be difficult to continually give up control and trust God to guide our lives, especially when it doesn’t make sense to us, but that is the journey of trusting God that we are called to.

In this message, you’ll hear:

• What it looks like to surrender control.
• An incredible God story of how God showed up during a financially hard season of our life.
• The common ways we put Jesus anywhere else in our life but the driver’s seat.
• How surrender allows God to transform us.

This message really looks at Jesus’ leadership in our life and I look forward to hearing what stands out most to you!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/wheres-jesus-your-car-76/

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...

Have you found yourself spending a lot more time with your spouse than you’re used to? You’re not alone! And today’s episode is for you.

In the last few years, we have all found ourselves experiencing a lot more togetherness due to one or both spouses beginning to work from home. But you may also be experiencing more togetherness with your spouse due to retirement or running a business together. Whatever the case may be, the reality is that we don’t always do “togetherness” well.

So what do we do when all the time that we spend together feels challenging?

Joining me today is my friend Cynthia Ruchti. She is the author of over 30 books (that makes me tired to just think about!), including her book Spouse in the House, where she looks at how we can better handle increased togetherness. The conversation in this podcast was actually taken from a video interview that we did for our No More Perfect Marriages Date Night members, but it was such a rich conversation that I wanted to share it with you as well!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How we can rearrange our attitudes to make room for each other.
• Why increased togetherness can be so difficult on a marriage.
• How to be honest with our spouse without being rude.
• Some real-life examples about how Cynthia has navigated this in her own marriage.

I hope this episode is an encouragement to you this week!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/cynthia-ruchti-75/

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 asked God, ‘What does it mean for me to trust my husband’s leadership when I feel like I’m more equipped to lead than he is?'” – Dr. Juli Slattery

Whew! I am so excited to share today’s conversation to kick off 2022.

In this episode, we are talking about marriage and, specifically, about what we as women bring to our marriage. I’ve shared a lot over the years about my own marriage crisis. Something I’ve often said is that I did not cause Mark’s affair; however, I did contribute to the dysfunction in our marriage. One of the ways I did that is by misusing my strength.

Over the years of counseling couples, Mark and I have learned that we aren’t the only people who struggle with that dynamic. (We often call this the “Strong Woman, Silent Man” dynamic.)

Joining me today to tackle this topic is Dr. Juli Slattery, a psychologist, author, and speaker with over 25 years of experience counseling, discipling, and teaching women. She is also the president and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, a unique ministry that is devoted to teaching God’s design for intimacy and sexuality.

We’re talking about how women can use their strength for good in their marriage, the reason many men step back from a leadership role in marriage, how God designed men and women to support one another, how unhealthy dynamics in a marriage affect sex, and how addressing these things builds intimacy in a marriage. I hope this conversation is an encouragement to you this week!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/juli-slattery-74/

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...