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/

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...

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/

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 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/

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 the very first Christmas episode of the No More Perfect Podcast! This was so much fun to record, and we’re eager to share it with you today.

Christmas holds a special place in most of our hearts in some way or another. And that’s true for Mark and I as well! So today’s episode isn’t one filled with “key takeaways” or “next steps,” but is one of reflection and reminder for the holiday season.

In this Christmas episode, Mark and I are reflecting on some of our favorite Christmas memories, traditions, food, music, and more! You’ll find that it’s filled with laughs as we look back on some of our favorite memories and share about how we’ve shifted some of our favorite traditions as we’ve become empty-nesters. And to close, we’re reading the most important story that truly is the reason for the season!

We hope this not only warms your heart to reflect on your own Christmas traditions, but also holds some good reminders as you head into the holiday celebrations this year.

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/christmas-special-73/

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...

All too often, we look at the future and are full of ideas, plans, and dreams for what we want to accomplish. But if we fail to make advanced decisions about those goals, they likely will never actually happen.

As we approach the end of the year, this is the perfect time to start thinking about some advanced decisions that you want to consider in the new year. How do you want 2022 to go? What decisions do you need to make now to ensure you get closer to your goals in your life?

Today, Mark is joining me and we are diving deep into advanced decision-making! This is something both of us are really passionate about, as it affects every aspect of our lives, from our finances to our time to our calendar. We hope this episode gives you some direction on how to get started!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/advanced-decision-making-72/

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...

Reading the Bible is such an important part of getting to know Who our God is and carry His truth through our daily lives. But do you ever struggle to make sense of how the Bible applies to your story? Do you ever have a challenging time finding the truth in Scripture that you can carry throughout your life?

In today’s podcast episode, we are talking with Dr. Marina Hofman, a Bible and Theology Professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Marina has a specific passion: Highlighting the incredible stories of truth, courage, and faith seen in women throughout the Bible. Today, Marina shares this passion with us, along with her own incredible story of God’s faithfulness in saving her after a life-threatening event.

In this episode, you’ll hear some stories you may not have known were in the Bible, the incredible truth we can pull from those stories for our own lives, why it’s so important to read Scripture consistently, some encouragement for all of us in our day-to-day lives, and more. I loved this conversation and I know you will, too!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/marina-hofman-71/

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...

Something you may not know about me is that I'm a foster care Nana! My youngest son and his wife have been foster parents for about two years now, and seeing them walk this journey has helped me learn so much about the foster care community. A lot of us are aware of foster care overall, but most of us don't really understand what happens in foster care and the dynamics that occur when a family says "yes" to this journey.

That's why I'm excited to share my conversation today with my friend Jami Kaeb, Founder and Executive Director of The Forgotten Initiative, a ministry that exists to see people everywhere supporting the foster care community and experiencing Jesus together. I love that! Adoption, foster care, and advocacy were not actually part of Jami’s dreams for her life, but God changed her heart when He made her aware, and now she is passionate about helping others become aware too! Jami also is mom to seven children (five through adoption).

In this episode, Jami shares about the unique journey God led her on to discover the importance of foster care, how that led to a door being opened for The Forgotten Initiative to begin, how each of us can take a first step to supporting foster parents and the foster care community overall, a powerful story of when a friend showed up when she and her husband needed it most, and a whole lot more. This was such a great conversation and I hope this episode helps you become aware because, in Jami's words, awareness leads to action!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/jami-kaeb-70/

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 ever overwhelmed by others’ expectations of you? Do you often feel torn in a million different directions as you try to make everyone around you happy? Would you like to live with less overwhelm and more peace and purpose? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this episode is for you!

Joining me today is my long-time friend, Karen Ehman. She is a speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and a recovering people-pleaser. And let me tell you, this conversation is timely with the holidays approaching, and I know it will hit home for a lot of us.

In this episode, we’re discussing why it’s so easy to become trapped in a prison of people-pleasing, why it’s important to actually reset the expectations others have learned to hold of you, how to recognize if you are the one that is expecting people to meet your needs, and a ton of hope. I’m so excited to share this episode with you!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/karen-ehman-69/

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...

"You have breast cancer."

I heard those words on a Wednesday morning when I got a phone call that turned my world upside down. This week marks eight years since I heard the words that no woman wants to hear. It’s honestly hard to believe that phone call was so long ago.

Today on the podcast, I want to walk you through my breast cancer journey, share two ways you can help someone that has cancer, and then share six things someone that is going through cancer needs to know.

Everyone’s journey is a little different but I think it helps when we get to hear someone else’s journey. I hope that whether you are walking though your own cancer journey or if you know someone in your life that is, this episode would be an encouragement to you and help you feel even more equipped for the journey ahead.

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/my-breast-cancer-journey-68/

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...

Mark and I often get asked a lot of personal questions over social media, through email, or sometimes even in-person. They range from our relationship, marriage, parenting, hobbies, to the more personal side of our lives. So today we are going to do something we've never done before! I have my husband, Mark, with me and we are going to answer some frequently asked questions we get about our life. We hope this not only answers a question or two that you may have, but also gives you a glimpse into our world.

In this episode, you'll hear about how Mark and I have been growing in our lives recently, where our kids are at, some insight into why we find our marriage intensives so energizing, Mark's recent eye surgery, and what we're excited for in 2022! Excited to share this with you!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/life-update-67/

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...