“Enjoy every minute because the time goes so fast!” Every mother of young children has been offered this advice. Yet for moms in the thick of it, this advice is neither realistic nor attainable. A tired, overwhelmed mom can easily internalize these well-intentioned words into guilt-laced, negative self-talk.

“What is wrong with me?”

“Why aren’t I enjoying my kids more?”

“Why do I feel so overwhelmed when other moms seem so normal?”

“I should be more patient and joyful. I’m a Christian—I shouldn’t be struggling so much.”

If you’ve said those things, you’re normal!

We will not enjoy every minute of this journey, but we can find joy in each season. In this episode, Becky Baudouin, author of Enjoy Every Moment and Other Ridiculous Things We Say to Moms, and I talk about how much guilt and shame moms unknowingly take on.

We dig into common myths such as, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” and “The most important thing is that your kids are happy.” My prayer is that this conversation helps crush the mom clichés so you can experience freedom from the guilt and shame that rob you of joy.

Show notes: https://jillsavage.org/crushing-the-mom-cliches-with-becky-baudouin-episode-21/

Jill's website: www.JillSavage.org
Becky's website: www.beckybaudouin.com

Connect with Jill on Facebook and Instagram: @jillsavage.author

Connect with Becky on Facebook: @Becky.Baudouin.Author.Speaker
Connect with Becky on Instagram: @BeckyBaudouin

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...

Do you have someone in your life who's difficult to love?

It might be a sister-in-law, a sibling, a friend, neighbor, or co-worker. It could be a hard family season and your hard-to-love person is your spouse or even one of your children.

When our marriage went through a terrible crisis and my husband was unfaithful, God took me on a journey to love deeper than I'd ever loved before. You see, I knew how to love someone who was loving me but I didn’t know how to love someone who being unkind and wasn’t loving me back.

When I begged God for direction in how to handle my relationship with my husband, he initially gave me one marching order: I want you to love him.

I protested to God that He didn't know what He was asking! Of course, He reminded me that He had gone first. He loves us when we're unlovable.

God eventually led me to Romans 12: 9-21 and that truth became the direction I needed. In this episode, I walk through Romans 12 and what I learned from it. Romans 12 shows us how to be unoffendable and how to give what I call "unhumanable" love. 

Ready to love deeper? Listen in and expand your understanding of love!

Show notes can be found here: https://jillsavage.org/how-to-love-someone-whos-hard-to-love-episode-20/

Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram: @jillsavage.author

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 is not perfect.

Because of this reality, married couples will come face to face with the imperfect parts of life. Whether it’s a child’s rebellion, infertility, chronic illness, or a financial tragedy, even couples who have been together for decades must be able to weather these storms. These outside circumstances and stressors, if not handled with care, can deteriorate and weaken, if not destroy, a marriage.

Carol and Gene Kent and Cindy and David Lambert, authors of Staying Power: Building A Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst, understand this well. You see Dave and Cindy raised their grandchild and Gene and Carol’s only son is serving a life-sentence for murder. Life sent its worst and they stayed together.

On this episode of the No More Perfect Podcast episode, Mark and I talk with Carol, Gene, Cindy, and Dave to better understand the principles they’ve used to create “staying power” in their marriages through such difficult life circumstances.

Listen in to not only hear their stories but also to learn the choices, practices, and principles that can make a marriage stronger even when faced with the types of crises that come from outside the marriage through no choice of the husband or wife — life crises that we all are hit with at some point.

This episode is honest, raw, and filled with the wisdom you will likely need at some point in your imperfect life journey.

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/staying-together-when-life-sends-its-worse-with-carol-and-gene-kent-cindy-and-david-lambert/

Jill's website: www.MarkandJill.org
Carol Kent's website: www.CarolKent.org

Connect with Jill on Facebook and Instagram: @jillsavage.author
Connect with Carol on Facebook: @authorcarolkent
Connect with Carol on Instagram: @carolkentspeaks

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...

Understanding ourselves and understanding the way our children and grandchildren learn and process the world is so important. We're all unique and interact with the world and others the way God made us.

The question isn’t, "Am I smart?" but rather, "How am I smart?" That's what we're discussing on this week's episode of the No More Perfect Podcast. Dr. Kathy Koch is my guest and we're discussing something she's passionate about called the 8 Great Smarts.

With remote learning, an increase in homeschooling, and parents more involved in their children's education than ever before, this is a timely subject. We talk through all eight smarts and how to engage a child in context of the smarts!

When I learned this, it was a game-changer for me as a parent. I'm now a better grandparent because I understand it!

Dr. Kathy was my co-author of No More Perfect Kids. She's a wealth of wisdom for parents, grandparents, and anyone who works with children!

You can find the show notes here: https://www.jillsavage.org/how-are-you-smart-with-dr-kathy-koch-episode-18/

Jill's website: www.MarkandJill.org
Kathy's website: https://celebratekids.com/

Facebook and Instagram: @jillsavage.author
Facebook and Instagram: @celebratekidsinc

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...

When it comes to hospitality, my friend Karen Ehman says it doesn’t matter what size your house is, how it’s decorated, whether or not it’s spotless, or what you cook or don’t cook. The secret to making guests feel comfortable is more about the condition of your heart than the condition of your home.

In this episode of the No More Perfect Podcast, Karen and I explore how to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others. We also discuss what it looks like to be hospitable to our own families--which is sooooooo important!

Karen has a knack for inspiring you to make others feel refreshed, rather than impressed. She redefines hospitality in a way that anyone can make it happen! 

In our conversation, we explore and answer these questions:

• What does it look like to have the goal of "refreshing others?"
• How can we really see people and focus on what really matters?
• How do we practically reach out to those around us?
• How can we "take hospitality on the road" if we truly can't host people in our home for some reason?

Listen in as Karen and I talk about the fact that hospitality is not so much about being organized, but more about being purposeful and intentional.

Show Notes: https://www.jillsavage.org/how-to-reach-out/

Connect with Jill online: www.JillSavage.org
Connect with Karen online: www.KarenEhman.com

Connect with Jill on Facebook and Instagram @jillsavage.author
Connect with Karen on Facebook @OfficialKarenEhman
Connect with Karen on Instagram @karenehman

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...

At times, life is unfair.

Sometimes we go through pain--physical, emotional, and relational. Loss and grief become real.  Life unravels and comes "undone" in a way we never imagined.

There's no one better to talk about the undone life than my friend Michele Cushatt. A three-time head and neck cancer survivor and parent of “children from hard places,” Michele is a (reluctant) expert of trauma, pain and the deep human need for authentic connection.

In this episode of the No More Perfect Podcast Michele and I talk about the hard stuff of life, the reality of suffering, and where God is in it all. We talk about how to find your footing in the suffering and how to sit with others when they are experiencing painful seasons.

This is the real stuff of life we all experience at one time or another. It's the stuff our loved ones experience. Michele's understanding of how God uses suffering in our life is a concept we all desperately need to understand.

You can find the show notes here: https://www.jillsavage.org/hope-for-the-undone-life-with-michele-cushatt-episode-16/

Connect with Jill online: www.JillSavage.org
Connect with Michele online: www.MicheleCushatt.com

Connect with Jill on Facebook and Instagram @jillsavage.author
Connect with Michele on Facebook and Instagram @michelecushatt

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 looking for a way to better understand yourself and better understand your spouse? If so, Episode 15 of the No More Perfect Podcast is for you!

If you're familiar with the Enneagram but want to better understand how it plays out in your marriage, this episode is for you. If you've never heard of the Enneagram but are looking for a way to better understand how your different personalities can work together better in marriage, this episode is also for you!

My guests are Beth and Jeff McCord of YourEnneagramCoach.com. Authors of  Becoming Us: Using the Enneagram to Create a Thriving Gospel-Centered Marriage the McCords help couples better understand the dynamics, both good and frustrating, they experience in their marriage. Their mission is to help people see themselves with astonishing clarity, so they can break free from self-condemnation, fear, and shame through the unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ.

In this episode, Jeff and Beth McCord help us explore exactly what the Enneagram is and how it can help us in relationships. Their perspective is that when we pair the introspection that the Enneagram can bring with the transformation of the Gospel, we have the ability to grow in new ways! Through powerful personal stories, Beth and Jeff share their journey from conflict to connection and their wisdom helps us do the same!

Listen in to gain powerful insight that will help you navigate the relationships that mean the most to you!

Beth and Jeff's Website: YourEnneagramCoach.com
Follow Beth on Facebook and Instagram: @yourenneagramcoach

Jill's website: www.JillSavage.org
Follow Jill Savage on Facebook and Instagram: @jillsavage.author

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...

Do you have trouble saying no? Do you hate letting others down and feel guilty if you can't say yes? 

If so, you're not alone...but you're probably also over-committed and maybe even nursing resentment in your heart that comes when we lack boundaries.

It can be so hard to say no, but its important to learn how to have boundaries without guilt. 

In this episode of the No More Perfect Podcast, I share twelve strategies that will help you say no.  These can help you manage every day "asks" as well as long term commitments.  

Saying no can enhance your relationships, your soul care, and your self-care.  Saying no creates the margin we desperately need in our lives. Saying no gives us time for the things that bring us life so we do not face burnout.

If you struggle saying no, make sure you say YES to this episode!

****************************************

Show notes with links to the resources mentioned can be found here: https://www.jillsavage.org/12-ways-to-say-no-and-find-the-balance-you-need-episode-14/

Follow Jill on Instagram and Facebook: @jillsavage.author

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...

Do you find yourself constantly tired and your life doesn't seem to allow for rest? If so, you aren't the only one.

A great night's sleep or a nap isn't always the key to great rest.  According to Dr. Saundra-Dalton-Smith, there are seven different areas that we need to find rest in so that we can fully operate. God does not want us to earn our rest but to work from a place of rest. We must learn to incorporate these different types of rest for ourselves and also for our children.

In this episode of the No More Perfect Podcast, Dr. Saundra Dalton- Smith, author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, and I tackle what rest looks like. She shares her personal burnout story and we talk about the different types of rest we all need. We talk about the different types of rest and practical ways to practice those types of rest. We also dig into different ways to model this for our children and grandchildren. 

Bottom line, if you're human, this episode is for you! 

You can find the show notes for this episode here: https://www.jillsavage.org/simple-ways-to-find-rest-in-the-middle-of-a-chaotic-life-with-saundra-dalton-smith-episode-13/

Connect with Jill on Facebook and Instagram: @jillsavage.author
Connect with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith on Instagram: @drdaltonsmith
Connect with Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith on Facebook: @DrSaundraDaltonSmith

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...

Do you feel like you’re always falling short? Struggle feeling like you’re not enough? Wondering why others have some of the things in life that you really want? If so, you just might be comparing.

Comparison breeds discontentment. It robs us of peace. It steals our hope.

This is what we tackle on Episode 12 of the No More Perfect Podcast and the conversation is richer because Shannon Popkin, author of Comparison Girl, joined me!

I first wrote about comparison in No More Perfect Moms. It’s a subject I’m passionate about. That’s why when I learned that Shannon had some unique things to say about the topic, I knew we had to have a conversation! It was an important one you don’t want to miss.

We talked about the fact that we can compare in two directions–one where we come out better than someone else and one where we come out worse than someone else. When we compare “up,” we experience jealousy. When we compare “down,” we experience disgust.

Shannon reminds us that Jesus was always interacting with people comparing themselves, but he never said, “Just stop comparing!” Instead He turns it upside down and changes the focus to serving. Imagine two glass measuring cups sitting side by side. When we look at what’s inside each cup and how it relates to the lines, we compare. When we forget the lines and look at the spout–pouring out what’s inside, we serve.

Challenging us to “Me-free living,” Shannon casts a vision that we can learn to live in a world that allows people to have more than I do. She reminds us that comparison divides. She helps us learn how to recognize that when the quiet voice telling us to compare, or telling us that we are not enough is there, we can actually start changing it’s power.

This is a rich conversation that promises to change your perspective and help you experience a freedom you might not even realize you need.

You can find the show notes for this episode here: https://www.jillsavage.org/is-comparison-robbing-you-of-contentment-with-shannon-popkin-episode-12/

Connect with Jill at

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...