The Naked Marriage with Dave & Ashley Willis

Sometimes a wife feels unseen and alone without understanding why – and the missing piece is undiagnosed Asperger’s or neurodivergence in her spouse. In this Marriage Minute, Patrick and Theresa share how conflict gets misread as criticism, and why fewer words and one topic at a time can change everything. Tune in Monday for the full conversation.

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We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

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In this special bonus episode, Dave and Ashley take you behind the scenes at XO Marriage to introduce Aliya Scott – a team member of seven years and, as Dave puts it, part of the glue that holds the ministry together. Married 35 years, Aliya shares how she and her husband met at a pizza place, what it's like to take on big projects together (including a six-month master bath remodel), and the lesson that reshaped her marriage: learning to see her husband's quirks as God-given strengths rather than things that drive her crazy. It's a warm, encouraging reminder that understanding who you married – in every season – changes everything.
Explore Strengths-Based Marriage by Jimmy Evans: https://a.co/d/04ayveei
Explore XO Marriage's free digital courses: https://xomarriage.com

Submit your questions to Dave & Ashley: http://nakedmarriagepodcast.com

Download our FREE 31 Day Marriage Devotional: https://bit.ly/3ZxsLZd

We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of adventure, ministry, and moving around the world together, Joel and Emily Malm learned that even good things can become too heavy to carry. They join Dave and Ashley to talk about recognizing when your spouse is overwhelmed, making space for conversations, and learning what to take out of the "backpack" before resentment builds.

Listener Question: I've thought about starting a marriage-focused blog, but I'm nervous about how much of our real struggles to share versus keep private. How do you decide what parts of your marriage struggles are okay to share publicly versus keep private?

Devotionals on anger, anxiety, and fear by Joel: https://www.bible.com/organizations/7568e48c-3e6d-4264-bc22-8a8f9e5b8147

Keep It Light by Joel Malm: https://a.co/d/06DGlnsx

Connect with Joel: https://joelmalm.com/

Explore Free Marriage Courses: https://xomarriage.com/courses

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Submit your questions to Dave & Ashley: http://nakedmarriagepodcast.com

Download our FREE 31 Day Marriage Devotional: https://bit.ly/3ZxsLZd

We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you choose your family over career or personal ambitions in the right season, God often returns what you gave up in a greater form. This episode reminds you that timely sacrifice isn't loss — it's an investment in something far more glorious.

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We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the world could tell you were a follower of Jesus – not by what you post, but by how you live? Pastor Nirup Alphonse, lead pastor of LIFEGATE Church in Denver, joins Dave and Ashley to talk about his brand-new book Defiant Lights and why ordinary Christians are called to live noticeably different from the culture around them. He unpacks the seven countercultural postures believers can embody, why our marriages are meant to reflect God rather than revolve around us, the power of asking "how do you experience me?", and what he hopes his own kids take away from his life. It's a challenging, hope-filled conversation about shining like stars in a dark world.

Listener question: Is it wise to send your spouse nude photos when you're apart? My husband is recovering from a porn addiction and says it helps him when we're apart. Porn and masturbation have been a chronic issue for him. I'm not comfortable sharing photos, but I'm wondering if it's helpful or harmful to his recovery.

Get Nirup's new book Defiant Lights: https://a.co/d/0b3QUQbV
Learn more about LIFEGATE Church Denver: https://lifegatedenver.com/
Pure Desire (porn recovery resources): https://puredesire.org
Explore XO Marriage's free digital courses: https://xomarriage.com

Submit your questions to Dave & Ashley: http://nakedmarriagepodcast.com

Download our FREE 31 Day Marriage Devotional: https://bit.ly/3ZxsLZd

We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nate and Noemi Parsons share how PTSD affected their marriage and what it looked like to walk through a season neither of them could fix on their own. Their conversation explores the power of asking for help, bearing one another’s burdens, and learning how to show up for your spouse when they’re hurting.

Listener Question: I vent to my husband about my day and he immediately tries to fix it, which honestly makes me more frustrated, not less. How do you tell the difference between a partner who needs to vent and one who needs a solution?

Nate and Noemi - https://www.nathanandnoemi.com/

Nate and Noemi's book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKLK2TKK?spcref=PUBLISHED_PREORDER_LIVE

Marriage Academy
https://www.daveandashley.com/the-marriage-coaching-academy

Explore Free Marriage Courses: https://xomarriage.com/courses

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Submit your questions to Dave & Ashley: http://nakedmarriagepodcast.com

Download our FREE 31 Day Marriage Devotional: https://bit.ly/3ZxsLZd

We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When your spouse shares a problem, simply asking "do you just want me to listen, or do you want solutions?" can transform how connected you both feel. This one small question helps you meet your partner's real need instead of accidentally making them feel dismissed.

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We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dean and Jill Berg have spent years helping other couples build stronger marriages, but their own story was shaped by two very different pasts colliding. Now married for 37 years and working as marriage coaches, they open up about the struggles that forced them to confront what they had carried into their relationship and what was really underneath the conflicts they couldn’t seem to resolve.

Listener Question: There's one argument my wife and I have had at least a dozen times over the years and we still haven't cracked it.
What's an argument that took you a while to resolve and how have did you learn to manage disagreements in a timely manner?

Jill and Dean are in the Atlanta, Georgia area - https://deanandjillberg.com/

Marriage Academy
https://www.daveandashley.com/the-marriage-coaching-academy

Explore Free Marriage Courses: https://xomarriage.com/courses

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Submit your questions to Dave & Ashley: http://nakedmarriagepodcast.com

Download our FREE 31 Day Marriage Devotional: https://bit.ly/3ZxsLZd

We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Childhood trauma can silently shut down your ability to emotionally connect with your spouse, but restoration begins the moment you choose honesty over self-protection. You can't be healed from something you're not willing to be vulnerable about – and your marriage is worth that first brave step.

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We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 26 years of marriage, Jason and Elizabeth Settle are facing something they never imaged when they first promised "in sickness and in health."
The Southlake-based faith counselors have spent years walking alongside couples through difficult seasons, but Jason's sudden cancer diagnosis has brought those words much closer to home.
They share how this season is reshaping their understanding of vulnerability, surrender, and what it looks like to trust God when you don't know the outcome.
Listener Question: We avoided talking about our combined debt for the first two years of marriage because it felt too shameful.
What's a money conversation you dreaded having but were glad you finally did?
Learn More About Settled Co.: https://settledco.com/counseling
Explore Free Marriage Courses: https://xomarriage.com/courses
Jimmy Evans on Money Mindsets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPGtPPQgLPg

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Submit your questions to Dave & Ashley: http://nakedmarriagepodcast.com

Download our FREE 31 Day Marriage Devotional: https://bit.ly/3ZxsLZd

We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com

Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry.

Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry.

The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas.

Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices