Improving Sexual Intimacy in Marriage | Episode 215

Just a heads up that in this episode we are going to be talking openly about genital body parts that you may not want your kiddos to hear. If needed, feel free to put in your earbuds for this one or save it for a time when you can listen in private.After 10 years of experiencing painful symptoms without answers, I was diagnosed with vulvar lichen sclerosus. Multiple doctors had missed the diagnosis and couldn’t provide a reason for my pain.What do you do when you have a condition that doctors can’t figure out? How can you advocate for your own health? Where can you turn to learn about your diagnosis and find answers?Joining me for this important conversation is Jaclyn Lanthier. Jaclyn has a Ph.D. in philosophy of neuroscience, is on the board of the Lichen Sclerosus Support Network and the steering committee of Core Outcomes for Research in Lichen Sclerosus (CORALS), and is the founder of The Lost Labia Chronicles, which is a content hub for lichen sclerosus information and support.Jaclyn had a similar journey as me and decided to use what she went through to help others. She shares openly about this topic online and I found her posts extremely helpful after my own diagnosis.In this episode, you'll hear:How to educate yourself about lichen sclerosus and lichen planusTips for advocating for your own healthWhy a gynecologist may not always be the best option for diagnosisAnd so much more!Jaclyn has been such an encouragement to me both through our conversation and her online content. I hope this has been helpful for you and your health journey!Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/jaclyn-lanthier-219Check 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 life’s darkest moments, have you ever wondered if your prayers are really heard? When desperation strikes, is it possible to actually exchange panic for peace? While God is near and He hears our prayers, it sometimes might feel like He isn’t listening.In this conversation, we are going to be talking about how to embrace the power of prayer in life’s darkest moments. Helping me do this is my dear friend Rachel Wojo.Rachel is an inspirational author, public speaker, podcaster, and is known for her popular blog, RachelWojo.com, as well as her podcast, Untangling Life. Despite enduring the loss of her mother, her adult special needs daughter, and her father, Rachel remains resilient as she empowers women to discover strength and hope in everyday conversations.In this episode, you'll hear:The purpose of prayerThree ways God speaks to usHow to pray from a dark placeAnd so much more!I hope this episode offers hope and help in whatever circumstances you are facing!Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/rachel-wojo-218Check 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...

It's been a while since we had a bonus episode of the podcast! These are shorter episodes full of bite-sized encouragement and support that you can apply to your life today.In this episode, we are talking about marriage. Now you may have heard that marriage is 50/50, but we think that marriage is actually 70/30. In our coaching, we've come to strongly believe that marriage is 70% personal growth and 30% couple growth.Too often, couples only focus on fixing the issues within the marriage as a couple and not enough time on how each person needs to grow individually. In this episode, we're explaining more about what this means and how it can impact your marriage. Listen in!Show Notes: jillsavage.org/individual-growthCheck 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 full of ups and downs. Each one of us will experience difficult seasons in life. During my darkest and most difficult season, one of the things I learned to say is “It is not well with my circumstances, but I want to make sure it is well with my soul.”My guest, Courtney Joseph Fallick, experienced this as well when her high school sweetheart husband left their marriage for another woman. She found herself fighting for joy and working to overcome the darkness.Courtney is a best-selling author and the founder of Women Living Well Ministries and Good Morning Girls. Courtney is also a great speaker who has been featured on The Rachael Ray Show and many national conferences including Hearts at Home. She’s been blogging through the Bible, one chapter per day, since 2014 and she makes her home in Ohio with her blended family.In this episode, you'll hear:More about the dark season of life Courtney walked throughHow to keep bitterness and resentment from building upHow to respond when it feels like God's ignoring our prayersAnd so much more!I hope this episode offers you confidence, support, and hope for the future!Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/courtney-joseph-fallick-217Check 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 topic in this episode is SO IMPORTANT! Mark and I are joined by Reese and VaLisa Palmer, fellow workers in the sphere of marriage coaching and strengthening.Reese is a clinical psychotherapist specializing in marriage and family therapy (LMFT). VaLisa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LCP) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) who enjoys working with families and couples. Together, they founded Palmer Counseling where their mission is to provide a safe, affirming, and nurturing therapeutic experience that inspires everyone to live abundant lives and fulfill their God-given purpose.In this episode, you'll hear:How the echos of the past impact your presentThe importance of knowing your attachment style in marriageWhy we get stuck in negative cycles of communicationAnd so much more!We are excited for this conversation all about marriage!Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/reese-valisa-palmer-216Check 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...

Note for the Listener: As you can probably guess from the title, we talk candidly about sexual intimacy in this episode. We recommend listening to it away from young ears if you have children at home.You may have heard us mention our Date Night Community. Well, we recently did an 8-week deep-dive all about sex and sexual intimacy called “Great Sexpectations.” The content was so good—we wanted to share some of it with everyone!Mark is joining me for this episode as we explore some of the topics like how to create a better sex life, what may surprise you is okay to do in the bedroom, and shifting how we view sexual intimacy within marriage. This is a candid (and a little bit spicy) conversation all about sex!In this episode, you'll hear:Why sex begins in the kitchenA better goal to have for sexual intimacyThe value of understanding your own bodyAnd much more!We hope this conversation inspires you to build deeper sexual intimacy with your spouse!Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/improving-intimacy-215Check 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...

Can you remember your first breakup? Even if you parted ways amicably, you likely questioned if you were good enough, if you made the right choice, or even criticized yourself for not doing enough to try to make it work. When we journey through breakups, infidelity, trauma, or even divorce, the experience tends to stick with us in the form of intrusive thoughts and triggers.My friend, Leslie Hardie, is an infidelity and trauma expert who has been in private practice since 2003. As a betrayed spouse herself, combined with many years of providing infidelity counseling, she brings meaningful insight and compassion to other betrayed spouses as well as counsels couples. Leslie gives us some tips on what to do when reminders of difficult circumstances we’ve been through pop up.In this episode, you'll hear:The opportunity behind the hurtHow to cope with the aftermath of betrayalIdentifying thoughts that are from the enemyAnd so much more...There is hope and healing after infidelity!Find resource mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/leslie-hardie-214Check 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...

Buckle up, this is the episode where we are covering all things sex! You may feel embarrassed to talk about sex candidly or you may even feel like sex is still a dirty word from your childhood. Whether you have a history that includes pornography, an affair, or sex before marriage, there are many things that can impact how you approach sex with your spouse. However, you may be surprised to learn that there are very few “do nots” when it comes to sex within marriage and a whole lot of freedom.To help us get more comfortable about the topic of sex and to discover God’s instruction on the topic, we have some expert friends joining us. Bill and Pam Farrel are international speakers, authors of 60 books, relationship specialists, and together they co-direct Love-Wise Ministry. Bill and Pam have been happily married for 44 years, and have three grown sons and seven grandchildren. They live on a boat that is docked in Southern California.In this episode, you'll hear:How men and women can work together to build intimacyWhy we should design the sex life we want in marriageThe importance of having candid conversations with your spouseAnd so much more...I'm so excited for this episode and I hope you are too! Let's talk about sex!Find resource mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/bill-pam-farrel-213(We've been sharing a shoutout at the beginning of each episode. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate our listeners, and specifically the transformation and celebrations in your life. Want to reach out to us? You can contact us here on our website or text our new No More Perfect hotline at 309-431-1718.)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 there some aspects of your relationship where you often feel worked up, angry, or even like things aren’t fair? This is a prime breeding ground for resentment to take root. This could be a result of something your spouse has done or something they aren’t doing that causes resentment to boil up inside of you. However, resentment often grows as a result of an issue in our own hearts.In this episode, we are exploring how to untangle resentment in your marriage. Joining me is Chelsea Damon, author of I Thought This Would Make Me Happy. Chelsea ​​is an author, blogger, foster and biological mom, and wife to Josh. She is passionate about cultivating a loving family and helping others do the same.In this episode, you'll hear:What causes resentment to grow in marriageWhy it is important to examine our hearts regularlyHow to combat resentment with gratitudeAnd so much more...I can’t wait to hear how this conversation has helped you!Show Notes: jillsavage.org/chelsea-damon-212(As we start into our fifth year of the podcast, you'll start hearing a shoutout at the beginning of each episode. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate our listeners, and specifically the transformation and celebrations in your life. Want to reach out to us? You can contact us here on our website or text our new No More Perfect hotline at 309-431-1718.)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 phones are often the first thing we interact with when we wake up and the last thing when we go to bed. We check it at all hours of the day to remain connected and fill the empty moments.There is rarely a moment that goes by in our busy lives when we don’t have access to technology. It’s quite literally in the palm of our hands! But is this 24/7 access to it healthy? Is it doing more harm than good? It’s often not until we start intentionally unplugging from it that we realize how much it was taking from our lives.My guest, Hannah Brencher, has experience with slowly putting technology back in its place as she has navigated the tug-of-war between staying plugged in and powering down. She is a writer, a TED speaker, and an entrepreneur. Hannah was even named one of the White House’s Women Working to Do Good.In this episode, you'll hear:How to cultivate a lifestyle that unplugsThe power of presenceSome first steps to striking a balance with technologyAnd so much more...This is a super practical episode that I know you will love!Show Notes: jillsavage.org/hannah-brencher-211Check 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...