On today’s episode, you’ll get to know your hosts of the Living Marriages Podcast, April and Aaron, better!

God has given us a crazy and fun story to share:

• Hear how God brought us together in some rather miraculous ways
• Discover how God's best for you is WAY better than broccoli flavoured cough syrup

We'd love to hear your marriage story as well! Get in touch: info@livingmarriages.com

Welcome to the Living Marriages Podcast - our first episode ever!

Today, you’ll hear about God’s heart for marriage and why we’re joining him on this journey of helping you create a healthy marriage through encountering the living God.

We explore:

• Why our marriage of almost 14 years was doing just “fine” but maybe why fine isn’t all that God has for us.
• Why, if your marriage isn’t growing, it’s dying.

We’ll share the vision God gave us for marriages from Ezekiel 37:

• We ask ourselves and you: Is your marriage living or dry bones?
• What would it look like to have God breathe his life, his Spirit into our marriage?

Three important questions to reflect on:

• Who do you and your spouse say God is? (Is that the same or different?)
• Who does God say you are?
• Who does God say your spouse is?

We look forward to journeying together with you towards the healthy, living marriage that God has for all of us!

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (ESV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2037%3A1-14&version=ESV

Check out this incredible conversation about the breath and Spirit of God from amazing folks at the Bible Project:

https://bibleproject.com/podcast/holy-spirit-part-2/

Get in touch! info@livingmarriages.com

Has the excitement of your wedding day now faded into the background? Is the honeymoon over and now you’re wondering what’s next? Do you want to live your marriage God’s way but you’re not sure where to start?

If you said yes to any of these questions, you’ve come to the right place! Welcome to the Living Marriages Podcast. We are April and Aaron Au, marriage coaches.

For over a decade, we’ve been sharing some of the marriage tools and insight we’ve learned with couples, and now we’re thrilled to be able to share those with you in this podcast through fun, honest and curiosity-filled conversations. 

We’ll explore topics like understanding why your spouse flipped out over nothing, why honeymoon sex is nothing like Hollywood, why you shouldn’t buy a car without telling your spouse and why men loving your wives as Christ loves the church might mean doing the laundry. 

We’re also eager to continue our own journey of discovery along with you as we interview wise, Spirit-led guests in the areas of inner healing, finances, sexual intimacy and so much more! So join us on this beautiful and crazy journey of Living Marriages as we learn to love and be loved together with God.

Want to get in touch? info@livingmarriages.com

Welcome to the first “Thursday Thought” of the Living Marriages Podcast!

Over the next several episodes, we are exploring our vision statement together: “Create a healthy marriage through encountering the living God.”

Today, Aaron reflects on the idea of “creating” in our marriages:

• Why creating beauty in our marriages so important and why it’s something we rarely think about
• Why as image-bearers of God, he’s inviting us to co-create with him in our marriages
• What co-creating in our marriages could look like (hint: I’m not 100% sure yet but let’s be creative together!)

We pray today’s episode gets those creative juices flowing for your marriage!

Check out Dr. Curt Thompson’s inspiring book “The Soul of Desire” here:

https://curtthompsonmd.com/books/

Get in touch with us! info@livingmarriages.com

Have you wondered what people mean when they say they want Christ "at the centre" of their marriage? What does it look like to hear the voice of God in our marriage, together and as individuals?

In today's episode, we are so excited to welcome our first-ever guest, Dr. John "Adidam" Littlejohn! A deeply loved pastor and internationally recognized musician, John explores with us in this fun and in-depth conversation, questions like:

• If God desires to speak to us, how do we hear God's voice in our marriage?
• If God is at the centre of our marriage, how do we keep moving towards him, no matter where we're coming from?
• Does God have a vision for our marriage?

We were so incredibly blessed and challenged by our conversation with John and we pray you will be too!

Find out more about John here:

https://www.adidammusic.com

https://www.instagram.com/adidammusic/

https://www.infinitusmusic.com

https://www.thekingdomlife.ca

Connect with us:

info@livingmarriages.com

www.livingmarriages.com

Are you wanting to bring some health, vitality, new life to your marriage? Are you wanting to have God at the centre of your marriage but aren't sure where to start?

Over the next 5 Thursday Thoughts episodes, we'll explore practical ideas of how we can create a healthy, vibrant marriage with God and our spouse. 

On this episode, April starts at the very beginning. If you want God at the centre of your marriage, you have to see how he's already there! We'll discover:

• How God is already at work in your marriage
• Why we need to make space to encounter him there already (as a couple and as individuals)
• Some practical ideas on how we can encounter him

This is not an episode to induce guilt to becoming a "better" Christian but rather a gracious invitation from the God who loves us and desires his best for us, to encounter him in our life and our marriage.

Suggested devotional resources for couples:

https://timothykeller.com/books/the-meaning-of-marriage-a-couples-devotional

https://www.scottkedersha.com/the-ready-or-knot-prayer-guide

Suggested devotional resources for individuals:

https://timothykeller.com/books/the-songs-of-jesus

https://bibleproject.com/reading-plans/

Connect with us!

info@livingmarriages.com

Our website: livingmarriages.com

When is the last time you thanked your spouse? For who they are or for something they did? Has it been awhile?

On this Thursday Thought, join Aaron as he explores another tip on creating a healthy marriage with God, this time by looking at the transformative power of gratitude in your marriage.

Topics we cover:

• Why gratitude matters
• How gratitude can transform your marriage along with some of the science that backs it up
• How keeping a gratitude journal transformed one man's view of his wife and his marriage

Resources

Gary Thomas: “Gratitude With Purpose In Marriage”

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/gratitude-with-purpose-in-marriage/

Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/imperfect-spirituality/202310/gratitude-could-help-your-marriage-last

Are you thankful for something in your marriage or your spouse? Please feel free to share! info@livingmarriages.com

Do you want to know God's will for your life but you're not sure where to start? Do you want to hear his voice for your marriage but you're not sure what you're listening for?

In this episode, we explore what it means to discern God's will in the context of your marriage and how Paul provides some (uncomfortable) direction in Romans 12.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1

Join Aaron and April as we discuss:

• What it means to offer your marriage to God as a living sacrifice
• Why being a living sacrifice can be uncomfortable (especially when the heat gets turned up on the altar)
• Why we can still trust God and know his heart and will when things are getting hot

Here is the discernment tool we talk about that we have used in our marriage to know if we are hearing God's voice:

https://www.prmi.org/four-discernment-tests/

Have any other thoughts, questions, ideas? How can we be praying for you? Get in touch: info@livingmarriages.com

Have you ever felt that when your spouse is listening to you, it only LOOKS like they're listening? That as soon as you're done speaking, they will unleash their advice and their opinions on you?

On this Thursday Thoughts episode, we'll discover HOW we listen matters just as much (or more) than the fact that we are listening. We'll also learn:

• that "listening to understand" is more important than "listening to convince"
• how listening to understand can help us escape the drama triangle

Resources:

“In a study of two types of listening, clinical psychologist Faye Doell demonstrated how people who listen in order to understand versus listen in order to respond have higher across-the-board relationship satisfaction.” 

from "Good Inside" by Dr. Becky Kennedy

https://www.goodinside.com/book/

An excellent article on the drama triangle:

https://www.idmin.org/_files/ugd/0d9c11_b989426836064bd3a9dfdfe15fe4e382.pdf

Want to get in touch with us? info@livingmarriages.com and check out our new website: www.livingmarriages.com

"Shame is the most powerful force on the planet, apart from grace."

Katie Skurja, founder of Imago Dei Ministries, is an internationally recognized inner healing practitioner, spiritual director and marriage counsellor. We were thrilled and honoured that she could join us in this conversation exploring the devastating power of shame in our marriages and the joy and freedom available in Christ's healing work.

Topics we explore include:

• What are "shadow vows" and why every couple should do them
• God's grace that is available for us to turn into and confront our shame rather than hide it
• How, as image bearers of God, we are like "Peanut M&Ms"
• When we understand the paradoxes of God, we understand ourselves and our spouses better
• What the drama triangle is and how it threatens our marriages

Resources:

For Katie's incredible conversation with children regarding the image of God and "Peanut M&M's", check out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVTBnl5iEEg&t=310s

An excellent article on the "Drama Triangle":

https://www.idmin.org/_files/ugd/0d9c11_b989426836064bd3a9dfdfe15fe4e382.pdf

Where to find Katie, her resources and courses:

Imago Dei Ministries - https://www.idmin.org

Companying Center - https://www.companioningcenter.org

Let us know what you think of this conversation! Contact April and Aaron at info@livingmarriages.org

In episode 65, we asked the all-important question, "Who do I believe God is?" followed by an equally important question, "Who does my spouse believe God is?"

On today's Thursday Thought, we reflect further on that, asking God to reveal to us the lies that we believe about him in order that we might discover more fully the truth of who he is and the good that he desires for our lives and marriages!

Luke 11:1-13

Next Steps

How can we be praying for you? Do you need someone to journey with as you discover more about who God is and why that matters in your marriage? If so, drop us a line! We are here for you and want to journey with you: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry? We value your prayers and financial contributions. To find out how you can make a charitable donation, please visit our website - https://livingmarriages.com

One of our callings at Living Marriages is to help couples "centre their marriages on God." But have you and your spouse ever taken time to figure out what you believe about God? In what ways are your beliefs the same? In what ways are they different? Are there any false beliefs that could be causing you to drift apart and miss God's best for your marriage?

Join us as we take time to ask some foundational questions about who we believe God to be and why that matters to our marriage.

Resources

“We must come to an awareness in our own minds concerning the nature of God. That is, we must think about God in ways that match what God is like. Without harmony between our ideas about God and his true character, we will never be able to make the kind of contact with God that will give us confidence, grounded in our experience, in the complete sufficiency of God to provide for our needs.”

Dallas Willard from Life Without Lack

Next Steps

How can we be praying for you? Do you need someone to journey with as you discover more about who God is and why that matters in your marriage? If so, drop us a line! We are here for you and want to journey with you: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry? We value your prayers and financial contributions. To find out how you can make a charitable donation, please visit our website - https://livingmarriages.com

Unforgiveness...bitterness...resentment. This is fertile ground for God's enemy to sow all kinds of chaos into our marriages and families. And yet this is the same ground where, when it comes into God's light, we can see his incredible transforming grace and love at work, bringing healing, wholeness and hope.

That's why today's petition of the Lord's Prayer is so incredibly important for our lives, for our marriages, and for our families. Please join us today as we reflect on our need for God's forgiveness in our lives and our need to forgive one another.

Next Steps

As we mention in the episode, the journey of forgiveness can be difficult but there are tools available and community to journey together with. We'd love to pray with you and help equip you on this journey. To get in touch with us, please click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

As we continue our series in the Lord's Prayer and marriage, we come to the petition that I (Aaron) find both incredibly comforting and incredibly challenging. Can I trust you, God, to meet my needs and those of our family today? And not just today but every day? 

This petition, as we'll discover, goes far beyond just our material needs though. It's also a daily call for us to trust God with what we need emotionally and spiritually, personally and in our marriages. 

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

Today we pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven." What does it mean to have heaven in our marriages today? Why does God invite us to surrender our lives and marriages to him through this petition and why the heck is that so hard???

Resources

To find out more about John Ortberg's book "Eternity Is Now In Session," please click here. 

You can find that beautiful quote by Thomas Green here, along with a simple and powerful spiritual exercise. 

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

Thursday Thoughts will be taking a break for the next several weeks. That doesn't mean, though, that we aren't praying for you and your marriage. In fact, we are taking the time we would normally put into recording, editing and publishing these episodes and will be praying for you and your marriage. We'd love it if you joined us in that.

We'll still be praying with you on the podcast as well as part of our weekly teaching/discussion episodes. 

By the way, here is that incredible NT Wright quote in today's episode from "The Challenge of Easter": The Christian vocation is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, at the place where the world is in pain...

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

The Lord's Prayer contains a word we just don't use very often today and so we often struggle its meaning: "hallow". What does it mean to hallow the name of the Lord in our lives and in our marriage?

Join us in our series on the Lord's Prayer as we discover what it means to hallow God's name, why that might be scary and the beauty and freedom that can come from this, as God hallows his name in our lives and marriages in answer to this prayer.

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

On this Thursday Thought, as we take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer daily in our marriages, we take time to reflect on the opening address of the Lord's Prayer and consider if we might be treating as something transactional or relational. We also pray for those who experience an obstacle praying to our "heavenly Father" because of past trauma and we spend time worshiping the God in heaven, who is worthy of our praise!

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

Do you ever worry you're not doing or saying something right in prayer? That if you only knew the secrets to unlocking prayer that you would have your heart's desire? If so, you're not alone. We've been there and still struggle with this idea. If we persist in this attitude of prayer, we may be in danger of treating God like a vending machine.

As God invites you to take up the Lord's Prayer as a couple daily, we examine the opening of that prayer: "Our Father in heaven..." In this powerful address, Jesus graciously reminds us that prayer is relational, not transactional (like the transaction of putting a coin in a vending machine and expecting something in return.) As this becomes our framework for our relationship with God, how will it affect our marriage as well?

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

On today's Thursday Thought, we reflect on the simple habits that allow us to connect in powerful and transformational ways throughout our day and ask God to highlight the habits we can celebrate as well as be open to the new habits he's inviting us to try in our marriage.

We also consider how powerfully the Lord's Prayer, as a daily habit we participate in together, will powerfully combat the forces of drift and difference that continually want to pull us apart. 

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

What if there was a small, simple, habit that could transform and shape your marriage for years to come? What if this habit only took you thirty seconds?

Over the next several weeks, we'll be doing a deep dive into the prayer that Jesus taught his apprentices to pray - The Lord's Prayer - and how God can transform and shape your marriage through the habit of praying this together daily as a couple. Today, we just want to give you an overview of the subtle yet powerful ways that God has formed our marriage through this simple habit.

Next Steps

If you and your spouse want to take up the habit of praying the Lord's Prayer together daily, let us know so that we can encourage you! Click here or e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com

We'll pray for you, cheer you on and check in with you as you start forming this new habit together!

Want to support this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

As you heard in Episode 46, JB and Erin Crocker were only an hour away from having their marriage end for good. And then God gave them a miracle - a miracle of repentance, of transformation, new hope and a new marriage.

Join us on this Thursday Thought as we pray for a miracle of breakthrough in your marriage as you seek God's best for your marriage together.

Next Steps

We realize that some of you may relate to the story of brokenness and despair we reflected on in today's episode. We want you to know that you are not alone. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here. We would also be thrilled to get you in touch with JB and Erin if you'd like their insight for your marriage journey.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

Today's Thursday Thought provides space for reflection and prayer while asking some extremely practical questions. (If you haven't already, please listen to Ep. 63)

So grab your Bible and a journal and join us as we reflect on how God wants to pour into our lives, where we might be missing out on that and practical changes we can make to our habits so we're more available to God and one another.

Resources

"Find the room where your family spends the most time and ruthlessly eliminate the things that ask little of you and develop little in you."

Andy Crouch, Tech-Wise Family

Next Steps

We'd love to have the opportunity to hear your story and to pray for you. Drop us a line and let us know what cracked jars God is asking you to give up so you can receive his "more" for your marriage and your life! info@livingmarriages.com

Thank you so much to those of you who have invested in this non-profit ministry! If you feel God inviting you to partner with us through prayer and a charitable donation, please visit our website to find out how you can do this: https://livingmarriages.com

In Part One of JB and Erin's story (Ep 44), we heard about how God brought their marriage to an end - a marriage that was characterized by conflict, manipulation, brokenness and despair.

In Part Two today, we'll hear about:

• The work God called JB to in order to find healing and the release of the baggage he brought into marriage
• How God invited JB to show up in marriage to be present and serve Erin in the ways she needed
• The ways in which God brought healing, hope and transformation to this "new" marriage while laying down the destructive patterns of their "old" marriage

Next Steps

We realize that some of you may relate to the story of brokenness and despair you've heard in today's episode. We want you to know that you are not alone. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here. We would also be thrilled to get you in touch with JB and Erin if you'd like their insight for your marriage journey.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

The good news of the gospel is that God, in his love, meets us right where we are at. The good news though, is also that God loves us too much to leave us there.

In Episode 44, we heard the story of JB and Erin Crocker and how God met them in the midst of the brokenness of their marriage and invited them to something new. But before there was something new, something old had to pass away first.

Join us for this Thursday Thought as we pray for you to experience the good news of the gospel in your marriage, that meets you right where you are AND calls you into something new.

Next Steps

We realize that some of you may relate to the story of brokenness and despair in marriage that we were reflecting on in today's episode. We want you to know that you are not alone. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

JB and Erin Crocker have been on a journey in their marriage. It's one that involved brokenness, despair and ultimately hope and redemption. 

On today's episode, we are privileged to hear the first part of their story: how God ended "Version 1.0" of their marriage - a marriage that was filled with manipulation, fear and shame; a marriage that was no longer sustainable.

We'll hear:

• Why not understanding the baggage you bring into marriage can be harmful
• Why having a healthy marriage requires both partners to put in work
• How important it is to have community outside of our marriages
• When God allows the old things to end to make room for the new

Next Steps

We realize that some of you may relate to the story of brokenness and despair you've heard in today's episode. We want you to know that you are not alone. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

On this Thursday thought, we consider how God's fingerprints are all over our stories, especially when we're in a place of pain or confusion and may not sense God there. We reflect on what it means that Jesus calls us "friends" (John 15:15) and we pray that we might see how our stories, our marriages are a part of God's larger story.

Next Steps

In this episode, we share the story of our journey through infertility. We understand that the journey of infertility is painful. We also know that you might be in the middle of another journey of pain or confusion. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

On today's episode, we share how God showed up in a very unique way for us. You'll hear how April kept seeing the time 11:11 and the Scripture God finally nudged her to check out, the evening before we found out we were pregnant.

We also humbly acknowledge that our story is not everyone's story - that God may have another outcome for you in the journey you're on. At the same time, we believe that if we're willing and open, we'll see God's fingerprints all over our story telling us how, in fact, we are a part of his big story.

Next Steps

We understand that the journey of infertility is painful. We also know that you might be in the middle of another journey of pain or confusion. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

On this Thursday Thought, we reflect on what it means to be blessed. We'll discover how being blessed is not about what we have (or don't have) but rather the presence of God in our lives.

We reflect on Stanley Hauerwas' invitation to consider the Beatitudes, those beautiful "Blessed are..." from Matthew 5 and what this might mean for our marriage:

Too often the Beatitudes are turned into ideals we must strive to attain. But Jesus does not tell us that we should try to be poor in spirit, or meek, or peacemakers. He simply says that many who are called into his kingdom will find themselves so constituted.

Stanley Hauerwas, "Jesus Changes Everything"

Next Steps

In this episode, we share the story of our journey through infertility. We understand that the journey of infertility is painful. We also know that you might be in the middle of another journey of pain or confusion. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

How many times have you heard someone say, "I'm so blessed..." when they're referring to having something they desire? Does that mean that someone who doesn't have what they desire isn't blessed?

On today's episode, April and Aaron share their 3 1/2 year journey through infertility and how God met them in the midst of their journey, even though they couldn't always sense him. You'll also hear how God taught them what true blessing is (hint: it's not in what you have or don't have).

Whether you are on the journey of infertility or not, this episode points to the lovingkindness of the God who meets us in the midst of our pain and confusion. 

Next Steps

We understand that the journey of infertility is painful. We also know that you might be in the middle of another journey of pain or confusion. We'd love to be able to hear your story and pray with you. Please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here.

You can also e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? Please visit our website http://livingmarriages.com

Join us for this Thursday Thought as we:

• find out how Aaron and April's fun date went
• reflect on our friendship with our spouse
• consider how God might be inviting us to invest in that friendship with fun

We'll meditate on Proverbs 17:22 together and pray God's grace and blessing on the friendship in our marriage.

If you have a story of something fun you like doing in your marriage that we can share with our listeners, please click here!

Or you can e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

Recently, we have been reminded of the importance of fun and friendship in marriage. To make sure we have time to invest in some of that fun ourselves, we're keeping the episode shorter and asking for your help!

We'd love to hear from you about one way you and your spouse have fun in your marriage We'll share your ideas in an upcoming episode.

You can click right here and get in touch with us: https://livingmarriages.com/contact#httpslivingmarriagescomcontact

Or e-mail us:

info@livingmarriages.com

God bless!

We were so inspired by our conversation with Your Bible Coach Keith Ferrin in episode 36! Who knew that reading our Bibles could be helpful AND fun!

On this Thursday thought, we spend more time in reflection about what it means that time with God in the word is "relational", not just "informational" and we pray that you may grow in intimacy with God and each other through your time in his Word.

Ignatian Gospel Contemplation Resources

A helpful short video that explains the practice of gospel contemplation: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-contemplation/

Another helpful website with further explanations and guided examples of Ignatian gospel contemplation: https://www.lindsayboyer.com/ignatian-meditation

Next Steps

Would you like to explore some of these ideas further or would you like prayer for your marriage? We'd love to journey with you in that so get in touch! info@livingmarriages.com

We need your prayers and support to keep this non-profit ministry going. Please consider how you could partner with us. To make a charitable donation, visit: http://livingmarriages.com

When Bob and Linda Lotich from SeedTime introduced us to the concept of Assets Under Management (episode 61), it was in the context of finances. As we began to consider this more, we've realized that this principal applies to all of our lives and marriages, including how we manage the time, energy and attention God has given us.

On this episode, we look at the powerful image of the pouring of oil into jars that God gave April from 2 Kings 4. We consider if we're missing God's miracle for the "more" he desires for our marriage because we're pouring our time, energy and attention into the wrong things, into cracked jars.

Resources

Read the account from 2 Kings 4:1-7 by clicking here.

Next Steps

We'd love to have the opportunity to hear your story and to pray for you. Drop us a line and let us know what cracked jars God is asking you to give up so you can receive his "more" for your marriage and your life! info@livingmarriages.com

Thank you so much to those of you who have invested in this non-profit ministry! If you feel God inviting you to partner with us through prayer and a charitable donation, please visit our website to find out how you can do this: https://livingmarriages.com

"We expect the Bible to be true, we just don't expect it to be good."

Keith Ferrin

Anybody who has grown up in the church has been taught that reading our Bibles is an important part of being a follower of Jesus. The problem is that many of us don't know where to start or if we have, how to stay consistent with it. These problems follow us into our marriages where, with the busyness of life and young families, bible reading habits either disappear of feel burdensome.

Today's guest, speaker and Bible coach Keith Ferrin, offers insight into this problem, helping us move from seeing Bible reading as a burden to the joy God has meant it to be!

On this fascinating episode we discuss:

• A mindset shift from an informational to a relational approach to Scripture
• A methodology shift that will help us understand and enjoy what we read
• How Bible reading that is enjoyable and alive can transform your marriage and family

To find Keith and his excellent resources, please visit:

https://www.keithferrin.com/

He also has a wonderful YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@keithferrin

If you'd like to connect with us to ask for prayer, coaching or to give us feedback or suggestions, we'd love to hear from you! info@livingmarriages.com

You can also visit our website to find out how you can support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

Grab a pen, your journal, your Bible and your favourite drink and join us for this Thursday Thought! 

Today, Aaron shares a reflection on what unity is from God's perspective and how it's been his heart for humanity since the beginning of time. He also prays that we'd discover what it means to have Christ at the head of our marriage and that we'd find a "togetherness" as we confront problems.

Resources

Check out Tim Mackie's excellent bible study on the idea of "One Flesh" from The Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/classroom/adam-to-noah/sessions/15

Next Steps

We'd love to hear from you! If you'd like prayer for your marriage, would like us to journey with you in your marriage or have feedback or ideas for us, get in touch: info@livingmarriages.com

Support our non-profit ministry! If you'd like to help keep new episodes of the podcast coming, please visit  http://livingmarriages.com to make a charitable donation. Thank you!

"We are on the same team!"

This one simple truth has the power to transform our marriages and bring us greater unity. Yet, it is a truth that eludes us as so often we find ourselves seeing our spouse as the problem, rather than being able to confront the problem together with our spouse.

In this episode, we chat about:

• How easy it is for us to forget that we are on the same team
• God's invitation to shift our mindset to one of unity
• How making the time and effort to connect with one another is an important key to unity

We also discuss the Edmonton Oilers latest Stanley Cup playoff run and what we can learn in our marriages by Leon Draisaitl playing good defence.

Next Steps

We'd love to hear from you! If you'd like prayer for your marriage, would like us to journey with you in your marriage or have feedback or ideas for us, get in touch: info@livingmarriages.com

Support our non-profit ministry! If you'd like to help keep new episodes of the podcast coming, please visit  http://livingmarriages.com to make a charitable donation. Thank you!

Do you believe that God has "better" for your marriage? Do you want to join God in discovering all he has for you?

In Episode 32, we heard from Ron and Amanda Falk about how God has invited them on the journey to discovering the freedom and sanctification he has for them in their marriage. It hasn't always been easy or smooth but it has been good.

On today's Thursday Thought, we follow up with some reflections on what sanctification might and might not be in marriage and we pray for the humility and grace we need to be open to what God wants to do in our marriages.

Grab your Bible, journal and your favourite drink and join us as we seek God's heart for our marriage!

Next steps

If you'd like prayer or support for your marriage, or even find a marriage mentor, we'd love to connect with you: info@livingmarriages.com

Please consider supporting this non-profit ministry through prayer and charitable donations. You can find out more at our website: http://livingmarriages.com

Counselling is often seen as a "last ditch" attempt to save a marriage that is in crisis. But what if that wasn't the only time seeing a counsellor could be beneficial?

Today's guests, Ron and Amanda Falk, began seeing a counsellor when things were actually pretty OK in their marriage and have enjoyed incredible growth and fruit in their marriage because of it! 

In today's episode we chat about:

• The benefits of counselling in helping them understand themselves and each other better and how their communication has improved
• How counselling did help in a time of crisis as well
• God's heart for marriage as a place of hope and freedom and their call from God to become marriage mentors

Resources

One tool that they mentioned has been helpful for them is the "Ultimate Intimacy App" designed by a Christian couple. You can find more information on that app here:

https://ultimateintimacy.com/

To become a marriage mentor (or find mentors) in Canada, please visit:

https://www.familylifecanada.com/become-a-homebuilder/#become-a-marriage-mentor

Next Steps

If you'd like to get a hold of us, we'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com

We are a non-profit ministry and need your prayer and financial support to keep this podcast going! Please consider supporting us http://livingmarriages.com

Grab your Bible, journal and your warm favourite beverage and join us for this Thursday Thought as we reflect on and pray through our money stories that we brought into our marriage.

Aaron shares some of his money story and how God has been doing a work of healing in his life around his scarcity mindset. He'll also lead us in a Lectio Divina around Psalm 37:1-7 as we get to hear from the Lord how he invites us to trust and delight in him, especially as it pertains to our money story.

Next steps

Get in touch! We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com

We are a non-profit ministry! If you're feeling called to support us, please visit our website to find out how you can make a charitable donation: http://livingmarriages.com

Money, Sex and In-Laws: These are often the three most intense areas of conflict in any marriage. 

On today's episode, we dive into the area of finances and see how our "money story" (how we were raised to view and treat money) can impact our marriage. We'll also invite you to explore your money story with your spouse with some of these great conversation starters provided below!

Sample Questions to Ask About Your Money Story (from Shaun Maslyk, CFP)

1. What were your childhood experiences with money?
2. What is your earliest money memory?
3. What are your childhood memories, both positive and negative, about money?
4. What money lessons did you learn from your mother, father or another parental figure?

Resources

https://www.moneysense.ca/columns/a-rich-life/whats-your-money-story/

If you'd like to support the work of Living Marriages Ministries (a registered non-profit,) you can make a charitable donation at our new website! http://livingmarriages.com

Get in touch with your feedback, prayer requests or episode ideas: info@livingmarriages.com

Sex is a beautiful and wonderful gift that God has given us within the context of marriage. It is something that we can enjoy, that we can serve one another in and that ultimately is an act of worship. 

However, sex can also be a pain point in many marriages as we wrestle with past trauma, shame and bad teaching.

On this Thursday Thought, we reflect, together with God on our understanding of sex and his hope for us in this area. We ask some important questions of why we think of sex in the ways we do and if there are areas of surrender and healing we need from God. We pray for God's perspective on sex and to increase the sexual intimacy in our marriage.

We also encourage you and your spouse to go back to Episode 28 and our conversation with Kristen Miele. After listening to that and then this episode, spend time with your spouse in a safe and curiosity-filled conversation about sex in your marriage. We pray that it will bless you.

Have some thoughts, questions or would you like to reach out? We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com

Please also consider making a charitable donation to keep this non-profit podcast on the air: www.livingmarriages.com

We thank you for tuning in, for your prayers and support! 

Is sex something that has brought you and your spouse closer together, or has it been a pain point in your marriage? Is sex something you can talk about freely with each other and your kids, or is there a cloud of shame that still hangs over the subject?

We are so thrilled to be joined on this episode by the founder of Sex Ed Reclaimed, Kristen Miele as she shares God's heart and vision for the beauty of sex in marriage.

On this episode: 

• We talk about how our upbringing affects our sex life in marriage, including the effects of "purity culture" teaching
• We hear God's heart and design for sex and how it is in essence, worship
• We discover how learning to talk about sex with our kids is not only essential for them but good for our marriage

To find Kristen's incredible resources and curriculums, please check out her website:

https://www.sexedreclaimed.com/

You can get 15 percent off at Kristen's site with the coupon code CHRISTIANPARENTING

Have any questions or feedback? Get in touch with us: info@livingmarriages.com

When our kids look at our marriages, what do they see? 

Even if you don't have kids, this episode is for you because our marriages matter to others, including the next generation. Join us for this Thursday Thought in which we reflect on and pray about our discussion from Ep. 26 in which we learned that “if we truly want what is best for our children, we need to want what is best for our marriage as well." 

Grab your journal, your Bible, a pen and find a quiet spot for a time of reflection and prayer as we seek God's healing and his best for our marriages so they may be a blessing to others, especially the next generation.

A Breath Prayer from Psalm 147:3

Inhale: You Heal The Brokenhearted

Exhale: And Bind Up Their Wounds

Why is it so hard to trust God, especially when it comes to the area of finances in marriage?

In this Thursday Thought, we reflect on our conversation from ep. 61 with Bob and Linda Lotich and God's invitation to shift our mindset from finding our "Net Worth" to stewarding "Assets Under Management." We reflect on the reality of God's goodness and provision AND the challenge it is as humans to continually trust him in that.

We also pray for a breakthrough in your understanding and trust of God for your finances in your marriage. Grab a pen and your journal and join us for this time of reflection and prayer!

About Bob and Linda + Resources

Bob and Linda Lotich have spent the last 15 years helping millions discover true financial freedom with their award-winning blog SeedTime.com and SeedTime Money podcast. Unlike most financial experts, they lead with grace over judgment and focus on creating hope while washing away the shame so many carry with money. In their new book Simple Money, Rich Life, they share practical steps to save and earn more money in order to fund your God-given purpose and dreams.

For your free copy of "Simple Money, Rich Life" click here.

Support Living Marriages

Thank you so much to those of you who have invested in this non-profit ministry! If you feel God inviting you to partner with us through prayer and a charitable donation, please visit our website to find out how you can do this: https://livingmarriages.com

It's so easy to believe that marriage only matters to a husband and a wife. But as God has really been laying on our hearts, it's time for us to realize that our marriages matter to so many more, especially the next generation. Whether you have kids or not, this episode is for you.

Now, to the parents listening - this episode is not a guilt trip about the ways in which your marriage is hurting your children. It is though, as we found, a gracious "wake-up" call from the Lord to realize that if we truly want what is best for our children, we need to want what is best for our marriage as well.

In this episode, we discuss:

• God's vision for the next generation of marriages
• How our marriage can impact our children's well-being positively and negatively
• How the simple practice of apologizing to our spouse and children can be transformational

Quote:

“In his lab, John found that the amount of stress hormones that show up in a child’s 24-hour urine sample accurately reflects the quality of the parents’ relationship. The worse the marriage, the more stress hormones there are in the child’s urine. There’s no question that the cradle that holds the child is the parental relationship. The cradle can either gently soothe the child to sleep or violently throw her to the floor.” (Dr. Daniel Segel from the Forward to "10 Principals For Doing Effective Couples Therapy")

Resources

10 Principles For Doing Effective Couples Therapy by Drs. Julie and John Gottman

https://www.gottman.com/product/10-principles-for-doing-effective-couples-therapy/

An Article On the Work of Dr. Gordon Harold

https://danieldashnawcouplestherapy.com/blog/parents-fighting-in-front-of-kids#:~:text=In%20another%20study%2C%20Gottman%27s%20research,with%20happy%20and%20stable%20marriages.

A Summary of Some of Dr. Harold's Findings

https://www.familysolutionsgroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Inter-Parental-Conflict-and-Family-Separation.pdf

An Academic Study on "Constructive" vs. "Destructive" Conflict

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3829624/#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20marital%20conflict%20places,Grych%20&%20Fincham%2C%201990).

Have questions? Want to get in touch? We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com

Your support, both financial and prayer, make all the difference! To make a charitable donation, please visit our website: livingmarriages.com

In Episode 24, we had the privilege of having a conversation with Christie Thomas about the importance of small faith habits in discipling our kids.

In this Thursday Thought, April leads us in a time of reflection and prayer, giving us a chance to celebrate with God the little habits we might be sharing in already that form us and our children and asking God to help us build simple, new habits that will stick. (Even if you don't have children, this episode is for you as small faith habits matter to all of us!)

So grab your journal, your Bible and find a quiet place to spend some time with us and the Lord!

Resources:

Little Shoots Deep Roots with Christie Thomas

https://littleshootsdeeproots.com/

Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker

https://littlehousestudio.net/books

We would love to hear from you about some of the little habits that have worked for you and your family's spiritual life. You can e-mail us: info@livingmarriages.com

If you'd like to support us with a charitable donation or find out more about us, please visit our website: www.livingmarriages.com

How do you foster a sense of spiritual connectedness with God and your spouse when you also have the reality of little ones bringing daily joy and chaos?

This is a challenge that we share with many of our listeners. That's why we're so excited to chat with Christie Thomas from Little Shoots, Deep Roots about ways in which we can cultivate a deeper spiritual journey "with" our kids instead of "in spite" of them!

In this conversation you'll hear:

• Why small habits rather than large changes are much more effective in discipling your kids
• Some small practical habits that will help your kids grow with Jesus
• Why and how God is freeing us from the guilt of hypocrisy in raising and discipling our kids

To find out more about Christie's incredible ministry (including books, videos and her new podcast), please visit her website: https://littleshootsdeeproots.com/

For more on Living Marriages or to get in touch with us, visit us at our website: www.livingmarriages.com

or email us: info@livingmarriages.com

On this Thursday Thought, please join us for a time of reflection and prayer as we consider the ways God is inviting us to "plant" and "tend" to the small habits in our marriage so that they may grow into the living, connected and intimate marriage he has for us!

We'll consider the "mustard seeds" in our marriages as well as invite God, our "master gardener" to come and help us tend, weed and even prune what's already there.

To read the parable of the mustard seed, click here for Matthew 13. 

Grab your Bible, your journal and find a quiet space to join us and the Lord!

Want to get in touch? Send us an e-mail info@livingmarriages.com

I confess! I (Aaron) love big, radical things! I'm always looking for the "next big idea" that will change our lives and our marriages, the "silver bullet" or "magic formula" that will bring dramatic transformation. However, while we should not discount the big things, I've been learning the ways in which God is inviting us to discover and invest in the small things. When these are done often, with intentionality and care, they will make a big difference in our marriage.

In this episode:

• We talk about how "small things" is a kingdom principal that applies to our marriages
• We explore the concept of "bids" in relationships as put forward by Dr. John Gottman
• We invite you to find the small things that are already happening often in your marriage and discuss where they aren't happening

Resources

A study from Penn State on how the small things make us feel loved:

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/love-actually-americans-agree-what-makes-people-feel-love

An article from the Gottman Institute on "bids" in relationship:

https://www.gottman.com/blog/marriage-not-big-thing-million-little-things/?

A fun blog from the Gottman Institute on some of the small things couples do for each other:

https://www.gottman.com/blog/small-things-often-ingredients-happy-relationship/

Want to share with us some of the small things you do often for each other? Send us a note! info@livingmarriages.com