

Awesome Marriage Podcast
Dr. Kim Kimberling
Far too many couples are just surviving their marriage when it was meant to thrive. This is the place for practical tips on how to build an awesome marriage. Our passion is to help you strengthen your marriage.
Dr. Kim Kimberling hosts the show. Dr. Kim is the President of Awesome Marriage, has been married for over 50 years, and has been a professional counselor for 40+ years. He is the author of 7 Secrets to An Awesome Marriage ,14 Keys To Lasting Love, and most recently Love, Intimacy and Sex in the Second Half.
Dr. Kim will be joined once a month by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Kimberling. He will also host other great guests that will teach and encourage you as you intentionally pursue an awesome marriage.
Tune in each week to hear practical advice from Dr. Kim.
This podcast is brought to you by the ministry of Awesome Marriage.
Dr. Kim Kimberling hosts the show. Dr. Kim is the President of Awesome Marriage, has been married for over 50 years, and has been a professional counselor for 40+ years. He is the author of 7 Secrets to An Awesome Marriage ,14 Keys To Lasting Love, and most recently Love, Intimacy and Sex in the Second Half.
Dr. Kim will be joined once a month by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Kimberling. He will also host other great guests that will teach and encourage you as you intentionally pursue an awesome marriage.
Tune in each week to hear practical advice from Dr. Kim.
This podcast is brought to you by the ministry of Awesome Marriage.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 9, 2024 • 49min
How to De Escalate Marriage Conflict & Resolve Issues | Ep. 605
Sick of the same old fights over and over with your spouse? Learn to de-escalate marriage fights and resolve issues in a healthy and helpful way. Conflict in marriage is inevitable, but the way you handle it is what matters most. Learning to deal with it well will benefit your marriage in so many ways! Tune in today to learn how. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: Common conflict pitfalls to avoid The problem with "winning" marriage fights Tips to help you break the fighting cycle What to do if one spouse is not ready to reconnect DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Are you stuck in a conflict cycle? If so, work together to identify what's triggering it. Choose 1 tip from Dr. Kim's list below that you will both agree to use this week. *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "When we try our best to avoid conflict, we're not really equipping ourselves with the skills to handle it well." - Lindsay Few "Awareness gives you some insight that can really be useful." Dr. Kim Kimberling MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Learn more about how to make your marriage conflict healthy by joining Dr. Kim for the 8 Guidelines for Fighting Fair Webinar Our Conflict Resolution Cheat Sheet is your quick guide to get marriage conflict on the right track. If you're ready to learn how to do conflict well, the Conflict Resolution Guide helps you diagnose the problem areas in your marriage, then learn the steps to resolve them. It's here! Our 7 Most Popular Resource Bundle is LIVE! That means you can get 7 of our most-loved marriage building resources by making 1 donation of ANY amount to support the ministry of Awesome Marriage! The bundle is available for a limited time only. Get all the details here!

Mar 22, 2024 • 58min
Learn to Turn Conflict Into Connection with Dana Che Williams | Ep. 604
Learn how conflict can create a deeper connection between you and your spouse. Today's special guest, marriage coach Dana Che is very open about the struggles her marriage faced. In today's episode she shares her marriage story, what got them through, and how you can use the conflict you face in marriage to draw you toward deeper connection. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: What we can learn from our conflict triggers How to deal with different conflict styles in marriage Steps to break generational cycles in your marriage The power of speaking life to our spouse and our marriage How being emotionally unavailable tends to show up in husbands and in wives & what to do about it *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "As a wife, I knew I couldn't change my husband … but that didn'' keep me from trying." Dana Che "When you actually engage in conflict, you can start to learn more about your spouse, what's important to them." -Dana Che "You've got to feed the right things if you want to change the wrong things." - Dana Che "Just like you learned that bad behavior, you can unlearn it and learn something new." Dana Che "True repentance is visible." Dana Che "What we believe, we will begin to speak. What we speak, we will begin to behave." Dana Che QUESTIONS FOR YOU What does your most recent marriage conflict reveal about what's most valuable to you? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Find more from Dana at DanaChe.com, where you can take her "Connection Check" quiz Listen to the "Real Relationship Talk" podcast Joining Marriage Changers now means you score a huge haul of marriage-building goods when our annual *7 Most-Popular Resource Bundle* goes live on April 2nd!

Mar 19, 2024 • 44min
Should Christians Go To Counseling? With Jason VanRuler | Ep. 603
Why do Christians need counseling? Isn't the Gospel enough to transform us? We hear these questions fairly often. Today Dr. Kim and special guest Jason VanRuler dive deeper into these questions and the conversation about the role of therapy and counseling in a life devoted to following Jesus. Don't miss this helpful conversation! We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: How often do clients have no idea that they haven't gotten past their past? Unexpected ways your past might be showing up & affecting your marriage today Updating the negative messages we believe about ourselves The effect of vulnerability on our marriage connection *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "Where there's a disconnect in relationships, it's often a disconnect from the system we witnessed growing up and what we're trying to make happen today." - Jason VanRuler "When we get comfortable, the old ways seep out to the surface." - Jason VanRuler "Every time a client says a negative message about themselves, I ask, is that the message you think God gave you?" - Jason VanRuler "One of my great joys is working with people to eliminate distractions so they can focus on the truth and live the life God has called them to."- Jason VanRuler "If we want to feel connected and we're not feeling connected, a lot of times that emotional intimacy and depth is the missing link." - Jason VanRuler "When we get vulnerable and honest, it attracts intimacy from our partner and we have a different relationship." - Jason VanRuler "The marriage we want is often on the other side of vulnerability. We just don't often know how to get there."- Jason VanRuler QUESTIONS FOR YOU Do you recognize any ways you haven't gotten past your past? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Get Jason's book, Get Past Your Past His site: https://www.jasonvr.com/ If you're ready to heal your marriage from p*rn, join us for the "5 Steps to Healing After P*rn Betrayal" LIVE webinar. Joining Marriage Changers now means you score a huge haul of marriage-building goods when our annual *7 Most-Popular Resource Bundle* goes live on April 2nd!

Mar 15, 2024 • 60min
How to Become the Husband You Want to Be with Jim Ramos | Ep. 602
Are you a man living in the stress bubble? It's when the years of marriage, career building and raising kids all happen at once. You're figuring everything out, trying to be there for it all, and it. Is. Stressful. If you're there, you want to hear from a godly dad who has been there. We're so happy to share this conversation with Jim Ramos. Jim's wisdom and experience will equip and encourage you to be the husband and dad you want to be. Don't miss this episode. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: Jim defines the 4 phases of fatherhood Advice for the dad who never had a role model to guide him Common mistakes dads make in the "stress bubble" years Types of provision that the family needs from a husband / father 3 easy things Jim did that he recommends for all couples *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "Whether we tell our kids that we've made mistakes or not, they're still noticing. Especially during those teen years." - Jim Ramos "Our families require much more than physical provision. The damage most men do has nothing to do with physical provision; it has to do with heart care and soul care." Jim Ramos "You don't have to be flashy. You don't have to be Superman. You just have to show up." - Jim Ramos "As men we have to realize our wife is the most important person on the planet, and it's our job to make one person feel special." - Jim Ramos "You will not be remembered for what you did 9-5, you will be remembered for what you did 5-9." - Jim Ramos QUESTIONS FOR YOU Jim shared 5 traits that set a "man" apart from a "male": Protect integrity Fight apathy Pursue God passionately Lead courageously Finish strong each day Which one of these is God calling you to grow in today? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Find Jim online @ https://meninthearena.org/ On instagram @themeninthearena Get the book Strong Men Dangerous Times Listen to the Men in The Arena Podcast

Mar 12, 2024 • 33min
4 More Biblical Prayers to Pray Together to Grow Your Marriage | Ep. 601
Dr. Kim has said that prayer is the #1 most impactful thing you can do for your marriage. Today he explains why that is, and how to make it a habit in your marriage. Today we want to make praying with your spouse more approachable by sharing 4 biblical prayers to pray with your spouse that will grow your marriage. The Bible lists a lot of reasons for marriage, and praying in line with God's purpose and intention for marriage is very powerful. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: Why prayer is an essential act of spiritual protection against the enemy Why it's so hard to get started, and how to overcome Healthy perspective shifts praying will provide in your marriage How to handle some of the uncomfortable realities of answered prayers The power of prayer to help you take personal responsibility *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "Praying together puts God where he wants to be in our marriage: Right in the center of it. - Dr. Kim Kimberling "The enemy does not want Christian marriages to work." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "When you pray together you find that it unites you." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "There's a ripple effect: It's not just about the couple, it's about the family; it's about the community." - Lindsay Few "I am more of who God created me to be after being married to Nancy all these years than I would have been without her." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "God put us together. He's got some fun stuff for us to do. Let's look out and let's get this stuff going!" - Lindsay Few Blame is a very human response…but we all have a way we can influence the world. We do have control over how we're responding to God's call on us." - Lindsay Few QUESTIONS FOR YOU 4 Prayers to Pray together: Protection from the enemy of our souls That your marriage will sharpen you Pray that your marriage be fruitful That your marriage will be a light MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Our 21 Prayers for Building An Awesome Marriage makes it simple to make prayer a regular part of your marriage <3 Find more prayers to grow your marriage in the 7 Prayers YouVersion Bible reading plan

Mar 5, 2024 • 34min
4 Biblical Prayers to Grow You & Your Marriage | Ep. 600
When we pray, it can be tempting to make our prayers a wishlist. But praying in line with God's word changes things, and today we're talking about why that matters and how to pray biblically for your marriage. Today Dr. Kim shares 4 prayers that line up with Scripture that you can be praying daily to grow you, and your marriage! Don't miss this powerful episode. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: Why it matters to pray biblically What makes a prayer biblical The risk involved in praying these things, and the reward they provide How these prayers have impacted Dr. Kim and Nancy's marriage *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES We've probably all heard some things taught, or caught, that were not biblical. We've heard ideas like, 'If God loves you, He'll make you happy,' or 'If you marry the right person, marriage will be easy,' that do not line up with Scripture."- Lindsay Few "Trusting him may be the hardest first step for some of us, because we're not sure what he'll do." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Sometimes the prayer we want answered is just the thing that's easiest for us." - Lindsay Few "He's always good, even though we don't see it at times." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Each of us can be thankful that God knows not only what's best for us, but for the whole world. We don't have to be burdened with that. He's got that." - Lindsay Few "If you're lining up with what God states in his word that He wants to have happen, that's going to be really powerful." - Lindsay Few "We can't hide anything from God." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Sexual desire is created for a reason. It's not a secret from God." - Lindsay Few 4 Prayers to Grow You and Your Marriage: Pray that God will help you love like Christ loved. Ask God to search you, know your heart, and reveal any offensive way. Pray that your desire will be for your spouse only. Ask God to help you see your spouse as He does. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Make prayer a regular part of your marriage with our 21 Prayers for Building An Awesome Marriage If your marriage is struggling to recover after infidelity, please check out our Affair Recovery Course. For less than the cost of 2 counseling sessions, this course helps you learn and take the needed steps to healing. If porn has damaged your marriage, please take advantage of these resources we've created just for you: The Marriage Undefiled Course Dr. Kim's podcast episode with Matt Cline Find more prayers to grow your marriage in the 7 Prayers YouVersion Bible reading plan

Feb 27, 2024 • 48min
What Does It Mean to Find Intimacy with God? With Faith Eury Cho | Ep. 599
What does it look like to live in intimacy with God each day? We are delighted to have Faith Eury Cho with us today, sharing about what friendship with God means, even in the "wilderness" times in our lives. Faith is the CEO and founder of the Honor Summit, a gospel preacher, and author of the new book, Experiencing Friendship with God: How the Wilderness Draws Us to His Presence. Faith does a great job de-mystifying this lofty topic, so you don't want to miss this conversation. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: What does "friendship with God" actually mean? Practical ways to "practice God's presence," even if it seems out of reach How friendship with God impacts marriage How to grow spiritually with your spouse Ways to take these concepts into parenting / grandparenting How to navigate the wilderness seasons of our faith *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "Sometimes without even knowing, we believe so that God can give us a better life." - Faith Eury Cho "Friendship with God is just intimacy on a day to day level." Faith Eury Cho "We need to really redefine what experience actually means. Because if we go into any relationship, any - our spouse, our kids, our friends - having a set agenda of what experiencing that relationship should look like to us, it can be very unhealthy really quick." - Faith Eury Cho "Start simple. Start with something that is a natural offshoot to your regular rhythms of life." - Faith Eury Cho "I remember moments I would tell God, 'I don't have a prayer to pray, I don't have a song to sing, but I'm here.'" - Faith Eury Cho "God cares about every little thing, and we want to give him the opportunity to show us that." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Some of us are friends with fear, not the presence of God, and I think we've got to break up with our fear!" - Faith Eury Cho QUESTIONS FOR YOU What is one way you and your spouse like to worship God together? Have you seen God move during a 'wilderness' season? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Find Faith on Instagram or at her website, www.faitheurycho.com Grab Faith's book, Experiencing Friendship with God: How the Wilderness Draws Us to His Presence. Our 2 Week Couples Scripture Challenge is a practical tool to help you get in the Word with your spouse each day. Find out more here! Our House Prayer Cards are one of our best-loved resources, making it simple to use mundane moments for godly purpose in your home. Learn more HERE! If you'd like to get each of our monthly marriage resources delivered directly to your inbox, while also supporting the non-profit ministry of Awesome Marriage, it's time to become a Marriage Changer! Get all the details here.

Feb 20, 2024 • 33min
How to Make Romance Realistic in Your Marriage | Ep. 598
How's the romance in your marriage? How does it compare to when you were dating? (… and does that matter?) Romance can fall by the wayside in marriage because it seems like an "extra" that you'll get around to when you have extra time or money, or if you feel inspired to make a grand gesture. But today Dr. Kim shares several reasons NOT to let that be the case in your marriage. Listen to learn why you need to bring the romance back and HOW to realistically make that happen. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: Dr. Kim shares specific ways romance benefits a marriage What does romance look like for men vs. for women? What to do if you're just not feeling it Whose job is it to make sure the romance is good? *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "Most people would say at some point it was there. So how do you get it back?" - Dr. Kim Kimberling "We kind of quit doing romantic things because we're not feeling it. Sometimes we have to go ahead and do them, so that we feel it again." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Marriage is a lot better when you've got romance in it." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "I think we'd like it to come naturally, like it does in the movies "It's ok to have the conversation. We have to get past the mindset of, 'If you really loved me, you'd know.'" - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Romance is a great way to show your spouse, I see you, I appreciate you, and I care about what you care about." Lindsay Few QUESTIONS FOR YOU Have you talked about romance with your spouse? Ask them: What is sexy to you? What is romantic to you? Don't judge their answers! Answers may change over time, so check in every now and then. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: - The ❤️🔥Sexy Bundle❤️helps bring the romance riiight on home! Get all the details about this limited time Bundle HERE!

Feb 16, 2024 • 45min
Why Your Everyday Work Matters for Eternity with Jordan Raynor | Ep. 597
Whether you love it or hate it, you spend the majority of your waking hours doing it. And as today's guest tells us, it's mentioned over 800 times in the Bible: We're talking about work. That's why we're so pleased to have Jordan Raynor join us on the podcast today to talk about how your work matters to God - today, every day of your life, and for eternity. This conversation will leave you inspired and encouraged to engage well with the word God is calling you to do, every single day. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: 3 ways your everyday work matters for eternity Why Jordan advocates for making an "Anti-Bucket List" The Biblical truths of Heaven & Eternity that NO ONE is talking about The "abridged Gospel" that most of us believe & the implications we miss if we do The practical ways these deep biblical truths will impact your marriage *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "When we understand what God's word has to say about work, it frees us up to be exceptional both at work and at home." - Jordan Raynor "While God's word is clear that our labor in the Lord is not in vain, it also makes clear that GOd doesn't need you or me - His purposes will not be thwarted. He does not need us, he wants us." - Jordan Raynor "I can be at peace walking away from my work at the end of the day … because I know that if the things on my to - do list are on God's to - do list, he's going to complete them with or without me. That's terrifically freeing." - Jordan Raynor "Scripture mentions work more than 800 times. There's no need to doubt whether or not God cares about your work." - Jordan Raynor "When you understand that 100% of your time at home and at work matters to God, you become fully alive. And this world is desperate to see people that are fully alive." Jordan "I went to Christian school for 13 years. And I remember frequently sitting in chapel, and quietly dreading the thought of heaven. "We are called to keep watch for Christ's return, not by sitting on our hands and waiting for heaven to drop from the sky, but by working with our hands and joining him in cultivating heaven on earth today." - Jordan Raynor QUESTIONS FOR YOU How does the Biblical idea of stewarding your time change your daily work life?

Feb 13, 2024 • 42min
Tips to Master Work - Life Balance in Your Marriage In The Home | Ep. 596
Work - life balance is not limited to the workplace: It's also the work of running a home, and it's a challenge for most couples to share this load well. Today Dr. Kim is sharing some of his best tips for finding balance in the home. The struggle to find work - life balance does not end when you get home in the evening. Taking care of a home and family is a huge portion of our workload that you can't ignore. But you can find ways to handle it well – TOGETHER! We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage. Episode highlights include: Tips for spouses who work outside the home Tips for those who work from home Tips for stay-at-home parents Signs you & your spouse need to work toward better balance The need for boundaries to help with balance; how to work on them together What to do if you get stuck, or if you've tried to address things and it's not working *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES Resolving conflict doesn't have to be a bad thing. It takes work, but when you talk and listen well, you'll find that most things, you can resolve. - Dr. Kim Kimberling At the end of your life, you're not going to look back and say, "I wish I'd looked at my phone a few more times." - Dr. Kim Kimberling If you get stuck, it's ok to get help. - Dr. Kim Kimberling The things that matter work themselves out in the very small details of life. - Lindsay Few Maybe you think everyone else is doing it all, so you're trying to do it all. I don't think that's realistic or healthy. - Lindsay Few It's easy to fall in those traps and not really know that you've even fallen into them. - Dr. Kim Kimberling We have to make sure we're saying what we mean and what we need instead of just hoping our spouse catches the hint. - Lindsay few QUESTIONS FOR YOU Is the workload in your home balanced? Do you have a mentor couple in your life? Are your boundaries with tech (screentime, phones) working well? Talk with your spouse and rate how you're doing with work / life balance together, on a scale of 1-10? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Get all the details about our limited time Sexy Bundle HERE Team You & Me For more help with setting healthy boundaries, listen to our Boundaries Series: Boundaries For Your Marriage: What They Are and Why They Are Important | Ep. 544 Boundaries Within Your Marriage | Ep. 546 Boundaries Outside Your Marriage | Ep. 547 How to Set Marriage Boundaries | Ep. 548 Boundaries & Marriage: What NOT to Do | Ep. 550 Real Stories of Healthy Marriage Boundaries | Ep. 551 Boundaries Q & A | Ep. 552 Boundaries Course


