Awesome Marriage Podcast

You can reduce the stress and conflict in your marriage simply by creating margin. Today's episode unpacks several practical ways to create margin in your marriage. Scripture demonstrates how essential a healthy mindset is, so all month we're getting practical about how to cultivate a healthy mindset and a healthy marriage. Tune into today's episode to learn how to create margin in your marriage. We pray this episode is helpful for you and your marriage! Episode highlights include: The practice Dr. Kim recommends to help you build margin into your marriage and the free resource we offer to make this simple to do Mindset shifts to help you find margin Practical ways to prioritize your marriage *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "It's not just carving out more time for each other, it's how you use that time." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "We talk about your home and marriage being a refuge. You want to create that." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "It's worth the effort to get intentional about this and get on the same page, so you can tackle it as a team." Lindsay Few "Learning to really listen makes a big difference. There's so much value to feeling heard, and knowing that your spouse cares to really listen." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "One thing that really helped us is when we realized we were not each other's enemy." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "Be ok with being counter cultural if that's what's best for your family and your marriage." - Dr. Kim Kimberling QUESTIONS: How can you and your spouse work together to create more margin in your marriage? How can you work together to create a culture of grace in your marriage? What do you really want for your marriage? What do you need to say no to in this season to make that happen? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Contentment doesn't come easily, but is more than worth the effort. Take the steps to grow your contentment with our 15-Day Contentment Challenge! It's yours for a donation of ANY amount to the ministry of Awesome Marriage this Giving Tuesday! Dr. Kim highly recommends a Weekly Check In for every couple – so to make this simple for you, we have created a Weekly Marriage Check In Guide. You can snag this resource for free when you sign up for the One Thing to Grow Your Marriage email series! We really enjoyed the book "Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" mentioned in today's episode

Cut the stress out of gift giving this Christmas. If shopping for your spouse (and anyone else on your list) feels daunting, this episode is for you. In this episode Patrick Kucharson, the Better Gift Coach, shares how to give gifts that will resonate with their recipients, strategies to become a better gift-giver, and great gift tips for any budget (including free!). Tune in to learn more! Episode highlights include: Simple strategies to know what they really want Why you need to make brainstorming gift ideas a team sport - and who to recruit to your team The categories of not-so-good gifts you do not want to fall into this Christmas! Patrick's Golden Rule of Gift-Giving *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "How much thought you put into a gift doesn't necessarily translate into the value the gift recipient will assign to it." - Patrick Kucharson "Give gifts that you know they want to receive, over gifts that you want to give." - Patrick Kucharson "It's showing that you appreciate them. You're listening." - Patrick Kucharson "A shortcut for gift-giving: Look around, take note of the negatives, and try to give gifts that will remove them." - Patrick Kucharson QUESTIONS: What's your favorite gift you've given your spouse, and what made it great? Who can you recruit to your "gift brainstorming team" this season? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Patrick's Better Gift Coach free weekly email is every bit as entertaining and insightful Patrick was on today's podcast! Sign up HERE! You can also find him on Instagram In the midst of all the gift talk, take time to look for something only God can give: Contentment. Grad our 15-Day Contentment Challenge with your donation of ANY amount and pursue true contentment.

Gratitude is a powerful mindset – it affects our mind, our marriage, even our physical health! Scripture is clear that our mindset is very important, so this month we're digging into how to cultivate a healthy mindset and a healthy marriage. Today we're talking about the power of gratitude. What makes this trait so important, and how can we cultivate it? Tune in for all the details! Episode highlights include: Dr. Kim and Lindsay share how gratitude helped them each deal with depression The way gratitude helps your marriage and your outlook on life Why growing in gratitude actually ends up leading to – more gratitude! Practical ways to cultivate gratitude in every day *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! QUOTES "I think we're wired to give thanks and be grateful to God." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "When we acknowledge on a regular basis what we're thankful for, we tend to be happier and less depressed." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "It's looking at what's actually happening in my life. What is God doing? What is here today? It brings you back into the present."- Lindsay Few "I think the more we acknowledge who He is in our lives and worship him for that, that goes a long way to changing our gratitude." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "I don't think God put us together to grumble for 50 years. I think He put us together to grow, to learn, and to be grateful." - Dr. Kim Kimberling "I think it helps us to serve our spouse and serve our God better when our frame of mind is healthier. And I think gratitude makes it healthier." - Dr. Kim Kimberling QUESTIONS So many things in the world are out of our control, but God IS in control. What is 1 reason you are thankful that He is in control today? When you think something good about your spouse, say it! What do you appreciate about your spouse? What is 1 thing you can do to be more present with your spouse today? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Contentment doesn't come easily, but is more than worth the effort! Grab our 15-Day Contentment Challenge with a donation of ANY amount to the ministry of Awesome Marriage this Giving Tuesday! LEARN MORE HERE! The 27 Scripture Prayer Cards resource is a beautiful way to remember scripture and to bring the power of prayer into your marriage each day! It's the perfect time to sign up for Dr. Kim's daily One Thing to Grow Your Marriage email series, since this week's emails give you simple ways to practice gratitude with your spouse

Has blame crept into your marriage? If so, your marriage is certainly suffering its effects. But it does not have to stay that way! Today Dr. Kim helps you discover how to identify and remove this damaging habit from your marriage. Scripture is clear that our mindset matters, and that we have the ability to change our minds! So this month we're digging into how to cultivate a healthy mindset and a healthy marriage. Dig in today to start dismantling the blame. Episode highlights include: How to identify - and break - subtle blame patterns Why expecting each spouse to give their 50% share to the marriage just doesn't add up Dr. Kim and Lindsay get real about how blame has impacted their marriages How to remove blame from our efforts to show our spouse love How to address the issue healthily instead *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Dr. Kim mentioned this article from Harvard Health in the episode Contentment doesn't come easily, but it's SO worth the work! Get our 15-Day Contentment Challenge with a donation of ANY amount to the ministry of Awesome Marriage this Giving Tuesday! Learn more here! 15 Daily Prayers Bundle More mindset resources: Dr. Kim's Mind Craft Plan Switch On Your Brain by Dr. Leaf (includes the "21-Day Brain Detox")

Calling all military spouses AND frequent travelers: Do not miss this bonus episode! Today we're thrilled to have Jen McDonald of Milspouse Matters join us on the podcast. Jen is full of wisdom and warmth as well as practical tips and advice on how to weather a marriage separated by distance and the unique challenges of military life. Tune in and be encouraged by her story! Episode highlights include: The parts of military life that Jen was NOT prepared for The realities of deployment and reintegration Practical things that helped her marriage stay connected during deployment *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Find Jen on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter (X) Get Jen's Amazon bestselling book: You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse And her new book Milspouse Matters: Sharing Strength Through Our Stories She also has several Military Spouse Resources on her site (including the The 5-Day Deployment Devotional and deployment resources for families and kids). Jen has graciously offered our listeners 10% off when you use the code marriage10 at checkout! (Discount available through 12/31/23.) Resources for kids / families: The Comfort Crew for Military Kids Military Child Education Coalition Military Kids Connect Military OneSource (info and support for families) Military and Family Life Counseling Program (free!)

What does it mean to "reframe?" And how can you know if you need to do it? Reframing is a term Dr. Kim has used in past episodes, and today we learn exactly what it means and the practical steps to do it. Scripture is clear that our mindset is very important, so this month we're digging into how to cultivate a healthy mindset and a healthy marriage. Tune into today's episode for the details! Episode highlights include: The Biblical basis and Scripture to support the concept of reframing Practical steps of the reframing process What to do if your spouse frames you negatively *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Dr. Kim's Mind Craft Plan (I accidentally referred to it as Mind Your Marriage in the episode) is a great place to start! Caroline Leaf's book, Switch On Your Brain includes the "21-Day Brain Detox" Dr. Kim mentioned in the episode The Weekly Marriage Check In is a great way to stay connected with your spouse, and you get this printable resource FREE when you sign up for the One Thing email! Get all the details here. Being self-aware is a gift to your marriage, yourself and everyone around you! Our Self Check In Guide is a tool to take you through the process of growing self-aware. Dr. Kim mentioned our Marriage Changers Membership, where he and Nancy share exclusive video content each month. Marriage Changers also get automatic access to each new monthly resource we create. Learn more here. Scripture references: Romans 12:2 Proverbs 4:23 1 Corinthians 2:16 Romans 8:6

You know that moment when things go quickly from okay to "What just happened?" in your marriage? Suddenly there's tension and you're totally disconnected. Today, we are so happy to have Dr. Glenn and Phyllis Hill join us on the podcast. They do a great job explaining what goes wrong in that moment, and how to prevent it from happening again. Tune in to learn more! Episode highlights include: The shift that completely changed how they approached conflict The 1 question to stop asking in fights and the better 1 to ask instead The Hills unpack what it means that identity is the #1 human need, and how that plays out in marriage A practical tool to easily learn how to emotions well together How disconnection can affect family life and strategies to handle it *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Find more from Dr. Glenn and Phyllis at their website: https://www.connectioncodes.co/ and make sure to use the code AWESOME20 for 20% off any of their classes! Learn more about using this process to connect in their book: The Connection Codes or on The Connection Codes Podcast! Download your free copy of the Hill's Core Emotion Wheel! You are invited to Dr. Kim's free webinar, 8 Guidelines for Fighting Fair in Your Marriage. Get all the details HERE

We're so used to seeing sex allll around us - skin sells, after all! But today, Joshua Ryan Butler shows us how we are still likely to miss so much of what sex is designed to show us. Sex is everywhere – except being talked about by the married couples who are (hopefully!) having it, and the churches and families who desperately need a robust theology of God's purpose for sex and sexuality. Today's episode takes a look at why sex is so much more than right / wrong or rules, and why that truth is incredibly freeing. Tune in to learn more. Episode highlights include: Why does it matter what we believe about God's purpose for sex? How to unpack the tension between what culture says vs church says about sex Why a better relationship with God leads to better sex in your marriage (and a better marriage in general!) Specifically why our male / female differences are so valuable The shift from rule-keeping to image-bearing and what it means for our lives *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Find more from Joshua on his website at Joshuaryanbutler.com If you enjoyed today's episode, you will love Joshua's new book, Beautiful Union! You can break the conflict cycle in your marriage! Dr. Kim is hosting a FREE webinar on Friday 10/27. Get all the details HERE Ready to gain REAL freedom and healing from porn in your marriage? Learn more about how you can do that with our new course, Marriage Undefiled: How To Overcome Porn and Heal Your Marriage HERE

This is the place for honest conversations and practical advice on how to have an awesome marriage. In this brief trailer, Dr. Kim Kimberling and co-host Lindsay Few share what you can expect to hear on the Awesome Marriage podcast each week. If you enjoy the podcast, follow along here or at awesomemarriage.com/podcast for questions in each week's show notes that will help you and your spouse apply the info in each episode. We pray this content is helpful for you and your marriage! * Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! * You can find all of Awesome Marriage's helpful resources on our website.

What is a gospel perspective of sexuality? It's hard to answer, since too often, sex is not talked about in the church. Yet it's literally everywhere in the world around us. Most couples struggle with their sex life at some point and parents are deeply concerned about helping their kids navigate the topic in a God-honoring way in the midst of all of culture's chaos. That is why we are honored to have Dr. Juli Slattery on the podcast today, sharing her vast knowledge and wisdom on the subject. You don't want to miss what she has to say. Episode highlights include: Why a biblical worldview of sexuality is actually very freeing How disruptions to your sex life can become a springboard to greater intimacy 4 specific aspects of God's love that should define healthy sex in marriage The process to engage so you can equip your kids to navigate sexuality biblically Encouragement for couples who are struggling in this area *Music for this podcast is created by Noah Copeland. Check him out here! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: For more great info from Juli: Her newest book: God, Sex, and Your Marriage Her podcast: Java with Juli Her website: authenticintimacy.com Books by the authors mentioned in the episode: Celebration of Sex, by Douglas Rosenau, The Married Guy's Guide to Great Sex and Enjoy! The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women, both by Cliff and Joyce Penner Refresh your marriage this fall with the 4th Annual Online Marriage Retreat. The retreat is live NOW! This year's theme is Refresh: Break Through the Barriers to an Awesome Marriage. It's packed with teaching sessions from our amazing speakers to bring you practical ways to break through the barriers that keep your marriage from being awesome. Click HERE for all the details! Set your marriage up for better satisfaction in the bedroom when you get your head in the game with the Think Sex Challenge!