PodcastsKids & FamilyThe Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

Aaron Au, April Au | Marriage Coaching and Mentoring
The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting
Latest episode

113 episodes

  • The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

    Best of: How "Small Things Often" Can Impact Your Marriage For A Lifetime

    2026-03-17 | 19 mins.
    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! [email protected]
  • The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

    Best of: Honeymoon Habits That Will Transform Your Marriage with Braden and Kristen Hafner

    2026-03-10 | 42 mins.
    Difference and Drift. These 2 things can be subtle but deadly for our marriages.

    Have you discovered some differences with your spouse that have left you discouraged? Do you find yourself drifting further and further apart from your partner?

    We're so excited to share our conversation with Braden and Kristin Hafner of Family Life Canada about God's hope for our marriages!

    On this episode you'll hear:

    Why marriage matters to God and us

    How differences and drift can sabotage our marriages

    How there is hope and healing in Christ for our marriages

    How the small habits can really bring transformation

    If you'd like to find out more about Braden and Kristin's work with Family Life Canada (including more information about the weekend getaways) please click here: https://www.familylifecanada.com/

    What are some "honeymoon habits" that you and your spouse enjoy? Let us know! [email protected]
  • The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

    Best of: Why Intimacy Goes Beyond the Bedroom in Marriage

    2026-03-03 | 16 mins.
    When we use the word "intimacy," our culture (and even our churches) have conditioned us to think of what happens in the bedroom, of sexual intimacy.

    While sexual intimacy is an integral part of marriage, it is not the full picture of what God has created us for and invited us into. There is so much more to intimacy and today's episode is meant to get the conversation going on what intimacy in marriage can look like beyond the bedroom.

    According to Eric Erickson, intimacy is the potential someone has for connectedness and it hinges on 3 things:

    Commitment

    Vulnerability

    Communication

    Two important questions we ask about intimacy in marriage:

    Is it safe to love?

    Is it safe to be loved?

    Resources:

    This is a bit of a technical paper (but still very approachable) and is a good look at Erickson's ideas on intimacy:

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2733523/#:~:text=As%20such%2C%20Erikson%20emphasized%20three,communicate%20inner%20thoughts%20and%20feelings.

    A link to Henri Nouwen's essays on Intimacy:

    https://archive.org/details/intimacyessaysin0000nouw

    Have questions or need prayer? Get in touch with us: [email protected]
  • The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

    Best Of: Overcoming Shame with Grace in Your Marriage with Katie Skurja

    2026-02-24 | 43 mins.
    This is a first for the Living Marriages Podcast - a rebroadcast of one of our and your favourite episodes! Be encouraged as we re-visit this conversation with our good friend and mentor, Katie Skurja.

    ------

    "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 [email protected]
  • The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

    An Important Update to the Living Marriages Podcast

    2026-02-19 | 4 mins.
    Greetings friends!

    When we began the Living Marriages podcast over a year ago, we could never have imagined what a wonderful ride God was inviting us to - one filled with inspiring interviews, challenging conversations and the incredible opportunity to get to know some of you, our listeners.

    We felt called from the beginning to offer 2 episodes a week (outside of once-a-week summer episodes) and we soon settled into a rhythm of Tuesday conversations and Thursday reflections and prayers.

    Well, God moves us into new seasons and it feels like a new season has arrived for us! As our work with FamilyLife Canada is ramping up and our need for rest becoming more evident, we're making some changes to the podcast. This is our last Thursday Thought episode as we transition to one weekly episode. We will still have times for prayer and reflection in our main episode and offer, from time to time a bonus episode in case it feels like God is calling us to extra reflection and prayer. 

    Thank you for sticking with us as we walk into a new season together with God and each other!

More Kids & Family podcasts

About The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting

The Go-To Podcast for Those Who Want To Rebuild Intimacy and Connection in Their Christ Centered MarriageHas the excitement of your wedding day now faded into the background? Are you so exhausted that the last thing you want to think about is your marriage?Do you and your spouse feel like ships passing in the night?If you’re craving the intimate, connected marriage God has for you, you’ve come to the right place!We’re April and Aaron Au, marriage coaches with over a decade of experience, who are on the journey to finding God’s best for our marriage while raising two young boys.We recently heard this wisdom: “If your marriage isn’t growing, it’s dying.” Yikes! That really got our attention! But if you think about it, it’s true. Marriages need direction, purpose and a common vision to thrive. If they don’t, they will inevitably drift apart. When you add the pressures of raising young children and the grind of daily work to the mix, there are even more forces that threaten to pull our marriages apart.Thankfully, God has a beautiful vision for our marriages. He wants us to cultivate and enjoy intimacy and connection in our marriage. What’s more, God wants to breathe his Spirit and life into our marriages through beautiful encounters with him in prayer and worship. In this podcast, we’ll learn about:- Simple, healthy habits that lead to effective communication and intentional conversations- The assumptions and expectations that can sabotage our marriages- How community is essential for a connected marriage- God’s heart to bring healing and wholeness to us, as individuals and as a familyAnd of course, we’ll dive into all of the fun topics like sex, money, parenting and why you shouldn’t buy a car without talking to your spouse first. We’ll also have space to encounter God through prayer, worship and reflection through regular episodes called “Thursday Thoughts.”So join us on this beautiful journey that we call “Living Marriages.”Get in [email protected] the podcast? You can make a charitable donation to keep fresh content coming: https://livingmarriages.com
Podcast website

Listen to The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting, Greeking Out from National Geographic Kids and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features