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

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with a couple who had been married for 60 years! When asked the one indispensable thing in their marriage, their answer was "friendship."

The Gottman Institute is celebrating 30 years of serving marriages and recently compiled a list of 30 things they've learned over the years about love. The number one thing? "Friendship is the foundation of lasting love."

On this episode we talk about:

The nature of God and why as his image-bearers we are made for friendship

The foundational importance of marital friendship and friendship with God

Why NOW is the time to start making time to cultivate your friendship once again

Resources

An article on why friendship keeps us healthy: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/cover-story-science-friendship

Get in touch

Want prayer or support to help you cultivate the friendship in your marriage? Get in touch with us! We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com

Intimacy is one of our favourite topics at the Living Marriages Podcast and we've talked about many kinds of intimacy, both in and beyond the bedroom. On this episode, we talk about what it looks like to connect on an intellectual or interest level:

We define what intellectual intimacy is

How to connect even when your spouse's interest is not your own (including the appreciation of clouds)

Practical ideas for things you can do to build intellectual intimacy

Connect With Us

Do you have ideas for intellectual intimacy you can share with us and our listeners? Contact us! info@livingmarriages.com

Self-care is an extremely important part of being a healthy and present spouse and parent in any marriage and family. But what if what we're doing to care for ourselves is actually doing us and our marriage more harm than good?

In today's conversation we look at:

Why self-care may look different for different people

Why we need to remain open to the kind of self-care God is leading us into

Why self-care should not come at the expense of another

Next steps

What is self-care for you? How has God challenged or invited you to care for yourself so that you can care for others? Let us know! info@livingmarriages.com

Are things feeling stressful and chaotic in your marriage or with your kids? What if there was a way to reduce the stress in your family through  conversation?

On this episode, we explore:

How we can hold each other's "emotional balloons" (curious? Make sure to tune in and find out more about this image God gave April!)

What a "stress-reducing conversation" is and why it can be so beneficial

8 guidelines to having this conversation

Resources

From the Gottman Institute, 8 guidelines to having a "stress-reducing conversation":

1. Take turns. Each partner gets a set time to be the speaker.
2. Don’t give unsolicited advice. Focus on understanding before offering solutions.
3. Show genuine interest. Stay attentive and focused on your partner.
4. Communicate understanding. Reflect back what you hear to show empathy.
5. Take your partner’s side. Be supportive, even if you don’t fully agree.
6. Adopt a “we’re in this together” attitude. You’re a team, not opponents.
7. Express affection. Offer warmth through words or touch.
8. Validate emotions. Let your partner know their feelings make sense.

You can find more on this conversation and other great resources here: https://www.gottman.com/blog/how-to-stress-reducing-conversation/

Get In Touch

We'd love to hear from you with your feedback, show ideas or how we can be praying for you! Get in touch: info@livingmarriages.com

Assumptions always complicate marriages. However, when two people are coming from two different cultures, those assumptions can seem worlds apart. Today's guests, Pesa and Whitney Shayo of liveyourbestmarriage.com have been navigating the challenges and opportunities of an inter-cultural marriage for 22 years and have been helping others do the same, finding a Christ-centred marriage.

In our conversation, you'll hear:

How naming babies and bringing home unprocessed goat meat led to some difficult times

Why friendship and unity matter, not just in an inter-cultural marriage but in all marriages

The transformational shift seeing your spouse as your friend, not your enemy will bring

How Jesus brings unity to any marriage, if we'll allow him

Resources

You can find out more about Pesa and Whitney, as well as take their free United Front audit at their website. Here you'll find out more about their books, coaching offerings and podcast as well.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you about show ideas or if you'd like prayer. Get in touch with us! info@livingmarriages.com