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

In Nehemiah 12, we see God's people gather to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness to his people through a difficult time in their history. We also see God giving us a blueprint for how worship in song matters and can transform our marriages families.
In worship:
God reminds us that our story is a part of his bigger story
God renews our minds and our relationships
God invites us to rejoice beyond our circumstances
We've been trying to begin a practice of worship as a family and though we're only getting started, it's been a beautiful thing to experience so far. How is God inviting you and your family to begin worshipping him together?
 
Resources
You can check out Aaron's sermon on Nehemiah 12 here.
Questions? Episode ideas? Want prayer? Please get in touch with us. We'd love to hear from you! info@livingmarriages.com
 
 

A recent conversation with a stranger with grown kids got us thinking about the direction our family and our marriage are going. We've only got so much time with our kids at home to disciple them and model for them the values we feel God calling us to. How are we doing? In this conversation we talk about:
Why today is the day to start making decisions about your family's directions and why it's never too late to start
What are the things that your family and your marriage values? Is God calling you to more?
What are some small changes to our direction we can make so we'll arrive at the destination we want?
Get in touch and let us know how we can be praying for you and cheering you on!
info@livingmarriages.com
Resources
We've been really enjoying these books lately and will have more to say on each of them soon!
Dopamine Kids by Michaeleen Doucleff
Raising Amazing by Monica Swanson
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

We are away this week celebrating our 15th anniversary so we wanted to share one of our favourite episodes from the Living Marriages archive...our first conversation with Dr. John Littlejohn. We'll be back with fresh content next week. Enjoy!
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
 

Have you ever gone through times when you've felt distant from God; when it feels like he isn't present? Or maybe you're so consumed by the current struggle that you don't even have the mental or emotional capacity to remember his goodness and faithfulness in times past. It is so easy to forget that the God that we serve is with us in the midst of it all; loving us. Sometimes he even surprises us with the goodness of that love.
Recently, our family experienced a gift of God's surprising love as we grieved the passing of my (April's) dad. In his love and grace, God reached through the fog we were in and reminded us of his presence with us as our Good Shepherd, even in the midst of our overwhelm and sorrow. We were so impacted by this outpouring of God's love, and wanted to bring glory to him through sharing it, so here it is. We pray it brings you hope and encouragement as we're reminded of the God who loves and cares for us.

Early on in their marriage, Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith thought they would help others in their marriage. They were both in seminary receiving excellent training, they both had a heart to help others. Little did they know that even though they would help others in their marriage, God needed to do a deep work in their marriage first.
It began by confronting the lie that was at the centre of their marriage - Matthew's hidden pornography addiction. It led to a painful yet ultimately freeing disclosure; it continued with a difficult yet fruitful journey of ongoing recovery and rebuilding. Betrayal trauma was a new term in their day and now God has used the Raabsmith's journey to help others not just recover from betrayal but to thrive in a marriage built on trust and lasting intimacy. 
Resources
You can find out more about Joanna and Matthew's ministry, book, coaching and other resources by clicking here.
 

Routine is good. In fact, our family tends to thrive on routine!
However, making space for adventure and spontaneity is also good. In fact, we'd say it's an essential part of being human. If we are made in the image of God and he is creative, we need space for fun and creativity as well.
We know...it takes effort to be spontaneous and energy to seek playfulness and adventure. But the payoff for your marriage and family will be tremendous. Will you join us in seeking God's fun and adventure for our marriages and families?
Resources
Here is a link to the book we mentioned: Creative Love by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff
If you have questions or would like some prayer, we'd love to hear from you. And if you have ideas for some fun and spontaneous adventures, please drop us a line! info@livingmarriages.com
 

After tragedy struck their family, Ian and Courtney Hogaboam heard from God. It started with a recurring dream for Courtney and it ended up with Jesus becoming the centre of their lives and their marriage. Since then, Ian and Courtney have become dear friends, regular listeners of the Living Marriages Podcast and marriage mentees.
In our conversation, we discover:
How Jesus sought them out in difficult times in their lives 
The difference Jesus has made in their lives and in their family
The benefits of marriage mentoring
What their six-year-old thinks marriage is really about
Resources
Want to get connected with marriage mentors? Find out if your church has a mentoring program or contact us: info@livingmarriages.com
You can also check out FamilyLife Canada's website (if you're in Canada) for some online mentoring. https://familylifecanada.com/mentoring
 

Assertiveness, Assumptions, Aggression: only one of these things is healthy in a marriage (hint: it's the first one!)
Assertiveness is critical for any marriage as it allows us to be seen and heard and it rescues us from assumptions. However, it does not come easy for many of us though, owing to past wounding, personality type or even an unsafe space to express ourselves in marriage. For others, assertiveness comes easily but often it can come with aggression and defensiveness creating that unsafe space. What's God's hope for couples who find themselves trapped in either of these extremes of assertiveness?
In this conversation we explore:
our fundamental need as humans to be seen and known by others
the critical importance of assertiveness in a marriage
why some people get nervous at the word "assertiveness" and how to overcome that
why others pair aggression with assertiveness and how to move past that
the importance of using "I want..." statements and responding with open-ended questions
Resources and Next Steps
If you'd like help finding hope and healing in these areas or a community to walk with in this, please get in touch with us: info@livingmarriages.com
We'd love to pray with you and see if we can connect you with some resources and community to help you along your journey with God and each other.

In the hands of the enemy, differences can be used to drive our marriages and families apart. But in the hands of the Holy Spirit joined with curious and humble hearts, differences can truly strengthen a marriage.
In this episode you'll hear about:
How assumptions can kill your relationship
The 80/20 rule when it comes to understanding gender differences
The critical importance of curiosity in your marriage
The dangers couples who are more similar face
Resources
Strengths Based Marriage Book by Jimmy Evans and Allan Kelsey
Open-ended questions to ask one another:
"What is your greatest need in our marriage?"
"Is there any way I hurt you this past week?"
"Was there a way in which I blessed you this past week?"
"How can I pray for you this coming week?"
 

Sex and finances are the two topics that we seem to find ourselves coming back to often because they are two of the largest stress points in any marriage. 
On this episode, we talk about:
Our journey with money and learning what "mammon" is
Exploring Jesus' puzzling parable on money from Luke 16
Learning to see money as a tool for the kingdom that is to be leveraged
Learning to trust God as our Good Shepherd in whom we "lack nothing"
Resources
Read Luke 16 here.
Find our conversation with Bob and Linda Lotich of SeedTime here. 
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you and have the chance to pray with you! Get in touch: info@livingmarriages.com