Claim OwnershipThe Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting
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The Go-To Podcast for Those Who Want To Rebuild Intimacy and Connection in Their Christ Centered Marriage
Has 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 family
And 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 touch!
info@livingmarriages.com
Like the podcast? You can make a charitable donation to keep fresh content coming: https://livingmarriages.com
111 Episodes
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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: info@livingmarriages.com
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.
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"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 info@livingmarriages.org
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!
Are you feeling hurried, busy beyond what you thought was possible, stripped of joy? Our culture has a solution for you - buy this bathrobe or three of these candles or this SUV to take you to the mountains so you can find the rest you so desperately want and need.
They have one thing right - we need this rest! But here's what they have wrong - you don't need to buy it. God offers it to you. It's on the first page of the Bible!
Join us for this conversation where we explore:
What Sabbath truly is
What it means to "work from rest" rather than "rest from work"
Why God's heart for Sabbath rest for us today matters more than ever
Why legalism will ruin Sabbath for anybody
Why we need to give ourselves grace as we seek to practice, not perfect Sabbath
Here are a few of the resources we referenced during our conversation:
The Body Teaches The Soul by Justin Whitmel Earley
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
Next Steps
Do you have some Sabbath practices that work for you? Get in touch so we can share them with our listeners! info@livingmarriages.com
We'd love to pray with you and hear how things are going in your marriage and family as well!
On this Thursday Thought, we provide some time for reflection as God invites us to consider:
Are there areas of our marriage or our lives where we don't feel contented or satisfied? If so, why might that be?
In what ways is God calling us to a fast in those areas, whether that be from food or spending?
Where do you have a sense that God is inviting you to fast in order to prepare you for his feast?
For those interested in trying a "No-Spend Week" here is some advice from what we've learned:
1. Prepare! Make sure you have what you need for the week you won't be spending.
2. Do it in community. Ask another family or your small group to join you in this.
3. Give yourself grace. There will be things that don't go according to plan this week.
4. Pay attention. Are you still being drawn to fill your online shopping cart even if you aren't spending? What are you filling your time with that you'd normally be spending shopping? What is God trying to teach you as you observe these things?
Interested in a food fast? You can find a resource to explore here.
Next Steps
Thanks for tuning in! We'd love to hear from you with how things are going with any fast God is inviting you into. We'd also love to pray for you. Get in touch! info@livingmarriages.com
Dopamine is profitable. We live in an age where everything is designed to give us quick dopamine hits, from our devices to our online shopping carts, because retailers and marketers know that dopamine drives sales.
But is this what God designed us for? As individuals and in our marriages? On this episode, we share about our experience of doing a "No Spend Week". We talk about:
The difficulties there are in overcoming these quick dopamine hits
What we learned from our week of not spending
Why it's important to flex our "no muscle" (thanks to Bob and Linda Lotich for that reference!)
Two tips for starting your "No Spend Week"
Next Steps
Let us know if you're going to try a No Spend Week so we can be praying for you and encouraging you! info@livingmarriages.com
In our last episode, we discussed the dangers and harm that can come to our relationships from unhealthy relationships with our devices.
Today, we're providing space for us to reflect with God and one another. How have I given in to my phone and social media's design to give me quick dopamine hits? How has this replaced the slower work of intimacy and conversation in my marriage and family? How is God inviting me to more?
We'll also pray for God's freedom for us from our devices and new habits to make sure our phones don't have the last word in our relationships.
Next Steps
Would you like some accountability or encouragement? Prayer? Please feel free to get in touch with us. It's always an honour hearing from you: info@livingmarriages.com
We recently heard a very convicting conversation between Joey Odom of ReclaimWell and the great folks over at the Intentional Parenthood Podcast. In that conversation, Joey warns of how the phone can really kill intimacy between spouses and harm relationships between parents and children.
On this episode, we review some of the harmful habits and attitudes we've formed around our devices and seek to discover God's hope, one small change at a time.
We also make one suggestion we feel so strongly about that we put it directly in the show notes and that we believe will help you break proximity with your device: please do not charge your phones in your bedrooms! The harm far outweighs the good.
Next Steps
Join us for this Thursday's episode where we provide space for reflection on the relationship between us and our devices.
If you'd like to get in touch for prayer, encouragement or if you have show ideas, email us: info@livingmarriages.com
On this Thursday Thought, we re-visit our powerful conversation with Dr. John Littlejohn. (Listen to that on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening to us from!)
We reflect on the ways we intentionally or unintentionally fall into idolatry, how to seek God first, especially in the mundane and unpack the difference between an inward-focused grumbling that negatively affects our life and marriage and a God-focused groaning, where the Spirit of God groans with us. (Romans 8:22-27)
We pray for those of us who feel like we're caught in a cycle of grumbling and complaint.
Next steps
If you'd like to get in touch with a prayer request or episode idea, we'd love to hear from you! info@livingmarriages.com
You can also donate to this non-profit ministry at our website - https://livingmarriages.com
God bless!
For our 101st episode, we're thrilled to welcome back our great friend and a favourite podcast guest, Dr. John Littlejohn! We hear God's heart and word for his people in 2026, including:
What it means for our lives and marriages to put God first
What that means for us in the mundane details of life and marriage
God's invitation to discover the plank in our eye before trying to take the speck out of our spouse's
You'll also hear the first ever reference to Stevie Wonder on the Living Marriages Podcast!
To find out more about Dr. John Littlejohn and his ministry and music, please click here.
Next Steps
Need some encouragement? Have an episode idea? Get in touch with us! We're always so excited to hear from you. info@livingmarriages.com
Make a charitable donation to this non-profit ministry at our website - https://livingmarriages.com
100 episodes ago, we asked a single question: Is your marriage healthy, or is it just dry bones? Today, we are celebrating 100 moments of God’s faithfulness, 100 conversations about intimacy, and the incredible goodness of a God who breathes life into the hardest places of our relationships.
In this milestone episode of The Living Marriages Podcast, we are going back to where it all began. We re-visit the original vision God gave us from Ezekiel 37—the vision that launched Episode 1—and reflect on how that "Dry Bones" message is more relevant today than ever before.
Next Steps
Help us celebrate! The best "gift" you could give us for Episode 100 is to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this episode with one couple who needs to hear that their "dry bones" can live again.
Feel free to get in touch with us for prayer, encouragement and if you have episode ideas or guest suggestions! info@livingmarriages.com
Healthy Marriage, Ezekiel 37 Marriage, God’s Faithfulness in Marriage, The Living Marriages Podcast, Christian Relationship Advice, Restoration of Marriage, Marriage Mentoring
If you've ever felt like a failure because you've had a hard time getting a family devotional started, this episode is for you. We’re sharing the one habit we’ve attached to our morning breakfast routine that's been working so far —and why God's grace is more important than perfection, especially when Kim Chi ruins breakfast!
Resources
A free online family devotional that uses the practice of lectio divina.
This is The Biggest Story devotional our family has been using. This resource is written from a Reformed perspective. There are helpful videos that lead off each week's readings. Sometimes the questions are a bit simplistic or leading but overall our family has found it helpful. We'll often ask the kids our own questions based on the readings which have led to some incredibly fruitful conversations! (If you have the curiosity of a kid, you'll come up with some great questions for them!)
Next Steps
Feel free to get in touch with us for prayer, resources or with your episode ideas and guest suggestions! It's always a blessing hearing from you! info@livingmarriages.com
In Episode 97, we interviewed renowned author Sheila Wray Gregoire about God's beautiful vision for sex and intimacy and how, sadly, there has been much harmful teaching and messaging that has made sex feel like anything other than a good gift from a good God.
On this Thursday Thought, join us as we provide space and reflection to examine the messages we have learned about sex, how that has shaped our view and practice and intimacy in marriage and receive God's invitation to remain curious in this area. We also pray for God's healing, wholeness and freedom in the area of sexual intimacy in marriage.
Next Steps
Would you like prayer or to connect? We'd love to hear from you! info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to donate to this non-profit ministry, please visit our website to make a charitable donation: https://livingmarriages.com
Author Sheila Wray Gregoire has been writing Christian marriage and sex-advice since 2003. But in 2019, she made a shocking discovery about much of the advice that is out there for Christian couples.
In our wide-ranging conversation with Sheila you'll hear:
How Sheila discovered the harm that some best-selling Christian marriage books were causing readers and what she's doing about it
How the beauty and intimacy of sex as God created it goes so far beyond intercourse
How the message of purity culture was hurtful to so many
Why we need to be curious about the marriage resources and advice we take in
Why Sheila is hopeful for the future of Christian marriage and the church
Resources
You can find Sheila's books, podcasts and blog along with many other incredibly helpful resources at baremarriage.com
Next Steps
We feel so honoured and humbled when our listeners reach out for prayer, support and encouragement. We don't have all the answers but we do love praying for others and helping couples find hope and healing for their marriages in Christ's power. If we know of some people or resources that would be a great fit for you, we'll connect you. Get in touch with us! info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to support this non-profit ministry, you can make a donation at our website: https://livingmarriages.com
In episode 95, we shared God's invitation to us and you to start taking our marriages more seriously. We asked what neglect looks like in our marriage and how God might be inviting us to turn that around, what new habits or mindsets he might be asking us to commit to.
On this Thursday Thought, we take time to reflect on where some of the chaos and fires might be in our marriage and how those might be pointing to signs of neglect in certain areas. We also pray for God's grace, wisdom and strength to understand and pursue what it looks like to start taking our marriages more seriously.
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you how God is inviting you to take yourself and your marriage more seriously this year! Get in touch if you'd like prayer or some accountability: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to donate to this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to see how you can make a charitable donation!
It's always a good time to check in with God and one another on the state of your marriage and family. We happened to do our check-in at the end of 2025 and God had a pretty serious invitation for us: start taking yourselves and your marriage more seriously. It's an invitation we're passing on to you!
On this episode you'll hear:
What it looks like when you're not taking your marriage seriously and how God might be inviting you to change that
The grace and humour you'll need for the journey and that God is freely offering
How NOT to become overwhelmed when starting this journey
Resources
Here are a few of the books and resources that have captured our curiosity and imaginations and are giving us good ideas on how we can take ourselves more seriously this year.
The Marriage You Want by Sheila Wray Gregoire and Dr. Keith Gregoire
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
Spiritual Health Reflection from Practicing the Way
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you how God is inviting you to take yourself and your marriage more seriously this year! Get in touch if you'd like prayer or some accountability: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to donate to this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to see how you can make a charitable donation!
Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, we wanted to pray God's blessing and provision for your marriage this year. That prayer involves bringing our "not enough", our "loaves and fish" to Jesus and to see what he will do with them. It means not limiting God in how and where he wants to provide for us.
Join us for this time of prayer and blessing as we step into a New Year together!
Next Steps
Get in touch with us - we'd love to hear from you what you're excited about or worried about for this new year of 2026: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? We're looking for monthly partners! For more information visit https://livingmarriages.com/donate#httpslivingmarriagescomdonate
If you're listening in real-time with us, this episode is being released at the end of 2025. As you look back on the year that was and look ahead to the year to come, how has God been enough for you? In your life and your marriage? Are there areas you've struggled seeing him as enough? Are there areas where you can celebrate his abundance?
In this episode we share:
The question that really got us thinking about our trust in God this past year
A great question Jesus asks his disciples before feeding the 5000
Encouragement from the book of Acts for what God really wants to give us
Next Steps
Let us know how we can pray for you! Or if you have any show ideas, we'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to make a charitable gift before the end of the year? Visit our website to give: https://livingmarriages.com
If you're listening in real-time with us at the Living Marriages podcast, Merry Christmas!
We've got a short Christmas Day greeting for you complete with an amazing rendition of a winter poem read by our incredible boys, Ethan and Elijah.
Praying the love, joy, peace and hope of the Christmas season for you!
Love,
Aaron, April, Ethan and Elijah
We are so excited to introduce you to our good friends, Cris and Christy Harper. After God moved them to Edmonton from Alabama in the midst of a global pandemic to start church ministry, they felt a bit untethered in life and in their marriage.
As they were approaching the end of the year, God invited them to a new practice, one which they've developed and practiced regularly at the end of each year. It's an incredible way of connecting, of building courage in communication, of repentance, of building friendship and deepening communion with one another and with Christ.
Join us for this humour-filled and deeply encouraging conversation as we approach the end of 2025!
Resources
Here is the Spiritual Health Reflection and the Rule of Life Builder by the folks over at Practicing the Way.
Interested in becoming a marriage mentor? FamilyLife Canada can provide the training and resources you need here.
Next Steps
If you'd like to get in touch, we'd love to hear from you and to pray with you! Send us an e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com
Please pray about supporting this non-profit podcast. For more information on making a charitable donation, please visit: https://livingmarriages.com
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