Female by Design

Francie Winslow

An honest space for female flourishing. Together we'll explore sexuality and spirituality by God's design, healing our relationship with pleasure, our bodies, and our identity as image-bearers. Let's take a deep breath and step into God's invitation to live fully alive—mind, body, and spirit.

  1. 29 Jun

    Ep 269. Body Shame: Where It Comes From and How to Heal

    Most of us carry body shame. Yet, we don't always know where we picked it up. In this episode we go a little deeper into the roots of shame — because understanding where it came from is one of the most powerful steps toward healing it. And what we find, when we look honestly, is that this shame runs deeper than any one experience or teaching. It's woven into our language, our culture, and even our anatomy textbooks. Here's one example that stopped me cold: the Latin word for vagina — pudendum — literally means part to be ashamed of. That word has been in medical textbooks for centuries. It's in the name of the pudendal nerves — the very nerves responsible for much of a woman's sexual pleasure. And somewhere in our collective history, we absorbed that message into our bodies without ever being told it outright. That's what shame does. It doesn't always arrive loudly. It seeps in quietly — through language, silence, the absence of good education, and the distance between our spiritual lives and our physical ones. But here's the good news — and there is so much good news in this episode. God has a different word for your body. Tov Meod. Very good. Beneficial. Lovely. Harmonious. Flourishing. Fulfilling its purpose. That was his declaration over you when he made you. And it's still true. In this episode you'll hear what it looks like to begin replacing the language of shame with the language of the garden. Including one surprisingly tender and powerful practice: renaming the parts of yourself you've been taught to be ashamed of. A few key terms defined in this episode: Embodiment — living connected to and aware of your physical body, not just operating from your head.  Tov Meod — Hebrew for "very good" — God's original declaration over his creation, including your body and your sexuality.  Befriending your body — choosing to treat your body with curiosity and kindness instead of shame or avoidance. Come as you are. This is a journey, not a destination — and you are welcome here exactly where you are. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    25 min
  2. 22 Jun

    Ep 268. Female Flourishing: What It Means to Be Fully Alive

    Hey friend — welcome to something that's been on my heart for a while. Over the next four episodes we're going to talk about what it looks like to be fully alive as a woman. Not just spiritually. Not just emotionally. But in your whole self — mind, body, and yes, sexuality too. I'm calling it Female Flourishing. That phrase might be new to you, so let me explain what I mean. Female flourishing is the journey of becoming more whole, more free, and more at home in the body God gave you. It's the opposite of the numbness, shame, and disconnection that so many of us have quietly carried for years — often without even realizing it. For me, that journey has been a long one. For about the first fifteen years of my marriage, I was what I'd call disembodied— meaning I lived almost entirely in my head. I was spiritually engaged, mentally active, always doing — but deeply disconnected from my own body and from the idea that my sexuality, my femininity, and my capacity for pleasure were actually good things. God things. It wasn't until I started to understand what God actually said about our bodies — Tov Meod, the Hebrew words meaning very good — that something began to shift. In this first episode I share some of my story, cast a vision for where we're going in this series, and offer an invitation: to begin bringing the parts of yourself you've kept hidden back into the light of what God has always said is true. A few things you'll hear: What embodiment means — and why most of us have lost it without realizing it.  What Tov Meod means and why it matters for how you see your body.  Why female flourishing starts with honesty — with yourself, with God, and with your story. You are deeply loved. You are not alone. And this is a really good place to begin. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's an approachable, honest guide to the sex talk you never got, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. →  here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    27 min
  3. 4 May

    262. Great Sex Grows – Shift Your Thinking

    Welcome to the Great Sex Grows series!   We're starting where it all begins: your mindset. Because here's the thing — it's not about what you wear, what time it happens, or what you do. When it comes to growing a beautiful sex life in marriage, your mindset matters most.   In this episode, Francie dives into three big ideas around shifting your thinking:   Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. Do you come to this area of your marriage with openness and curiosity — or is there a quiet voice that says this is just how it is? A fixed mindset keeps you stuck. A growth mindset says not yet — and that little word changes everything.   Integrating your sexuality and your spirituality. For a lot of us, God was in one corner and sex was in another. But God made you as a whole person — mind, body, and spirit — and he's not ashamed of any of it. Inviting him into this area of your marriage? That's where real transformation begins.   Great sex requires practice. Take the pressure off. You're not supposed to have it all figured out. Great lovers are made, not born — and showing up as a learner, season after season, is exactly what growth looks like.   This episode is personal, practical, and full of the kind of honesty that will make you feel less alone and more hopeful about what's possible in your marriage.   Your mindset is the starting point. Let's shift it together.   Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    23 min
  4. 27 Apr

    261. Great Sex Grows

    Hey friend — welcome back to the Female By Design Podcast! Today marks the relaunch of one of my favorite teaching series: Great Sex Grows. It originally aired back in 2022, and honestly? I still stand by every word of it. It's practical, it's real, and I think it can meet you right where you are. I'm jumping in with a fresh intro episode — sharing where life has taken me over the last four years, what I've learned, and why this message feels even more true to me today than when I first recorded it.  Life has been full. Our family has walked through some significant health challenges, and through it all, I've watched this message get tested and proven. Sexual intimacy as a place of connection, comfort, and covenant isn't just theory — it's been an anchor for us.  Over the next five episodes, we're getting into the mindset shifts, body awareness, communication habits, and God-given superpowers that actually move the needle in your marriage. It's practical, it's a little bit of a fire hose, and there is so much good stuff coming.  One thing I want you to hear before we dive in: pick one or two ideas that feel like a get-to and let yourself be curious. No heaviness, no should — just an invitation to grow. Great sex doesn't grow by accident. Let's grow together. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    20 min

About

An honest space for female flourishing. Together we'll explore sexuality and spirituality by God's design, healing our relationship with pleasure, our bodies, and our identity as image-bearers. Let's take a deep breath and step into God's invitation to live fully alive—mind, body, and spirit.

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