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. 2d ago

    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. Jun 22

    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. May 11

    263. Great Sex Grows – Tune Into Your Body

    Great sex doesn't just happen in the bedroom — it starts with how connected you are to your body all day long. In this episode, Francie dives into why so many women show up for intimacy physically present but emotionally and sensorially checked out — and why that's not your fault. The church has a long history of separating body from spirit, and a lot of us are still carrying that disconnection without even realizing it. The big idea: great sex grows when you tune into your body. And that's an all-day practice, not just a bedroom one. Francie shares three practical ways to get there: Care for your body. Rest, water, movement, slow walks, a bath with a poetry book — it's not the self-care trend. It's honoring the body God gave you so you have something to actually bring to your marriage. Enjoy your body. At every age, every stage, every season. Confidence is one of the most attractive things a wife can bring into the bedroom — and your husband's brain is literally wired to bond with you as you are right now. Understand your body. Your cycle, your erogenous zones, your breath, your nervous system — knowledge is power here. The more you understand how your body works, the more you can show up fully and receive freely. Francie also gets personal about a season where anxiety quietly shut her body down — and what happened when she finally stopped ignoring it. Your body is telling you something. This episode will help you start listening.   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

    32 min
  4. May 4

    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
4.8
out of 5
22 Ratings

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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