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

Aaron Au, April Au | Marriage Coaching and Mentoring
  • 5.0 (10)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

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

  1. 8H AGO

    Rebroadcast: Overcoming Shame with Grace in Your Marriage with Katie Skurja

    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. ------ "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

    43 min

  2. 5D AGO

    An Important Update to the Living Marriages Podcast

    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!

    5 min

  3. FEB 17

    Thief of Joy: Busyness and Why God's Call to Sabbath Still Matters

    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!

    24 min

  4. FEB 12

    Unsatisfied? Praying and Fasting to Find Contentment in God

    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

    12 min

  5. FEB 10

    Thief of Contentment: Why Spending Won't Make You Happier (and What We're Trying to Do About It!)

    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

    16 min

  6. FEB 5

    Ditch your Phone (kind of)! A Prayer to Reclaim Intimacy in Your Marriage

    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

    15 min

  7. FEB 3

    Thief of Intimacy: How Your Phone Is Harming Your Marriage and Family

    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

    20 min

  8. JAN 29

    Stop Grumbling, Start Groaning - A Prayer For Those Who Are Complaining

    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!

    15 min
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About

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

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