The Better Part - Intentional Living for Christian Moms with a Bible-Loving Catholic Mama Jenna Scott

During last week's episode, I spoke a bit about theology of the body, but I am not an expert. So I have brought an expert on the podcast to be able to share some of her wisdom with us!



Monica Ashour is the founder and president of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team). She speaks about how God has made us fully, soul, mind and BODY and how therefore the body matters!



Tune in to learn more about what God says about sex and our bodies and how we can bring that into our family lives. And check out tobet.org to learn more about their many resources, including books for kids of all ages teaching theology of the body.

Let's talk about marital intimacy! Sexual intimacy in marriage should not be underestimated! As Mike Hernon says on the Messy Family Podcast, sex in the grease that keeps the machine running! Sex helps keep our marriages running smoothly and happily along, and should be an ever-present part of our relationships.



In this episode, we talk a little about what the Catholic Church teaches about sex and then go through 6 tips for having more and better sex in our marriages! Look out for the next episode, which is an interview with the founder and president of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team). We discuss theology of the body--what it is and how to bring it into our families and marriages!



Some resources to learn more about theology of the body if you are exploring God's design for sex:


Charting Towards Intimacy podcast--TONS of great episodes on all kinds of specific sex questions
Vinesinfullbloom.com where there are courses for learning more and availability of coaching for growth in the area of intimacy
Good News about Sex and Marriage: Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic Teaching by Christopher West
Holy Sex by Gregory Popcak

God loves every part of you and want to be a part of your life. That includes your marriage! How can we grow toward God with our husbands and why would we want to, anyway? These questions are answered in this episode!



This episode gives ideas and suggestions for how to grow in your prayer life as a couple based on your shared (or not shared) temperaments! Use these ideas to help bring you, your husband, and your family closer to your Father in Heaven who loves you and wants to guide your marriage!



If you haven't heard of the temperaments, check out the second episode of this series called "Marriage: Temperaments" and hear a whole explanation for what these personality types are and how they can look within a marriage.

Working on a project with another person is difficult. And parenting is pretty much the biggest project you will ever do! Throw in past wounds, different families of origin, and influences from different communities and two spouses are bound to disagree on a lot of it. How can we make sure that parenting doesn't take our marriage down?




Make sure your parenting philosophy always serves the marriage first! If strictly following a parenting philosophy is consistently driving a wedge between you and your husband, the philosophy needs to change. Your kids learn more from watching you and your husband than they do from your specific discipline techniques, so model working together well.
Remember that moms and dads parent differently. Check out "The Wonder of Parenting" podcast in their series about how moms and dads parent differently. It is OK to have different responses to the same situation. In fact, it is good for your kids! Just because your husband speaks differently to your kids doesn't mean it is wrong.
Resist the urge to nag. If you need to admonish your husband in his parenting, wait for the right time, give a soft start, and remember that he may also have good ideas that are just different than yours. Be willing to research his way of doing things. And for small things, you may just need to let it go. Often times it is better to be wrong together than right apart.



Remember that one day your kids will leave your home and you will still have your husband. He will be your longest, closest relationship in your family. Don't let different parenting styles jeopardize your relationship with him!

Sometimes we think that our friendship with our husbands is the cherry on top of our marriage. The "would be nice" to have. But if you talk to couples who have had long (and happy) marriages, they often refer to their sense of humor and friendship being the key ingredient. Being friends and just spending time enjoying your spouse may be what you need to keep your marriage running so that it can withstand even hard times!



How do we do this?


Intentionally enjoy your husband! Make the choice to enjoy conversation, past times, and jokes with your husband. When you make efforts to connect even during the small moments in the day, you enjoy him more AND encourage him to make efforts to connect with you.
Find common interests. Watching movies, trying new things, following a sports team, being creative, going for walks, etc. Think back in your relationship and notice what you enjoy doing together and then schedule that into your life regularly.
Be a student of your husband. It is a temptation to think you know exactly what your husband is thinking or how he'll react, but your husband changes and life changes. Continue to ask questions about what he is thinking and how he feels about certain things. He may surprise you!



Resources mentioned in the episode:


We're Not Really Strangers: Couples Edition Card Game
Conversation starter questions with your spouse--Google them and find a list to go through with your husband!

Marriages can be the greatest joys! They can also bring the greatest pains. This episode speaks to those whose marriages are in a hard state. Some resources to consider:


Alpha: The Marriage Course is good for marriages who need a tune up, refresher, or preventative care
Hearts Renewed is a program that helps marriages that are struggling through videos, activities, and opportunities for counseling
Retrouvaille is a retreat put on to help couples rekindle love and attack difficulties in marriage



No podcast will be able to speak to your specific relationship, but this episode passes on some wisdom that teaches to keep the grander vision of your marriage in mind as you tackle difficult seasons and to remember to forgive as Jesus forgives. Our goal is not the perfect marriage, but holiness and eventually Heaven!



Action item for all listeners is to commit to praying for all marriages sometime this week! Even if you aren't currently struggling, someone you know is. Let's pray that God strengthens our bonds and sanctifies us through our relationships.