The Julie Bender Show

Your Marriage Will Improve When Confidence Does Could you imagine someone praying for your insecurities, fears, doubts, and struggles? Wouldn't just knowing they were lifting you up make a difference? With that in mind, we will pray for our own confidence and insecurities and then for those of our husbands. I needed these important reminders and you probably do, too. Listen to the recent episo...

It's Time To Get (More) Consistent (Without Being Too Hardcore) I found myself craving more consistency because I know it makes me feel more confident and at peace in life, but I also didn't feel the need to launch an intense program (read, 75Hard, or the like). Was there a way to set some goals without becoming too overwhelmed? I created one. I share a simple tracker tool I created to hel...

Is your friend newly widowed? There are some things to do and say, and several to avoid. I have been asked countless times how to help a friend who was suddenly widowed. My heart aches remembering the pain I experienced and know there are some practical things that truly do help and many that cause more pain than good. I include wisdom from four of my friends who were also widowed (young), hoping...

Welcome to my birthday party episode! In celebration of my 39th birthday, I took a personal inventory of lessons I've learned that have served and continue to serve me, and I hope to not forget as I close out my thirties this year! They cover all areas of my life and hopefully will serve to encourage, entertain and maybe even challenge you, too! Get the full show notes with the full list, ALL...

Every Relationship Has Conflict—But Is it Healthy? If you’re going to be married, you’re going to have conflict. It’s a nice way of saying, you will fight. But can you learn to do it fairly? With respect? Can your conflicts actually build into instead of breaking down your marriage? With prayer and intention, yes. I give several steps that this requires and then we pray for God to show us the way...

Relax and Reset With These Faves With the kickoff to summer happening N O W I wanted to drop some recommendations in your feed for books, podcasts, bible reading plans, and TV shows I love. Perfect for those travel or lazy days we all hope to get in this much-anticipated season. For this episode, you need to click to get the full show notes with ALL the links, books, and resources here . Episode S...

What If You Had to Advocate For Your Spouse's Life? I know what it's like to stand at your husband's bedside, preparing for him to leave this earth. Karen Wilkinson has experienced the stress and pressure of fighting for her husband through a medical crisis, advocating for what he wanted, and they have both lived to tell the story. Her desire is to encourage us to be prepared to face a...

Sex Isn't Just For Him. You Deserve Pleasure, Too. In my first marriage (straight out of purity culture!) I didn't enjoy sex. I thought it was my duty, but I wasn't very good at it and didn't desire it. But then I found excitement and passion in my new marriage, so I know (from experience!) that a woman's sex drive can be transformed. We just need education and encouragement to...

You Can’t Pray For Him ‘Til You Pray For Yourself We’re going back to the basics of #prayingforyourhusbanddaily. As much as I strongly encourage you to fervently and faithfully pray for your husband, none of it will be effective unless you pray this prayer for yourself, first. Get ready, this one hits deep, but oh, how freeing it will be. Well, at least it was for me. In this episode, you will hea...

It's Time To Lower the Bar Hear me out. Your expectations are far too high, so it's time to lower the bar. You deserve the chance to step back, review all the roles you play and the hats you wear, and reassess how you're showing up. It's likely time to give yourself some grace, lowering your standards to an achievable level and simultaneously acknowledging your incredible wins and...

Maybe it's just a funk, maybe it's more. In this vulnerable episode, I reveal how I've been feeling "off", taking my personal reflections to the mic to process. Am I dealing with depression? Just a hard season? More importantly, what am I doing to take care of myself during it, and what can you try, too? I share practical ways I'm facing my funk, and what I'm vowing t...

His Work-Life Needs Prayer Now #prayingforyourhusbanddaily comes to your earbuds! First, we will talk about the many reasons you should pray for your husband's work, and then we will actually spend time praying for him. This is the first of forthcoming episodes for the wifey (or wanna-be-wifey) who wants to intentionally invest in her husband and marriage but needs a little guidance and encouragem...

Don't You Love a Good Story? You've heard me encourage you to "go all in on your story." In this episode, I talk to author Bob Wheatley about how all stories are pointing back to one grand narrative, and why that is a good thing. We also discuss how our individual stories relate to the best one ever told. More about Bob Bob is an author, podcaster, and former professional athlete. He serves as a c...

People like birth stories, right? I rope D into "testing my mic" and then going back in time to tell our birth story and what it's been like adjusting to life with a new baby in the family. We talk labor, delivery, early challenges, and more in this candid convo. We also tease what might be coming in future episodes with my favorite person! Don't miss the previous episodes I mentioned: Hear me and...

We're BACK! I'm so excited to be in your feed after taking a break to welcome and adjust to life with my new baby girl, Reverie. In this short episode, we catch up and look ahead to what you can expect on Season 2 of #thejuliebendershow. Find the #prayingforyourhusbandaily video I mentioned here .  Grab the book I mentioned on codependency here . Find the full show archive on my website here...

We’re counting down to our baby joining the Bender fam! Before I take an undetermined amount of time off with our new babe, I  sat down with my two fav dudes to record our thoughts and feelings as we wait. Lincoln tells us what he’s looking forward to about being a brother, and D and I talk candidly about some of the struggles and challenges we’ve experienced in our marriage during pregnancy. This...

Your Past Is Not Your Prison, It's Your University The affirmation "My Past Does Not Define Me" is one I'm begging you to embrace, while fully acknowledging I am needing to heed this advice! When you live life as though you are a victim of your past, you're running from it or doing everything in your power to hide or cover it, you are not truly living. Certainly, you're not embracing my hope for y...

Have you ever been affected by toxic positivity? Do you have past trauma that you cover with "I'm fine", "it made me stronger" or other cliché phrases that aren't actually true of you, because healing hasn't yet been found? My guest Marissa Baker can relate. If you're on TikTok, you may have heard of the Life Coach who was being discredited for being divorced twice by the age of 30. Well, she's he...

What if it's wonderful? Do you struggle to rejoice with those who rejoice, especially when you're mourning or dealing with loss? Does it seem hard or scary to celebrate at times? Many of us have felt that—myself included. That's why I wanted to chat with therapist and author Nicole Zasowski about her newest book and how she learned to ask this question which changed the way she interacted within c...

Being > Doing The affirmation "I am enough, so I don't have to perform" is one I am still practicing believing. And that's okay. Many women struggle to trust that their value isn't derived from their performance but instead, it’s bestowed on them by their creator and doesn’t have to be “earned.” So much of our stress, insecurity, and relational conflict comes from this struggle so I invite you...

There's no such thing as a perfect love story. Popular dating coach and podcast host, Kait Warman, is back! She shares her journey from meeting JJ while seeing three other guys, to their incredibly personal engagement. She describes how she challenged herself to date outside of her "type", how they made a long-distance relationship work, and ways they chose to date intentionally, including when th...

Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes. This affirmation "my voice matters" is especially important to me, and I hope after listening to this episode, it will be to you, too. Your voice, expressed in your opinions, thoughts, beliefs, and boundaries carries significance and weight, even if you’ve been led to believe otherwise. I’ll share what might prevent you from speaking up, and why you shou...

I do not have feelings of love for how Clayton's Bachelor season ended. I have been watching The Bachelor (and all related franchise shows) since college. And I can honestly say, Clayton's season was the most. dramatic. ending. ever. But what's noteworthy is how he treated the final three women on the season. Red flags everywhere! To discuss the dumpster fire that was this finale, I invited D...

Who and what is yoga for? Is it spiritual? I have never been into yoga, but I know many women, including one of my favorites, who are. Because I know it can be a healing, spiritual practice, I wanted to learn more about it and knew my sister would be a great resource. Kadie Chronister joins me to discuss the purpose and practices of yoga and mediation and how they can be spiritual, mental, and phy...

We're celebrating TWO anniversaries here at TJBS! One year ago today I launched the first episodes of The Julie Bender Show (if you didn't start with About Me , go back!) and six years ago I began my labor of love, my video series #prayingforyourhusbanddaily. To celebrate these milestones I give you this bonus episode with my favorite praying for your husband hack, the K.I.S.S. metaphor. You get t...