Delight Your Marriage

It is our honor and privilege to have Charles on the podcast with us today.  Many of you have maybe already spoken to Charles. He serves as one of our Clarity Advisors here at Delight Your Marriage and has done an incredible job of listening to your stories and giving you next steps, but most importantly, giving you hope. What you might not know about Charles is that he spent many years as a very...

516-A Pastor with a "Prostitute" Mindset Changed His Ways: Jerry's Story There's a quiet frustration many good men carry. You've tried to talk. You've tried to suggest counseling, books, podcasts— something . You've even tried explaining your heart. And still… she doesn't seem to listen. Doesn't engage. Doesn't change. If that's you, let me say this gently but clearly: God may be asking you to go...

515-New Years Resolutions with Hope Happy New Year! If you're reading this a couple days into 2026—welcome. And if you're reading this in the middle of 2037, it still applies. Because God is still on the throne. He is still a good Father. And He is still interested in crafting and molding your heart—especially in the middle of real life… including the hard parts. Put Your Growth Mindset On (Yes, L...

514-40 Years of Broken Trust to Safety & Celebration: A Christmas Miracle (Laura's Story) There is a kind of marriage pain that does not look dramatic. It's not an outward struggle. Just a quiet ache. A marriage that functions but does not feel alive. Laura lived in that space for decades. From the outside, her life looked good. Forty years of marriage. Seven children. A faithful husband. A stable...

Christmas can feel magical. It can also feel exhausting. If you're a parent who secretly feels pressure rising as the holidays approach—the expectations, the mess, the emotions, the memories—you're not alone. And sometimes, the clearest wisdom doesn't come from another parenting book or productivity hack. Sometimes it comes from children. I sat down with my two sons for a conversation about Christ...

What Turns Her Off — and What Godly Husbands Do Instead Have you ever wished you could just…get inside your wife's heart for a moment? Not to manipulate, but to genuinely understand her. To love her in a way that makes her feel safe and wanted—not pressured or confused. My husband Darrow and I sat down to talk through something men rarely get honest insight about: Her biggest turn-offs. And not be...

Forty-Five Years Married and Afraid of Retirement: Patty's Story Patty had a life most people would admire. Forty-five years of marriage. Four children. Seven grandkids. Retirement. A kind, steady husband. From the outside, it looked like she had it all. But inside? Patty was scared. Not because she didn't love her husband. They laughed together, they got along. But underneath the "good," there wa...

Is it Possible to Have Joy in Lovemaking? Physical intimacy can be one of the most painful topics in a woman's life. Maybe you've felt shame for years. Maybe your husband brings it up constantly, and all you want to do is shrink away. Or maybe, deep down, you wonder if something is just wrong with you. If that's where you are, I want you to know—I've been there. I've felt the fear. I've felt the p...

Eternal Marriage Mindset: Living Today for the Streets of Gold We get so caught up in the now—our needs, our feelings, our expectations—that we forget: this isn't forever. And when it comes to your marriage, your mindset matters more than you know. What if the goal isn't just earthly happiness… but eternal impact ? Let's shift our gaze from the temporary to the eternal—from trying to fix our spous...

How Daily Habits Transformed His 36-Year Marriage: Harvey's Story Marriage is holy work. Maybe you're reading this today because you're hoping your marriage will change. Maybe you're reading this because you've prayed, "Lord, please help my marriage," when really you mean "Lord, please help my spouse!" I hope this blog and episode will make you feel both comforted and inspired — that you'll be rem...

"Marriage First" Makes Your Life Unstable At the end of my life, I want to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."   That's the goal that keeps me grounded—and I know many of you share that desire. But here's a hard truth I've learned through years of walking with couples: when our marriage or family becomes our first priority instead of God, everything starts to crumble. Why "Fami...

It doesn't start with scandal. It often doesn't even start with feelings. It starts with a smile. A moment of connection. A conversation that feels easy—maybe easier than the ones you've been having at home. You walk away thinking, That was nothing. But somewhere deep down, you also know—it could become something. If that's where you find yourself today (or even if you've seen the warning signs in...

How a Family Life Educator Took Her Marriage from Good to Great: Jen's Story Sometimes, the couples who join our programs aren't on the brink of divorce. They aren't fighting all the time. They actually have a good marriage . But deep down, they know it could be better . That's exactly where Jen was when she found Delight Your Marriage. "We Had a Good Marriage… But I Knew It Could Be More" Jen and...

When Your Words Actually Bring Life (And How to Avoid Death): Interview With Ann & Dave Wilson Do you remember when you first fell in love—how easy it was to cheer him on? You'd light up at his stories. You'd say, "You're amazing!" and mean it. You noticed everything good. But somewhere along the way, the cheers turned into corrections. The same man who once felt like your hero now feels like your...

How a Farmer Learned to Lead & Love in His Marriage On the outside, Jake looked like a happy-go-lucky farmer. But inside, his marriage was falling apart. Control, years of infertility struggles, alcohol abuse, and pornography created a wall between him and his wife. Even counseling couldn't break through the scar tissue of pain she carried. At one point, she said her willingness to work on the mar...

Arguments that spiral out of control often leave behind words no one meant and wounds that take time to heal. Escalation may feel like "getting it all out," but according to our guest today, it is actually poison to a marriage. Dr. Kevin Downing, founder of Turning Point Counseling in Southern California, has spent decades helping couples, pastors, and families find healthier ways to connect. His...

Body obsession has been a toughy for me all my life.  Wanting to be thin. Wanting to be beautiful. Wanting to fit into x size jeans. Wanting to see x on the scale. (The number of New Year's resolutions based on this makes me embarrassed.)  And once I am triggered about thinking I'm not thin, I would eat to assuage those hard feelings.  Or other hard feelings, I'd eat. Was it sin?  Was it a sin, fo...

When I hit "record" on the very first Delight Your Marriage podcast 10 years ago, my mic stand was a Quaker Oats container.  I had a dream, a story, and a hope that I thought could help others.  I just had a few loaves and fishes to offer—with a world in need. Now—500 episodes later—we've seen Him do it: hundreds marriages restored in our programs directly, many thousands of families transformed t...

499-Sinful v. Holy Fierce Intimacy I was confused. There I was a new bride, having saved myself for marriage… only to find out that my new husband wanted me to do SINFUL things. Where did he get all this "inspiration" anyway? Oh, I knew: sinful places. So, of course, I refused. And of course, it brought mutual anger (covering each of our hurt). What's your story? If it's even remotely like mine, I...

Creating Better Habits for a Better Marriage: Michael's Story You love your wife. You love your family. And you'd do anything for them. But if you're honest… things don't feel quite the same as they used to. Maybe you're exhausted from work, the baby, or the endless list of responsibilities. Maybe your evenings with your wife now look more like two roommates collapsed on the couch—silent, tired, a...

497-Living a Life of No Regrets in Marriage and Faith [Re-Release] (Previously Titled: Changing OURSELVES in Light of Eternity) Hello, listeners! As we continue to work on our recording our very first in-person trainings, we hope you will enjoy some of the re-releases from the past few years of the Delight Your Marriage podcast (It has certainly been sweet to us to re-listen and share some of our...

Abiding in God's Love by Living a Life of Surrender (Formerly Titled: Real Love Takes Sacrifice) We know the Bible says "God is love" (1 John 4:8) and that He loved us first. But if we're honest, many of us spend more time wondering, "Does God really love me?" than asking the deeper, more revealing question: "Do I truly love Him?" That's the heart of today's message. God's love for you is unshakab...

After nearly four decades of marriage, Kim and Russ had done the hard work. They had raised five children, invested in professional counseling, read marriage books, and sought spiritual guidance. And still, something was missing. The breakthrough moments they experienced through the years never seemed to last. They still longed for a deeper connection and the kind of love they had always dreamed o...

Don't Waste the Great Gift of Influence (Formerly titled: Don't Waste Your Impact) It's easy to underestimate just how much weight your words, actions, and attitudes carry—especially in your marriage. But the truth is, your spouse is the person you impact most in this life. And that impact can either build up or break down. It can draw them closer to Jesus—or push them further away. Whether you're...

Don't Waste the Great Gift of Influence (Formerly titled: Don't Waste Your Impact) It's easy to underestimate just how much weight your words, actions, and attitudes carry—especially in your marriage. But the truth is, your spouse is the person you impact most in this life. And that impact can either build up or break down. It can draw them closer to Jesus—or push them further away. Whether you're...