Female by Design

A husband has a unique and powerful role in his wife's healing journey, and in this episode you'll hear from Jess and Matt Seitz as they share their story of navigating the pain and hurt of vaginismus. Through many years of enduring bad advice and hurtful counsel, their marriage connection remained strong. They share a powerful story of loving one another well, through sickness and, now, health. L...

Painful intercourse, known medically as vaginismus, is more common than you may believe. In today's episode, you'll hear a beautiful testimony of hope and recovery from Jess Seitz, founder of Pain Free Intimacy. Jess shares her story with grace and vulnerability in a refreshing and hopeful manner. You will hear about the mind, body, spirit connection and the importance of integration and connectin...

You were made for intimate connection; with God, with your spouse, with your family and friends. Yet, in the culture of busyness, you may find yourself pulled in so many directions, the noise of life and doing all the things begins to drown out the ability to cultivate true connection.   Margin is required for deep intimacy. We're going to talk about how to create margin on purpose and start takin...

Is masturbation right or wrong? There's a healthy pause that comes with answering this question because it's quite layered and there isn't scripture that provides a firm answer. Yet, we know that all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial.    In this conversation we'll take a bigger picture view at the issues involved. Touching yourself or doing something in private that you wan...

Your body and your sexuality were designed by God and He called you good. As we continue this educational and celebratory series on your wonderful female body, today we are leaning in to better understand the female sexual response cycle, which starts with sexual desire. This may require a bit of awareness as you continue to recognize ways you can live more integrated. Growth requires intentionali...

  Shame and feeling shut down or disconnected from sex can be a residue of purity culture many women carry. How can a God-honoring man help his wife flourish and heal from wrong beliefs and teaching?   In this episode Francie is sharing how a husband can patiently love his wife toward more healing and freedom. A few topics we touch on include: training your eyes to only see her beauty, having pati...

Many of us were raised in the purity culture. As we have become wives, we are unpacking some unhealthy, unhelpful influences. In this episode we'll discuss a few of the unhelpful lies and the heaviness of legalism that many of us have believed. Christian women aren't sexual. Good girls don't talk about sex. Thinking about sexual desire is a waste of time. Sex is for men and their pleasure.   These...

Vagina. Clitoris. Vulva.    Blushing or uncomfortable? Let's talk about the layers of silent shame that impedes you from talking about your body comfortably. You'll hear my personal journey (and recent growth in freedom) as we unpack getting more free, why it matters and how to take steps forward.   You were designed to walk in freedom and joy, living integrated mind, body and spirit. Join this ch...

Let's lean in and glean wisdom from pioneers in sexual discipleship, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner. The Penners offer both theologically sound and practical wisdom on sexuality, pleasure, desire and growing a thriving sex life throughout your marriage. In today's conversation we talk about: Importance of education, understanding and communication Creating a marvelous sex life Intentionality and ke...

While you may see your man as a tower of strength, do you know how to honor and even call forth his holy masculinity? The culture seems to be against our men, either pitting their masculinity as toxic or, even worse, placing them in competition or comparison with women. Challenge yourself to flourish in God's unique role for you as a wife. Learn to come alongside your husband to honor his strength...

  In the beginning God created us male and female, with intention and purpose. Yet, more and more our culture seems to pit women against men, even to the point of not liking men and seeing their role as harmful. In this episode, we discuss the roots of toxic masculinity and the good news we can see in Biblical manhood (and womanhood) with esteemed scholar Nancy Pearcey, author of "The Toxic War on...

Let's continue the conversation on foreplay with a chat to encourage and equip husbands. (Wives will be encouraged, too). Let's continue to reframe foreplay and the unique beauty of masculinity and femininity. In this chat, you'll be encouraged as we discuss: Being a man of strength, with unique strength to serve  your bride. Becoming an expert of your wife Removing the duty perspective and helpin...

What is foreplay and what purpose does it serve? In this discussion you'll learn about the role of foreplay, but it may surprise you. Instead of seeing foreplay as a way to get ready for the main event, what if it were a time of relaxing into more pleasure and greater intimacy?    You were made for deep connection and naked and unashamed intimacy. Let's look at foreplay as a tool for connection th...

Welcome back for part two of the conversation with a licensed counselor and sex therapist Nancy Houston. Nancy offers wonderful insight and compassion into the profound connections between love, sex, and healing. In this episode we discuss: Permission given - God made you as a female to be sexual and your sexuality is beautifully designed Getting familiar with your desire and your female body Owni...

In today's episode, we have rich conversations with a licensed counselor and sex therapist Nancy Houston. Nancy offers wonderful insight and compassion into the profound connections between love, sex, and healing. We discuss: The spiritual mystery and depth to our sexuality Emotional and soul connection in marriage How to keep sex on the "front burner"  Power and beauty of the feminine body Identi...

Whatever season you currently find yourself in, this is a conversation not to be missed. The reality is, you will have seasons of abundance as well as refining seasons of trial and suffering. You'll hear my honest perspective on and journey through suffering and God in the midst of it all, including:   Intimacy resilience and building intimacy in all seasons. Challenges in life and how they can cr...

Finding energy as a wife, while spinning all the plates of motherhood, can be a bit of a challenge. Switching gears from "tired mom" to feeling sexy doesn't exactly just happen. Can you relate?   Good news! In this episode we have some real talk about how to be intentional, cultivate the needs of your body and maybe even find some ideas to "get your groove back" in the bedroom. Let's tap into more...

Sex is meant to point to something bigger, reflecting the goodness of a purposeful Creator. Our God is an intentional designer and His creation, including sex and sexuality, was designed to point to greater things. For centuries the church has disregarded the importance and meaning of the body and sex, yet this conversation helps us see there is a different way to see and celebrate the story of Go...

Prepare to be encouraged by a mentoring session with Shaunti Feldhahn. We are diving into sex and sexuality with Shaunti, as she shares her insight and clinical understanding and perspective. Some of the topics we covered in this conversation include: Surprises that make all the difference. Why sexuality matters. A vision for intimacy. Affirming insecure places. Desire - types of desire and levels...

God designed your body with intention, care and purpose. Yet, we often hyper-focus on the mind and the spirit, neglecting the importance of the body.    In this episode we will discuss the importance of connecting to the body, because stress in the body can create dis-ease that ripples out to all areas of our life. Topics include:   The brain body connection. Dis-ease in the body and the peace of...

What do I do if I have a higher drive than my husband?  What should I do if my sex drive seems non-existent?   Today's episode is a fresh perspective and discussion as we unpack sexual desire and high and low libidos, which happens to be one of the most frequently asked questions.   Education and understanding can lead to celebration, therefore  let's discuss the sexual response cycle, spontaneous...

A tender, honest conversation as Bonny shares her vulnerable testimony and healing journey through deep betrayal caused by pornography and sex addiction in her marriage. There is tremendous trauma and hurt in a marriage experiencing a death of trust. Bonny speaks into betrayal from a personal and clinical perspective, providing you with understanding, empathy and thoughtful steps to take toward he...

Getting on the same "spiritual page" with your husband can fall lower and lower on the to-do list, even though both of your hearts are pursuing connection and intimacy.   Jodie Berndt is the mentor we all need on this topic. In this episode you'll hear a wise and practical conversation as you think about building spiritual intimacy in a fresh and do-able way. Whether you are currently experiencing...

It's not uncommon to experience painful intercourse and it might even be related to a condition that should be addressed. In today's episode we are talking about vaginismus and painful intercourse. You will hear about the mind, body, spirit connection, why we see painful intercourse more prevalently in Christian women and some practical thoughts and resources to help find solutions.   God made you...

God is a good Creator, full of peace, joy and celebration. The enemy is the author of chaos. Times like this can feel overwhelming. We can choose to see chaos and become afraid, living in fear and becoming paralyzed. Or, we can choose to see the power and beauty of God and learn to carry His banner of celebration.    Let's lean into the goodness of God and choose to walk in His peace, His joy and...