No More Perfect Podcast with Jill Savage

* Note from Mark and Jill: We’re so glad to share that the No More Perfect Podcast is now available on YouTube! We love finding new ways to connect with you, and we hope you enjoy the added experience of watching along as you listen. “Yes, I’m having an affair, and I’m not going to stop.” Hearing these words would be absolutely heartbreaking for anyone. But if you’ve ever navigated infidelity, you...

Welcome to the first episode of 2026! As we welcome the new year, a time marked by fresh starts and new routines, it’s the perfect opportunity to talk about making over our mornings! I personally needed this conversation because I am not a morning person, and I desperately need to make some changes. (Mark would say that I’m only aware of 6 o’clock happening once a day, and that is in the evenings....

Each year around Christmas, we like to do a special episode where we not only celebrate the holiday, but also look back on the last year and all that God has been teaching us. The days and months can often speed by us, and that’s why it’s so nice to take a moment to pause and reflect. We are reviewing the entire year before moving into 2026, including why Mark has been on the podcast more (and why...

We love Christmas! It’s our (and especially Mark’s) favorite time of year. Besides the decorations, presents, cheer, and time with family, Christmas marks a very special event. It’s when God sent His son to earth, which was the greatest expression of His love for us. In our own personal story of redeeming our marriage together, one of the biggest lessons we learned was what love really looks like....

Are you feeling restless today? Dissatisfied? Sometimes, when we’re feeling these unpleasant emotions, we can struggle to identify their source. What you might not realize is that many of those feelings can come from the false beliefs we hold about the world, ourselves, and those around us. Many of us are believing lies that rob us of contentment and cripple our intimacy with God. For Mark and I,...

This week’s episode will look a little bit different, as we are resharing one of our top five episodes of all time with you! With the holiday season beginning, there will be countless opportunities for relationships to be strained. You’ll encounter many situations where you will have to interact with people that you would rather avoid. We were designed to be in relationships. However, even though...

Can you believe that the holidays are just around the corner? We recently got our first snow in Illinois, and it’s got us in the holiday spirit! Along with the merriment and celebrations of this season come various expectations, obligations, and family gatherings to attend. A few years ago, we started a tradition in our family of giving our children the gift of freedom when it comes to holiday eve...

Every one of us knows what it’s like to hold prayers that haven’t been answered. That season of waiting can feel like one of the toughest battles of all. I experienced this myself during my marriage crisis, and I can’t tell you the number of times I cried out to the Lord to answer my prayer. My guest knows what it’s like to live with an unanswered prayer. She searched for over 10 years for her bio...

When we stand at the altar and say “I do,” our eyes are filled with stars. We’re certain we have found happily ever after. After the wedding day, we find out that this marriage stuff is way more complicated than we initially thought. Once we are living out our day-to-day routine with another person, we find that challenges abound. We talk about marriage a lot on this podcast, but today, we are goi...

Have you heard about the dog and cat marriage? It might sound like a crazy concept, but it’s one that has helped us not only understand each other, but also help other couples understand how attachment styles are impacting their marriage. We created this idea of “dogs” and “cats” to explain the different attachment styles, and we’ve discovered that applying this concept is one of the top ways we s...

One of the most beautiful gifts we can give to others is our presence in their pain. Knowing you are not alone when you are walking through something hard is so important, especially when it involves the death of a spouse. When you lose your teammate in life, it’s disorienting, overwhelming, and traumatic. Here to help us understand the difficult circumstances that arise from the passing of a spou...

What is the Next Day Principle? It’s a practice that we have not only implemented in our own marriage and family, but it’s also something we recommend to other couples in our coaching all the time. It helps to slow down reactivity, giving you time to clarify your feelings and determine what you still need to take to your spouse. The Next Day Principle is simply this: instead of reacting in the mom...

As Christians, we are often unclear about God’s views on sex and intimacy. It can be a struggle to make sense of our temptations, shame, brokenness, longings, or desires. What is more, Christian churches and families are often divided in the nuances of sexuality, neglecting Jesus’ most important call to be unified as His body. Mark and I often talk about the significance of surrender, but how shou...

When brokenness strikes, it can feel impossible to know what to say or how to ask for help. Whether that brokenness is due to hard circumstances, an unexpected diagnosis, or the pain of a relationship ending, when we are hurting, all we want to do is retreat. But it’s in these dark seasons when we need a community to lean on the most. How do we find the strength to reach out when we are battling s...

Have you ever met someone who was not at all like you? Maybe their thinking, mannerisms, or outlook was so different from your own that you clashed or struggled to connect with them? The old proverb, “birds of a feather flock together” is a classic because it’s true! Building relationships with people who share your interests, hobbies, opinions, and goals often feels easier than stepping outside y...

We have all experienced moments when we wanted more than anything to “keep up with the Joneses.” This comparison trap is nothing new—our parents dealt with it, their parents dealt with it, and so on and so forth. The only difference? Fifty years ago, the “Joneses” were just the folks down the street. Now, social media lets us keep tabs on hundreds of Joneses from all over the world—morning, noon,...

Unexpected news, traumatic events, and unfortunate but common stressors in life—such as a fender bender or learning that you’ve lost your job—can hit us in unexpected ways. While we may not be able to verbalize exactly how we feel in the moment, having a family member, spouse, or close friend be there for us during a hard season can make all the difference in the world. That’s what we are talking...

For today’s conversation, we are talking very openly about the physical relationship within marriage. (If you have little ears around, consider listening on headphones or waiting until you are alone.) Many marriage resources presume that the husband has a higher sex drive, but in about 25% of marriages , it’s actually the wife who experiences more feelings of desire. When women have the higher lev...

This is a special episode with just me (Jill)! For this one, I’m opening up about a topic that is very close to my heart. I wanted to share it this time of year because the end of August is when school starts back up, and as such, many groups such as Bible studies, moms’ groups, and more, are all kicking off.  Through my years of parenting, I’ve found that it can be challenging to integrate into a...

Our words have the power to encourage and inspire others. They also have the power to put down, shame, and discourage. In this conversation, we are looking at the power of our words. Joining me for this discussion is someone who has personal experience with the impact our words can have in relationships—especially within marriage. Ann Wilson spent more than a decade longing for a better marriage....

“What does it mean to hold space for someone?” A listener recently sent us this question—and it’s such a good one. Simply put, holding space means being emotionally and physically present with someone’s feelings—without judging, making it about you, trying to fix it, or getting defensive. The beauty of this practice is that it works in almost any relationship. You can hold space for your spouse, f...

We all know marriage isn’t easy. Bringing together two people with different life experiences, opinions, and family backgrounds takes a whole lot of intentionality, grace, and growth. When neurological differences enter this complex equation, you need an additional set of tools in order to maintain a healthy marriage. My guest, Shawna Meek, is here to help us understand what it can look like to na...

We live in a world full of distractions. Technology is always with us, pulling our focus away from the present with notifications that ping at all hours of the day and night. On top of that, many of us deal with internal distractions like insecurity, the desire for perfection, or the stress of trying to do it all.  These distractions can often crowd out the still, small voice of God—if we let them...

We are excited to have another listener-submitted question to discuss! This question really hit home with us because it resonated with obstacles we’ve recently overcome in our own lives. It reminded us of the powerful emotional growth and healing that can be achieved in a marriage. The question was: “Is the woman in the marriage relationship the one who does most of the heavy lifting as far as pro...

Life can be full of uncertainty. Whether it’s moving to a new city, starting a new job, or walking through a difficult time, we don’t always know how things will work out in the end. When that happens, we can feel frozen by fear and unsure of what our next step should be. Thankfully, my friend Katie Reid knows what it’s like to face uncertainty and has some helpful encouragement for us. Katie is a...