No More Perfect Podcast with Jill Savage

It's time for another bonus episode! We ​​like to share these bonus episodes every once in a while, and their purpose is to give you some quick encouragement and support that you can apply to your life. This one might look a little different as I want to share something with you that has been on my heart. The concept for this episode came when our daughter closed her art business this fall. I...

The topic we’re exploring today has been requested many times over the last year. I asked my friend, Sarah, if she would be willing to share her experience and wisdom with us as she has an adult child who is estranged and put up some big boundaries. Sarah is also a licensed counselor and understands this issue from both a professional and a personal perspective. She has asked that we change her vo...

Do you have a book you’ve read that you feel like everyone should read? For us, that book is Enough by Sharon Jaynes. It was on our shelf 12 years ago when Mark and I were restoring our marriage. Even though it is written for a female reader, Mark read it and was profoundly changed by it. Now, it’s the number one resource we recommend to our coaching clients who struggle with self-worth. Sharon is...

Over 1,100 coaching sessions. 17 marriage intensives. 3 weeks in Africa. 49 podcast episodes. Can you believe this is the final episode of 2023? Mark and I have gotten in the rhythm of using the final episode of each year to recap all that has happened in the year. Join us today as we take a look back at this year, what God is up to, and what we are looking forward to in the new year! We are so ex...

Have you heard of a “marriage edu-tainer” before? It’s a combination of education and entertainment all around the topic of marriage. When Mark and I do marriage coaching , we like to be sure the advice we give comes with a dose of compassion, honest conversation with occasional humor, and that it helps you know you’re not alone while taking your marriage to the next level. When we met fellow marr...

Do you ever get the feeling that you are meant for something more? Or maybe you struggle with wanting to do something great, while longing for a simple, ordinary life. We can often feel the tension between these two and wonder if we have to sacrifice one for the other. My guest today has written a book all about this tension. Kelly Needham knows what it is like to long for a feeling of purpose in...

Self-care has become an increasingly popular topic! One of my free ebooks is all about ten self-care strategies to help reduce stress and it just so happens to be the most downloaded. While most of us can agree that we need to take better care of our mental and physical health, too often we overlook the care of our souls. The truth is that without soul care there is no self-care. That’s why I invi...

Do you want to make Christmas extra special this year? To do this, things like giving special gifts, gathering the family in a certain way, or even decorating with intentionality may come to mind. But what if making Christmas special wasn’t about anything you did externally but what you did internally? What if you took your heart on a journey to see Christmas through new eyes? I asked Ocieanna Fle...

As the old saying goes, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I have the privilege of receiving a lot of newly published books in my mailbox, but rarely do I get truly excited about them. However, when I saw the cover of my friend’s new book, I couldn’t wait to start reading it. The title of the book is You Have Permission: Developing a Personal Mission Beyond the Walls of Church by Pete Cocco....

God is known as “the comforter,” but in times of pain, it can be hard to feel like He is near to us. Those who experience ongoing pain know all too well that it reaches far beyond the physical body. Pain is felt emotionally; it’s felt spiritually, relationally, and even financially for many people. Even when healing seems very far away, the tenderness of God’s love is near to us. Having personally...

We cannot heal what we don’t admit is broken. Yet too many of us pretend, perform, and try to appear perfect which keeps us striving instead of thriving. That’s a journey that I used to be on myself! I often say that my books are a result of my mistakes and personal growth. That’s why so many of them (and even this podcast!) have “No More Perfect” in the title. Authenticity is freeing and I have c...

Welcome to another bonus episode of the podcast! Mark and I like to share these bonus episodes every once in a while, and their purpose is to give you some quick encouragement and support that you can apply to your life. In this episode, we want to share something with you called “Impact Over Intent.” This is a huge issue for relationships that can cause us to communicate defensively instead of em...

We often talk about restored marriages on this show because that is a core part of Mark and I’s story. However, we recognize this is not the case for every couple. Restoring a marriage takes two willing people, and if there is only one, the marriage may end in an unwanted divorce. My guest, Brandi Wilson, understands this reality all too well. In 2016, her husband, who pastored a megachurch, walke...

Are you feeling disconnected? Struggling to know the next steps to find your tribe of people? I was what you might consider a “late bloomer” when it comes to female relationships. I never seemed to click with the whole girlfriend thing and it wasn’t until I became a mom that I had a strong desire to spend time with other women that knew that knew what I was going through. Now I’m so personally pas...

I am a girl who had a daddy who loved her like Jesus loves us. My dad passed away almost four years ago, and although he wasn’t perfect, he exuded Christ in his daily life and it showed in the way he expressed his love for me. Not everyone has a good relationship or fond memories of their fathers. Mark’s experience of his father was just the opposite of mine. He carried the pain and impact of his...

Prayer is the work of a parent from the moment your child is first placed into your arms all the way through their adult years. In fact, the best thing you can do for your child is to pray for them consistently. If you don’t have any children, we can still have an impact on our friends’ children, neighborhood kids, nieces, and nephews by intentionally praying for them. My friend, Sharon Jaynes, li...

When it comes to conflict in relationships, things can get messy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a marriage relationship, a parent-child relationship, or even a friendship. Conflict has a way of dividing and destroying if we don’t have the necessary skills to repair it. This week we met with a couple that is working through conflict with their adult daughter. As we were discussing the importance of lis...

I would be what some people call “fashion-challenged.” I seriously need something like Garanimals for adults. For those that aren’t familiar with Garanimals, it is a mix-and-match clothing brand for children where every piece of clothing matches using animal icons. Finding the right outfit is as easy as matching the animal! Well, my friend Shari Braendel has made it easier than ever for women to d...

You have heard me say it before and I’m going to say it again—words matter, a lot! If there is anything Mark and I hear in our marriage coaching time and time again, it’s individual couples misusing their words with each other. It isn’t only couples, though. We all need to learn how to measure our words and experience self-control with our emotions. Sarah Molitor is joining me this week as we expl...

Today’s topic is a tough one—addiction. It can tear marriages and families apart and leave loved ones feeling helpless, desperate, and alone. The partners and families of those struggling with addiction can be left grasping for order in the chaos and knowledge in the unknown. I know this because we have dealt with this in our own family. It’s overwhelming, disorienting, and can even feel hopeless...

In our journey through life, we tend to think of surrender as letting our own will be taken prisoner. Our American culture even teaches us to value our freedom and independence above all else. However, the reality is that surrender is the key to a successful life. If you are a believer, it’s also a vital part of the Christian walk. A lack of surrender can cause us to get stuck in our journey, lead...

When a person suffers a loss, they enter the realm of “used to be.” They used to be married. They used to be employed. They used to be pregnant. They used to be sons, daughters, mothers, or fathers. There can be deep loneliness, sadness, and grief in that “used to be” space. This can be a space where it is necessary to dwell for a while, but it is not a space we are meant to remain. My guests toda...

As marriage coaches, one of the things that we see missing from so many significant relationships is kindness. It may seem like a simple thing, but the truth is, the more comfortable we get in a relationship, the more we forget to offer kindness to one another. That needs to change, but making that shift isn’t always easy. Joining me to help us understand this is bestselling author, speaker, and p...

Is "happily ever after" a myth or reality? Unfortunately, most couples don't ride off into the sunset after their honeymoon. Marriage is hard, and maybe you are in a place where you feel that today. Our guests, Bob and Dannah Gresh, have been there. They decided, like Mark and I did, to participate in God's redemption story for their marriage. Together, they discovered somethin...

Everyone knows how important it is for a house to have a strong foundation. If a foundation is weak or it has problems, the house will begin to tilt, sag, water might come in, and the house could even collapse if not corrected. A foundation supports and holds everything in place and the same thing happens in our bodies. Our bodies need to have a strong foundation in order to have good health and t...