Beyond Broken Vows | Christian Marriage, Adultery, Pornography Addiction, Sexual Betrayal, Infidelity

In this raw and emotional episode, we dive into the painful reality of how the phrase “I love you” can feel hollow and even triggering after sexual betrayal in marriage.   When those same words were whispered to someone outside the covenant, they lose their sacred weight—leaving the betrayed spouse questioning their truth. We explore the agony of speaking (or hearing) “I love you” when trust has b...

Today we are so excited to dive into a conversation on the destructive impact of marital infidelity and the journey of healing and restoration with our special guests Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith.    Matthew and Joanna will share their deeply personal experience with sexual betrayal in their marriage and how they overcame this devastation to experience a marriage they never dreamed possible. Now,...

In our 100th episode of the Beyond Broken Vows podcast, we’re throwing a little celebration for the incredible journey of our podcast and the amazing work that God has done through it. Join us as we share our personal experiences navigating the tricky waters of pornography and infidelity in our marriage. We’ll dive into the real challenges couples often face when reaching out for help.   Together,...

On today’s episode, we delve into the topic of euphoric recall, a painful yet critical aspect of sexual addiction recovery.   Emily shares her perspective as a betrayed wife, highlighting the emotional turmoil that accompanies these intrusive memories.   Meanwhile, Johnny explains his own experiences with euphoric recall and outlines a robust four-step battle plan to confront and dissolve these re...

Today we’re tackling an incredibly important topic: porn withdrawal and its impact on those bravely striving to break free from porn addiction.   We chat about both the mental and physical symptoms that can pop up during this journey, along with the challenges people often face when trying to leave behind the familiar paths of addiction.   We’ll share some practical steps to help you overcome thes...

What is addiction?   How does it work?   Is it just about deciding to stop destructive behaviors?   Addiction can be a mystery for many couples. Husbands may wonder if they are addicts after betraying their spouse. Wives often struggle to understand how their partner could engage in such hurtful actions for so long.   When our marriage faced sexual betrayal six years ago, we were just as confused...

When it comes to confronting the aftermath of sexual betrayal, each of us will set out on a unique journey to healing and restoration. This was certainly true of our guest April Truitt. April shares the deeply personal and transformative story of her marriage's journey through infidelity. After discovering her husband's affair, April recounts the emotional devastation and the path to recovery that...

After sexual betrayal is discovered in a marriage and the couple decides to embark on the journey to recovery, there are many opportunities for social events to become emotionally challenging, causing what many call triggers.   Today we recount a fun, awkward, semi-harrowing story of our weekend adventure at a pirate-themed wedding; fraught with danger, and also some victories.   Listen in to hear...

You may be wondering if sex will ever be fulfilling and satisfying for you or your spouse now that the reality of sexual betrayal has invaded your marriage.   If you are at the very beginning of the discovery and disclosure of infidelity through pornography or other sexual expressions outside of your marriage, you might be wondering if you’ll ever have sex again, or if you’ll even want to have sex...

Connection...   When you think about connecting with others, what comes to mind?    What does it truly mean to be connected, and what are healthy connections? And speaking of healthy connections, it makes you wonder—are there unhealthy connections?   What do your connections look like in your life?   Join us today as we dive into these intriguing questions and explore the meaning of connections to...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you realized that making a significant personal sacrifice was the key to resolving a difficult situation? And that this decision would alter your life as you know it? Often, these moments involve putting the needs of someone else first. It’s those we love most with whom we often decide to "die to self." We’d love for you to join us today as Johnny...

Okay, picture this scene: you are on vacation at the beach, having a great time soaking in the sun and playing in the ocean. You're making your way further and further out into deeper water. The waves are getting steadily higher but it’s still manageable as your feet are connected to the sandy ocean floor.   Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a very large and powerful wave comes crashing over you...

Today we’ll be sharing a fantastic interview with Sathiya Sam, host of the Man Within podcast and the founder of Deep Clean . Sathiya opens up about his personal journey, including how he overcame a 15-year struggle with porn addiction, and the faith and guidance that played a key role in his recovery. He dives into some eye-opening differences between just being sober and truly experiencing freed...

After infidelity in marriage is discovered, many questions arise and decisions need to be made. Questions like:   Is this real?     How could this happen to me?   And one of the more frequently asked questions,   What do I do now?   Last week, in episode #88 , we told the story of our journey toward "making a decision and burning the ships".    Today, we follow up on our conversation from last wee...

Often in life, we come to a point where we need to make an important decision. A decision that could alter the trajectory of the rest of our lives. Yes, that kind of decision.    Have you had to make such decisions??    When it comes to recovering from sexual betrayal in marriage, these kinds of decisions can come up very soon after the discovery of adultery and then later on as rebuilding your ma...

Have you gotten to the point in your recovery journey from marital infidelity where you may be feeling the fatigue of endless questions, lack of trust, and having to talk about the pain every day and you’re asking yourself, "Can't we just get back to normal"?   What is normal?   What if "normal" got you to where you are today? Would you really want to go back?   Join us today as we outline the sho...

As we approach the end of 2024, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year of recovery. Was this last year anything that we hoped or imagined it would be? What went well? What missed the mark of our expectations? What could we have done differently?   These are all good questions to ask ourselves in light of the upcoming New Year.   Our recovery journey from porn-fueled infidelity and betrayal...

Are you looking for hope in what may seem to be a hopeless situation right now?   Merriam-Webster defines hope as "to expect with confidence".   During this Christmas season many of us are looking for hope. Hope that things will change for the better or maybe just hope that the pain of betrayal and the confusion of addiction will simply “go away”.   Friends, let me assure you that there is true ho...

Are you looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year? Or maybe for you, Christmastime has a dark shadow over it because of the discovery of sexual betrayal in your marriage and you’re wondering if it is ever going to get better.   We know how that feels! Several years ago, we faced the shocking reality of infidelity in our marriage, and it turned our Christmas into a painful blur. Before tha...

On today's show, we share our transformative journey from the deep struggles of pornography addiction and infidelity to healing and restoration. If you remember back on episode #75 , we had a guest on our show who gave us some incredible insights on how to Heal with God, from heavy things like sexual betrayal, shame and unforgiveness.   Heather O’Brien is the host of the podcast Heal with God, and...

Ladies, do you and your husband seem to be in a never-ending cycle of communication misfires? You ask him hard questions, he gives you answers, but you still aren’t connecting and moving forward.   Are you frustrated and confused by his responses, or lack thereof, leaving you with no confidence that he is telling the truth or that he sees your pain?   Today we address the challenges of rebuilding...

Ah, the holiday season! A time filled with twinkling lights, joyful gatherings, and, let's face it, a few emotional landmines for those who have been through the wringer with sexual betrayal. If the holiday cheer takes a nosedive because you discovered your partner’s unfaithfulness—whether it was last month, a year ago, or even two decades back—we totally get it.  It's completely natural for memor...

Making and apology to our betrayed spouse is one of the more important facets of our recovery process. However, have you had the experience when making an apology to your spouse, it seemed to cause more damage than give relief? So, what is the secret to a good apology and how can it be done with respect and honesty that can lead to true intimacy.   Since publishing episode #10, When “I’m Sorry” Is...

Have you ever lost something or had something taken away from you and you deeply felt the loss?   Or perhaps you gave something precious away that you now regret or grieve and want to get it back.   Would you be willing to travel a potentially painful path to have your loss restored?   The path of redemption can be challenging at best and painful at its worst. But what if the road less traveled br...

On this show, we have often talked about forgiveness - the need for extending forgiveness and how to walk out forgiveness. It has been in the context of forgiving your spouse for sexual betrayal, but what about the other woman? Or women? There are many different scenarios and every marriage has a unique story of brokenness. But there is a common thread of knowing there are those outside of your ma...