We’re back for another special conversation, this time about the topic of accountability. When most people think of accountability, they imagine someone asking them tough questions—almost like it’s a police interrogation and they’re in the hot seat. The problem with that mindset is, if the other person doesn’t ask us the “right” questions, then we think we’re off the hook. We don’t have to offer up anything we don’t want to share.

That’s how we viewed accountability before walking through our marriage crisis. But once trust was broken, we realized we needed something different. Something stronger. Rather than seeing accountability as someone else’s job, we began to view it as something we take responsibility for. We started to “push accountability.”

What that looks like in real life is this: the person who is holding themselves accountable takes the lead. They offer up the information their spouse needs in order to feel safe. It’s not about being monitored. It’s about choosing to be known, and choosing to help rebuild trust one honest conversation at a time.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What it means to open up your life to accountability
• Parameters for pushing accountability well
• Ways to offer reassurance and rebuild trust once it has broken
• And more!

We hope this skill is as beneficial for your relationship as it has been in our marriage!

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/push-accountability-255

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Whether you are experiencing a prolonged period of stress or just having a bad day, everyone experiences times of emotional strain. Our jobs can often overwhelm us with pressure-filled deadlines. Our family budget may be tight, which causes us to worry about making ends meet. Sometimes, our family relationships are tense and filled with conflict—whether that be with our spouse or extended family.

There are so many things in life that can be the source of our stress. Although stress may be unavoidable, I want you to know that we don’t have to get stuck in a cycle of never-ending worry. That’s why I’ve asked my friend, Barb Roose, to join me for a conversation about how the Bible can lead us to be stronger than stress.

Barb is a speaker and an author who is passionate about equipping women to be strong and courageous so that they can experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. She has authored eight Bible studies and five books, including Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The surprising effects stress can have on our lives
• How to take your stress to God
• A helpful practice called “Hands up, Hands down”
• And more!

Barb has been a dear friend to me through the years, and it’s always a pleasure to hear her insights and wisdom.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/barb-roose-254

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

If you’re listening on the day this releases, then tomorrow (6/25/2025) is our 42nd wedding anniversary! We can’t believe that it’s already been more than four decades since we walked down the aisle to say our “I do’s”.

Would you believe that our first big argument occurred on our honeymoon? We had a lot of good times in those early years, but they were also the beginning of some recurring conflicts and struggles for us.

As we reflect back on 42 years of marriage, one of the things that has made a big difference in the health of our relationship is learning how to make requests instead of hoping, wishing, or hinting at what we wanted or needed. In today’s conversation, we are discussing why this was a game-changer and how you can incorporate this practice into your own marriage.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• The importance of discovering your needs
• How hinting and hoping can damage your marriage
• How unexpressed expectations build resentment
• And more!

We hope this skill is as beneficial for your relationship as it has been in our marriage!

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/hint-hope-253

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

An estimated 100 million people in the United States have some sort of “step” relationship. This could be a stepchild, a stepparent, or even a stepsibling. These relationships are often part of what’s known as a “blended” family, where individuals come together from previous relationships to form a new, unique family unit.

Blended families face many challenges and difficulties that other families don’t necessarily have to navigate. They have to build new relationships within the parent-child and sibling dynamics that have already been established. It can feel awkward at times, and kids may even struggle with feeling like their stepparent is trying to replace or force a bond.

While we don’t have personal experience on this topic, our guests do—and they are here to share their wisdom with us. Paul and Jeannette Savage are a Colorado-based couple with a blended family of five adult children and five grandchildren. Together, they authored Blended: Navigating the Challenges and Joys of a Stepfamily.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Common challenges blended families face
• The importance of avoiding defensiveness
• How to preserve the original parent-child bond
• And more!

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/paul-jeannette-savage-252

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

We are doing another episode to answer your questions! Last time we did this, a listener asked to hear more about “Jill 1.0”. For this conversation, we have received a question for Mark! Here’s the message that came in via email:

Dear Mark, I listen to every episode that you and Jill put out there. In one of the episodes, you described a “chaos” going on inside your brain and how you’ve experienced healing from it. I want that more than anything.

The chaos in my brain seems insurmountable. I can’t believe it could ever change because it has been a part of me for my entire life. You did an episode about how Jill moved from the 1.0 version of herself to the 2.0 version, but I need to hear how Mark went from 1.0 to 2.0.

Thank you so much for submitting this question! We know how overwhelming it can feel to struggle with inner turmoil, and we’re so happy that you reached out for guidance. Over the years, as we’ve been publicly sharing our story, we’ve taken a lot of time to consider the core elements that helped us move from the old 1.0 versions of ourselves to the new 2.0 versions—and we’re here to share some of our insights with you.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• The acronym Mark uses to describe the chaos
• How to retrain your thoughts
• The importance of making requests
• And more!

We hope this conversation is helpful for anyone struggling to understand their brain or who needs to hear that there is hope.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/old-version-mark-251

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

If you’re familiar with the journey Mark and I have walked together, then you know that I spent a year “standing for my marriage” while Mark had an affair and separated. (You can explore more about our story here.) It was the darkest season of my life—and also the season that produced the most personal, emotional, and spiritual growth I’ve ever experienced.

My guest for this conversation has a similar story. Jason Carver is a pastor and the founder of Standing Supernaturally For Marriage Restoration Ministry. He has served in various pastoral roles in the church for over 35 years and is also a Certified Christian Counselor through the National Association of Christian Counselors.

Whether you are currently separated, in the midst of a divorce, or praying for restoration after divorce, we want you to know that God can do an amazing work in your personal life and relationship.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How God can resurrect dead things
• The importance of maintaining hope
• Practical steps to stand for your marriage
• And more!

I am so grateful to bring you even more stories of marriages that have been restored.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/jason-carver-250

You're invited to our Transform Weekend June 6-8, 2025 or October 17-19, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Over the years, we’ve had our fair share of expectations that ended in disappointment—sometimes around big moments like birthdays, and other times over something as simple as how we spend a Saturday.

It’s taken us a while to discover that what caused many of these conflicts was a lack of proactive communication, or as we like to say, a failure to “push information.” Pushing information is simply taking the time to communicate in advance your current hopes and desires (or even how you are used to doing things in the past).

Pushing information to your spouse may take some time and effort upfront, but we know from experience what a valuable tool this strategy can be in avoiding unnecessary arguments and hurt.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• The importance of comparing your “normals”
• Why proactive communication is key for healthy relationships
• Practical tips for being clear with your expectations
• And more!

This has been such a helpful tool that we’ve used in coaching and in our marriage! We hope it helps you turn confusion and disappointment into clarity and contentment.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/less-arguments-249

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...

Every marriage is an ongoing story with its own highs and lows, joys and difficulties. Depending on which season we are in, we may start to see marriage as the best thing that has ever happened to us or the source of our angst.

If you’ve been following our journey for a while, you know that my husband Mark and I share openly about the struggles as well as the victories in our marriage. God has used every obstacle we’ve encountered to grow us in so many ways.

The truth we hope you walk away with today is that marriage is actually our ultimate invitation to grow. If we allow it, God will use our marriage to shape us into someone who is deeper, healthier, and more rooted in Christ. Our guest believes wholeheartedly that if we are willing to examine the stories of our past that are influencing the present, we can write a new story for the future.

Dr. Dan Allender has a long history in the therapy world. As the author of over two dozen books and the founder of The Allender Center, he believes that true healing and restoration occur when we courageously step into our stories of pain.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The value of vulnerably stepping into each other’s pasts
• Why it’s important to disrupt destructive patterns
• One of the key factors to resolve any conflict
• And more!

These principles have proven so beneficial in our marriage. We hope this conversation helps you write a new story for your own relationships.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/dan-allender-248

You're invited to our Transform Weekend June 6-8, 2025 or October 17-19, 2025. Learn more and register here.

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...