The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting
Aaron Au, April Au | Marriage Coaching and Mentoring
96 episodes
4 days ago
The Go-To Podcast for Those Who Want To Rebuild Intimacy and Connection in Their Christ Centered Marriage
Has the excitement of your wedding day now faded into the background?
Are you so exhausted that the last thing you want to think about is your marriage?
Do you and your spouse feel like ships passing in the night?
If you’re craving the intimate, connected marriage God has for you, you’ve come to the right place!
We’re April and Aaron Au, marriage coaches with over a decade of experience, who are on the journey to finding God’s best for our marriage while raising two young boys.
We recently heard this wisdom: “If your marriage isn’t growing, it’s dying.” Yikes! That really got our attention! But if you think about it, it’s true. Marriages need direction, purpose and a common vision to thrive. If they don’t, they will inevitably drift apart. When you add the pressures of raising young children and the grind of daily work to the mix, there are even more forces that threaten to pull our marriages apart.
Thankfully, God has a beautiful vision for our marriages. He wants us to cultivate and enjoy intimacy and connection in our marriage. What’s more, God wants to breathe his Spirit and life into our marriages through beautiful encounters with him in prayer and worship.
In this podcast, we’ll learn about:
- Simple, healthy habits that lead to effective communication and intentional conversations
- The assumptions and expectations that can sabotage our marriages
- How community is essential for a connected marriage
- God’s heart to bring healing and wholeness to us, as individuals and as a family
And of course, we’ll dive into all of the fun topics like sex, money, parenting and why you shouldn’t buy a car without talking to your spouse first.
We’ll also have space to encounter God through prayer, worship and reflection through regular episodes called “Thursday Thoughts.”
So join us on this beautiful journey that we call “Living Marriages.”
Get in touch!
info@livingmarriages.com
Like the podcast? You can make a charitable donation to keep fresh content coming: livingmarriages.com
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The Go-To Podcast for Those Who Want To Rebuild Intimacy and Connection in Their Christ Centered Marriage
Has the excitement of your wedding day now faded into the background?
Are you so exhausted that the last thing you want to think about is your marriage?
Do you and your spouse feel like ships passing in the night?
If you’re craving the intimate, connected marriage God has for you, you’ve come to the right place!
We’re April and Aaron Au, marriage coaches with over a decade of experience, who are on the journey to finding God’s best for our marriage while raising two young boys.
We recently heard this wisdom: “If your marriage isn’t growing, it’s dying.” Yikes! That really got our attention! But if you think about it, it’s true. Marriages need direction, purpose and a common vision to thrive. If they don’t, they will inevitably drift apart. When you add the pressures of raising young children and the grind of daily work to the mix, there are even more forces that threaten to pull our marriages apart.
Thankfully, God has a beautiful vision for our marriages. He wants us to cultivate and enjoy intimacy and connection in our marriage. What’s more, God wants to breathe his Spirit and life into our marriages through beautiful encounters with him in prayer and worship.
In this podcast, we’ll learn about:
- Simple, healthy habits that lead to effective communication and intentional conversations
- The assumptions and expectations that can sabotage our marriages
- How community is essential for a connected marriage
- God’s heart to bring healing and wholeness to us, as individuals and as a family
And of course, we’ll dive into all of the fun topics like sex, money, parenting and why you shouldn’t buy a car without talking to your spouse first.
We’ll also have space to encounter God through prayer, worship and reflection through regular episodes called “Thursday Thoughts.”
So join us on this beautiful journey that we call “Living Marriages.”
Get in touch!
info@livingmarriages.com
Like the podcast? You can make a charitable donation to keep fresh content coming: livingmarriages.com
It's always a good time to check in with God and one another on the state of your marriage and family. We happened to do our check-in at the end of 2025 and God had a pretty serious invitation for us: start taking yourselves and your marriage more seriously. It's an invitation we're passing on to you!
On this episode you'll hear:
What it looks like when you're not taking your marriage seriously and how God might be inviting you to change that
The grace and humour you'll need for the journey and that God is freely offering
How NOT to become overwhelmed when starting this journey
Resources
Here are a few of the books and resources that have captured our curiosity and imaginations and are giving us good ideas on how we can take ourselves more seriously this year.
The Marriage You Want by Sheila Wray Gregoire and Dr. Keith Gregoire
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
Spiritual Health Reflection from Practicing the Way
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you how God is inviting you to take yourself and your marriage more seriously this year! Get in touch if you'd like prayer or some accountability: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to donate to this non-profit ministry? Visit our website to see how you can make a charitable donation!
Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, we wanted to pray God's blessing and provision for your marriage this year. That prayer involves bringing our "not enough", our "loaves and fish" to Jesus and to see what he will do with them. It means not limiting God in how and where he wants to provide for us.
Join us for this time of prayer and blessing as we step into a New Year together!
Next Steps
Get in touch with us - we'd love to hear from you what you're excited about or worried about for this new year of 2026: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation? We're looking for monthly partners! For more information visit https://livingmarriages.com/donate#httpslivingmarriagescomdonate
If you're listening in real-time with us, this episode is being released at the end of 2025. As you look back on the year that was and look ahead to the year to come, how has God been enough for you? In your life and your marriage? Are there areas you've struggled seeing him as enough? Are there areas where you can celebrate his abundance?
In this episode we share:
The question that really got us thinking about our trust in God this past year
A great question Jesus asks his disciples before feeding the 5000
Encouragement from the book of Acts for what God really wants to give us
Next Steps
Let us know how we can pray for you! Or if you have any show ideas, we'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com
Want to make a charitable gift before the end of the year? Visit our website to give: https://livingmarriages.com
If you're listening in real-time with us at the Living Marriages podcast, Merry Christmas!
We've got a short Christmas Day greeting for you complete with an amazing rendition of a winter poem read by our incredible boys, Ethan and Elijah.
Praying the love, joy, peace and hope of the Christmas season for you!
Love,
Aaron, April, Ethan and Elijah
We are so excited to introduce you to our good friends, Cris and Christy Harper. After God moved them to Edmonton from Alabama in the midst of a global pandemic to start church ministry, they felt a bit untethered in life and in their marriage.
As they were approaching the end of the year, God invited them to a new practice, one which they've developed and practiced regularly at the end of each year. It's an incredible way of connecting, of building courage in communication, of repentance, of building friendship and deepening communion with one another and with Christ.
Join us for this humour-filled and deeply encouraging conversation as we approach the end of 2025!
Resources
Here is the Spiritual Health Reflection and the Rule of Life Builder by the folks over at Practicing the Way.
Interested in becoming a marriage mentor? FamilyLife Canada can provide the training and resources you need here.
Next Steps
If you'd like to get in touch, we'd love to hear from you and to pray with you! Send us an e-mail: info@livingmarriages.com
Please pray about supporting this non-profit podcast. For more information on making a charitable donation, please visit: https://livingmarriages.com
In Episode 89, we spoke with our friend Justin Chan about how in being curious about our differences and learning to honour them, God can draw us closer to one another and himself!
On today's Thursday Thought we take time to reflect on some of the differences in our marriage, get curious about them and pray about how the Lord might be inviting us to honour these differences.
We also are reminded about three of the most important words you can use in your marriage: "Tell me more!"
Next Steps
If you'd like us to pray for you or if you have any episode suggestions or ideas, get in touch with us! We'd love to hear from you: info@livingmarriages.com
If you're feeling led to make a charitable donation to help keep this non-profit ministry "on the air," please visit our website: https://livingmarriages.com
If you've been listening to the podcast for awhile, you'll know that two of the biggest dangers marriages face today are "drift" and "difference". Each is a tool the enemy uses to great effect to drive us further apart in our marriages.
Today's guest, Justin Chan, Director of Oneness for Power to Change and founder of the PRAXIS experience, shares his wisdom and experience of how understanding and honouring the differences between us and our spouse can actually bring us closer to each other and to God.
We chat about:
The importance of self-awareness in our relationships with one another and God
Discovering how cultural and social differences might be at play in our marriages
Being curious about and honouring our differences
Finding spiritual rhythms and practices that suit our personalities and that still bring us closer together in unity
What it looks like to be "present FOR" our spouse when they can't be "present WITH."
Next Steps
If you'd like prayer or have feedback, guest or episode ideas, we'd love to hear from you! You can e-mail us at info@livingmarriages.com
If you're feeling led to support this non-profit ministry, you can make a charitable donation through our website https://livingmarriages.com
As we discussed in Ep. 87, the holiday season can be anything but "the most wonderful time of the year." However, with clear communication and intentional planning, our families can move from just surviving this time to actually enjoying and thriving in it.
Join us for this Thursday Thought as we reflect further on what kind of communication and planning we might need to have BEFORE we're in the thick of it. Plus, we pray that God would restore to us the wonder of Advent and Christmas, without all of the cultural baggage and expectation we often experience.
Next Steps
Get in touch! We'd love to hear from you about prayer requests you have or episode or guest ideas! info@livingmarriages.com
Want to donate to this non-profit ministry to help keep new content being published? Make a charitable donation at https://livingmarriages.com
"It's the most wonderful time of the year..." At least that's how the carol goes. With American Thanksgiving barely in the rearview mirror and Christmas barreling towards us, are you feeling the joy and wonder of the Advent and Christmas seasons or are you feeling the pressure and expectation of yet another holiday? If you're feeling the pressure, like we are, make sure to stop and do this one thing: communicate!
On this episode, we learn alongside you and encourage you to:
Communicate clearly - make sure you both know what you are saying "yes" to
Take time to understand your family traditions and expectations
Make time for dates and connecting in the midst of busyness
Prioritize your immediate family, even if you are travelling and visiting family abroad
Resources
For a great conversation of family of origin (especially in light of family traditions) please visit Episode 75.
For some practical ideas for weekly check-ins as a couple, listen to Episode 11.
(Links will open podcast episodes in Apple Podcasts)
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you about how we can be praying for you during the holiday season. Or send us feedback and show note ideas! info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to support this non-profit ministry with a charitable donation, please visit https://livingmarriages.com
On this Thursday Thought, we lean into God's grace and love as we seek to discover God's best for our sex life.
We reflect on:
Our conversation from Episode 85 with Joanna Sawatsky of baremarriage.com
We re-affirm our view of the sacredness of sex intended for the covenant of marriage
We lean into God's grace and healing for those affected by pornography, purity culture and more
We discuss how obligation and entitlement have no place in the bedroom
And much more! We also pray for God's healing, wholeness and best for the areas of sex and intimacy in our marriage.
Next Steps
Have ideas for guests, episode topics, feedback or prayer requests? Get in touch! info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to make a donation to this non-profit ministry, you can do so at our website: https://livingmarriages.com
Grace and peace! Aaron and April
There has been a lot of conversation in Christian circles recently about some of the well-intentioned yet harmful marriage advice that is being perpetuated, especially in some best-selling Christian materials.
Today's guest, Joanna Sawatsky, has been working to shine a light on some of these teachings and their effects on marriages through rigorous research. Along with the team at baremarriage.com, she's also been sharing God's heart for hope, health and healing for our marriages.
On this episode, we talk with Joanna about:
What a memorable message is and how research shows the impact of these messages on the quality of our marriage and our sex life
The importance of curiosity and holding space for others
The harm that comes from marriage teachings that point to female obligation and male entitlement when it comes to sex
Compassion and the importance of seeing each other as God's image-bearers
Resources
Joanna Sawatsky is an author, epidemiologist and biostatistician with the team at baremarriage.com. Please click on the link to find out more about the books, podcast and blog that Joanna referenced in our conversation.
Next Steps
Thoughts, feedback, episode ideas, prayer requests? Please get in touch with us. We'd love to hear from you and pray with you. info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to support this non-profit ministry, please visit our website to find out how you can partner with us in prayer and financially: https://livingmarriages.com
On this Thursday Thought, we take time to reflect on the conversation we had with Matt and Mandy Horne in episode 83. We draw encouragement and instruction from how God held them close and how they walked in "deep trust" with him through challenging transitions in life and marriage. We pray for all of our listeners going through these difficult seasons of transition.
Next Steps
If you'd like us to pray with you, we're here for you! Please drop us a line: info@livingmarriages.com
You can also donate to this non-profit ministry: https://livingmarriages.com
Mandy and Matt Horne have experienced A LOT of transition in their nearly 25 years of marriage. From several moves to adoption to working in ministry to starting a business, they have experienced the joys and challenges of the different seasons of life God has brought them through.
In our conversation you'll hear:
How God has held them close and how they have clung to him through difficult transitions
How they took on roles and responsibilities they might have never dreamed of depending on the season they were in
Mandy's 3 R Coaching Framework (Reconnect, Restore and Rise)
Resources
If you would like to find out more about Mandy's work as a board-certified Health and Wellness Nurse Coach, please visit her website:
https://www.wellspringoflifecoaches.com/
For Mandy's special offer for a free resource for Living Marriages' listeners, please visit:
https://gift.wellspringoflifecoaches.com/au
If you'd like to get in touch with Aaron and April at the Living Marriages Podcast and ministry, please visit our website:
https://livingmarriages.com
or send us an e-mail with episode ideas, feedback and prayer requests: info@livingmarriages.com
On this Thursday Thought, we reflect back on Ep. 81 and the Marriage Hierarchy of Needs by Sheila and Keith Gregoire from "The Marriage You Want."
We reflect and pray on the idea that if one of you feels like you're being chased by a bear in your marriage, you both are! Are we on the same level in our marriage and if not, have we communicated about it? Is this a season we are in by choice and if so, are we still communicating openly about it, giving gratitude for the other? And if this is not by choice and one spouse finds themselves in a different level of need, how are we going to support and help one another?
Resources
To see a diagram of the Marriage Hierarchy of Needs and hear Sheila Wray Gregoire and Dr. Keith Gregoire's conversation about this, please click here.
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you. How do you see the Marriage Hierarchy of Needs playing out in your marriage? Any questions? Ideas for shows and guests? Prayer requests? Get in touch! info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to support our non-profit ministry in finances and prayer, you can visit our website to find how: https://livingmarriages.com
You may have heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs before - the idea that basic needs (such as food, clothing and safety) must be met before we can move into higher ideals (friendship, self-esteem, self-actualization.)
What if the same were true for marriage? Authors Sheila Wray Gregoire and Dr. Keith Gregoire think this is the case. In their latest book, "The Marriage You Want", Sheila and Keith propose this idea in the context of marriage and assert "Your marriage...exists on the lowest tier that either of you occupies."
On today's episode, we talk about this concept, see how it has played out in our marriage and how we can build bridges towards one another in terms of communication and sharing the load so that we can move towards a thriving marriage together.
Resources
To see a diagram of the Marriage Hierarchy of Needs and hear Sheila Wray Gregoire and Dr. Keith Gregoire's conversation about this, please click here.
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you. How do you see the Marriage Hierarchy of Needs playing out in your marriage? Any questions? Ideas for shows and guests? Prayer requests? Get in touch! info@livingmarriages.com
If you'd like to support our non-profit ministry in finances and prayer, you can visit our website to find how: https://livingmarriages.com
After hearing Christina Worthing's powerful and moving story from Episode 79, this Thursday Thought is a simple one: it's a prayer for those who find themselves in unexpected grief and a prayer for those sharing together in that grief. It's a prayer for the church to step into its calling to "mourn with those who mourn." (Romans 12:15) It's a prayer for humility and wisdom in how we do this and for grace when we mess it up.
Next Steps
Are you going through unexpected grief? We'd love a chance to pray with you.
Have an idea for an episode? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.
info@livingmarriages.com
Want to partner with us to keep this podcast and non-profit ministry going? Please visit our website to find out how you can pray for us and support us financially: https://livingmarriages.com
At the Living Marriages Podcast, we feel it a privilege and a calling to share stories of Christ-centred marriages in all of their joys and challenges. Today's stories is about one of those marriages. Christina and Sean loved Jesus and they loved each other. And then suddenly, at a very young age, Sean passed away unexpectedly.
What came next for Christina was a story of inexplicable grief, confusion, faith, community and healing.
In this episode, you'll hear:
The blessing that Christina and Sean's marriage was as well as the lessons Christina learned
How God showed up with and for Christina in faith, friendship and community
Some ideas for how we as the church can walk with people in grief
Resources
If you'd like to connect with Christina in her professional capacity as a registered psychologist, you can find her at FUEL Pain and Injury Recovery Clinic. You can find her on social media: Facebook (Your Pain Psychologist) and on Instagram (@yourpainpsychologist)
Next Steps
Are you going through unexpected grief? We'd love a chance to pray with you.
Have an idea for an episode? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.
info@livingmarriages.com
Want to partner with us to keep this podcast and non-profit ministry going? Please visit our website to find out how you can pray for us and support us financially: https://livingmarriages.com
On this Thursday Thought, we invite you into a time and space for reflection and prayer as we ask God 3 important questions:
1. What is the fruit that is being produced in my life (both good and bad)
2. Where do you want to prune?
3. What roadblocks do I have which prevent you from doing that work of pruning?
It is good to reflect on these questions alone at first but if your spouse is willing, we encourage you to listen to Episode 77 together first and then reflect prayerfully on these questions together, as they pertain to your marriage.
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you, whether you'd like to share you story or ask for prayer! Get in touch with us: info@livingmarriages.com
If God is inviting you to join our ministry team by partnering with us financially and in prayer, please visit our website to find out how you can do that! https://livingmarriages.com
"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
Matthew 7:16-20
God had us confront a difficult yet extremely important question in today's episode: What is the fruit that is being produced by our marriage?
This is a difficult question because God asks us to allow him to shine his light into some areas we are unaware of or would rather leave alone. This can be in some big things or in some small habits (just ask Aaron about his hockey pool and the effects it has been having on his family!)
By his grace, he wants to bring these things into his light and his grace in order to bring his healing and wholeness, so that in our marriages and our families, we might produce good fruit.
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you, whether you'd like to share you story or ask for prayer! Get in touch with us: info@livingmarriages.com
If God is inviting you to join our ministry team by partnering with us financially and in prayer, please visit our website to find out how you can do that! https://livingmarriages.com
On this Thursday Thought, we reflect on our family of origin (discussed in Episode 75), its impact on our marriage and how God is inviting us to:
1. celebrate the good things from our upbringing
2. acknowledge the unhealthy things
3. examine some of the things we have left unexamined that could be good or unhealthy
If you are able, please find some time to listen to this episode with your spouse. You will be able to point out and celebrate the "good things" together, support each other through the "unhealthy things" and point out the blind spots as we examine the unique things we each are bringing into our marriage.
Next Steps
We'd love to hear from you, whether you'd like to share you story or ask for prayer! Get in touch with us: info@livingmarriages.com
If God is inviting you to join our ministry team by partnering with us financially and in prayer, please visit our website to find out how you can do that! https://livingmarriages.com
The Living Marriages Podcast | Effective Communication, Intimacy, Healthy Habits, Christian Counseling, Christian Parenting
The Go-To Podcast for Those Who Want To Rebuild Intimacy and Connection in Their Christ Centered Marriage
Has the excitement of your wedding day now faded into the background?
Are you so exhausted that the last thing you want to think about is your marriage?
Do you and your spouse feel like ships passing in the night?
If you’re craving the intimate, connected marriage God has for you, you’ve come to the right place!
We’re April and Aaron Au, marriage coaches with over a decade of experience, who are on the journey to finding God’s best for our marriage while raising two young boys.
We recently heard this wisdom: “If your marriage isn’t growing, it’s dying.” Yikes! That really got our attention! But if you think about it, it’s true. Marriages need direction, purpose and a common vision to thrive. If they don’t, they will inevitably drift apart. When you add the pressures of raising young children and the grind of daily work to the mix, there are even more forces that threaten to pull our marriages apart.
Thankfully, God has a beautiful vision for our marriages. He wants us to cultivate and enjoy intimacy and connection in our marriage. What’s more, God wants to breathe his Spirit and life into our marriages through beautiful encounters with him in prayer and worship.
In this podcast, we’ll learn about:
- Simple, healthy habits that lead to effective communication and intentional conversations
- The assumptions and expectations that can sabotage our marriages
- How community is essential for a connected marriage
- God’s heart to bring healing and wholeness to us, as individuals and as a family
And of course, we’ll dive into all of the fun topics like sex, money, parenting and why you shouldn’t buy a car without talking to your spouse first.
We’ll also have space to encounter God through prayer, worship and reflection through regular episodes called “Thursday Thoughts.”
So join us on this beautiful journey that we call “Living Marriages.”
Get in touch!
info@livingmarriages.com
Like the podcast? You can make a charitable donation to keep fresh content coming: livingmarriages.com
