No More Perfect Podcast with Jill Savage

With Christmas right around the corner, we decided it was the perfect time to sit down and have a chat about the expectations that can go hand-in-hand with the holiday season.
Whether you’re a new parent, an empty nester, or somewhere in between, we’re willing to bet you’re all too aware of holiday expectations. After all, they seem to come at us from every direction—from our family members, traditions we see in movies, and even social media.
When the holidays don’t go as planned, it can leave us feeling disappointed, unhappy, and disconnected from our loved ones. The truth is, nobody benefits from the burden of these expectations—so let’s let them go. This winter, rather than spending your time frantically rushing to and fro, consider with us how we can better manage our expectations around this busy season.
In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How a simple mindset adjustment can help you have a great holiday season
• Our six strategies for managing expectations
• Why you should survey your family about what they really want to do
• And much more!

We hope this conversation helps you set realistic expectations and maximize your connection with your loved ones!

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes: jillsavage.org/holiday-expectations-224

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...

Content Warning: This episode does discuss challenging topics like child abuse and suicide. Please listen carefully or consider skipping this episode if those topics could be triggering for you.
As a parent, we would do almost anything for our children and strive to protect them from the dangers in the world. However, when my guest took their child to the hospital to get a bruise checked out, he never imagined it could end with an arrest and time in prison.
Matt Everly is usually behind the scenes with our podcast, and not behind the microphone. Matt has edited every podcast episode for us for the last two years as part of my son's content marketing agency. We are so grateful for his work and talent! In addition to his editing skills, he has quite the story to tell. He’s walked through hardship after hardship, yet he has remained steady in his faith.
Matt is an inspiration to me and I hope he will be to you as well.
In this episode, we talk about:

• The frightening and unexpected journey Matt walked
• How his faith was tested through this season and what faith looks like for him today
• Why having a strong community made all the difference
• How he and his wife navigated such a challenging season for their marriage
• And so much more...

I hope you are inspired by our conversation today!
Show Notes: jillsavage.org/matt-everly-201

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...

Let’s be honest: life can be really hard sometimes this side of Heaven. I know in my own life I think of my breast cancer, the dark season of Mark and I's marriage, losing my dad recently, deep challenges my children have experienced, and much more. I imagine you can think of many situations in your own life as well.

Along with those hardships come emotions that can feel like a rollercoaster that takes us on twists and turns, and often our first reaction is to just try to make the rollercoaster stop so we can experience joy and peace again. However, what if we could find joy even while we are riding the rollercoaster of life? What if joy isn't about a feeling, but rather about a knowing?

Joining me today is my long-time friend Suzie Eller, who is a podcast co-host, speaker, and ECPA bestselling author. She has written several books including her most recent book, Joykeeper: 6 Truths That Change Everything You Thought You Knew About Joy. She has also navigated some incredibly challenging circumstances in her life, and in this episode she openly walks us through the journey God has led her and her family on, and what she's learned as a result.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why circumstances so often steal our joy
• The lessons Suzie has personally learned from walking through hardship
• Practical ways you can find joy on the hard days
• Why we can let God do His work without getting in His way

This was such a beautiful and honest conversation. I hope it speaks to your heart in a powerful way today.
Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/suzie-eller-97/

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...

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, likes to say that we can’t be perfect parents, but we can be praying parents. For 10 years, Sharon served as Vice President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and co-host for their daily radio feature. She is the author of 25 books, including her newest release Praying for Your Child from Head to Toe. Sharon currently writes for Proverbs 31 Ministries and teaches at their She Speaks Conference.
In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• How prayer is linked to control
• The importance of praying for your child’s thoughts
• 16 landmarks you can use to pray for your child
• And much more!

I hope these landmarks inspire you to pray more intentionally for your child in whatever season of life they are in!
Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/sharon-jaynes-166

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...

Have you ever heard the term “conversational intelligence?” I hadn’t before, but my guest today is an expert in it! Too often, parents of teenagers or young adults miss out on connecting because we aren’t approaching conversations in the right way. We have a tendency to lecture rather than listen, to tell rather than ask, or be controlling rather than curious. I know that last one has often been me as a parent!

My friend, Patti Reed, is joining me today. Patti is a certified coach in Conversational Intelligence®️ and is passionate about helping others improve their relationships through intentional communication. Her new book, Face to Face, helps parents approach conversations with their children with courage and intentionality to forge a healthy relationship with them.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What it means to have Conversational Intelligence®️
• The biggest mistakes parents make when talking to their young adult children
• Why it’s important to trust God with your child’s future
• What to do when your children tell you something you don’t agree with

There is so much wisdom packed in this episode! Listen in!
Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/patti-reed-88/

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...