Rise Up Restored

Becky and Tiffany sit down with Roxanne to share her story. Roxanne discusses her twenty-one year marriage to a sex addict. She shares how in the beginning, she believed she and her husband had “the best marriage.” But when she found porn on his computer for the first time just six months into their marriage, she was devastated. Over the years, Roxanne knew he wasn’t being forthcoming when he’d deny using porn, but she slowly learned to trust her intuition. She realized that having God on your side is a powerful foundation. She shares how, through praying constantly and asking God what she needed to do that day, along with twelve-step programs, setting boundaries, and receiving counseling, she gained strength to face the pain. Eventually, the Lord told her “you’re done,” and she felt released from the marriage. Roxanne says, “Even though I have these wounds, Christ has made up the difference. Like Job, I’ve been given more than what was taken.”

Becky and Kristy sit down with Marni to hear her story. Marni talks about her parent’s strong relationship growing up, knowing she is a daughter of God, and learning that the Atonement is also about healing from loss and pain, too. Marni talks about feeling like she was married to her best friend for the first 21 years of her marriage. After she discovered an insignificant lie of her husband’s, he texted her and said he wanted a divorce. Marni says this was devastating and she started individual therapy because he made it clear that it was HER fault and he wasn’t going to attend marriage therapy. This therapy helped her greatly when she made a huge discovery a few months later, on Christmas morning. Marni talks about how she dealt with the continued discoveries, how she continued to work on her marriage, and when she found out that her husband was not. She shares that she wondered where God was in the process and He showed her the ways He was with her the entire time. Marni talks about the light and truth she found as she turned to and followed where the Lord was guiding her, through her divorce and as she continues healing now. Marni shares that she is being restored through Christ, through the Refiner’s Fire, and is being reshaped into something better.

Becky sits down with Kristy, one of the show’s cohosts, to share her story. Kristy talks about great faith as a child and teenager, finding a very solid spiritual foundation in spite of not having an “organized religion” religious family. She talks about honesty in her marriage about, facing up to her concerns about using the word “addict” partway through her journey, and her battle with projecting perfectionism to cover up their dark secret. Kristy shares the painful rock bottom in her marriage when she did not know if her marriage would survive but chose to fight for her relationship with the Lord. Kristy talks about her constant faith that God was there for her, even in her anger and frustration. Finally, Kristy shares how the Lord answered her questions screamed from Northwest beach in a very personal and profound way. She reminds us that God is always there and is working miracles in our lives.

Becky and Tiffany sit down with Abby to share her story. A mom of three, Abby discusses how even though her husband was upfront about his problem with pornography before they got married, she was unprepared for the difficulties that would come. During the first several years of their marriage, she felt a complete disconnection with her addict husband, with herself, with others, and with God. She and her husband spoke with their bishop, attended twelve-step groups, and engaged in group therapies. But it wasn’t until she began focusing on herself and tearing down her feelings of apathy that she could allow herself to feel anger. This anger was a helpful emotion because it encouraged her to act. Her relationship with the Lord was restored when, after the birth of their third child, a son with special needs, she learned to start asking Him for help through prayer. Instead of asking her husband about his acting out with pornography, she asks him how connected he feels. Now she engages in a personalized process of music, journaling, physical activity, and talking with the Lord whenever she is feeling triggered or needs help. She knows that she can walk by her husband’s side, but whenever things get hard, she can hand him off to the Savior.

Becky and Autumn sit down with Amy P. to share her story. A wife, mother, and grandmother, Amy shares she had a close connection to God growing up. She feels blessed to be able to love others and feels this gift has helped her through the hardships she has experienced. Amy shares that for over twenty years of their marriage, Amy and her husband were engaged in a dance of attempting recovery and healing, but not getting very far. Amy shares how three years ago, she finally had the courage to tell her husband that she was surrendering him to God, and that this work was something that only he and God could do. When she put her husband’s recovery back into his hands, she was able to heal, as well. With her husband’s recent faith journey, as well as criticism after their son came out, Amy shares that her trauma intensified again. However, she has found peace in her heart as she has felt asked by God to “accept change.”