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...