435-From Emotional & Physical Abandonment to being Joyfully Greeted with Open Arms: Stephen's Transformation Story
Delight Your Marriage
Belah Rose
4.7 • 589 Ratings
🗓️ 11 June 2024
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We have all felt the frustration and disappointment of doing our best to do the right thing and life still does not go the way we thought.
For 28 years, Stephen was a faithful husband to his wife. There were no drugs or alcohol or pornography. They raised two kids in a Christian home. From the outside, everything looked like it should be going right.
But within their marriage, they were falling apart. Stephen felt emotionally and physically abandoned by his wife and didn't know what to do.
After desperately searching "Sexual Intimacy" on Google in hopes of finding some answers, Stephen stumbled upon Delight Your Marriage.
After the first podcast episode, he knew this was what the Lord had for him. He was shocked that after signing up, exactly what he had been praying for came to pass... his wife greeted him with open arms, a smile, and a "How was your day?" followed by a passionate night!
Stephen had to do his work on himself. It wasn't easy and he had to have faith that God could change it all. And He did.
This is the story we want for each person listening: to be desired by their spouse, to be connected, and to be loved in a delight-filled marriage.
We are so thankful to Stephen for sharing his story with us and we hope that his story becomes your story too.
Blessings,
Belah & Team
P.S. - If you want to know more about our Clarity Calls or how to become involved in the same work Stephen did, please reach out to us at delightyourmarriage.com/cc. We would love to talk to you!
P.S.S. - Here is a quote from a recent graduate:
Before the men's program: "I often felt disrespected and controlled. To a degree I felt unloved because of the lack of physical intimacy.
I often felt I couldn't be myself or express my opinion because of the disapproval I would feel when I did. There was anger and indifference growing in me. We were growing further and further apart…"
After the men's program:
"Tension between us is pretty much gone! Our relationship, our discussions have become much more peaceful, easygoing and playful than before. My wife has become more affectionate and has initiated intimacy more! We can now discuss physical intimacy and not argue.
She has told me many times how she likes the changes she sees in me, and is expressing more and more desire to grow in intimacy herself!...
Other people around us, even strangers, have noticed something different about us. One change that I think is the most telling of how the DYM program has impacted our lives:
Prior to the program we had been sleeping in separate rooms for years. I am thankful to say that I am back in our marriage bed, physically, emotionally – for good now!"
P.S.S.S… :)
A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful privilege of being a guest on the 'That's Just What I Needed' podcast with speaker & author Donna Jones, who is a friend of DYM and has actually been on our podcast as well! If you'd like to listen to the episode, we talk about what you can do make your marriage better, regardless of where you're starting. You can find it here: That's Just What I Needed
It was so great getting to chat with her and we hope the episode blesses you immensely! We want to support Donna and the great work she is doing so if you are on social media, please give her a follow on @donnaajones and make sure to check out her new book, Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life. Thank you again for having me, Donna!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | My wife used to say, you have a heart of stone. |
| 0:02.6 | And I couldn't understand. |
| 0:03.9 | I was duped into thinking as a Christian man, a believer for decades. |
| 0:08.2 | How can your heart be heart of stone? |
| 0:11.1 | The more I dived into this program and the more, and I'd read my Bible over and over cover to cover. |
| 0:17.2 | But when I really dove deep into it and really looked at it deeply, I just leaned into |
| 0:22.7 | praying God changed my heart, and he gave me a heart that can feel again. |
| 0:28.1 | I can feel again. |
| 0:32.3 | Welcome to the Delight Your Marriage podcast. |
| 0:35.5 | You're joining me, Bella Rose, as I dive deep into the beauty, |
| 0:39.3 | power, and truths about intimacy. Learn not only the practicals, but the heart behind what making |
| 0:45.2 | love is all about. Delight your marriage. |
| 0:53.0 | Hi there. This is Bella Rose. |
| 0:55.6 | I'm author, coach, and just really an encourager of the sanctity, the opportunity, the wonder, |
| 1:05.0 | and joy of marriage. |
| 1:07.8 | I don't know how long you've been married, but I want you to know that it can be |
| 1:11.8 | absolutely wonderful. Maybe there's some work that needs to be done. Maybe there's some |
| 1:17.6 | opportunity to grow, to see it the way that God sees it. But at the end of the day, it really |
| 1:27.3 | can change. |
| 1:28.9 | And that's what Stephen's here to share with you. |
| 1:31.9 | Over 20 years of real deep pain, crying out to God. |
| 1:39.2 | And then he decided, well, he ultimately stumbled upon to let your marriage and decided to take the plunge |
... |
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