Happy New Year and welcome to a new year of Java with Julie. I'm Julie Slatery in this podcast

is a listener-supported outreach of authentic intimacy, a ministry dedicated to reclaiming God's

design for sexuality. Usually people like to begin a new year with this blank slate and an optimistic

outlook, but it's also wise to be aware of and ready for challenges.

Who knows what this new year might bring?

Today we're going to talk about what it looks like to prepare for

and to respond to the storms of life, particularly related to marriage.

And for my single friends, don't skip this one. There are storms

in your life, too, and much of what we talk about today will apply to your own relationship

with the Lord and the importance of building community. My guest today is my friend Gary Thomas.

Gary is a best-selling author and pastor in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and he's written a new book called

Making Your Marriage a Fortress. Today, Gary and I are going to talk about what you can do today

to prepare for difficulties that could come in the future and how to navigate challenges

in a way that draw you together as a married couple instead of tearing you apart. We'll link to Gary's book

Making Your Marriage a Fortress, as well as a blog that I wrote called Where to Run

When Your Marriage Gets Lonely in our show notes and at Authenticanimacy.com. Before we head to the

coffee shop, I want to remind you that our online book studies are open right now for registration.

What a great way to start the new year, because these studies offer you an opportunity to ask your questions about sexuality and a safe community with a trained authentic intimacy volunteer.

You'll receive the book that you're studying, any associated curriculum or videos, and you'll be able to experience a live Q&A with the author of the book that you're studying.

These studies start this month, and I'll tell you the groups fill up really fast, so reserve your spot right now.

Go to Authenticandemacy.com to register and look for that link in our show notes.

Now here's my conversation with Gary Thomas.

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