1 00:00:02,710 --> 00:00:03,670 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:06,710 --> 00:00:09,410 Speaker 2: Welcome to I Wish You Could Hear This, where we 3 00:00:09,490 --> 00:00:13,220 Speaker 2: explore great stories and simple proven steps to help you 4 00:00:13,340 --> 00:00:15,940 Speaker 2: thrive in life, faith, and relationships. 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 3: In our research, we've heard hundreds of hope-filled strategies for marriage, parenting, leadership, 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 3: and life that are grounded in science and consistent with 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:25,060 Speaker 3: biblical truth. 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 4: And now you can hear them too. 9 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 5: I'm Shanti Feldhahn. 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: And I'm Jeff Feldhahn. 11 00:00:31,050 --> 00:00:34,170 Speaker 2: One of the hardest journeys that a marriage can face 12 00:00:34,370 --> 00:00:39,310 Speaker 2: is rebuilding trust after infidelity or another serious betrayal. It 13 00:00:39,350 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 2: could be a physical affair, an emotional affair or even 14 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: a hidden gambling addiction that is suddenly discovered. Many couples 15 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: find themselves wondering whether trust can ever truly be restored 16 00:00:51,780 --> 00:00:52,260 Speaker 2: and where. 17 00:00:52,100 --> 00:00:52,770 Speaker 5: To even begin. 18 00:00:53,450 --> 00:00:57,310 Speaker 2: The good news is that healing is truly possible. Mark 19 00:00:57,430 --> 00:01:00,550 Speaker 2: and Jill Savage know this journey firsthand as a high 20 00:01:00,590 --> 00:01:04,190 Speaker 2: profile author and a pastor. Their lives were shattered by 21 00:01:04,250 --> 00:01:07,429 Speaker 2: infidelity in their own marriage. But after a journey to 22 00:01:07,530 --> 00:01:10,950 Speaker 2: find hope and healing, they now spend their lives helping 23 00:01:11,069 --> 00:01:15,220 Speaker 2: other couples find that same healing and even emerge stronger. 24 00:01:15,819 --> 00:01:18,460 Speaker 2: They are joining us for today's episode of I Wish 25 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:21,350 Speaker 2: You Could Hear This to share what they've learned about 26 00:01:21,569 --> 00:01:23,590 Speaker 2: rebuilding trust after betrayal. 27 00:01:29,250 --> 00:01:32,270 Speaker 4: Welcome, Mark and Jill. Thanks so much for coming on 28 00:01:32,330 --> 00:01:32,850 Speaker 4: the podcast. 29 00:01:33,069 --> 00:01:33,990 Speaker 1: Oh, we're excited. 30 00:01:34,150 --> 00:01:35,210 Speaker 6: Yeah, thanks for having us. 31 00:01:35,209 --> 00:01:36,170 Speaker 1: To join you. Yeah. 32 00:01:36,830 --> 00:01:39,460 Speaker 3: Mark and Jill, you guys are dear friends of ours, 33 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,100 Speaker 3: but let me tell our listeners a little bit about 34 00:01:42,140 --> 00:01:44,020 Speaker 3: you guys so that we can get everyone on the 35 00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 3: same page. Mark and Jill Savage are passionate about encouraging, educating, 36 00:01:48,460 --> 00:01:52,100 Speaker 3: and equipping families and marriages. After serving in church ministry 37 00:01:52,140 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 3: for 20 years, the Savages are now meeting the needs 38 00:01:56,020 --> 00:02:00,670 Speaker 3: of families as authors, speakers, and marriage coaches. For many years, 39 00:02:00,910 --> 00:02:05,090 Speaker 3: Jill founded and ran an international ministry to moms called 40 00:02:05,130 --> 00:02:08,790 Speaker 3: Hearts at Home, which hosted events that Shanti spoke at 41 00:02:09,030 --> 00:02:09,869 Speaker 3: many times. 42 00:02:10,310 --> 00:02:10,790 Speaker 1: Many times. 43 00:02:10,889 --> 00:02:14,530 Speaker 3: Yeah. She's the host of the No More Perfect podcast. 44 00:02:14,970 --> 00:02:19,190 Speaker 3: and the author of 20 books, including the best-selling No 45 00:02:19,230 --> 00:02:20,230 Speaker 3: More Perfect Moms. 46 00:02:20,389 --> 00:02:21,130 Speaker 5: Great book. 47 00:02:21,230 --> 00:02:21,730 Speaker 2: Yeah. 48 00:02:22,110 --> 00:02:26,470 Speaker 3: Together, Mark and Jill have created five online marriage courses 49 00:02:26,630 --> 00:02:30,660 Speaker 3: and authored several books, including No More Perfect Marriages, I 50 00:02:30,780 --> 00:02:34,340 Speaker 3: Really Messed Up, and My Heart is Broken. They're especially 51 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: passionate about helping couples rebuild trust in their marriage after infidelity, 52 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,070 Speaker 3: which is exactly what we're going to be talking about today. 53 00:02:43,550 --> 00:02:44,530 Speaker 4: So thank you, guys. 54 00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:48,350 Speaker 3: For being here and spending some time talking to us 55 00:02:48,610 --> 00:02:50,490 Speaker 3: about such an important topic. 56 00:02:51,370 --> 00:02:53,570 Speaker 6: Yeah, we're glad that we're able to do that. 57 00:02:53,630 --> 00:02:56,590 Speaker 7: It's a way that God has taken our pain and 58 00:02:56,790 --> 00:02:58,190 Speaker 7: used it for his purposes. 59 00:02:58,490 --> 00:02:58,750 Speaker 1: Yep. 60 00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:03,030 Speaker 3: Amen. You know, when I think of different ministry opportunities 61 00:03:03,070 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 3: that the Lord puts in our paths, I always think 62 00:03:06,750 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 3: that what I would really love is that ministry opportunity 63 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:16,750 Speaker 3: of Being a tech billionaire who needs to tell people that, 64 00:03:16,889 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 3: you know, it's just not all it's cracked up to be. 65 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 3: And having that as my ministry focus. You guys, God 66 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 3: had a little different plan for y'all. 67 00:03:27,810 --> 00:03:28,510 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. 68 00:03:29,340 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think so. 69 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:31,299 Speaker 2: Right. 70 00:03:31,340 --> 00:03:33,860 Speaker 7: Well, I don't know if God had the exact plan 71 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,500 Speaker 7: that we're walking. I think God redeemed what happened and 72 00:03:37,740 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 7: used it for his purposes. 73 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 74 00:03:41,780 --> 00:03:46,089 Speaker 2: Actually, let's actually get into that. Like, I would love 75 00:03:46,170 --> 00:03:48,690 Speaker 2: it if we could start off by you guys sharing 76 00:03:48,710 --> 00:03:52,490 Speaker 2: a bit of your story and give us some background 77 00:03:53,150 --> 00:03:56,210 Speaker 2: so that our listeners get on the same space, on 78 00:03:56,230 --> 00:04:00,620 Speaker 2: the same page, and also how... what you've gone through 79 00:04:00,780 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 2: is impacting what you're doing right now. 80 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: Sure. 81 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:04,580 Speaker 6: Right. 82 00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:09,010 Speaker 7: Well, Mark and I have been married 43 years, but 83 00:04:09,050 --> 00:04:12,770 Speaker 7: we often say we've been married 43 years, 33 happily. 84 00:04:14,150 --> 00:04:16,470 Speaker 7: And it wasn't that there were 10 bad years in 85 00:04:16,490 --> 00:04:16,830 Speaker 7: a row. 86 00:04:17,029 --> 00:04:19,490 Speaker 1: There were a little bit here, a little bit there. 87 00:04:19,830 --> 00:04:20,390 Speaker 6: That's right. 88 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,620 Speaker 1: Some more here. Yeah. 89 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 7: We had done some, we had done counseling off and 90 00:04:27,580 --> 00:04:31,770 Speaker 7: on over the years and, And it felt like things 91 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,419 Speaker 7: would get better and then they would not. 92 00:04:34,540 --> 00:04:35,540 Speaker 6: And then they would get better. 93 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 7: A lot of it was Mark grew up in a 94 00:04:41,060 --> 00:04:45,099 Speaker 7: pretty dysfunctional home. And one of the things he used 95 00:04:45,140 --> 00:04:47,300 Speaker 7: to say was, I can't get free of me. 96 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:52,850 Speaker 1: Right. And I think I had a steady diet of therapy, 97 00:04:54,029 --> 00:04:59,909 Speaker 1: even as pastoring. But It just wasn't getting to the 98 00:04:59,970 --> 00:05:08,909 Speaker 1: heart of my struggles. And I did say that quite often, 99 00:05:08,950 --> 00:05:12,349 Speaker 1: that I just can't get free of me. And that 100 00:05:12,410 --> 00:05:18,089 Speaker 1: really led me. So in 2011. Well, 2010, you left pastoring. 101 00:05:18,089 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 6: 2010, I left pastoring. And you'd been pastoring for quite 102 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 6: some time. 103 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:21,940 Speaker 3: 20 years. 104 00:05:21,940 --> 00:05:32,270 Speaker 1: 20 years. I had left the marketplace when I was 105 00:05:32,310 --> 00:05:39,530 Speaker 1: young and pursued a degree and pursued pastoring. And that 106 00:05:39,570 --> 00:05:45,830 Speaker 1: was really the trajectory of my life. And I also 107 00:05:45,930 --> 00:05:51,940 Speaker 1: was raised in an environment that it's a man's world. 108 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:57,299 Speaker 1: The woman's there to serve you. And yeah. 109 00:05:57,740 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 2: That went on really well with you, Jill, I'm sure. 110 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 2: I know you well enough. 111 00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 112 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:04,860 Speaker 6: And what happened? 113 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,100 Speaker 7: Hearts at Home started, which I call the ministry that 114 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,260 Speaker 7: I didn't intend to start. You know, and it had this, 115 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,779 Speaker 7: I mean, you know, we would have a conference who 116 00:06:14,940 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 7: would have 6,000 moms. And so our world became very 117 00:06:20,180 --> 00:06:24,169 Speaker 7: involved in, in that ministry, but that didn't line up 118 00:06:24,250 --> 00:06:26,109 Speaker 7: with what he struggled with. 119 00:06:26,270 --> 00:06:33,830 Speaker 1: Right. And so we were in constant flux between my 120 00:06:33,890 --> 00:06:37,339 Speaker 1: role as pastor and Jill did hop into that as 121 00:06:37,420 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 1: much as she could, but she had a very intense 122 00:06:40,580 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: role in Hearts at Home. And Jill is a very 123 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:49,730 Speaker 1: strong person, has no trouble telling you what she thinks 124 00:06:49,910 --> 00:06:54,510 Speaker 1: or what should be done. And so I, um, I 125 00:06:54,529 --> 00:06:56,050 Speaker 1: just really, I'm. 126 00:06:56,070 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: Snickering over here because Jeff has no idea what you're 127 00:06:59,020 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 2: talking about. 128 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 6: No, I'm sure you guys have no clue. 129 00:07:02,180 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 3: Yeah. 130 00:07:02,380 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 4: That's why the two of you have been such good friends. 131 00:07:06,620 --> 00:07:06,940 Speaker 5: Yeah. 132 00:07:07,339 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 133 00:07:07,940 --> 00:07:13,530 Speaker 1: Jeff and I are, uh, buddies. And so, uh, well, 134 00:07:13,570 --> 00:07:18,340 Speaker 1: Shanti too, but anyway, um, That. 135 00:07:17,540 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 2: Dynamic surely caused issues in your marriage. 136 00:07:20,780 --> 00:07:20,910 Speaker 3: It did. 137 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:21,860 Speaker 5: And suddenly. 138 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:28,500 Speaker 7: Well, because the other piece of that is that, you know, 139 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:34,050 Speaker 7: much of the struggle from the abusive home that he 140 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:39,530 Speaker 7: grew up in was a struggle with rejection, identity. 141 00:07:39,550 --> 00:07:40,570 Speaker 1: Shame. 142 00:07:40,590 --> 00:07:44,530 Speaker 6: Yeah. Shame. All of those kind of things. 143 00:07:44,750 --> 00:07:44,930 Speaker 3: And so. 144 00:07:46,290 --> 00:07:49,110 Speaker 7: um, that's the stuff that was rising up and it 145 00:07:49,150 --> 00:07:52,020 Speaker 7: was bumping up against all of this. 146 00:07:52,260 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 2: Right. 147 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: And it was like, I couldn't get rid of that. 148 00:07:55,060 --> 00:08:00,730 Speaker 1: And so I, I decided after retiring from pastoring that 149 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,810 Speaker 1: I was going to go back to what I had 150 00:08:04,210 --> 00:08:07,610 Speaker 1: really done on and off throughout my whole life. And 151 00:08:07,650 --> 00:08:11,630 Speaker 1: that was working on people's homes. And, uh, a two 152 00:08:11,670 --> 00:08:14,010 Speaker 1: by four doesn't argue about whether it's a two by 153 00:08:14,030 --> 00:08:17,190 Speaker 1: four or not, you know? And I just, I just, 154 00:08:17,390 --> 00:08:20,190 Speaker 1: I knew that I could just go do that and 155 00:08:20,230 --> 00:08:25,370 Speaker 1: be successful, but I still continued to spiral deeper and 156 00:08:25,410 --> 00:08:28,070 Speaker 1: deeper into a pit. Yeah. 157 00:08:28,090 --> 00:08:30,350 Speaker 7: It was like a depression and he had struggled with 158 00:08:30,390 --> 00:08:33,970 Speaker 7: depression off and on over the years, but this was like, 159 00:08:34,410 --> 00:08:36,190 Speaker 7: it was a spiral of depression. 160 00:08:36,450 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 6: I'd never seen before. 161 00:08:38,910 --> 00:08:42,940 Speaker 7: You know, we, he got it. an adjustment on some medication. 162 00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:45,420 Speaker 7: We did all kinds of things, but he was not in. 163 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:51,650 Speaker 6: A good place. No, I wasn't. And in 2011 is. 164 00:08:52,070 --> 00:08:57,490 Speaker 1: I ventured into what we learned later was a midlife crisis. 165 00:08:57,990 --> 00:09:01,090 Speaker 1: I was so disappointed in my life. I was disappointed 166 00:09:01,809 --> 00:09:07,250 Speaker 1: in the outcomes. I found myself I was disappointed in 167 00:09:07,290 --> 00:09:11,730 Speaker 1: relationships and God and the church and everybody was a 168 00:09:11,770 --> 00:09:16,030 Speaker 1: problem but me. Until later, I realized that I was 169 00:09:16,150 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: the problem. So I found myself venturing into an affair. 170 00:09:22,580 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: It began as an emotional affair. And then later, within 171 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:34,630 Speaker 1: six months, it became a physical affair. And Jill found 172 00:09:34,750 --> 00:09:39,450 Speaker 1: out about this early on, uh, in the emotional affair. 173 00:09:39,950 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 7: And, uh, he promised to quit and, or he promised 174 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 7: to break off any communication and, um, but it really 175 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:54,460 Speaker 7: went underground is what happened. Um, and then eventually I 176 00:09:54,500 --> 00:10:01,170 Speaker 7: discovered the physical affair. Um, initially, um, was he he 177 00:10:01,390 --> 00:10:04,150 Speaker 7: recommitted to our marriage but then he would go back 178 00:10:04,450 --> 00:10:06,770 Speaker 7: and he would recommit and he would go back and 179 00:10:07,460 --> 00:10:11,860 Speaker 7: as you can imagine my world was upside down my 180 00:10:12,020 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 7: heart was broken I would have I would have said 181 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,459 Speaker 7: we were least likely to ever have something like that 182 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 7: happen yeah. 183 00:10:19,860 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: I would have too. So I went back and forth 184 00:10:24,970 --> 00:10:26,230 Speaker 1: seven different times. 185 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:27,809 Speaker 6: And eventually left. 186 00:10:27,970 --> 00:10:35,050 Speaker 1: And eventually I, actually February 4th of 2012, I ended 187 00:10:35,170 --> 00:10:40,390 Speaker 1: up moving out. I had secretly been setting up an apartment. 188 00:10:40,650 --> 00:10:44,550 Speaker 1: And then that night I told Jill I was leaving 189 00:10:44,630 --> 00:10:49,860 Speaker 1: her and I was going to file for divorce. And 190 00:10:49,980 --> 00:10:54,059 Speaker 1: so I moved out. I had convinced myself, guys, that 191 00:10:54,140 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: my kids would celebrate me. Dad, I can't believe you 192 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: lived with mom as long as you have. She's a 193 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,780 Speaker 1: hard woman. And you know what? They did not do that. 194 00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:16,230 Speaker 3: Isn't it so fascinating how When we live in our 195 00:11:16,490 --> 00:11:20,530 Speaker 3: own thoughts and don't permit the Holy Spirit to. 196 00:11:20,490 --> 00:11:23,750 Speaker 4: Have access necessarily, or we're not. 197 00:11:23,630 --> 00:11:28,010 Speaker 3: Listening to him, that we can convince ourselves of the 198 00:11:28,050 --> 00:11:29,150 Speaker 3: craziest things. 199 00:11:29,610 --> 00:11:30,170 Speaker 2: Yeah. 200 00:11:30,630 --> 00:11:32,329 Speaker 1: Oh, yeah. I know. I know. 201 00:11:33,270 --> 00:11:33,590 Speaker 3: Yeah. 202 00:11:34,750 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 7: Well, and I'm really, when you think about it, he'd 203 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,140 Speaker 7: been building resentment for many, many years. 204 00:11:41,300 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: Right. 205 00:11:42,220 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 6: Many, many. 206 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,010 Speaker 7: And I later found... out that he actually had a 207 00:11:46,130 --> 00:11:49,870 Speaker 7: paper that listed all the things wrong with me. And 208 00:11:49,950 --> 00:11:55,090 Speaker 7: he had been, he had been ruminating on that. Yeah. 209 00:11:55,250 --> 00:11:58,270 Speaker 1: I had been, it was my prayer list. Really? 210 00:11:58,630 --> 00:12:00,590 Speaker 5: Of course. Of course it was. 211 00:12:01,070 --> 00:12:01,650 Speaker 1: Yeah. 212 00:12:02,130 --> 00:12:04,300 Speaker 2: These are all the things I need to pray about 213 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 2: because Jerry's driving me crazy. 214 00:12:06,780 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: Yes. 215 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:09,780 Speaker 5: I am because of, you. 216 00:12:09,580 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 2: Guys are aware, we've talked about it a little bit 217 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:14,990 Speaker 2: on the podcast. Because of all the work Jeff and 218 00:12:15,030 --> 00:12:17,550 Speaker 2: I have been doing on mental and emotional health the 219 00:12:17,590 --> 00:12:21,650 Speaker 2: last few years and all the work for Habits of Hope, 220 00:12:21,890 --> 00:12:25,500 Speaker 2: the book that's coming up, one of the things that 221 00:12:25,540 --> 00:12:28,300 Speaker 2: we have seen in our research and in all the 222 00:12:28,380 --> 00:12:32,700 Speaker 2: other research out there is that that ruminating, there is 223 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:36,530 Speaker 2: no hope. point at which oh that always leads to 224 00:12:36,570 --> 00:12:39,500 Speaker 2: a good place like that it's not like that ever 225 00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 2: is successful it's not that that ever puts you into 226 00:12:42,940 --> 00:12:46,100 Speaker 2: a better spot even if what you think is that 227 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,210 Speaker 2: you are trying to be realistic and identifying things that 228 00:12:50,250 --> 00:12:52,929 Speaker 2: need to be worked on it that there is a 229 00:12:53,170 --> 00:12:56,930 Speaker 2: very different feeling of if you're ruminating on it rather 230 00:12:56,970 --> 00:13:00,650 Speaker 2: than taking those thoughts captive and saying, yes, those are issues, 231 00:13:00,990 --> 00:13:03,230 Speaker 2: but Hey, there's all these other things. 232 00:13:02,970 --> 00:13:05,689 Speaker 5: That are very real and very good as well. 233 00:13:06,230 --> 00:13:06,410 Speaker 3: Yeah. 234 00:13:06,429 --> 00:13:09,980 Speaker 2: And so I'm, I am curious if you guys don't 235 00:13:10,010 --> 00:13:13,500 Speaker 2: mind turning the corner because I can remember this gel 236 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:15,870 Speaker 2: like in 2012, when would you announce it? 237 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,579 Speaker 6: It was, was it 2012? It was 2012. Yeah. 238 00:13:19,620 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 7: Because I, we were still, I mean, Mark had just left. 239 00:13:22,980 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 7: probably four weeks before the conference. 240 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:25,939 Speaker 1: Yeah. 241 00:13:26,100 --> 00:13:28,939 Speaker 2: And I mean, I can remember this and going and 242 00:13:29,100 --> 00:13:33,699 Speaker 2: everybody going, Oh my gosh, like, like how painful, like 243 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 2: you were leading this international ministry. What, what was the 244 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:42,020 Speaker 2: hardest part of navigating this as well? I think kind 245 00:13:42,059 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 2: of as public figures. 246 00:13:43,780 --> 00:13:46,410 Speaker 6: Right. Right. And I think for me, I. 247 00:13:47,990 --> 00:13:51,929 Speaker 7: Am, I mean, my ministry was built on authenticity and, and, 248 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 7: I didn't want, that's why I chose to talk about 249 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 7: it at the conference, even though it was very fresh 250 00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 7: and that was very scary. But I didn't want to 251 00:14:03,780 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 7: pretend like life was okay. And quite frankly, at that point, 252 00:14:08,820 --> 00:14:12,380 Speaker 7: I mean, our boys, we had two teenagers still at home. 253 00:14:12,420 --> 00:14:16,890 Speaker 7: We had three kids in their 20s. Until he left, 254 00:14:17,830 --> 00:14:19,790 Speaker 7: they were blissfully unaware. 255 00:14:19,810 --> 00:14:20,810 Speaker 6: Interesting. 256 00:14:20,830 --> 00:14:21,290 Speaker 1: Interesting. 257 00:14:22,330 --> 00:14:24,170 Speaker 6: Now that was intentional. 258 00:14:25,450 --> 00:14:28,970 Speaker 7: I didn't, I mean, honestly, it wasn't that I wanted 259 00:14:29,010 --> 00:14:31,710 Speaker 7: to keep it from them forever, but I was dealing 260 00:14:31,730 --> 00:14:33,950 Speaker 7: with my own pain and I didn't want to have 261 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,380 Speaker 7: to deal with their pain at the same time. And 262 00:14:36,420 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 7: my hope was, hey, we can tell them about this 263 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 7: hard thing that we went through, but look what God did. 264 00:14:42,140 --> 00:14:45,860 Speaker 6: And so that was my hope. But when he left, 265 00:14:46,580 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 6: then that opened everything up, right? 266 00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 2: Right. 267 00:14:50,030 --> 00:14:51,470 Speaker 6: So what turned the corner? 268 00:14:51,650 --> 00:14:54,470 Speaker 2: Like, tell us, tell us, because everybody is like leaning 269 00:14:54,510 --> 00:14:56,250 Speaker 2: forward in their seats and going, what happened? 270 00:14:57,150 --> 00:15:02,900 Speaker 7: Well, yeah, let me share literally what happened on Easter Sunday. 271 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:03,300 Speaker 2: Yeah. 272 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 7: So this was 2012. So this is, he's left February 4th. 273 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,020 Speaker 7: So this is now April. 274 00:15:11,620 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 6: Okay. 275 00:15:12,060 --> 00:15:14,860 Speaker 7: So this is April because Easter was early April that year. 276 00:15:15,810 --> 00:15:20,380 Speaker 7: And we had had a new grandbaby and grandbaby had 277 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 7: been born in Chicago. I'd gone up to be there 278 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,460 Speaker 7: for the birth. And then Mark, we were separated, but 279 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:27,620 Speaker 7: he stayed home with our. 280 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:28,540 Speaker 6: Two teenage boys. 281 00:15:29,380 --> 00:15:33,970 Speaker 7: And when baby was born, he brought the boys up 282 00:15:34,050 --> 00:15:36,710 Speaker 7: so everybody can meet the baby. And then I had 283 00:15:36,770 --> 00:15:39,530 Speaker 7: ridden the train up. So we all traveled back together. 284 00:15:39,630 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 7: So as difficult as that was, we were, you know, 285 00:15:43,940 --> 00:15:49,330 Speaker 7: trying to be to co-parent well in that, you know, 286 00:15:49,450 --> 00:15:53,250 Speaker 7: that season. So we got back home. It, uh, it 287 00:15:53,330 --> 00:15:56,450 Speaker 7: was like 2 AM and I said, why don't you 288 00:15:56,470 --> 00:15:57,510 Speaker 7: just sleep on the couch? 289 00:15:57,670 --> 00:15:58,410 Speaker 6: It was late. 290 00:15:58,450 --> 00:16:01,150 Speaker 7: He was still had another 20, 30 minute drive home. 291 00:16:01,890 --> 00:16:04,630 Speaker 7: And so he did the next morning. Our boys got up, 292 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:07,980 Speaker 7: went to, um, Easter on their own. Uh, they were 293 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 7: both on the worship team, one working sound, one working music. And, um, 294 00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:16,330 Speaker 7: And I was gonna join them later because Mark had 295 00:16:16,390 --> 00:16:18,450 Speaker 7: not been to church in six months. 296 00:16:19,330 --> 00:16:24,070 Speaker 6: And so anyway, Mark came in my bedroom. 297 00:16:25,390 --> 00:16:28,180 Speaker 7: And said, I just want you to know that I'm 298 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:29,740 Speaker 7: filing for divorce this week. 299 00:16:31,100 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 6: And I didn't know what to say. 300 00:16:34,540 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 7: And one of the places that God had been working 301 00:16:37,220 --> 00:16:40,030 Speaker 7: on me, because one of the things that I was 302 00:16:40,090 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 7: saying to myself and to others who were in my 303 00:16:44,010 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 7: healing circle was I didn't cause Mark's affair, but I 304 00:16:49,140 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 7: have contributed to the dysfunction in our marriage. And one 305 00:16:53,340 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 7: of the ways that I knew I had is that my, 306 00:16:56,860 --> 00:17:01,650 Speaker 7: oftentimes my words were cutting or they were sharp or 307 00:17:01,690 --> 00:17:07,229 Speaker 7: they were parenting. And so I was really measuring my words. 308 00:17:07,590 --> 00:17:09,590 Speaker 7: Like I was like, Lord, if you don't give it 309 00:17:09,609 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 7: to me, I don't say it. And so in that 310 00:17:12,420 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 7: moment when he said, I'm filing for divorce this week, 311 00:17:17,460 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 7: I just was like, Lord, I don't know what to say. 312 00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:24,180 Speaker 7: And the only thing that came to my mind was, 313 00:17:24,619 --> 00:17:28,410 Speaker 7: you know, Mark, Jesus didn't want to go to the cross. 314 00:17:29,050 --> 00:17:33,010 Speaker 7: He asked God, take this cup from me. But then 315 00:17:33,109 --> 00:17:37,090 Speaker 7: he surrendered and said, not my will, but yours be done. 316 00:17:38,340 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 1: So when I came in to tell Jill that I 317 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:48,650 Speaker 1: was filing for divorce, I actually carried in a piece 318 00:17:48,690 --> 00:17:52,510 Speaker 1: of paper. And on the backside of this paper was 319 00:17:53,030 --> 00:17:56,689 Speaker 1: the list of things that I had ruminated against Jill. 320 00:17:57,090 --> 00:17:59,629 Speaker 1: I mean, I carried it with me like an inventory. 321 00:18:01,210 --> 00:18:04,700 Speaker 1: And I would add to it, but I never subtracted. 322 00:18:05,020 --> 00:18:06,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, I was going to say you didn't cross anything off. 323 00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:11,670 Speaker 1: No, I didn't. But I had been noticing that Jill, 324 00:18:12,690 --> 00:18:16,110 Speaker 1: things were starting to be different in her. And when 325 00:18:16,150 --> 00:18:18,380 Speaker 1: I first saw it, I didn't trust it. I felt 326 00:18:18,410 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: like she was manipulating me, trying to suck me back 327 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:27,060 Speaker 1: into the vortex. But I saw the longevity of it. 328 00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:33,389 Speaker 1: And part of my dilemma was my relationship with Jill 329 00:18:33,470 --> 00:18:37,860 Speaker 1: wasn't working. My kids were devastated. This other relationship was 330 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:42,500 Speaker 1: falling apart. I couldn't satisfy anybody. And really my intent 331 00:18:42,619 --> 00:18:46,220 Speaker 1: at that moment was I need to divorce. I need 332 00:18:46,260 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 1: to let my family be free and heal. And I 333 00:18:50,510 --> 00:18:52,810 Speaker 1: need to live in ruin. 334 00:18:52,930 --> 00:18:54,010 Speaker 4: Live in ruin? 335 00:18:54,030 --> 00:18:59,810 Speaker 3: Yeah. Wow. So what's interesting to me as you're saying this, Mark, 336 00:18:59,990 --> 00:19:02,650 Speaker 3: is that, and I know that there are probably some 337 00:19:02,730 --> 00:19:07,750 Speaker 3: men and women out there listening. And they're in kind 338 00:19:07,790 --> 00:19:12,230 Speaker 3: of this stage where they're wondering, it's better for me 339 00:19:12,270 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 3: to leave my marriage. And the thoughts that the enemy 340 00:19:17,740 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 3: will place in is that it's going to be better. 341 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,780 Speaker 3: It's just so, this other person is so... Not for you. 342 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 3: And look at this other opportunity in front of you. 343 00:19:30,590 --> 00:19:31,330 Speaker 4: It's going to be better. 344 00:19:31,420 --> 00:19:34,210 Speaker 2: Or even if you don't have another opportunity in front 345 00:19:34,230 --> 00:19:34,409 Speaker 2: of you. 346 00:19:34,450 --> 00:19:35,350 Speaker 4: It's going to be better. 347 00:19:35,369 --> 00:19:36,450 Speaker 6: It's better for everybody. 348 00:19:36,470 --> 00:19:38,610 Speaker 5: I've said this so many times in our research. 349 00:19:38,730 --> 00:19:40,389 Speaker 1: It'll be so. 350 00:19:40,250 --> 00:19:43,750 Speaker 5: Much better for everybody to let them move on. 351 00:19:44,070 --> 00:19:48,690 Speaker 4: But in the history of humans, that's never been the case. 352 00:19:49,050 --> 00:19:52,219 Speaker 4: You're not going to... be the outlier where it is 353 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 4: going to be super, super better. 354 00:19:53,900 --> 00:19:56,010 Speaker 5: Unless it's like a truly abusive. 355 00:19:56,090 --> 00:19:58,010 Speaker 6: Oh, sure, sure. Oh, sure. 356 00:19:58,230 --> 00:20:02,220 Speaker 4: We're not talking about that. So that's it. So keep going. 357 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 4: I'm sorry I interrupted. 358 00:20:03,100 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 5: I want the story. 359 00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. 360 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. 361 00:20:05,100 --> 00:20:05,300 Speaker 3: Yeah. 362 00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 6: Yeah. 363 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,380 Speaker 7: Well, he had actually walked in with that paper and 364 00:20:08,820 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 7: on the other side it was blank. 365 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 5: Right. 366 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,820 Speaker 6: And he had drawn a line down the middle and he. 367 00:20:13,770 --> 00:20:17,990 Speaker 7: Had said, this is my yard and this is your yard. 368 00:20:18,170 --> 00:20:19,250 Speaker 6: And this is the fence. 369 00:20:19,950 --> 00:20:22,510 Speaker 7: And we've been meeting at the fence, but I don't 370 00:20:22,530 --> 00:20:24,530 Speaker 7: want to meet at the fence anymore. And I don't 371 00:20:24,570 --> 00:20:26,210 Speaker 7: want you in my yard and I don't want to 372 00:20:26,260 --> 00:20:29,710 Speaker 7: be in yours. Now I have no idea what's on 373 00:20:29,730 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 7: the other side of this, but that's, that's what he 374 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:32,709 Speaker 7: told me. 375 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:33,620 Speaker 3: All right. 376 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,459 Speaker 6: And so then when I responded the way I did. 377 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,619 Speaker 7: Mark, I, I, you know, Jesus didn't want to go 378 00:20:39,660 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 7: to the cross, but he eventually surrendered and said, not 379 00:20:44,980 --> 00:20:46,500 Speaker 7: my will, but yours be done. 380 00:20:46,980 --> 00:20:49,340 Speaker 1: It was the craziest thing. I mean, I was such 381 00:20:49,500 --> 00:20:54,109 Speaker 1: a emotional mental wreck. I didn't even know it was Easter. Uh, 382 00:20:54,710 --> 00:20:56,730 Speaker 1: I didn't know what, I knew it was Sunday, but 383 00:20:56,790 --> 00:20:59,409 Speaker 1: I didn't know where we were in the calendar. I 384 00:20:59,590 --> 00:21:04,890 Speaker 1: was just drifting along, lost. And it was in that 385 00:21:04,950 --> 00:21:09,780 Speaker 1: moment that Jill said this, I felt like Father God 386 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: put his arm on my shoulder and said, Mark, if 387 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,140 Speaker 1: you will trust me for the list, I'll take care 388 00:21:18,180 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: of the rest. So if you'll trust me with the list, 389 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,659 Speaker 1: I'll take care of the rest. And in my desperation... 390 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,790 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm in. I don't even know how to. 391 00:21:29,050 --> 00:21:32,990 Speaker 1: I can't fix this. I the mess is so big. 392 00:21:33,869 --> 00:21:35,850 Speaker 1: I don't even know what to do. So that's all 393 00:21:35,890 --> 00:21:38,710 Speaker 1: happening in my head. And then I look to Jill 394 00:21:38,730 --> 00:21:42,060 Speaker 1: and I say, oh, my gosh, is today Easter? 395 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 3: And. 396 00:21:44,650 --> 00:21:47,550 Speaker 1: Uh, she looked at me like, um, I was from 397 00:21:47,609 --> 00:21:53,260 Speaker 1: another planet, you know, but, um, uh, and then I 398 00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:55,419 Speaker 1: was like, I'm going to pray that same prayer. And 399 00:21:55,540 --> 00:21:58,939 Speaker 1: so I just, Lord, I've made a mess. And I, 400 00:21:59,220 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: I spoke this out loud. 401 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 4: Lord, this was with her present. 402 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,699 Speaker 1: Yeah. This was all in a matter of minutes. 403 00:22:06,100 --> 00:22:09,270 Speaker 6: Yeah. This was, I mean, we're talking whiplash here, right? 404 00:22:09,410 --> 00:22:09,690 Speaker 1: Right. 405 00:22:10,250 --> 00:22:11,649 Speaker 6: I'm going to file for divorce. 406 00:22:11,710 --> 00:22:11,890 Speaker 2: Yeah. 407 00:22:12,770 --> 00:22:14,930 Speaker 6: And now he's praying a prayer of surrender. 408 00:22:15,210 --> 00:22:19,209 Speaker 1: Yep. So I prayed and Lord, I've made a big mess. 409 00:22:20,550 --> 00:22:23,390 Speaker 1: I don't even know how to fix it. It's no 410 00:22:23,450 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: longer my will. And I surrender myself to your will. 411 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: And I wadded up the paper and threw it away. 412 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 1: And then I looked at Jill and I said, hey, 413 00:22:36,820 --> 00:22:38,300 Speaker 1: can we go to church together? 414 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:43,490 Speaker 6: I mean, I just was like, what just happened? 415 00:22:43,650 --> 00:22:43,910 Speaker 5: I don't. 416 00:22:44,310 --> 00:22:47,310 Speaker 6: And, and yet I could even, I could see. 417 00:22:47,330 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 7: And I, I was like, something just happened. 418 00:22:51,780 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 6: Like, but I, I, I didn't trust it. 419 00:22:55,540 --> 00:22:56,300 Speaker 2: Right. 420 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,899 Speaker 6: But I was like, of course we can go to church. 421 00:23:00,500 --> 00:23:02,580 Speaker 2: Let, and let me just chime in here for just 422 00:23:02,619 --> 00:23:06,219 Speaker 2: a second, because I can guarantee there are some people 423 00:23:06,530 --> 00:23:09,010 Speaker 2: here who are, who are listening to this. 424 00:23:09,790 --> 00:23:11,410 Speaker 5: Going, oh, well, that's great for you. 425 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,220 Speaker 2: You guys had this like turning point, you know, where 426 00:23:16,260 --> 00:23:20,730 Speaker 2: everything turned a corner because God did this miraculous thing 427 00:23:20,830 --> 00:23:24,070 Speaker 2: and gave Jill some words to say. And Mark responded 428 00:23:24,790 --> 00:23:27,510 Speaker 2: and like, well, that's not my story. And it's like, well, 429 00:23:27,550 --> 00:23:30,700 Speaker 2: that was their story because that's how God worked in 430 00:23:31,180 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 2: your lives. 431 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 5: God is always working. 432 00:23:35,180 --> 00:23:35,660 Speaker 1: Right. 433 00:23:35,740 --> 00:23:40,020 Speaker 5: John 5, 17, Jesus said, the father, my father. 434 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,360 Speaker 6: Is always working. 435 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 5: And so am I. That's his words. 436 00:23:46,220 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 2: And so it's like, yeah, if you're listening to this 437 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,610 Speaker 2: and you haven't seen a turning point, a corner turned, 438 00:23:53,619 --> 00:23:56,530 Speaker 2: if you haven't like had one moment where you see that, 439 00:23:56,850 --> 00:23:58,970 Speaker 2: it doesn't mean God isn't working. 440 00:23:59,270 --> 00:24:01,550 Speaker 5: It's just, he's working in the way that you need. 441 00:24:02,450 --> 00:24:03,030 Speaker 6: That's right. 442 00:24:03,410 --> 00:24:07,420 Speaker 7: And what I will say is, That was at that 443 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 7: point that had been nine months and I had seen 444 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 7: no evidence of God working in that nine months. 445 00:24:15,260 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 6: None. 446 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:21,580 Speaker 7: And and and oftentimes, you know, what was going on 447 00:24:21,619 --> 00:24:25,540 Speaker 7: for me is I can remember the day the day 448 00:24:25,660 --> 00:24:30,180 Speaker 7: after I found out about the affair, I was a wreck. 449 00:24:31,930 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 7: I was on the floor crying. Carpet is wet. I 450 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,900 Speaker 7: don't even know what to do. And I'm begging God, 451 00:24:40,940 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 7: tell me what to do. Do I need to kick 452 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:49,570 Speaker 7: him out? Do I need to get some bank accounts? 453 00:24:50,850 --> 00:24:52,670 Speaker 6: Do I need to protect myself? What do I need 454 00:24:52,710 --> 00:24:53,030 Speaker 6: to do? 455 00:24:53,730 --> 00:24:56,090 Speaker 7: Those are all the things that start to run through 456 00:24:56,109 --> 00:25:00,689 Speaker 7: somebody's head that's dealing with betrayal. And I heard one 457 00:25:00,730 --> 00:25:04,050 Speaker 7: thing that day and all I heard was, I want 458 00:25:04,090 --> 00:25:08,870 Speaker 7: you to love him. And it wasn't that there was 459 00:25:08,970 --> 00:25:10,369 Speaker 7: like a voice out of heaven. 460 00:25:10,490 --> 00:25:12,550 Speaker 6: It's just that that thought came in my mind and 461 00:25:12,609 --> 00:25:15,030 Speaker 6: I knew it wasn't mine. I knew it wasn't mine. 462 00:25:15,090 --> 00:25:16,990 Speaker 7: Because I'm going to tell you, I did not feel 463 00:25:17,020 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 7: any love at that moment. 464 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:19,899 Speaker 4: I was angry. 465 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 6: I was hurt. I was devastated. And I remember. 466 00:25:27,980 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 7: Responding back to the Lord. I don't know if you've noticed, 467 00:25:34,460 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 7: but he's not very lovable right now. 468 00:25:38,030 --> 00:25:39,369 Speaker 6: And God whispered. 469 00:25:39,030 --> 00:25:41,689 Speaker 7: Back to my heart, I don't know if you've noticed, 470 00:25:41,850 --> 00:25:43,590 Speaker 7: but sometimes you aren't either. 471 00:25:46,750 --> 00:25:50,030 Speaker 6: And that was really, I mean, really all of that. 472 00:25:50,060 --> 00:25:52,439 Speaker 6: I was like, Lord, you're right. 473 00:25:52,980 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 7: You love me when I'm unlovable. I don't know how 474 00:25:58,080 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 7: to do that. 475 00:25:59,570 --> 00:26:00,189 Speaker 6: Wow. 476 00:26:00,390 --> 00:26:04,210 Speaker 3: Can I just say to everyone who's listening in this, 477 00:26:06,210 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 3: I've known these guys now for quite some time, and 478 00:26:09,300 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 3: the humility in which they walk. 479 00:26:12,380 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 4: In their lives is remarkable. 480 00:26:15,020 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 3: This is what you're describing is humility for both of you, 481 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:25,260 Speaker 3: but Jill especially. And one of the things that in 482 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:30,730 Speaker 3: today's world, You know, it's helpful to have some people 483 00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:35,380 Speaker 3: in our lives that can support and speak, you know, 484 00:26:35,450 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 3: to us in those hurting moments. One of the challenges 485 00:26:39,180 --> 00:26:43,900 Speaker 3: that I see is so often we surround ourselves sometimes 486 00:26:43,980 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 3: with online communities who don't really know us and will 487 00:26:49,980 --> 00:26:57,170 Speaker 3: affirm our worst behavior. feelings about our spouse sometimes. Did 488 00:26:57,230 --> 00:27:03,200 Speaker 3: you have individuals around you? And if there were some 489 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 3: who were saying, oh, Jill, you've been so wronged. You 490 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,100 Speaker 3: need to kick that guy to the curb and move on. 491 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 4: How did you navigate those relationships? 492 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:15,590 Speaker 6: I had both. 493 00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:18,890 Speaker 7: I had some that were standing with me and believed 494 00:27:18,990 --> 00:27:20,050 Speaker 7: in the possibility. 495 00:27:20,770 --> 00:27:21,310 Speaker 6: I had. 496 00:27:21,900 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 7: some that were, and especially as time went on, you know, 497 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,120 Speaker 7: even my Christian counselor was at the end was starting 498 00:27:29,170 --> 00:27:31,570 Speaker 7: to go, you know, Jill, I think you're going to 499 00:27:31,630 --> 00:27:36,730 Speaker 7: need to consider life without Mark. And, um, and I 500 00:27:36,770 --> 00:27:39,310 Speaker 7: was really starting, I mean, I had a girlfriend that 501 00:27:39,390 --> 00:27:42,790 Speaker 7: challenged me that I was making saving my marriage an idol. 502 00:27:43,750 --> 00:27:46,950 Speaker 7: And honestly, I was at one point and I had 503 00:27:46,990 --> 00:27:50,130 Speaker 7: to get that back in, uh, you know, in its 504 00:27:50,230 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 7: proper place. 505 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,360 Speaker 6: And I also had. 506 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 7: Dear friends that, I mean, dear faith-filled friends, but they 507 00:27:58,260 --> 00:28:02,010 Speaker 7: were like, you need to be done. And what I 508 00:28:02,109 --> 00:28:05,169 Speaker 7: had to learn is I had to learn how to 509 00:28:05,290 --> 00:28:07,990 Speaker 7: follow the voice of the Holy Spirit. 510 00:28:08,390 --> 00:28:09,610 Speaker 3: Wow. 511 00:28:09,750 --> 00:28:12,859 Speaker 7: Because that was the hardest part is that, of course, 512 00:28:12,970 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 7: everybody around you has lots of opinions. 513 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:17,500 Speaker 3: Right. 514 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:22,130 Speaker 6: And I just, I had to just really.... 515 00:28:22,820 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 7: Dig in and be like, Lord, you're going to have 516 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:27,160 Speaker 7: to be the one that leads the way. 517 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 6: You're going to have to show me what to do. 518 00:28:28,700 --> 00:28:29,740 Speaker 6: And I did get to the. 519 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,340 Speaker 7: Place where I believed that whether my marriage made it 520 00:28:33,540 --> 00:28:37,140 Speaker 7: or didn't make it, God was going to redeem all 521 00:28:37,180 --> 00:28:37,460 Speaker 7: of this. 522 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:39,290 Speaker 1: Interesting. 523 00:28:39,510 --> 00:28:43,230 Speaker 7: And that was, that was important for me because that's 524 00:28:43,290 --> 00:28:46,870 Speaker 7: how I kept from making, saving my marriage an idol anymore. 525 00:28:46,930 --> 00:28:49,910 Speaker 7: Like it was like, I'm going to be okay either way. 526 00:28:49,930 --> 00:28:50,710 Speaker 1: I want. 527 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 6: My marriage to make it. 528 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,060 Speaker 7: I believed that if God would return or if Mark 529 00:28:57,100 --> 00:29:00,380 Speaker 7: would return to his God, he would return to our marriage. 530 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,060 Speaker 7: I really believed that. And certainly that is what ended 531 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:04,740 Speaker 7: up happening. 532 00:29:04,860 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 2: But I'm, I'm curious about something super practical about this. 533 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 2: If you don't, do you mind if I just dive 534 00:29:12,300 --> 00:29:12,780 Speaker 2: into a couple? 535 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:14,300 Speaker 6: Yeah, go ahead. 536 00:29:14,780 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 2: Because one of the things I want to make sure we, 537 00:29:17,620 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 2: we cover in the limited time that we have is, 538 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,020 Speaker 2: are some of the things that you have now found 539 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,490 Speaker 2: as you have helped many. 540 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,770 Speaker 5: Other couples work through this. 541 00:29:28,910 --> 00:29:32,650 Speaker 2: And we'll get to how God changed the story and 542 00:29:32,810 --> 00:29:37,090 Speaker 2: redeemed this. But in that time, in that middle season 543 00:29:38,130 --> 00:29:41,660 Speaker 2: where you're like, I don't know how to do this. Um, 544 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 2: the thing that you had to start doing when things, 545 00:29:46,550 --> 00:29:50,810 Speaker 2: and we'll, we'll say how that happened, but once the, 546 00:29:51,330 --> 00:29:54,770 Speaker 2: there was a slight corner turn, once the Holy spirit 547 00:29:54,810 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 2: did the thing that happened on that Easter Sunday, um, 548 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 2: you're rebuilding trust. Like this is not like you said, 549 00:30:02,660 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 2: you didn't trust it like this. 550 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 5: You're, you're not sure what's happening. 551 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:13,950 Speaker 2: And in any situation, whether it's infidelity or you discover 552 00:30:13,970 --> 00:30:17,250 Speaker 2: that somebody has a pornography addiction or like I have, 553 00:30:17,270 --> 00:30:20,110 Speaker 2: I have an old friend who discovered that her husband 554 00:30:20,530 --> 00:30:21,890 Speaker 2: had a gambling addiction. 555 00:30:22,010 --> 00:30:23,530 Speaker 5: And the only way that she. 556 00:30:23,370 --> 00:30:27,229 Speaker 2: Discovered that was, was because all of a sudden there 557 00:30:27,250 --> 00:30:30,030 Speaker 2: was no money in their bank account. And he had 558 00:30:30,070 --> 00:30:33,850 Speaker 2: been skimming off his paycheck for gambling and couldn't cover 559 00:30:33,890 --> 00:30:36,340 Speaker 2: it all. And it pulled out of their account and 560 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 2: he literally had no money. And it like, it was, 561 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 2: it was, they lost their house. 562 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,100 Speaker 5: They, it was devastating. Yes. 563 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 2: And that's, that's another kind of betrayal. And, and in 564 00:30:48,180 --> 00:30:52,260 Speaker 2: that case, their marriage didn't survive, but your marriage did. And, 565 00:30:53,530 --> 00:30:57,030 Speaker 2: It doesn't always happen this way, but the key was 566 00:30:57,130 --> 00:31:00,650 Speaker 2: rebuilding trust. It was trusting God, listening to the Holy Spirit, 567 00:31:00,970 --> 00:31:05,230 Speaker 2: and then that step by step by step of rebuilding 568 00:31:05,610 --> 00:31:05,970 Speaker 2: the trust. 569 00:31:05,990 --> 00:31:08,310 Speaker 5: So I'm curious how you did that. 570 00:31:08,910 --> 00:31:14,390 Speaker 7: Yeah, I will say, so the formula for rebuilding trust 571 00:31:14,450 --> 00:31:19,580 Speaker 7: is consistent change behavior over time. And we like to 572 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:24,150 Speaker 7: think of it as, When you get married, you each 573 00:31:24,190 --> 00:31:25,830 Speaker 7: have a bathtub full of trust. 574 00:31:26,110 --> 00:31:27,430 Speaker 6: There's a bathtub full of trust. 575 00:31:28,110 --> 00:31:31,550 Speaker 7: And, you know, life happens in some of that water 576 00:31:31,710 --> 00:31:35,010 Speaker 7: that fills the bathtub, which represents the trust, gets sloshed out. 577 00:31:35,150 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 7: But when something like infidelity happens or deception, like what 578 00:31:39,630 --> 00:31:44,100 Speaker 7: you were describing with your friend, the water gets drained 579 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:44,700 Speaker 7: all the way out. 580 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 6: I mean, there may be a little bit in the bottom, 581 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 6: but it's gone. Okay. 582 00:31:48,860 --> 00:31:49,060 Speaker 1: Right. 583 00:31:49,580 --> 00:31:53,020 Speaker 7: Too many people think that what you do is you say, 584 00:31:53,140 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 7: I'm so sorry, I'll never do it again. And then 585 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 7: that turns on the faucet and it fills up the bathtub. 586 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,510 Speaker 7: But that is not what happens. What happens is that 587 00:32:03,590 --> 00:32:06,970 Speaker 7: bathtub gets filled up one tablespoon at a time. 588 00:32:07,570 --> 00:32:08,930 Speaker 1: Oh, wow. Okay. 589 00:32:09,570 --> 00:32:11,310 Speaker 6: One tablespoon. And what does that look like? 590 00:32:11,930 --> 00:32:15,130 Speaker 7: That looks like when I would talk about my hurt 591 00:32:15,230 --> 00:32:17,810 Speaker 7: or my pain. Like I can remember driving by a 592 00:32:17,870 --> 00:32:20,780 Speaker 7: hotel that I knew... I had found receipts for and 593 00:32:20,820 --> 00:32:23,910 Speaker 7: I knew that they had stayed up. When I drove 594 00:32:23,950 --> 00:32:27,430 Speaker 7: by that hotel, which is very near our house, one 595 00:32:27,490 --> 00:32:30,130 Speaker 7: time we were in the car together and I said, oh, 596 00:32:30,190 --> 00:32:32,410 Speaker 7: that was really hard to drive by that hotel today. 597 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,500 Speaker 7: And Mark reached over and grabbed my hand and he said, 598 00:32:36,540 --> 00:32:39,979 Speaker 7: I'm so sorry I've ever given you any reason to 599 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,100 Speaker 7: hurt driving by that hotel. 600 00:32:42,700 --> 00:32:43,740 Speaker 6: Will you please forgive me? 601 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,590 Speaker 7: And I said, yes, absolutely. 602 00:32:46,930 --> 00:32:47,330 Speaker 6: Right there. 603 00:32:47,630 --> 00:32:52,140 Speaker 7: Tablespoon of The next day we drove by it. And 604 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,850 Speaker 7: that day I was really angry over the amount of 605 00:32:56,010 --> 00:33:00,750 Speaker 7: money he misspent. So I said that, wow, today when 606 00:33:00,770 --> 00:33:03,710 Speaker 7: we drove by that, I'm reminded of how much money 607 00:33:03,750 --> 00:33:04,390 Speaker 7: you misspent. 608 00:33:04,970 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 6: And he reached over and he did the exact same thing. 609 00:33:08,660 --> 00:33:12,060 Speaker 7: And every time there were those kind of things that 610 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,100 Speaker 7: would happen, he would be running late, but he would 611 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 7: call me and say, I'm running behind. He opened up 612 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,709 Speaker 7: his phone. Those are tablespoons, sometimes half cups of water. 613 00:33:22,770 --> 00:33:25,990 Speaker 2: You could check his text messages or whatever. 614 00:33:26,330 --> 00:33:26,650 Speaker 6: Right. 615 00:33:26,670 --> 00:33:27,130 Speaker 1: Emails. 616 00:33:27,290 --> 00:33:27,570 Speaker 3: Right. 617 00:33:28,030 --> 00:33:28,850 Speaker 6: You have all of those. 618 00:33:29,030 --> 00:33:30,390 Speaker 5: Everything. Tablespoon. 619 00:33:30,470 --> 00:33:30,710 Speaker 1: Right. 620 00:33:30,750 --> 00:33:32,170 Speaker 5: Tablespoon. Tablespoon. 621 00:33:32,210 --> 00:33:33,690 Speaker 6: Tablespoon. Tablespoon. 622 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 2: I didn't. 623 00:33:35,140 --> 00:33:40,980 Speaker 1: I I had always previously been a silent man, but 624 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,420 Speaker 1: simmering like I just kept my mouth shut because I 625 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:48,020 Speaker 1: didn't want the argument. And what I did was I 626 00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:51,620 Speaker 1: postured or set Jill up to be the policeman of 627 00:33:51,660 --> 00:33:55,700 Speaker 1: my life. And that wasn't appropriate. But I was ticked 628 00:33:55,810 --> 00:34:00,470 Speaker 1: because she was policing my life. And then when on 629 00:34:00,590 --> 00:34:05,430 Speaker 1: surrender day, I realized I need to start voicing. I 630 00:34:05,470 --> 00:34:08,270 Speaker 1: need to get out in front of this. And so. 631 00:34:08,590 --> 00:34:10,050 Speaker 6: So I didn't need to be the police. 632 00:34:10,370 --> 00:34:11,870 Speaker 1: No, I didn't want her to be. 633 00:34:12,090 --> 00:34:14,549 Speaker 6: He did what we call pushing accountability. 634 00:34:14,750 --> 00:34:14,950 Speaker 1: Right. 635 00:34:15,210 --> 00:34:17,930 Speaker 6: I didn't have to pull accountability. He pushed it to me. 636 00:34:18,180 --> 00:34:18,390 Speaker 2: Right. 637 00:34:18,820 --> 00:34:21,540 Speaker 1: So if I was running late, I would contact Jill. 638 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,420 Speaker 1: If I got a phone number from the area code 639 00:34:25,700 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: of the person that I'd had the affair with, I 640 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't answer it. I wouldn't listen to the voicemail. I 641 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: would get with Jill and say, hey, I got a 642 00:34:34,460 --> 00:34:38,219 Speaker 1: number or a phone call from this area code. Will 643 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:42,500 Speaker 1: you listen with me and just make sure it's not 644 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:48,390 Speaker 1: this other person? And so Wow. We, I did everything 645 00:34:48,469 --> 00:34:52,969 Speaker 1: I could to be honest and open and very tender 646 00:34:53,090 --> 00:34:57,770 Speaker 1: and compassionate to every question that Jill asked, no matter what. 647 00:34:58,300 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 6: And it didn't matter if I asked the question 10 648 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:01,420 Speaker 6: times or a hundred. 649 00:35:03,060 --> 00:35:06,980 Speaker 7: And that's where a lot of people struggle is that they, 650 00:35:07,540 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 7: they get, they're like, I've already asked that. 651 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 6: When is this going to be done? 652 00:35:10,780 --> 00:35:15,180 Speaker 7: And right there, drains more water out of the bathtub. 653 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:17,340 Speaker 1: Oh, I can see that. 654 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 2: Because you kind of feel like, am I going to 655 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:20,220 Speaker 2: be on the hook forever? 656 00:35:21,300 --> 00:35:21,940 Speaker 3: Right. 657 00:35:22,140 --> 00:35:23,180 Speaker 5: And what's the answer to that? 658 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 2: No. 659 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:28,370 Speaker 7: You're not going to be on the hook. Because what 660 00:35:28,430 --> 00:35:31,810 Speaker 7: happened is those questions and those comments and those hurts, 661 00:35:32,850 --> 00:35:37,290 Speaker 7: they got, as he handled them well, they got farther 662 00:35:37,330 --> 00:35:40,310 Speaker 7: and farther, those conversations got farther and farther apart. 663 00:35:40,450 --> 00:35:42,150 Speaker 6: Oh, interesting. He's restrained. 664 00:35:42,860 --> 00:35:47,259 Speaker 7: He's restoring my trust over time. And so certainly in 665 00:35:47,300 --> 00:35:49,860 Speaker 7: the first two to three months, you know, we're talking 666 00:35:49,900 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 7: about it a lot. And then I'm realizing, okay, he's 667 00:35:54,660 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 7: really like becoming different. And we still talked about it 668 00:35:58,950 --> 00:36:00,870 Speaker 7: in the next two to three months, but it was, 669 00:36:01,050 --> 00:36:02,489 Speaker 7: those were further apart. 670 00:36:03,130 --> 00:36:06,649 Speaker 1: We did have to, because I'd been in that relationship 671 00:36:06,750 --> 00:36:11,330 Speaker 1: almost a year. There were important dates along the way 672 00:36:11,469 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: where I had, broken trust her parents had a got 673 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,359 Speaker 1: all the kids together for a week long trip for 674 00:36:22,380 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 1: their 50th wedding anniversary and I was in the midst 675 00:36:26,340 --> 00:36:29,260 Speaker 1: of an affair so I wasn't really. 676 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,450 Speaker 7: Present right and I didn't know that and this is 677 00:36:32,489 --> 00:36:36,129 Speaker 7: another piece that has to happen when you're rebuilding trust 678 00:36:37,030 --> 00:36:40,270 Speaker 7: he knew what the last year had looked like I 679 00:36:40,310 --> 00:36:45,549 Speaker 7: didn't yeah You see, so when we went on that 680 00:36:45,610 --> 00:36:49,950 Speaker 7: trip with my parents, he kept excusing himself and saying 681 00:36:49,989 --> 00:36:51,850 Speaker 7: that the guys at work needed him. 682 00:36:52,910 --> 00:36:54,190 Speaker 6: But that wasn't what was happening. 683 00:36:54,210 --> 00:36:54,410 Speaker 2: Sure. 684 00:36:55,260 --> 00:36:58,540 Speaker 7: So that's part of also what has to happen is 685 00:36:58,620 --> 00:37:03,460 Speaker 7: with disclosure, which is something that we often help couples 686 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 7: walk through. 687 00:37:04,140 --> 00:37:08,170 Speaker 6: We do marriage intensives. A couple comes for the weekends. 688 00:37:08,469 --> 00:37:10,430 Speaker 7: And we do them for people who just feel like 689 00:37:10,450 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 7: they have distance in their marriage, but we also do 690 00:37:12,390 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 7: it for people that are struggling with rebuilding trust. And 691 00:37:16,140 --> 00:37:19,879 Speaker 7: part of disclosure is you're filling in the gaps for 692 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 7: your partner so that now you both know the same story. 693 00:37:25,700 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 7: And then it's not a once and done apology and 694 00:37:32,100 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 7: asking for forgiveness. It's 150 apologies and asking for forgiveness 695 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,750 Speaker 7: for things like, I'm so sorry that I was dishonest 696 00:37:43,010 --> 00:37:47,190 Speaker 7: at your parents' 50th. I'm sorry that I wasn't fully present. 697 00:37:48,010 --> 00:37:52,170 Speaker 7: I see now how that's hurt you, and I sincerely 698 00:37:52,270 --> 00:37:54,410 Speaker 7: ask for your forgiveness. 699 00:37:54,430 --> 00:37:54,489 Speaker 3: Wow. 700 00:37:54,840 --> 00:38:00,239 Speaker 2: I'm going to ask an incredibly delicate question. And I 701 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:01,940 Speaker 2: have to say this right because. 702 00:38:03,550 --> 00:38:06,870 Speaker 5: the affair was entirely, Mark, on you. 703 00:38:07,810 --> 00:38:08,070 Speaker 3: Right. 704 00:38:08,570 --> 00:38:09,090 Speaker 1: Entirely. 705 00:38:09,450 --> 00:38:10,109 Speaker 6: Entirely. 706 00:38:10,130 --> 00:38:16,840 Speaker 2: It was your choice, and you had to rebuild that trust. Yet, Jill, 707 00:38:17,380 --> 00:38:20,760 Speaker 2: you heard God say, you aren't always so lovable either. 708 00:38:20,780 --> 00:38:22,180 Speaker 5: Right? 709 00:38:22,380 --> 00:38:27,460 Speaker 2: And you heard and you recognized that you had contributed 710 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:32,740 Speaker 2: to some of the destruction. None of that excuses what happened. 711 00:38:34,070 --> 00:38:38,069 Speaker 2: But is there any rebuilding on your side that had 712 00:38:38,090 --> 00:38:40,290 Speaker 2: to happen? I hate to even say that out loud 713 00:38:40,410 --> 00:38:42,630 Speaker 2: because people are going to say, you're just a gang. 714 00:38:42,670 --> 00:38:44,360 Speaker 5: I'm like, no, I just need to ask. 715 00:38:44,370 --> 00:38:45,190 Speaker 1: And blame the victim. 716 00:38:45,370 --> 00:38:47,529 Speaker 5: Yeah, I just need to ask, how did that work 717 00:38:47,590 --> 00:38:48,290 Speaker 5: on your side? 718 00:38:48,930 --> 00:38:49,509 Speaker 6: Absolutely. 719 00:38:49,550 --> 00:38:52,379 Speaker 7: And I'm so glad you asked that. Sometimes I bring 720 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:54,580 Speaker 7: that up and I had to rebuild his trust. 721 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 6: I'm going to get angry. 722 00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 5: Emails for the next month. 723 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 6: I know you are, but I know that. 724 00:38:58,739 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: Just forward them and we'll respond. 725 00:39:00,739 --> 00:39:06,180 Speaker 6: Yeah, we get it. No, I had to rebuild his trust. 726 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:06,540 Speaker 1: Right. 727 00:39:07,340 --> 00:39:11,319 Speaker 6: Not my, my bathtub wasn't as empty as his. 728 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:11,879 Speaker 1: No. 729 00:39:12,180 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 6: Okay. 730 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 7: I didn't. I, but I had been, I'd had a 731 00:39:16,660 --> 00:39:22,010 Speaker 7: critical spirit. I had misused my. 732 00:39:21,910 --> 00:39:25,090 Speaker 6: Strength in our marriage. Okay. 733 00:39:26,170 --> 00:39:29,049 Speaker 7: I don't apologize for being a strong woman, but I 734 00:39:29,090 --> 00:39:33,420 Speaker 7: had sometimes misused. my strength in our marriage and so 735 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,260 Speaker 7: I also had to rebuild his trust I had to 736 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,839 Speaker 7: because he didn't want to come back into that dynamic 737 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:47,930 Speaker 7: no either and that wasn't healthy And so we were 738 00:39:48,070 --> 00:39:50,770 Speaker 7: both on a journey to rebuild each other's trust. 739 00:39:50,830 --> 00:39:51,410 Speaker 3: Interesting. 740 00:39:51,610 --> 00:39:55,330 Speaker 7: Mark had more to rebuild because the bathtub was empty 741 00:39:55,390 --> 00:39:55,710 Speaker 7: for him. 742 00:39:55,750 --> 00:39:58,490 Speaker 6: Mine was, let's say, half empty. 743 00:40:00,170 --> 00:40:02,390 Speaker 7: But we don't get to look at the empty one 744 00:40:02,430 --> 00:40:05,290 Speaker 7: and not look at the half empty one and go, well, look, 745 00:40:05,350 --> 00:40:08,730 Speaker 7: he was the bigger problem. No, we both contributed to 746 00:40:08,750 --> 00:40:13,590 Speaker 7: the mess. He could have responded to the mess in 747 00:40:13,630 --> 00:40:18,549 Speaker 7: a way that is different than infidelity. Not cool the 748 00:40:18,590 --> 00:40:19,870 Speaker 7: way he chose to respond. 749 00:40:20,370 --> 00:40:25,260 Speaker 1: We actually, too, on YouTube, we have, is it a four-week? 750 00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:27,940 Speaker 6: Yeah, we did a four-session podcast. 751 00:40:28,100 --> 00:40:30,380 Speaker 1: About the affair. Oh, good. 752 00:40:30,460 --> 00:40:33,540 Speaker 6: And the process for rebuilding trust. 753 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:34,390 Speaker 1: Yeah. 754 00:40:34,469 --> 00:40:36,370 Speaker 5: We will put that in our show notes. 755 00:40:37,110 --> 00:40:42,009 Speaker 1: Okay, cool. Well, and so one thing that I was 756 00:40:42,090 --> 00:40:45,130 Speaker 1: committed to is I was going to take full responsibility 757 00:40:45,660 --> 00:40:51,410 Speaker 1: responsibility for my affair. I did take full responsibility and 758 00:40:51,530 --> 00:40:56,510 Speaker 1: I was determined not to say anything that would move 759 00:40:57,210 --> 00:41:02,010 Speaker 1: my responsibility to Jill. So I never said, if you 760 00:41:02,070 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been this, I wouldn't have done this. 761 00:41:06,420 --> 00:41:07,880 Speaker 5: That would drain the bathtub further. 762 00:41:07,940 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 2: I would think you're not taking responsibility. Yeah. 763 00:41:12,260 --> 00:41:12,580 Speaker 3: Right. 764 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:13,280 Speaker 2: Right. 765 00:41:13,500 --> 00:41:19,170 Speaker 3: Yeah. So I remember, Mark, Jill, this is to you, Jill, 766 00:41:20,310 --> 00:41:23,770 Speaker 3: watching an interview with a megachurch pastor. This is probably 767 00:41:23,770 --> 00:41:29,279 Speaker 3: 30 plus years ago. And this megachurch pastor had had 768 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 3: an affair with a member of the congregation. 769 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,230 Speaker 4: And he was devastated about it. 770 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 2: He was. 771 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:40,739 Speaker 3: Obviously, his wife was devastated, too. And they were both 772 00:41:40,780 --> 00:41:45,160 Speaker 3: being interviewed, the husband and the wife. And she said, yeah, 773 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:48,140 Speaker 3: you know, during those months when he stepped away from 774 00:41:48,180 --> 00:41:52,630 Speaker 3: the ministry, I felt like my role, I was trying 775 00:41:52,710 --> 00:41:53,630 Speaker 3: to help. 776 00:41:53,410 --> 00:41:54,610 Speaker 4: Him come back. 777 00:41:55,170 --> 00:41:59,070 Speaker 3: And he was so devastated by his actions, all of 778 00:41:59,150 --> 00:42:00,310 Speaker 3: the things there. 779 00:42:00,930 --> 00:42:03,049 Speaker 4: And this went on for months and months. 780 00:42:03,210 --> 00:42:05,430 Speaker 3: And I was there telling him that God had not 781 00:42:05,489 --> 00:42:08,530 Speaker 3: written him off, that, you know, God has a plan, 782 00:42:08,550 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 3: all of these things, and that I'd forgiven him. And 783 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 3: then one day, six, seven months later, I heard him 784 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:23,400 Speaker 3: out in the garage whistling. And I went, hey, he's happy. 785 00:42:23,420 --> 00:42:25,820 Speaker 3: He doesn't get to be happy. 786 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:28,500 Speaker 4: Do you realize what I've gone through? 787 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:32,910 Speaker 3: And she said, all these feelings came rushing in like 788 00:42:33,489 --> 00:42:37,410 Speaker 3: I have been caring for him. He was the, in 789 00:42:37,469 --> 00:42:42,020 Speaker 3: this situation, the guilty party. And I've cared for him. Yes, 790 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:43,700 Speaker 3: we've been working, rebuilding trust. 791 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 4: And all those things. But all of a sudden, I'm 792 00:42:46,300 --> 00:42:48,490 Speaker 4: feeling like I'm not. 793 00:42:48,410 --> 00:42:54,230 Speaker 3: Real happy now that he may be feeling free of this. 794 00:42:55,450 --> 00:43:00,270 Speaker 3: How did you prevent yourself from all of a sudden 795 00:43:00,310 --> 00:43:04,230 Speaker 3: getting resentful that now he's. 796 00:43:04,450 --> 00:43:05,490 Speaker 5: He's getting off the hook. 797 00:43:05,590 --> 00:43:10,310 Speaker 4: He's restored. We want restoration, but we want a little 798 00:43:10,350 --> 00:43:14,930 Speaker 4: pain too. Well, at least the Jeffs of the world want. 799 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:16,989 Speaker 3: That. 800 00:43:17,030 --> 00:43:18,090 Speaker 1: That's a great question. 801 00:43:18,530 --> 00:43:19,649 Speaker 6: It really is. 802 00:43:20,150 --> 00:43:26,790 Speaker 7: I think that, you know, during our separation, I had 803 00:43:26,830 --> 00:43:28,230 Speaker 7: to do a lot of heart work. 804 00:43:29,550 --> 00:43:35,590 Speaker 6: I really had to. I did. I grieved a lot. 805 00:43:36,090 --> 00:43:36,870 Speaker 6: I grieved. 806 00:43:37,770 --> 00:43:42,930 Speaker 7: I think sometimes we pass over grief. And it sounds 807 00:43:42,989 --> 00:43:50,819 Speaker 7: like she may have passed over grief. And then really 808 00:43:50,860 --> 00:43:54,899 Speaker 7: what was happening is she had this delayed grief, which 809 00:43:55,000 --> 00:44:00,480 Speaker 7: then became, because it stayed in there, it probably became resentment, 810 00:44:00,739 --> 00:44:05,850 Speaker 7: inner resentment. And so I just learned, I would say, 811 00:44:05,870 --> 00:44:14,230 Speaker 7: during that season, And my desire was for him to 812 00:44:14,570 --> 00:44:16,610 Speaker 7: return to his God and. 813 00:44:18,230 --> 00:44:20,989 Speaker 6: Not, you know, I. 814 00:44:21,030 --> 00:44:29,739 Speaker 7: Feel like he, I wanted to see him in a fulfilled, 815 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:34,870 Speaker 7: happy place again. And maybe it's because we'd been through 816 00:44:34,890 --> 00:44:37,730 Speaker 7: hell for a year at that point, and I was 817 00:44:37,770 --> 00:44:39,050 Speaker 7: ready for both of us to be happy. 818 00:44:40,330 --> 00:44:42,739 Speaker 6: You know, maybe it was that. But I think the 819 00:44:42,780 --> 00:44:43,860 Speaker 6: other piece is. 820 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:47,660 Speaker 7: I learned a lot about grief during that season. 821 00:44:48,060 --> 00:44:52,770 Speaker 6: And if we don't grieve, it leaks out in other ways. 822 00:44:53,270 --> 00:44:53,390 Speaker 1: Mm-hmm. 823 00:44:53,870 --> 00:44:57,710 Speaker 7: And my guess is that some part of that dynamic 824 00:44:57,750 --> 00:44:58,810 Speaker 7: was playing out for her. 825 00:44:58,830 --> 00:45:01,410 Speaker 2: That is so, oh my gosh. I could talk to 826 00:45:01,430 --> 00:45:03,529 Speaker 2: you guys forever about this. And we only have like 827 00:45:03,630 --> 00:45:06,770 Speaker 2: two minutes. And I just have to tell everybody, we 828 00:45:07,110 --> 00:45:09,350 Speaker 2: started our podcast a year and a half ago. And 829 00:45:09,390 --> 00:45:11,370 Speaker 2: I've been wanting to get these guys on and talk 830 00:45:11,390 --> 00:45:13,009 Speaker 2: about this for a year and a half. And I 831 00:45:13,050 --> 00:45:15,380 Speaker 2: am so glad we finally made it happen. 832 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,610 Speaker 3: And one of the other things is you just kind of, 833 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 3: you briefly kind of passed over that you guys lead 834 00:45:22,430 --> 00:45:27,980 Speaker 3: weekend marriage intensives for couples. Just to our listeners, this 835 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:31,799 Speaker 3: past week we spent with Mark and Jill and some 836 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,500 Speaker 3: other friends who are in marriage ministry. And it was 837 00:45:34,540 --> 00:45:37,900 Speaker 3: kind of like a little mini retreat for these four 838 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 3: or five couples. 839 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:40,060 Speaker 4: And it was really sweet. 840 00:45:40,739 --> 00:45:45,330 Speaker 3: And we learned something During that time that I did 841 00:45:45,390 --> 00:45:45,870 Speaker 3: not know. 842 00:45:45,890 --> 00:45:46,350 Speaker 6: Okay, hold on. 843 00:45:46,410 --> 00:45:47,649 Speaker 5: They didn't hardly know. 844 00:45:47,830 --> 00:45:51,020 Speaker 2: Like, I was looking at their website and going, what 845 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:52,819 Speaker 2: do you need to improve? And I'm like, do you 846 00:45:52,860 --> 00:45:57,540 Speaker 2: have any numbers about the percentages of marriages that, you know, 847 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:00,680 Speaker 2: are still together, that, you know, haven't gone to divorce, 848 00:46:00,739 --> 00:46:03,320 Speaker 2: even though they come in close to divorce? 849 00:46:03,380 --> 00:46:03,620 Speaker 1: Right. 850 00:46:03,739 --> 00:46:05,560 Speaker 4: And you guys said... And you guys kind of shrugged. 851 00:46:05,700 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 6: And you're like, yeah, yeah, we do. 852 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:07,940 Speaker 5: We have those numbers. 853 00:46:08,390 --> 00:46:12,400 Speaker 4: And first off, it was like, well, you've done... Hundreds 854 00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:13,400 Speaker 4: of these. 855 00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:16,180 Speaker 6: We've done over, yeah. 856 00:46:16,300 --> 00:46:16,799 Speaker 1: Over 200. Almost 200. 857 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:17,560 Speaker 6: Over 200. Yeah. 858 00:46:17,820 --> 00:46:20,009 Speaker 4: Give us the numbers that shocked us. 859 00:46:21,950 --> 00:46:22,210 Speaker 1: Yeah. 860 00:46:22,270 --> 00:46:30,670 Speaker 7: Well, our rate of success, we have 98% of the 861 00:46:30,710 --> 00:46:35,660 Speaker 7: couples that have done our marriage 2.0 intensives are still married. 862 00:46:36,469 --> 00:46:38,989 Speaker 4: And it's just everybody. 863 00:46:39,030 --> 00:46:40,870 Speaker 5: Everybody in the room was like, thanks be to God. 864 00:46:40,930 --> 00:46:42,730 Speaker 5: And why isn't that on your website? 865 00:46:44,050 --> 00:46:45,010 Speaker 6: I know. 866 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:47,960 Speaker 1: I know. 867 00:46:48,260 --> 00:46:51,759 Speaker 2: That is such hope. 868 00:46:52,040 --> 00:46:55,940 Speaker 3: And, and, and, and I'm sure in those intensives, you've 869 00:46:56,020 --> 00:46:59,920 Speaker 3: met couples who are really hanging on just by their fingers. 870 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:03,640 Speaker 7: I mean, some come and they're separated and they sleep 871 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:08,739 Speaker 7: in different bedrooms here. You know, and they come in 872 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:15,520 Speaker 7: a really, really difficult place. But we're not what we 873 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:18,739 Speaker 7: do is we lead them through a framework that restored 874 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:24,060 Speaker 7: our marriage. And so it's not just philosophy that somebody 875 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:26,500 Speaker 7: has read in a book for us. It is we 876 00:47:26,540 --> 00:47:31,100 Speaker 7: know the difference it made to do these things, to 877 00:47:31,219 --> 00:47:34,439 Speaker 7: work through these things. And so we take them through 878 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:37,410 Speaker 7: that process. We love that we stay in the game 879 00:47:37,450 --> 00:47:41,170 Speaker 7: with them. Like we, you know, we, we love the 880 00:47:41,210 --> 00:47:45,150 Speaker 7: intensive environment because I mean, I'm not anti-counseling. It was 881 00:47:45,190 --> 00:47:47,509 Speaker 7: a part of our healing, but you start and you 882 00:47:47,530 --> 00:47:49,030 Speaker 7: stop and you start and you stop and you start 883 00:47:49,050 --> 00:47:51,859 Speaker 7: and you stop. And the intensive environment lets us stay 884 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:56,719 Speaker 7: in the zone, keep connecting the dots, keep understanding the dynamics. 885 00:47:57,060 --> 00:48:01,460 Speaker 7: And we just find it very rewarding to do that. 886 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:05,230 Speaker 1: We do that. The intensive is with one client. couple only. 887 00:48:05,390 --> 00:48:05,549 Speaker 3: Yep. 888 00:48:05,670 --> 00:48:07,270 Speaker 6: We do not do a group intensive. 889 00:48:07,390 --> 00:48:11,330 Speaker 1: Because we want to focus on the couple. 100% attention 890 00:48:13,489 --> 00:48:19,850 Speaker 1: to move and navigate through this framework. And man, the 891 00:48:19,890 --> 00:48:23,570 Speaker 1: God stories we've seen is just incredible. 892 00:48:24,050 --> 00:48:28,050 Speaker 2: And that's to me the issue here is for everybody 893 00:48:28,110 --> 00:48:30,850 Speaker 2: to know whatever it is that you have to rebuild 894 00:48:30,890 --> 00:48:35,240 Speaker 2: trust about, God is still in it and is still working. Right. 895 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:37,820 Speaker 5: And that hope is there. 896 00:48:37,900 --> 00:48:40,419 Speaker 2: It doesn't always work out the way we want it to. 897 00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:44,200 Speaker 2: But you've seen these couples that are closest to divorce, 898 00:48:44,900 --> 00:48:49,790 Speaker 2: that 98% of those couples now are still married. And 899 00:48:49,890 --> 00:48:52,130 Speaker 2: so I'm just, I know we only have like 30 900 00:48:52,130 --> 00:48:53,790 Speaker 2: seconds left before we have to. 901 00:48:53,730 --> 00:48:54,770 Speaker 6: Wrap up the podcast. 902 00:48:54,810 --> 00:48:56,730 Speaker 3: But we've got to ask the thing that we always 903 00:48:56,750 --> 00:48:57,509 Speaker 3: ask of our guests. 904 00:48:57,590 --> 00:48:58,080 Speaker 1: Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. 905 00:48:58,270 --> 00:48:58,730 Speaker 6: Absolutely. 906 00:48:58,750 --> 00:49:01,530 Speaker 4: So we always, at the end of our podcast, we always. 907 00:49:02,219 --> 00:49:06,410 Speaker 3: try to leave the listener with kind of one thing 908 00:49:06,590 --> 00:49:08,910 Speaker 3: if you're going to remember one thing either of what 909 00:49:08,969 --> 00:49:12,750 Speaker 3: we've said already or of something that we didn't get 910 00:49:12,810 --> 00:49:15,839 Speaker 3: to but we want you to hold on to so 911 00:49:16,100 --> 00:49:19,660 Speaker 3: for the folks out there who may have experienced infidelity 912 00:49:20,070 --> 00:49:24,279 Speaker 3: or another type of betrayal in their marriage, is there 913 00:49:24,380 --> 00:49:28,200 Speaker 3: in their efforts of rebuilding that trust with their spouse, 914 00:49:28,780 --> 00:49:31,739 Speaker 3: what one thing would you want to tell them to 915 00:49:31,820 --> 00:49:32,600 Speaker 3: encourage them? 916 00:49:36,239 --> 00:49:40,910 Speaker 1: I would encourage them with... You might be thinking there 917 00:49:40,989 --> 00:49:44,940 Speaker 1: is no hope, but the God we love and serve says, 918 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:49,920 Speaker 1: I am hope. And so grab hold of hope. And 919 00:49:50,960 --> 00:49:54,940 Speaker 1: it's totally living and doable and actionable. 920 00:49:55,340 --> 00:49:58,200 Speaker 4: And your story isn't over yet. 921 00:49:58,320 --> 00:49:58,660 Speaker 5: Right. 922 00:49:59,239 --> 00:49:59,520 Speaker 1: No. 923 00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:01,780 Speaker 5: How can people find you guys? 924 00:50:02,219 --> 00:50:04,960 Speaker 2: Like, I don't want to cut off this podcast without 925 00:50:05,020 --> 00:50:05,739 Speaker 2: people knowing how. 926 00:50:05,660 --> 00:50:06,980 Speaker 6: To find you. 927 00:50:07,020 --> 00:50:10,690 Speaker 7: The best place would be Yeah, the podcast is great. 928 00:50:10,730 --> 00:50:17,990 Speaker 7: No More Perfect podcast. Our website is markandjill.org. Markandjill.org. 929 00:50:18,230 --> 00:50:19,169 Speaker 6: And then. 930 00:50:20,660 --> 00:50:27,900 Speaker 7: On Instagram, jillsavage.author. Facebook, jillsavage.author. We've recently been going viral 931 00:50:28,040 --> 00:50:31,160 Speaker 7: on Instagram because we've been doing these fun 1.0, 2.0 932 00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:36,740 Speaker 7: reels and showing people. Hey, this is what happens when 933 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:38,540 Speaker 7: you're not in a healthy place. 934 00:50:38,560 --> 00:50:40,480 Speaker 6: This is what it looks like to be healthy. So 935 00:50:41,239 --> 00:50:41,880 Speaker 6: check those out. 936 00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:44,920 Speaker 7: And then I do want people to know we have 937 00:50:45,219 --> 00:50:51,610 Speaker 7: a we have a free rebuilding trust guide. And the 938 00:50:51,650 --> 00:50:54,950 Speaker 7: rebuilding trust guide is you can get that at rebuilding 939 00:50:54,989 --> 00:50:58,620 Speaker 7: trust dot U.S. Rebuilding trust dot us. 940 00:50:58,860 --> 00:51:00,000 Speaker 6: And it's a free guide. 941 00:51:00,900 --> 00:51:05,890 Speaker 7: And it will give you additional information for how to 942 00:51:05,910 --> 00:51:06,700 Speaker 7: rebuild trust. 943 00:51:07,610 --> 00:51:08,190 Speaker 5: Okay. 944 00:51:08,630 --> 00:51:11,669 Speaker 2: Well, thank you guys so much for joining us today. 945 00:51:11,730 --> 00:51:13,170 Speaker 5: I know we went a little bit over time. 946 00:51:13,330 --> 00:51:15,109 Speaker 2: And so I'm going to tell everybody, if you would 947 00:51:15,150 --> 00:51:18,290 Speaker 2: like to hear more from Mark and Jill Savage, be 948 00:51:18,390 --> 00:51:21,859 Speaker 2: sure to check out those resources and you'll find links 949 00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:24,219 Speaker 2: to all of them in the show notes. If you 950 00:51:24,260 --> 00:51:27,299 Speaker 2: know someone who'd be encouraged by this, please share this 951 00:51:27,380 --> 00:51:29,620 Speaker 2: episode with them and share it on social media and 952 00:51:30,030 --> 00:51:31,570 Speaker 2: And if you do, be sure to tag us and 953 00:51:31,610 --> 00:51:33,210 Speaker 2: be sure to tag Mark and Jill so we can 954 00:51:33,250 --> 00:51:33,529 Speaker 2: see it. 955 00:51:33,830 --> 00:51:36,069 Speaker 5: Thank you guys so much for being with us. 956 00:51:37,950 --> 00:51:40,379 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to I Wish You Could Hear This. 957 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:44,540 Speaker 2: Remember to subscribe to our podcast. And as always, forward 958 00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:47,799 Speaker 2: today's audio or video link to a friend, counselor or 959 00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:54,089 Speaker 2: pastor who would be encouraged. I just want to take 960 00:51:54,130 --> 00:51:56,850 Speaker 2: a second to thank the team at Life Audio for 961 00:51:56,870 --> 00:52:00,040 Speaker 2: their partnership with us on the podcast. If you go 962 00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:04,710 Speaker 2: to lifeaudio.com, you will find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts 963 00:52:04,770 --> 00:52:09,089 Speaker 2: in their network. They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, 964 00:52:09,489 --> 00:52:09,860 Speaker 2: and more.