Forming a Vision For Your Marriage feat. Dan and Amber DeMatte

Show Notes

“He said: ‘I came so that you can have life to the full.’ He didn’t say: ‘I came so you can be stressed to the max, or I came so that you can be stretched totally thin.’”

How is a married couple called to be the person of Jesus in the world? If you’re single, do you worry that the sacrifices that come with marriage will be too hard? If you’re married, do you ever feel like you have to give too much of yourself? Does your marriage feel less joyful than you think it should? You’re going to love Dan and Amber DeMatte (I admit; I have a holy couple crush on them, myself!) 

First of all, Dan and Amber share a rare distinction with me: we were all on reality TV shows about discernment! Dan was featured on God or the Girl, A&E’s 2006 docu-series about young men discerning the priesthood, in which Amber also appeared as “the girl.” So I of course asked Dan about his show the top questions that people ask me about my show, and hilarity ensues!

Then we get into the meat of discerning a vision for your marriage. Dan and Amber empower married couples (or single people discerning marriage) to follow the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. It seems contradictory, but viewing your marriage as a cross is actually the secret to a holy, happy, lasting union.

Topics Discussed

• Abundant life: what does that mean?
• Contraception vs. Natural Family Planning- how your fertility integrates with chastity
• How to make generosity with God easy
• Obedience in marriage- what it is and what it isn’t
• Carving out time for prayer when you have small children
• Forming a family rule of life

Resources

• God or the Girl on A&E
• Melanie Smith’s on Called and Caffeinated
• Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage
• Dave Ramsey