This book club is for you if you fall into one of the following categories:
Your marriage is “good” but it could be better.
You are tired to trying to change your husband or get him to read a marriage book with you, but SOMETHING needs to change!
You do not feel loved in your marriage.
You have cold wars with your husband.
You feel like you married the wrong man.
You miss how things were when you were dating or first married.
You feel like you don’t communicate well.
You spend more time apart than together.
You struggle to be your best self for him because you feel resentful about his behavior.
You find yourself watching him more than making yourself happy.
The list can go on and on, but this is a good start. My belief is that every Catholic wife (or future wife) should read this book. but with one caveat: you need a Catholic guide. This book will teach you how to single-handedly improve your marriage and your life. But there are a few nuances I have found over the years that make it beneficial to view the skills through our Catholic perspective.
My Story
I read The Empowered Wife for the first time in September 2023. At the time I was quite proud of my marriage. In my pride I simply agreed to read the book with a few other women for fun, because I certainly didn’t “need” it.
I was wrong.
Once I opened up the pages and got to the first skill, I realized I was definitely making my happiness dependent on Ryan. Then as I read further, the real conviction came. As I read about respecting my husband, I realized I questioned his decisions, asked for his opinion and then did the opposite, and made it generally unsafe for his opinion to differ from my own. Then, as a I read about relinquishing control, I suddenly realized that my very obliging husband was scared of my emotional blackmail if he misstepped. He would ask me if he could go to the store!
These dynamics, and others, were underneath the conscious choices of my marriage. So I started to change.
Ryan will ALWAYS say we have had a good marriage, even a great one. Men get amnesia real fast when you start practicing the skills. But I will tell you, now our marriage is much safer. Even after 3 years, he still tiptoes around some topics because the fear of my reaction still exists. But when he does step out in trust, I can now hold is heart and hear his message. He just wants me to be the best version of myself, as I do him. Our husbands want us to be happy, they want to make us happy, and yet as time goes on and their attempts are rebuffed, ignored, or questioned they get discouraged. They stop trying as they retreat more and more into their man cave.
The Course
Since December 2023 I have been helping women make their own marriages safe, while we learn to trust God and ourselves with our own happiness. These skills are wonderful jumping off points and working on even one will improve your marriage. Becoming efficient in all six will create a marriage you probably don’t even know is possible.
I was using Marco Polo to run these courses, but now I am offering them in Heartbeat, as part of my Coaching Garden. In the course we will walk through each skill. Not only will you read along with other women, but there will be assignments, conversation, and accountability.
On December 8 we will meet live on Zoom at 1:30pm CT to come together to discuss the ideas within the book, to share our own aha moments and to cheer for each other.
If you join before Oct. 27, you also will have the opportunity to participate in a general group coaching call. Come observe or raise your hand. Any part of your vocation is game. Consider your relationships with God, Self, Husband, Children, Others, Time, Stuff, Food … What relationship has you stuck right now? Where do you want to be instead? Bring it on Oct 27th at 1:30pm CT and we can talk!
PREP WEEK is available now! There is a video, assignments, conversation, introductions all ready for you! It’s only $10 to join so I pray that you will invest in yourself and your marriage, and come join us for real Catholic fellowship within the ideas found in the pages of The Empowered Wife.
WEEK 1 starts Oct 27.
The entire reading plan is already available and new assignments will drop each week as we work our way together through the course.
Imagine what Christmastide will be in your home as you show up grounded, joyful, and pleaseable! You will see all through new eyes and your husband will respond, if not immediately, with continued practice. It’s inevitable, but you must first say yes to this nudge from God, take a leap of faith, and dive in!