When Challenges Lead to Growth
Marriage After God
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About This Episode We just got back from a two-week family road trip to Yellowstone and Glacier, and getting there was not easy. A string of trials hit right before we left, and in the middle of the trip we had a fight. In this episode we talk honestly about moving forward after failure. We share the gap versus gain idea, measuring your growth against where you have been instead of an ideal that keeps moving, and how it applies to our marriage, our parenting, and our walk with God. We talk about how music, creativity, and prayer encouraged us along the way, why recovery days matter, and the 30-day reset we are starting with Scripture, journaling, three daily goals, and some diet changes. We don't move forward because we are always victorious. We move toward victory because Christ is our victory, and He already won it for us.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode The road trip — Two weeks at Yellowstone and Glacier after a cascade of trials. A mid-trip fight — What we learned about moving forward after failure. Gap versus gain — Measuring growth against your past instead of an ever-shifting ideal. Growth in marriage and parenting — Applying the gap versus gain mindset at home and in sanctification. Music, creativity, and prayer — What encouraged and connected us along the way. Recovery days — Why rest and reflection keep life in balance. A 30-day reset — Scripture, journaling, three daily goals, and diet changes. Christ is our victory — Why we move toward victory because He already won it.
Scripture Referenced Proverbs 24:16 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 The story of Tabitha (Dorcas) in Acts
Resources from This Episode Our books at shop.marriageaftergod.com Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop) Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop) The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Now That We're a Family — the fall magazine featuring an article by Jennifer Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God Website: marriageaftergod.com Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen. As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases. Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
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