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Creating Better Habits for a Better Marriage: Michael’s Story

You love your wife. You love your family. And you’d do anything for them.

But if you’re honest… things don’t feel quite the same as they used to.

Maybe you’re exhausted from work, the baby, or the endless list of responsibilities. Maybe your evenings with your wife now look more like two roommates collapsed on the couch—silent, tired, and just hoping tomorrow will be better.

That’s exactly where Michael found himself.

A good man. A loving husband. A dad who adored his toddler son. And yet—he noticed the spark in his marriage was fading.

Instead of ignoring it, he made a decision that changed everything.

And maybe that’s where you are today.

Masculinity Reclaimed Foundations for Lasting Change

Michael wasn’t looking for fluff. He wasn’t looking for self-help tricks that sound nice but fall flat.

He wanted something biblical. Something that honored God’s design for intimacy. Something practical enough to implement while juggling fatherhood and career.

That’s when he discovered Masculinity Reclaimed Foundations.

From the very beginning, he noticed it wasn’t complicated. Daily gratitude. Encouraging words. Apologies when needed. Intentional listening.

Simple? Yes. Easy? Not always. But transformational? Absolutely.

Michael said it “sparked something new.” He began noticing his wife respond in ways she hadn’t before. Even more surprising—she started picking up the same habits he was practicing, without ever being taught them directly.

One morning, while out on a walk, she said, “I forgot to write my gratitudes today.”

Michael was stunned. Gratitudes were part of his new daily rhythm—something the program had challenged him to do. He hadn’t even invited her into it. But she saw his consistency, and she was inspired to follow.

That’s the power of godly leadership.

Christian Marriage Intimacy That Transforms Daily Life

Michael realized intimacy was about more than the physical.

Yes, God designed sex as a beautiful, holy gift—but intimacy starts long before the bedroom.

When a wife feels safe, known, and wholeheartedly cherished, her heart opens. That’s the essence of Christian marriage intimacy: a holistic connection that touches body, soul, and spirit.

For Michael, it meant slowing down. Looking his wife in the eye. Really listening when she spoke—not just nodding while his mind wandered. Offering compliments, even when it felt small. Expressing love, even in the middle of an ordinary day.

And the results?

Their evenings shifted. Instead of collapsing into silence, they began talking again. Laughing again. Rebuilding the kind of bond that made marriage joyful instead of draining.

Maybe that’s what’s missing in your marriage. Maybe you’re craving closeness but don’t know where to start. Michael would tell you—start small. Gratitude. Encouragement. Listening.

And watch how God multiplies it.

A Christian Husband’s Leadership That Inspires Your Wife

Here’s the truth: someone has to go first.

Too many men wait, hoping their wives will change before they do. But waiting is not leadership.

Michael discovered that a Christian husband’s leadership is about modeling the very change you want to see.

• Choosing gratitude when negativity feels easier.

• Speaking life instead of criticism.

• Creating joy where tension used to rule.

• Surrendering pride in order to serve.

And his wife responded. Not because he pressured her. Not because he demanded it. But because love that reflects Christ is contagious.

Friend, this is the hard but freeing truth: leadership begins with you.

Your wife may or may not immediately change. But your consistent obedience to Christ’s call—to love your wife as He loved the church—will never return void.

Marriage Transformation Stories That Stir Hope

When Michael first joined the program, he rated his marriage a 7 or 8 out of 10. Good. Steady. But he knew something was missing.

After stepping into these practices, his wife said something that stopped him in his tracks: “This has been transformational for our marriage.”

That’s not just improvement. That’s restoration.

And Michael’s story isn’t unique. Week after week, we hear marriage transformation stories from men all over the world—young dads, empty-nesters, husbands married for two years or fifty.

The common thread? They chose to lead with love. To step into accountability. To embrace God’s way, not culture’s distortions.

And God met them there.

If He can do it for Michael, He can do it for you.

Final Thoughts on Better Habits for a Better Marriage

Let me ask you directly: where is your marriage today?

Maybe it feels “good but not great.” Maybe the spark is gone, and you’re worried what things will look like in five or ten years. Maybe you’re exhausted from parenting and silently grieving the closeness you once had.

Friend, you don’t have to settle.

Michael didn’t.

And the best part? His wife followed his lead without him ever asking her to.

That’s what happens when a man chooses to be the first one to change.

Michael made a decision. He chose to take a step forward. And it began with one simple action: a conversation.

That’s where you can begin, too.

 

With love,

 

The Delight Your Marriage Team

 

PS – Are you ready to take the next step in improving your marriage? We are here for you! Schedule a free Clarity Call and take the first step to transforming your marriage.

 

PPS – Here is a quote from (another) recent graduate:
“Our marriage was doomed to fail if we continued with the same unhealthy patterns that we had been using for years. This was a very hard process of self evaluation. My relationship with God was put at the top of my list for each day and I was able to start to feel connected to Him again and have loved being in the word. I also realized that I was taking myself and life way too seriously and have had to force myself to be more playful which has helped to keep the mood in our relationship more fun and light.”

 

Transcript:

Belah Rose  00:00

Hi there. I hope you’re doing well. This is Bela rose, and I have got to tell you, I am likely right in the very middle of recording our church training. I don’t know if it’s exactly happening right now while you’re listening, but we are in the process of doing that. For years, people have been asking us to put our content from our flagship course for men or our flagship course for women. They’ve wanted to put it in the churches. And for a long time, it’s just, when do I have the time to record something for churches I’m coaching and, you know, creating podcasts and leading the team, and just all the really amazing things that God does here. When do we have time for this? But it really became clear that that this is now the season to to push into this. And it’s been exciting how God has just opened up so many doors and so many, you know, people have donated money because they’re just like, I want this in the churches. It’s been incredible. Really, really. So if you’re one of those, thank you. Point is for you, dear listener, that these next several weeks, we’re going to be sharing episodes that maybe were already pre recorded, which is still really great content for you. Just feel like this is really helpful, but also it allows me to take a step back and really have my focus on these church training series. So if you want to understand more about what we’re working on, go to delight your marriage, Comm, slash church, and we’ve got some promo videos there. You can kind of just get your feet wet. We are really excited because we’re launching in January 2026, we’ve got our pilot churches going in the fall, but we’ve got the actual launch 2026 we’d love to have your church involved so you can check out all the information at delight your marriage. Com, slash church. Alright, enjoy today’s episode. God bless you. Welcome to the delight your marriage. Podcast, you’re joining me. Bela rose, as I dive deep into the beauty, power and truths about intimacy. Learn not only the practicals, but the heart behind what making love is all about. Delight your marriage.

Dana  02:20

Hello, Michael, thank you so much for being here. Yeah, my

Speaker 1  02:25

pleasure. How you doing today? I’m doing pretty good. So far. Good, good,

Dana  02:30

good. I’m grateful to hear that. Michael, I am excited about this conversation that we’re about to have. I have some glimpses of what the Lord has done in your heart since joining belahs program, but I can’t wait to have a more in depth conversation about it and and just to help people understand all that he’s done and to glorify Him through every ounce of this. Michael, so why don’t we get started by having you tell us a little bit about yourself.

Speaker 1  03:01

Yeah, I am 31 years old. I’ve been married to my wife for seven years, and we have one kid. We have a son. He’s 21 months old. So he keeps us busy throughout the day, I bet. But yeah, I’m a for work. I’m a mechanical engineer, and my wife stays home most days, except for for one day, she’s a physical therapist and works part time. But yeah, that’s kind of a little little background.

Dana  03:38

I love it. Oh, that’s so sweet. New Family, 21 months. You said, Yep, oh, that’s a great fun, fun time. Wonderful. Michael, do you happen to remember how you found delight your marriage?

Speaker 1  03:52

Yeah, I was actually on a work trip. I live in Florida, but I had a work trip out in Texas for for a week. And since I wasn’t at home with my son and my wife, I kind of didn’t know what to do with myself. So I was looking up, trying to look up some information on, you know, some, I guess Christian kind of like Christian practices for marriage and intimacy in general, just because I feel like I haven’t really found much over the years, whenever I tried to search for things like that, or at least not what I was looking for, yes, and for some reason this time, when I looked I stumbled across to let your marriage their website. And it was, it was, I think it was like a podcast transcript that I was reading, and I was like, Oh, they have podcasts. So I went on my podcast app and found a bunch of podcasts from delight your marriage, and started listening to

Dana  04:56

fantastic. That’s great. I’m curious. You don’t mind sharing with us what, what were some of those specifics that you had been searching for but were unable to find and then kind of connected with when you found with us, when you found to light

Speaker 1  05:13

your marriage? Yeah, I think a lot of it was related to, you know, delight your marriage we talk about, you know, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects of men of intimacy. And I was, I’ve been kind of looking for, you know, physical and emotional parts of intimacy, and, you know, Christian practices for that, since I feel like society distorts all of it, so I’ve been trying to find you know more of the truth behind those things.

Dana  05:46

That’s so good. I am so grateful that that your search led us to i to us. Michael, that’s really special. I absolutely love it. So in your so in your search, you you find delight your marriage. You see that we’ve got some podcasts. You go and they find those podcasts, and you begin to listen. How did you decide that you wanted to look into doing the program potentially, or maybe even, you know, signing up for the the clarity call. How did you get to that decision?

Speaker 1  06:19

Yeah, so, so I started listening to the podcasts on my way to work a couple times a week, and I thought the content was amazing. And I can’t remember how maybe I did a marital assessment or something, and that’s how I got kind of connected with my email to delight your marriage, yes, and then it was this past Thanksgiving, right around Thanksgiving time, that I got an email about one of the programs that they’re offering, you know, a couple weeks for free to try out some practices and try out some Things that delight your marriage teaches in their coaching classes, and then at the end of that, you had the option to do, do a clarity call. So that’s when I was like, you know, I’m not really like, I’m not, you know, really sure exactly what the course would be like and things like that, but I might as well, I might as well call and see what it’s all about so,

Dana  07:20

yeah. Oh, that’s fantastic. Yeah. So masculinity, reclaimed Foundation, yep, course correct, yes, exactly. That is a free course that comes around every once in a while, and it’s, it’s a really special opportunity to, just as you said, kind of tip of the iceberg into exactly what delight your marriage is all about. And Belah teachings, of course, and how did masculinity reclaimed foundations go for you? Michael, what was what was that like?

Speaker 1  07:51

I thought it was great. It had just really simple practices to implement each day to kind of try and restore that emotional connection.

Dana  08:03

Excellent, excellent, very, good. And you said at the completion of that was the opportunity to sign up for a clarity call, yep. So you kind of figured, why not? We’ll see what the see what the next level is.

Speaker 1  08:15

Yeah, yeah. I thought about it for like a day or two, and then I asked my wife, knows about the light your marriage too, and she’s listening to some stuff, and I was asking her about it. And then I was like, you know, why not? So why not

Dana  08:29

give it a try? How was the clarity call process for you? Michael,

Speaker 1  08:34

I thought it, it was great. It was It helped me to understand, kind of, you know, a little bit be more, more of like behind the scenes of delight, their delight your marriage and and what their their goal was in marriage and people’s lives, and how it kind of aligned with, with what I was seeking,

Dana  08:58

excellent, excellent, and the the conversation itself, Michael, I know, you know, I remember our clarity call, and it takes courage to come in, into that space and and have that conversation. Was it? Was it a good conversation for you? Did you? Did you see fruit just within that the process of the clarity

Speaker 1  09:19

call? Yeah, yeah, it’s, it’s definitely, you definitely have to be vulnerable and open with some things. But, yeah, you know, a lot of times we keep all that stuff in. So it was a good opportunity to let those things out. And then as you hear yourself speaking those things, you know, it kind of drives you to, you know, I think I need to pursue something that can help me in these areas, or, you know, to implement change in my life and our marriage, right?

Dana  09:50

Exactly. Ah, that’s so good, so good. Thank you for that. Michael, very good. And obviously you were invited in. Into masculinity, reclaimed and accepted our invitation to come in. So if you don’t mind sharing with us, what were the challenges you were facing prior to coming in to the program?

Speaker 1  10:15

Yeah. So like I was saying earlier, we have a son that’s 21 months old. And for those out there that have kids, you know that the first one can be shocking? Yeah, you’re right, life changing. And so it’s, I mean, it’s, it’s amazing, but it’s also very demanding of your day and your time and your energy, yes, and so, you know, I, I saw some of those, those things like, you know, emotional, spiritual, physical connection kind of slipping away, kind of around, around that time that we had our son and my wife and I, we would Just pop on the couch at, you know, 789, PM, just felt like we didn’t even have enough energy to have a conversation, right? And so it was like, man, like, where do we even start to try and, like, change this dynamic? So that’s kind of, you know, what led to me, kind of diving into delight your marriage

Dana  11:22

type thing. Wow, that’s fantastic. I love that, even in in your exhaustion of a newborn, that you could, that you could really reflect on the fact that the that you feel, this, this level of intimacy, kind of slipping away, as you said, and and being proactive about it. Michael, so, so important. And so how, how would you say masculinity reclaimed helped you overcome these challenges?

Speaker 1  11:54

Yeah, like I was saying about the foundations course, like that was kind of a glimpse of it, but it just helped to kind of implement very simple practices to reconnect on, you know, starting off, reconnect on an emotional level, and also practices to help on a personal level, and just your mindset throughout the day, kind of just, you know, starting with with new habits in life that are really life giving and speaking truth into your life to start out your day. But yeah, and then just, you know, simple, simple things you can do to connect together with your with your spouse?

Dana  12:43

Yes, excellent, excellent. Michael, I love it. And then the results, maybe some specific results that or improvements that you have experienced as a result of implementing those those principles and those habits.

Speaker 1  13:01

Yeah, I feel like, I feel like it kind of sparked a new desire to, almost like, communicate with your spouse during the day. Like I said at the end of the day, we were just so tired. But I feel like this kind of sparked something new on just being better communicators with one another and listeners to one another. And so, yeah, I mean, like some simple practices were just, you know, listening to your spouse or, you know, just telling them that you love them or how you feel about them throughout the day, just simple compliments, or maybe even apologies for things throughout the day. So kind of just having those things on the forefront of your mind, it really helped with that connection. And then the crazy thing was, my wife was doing those same things back to me, and she has no clue what they are. Like,

Dana  14:02

gosh. So, yeah, tell, tell us more about that. What, how did, how did that? What did that look like?

Speaker 1  14:07

Yeah. So I feel like, you know, one of the things you go through is, is listening. And there’s, you know, there’s different parts of how to listen to your spouse. And just, I feel like me giving my wife attention and just listening kind of drove her to give me that same attention back. And, like, after it happened, you’re like, wow, she just did the same thing that I’m that I’m practicing each week. And then one, one other crazy thing is like, you know, just in the beginning, we’re trying to develop some new habits in the morning, and we’re writing out gratitudes and things that we’re thankful for. And one day, my wife and I were walking in the morning, and she’s like, Oh man, I forgot to write my gratitudes. And I was like, what? What are you talking about? She’s like, Oh yeah, I started writing gratitude because I saw you were writing them.

Dana  15:06

Gosh, that is so sweet. Yeah, Michael, that highlights to me, just leadership, right? You, you took the initiative to, well, let’s go back like you noticed levels of intimacy in your marriage slipping away, and you you notice that you wanted to find the proper way to to stop the slip right, and to create more intimacy in your marriage. So searching very, very specifically, because we have to do that these days, right? We have to be very specific about looking for those, the script, the scriptural, the Christian aspects of intimacy within your marriage. And so you do that. You find, eventually find, to let your marriage, you commit to the program. But you take the lead there, Michael, that you you recognize that in your marriage that you need some help, and so you take the lead, you commit yourself to the program, the principles, but also the habits that you’re being taught. And one of the initial results is that that your wife sees you taking the lead in that and she she comes alongside of you and starts doing these things for herself, and she’s not in the program, yeah, yeah. That’s incredible. Michael, yeah, really, really incredible. That’s beautiful. Okay, keep going. Sorry,

Speaker 1  16:33

yeah, no, it’s been, it’s been really cool to see. And you know, sometimes we might not get, you know, physical words from your spouse, saying, like, Hey, you’re doing a great job. But those things that you see are, you know, a direct result from, you know, your leadership that starts, you know, just with some simple habits throughout the day. Like you may not, you may not know how you’re impacting your spouse, but that’s right, you have the ability to impact them, you know, either negatively or positively, just by, you know, some simple actions.

Dana  17:06

You’re right. You’re right. Wow, that’s really, really awesome. Like, oh, hello, praise God for that. Very cool. So I am curious, what was it like being on the calls for you live with, with Belah, actually working with her.

Speaker 1  17:24

Yeah, it was, I’ve never really been a part of something like that before, with, with a group of guys, you know, I’ll be open and vulnerable, but all going through, you know, the same thing, and having the same goal, similar goal in mind. And it was just, it was so insightful hearing from Belah, because she’s a woman, so she gets it from the other side. So it’s like, at first, you as a guy might be like, kind of weirded out by it, like, oh, there’s a this, this lady’s teaching me. I feel like I should have a guy teaching me, but no, it’s like the direct opposite. As you go through you’re like, Wow, it’s so insightful, because she understands from the other side, but also just hearing the other guys and things that they’re going through which they might not have the same relationship as you have with your spouse, but, but but there, there’s a lot of good that you can get from hearing somebody else’s, you know, struggles or or wins throughout the week, and learn from that and implement them into your marriage

Dana  18:33

as well. Wow, that’s incredible. Yeah. So, so a little inside perspective, like when you join the program, you you come into a team coaching aspect, where there are men who are ahead of you, so to speak, in the in the program itself. And so I think what I hear you saying is, is having the opportunity to to hear from other gentlemen who are maybe in in different challenges, maybe similar challenges, but but they’re being coached for their specific marriages, is also helping you to hear and implement those into your situation, regardless of whether or not the challenges are the same. Is that? Is that true?

Speaker 1  19:18

Yep, yeah, yeah, that’s that’s true, and even I don’t know, I might be jumping ahead, but you know, with that coaching call, you have the accountability call each week, yes, and on my accountability call, there was one guy that was a week behind me, so it’s almost like we were going at it together. And then we also had some guys that just graduated and some guys that graduated, like two years ago. So it was very diverse, which was very good, because you’re like running, running the race alongside someone, but you’re also talking to somebody that you know has gone through it and has a lot of wisdom to speak into your life as.

Dana  20:00

Me, wow, wow, that’s incredible. Michael, have you transitioned into the masculinity reclaimed graduate program

Speaker 1  20:12

I current like as of today? Yes,

Dana  20:16

today, yes, I love it. So there’s more to come. Yes, which I also love about this, you know, this opportunity and your story is, is that you’re not, you know, you’re not fully there, right? Growth in the Lord is, is eternal. And so I love that you’re you just move into a new phase, and within that phase there’s an opportunity to, to to just deepen the connections and the transformation. And it’s really, really special. I love it. Yeah, anything else about the community? Because I did want to, I did want to touch on that specifically for you and your experience within it.

Speaker 1  20:57

Yeah. I mean, really, the main thing is it’s just, it’s really good to hear wins, like wins throughout the week, words of encouragement, or maybe challenges that other people are facing, that you can encourage, or challenges that you’re facing, and other people can encourage you through that, or or maybe they’ve gone through the same thing, and they have some some insight into that. So it’s very helpful and very necessary for your growth to have that community and accountability and coaching throughout the league.

Dana  21:36

So good. I love it. Michael, would you or would you do me a favor and just help me understand what the commitment like, the actual commitment, time commitment was for you, and how that worked with with your life. I mean, you’re you are a professional working full time, and you have a new baby. So we talked about how exhaustion, just like, takes over as that baby’s getting older and older. But so how was it for you in just in terms of the the time that you were asked to commit to the program itself?

Speaker 1  22:13

Yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s definitely, you know, a good time commitment, and you have to be strategic with your with your time throughout the week, you know, especially if you have kids, you’re working full time things like that, yeah. So, yeah. I mean, I would have my accountability call on Monday mornings and then my coaching call on Thursday, you know, around lunchtime or so, yeah. And so you have to be strategic on blocking those slots in your in your schedule. And then there’s some, you know, some coursework that that you have after that coaching call. And you know, I found that best to do it as as soon as possible as you can. But you know, it’s, it’s, you know, a couple hours worth of worth of calls and a couple more hours worth of, you know, watching some of the modules and going through that material. So it is definitely a time commitment. But, you know, I feel like people’s lives are getting busier each day. So you know what I was thinking was, what? What other better time is there? So like we might, I might as well do it now and jump into it now. And you know, if you’re if you look at your schedule throughout the day or the week, you might say, wow, it’s packed. I don’t have any time, but you can find time for the important things in life you are so, right? So, yeah,

Dana  23:44

yeah. And the dividends that pay off for committing to that time in a in a season,

Speaker 1  23:53

yeah, I mean, it’s really priceless. Like, yes, it’s, I mean, anything that you you do, whether, like, you know, if you want to meet a goal in fitness, like, you have to, you have to be consistent, and you got to work out, you know, throughout the week, exactly the results you see after are, you know, they’re amazing. Like, like I said, with, you know, see my wife, you know, implement some of those same practices back to me, and, you know, just the other day we were, we’re at some, you know, with some friends. They just had their second, their second child, and they’ve been, you know, struggling with some marriage things, just because now they have two kids. And so they’re asking us about some things. And I was talking about delight your marriage. And my wife was talking to them that, you know, I was going through it, and it’s been great, and just sitting in the car on the ride home, like she said, that it has been transformational to our marriage. And so, you know, just hearing those words, it’s like. Yeah, it was definitely worth it.

Dana  25:01

Wow. That’s incredible. Praise God. Michael, really, and, and what I hear in what you just shared is that you now have some tools to to lean in, to serve others. Yes, yep, that’s, that’s, that’s Kingdom work. Michael, that’s that’s exciting, really, to be able to just to support your friends and help help give them some, some good, tangible advice as they move through that season as well. That’s really special. Thank you for sharing that incredible Michael, how would you describe your overall satisfaction with masculinity reclaimed?

Speaker 1  25:47

I Yeah. I mean, I would give it a 10 out of 10, just I haven’t witnessed anything like it before, or found anything like it before. Like it helps to take a lot of the guesswork out of things, because, you know, Bela gives you some really simple practices, but it’s all rooted in Scripture as well. And it’s, it’s like, you know, like in society, you don’t have to, you know, second guess every single thing it’s like Bela gives you, here’s the Scripture behind what I’m teaching you, yes. And it’s like, well, you know, if it’s if Jesus did it, then you know I, I should definitely practice that as well. For

Dana  26:34

sure, for sure that that sprite that sparks, excuse me, a personal note for me, Michael, that was when I heard Belah the for very first time in the podcast episode I was I was led to by the Lord. It was very clear to me that that this was scriptural based, and what I didn’t know I needed at that time was someone to help me move scriptural knowledge from my head to my heart Yes, to really and truly understand what God had in store for me and what he expected of me as a wife. And I think it’s, it’s one of the most important and special things that that Belah implements into this teaching, I mean, really implements into it. It’s the foundation for it, really and truly. So I’m glad you brought that up. I love that, that memory of my lack and then what I was, what I was able to to do with her, her guidance and me. You know, her guidance for me through the through Scripture. That’s really good, really good. I love it. Michael, this is, this is really, really special. How would you describe your marriage now?

Speaker 1  28:01

Um, where I would, I mean, like a word that I would describe it as, is connected, um, where, you know, like, going into this our marriage wasn’t bad, like, when I took the assessment, you know, I rated pretty high. It was, you know, close to, like a seven or eight out of 10. It was just that one aspect that was, you know, starting to kind of diminish a little bit, yeah, but yeah, I mean, it just it restored the connection that was lacking, and even the the joy each day that was lacking. You know, instead of, instead of looking at the day, I’m like, I just need to make it to the end, it’s like, no, like, how can we make the most of of each day?

Dana  28:52

Wow, that’s exciting, Michael, and that that’s exciting to me because of what the foundation that you’re laying for your son?

Speaker 1  29:06

Yes, yeah. And that’s super important to me and my and my wife. You know, we want to, we want him to witness a good marriage, and really a gospel driven marriage as he grows up. Wow,

Dana  29:22

incredibly, incredible. Oh, it’s so good. Michael, was there a most impactful moment for you in your time through the program?

Speaker 1  29:35

I mean, I think there are, were a lot, but I think from the very beginning actually, when, when Belah had us kind of reshape our habits in the morning. I mean, in the morning, I already had some habits, you know, of reading scripture, but reshaping your your mindset in the morning with just by, you know, writing out some gratitude. It’s actually affected. I realized it affected my whole entire day. I didn’t know how many negative thoughts that I had pop up to, like, throughout the day. I didn’t really realize it until I started writing out gratitudes and I found myself, you know, as a negative thought popped up. I found myself countering it with something positive. And so, you know, it’s hard to implement any of the other things that she teaches you if you’re if you have a poor mindset. And so I think that was actually like one of the critical moments in the program, wow,

Dana  30:41

and your commitment to it infused itself into into your wife’s habit. I love that. I love how she, you know, she recognized that, and probably the joy right? Michael, shifting from dread of the day to where can we find more joy in it, and I know that that was impactful for her. Clearly, that’s really special, really special. Michael, I can’t thank you enough for sharing your story with us here today. We truly appreciate your time, your courage to do this, and your honesty. So before we finish, what advice would you give to a husband who’s in a similar situation to where you were prior to the program, and that’s a like seven, eight out of 10 marriage. It was, it’s a good, solid marriage, but you were just you were seeking more. What would you share with with a husband who’s in the same place?

Speaker 1  31:43

Yeah, I mean, it’s something that, you know. You probably hear things it’s like, you don’t want to go down the road, you know, 510, 20 years and say, you know, what if I’ve done something different? What if I did something that could change my marriage. And you know, when you’re on these calls, it’s super diverse. You have somebody I’m proud I was probably one of the youngest people in my call, but you have somebody around my age, and then you have somebody that may be in their 60s or even 70 and and, you know, it gives you some perspective. You’re like, do I want to wait until that point to change things, or if I have an opportunity right now, do I want to step into that and change things now? And it’s okay to seek help. I mean, the Bible tells us to encourage one another and to teach one another, yes, and so why not be be taught and encouraged by by a group of people to love your spouse better and to grow your family, you know, into a gospel shaped family. Beautiful,

Dana  33:03

beautiful. I love it. Praise the Lord. In every ounce of that, really and truly, it’s so sweet. Really good. So is there anything else before we go, that you’d like to add?

Speaker 1  33:16

Um, yeah. I mean, if, if somebody is out there and you’re kind of, you know, on the fence about it, you know, there’s, there’s no commitment with the clarity call, you know, I would say, just jump into it and do it. And talking with you, Dana was, was great. You know, even just talking to you, I feel like started changing my heart, and so I mean, whether you jump into it or not, I would say, at least, do the clarity call so you can actually hear your heart poured out.

Dana  33:52

So true. Michael, thank you for that. That compliment means a lot. It means a lot to me, really and truly, the Lord is in this from from beginning to until the end. And then what I love is there is no end, right? This is eternity focus. But you’re right that that clarity call process is a gift. It’s a gift to Belah, listeners, her audience, and it’s a really beautiful opportunity to, just as you said, to start, you know, listening, sharing your heart and and having a different perspective on the on what’s going on, right, on the challenges that that you’re facing. So again, thank you for that, that compliment. All the glory goes to the Lord in that for sure, but it really, truly was an honor, Michael, to get to speak to you in that clarity call process. I knew from the get go that I was grateful for your courage, your honesty and your humility.

Speaker 1  34:56

Well, yeah, thank you for being open and listening to. To be throughout the process.

Dana  35:01

Absolutely, absolutely well. Michael, thank you for for taking this so seriously, for for the search for the the masculinity reclaim foundations, for dipping into the clarity call process and then accepting your invitation into masculinity reclaimed. And then the most important part is, is being committed to the work and consistent. You talked about consistency earlier. It’s wildly important. And so it is. It is my prayer for you, Michael, that that consistency and strength and growth in the in the program materials, just continues, because really, sky’s the limit in what God can do in you and through you. Michael, as a result of of this and so again, thank you for your time, for being here and sharing your story, your courage and your honesty. We really and truly appreciate it. Yeah, well, thank you for allowing me to share. You’re so welcome, wonderful. Michael, thank you. Thank you. You

36:04

you.