Redemptive Living Radio
Redemptive Living Radio

Redemptive Living Radio

Redemptive Living Radio

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Episodes

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Looking for hope and redemption after sexual betrayal? Then this is the podcast for you! We're Shelley and Jason Martinkus, authors of four books, including Worthy of Her Trust and we've been there. We're nearly two decades into our own recovery work, and have dedicated our lives to helping other men, wives and marriages on the journey toward wholeness. With candor, vulnerability and authenticity we want to walk with you, too! Tune in as we address the highs and lows, the hard questions and the challenges couples face as they pursue redemptive living.

Recent Episodes

#114: I'm Not Going to Keep Taking From You + A Rubric
MAR 20, 2026
#114: I'm Not Going to Keep Taking From You + A Rubric
In this episode, a continuation of episode #113, Jason shares about what it looked like for him to "not take from me" (from a needs perspective) as well as a rubric he used to help keep him focused on what mattered most when I wasn't able or willing to meet his needs. We banter back and forth about staying up late talking recovery (Jason clearly thinks we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning for YEARS), we talk about Jason wanting physical touch from me while lying in bed at night and we also talk about times when he desperately needed something from me while sharing emotionally and I wasn't able to give it to him. Please note: this had nothing to do with me having a callous heart (although I'm completely capable of that) and more to do with me holding boundaries and also hanging on by a thread and not having anything to pour into the relationship as it was hanging on by said thread. You can download the rubric Jason talks about in this episode by clicking on the podcast freebie link. Jason mentions several caveats: - some women want to know what his needs are, even if both of them know she can't meet the needs. This is more so coming from a place of needing to see him be vulnerable and lean into intimacy. Jason cautioned the guys, in doing this, do not blame her for your needs. - if a wife says she wants to know (his needs, in vulnerability), jason tells the guys - don't give an inch and take a mile. Toward the end of the episode, we discuss how this applies when there is severe intimacy aversion, and he doesn't even share that he has needs. I thought this comment was key that Jason said: "the needs get shrouded in other things and expressed in ways that aren't vulerable - as in, they come out in passive aggressiveness or aggressiveness or in wonky expectations of things that don't make any sense." We are so glad YOU are here. Thanks for joining us for Season #8. Shelley mentions Episode #85 when discussing super-sized needs. Here is a link to the episode. Registration is OPEN for the next Worthy of Her Trust Workshop for men, outside San Antonio, TX. The workshop is April 24-26. Click here for all the details and to register. Registration is open for the May RLW Retreat in Rosemary, FL. You can click here for all the details. If you are interested in a couples conference/event, we would love for you to let us know by filling out this quick form. Ladies, would love for you to consider one of our support groups - there are three new groups starting in April. You can snag all the details here. Same with 1:1 Coaching - if you are curious about 1:1 coaching - start here. Anchored, led by Kate Jones, is SOLD OUT. It is a fantastic class, and if you are interested in taking this class in the future, join the WaitLIst here. No stress, it WILL come back! We will be uploading the video portion of the podcasts to the WOHT Academy website. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll find the signup button for our Public Content Section. If the content is helpful, you might consider joining the Academy membership to access more teaching videos and weekly live teaching with our team. For more information on RL Academy, click here. Join the community on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus. Pocast Freebies can be found here. (Please note, you have to email us (see link below) if you need us to send the updated podcast freebies to you. Working on a better way to deliver these, but for now, we need you to let us know if you want the updated list of freebies.) We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses, and online courses - check out our websites :redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop! Click here to subscribe to Shelley's {almost} monthly letter + monthly polls + all the things. Click here to subscribe to Jason's list. Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast
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33 MIN
#113: Looking for Her to Meet His Needs in Early and Mid-recovery
MAR 13, 2026
#113: Looking for Her to Meet His Needs in Early and Mid-recovery
Bear with us through the first six minutes of this episode - not sure exactly what kind of point we are making as we talk, but also wasn't sure how to trim it out and for the rest to make sense, so I left it as is. Oftentimes in early and mid-recovery, husbands try to find comfort (of some kind) in her, whether via physical touch, words of affirmation, words of validation, physical proximity, time together, sex, etc. This is rooted in a common belief that husbands share: she still has a responsibility to meet some of my needs in the marriage. We talk about this common (and mistaken) belief, common misconceptions and in the next episode, we will walk through a rubric for men to use. We are so glad YOU are here. Thanks for joining us for Season #8. Registration is OPEN for the next Worthy of Her Trust Workshop for men, outside San Antonio, TX. The workshop is April 24-26. Click here for all the details and to register. We have officially opened registration for the May RLW Retreat to the interest list. Next week, we will open registration to the public. You can click here for all the details. If you are interested in a couples conference/event, we would love for you to let us know by filling out this quick form. Ladies, would love for you to consider one of our support groups - there are three new groups starting in April. You can snag all the details here. Same with 1:1 Coaching - if you are curious about 1:1 coaching - start here. Anchored, led by Kate Jones, is SOLD OUT. It is a fantastic class, and if you are interested in taking this class in the future, join the WaitLIst here. No stress, it WILL come back! We will be uploading the video portion of the podcasts to the WOHT Academy website. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll find the signup button for our Public Content Section. If the content is helpful, you might consider joining the Academy membership to access more teaching videos and weekly live teaching with our team. For more information on RL Academy, click here. Join the community on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus. Pocast Freebies can be found here. We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses, and online courses - check out our websites :redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop! Click here to subscribe to Shelley's {almost} monthly letter + monthly polls + all the things. Click here to subscribe to Jason's list. Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast
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35 MIN
#111: Integrating Empathy - Part 1
FEB 27, 2026
#111: Integrating Empathy - Part 1
In this episode, we discuss how to engage empathetically when she is hurting. The key is: he HAS to integrate empathy in the day-to-day. Jason unpacks three principles to help men be more empathetic with her: Principle #1 - He can't turn on empathy in the hard moments alone. Instead, it's developing the character trait of empathy: being loving, tender, compassionate as a way of life. Principle #2 - He has to engage her pain outside the moment (stay connected to it), so that when the moment arises (when she is in pain), empathy is already there. Practical ways to do this: #1 - Intentionally think about the pain she has experienced. #2 - Three questions he asks: What does she feel? What do I feel for her? In light of where I am at today, how do I feel about myself and what I did in that situation? Principle #3 - Hard moments can't be the only time that she has a window into how he feels for her. He has to show up in the small moments (as well as the big moments). What this means: he has to bring it up. We decided to break this recording into a part 1 and part 2 - we will be back next week with the continuation. We are so glad YOU are here. Thanks for joining us for Season #8. The next Worthy of Her Trust Workshop for men, outside San Antonio, TX is in April. Join the WaitList for the April workshop. Registration opens MONDAY, March 2nd. The May RLW Retreat is right around the corner! Join the waitlist here to be the first to know when registration opens. If you are interested in a couples conference/event, we would love for you to let us know by filling out this quick form. Ladies, would love for you to consider one of our support groups - there are two new groups starting in March and several more starting in April. You can snag all the details here. Same with 1:1 Coaching - if you are curious about 1:1 coaching - start here. Anchored, led by Kate Jones, is SOLD OUT. It is a fantastic class, and if you are interested in taking this class in the future, join the WaitLIst here. No stress, it WILL come back! We will be uploading the video portion of the podcasts to the WOHT Academy website. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll find the signup button for our Public Content Section. If the content is helpful, you might consider joining the Academy membership to access more teaching videos and weekly live teaching with our team. For more information on RL Academy, click here. Join the community on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus. Pocast Freebies can be found here. We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses, and online courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop! Click here to subscribe to Shelley's {almost} monthly letter + monthly polls + all the things. Click here to subscribe to Jason's list. Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast
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28 MIN
#110: Patched Up Hearts
FEB 20, 2026
#110: Patched Up Hearts
In this episode, we talk about important questions women ask in the latter part of mid-recovery, while healing from sexual betrayal. Keep in mind in the latter part of mid-recovery (mouth. ful.) for women, there is a lot of internal processing going on - rhetorical questions, existential questions, continued how and why questions pertaining to grief. Here is what the podcast listener asked (same podcast listener as episode #108 - One Bad Decision Away): - Can I give my patched-up heart back to him? - Is holding back parts of my heart true healing? Jason and I talked a bit about the stages of recovery, and then I addressed the questions and explained how I would coach her if she came to me with them, with a posture of curiosity. For instance: - What are the areas of your heart that you feel you are holding back? - What do you feel as you hold these parts back? - What feels best to you right now - to hold back certain parts? Or no? - Is someone pressuring you to give back all of your heart? It's so important for women to have space to decide when, where, and how she chooses to give back parts of her heart to him. I don't want this point to be missed. In addition, I think it's important for women to allow themselves to be in this "in between", knowing it will continue to evolve. And it's also okay if what you hold back and what you give back to him ebbs and flows. We are so glad YOU are here. Thanks for joining us for Season #8. The next Worthy of Her Trust Workshop for men, outside San Antonio, TX is in April. Join the WaitList for the next workshop here. If you are interested in a couples conference/event, we would love for you to let us know by filling out this quick form. Ladies, would love for you to consider one of our support groups - there are two new groups starting in March and several more starting in April. You can snag all the details here. Same with 1:1 Coaching - if you are curious about 1:1 coaching - start here. Anchored, led by Kate Jones, is SOLD OUT. It is a fantastic class, and if you are interested in taking this class in the future, join the WaitLIst here. No stress, it WILL come back! We will be uploading the video portion of the podcasts to the WOHT Academy website. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll find the signup button for our Public Content Section. If the content is helpful, you might consider joining the Academy membership to access more teaching videos and weekly live teaching with our team. For more information on RL Academy, click here. Join the community on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus. Pocast Freebies can be found here. We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses, and online courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop! Click here to subscribe to Shelley's {almost} monthly letter + monthly polls + all the things. Click here to subscribe to Jason's list. Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast
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37 MIN