In this episode of Walking Defined, Kate and Baylee conclude their three-part marriage series by turning toward joy, gratitude, and the posture of heart that sustains a healthy marriage over time.

Building on conversations around respect, communication, confession, and criticism, this episode addresses the quiet heart issues that often determine the atmosphere of a home: bitterness, unmet expectations, offense, and misplaced sources of joy. Kate and Baylee unpack why husbands were never meant to be the source of fulfillment, peace, or joy, and how placing that weight on another human being inevitably leads to disappointment.

Through personal stories, Scripture, and honest confession, this conversation explores how gratitude transforms bitterness, how joy grows when we serve with eternity in mind, and why learning to be unoffendable is a spiritual discipline that protects marriage. Drawing again from Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerich, Kate and Baylee discuss how words shape what a husband believes about himself, and why appealing to a man’s honor changes the way conflict is received.

This episode also challenges wives to examine expectations, offense, manipulation, and the subtle ways criticism and unspoken disappointment can erode trust. Rather than offering formulas, the conversation points listeners back to Christ as the true source of joy and peace, and invites wives to lead with gratitude, humility, and truth.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why your husband is not meant to be your source of joy
• How misplaced expectations turn into bitterness
• The difference between serving with gratitude and serving with resentment
• Why choosing to be unoffendable protects your marriage
• How manipulation and taking things personally damage trust
• Why men internalize criticism as a statement about their character
• The power of gratitude in reshaping both your heart and your marriage
• How speaking life builds honor and restores joy
• Practical ways to cultivate thankfulness, even in hard seasons
• A closing prayer for the wife who longs for joy, laughter, and renewal in her marriage

Scripture referenced:

• Philippians 4:7 – The peace of God that surpasses understanding
• Matthew 6:20 – Storing up treasures in heaven
• Proverbs 18:21 – The power of life and death in the tongue
• James 1:19–20 – Slowness to anger and righteousness before God

Watch the video version on YouTube HERE

Check out Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerich HERE

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