Pleasing God Podcast
Pleasing God Podcast
Why Laughter, Loyalty, And Jesus Make Marriages Strong
What if the strongest marriages are built on simple, steady friendship? We dive into how liking your spouse—laughing together, choosing small moments of care, and protecting time that isn’t about the kids—creates a marriage that feels safe, joyful, and resilient. From a spur-of-the-moment golf date to “sushi Sundays” after bedtime, we share real rhythms that keep us connected in the middle of ministry, parenting, and packed calendars.
We anchor the conversation in Scripture: Genesis and Ecclesiastes point to our design for companionship, while the Song of Solomon beautifully names a spouse as both beloved and friend. Love is commanded, but liking is a daily choice—showing up with warmth, curiosity, and preference. We talk about practical tools that actually fit real life: long walks that turn into decision time, laughing to reset tension, and screen-free check-ins that make sure we see each other clearly. When conflict hits, we lean on clear communication, quick forgiveness, and short accounts to keep issues from hardening into distance.
Trials have a way of either isolating or knitting hearts closer. We reflect on walking through loss, late-night ER trips, and everyday stress as teammates, and how leaning on Jesus keeps us tender and honest with each other. A Christ-centered friendship becomes the spine of the relationship, shaping how we speak, forgive, and re-engage when life gets noisy. If you’re married, dating, or simply hungry for better friendships, these habits and heart-postures will help you build a bond that lasts and a home that feels warm. If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.
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Hi, and welcome back to the Pleasing God Podcast, a show focused on helping Christians to think biblically, engage practically, and live faithfully for the glory of God. I'm your host, Jonathan Sowell. And on this episode, I had an awesome time to be able to sit down with my wife and discuss marriage, friendship, and just cultivating that over the long haul. And so I hope that as you listen to this conversation, it encourages you, strengthens you, whether you're married or just thinking about friendships, but ultimately that it's a blessing and that it honors God. Kate, welcome back.
Katelyn:Thanks for having me.
Jon:Yeah, my privilege. Right? Um, what do you want to talk about?
Katelyn:Uh, I think we're gonna talk about friendships today.
Jon:Yes, friendships, they're valuable, they're important. Uh sometimes they're like hard.
Katelyn:Yeah, they can be.
Jon:Yeah, and I I don't mean like prickly and thorny, they can be like that too. But uh just I mean, think about it. We're in our mid to late 30s, there's a lot going on. Finding the time for friendships is probably the challenge right now, right?
Katelyn:I think that's kind of my struggle is fighting the time.
Jon:Yeah, there's a desire there, and I think that's just natural the way we're created um for friendships. But yeah, time is is certainly, I think, an area that you know that is uh is a challenge. Um but I think specifically we're gonna talk about friendship and marriage and how we do that well, I think, and um just make some practical lessons or tips or you know, for listeners. But can you think of something we've done recently as friends? Not not like spouse or or ministry partners or work related, but that's hard for me to parse because I feel like we just are friends.
Katelyn:So it's not like we're doing things as like right now we're doing things as a husband wife, right now we're doing something as mom and dad. Like I just think that when we're together, we're friends. And so we just enjoy being with each other. We do try to go out just the two of us. Um, but that's multifaceted in that we're we're trying to engage with each other as husband and wife, but also we just enjoy being with each other as well. Yeah, I think that's and I think that's what's cool about our marriage. Yeah. Is that we have all of those different like we enjoy being with each other.
Jon:So friends like each other. Um friends oftentimes have some sort of common interest that draws them together where they find enjoyment in that mutual, mutually shared interest. You know, there's there's certainly an affection for each other. Something that we is there anything that we've done where because we like each other with a mutual shared interest that we've that we've gone and done something?
Katelyn:Yeah, I think like going golfing. Is that what you mean? Oh yeah.
Jon:Oh, there you go. We did that just recently, right?
Katelyn:Yeah, for my birthday we went, and it's we have a mutual love of the outdoors, you know, um being active. I like golf. I'm not good at golf, but I enjoy I enjoy being on the course and riding around on a cart and just laughing.
Jon:And um I think we just hit six irons the whole time and we were out there.
Katelyn:I know I did.
Jon:Yeah, yeah. So we're having fun. Yeah. Um yeah, that was a friendship thing.
Katelyn:Yeah, yeah.
Jon:And I I just remember how enjoyable that was. And then we sat and had lunch afterwards. Um so it was a date, but yeah. It was it was certainly hitting the criteria of of friendship, and I think that's important. So we've been playing this game recently. I don't know if it's a game, but uh on a scale one to ten, right? Uh ten being the greatest and one being uh terrible. How would you rate our friendship?
Katelyn:Our friendship.
Jon:Our friendship. Uh how about we both say a number on the count of three? Don't hesitate this time.
Katelyn:Okay.
Jon:All right. One, two, three, seven.
Katelyn:What?
Jon:I meant nine. I thought you were gonna go low, so I did one a little bit lower than I mean, I would have said ten, probably. Um I don't mean that seven.
Katelyn:I meant uh so you thought I was gonna go low?
Jon:Yeah, so I was just trying to meet you where I was hoping just compatibility scores say the same number. Um I agree with you, nine. Why is it a nine?
Katelyn:Um I don't know if I'd ever rate anything a 10 because I think there's always room for improvement. I think there's always room for growth. Um, but I think our friendship is really good. I think we we really try to laugh with one another. We sharpen one another as as scripture commands us, you know, as friends do. Um, we push each other to be better. Um, at least you push me to be better.
Speaker 1:I don't I don't know if I push you to be better, but certain certainly you make me a better person. Oh, absolutely.
Katelyn:Um as far as healthy relationships go, healthy friendships, communication, um, having fun, mutual understanding, mutual enjoyment, I think all those things and so I want to put a 10, but I'd put us pretty high.
Jon:I agree. Okay, I think and and friendship is the foundation of a healthy marriage. A foundation, not the foundation, but like if you want to the the building blocks for a healthy marriage, you need to be friends with your spouse. You mean f like husbands, you need to be friends with your wife. And I think you would say the same thing to wives, like you need to be friends with your husband. Um, not just parents and you know, spouses, but that dynamic of of friendship because I think it continues to to help to cultivate a healthy relationship.
Katelyn:And I've heard uh couples who have been um become empty nesters, who well, that's where sometimes marriages can fall when when uh they become empty nesters, but also um hearing stories of them having to like relearn each other and and kind of become friends again because they've kind of lost that. And so I think that's been a challenge to us early on to continue having those connecting points, those times of like reconnection, laughing together. Um the scripture talks about laughing being medicine to the soul, and so laughing with one another and um kind of always learning each other as just friends, like that basic kind of human connection. Um I'm hoping that down the road, you know, we won't have to have that stage of relearning each other. We'll kind of already be like set off and enjoying life. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Jon:I I s certainly agree with you, and I think that we're not gonna have to do that because we're still learning and growing with with each other now. Uh friendships are just uh wired into our DNA as human beings.
Katelyn:Right.
Jon:When God created Adam, we get to the second chapter of the Bible, and it is not good that man should be alone. And so he creates a helper that is fit for him. This is his companion, this is his sw his wife, this is his friend, and this is the person that he's to share life with in I'm in the closest form. And so again, as we talk about the foundation of a healthy marriage, friendship is foundational to human beings. We're created for companionship to get along with with others. Other passages of scripture that come to mind, I mean the Bible certainly talks about friendships, right? Even in the confines of marriage, right? I mean, Song of Solomon.
Katelyn:Yeah, I I have that here. Song of Solomon Um 5, 16. It's the bride talking about um her husband. His mouth is most sweet and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, oh daughter of Jerusalem. Uh, and I read that, I mean, that's something I would totally say you are my beloved and you're also my friend. And I think that's really special and sweet.
Jon:Okay. So, what are the benefits of friendship, a healthy friendship and a healthy marriage? What does that bring into the relationship?
Katelyn:Well, pretty basically enjoyment. Yes, yes, I enjoying being with someone and just feeling comfortable. I think a big thing for me is feeling safe and feeling like I can be my 100% truest self with you. Yeah. Um, that not even my closest, you know, girlfriends really see that. Um, not that I'm hiding myself. It's just I feel the most who I am when I'm with you.
Jon:Yeah, that's talking vulnerability, transparency. Totally, yeah.
Katelyn:Seeing me at my absolute worst, um at my absolute best.
Jon:Um it's usually at your absolute best. Um I agree. Yeah. I I totally agree. And those are kind of my talking points was was joy, safety, and just this feeling of connectedness of and that's again, I think one of the beautiful things about being married to your best friend.
Katelyn:Just having a person. Like knowing that at the end of the day, after a long day, like I have a person. Like I have someone who knows me um in so many ways and knows how my brain works and knows, you know, can see when I'm upset about something, even if I'm trying to you know, I you you just you know me, and um, it's a comfort to have a person.
Jon:We've been married now for 12 years. And I'm glad I got that right. Yeah.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:We've been friends for 13 years. Yeah. Has our friendship always been as good as it is today? Has this grown over time?
Katelyn:Yeah, it's grown over time. I think we were friends um at the start, but just like any relationship, just getting to know and you you learn more and more. I always say, I've said this before, but I always say that I wish I could go back 12, 13 years and kind of not start over, but just kind of relive a little bit of that time knowing what I already know about you and how much I love you now. I think I would see our start a little bit different. But yeah, I think we still were were friends and that foundation was starting for sure.
Jon:And if you think about it, we've got some different interests. You like like the Broadway, the shows, and you are uh more artsy musical. I'm get the complete opposite of that. We both have a competitiveness about us.
Katelyn:Totally, which I actually think is an element of our friendship that is really fun.
Jon:I think we both know how to win well and lose well. Sure. Uh but I do like winning.
Katelyn:Yes, in a while.
Jon:Against you.
Katelyn:Right.
Jon:Yeah, whatever it might be. Um like bowling is a competition. Um ping pong. Ping pong.
Katelyn:I was thinking ping pong, yeah.
Jon:I mean, I I I'll try to find a competition in anything.
Katelyn:Well, hey, we need ketchup. Who's going to the store?
Jon:Rocks, paper, scissors, right? Yeah. Everything's a kind of a yeah in that way. Yeah.
Katelyn:Um, and we've passed that down to our children. Our children definitely have caught that.
Jon:Disputes are finished with rocks, paper, scissors. Sure. Sometimes they want to go best of three, that's fine. But we've told them if you go, if you go to rocks, paper, scissors, the moment you lose, you get up and do the thing that you're supposed to do.
Katelyn:That hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
Jon:We can do it without grumbling or complaining. Well, outwardly, maybe. You might be driving to stop and shop. Like, oh, I got to get the catch up. Um, but one thing that I can reflect on over the years is I have never felt like my friendship with you was a duty. Like, I get to be your friend. Like, I'm blessed. I'm the I'm the I'm lucky, but I'm the blessed one in that, and I mean sometimes I just gotta pinch myself. I'm like, this is real life. And I'm just so thankful for that. And I think that's something we bring to the table. If we're thankful for our friendships, we won't take them for granted.
Katelyn:Yeah, I agree.
Jon:And uh I hope I don't take our friendship for granted, and that I'm always trying and and cultivating and not coasting, you know, because that that tend that can happen.
Katelyn:It can happen. There and there are seasons where you know that that might get put a little bit on the shelf, um, but only for a season.
Jon:Would you say that we have more in common than we don't? We both like sports?
Katelyn:Yeah, I think the things that we have in common go further than just surface, see.
Jon:We play fantasy football together.
Katelyn:Yeah, I mean more of like our love for the Lord and ministry and our family and those types of things too. But by way of just like kind of surface outside things, I think we still have more in common than we do not. Really, the only thing I can think of is what you've already shared. Just kind of I enjoy music and musical theory.
Jon:We went to a we went to a show a couple weeks ago, and I enjoyed the fact that you enjoyed the show.
Katelyn:You enjoyed the first act.
Jon:It was okay, it was alright, but what I had great enjoyment was that this is the thing that Caitlin wants to do, and that brought me joy because you were excited.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:And was it a sacrifice? Maybe in some people's eyes. Did it feel like I was sacrificing anything? No. Because my delight in our friendship was far more than um whether or not I wanted to do that thing. You wanted to do it. You wanted to do it with me.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:So I thought that was, you know, special and that was fun.
Katelyn:It's kind of how I view hiking mountains.
Jon:Listen, our accountability score is high.
Katelyn:I enjoy the I do enjoy the physical exertion and the time together out in creation, but I don't know if I would necessarily choose to do it climbing a 4,000-footer.
Jon:We've had some fun times on the mountains, right?
Katelyn:Yeah. It's we have had fun times, and it's always worth it when you get to the summit, but it's not something I'm like, let's go hiking or even camping.
Jon:All right. We're gonna get back to oh yeah, we we can't. We can listen. Uh love the passage from Song of Solomon how uh the wife sees her husband not just as the beloved, but as her friend. You know, I say it often, and sometimes I might get misunderstood. Loving others is a command. Liking is something of a choice. It's instinct, it's it's you know, in a sense, instinctual how we're drawn to certain peoples. You can't like everybody. That doesn't mean hate them or dislike them, but there's only so much capacity for liking. Uh we're to love our neighbor. And so uh, you know, one of the greatest compliments is I like you. And I that means I I you know I find joy in you, and I think that's important to remember. Another passage that comes to mind is Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes chapter four, and I have it here, verse nine. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will be able to lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. I just think about the principle there of simply put, two is better than one. Friendships strengthen us. We are able to help and serve one another. So if one of us falls down, the other one's right there to help us help the other get up. Closeness, as it's even stated there. It was cold last night. Right? But as like being close together, uh, there's just a principle there of how we can care for one another in our in our falling or in just the needs uh of each other. So I think that's just a another beautiful passage that explains and and kind of highlights the importance of having friends and friendship in for us in the context of marriage. I want to talk about here kind of cultivating that friendship. Some friendships kind of come naturally, but you can't just ride on that. There needs to be what I would say intentionality. And so when it comes to being friends with your spouse, what are ways in which you can be intentional in cultivating that friendship? Because I I don't think you just drift into best friend mode. No, it takes effort, right?
Katelyn:Yeah, I I do think it takes effort. And I think it just comes down to the everyday little just little moments of care. And um for example, you hurt your back this week, and just I tried to, hey, do you need something? Hey, have you taken your medicine today? Have you um, you know, how are you feeling today? And just showing care and and thinking of that person, of your spouse in little ways. It it's hard because I feel like this crossover of you know, dating and cultivating a marriage, but and also friendship kind of gets muddied when you're married a little bit, but I think taking the time and doing things together, making an effort to see one another, hear one another, growing trust with one another, I think over the years, especially just being loyal and trustworthy with everything, everything.
Jon:Yeah. Um I think let me think about some practical ways. Yeah, we just we some biblical principles there. What are practical ways of being intentional in cultivating friendship? If we've said it once, we've probably said it a bunch of times on other podcasts, but I'll go back to it. Going on walks together is a very practical way in which we can cultivate a friendship because uh we frequently and we prioritize walking together. We do a two-mile walk, 30 some odd minutes. We gotta talk to each other.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:And I think it helps us to not just talk about the big things, right, but to talk about everything.
Katelyn:Which I do.
Jon:Yes, I mean it's very stereotypical. You've got more words in a day than I do. We share what's going on, what's in our minds, what's in our hearts. Sometimes we talk about trivial things.
Katelyn:But I think that's again, healthy communication, so that we're not just coming together when we have a big problem we need to solve, or like this really heavy thing is weighing on me, or you're not doing this, or and oh, I think we definitely have um when it when it's come down to it, I think we've made either some big decisions, bolstered each other up in a in a decision or something on a walk. Like kind of reason. We're resolved to do this, or we're gonna we're gonna confront this like this. And I think another person But also like what do you want for dinner tonight? Those type of questions, too.
Jon:Yes, those ones. Um okay. On another another another kind of practical thing um that I was thinking about laughing together. I think it's so it can be so like underrated, but really laughing and finding humor and joy in each other.
Katelyn:I've never met anyone that makes me laugh more than you do.
Jon:I'm not I don't think I'm that funny.
Katelyn:You are really funny.
Jon:And you're laughing right now.
Katelyn:Because I'm actually thinking of things that you've done or said that have made me laugh. I just um Yeah, but but the thing is sometimes you've gotten me into giggling fits in church, and that's when I'm preaching? No.
Jon:Good. Um Well, I don't know.
Katelyn:People on the outside that see me, like they probably think I'm so stuffy and you do carry kind of a sternness on your on your face when you're just kind of just there. You you're very stern on your face.
Jon:I d I don't it's just who I am, I guess, but um I'm glad I make you laugh. Yeah, you do. Good. Being intentional, going on walks, laughing together.
Katelyn:Just doing fun things together.
Jon:Do fun things together.
Katelyn:Do fun things. I mean, we our capacity is kind of small. We can't get out a lot, but um, you know, even we'll take all the kids outside and we'll play kickball or um we work out together sometimes. Like we just we do things that we enjoy together, um, and it just makes it that much better.
Jon:I want to give this real practical to if any parents are listening. Do fun things together that does not always center around your children. So, you know, hey, we're gonna go see this show because bring in the kids. You that's fine, and that's good, and that's good family time, and it's good for connecting, but there needs to be a separate category for your spouse for the purpose of friendship. Um, not to check a box, but again for cultivating that because you'll have a season of of kids in the home, and kind of bring it back to what you were saying about the empty nester. There's gonna be a time when they're gone and you don't want to have to reintroduce yourself to your spouse. And who are you again? Oh, I didn't know this is something you enjoyed doing. You know, we were so wrapped up for men, I was so wrapped up in my work, so you know, focused on trying to be a good provider and a good father, that I forgot to be a friend to my wife. You don't want to get there. And if you do get there, it's not that it's not without hope. We can turn around from that and take some of the practical steps about being intentional. Um and again, kind of cultivating that in a way that is for the glory of God.
Katelyn:I was thinking too, you know, growing up, um, and I don't know if we're gonna talk about having friends or if that's gonna be a part two, but um my dad always told me a man who has friends must show himself friendly. And I carried that with me throughout my whole life. That's KJV. ESV is reads definitely differently, but but even in marriage, just being pleasant, like for me, being pleasant and being someone that you want to be around, you know, being friendly. The only time you'll really probably find me not being super friendly is first thing in the morning. Like the first kind of like five minutes of our walk, I like just have gotten out of bed and put on my workout clothes and just like started walking, and I'm kind of like I'm tiptoeing and like a zombie zombie.
Jon:Yeah, I'm tiptoeing and so you say the first word, you want to break the ice, like then once it's my thought.
Katelyn:You are very very tribur in the morning. And I don't think I'm like not a morning person. I just think it takes You're not a morning person. No, it just takes me a few minutes to wake up.
Jon:Yeah, yeah, I would I would say that I don't I wouldn't say Caitlin's a morning person. Not that you like you need, you know, the crazy morning person either.
Katelyn:Like the soonest I can get into bed.
Jon:Yeah, you're like a 12 to 8 person.
Katelyn:Moral of the story is I really I really love bed.
Jon:Yeah, that that's not something we have in common. That's the one of the different the differences. Okay, let's just talk briefly then on how do you react or what do you do when you are mad at your friend, or there is conflict with your friend who is your spouse. How does that affect the friendship?
Katelyn:How do you Well, we're not laughing?
Jon:We're not laughing, that's for sure. Or how about this when when there's tension in the relationship?
Katelyn:Well, I do think it's good to have tension in that it's not good to have tension, but I think when done properly, the tension can turn into that iron sharpening iron moment. Well, communication, we've talked about communication before, but I think you can't talk about that enough. Well, right, right. I think that is huge in this relationship, but also in friendships. You have to have communication. Um, and sometimes what we say or do will either be misconstrued or will actually be sinful, um, and it's gonna get talked about. And it's not fun and it's icky sometimes, but I think it's important and it it needs to happen.
Jon:And our friendship has been forged through those moments. So if we talk about like how has our friendship grown over time, I I think it's been strengthened through conflict.
Katelyn:Yeah, I also um was thinking about trials, how trials build uh relationships as well. But but I think our friendship helps in those moments because we can have real honest conversations. I can really truly say how I'm feeling or confront you when you've done something. It's not easy, but I think the deeper your friendship is, the more open and honest you can have these conversations.
Jon:Right. And there's already resolved in our mind, like this friendship's not going away, right? So No.
Katelyn:Right, so it's like we're in it. We're in it forever.
Jon:Yeah, that's right. And so it's either gonna be healthy or unhealthy. Yeah. But it's not gonna be there or not.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:And so yeah, as we as we think about conflict intention, practically we learn to forgive. We learn to extend forgiveness and to receive forgiveness. And sometimes both of those are hard.
Katelyn:Um we as quick as possible.
Jon:As quick as possible. Not not not to sweep sweep an issue under the rug. We resolve it, we move on from that. And in resolution, we resolve to not bring it up again. If there, whatever the thing is, if I've forgiven you, you've forgiven me, uh, we lay it down and it doesn't come back again. Uh there's also been times and seasons where we felt disconnected from each other, and I think that's more you feeling that from me, and maybe I'm not even aware.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:And so that's something where we have to we have to talk about this. Like, I'm not feeling, you know, connected to you. What's going on? And having those conversations.
Katelyn:Well, because sometimes when you are so comfortable with someone, it is easy to kind of just coast, kind of become roommate type of situation. Not that you're not that that's bad, because we're we've got a routine in our home and we know our roles and we know what we're doing. But yeah, sometimes that can feel a little just Not good. And we we kind of need to like liven things up.
Jon:Okay, so when that happens and you're feeling like disconnected from your spouse, that's the time to press pause and do a check-in. That's the don't don't keep letting that that go for a long period of time because you're not going to get good outcomes without addressing that. And so that's where hire a babysitter, uh, if you've got kids in the home, be intentional, go do something, go on a date, do something for the purpose of reconnecting. Let's talk.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:Let's talk about what's going on. Reconnect as friends.
Katelyn:There's gonna be seasons where that just happens, where we're kind of ships passing in the night. We're busy, we've got things going on, we've got m m high levels of ministry, or you've got multiple meetings, or where we're kind of just, you know, kind of passing, and that's normal, that's gonna happen. And but taking those times of having short accounts almost of um when we had lots of littles, I mean we still have lots of littles, but it felt like littles. Lots of littles. Um, we made it a priority. We couldn't go out uh often. We didn't have we have sitters, but to do a weekly outing is not doable. Right. We made it a point to do sushi Sundays. You remember those? Yeah, those were fun. So we would get the kids to bed after church in the evening, get them right to bed, we'd order sushi, um, and we'd watch a show, football, whatever it was. We'd just hang out or not, and sit and talk or whatever. Um and it was kind of like a non-negotiable the children could not be downstairs. They had to go to bed. Um, they knew it was sushi Sunday night, they knew it was mom and dad's night, and yeah, they were dates, but also that was our time in the midst of chaos, in the midst of busyness, not being able to go out on dates or whatever, um, to still set aside a time. And I think that's really important. Um and can be done with little capacity, you know.
Jon:I agree. And uh, those are those are important. Another practical thing is don't make all of your you know, time with your spouse, your friendship time center around watching TV. Sometimes you need to spend time together with the TV off and just looking at one another, phones down, no scrolling, no screens, real people. Yeah. Well, we would be remiss if we didn't talk about uh just briefly here uh the reason that I think we have a healthy friendship that we believe it is a 97. Was that the score we gave? Yeah. A nine and a seven. All right. And that's our commitment and closeness to Jesus. We both love our Savior, uh, we're committed to Christ, and as we are seeking to grow in Him and Christ be formed in us, that draws us closer to each other. Because the I mean, there's no greater friend than Jesus. He's the perfect friend. And if we want to have good friendships, the more we are like Jesus, the better the quality of our friendships will be, at least the better quality friend we will be to others. And so ultimately, as you and I are both pursuing the same Lord and the same goals and the same outcomes and the same desire of godliness, it'll draw us closer together as friends. Christ at the center of your friendship is the way we were designed to have any and all friendships. And so I just want to, again, we do a lot of intentional things together, but that's that's the backbone, that's the spinal cord of our friendship, right there, is that uh we both are trusting, loving, and following Jesus. And that again helps us to keep short accounts. Yeah. Because when I do wrong to you, I'm not just doing wrong to you.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:You know, I've there's more to it than that. And so that's why I want to seek to be the godly friend that God has called me to be, that Christ commands us to be, and that we have the opportunity to be, especially in our relationship here. Any other thoughts on friendship?
Katelyn:We touched on it a little bit, but just how going through trials with someone brings you closer together as well. And we've gone through our fair share of trials, um and whether within our relationship or just, you know, things that we've endured in our life um being together. And I think going through those moments when you're down on your knees with someone, when you're crying and it's coming from deep within, um, and it's just all coming out, you know, through tears, you know, that person you're leaning on that just brings you together. Yeah. Um, when you're going through a fiery trial together, um, the loss of, you know, pregnancies and those things, um, you know, hurt children, ER visits, like those things, you know, relying on what having someone to rely on and go through those things with, you come out of that stronger um just relationally.
Jon:That's great.
Katelyn:Yeah.
Jon:Thanks for letting me be your friend.
Katelyn:Yeah, I enjoy you. Um, I think we should do a part two on friendships.
Jon:Let's do it.
Katelyn:Okay.
Jon:That obviously will be for our next conversation. Well, I want to thank you for listening to the Pleasing God Podcast. If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. You could reach out at questions at pleasing godpodcast.org. And remember, first Thessalonians four three. This is the will of God, your sanctification.
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