My Delight with Sarah Bartel

Making you feel guilty for saying "no."
Wearing you down with asking over and over.
You just want to get some sleep... the babies will be up at 5 am, so you just give in to get it over with.
...These are all examples of sexual coercion, which is a form of emotional abuse. 
Sarah is joined by Jenny DuBay, a certified trauma-informed Catholic coach, certified deconstructing gaslighting specialist, and certified narcissistic abuse specialist to talk about sexual coercion in marriage and the importance of consent to sex in Catholic marriage.
Just because you're married doesn't mean you have to be constantly sexually available. 
That's not the teaching of the Catholic Church, and Jenny uses her theology degree and deep knowledge of TOB and Church teaching to dive into this topic.

Listen in if you want to hear about the many different forms sexual coercion can take in Catholic marriage... and what to do about it.

Learn more about Jenny at
https://www.jennydubay.com
and learn more about healthy relationships in the articles on her SubStack at:
https://www.createsoulspace.org/

MORE RESOURCES
Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)
Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)
Model-free lingerie! Get 10% off with my affiliate link for Mentionables.

How does nutrition impact our hormones for libido and perimenopause thriving? 
Sarah is joined by Catholic nutritionist Rita Johnson of the Health and Hormones podcast to chat about how what you eat can impact your libido and perimenopause hormones. 
Along the way they chat about the power of dreaming, mindset shifts, and four high-protein breakfast ideas to anchor your blood sugar and set you up for a stable day... the kind of day more likely to leave with with some extra energy for intimacy at the end of it, if you want!
You can find Rita at https://healthandhormones.org.
Interested in the 5-day Perimenopause Workshop that Rita, Sarah, and other Catholic experts are offering Jan. 26-30? All sessions will be recorded so you can catch the replays. Walk away with a workbook full of practical strategies.
https://healthandhormones.org/perimenopause-workshop 
Want Rita's free handout on hormone health?
https://birdsend.page/forms/9473/cDk9YT4KSn

MORE RESOURCES
Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)
Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)
Model-free lingerie! Get 10% off with my affiliate link for Mentionables.

Ladies, this is your invitation from Sarah to join her on a "Daughters of Grace" Women's pilgrimage to France in May 2026!
It's this May 4-13th, in the footsteps of St. Thérèse, her mama St. Zélie, St. Joan of Arc ("I was born to do this!"), and of course, all guided, inspired, and devoted to Our Lady. You'll pray at Notre Dame cathedral, the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, Mont St. Michel where we'll seek the archangel's strength and protection, and culminate with a healing of hearts at Lourdes.
The themes of the dignity of women, feminine genius, the theology of the body throughout  a woman's life cycle, and healing the heart of a woman will all be woven throughout the pilgrimage.
Sarah shares her pivotal memory of encountering St. John Paul II at World Youth Day in Paris in 1997 in an atmosphere of joy, gathered with thousands of youth from around by the Holy Spirit. 
In this episode, Sarah shares seven reasons why she loves France and wants to take you there with her. 
1. The country's devotion to Our Lady
2. French saints! 
3. Breathtaking cathedrals (French Gothic architecture 😍)
4. Beauty 
5. Intelligence + Elegance
6. The French Language
7. The Food
The pilgrimage costs $4,199 for the land-only package in which you arrange your travel to and from France, or $4,999 flying from Seattle. 
More info at
https://canafeast.com/france
Want to go, but can't? 
Pray this novena to see if a way might open up through the Little Flower's prayers!
My Novena Rose Prayer
O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love.
O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence in your hands . .
(mention in silence here)
St. Therese, help me to always believe as you did in
God’s great love for me, so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.
Amen
Want to join the free online formation on the pilgrimage themes? 
Sign up at:
https://canafeast.com/france
MORE RESOURCES
Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)
Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)
Model-free lingerie! Get 10% off with my affiliate link for Mentionables.

What should you wear as you climb into bed with your husband for a lovemaking night?
Sarah invites you to consider:
Wearing something that makes you feel good. 
1. It might feel good in terms of comfort. It might feel cozy and comforting on your skin and keep you warm. 
2. It might make you feel good because it looks good on you. It's your color. The cut and fit suit you and flatter you. That's another wonderful reason to wear something to bed! 
3. It might make you feel good because it feels sensual, with slinky, soft fabric.
4. Maybe it feels good because you feel feminine, sexy, or confident in it. That can help you get in the right attitude for lovemaking. 
Lingerie is okay. You don't have to wear it, but you can. There's nothing immoral about it, and in fact, it is quite likely that some of the lace made by St. Zélie Martin's workshop was for lingerie.
If you want to wear lingerie, consider a model-free store such as  Mentionables. (Get 10% off with the affiliate link: https://www.shopmentionables.com/BARTEL)
Or, consider the unique, hand-made, fair-trade pieces made by Ginger and Peach. https://www.gingerandpeachlingerie.com
Another tip is to go to an upscale department store, try on some chemises and nightgowns to see what you like, and then see if you can find them for a fraction of the price on eBay.
Imaginary lingerie is another great way to go! It fits perfectly, looks great on you, doesn't itch, scratch, or ride up, and it's FREE! 
5. Don't do this if it's bringing you down!  Is ratty, stretched-out sleepwear dragging your energy down and making you feel frumpy and un-sexy? You deserve to feel good. If it's dragging you down, ditch it, and make an intentional choice to wear something that makes you feel good as you climb into bed to meet your husband.
MORE RESOURCES
Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)
Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)
Model-free lingerie! Get 10% off with my affiliate link for Mentionables.

What is a sex sabbatical? How do you know if you need one? What do you do during it, and how do you change up your dynamic afterwards?
In this episode, Sarah shares how a sex sabbatical can be a helpful way to reset your love life in marriage. If you're in a cycle of obligation sex, forcing yourself to have painful sex, or just feeling burnt out, used, or resentful about sex in your marriage, a sex sabbatical can be just what a wife needs. It can give her the time to reflect on how she got to this point, it can give her space to research and learn more, and it can give her time to plan out and design a better chapter going forward, after coming together with her husband again.
A husband and wife can use this time to develop other areas of intimacy in their marriage that may have gotten neglected. They can work on their communication, deepen emotional intimacy, and expand their repertoire of non-sexual touch. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mary Bruno, Missing Pieces: Female Perspectives on Sex for Catholic Women (book)
Cana Feast Retreat Library (at-home Catholic date night retreats for a small dose of cemotional connection)
Abundant Catholic Marriage Course (comprehensive online program for a big dose of emotional connection)
Ruth Buezis, Awaken Love: The Truth about Sex That Will Transform Your Marriage (book)
MORE RESOURCES
Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)
Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)
Model-free lingerie! Get 10% off with my affiliate link for Mentionables.