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This week, Francie takes a fun departure from the current series to talk about an idea that's become a real rhythm in her own marriage and resonated with listeners ever since she started sharing it: how to plan a sexcation. Whether you have a full week and a real travel budget, or you can't get five feet past your front door right now because life is life, Francie walks through a full spectrum of options — starting small and building up. She shares the origin story of her and Wyatt's "hotel dates" (born out of COVID lockdowns), why a 24-hour local Airbnb might be the sweet spot for couples with limited time or budget, and what a 48-hour-or-longer getaway can open up for a couple with more margin. Along the way, she gets practical about food, screens, conversation starters, and the small things — a feather, new lingerie, a watercolor set — that build anticipation and connection. She closes with an honest word about what to do when the trip doesn't go as planned. In This Episode: Why you don't need a big trip to have a meaningful getaway — start small and build from there Hotel dates: the COVID-era habit that became a lasting rhythm in Francie and Wyatt's marriage Why a 24-hour local Airbnb offers a different (and often better) kind of privacy than a hotel What changes when you have 48 hours or more: new hormones, new experiences, new memories Practical tips for food, screens, conversation starters, and building anticipation What to do when life interrupts the trip you planned Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Francie continues her celebration of holy masculine strength — and this week, she gets specific. Masculine strength "used well," she says, isn't about domination or performance; it's strength channeled toward self-giving love, the kind Ephesians 5 calls husbands to. Francie unpacks three concrete ways her husband Wyatt's strength has healed her heart and body over 21+ years of marriage: his disciplined gaze (and what it's meant that his eyes are for her, not a scroll), his willingness to become a curious student of her body and design instead of assuming he already knew it, and the intentional, unhurried way he creates safety in their intimate life — what he calls "the pace of my pleasure." She closes with a tender word on the power of words: how careless ones wound, and how measured, honoring ones can heal decades of body shame. In This Episode: What "masculine strength used well" actually means — and why it's the opposite of domination The gift of a disciplined gaze, and how it healed Francie's fear of being compared How Wyatt became a "student" of Francie's body — and why the curiosity mattered more than expertise Spontaneous intimacy vs. intentional, unhurried intimacy ("the pace of my pleasure") How words — in conflict and in the bedroom — can wound or heal A closing charge to the husbands showing up, imperfectly, anyway Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Francie's back from a summer away — and she's kicking off a new mini-series on something our culture rarely celebrates: holy masculine strength. After a clip about honoring husbands went semi-viral this summer (and pulled in a wave of new male listeners), Francie felt the nudge to open this conversation to husbands too — not just wives. In this episode, she lays the theological groundwork, starting with the Hebrew word tov me'od ("very good") — the phrase God used only once He'd created both male and female. Then she gets honest about female design itself: more nerve endings, more erogenous zones, more built-in capacity for pleasure than most of us were ever taught to expect. So why do so many of us walk into the bedroom already in to-do-list mode? Francie also shares candidly about seasons in her own 21-year marriage marked by shame, numbness, and disconnection — and introduces the three-part framework she'll spend the rest of the series unpacking: how her husband Wyatt's strength has helped her feel seen, safe, and celebrated. In This Episode: Why Francie is dedicating a series to celebrating masculine strength — and inviting husbands to listen in The Hebrew word tov me'od and what it means that God called male AND female "very good" The design of female pleasure: nerve endings, erogenous zones, and the shift from "doing" to "receiving" Francie's own story of numbness and healing, 21 years into marriage A first look at the framework: seen, safe, celebrated Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

This is the episode I wish someone had offered me years ago. We grew up in a culture that was simultaneously saturated with sexuality and almost completely silent about women's actual experience of it. And for those of us who wanted to stay honorable in our searching, we often didn't know where to turn. So this episode is a warm, clear, shame-free conversation about female anatomy, how your body was designed to experience pleasure, and what you actually need to know to have a genuinely good intimate life. I'm sharing it from the same place I share everything — as a woman on a journey, who loves God and loves women, and believes deeply that understanding your design is an act of worship. A few things in this episode that I hope bring you relief and wonder: Women have over 10,000 nerve endings in the clitoris — more than double what men have. God didn't design that by accident. It tells us something about his heart for women's pleasure. The clitoris wasn't fully studied in medical research until 2022. If you feel undereducated about your own body, that's not your fault. Most women don't reach orgasm through penetration alone — and that is completely normal. Understanding your body and how it works changes everything. Your body takes an average of 20 minutes to become fully aroused — and everything we've talked about in this series about slowing down, becoming present, and waking up to sensation is exactly what prepares you for that. We also walk through three types of orgasm — vaginal, clitoral, and cervical — gently and practically, with the same spirit that has carried this whole series. Tov Meod. Very good. That is God's word over your body, your femininity, and your capacity for pleasure. This episode is an invitation to receive that as true. A few key terms defined in this episode: Clitoral stimulation — direct touch or sensation to the clitoris, one of the primary pathways to orgasm for most women.  Arousal — your body's physical response to intimacy, which for women takes time, safety, and presence to fully develop.  Cervical orgasm — a deep, full-body experience connected to the vagus nerve, described by many women as transcendent and deeply releasing. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Female flourishing doesn't start in the bedroom. It starts in the kitchen. In the shower. At a stoplight. In five minutes on your front porch listening to birds. That might sound surprising — but it's one of the most freeing things I've discovered on this journey. The capacity to feel pleasure, connection, and aliveness in intimacy is directly connected to how present you are in your body throughout the rest of your day. And most of us, if we're honest, have spent years going the other direction. We rush through showers without feeling the water. We eat while scrolling. We move through our days completely in our heads — making lists, managing everything, pushing through — without ever stopping to notice what our bodies are actually experiencing. That's what I mean by disembodiment. And it's more common than you think. The beautiful thing is that coming back doesn't require a retreat or a dramatic overhaul. It starts with small things. Noticing the texture of a warm mug in your hands. Rolling essential oil between your palms and actually smelling it. Letting your spine sway for thirty seconds in the kitchen. Washing your hair just a little more slowly. These are what I call pleasure practices — small, intentional moments of sensory awareness that help your nervous system settle, your body come online, and your capacity to feel grow. They're not about sexuality. They're about being awake to your own life. And over time, that aliveness translates into everything — including your marriage. A few key terms defined in this episode: Pleasure practices — small daily habits that engage your five senses and help you stay present in your body throughout the day. Nervous system regulation — gently helping your body shift out of stress or shutdown so it can feel safe, open, and present.  Nonlinear movement — free, flowing movement (like swaying or rolling your spine) that releases tension and helps your body feel safe and open. This one is full of things you can try today. Come take a slow breath with me. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Most of us carry body shame. Yet, we don't always know where we picked it up. In this episode we go a little deeper into the roots of shame — because understanding where it came from is one of the most powerful steps toward healing it. And what we find, when we look honestly, is that this shame runs deeper than any one experience or teaching. It's woven into our language, our culture, and even our anatomy textbooks. Here's one example that stopped me cold: the Latin word for vagina — pudendum — literally means part to be ashamed of. That word has been in medical textbooks for centuries. It's in the name of the pudendal nerves — the very nerves responsible for much of a woman's sexual pleasure. And somewhere in our collective history, we absorbed that message into our bodies without ever being told it outright. That's what shame does. It doesn't always arrive loudly. It seeps in quietly — through language, silence, the absence of good education, and the distance between our spiritual lives and our physical ones. But here's the good news — and there is so much good news in this episode. God has a different word for your body. Tov Meod. Very good. Beneficial. Lovely. Harmonious. Flourishing. Fulfilling its purpose. That was his declaration over you when he made you. And it's still true. In this episode you'll hear what it looks like to begin replacing the language of shame with the language of the garden. Including one surprisingly tender and powerful practice: renaming the parts of yourself you've been taught to be ashamed of. A few key terms defined in this episode: Embodiment — living connected to and aware of your physical body, not just operating from your head.  Tov Meod — Hebrew for "very good" — God's original declaration over his creation, including your body and your sexuality.  Befriending your body — choosing to treat your body with curiosity and kindness instead of shame or avoidance. Come as you are. This is a journey, not a destination — and you are welcome here exactly where you are. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Hey friend — welcome to something that's been on my heart for a while. Over the next four episodes we're going to talk about what it looks like to be fully alive as a woman. Not just spiritually. Not just emotionally. But in your whole self — mind, body, and yes, sexuality too. I'm calling it Female Flourishing. That phrase might be new to you, so let me explain what I mean. Female flourishing is the journey of becoming more whole, more free, and more at home in the body God gave you. It's the opposite of the numbness, shame, and disconnection that so many of us have quietly carried for years — often without even realizing it. For me, that journey has been a long one. For about the first fifteen years of my marriage, I was what I'd call disembodied— meaning I lived almost entirely in my head. I was spiritually engaged, mentally active, always doing — but deeply disconnected from my own body and from the idea that my sexuality, my femininity, and my capacity for pleasure were actually good things. God things. It wasn't until I started to understand what God actually said about our bodies — Tov Meod, the Hebrew words meaning very good — that something began to shift. In this first episode I share some of my story, cast a vision for where we're going in this series, and offer an invitation: to begin bringing the parts of yourself you've kept hidden back into the light of what God has always said is true. A few things you'll hear: What embodiment means — and why most of us have lost it without realizing it.  What Tov Meod means and why it matters for how you see your body.  Why female flourishing starts with honesty — with yourself, with God, and with your story. You are deeply loved. You are not alone. And this is a really good place to begin. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's an approachable, honest guide to the sex talk you never got, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. →  here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Summer Q&A Series Real talk: how do you keep the passion alive when you've been married five, ten, twenty years? When the kids are loud, the calendar is full, and you're both just... tired? That's the question on the table today — and the answer might surprise you. In this bite-sized summer Q&A episode, Francie tackles one of the most common questions she receives: how do you cultivate drive in a long-term marriage? And the reframe she offers is one you probably haven't heard before. Hint: high drive isn't the goal. Sexual energy is. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

This is the finale of the Great Sex Grows series — and Francie is sending you off with a shot of something you might not have expected: a deep, settled confidence in who God made you to be. In this episode, Francie walks through 10 superpowers she never knew she had as a woman and a wife — things she only discovered as she began inviting God into the intimate places of her marriage. Some of them will surprise you. Some of them will make you want to sit with them for a while. All of them are rooted in the truth that you were made on purpose, with purpose. This isn't a pep talk. It's a paradigm shift. You are more powerful than you know. And great sex grows when you start to believe it. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Communication is the gateway to deeper intimacy — and for most of us, it's also where things get tricky. In this episode, Francie gets real about one of the biggest growth edges in marriage: learning to talk about sex, desire, and vulnerability in a way that actually brings you closer instead of shutting things down. She shares some of the most practical — and surprisingly tender — tools she and Wyatt have developed over 20 years of learning to communicate honestly and with honor. Some of these ideas you've probably never heard before, and at least one of them might just become a regular part of your marriage. If you've ever felt like you can't find the words, or you're afraid of saying the wrong thing, or you've just been hoping he'd figure it out on his own — this episode is for you. Your words have more power than you know. Let's use them well. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

If your sex life has started to feel a little... predictable, this episode is for you. Francie brings the fun today — and she means it. Great sex isn't meant to be heavy, dutiful, or overly serious. It's meant to be lighthearted, connecting, and genuinely enjoyable. A joyful heart really is good medicine, and that includes what happens in the bedroom. Francie shares 13 practical ideas for bringing more fun, playfulness, and novelty into your intimate life — everything from the surprisingly simple to the a-little-spicy. Some of them will make you laugh. Some of them will make you nudge your husband. All of them are doable. Don't try to do all 13 at once. Just listen, pick the one that makes you think ooh, we could do that — and go do that. Great sex is not an achievement. It's an adventure — and you're invited.   Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Great sex doesn't just happen in the bedroom — it starts with how connected you are to your body all day long. In this episode, Francie dives into why so many women show up for intimacy physically present but emotionally and sensorially checked out — and why that's not your fault. The church has a long history of separating body from spirit, and a lot of us are still carrying that disconnection without even realizing it. The big idea: great sex grows when you tune into your body. And that's an all-day practice, not just a bedroom one. Francie shares three practical ways to get there: Care for your body. Rest, water, movement, slow walks, a bath with a poetry book — it's not the self-care trend. It's honoring the body God gave you so you have something to actually bring to your marriage. Enjoy your body. At every age, every stage, every season. Confidence is one of the most attractive things a wife can bring into the bedroom — and your husband's brain is literally wired to bond with you as you are right now. Understand your body. Your cycle, your erogenous zones, your breath, your nervous system — knowledge is power here. The more you understand how your body works, the more you can show up fully and receive freely. Francie also gets personal about a season where anxiety quietly shut her body down — and what happened when she finally stopped ignoring it. Your body is telling you something. This episode will help you start listening.   Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Welcome to the Great Sex Grows series!   We're starting where it all begins: your mindset. Because here's the thing — it's not about what you wear, what time it happens, or what you do. When it comes to growing a beautiful sex life in marriage, your mindset matters most.   In this episode, Francie dives into three big ideas around shifting your thinking:   Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. Do you come to this area of your marriage with openness and curiosity — or is there a quiet voice that says this is just how it is? A fixed mindset keeps you stuck. A growth mindset says not yet — and that little word changes everything.   Integrating your sexuality and your spirituality. For a lot of us, God was in one corner and sex was in another. But God made you as a whole person — mind, body, and spirit — and he's not ashamed of any of it. Inviting him into this area of your marriage? That's where real transformation begins.   Great sex requires practice. Take the pressure off. You're not supposed to have it all figured out. Great lovers are made, not born — and showing up as a learner, season after season, is exactly what growth looks like.   This episode is personal, practical, and full of the kind of honesty that will make you feel less alone and more hopeful about what's possible in your marriage.   Your mindset is the starting point. Let's shift it together.   Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

Hey friend — welcome back to the Female By Design Podcast! Today marks the relaunch of one of my favorite teaching series: Great Sex Grows. It originally aired back in 2022, and honestly? I still stand by every word of it. It's practical, it's real, and I think it can meet you right where you are. I'm jumping in with a fresh intro episode — sharing where life has taken me over the last four years, what I've learned, and why this message feels even more true to me today than when I first recorded it.  Life has been full. Our family has walked through some significant health challenges, and through it all, I've watched this message get tested and proven. Sexual intimacy as a place of connection, comfort, and covenant isn't just theory — it's been an anchor for us.  Over the next five episodes, we're getting into the mindset shifts, body awareness, communication habits, and God-given superpowers that actually move the needle in your marriage. It's practical, it's a little bit of a fire hose, and there is so much good stuff coming.  One thing I want you to hear before we dive in: pick one or two ideas that feel like a get-to and let yourself be curious. No heaviness, no should — just an invitation to grow. Great sex doesn't grow by accident. Let's grow together. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

What's the difference between a difficult marriage and a destructive one—and how do you know when it's time to speak up?   In this powerful conversation, Francie sits down with counselor and author Leslie Vernick to unpack destructive patterns in marriage, reclaiming your voice, and what it truly means to be a strong, biblical woman.   Together, they address harmful teachings around submission, the loss of a woman's voice, and how to discern between normal marital struggles and unhealthy or abusive dynamics.  This episode offers both clarity and practical wisdom for women who feel confused, shut down, or unsure of what is healthy in their marriage.   What You'll Learn The difference between a disappointing marriage and a destructive one Why "submission" has often been misunderstood and misapplied What it means to be an ezer—a strong, helping partner, not a silent one How to begin using your voice in a healthy, grounded way Signs of emotional, spiritual, or relational harm How to discern your next steps with wisdom and support   A healthy marriage allows for honesty, growth, and mutual care. If your voice is consistently dismissed, ignored, or punished, something deeper may be wrong.   About Leslie Vernick Leslie Vernick is a licensed counselor, author, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals and couples navigate difficult and destructive relationships. With over 40 years of counseling experience, she specializes in emotional abuse, relationship health, and biblical wisdom for real-life challenges. She is the author of The Emotionally Destructive Marriage and founder of Leslie Vernick Ministries, where she equips women to move from confusion and fear into clarity, strength, and truth.   Resources + Next Steps   Book: The Emotionally Destructive Marriage by Leslie Vernick Website: leslievernick.com (find the Free Quiz: Is your marriage difficult, disappointing, or destructive? And, Free Training: If He Doesn't Hit You, Is It Still Abuse?)   If you are in a situation that feels unsafe or confusing, seeking wise, informed support is an important next step.   Note from Francie This conversation may feel tender or activating if you've experienced harm in your marriage. You are not alone, and there is help available.   Connect with Francie 🎓 Back to the Garden: A Married Woman's Guide to Pleasure by Design — get a see a fresh vision of what a fully alive, God-honoring intimacy (and pleasure) could actually look like for your marriage. → here 🌿 The Circle — group mentorship community where women have conversations with likeminded women on a journey together towards more→ here 📩 Submit your listener question → Instagram DMs or franciewinslow.com