I am so grateful to be back at the podcast and excited about this upcoming series on marriage. I've enjoyed my study time for this series and this first one is foundational because it lays out from God's Word His design for marriage and what our role is He has called us to as women. As we dig in together today if you can sit with a Bible handy that would be a help as we're covering a lot of verses. They are all listed below so you can go back and refer to them later. Genesis 2:18-25 is my main t...
Jul 18, 2018•54 min•Ep. 34
On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about our cell phone use and discuss whether we master our cell phones or do they master us. This podcast was on my mind because of two recent posts at Tim Challies blog on the use of our phones. I recently read the book, 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke and it was a challenging read. I’m going to share with you some of what I took from that book to get us started, some thoughts on Tim Challies posting about him going back to a “dumb phone...
May 30, 2018•31 min•Ep. 33
How many times does Sunday morning roll around and you find your heart in a state of chaos instead of calm to worship the Lord? How many Sunday’s do you arrive at church and realize you haven’t taken the time all week to pray for your pastor or your church family? I want to share with you some simple steps we can take to prepare our hearts and the hearts of our families for Sunday morning worship to the Lord. The hope today is to get you to understand the purpose and the mission of the local chu...
May 23, 2018•33 min•Ep. 32
On today’s episode, I’m sharing with you a message that I shared at our church's recent women’s retreat. Our time together at the retreat was spent learning about the attributes of God. I started the weekend off sharing about the Supremacy, Eternality, Self-Sufficiency, and Self-Existence of our most awesome God and I wanted to share what I learned with you all here today. It has been said that what comes into a person’s mind when he or she thinks about God is the most important thing about him ...
May 16, 2018•36 min•Ep. 31
The need for self-control is clear in God’s Word. There is much said about it. We live in a world where we are tempted daily to overindulge and live outside our boundaries. We live in a world that is dominated by “self” – Self-centeredness, self-pity, selfishness, self-deception. Wayne Barber shared: What’s the middle letter of the word sin? What’s the middle letter? What’s the middle letter of the word pride? Now, you take those two things out—which by the way, the cross does—then you don’t eve...
May 09, 2018•34 min•Ep. 30
I’m sharing today from a post I wrote quite awhile back called Where to Begin When You're Overwhelmed , and it was dealing with our home keeping. It’s been a very controversial post and people either have a love or hate relationship with it. I’m hoping you all are in the love camp today because I’m not a fan of being in the hate camp. Before we begin, I want to lay out a statement here that I want you to remember as we walk through this. What I’m sharing is going to look different in every home....
May 02, 2018•29 min•Ep. 29
We are discussing on today's podcast what God’s Word has to say about our anxiousness and worry. We’ve been working through the book of Matthew at church and have been in the Sermon on the Mount for quite a few months now. I’ve been utilizing D. Martin Lloyd Jones sermon series to read along with the scriptures as I prepare for Sunday mornings. It’s a great resource, and it’s called Studies in the Sermon on the Mount . One thing Pastor Ross shared about this text ( Matthew 6:25-34 ) and what I w...
Apr 25, 2018•26 min•Ep. 28
I have always been a planner oriented person. I love notebooks and pens and making lists. I love seeing items I have to-do written down. Planning has been a help to me in caring well for my home and family. It helps me to keep order and meet the needs of my family and others while still getting time to do some of the things I love to do too (like write on this blog here). I'd like to walk through with you today how I use my planner to plan my days. It isn't meant to be copied buy to spark ideas ...
Apr 18, 2018•30 min•Ep. 27
When our families go through battles with illness we know, as the mom, there seem to be no sick days for us. We may have quieter and relaxing days as we battle through the illness, but the needs of the home seem to await us until we are feeling better. Times of difficult trials can also place stress on our homes. How can we keep the peace of our homes when we do not at the moment see closure to the situation the Lord is bringing us through? Are you a tired mom out there who feels like everything...
Apr 11, 2018•19 min•Ep. 26
How would you like to build relationships with your family, teach good conversation skills, work on proper table manners, eat healthier and laugh and enjoy each other’s company as a family? The solution is simple. Take the time to make the most of your family dinners. Do you think of your family table as a place of discipleship? Our family tables are a place where we can offer Christ to others. Our hope is that our children and others would leave with more than just full bellies but with the tru...
Apr 04, 2018•25 min•Ep. 25
We’re talking about a topic that I pretty confidently say effects all of us. It’s our grumbling and complaining. My hope today is that the Lord would fill us with joy no matter our circumstances and we would rejoice always and give thanks in all things. As believers we can do this and how do I know this - because as it says in Philippians 2:13 – it is God who is at work in you. So let’s dig in, and I pray that as we start our time together today, you will pray for the Lord to give you a thankful...
Mar 28, 2018•28 min•Ep. 24
As I’m sharing this episode I’m finding myself in a waiting room on the Lord, and it’s been a long one, and I don’t see an end near. It has reminded me that when I gave myself to Him, I gave up my “right” to be in charge. The reality is we never were in charge anyway; we just came to that understanding when the Lord opened our eyes to His sovereign control over our lives. Even though it is a truth I know or we know, how many times do we want to think that somehow we can effect change in our life...
Mar 21, 2018•19 min•Ep. 23
On today’s podcast episode, we’re going to talk together about how to have a Christ-centered Easter celebration. We’re going to talk a bit about the importance of the resurrection, walk through the gospel, and share some ideas to help us point our family to the risen Jesus and His gift of salvation. We know this time of year the stores are filled with Easter baskets, chocolates, and egg coloring kits but as Christian’s our celebration of Easter focuses on the truth that we serve a risen Lord. Ou...
Mar 14, 2018•33 min•Ep. 22
I find comfort in the routines of the day. We all have areas of our lives that need to be taken care of on a daily basis. Having routines set in your day can make the whole day run smoothly, and those routines tend to become habits over time. I am such an advocate of having a morning and evening routine because they have helped to simplify and make my days run smoothly for over 25 years now. Starting your day with focus and structure does help you to maintain some order and not have a day of com...
Mar 07, 2018•36 min•Ep. 21
There is a favorite book I turn to often to look for encouragement in my role as a wife and mother. God’s Word is always my first destination but a book that I came across several years ago is Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. Carolyn is looking at our role as Titus 2 women and what the scripture teaches by taking apart that verse a section at a time. Chapter three is an excellent guide to show us what God’s Word says about loving our children. The chapter starts off by reminding us as mom’s h...
Feb 28, 2018•28 min•Ep. 20
We all have habits we already do on a day to day basis. Habits are things that just happen without us thinking about them anymore. We brush our teeth, make our beds, maybe we exercise regularly, eat meals, or wake up and have a cup of coffee. We do these things now without thinking – it’s so good to have things we do without thinking! But a habit isn’t just a by-product of repetition. We can also develop and form new habits. I can’t determine what habits you would like to develop in your homemak...
Feb 21, 2018•20 min•Ep. 19
How can we as believers "put on" an attitude of love in our homes? What does it look like to "put off" sinful responses and attitudes and "put on" God-honoring attitudes? I'm hoping today to encourage you that as believers we can "put on" attitudes and behaviors that are God-honoring. If we are in Christ, He has equipped us to do so through His presence within us and through our intake of God's truth. We're working through Ephesians 4:22-24 together today: Ephesians 4:22-24: 22 to put off your o...
Feb 14, 2018•21 min•Ep. 18
I’m sharing a message with you today that I gave at a sweet friend’s bridal shower. I had the privilege of watching this young woman as a teenager grow into a lovely, godly woman who as I’m now recording this just got married this weekend. I’m excited for the next season the Lord has for her, but I’m also excited for the season the Lord has us all in right now. I had such a problem titling this message, and I think you'll understand why when you listen in. The podcast today isn’t just for marrie...
Feb 07, 2018•23 min•Season 1Ep. 17
One of the most fundamental ways to manage our homes well is to take the time to plan. Planning is merely deciding in advance the what, why and how things will be done even cleaning. Ladies the time it takes to put together a plan for the care and upkeep of your home is well worth your time and energy. You know the saying that sorta goes like this - “Many women plan to fail because they fail to plan.” On the other side of that, we can do so much planning and never get to the action part. I love ...
Jan 31, 2018•30 min•Ep. 16
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ not one of us would desire to remain a babe in the faith. We all desire to grow more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by osmosis – you have to be disciplined in putting God’s truth in your mind. Spending time with the Lord in His Word will transform our hearts and compel us to obey God’s Word. As we grow in our understanding of God’s Word we will develop convictions that will determine how we will live or h...
Jan 24, 2018•27 min•Ep. 15
We all have this vision of working in this perfectly organized home where there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place. We picture saving time and money and less stress in this place, but many times that’s as far as we get. It’s just a vision, and we never get there. I hope today we can see that it isn’t just a dream, but we can get there. There are many ways to declutter, and I’m going to share some methods that have worked for me and I hope will inspire you today to start wo...
Jan 17, 2018•23 min•Ep. 14
As I’m sharing this with you today, I don’t know what you my listeners are coming to this podcast with. I don’t know the hurts in your lives. Hurtful words, betrayal from a friend, disappointments, and even much darker areas of abuse to unspeakable offenses that many of us could not even fathom. Many times we can just go on trying to live in a state of normalcy all the while these past hurts are building resentment and bitterness in our hearts. Our God does not want us to be stuck there. In Chri...
Jan 10, 2018•22 min•Ep. 13
Who doesn’t want to save money, time, their sanity, reduce stress, eat healthy and avoid the dreaded question "What’s for dinner?" It sounds great right, and we’d all love to do it but how do we get there? Menu planning is the answer to all those questions above. We have a jam-packed episode today filled with tons of tips, examples, and ideas so stick with me, and I know there will be something that will appeal to each of you in some way. I hope to get you in the habit of menu planning if you’re...
Jan 03, 2018•28 min•Ep. 12
We are already nearing Christmas Eve and plans that I had to bake or buy or clean haven’t all been finished. There are gifts I wanted to purchase or send that didn’t happen. There are cookies I wanted to bake that I didn’t get too and areas I wanted to tidy at home that I didn’t even get close to doing. But I want to share with you today reminders that I’m talking to myself about what I am choosing. I’m hoping to help us keep our focus on the main thing this Christmas season. You can read the fu...
Dec 20, 2017•8 min•Ep. 11
I am a calendar and planner lover. I love lists and making goals and seeking to make the most of my days. I’m also aware of how easy it is to become overwhelmed, miserable, and exhausted when I don’t have a good plan in place to make the most of my days. I want to share today a system I’ve used for years on planning my spiritual priorities for the year. It has helped me to focus and build my choices in light of biblical priorities. It comes from a great little resource called Shopping for Time: ...
Dec 13, 2017•24 min•Season 1Ep. 10
As the busy Christmas season is upon us we can find ourselves all wrapped up (literally wrapping too) in planning, cooking, cleaning, shopping, decorating, ministry activities and a multitude of other tasks that seem to come about during the Christmas season in addition to just the normal activities of life that we are dealing with. I personally can lose focus and need to continue to pray to the Lord to remind me to have the heart of Mary and not get caught up with the attitude of Martha in all ...
Dec 06, 2017•35 min•Ep. 9
I'm going to cross into a sensitive area but I'm hoping you will hang in here with me today and ponder some of what I'm sharing. This is an area that has been on my heart to talk about partly because I'm convicted by it when I see this sin in my life but also because I know the damage it can to in our churches and amidst our relationships with other Christians. I'm addressing today when we have a critical or judgmental spirit against others. What is the spirit of the Pharisees that we want to av...
Nov 29, 2017•18 min•Ep. 8
My quick cleaning method I'm going to share with you has been serving me well for many years. I appreciate being able to make my family feel comfy and well cared for along with those we shoe hospitaltity to so I use this list for an occasional quick clean up for my family and company too. Listen in as I share today my top ten cleaning tips in preparing for company.
Nov 21, 2017•17 min•Ep. 7
Self-discipline is essential to spiritual growth and it is useful in our lives in so many ways. Living lives that are disciplined means saying, "yes" to God in every area of our lives. Jesus is our ultimate example of what it looks like to live a disciplined life. He chose both dependence and obedience to His Father. As Christians we too are called to dependence and obedience to our Father. Self-discipline is primary to our spiritual growth. In 1 Timothy 4:7 we are called to discipline ourselves...
Nov 14, 2017•30 min•Ep. 6
As believers in Jesus Christ kindness should characterize our lives. Paul says in Titus 3:3-4 what change his life was the kindness of Jesus. Let's dig into God's Word together to see what God tells us about kindness.
Nov 08, 2017•20 min•Ep. 5
