In the Meanwhile

This podcast is all about helping God's people through life's meanwhile moments ––those times when we're waiting for God to act, to keep His promise and to deliver us from our darkness.  The days before the Resurrection when Jesus was in the tomb represent the ultimate meanwhile moment and that morning when He arose is cause for ultimate rejoicing for eternity! In this episode of In the Meanwhile, we share some meaningful ways you can lead your family through the lessons of Easter, remembering each step Jesus took in the days leading to His crucifixion and what it felt like for His disciples to find the empty tomb that glorious morning.  

From Coronavirus to the oil crisis in the middle east, the temptation to fear and panic is hard to resist, even for Christians.  And yet of all people, Christians have the most reason not to panic: a trustworthy all-sovereign God we call our own.  In this episode of In the Meanwhile, Les and Page Hughes have a needful, encouraging conversation about the Christian's response to crisis.  We invite you to listen in and share with your friends during a difficult time for many.   

Got friends? Then you've got a gift from God. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see the theme of friendship woven throughout Scripture. We also see time and time again how God used friendship to work in His people's lives.  Join us as we explore the value of friendship in this uplifting episode of In the Meanwhile. 

Ever wish your children would just get along? Or give you a call to just talk? In this little kid (and adult kid) friendly episode of In the Meanwhile, Les and Page take you and your family through your child's growth from elementary age to teenager to adulthood and examine how parents' wishes for their children change at each stage. So gather the family, pop some popcorn and listen in for a conversation starting episode.

If you’re blessed with great relationships with your in-laws, you may be in the minority because many marriage and family experts now claim that three-fourths of all couples have significant problems with their in-laws. Even some Christians believe one of the reasons Adam and Eve got along so well was that they didn’t have any in-laws. In this episode, Les and Page talk about some of the biggest kinds of conflict people face in their relationships with their in-laws and then cover how to approach each conflict biblically. Whether you're married, single, have in-laws, know an in-law or are an in-law yourself, you'll want to listen in to this episode to gain clarity on God's plan for all the relationships He gives us.

Sadly, we don't have to look too far or too long to witness broken marriages or hear of affairs and inappropriate relationships -- especially in the age of social media and instant news. When this happens, we can remind of ourselves of two universal truths. First, the human heart without God can be a very dark place. And second, we have a desperate need for salvation and redemption by the Gospel of grace.  In this episode of In the Meanwhile, Les and Page share how we can guard our hearts and our marriages against deception and temptation with the breastplate of righteousness. 

In the latest episode of In the Meanwhile, Les and Page Hughes discuss the importance of small things and how persistence and consistency in these seemingly mundane things lead to the big things we all want in every aspect of our lives. 

  How often do you see the needs of others around you when your own needs are pressing? Serving others is a vital way to keep our perspective when we're most tempted to lose it. It requires humility, compassion, and of course, taking action! In our latest episode of "In the Meanwhile," we discuss the Christian's role as a servant and what that looks like in our own times of waiting for God.  This episode of “In the Meanwhile” is sponsored by Heaven by the Book. How much do you really know about Heaven? Take the quiz here.

Ever notice in the Bible that Jesus Himself never once named or claimed anything when praying to His Father in Heaven?  There, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” He stated His human desire, yes, but He surrendered to the will of the Father. His ultimate desire was the Father's desire.  In the latest of episode of In the Meanwhile, we take a closer look at the whole teaching of Scripture and how it applies to the popular movement often referred to it as "Name It and Claim It."  We also share a framework for developing a posture of submission to God's will, and – hint, hint –it has everything to do with the progression of our thoughts to speech to action. This episode of "In the Meanwhile" is sponsored by Heaven by the Book. How much do you really know about Heaven? Take the quiz here.

Is it possible to be successful in man's eyes and yet fail in God's eyes? Or, is it possible to successful in God's eyes and yet fail in man's eyes?  The answer to both of these is yes, although this is not the message we receive all around us each and every day.  In the latest episode of "In the Meanwhile," Les and Page Hughes discuss three secrets to success in God's eyes and share some practical ways you can follow God's plan for success in your life. 

If you've ever experienced the grief of losing a Christian loved one through suicide, then you may have asked yourself this question:  Will I see him or her in Heaven one day?  It's an age-old question that's mostly rooted in the misunderstanding of what the Bible calls the "unpardonable sin" in Matthew 12 and Mark 3.  In the latest episode of "In the Meanwhile," Les and Page Hughes shine biblical truth on this important question to encourage those whose lives have been deeply touched by the heartbreak of suicide.         

All he ever wanted was to make her happy and all she ever wanted was to make him happy.  Sounds selfless, doesn't it? But what happens when the fire goes out in a marriage or we don't have what it takes anymore to keep the other person happy? In today's episode of In the Meanwhile, Les and Page talk about marriage and how to rekindle it God's way. These principles are timeless and can be applied to marriage but also beyond marriage and to friends and family as well.   

In our latest episode of In the Meanwhile,  Les and Page Hughes discuss the meaning of Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Drawing from Scripture, the Hughes share encouragement and exhortation for those times when children go down the right path even when parents seem to do everything right.   

You know that familiar box you see when signing into your favorite website? The one that asks you to confirm you're a human and not a robot? Well, it might as well ask you if you've ever been in a fight, because it's the same thing. If you're human, you've been in a fight! In today's episode of "In the Meanwhile," we take a look at 10 Timeless Principles for Fighting Fair in all your relationships, and yes, we mean those "animated discussions," too! https://youtu.be/a0RU5i1fssE Show Notes Romans 12:16 - Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. This episode is sponsored by Your Story In His Story, an online Bible survey course to compliment your daily Bible reading. Learn more. Ten Timely Principles for Fighting Fair Avoid it if at all possible.  Choose a neutral field with few spectators.  Choose the occasion wisely. Your confrontation time wisely. Address the problem, not the person. Use I statements instead of you statements. When you are wrong, ask for forgiveness. The sooner, the better.  You choose to forgive even if they never ask.  Know that there are some people that your personality is always going to collide with theirs. They need some EGR (extra grace required)! Keep a short account of wrongs and don’t get historical. Choose to love them anyway.

Download How are you doing on your New Year's goals and resolutions? If you're like most people, your January enthusiasm might just be waning as we head toward February. In this week's episode of "In the Meanwhile," we talk about some recent physical transformations we've both experienced and then move onto a super relevant topic for anyone: intentional goal-keeping for all aspects of life and how that leads to long-lasting transformation. https://youtu.be/E9bevgt-s50 Show Notes This episode is sponsored by Your Story In His Story, an online Bible survey course to compliment your daily Bible reading. Learn more. We've adapted the S.M.A.R.T. acronym to help you breakdown the elements of good goal setting and keeping and look forward to hearing how you have kept your own goals or how you've faced the challenges of keeping your goals. Above all, we stress the necessity of looking to our Master for His direction and support in all decisions and efforts involved in keeping our goals! Keep it S.M.A.R.T. S = Specific. Keep your goals as specific as possible. M = Measurable. It's difficult to know when goals are met when you can't measure them. A = Actionable. We share how you can create an action plan that works for you. R = Risky. Every goal should have an element of risk to encourage you to rely on God's strength rather than your own. T = Time-Specific. Be sure to give yourself enough time to meet each goal.

Download Page shares insight from the biblical story of Hagar and Les shares an incredibly powerful verse -- both showing us that God not only SEES what we do, He STRONGLY SUPPORTS us when our hearts are completely His. SHOW NOTES Today's episode of "In the Meanwhile" is sponsored by Your Story In His Story and is filled with encouragement for those times you feel your unpaid work is invisible or of little value. You can read the biblical account of Hagar here and read how God sees us when we feel invisible 2 Chronicles 16:9 - For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” Page references this Mother's Job Value Index 2018, courtesy of Insure.com, citing the value of a mother's work as $68, 875!  Salary.com shares something similar only shows a much higher wage when all the job titles are presented. Learn more about Your Story In His Story, a year long Bible survey course to supplement and enrich your daily Bible reading. SUMMARY Remember, God sees and knows you! Ask yourself, "What are things I'm pouring my life into that have eternal value? Take time to thank God you have opportunities to care for others. Know that one day soon we will reap what we have sown if we don’t grow weary.

Download In our first "In the Meanwhile" podcast of the new year, Page and I review 2018 and look forward to the rest of 2019. Our title is fitting. We've seen some "drama" as Page likes to say, but so many blessings in disguise through unexpected, or "stranger" things. Show Notes In this episode, we play off the title of the popular TV series, "Stranger Things" and talk about those unexpected, or "strange" circumstances the Lord can bring our way and how we can have a biblical perspective during those times. Some examples of stranger things we discuss are: The loss of a job Closed doors A "No" rather than a "Yes" answer to our prayers Derailed plans Food for Thought: There is a difference between consistency and security. There is no such thing as security outside our salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus learned obedience through suffering. What does that mean for us? Today's episode of "In the Meanwhile" is sponsored by Your Story In His Story, a year-long online course designed to complement your daily Bible reading. We hope you'll listen in and share your thoughts and your own stories of "stranger things" in the Meanwhile Moments group on Facebook. Podcast Video Available For those who aren't driving, working out or listening while cleaning house, we're pleased to announce that you can view this episode as a video!

In the latest podcast from Meanwhile Ministries, Les and Page Hughes turn to Genesis 37 to answer the question, "If I grieve, does that mean I don't trust God."  

Download Our latest 'In the Meanwhile" podcast is inspired by a very real answer to prayer for a dear family member and also to the circumstances behind the new "meanwhile" that Page and I find ourself in right now. These circumstances in our lives remind us that it is God who provides our manna for us daily just like He daily provided for the children of Israel. They also remind us to depend on Him as our ultimate Provider. Deuteronomy 8:16 encourages us, He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper. Our times of need have a purpose! We hope you'll listen in as we share a very special "manna moment" we experienced quite a while ago but is still impacting us today and also why those manna moments are worth much more than we can imagine. We also hope you'll share a special manna moment from your life -- whether God provided a physical need or a spiritual need. You can share right here at the top of our Facebook Group page.   SHOW NOTES In our podcast, we enjoy sharing three major reasons for "manna moments" -- those times when we are especially dependent on God alone and He abundantly provides. These are: Our faith needs testing and God meets this need. We must learn that God is our greatest need. Manna moments are a milestone for the person going through the struggle, but also for future generations. RESOURCES What was it like to eat actual manna? GotQuestions.org sheds some light. Read Exodus 16, the entire account of how God provided the original manna to His children in the wilderness.  Share (and read) "manna moments" from fellow listeners and be ENCOURAGED!  

Download If Jesus had not risen from the grave like He said he would, then the Bible wouldn't be true and mankind would truly have no hope for living. But He is risen, just as He promised! In the latest episode of In the Meanwhile, we talk about the difference the Resurrection makes in the world and for eternity. Join us as we share why the Resurrection still matters today and why, as Les emphasized,  "The Resurrection validates everything!"    SHOW NOTES The Resurrection Means . . . Jesus is the ultimate authority over heaven and earth. We have a true and accurate statement of right and wrong in God’s eyes. We have a realistic promise of life after death. We have an important message to share.   RESOURCES I Corinthians 15 is often referred to as the "Resurrection Chapter." Read it to remind yourself why. Today would be a good day to make Resurrection Rolls with your children or grandchildren and tell the Resurrection story in the process. What sorrow the disciples must have felt before Jesus arose, and yet, we know how much joy came that first Easter morning. For believers, we never sorrow without hope because we know our Redeemer lives! Remind yourself of this with our free printable quote based on Psalm 30:5, "Joy will come in the morning!" Download the printable here.

Download Are you ready to say "yes" to God, when He calls you to serve Him in a specific way? Whether it's a smaller commitment like starting a Bible study or cleaning the church or as life-changing as entering the mission field or full-time Christian service, you can face the change with confidence and joy. In today's episode, we share 6 ways to help prepare your heart so that you're absolutely, 100% ready for when the call comes. SHOW NOTES Countdown to the Call! 6.  Be a broken, yet clean vessel. The biblical account of Moses is a good illustration of how God uses brokenness to prepare a heart for service. 5.  Be a life-long learner. God always has lessons for us to learn. If you're following God's will, He never wastes a day or an experience for you to learn something new about Himself. 4.  Don't burn bridges. You never knew who in your life now will be an instrument for God's leading in the future.  3.  Be in a position to hear God's voice. Prayer is a two-way street. 2.  Have a willing spirit no matter what the call. "Delight yourself in the Lord" to maintain a willingness to prepare you for the call. 1.  Anticipate the call with JOY. Bear fruit wherever you are now, even if it feels like you are still "in the meanwhile." God has a plan for your life and it is good! FREE RESOURCES 1. Just like the Israelites learned many things about God through their journey in the wilderness, you can learn many things about God through a study of His names in the Bible and what they mean. Here's a great resource to get you started. 2. Les mentioned  YouVersion as a fantastic free resource with many Bible-reading plans to choose from.  Prayer is a two-way street. We talk to Him through prayer and He talks to us through His Word. We must always be listening to hear His call. 3. Page shared the story of Moses and how God prepared Him for His call. Read Exodus 2 and 3 to see the story yourself. 4. One way to anticipate the call with joy is to always bloom where you're planted! Remind yourself to keep blooming with this printable and frameable quote.

Download The last few days have been full of goodbyes for us, which makes today's podcast particularly timely. Believe it or not, there are some good parts about goodbyes and in this episode, we share four of them we hope you'll find encouraging no matter what kind of goodbye you are saying today or are facing in the future. In our study for the podcast we looked up the origin of the word "goodbye."  It comes from a phrase people would say as friends would leave: "God be with Ye." Over time it became "Goodbye." We like that, don't you? It tells us that goodbye doesn't have to mean a severance of a relationship. It is wishing God's protection, love and blessing to go with you. No matter what difficulties you face right now – and no doubt that's the difficulty of goodbye for many of you – we hope you'll be encouraged by the thoughts we share about the good parts of goodbye. We hope you’ll take time to listen to our show and share your thoughts either in a comment below or in our Facebook Group, Meanwhile Moments.  SHOW NOTES In this episode, we share 4 Good Thoughts About Goodbyes. Goodbye’s are inevitable. Embrace them.  When appropriate, take time to grieve. As you say goodbye, look to what’s next and say hello. Love well now because we don’t always know when goodbyes are coming. FREE RESOURCES Sometimes our goodbyes involve significant loss and grieving. If you are going through the grieving process right now or know someone who is, we invite you to check out this article on what the Bible says about overcoming grief. It's helpful and hopeful. When saying goodbye, it's important to also say hello to the next thing God has in store for you. Here's a printable "cheat sheet" on what God says about moving forward. Keep it in your Bible or anywhere else you can see it everyday. Just for fun. Les couldn't help referring to The Beattles' song, "Hello, Goodbye." If you feel like a trip down memory lane, you can watch that here:

In this episode of our "In the  Meanwhile" podcast, Page shares about her struggle with Seasonal Depression, how to identify the triggers and steps you can take to reverse the downward spiral once you realize the direction you're going. SHOW NOTES Seasonal Depression (as opposed to Clinical Depression) is a season of ongoing sadness, often in the fall, but can come during other seasons as well. Some reasons people can have a tendency toward Seasonal Depression include: A seasonal change in routine, a more demanding time of year (children going back to school) The approaching anniversary of a traumatic event Light deprivation Approaching holidays Signs of Seasonal Depression can be: The tendency to go into isolation Loneliness, missing the activities and social events of summertime Continual feeling of sleepiness A prolonged case of the blues 8 Steps you can take to reverse the downward spiral of Seasonal Depression: Examine your diet. Examine your sleep habits. Put God's truth all around you. Decorate for the season. Give thanks. Embrace hospitality. Do those things that bring you joy. Focus outwardly rather than inwardly by serving others. Les shares a few words of advice to help you encourage a spouse or a friend suffering with Seasonal Depression. Offer words or gifts of encouragement. Don't try to fix the problem. It's deeper than that. Sometimes you just need to listen Be patient. Pray with your loved one. Remember, this too shall pass. Psalm 30:5b – Weeping may last for the night, but joy will come in the morning! Please note: If you suspect your depression may be more long-term and more serious than what we describe here, please see a doctor. There could be an underlying medical issue that needs to be addressed. FREE RESOURCES Make a list of what you're thankful for using our free printable Thank You List. We encourage you to post it on your refrigerator as a visible reminder. Print and frame this encouraging reminder from Psalm 30. Download the artwork here. Relevant Magazine shares 10 Bible Verses That Will Help You Get Through a Rough Patch  

Download Page’s sister joins us as our special guest for our August podcast, where we share  “hope” for single parents as Hope shares a bit of her story and some very real, practical ways to gain strength for this path of parenthood and also how to rejoice in the journey. In this episode we talk about: The value of a small group at church for support. Finding a church home that meets the needs of parents and children. How to accept God’s plan when our prayers are not answered in the way we want. How to release unrealistic expectations. Embracing the journey. Hope also talks about the joys and challenges of raising a boy as a single mom, learning how to do “boy” things together and how her son’s dyslexia has provided new opportunities to learn and grow for both mom and child. We hope you’ll join us and share encouragement with others. As always, we welcome your feedback and topic suggestions for future podcasts and invite you to share them here.  SHOW NOTES Whether you're just beginning the single parent journey or you're farther along than that, this is a "to do" list, you can't do without. Avoid isolation.  Find a church family and get involved in a small group. Be real and transparent with your small group. Share specific prayer requests with your church friends and family. Look for  "God" things along the way. You will find them! FREE RESOURCES AND HELPFUL ARTICLES Our gift to you:  10 Bible Verses for Single Parents in a beautiful 5 x 7 printable PDF (2 pages) for framing or keeping in your Bible for ready reference. Article: Steps to Financial Freedom in the Single Parent Home Article: The Church and the Single Mom Family  Article: Lies Single Moms Are Tempted to Believe (Revive Our Hearts Ministries)

Download We were so blessed this week to sit down with Page's parents, Gene and Dorothy Henderson, and talk about finishing well during the transition from a life calling to retirement, or as Gene prefers to say, redirection. There is much wisdom to be learned from these two and our conversation in this podcast covered topics such as: Retirement vs. Redirection Adjusting through Life's Many Seasons Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing Physical Hindrances We Sometimes Face Being a Witness Wherever We Are Practical Aspects to Redirection  We hope you'll take time to listen to this episode as you drive, clean the house, walk on the treadmill, or wherever you listen to your favorite music, sermons, radio and podcasts. As always, we welcome your feedback and topic suggestions for future podcasts and invite you to share them here.  SHOW NOTES We mentioned these four fantastic books that have encouraged us through life's transitions and we know will encourage you, too. Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro Your Life in Rhythm by Bruce Miller Half-Time by Bob Buford Finishing Well by Bob Buford FREE RESOURCES   "I'm not retired. I'm just redirected!" Print and display our humorous yet true reminder of the truth of retirement in cartoon form. Print cartoon here. GotQuestions.org shares some biblical insight on the topic of retirement in, "What Is the  Christian View of Retirement?"    

Download In this special episode for fathers, Les travels to Louisville, Kentucky and joins his dad and two brothers to share their experiences and their encouragement for younger dads. We hope you'll enjoy listening in on our conversation as much as we did recording it! As always, we welcome your feedback and topic suggestions for future podcasts and invite you to share them here.  SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES: Young people can show their dads how much they appreciate them with our free printable Dad Award and Letter to Dad template. Dads, take a closer look at this list of 10 Bible Verses for Fathers and be encouraged by God's wisdom and grace for fatherhood.

Download Download We hope you enjoy our latest podcast episode honoring moms for Mother's Day and giving three lessons we've learned as parents and trust these insights will be as beneficial to you as they have been to us! As always, we welcome your feedback and topic suggestions for future podcasts and invite you to share them here.  SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES: We refer to our friend Bob Russell's book, "When Life Is a Zoo, God Still Loves You." We also refer to Bruce Miller's book, "Your Life in Rhythm." Three lessons to remember daily on your parenting journey: Choose your battles wisely. Release unrealistic expectations. Keep the main thing the main thing. As our thanks to you for listening, please enjoy these two "mom-friendly" free printable planner pages featuring Philippians 4:13: Daily Planner PDF Weekly Planner PDF Print and frame this quote by Abraham Lincoln for a daily reminder of the influence of moms. (Size is 5 x 7) If you haven’t joined our Facebook community for those seeking to glorify God as they live in life’s “meanwhile,” we hope you will today.

Download We think you'll enjoy our second podcast and hope you'll join us as we share ten ways to say, "I love you" to those you love. As always, we welcome your feedback and topic suggestions for future podcasts and invite you to share them here.  SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES: Download our free PDF list of all 10 Ways to Say, "I Love You". Post it on your desk, refrigerator, inside your Bible, or anywhere you need reminding. We refer to Gary Chapman's well-known book, The Five Love Languages, and find each one of these listed in the Bible. Visit 5LoveLanguages.com to learn more about the book and to access many related resources. Don't know your love language? Take this quiz to help you find out! If you haven't joined our Facebook community for those seeking to glorify God as they live in life's "meanwhile," we hope you will today.

  Join us on our first-ever "In the Meanwhile" podcast. We share what's on our hearts and minds during this presidential inaugural season, favorite quotes from presidents and a closer look at their meaning and we also share what's going on in our lives and what to expect from future podcasts. We welcome your feedback and topic suggestions for future podcasts and invite you to share them here.  And while you're there, we hope you'll join our Facebook community for those seeking to glorify God as they live in life's "meanwhile."