The Mission Driven Mom

“Our culture is moving further and further away from principles and truth. What we really ultimately hope to give you, and to build and create, is a community that has the power to shift the culture. We do that by beginning with shifting the culture in our homes and raising principle-centered children. But we also do that by reaching out into our communities and building bridges through emphasizing that there are fundamental truths that can unify us all. And all of that begins with empowering every mom with a clear understanding of true principles and how to apply them in her life.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Are you ready for the fast track to a principled life?! HERE IT IS! This fall you have the opportunity to gather in Dallas, TX with other moms just like you--truth seekers who want to build a strong family culture centered on principles--and spend an entire day gleaning all the most important concepts, ideas, and tools that Audrey and her team have gathered in over 20 years of research, study, and teaching! Do NOT pass up this unique and one-time chance to be mentored, inspired, and trained in the ability to pierce the confusion and identify the principles. Not only that, you'll be armed with skills for implementing those principles in your daily life and enjoying the abundant blessings that always follow principles. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:16 - Welcome and introduction of Julie, Tracie, Lindsey, and Audrey 2:17 - When, how, why did you begin learning about principles? 12:57 - How have principles changed your life? 23:05 - What insights have you had as you've been preparing for the event? 30:43 - What would you tell someone who thinks this is too hard, too intellectual, or too abstract? 35:40 - What excited you the most about this event? Quotes from this episode: “We make rules, but we don't make principles.” ~ Lindsey Wright “His settled convictions were as a dike against those invading waters of novel opinion - social, political, and otherwise - which carried away, as in a torrent, no few minds, in those days; minds by nature not inferior to his own.” ~ Herman Melville, Billie Bud “I realized that I was lacking something, I just didn't know how to think when I was confronted with different ideas and different opinions. I just wanted a way to find a way through that and I knew I desperately needed it.” ~ Tracie Hyde “Natural law is a way to bring people together; to connect us at our core.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher “It's been  my passion to try to govern my life according to principles. I wanted to discover what they are and build a framework that can be communicated clearly to give other people tools for the discovery and utilization of true principles at the most basic, easiest level possible.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher “I got so much clarity by asking better questions and focusing on the outcome that I want and then connecting that to some principles and first principles.” ~ Lindsey Wright “Once you understand the principles and the outcome then it's really clear what the next step is.” ~ Lindsey Wright “Now I have a way forward. I have a way to act because principles have given me something specific to do - a direction to act that I didn't know before.” ~ Tracie Hyde “The role that each of these types play, from natural law to first principles, principles, and applications, is in helping us to clarify our vision and to figure out the what, the why, and the how, to move forward.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher “They change the way I think about myself and the way I think about the world. They give me hope…They help me get clear.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher “They create long-term solutions and peace.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher “When we ask the five types of questions that's what helps keep us focused on finding principles, articulating them and applying them.” ~ Tracie Hyde “Just understanding this framework,

"I feel the sustaining presence of the Savior and a deep sense of calm." ~Sharidean Flint One year ago, my sister was healthy and happy —as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, neighbor, and community leader.  If you were part of our community then you probably watched or listened to an interview I did with her about her childhood, motherhood, and path to becoming the first woman mayor of Hyde Park city. We discussed her challenges, hardships, and the difficulties she'd overcome in her life. I also made sure to highlight how she lived the 7 Laws of Life Mission and the way in which they prepared her to become an amazing source of love and inspiration to those around her.  Since our interview, Sharidean had continued to do all the good of which she was capable, serving others in her fun-loving way. Then, at the end of January, intense migraines began. Within two weeks she had brain surgery and was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Almost from the moment she was diagnosed I felt that I needed to share with you what I saw, heard, and experienced, so that, along with her family, friends, and community, you could be lifted by the legacy she has left. This podcast is the rest of her story. (P.S. When I went in to create the image for the podcast, I was going to post a picture of us together or of her with her family. But then I visited her Facebook page and noticed that I hadn't seen her newest profile picture. I've used that picture here. The image and words are what she created -- a powerful, faithful message which demonstrates all she stood for.) Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:20 - MDM Updates 6:30 - Sharidean Update 15:39 - Sharidean's fear is replaced with profound peace 29:30 - Love between Sharidean & her husband Kevin 31:13 - Outpouring of love from the community  38:47 - Sharidean's letter to the city Quotes from this episode: "She went through a lot of really hard things in her life. And she used those hard things to drive her faith deeper." ~Audrey Rindlisbacher "I feel the sustaining presence of the Savior and a deep sense of calm. I feel His love and your love."  ~Sharidean Flint Links from this episode:  

“There is an exhilaration in knowing who you are.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher The first time I learned about "The Hero's Journey" by Joseph Campbell, I was blown away. It was everywhere! The idea that there was a form for the way the best stories are told - across time and culture - spoke to how similar we really are as humans. But for me, it was much bigger than that. My question was: WHY? Why do we tell the same kinds of stories, century after century, and why are these stories made up of the same components? Why do our best stories talk of "calls," "departures," "trials," and "treasures"? What is it about these kinds of stories that evoke our imagination and resonate with us so much?  I believe it is because we are identifying with the Adventure of Self-Discovery. Deep down inside all of us want to grow and learn and become more than we are. "The Hero's Journey" reminds us of what that path looks like, that we need to say "Yes" to the call in order to begin the growth process, and that although the way will be full of obstacles and hardships the pay-off will be well worth the struggle.  In this podcast, I explore "The Hero's Journey" using stories of those who have rejected and those who have accepted the call. I look at why we reject the call and remind us all of some of the treasures we can obtain if we accept it. I also encourage you, if you've heard the call of self-discovery - through an MDM program or other opportunity - and you've rejected the call, or you've hesitated on your journey, to ask yourself "Why"? And begin again on the adventure of your own self-discovery, knowing you won't be disappointed.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:39           Introduction to Andrew Young 4:38           The Heor's Journey/The Adventure of Self-Discovery 10:00         The turning Point 13:51          Leadership, Martin Luther King, and Non-violence 14:44         A New Chapter in Life 18:11          A Changed Man and Politics 21:53         Your Call to Self-discovery 30:10         Why Do We Do It 34:48         If You Are Stuck... Quotes from this episode: “Andrew, if you ever forget that under that sheet is a child of God you need to quit preaching.” ~Jean Childs Young “We are like any growing thing, going to experience resistance, pain, trials, and tests. A flower has to burst out of its seed, push against the soil, and spring up above the earth. It has to put down roots, weather the rain and storms. It is always pushing, that's what makes it strong. It grows by pushing through the resistance. That is how we are fashioned, it's what we are meant to do.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Why do we do it? Partly because that is what we are made to do. Partly because it is what makes life worth living. Partly because that's the only way we're really going to know ourselves. But mostly, we do it for the reward, the pay off - of who we will become, and the people we will bless.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “There is an exhilaration in knowing who you are.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

“Whatever is at the center of a person's life forms the fabric of his conscience. The conscience must be educated from divine sources in order for it to be keen and sharp, responsive and sensitive to God. ” ~Stephen Covey The rights of life, liberty, and property seem pretty straight-forward and self-explanatory, but the right of conscience?! What does that mean? And more importantly, why does it matter?  In this podcast, Audrey and Lindsey explore the 2 Consciences taught by Stephen Covey and why understanding them is so critical. With so much confusion in the world around rights and entitlement, absolute or relative truth, and the nature of the conscience, this podcast is a MUST LISTEN for those who want to better understand the proper role of government in society.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  0:45            Summary - Principles of Government Part 1 3:30v         Understanding the Significance of Basic Rights 8:11            Conscience - What is It 18:30         Understanding Conscience and How it Affects Us 20:55         Shinichi Suzuki 23:26         James Madison 27:03         Albert Schweitzer 27:40         Immaculée Ilibagiza 28:05         Your Center is Your conscience 29:50         Recognising the Difference in the Two Consciences 38:40         Government and conscience Quotes from this episode: “The conscience is the internal voice, our sensitivity or awareness, our sense of right and wrong. This is why we can say we are all born with a conscience because on some level we have a sense that there is a right and there is a wrong and that we ought to choose the right.” ~Stephen Covey “We basically have two consciences. We have a divine conscience and a social conscience. The divine one is the true one. It is the light God has given every man who comes into the world. The second one is also given to us but this one comes from our human experiences - from our upbringing, the culture around us, the norms, the mores, the traditions, values, and beliefs, and from the level of our obedience to the divine conscience.” ~Stephen Covey “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” ~Holy Bible, Psalm 37:31 “ We must educate our conscience. Once a person is true to the light he has received he is then capable of receiving more light and obeying it. Until he is true to the light already given additional light would only condemn him for he is capable neither of understanding it nor appreciating it. He would fall into the trap of being given a gift and being unable to receive it. The Lord gives to his children what they are able to receive and no more. If they are true to that he will give them more. ” ~Stephen Covey “The voice of your conscience is the voice of God.” ~Leo Tolstoy “Do the next right thing.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “You can speed up your own personal growth by deciding to stay in obedience to your divine conscience.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “In the former sense, a man's land, or merchandise, or money is called his property. In the latter sense, a man has property in his opinions and the free communication of them. He has a property of peculiar value in his religious opinions, and in the profession and practice dictated by them.  He has a property very dear to him in the safety and liberty of his person. He has an equal property in the free use of his faculties and free choice of the objects on which to employ them. In a word, as a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights...conscience is the most sacred of all properties.” ~James Madison “Whatever is at the center of a person's life forms the fabric of his conscience. The conscience must be educated from divine sources in order for it to be keen and sharp, responsive and sensitive to God. ” ~Stephen Covey “The heart never takes the place of the head but can, and should obey it.

“MDM has quenched a thirst to really be consistent in applying principles. It has broken open the doors of empowerment, freedom, and joy by helping me apply principles daily.” ~Leanna Irving "Understanding principles fundamentally changes you." ~Lindsey Wright “Permanent change is hard but living principles is the road to permanent change.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “When you are a Mother of Principle you no longer are so easily deceived.” ~Kim Miner  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  5:25           Audrey Rindlisbacher-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles 13:18        LeeAnna Irving-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles 17:00        Kim Miner-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles 18:43        Lindsey Wright-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles 20:50        The Impact of Understanding and Living Laws and Principles 27:24         Understanding and Living Principles Isn't Easy 36:09        Other Qualities of a Mother of Principle Quotes from this episode: “ The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions… ” ~John Locke “For he has so intimately connected, so inseparably interwoven the laws of eternal justice with the happiness of each individual, that the latter cannot be attained but by observing the former; and, if the former be punctually obeyed, it cannot but induce the latter. The truth is that right actions done for the wrong reason do not help to build the internal quality or character called a virtue.” ~William Blackstone “MDM has quenched a thirst to really be consistent in applying principles. It has broken open the doors of empowerment, freedom, and joy by helping me apply principles daily.” ~LeeAnna Irving “It is satisfying to understand principles and then see them in current articles and in the classics. Understanding principles fundamentally changes you.” ~Lindsey Wright “In the world of memes and self-help, there is a lot of the application of principles. Applications of principle are a dime a dozen but it is digging into the root, the core that empowers us to handle anything.” ~LeeAnna Irving “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive...” ~Holy Bible, Ephesians 4: 14 “It is interesting the things I have had to unlearn, especially from graduate school, that aren't rooted in true principles but that sound good. ” ~Kim Miner “ ...truth seldom is sweet; it is almost invariably bitter.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “It's hard work to identify false beliefs and put principles into action because you must change who you are. ” ~Lindsey Wright “Permanent change is hard but [living principles] is the road to permanent change.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “When you are a mother of principle you no longer are so easily deceived.” ~Kim Miner “Mothers of Principle have paradigm shifts that make them permanently different.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “When mom elevates herself everyone else is elevated.” ~LeeAnna Irving “Principles are concentrated truth.” ~LeeAnna Irving Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

“Moral philosophy is the science of virtue and vice and therefore the true doctrine of the Laws of Nature is the true moral philosophy.” ~Thomas Hobbes After sharing a difficult situation we are facing with a friend, and coming to the conclusion that there's nothing more we can do but wait, one of us will often finish the conversation with, "Well...patience is a virtue!" But what does it mean to say that patience is A virtue? Isn't virtue just "virtue"? Over the last few weeks, as Audrey was studying patience, she was intrigued by this idea that it is "a virtue." So, she did what she always does - she studied virtue in more depth. Guess what she uncovered? A wealth of knowledge about how human beings have been talking about good and bad and right and wrong since the beginning of written history, and what they have been saying about them.  It turns out that the greatest leaders and thinkers from all cultures, races and civilizations have universally agreed that not only are virtue and vice an integral part of the human experience, but we should all choose to be virtuous. In fact, Audrey learned that although being "virtuous" is a desired state of being, she also discovered that there are actually several different types of virtues that have been taught for centuries.  Join her this week as she introduces you to "The Virtues", helping you understand what the virtues are and how they are connected to finding happiness here on earth and in the life to come! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:47           Introduction to the Series 7:41           Why We Think The Way We Do 20:23        The Natural Virtues or Cardinal Virtues 22:47         Intellectual Virtues 25:42         The Theological Virtues or Supernatural Virtues 31:30         How Do We Become Virtuous 33:37         What is the Good of Virtue 45:13         The Culminating Point Quotes from this episode: “ The implication is simply that man may be good as a scientist or good as an artist by the acquisition of these virtues. But he is not made good as a man by these virtues, nor do they enable him to lead a good life and achieve happiness, as do the moral virtues accompanied by prudence.” ~Mortimer Adler “The truth is that right actions done for the wrong reason do not help to build the internal quality or character called a virtue.” ~CS Lewis “Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we should make ourselves happy, but how we should become worthy of happiness.” ~Immanuel Kant “We do not acquire or preserve virtue by the help of external goods but external goods by the help of virtue. ” ~Aristotle “Moral philosophy is the science of virtue and vice and therefore the true doctrine of the Laws of Nature is the true moral philosophy.” ~Thomas Hobbes “Virtue is its own reward.” ~Marcus Aurelius “That virtue is good and vice evil seems to go undisputed in the tradition of the great books, even by Machiavelli.” ~Mortimer Adler “Virtue itself is a reference to a more ultimate good, happiness, for them the virtues are ordered to happiness as means to an end.” ~Mortimer Adler “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed. The golden rule is older than the Bible. The golden rule is as old as we are, that you should do as you would be done by.” ~C.S. Lewis “Faith, hope, and charity - They are indispensable to lift man's life to a plane and direct it to a goal which exceeds his nature. ” ~C.S. Lewis Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

“What is the difference between my books and those of other writers, is that I prefer to describe and perpetuate the best I have known in life." ~Gene Stratton-Porter  As a young girl growing up on a farm in Indiana, Gene had the idyllic life. The youngest of 12 children, Gene was given free-range of her large farm to fall in love with nature - her lifelong passion. Sadly, while she was still in her formative years, tragedy struck when the accidental deaths of her brother and sister were followed closely by the death of her mother. Yet, with the help of a loving, supportive father and siblings, she overcame her heartache and poured her heart into her self-education.  Eventually, as her calling became clear, she determined to use her gifts to glorify God and inspire what is most noble and elevated in human life. Amidst rejection from editors and resistance from publishers, she insisted that her nature books and stories would be accepted and become well-loved by individuals and families around the globe. She was right. Even in her own day she sold over 30 million books worldwide - a very rare accomplishment for any author. Of course today the legacy of her in-depth nature work and enriching, inspiring stories lives on, continuing to bless millions of lives. Join Audrey to hear the amazing true story of Gene Stratton-Porter's hard work and sacrifice to bring beauty and truth to the world.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  4:18           Laddie - an Autobiography 6:12           Her Parents and Family 17:24         Her Relationship to God 20:53        List of Principles Taught in The Stratton-Porter Home 21:25         Self-Care and Self-Discovery 25:00        A Tribute to Her Father and Family Tragedies 29:33        The Math Paper and an Affirmation of Talent 34:16         Leaving School for Six Months 36:24         A Father Assists in Learning 39:49         Her Own Family and Developing Her Talents 53:20         The Limberlost 58:16          A Commitment to Excellence 1:01:29       A Noble Purpose Quotes from this episode: “All [my father's] ideas were clear cut. No man could influence him against his better judgment. He believed in God, in courtesy, in honor, and cleanliness, in beauty, and in education. ” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “[My father] would often say, "I would rather see my child the author of a book of which I could be proud than on the throne of England," which was the strongest way he knew to express himself.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “[My father's] very first earnings were spent for a book and when other men rested he read. All his life he was a student of extraordinary, tenacious memory.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “ All his life, with no thought of fatigue or inconvenience to himself, Mark Stratton, traveled miles uncounted to share what he had learned with those less fortunately situated by delivering sermons, lectures, and talks on civic improvement and politics. ” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “The most that can be said of what education I have is that it is the very best kind in the world for me. I always had been too thankful for words that circumstances intervened which saved my brain from being run through a groove in company with dozens of others of widely different interests, tastes, and mentalities. What small measure of success I have had has come through preserving my individual point of view, method of expression, and...the spartan regulation of my girlhood home.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “[My father] knew I was boiling and bubbling like a yeast jar in July over some literary work and if I timidly slipped to him with a composition or a faulty poem he saw good in it and he made suggestions for its betterment.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “It was [my father] who demanded of me, from birth, the finishing of any task I attempted and who taught me to cultivate patience; to watch and wait even years, if necessary,

“It is the lack of knowledge of natural law and principles over the last century that has gotten us to where we are now.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher In this time of great civil unrest, do you know the principles of government that can save us? Do you have a clear understanding of the natural laws and fundamental ideas that shaped the first American documents? Do you know for yourself how these principles, ideas and documents led to the greatest amount of freedom for the largest number of people than ever before in history? Most importantly, do you know how important all of this is -- for you, for your family, for your community and for the world? Join Audrey and Lindsey this week as they begin a discussion about the natural laws, rights and duties that lay the foundation of proper thinking about ourselves, our communities and our government. As we learn these truths and put our own lives in line with them, and then share them with others, we can correct what's going wrong! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:33          Begin at the Beginning - Aristotle 3:46          The State of All Men - Locke 12:01        The Beginning of Society 14:23        Natural Rights 23:50        Worldviews 29:53        The Four Natural Rights vs. Entitlement 32:32        Maintaining Natural Rights 40:25        Duty/Responsibility 46:19         Natural Law-Now and in the Future Quotes from this episode: “Of all the things that I know, what I know best is what goes on inside of me.” ~C.S. Lewis “The better you understand your home life, the interactions in your family, and the interactions in your neighborhood, and how these interactions work, the better you understand government.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “It all begins with the individual.” ~Aristotle “ ...it is impossible that the rulers now on earth should make any benefit, or derive the least shadow of authority from that, which is held to be the fountain of all power...” ~John Locke “To understand political power, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.” ~John Locke “A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank, promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same faculties, should also be equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another, and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty.” ~John Locke “This equality of men by nature, the judicious Hooker looks upon as so evident in itself, and beyond all question, that he makes it the foundation of that obligation to mutual love amongst men, on which he builds the duties they owe one another, and from whence he derives the great maxims of justice and charity.” ~John Locke “The family is the association established by nature for the supply of men's everyday wants...But when several families are united, and the association aims at something more than the supply of daily needs, the first society to be formed is the village. And the most natural form of the village appears to be that of a colony from the family, composed of the children and grandchildren, who are said to be suckled 'with the same milk...Now, that man is more of a political animal than bees or any other gregarious animals is evident. And it is a characteristic of man that he alone has any sense of good and evil, of just and unjust, and the like,

“Telling myself the truth was my guiding light." ~Heidi Mathews At The Mission Driven Mom, we make a big deal about principles. We know that principles are timeless, absolute truths that can guide us through hard times, show us how to change for the better, and make our way in life a little bit smoother. We work hard to make the concepts of natural law, first principles, and principles as clear as possible. We know that one of the key reasons we are floundering as individuals, as families, as communities, and as a nation is precisely because we have lost touch with true principles and their enlightening and healing power.  In this podcast, Audrey and a few of the MDM Clapham Leadership Team members look back at the principles that came to their rescue in 2020. Join them as they share how truths they learned through The Mission Driven Mom programs and courses empowered them to overcome the trials they faced--bringing them the peace of mind and heart they so desperately needed.  As you listen, ponder the principles in your life own that aid you in times of trouble and consider what new truths you could learn and live in 2021 that would make it your best year yet! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:15           Introduction of Ashley Mecham, member of the Leadership Team 3:31          Introduction of Heidi Mathews, member of the Leadership Team 7:16          What to Expect in the Facebook Group in 2021 12:30       How Truth Statements Conquered Negativity and Lightened the Load - Audrey Rindlisbacher 16:41       How Habit, Routine, and Structure Rescued the Family - Ashley Mecham 18:26       How Telling Ourselves the Truth Set the Tone for the Year - Heidi Mathews 22:06       The Power of Remembering Truth - Audrey Rindlisbacher 24:1 1       Super Woman vs Values and What is Essential  Quotes from this episode: “... where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Corinthians 3:17 Holy Bible “The truth shall make you free.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher's Family Mission Statement  “I made it a priority to do truth statements every single day...What I didn't expect was that eventually, I didn't have to lean so heavily on them. Over time the burden [of negativity] got lighter and lighter and the truth became louder than the lies. It was liberating!" ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The fact that we had routines already in place and that we could keep these routines and habits saved our sanity. The structure helped us not spiral down into negativity.” ~Ashley Mecham  “Telling myself the truth was my guiding light. We do need to help each other and I am worthy of help. Telling the truth rescued me." ~Heidi Mathews “I had to cut some big things out of my life to make room for myself because I had nothing left to give. Choosing between two really good things, those are the hardest choices. But I needed to get to the essential things I needed to be doing. ” ~Lindsey Wright Books from this episode: Links from this episode:

At the end of a tough Covid-19 year, we have all struggled with things that feel out of our control. Societal issues like quarantines, riots, illness, contentious debates, and even fraud have caused even the best of us frustration and heartache. Often these were compounded by personal challenges such as job loss, struggling children, and lack of community connection. Unfortunately, most of these trials have felt like they were imposed on us by others. We didn't ask for these troubles! It can feel so unfair and overwhelming.  When we face situations like these, that bring us pain or frustration and seem as though there is nothing we can do about them, is there anything we can do? Join Audrey this week as she shares what she does when there's nothing she can do. Listen to the daily practices which nourish her hope, courage, and faith. Learn with her those actions you can begin taking now which will empower you to move forward with increased optimism and love as you face your own personal challenges.   Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  5:07        What the Title Means 9:12        What Doesn't Work 9:55        The Time Required 11:12        Responses Can be a Lesson 13:17       Prayer, Written Prayers, Prayer Journal 22:31      Positive Images in Our Minds 26:52      Watch Your Language 28:01      Truth Statements 28:44      Daily Gratitude 29:18       Scripture Reading 30:19       Listen To/Read Faith building Content 31:23       Remember You Can Only Control You 31:39       Work on Your Way of Being 31:53       Remember It's Not About You 32:44      Focus on your Goals and Dreams 35:27       Visualize 37:33       Voice Memos 38:05      Meet Your Needs 39:00      Success Story 1 45:03       Success Story 2 Quotes from this episode: “Your expectation must have a clearly defined objective. Lot's of people get nowhere simply because they do not know where they want to go. They have no clear cut, precisely defined purpose. You cannot expect the best if you think aimlessly." ~Norman Vincent Peale “I believe that if you want to get somewhere, you must decide definitely where you want to be or what you want to accomplish. Be sure it is a right objective, then photograph this objective on your mind and hold it there. Work hard, believe in it, and the thought will become so powerful that it will tend to assure success. There is a deep tendency to become what your mind pictures, provided you hold the mental picture, and if the objective is sound.” ~Norman Vincent Peale Books from this episode: Links from this episode:

“I'm 100% certain that Becky is called to Africa. And I am called to her.” ~Tom Rogers Meet Becky Rogers, mother of 10, music major, and violin teacher. Although she used to live a typical American family life, through her vigilance in the 7 Laws of Life Mission, she prepared herself and eventually heard the call to become a passionate advocate for African women. She now lives full-time in Ghana. Since arriving three years ago, she and her husband have founded Family Literacy Centers in several African countries and are finishing up the first Family Restoration Center in Ghana.   This week join Becky Rogers and Audrey Rindlisbacher as they explore Becky's journey. Learn about her childhood, her self-education and self-discovery, and the steps that led to her call to Africa. Be inspired by the courage and faith she and her husband exercised to get there. Best of all, listen to the miracles that are taking place as a result of the relationship she so vigilantly built with God.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:15      Becky's Childhood 3:58          Family Culture and Priorities 6:26          Investing in Children 7:05          Religion and Music 9:09          Work Ethic and Discipline 10:31        Beginning a Family and Going Large 15:54        The Perfect Storm for Homeschooling 19:17        What to Teach 25:13        What Does God Need Me to Know? 33:17        Moving Towards Africa 46:55        "We could Always Move to Africa!" 50:12        Leaving the USA and God Links 54:42        Arrival in Ghana 1:00:39     Her Husband and the Greatest Blessing 1:02:14     The Story Refelcts the Outcome of Spiritual Preparation 1:06:09     The Projects in Ghana 1:18:01     The Objective of the Family Restoration Center 1:22:32     Safety and the Dog 1:25:55     How This Has Influenced Becky's Children Quotes from this episode: “If we moved to Ghana we would have to learn to live so radically differently that we would actually have time to be a family.” ~Tom Rogers “We got an impression every day of two things to do and we didn't get the next piece until we did them.” ~Becky Rogers “One day I prayed, "I'm totally good in the space of not knowing but if there is anything that is OK for us to know then that would also be cool.” ~Becky Rogers “Sometimes the mercy is the not knowing.” ~Becky Rogers “I'm 100% certain that Becky is called to Africa. And I am called to her.” ~Tom Rogers “We are wholly dependent on the paycheck from God.” ~Becky rogers Links from this episode: FMF Family Literacy Center Family Restoration Introduction

By the time Audrey Rindlisbacher was 19 years old, her father and two close friends had passed away unexpectedly. Through these trials Audrey learned for herself that life is very fragile. She knew that we have to make the most of the day we are in, because we never know when it might be the last day for us or someone we love.   "Many people live as if someday they'll arrive at “happiness” like one arrives at a bus stop. They figure that someday everything will fall into place, they will take a deep breath and say, 'Here I am at last…happy!' Hence their life story is one of 'I'll be happy when…'" ~Andrew Matthews When we relegate our happiness to the future, we rob ourselves and others of the chance for deeper connection, joyful moments, and greater fulfillment. The mindset of waiting to be happy keeps us from seeing all the beautiful things in our lives right now. When we realize that happiness is a choice, that it is, "something we make inside ourselves," we are able to shift our focus from all the things that are making us unhappy, to all the things that can bring us happiness and fulfillment every day. Join Audrey and other women in The Mission Driven Mom Mastermind FB Group for a replay of a "Lighting Our Lamps: Morning Inspiration for Moms" FB Live from the spring of 2020, where Audrey shares stories, quotes, and tips that will inspire you to choose happiness today. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:29        Why We Are Unhappy 3:22        Happiness is a Decision 4:45        Audrey's Story 5:55         "Learning in Wartime" 7:37         I Made a Decision-Andrew Matthews 10:23      From The Hiding Place 13:54      How Can I Be Happy Today?  15:38      Sharing Gratitude Quotes from this episode: “Truth seldom is sweet; it is almost invariably bitter." ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn  “Being happy can be one of the greatest challenges that we face and can sometimes take all the determination, persistence, and self-discipline we can muster. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “If we're unhappy, it's because life is not as we want it. Life is not matching our expectations of how it ‘ought' to be. We want the future, not 'the now'. We don't want what is, we want what isn't. Too much of this and you go crazy.” ~Andrew Matthews “Life is not perfect. Life is about being exhilarated, frustrated, sometimes achieving, and sometimes missing out. So long as we say “I'll be happy when…” we're deluding ourselves.” ~Andrew Matthews “Happiness is a decision. Many people live as if someday they'll arrive at “happiness” like one arrives at a bus stop. They figure that someday everything will fall into place, they will take a deep breath and say, “Here I am at last…happy!” Hence their life story is one of “I'll be happy when…” ~Andrew Matthews “Each one of us has a decision to make. Are we prepared to daily remind ourselves that we have only a limited time to make the most of what we've got, or will we while away the present, hoping for a better future?” ~Andrew Matthews “The world is not perfect. The degree of our unhappiness is the distance between the way things are and the way we ‘think' they ‘ought' to be.” ~Andrew Matthews “Value people. Don't go to bed angry. Let people know how much they mean to you.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Make today one you would want to end on.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ~Abraham Lincoln “It's not what happens to us in life that determines our happiness as much as the way we react to what happens.” ~Andrew Matthews “You've got today. That's all you've got. You might as well be happy.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “We clothe experiences with our words and with our thoughts. We determine what meaning to attach to the experiences we have.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “We can change the way we think by first, changing the way we talk.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

"That is what you had to do to live in the camp: be engaged, not live for yourself alone. The self-centered life has no place in the world of the deported. You must go beyond it. Lay hold on something outside yourself.”~Jacques Lusseyran Born to loving, devoted, faithful parents, Jacques Lusseyran had a very happy childhood. Even the accident that stole his sight at age 7 couldn't dampen the joy and wonder he experienced as a boy. A loyal friend, a serious scholar, a faithful Christian, Jacques loved every element of life...until the occupation of France by the Nazis. Dedicated to truth and freedom, Jacques determined to do something about it.  Join Audrey this week as she tells the inspiring and miraculous story of Jacques Lusseyran, blind resistance hero of WWII who risked everything for what he knew to be right.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:34        Introduction to Jacques Lusseyran 5:10        My Parents 7:02        Blindness 9:10        Experiencing Light 12:00     Fear Made Me Blind 14:19      Discerning Character through Voices 16:06      Friendship    17:03      Education 19:15       Independence, War, Speaking Out 23:00     Looking For Answers 27:37      An Incredible Teacher 29:36     Illness, Spiritual Experience, Resolve, the Responsible Ones 36:00     Recruiting   39:00     Elio, Betrayal, Democracy and Christian Morality        49:40     Robert and Clinging to Christ 52:38     Letting Fear Go and Living On Hope Quotes from this episode: “My parents spoke to me about God, but only later. I had no name for Him. He was just there and it was better so. Behind my parents there was Someone, and my father and mother were simply the people responsible for passing along the gift. My religion began like this, which I think explains why I have never known doubt.” ~Jacques Lusseyran “What the loss of my eyes had not accomplished was brought about by fear. It made me blind. Anger and impatience had the same effect, throwing everything into confusion. The minute before I knew just where everything in the room was, but if I got angry, things got angrier than I. They went and hid in the most unlikely corners, mixed themselves up, turned turtle, muttered like crazy men, and looked wild. As for me, I no longer knew where to put hand or foot. Everything hurt me. This mechanism worked so well that I became cautious.” ~Jacques Lusseyran “For our part, we wanted to learn how to live, and that was a much more serious matter....Unless we were up to making a better life than the life of our elders, the orgy of stupidity and killing would go on till the end of the world. Let people be silent if they were able to go on living without speaking out. We were incapable of it. As for that fear of theirs, it was indecent and made us feel sick. We had no forbearance toward the philosophers, our teachers, or our families. It was better so since we needed our strength to prepare ourselves. Students were very serious that winter in Paris.” ~Jacques Lusseyran “I sat up late at night. I had thrown myself furiously into the study of philosophy. I wanted to understand it all and felt it was urgent, I don't know exactly why, but it seemed to me that such a chance would not come again, that I was going to be snatched away to more worldly responsibilities. All the ideas of men who had dedicated themselves to thought found their way into my head for the first time, from Pythagoras to Bergson, from Plato to Freud. I examined them as closely as I could.” ~Jacques Lusseyran "At the beginning of May I had adopted the ascetic life, including Sunday. I got up at half-past four before it was light. The first thing I did was to kneel down and pray: “My God, give me the strength to keep my promises. Since I made them in a good cause, they are yours to keep as well as mine. Now that twenty young men – tomorrow there may be a hundred – are - waiting for my orders,

“All you have to give is what you've been given to give.” ~Max Lucado Years ago a trusted mentor challenged Audrey when she was ready to give up her studies. With four small children and many demands on her time, Audrey felt it might be best to put off her online courses and focus more on her family. But this mentor knew how long and hard Audrey had searched for this educational opportunity, she also knew the spiritual conviction about its importance that Audrey had expressed when she had begun mentoring.   The problem was that not only did Audrey want to make space for all the good things that were crowding her life, she wanted to do them all with precision and excellence, every time. This seemed not only a noble goal but an achievable one, if only she could get herself together!  What was Audrey to do when it felt like she couldn't do it all?  Join her this week as she challenges you with the same questions she was challenged with: Are you a perfectionist? If so, what if perfectionism is a sin?  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:32         My First Experience With Perfectionism 8:55        What Are You Giving Up For Perfection 14:03      Perfectionism Reframed 21:00     Understanding the Word 'Perfect' 24:23     Three Keys to Mastering Perfectionism 25:10      Self-Nurturing    30:27     Focus On Strength 35:08     Give the Rest to God 40:56     The Challenge Quotes from this episode: “There are important things and then there are more important things. A perfectionist says, "If I can't do it perfectly, then I'm going to cut out things, even if they are the more important things.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “What are you willing to sacrifice so that you can do the most important things? How can you make space so you can do the most important things?” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The Greek word for perfect is 'whole'. From the Greek - téleios, tel'-i-os; complete: in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc. ~From The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible "We become perfect and complete by coming to God in a partnership. We are complete with Him.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Perfectionism is a sin because it pulls us away from God as we try to do everything ourselves.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “I'm just delighted to be part of God's work because I know that he delights in using small and simple things.” ~Corrie ten Boom “Live your life or it won't be lived. If you aren't you, we don't get you. The world misses out.” ~Max Lucado      “Building your strengths forces you to overcome your weakness but it's exciting and motivating, not drudgery.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Focusing on your strengths is self-affirming, highly motivating, draws you closer to God and the people around you, and you also overcome your weaknesses in the process.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “You can only control you but perfectionism is about controlling everything.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Perfectionism will make you unhappy.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Let God work his magic, get out of his way.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Advice for perfectionists from The Enneagram Made Easy:  “Instead of mentally rehashing past mistakes, remember the accomplishments you are most proud of. ” ~Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele  “Ask others to help so you don't do more than your share.” ~Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele  “Allow yourself to do certain things quickly, although imperfectly, so you can get on to the next task or go home on time.” ~Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele  “In relationships: Learn to forgive yourself and others; Learn to respect others' ways of doing things; Be aware that your tone of voice can be hard or upset people; Allow your children to come to decisions on their own so they can develop more self-esteem.” ~Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele  “Things to say to myself: It's ok to relax and enjoy myself; I'm ok even when I make mist...

“If all you do is give your kids a desire to keep learning you have done your job.”~Marlene Peterson Meet Marlene Peterson, the founder of Libraries of Hope and finder of the Well-Educated Heart pattern for learning.  She and her husband Brent have raised eight daughters and one son and are thoroughly enjoying the grand-parenting stage of their lives. Although she has a degree in Child Development and Family Relations from Brigham Young University, her real learning took place in the laboratory of her own home. She currently lives in the beautiful countryside of Appomattox, Virginia, blissfully surrounded by the stories of history. Join Marlene and Audrey Rindlisbacher in one of Marlene's only live interviews, as they discuss Marlene's life, education, and current projects. Be inspired and motivated by their shared vision of how mothers are a powerful force for good in the world.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:41          Marlene's Childhood 8:35          Her Most Important Lesson 13:19        Willing vs Willful 15:21        College 19:04       Children - A Let go and Reach Up Moment 23:09       Advice for Young Mom's 26:04       What I Discovered About Myself 29:21        How I Discovered the Principles of Education 31:25        Libraries of Hope 33:56       Gathering Stories 39:20       Family culture 41:13        The Well Educated Heart 45:22       Simple Joy Art 50:33       The Connection Between Mind and Heart 55:00       Rewarding Experiences 56:20       How to Engage Boys in Heart-Style Learning 58:44       The Statuary Garden Metaphor 1:02:36    Leading and Peace 1:03:43    Why Have Historical Figures for Heroes 1:09:09   How Has Your Work Changed You Personally Quotes from this episode: “God cannot steer a parked car and we have to be moving if we want him to guide us.” ~John Bytheway “We keep holding on to what we can see but the Lord says, "Let go and reach up. I've got you.” ~Marlene Peterson “Women can have it all, just not at the same time.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “Every child deserves to have someone who is wild, crazy, in love with them.” ~Marlene Peterson “Well Educated Heart is all about helping us, as moms, give our children eyes to see and hearts to feel.” ~Marlene Peterson “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he...” ~The Holy Bible, Proverbs 23: 7 “Our heart is in the driver's seat. That is why we need to tend to the heart.” ~Marlene Peterson “Reading about great people teaches me how to do life. Good stories get you through.” ~Marlene Peterson “Heart education is more concerned with truth rather than what is true. So if a story of a historical figure teaches truth, then it will resonate with you.” ~Marlene Peterson   “If all you do is give your kids a desire to keep learning you have done your job.” ~Marlene Peterson   “Opinions are fine but they are only opinions. What we need to do is be truth-seekers and find out for ourselves.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “There is a difference between worshipping someone and honoring their efforts and work.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The heart can't be taught directly. You experience it.” ~Marlene Peterson   Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. What makes life difficult is that the process of confronting and solving problems is a painful one.” ~M. Scott Peck So often in life we face problems that bring feelings of overwhelm, confusion, frustration or anger. What do we choose to do when we feel these uncomfortable emotions? In this podcast you'll learn about four stay-at-home moms just like you. Women who are smart, pretty, and gifted. Women who love their children and what to be good moms. Unfortunately, though, when life got challenging, they chose to run away, rather than face their problems head-on. This habit of running away, chosen over and over again, created lives for them that were even worse than the original problems they ran away from.  In our modern, face-paced world there are countless escapes we can choose rather than searching for solutions, conquering our challenges and becoming the heroes of our own stories. Yet, feeling proud of who we are and the life we've lived is how we all want to feel. Join Audrey this week as she shares the stories of these moms who chose to run away and the disastrous effects for them and their families. Consider with her how even the seemingly innocent behaviors--reading, vacationing, watching TV, social media--can easily become distractions that keep us stuck. Then look closely at the truth about problems and how they can actually become great blessings--giving our lives real meaning and deep purpose.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:45        We are All Tempted to Run Away - Three Stories 4:26        Story One - Alice 9:08        Story Two - Felice 13:25       Story Three - Jennie Lee 17:32      Are You Running Away with an Emotional Distraction 21:32      Problems = Pain and Problem Solving 23:51      A Helpful Way to Think About Problems    28:13     A Final Message and Challenge 29:19     Tiffany - Facing Our Problems Quotes from this episode: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.” ~M. Scott Peck, M.D. “Life is a series of problems. Do we want to moan about them or solve them? Discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life's problems. Without discipline, we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline, we can solve all problems.” ~M. Scott Peck, M.D. “What makes life difficult is that the process of confronting and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending upon their nature, evoke in us frustration or grief or sadness or loneliness or guilt or regret or anger or fear or anxiety or anguish or despair. These are uncomfortable feelings, often very uncomfortable, often as painful as any kind of physical pain, sometimes equaling the very worst kind of physical pain. Indeed, it is because of the pain that events or conflicts engender in us that we call them problems. And since life poses an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy. "Yet it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve.” ~M. Scott Peck, M.D. “Addiction is always a way of quickly changing our e...

“Every worldview requires a healthy amount of faith to believe it, because no one has all the evidence yet.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Now that you have been introduced to what worldviews are and why they matter (Intro to Worldviews, pt. 1), it's time to learn how to begin evaluating them. In this podcast Audrey shares 10 areas where all worldviews attempt to answer the fundamental questions of life and provide answers to how people ought to live. Using this 10 areas, Audrey then compares two hugely influential worldviews: Biblical Christianity and Secular Humanism. Join her as she deconstructs them and shows how they have impacted our government, educational systems, and moral values. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:48       Why Study Worldviews 3:24       What is a Worldview 5:35       10 Areas of Reference 6:25       Theology-Philosophy 13:22     Ethics-Biology-Psychology-     15:01      Sociology-Law-Politics 18:40     Economics-History 25:16     Terms and Comparisons of Worldviews 36:53     Following the Logical Path of a WorldView 41:08     The Individual vs The Family 43:42     Equality vs Sameness 45:10     The Lens of Evolution    Quotes from this episode: “A worldview is the lens through which we see the world.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Worldviews answer important questions - where do I come from, why am I on earth, what is the role of human beings, what happens when I die, how should we respond to each other, how do we care for the earth, what kind of society should we have, what should the government look like, etc.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “There are dominant, overarching worldviews, but each individual creates their own worldview.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “A worldview informs your decisions.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Worldviews seem to have a common goal - To achieve the best human society possible.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Sometimes we see people as radical, but they are just following the logical path of where their worldview takes them.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Every worldview requires a healthy amount of faith to believe and sustain. Each individual goes out and looks for evidence that sustains and upholds their worldview.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Truth seekers look for where the evidence doesn't fit, is flawed, or doesn't make sense.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Books from this episode: Links from this episode:

"William Wilberforce knew if he discovered a truth to his satisfaction he would have no choice but to embrace it and act upon it.” ~Eric Metaxas William Wilberforce began life as the son of wealthy merchants. Attractive, charming, funny and sweet, he was the favorite of all who knew him. As a youth he experienced a short conversion and attempted to live as a Christian. But when all those around him discouraged and dissuaded him from following the faithful path, he eventually put religion behind him and learned to enjoy all the luxuries wealth and position could buy him.  Yet, because of his commitment to complete intellectual honesty, when the opportunity opened to him several years later to learn thoroughly about the tenets, principles and governing values of Christianity, he took it. The result was a deep and permanent conversion, and a commitment to living fully as he believed a faithful Christian should. For the rest of his life, he would give all he had--his wealth, his time, his gifts, his money and his love--to the "two great objects" God had placed on his heart: the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners. Although most popularly known for his abolition of the slave trade and slavery, and eventually the complete emancipation of all British slaves, the "reformation of manners" was an even greater legacy. In fact, it is not commonly known that the way people in the West today think and believe about philanthropy and charity can be traced directly back to Wilberforce and his group of fellow Christians.   Join Audrey this week as she shares the power of the Bible and Christian living, and its ability to not only change one man but to empowered him change the society in which he lived. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  6:32        The Most Important Thing Wilberforce Did 8:01        The Importance of the Bible for Wilberforce 10:00     The Character of Wilberforce 11:37       Early Life - Wealth, Health, Temperament 14:37      Father's Death-His Uncle and Aunt-The Problem of Religion 20:14      College and the Wasted Years 22:47      William Pitt and Politics      25:08     Conversion 28:05     What to Do Next 30:35      Do I Stay in Parliament 33:05      Living a Principled Life 39:11       Turning His Will to God and Moving Forward 42:13      How to Love God 43:16      Advancing Philanthropy     48:10     Gratitude in All Circumstances    50:25     Cheddar Gorge Quotes from this episode: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit..” ~The Holy Bible, John 15: 2 Of his years to maintain his faith in his youth: “The religious impressions which I gained at Wimbledon continued for a considerable time, but my friends spared no pains to stifle them. I might say that no pious parent ever labored more to impress a beloved child with sentiments of piety than they did to give me a taste of the world and its diversions.” ~William Wilberforce “For the rest of his life, he struggled terribly with self-discipline and always attributed this weakness to his wasted and feckless years at Pocklington and Cambridge.” ~Eric Metaxas Of his character: “He knew if he discovered a truth to his satisfaction he would have no choice but to embrace it and act upon it.” ~Eric Metaxas After his conversion: “It was not so much the fear of punishment by which I was affected as a sense of my great sinfulness in having so long neglected the unspeakable mercies of my God and Saviour; and such was the effect which this thought produced, that for months I was in a state of the deepest depression, from strong convictions of my guilt.” ~Eric Metaxas “When Wilberforce returned to the House of Commons in 1786, he was a different man…He had lived for so long for his own ambition, that to live for God, as he now longed to do,

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” ~The Holy Bible, James 1:6-8 When Audrey found herself struggling with deep self-doubts, she assumed that these doubts were valid. She spent lots of time listening to them, evaluating them and striving to consider how much truth was in them. She wanted to be humble, self-evaluating and honest with herself. She was willing to change herself and try to be better, if only she could figure out how!  She spent countless hours pondering, journaling and praying. She read books, talked to friends and family and tried to get to the bottom of things. No matter what she tried, though, nothing seemed to help. As time went on and her doubts didn't go away, she became even more self-critical and confused.  And then, through a scripture verse and some insights from God, what was really happening to her became perfectly clear!  Join Audrey as she sheds light on what it means to waver, doubt, and be double minded. In this podcast, she clarifies what faith is and how it helps us form a partnership with God. She also gives suggestions that enable you to take control of your thinking and become a more confident woman today! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:27       Introduction to Self-doubt 5:01       Scripture Insight - James 1: 6-8 5:52       Wavering 8:36      Doubt and Faith 14:04    If We Doubt We Cannot Be Blessed 17:37     Two kinds of Self-doubt and How They Are Destructive 26:39    Norman Vincent Peale Quote      32:47    Norman Vincent Peale Story Quotes from this episode: “I've been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” ~Mark Twain “God cannot help you until you decide what you're about.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “When I look at my current circumstances and begin to doubt my past experiences I make it impossible for myself to have confidence in the present.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “If it's in the past and you knew better, then fix it and forgive yourself. If it's in the present and you're doubting yourself, pay a price to know and follow the truth.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “You cannot live an intentional and envisioning life and continue to move toward with the righteous desires God has for you unless you have a healthy amount of confidence in your ability to work with God.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Self-doubt is an enemy because it prevents us from confidently partnering with God in moving forward in our lives.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Faith is something you have to actively work at.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” ~The Holy Bible, James 1:6-8  “The greatest secret for eliminating the inferiority complex which is another term for a profound self-doubt is to fill your mind to the overflowing with faith. Develop a tremendous faith in God and that will give you a humble yet soundly realistic faith in yourself.” ~Norman Vincent Peale “The bigger your problem, the bigger your prayer should be. Drive your prayers deep into your doubts, into your fears, and insecurities. Pray deep big prayers that have plenty of strength and you will come up with a powerful and vital faith.” ~Norman Vincent Peale “The cure for self-doubt is the thought that you are not alone in this world, that Almighty is actually with you helping you, that He will be your companion, that He will stand by you support you and see you through every adversity.” ~Norman Vincent Peale “If God be for us who can be against us.” ~The Holy Bible, Romans 8:31

“Leadership is a gift. You can't buy it, you can't sell it, you can't trade it. You either have it or you don't. It is the most valuable commodity on the planet, and it is the rarest commodity we have. But it's not just any type of leadership, it's leadership without ego. It's servant-leadership.” ~Bob Davids As moms, we often practice principles of servant-leadership without realizing it. But what if we better understood this most powerful leadership style? What if we began practicing it more in our homes and gradually gained the knowledge and skills to more effectively practice it in our communities as well? Think of the powerful force for good we could be as we learn to become the influential servant-leaders God intends us to be! Join Audrey as she outlines the characteristics of servant-leadership. You'll be encouraged by examples of how ordinary people who become servant-leaders have impacted the world for good. And you'll see how nurturing these characteristics in yourself can improve you and your family immensely! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:40       An Introduction to Servant-Leadership 4:12       Birth of the Term Servant-Leadership 8:13       Authority is Not Leadership 9:28      Characteristics of Servants 10:37    Characteristics of Leaders 15:14     Servant-Leaders Love Self first 17:59     Vision, Values, Competence      19:50    Judgement, a Sustaining Spirit, Goals 22:11     Listening, Language, Resources, Study, Regular Renewal, Institutions for Service 24:50    How We See Problems 25:53    The Great Impediment to Leadership 26:35    Example of Servant-Leadership Quotes from this episode: “Leadership is a gift. You can't buy it, you can't sell it, you can't trade it. You either have it or you don't. It is the most valuable commodity on the planet, and it is the rarest commodity we have. But it's not just any type of leadership, it's leadership without ego. It's servant leadership.” ~Bob Davids “...the great leader is seen as servant first, and that simple fact is the key to his greatness...His servant nature—his desire to help others—was a part of his character, and it could not be taken away. That's why he was a servant first, a servant at heart.” ~ Robert K. Greenleaf “You're only a leader when people decide to follow you. They follow you because they can see that you are worthy of being followed, that you are going somewhere they want to go.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Servant-leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. ” ~Robert K. Greenleaf “Authority or positions of authority are not the same as leadership.” ~Robert K. Greenleaf “Leadership is about influence rather than power and control. It's about inspiration rather than position and title. It's about focusing on others strengths rather than weaknesses. It's about listening rather than giving orders. It's about humility rather than pride, the big picture rather than self-interest. It's about long-range benefits rather than short term profit. It is about creating new futures rather than maintaining the status quo.” ~Barclay Corporation “The servant-leader is meeting a real, natural need that people have. The difference between a servant first and a leader first manifests itself in the care taken by the servant, first to make sure other people's highest priority needs are being served.” ~Robert K. Greenleaf A gauge for servant-leadership - “...do those served grow as persons. Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more like themselves, and more likely to become servants? And what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least will they not be further deprived?” ~Robert K. Greenleaf “You must be a servant-leader to yourself first. You must be willing to serve yourself by understandin...

“Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18, Holy Bible As mentors for the upcoming 'Mothers of Vision' MDM Celebration event, Audrey, Tresta, and Julie discuss their insights and favorite takeaways. Listen as they share how the principles that will be taught are changing the way they think, feel and live!  And if you haven't signed up yet, consider joining us Sat. Sept 26th LIVE Online! Find all the details and register HERE! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  0:43        Their initial response to the event 3:07        Why Some are Leery of Vision as a Tool 7:26         Principles vs. Materialism in Using Vision as a Tool 9:21         The Successful Producer 10:26      Faith, Creation, and Visualization 11:28       Julie Greenman's Experiences with Visualization 14:42      What is Your Destination 17:11        Audrey's Favorite Content 18:58      One Reason to Come 21:49      Is This Event Independent of MDM Academy 22:48     How Can Attendees Prepare? 23:51      How to Get Last Years Recording and Book Free! 24:37      The Number One Objective of the Event Quotes from this episode: “Vision increases desire.” ~Tresta Neil Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” ~Holy Bible Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

“It always comes back to the family.” ~Gayle Ruzicka As a young girl, Gayle's parents forced her to go to church, even though they didn't attend themselves. This caused her to look inward--to forge her own relationship with God and determine the belief system that would guide her through life. She clung to Christianity, and its moral principles became the foundation upon which she built her life and her home.  A mother of 12, devoted homeschooler and political activist, Gayle took her children EVERYWHERE with her! They sat countless times in the state capital, learning about what government is, why it matters and how it works. These experiences proved to deepen her family's faith in, and understanding of, eternal principles that govern all areas of life--including government.  Listen this week to her experiences in the 7 Laws of Life Mission--learning to love God, herself, truth and humanity. And hear about the amazing difference her mission driven life has made in her home, her community, her state and her country! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:47        Gayle Ruzicka's  Childhood 3:00       Parents & Politics 6:43        Religion 8:58        Choosing a Relationship with God 11:42      Education 14:47     Women Have Choices 16:25      Life Long Learning/Books 20:58      Political Involvement 24:23      Eagle Forum 31:19      President of Eagle Forum 33:25      Homeschool, Activism, & Governmental Principles 38:00     Your Stand Out Experience 41:19      It Comes Back to the Family 45:15      What Are You Reading Now 47:59      Principles & the Proper Role of Government 51:52      The Emergency Powers of Government 58:59     Were You Ever Afraid? 1:00:24  What's One Thing Can We Do Now? 1:02:02  How Can We Get Involved? Quotes from this episode: “Never put politics before people.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “Women have more choices than men. Have you ever noticed that?” ~Gayle Ruzicka “I learned everything I learned [about government involvement] by being an easel.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “OK, I can die. My kids are there for each other.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “It always comes back to the family.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “With liberty comes responsibility.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “We had founders who gave up their lives to give us liberty. Now we are afraid of dying so we are giving up our liberty.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “If people are governing themselves you won't have to send the police to see if they are sneaking out the back door or standing too close to a neighbor.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “We have got to replace fear with faith. That's what it's all about.” ~Gayle Ruzicka    “Those people who gave us this freedom did the hard work. We only have to keep it.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “It's not that fear is wrong but you need to deal with it and replace it with faith.” ~Gayle Ruzicka  “Fear drives you to your knees so you can exercise faith and remain humble.” ~Gayle Ruzicka “I don't love politics but I do love freedom.” ~Gayle Ruzicka  “The beating down of faith has repercussions on liberty.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

“Now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to his divine providence, which led me to the means I used and gave them success.” ~Benjamin Franklin This podcast is different from other our other Mission Driven Stories podcasts. We usually focus on how proper preparation in childhood leads to the virtues and successes of great men and women. Today's podcast, however,  focuses on the foibles of a youth, Benjamin Franklin, who, despite his early mistakes, eventually gained self-mastery and became a remarkable man. This podcast gives hope to every parent--demonstrating that despite their own poor choices, your child can still embrace principles, praise God and become a wise and successful human being.   Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:40       Why This Podcast is Different 5:30       His autobiography-The Central message 7:48       His Father 10:43     The Printing Trade 15:29     The Silence Dogood Letters 18:41      Independence in Philadelphia 20:47     The Folly of youth 30:56     England and More Poor Choices 38:56     Religion 40:29     Moral virtues Quotes from this episode: “Now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to his divine providence, which led me to the means I used and gave them success.” ~Benjamin Franklin “My early readiness in learning to read (which must have been very early, as I do not remember when I could not read), and the opinion of all his friends that I should certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this purpose of his.” ~Benjamin Franklin “I remember well his [my father] being frequently visited by leading men who consulted him for his opinion in affairs of the town or of the church he belonged to, and who showed a good deal of respect for his judgment and advice. He was also much consulted by private persons about their affairs when any difficulty occurred, and frequently chose an arbitrator between contending parties. At his table, he liked to have, as often as he could some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or useful topic for discourse which might tend to improve the minds of his children. By this means, he turned our attention to what was good, just, and prudent in the conduct of life.” ~Benjamin Franklin “Often I sat in my room reading the greatest part of the night when the book borrowed in the evening had to be returned early in the morning, lest it should be found missing or wanted.” ~Benjamin Franklin “His prayer: 'O powerful Goodness, bountiful Father, merciful Guide! Increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interests; strengthen my resolutions to perform what that wisdom dictates. Accept my kind offices to thy other children, as the only return in my power for thy continual favors to me.'” ~Benjamin Franklin “Fundamental religious creed: That there is one God who made all things. That he governs the world by his providence. That he ought to be worshipped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving. But that the most acceptable service to God is doing good to man. That the soul is immortal. And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice, either here or hereafter.” ~Benjamin Franklin Franklin's morning question: “What good shall I do this day?     Franklin's evening question: “What good have I done today?” Franklin's 13 Moral Virtues: Temperance - “Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.”  Silence - “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.” Order - “Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time. ”  Resolution - “Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.” 

“Understanding worldviews makes it 100 times easier to navigate current events and world issues. It especially makes it easier to extend empathy and understanding to people of all faiths and worldviews.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher There are so many things that modern mothers say are confusing to them: Black Lives Matter; riots; educational approaches and methodologies; religion and spirituality; why people think and behave the way they do. How can we navigate all of the confusing and conflicting ideas that we hear and see in our world? An understanding of worldviews can help us sort through the confusion and gain clarity. But there is an even more important reason for understanding what a worldview is and how it determines why people do what they do: so we can can teach our children. This knowledge can help our children navigate the educational system and the current events that surround them. It can assist them in asking some key questions that will give them a foundation for how they will choose to live. It will also help them understand those with opposing worldviews and keep them from buying into every new idea that comes along.  Join Audrey for this introduction to what worldviews are and how they are affecting you and your family right now! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:33      Dinner with Friends 5:29     Worldviews are a key element to education 7:44     Understanding worldviews give a frame of reference 8:28     Worldviews and Feminism 10:16    What is a Worldview and Questions to Ask 11:18     Dominant Worldviews 14:03    Worldviews and Modern Education 22:01    Worldviews and Youth 24:00   An Example: Mao's Little Red Book 31:27   Why Mother's Must Understand Worldviews Quotes from this episode: “There are so many things that modern mothers say are confusing to them: Black Lives Matter; riots; educational approaches and methodologies; religion and spirituality; why people think and behave the way they do —these are all clarified by an understanding of worldviews.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Worldviews are simply our specific view of the world. A worldview answers questions like: Where did we come from? Why are we on earth? What is right and wrong? What has purpose and meaning in life? and similar questions. What is more important - the individual, the family or the state? Do we have human rights and duties and what are they? Where do they come from? What happens when we die? What is success? How is happiness created? How should I live my life? The answers to these questions rest on a central set of values and beliefs. These inform the answers to these questions and shape the attitudes and behaviors of the people who adhere to them.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “When people buy into a specific worldview, they behave in pretty consistent ways. Its easier to understand why they do what they do and where we might begin to connect with them. It helps us see if we have beliefs or principles in common upon which to build. It helps us make sense of the world and know better how to insert ourselves with principle-centered solutions.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “New worldviews are always introduced- to the young through their education.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “It's so critical for mothers to understand and teach their children about worldviews so that: 1) they won't be deceived 2) they'll better understand others 3) they will be able to find common ground in differing worldviews and better connect with those who believe differently and 4) they won't fall prey to swallowing whole what others teach as truth. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Understanding worldviews makes it 100 times easier to navigate current events and world issues. It makes it easier to extend empathy and understanding to people of all faiths and worldviews.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Books from this episode: Links from this episode:  

"Truth is seldom pleasant; it is almost invariably bitter." ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn While it is empowering and ennobling to striving for truth, it's important to remember that truth is also bitter. Truth requires attention, it requires commitment, it requires change. These aren't always things we want to give in our pursuit of a mission driven life, but they are essential. Where do we begin, then? What is the truth? And where is it to be found?  In 1945 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a loyal communist officer in the Russian army. When he made derogatory comments about Stalin in a private letter, he was immediately arrested and sentenced to 8 years hard labor in a labor camp. Over time, as he came to see the countless lies he had been told, he became determined to understand the truth and share it with the world.  His life is a legacy of sacrifice and suffering in his relentless pursuit to expose the truth about communism. That's why, if someone can tell us about the incredibly destructive power of lies and the amazingly liberating power of the truth, Solzhenitsyn can.   As you dive deeper into the 7 Laws of Life Mission and seek to prepare for and discover your own life mission, Solzhenitsyn has invaluable things to teach you about the empowering but also the bitter nature of truth.  Join Audrey this week as she shares Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's life and legacy, increasing our courage and conviction to follow in his footsteps and cling to truth no matter the cost.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:26      Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - Childhood 4:02     War & Imprisonment 6:55      Exile & Writing 7:29      Reconversion, Cancer and Fame 8:57      Underground 9:41      Assassination Attempt & Exile Again 12:15    Back in Russia 13:19    Harvard and "A World Split Apart" 16:18    Truth Tells Us We Need to Change 22:00   Why I Wouldn't Recommend You 26:35    Truth, Governments, and Humility 30:09    Principle-Centered Homes Quotes from this episode: John 8:32 - “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~The Holy Bible, King James Version “A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “Everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “It's a universal law-- intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “Do not pursue what is illusory - property and position: all that is gained at the expense of your nerves decade after decade and can be confiscated in one fell night. Live with a steady superiority over life - don't be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn after happiness; it is, after all, all the same: the bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “My wish for you... is that your skeptic-eclectic brain be flooded with the light of truth.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “To stand up for truth is nothing. For truth, you must sit in jail.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “The meaning of earthly existence lies not, as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering but in the development of the soul.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “Harvard's motto is "Veritas." Many of you have already found out and others will find out in the course of their lives that truth eludes us if we do not concentrate with total attention on its pursuit. And even while it eludes us, the illusion still lingers of knowing it and leads to many misunderstandings. Also, truth is seldom pleasant; it is almost invariably bitter. There is some bitterness in my speech today, too.

“It was no more glorious or joyful to lead a rally than it was to bathe my children.” ~Phyllis Schlafly Phyllis Schlafly often said that women can have it all...just not at the same time. Her life exemplifies that truth. Driven, intelligent, kind-hearted and devout, Phyllis made the most of every season of her life.  First, as a young woman, she worked in a munitions factory while putting herself through college studying political science. Then as a married wife and mother, she set aside her personal aspirations to raise her six children full-time, support her husband, and serve faithfully in her community and church. Finally, as her children left home and the ERA movement heated up, she put her education and life experience behind the cause she knew would affect millions of women, mothers and families for decades to come. A woman who talked with kings and presidents, Phyllis always cited her children as her greatest accomplishment. Join Audrey this week as she discusses what life was really like with Phyllis Schlafly in this interview with her daughter Anne. Originally aired as a FB Live in The Mission Driven Mom Mastermind FB Group, this podcast contains the entire interview, Q&A session, and recommended resources.   Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:15      Anne Schlafly Cori's Childhood 4:28     Daily Routines 6:30     Her Relationship with Her Mother 7:29      A Favorite Memory 8:22     Faith in the Home 14:00   Her Parents Relationship 18:00   The Feminine Mystique 19:22    A Choice Not An Echo and Other Books 26:25   Actively Fighting ERA 36:41   Mrs. America, the mini-series 40:35   Learning More About Phyllis Schlafly 42:37   Questions and Answers from Listeners 55:10    Resources to Educate Others Quotes from this episode: “Part of her success was that she always made herself available.” ~Anne Schlafly Cori “Women can have it all, just not at the same time.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “All women work. If you're a homemaker you work.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “You may believe that the person sitting next to you will not be saved but you're going to work together on this issue.” ~Phyllis Schlafly When asked if she always wanted a large family - “I came from a family with two children. My husband from a family with four. Those numbers are good, but if you are happy and having fun things just happen.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “Home is not a concentration camp. It is a sanctuary.” ~Anne Schlafly Cori “Feminism is doomed to failure because it is based on an attempt to repeal and restructure human nature.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “The feminist movement taught women to see themselves as victims of an oppressive patriarchy...Self-imposed victimhood is not a recipe for happiness.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “It was no more glorious or joyful to lead a rally than it was to bathe my children.” ~Phyllis Schlafly Books from this episode:       Links from this episode:  

To youth, Grandma Moses gave this advice: “Keep in good company, always try to improve your mind and body in every way. Never lose faith in what is ahead of you.” These were principles she not only believed in, but lived herself. A simple farmers wife, Anna Mary Moses never dreamed she would someday become known around the world. She never laid up plans to become rich and famous, she just tried to do her duty--to God, to herself, to her family and community--at every season of her life.  As she once said about her marriage to Thomas: “I believed, when we started out, that we were a team and I had to do as much as my husband did, not like some girls, they sat down, and then somebody has to throw sugar at them. I was always striving to do my share.” Like many of us, Anna Mary was a mother very involved in raising her family. However, as she lived correct principles, she developed self-mastery, good character, and artistic gifts that first beautified her own family's hearth and eventually made their way into the world's greatest museums.  Join Audrey this week as she shares compelling stories of a woman who kept life simple, paid attention to what mattered, and developed the gifts God gave her.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:20      Early Life 9:42      On Her Own at Twelve 15:30    Age Fourteen and School 17:16     A Visit Home 20:32    Thomas Moses and Marriage 23:36    The Water Fight 27:45    Roles, Women, Careers 32:54    Arthritis 34:12    Painting - The Beginning 39:33    Fame Grows 44:10    Advice from Grandma Moses 46:12    Honoring Seasons and Developing Gifts Quotes from this episode: “I was proud in those days, could get up such fine dinners for Mr. Whiteside's friends who came from far off to see him. When the minister came, and I could bring out the fine linen and the china tea set and the heavy silver, then with hot biscuits, home-made butter and honey, with home-cured dried beef, I was proud.” ~Anna Mary Moses “One day at the dinner table, after Thomas had gone out, someone threw water, then someone else. Then the battle was on, some were running out of doors, out to the pump and commenced to throw it by the bucket-full. Some ran upstairs for protection, and they threw water out of the window, nearly drowning the ones under the window. The battle grew hotter, and they threw the water into the window till it ran down the backstairs into the dining room. Then one of my sisters said she would not stand for it if she was me. I told her to let them have fun while they are young and could, it would be something to laugh about when they were old—and now they do…It was a rollicksome, happy house, and their father would join in with them, he really was one of them.” ~Anna Mary Moses “He found me a good cook, and I found him of a good family, very temperate and thrifty. In those days we didn't look for a man with money, but for a good family, good reputation—many of the boys were chicken thieves…Thomas just loved to work. He was handy and could do almost anything. He was a wonderful man, much better than I am, he was a Christian, always trying to do good to fellowmen.” ~Anna Mary Moses “When my other children were born, I got the other nurse, Aunt Carrie, she took charge of everything. All I had to do was give her $10. She stayed for two weeks and did all the washing, ironing and took care of the other children too. She was a wonderful woman.” ~Anna Mary Moses “I don't think I ever lost my temper and got real wild like some folks, even when I was young. When I get angry, I just keep quiet and I think “Ishkabibble”—what the meaning of “Ishkabibble” is I don't know, but it's quite a by-word, something like ‘the devil take you.' If you lose your temper, you do something and say something which you wouldn't if you waited a few minutes. But a flash of temper is sometimes better than to brood over things and feel revengefu...

“It is peculiar to humankind that they can only live by looking to the future. This is man's salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence--although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task.” ~Viktor Frankl What crisis are you facing? Rebellious child, troubled marriage, financial setbacks, poor self-image? The Principles of Vision, when understood and practiced, empower you to face those troubles with newfound hope and energy. Principles are the tools for overcoming obstacles permanently. Join Audrey this week as she shares powerful stories of those who faced insurmountable difficulties and overcame them with the Principles of Vision! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:34      Viktor Frankl 8:04     Lost in Motherhood 11:57    James Allen 17:02    Luck vs Vision 19:23    The Event - Mothers of Vision - Tools for Gaining a Vision 24:53    Be a Stellar Mom 26:38    Scripture and Vision 28:02    First Principle of Vision 28:47    Second Principle of Vision 29:36    Immaculée Ilibagiza 32:34    Norman Vincent Peale 28:47    Be a Mother of Vision 35:43    Pay the Price Quotes from this episode: “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.” Fisher and Allen “It is peculiar to humankind that they can only live by looking to the future and this is man's salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task.” ~Viktor Frankl “The worse your circumstances are, the more critical it is for you to have a vision for the future, of something meaningful you are preparing to execute that will make a difference for others.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Frankl speaking about dwelling on the problems of daily life in the camp - “I forced my thoughts to turn to another subject. Suddenly I saw myself standing on a platform of a well lit, warm, and pleasant lecture room. In front of me sat an audience on comfortable, upholstered seats. I was giving a lecture on the psychology of the concentration camp. All that oppressed me at that moment became objective, seen, and described from the remote viewpoint of science. By this method, I succeeded somehow in rising above the situation, above the sufferings of the moment, and I observed them as if they were already of the past.” ~Viktor Frankl “He (Frankl) moved from being totally problem-centered to being solution-centered.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Speaking of mothers - “We choose what we put into our minds and how we train them. We choose how focused we are going to be and how mentally tough we are going to be.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “In spite of all the enforced physical and mental primitiveness of the life in a concentration camp, it was possible for spiritual life to deepen. Sensitive people who were used to a rich intellectual life may have suffered much pain (they were often of a delicate constitution), but the damage to their inner selves was less. They were able to retreat from their terrible surroundings to a life of inner riches and spiritual freedom.” ~Viktor Frankl  “Suffering ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.” ~Viktor Frankl “But I came to learn that God never shows us something we aren't ready to understand. Instead, He lets us see what we need to see, when we need to see it. He'll wait until our eyes and hearts are open to Him, and then when we're ready, He will plant our feet on the path that's best for us...but it's up to us to do the walking.” ~Immaculée Ilibagiza “Someone had once told me that it was important to visualize what you want to happen in the future because doing so can actually help make it come true. Well, thanks to God I've become a big believer in that philosophy. ” ~Immaculée Ilibagiza “Change your thoughts and you change the world.” ~Norman Vincent Peale “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your ...

When moms in The Mission Driven Mom Mastermind FB Group were asked, “What is your greatest strength?” some of the responses included:  “I don't really know.” “I'm uncomfortable talking about this because it seems wrong to focus on my strengths.” “How can I be righteous and overcome my weaknesses if I'm focused on my talents?” “Maybe my greatest strength is to see my weaknesses?” What is wrong with this picture? Why are mothers unable or unwilling to honestly assess and admit their greatest strengths? And what are the repercussions for them, their families and their communities when they don't know or don't develop their God-given talents? Everyone loses.  In this podcast, Audrey affirms the truth that all of us have been given specific gifts in order to bring joy to ourselves and serve others around us. In fact, our talents are planted on our hearts by God, giving us clarity and direction about how to best spend our time, energy and focus. The honest recognition of these and the determination to develop and share them becomes a blessing and a sterling example to our children. Join Audrey this week to increase your motivation to grow your greatest strengths and experience the joy that follows!  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  6:50       The Power of Knowing Your Strengths - Betsie and Corrie ten Boom 14:38     Example vs Helicopter Parenting 18:23     What is Your Greatest Strength? 21:16      Audrey's Struggle 27:49    When You Accept Self/Natural Gifts You Can Bless Others 29:43    Ex. 1 - The Fly Lady 30:33    Ex. 2 - Olympians Who Serve God 33:13     Ex. 3 - Audrey's Experience 36:14    Balancing Time and Self 40:57    Do Three Things Quotes from this episode: “You are a daughter of God. He makes you unique to accomplish a special work. You're not better or worse than anyone else, you just have been given the tools you need to glorify God in a unique way and it's your privilege to uncover your gifts and develop them.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “You cannot do it all. You cannot be it all. You can be YOU! I sometimes think I should be like other women and other moms, but I can't be. It took me a long time to realize there's no one right way to be.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “There is no greater investment a family can make than in the education of the mother.” ~ “I would ask myself, “What can only I do as a wife and mother?” And then I would make sure I did those things the best I could.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Think about a time when you were doing something you love to do, something you do well. Take a minute and recall how you felt in that moment. It doesn't matter what it is or when it was. Just think about how you felt about yourself, about others, about the task you were doing. You can feel that way more of the time.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “GOD PLANTED YOUR INTERESTS IN YOUR HEART SO YOU WOULD FOLLOW THEM.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “If you aren't you, we don't get you.” ~Max Lucado Books from this episode: Links from this episode:  

Although feminism can seem like a good thing, and definitely attempted to make things better for women in several ways, the real story behind feminism is seldom told. Like an iceberg, the true story of modern feminism has a lot more below the surface than most of us see above it. As in everything that's truly important, glancing at the tip of the iceberg will NOT give us real understanding. Getting to the bottom of things is critical, and understanding the iceberg all the way to the bottom enables us to really see the matter for what it truly is. Only then can we make an informed decision about what feminism is. Only then can do we know if and how we should support it. Join Audrey this week as she gets to the bottom of modern feminism - bringing clarity to its founders, its founding book The Feminine Mystique and its author Betty Friedan - showing their crucial role in changing the way Americans think about women.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:30     Marilyn French 5:38     The Book - The Feminine Mystique 9:27      Who Was Betty Friedan & Why It Matters 11:40    Smith College - The Making of a Worldview 17:50    Highlander Folk School and the Changing of Institutions 19:14    UC Berkley  & Union Journalist 20:33   Standing for Issues & early writings on Women's Issues 24:04   The Real Story Behind The Feminine Mystique 25:08   Authors Who Influenced Betty Friedan 29:10    Simone de Beauvoir & Frederich Engels 34:30   Did It Work? 37:55    Girls in the '50s and '60s - Film and Magazines 39:16    Conscious Raising and The Feminine Mystique 42:40   Anne Oakley 43:34    The Demands 44:22    What Audrey Learned Quotes from this episode: “...my father's individualism and pagan ethical standards were in complete contrast to the rigidly moral conventionalism of my mother's teaching. This disequilibrium, which made my life a kind of endless disputation, is the main reason why I became an intellectual.”~Simone de Beauvoir “Feminism is my religion. I wouldn't know how to think without it." ~Marilyn French “The story of her life, which she has told and which has been popularly accepted, is that she awoke to the woman problem in the late '50s and early '60s and was totally unaware of it previously...All sources agree that Friedan's feminism emerged solely from her research for the Feminist Mystique.” ~Daniel Horowitz “...married in 1947 (true) and for almost the next 20 years, lived the life of a conventional suburban housewife and mother (not true).” ~Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography 1995 “Success of the book was due in large measure (6000 copies to millions) to its claim that it spoke to and from experiences of a suburban housewife in the 1950's.” ~Daniel Horowitz “Men, there is something cooking in your kitchens. Women are waking up to the fact that they can produce things other than babies.” ~Betty Friedan “The liberation of women will only come when they enter the workforce.” ~Frederich Engels “This is not a story of how one woman came to consciousness about her role as a housewife. It is about a national movement with many people involved, of which she was a part.” ~Daniel Horowitz  “There are three political statements that point the way to the liberation of housewives: The housewife role must be abolished, the family must be abolished, gender roles must be abolished.” ~Anne Oakley “What we didn't think through was how else we were to bring up children.”  “She changed the course of history almost singlehandedly. It took a driven, super-aggressive, egocentric, almost lunatic dynamo to rock the world the way she did. Unfortunately, she was that same person at home, where that kind of conduct doesn't work. She simply never understood this.” ~Carl Friedan Books from this episode:      Links from this episode:

"I enjoyed this podcast immensely. I could relate on so many levels. It mirrored many of my own experiences and has encouraged me to remain courageous as I fill my own missions." ~Mary Ann Johnson  Have you ever wanted to peek in the window of a successful and influential mom and see what her day looks like, what struggles she faces, and how she overcomes obstacles in pursuit of a mission driven life? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! Sharidean Flint has been married to her sweetheart 42 years, is the mother of 5 kids, and the current MAYOR of Hyde Park! Her years of sacrifice to stay home with her small children, her self-education in the classics and her courage to move forward on inspiration she received to lead others, even when she was terrified! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:07      Childhood 7:26      The Teen Years 13:48    Marriage and Family 15:54    Religion - My Anchor 20:56   From Mothering to Mayor 30:06   Learning to be a Leader 35:31    The Gifts that Helped Me Lead 37:00   How Much to Sacrifice 42:54   How to Filter the News 47:00   COVID and the Constitution 49:46   My Message 56:48   Her Advice Quotes from this episode: “We accepted that life was dangerous. It's just the way it was. Kids today live such sheltered lives. It's harder for mothers and kids today." ~Sharidean Flint “I had such freedom as a child. It gave me a sense of confidence." ~Sharidean Flint “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. " ~Napoleon Hill “I went to a new school about every year. I learned to get in and make a friend quickly. I became very good at making friends.” ~Sharidean Flint On learning to read -“I thought, 'This is the most fantastic thing!'” ~Sharidean Flint “When you read a lot it broadens your world, increases your knowledge, and gives you a great vocabulary. You become a larger person because you have more experiences than just your own.” ~Sharidean Flint On reading great books - “When you read, you will learn morals, either good morals or bad morals.” ~Sharidean Flint On being a stay-at-home mother - “We are home in the trenches. But men are in their own trench. It's a heavy load.” ~Sharidean Flint On being a stay-at-home mother - “I have no regrets. I don't look back. I made a lot of mistakes but I was there!” ~Sharidean Flint On needing help to run her campaign for city council - “I know someone who knows everything. I know God. I'll just ask Him.” ~Sharidean Flint “You can't control and lead others if you can't control yourself.” ~Sharidean Flint “If I get too responsible for too long it makes me grumpy. I have to have some fun.” ~Sharidean Flint “If it's never happened before in Hyde Park or in the history of the world, it's going to happen while I am mayor! ~Sharidean Flint “I stayed home not because its what my church expected of me, not because it's what my husband said I had to do. It wasn't because society said I couldn't do anything else. I stayed home because I wanted to be a mom. I didn't finish my degree, and now I am a mayor. BUT being a mom is the most important thing I have done with my life.” ~Sharidean Flint “As we are telling young girls how important it is to get an education, can we at least consider being moms as equally important?” ~Sharidean Flint “Women can have it all, just not at the same time.” ~Phyllis Schlafly “Enjoy whatever time you are in.” ~Sharidean Flint Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

"From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom. This good spirit was from God, and to him, I offer thanksgiving and praise." ~Frederick Douglass  From his childhood, though burdened down by incredible oppression, this inner belief that he could someday, somehow overcome slavery was a light and hope that Douglass nurtured. The incredible circumstances which led to a chance opportunity to begin learning to read, and the perseverance and tenacity he demonstrated in becoming literate, are remarkable. With little more than his faith in God and his determination, Douglass conquered reading and it transformed his life. Empowered with this new skill, the world was now open to him and he saw the circumstances of slavery for what they really were.  Once mentally liberated himself, he longed for his brothers and sisters in slavery to experience the same freedom. Compassion and deep love led him to teach his fellow slaves to read--whoever was willing to learn--and to lead them in worshipping the God he knew was aiding them. Yet, although surrounded by loving friends, it eventually became clear to Douglass that he could no longer live the life of a slave. He must escape or die.  Join Audrey this week as she shares the terrible hardships of Douglass' young life and the triumphant heights he rose to--aiding in the freeing of other slaves, consulting with authors and a U.S. President, sacrificing everything to make the world a better place. His story truly teaches us that when we love God and seek truth, we can be lifted from any oppression, and truly set free. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:36      Birth and Early Years 4:44     The Master - Colonel Edward Lloyd 7:59      The Overseer - Mr. Gore 9:27      Learning to Read 11:47    Self-education 15:50    Frederick Douglass and the Foundational Laws 19:12    The Columbian Orator 22:22    Breaking the Slave 26:37    A Moment of Resolve 36:52    Teaching Slaves to Read 38:25    Attempt at Freedom 43:00    A Miracle - Learning a Trade 46:49    Final Escape 50:00    New Bedford 52:21     Summary of the Rest of His Life Quotes from this episode: “I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains." ~Frederick Douglass “And here I saw what I had never seen before; it was a white face beaming with the most kindly emotions; it was the face of my new mistress, Sophia Auld. I wish I could describe the rapture that flashed through my soul as I beheld it. " ~Frederick Douglass “Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, 'If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,' said he, 'if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.' These words sank deep into my heart,

"Expectation is the root of all heartache." ~William Shakespeare We all set expectations--it's just part of our human nature. In fact, we are so accustomed to creating expectations, that we often don't even know we have! Here's the problem--expectations can be dangerous! Why? Because expectations create a standard that we begin to believe must be met. And even more dangerous is the fact that much of the time we want others to meet the expectations we set! How can we overcome this? How we can set goals and plan for the future without letting unmet expectations upset and discourage us?  Join Audrey this week as she walks you through what expectations are and what they are not, why they either hurt or help us, and how we can take control of ourselves and our lives while remaining optimistic and hopeful! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:47      Audrey's Homeschool Journey and Family Culture 6:10      Audrey's Motivation to Homeschool 8:21      Unrealistic Expectations, Self-Judgement and Comparison 14:35    Focus on the Process and Enjoy the Journey 16:31    Expectations Are Not Goal Setting, Visualizing, or Personal Outcomes 17:18     Question One - Why Am I Doing This? 19:44    Question Two - Who Am I Doing It For? 23:14     No Regrets 25:04    Creating Our Own Internal Upset 27:25    The Last Battle 26:47    Audrey's Challenge Quotes from this episode: “Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour." ~from Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself." ~from Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte “I have no right to tell other people how to live their lives. I only have duties I need to perform; I have a conscience I need to obey. And I have one person, Audrey, who I am responsible for completely. I have got to make her the best she can be.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “I made my own education a huge priority, and through that education, I gained tools and learned about principles and was able to fashion my character to a high degree.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “I have greater influence with my family and others because I know how to love better.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “I have made new resolves to be very careful about the beliefs I adopt--to be very careful about the people I listen to and very careful about the expectations I set.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “I can't expect anything from anyone. They don't owe me anything. What I can do is envision and be full of faith, hope, and intention about what I am creating.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher    “I see how distinctly different having a vision and holding that and moving toward pre-determined goals is from expectations. When I envision, I am in control of me and what I am creating for my life. Expectations usually involve other people, and I can't control that.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” ~Shakespeare Books from this episode:   Links from this episode:

As we move forward on our journey toward life mission, loving ourselves is an absolutely critical foundational piece because, honestly, how can we truly love others if we aren't loving God and ourselves? Now that we have learned the first principle of loving ourselves--recognizing and meeting our real needs--we are ready for the second: Disciplining Our Heart and Mind! In this podcast, Audrey outlines 7 Tools for gaining increased self-mastery through disciplining your mind and disciplining your heart.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:50       Definition of Discipline 3:20      Make Yourself Mind Yourself 4:38      Discipline the Mind 6:02      Step One - Develop Your Reason and Logic 12:49    Step Two - Control Your Thoughts 16:16     Step Three - Set Goals and Envision Them 18:27    Discipline the Heart 18:30    Step One - Stay Out of Victim Mode 22:19     Step Two -  Control Your Emotions 24:46    Step three - Forgive Yourself and Others 26:47    Step Four - Practice Patience 30:10    Recap Quotes from this episode: “Anyone who has done any thinking, even a little bit, knows that it is hard work, in fact, the very hardest work that human beings are ever called to do. " ~Mortimer Adler “I stand and work in the world as one who aims at making men and women morally better by making them think.” ~Albert Schweitzer “Nobody's life circumstances are perfect. But what are we telling ourselves about those circumstances?” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “You are the controller of your happiness or your unhappiness…Yet, learning to be a happy, adjusted, productive, and attractive person cannot be done for you. Your therapist can't do it for you. Your doctor can't do it for you. Your husband can't do it for you. They can't push a button and presto, you're no longer depressed or anxious. It takes work on your part to be happy.” ~Bachus & Chapian “Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from Christian submission to the divine will...Patience is a calm temper which bears evils without murmuring...Patience is the act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent.” ~1828 Dictionary Books from this episode:         Links from this episode:    

“Truth is the only safe ground to stand upon.” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton As women in America were extended more and more opportunities for higher education, there arose a group of educated, middle class women who felt strongly about the need for women's suffrage. For Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the right for women to vote was simple, clear and vital. She dedicated her life to raising her 7 children, and putting in whatever work was necessary to see suffrage for women realized. She, and other key figures like Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul played important roles in this fight.  In the meantime, other women like Jane Addams, Dorothea Dix, and Florence Kelly were working for the poorer and ignorant classes to improve their living conditions and opportunities. As part of an attempt to improve the conditions of the lower class, Margaret Sanger, a trained nurse, felt that birth control was the best answer. Control the population, she believed, and give the women the ability to choose when they have children, and living conditions, jobs and wages would improve for all. She devoted herself and all her energy to realizing this ambition--founding the first Planned Parenthood clinics and forming the group of  philanthropists, doctors and scientists who would develop the first birth control pill.  In this podcast, Audrey sweeps across the history of women's issues in the last two centuries. She quickly covers key events, people and issues to create a backdrop for the modern Feminist movement that defines the way women think and talk about themselves today. Tune in next month when Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique take hold in the minds of women across the U.S. and change the framework of relations between men and women forever! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:00      The Vote - The Next Big Thing After Education 7:30      Elizabeth Cady Stanton - First Public Figure in American Suffrage 8:47      Susan B. Anthony 10:33    The Woman's Bible: A Classic Feminist Perspective 11:25     Alice Paul 14:09    The National Women's Party 18:28    The Woman's Era 20:53    Florence Kelly 22:48    Margaret Sanger - Birth Control 26:46    Margaret Sanger's Reasons for Birth Control 29:45    Planned Parenthood 33:47    Margaret Sanger's Reasons for Birth Control 35:05    Margaret Sanger's Personal Life 37:39    The Mike Wallace Interview 41:47    Roe vs Wade Quotes from this episode: “To live for a principle, for the triumph of some reform by which all mankind are to be lifted up—to be wedded to an idea—maybe, after all, the holiest and happiest of marriages.” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton “I would have girls regard themselves not as adjectives, but as nouns.” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton “Truth is the only safe ground to stand upon.” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton “The best protection any woman can have ... is courage. ” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton “The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls. Every truth we see is ours to give the world, not to keep for ourselves alone, for in so doing we cheat humanity out of their rights and check our own development.” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton “To think I have had more than 60 years of hard struggle for a little liberty, and then to die without it seems so cruel.” ~Susan B. Anthony “I do not demand equal pay for any women save those who do equal work in value. Scorn to be coddled by your employers; make them understand that you are in their service as workers, not as women.”  ~Susan B. Anthony “The true republic: Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”  ~Susan B. Anthony “I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.

“God sometimes calls us into service at the most inopportune times. Often, we find a hundred reasons to say no…God wants our availability. He wants our hearts and minds, and lives. He wants us to say in the words of Isaiah, ‘Here am I. Send me.'” ~Millard Fuller Millard Fuller believed that success was measured in dollars. He longed to be a millionaire more than anything else in the world. He ate, drank and slept his vision of riches. He was willing to pay the price, too. He brainstormed, he worked, and he sacrificed for his ultimate goal...until it was almost too late.  Like Millard, many of us are caught up in the rat race with dreams of more and more and more...not even knowing where we're headed or why we want more. The story of Millard and Linda Fuller is a wake up call for all of us - reminding us what success truly is, and showing us how to get it.  In this podcast Audrey demonstrates how truly living the 7 Laws of Mission transformed Millard and Linda, then how they, with God's help, transformed the world.   Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:33       Family, Faith, Church 4:32      Learning Principles and Practices of Success 9:18      Two Formative Projects 16:30    Law School - Morris Dees 21:45    A Covenant with God 27:00   Cookbooks, Toothbrushes and $1 Million 31:38    The Cost 35:58    The Call and the Facade 43:55    Submitting to God and Starting Over 48:50   Answering the Call 56:32    It is a blessing and privilege to do God's work Quotes from this episode: “Sunday and church went together in our family, like ham and eggs.” ~Millard Fuller “I developed a real love for business and for making money before graduating from high school. My dad and I talked a lot about making money and about business. He spent a lot of time with me…he did a great job of teaching me and motivating me to be self-reliant and self-starting.” ~Millard Fuller “By the end of high school, I had developed a strong desire to go into business. I didn't know yet what kind of business, but I wanted it to be big, profitable, and successful. I wanted to be a millionaire too. This would be a sure sign of success in life.” ~Millard Fuller “Without a doubt, my college career had been full. For three years I had packed in as much as I possibly could—days, nights, weekends, vacations, and summers. I always had something going. I had heard and believed that youth is the time to do something and become somebody. My aim was to fill my life with as many varied experiences as time allowed. All the while, I had a sense of being close to God and in tune with his reality—his will—for my life. ” ~Millard Fuller “When asked to do missionary work for a few months - Deep inside, I knew I should go. I felt the invitation was a call from God to perform a particular service for his church. But I turned it down. In my replay to Mr. Waery, I wrote, ‘I'll do it in two years, maybe.'” ~Millard Fuller “God sometimes calls us into service at the most inopportune times. Often, we find a hundred reasons to say no…God wants our availability. He wants our hearts and minds, and lives. He wants us to say in the words of Isaiah, ‘Here am I. Send me.'” ~Millard Fuller “When I was in Law school, I had promised God that I would make myself available for his purposes. I had assured God that, regardless of the success or financial achievements of our company, I would always put his kingdom first…But in a real-life situation, I said no to God and yes to business and further financial achievements.”  ~Millard Fuller “The words of praise from the community rang in my ears. ‘You've got it made,' these voices said. ‘Many people would like to be in your shoes.' The other voice I heard was much quieter, but nonetheless bothersome: ‘Where are you headed? What does all of this mean? You're not putting God first.'”  ~Millard Fuller “Do we not all hear these two voices when faced ...

“Confidence is something we can choose! It is something we can work on today!” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher One woman recently shared struggles that so many women are experiencing today: “Where do I start if I'm at zero? Last week you asked us to write down things we liked about ourselves and I went blank. I thought about it for a couple of days and still came up empty. All the things I've been saying about myself lately are negative ones and I've struggled [to get] away from them. They are really loud.” What is happening? Why are good, honest, well-intentioned mothers unable to see all the good in themselves? Why are their thoughts so negative and destructive? Why do they so deeply lack confidence? Confidence can seem like such a fragile thing, coming and going throughout our lives, and often seeming so out of our control. Understanding the definition of confidence gives us insight into why women are suffering and how they can begin to develop greater confidence. In fact, in this podcast you'll learn that there is a formula for gaining and retaining confidence--and it's simple and very doable.  You'll also come to see the real meaning of confidence, how it is tied to living true principles and why it is in your control. Audrey will equip you with three key tools which will enable you to ask yourself questions that will empower you to build greater confidence in yourself!   Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:30       The event that got Audrey thinking about confidence    5:53       The Keys to Confidence - Trust & Truth 9:57       The two kinds of truth 12:13      If I'm doing my best why do I still lack confidence 18:30     Three components of trust & empowering questions 19:49     Who you are 22:50     What you know 25:10     The quality of your relationships 28:43     Angela's story Quotes from this episode: “You have to affirm yourself and draw your worth from God. No one can do that for you and make you feel enough.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “We have to start by leading ourselves first.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Confidence is a state of being where we know the truth and we trust our ability to live that truth. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~John 8:31-32 “Desired blessings come only by obedience to divine law, and in no other way. My lifetime thus far has been focused on learning those laws. Only as the laws are known, and then obeyed, can the blessings we desire be earned.” ~Russell M. Nelson “The key to self-mastery is to take responsibility for ourselves and to work on aligning our lives more closely with truth and principles. This increases our power. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Trust is something you can do something about— and probably much faster than you think.” ~ Stephen M.R. Covey “CONFIDENCE is something we can choose! It is something we can work on today!” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “[My] pursuit of truth through the MDM Academy has given me confidence, to care for myself, to pursue truth and to live principles regardless of what others are doing” ~Karen Bates  Empowering Questions: 1. Do I have personal integrity and follow through on the commitments I make to myself?    Is my heart really in the right place? Do I have the right intentions? Is my character what it ought to be? 2. Do I truly have the skills to accomplish my goals and commitments? Do I really know how to do this job properly?  Do I need to gain more knowledge or practice my skill-set? 3. Do I talk well about myself and to myself the way I would like someone else to talk to me and about me? How am I treating others? Do I show respect Do I listen? Do I take their input and involve them in the decisions? Books from this episode:

“Your relationship with God and yourself is the foundation of ALL your other relationships.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher As busy moms, we all have one trait in common - putting ourselves last. Be honest, you've done it far more often than you should have - and to the detriment of your own health and well-being. While this is a very admirable trait in many ways, the horrible consequences we all seem to experience include negativity, burn out, overwhelm and sometimes even depression. But it doesn't have to be that way!  Although sacrifice is inherent in the mothering world, not understanding or not making time to meet our real needs can wreak havoc in our homes. Not only because of the awful consequences to ourselves, but because through our example and lack of teaching, our children never learn what their real needs are and how critical it is to meet them daily.  In this podcast, you'll hear about Dave Rubin, a staunch liberal who, in his moment of quiet self-care, had a life-changing experience. You'll also be introduced to what self-care truly means and how you can begin today. You'll gain a new perspective on what it means to love yourself - remembering that it's not an emotion but an action! Best of all, we encourage you to take Audrey's challenge and see how loving yourself can change your life! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:30      Discussion on loving yourself 6:58     Dave Rubin 11:30    Dave Rubin's political conversion 13:22    I am not an atheist 15:15    Dave Rubin's self-care practice 16:50   Truth in the madness 17:14    The result of loving self 20:49   Sharpen the saw 22:40   Physical 24:32   Spiritual 26:31    Mental 28:53   Social/Emotional 32:13    Audrey's Challenge Quotes from this episode: “You are the only one that can meet your real needs." ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Loving God and loving self is the foundation of everything else.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “No one is going to treat us better than we treat ourselves.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “You are the only person you are going to spend your whole life with. Everyone else is going to come and go, so it is really important that you like yourself. You're only going to like yourself if you love yourself. Love is a verb. It's an action, a choice that we make. It's something that we do. We don't wait for emotions to be generated. We take action to care for ourselves properly. Remember, we're striving for self-mastery.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Loving self is about understanding and meeting our real needs. We will only truly feel good and have the necessary positive energy to bring to our lives and the world when those needs are met. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The idea that there has to be a bedrock, something real and true outside of us moved me. One day it just came out of my mouth, I am not an atheist. I got a lot of hate for that one.” ~Dave Rubin “I like to talk to people from all walks of life and figure out what the common stuff is.” ~Dave Rubin “I really believe that there is something out there that is fundamentally true that doesn't shift over time, that gives us our sense of right and wrong, and is a bedrock in our lives.” ~Dave Rubin “I'm in it like everyone else, trying to find the truth in the madness.” ~Dave Rubin “[Sharpening the saw] is the single most powerful investment we can ever make in life - investment in ourselves, in the only instrument we have with which to deal with life and to contribute. We are the instruments of our own performance, and to be effective, we need to recognize the importance of taking time regularly to sharpen the saw in all four ways." ~Stephen Covey “A good exercise program is one that you can do in your own home and one that will build your body in three areas: endurance, flexibility, and strength.” ~Stephen Covey “As you act based on the value of  physical well-being instead of reacting to all the forces t...

“When we understand rights clearly, then we don't need to be feminists or non-feminists. We don't need to stand in anyone's camp; we can stand on truth.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  As we move forward in time, and the freedom of women in the West expands, we see a new movement to extend greater educational opportunities to women. The voices for this advancement increased until eventually the majority of women were not only literate but had access to traditional schools and education.  But upon what does the the idea of expanded education rest for women? Rights! It is because women are also human, because they share reason and intellect with men, that they can claim not the privilege but the right to receive as much as education as they can.  That's why in this podcast we pause to introduce the origin of rights and their importance in the question of women and feminism. Once understand, the rest of the rights of women follow.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:35      A discussion on 'Rights' 6:09     Magna Charta 8:13      Lysander Spooner 9:42      A discussion of duty 10:55   Four Main Rights 14:05   The education of women - Daniel Defoe 23:54   Mary Wollstonecraft 28:33   Key ideas of feminism pre-WWII Quotes from this episode: “I plead not for myself but for my sex. My own personal wants, anyway, amount to very little. For many years I have regarded independence as the great blessing of life, the basis of every virtue; and even if I end up living on a barren heath, I will always guarantee my independence by contracting my wants." ~Mary Wollstonecraft “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men, but over themselves.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft “Fighting for the rights of women, my main argument is built on this simple principle: If woman isn't fitted by education to become man's companion, she will stop the progress of knowledge, because truth must be common to all; if it isn't, it won't be able to influence how people in general behave. And how can woman be expected to cooperate if she doesn't know why she ought to be virtuous; if freedom doesn't strengthen her reason until she understands her duty and sees how it is connected with her real good? If children are to be brought up to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother must be a patriot.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft “Surely, sir, you won't say that a duty can be binding without being founded on reason! Arguments for civil and political rights can be drawn from reason; and with that splendid support, the more understanding women acquire the more they will be attached to their duty, understanding it. Unless they understand it—unless their morals are based on the same immutable principles as those of man—no authority can make them act virtuously. ” ~Mary Wollstonecraft “If women aren't permitted to enjoy legitimate rights, they will seek illicit privileges.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft “In the present state of society, it seems that we have to go back to first principles in search of the simplest truths, and to fight against some prevailing prejudice for every inch of ground.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft   “Only a strong mind can resolutely form its own principles.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft “I have often thought of it as one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a civilized and a Christian country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women. We reproach the sex every day with folly and impertinence; while I am confident, had they the advantages of education equal to us, they would be guilty of less than ourselves.” ~Daniel Defoe “But besides this, they should be taught languages, as particularly French and Italian: and I would venture the injury of giving a woman more tongues than one. They should, as a particular study, be taught all the graces of speech, and all the necessary air of conversation; which our common education is so defective in,...

"Our talents are given us in order that we may serve ourselves and our fellowmen." ~Calvin Coolidge From a small town boy in Vermont to President of the U.S., Calvin Coolidge remained the same stalwart, honest, clear-thinking man he was trained to be at home. He clung to the values and principles instilled in him through his parents, grandparents and devoted professors, all his life. He never flinched in his beliefs that God is at the helm, that He directs His children through natural laws and principles, that hard work is the backbone of success and progress and that liberty must be earned. He brought order and increased freedom at every level of government in which he served. Best of all, he loudly exclaimed--through his words and through the life he lived--that we are here to serve God by serving our fellowmen and that if we'll prepare ourselves, God will call us to His work.  In this podcast, you'll hear Coolidge's own words about all aspects of life. You'll see his spiritual training, his educational preparation and his commitment to giving of himself to create better communities. In his life, you'll watch the fruits of the 7 Laws of Life Mission bless a nation, and hopefully, you'll be inspired to follow in his footsteps.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  6:18        Birth and early life     14:13      Education 19:14      A deeper introduction to Natural Law and Truth 27:42     Professor Garman 30:09    Law 33:01     Family 35:45     Public Office 39:27     The real role of government 42:51     National Attention and Staying the Course 45:24    The hand of God 48:36    Mr. President 51:46     Two sad events Quotes from this episode: “By reason of what I saw and heard in my early life, I came to have a good working knowledge of the practical side of government. I understood that it consisted of restraints which the people had imposed upon themselves in order to promote the common welfare.” ~Calvin Coolidge “[My parents] drew no class distinctions except towards those who assumed superior airs. Those they held in contempt. They held strongly to the doctrine of equality. Whenever the hired man or the hired girl wanted to go anywhere they were always understood to be entitled to my place in the wagon, in which case, I remained at home. This gave me a very early training in democratic ideas and impressed upon me very forcibly the dignity and power, if not the superiority, of labor.” ~Calvin Coolidge “While I can think of many pleasures we did not have, and many niceties of culture with which we were unfamiliar, yet if I had the power to order my life anew I would not dare to change that period of it. If it did not afford me the best that there was, it abundantly provided the best that there was for me.” ~Calvin Coolidge “I discovered that our ideas of democracy came from the agora of Greece, and our ideas of liberty came from the forum of Rome. Something of the sequence of history was revealed to me so that I began to understand the significance of our own times and our own country.” ~Calvin Coolidge “If attendance on these religious services ever harmed any of the men of my time I have never been informed of it. The good it did I believe was infinite. Not the least of it was the discipline that resulted from having constantly to give some thought to things that young men would often prefer not to consider. If we did not have the privilege of doing what we wanted to do we had the much greater benefit of doing what we ought to do. It broke down our selfishness, it conquered our resistance, it supplanted impulse, and finally, it enthroned reason.” ~Calvin Coolidge “Above all, we were taught to follow the truth whithersoever it might lead. We were warned that this would oftentimes be very difficult and result in much opposition, for there would be many who were not going that way, but if we pressed on steadfastly it was sure to yield...

“Next to the blessed sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” ~C.S. Lewis In reading The Problem of Pain, Audrey ran across a simple sentence that started her thinking along brand new lines about this thing we call "communication." Communication is an idea that we speak about incessantly, that we attend counseling, life coaching and seminars to gain. It's something we say we're practicing and getting better at. It's something we believe will fix our relationships, our businesses and our international relations.  But what if, amidst all this talking and training and obsessing about communication, we just fundamentally misunderstand what it is? What if, given a little bit different perspective, we could see ourselves and others so differently that "communication" would become something we actually know how to do - and can do well?  In this podcast, Audrey shares recent insights she's had about the true nature and meaning of communication that are shifting how she thinks about God, about herself and about all her relationships.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  5:43      The sentence which began it all 6:44      Definitions matter 10:00   The connection between communication and love 13:04    How true communication/communion impacts us  20:00   Important questions to ask Quotes from this episode: “I have tried to assume nothing that is not professed by all baptized and communicating Christians." ~C. S. Lewis “By the goodness of God we mean nowadays, almost exclusively his lovingness and may be right. But in this context most of us mean kindness...We want...not so much a Father in Heaven as a Grandfather in Heaven...who likes to see young people enjoying themselves and who planned...that it might be truly said at the end of the day, 'A good time was had by all.' I should very much like to live in a universe...grounded on such lines but since it is abundantly clear that I don't and since I have reason to believe...God is love, I conclude that my conception of love needs correction.” ~C. S. Lewis “Love is the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.” ~M. Scott Peck “The principal form that the work of love takes is attention.” ~M. Scott Peck “If we listen enough to our children and well enough, we will begin to understand what extraordinary beings they are. The more you know about the child the better able you will be to teach. This is a cycle. Value begets value and love begets love.” ~M. Scott Peck “True listening, total concentration on the other is always a manifestation of love. An essential part of true listening is the discipline of temporarily giving up or setting aside one's own prejudices, frames of reference and desires, so as to experience...the speaker's world from inside...This unification of speaker and listener is actually an extension and enlargement of one's self and new knowledge is always gained from this. Moreover, since true listening involves this attention to the setting aside of the self...it involves a total acceptance of the other.” ~M. Scott Peck    “When we are communing with God we are thinking more about the attention we are paying to Him.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “It may be possible for each of us to think too much of his own potential...It is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The...burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of potential Gods and Goddesses... To remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person...may one day be a creature which you would be ...tempted to worship or who else might be a horror and corruption such as you would only meet in a nightmare. All day long we are,

“It is the most courageous act in this world to put God's will first in our lives - to listen to what our conscience is asking us to do.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  There are  important questions that have consumed the thinking of men and women through all the ages. Do we have free will or are we only acted upon? What does it mean to be willing? What role does conscience play in action? Should God have anything to do with our actions? Understanding natural laws and first principles can help us understand what is true concerning our ability to act or be acted upon. As we understand and apply these truths it will help us resolve problems, make wise choices and be a positive influence for good in the world! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:34        Definition of Willing 7:19        What God asks - Be willing 9:30       Obedience - Duty 12:33      Shinichi Suzuki 16:17       Educate your conscience 20:17      God's love and our courage to do Quotes from this episode: “To deceive oneself is worse than to deceive others.” ~Leo Tolstoy “The voice of conscience is the voice of God.” ~Leo Tolstoy “Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge.” ~Viktor Frankl “The process of educating the conscience is not unlike the physical or mental processes of self-discipline: learning, listening, committing, doing, listening again, recommitting, practicing, learning again, practicing again, and so on.” ~Stephen Covey “Here I should like to remark, for the sake of princes and princesses in general, that it is a low and contemptible thing to refuse to confess a fault, or even an error. If a true princess has done wrong, she is always uneasy until she has had an opportunity of throwing the wrongness away from her by saying: ‘I did it; and I wish I had not; and I am sorry for having done it.'”  ~George MacDonald “First principles have been written by the finger of God on the very hearts of men.” ~Thomas Reid “As I have paid more attention to my conscience, I've been able to ask questions and find answers that a few months ago were probably there but I overlooked them.” ~Marisa Hill, MDM Academy student “In reality moral rules, God's laws, true principles, are directions for running the human machine. Every moral rule is there to prevent a breakdown, or strain, or a friction in the running of that machine.” ~C.S. Lewis “[God] knows what will make us happy. He knows the next step we should take. He knows what purifying we need to go through.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “It is the most courageous act in this world to put God's will first in our lives - to listen to what our conscience is asking us to do.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “God loved us first. He loves us still. He loves us always and we have infinite worth. It is up to us to love Him in return. Then gratitude for God's love will grow within us.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Books from this episode:          Links from this episode:                     

“If every man in history had believed that women were inferior and should never be listened to, then these women would not have had the tremendous influence they did.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Julian of Norwich wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language to be written by a woman. She challenged the notion of a God who wanted to damn mankind and put forth the idea of a God who loved like a mother loves.  Christine de Pizan was the first female professional writer of the Middle Ages and the first woman of letters in France.  During her own  journey to understand the true role of women, she asked God, "How can everything you create be good except women?" This opened the door to her discovery of womankind's real worth. Margery Kempe was a medieval mystic and author of the first autobiography in English. Today it is considered a classic of Medieval Literature. Her devotion and faith compelled her to dramatically change her way of thinking and living, which forced others to look more honestly at themselves.  Joan of Arc was a medieval peasant who, claiming to receive visions from God, turned the tide of the Hundred Years' War in favor of a French victory. Her actions were so heroic, courageous and good that she continues to inspire people today. As you immerse yourself in four more stories of real women who had a lasting impact for good in the lives of thousands of people during the Middle Ages and who still impact lives today, you'll be inspired to overcome the obstacles in your own life and let your own light shine more brightly! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:50      Julian of Norwich 5:38     Christine de Pizan 8:55     Christine de Pizan's struggle to understand women's worth 13:16    Christine de Pizan's 3 arguments for woman's equality with men 17:28    Margery Kempe 18:29   Joan of Arc Quotes from this episode: “One day I was sitting alone in my study surrounded by books on all kinds of subjects, devoting myself to literary studies, my usual habit, my mind dwelt at length on the weighty opinions of various authors whom I had studied for a long time...Thinking deeply about these matters, I began to examine my character and conduct as a natural woman and, similarly, I considered other women whose company I frequently kept…I could not see or realize how [the great men] claims could be true when compared to the natural behavior and character of women...[I concluded that] the man or the woman in whom resides greater virtue is the higher; neither the loftiness nor the sex, but in the perfection of conduct and virtues." ~Christine de Pizan, from The Book of the City of Ladies, 1405 “…moral education amends and ennobles [women]. How could anyone think or believe that whoever follows good teaching or doctrine is the worse for it? Thus, not all men (and especially the wisest) share the opinion that it is bad for women to be educated.” ~Christine de Pizan, from The Book of the City of Ladies, 1405 “Possibly the book may not sell, but that is nothing—it was written for love.” ~Mark Twain about his book Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc “Twain decided to publish the early serialized version of Joan of Arc anonymously so the book could be judged on its merits. His request for anonymity clearly shows the magnitude of his admiration for the character of Joan, and his high regard for her life story. Twain's meticulous research—a true labor of love—spanned a dozen years, with an additional two years devoted to writing the work.” ~Mark Twain, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc “All will be well and every manner of thing will be well in spite of how circumstances might appear.” ~Julian of Norwich “It's not as if, in today's world, we just suddenly woke up and we were the first people smart enough to think that men and women are equal. These kinds of things were discussed all through history.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“Lord, if you will show me the way, I will follow you. Amen.” ~Brother  Andrew Once there was a boy who grew up poor, uneducated, with a deaf father, an ill mother and a handicapped brother. This boy's life was full of troubles and heartaches. Yet, despite the challenges, his family deeply loved each other and God.  Unfortunately, despite being taught all the right principles this boy, Andrew, still lacked clarity, self-confidence and direction. Rather than turning to God to solve these problems, Andrew chose to lean on other things for strength -- changing his environment, giving in to peer pressure, chain smoking, getting drunk, even risking his life in battle. Of course, none of the things he had chosen to lean on restored his love of self, removed his grief and shame, took away his resentments, made him happy or brought him comfort, peace, or joy. Like Andrew, when the pain of the world descends upon us we must lean on something for support! What will we choose to lean on?  That makes all the difference! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:54        Andrew's story 8:31        What do you want to do with your life, Andrew? 10:30     Killing is not the adventure he sought 13:57      Leaning on all the wrong things 25:00     The Bible 28:46     Letting go and Freedom! 30:00     God's smuggler 33:15      Audrey's challenge and the 1st Law of Life Mission Quotes from this episode: “I left home emotionally as well as physically…how I liked being treated like an adult.” ~Brother Andrew “And instantly I knew that I had been wrong about this adventure. It wasn't the danger—I liked that—it was the killing. Suddenly targets were no longer pieces of paper stuck up on an earth background, they were fathers and brothers like my own. Often our targets weren't even in uniform. What was I doing? How had I gotten here? I was more disgusted with myself than I had ever imagined possible.” ~Brother Andrew Brother Andrew's prayer: “Today help me not take a step outside Your will.”  “That was the final irony, the final failure. I hadn't even managed to get my brains blown out. Just a foot. Somehow in all my furious self-destructiveness I had never considered this possibility. I had always seen myself going out in a blaze of contempt for the whole human farce. But to live—and crippled!—that was the meanest fate of all. My great adventure had failed. Worse, I was twenty years old, and I had discovered that there was no real adventure anywhere in the world.” ~Brother Andrew  “I said thanks but I didn't pick [the Bible] up. I doubt if I ever would have, except for the nuns….The hospital to which I had been assigned was run by Franciscan sisters. I soon fell in love with every one of them…" ~Brother Andrew “He asks for so little in order to give us so much.”  ~Brother Andrew “'Why, Andrew, you ought to know the answer to that—a good Dutch boy like you. It's the love the Christ.' When she said it, her eyes sparkled, and I knew without question that for her this was the whole answer...” ~from God's Smuggler “It is just when we are weakest that God can use us most.” ~Brother Andrew “What was I hanging on to? I lay on my back with my hands under my head staring at the darkened ceiling and all at once, very quietly, I let go of my ego. With a new note in the wind yelling at me not to be a fool, I turned myself over to God—lock, stock, and adventure. There wasn't much faith in my prayer. I just said, ‘Lord, if You will show me the way, I will follow You. Amen.  ...although I had thrown away every shred of self-defense, I felt secure in a way I had never before known. I woke up with such joy welling in me that I had to tell someone.” ~Brother Andrew “Fast as we could give money away, God was always swifter.” ~Brother Andrew Books from this episode:     Links from this episode:          

“No mere acquisition of knowledge was of any value in her eyes in comparison with a longing to dedicate it to the service of humanity.” ~Francis Tiffany about Dorothea Dix Dorothea Dix was remarkable!  Despite being raised by a mentally ill father, deprived of a proper education, born down by the early responsibility of two younger brothers and suffering from her own physical illnesses, Dorothea determined to make something beautiful and purposeful of her life.  Not surprisingly, her life perfectly exemplifies the 7 Laws of Life Mission. Through her determination to love God and serve Him, she learned to better care for her health, studied hard to gain a deep classical education, took on adult responsibilities at a young age, and came to love people of all cultures and faiths. Then, as it always does, her calling came when she visited insane women in prison. Moved by deep compassion for their helpless state, she determined to spend the rest of her life championing the cause of the insane poor in a world that was indifferent to their plight.  The story of Dorothea's life will encourage and inspire you to strive a little harder to fulfill your own life mission! Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  4:47       Her feelings on being a public figure 9:22       Her father 12:20     Leaving home-Her grandmother 15:10      Determined to teach 18:37      Law 1 - Letters of examination 20:09     Law 2 - Love of self 22:25      Law 3 - Love of truth 23:51      Law 4 - Love of humanity 26:20     How she gained a love of humanity 31:42      Law 5  - The catalyst for her work     34:25      Law 6 - She studies insanity 36:04     The Massachusetts Legislature 39:04     Law 7 - Being a voice for good Quotes from this episode: “I feel it right to say to you frankly that nothing could be undertaken which would give me more pain and serious annoyance, which would so trespass on my personal rights,…or interfere more seriously with the real usefulness of my mission. I am not ambitious of nominal distinctions, and notoriety is my special aversion. My reputation and my services belong to my country.” ~Dorothea Dix “I never knew childhood!” ~Dorothea Dix “Eager for knowledge, ambitious for more refined and intellectual social opportunities, loaded down already with a premature sense of responsibility, thus early had the iron entered her soul, and the conviction been developed in her of the reality and sharpness of the battle of life.” ~Francis Tiffany  “To become independent in means, to educate herself for a position that would command support and respect, to be able to get her two younger brothers under the same roof with her and enact the part of child-mother to them—this early developed into the indomitable purpose of her life.” ~Francis Tiffany  “Happily preparation for this calling [teacher] was in the line of the deepest instincts of her nature. These were at that time thirst for knowledge and longing to exert direct moral influence.” ~Francis Tiffany  “Her sense of pitiful compassion for the ignorant, degraded, and suffering was the strongest element in her being.” ~Francis Tiffany  “The hour of bodily suffering is to me the house of spiritual joy. It is then that most I feel my dependence on God and his power to sustain.” ~Dorothea Dix “No mere acquisition of knowledge was of any value in her eyes in comparison with a longing to dedicate it to the service of humanity.” ~Francis Tiffany  “…vivid interest in all the branches of natural history, which unquestionably would have asserted itself as the dominant passion of her mind, had it not been overmastered by the still stronger passion for consecrating herself to the relief of human suffering.” ~Francis Tiffany “But there are duties to be performed here. Life is not to be expended in vain regrets. No day, no hour, comes but brings in its train work to be performed for some useful end,

In 2006, an unknown woman was instrumental in creating and releasing a little documentary titled "The Secret." Its fame grew rapidly through unconventional avenues until it achieved massive worldwide impact. Now, in 2020, a sequel to this documentary is being released in movie form titled: "The Secret: Dare to Dream." The release of the new movie reminded Audrey of how deeply she had been impacted by the original version in 2006. She decided to returned to it and reviewed its teachings from the new place she finds herself in 15 years later. As she studied it, she was struck by how much she agreed with what was taught--but she was also surprised by how much she argued with it as well.  In this podcast, Audrey shares what she loved and hated most in this documentary and why. She shares her perspective, after 20 years of studying history and learning from the world's greatest philosophers and thinkers, what she believes to be true and false in this movie and why. Then she goes on to share key pieces she believes are missing  and why their absence in discussing the law of attraction and envisioning can be so detrimental.  She hopes, through analyzing this documentary, that she can help others on the mission path to look more critically at what is being taught about how we can create the lives we want. She encourages everyone to consider more closely what ideas and principles they adopt.  Most of all, she hopes that this podcast will empower everyone to better understand how to move forward in their own mission. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:00     An Overview of The Secret 5:50     Infinite power and Natural Law 6:32     The basic premise of The Secret 8:48     Thoughts on positive thinking 9:27      Why Audrey is responding 11:20    Is "the secret" like  a genie in a bottle? 13:20    What is missing and cosmic humanism 15:04    Are all desires of equal value? 20:00   Where does God fit in? 21:58    Service and sacrifice Quotes from this episode: “Creation is always happening.” ~'The Secret' “Positive thoughts are 100x more powerful than negative ones.” ~'The Secret' “You are the Michelangelo of your own life. The David you are sculpting is you.” ~Joe Vitale “You're getting what you're feeling about.” ~'The Secret' “Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve.”~W. Clement Stone “I could not allow anything to come in to my mind that would distract me from my goal and my vision.” ~Morris E. Goodman, 'The Miracle Man' “The idea that all desires are equal is simply not a true principle.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The universe is abundant.  We are meant to be happy and fulfilled, but we are here to learn and grow. Sometimes that includes suffering and sacrifice.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Books from this episode:         Links from this episode:      

“As the rest of the world grew stranger, one thing became increasingly clear....our Bible was the center of an ever-widening circle of help and hope. Like waifs clustered around a blazing fire, we gathered about it, holding out our hearts to its warmth and light. The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God.” ~Corrie ten Boom This is a central classic. It is the book that gives your life meaning; the book that tells you who you are, why you are on earth and where you will go after death. It governs the choices you make. It tells you what is real. It is the book that is so important to you that you would, like Corrie, risk even life to have it. To you, it is the truth. Mission driven men and women throughout history have always chosen to make their central classic the center of their lives. In this way, they adopt a truth higher than their own opinions, emotions and tendencies. Through their central classic they become grounded in true principles from which to govern their lives - creating stability and leading them ever closer to peace and happiness. In this podcast, Audrey discusses not only the importance of making your scripture of utmost importance in your life, but she also gives tips to help your study of scripture come alive. As you emulate the greats in this way, you will watch your life become happier, more joyful, more faithful, and more hopeful. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  2:16      We are moral beings 3:09     The importance of a central classic 6:00     The ten Boom family's commitment to the Bible 8:30     Choosing a central classic 12:07    The "most read book" 14:52    James Madison 17:18    Why live by a central classic 17:58    How we wrongly use the scriptures  19:13    Recommendations for studying your central classic 21:25    Using the Five Types of Questions Quotes from this episode: “This is a central classic. It is the book that gives your life meaning. The book that tells you who you are, why you are on earth and where you will go after death. It governs the choices you make. It tells you what is real. It is the book that is so important to you that you would, like Corrie, risk even life to have it. To you, it is the truth. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The Bible was a whole literature, a library. It was an anthology of poetry and short stories. It taught history, biography, biology, geography, philosophy, political science, psychology, hygiene, and sociology (statistical at that), in addition to cosmogony, ethics and theology. ” ~Jacques Barzun “The Holy Scripture is to me, and always will be, the constant guide of my assent; and I shall always hearken to it, as containing the infallible truth relating to things of highest concernment…and I shall presently condemn and quit any opinion of mine, as soon as I am shown that it is contrary to any revelation in the Holy Scripture.” ~James Madison “While the Bible has served as the central classic for the West, there are also central classics in the East—The Vedas, Bhagavadgita, The Koran, Writings of Confucius and others. Other civilizations such as the American Indians and the early Hindus have had oral traditions... All of these central classics, written or oral, have taught about the beginning of the world, how man came into being, why he is now on earth and what he should do with his life. These are timeless questions that all human beings have sought answers to. And a central classic lies at the center of whatever belief system you adopt. ” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “One day, in heaven, we will have complete insight and knowledge, but here below we have to grasp many things without fully understanding them. We have to make a clear choice between man's scientific criticism and the declaration, “It is written.””~Casper ten Boom “It is essential...that you should form and adopt certain rules or ...

“It is shortsighted to say that feminism is a Biblical problem or that it is predominantly a Western  problem.”  ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Although most women in medieval times did not have the opportunity to utilize all of their gifts and talents , some amazing women were able to rise above their status and have a positive impact on society.  Here is your introduction to seven of them! Through learning their stories we are introduced to a different view of women in this time period. We see women leading in political positions, as artisans, through running organizations, as writers, and other capacities. We also come to see the reality that even in medieval times, there were men who respected women, believed in them and even followed them.   Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  3:50     Women's inferiority owing to the Bible and church refuted 7:45      What we know about Medieval women 10:58    Theodora of  Byzantium 12:35    Hilda, Abbess of Whitby 14:03    Ende the Illuminator 14:47    Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians 15:55    Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim 17:57    Hildegard of Bingen 19:07    Marie de France Quotes from this episode: “It is shortsighted to say that feminism is a Biblical problem or that it is predominantly a Western problem.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The middle class has always been the core of any thriving society. Men relied on their wives to raise children, run the household, help with businesses, and to work hard physically.  Men treated them more equally than in the higher levels of society.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  Books from this episode:                  

“If the conversation is worth having, it's worth doing right.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  We LOVE principles! We know they matter and we desperately want to share them with those we love. But... sharing principles can be tricky! When wanting to share the truths we've learned, we might be asking ourselves: How do I know I'm right? How much should I say? What if they won't listen? What if it hurts our relationship? Yet, we should actually be asking ourselves: Is it my place to be talking to them? Are my motives pure or am I trying to "fix" them? Do we have the kind of relationship that makes it possible for them to hear and accept what I'm sharing?  Do I understand the principle and live it well enough?  In this podcast, Audrey as she shares 10 Steps that will help you determine the what, when, where and how of sharing the principles you love with the people you love!  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:37      Step 1 8:12      Step 2 12:57    Step 3 16:41    Step 4 18:32    Step 5 20:59    Step 6 23:38    Step 7 25:29    Step 8 27:02    Benjamin Franklin 31:40    Step 9 30:59    Step 10 Quotes from this episode: “No amount of good behavior can make up for how you truly feel about someone. Get your heart in the right place.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” ~Theodore Roosevelt “Everyone hates a hypocrite. Make sure your life is in harmony with what you want to teach.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “[Make] direct amends...wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” ~Alcoholics Anonymous “Check in with your stewardship. It's not always your place to say anything.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “Nobody wants your advice unless they ask for it, and even then, they usually don't want it.”~Audrey Rindlisbacher's mom “Be prepared to be ignored: even Jesus couldn't convince everyone.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “Stories are the most powerful and memorable thing you can share. When they remember the story, they remember the principle.”~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “Show up humble and vulnerable.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “If the conversation is worth having, it's worth doing right.”~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “Faith is based on evidence. Evidence weighs in favor of truth.”~Audrey Rindlisbacher “The most powerful thing we can do for anyone is to ask the right question at the right time.”~Audrey Rindlisbacher  “Because we are creators by nature, when we're asked a good question it can have more power than almost anything else.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher  Books from this episode:

“I believe that God made me for a purpose - to be a missionary in China. But He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure! ~Eric Liddell The incredible true story of Eric Liddell is one of overcoming self, obedience to God, and service born of love for others. Best known as an Olympic Gold medalist, many don't realize that Liddell spent most of his life striving to bring others to God. In fact, he didn't just give to others all his life, in the end, he gave his life as well.  His impact his been worldwide and lasting - as a son, a friend, a father, a husband, an athlete, a teacher, an author and a missionary. His work ethic, kindness and devotion to God make him a hero for all of us. His story will inspire and motivate you to follow his example and give just a little more for God.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:30      Childhood in China 5:36      Becoming an athlete 7:15       College 11:10     Beginning to preach 14:19     Sportsmanship 16:56     1924 Olympics 22:49    Teaching in China & Marriage 25:19     Internment camp 32:43    The Disciplines of the Christian Life Quotes from this episode:  *All Eric Liddell quotes are from his book The Disciplines of the Christian Life “The Christian life should be a life of growth. I believe the secret of growth is to develop the devotional life. This involves setting aside each day a time for prayer and Bible study. The time need not be long but it should be unhurried. We should bring to it in an honest spirit, prepared to face the challenge of God's Word as it lays down a way of life, and prepared to face any inconsistencies in our lives which make them un-Christlike.” ~Eric Liddell  “The ideal way [to surrender to God] would be to take what you feel should be surrendered and in prayer, on your knees before God, tell him all. Hide nothing; be honest in your attitude towards it and towards God. Wait on your knees till you know you have God's forgiveness and that your surrender has been accepted. “ ~Eric Liddell “Many of us have found the surrender more satisfactory and complete by first sharing it, that is, talking it over with a friend who understands. This is hard. I know it is hard. It strikes at one of the most deep-rooted sins, namely pride, and that is what makes it so difficult. It seems harder to tell someone else than to tell God. Yet it shouldn't be. We often take things to God in such a way that it cost us very little, more in the attitude of justifying our failure than confessing out guilt. It is here that a true friend can be so helpful, bringing out the points that need to be surrendered. Together turn in prayer to make your surrender to God. In quiet, wait for God, to know what you should do about it.” ~Eric Liddell “Self-examination which does not result in action is dangerous. What am I going to do about what I see? The action called for is surrender—of ourselves to God." ~Eric Liddell “A disciple is one who knows God personally, and who learns from Jesus Christ, who most perfectly revealed God. One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having his peace and assurance in your heart; it is obedience.” ~Eric Liddell "Here are four tests of the moral law by which to measure ourselves—and so obey the biblical commands. Am I truthful?  Am I honest?  Am I pure?  Am I selfish?" “Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to do (obey) God's will that brings enlightenment and certainty regarding spiritual truth. ‘If any man will do [obey] his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself' (John 7:17).'" ~Eric Liddell “Following truth leads to God, for truth is of God." ~Eric Liddell “Obedience is the secret of being conscious that God guides you personally.

Do you ever wish you could figure out why you aren't as happy as you think you should be? Do you struggle with a sense of insecurity? Does social media make you feel inferior because, as a social mirror, you don't look as good as your friends.  Do you struggle to change deeply embedded habits? Are you ever immobilized when what you want is to be productive. Have you felt a yearning for a deep sense of worth, the capacity to change for the better, a desire to feel whole?  As she began learning about principles and laws, these were some of the things Audrey was wrestling with. Haven't we all? In this weeks podcast Audrey shares some transformative information on Law 1 of Life mission - Love God, and Principle 1 of that law - PRAYER.  As we learn more about our relationship to God and how to access him through prayer, "We can hone in on security, guidance, wisdom and power through our closeness to God." Join Audrey this week and expand your knowledge about your relationship to God and prayer. She also shares her own personal experience with prayer and tips that can help you make prayer more effective in your life.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  1:24       Audrey's daughter's experience with Law 1 and centers 6:58       The four abilities being God centered gives us 14:52     The difference in prayer, meditation, visualization 16:53     Prayer as a stand-alone principle 18:53     1st purpose of prayer 22:16     2nd purpose of prayer 24:04    3rd purpose of prayer 26:52     4th purpose of prayer 29:54    Parable of the unjust judge 33:41    Audrey's tips for more effective prayer “The principles don't change; our understanding of them does.” ~Stephen Covey “The only real limitation of power is the natural consequences of the principles themselves.” ~Stephen Covey “Because principles apply to everyone, whether or not why are aware, this limitation is universal. And the more we know of correct principles, the greater is our personal freedom to act wisely.” ~Stephen Covey “By centering our lives on timeless, unchanging principles, we create a fundamental paradigm of effective living. It is the center that puts all other centers in perspective.” ~Stephen Covey “We can hone in on great security, guidance, wisdom, and power through our closeness to God." ~Audrey Rindlisbacher "Having a divine center goes beyond having a principle center because when we are God centered it is about a relationship. Because of that relationship He can lift us and buoy us up in a way that laws and principles cannot." ~Audrey Rindlisbacher “We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God's work on behalf of the people for whom we pray." ~Corrie ten Boom Books from this episode: