Podcasts about proverbs

Relics, Spirits, Divine Councils and even some emaciated monkeys make appearances in this riveting discussion with Dr. Joel Muddamalle. The good doctor holds a PhD in theology and serves as the director of theology and research at Proverbs 31 Ministries. He co-hosts the Therapy & Theology podcast and is the author of the book "The Unseen Battle". Check out his book and work here- https://www.muddamalle.com/theunseenbattleOllie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/exfiles and use code exfiles to get 60% off your first boxMosh! moshlife.com/EXFILES to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the Best sellers Take your food to the next level with Graza. Visit https://graza.co/EXFILES and use promo code EXFILES today for 10% off your first order! BUBS NATURALS! - For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code EXFILES20 at Bubsnaturals.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddGet the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes. Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeFrom Iran to to Washington State causing rich people to flee, Zach Abraham joins to help us make sense of it all.Episode links:BREAKING: Washington State passes their first ever income tax. Incomes over $1M/year will be taxed at 9.9%. Married couples share A SINGLE $1M exemption, so if combined incomes are more than $1M, you're getting taxed. This will obviously eventually extend beyond millionaires. What comes for others, will eventually come for you! RIP Washington state!JUST IN: Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. invested $25 million in a drone company called Powerus. The Pentagon is now at war with Iran. The Pentagon needs drones. Powerus sells drones to the Pentagon.What Does God's Word Say?Proverbs 21:2020 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,but fools gulp theirs down.Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” by Kirk Meyer The post 72. The Book of Proverbs, Part 46 (Proverbs 14:17-26) – Pr. Will Weedon, 3/13/26 appeared first on The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.

March 14 | Exodus 22:14-23:13, Matthew 24:15-28, Psalm 30:1-3, Proverbs 11:9-11 // If you enjoy this podcast and would like more Bible based resources to help you reach your full potential in your life in Jesus, go to lifereachresources.com/.   

Proverbs 7:2-4, Leviticus 27:34, Luke 1:5-17. Like the rules of football, they do not stop the enjoyment of the game Rather, they enable the game of life to be enjoyed to the full

“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” by Kirk Meyer The post 71. The Book of Proverbs, Part 45 (Proverbs 14:8-16) – Pr. Will Weedon, 3/12/26 appeared first on The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.

Every leader faces the weight of decisions daily. But what separates a leader who moves mountains from one who moves in circles? This message explores how biblical wisdom, rooted in the Hebrew and Greek understandings of discernment, equips leaders to make decisions with clarity, courage, and Christ-centered confidence. Drawing from Solomon, Joshua, and Jesus Himself, we discover that great leadership decisions are not made on the basis of perfect information but on a perfected posture before God. __________ James 1:5 NIV, Joshua 1:9 NIV, Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV, John 16:13 NIV, 1 Kings 3:9 NIV __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

With Spring Clean with God around the corner, I'm resharing this timely episode on physical self-care. You can register for the mini summit here!Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like the woman staring back at you didn't match the light God placed inside you? Maybe you're rushing through your days, throwing yourself together, running on fumes, and feeling anything but radiant. But what if your outward presence could reflect the peace, confidence, and strength God designed for you? Today, I'll share five powerful shifts to align your physical self-care with your faith—because caring for your body isn't an indulgence; it's stewardship. Get ready to spend spring feeling refreshed, renewed, and radiant from the inside out.Recipes Mentioned in the EpisodeStrawberry spinach saladScriptures Referenced1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Proverbs 31:251 Corinthians 10:31Exodus 20:8-10Proverbs 18:21Psalm 139:14Proverbs 15:13Philippians 4:7Episodes Referenced106 // Dressing for Work Series Part 2 of 3: Elegant or Edgy, Blending Your Faith With Fashion084 // How to Start Prayer Walking: A Guide for Busy Christian Women046 // Using Compassion for Your Body to Keep Your Metabolism Strong as You Age117 // Spiritual Self-Care Made Simple: Saying Yes to God's Gift of Rest, Featuring Hannah Rowen FryWant to savor more goodness?I'm so excited you're here! Let's make the most of it with these special opportunities:Join the P31Virtues Community: If you're ready to find balance and peace, come together with women who understand the beauty of living a multifaceted life. Get weekly recipes and find the support you need to thrive at community.p31virtues.com.Rest without guilt: Get Thriving in Grace and follow a faith-centered approach to slowing down, recharging, and finding balance.Let's Connect:Email: ⁠hello@p31virtues.com⁠Note: The show notes may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!

If this blessed you, don't just watch and leave. Get plugged in.

March 13 | Exodus 21:22-22:13, Matthew 24:1-14, Psalm 29:3-11, Proverbs 11:8 // Enjoying the Wisdom Word for the Week? Download your own copy of the Wisdom Word for the Week at newsongnashville.com/wwftwkids.    

Wednesday evening message from Pastor Jonathan Barber. March 11, 2026

“And a vision appearedto Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over toMacedonia and help us." (Acts 16:9) Todaywe want to talk about the vision that changed the world. As we look atone of the most fascinating moments in the book of Acts of the Apostles, wefind a moment that literally led to the founding of the church at Philippi andbrought the gospel to the continent of Europe. We see this story in Actschapter 16. TheApostle Paul was on his second missionary journey with Silas. There at Lystrahe met a young man named Timothy, who would join them for the rest of thisjourney. So the three of them were traveling through what we would call Turkeytoday, revisiting the cities where they had founded churches during their firstmissionary journey several years earlier.  Read Acts16:4-12 that describes what happened:  Itall began with a vision. But first it really began with the Holy Spiritforbidding Paul and his companions to preach the word in certain other placesin Asia. You can imagine how frustrating that might have been for Paul, becausehis plans were to preach the gospel in those areas. Yet God kept stopping him. Finallythey arrived at a place called Troas. They could not go any farther. They wereliterally at the edge of the land, with only the Aegean Sea in front of them. Butit was there at Troas that they met someone named Luke, a physician. Lukejoined their journey at that point. You can actually see it in the text. Up tothat point in Acts chapter 16, the narrative says “they.” But beginning inverse 10, it says, “Immediately we sought to go.” Luke had nowjoined the team. Of course, Luke is the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Bookof Acts, which makes up one-fourth of the contents of the New Testament.Amazing!!!!! Allof this reminds us that sometimes God has different plans for us than the planswe have for ourselves.Acouple of my favorite verses in the book of Book of Proverbs speak to this verytruth. Proverbs 16:3 says:“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” Aswe make our plans, we commit what we are doing to the Lord, and He establishesour thoughts and directs our plans. Proverbs 16:9 says:“A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Andanother verse I often think about is Proverbs 20:24: “A man's steps are ofthe Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” NowPaul has clear direction because he sees a vision—a vision that would changethe world. God knows that sometimes we need that kind of clear direction. Hesays, “Don't go that way. Go this way.” And when Paul saw that vision, heimmediately set out to follow the direction God had given him. Have you everexperienced something like that in your life? A moment when God clearly spoketo your heart… when He led you, directed you, or placed you somewhere you neverwould have planned to go yourself? Sometimes God stops us. Sometimes He closesdoors. But when God closes a door, He opens another one. Thesignificance of this moment is truly amazing. Through this vision, the Gospelentered Europe. It began influencing cultures, shaping history, and eventuallyreaching countless people—including many of our own ancestors. We need toremember that God's guidance often surprises us. His plans are bigger and wiserthan our own. So today we should pray, “Oh God, we need You to direct oursteps.” Let's make sure we are listening to the voice of the Spirit. And, whoknows, we might pick up a Luke along the way. Whoknows what God might do when we obey the heavenly direction He gives us? Yes! Godwill direct our steps to the very people He wants to hear the Gospel. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

A whisperer separateth chief friends

“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” by Kirk Meyer The post 70. The Book of Proverbs, Part 44 (Proverbs 14:1-7) – Pr. Will Weedon, 3/11/26 appeared first on The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.

In this powerful episode, we dive deep into what the Bible truly says about financial prosperity, success, and building lasting wealth. Drawing from key Scriptures like Proverbs 10:22 ('The blessing of the Lord makes one rich'), Deuteronomy 8:18 (God gives power to get wealth), and Proverbs 13:22 ('A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children'), we explore God's heart for diligence over laziness, humble stewardship, skillful work that opens doors, and prosperity that flows from aligning with His principles. Whether you're tired of living paycheck to paycheck or want to create a legacy for your family, these verses reveal practical, faith-filled steps to financial freedom and abundance—without chasing worldly shortcuts. Join us as we unpack 12 transformative Bible passages and discover how diligence, humility, and trusting God's blessing lead to riches with no sorrow. Perfect for anyone seeking biblical wisdom on money, work, and generational impact!

I heard Proverbs 26 is about a believer losing salvation. I've been depressed about my eating disorder and need help with this passage! What kind of battle are we really in on a daily basis? What does Ephesians 6 mean when it speaks of the armor of God?

It's Wednesday, March 11th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Timothy Reed Growing anti-Christian violence in Europe Experts warned of growing anti-Christian violence and legal pressure in Europe during a recent session of the United Nations Humans Rights Council. Christians in Europe faced nearly 800 hate crimes and over 2,000 violent incidents in 2024. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe documents such cases. Anja Tang, executive director of the observatory, told The Christian Post, “Several European governments have targeted individuals through criminal procedures for peacefully expressing their religious beliefs.” 8 Americans and 13 Israelis have died in Iranian conflict The death toll for American military personnel has reached eight since the beginning of the Iran conflict.  A U.S. soldier, whose name is yet to be released, died from wounds sustained in Iran's March 1st attack on an American base in Saudi Arabia, and a national guardsman died from a medical emergency in Kuwait on March 6th. Six soldiers were also killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait, and their remains were transported back to the United States and honored.  Additionally, Israel has recorded 13 deaths since the outbreak of the war, and several have been killed in Gulf States friendly to the United States and Israel. In Psalm 43:1, the psalmist says, “Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.” Trump to Iran: Stop blocking oil tankers or else! U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Monday to escalate the war with Iran if the country blocks oil tanker traffic from the Middle East.  In response, oil prices fell by 15% yesterday. During the war with Iran, prices have increased to levels not seen since 2022. These oil prices have affected the price of gasoline at the pump in America. The AAA national average for gas reached $3.54 per gallon yesterday. That's up nearly fifty cents from a year ago.  Christians are not safe in New York City Two men linked with ISIS attempted a bomb attack on a right-wing protest in New York City over the weekend.  Thankfully, police were able to intercept the devices, and no one was injured. New York City Council Member Joann Ariola spoke with Newsmax host Todd Starnes in a recent interview.  She offered a chilling answer to Starnes' direct question. STARNES: “Are the Christian and Jewish citizens of New York City safe tonight?” ARIOLA:  “They're not safe. No one is safe, because finally, our mayor [Zohran Mamdami], has recognized that these are radical Muslim Islamic ISIS driven terrorists, and they are in our midst. “We can thank the Biden and Obama administration for these cells being allowed to cross into our borders and be in our city and many cities across the United States of America.” DOJ to Missouri: Don't worry about mailed Abortion Kill Pills Sadly, the Trump administration is not siding with states that are challenging the distribution of abortion drugs. The U.S. Department of Justice recently moved to dismiss a case brought by Missouri against Mifepristone, the mail-order Abortion Kill Pill. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told LifeNews, “The pro-life movement has very simple demands. There should be no place on the market for drugs meant to poison and kill innocent human beings – but at the very least, this administration can and should take them out of the mail.” Proverbs 24:11 says, “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.” Entertainment merger gives Ellison family a major stake The Paramount Skydance Corporation is set to acquire  Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion after Netflix withdrew its offer. The merger continues consolidating power in the hands of the Ellison family, who now own a major stake in the American media and entertainment industry. Currently, CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery and known for its left-wing bent. Paramount CEO David Ellison is on good terms with President Trump. Ellison has promised significant changes to CNN if he becomes the owner.  Former Christian firefighter gets compensation over religious discrimination And finally, a former volunteer chaplain with the Austin, Texas Fire Department recently won his case over religious discrimination. Andrew Fox served with the city's fire chaplaincy program for eight years. Everything was fine until he shared his religious views on a personal blog. FOX: “I wrote that men and women are biologically different, and that men should not compete on women's sports teams. When city officials demanded that I recant and apologize for the harm my blog post allegedly caused, I explained that my intent was to foster discussion, not to cause offense. What I could not do was renounce my beliefs or apologize for my faith.” In response, Texas officials fired him. Alliance Defending Freedom helped him secure a favorable settlement with the city. Hal Frampton with Alliance Defending Freedom said, “This vindication of Dr. Fox's constitutionally-protected free speech should give hope to all those who wish to share their voice freely.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, March 11th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Some of the greatest stories of believers down through time have involved those who really studied God's Word. These people have gone before us to show us the way. From Charles Spurgeon to a missionary mother in China, daily study of the Word and prayer prepared them to mentor entire generations.Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.”We also read in Romans 10 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We have to do it so that others know how. Remember, there is no substitute for spending time in God's Word.In order to properly train an apprentice, you need to obviously be prepared and adept. Anything less leads to weak faith, or no faith at all.This is what the Great Commission, sharing the Gospel, has always been about. Duplicating disciples. Grounding your own faith in the Bible and then imparting that to others. That is the essence of true iron sharpening iron.Let's pray.Lord, keep us about your work by daily reminding us to spend time with you in Your Word. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

March 12 | Exodus 21:1-21, Matthew 23:27-39, Psalm 29:1-2, Proverbs 11:7 // Looking for ways to help your kids learn God's Word? Join Pastor Dale, Pastor Joel and Pastor Grant for the Walking Through the Word Podcast 4 Kids daily at lifereachresources.com/podcasts.   

A Sacred Circle is a prayerfully boundary around your life that protects your peace, nurtures your healing, and honors the woman God is shaping you to become. For years, I believed that being a “good Catholic woman” meant being endlessly available, self-sacrificing at all costs, and saying yes to every need and expectation. But what if holiness also includes stewardship? What if guarding your heart, as Proverbs teaches is not selfish, but sacred? Drawing from Scripture, the example of Jesus in the Gospels, and the wisdom of the saints, I share how creating a Sacred Circle transformed my journey through exhaustion, divorce, grief, and transition. I share the difference between selfishness and discernment, and how loving boundaries bring clarity, emotional peace, spiritual renewal, and even physical healing. In this episode, you'll learn: Why constant availability is not the same as God's calling. How to discern what and who belongs in your inner circle. The connection between boundaries and nervous system healing. How a Sacred Circle restores agency, reduces emotional overload, and creates space for grief Why healing isn't about going back to who you were — but becoming who you are now. If you are walking through midlife transition, divorce, empty nesting, or simply feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, this episode will gently invite you to ask: What brings me closer to God — and what pulls me away from His peace? What belongs in my life in this season? Where is God inviting me to choose peace over chaos? The Sacred Circle isn't about shrinking your world — it's about sanctifying it. It's about becoming ordered, rooted, and whole in your faith. Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach and founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle. She accompanies midlife women through divorce, grief, and major life transitions, helping them encounter God's healing and rediscover their purpose.

Scripture declares, "The fear of the Lord prolongs days" (Proverbs 10:27). But what does that actually mean? In a culture that equates fear with anxiety or dread, the Bible presents the fear of the Lord as reverent awe, holy submission, and covenantal obedience. It is not terror — it is alignment. And according to Scripture, alignment with God brings protection, wisdom, stability, and longevity. In this teaching, Joseph Mattera explores how the fear of the Lord guards our decisions, restrains destructive impulses, and positions us to live under divine favor. Many shortened lives are not accidental — they are the fruit of ignoring God's boundaries. Conversely, reverence produces wisdom, and wisdom produces life. If you desire not merely to exist but to live a sustained, fruitful life under God's blessing, this episode will challenge you to rediscover the transformative power of the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 23.7 as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Often tines we forget a key component to that. That out of the heart flows your true intentions and who you are. So, while you are thinking and believing who you are you better make sure your heart and mind are in agreement with who you are. Also, the thoughts of yourself require you to do one thing and that apply action.

Water From the Rock #RTTBROS #Nightlight"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." — Proverbs 3:5-6I want to tell you about a man who dug a well on a tropical island while his neighbors thought he had lost his mind. And when the water came up, they concluded he must be a god.His name was John G. Paton, and when he arrived on the island of Aniwa in the South Pacific in the 1860s, the people there were cannibals. Literally. And everybody back home in Scotland knew it. When Paton announced he was going as a missionary to the New Hebrides islands, a well-meaning church elder grabbed him by the arm and said, "The cannibals! You will be eaten by cannibals!" Paton looked at the man calmly and replied that his body would be eaten by worms in the grave soon enough anyway, and it made little difference whether it was worms or cannibals, as long as he was found faithful to Christ.That is a man who had settled something on the inside.Now, Aniwa had no fresh water. The islanders depended entirely on rain, and they were skeptical that anything useful could possibly come from the ground beneath their feet. Paton told them he was going to dig a well and find fresh water. They thought he was either deluded or dangerous. He dug down, and down, and down in the tropical heat, day after day. And then one morning, fresh water bubbled up from the coral ground of that island, something that had never happened in living memory.The people of Aniwa stood there with their mouths open. They called it a miracle. And through that well, a door swung open for the gospel that changed the entire island. Within fifteen years, the whole of Aniwa had come to faith in Jesus Christ. Paton later wrote, with tears, that he had claimed Aniwa for Jesus, and that Aniwa now worshipped at the Savior's feet.History is just HIS story.Here is what I have had to learn over these many years. God will sometimes ask you to dig where nobody thinks there is any water. To trust Him in a direction that looks foolish to everyone watching. That is not the absence of wisdom. That is Proverbs 3:5 with a shovel in its hands, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."What is God asking you to dig into today, that looks impossible to everyone around you? Maybe it is time to pick up your shovel.Let's pray: Father, give us the courage of men and women like John Paton, who trusted You past the point where their own understanding ran out. When You call us to dig, help us dig. In Jesus' name, Amen.#Faith #Missions #TrustGod #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #Perseverance #BiblicalWisdom #RTTBROS #NightlightBe sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe, it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

The book of Proverbs speaks of some little creatures of whom we can learn some large lessons for our lives.

Your Integrity Is Not For Sale! | Proverbs 20:7 | 8 March 2026 - Sunday Morning | Dr. Brad Weniger, Pastor

This teaching was taken from1 Peter 1:25 and teaches you about reading God's Word to see supernatural change in your life. If you have any questions, or you would like to share how our teachings have affected your life, please email us or visit us at rejoicingheart.net Rejoice In You From the Integrity Music Release One, featuring Planetshakers Ministries Int'l ©2009 Planetshakers Publishing (APRA) (admin. By Music Services, www.musicservices.org) All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. 1 Peter 1:25 (KJV) 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Luke 21:33 (KJV) 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35 (KJV) 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Mark 4:26-27 (KJV) 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. Proverbs 3:5 (KJV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Psalm 37:5 (KJV) 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Romans 2:11 (KJV) 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:11 (AMP) 11 For God shows no partiality [undue favor or unfairness; with Him one man is not different from another].

Wisdom for choosing a path in life, relationships, and finances.All In Gospel Podcast is a chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in depth bible study where we seek to understand God's Word.All In Gospel is recorded live at Calvary Chapel with Pastor Seann Dikkers. You can support this study at anchor.fm/allingospel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ccwhitebear.com.

We continue our discussion of Proverbs with an overview of chapters 10-16, getting into some of the individual proverbs attributed to Solomon.

Jase, Missy, Al, and Lisa offer solutions to what they believe young men and women are missing in their lives today. Along the way they reveal their own shame, shortcomings and how mentorship and grace from God have changed them from the inside out. Jase jokes that he has spent his life researching whether marital relations will be part of heaven, but agrees that whatever God's plan for eternity is, it'll be better than we can imagine. In this episode: Proverbs 31, verses 10–31; Acts 17; Matthew 19, verses 3–12, 28; Titus 3, verse 5; Proverbs 22, verse 14; Proverbs 23, verse 27; Job 31; Matthew 6, verses 22–23; Genesis 39; Philippians 4, verse 13; Job 19, verses 25–27 “Unashamed” Episode 1286 is sponsored by: Check out Zocdoc and stop putting off those doctors appointments. Go to https://zocdoc.com/UNASHAMED to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. https://texassuperfood.com — Get 35% off your first order when you use code Unashamed. https://fastgrowingtrees.com — Get 20% your first purchase when using the code UNASHAMED at checkout. https://preborn.com/unashamed — Visit the PreBorn! website or dial #250 and use keyword BABY to donate today. http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://open.spotify.com/show/3LY8eJ4ZBZHmsImGoDNK2l Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters 00:00 The Women Stay for Another Episode 06:02 Quoting Phil's Marriage “Advice”  11:15 Why Young People Are Searching for Mentors 17:08 Cultivating a Christ-Centered Home 23:05 Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes 28:32 Jesus on Marriage, Divorce & the Kingdom 34:18 The Proverbs 31 Woman vs. the “Forbidden Woman” 40:32 Job's Blueprint for Integrity and Faithfulness 49:03 Job's Bold Confidence in the Resurrection 56:00 Thoughts on Heaven & Eternity — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

www.tswrightspeaks.comwww.godcenteredconcept.comwww.jesussaid.tvEpisode SummaryThis episode explores the historical context and authorship of the Book of James while examining 12 biblical parallels between James and the teachings of Jesus. Learn how these connections reveal a powerful message about faith expressed through action, spiritual maturity, and authentic Christian discipleship.The Book of James is one of the most practical and challenging books in the New Testament. Often called the “Proverbs of the New Testament,” James emphasizes living out authentic faith through obedience, wisdom, humility, and compassion.DescriptionIn this episode of Kingdom Cross Roads & God Centered Concept, we explore the historical background of the Epistle of James, its likely early date of authorship, and its message to Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman world.Most importantly, we uncover 12 remarkable parallels between the teachings of James and the words of Jesus. From enduring trials to caring for the poor, James echoes the powerful message of the Sermon on the Mount and other teachings of Christ.Discover how James reinforces Jesus' call to:• Live a faith that produces action • Pursue spiritual maturity • Seek wisdom from God • Care for the vulnerable • Control the tongue and emotions • Become doers of the Word, not just hearersThis episode will help you see how the teachings of Jesus continue through the practical instruction found in the Book of James, offering powerful guidance for Christian discipleship and daily obedience.If you desire a deeper, more authentic walk with God, this teaching will challenge and encourage you to live out your faith with integrity.Key Topics Covered• Historical context of the Book of James • Authorship and early church setting • The practical nature of James' teachings • 12 parallels between James and Jesus • Faith demonstrated through obedience • Spiritual maturity through trials • Caring for widows, orphans, and the vulnerable • Wisdom and humility in Christian lifeChapters (Timestamp Markers)00:00 Introduction to the Series and Book of James 01:09 Authorship and Historical Context of James 02:04 James' Audience and Early Writing Date 03:01 James as the Proverbs of the New Testament 04:00 12 Parallels Between James and Jesus – Overview 04:57 Joy in Trials (James 1:2 & Matthew 5:11–12) 05:24 Spiritual Maturity and Perfection (James 1:4 & Matthew 5:48) 05:54 Asking God for Wisdom (James 1:5 & Matthew 7:7) 06:53 Faith and Doubt in Prayer (James 1:6 & Mark 11:24) 07:23 Humility and Wealth (James 1:9–10 & Luke 6:20, 24) 07:51 Enduring Persecution (James 1:12 & Matthew 5:10) 08:47 God as the Source of Good Gifts (James 1:17 & Matthew 7:11) 09:17 Listening and Obeying God's Word (James 1:19 & Matthew 7:24) 09:45 Controlling Anger (James 1:20 & Matthew 5:22) 10:14 Being Doers of the Word (James 1:22 & Matthew 7:24) 11:09 Caring for Widows, Orphans, and the Least (James 1:27 & Matthew 25:35–40) 12:10 Applying James' Wisdom Today 13:38 Discipleship and Spiritual Growth 14:08 Invitation to Embrace the TruthCall To ActionIf this teaching encouraged you, be sure to:• Follow Kingdom Cross Roads & God Centered Concept • Share this episode with others seeking deeper biblical understanding • Leave a review to help more believers discover this podcast.KeywordsBook of James teachings of Jesus New Testament Bible study faith and works Christian discipleship biblical wisdom Sermon on the Mount spiritual maturity Christian obedience James Bible study biblical parallels Christian podcast practical Christianity New Testament teaching faith in action

“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” by Kirk Meyer The post 69. The Book of Proverbs, Part 43 (Proverbs 13:19-25) – Pr. Will Weedon, 3/10/26 appeared first on The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where you can listen to a daily chapter from the book of Proverbs in under five minutes! You will notice a difference as you start applying what you're learning to your daily situations. When we have more wisdom, we make fewer messes. That doesn't mean we'll have trouble-free lives. It just means that we'll be better at handling the issues as they arise.  God has a way that He wants us to live, and it brings us strength.  "The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity." (Proverbs 10:29) VISIT THE SHOP AT KEEP THE HEART For Daily Proverb Readers: Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor What Do I Have to Lose: A 50-Day Devotional (Book Two) by Janice Wolfe From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley Support this podcast with a donation HERE Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10

Sadie takes us through the five categories of Crazy Fundie Rules, and how these rules affect your life when you are trying to live by them. Some of them have biblical justifications, some of them are completely made up by some pastor somewhere and ended up being widely adopted. Fundie pastors use these rules as a way to physically and psychologically control church members, and they can be quite draconian.What are the most arbitrary rules that your church had growing up? Let us know in the comments!02:00 - Is it a sin to walk down the beer aisle in the grocery store? 02:23 - Proverbs 23:31 02:40 - Genesis 3:1-3 03:07 - Crazy Fundie Rules 03:52 - Join our Patreon! 04:37 - The 5 Categories 05:40 - Category 1 05:50 - Prohibition on Tattoos 06:55 - Carl Lentz 07:12 - Pete Hegseth 07:22 - Jewish law vs. Christian Interpretation 10:30 - Joyce Meyer's tattoo 11:47 - Thank you to our patrons! 14:13 - Deuteronomy 22:516:45 - Deadmau5 and the Ferrari17:02 - Why the Duggar Daughters didn't wear pants18:15 - Coulottes vs. JNCO Jeans19:59 - Jealousy is a sin, wanting to do a sin is a sin21:30 - Fundie Women find a way to rebel24:00 - Visibly religious people get harassed the most!26:11 - Category 2 26:31 - Being suspected of sinning is a sin 27:04 - Jack Schaap's crimes 28:27 - Going to the movies is a sin 29:01 - Bee Movie and There Will Be Blood were in the movie theater at the same time 30:14 - Walking down the beer aisle is a sin 30:49 - Category 3 32:30 - Going to Six Flags is a sin 34:17 - Category 4 34:36 - Doing anything that you want to do is a sin 35:00 - Teen Soulwinning is the worst 36:00 - Holy Guilt Trip Batman 36:43 - Wanting a snickers bar is a sin 37:45 - Great Britain is full of heathens 39:00 - Wanting a pretty wife is a sin 40:00 - It is a sin to not be miserable 40:40 - Category 5 41:00 - HosierySubscribe to Leaving Eden Podcast on YouTube!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4q94gAnsoW2jME4SvVrrQJoin our Patreon for extended, uncensored, and ad-free versions of most of our episodes, as well as other patron perks and bonus content!https://www.patreon.com/LeavingEdenPodcastJoin our Facebook group to join in the discussion with other fans!https://www.facebook.com/groups/edenexodusJoin our subreddit! Reddit.com/r/EdenExodusBluesky:@leavingedenpodcast.bsky.social@hellyeahsadie.bsky.social@gavihacohen.bsky.socialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/leavingedenpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/sadiecarpentermusic/https://www.instagram.com/gavrielhacohen/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your self-talk is powerful. It will build you up or tear you down. What is your self-talk saying about you? Positive self-talk will build you up, give you strength, and confidence. Negative self-talk will tear you down, wear you down, and hold you back from healthy relationships and success. What self-talk does to you. How is self-talk biological Intersection of science and Scripture Mind over matter The neuroscience connection Self-talk has roots in scripture Genesis 1:26 2 Timothy 1:7 James 1:21 Philippians 4:6-7 Matthew 28:18 Proverbs 23:7 Psalm 145:3 Romans 12:2 Romans 11:33 Proverbs 3:5-6 Proverbs 19:21 2 Corinthians 10:5 Matthew 6:25-33 When your mind starts to take a wrong turn, pause, assess, and adjust. Ask yourself these questions and implement the 6 C's strategy: Where is this thought coming from? What do I know to be true about this thought? Would someone that I know, love, and respect be thinking the same thing about me? What does Jesus say about me? What is my identity in Him? If the answers to those questions do not align with what you know to be true, change the thought. Write down a positive self-talk alternative and repeat it to yourself. Over and over. Read the full show notes and access all links. Schedule a free consult discovery call with me today to move from being stuck in an anxiety response loop to renewing your mind to become calm, confident, and consistent in your work, relationships, and the communities you serve. Download the free eBook: Alleviate Anxiety by Developing Health Habits for a Healthy Mind, including the 6 C's strategy.

In this Proverbs Woman Spotlight, we're sitting down with Sandy Storm for a powerful conversation about faith, leadership, and walking boldly in your God-given calling. Sandy shares wisdom, perspective, and encouragement that will strengthen your confidence, deepen your purpose, and remind you that you don't have to choose between faith and impact, you were created for both.✅ Connect with Sandy Storm:LinkedIn: /survivorsandystormFacebook: /sandystormspeaksInstagram: /survivorsandystormWebsite link can find her books and subscribe to her newsletter: https://survivorsandystorm.com/Link to website National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/home"Talk To Them" Book by: Heidi Chance website: https://www.achanceforawareness.com/

In this continuation of the Gate of Flattery (Sha'ar HaChanufah), Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe examines the seventh component: the sin of abstaining from rebuke (tochacha) when one knows the community or individuals are "stiff-necked" (k'shei oref) and unlikely to listen. While it's a mitzvah not to reprove a mocker who will hate you (per Proverbs), one must not assume failure without trying—perhaps the words will penetrate and inspire change. Even righteous people were punished in the Temple's destruction for not rebuking when possible. Silence can imply agreement, especially when hearing lashon hara, profanity, or mockery of Torah/mitzvot; one should speak wisely or zealously defend Hashem's honor (as in Ramchal's Mesilat Yesharim, Ch. 19), showing love for God by hating His enemies and subduing evil influence.Rabbi Wolbe stresses strategic rebuke—knowing the person (e.g., parents sometimes achieve more by silent example than words), avoiding unnecessary hatred, and recognizing when flattery or excessive courtesy to the wicked is forbidden (except out of real fear for safety). He cites Mordechai's refusal to bow to Haman as exemplary: as leader, he could not validate evil, even for peace. Neutrality or honor toward the wicked (e.g., praising them or being overly cordial) validates sin and risks personal corruption through constant exposure. The episode urges vigilance in environments, friendships, and leadership roles—stand up for truth, defend God's honor, and avoid isolation in negative circles._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on January 12, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on March 10, 2026_____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! Share your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Our Mission is Connecting Jews & Judaism. Help us spread Judaism globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org.Your support makes a HUGE difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodesPrayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Flattery, #Chanufa, #Praising, #Rebuke, #LashonHara, #StandUpForTruth, #Ramchal, #ZealForTorah ★ Support this podcast ★

Most Christians are living under an agreement that's already been replaced. The Old Covenant was performance-based. Your standing with God went up and down based on what you did or didn't do. But Jesus came and changed the operating agreement. The New Covenant means your relationship with God is based on HIS performance, not yours. In this video I break down: Why relating to God through performance means you never actually experience the relationship The difference between real faith and transactional faith (and how to tell which one you're operating in) Why "if it be thy will" can actually breed doubt and block your receiving What it means to stay on "Faith Street" until your answer arrives How a poverty mindset shows up in your prayers without you even realizing it What 1 Timothy 6:17 says about God's nature that most preachers skip right over How to ask big, receive big, and stop limiting God with small faith This is the foundation of everything I teach. If you get this, everything else clicks. SCRIPTURES COVERED: Hebrews 8:6 / Galatians 3:13-14 / Mark 11:22-24 / John 15:7 / John 16:23 / 2 Corinthians 1:20 / Isaiah 53:4-5 / 1 Peter 2:24 / Matthew 8:17 / Colossians 2:15 / James 4:7 / Ephesians 3:20 / 1 Corinthians 6:17 / 1 Timothy 6:17 / Deuteronomy 8:17-18 / Galatians 3:29 / Proverbs 18:20-21 / 1 Corinthians 15:58 READY TO GO DEEPER? Join the Increase Academy and get access to daily live teaching, our full course library, and a community of believers walking this out together.

March 11 | Exodus 19:16-20:26, Matthew 23:13-26, Psalm 28:6-9, Proverbs 11:5-6   // Follow along with the "Walking through the Word Daily Reading and Study Guide" in the Daily Life Journal and Daily Life Journal 4 Kids! Get your copy today, or grab a gift for someone you love. lifereachresources.com/core4   

March 10 | Exodus 18:13-19:15, Matthew 23:1-12, Psalm 28:1-5, Proverbs 11:4 // If you enjoy this podcast and would like more Bible based resources to help you reach your full potential in your life in Jesus, go to lifereachresources.com/.   

20 Proverbs 15-16; 18 Job 36-42; 21 Ecclesiastes 1-2; 19 Psalms 105-106; 42 Luke 7-9

04 Numbers 10-11; 20 Proverbs 3; 43 John 6

Missy discovers a rare family photo of Phil Robertson wearing a suit that was taken during one of the most difficult seasons in Robertson family history. Al and Lisa open up about the betrayal that nearly destroyed their marriage and the painful road to repentance, forgiveness, and rebuilding trust. The guys, Missy, and Lisa reflect on how God can restore even the most broken relationships when people surrender and choose faith over bitterness. They also share lessons on mentorship, marriage, and the pursuit of godly character drawn from Proverbs and Job 31. In this episode: 1 Corinthians 13, verses 3–8; Ephesians 5, verse 33; Proverbs 31; Job 31 “Unashamed” Episode 1285 is sponsored by: https://cozyearth.com/unashamed — Get up to 20% off when you use our link and code UNASHAMED! https://shopmando.com — Control Body Odor ANYWHERE and get 20% off with promo code Unashamed! https://meetfabric.com/unashamed — Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. https://bravebooks.com/unashamed — Get 20% off with code UNASHAMED http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters 00:00 Jase's “Don't Tell Missy” Stories 05:18 When Telling Phil What Not to Say Backfires 12:14 The Only Photo of Phil Robertson in a Suit 16:32 The Marriage Crisis That Nearly Broke the Robertsons 22:40 Lisa's Rock-Bottom Moment 29:18 Rebuilding Trust After Betrayal 37:02 Why Trusting God Comes Before Trusting People 44:21 Mentoring the Next Generation of Women 50:32 The Secret to a Strong Marriage 55:40 Why the Proverbs 31 Woman Isn't Meant to Be Perfect — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” by Kirk Meyer The post 68. The Book of Proverbs, Part 42 (Proverbs 13:9-18) – Pr. Will Weedon, 3/9/26 appeared first on The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.

Proverbs 9

Finding Hope in the Deepest Pain   What happens when the unthinkable becomes your reality—and yet you still choose faith? In today's deeply moving episode, Leslie sits down with Hope Hooton, a courageous mother, advocate, and follower of Jesus whose life changed forever in May 2024 when her two children, Alec and Lydia, were tragically killed during court-ordered visitation with their father. In the midst of unspeakable grief, Hope has chosen to trust God and use her voice to protect other children. Through her testimony, advocacy, and new memoir releasing today, Hope reminds us that even in devastating loss, God's presence can still be found—and that purpose can rise from the deepest pain.   Key Takeaways Recognizing the Red Flags of Abuse Looking back, Hope can now clearly see the warning signs in her marriage—manipulation, gaslighting, emotional control, financial abuse, and power struggles. Abuse rarely starts dramatically; it often unfolds subtly over time. Naming these patterns is the first step toward protecting yourself and your children. When Systems Fail to Protect Children Despite documented domestic violence and severe mental illness, the court granted Hope's husband unsupervised visitation with their young children. This devastating decision highlights a heartbreaking reality many mothers face: the family court system often prioritizes parental rights over child safety. Faith That Holds in the Darkest Night After losing her children, Hope's life as she knew it disappeared overnight. Yet in her grief, she clung tightly to God's presence—spending time in prayer, journaling, and meditating on Scripture. Proverbs 3:5–6 became her lifeline: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Turning Tragedy Into Purpose Hope refused to allow her children's story to end in silence. Through her social media platform Hope In The Pain, she shares encouragement, faith, and the reality of walking through grief with God. She also hosts the Voices Against Filicide Podcast, raising awareness about domestic violence, the abuse cycle, and cases of child homicide across the country. Honoring Alec and Lydia Through Advocacy Hope is now working with Arizona lawmakers to create stronger protections for children in custody cases. Her advocacy is helping bring critical attention to how family courts handle domestic violence and mental illness when making custody decisions.   Resources Mentioned Hope's New Memoir is Available TODAY (March 9): There's Still Hope: A Journey of Adversity, Tragedy, and Unbreakable Faith Arizona Legislation Honoring Alec & Lydia Arizona legislation HB2995 has already passed the Arizona House of Representatives and is now moving forward to the Arizona Senate. This bill, referred to as The Alec and Lydia Act, aims to strengthen protections for children in family court cases by ensuring judges receive training in domestic violence, coercive control, trauma response, and mental illness when making custody decisions. Please join us in praying that this legislation passes the Arizona Senate, helping protect vulnerable children and families across the state. Hope's Podcast: Voices Against Filicide Follow Hope on Social Media: Hope In The Pain (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube) Hope's Links and Advocacy Resources: https://linktr.ee/hopeinthepain?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

Deuteronomy 23-25; Psalm 60; Proverbs 12:16·20; Mark 11:1·19

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a cycle of overthinking, especially when it comes to the choices you make for your family or your future?In today's episode, host Stephanie Alessi Muiña opens up about her own journey with overthinking during the season of motherhood. Together, we'll explore what it means to trust that we are exactly where God wants us to be, how to combat anxiety with practical steps, and why releasing fear allows us to embrace purpose-filled lives. Drawing wisdom from Proverbs 31, we'll learn how to cast down thoughts that hold us back and anchor our confidence in God's love and plans for us.Join our community as we turn our hearts toward God in prayer and devotion, seeking peace of mind and the courage to walk boldly into each new day.Tap HERE to send us a text! BECOME A FOUNDING "MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL" MEMBERIf you enjoy your 5 minute daily dose of heaven, we would appreciate your support, and we have a fun way for you to partner with the MMD community! We've launched our "Buy Me a Coffee" membership where you can buy us a latte, OR become a founding member and get monthly bonus video episodes! To donate, go to mymorningdevo.co/join! Support the showNEW VIDEO EPISODES! You can watch our new video episodes on YouTube! Watch Our Video Devotionals NEW TO MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL? We're so glad you're here! We're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in a church in Miami, FL, and we're so blessed to partner with the My Morning Devotional community and continue the great work done by the show's creator and our friend, Alison Delamota. We pray our personal reflections and devotions will empower you to grow your faith in God, and that you'll join us every morning in prayer! HELP US GROW THE MMD COMMUNITY Subscribe to the show on this app Share this with a friend Join our newsletter Follow Us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Leave a review Support Our Friends and Family Connect with the original host of MMD Alison Delamota Follow our family's podcast The Family Business with The Alessis

Parenting 0-18 With an Eternal Perspective: An Interview with Jessica Smartt (Episode 286)   Hebrews 12:11 NIV “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it"   *Transcription Below*   Jessica Smartt is the author of Come On Home, Memory-Making Mom and Let Them Be Kids. She graduated college with an English degree, a religion minor and a hankering to pour into kids. After teaching middle school literature for five years, she was promoted to her current position and dream job: wife, homeschooling mom, author, and Professional Encourager of Intentional Moms. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a family farm with horses, chickens, and an ever-increasing number of beloved cats. She and her husband, Todd, have three beautiful children. She loves to energize everyday moms to save childhood and build close-knit families. Jessica's favorites include: bike rides, spinach quiche, a clean kitchen, being warm, national parks, and food that anyone else made. Connect with Jessica through Instagram or her website.   Thank you to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Questions and Topics We Cover: What questions can we ask ourselves as mothers to take inventory and get real about our capacity, health, and gifts? How can we purposefully make our home a place our family loves to be and we do too? Will you share a handful of your other favorite practical tips for building a strong family that we haven't covered yet?   Other Episode Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce: Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:14)   Laura Dugger: (0:15 - 1:23) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org.   My returning guest for today is Jessica Smartt. She has authored another brilliant book entitled, Come On Home: A Grace-Filled Guide to Raising a Family Who Loves (and Likes) Each Othe. You're not going to want to miss a minute of this episode because she answers every question with kindness and eternal wisdom, yet she still manages to share plenty of fun ideas and applicable tips.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Jessica.   Jessica Smartt: (1:25 - 1:28)  Thanks so, much for having me. I'm excited about our conversation.   Laura Dugger: (1:29 - 1:44) Well, I've been looking so, forward to this, and it's been a few years since you were a guest on The Savvy Sauce, so, as you're looking back, can you just walk us through how your motherhood experience has changed from the early days to now currently?   Jessica Smartt: (1:46 - 3:36) Yeah, it has changed so, much, and I actually was thinking about this just on my own. God is so, good, and I don't know if everyone's experience is kind of like this. I look around and see very high-functioning young mothers, so, I'm thinking maybe not, but I just feel like those first couple years were such a struggle with a lot of mental illness and just anxiety, and probably that led into depression, too, and just feeling really overwhelmed. I do feel like a lot of it was sleep deprivation, which is a literal torture technique that armies use, so, I think just caring for my body better has actually been a huge thing, but also just God is just so, kind, and I think I mentioned in the book of just really early on having this moment where I thought I'm not any good to anybody, and I didn't fast-forward to see any of this, right?  I didn't know how it was going to end. I just knew I felt terrible, and I couldn't function and overcome with anxiety, and everything was blurry and overwhelming, and so, to then fast-forward and see personally in my own life the rewards of my kids are doing well, and I like being a mom a lot, and professionally that I'm even writing about it is stunning, so, it's a real redemption story to me, and just proof that also God uses those pits because it was out of that that I was able to actually gain traction even on my blog sharing about my personal experience and loss and weakness. God used that, so, I'm really grateful.   Laura Dugger: (3:36 - 3:45) That's incredible to get just a little picture of that journey, and can you update us with your kids' ages now as of today?   Jessica Smartt: (3:45 - 3:59) Yes, so, I have a 16-year-old boy. Last week we were visiting college, and that is very weird, and then a 14-year-old boy and an 11-year-old daughter.   Laura Dugger: (4:00 - 4:19) Okay, wonderful. So, regardless of what phase we're in as parents, do you have any recommendations for questions that we can begin to ask ourselves so that we can take inventory and get real about our capacity and our health and our gifts?   Jessica Smartt: (4:20 - 7:00) Right, yes, so, in Come on Home, that's kind of how I kick it off because I say, you know, you can't have the family that if in order to have the family you want or the home you want, you have to be honest about what you actually have and what you're starting with, and so, part of that is taking inventory of yourself and your life, and that's not something we often stop to do in the chaos and busyness, so, I asked what your capacity is and really just trying to help mom just think through preaching to myself here, like all the things that are on our plate, and is there something on our plate that the Lord maybe is not calling us to or that doesn't correlate and match to what our really core values are in life, and those are hard questions to ask, but they actually bring a lot of relief to just be honest with yourself about what's happening in your life and coming before the Lord and saying, you know, I'd literally say, like, make a list of all the things that you're doing and look at it and see if you should take any off, and the list is, you know, stunningly long for a lot of us, but yeah, so, that's just capacity, just kind of thinking through where we are and what we actually have the bandwidth to do, and then I talk about health and actually asking, like, your husband, if you're married, you know, how would you like me to care for myself better? What's one thing that you like when I do? And a lot of times I think we're really surprised when we hear the things they appreciate or what they'd like us to do, and they might just be giving us a really wonderful gift to go invest in an area in our life that we've been overlooking. So, and then gifts, that's a really fun one, too, because I'm not you and you're not me, and we're not the listeners, but God has uniquely equipped all of us to be the mom and the homemaker, you know, in our particular callings.   So, saying, like, are you a good organizer? Are you, you know, the fun mom, right, that I wish I was and I'm not? Are you, you know, the adventurer mom? Are you the crafty mom? You know, God has given, do you cook well and, you know, enjoy that? And everybody has a gift, that you're, whether you're, you know, a soft place to land for your kids and a good listener, or you're, you know, more drill sergeant-y, like those firstborns tend to be, and that is me, so, that's why I can say that. But just thinking about, like, what skills and gifts did God give me to lead my family well? And so, that was just kind of the ground-tilling up work before you think through, like, how can we build the family that we really want with the life that we actually have and the person we really are?   Laura Dugger: (7:01 - 8:14) And I love, that was one of the aspects of the book that I just appreciated. You sprinkle all these insightful questions throughout, and it is really great to reflect on those with the Lord or with the journal or in conversation, but you're encouraging us repeatedly to get a long-term vision of this parenting journey. And so, it makes me think, my husband works with Chick-fil-A, and oftentimes he's encouraged to be careful not to just get caught up working in the business, but to pull back and work on the business, and it's actually better for everybody. And I just think as parents, we need that same reminder to kind of lift up our eyes, get a different view, and get above these urgent, incessant needs of today and look at where we're going. And I think the Bible speaks a lot to that with being prudent. And you challenge us with that long-term view to actually take an eternal view in parenting, which is inevitably going to impact how we steward our time and our decision making. So, can you speak to both of those?   Jessica Smartt: (8:16 - 10:23) Yeah, I mean, the eternal, the perspective, I think I said, you know, there's the Bible verse about you reap what you sow, and we think of it as like a cautionary warning. And it is, but it's also just a true statement of how life works, meaning what you invest in, and what you spend your time in, what you care about, what the things you're actually doing is where you're going to see growth. And so, if I am investing in my home, I'm going to see fruit in there. Now, of course, it's not a one-to-one, it's not a slot machine. So, you know, we don't know exactly what it's going to look like. And God is so, good to cover up even over the areas that we've done a bad job in. But in general, you can't expect to grow cucumbers if you've been planting tomatoes. Like what you've been planting in the ground is what's going to grow up. And so, that's just like, even though it's kind of like fancy wordy language, it's always just a good reminder to me to think like, what am I actually spending my time doing?   I want a family that, like I was a recipient of, that's warm and inviting and you want to be around. And in order to get that, like you have to plant it. And so, that's a lot of being present as a mom and which is so, hard, very hard. But I just wanted to not lay a burden on moms, but really just encourage them like, do those things that are going to reap the life you actually want in the long term.  And of course, you mentioned the word eternity, that's planning, building disciples. And so, that is a very long road. You know, you're not going to always see the fruit of that, you know, immediately. But keeping our eye on, you know, I want to raise kids that are living out the calling that God has placed on their lives and are going out into this world to be truth and light. Like, oh my goodness, so, many hard, boring conversations that you have to have, but you have to, like that's, that's part of the equation.   Laura Dugger: (10:26 - 11:35) I think that even that piece is with discipline too, which is one of my least favorite parts of parenting. I don't know if others relate to that, but a verse that I find so, encouraging is Hebrews 12:11, that "no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful later on. However, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." And so, I love that encouragement you're giving to a parent for the long view, and you bring up your family of origin. You write so much about this gratitude you have for your parents and something you wrote really stuck with me where you say someone was always home, both physically and metaphorically, someone was paying attention. So, Jessica, what caution do you want to share with any parents today who may be tempted to let go a little too early, a little too soon and too young, whether that's with technology or even just being physically present?   Jessica Smartt: (11:36 - 14:25) I think it's just so, important for moms and dads to receive their instructions, not from the world, but from the Lord, because the culture right now is okaying and even encouraging parenting that is not godly parenting. We have so many distractions and we are pulled towards our phones, towards our own personal growth and flourishing, which is okay. You know, of course we want us to be healthy as we just mentioned, but at the expense of the kids that God has put in our lives, that is what, that is the messaging you're going to receive from the world. If you're hanging out with people who do not have a biblical worldview, that is going to be how they're spending their time.  And it's not a judgment statement. It's just, it is an observation that they, that is not, the focus is not, I'm going to sit and, you know, maybe at one point culturally years and years ago, it really was more family oriented, but it is not anymore.  It just simply is not. And, you know, it masquerades under that as, you know, oh, we're all going to the soccer game together and we're going to go watch the gymnastics performance or whatever it is. But that, that is not always true discipling of your children.   That's kind of being present in a cursory way and not truly and really, to really pay attention and really be present with your kids is going to look vastly different than what the rest of the world is doing.  And if it doesn't, you got to check. And I, I'm saying this as absolutely of myself, you know, there are moms that are just on their phone, and I can do that as well. I've had to put in, we can talk about specifics, but I've had to put in like specific things in my, in my actual phone, you know, and in my life parameters and guidelines so that I'm not doing that. But no one in the world is going to tell you not to, that's normal to just be stuck on your phone as a mom, as a kid, whatever. And so, a like, where are you getting your voice? That's saying how to parent, who are the voices that are speaking into your life?  Are you listening to older and wiser mentors? Are you reading really good books? Are you putting yourself in the word first thing in the morning or are you just floating around with whatever culture says to do? And I don't mean to sound judgy here because I am deeply convicted even as I'm speaking this of like, am I living this? I'm not always, it's very, very hard. But I just think we first, first step is, you know, to orient yourself to the Lord and how would he have you parent?  Not what is everyone else okay with doing? Cause it's going to look very different.   Laura Dugger: (14:26 - 16:54)  Okay. I love that with kind of the emphasis on; it does require a sacrifice from us with that quality and quantity time. And it makes me think on page 38 of your book, you encourage us to take the time to know each child, helping them find their passion, abilities, gifts, and interests.  And that really does bless both the child and the parent. And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Do you feel like you need a weekend away with your spouse and a chance to grow in your relationship together at the same time? WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that provides weekend marriage retreats to help couples grow closer together in every season and stage of life. From premarital to parenting to the emptiness phase, there is an opportunity for you. 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S-A-V-V-Y.  Thanks for your sponsorship.   So, Jessica, what has this looked like in your home? And can you give us some ideas?   Jessica Smartt: (16:56 - 19:19) Yeah, I just think it is so, easy for us to have our own expectations of what our kids are, and even to speak that over them from the minute they come out of the womb, whether it's, oh, we've just pinned them as to be this, or it's something that we are, or something that we want them to be. But instead to look and see like, who is this actual child that's been created? And I thought of, you know, years and years ago, my son was like, itching to do something, you know, they get to be like nine, 10. And they start feeling like, you know, they need something other than mom in the house. And we were kind of praying about it and thinking it through. And he said, “I think I really would like to play soccer.”   And at the time, we were pretty, pretty committed into the baseball world. And I was like, no, you know, I had friendships with the parents, and we liked the coach, and we were already there. And soccer was this whole thing I didn't even know, you know, I was like, no.  And honestly, I waited for a year or two. But now my both my boys are in a semi travel league. It's not like all out driving all across the country, but they've been able to play at a higher level.  And they're doing amazing. It's clearly what they were meant to do. And I couldn't miss out on that just by being like, no, you know, that's not what you do.   Like, you know, so, just being open as a parent to really like, what are they good at? And it may not be what you thought it may not be what you are good at. My daughter loves to make a giant mess in the kitchen, giant and cook. And oh, my goodness, it is very hard for me because I'm like a keep it clean.  Don't use all the ingredients. But I've been convicted to really, you know, let her explore these gifts. I have a friend whose daughter is making these elaborate birthday cakes. I mean, like the most crazy food network kind of thing. And I saw it and thought, I know what that kitchen must have looked like when you let her do that. That was a lot of days and afternoons of you letting her waste the flour and make a big mess.  But the fruit is, it's incredible. And, so, yeah, sacrificing what we want to let them grow into, you know, and God is so, good.   Like if we don't know what it is, pray with your kid, like you, what did you, what is your thing?  What do you think God's made you to do? We, you know, need an activity. What, what, let's ask God, like what he wants you to do. I've never prayed a prayer like that that hasn't been answered and never.   Laura Dugger: (19:20 - 19:47)  Oh, that's so, good. I mean, we think of for friendship for ourselves or with our children or activities that they want to do, just hopefully that's what we keep being reminded of is bring it to the Lord rather than seeking out those voices and culture and see what his perfect plan is. But you also write an entire chapter on the power of time. So, will you share some of your applicable wisdom here?   Jessica Smartt: (19:49 - 22:15)  Yes. And you know, don't mind me while I actually get out the book, because even though you wrote it, sometimes you're like, what exactly did I say? Um, but thinking through like activities that our family has signed up for, as I mentioned, you know, I was kind of like connected in that baseball mindset.  And so, was it actually the right thing for my kids? Maybe or maybe not. And so, I talked through like at questions to ask, you know, as a husband and wife about where our family's going and what activities our kids are doing, which is a giant question today.   I don't think parents are thoughtful enough about what they're signing up for and what they're doing. And you get, you know, mid-November and your schedule is completely packed and your kids having meltdowns and you're never eating dinner together. And you're like, how did we get to this life? But it was a little bit of like, not quite following the path ahead mentally to see what it would look like. And I would just encourage anybody right now that it's not too late to rearrange, even if you have to quit something, even if it costs a deposit, even if you have to back out, like we are not as trapped as we think we are. And if you're doing something in your family that's not healthy, or, you know, it's not benefiting you stop, like no one's gonna, you know, anyway.   So, as you're thinking through activities, I talked about the interest question, which means like, is your kid actually there? Or is it like you that's kind of getting more out of this? And then I talked about the mealtime question.  And maybe we'll get to this, but family meals are so important. They really are. Even if it is, you know, not hours of sitting there with candlelight, whatever, just to have that checkpoint together. So, is your activity schedule, allowing you to uphold whatever your values are with meals? I'm not gonna tell you what they are, but is that what you want, really? And then the whole family question.   You know, I've seen a lot, and we've lived it too, of like the younger kid being getting drug around to the older talented kid's activities.  That's really a hard one, right? And so, I'm not saying don't do that. Sometimes families are gonna just look like that for seasons. But I do think it's worth stopping to say, what is it like right now to be that youngest child? What are they going through?  And am I being kind to them? You know, are there switches we can kind of make in the family? Because it's, you know, the family is not about one person and their talents. It's a holistic, healthy, functioning unit.   Laura Dugger: (22:18 - 23:21)  Absolutely. So, even, I hear you saying, evaluating, again, kind of taking inventory. What is on the family plate? How is that affecting every human in the unit of the family?  Is that taking us where we want to go? Just being, I love how you use the word thoughtful. Just being full of thoughts of this and taking it to the Lord of what's the wise thing to do. And for all of us, I think with that time question, it does lead us to the question of, who are we spending the most time with? Because that will significantly impact our lives.  It'll impact our children as well. So, do you have any other, I love those questions. Any other lessons that you've learned? I'm thinking especially related to activities and youth sports come to mind because our culture really has gone to the side of idolizing it and catering everything else around that. So, do you have any other wisdom to share on that topic?   Jessica Smartt: (23:23 - 25:48)  Yeah, I mean, I'll just share. Personally, we have decided to have our kids play at a level that is probably sub what their talent could be. And I don't know.  I guess time will tell. If they look back and they were like, mom, I really, you know, could have, but I have a hunch that they won't. I more often am seeing in my friends and stuff that it's like, they get into high school, and the kids are kind of starting to feel burnt out. Or they're like, you know, it's so, hard right now to be, I mean, not even a professional, let's say soccer player, but at college, it's like unheard of.  It's the elite, elite. And so, it's like, why are you doing this anyway?   And we've had several opportunities to compete at higher levels and try out for things that we have said no to, you know, because it would require being gone more nights, it would require tons of time in the car, it would be families away on the weekends.  So, we have some of that. I think it's important when you have boys, especially to let them have an outlet to compete as we, if you know, I homeschool as you do. And so, if you have a homeschooled teenage boy, they should probably be doing something right. So, I am not saying sit at home and, you know, play Monopoly every night as a family. But, we have chosen to prioritize other things.   And so, so far, I am super grateful for that. We had a season where we were way too busy with baseball. And it was the boys were like 10 and 12. And Monday through Thursday, one of them had a different we were never eating together Monday through Thursday, Saturdays, we were taking off different directions. I could never understand why we had to drive two hours to play a team. I'm like, there's so, many baseball players right in this neighborhood.  Can we not find a team? And God use that it's fine. But, but I don't I don't envy that season.   And I'm really grateful for some of the breathing room that we've had. And also, I would say my son, my oldest son is a gifted guitar player and singer. And he would not be able to do that. If we were 110% in one of those other sports, he would not have any time to even pursue those other interests.  You just never know. You know, I think white space and mental white space and time, I talk about this and let them be kids is so important for just developing as a person. No one flourishes well with a completely jam-packed schedule. And so, how would we expect our children to, you know, that is good.   Laura Dugger: (25:48 - 26:02)  That is so, wise. And how can we strategically connect with our kids so that they do feel seen, and known and loved and liked?   Jessica Smartt: (26:03 - 27:54)  Yes. I mean, that feels overwhelming, doesn't it? But and I talked through in the book kind of each one of those categories. But I know this is going to sound cliche, but I would just say a like recognizing that if a kid doesn't feel like you like them, they're going to notice that. And so, it doesn't matter all the extra things what you're getting them for Christmas, and where you're they're taking them if they really genuinely feel like you're kind of annoyed with them. They know that.   And that's, that's not great. So, I would say first step before you get into any practicals and pancake breakfast and all that is just like, if you are feeling that way to your kid, a don't feel guilty. It's natural.  We all have that at times. And be come before God and just say, these are the feelings I'm dealing with. Can you please help me here? And again, to quote myself, I've never prayed that prayer and it not been answered.  God has always shown up in some way. And so, often what it looks like I talk about in being liked is just like genuinely working on something that you have in common.   I think my parents did that so, well with us. And it wasn't the same thing because my siblings and I are all different. But they really worked to always find common ground and always have that relationship bucket full, right? My mom is like big on, you know, don't make too many withdrawals unless you have made a lot of deposits. And they lived that for years and years and years of pouring into us and genuinely connecting with us. So, way harder to do than to say, but that's our goal. And I do actually have a lot of specific ideas in the book of random ways you can love your kids, love languages and all of that. But yeah, asking God for help.   Laura Dugger: (27:55 - 28:09) And sometimes it's just helpful to hear what somebody else does, even if that's not exactly how it'll apply to our situation. But can you just give one example of a way that you use your child's love language, maybe both for one of your sons and your daughter?   Jessica Smartt: (28:11 - 29:33) Well, I've learned a lot about my middle child, and he loves the comfort things in life. So, if I see him struggling with school or something, I can bring him, you know, yogurt parfait or he likes coffee. So, we give our kids coffee.  Don't sue us anyway. But if I make him a cup of coffee, oh, you can just see it in his face. It's like, oh, mom loves me, you know?  He's one that even like if I go make his bed, he'll appreciate that. Not every kid is like that. But just kind of seeing and noticing the things that he likes.   That's been kind of something that we do. And then my daughter loves to tell stories, long, long stories. And I'm working so hard to not only like, I want to listen, but also, you know, teach her how to condense. Because Jordan Peterson says, don't let your kid become someone that is, you know, not pleasant to be around.  If you're struggling with something, someone else will, too. And she's an absolute delight.  I mean, truly. But so, just listening to her stories and kind of working on the art of conversation. My mom always said, play tennis, conversation tennis. So, you hit the ball, and then I hit the ball back to you. So, we're working on that, you know?   Laura Dugger: (29:35 - 30:05)  Absolutely. That reciprocity is huge. If you take turns asking questions, it reminds me, a previous guest, Jodi Berndt, had also said, in addition to that, let's also teach our children how to serve the ball. So, to initiate that, I just thought that that's so good. I'll work that in. Jessica, how can we purposefully make our home a place our family loves to be? And we do, too.   Jessica Smartt: (30:07 - 31:52) I have been learning so, much about this in this stage of life, you know, in my 40s.  And again, it's hard when you have little kids. So, I think you can probably say across the board, it's going to look different when you're raising little kids to have a warm and wonderful inviting home than it is in your later years when your kids are older, and you have more time.  But I would just challenge moms. Well, I look back and I think, if I hadn't been so, stretched thin and put unrealistic expectations on myself in other areas of life, I maybe could have invested in my home a little bit more. And the thing I have learned is that having a home that's peacefully run just reaps so, many benefits for a woman and her family.   And I am behind the curve, I feel like, on this. But as I have learned to organize my space and really pour myself into my home, not feeling like it's a waste of time to organize a pantry. It is amazing how it blesses my family.  People notice it. And it's hard to even articulate it because you wouldn't even think that if you clean out a closet, it's going to bless your family. But it really actually does.  And my husband benefits from it. He's not even like a strict, everything has to be clean. But when I've worked on something in the home, he sees it and notices it and appreciates it. So, God has just been teaching me so, much about what it looks like to really be like a homemaker, a godly homemaker and pour myself into my home. And I have reaped so much joy and peace from living out that role and calling in my life.   Laura Dugger: (31:53 - 32:23) That was one of the quotes I wrote down that observation that you made on page 142. And I'll just quote you, "when I do something to invest in our home, every single member of our family brightens." And I exactly great and you gave practical ways of how we can do that. And I also like it because it gives a little freedom because we're one of the family members too. And I think we brighten when we get that space in order.   Jessica Smartt: (32:24 - 33:06)  Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Again, back to our earlier like cultural, cultural narrative versus biblical. There's like a, there's a lot of messaging about that it doesn't matter to really invest in your home and your family. And that's just not how God made the world to operate. So, I would challenge moms that even if they are doing what the rest of everyone is doing, and it's like, ah, it looks like a bomb went off in here. Like, um, you know, that may not be how God is calling us to live with a giant disclaimer that there are seasons of life that it truly does look like a bomb went off.  And that is okay. We are doing good gospel work, raising children.   Laura Dugger: (33:07 - 33:46)  Absolutely. But then also I think Proverbs 31 sometimes gets a bad rap, but really there's a lot of freedom in it for women because it is how the Lord created us, but she does look well to the ways of her household. And I think that just summed up, she's one of the members of the household, but so is everybody else. And that's one thing that can bless everyone, but you are just full and abundant with ideas, and you have an appendix in the book full of resources to help us maintain and take care of all our responsibilities. So, will you share a few of those ideas with us?   Jessica Smartt: (33:47 - 34:46) Um, yes, I, and maybe this is my homeschool mom speaking, but I have just learned so, much from other good books. I have, it's truly changed my life just in whether it's talking about personal health or discipline or marriage or prayer or my home. So, the thing I'm really actually most proud about in the appendix is my list of recommended resources. And it's just all the books that have impacted me as a mom and also impacted my writing too.  Um, I'll, I'll mention one. I think, uh, I don't know if everyone has read A Praying Life, but that has completely transformed not only my walk with the Lord, but my prayer life.  And I've implemented, um, it's Paul Miller, I believe his idea for prayer cards. And I do that every morning. Um, it has been the sweetest thing, and I've really reaped a lot of blessing out of kind of modeling what he sets up in that book.  So, that's just one example. If you haven't read A Praying Life, you should definitely go read it.   Laura Dugger: (34:47 - 35:20)  That's awesome. And I don't know if this ties in, but I'm just remembering back one of the podcasts that I heard you speak on. You share your definition of godly self-care, and you say that it's whatever helps you do your job well and not at the sacrifice of others. So, can you elaborate with some encouragement for how we can make sure that we don't go to either side, that we don't neglect ourselves, but we also continue with this merrymaking for our family.   Jessica Smartt: (35:21 - 38:22)  Right. Yes. And, um, that definition, I always want to be like, you know, the end part about not to the sacrifice of someone else. When I had a young, I think I had two kids and my baby was six weeks old.  I had a very qualified, loving teenage girl. Watch my two kids while my husband and I left for literally an hour to go to five guys and get burgers.  And my youngest was not thrilled. He did not prefer the bottle. So, in some ways his life was unsettled for a brief moment, but that was okay. So, I think everyone knows when I say, um, you know, not to the sacrifice of everyone else.   What I'm saying is like looking at the family and certainly we shouldn't be like living this plush and well-watered life and someone else's withering away. So, it's a general statement of, you know, that it would be too far, as you said, on the extreme of, and I do think that happens honestly, because we're all self-centered.  It's not that we don't love our kids. We're just trained to care about ourselves. But many women struggle on the other side of, um, maybe neglecting some areas in their life that could truly help them to be better wives and better moms. And, um, it's a really fun activity to think like, what, how could I change my life a little bit in a way that I would be a better wife and mom.   And I'm not meaning that to justify any sort of behavior that, you know, you want to do, because you certainly could use that for almost anything. Um, but really to think like, how can I be the best mom and wife that I could possibly be? And it might mean making some, giving yourself some breathing room. And I would also encourage women to, um, one of the best uses for that time is to work on your marriage because there's direct overflow into the family. And so, best case, I gave some ideas of like family adventures that can kind of fill your cup along with everyone else. And I would say maybe next best or equal would-be husband, wife stuff where you can check out, connect, and you're overflowing and ready to enter back into family life.   And then finally things that it's certainly fine to just step out and find those things that are life giving to you, but just trying to keep an eye on, you know, how is everyone in the family doing? And there might be seasons.  I think of my mom caring for her mom who had dementia. She wasn't really well watered in that season. She was, she was quite depleted, but that's what the Lord had been calling her to do at that period of time. Um, and we often were like, mom, you've got to like, we thought she did too much, you know?  Um, but looking back, I think she really is so grateful that she laid down her life. There's not regret.  And so, I'm like, well, maybe she was right all along. I don't know.   Laura Dugger: (38:23 - 38:58)  Good though. The both and to have seasons of that, where we can refresh so, that when we go into a season where it's a little bit prior, we can be serving hopefully still from the overflow. But you also just blew me away in the book with your knowledge on roots. And the subtitle of that chapter is "recipes, relics, relatives, and other things that keep kids grounded." So, will you just teach us a little bit more about roots and share how it applies to building a strong family?   Jessica Smartt: (39:00 - 40:51)  Yes, I would like to shout out to my husband who is in the landscaping business. So, he helped me. I was like, hey, can you please give me some fun facts about roots?  And he was thrilled. But um, one thing I mentioned is that most plant problems are caused by root issues. And gosh, have I seen that in real life, like even as an adult, you notice somebody that is carrying still issues that they're working through from their childhood. And so, what a gift we're giving our kids by giving them those strong, good roots and a healthy, you know, childhood to enter into adulthood, not crippled by things, but that they can give out of strength.   And my husband and I feel like, you know, although our families of origin were not perfect, we lived that story, we were able to go out in strength, and not, you know, carrying all this emotional baggage. That's what I would like to give my kids. So, um, but then yeah, at the end, I share that the most integral roots to the plant's wellbeing are the ones right near the surface. And I thought, what a kind of cool parallel that even if we, you know, I've shared about my experience, but someone listening may not have good roots, and they really might struggle with having support and partnership. But they can give a new story to their kids. They can give them the roots that they did not have through the Lord's strength.  And I have found friends that I'm literally seeing them do it. But they are they are crippled. And you know, in therapy and dealing with all this trauma, but they're passing a different story on to their kids.  And how cool is that? I have so much admiration for that. It seems like it's something that really only can be done through the Lord's strength, but he does it. He writes those stories.   Laura Dugger: (40:51 - 41:11)  And he seems to delight in redemption stories. So, I appreciate you sharing that. And I'd love to continue kind of this idea time. Will you just share another handful of your favorite practical tips for building a strong family that are topics we haven't covered yet?   Jessica Smartt: (41:13 - 43:16) Well, I would start with one thing I have seen huge rewards is if we do sort of like a secret Santa idea, and we actually do it also before Valentine's Day and do you know, your cupids arrow, whatever, because it just changes your whole mindset when you're suddenly thinking, how can I, you know, love this person in my family, you're in a better mood.  And so, we divide up names. And then we also do like acts of service. And that is just such a fun, like low keyway to kind of get your kids to think about loving their siblings instead of being annoyed by them. We have loved doing game nights, and we're not like big game people. But finding ones that I think my encouragement would be that it doesn't have to be like this long three-hour thing.   If your family's not into that, we've done like minute to win at games that I just pulled up online.  We have a lot of games that are like, no mental stress. They're very easy, like Slopsy. If anybody has not played Slopsy, they need to pick it up. It's you could play it if you were extremely tired, which I often am at the end of the day. So, to find some like quip, there's also what do you mean family edition.  And that is a fun one. And I have some other games listed in the book too, for readers who are interested. So, those would be two. We also do like one-on-one activities with the kids. And I always thought you had to do it like really, really regularly. But I would just give the encouragement that some is better than none. And so, even if it's only a couple times a year, kids just soak that up. And it doesn't need to be, you know, this whole long thing, it could be like, hey, you need some new winter pants. Let's get a Chick-fil-A milkshake beforehand. You know, just to kind of keep your eyes open for those activities and opportunities.   Laura Dugger: (43:17 - 43:47)  Guess what? We are no longer an audio only podcast. We now have video included as well. If you want to view the conversation each week, make sure you watch our videos. We're on YouTube and you can access videos or find answers to any of your other questions about the podcast when you visit thesavvysauce.com. Can you also share this genius idea about something that you put on the notes app of your phone?   Jessica Smartt: (43:48 - 44:50)  Yeah, so, I talked about the power of stories. Kids love hearing stories from our, you know, youth or young adulthood or even, you know, married years, whatever. So, I got in the habit of sharing a story with my daughter before bed. And of course, at night, you aren't always on your A game. So, I just have a note app on my phone to track different things that I might want to tell her. And my encouragement was that it doesn't need to be, we think it needs to be like this long, significant story, but even just little tidbits of things she has been delighted to hear over and over. You know, just like a passing, you know, anecdote that didn't seem to me to be too pregnant with meaning, but she just ate it up and loved hearing about all of the different things. So, yeah, that was just again, it didn't cost a lot. It's not hard, but just a little thing that kind of connected us and also connected her to a deeper sense of like, here's your roots of the people that raised you.   Laura Dugger: (44:53 - 45:36) I loved that idea because my daughters or our daughters will just catch us off guard and say, hey, share a story about us share a story about when you were little or when I was little. And so, I love your system that you have in place that when that idea comes to me, I can jot it down. And then when they ask unexpectedly, I'm prepared.  So, thought that was wonderful. And you've written an entire book on memories. So, I'll link to our previous episode where we talk about that.  And we dove into that topic. But you've updated your ideas in this book and come up with the most epic list of memory making ideas ever. So, could you just share a couple of those to give us a taste of what you include?   Jessica Smartt: (45:37 - 46:43) Yes, so, I think my favorite was at the end the chapter talking about surprises because I love the idea of surprising your kid. And when I talked about when I was little, my grandparents showed up at our school in their RV to take us camping. So, just thinking through like just different, a lot of those are like the big, you know, birthday or vacation or Christmas gifts. But even if you did it just one time, that's like a that can be like a core memory in you know, your kid's life.   When I was researching this, for the appendix, I reached out to a lot of my readers, and they had the most fun ideas of just creative family memory making things. And one that I remembered that I thought, I don't know if I have the guts to do this, but I think that this family came up with it during COVID. So, they were a little bit bored, and they packed a picnic and went to a stop sign. And when they got to one, they would roll a dice to see which direction they would turn until they ended up at a good picnic spot. She said it was harder than you would think.   Laura Dugger: (46:45 - 47:02)  That's hilarious. I love the creativity and that element of surprise. That is so, good. Well, I hope that everybody goes out to get a copy of your amazing book. But where else would you want to direct us to connect online after this chat?   Jessica Smartt: (47:03 - 47:15)  Yeah, definitely come say hi on Instagram. I'm Jessica Smartt with two Ts. And you can tell me what you enjoyed about our conversation. And I'm usually every so, often we'll check the messages, but I do get back to you.   Laura Dugger: (47:16 - 47:34)  Love it. We'll add links to that in the show notes for today's episode. And Jessica, you're already familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical. And so, my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Jessica Smartt: (47:36 - 48:09)So, what has changed my life, I really think is, and this isn't like the most exciting thing, but walking every single day, and I walk with my weighted vest. So, I look like every other 40-year-old woman that is out there. We have a little trail around our farm. So, I, it's, I honestly have like seen so, much change in my mental health and physical health. And I know they say that on all of these, you know, resources and stuff. And I never thought it was true. But it really has changed my life just to walk every day.   Laura Dugger: (48:11 - 52:21)  Amen, sister, I totally agree with that. That is so, well said. You are just a brilliant and faithful and godly and humble woman. You're gifted with your communication with your words in this conversation and in the books that you've shared with the world.  And I am just so grateful for you, Jessica. Thank you so much for being my guest today.  Well, thank you for those kind words.   One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.