Podcast appearances and mentions of ruth schwenk

Karen Ehman is a wife, mom of grown children, author of numerous books, and Bible teacher who is passionate about writing and speaking to encourage women to live their priorities and display the gospel to the watching world. Our prayer is that you would come away from this episode feeling equipped and encouraged to cultivate a life of passion, productivity, and rest this new year!What We Chat About on This Episode:~The new book Karen co-authored with Ruth Schwenk, what readers can expect, and what led to this being their next work~The deep joy that can come even in the hardest of life's circumstances; the practices Karen and Ruth have put in place which enable them to experience this joy~The four sections of the workbook and what led them to set it up that way~Assessing whether or not what we are spending our time in is lining up with the priorities we say we have~Assessing what God-given passions you have that go along with His call on your life~Tips, tricks, and tools that help you find your follow through on your passions and priorities~Advice for how to live your everyday with forethought, planning, and intentionality~The crucial importance of making prayer a priority~Teaching people how to treat you by your behavior and boundaries~The happiness we find when we invest our hearts, souls, minds, and strength in the right things~Having boundaries in place for our phone usage~Cultivating a life-giving routine of both productivity and rest~The power of taking several minutes a day to sit in silence and think nothing~A few important questions to ask yourself at the end of the day to prepare yourself well for the next day~Assessing everything that is currently on your plate and whether or not it is time to do some plate-scraping~What it takes to obtain wisdom~The important part the fear of the Lord has to play in all this~And more!Inspiring Quotes to Remember:“We wrote this book on enjoying your life in a season of very hard circumstances for each of us. To look at our circumstances, you wouldn't have thought we would be happy. But it wasn't situational happiness that we were experiencing. It was deep joy in knowing that none of what we were going through surprised God. He knew we would go through it, and He promised to be with us. Despite some pretty dire circumstances, we were still seeing these pockets of joy.”“We started to ask ourselves what it was we had put in place, what we had done, what God had taught us over the years as adults, that had positioned us to still feel like life was worth living and to still discover joy despite the circumstances all around us. That is what led to the writing of this book.”“When it comes to living our priorities, all of us have two things in our lives: we have relationships and we have responsibilities, or people and projects. We tend to lean to one or the other extreme, so finding the proper perspective and learning to manage that tension is what we address in the first section of the book.”“God has wired you with passions, with interests and talent and spiritual gifts. He has a calling on your life, something that you should be doing and could be doing for the Kingdom.”“We need to be praying about our days, saying, ‘Lord, there are going to be times today when I need to get work done, times when I instead need to tend to a human being. Would You please help me to order my day in such a way that I get my work done without neglecting my people? And would You tap me on the heart if I need to stop what I am doing and tend to a person and also nudge me when I need to ignore that text message and get my work done instead?'”“You teach people how to treat you. You teach them by what you allow and what you don't allow. We want to love and serve people, but we can't be at everybody's beck and call. We really need to have boundaries in place, best practices, and ways to free up time for the things that really matter.”“We so often think happiness comes from money, notoriety, possessions, position, or popularly. But research shows that it comes more from feeling like, a the end of the day, we invested in something that mattered. But so often we are just spending our time on things that don't matter - like scrolling our phones. If we do not have time limits on that scrolling, we will waste countless hours each week on meaningless content.”“What really makes our lives enriched is investing into things that matter, investing our hearts, minds, souls, and strength into making someone else's life better. Listening to that neighbor who just lost their spouse and encouraging and doing something nice for them rather than just ingesting fluff all day long goes a long way.”“We don't rest because we're tired and we deserve a break. We rest so that we can refocus, we can relax, and then we can reconnect and be rekindled in a way that we can then go back and tackle life.”“I heard a brain expert on a podcast say that we need 17 minutes a day of silence where we think nothing. I have made that my practice now and find that having that 17 minutes of silence a day with a clear brain has really helped me to be able to then jump back into my day with a different perspective now that I have literally had a brain break.”“I would encourage people to make sure that the things that are on their plates are either a relationship or a responsibility that God has placed there. And, if they aren't, you'll need to do some major plate-scraping.”“If we really want to properly live out our priorities, we first need to obtain wisdom. And the first step in obtaining wisdom is to fear the Lord. Our success begins with understanding the fear of the Lord and living it out daily and returning to it when we stray. It doesn't depend on applying all the latest time management techniques we can find, even though those can be helpful. Our success begins with understanding the fear of the Lord that leads to wisdom.”“Wisdom helps us to make choices in our day and in our relationships and in our responsibilities that help us to live our priorities and love our life.”Resources Mentioned:“The Love Your Life Project: 40 Days to Prioritize Your Passions, Cultivate Productive Habits, and Refuel with Times of Rest“Why am I like This?: How to Break Cycles, Heal from Trauma, and Restore Your Faith” by Kobe CampbellWhere You Can Find Karen:Substack: KarenEhman.comTwitter: @karen_ehmanPinterest: @karenehmanofficialFacebook: Karen EhmanInstagram: @karenehman Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

How are you at balancing your responsibilities and your relationships? Do you tend to lean towards projects over people? Or people over projects? I feel like we tend to put one over the other, so I am so excited to introduce you to a new book: *The Love Your Life Project by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk. The subtitle is 40 Days to Prioritize Your Passions, Cultivate Productive Habits, and Refuel with Times of Rest. I am excited to have Karen Ehman back on the podcast as we talk about our priorities and when to say no and when to be interruptible for divine appointments. Karen gives so many practical tools; I am so excited for you to hear this episode. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Karen's book: *The Love Your Life Project. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link:  https://kingsumo.com/g/1y9ezdm/the-love-your-life-project It is fun to have Karen back on the Podcast! If you missed my first conversation with Karen back in 2020 about her book, *Listen, Love, Repeat, please check out Episode 28 on the Depth podcast. I love when she shares about the heart drop. Also, both Karen and Ruth wrote another book together called *Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace In Your Every Day. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruth Schwenk in 2021. If you missed this episode, please check out Episode 129 on the Depth Podcast.  I love how we dive deeper into what it looks like to trust God, not only in the good times, but also the storms of life. Book Recommendation: *Why Am I Like This by Kobe Campbell Karen Ehman is a New York Times bestselling author, a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and a contributing writer for Encouragement for Today online devotions and a teacher in the First 5 Bible study app which has over 2 million daily users. She has written 19 books and Bible studies including Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All and the 2020 ECPA devotional book of the year Settle My Soul: 100 Quiet Moments to Meet with Jesus. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Spring Arbor University with a major in Social Science. Karen has been featured on TODAY Parenting, Redbook.com, Foxnews.com, Crosswalk.com, YouVersion.com, and is a monthly columnist for HomeLife Magazine. Her passion is to help women live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. She is married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and is the mother of six children—three biological and three in-laws by marriage—although she forgets which ones are which. Karen enjoys collecting vintage Pyrex kitchenware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and spending her days feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table to process life and enjoy her county fair blue-ribbon winning cooking. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Business & Babies with Ashley Schuberthttps://www.ashleyschubertspeaks.com/Episode 80 - "Embracing the Unknown" with Nichole Jackson00:00 - Intro01:04 - Introducing Nichole01:29 - About her, family and business02:29 - Surprise baby boy!04:22 - Hair loss in childhoodExperience with AlopeciaGod's work, preparing the wayStrengthening identity in HimFocusing on the heart condition07:02 - Being confident07:33 - Promo - "Business & Babies" book08:00 - Joshua's heart conditionFrom closer to family, to the unexpectedTransposition of the Great Arteries (TGA)14:36 - Trust and supportServing in KenyaDoing hard things with great joy18:08 - Promo - "Business & Babies" podcast18:36 - Working and raising babiesLife changes, embrace the unknownJoshua 1:9 NIV"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God" ~ Corrie Ten BoomEphesians 3:14-21 NIV24:56 - Rapid fire questions25:10 - Favorite books26:28 - Meal or Snack?27:13 - Night time routine28:29 - Closing / Thank you28:48 - OutroGuest/s: Nichole JacksonFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nichole.r.jackson.5Mentions:Ruth Schwenk, https://www.thebettermom.com/"In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake" by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk

Hey Friend! Are you a people-pleaser? Do you find it difficult to say no to requests from others? Then today's episode is for you!  On the show today, I talk with my friend and NY Times Best-selling author, Karen Ehman, about how to say "no" while dealing with your people-pleasing tendencies. Karen shares how she reached a breaking point, what she learned when she began to say "no," and when it is OK to say yes.  You're going to love our conversation!  You are loved,  Donna   Listen in to learn more about {03:00} Karen's journey with being a former people-pleaser” and  some of the lessons learned by saying “no” {10:24} How to handle the emotions and  reactions when you say no to others {15:24} When it's ok to say YES! {19:51} The 7 “stop it” statements Resources   For a copy of “15 Things, Jesus Would Say to You if You Met Him for Coffee,” go to www.donnajones.org/blog    Pick up a copy of Donna's book : Seek: A Woman's Guide to Meeting God    https://www.amazon.com/Seek-Womans-Guide-Meeting-God/dp/0800725328/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3QOGM9DLB01MK&keywords=seek+a+womans+guide&qid=1644959052&s=books&sprefix=Seek+a+woman%2Cstripbooks%2C190&sr=1-2   Connect with Karen    Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and New York Times bestselling author. Described as profoundly practical, engagingly funny, and downright real, her passion is to help women to live their priorities and love their lives as they serve God and others.   Karen writes for Encouragement For Today, an online devotional that reaches over four million women daily. She also contributes to the First 5 teaching team, an app designed to help you spend the first five minutes of every day reading the Bible.   She has authored seventeen books and Bible studies including the New York Times bestseller Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All. Her most recent devotional, co-authored with Ruth Schwenk of The Better Mom is entitled Settle My Soul: 100 Quiet Moments to Meet with Jesus and was selected as  2020 Devotional and Gift Book of the Year. She and Ruth also co-wrote the ECPA best-seller Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus. She also released a Bible study with LifeWay on the letter of Philippians called What Matters Most. You can visit her website at https://karenehman.com Connect with Donna Instagram: @donnaajones Website: www.donnajones.org Twitter:@donnajonesspeak Vimeo: @DonnaJones

People say to "Trust God", but what does that really mean? When life is busy and overwhelming and we're juggling "all the things", it can be difficult to trust God. Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk are here on the podcast to bring us back to God's Word and remind us that God is trustworthy and He brings peace and contentment we are so desperately looking for. Based off their newest devotional, "Trusting God in All the Things", this dynamic duo is bringing encouragement for the weary soul - tired and worn out from doing all of the things and in need of refreshment from the Lord - one that only comes from trusting God. Order their book here: https://www.amazon.com/Trusting-God-All-Things-Devotions/dp/0764239619/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=trusting+god+in+all+the+things&qid=1657032732&sprefix=trusting+god+in+all%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-1   Follow Ruth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthschwenk/ Follow Karen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenehman/ FOLLOW AND CONNECT WITH TARA ON: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misstarasun Website: https://www.tarasunministries.com/ The exclusive email family (home of monthly devotionals, freebies, first-to-know announcements, sales and more!) https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5f5293472c60490027bc8d16

Life can be hard. Relationships are broken. Responsibilities are piled high. How can you grow closer to God instead of falling away during times of struggle? New York Times bestselling author Karen Ehman has a new devotional for women (co-authored with Ruth Schwenk) to help you connect with Jesus everyday. It's called "Trusting God in All the Things." In today's conversation, you'll learn: 3:00 The difference between believing in God and trusting in Him 4:00 Ask this question to know if you're having trouble trusting God 6:30 Practically speaking, how can you shift your trust in God? 7:30 When we are trying to manipulate outcomes for our kids, here's a story to remember. 10:00 Key verses that will help you trust in God 14:50 How can you minister to your lonely daughter? 17:00 You might make the difference in bringing someone to Christ by befriending a neighbor 19:20 Lessons about soul control from the Psalms 20:45 About the “I Spy” journal 23:30 Ideas of spending time with God when you have kids and a crazy full schedule Karen Ehman is a New York Times bestselling author with Proverbs 31 Ministries as well as a writer for Encouragement for Today, an online devotional that reaches more than four million women daily. She has authored eighteen books, including Keep It Shut. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, she's the mom of three adult children and two children-in-law, although she forgets which are which. Learn more about Karen Ehman and her new devotional Trusting God in All Things on her website KarenEhman.com Spending too much time on screens this summer? My book Screen Kids co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman will help, along with the masterclass. Find out more at HappyHomeUniversity.com Happy Home is sponsored in part by Trinity Debt Management. Call 1 800 793-8752 to talk with a counselor today.

Amanda Davison joins special guest Karen Ehman to talk about what it looks like to FULLY trust God! Karen also shares all about her and Ruth Schwenk's new book, Trusting God in All The Things. We release NEW episodes here on YouTube and on the A Wife Like Me Podcast (listen on any platform)! Hit the *SUBSCRIBE* button so you're cued in on new episodes! Get all of our freebies here: https://awifelikeme.com/subscribe-to-a-wife-like-me Join the A Wife Like Me Collective FREE for a week, here: https://collective.awifelikeme.com/ Find Kelly Brinkmann, here: https://www.kellybrinkmann.com/ Grab our book, Dear Wife, here: https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Wife-Invitations-Practice-Connection/dp/0578470594 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awifelikeme/message

Life is just . . . a lot. Relationships are hard. Responsibilities are piled high. And it seems like all the things are distracting you from the very best things of all. There's little time left for yourself--or for connecting with Jesus. No wonder you feel anxious in your mind and hurried in your heart. You desperately long for calm amidst your clamoring duties, stacked schedule, and life's unexpected circumstances. But where do you begin? More than anything else, your heart needs a refreshing encounter with God each day. Ruth Schwenk is on the show offering us a way forward so we can experience the confident calm we crave. Join us to face life with God's peace and renewed strength. Discover the calming reassurance of God, who is the only One who can truly be trusted in all the things. To be a love offering: “In our pain we can offer comfort to others. Walk toward someone else's pain instead of away from it. Pray for others and pray with others. Keep showing up.” Reference: Better by Jen Wilken Connect with Ruth: https://www.thebettermom.com https://forthefamily.org https://instagram.com/ruthschwenk Rootlike Faith podcast

Mentioned in this episode: Trusting God in All the Things mymentorshipcourses.com Womenlivingwell.com Psalm 43 Psalm 46:1-10 John 3:30 Psalm 9:10 Psalm 62:5   Connect with Ruth here: Website Instagram  Facebook   Connect with Pat here: Website Facebook  Instagram    Please share Rootlike Faith with your friends! This podcast is produced and edited by Angie Elkins Media, Inc.   

Maybe it's easy to trust God with some parts of your life. But God can and should be trusted with everything. Authors Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk share insights from their book, "Trusting God in All The Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day."

Maybe it's easy to trust God with some parts of your life. But God can and should be trusted with everything. Authors Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk share insights from their book, "Trusting God in All The Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day."

“Send me something good today, God, and give me the eyes to see it.”  In this heartfelt episode, author and blogger, Ruth Schwenk shares from her latest devotional, Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day. Ruth invites us into her story of real-life struggles and opens the door for us to find God's perfect peace in the middle of it all. Ruth is a Pastor's wife, the founder of two popular blogs, and has a podcast show along with her husband, Patrick called, Rootlike Faith. Raising four children, walking through her husband's cancer, and having multiple miscarriages, Ruth was positioned to cling to Jesus and trust His perfect peace that surpasses all understanding. She inspires us all to find hope in the tomorrow and trust in His perfect plan. Grab a box of kleenex and get ready, you won't want to miss this one! Important Takeaways from Show It is not only in the big, but the little things that we must position ourselves to trust God. In the middle of our suffering is where God meets us. When we come to a dead-end, we can only cling to Jesus. Trials can be a gift as they draw us closer to esus and help us better understand His suffering. God can use our trials for the good, the good of others, and our relationship with Him There is something that happens in the hard moments, that doesn't happen anywhere else. Suffering exposes what we really believe about God and purifies our relationship with Him. We cling to the things of the world less when we cling to Him more. “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalms 9:10 The time we spend with God today, matters for the tomorrow. When we know what is true about God, it doesn't matter what is true about our situation. Devotionals help us grow in the Lord and the knowledge of scripture Never give up if you miss a day of studying scripture and pressing into understanding- there is always tomorrow. God wants to exponentially open our understanding of who He is and what His word means. We can love and help people, but we are not their Savior. When you navigate through the unknowns, God gives us His Word to bring peace, comfort, and strength – He will meet you in those words. When you are at rock bottom, cling to God, run to God and invite Him into the situation “Those who know your name trust in you,     for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalms 9:10 Links from Show Devotional: Trusting God in All the Things 90 Devotions For Finding Peace in Your Every Day. Book: In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm [Disclosure: I make a small commission from affiliate links used in this post.]   Connect with Ruth Schwenk Website | Facebook | Instagram Connect with Joanna  Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter   I'd love to hear from you… What spoke most to you from Ruth's interview?

In honor of Mother's Day, I'm rereleasing this popular parenting episode (originally released in May of 2020). Are you trying to do it all perfectly? Struggling with mom-guilt? Not sure how to create a God-centered home?⠀ ⠀ I'm talking with Ruth Schwenk, founder of the popular blog The Better Mom, who inspires moms to become better by becoming more like Jesus. Ruth says, “it's being faithful day in and day out and over the years, those things add up to a faithful life that I think has an impact on our kids that we don't even realize.”⠀ Get all the show notes and connect with Ruth!

Are you overwhelmed? Is there something going on in your life that just seems too big right now? I can totally relate. So, I am so excited to introduce you to the devotional: *Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace In Your Every Day. This is written by both Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk, and I am so excited to talk with Ruth on the podcast this week. We are going to dive deeper into what does it look like to trust God, not only in the good times, but also the storms of life. We are also going to talk about being overwhelmed. Those questions that I ask you at the beginning are actually the first two questions in the first devotional. So we are going to look at the life of Jesus and what he did when he was overwhelmed in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as David and how he felt alone in one of the Psalms and how we can lose perspective in the middle of trials. There is so much hope and encouragement on this episode today and I cannot wait for you to hear the truths from Ruth. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Ruth's book: *Trusting God in All the Things. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/naai8z/trusting-god-in-all-the-things-book-giveaway Book Recommendations: *The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson *Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson *Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett Click this link to join my Depth Podcast Facebook Community. Ruth Schwenk is the founder of the popular blog The Better Mom, and along with her pastor/author husband, Patrick, the podcast Rootlike Faith. She is the trusted author of several books, including The Better Mom Devotional and In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake. Ruth is a Michigan football superfan and self-proclaimed foodie. But her greatest joy is her family. She lives with her husband and four children in the beautiful college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at thebettermom.com *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

This week on the podcast, we are chatting with Ruth Schwenk and Karen Ehman about how to walk through pain with peace. Ruth and Karen share honestly about their own seasons of grief and trials, and the rhythms that have helped them in knowing who God is. This is a timely message for what we have walked through as a culture these past few years, and we can't wait for you to hear it. Ruth and Karen dive more into this topic in their new devotional, Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Everyday. Our next Rhythms Retreat will be held October 21-24 at Lost Valley Ranch. If you missed this one, we would love to see you in the Fall! Register now to lock in the early bird rates. As we seek to live from a rhythm of rest, that begins from time with God. Our friends at Abide have created such practical and beautiful tools to help us remain in the Word.Join our email community for encouragement, advice, and to submit questions for the RFL podcast. Thank you for listening! We would love for you to follow and leave a review so we can continue to reach others with these conversations. 

Is your mind spinning thinking of all you want to do to market your book in the new year? Our to lists just keep getting longer yet our time seems to be getting shorter.There's so many things to do and sometimes we need to outsource so that we can focus on only what we can do, which is write our books.So with that in mind, I wanted to interview one of my favorite gals, virtual assistant, podcast producer, and fiction author, Christen Krumm.Christen and I met while we were both working behind the scenes for some of our favorite nonfiction authors who are also podcast hosts and happen to collaborate and contribute to each other's content frequently. Shoutout to Ruth Schwenk, Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover just to name a few.Christen shares about her VA journey as well as lots of nuggets of wisdom for authors.Show notes at kimstewartmarketing.com.Connect with us on IG:@kimstewinspired@christenkrumm#bookmarketingmania

Mentioned in this episode: Matthew 16 Galatians 5:22-23 Psalm 127 Character Cards Faith Forward Family Devotional  by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk  Connect with Ruth here: Website Instagram  Facebook Connect with Pat here: Website Facebook  Instagram  Please share Rootlike Faith with your friends! This podcast is produced and edited by Angie Elkins Media, Inc. 

Today we’re talking about suffering and hardship. How we can keep putting one-foot-in-front-of-the-other as we homeschool our kids when we’re going through a frightening diagnosis, financial struggles, relationship battles…? How do we keep the family together when our world is falling apart?

God has blessed each of us with a special gift, a talent, a unique way that we can spread His Word in the world. Our gifts are given to us for a reason—no one else can do what we do. It is the way we were formed, and it’s why it’s so crucial that we learn to hone into God’s voice and what He’s calling us to do, lest the world suffer from the lack of our obedience. Former Bachelor star and founder of Generous Coffee, Ben Higgins, had a moment in his childhood that made him realize that people’s stories are more complex than he ever thought possible, and that pain and suffering are interwoven with joy. After Ben’s following boomed from the publicity that being on national television brought, he realized he had an opportunity to use his platform for good, for change in the lives of those who desperately need it. That’s when he founded Generous Coffee, seeking to fulfill a purpose greater than himself and connecting with stories that truly mean something to us as humans. Author and speaker John Bevere had an encounter with God in 1991, when God told him to write. John laughed at God, thinking he was surely mistaken and calling on the wrong follower. After several nudgings, John gave in, and now his books are being used to build Christ’s kingdom worldwide. These two men show that when we harness our God-given abilities and surrender to His callings, lives and hearts can be changed, and we can have an impact greater than we ever thought possible.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling devotional Jesus Calling for Armed Forces edition JesusCalling.com Past interview: Cynthia Garrett Upcoming interview: Patrick and Ruth Schwenk   Ben Higgins ABC’s The Bachelor - 20th season Generous Coffee Alone in Plain Sight Humanity Hope United generousmovement.com   John Bevere Messenger International X: Multiply Your God Given Potential 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV COVID Colossians 3:23-24 NIV 1 Peter 4:10 NIV 2 Timothy 1:6-7 NIV messengerinternational.org   Interview Quotes: “I think the scariest thing that we could have in our life is experiencing pain and feeling alone in that pain. I don't know a scarier feeling than feeling alone.” - Ben Higgins “What if pain is the connector? What if pain is the thing that we can look at each other and feel less alone? And what if pain is the place that we not only grasp for God, but that God enters into our pain?” - Ben Higgins “I want to share empathy. I want to hear your story. I don't want to argue with you. I want to understand more than be understood.” - Ben Higgins “The more I become vulnerable, the more I let people understand who I am, the more that I also believe that I want to understand who others are.” - Ben Higgins “The callings on our lives are beyond our natural abilities.” - John Bevere “Being faithful means multiply, even if you're working for somebody else. If you're a line worker at the factory, if you're a janitor, you multiply where God has placed you. Be faithful, believe for the supernatural gifting to multiply, to shine as a light in that arena.” - John Bevere “God has called us to take what is uniquely gifted in us and multiply it to impact many. If you look at God's first commandment, it was be fruitful and multiply.” - John Bevere “That gift on your life is not for you. It's for the people that in your world of influence that God is sending you to. So if you don't operate in your gift, then the people in your world of influence don't get what God intended them to get.” - John Bevere

Mentioned in this episode: Season 1 Episode 1:  How to Have a Rootlike Faith Genesis 1:27-28 Deuteronomy 6 Ephesians 6:1-4 For Better or for Kids by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk The Better Mom by Ruth Schwenk Faith Forward Family Devotional by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk   Connect with Ruth here: Website Instagram  Facebook   Connect with Pat here: Website Facebook  Instagram    Please share Rootlike Faith with your friends!   This podcast is produced and edited by Angie Elkins Media, Inc. 

Hi friends! We've been through a lot over the past year, as people, as communities, as a nation and world. And although there is comfort to be found in suffering through hardships together, what happens to our souls when we're left suffering privately or by ourselves?   My good friend Ruth Schwenk is joining me on the show today to help us figure that out. Ruth is an author of many wonderful books about parenting, the founder of TheBetterMom.com, and the co-founder of FortheFamily.org.   But what I'm really excited about is her most recent book she co-wrote with her husband Patrick. It's called In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm.    She talks about this new book along with an update on her husband's health, which inspired the idea of writing about God meeting you in the roughest waters and in the darkest storms.    We also chat about some practical tips on how to take care of yourself right now, even if you're sitting in the middle of one of those dark, stormy lakes.    Stick around for the whole episode to hear:   Ruth sharing some of the ways God has used suffering and trials to change and teach His people.  How suffering can be a form of education and how God protects us through unanswered prayers. When it's okay to take a step back from giving of your time and resources (and who you should surround yourself with and why!)   Favorite quotes:   1. When we're put in the middle of a storm our faith is tested. It exposes what we really believe about God. And honestly that's where God really grows us and helps us learn because we have no other choice but to cling to him in that.2. The biggest thing he does in our suffering is helps us to turn to him and deeper and grow our faith. 3. It's ok to sit in your pain. It's not comfortable. Who wants to sit in their pain? But it's the day after day, step after step looking towards him that he used to change us. 4. I think in dryness and in burnout, he's using that to purify our faith and to deepen our faith. He wants us to keep seeking him. Eventually if we keep seeking him day after day we discover that he was there all along waiting for us.    In this episode I answer this question:   1. How should I handle fasting as someone who has a tendency to have an eating disorder? (41:32) Great things we discussed:    1. Ruth Schwenk2. In A Boat InThe Middle Of The Lake  3. Hillsong Young and Free 4. When Calls The Heart 5. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter 6. Davines Minu Shampoo  7. Nakee Butter   8. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli   https://alliworthington.com/ruthschwenk2/

In this episode, Bobby gets on the phone with Patrick Schwenk. Patrick and his wife wrote a book called In a Boat in the Middle of the Lake. He is a pastor and tells a story of being diagnosed with cancer and how he and his family are navigating life. You can find all of their resources at forthefamily.orgYour Storm Doesn’t Have to Sink YouAt some point in our lives, we all find ourselves in a boat in the middle of a lake. We might be there due to a job loss or the death of a loved one. Maybe disability, divorce, or financial insecurity has stranded us. Patrick and Ruth Schwenk found themselves feeling battered after five miscarriages and then surrounded by the waves with Patrick’s cancer diagnosis at age forty-three. They were alone. Drifting. And that’s when their transformation began.In this compassionate and powerful book, the Schwenks weave together lessons from their own experience with insightful Bible teaching to remind us that one of the greatest ways God transforms us is through trials. As they unpack why Jesus called the disciples into the middle of a lake when dry ground was so safe and comfortable, they help us.If you have questions or need support email podcast@empoweredhomes.org

WIO 140 In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake with Patrick and Ruth Schwenk. We are chatting about marriage during hard times. Enjoy! For links of all we chatted about on the show, visit: https://www.triciagoyer.com/140 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/walkitoutwithtriciagoyer/support

Episode #26Angie talks with Ruth Schwenk about her most recent book, "In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake," co-authored with her husband, Patrick.www.livesteadyon.comFacebook @livesteadyon.comRuth's websites:www.thebettermom.comwww.thebetterfamilyministry.comRuth's podcast:Rootlike FaithRuth mentioned the book, "I Choose Brave" by Katie WestenbergHeartwarming by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3864-heartwarmingLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Motherhood on Purpose with Ruth Schwenk   1 Samuel 17: 39+40 (AMP) “Then David fastened his sword over his armor and tried to walk, [but he could not,] because he was not used to them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I am not used to them.” So David took them off. Then he took his [shepherd's] staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the stream bed, and put them in his shepherd's bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd's pouch. With his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.”    Ruth Schwenk is co-founder of The Better Life Ministry, co-host of the Rootlike Faith podcast, and co-author with her husband, Pat, of In A Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Ruth is also the author of The Better Mom book and Devotional, Pressing Pause, and Faith Forward Family Devotional. Ruth is a Michigan football superfan, a self-proclaimed “foodie,” and lover of all things HGTV. But her greatest joy is her family.  She is a blessed wife to her Pastor/Author husband, Patrick, and mom to four beautiful children, and she eagerly awaits meeting her five others, lost through miscarriage, in heaven one day.    Connect with Ruth on Instagram or Facebook   Ruth Schwenk's Free resources: Faith Forward Family Map (includes Family Mission Statement) Yearly Personal Inventory for Moms Scriptures for Hope During Hard Times   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Resources Authored and Co-Authored by Ruth Schwenk: In the Boat in the Middle of a Lake From Grouchy to Great The Better Mom Devotional Settle My Soul Pressing Pause The Better Mom Faith Forward Family For Better or for Kids Hoodwinked The Better Mom Prayer Journal   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Peoria Christian School   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and goodies!   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.”

Patrick and Ruth Schwenk have experienced life together. From miscarriages to dealing with cancer, the Schwenk's have managed to keep faith in the midst of the chaos. Patrick's faith and outlook on life makes his voice one you need to hear. Ready to become part of the Reclamation Community? Text RECLAIM to 66866 to join our community. Links: Patrick's websiteRootlike Faith PodcastPatrick on FacebookPatrick on InstagramA Boat In the Middle of the LakeTony on Instagram

Jenn is welcoming Ruth Schwenk to the show today at her guest.     Mentioned in this episode:   The story of Jesus and the disciples on the lake can be read HERE   John 3:30   Rootlike Faith Podcast with Pat and Ruth Schwenk Connect with Ruth:   In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake by Pat and Ruth Schwenk   Website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook

Peter Kapsner reacts to the pushback on Amy Coney Barrett's faith-inspired lifestyle and how secular people often don't have a framework for  understanding such lifestyles.  Patrick and Ruth Schwenk, authors of "In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake," share how God met them amid a cancer battle.

Peter Kapsner reacts to the pushback on Amy Coney Barrett's faith-inspired lifestyle and how secular people often don't have a framework for  understanding such lifestyles.  Patrick and Ruth Schwenk, authors of "In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake," share how God met them amid a cancer battle.

Lessons from the Farm welcomes Ruth Schwenk to the show! You are going to love Ruth, her story and what she has to teach us about moving from surviving to thriving again.  Ruth is the creator of the TheBetterMom.com , the author of multiple books, including her newest release, In The Boat In The Middle Of The Lake, which she co-authored with her husband Patrick.  It's a must-read! Click here to grab your copy.  Nicki also mentioned in today's episode our newest freebie we have just for kids! Click here to download it today.     

When Ruth and her husband Pat heard the diagnosis of cancer, they made a choice to trust God instead of panicking. Where is God when your family is suffering? Ruth brings words of hope to help us through this pandemic from her latest book, In a Boat in the Middle of the Lake. Learn more about Ruth Schwenk and the book In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake.

Anyone who is seasoned in their faith has become used to trials, difficulties and hard times. Yet, it is how they responded to their stress and challenges that makes them worthy to follow.

Ruth Schwenk has walked through seasons of anxiety as she went through multiple miscarriages and her husband's cancer diagnoses.  But she has also learned that sometimes anxiety comes through more daily battles -- including the unknowns we all face due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  After all she has been through Ruth loves to encourage women to face their own anxious seasons with the loving help of our faithful God.  I know this episode will be a great encourage to you if you feel a little (or a lot) anxious now.  Check show notes for Ruth's free download of 30 verses to read when you're feeling fearful or anxious: www.monicaswanson.com/podcast today's episode;  www.monicaswanson.com/episode-57  

Ruth Schwenk is the founder of the popular blog, The Better Mom, where she inspires moms to become better by becoming more like Jesus. She is the trusted author of several books with Harper Collins and is a 2020 Christian Book Award Winner. Ruth is a Michigan football super fan, a self-proclaimed “foodie,” and lover of all things HGTV. But her greatest joy is her family. She lives with her husband, four children in the beautiful, college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here are some of the things Ruth and I chat about: How Her Blog Got Started and How We Shape Who We’re Becoming Ruth and I talk about her blog, The Better Mom, and how it’s not about doing, it’s about becoming.  Ruth says, “We become better parents because we are becoming better ourselves by becoming more like Jesus.”   Not a Message of Perfection I love Ruth’s approach to teach what you know, what has worked and what hasn’t. She says she doesn’t really struggle with impostor syndrome because she’s not trying to look like she has it all together.  The Better Mom Devotional Ruth tells us about her devotional and how it’s a practical tool pointing women to the heart of her message of learning, growing and putting God at the center of our lives. Getting Things Done/Every Season is Different As a busy mama of four kids in full-time ministry, she’s got so much (good!) stuff going on. We talk about how she actually gets things done. She says focuses on the things she likes to do, the things she good at and delegates the rest. Ruth says it’s also about the season you’re in. Some season will allow for things that others won’t. Prayer During the Pandemic and Everyday Ruth shares her thoughts on knowing when to pray, especially during anxious times, but also everyday. Having a God-Centered Home/Parenting We talk a lot about parenting throughout our conversation, but Ruth’s overarching message is that it doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to be grand, spiritual activities.  She says, “it’s being faithful day in and day out and over the years, those things add up to a faithful life that I think has an impact on our kids that we don’t even realize.”   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Better Mom The Better Mom Devotional For the Family Weekend Reset Faith Forward Family Devotional   RUTH’S FAVORITE 5 (6) Everything from Madewell Trader Joe’s Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha Growth Roots Journal Time for Organization Her New Pug Puppy! Live In Hoop Earrings   CONNECT WITH RUTH Instagram | Facebook | Website   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Show Notes for this Episode | Instagram | Facebook

Join us in our latest conversation with author Ruth Schwenk!  She shares with us how she started her journey, and how she focuses on helping women grow together and keeping your faith strong through tough moments in life. We hope you enjoy!

How can you settle your soul when life is stressful? Finding everyday moments of rest and peace can be extremely difficult. Practically speaking, how can we discover God's promise of rest everyday in order to maintain life balance and calm?Today on the podcast Christian author Ruth Schwenk and I talk about what it can look like to find quiet time with God, press pause and discover little moments of rest with Jesus (even in the midst of motherhood, work and a busy life).YOU'LL LEARN:•            Practical tips for having a daily quiet time (even if you feel too busy)•            How pressing pause for time with God is the foundation of life balance•            Overcoming obstacles that keep you distracted from spiritual rest and peaceIf your days feel like they're filled with never-ending demands, today's podcast episode offers practical wisdom on how to find time to settle your soul and find true peace in God each day. Get the full show notes here https:vibrantchristianliving.com/episode-27/

Ruth Schwenk joins me today. You may know Ruth from the website she created called TheBetterMom.com. She is a wife and mom to 4 kids. She is an author of several books including the two we mention in today’s episode: The Better Mom Devotional and Settle My Soul.   If you’ve ever felt alone in motherhood or struggled to love every stage of motherhood, you will relate to this conversation. Ruth has such a heart to come alongside other mothers to help them feel seen and known. In this episode, Ruth shares her advice for new moms, the importance of surrounding yourself with women who are a set ahead in life and those who are a set behind you in life. And in that true form, I ask for her advice on how to handle sibling conflict. And lastly, after walking through a year of health hardship with her husband, she shares what brave has looked like for her.   Today's show notes which includes Sarah's takeaways, ways to connect with Ruth and discussion questions in case you want to gather a group of women together to discuss the episode.   Freebies: Sign up for Sarah’s monthly newsletter containing her survival kit Download Sarah’s FREE planner pages to help you be more productive and efficient NEW!!!! Season Two of Sarah’s other podcast, Raising Boys & Girls is available! Connect with Sarah online: Instagram // Website

Do you find yourself having these big dreams but feel too scared to go after them? Today we have Rebecca Faires on the show and we talk all about adopting internationally, traveling with kids in a bus, and dealing with grief.  Rebecca shares with us how her and her husband decided to freelance so they could travel in a renovated bus and homeschool while pursuing their writing careers.  We talk about her journey of adopting her two boys from Ethiopia and realizing when they got back to the U.S. that they were pregnant and were going to have 4 kids under 4! One story that stood out to me is when she was sharing about her new book on grief, how it's so important to grieve and sometimes we just don't know how to offer comfort to others when they are grieving. Hear what she says about this topic and more on the podcast. If you liked this episode I bet you will love the episode I did with Ruth Schwenk about knowing the season of life you are in click here to listen: The Seasons of Motherhood Resources mentioned in this show: Lean 7 week online weight loss program: Recently, I had the pleasure of doing a four-part series with Registered Dietitian Amanda Nighbert. On this first episode of the series you’ll  find out: What intermittent fasting is and how it works How intermittent fasting can help you lose weight and keep it off Nutritional myths that could be keeping you from losing weight How bulletproof coffee helps you burn fat (see recipe below) …And more! Click on the link below to get $20 off Amanda’s program and get ready to kick that slow metabolism into HIGH gear! GET STARTED     Clean skincare by Remeverse Did you know that your skincare is likely filled with ingredients that can disrupt your hormones from parabens to PEGs to sulfates? When I started to look at what I was putting both in and on my body, I was really surprised at the ingredients list that was in the products.   Remeverse products are so great and its made its so much easier to get rid of my toxic products. Check out my favorite products here: Amber's favorite skincare products     Guest Info: Rebecca Faires Preorder her book - The Book of Comforts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccathefair/?hl=en   Note: This page contains some affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, we’ll receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you!

Some stories of joy in our home with practical tips to cultivate a habit of joy in our homes. Support This podcast by purchasing one of our marriage books today: https://shop.marriageaftergod.com READ: [Aaron] Hey, we're Aaron and Jennifer Smith with Marriage After God. [Jennifer] Helping you cultivate an extraordinary marriage. [Aaron] Today we're gonna talk about the strength that joy brings to our home. Welcome to the Marriage After God Podcast, where we believe that marriage was meant for more than just happily ever after. [Jennifer] I'm Jennifer, also known as Unveiled Wife. [Aaron] I'm Aaron, also known as Husband Revolution. [Jennifer] We have been married for over a decade. [Aaron] So far, we have four young children. [Jennifer] We have been doing marriage ministry online for over seven years through blogging and social media. [Aaron] With a desire to inspire couples to keep God at the center of their marriage, encouraging them to walk in faith every day. [Jennifer] We believe the Christian marriage should be an extraordinary one, full of life. Love. And power. [Aaron] That can only be found by chasing after God. Together. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we chase boldly after God's will for our life together. [Jennifer] This is Marriage After God. Thank you so much for joining us this week on the Marriage After God Podcast. If you've been enjoying this podcast and enjoying the content, would you just scroll to the bottom of the app and leave a star rating review? This just helps other people find the Marriage After God Podcast, and we'd really appreciate that. [Aaron] Also, if you wanna support our podcast, we don't really do ads. We may in the future, but our goal is to not do ads. One of our ways of not using ads to support the podcast is we have written books, and we sell those books. If you're interested in checking out our marriage resources, our prayer books, our devotionals, you can go to shop.marriageaftergod.com, and picking up a book from our store supports us in the production of this podcast. Also, our Marriage After God book, that comes out next year, is available for pre-order, and so if you go to shop.marriageaftergod.com you'll see, in the very top-left corner of the site, a way to pre-order our book. That would just be really awesome. We'd really appreciate that. Let's get into the icebreaker question, which is what is one funny memory from when we were dating? [Jennifer] Hmm. I can't think of a specific one at the moment, but what does come to mind is we spent a lot of time serving in youth ministry. Oh yeah. A lot of time. We were youth leaders. Yeah, and we... [Aaron] At good old Church on the Hill, Norco, California. [Jennifer]We played a lot of games. We laughed a lot. We ate weird things. We'd have contests and challenges, and there were just things that we did for the kids' sake, but we had a lot of fun doing together. That was-- Remember the lock-ins? We would just have overnights. Yup, over-nighters. [Aaron] We would stay up all night, do milk-chugging contests, and... [Jennifer] Gosh, that does not sound fun now. [Aaron] No it doesn't How did we do that? Back then, it was the highlight of our week. I feel like we just came alive in those times. We looked forward to it all year, to do those events. Yeah. Every Wednesday we just came alive during that time, and I fell in love with you, knowing that you had fun participating in that way, being silly... Little junior high kids and high school kids. Yeah, being silly or playing, it wasn't dodge-ball, what was it called? [Aaron] Oh, what... [Jennifer] Murder-ball? [Aaron]Yeah, we called it murder-ball. [Jennifer] We called it murder-ball because it was-- It was just dodge-ball, but we changed the name. ...dodge-ball on steroids, and we had a lot of balls-- There was no line. You just ran around the room, throwing balls at each other. [Jennifer] You guys would throw them so hard. These poor-- I know [Jennifer] ...13-year-old girls would get nailed [Aaron] But they kept playing it. None of them cried. They were crazy. I forgot about that. Murder-ball I loved that. I loved dating you because you were fun, and you're still fun. Yeah. I got a little not fun over the years, but I've learned to change in that area. I'm still learning, but that's kinda what our episode's about, is not just fun, but joy, but how fun cultivates joy and how we can actually cultivate environments of joy in our home. Let's get to the quote from today, and it's from the book For Better or for Kids by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk. Ruth Schwenk's from The Better Mom, and you said you loved this book. Mm-hmm It's about family and the power that God's given us in our homes. [Jennifer] Yeah, and the quote is on page 37, and it says, "While married life with children "can be challenging, we have reason to hope "and to be encouraged. "There is a way forward, a way through, "and a way beyond all of the craziness. "God's Word has not changed. "The promises of his Word still stand. "Is being married with kids messy? "Yes. "Does God have a purpose and plan in the midst of it all? "Of course he does. "And do we enjoy taking part in this crazy, "life-changing, impossible mission of parenting? "Absolutely." That's great 'cause that sums it up pretty good. Parenting's hard. It is crazy. Marriage and parenting is hard. [Jennifer] It is messy. It's all of the above, and yet, God's Word-- But joy. ...still stands. Yeah. And we can enjoy it. And we can enjoy it, which is something that we're learning day-by-day how to do. Mm-hmm We've talked about kids a lot on our show and just the hard things and the fun things, but today we wanna talk about joy, cultivating joy in our home, having fun in our home, and how that joy brings strength to our home and our walk and our mission in life. [Jennifer] Yeah, I think that sometimes we can be so caught up in making sure that everything that we're trying to order or manage is happening, and we become kind of like the officers in the home of making sure everyone's doing what they're supposed to be doing. Even when it comes to our work, we have this rigid schedule of things that we need to get done, and it's kind of on our timeline, and yet we have kids pulling on our elbows, saying, "Dad, come check out this LEGO thing I built," or Olive wanting to dance with you. Where life becomes more mechanical and clunky rather than organic. It's life. It's something that we're experiencing, not controlling. That's kinda what I'm hearing. That's what I'm feeling, is we could get into this mode that life's just one check list after another, one check box after another, the right next step, which is not-- It comes from a good place. [Aaron] Yeah, it's not terrible to think that way at times and to try and walk correctly, 'cause that's the goal, is we're trying to walk well. We're trying to walk as disciples of Christ, living out what the Bible tells us. Then, where's joy? Where's joy fall in all that? Yeah. We actually, I was really encouraged this last week in the woman's Bible study that I got to go to. The whole topic was about soul-filling joy and the things that we can do as moms to fill our hearts up during the week and, like you said, not just have a list that we're checking off, even though that comes from a good place and we want to make sure that we're managing our homes well, but are we doing things that also fill us up and bring a smile to our face? Because that's gonna overflow into our relationship with our kids. It's gonna overflow into our marriages and give that liveliness that God intends for us to have. [Aaron] What you're saying reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 40:31. It says, "But they who wait for the Lord "shall renew their strength. "They shall mount up with wings like eagles. "They shall run and not be weary. "They shall walk and not faint." [Jennifer] Yeah. I've experienced this in my own life, where I do something that brings a lot of joy to my life, and it does renew my strength. There is something physical that happens to you when you experience the joy of the Lord and you experience his strength fill you up and renew you, and I think that's why it's so important to be talking about joy. Have you experienced this? [Aaron] Yeah, 'cause we can get, if we look at our life as just a series of actions taken, a series of checks to be checked off, steps to take, and it's just this mechanical thing that we're moving forward and yeah, maybe we're doing good things, but if we forget why we're doing it and who we're doing it for, it gets very tiresome because essentially, we're doing it in our own strength. We run on fumes. We're told to fill our jars up to overflowing, and we fill that up with the living water, which is Christ, with the Word of God, with prayer, with getting away, quietness. When the Bible talks of prayer, when Jesus says pray, he says go into your closet. He says get away. When I think about getting away, Jesus often got away. It says that he went up by himself into desolate placesand he, early in the morning and late into the evening, so I just-- But he was intentional with his time. Yeah. It wasn't just, "I'm gonna go and be quiet somewhere," which actually, for some people is probably really filling for them, just being quiet somewhere, sitting at a park, people watching or something. Not me. This isn't just about doing something that's fun necessarily. It's a wholistic view of waiting on God because we know that we need him. We need a rest in him, and that gives us strength, and it gives us joy and the power to go on another day, not just go on but to cheerfully and joyfully go on. [Jennifer] I feel like we all need to be reminded that there's gonna, in life, we will all experience hard times. We will all experience those-- [Aaron] Yeah, James makes that very clear Yeah, those times of wrestling, where God's revealed sin in your life that you're repenting of, and you probably feel down for, but you know you're being transformed in-- [Aaron] Or when he's calling out character issues in us, really hard things. Character issues, maybe financial stresses, or maybe the loss of a loved one, there are so many different types of trials that people walk through, and yet I feel like just because we experience hard times doesn't mean we can also experience joy. I think that's the difference between happiness and joy because happiness is a feeling, and it's an emotion that we have the... Capacity to experience. Right, thank you That's a byproduct of joy, I would imagine. Right, joy's deeper. Joy comes from within, but it's also because God is in our hearts, and he's the one that makes it possible to both enjoy, he's the one that makes it possible to experience joy while in the midst of hardship, at the exact same time. Maybe there isn't any hardship in your life right now, and you, like you said earlier, are just kind of going through the motions and being kind of mechanical-- I actually feel like sometimes when we're going through good seasons, or easy seasons I should say, often, we find ourselves being more discontent. It's easier to forget to walk in joy or something. I've experienced that with us. That's interesting. I realize, I'm like, "Well, there's nothing really hard "going on in our life. "Why are we feeling like this right now?" [Jennifer] In today's episode, we really just wanna inspire you guys to consider joy. Maybe it's something that you haven't thought of, or maybe it's something that you've already been thinking of, and we can just come in as part of that support to say, "Yes, this is the right way. "This is what we should be thinking about. "This is what we should be doing" because a marriage after God has joy. [Aaron] When you walk in the Spirit, what's one of the fruits of the Spirit? Joy. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and so, when we walk in the Spirit, fruit of that will be joy in our life. I was just thinking about the difference between happiness and joy. I feel like happiness is an earthly experience that comes out of the eternal understanding of joy. Joy is an eternal concept. It comes from hope, hopes of things that are things that are unseen. It's something that goes beyond the current experience because you can have joy even in really hard things because it's based on something eternal, where happiness is based on something temporary. That's good. Something that we experience just right now for this moment. Our goal should never be just seeking happiness. That's called hedonism, just looking for happiness. Our goal should be enjoying the fruit of the Spirit, which one of them is joy. [Jennifer] What I was gonna say was that it benefits our children so much. I was just thinking about how you could just, I feel like kids are so expressive. Their little bodies can reveal so much about what they're feeling, that joy is just one of those things that you can see in kids. It's so evident. Yeah, I wonder how many of our listeners grew up in joyless homes, grew up in homes that were full of strife, anxiety, fear, and how much joy would've benefited the home. They're probably thinking right now, "Man, "I wish my family was joyful. "I wish when I grew up I experienced joy." [Jennifer] If that's you listening right now, I just wanna tell you that you don't have to live according to the past and feel like you're stuck. You can change. [Aaron] Today, we talked about this last episode, you can change today [Jennifer] What a benefit it would be, what a testimony it would be to the power of God in your life. [Aaron] In our home, like I said, over the years, I kind of, there was a season of my life that, and it was probably because of sin I was walking. It was probably 'cause of discontentment issues that we had, character flaws, things that God was growing in us, but I feel like I had a hard time having fun. I had a hard time being joyful. I loved God, and there was times I was joyful, but it wasn't a default state for me. I was pretty Scrooge-y. Is that the word? Not just because Christmas is coming, but just I think people called me Scrooge-y just 'cause I was not very joyful. I don't want that for my family. What are some ways that we over the years have been cultivating joy in our home and that our listeners can take home and try? [Jennifer] We should just tag-team this and kind of go down the list of things, but-- This isn't the definitive list. I actually tried coming up with as many as I could, but I'm sure there's other things that we might think of as we talk about these. [Jennifer] Probably. We do have, we're in a season of young kids, and so a lot of what you probably will hear probably sounds, I don't know... Silly? Silly, 'cause it is. They are silly [Jennifer] They are silly, but I think the important thing to note here is that these are just ways that we have tried to be intentional in cultivating a space in our home, in our lifestyle, that cultivates joy. One of those things is fort building. I actually did that this morning with the kids. [Aaron] The kids love it. We have a couch that's perfect for fort building. The pillows are huge. They're sturdy, so they make really good roofs and walls. I only believe in building big forts. I don't know why people build small forts. It's not worth it to me. I came home the other day-- Go big or go home [Aaron] I came home the other day, and the entire living room was a fort. [Jennifer]You have to use every chair, every blanket-- All the chairs ...every pillow... The couches were on their sides, the pillows-- Maximize the-- [Aaron] ...were stacked up high, and you guys were watching a movie inside We were watching a movie inside, yeah. You're like, "We're in our movie theater. "You wanna come in?" I'm like, "Uh, I don't know if I'll fit," but it was pretty huge, so I probably would've. It was pretty amazing. I think I actually storied it on Instagram 'cause it was-- Probably. [Aaron] I was really impressed with that fort building. Thanks. That's one thing that we do. The kids love it, and it's fun because they're still pretty young. They could build one themselves, but they never make them as good as we make them. [Jennifer] A little tip for fort building, if you get a colorful quilt or one of those knitted blankets that are made-- Have holes in them. [Jennifer] Yeah, they're just really fun for the light to come through, and-- [Aaron] It looks like stained glass windows. It does. I always say, "Look at the stained glass windows." [Jennifer] You need to share the one minute of crazy 'cause this is more new. This is a newer thing. But it works. It's our one minute of crazy, and we've been doing it, we don't do it every night, of course, but when I feel like my kids just got extra jitters in them-- Or extra screams. [Aaron] ...what I'll do is I'll say, "Okay guys, I want everyone to," I'll be a little stern about it, "I want everyone to stand right here in a line." They stand there, they're like, "Okay, what's gonna happen?" Then I'll turn the music on our jam box really loud, and I'll say, "All right, I want you guys "to get as crazy as possible for one minute." Then the whole time, I'm telling them to get louder and louder and louder, and they're screaming, and they get actually tired. When they're done, they're like, "Why'd you have us do that?" I'm was like, "Wasn't that fun?" The first time you had them do it, it took them about 15 seconds to, is Dad joking, or-- Yeah, they didn't know. [Jennifer] They're looking at each other, like, "Should we be screaming?" [Aaron] That's probably because of my history of not being very fun. It was awesome. Yeah, but it did take them a few seconds to actually, they're like, 'Wait a minute, are we gonna get in trouble?" [Jennifer] It's a great thing to do, not right before bed, but leading up to bedtime. [Aaron] I liked it right before bed because I feel like they weren't quite ready for bed, and this pushed them over the edge 'cause they were tired, and they also felt like they got all of it out of them. Sometimes it's hard to calm them down afterwards, but that's okay [Jennifer] I wanna share another one. This comes from my childhood. My mom and stepdad would always do this. They still do it. It's so funny. If someone comes home and walks through the door, or even out from the bathroom or bedroom-- Is this where it came from? Yeah. Oh. [Jennifer] Whoever notices it goes, "Quick, pretend you're asleep" Wherever they're sitting. Wherever you're at, just kinda drop your head, close your eyes, and try as hard as you can not to smile. [Aaron] Wyatt is so bad at it. Wyatt's our two-year-old. He just turned two. But he still tries, and it's so cute. He'll be in his little white chair, and I'll walk in, and everyone's got their heads tilted to the side with their eyes shut-- [Jennifer] Sometimes we'll be at the kitchen table, and we'll be eating breakfast when Aaron comes home, and I'm like, "Quick, pretend you're asleep," and everyone just kind of limps their head to the side. But then, I look over, and Wyatt, he has his head back-- He's just looking at you. He has his head back, and his eyes half shut, and he's smiling 'cause he doesn't get it, but he's trying. I'm like, "Are you guys sleeping?" And Wyatt's smiling at me the whole time. [Jennifer] This is one of those things, I love it 'cause it's from my childhood, so I love that my kids have kind of owned it. Olive is usually the first one now to say it. Oh yeah. "Pretend you're sleeping." [Aaron] "Quick, we're sleeping," and then everyone, she'll put her head down even if no one notices. She gets mad if you don't, no she gets mad if you don't do it. [Aaron] She does it so fast, no one notices, and she is the only one pretending to sleep. It's really funny 'cause then, let's say Dad walks through the door, "Oh no, everyone fell asleep," or we get up really fast and go, "Boo!" It's just fun. Yeah, on the same note of the spontaneous sleeping, the narcolepsy game, we'll often do, I'll get home early after the gym or something, and it'll be super quite in the house, and I think everyone's asleep. I'm tippy-toeing, and I get in the bedroom, and every-- There's just a mountain under the bed. Yeah, and every single person in my family is under the covers in my bed. They're all hiding from me and What's funny, even once the blanket goes over our heads-- I almost jumped on Elliot the other day 'cause I didn't know he was in the bed. Even Truett will be laying there, and the moment the blanket goes over his head, he kinda gets all wide-eyed and smiley-- Like, "What's happening?" Yeah, what's happening. Those are just fun ways to bring instantaneous giggles. And they're short things, they're easy things, and it's something that, they become part of our family, these little things. Our kids look forward to it. They're the ones that instigate all of these things now. Another little tip to help cultivate joy in the home is to not worry about messes so much. That doesn't mean that we don't clean up and have organization and self control, which is something Jennifer and I are trying to get better at, being organized and clean in our house, but if we're always trying to be tidy, it really doesn't leave any room for fun. [Jennifer] We're gonna miss those opportunities where, maybe one of the kids is playing with LEGOs and would love some help, or wants to just get creative with you-- [Aaron] Or throwing pillows around the house for a little bit, or having blankets on, like forts. You can't have it both ways. [Jennifer] We built a fort this morning, like I said, and it's middle of the day right now, it's nap time, and-- And it's still messy out there It's all messed up. It's all messed up. It's one of those things where it's like, "Well, maybe they'll build another one later," and that has to be okay. [Aaron] Something I've realized is that if I'm always telling the kids to clean up, they're actually not gonna like doing some of those fun things. Now, there's a time for everything, so let our kids know that there's a time to clean up. After we've had a full amount of fun or something, they understand that, "Okay, now let's straighten up "'cause we're gonna go on to the next thing," but just kind of not having the anxieties and the overwhelmedness of those little messes, that it's gotta be okay. It's just a good little tip to have a little bit more freedom and lightheartedness in the home. [Jennifer] Good word. Another one is dance parties. We like to turn the music up really loud and just go for it. You guys don't know this about me, but-- Our kids are the best dancers I was gonna say I'm actually probably one of the most terrible dancers, but it doesn't hold me back. I just go for it, and somehow, my kids have picked up on this, and they intend to dance crazy, silly, awkward, and that just makes us laugh even more. If you'd like to see Jennifer dance, leave us a review and tell us that you'd like to see her dance, and I'll post a video of her on our Instagram. Oh my goodness, don't even. Yeah, I'm gonna put some music to it, and you're gonna be dancing 'cause they gotta see. They gotta see the gloriousness that is your dance skills. [Jennifer] Oh, man. I gotta think about that. A lot of these other ones are very physical things, like tickling, spontaneous wrestling matches with Dad. [Aaron] Usually spurred on by my son, who hides, crouching, ready to attack, and the moment I come home, he just jumps out of nowhere onto me with a sword in his hand, but letting those things happen, I think it does huge things for our children, to know that they have the freedom to, of course, not hurt us, which happens sometimes, but just, that they have the freedom to jump on us and to climb on us and to crawl on us. This morning, Olive was, I was talking to you, and she was grabbing my legs and going in and out of my legs, and I didn't notice she was doing it for a while. Like a cat [Aaron] Then I finally was like, "Olive, what are you doing?" 'Cause I felt like I was falling over, and she's like, "I'm just playing with your legs," and she's going in and out and sitting on them and pushing me over, and I for a moment wanted to be bothered by it. Then I thought to myself, "Why do I care "that she's doing that to me right now? "It's really cute." It's something that I still have to consistently work on and recognize in me 'cause I wanna sometimes get bothered by those kinds of things, but letting it happen because I want my kids to know that they can touch me. They can crawl on me. They can hang on me. They can love me. I was actually just really inspired by someone I follow on Instagram. Her name is Joy, and she posted a picture of her two oldest kids. They're in their teens, and her little story caption was just to encourage other moms with little ones to listen to your kids when they come to tell you about what they created with LEGOs or what they're drawing or imaginary world or whatever it is-- Taking joy in their creations, their things. She said because it goes by so fast, and we know we all hear this, but she goes, "You're gonna want to hear from them "and their hard things that they're walking through "when they're older, and if you keep pushing them away "or keep saying, 'No, I don't have time for that' now, "you're gonna miss that opportunity." You wouldn't have built that trust and open lines of communication, even at a very, very young age. Hopefully that encourages someone else. [Aaron] It encourages me, that I need to be listening more and paying attention to my kids more. Again, there's always a balance. Our kids can't absorb every-- Everything. [Aaron] ...everything from us. When we are intentional with it, it'll make the times that we can't okay 'cause they'll know that our hearts are with them. [Jennifer] Right. I'd really love to talk a little bit about just experiencing joy in marriage between a husband and a wife, but before we get there, there's one more thing that, when I was thinking about this list, that really stood out to me, and it's ways that we can kind of team up together to bring joy to our kids 'cause all the things that we've kinda listed we could do without the other. Right. But this next one's pretty interesting. This is your idea, or mine, I can't remember, but we were standing in the kitchen talking, and the kids were in the school room, and I told you, I said, "Aaron, call them out." I had handfuls of marshmallows in my hand, and I-- We both did, yeah. I was one one side-- I gave you the bag, ...of the hallway-- and you took the bag from me, took a handful out, and we hid on either side of the walls, so that when we came through the hallway, we were gonna just launch all these marshmallows at them. I was like, "Elliot, "Olive, Wyatt, come here." Plus, it's also a good lesson in obedience, are they coming the first time they're being called? You're killing two birds with one stone. [Aaron] Then they pitter-patter down the hallway, and we're hiding on the floor so they don't see us, and they walk right past us. Then we just bombard them with marshmallows. It actually scared them, and they looked at us like-- They just stood there. They looked at us like, "How could you do that?" [Jennifer] They just stood there, and Olive had this furrowed brow, and she was ready to just reprimand us, and then-- Then they looked on the ground, they're like, "Are those marshmallows?" "Can we have those?" "Can we have those?" Then they just start squirming. [Aaron] Luckily, marshmallows don't hurt. If you're gonna do that game, throw things that don't hurt at your kids. Otherwise, that would not be very fun. [Jennifer] We have other friends that intentionally do Nerf wars together. Oh yeah. We actually thought about one time buying a bunch of a Nerf stuff, and then-- Getting that family that does that Yeah, not letting them know, and then when we go over for dinner, just attack them We should still do that. We should still do, well, they might listen to this episode now. Now, I have to do it before we launch this episode. [Jennifer] That's just one way that you can team up together to cultivate joy in the home. We wanna hear your guys' ideas too, so please share them. [Aaron] Yeah, and all of these things that you can do, like little things just compounding on top of each other, it shows your family, especially for the husbands out there who might struggle the way I do to be joyful or have this fun-loving spirit or a lighthearted spirit, it shows your children, it shows your wife that you enjoy them, that you like being around them, that they're not just in the way of you, that you enjoy having crazy time with them, having fun time with them. [Jennifer] Yeah, that you wanna hear them laugh, that you wanna participate in their life. We touched on how to cultivate joy in the family, especially with small kids, but Aaron, how would you say we cultivate joy within the marriage and why that's important? [Aaron] Again, walking with the right perspective, first of all, that we have a mission in this world, that God loves us, that we're saved, these big things that God's done for us, easily just allows us to have joy even in the midst of hard things, even when maybe you're not joyful, I can still walk in that stuff, so when we're walking in that together, that knowledge and that truth, there's naturally a joy that exists. On the practical side, I think there's probably a ton of things that we do that cultivate joy, probably things that we could add to our lives. One of them is we have our own set of inside jokes that no one knows about. When you're with-- I'm not gonna describe what they are because they're ours but we have our own little inside jokes, and that's something that we do together, and it's funny for us. It's fun for us. Those build over time, so if you're only one or two years married, just know that those come over time. Maybe you already have some, but those are a really fun way to just, when you're out and about or at church, or-- At any time, really At any time, you can make these jokes, and only they get it. It's pretty fun. Yeah, it's something unique to us. Yeah, something you said about having joy, one of the importance of that is even amidst walking through hard stuff, and I feel like when I look at our marriage, experiencing joy with you was possible even in those first few years, which were our hardest years of marriage, and that was one of the things that carried us through those hard years, was finding ways to cultivate joy in our relationship, exploring new places together, trying to get each other to laugh. [Aaron] Yeah, I realize when we weren't lovers, in those early years, we were friends still, not all the time, but we had a friendship. We had things that we can connect with still and cultivate. God wanted more from us, but in those times, I remember when we were in Malawi, Africa, and it's been hard, and we walked off and we sat on a pier over the lake. Remember that? Mm-hmm, there's a gazebo at the end. [Aaron] Yeah, and we were just sitting there, talking, looking at the fish, talking about being married, talking about if we'd ever come back. [Jennifer] Yeah, we talked about our future. [Aaron] Yeah we talked about our future. Those little things on our list up there, we didn't talk about it, but adventures, that's another way we cultivate joy in our family and in our marriage, is we take adventures, even when we're not with the kids. Me and you like to just go for a drive around neighborhoods we've never been in before, going up the mountain just to drive up the mountain. There's things that we do that give us opportunities to just talk. I think those are situations that cultivate joy in us because it's just us together. It's just us spending time with each other, talking, hearing each other. [Jennifer] Yeah, I think another practical way to do this is, again, physical touch, just like when we were talking about with the kids, but tickling each other, hugging each other. Massages. Massages. Dancing. That's joyful for me. [Jennifer] I'm giving Aaron the eyes 'cause that sounded creepy, but just being physical, being willing to tickle each other and-- And play with each other, yeah. And play, yeah. I like the-- We're a lot more playful with each other these days than we used to be. [Jennifer] Yeah, I like the keep away game, where you snag something, like their phone works really well for this, and then you have to try and get it. Yeah, if you wanna know how addicted someone is to their phone, just snag it out of their hands and see how they respond. Wait, that's joyful? I just think about the lightness. We've had seasons where it just feels like we're walking on eggshells with each other, and that's not fun, where you're tippy-toeing around your spouse, and you're just wondering if the next thing you do is gonna trigger them. That's the opposite of joy. Yeah. [Aaron] That is not joyful. That is tedious and cumbersome. If your spouse can feel light around you and free around you. And feel loved. [Aaron] And cherished around you and loved around you, how much strength there is in that, and power there is in that, and that's what I want because again, we're always talking about being a marriage after God. There's a reason we're together. It's for the ministry God has for us, and if you're constantly feeling like you have to be so aware of every move you make around me because you're just wondering if you're gonna trigger me, there's no way you can minister for Christ in that kind of situation. There's no way we as a family can show the world the love we have for each other, which is what we're called to do, right? Mm-hmm [Aaron] Now, that's not just talking about in marriage. That's talking about in the church as a whole, but joy remedies that. It cultivates an environment that allows for true and powerful and authoritative ministry to happen. [Jennifer] Joy is one of those testimonies of the power of God in your life, and I know I said that earlier, but it's so true, that when the world looks at you, when the world looks at a marriage after God and they see joy, they're probably thinking, "Well, I want "what they have." Yeah, "How do I get "some of that?" [Jennifer] "What is that?" Then you get to tell them, "It's because of Jesus in my life. "It's because God has transformed us. "It's because God gives us hope." [Aaron] Yup. I hope those listening get encouraged by this, that, of course, we're still learning, but if they put their hearts in the right place, they put it in the hands of Christ and allow him to transform them and say, "Lord, I want more joy. "I want more of your joy, "and I want my family to experience joy," it all goes back to walking in the Spirit and saying, "Lord, help me walk in the Spirit today. "I want my kids to feel the overflow of joy in my life. "I want my wife, I want my husband, "to feel that, to experience that joy, "to eat the good fruit coming out of me, "and then in our marriage, I want people, our children, "outsiders to eat the good fruit of our marriage," and at the end of the day, that joy becomes our strength. I just wanna read that scripture in Nehemiah chapter 8. Nehemiah had just finished building the wall, the walls around the city, and Ezra the priest got up on a platform, and he read the entire book of the law out loud, from day till night, to all of the congregation of the people. Nehemiah says this to the people after all of this, it says, "Then he said to them," in chapter 8, verse 10: "'Go your way. "'Eat the fat and drink the sweet wine "'and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, "'for this day is holy to our Lord. "'And do not be grieved, for the joy "'of the Lord is your strength.'" This people, they were scattered, they were dispersed, the city was destroyed. Nehemiah came, rebuilt the city and was about to, and he had all the people coming back to the city to rebuild their own homes, to rebuild this city with a people that God promised it would be their city, it would be their home, and he just reminds them, he says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." The strength in our home, the strength in our lives is the Lord. The strength in our marriage. The strength in our marriage, the strength in our ministry, and that strength comes from the joy that God gives us, from the hope we have in Christ, from the power and the authority of the Word of God, and that joy is the thing that just allows us to keep going, keeping walking. Instead of it being mechanical, instead of it being a checklist, it's now a life-giving thing we do. I think that's awesome. Yeah, I love that. My grandma Betty, she is 91 and just right there at the end of her life, and my dad posted a quote, something that she always said, which was, "Make someone laugh every day, "and life will be full." When I think about her life, I think about it being really full. Yeah, every time we're around her, she's big ol' smile, laughing, making jokes. Huge smile. Just for a little description, she's probably only five foot, maybe five-foot-one with heels on, and she wore colorful dresses. She had bright red hair and always wore blue eyeshadow, and when I think of her, I think of fun. I remember being a little girl, maybe four years old, I would go over to her house when my dad brought us over there to visit, and about 10 minutes before we would leave, she would say, "Jenn, come with me." She'd take me to her vanity and put perfume on me and eyeshadow and blush and did the whole thing-- Make you feel so pretty. ...make me feel like a princess, and the whole time just talking to me, and encouraging me, and loving on me, and I can't imagine what I looked like to everyone walking out as a little four-year-old with this makeup on, if she even really put make up on me. Remember, she liked to have fun I know. When I think about that little girl, when I think about myself, if I stood in front of her today, I would think there was no question about the joy that I had in my heart from just that experience with her, those five minutes, or 10 minutes, or however long it was, of sitting in her chair and listening to her voice and being there with me. I just love that, and I want, at the end of my life, to look back and think, "That was a full life." [Aaron] Yeah, and I want people to look back on my life, or our life, and say, "Wow, they were joyful," right? Mm-hmm [Aaron] I don't want them to think, "Man, they were bitter and frustrated all the time "and annoyed." I want them to say, "They were joyful." Joy's a powerful thing. What's funny is all of the fruit of the Spirit is powerful. It's why-- We need it [Aaron] We need the Spirit, is because it produces such good things in us. I just pray that this encourages the listeners today that they would pursue joy, that they would walk in the Spirit, and that they would cultivate an environment in their home that their kids just know what joy is. It doesn't mean we're not gonna have hard times, but it does mean that we can have pure, eternal joy, something that's founded in something in eternity, not in something that is temporary. [Jennifer] I love that. Speaking of prayer, I think that now is a perfect time to go into our prayer for today's episode. We'd love to invite you guys to pray along with us. [Aaron] Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of joy. We pray that we would be intentional to cultivate joy in our marriages and in our families. Holy Spirit, please inspire us with creative ways to create space in our lives to laugh, to play, to enjoy precious moments with those we love most. Remind use every day of the power of joy and how we can be vessels of your joy, so that it is dispersed throughout the world. May our joy be a testimony to others of your goodness and your strength in our lives. May it be the reason people ask us why we are so different from the rest of the world. May our joy draw our spouse, our children, and others close to you as we experience the gift of joy. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. [Aaron] We just thank you for joining us this week. We pray that you have joy this week. We pray that you would walk in the Spirit, and we look forward to having you next week. Did you enjoy today's show? Find many more encouraging stories and resources at marriageaftergod.com, and let us help you cultivate an extraordinary marriage.

Ruth Schwenk of thebettermom.com encourages mothers to embrace the process of becoming better over striving for perfect by becoming more like Jesus. She also takes that grace-filled principle and applies it to our holiday seasons, encouraging us to celebrate in the way that is best for our own families. Connect with Ruth:website// instagram // facebook// pinterest Books: The Better Mom: Growing in Grace Between Perfection and the Mess The Better Mom Devotional: Shaping Our Hearts As We Shape Our Homes Heart Lesson:  It is important for me to walk with wisdom and faithfulness for those who are watching. Find complete show notes at sarahrieke.com/podcast

In this episode we discuss: The common struggles of all moms. The truth about mom anger. What not to say to God. Listen now: Click here to listen in iTunes. Click here to listen on Soundcloud. Click here to listen on Google Play. Click here to listen on Stitcher. Click here to listen on Spotify.     Favorite quotes: 1. I think it's okay when we can come to the place where we are saying, “You know what, I am really struggling with this.” That's how we move forward and grow and learn and change. 2. If you are struggling with anger it's okay, there is a way out, there's a way to grow through this. 3. He calls the Unqualified.  He can use us to the best of our ability in those spots where we feel the weakest.   In this episode I answer these questions: 1. You seem so organized, how do you keep up with everything you do?  What's your secret? (35:17)   2. How can I encourage my husband in his spiritual maturity without pushing? (41:23)   3. How do you force yourself to do the boring stuff in business? (44:13)   Links to great things we discussed: 1.The Better Mom 2. The Better Mom Devotional3. Mack Brock “Christ is Risen”4. When Calls the Heart5. Open to The Spirit6. Forgotten God7. DERMA E Rejuvenating Sage & Lavender Face Oil8. The Power of a Praying Wife9. The Grinch10. Crowder “Crushing Snakes” Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli   http://www.alliworthington.com/podcast/ruthschwenk

Ruth Schwenk and I talk about all things motherhood. She is so fiercely connected with moms of all seasons of life that throughout her ministry, The Better Mom, Ruth shows us Christ's desire for our role in motherhood. The Better Mom Devotional will assure you: No matter what you're going through, you will find purpose, will have focus, and are complete in Him. Parenting is a lifelong journey and yet the pinnacle of parenting files by so quickly. We talk about grieving the seasons of childhood as they end. Who wants their babies to grow up? It's easy to be tearful of the end of a phase in life but Ruth takes joy in the next season. She shares how she gets excited for the next new adventure her kids will take on, (even if it's a little unnerving actually to have a child in the house that can drive!). Parenting older children is a totally different scenario when it comes to personal accountability. and how all the We've been teaching our kids about their behavior as they are also now aware of our own behavior. There's so much more at stake once our kids are watching and understanding our shortcomings. Ruth says it's so good for kids to see us mess up. We're not going to be perfect. But in a Constantly Under Construction theme, we are ALWAYS needing to say sorry for our mistakes, we are always becoming better by becoming more like Jesus. Ruth and I discuss our identity when it comes to our role or our professional work. Her perspective was changed once she realized that her mission was motherhood. We when push that idea of mission into any sort of work, it totally changes why we do what we do. Ruth encourages us to embrace the current season, whatever it may be. Her most practical advice was to encourage us that a season is just that, a season. It won't be forever, good or bad, so take the most positive parts of those sessions and find the joy in the present moment. The pressure is there to "be great". But at the end of the day, it's a simple act of obedience. Doing the simple acts of parenting, without worrying if it's approved by someone else, but just pleasing the Lord in your parenting. Ruth gives me a peek into what that looks like when parenting bigger kids. Her first act of obedience is spending time with the Lord. As simple as it sounds, it's not always easy and can affect the day. Her second act of obedience is just showing up for her kids. Even when she's tired, even when the to-do list is overwhelming, Ruth makes space in her day and her heart to invest in her children's lives. Now that her children are older, she finds that she needs to be even more intentional to connect with her children. For the times that might seem mundane or don't seem to be fruitful Ruth highlights that these times really matter. Throughout all the seasons of parenting, there's opportunity for God to do some of His greatest work in you! In time with prayer and scripture, you can be sure to see amazing changes in your role as a mom and in your relationships with your family. Ruth is passionate about all things family. Check out her books on marriage and parenting. Follow Ruth on Instagram Like Ruth on Facebook Ruth's Website   Connect with Donna: Show Notes Constantly Under Construction Instagram Show Website

As a busy mom of four kids Ruth Schwenk, founder of The Better Mom, understands the stress of raising a family and trying to do it all perfectly. But she has uncovered a secret: becoming a better mom starts not with what you are doing but with who God is inviting you to become. In this episode you're going to learn how to how to give yourself grace as you grow in wisdom throughout your journey to become everything God created you to be. For episode show notes visit: kelseyvankirk.com/podcast/better-mom-ruth-schwenk To join The Better Life Project community visit: kelseyvankirk.com/community This episode has been brought to you by Audible, my favorite way to listen to books on the go! To receive a FREE audiobook and 30-day trial membership visit kelseyvankirk.com/audible.

Do you struggle with not feeling like you are good enough as a mom? I had the pleasure of speaking with author Ruth Schwenk.  We discuss everything from mom guilt, to recognizing the season of life you are in and giving yourself grace.  Also, we touched on what to do if you feel overwhelmed with something that you feel God has led you to do but you feel stuck.  One story that stood out to me is when we were talking about the importance of friendships and fighting for friendships and how Ruth shares with us on how we go about finding those life giving friendships. Hear what she says about this topic and more on the podcast. Resources mentioned in show: Ruth's Devotional (affiliate link)  If you liked this episode, I bet you will love the episode with Nichole Nordeman as we talk about embracing motherhood! You can check it out here: http://mominspiredshow.com/83 Travel Tip of the week:  Have you been thinking about a cruise? Here are the top 5 Mega- Ship Ocean Cruise Lines according to Travel + Leisure.  Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, Princess America, Holland America, and Celebrity Cruises. I am a travel agent for H & K Luxury Travel and I can help you plan your next vacation.  You can set up an appointment with me at no cost at http://mominspiredshow.com/travel-agent/     Guest Contact Info: Ruth Schwenk Website: https://www.thebettermom.com/              

Episode #64 Ruth Schwenk How to Give Ourselves Grace in Our Motherhood   * Head to SimplyJoyfulPodcast.com or KristiClover.com/064 to see all the Show Notes & Awesome Quotes that we collected for you!   * OUR SEASON 5 SPONSORS: Skill Trek!  & Prep Dish! SKILL TREK: Teaching basic life skills to your kids and teens has never been easier! Get 15% off annual memberships when using coupon code CLOVER15 (Coupon expires on June 30). PREP DISH: Simple meal planning that helps you be more efficient in the kitchen. Get a FREE 2-week trial by clicking HERE.   **CHECK OUT OUR NEW “SIMPLY JOYFUL TV!” It’s the video edition of the podcast! I had the honor of interviewing Jon Erwin, the director of the new movie I Can Only Imagine and Moms Night Out. You can watch it HERE! I also just released my interview with Pam Barnhill! Find them both at KristiClover.tv   BOOKS & POSTS MENTIONED… The Better Mom The Better Mom Prayer Journal Sacred Marriage   LINKS TO OTHER THINGS MENTIONED… (See more details on the SHOW NOTES!) My episode with Kim Fredrickson is linked HERE! Join my mailing list and get weekly encouragement -- and get my Sanity Savers for Moms book FREE! The Simply Joyful Membership Site!! — We have lots of great ways to get bonuses! Thanks for your support of the podcast! Join our Facebook Community, too! Your question might just be used in the podcast. I didn’t mention that I have a weight loss program that I love called Optavia! I’m a health coach with them. If you are interested in learning more about that and my special coaching program, just head HERE for more info. Listening to Audio Books with Audible! The Simply Joyful Podcast mug Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss the next encouraging episode! iTunes & Stitcher & now GooglePlay   I hope you enjoyed this week's podcast! My prayer is always that you will be blessed and encouraged by each episode. Live Simply. Be Joyful.     LET’S CONNECT!… I'd love to connect with you more online! Be sure to follow me on social media and see what we're up to.  My Website | Facebook  | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | Twitter     CONNECT WITH RUTH… Ruth Schwenk is the founder of The Better Mom, and along with her husband, Patrick, the creator of For the Family. She is a pastor’s wife, a mom of four energetic kids, a lover of coffee, and a dreamer of big dreams. She loves leading, speaking, and blogging. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Ruth is the coauthor of Hoodwinked and Pressing Pause. The Schwenks are the coauthors of For Better or for Kids. Ruth, Patrick, and their children live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You can check out Ruth's books HERE on Amazon! Be sure to visit her site as well at www.thebettermom.com and www.forthefamily.org.     **This post may contain a few affiliate links, both Amazon & others. Please see my disclosure page if you have any questions.

Ruth Schwenk is a pastor's wife, mom of 4, author and blogger extraordinaire. Her new book is titled, "For Better or For Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House." On today's podcast, you'll learn: -How to regain proper perspective as a mom -The mission of being a mom -How to have a calmer, saner home - How to make decisions about kids' sports and activities You'll be encouraged to remember that the moments matter. What you do with your kids is not forgotten or unimportant. Learn more about Ruth at ForTheFamily.org or TheBetterMom.com  

There are so many motherhood myths out there we start to believe once we become moms. They can hold us back from living out our mission as moms. When we believe those myths about ourselves, they change how we can best parent and love our children. My guest on this episode, Ruth Schwenk, shares how to replace these myths with the truth of who God has created us to be as moms. In This Episode You'll Hear... Her journey to motherhood through miracles and miscarriages How to change our perspective on the motherhood myths The turning point of motherhood – realizing God has a mission and purpose for us as moms Motherhood is a part, but not the whole, our identity is in Christ How motherhood can look different in different seasons of life Eliminate the Overwhelm of Meal Planning Get your free 30 day trial at PlanToEat.com. Quick Links Ruth's book: Hoodwinked: Ten Myths Moms Believe and Why We All Need To Knock It Off The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity Love the song in the outro? It's called God Day. It's by Jen Stanbro and you can get it on iTunes by clicking here and check out Jen's site by clicking here. Connect with Ruth Schwenk Blog:The Better Mom Social media:Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram How to Listen to This Podcast Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher and get the latest episodes as soon as they are available. If you're new to podcasts, click here learn more about them! Click the play button in the post or grab your favorite podcast app and join us for a chat!

There are so many motherhood myths out there we start to believe once we become moms. They can hold us back from living out our mission as moms. When we believe those myths about ourselves, they change how we can best parent and love our children. My guest on this... Read more

I'm thrilled to bring you the wisdom and inspiring words of Sally Clarkson today. I treasure any time I get to spend with her and I am so happy she is here to encourage you! (We're also giving away a copy of her new book today, be sure to enter below (if you're reading this via email or rss, click here to visit the blog and enter the giveaway!) Today she shares about the themes in her new book that has just been released Own Your Own Life. In This Episode You'll Hear... How you will be challenged to a life that is empowering not depleting. How God can use you in the very place you are in right now. What it means to live an excellent life with what God has given you. How love is the foundation of you being influential in your kids' lives. Oh, and If you're going to be in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area next month, I'd love it if you'd join me, Sally and Ruth Schwenk from TheBetterMom.com at Sally's MomHeart Conference. Click here for all the info. Sally is also doing a giveaway for a conference registration at her blog today - click here to join in. Update On Meal Planning Bootcamp I announced that I'd be doing another Meal Planning Bootcamp starting on the 12th, but I decided to postpone it until the 19th. I know many of you are participating in this first session of HelloMornings, which starts on the 12th, and I didn't want to overwhelm you with too many challenge starts in one week. So the Meal Planning Bootcamp will start on the 19th. Stay tuned for more info. And if you don't already have a PlanToEat.com account, be sure to go get your free trial so that you'll be all ready for bootcamp when it starts. During bootcamp, I'll walk you through all the ins and outs of PlanToEat.com and the system I use to keep healthy meals on the table for my family. Click the play button in the post or grab your favorite podcast app and join us for a chat! Book Giveaway! Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Sally's new book, Own Your Own Life!a Rafflecopter giveaway Quick Links Get your copy of Sally's new book "Own Your Own Life" For upcoming events look here. To enter the giveaway for a getaway weekend for you and a friend to Sally Clarkson's home go here! Love the song in the outro? It's called God Day. It's by Jen Stanbro and you can get it on iTunes by clicking here and check out Jen's site by clicking here. Connect with Sally Blog: Sally Clarkson Social media: TwitterFacebook Pinterest Instagram How to Listen to This Podcast Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher and get the latest episodes as soon as they are available. If you're new to podcasts, click here learn more about them!