No Higher Calling

2023 Reading Challenge (Quarter 1)

My reading goal for 2023 is to read 50 books. Simeon and I have also set a goal to read 1 book together each quarter. This episode is an update on those challenges, and reviews of the books I've read in this quarter. 

Let me know what book you are enjoying!

 

Resources:

NHC Blog: My Reading Challenge 2023 (Quarter 1)

NHC YouTube: My Bookshelf

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Quarterly Planning

I am a planner. Always have been, always will be! As I grow and navigate busy seasons of marriage, ministry, and motherhood, I've had to learn that while planning is important, it is more important to be flexible and hold my plans loosely. If God chooses to give my day a "redirect", I want to be quick to follow and obey. 

I'm often asked how I can manage to have a podcast, write books, etc all while managing a home. The truth is, I fail more often than I'd ever like to admit to you, but there are some things that have helped keep me tracking towards achieving my goals and seeing personal growth. One of those is quarterly planning. In this episode, I share

-how quarterly planning can help you fill in the gap between monthly and yearly planning

-areas to assess and set quarterly goals for

-incorporating prayer into your planning

and more!

 

Resources:

NHC Shop: https://www.nohighercalling.org/shop

NHC YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nohighercalling

PowerSheets Goal Planner: https://thedailygraceco.com/products/2023-one-year-powersheets-goal-planner

GatherRound Homeschool: https://gatherroundhomeschool.com/

Clean 15 with Sarah Boots: https://podcasts.apple.com/af/podcast/clean-15-with-sarah-boots/id1547126864?i=1000593962267

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Psalm 23~ He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures

There are many reasons why sheep refuse to rest- trouble amongst the flock, pestilence, and hunger just to name a few. When the shepherd is near, he removes these issues and allows his sheep to rest in peace and contentment. The same is true for the Shepherd of our souls. Life brings many worries and anxieties to our hearts. How can we "lie down in green pastures"? How can we find the rest our soul craves? Our Shepherd Himself is the rest! There is no substitute for the awareness that the Shepherd is near.

God has created us to require rest. In making our human bodies to require rest, He reveals our dependency and limitations, yet His sufficiency! Does this mean that we are doomed if we don't sleep 8 hours at night and get several naps each week? No! While physical rest is vital, there is a soul rest that supersedes all others. This soul rest provides a deep well for us to draw from as we live out our purposes in our busy lives.

 

Scriptures Referenced:

Psalm 4:8; 23

Ezekiel 34:15-16

 

Resources:

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W Phillip Keller: https://amzn.to/3CJZGid 

The Heart of the Shepherd by Stephen Chappell: https://amzn.to/3Sh6B8R

 

If you do not know Christ as your Shepherd, email me at nohighercallingpodcast@gmail.com. I'd love nothing more than to share how Jesus Christ can be your Savior.

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Q & A with Denise Palmer

Proverbs 12:15 "he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." God has been so good to bless my life with Denise Palmer, my spiritual mentor. She has been a continual source of godly wisdom and counsel for me. I wish that every woman could have a Denise! 

We polled asking women what they'd like to ask if they had a spiritual mentor to turn to for biblical wisdom. We received many questions, but we narrowed it down to a few that we hear quite often from women. Denise shares that the source of answers for all of our questions is God, but she seeks to guide our thinking towards biblical principles from a standpoint of one with experience.

 

We address the topics of 

-The empty nest season

-How much should husbands help in the home?

-One thing Denise is thankful she did as a mom, and one thing she wishes she would've done differently

 

Resources:

NHC Podcast- Too Much TV?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-84-too-much-tv/id1547126864?i=1000563976777 

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Modern Feminisms Attack on Biblical Womanhood with Denise Palmer

Feminism has invaded everything. Education, media, culture, and even the church. If we are going to biblical women, women of the Bible, we need to know what God says about our role and purpose.

My mentor, Denise Palmer, joins me to share her past experiences with feminist thinking and how God used His Word to change her heart and mind. We dig into the foundational tenets of the feminist movement, some of which we can appreciate. I am thankful that women have the right to vote, to be educated, etc. But as first wave feminism moved into the second and third wave, we see worldly ideology taking control. Now, we see a movement that is seeking to take a wrecking ball to the order God has designed, and "rebuild" it in a way that is in accordance with man's [humankind's] thinking.

As women who seek to know truth and live it out in our lives, what can we do to uphold God's order in spite of the opposing culture? We seek to answer this from the truth we find in the Bible.

 

Scripture Referenced:

Genesis 3:16

Jeremiah 17:9-10

II Corinthians 10:5

 

Resources:

Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle

Mama Bear Apologetics by Hillary Morgan Ferrer

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Hosting a Mom’s Night Out

During our time in the States, I had the privilege of managing a Facebook mom group for ladies in my community. One of the highlights of being an admin of that group was our Mom's Night Out events. Every other month, I would get with the other group admins, and we would host a fun evening for our mom friends. Each one was a bit different as they spanned over the past 5 years, but all were such a wonderful evening of refreshment and encouragement. 

Don't let it be something that feels so daunting that you push it off! "The purpose of hosting is not to impress, it is to bless." There are many ways to make this a simple, yet fun venture. Not only will the evening refresh you in your motherhood, but it is also a great opportunity to share the gospel with other mom's in your circle. 

In this episode, I share some tips on how to plan and host a mom's night out.

-Thinking through location

-Sending invitations

-Planning food, activities, etc

-Keeping the fellowship focused on Christ

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Bonus: Family Update & Answered Prayer

Our family has had quite the major life transition. On Wednesday, January 25th, our family of 6 began our journey from cold east Tennessee to beautiful, sunny Sydney, Australia. So many of you have prayed for us along the way, and I wanted to share some of the miraculous ways that God answered very specific requests. 

To everyone who has prayed for us, given financially, sent us encouraging messages, etc- THANK YOU! We could not be more grateful!

 

Subscribe to the No Higher Calling YouTube channel and see a video glimpse into our journey: https://youtu.be/dqa7wH4k-xQ 

 

Follow our ministry at www.brazzellstoaustralia.com 

Friendship: Finding Your Tribe

The more I speak with other women, the more I realize that we all have a desire for personal connection. God created us for community, for friendships that strengthen and encourage us. We want to cultivate relationships, but we often don't know where to begin. How does one "find their tribe"?

In this episode, I share my personal struggle with this and how God used my search for mom friends to grow me. Brettnay from a decade ago wouldn't recognize the Brettnay today. God asked me to step out of my comfort zone, and He used that to radically change my life. The reward has been some of the most precious friendships.

 

Scriptures Referenced:

Psalm 37:4; 90:9

Proverbs 18:24; 27:17

Luke 22:32-34

Hebrews 10:24-25

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Psalm 23~ I Shall Not Want

Because the Lord is our Shepherd, we can say with complete confidence, "I shall not want." 

Is Christ enough in your life? In Him, there is no lack or deficiency. He is sufficient, and He fills every void in our heart. The more we come to know the heart of our Shepherd, the more we find all we need in the person of Jesus Christ. 

We continue our study of Psalm 23 diving into the phrase "I shall not want." Four little words, yet packed with rich truth! 

 

Scriptures Referenced:

Psalm 23; 68:19; 121:4

 

Resources:

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W Phillip Keller: https://amzn.to/3CJZGid 

The Heart of the Shepherd by Stephen Chappell: https://amzn.to/3Sh6B8R

 

If you do not know Christ as your Shepherd, email me at nohighercallingpodcast@gmail.com. I'd love nothing more than to share how Jesus Christ can be your Savior.

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

Marriage Purity

"Don't trade any secret sin for the joy of walking in unbroken intimacy with Jesus Christ."

Simeon joins me in this episode to tackle a delicate topic- marriage purity. Purity is often equated with virginity; therefore, we think we can tic the box when we make it to our wedding day. Purity is much more than saving sex for marriage. It is a call to holiness and godliness in each area of our being- body, soul and spirit. We discuss several areas where Christian couples must stand guard against Satan's attacks and "purpose in their hearts" that we will not be defiled by the filth of this world. 

Pray fervently and stand strong to protect the purity of your relationship with Christ and your spouse!

 

Scriptures Referenced:

Psalm 51

Proverbs 4:23-27

Jeremiah 17:9; 33:3

Daniel 1:8

Matthew 5:27-28

Romans 13:13-14

I Corinthians 6:20; 10:12-13

 

Resources:

Point Man by Steve Farrar: https://amzn.to/3Z8BNt8

 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org