No Higher Calling

Ep 100- A Word Fitly Spoken with Lauren Corley

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear." Proverbs 25:11-12

 

Lauren Corley joins me in this episode to discuss how we, as mothers, can take advantage of teachable moments and use our words to teach all that is true, good and godly. She says, "Often our children's hearts are open to receive wisdom and instruction...but, my mind is busy and focused on the many tasks before me, easily missing the open door." God has been teaching Lauren to focus her attention towards intentional instruction. She shares some practical advice on what this looks like on a daily basis in her home as she raises her young sons for the Lord.

These are a few of the practical things she implements. . .
*correcting wrong attitudes and guiding behavior patiently + frequently, not simply because I am *finally* frustrated.

*creating spiritual conversation! “I’m looking at the moon, mama...I like the moon!”
“Do you know who made the moon, bud?”
“God did!”

*having a goal of pointing my boys to Christ in times of joy + struggle, and showing them their need for His saving grace.

*Stopping to savor the sweet times. Snuggling them a little longer, getting on their level to play, reading one more story, and pausing my work to patiently answer the 274th toddler question of the day.

 

Resources:

Follow Lauren on Instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/simplehavens/)

 

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Titus 2 Talks- The Young Women, to be Keepers at Home

The ideology of our culture has caused us to cringe when we hear "keepers at home." Does this mean that God's design is for women to be stuck at home doing menial tasks? Absolutely not! That actually couldn't be farther from the truth. If we deem home as menial, it shows our own lack of understanding of God's beautiful design for the home and womanhood. Every meal made, shirt washed, and floor swept is a part of God's work in this world. How can that be possible? Because it is through this loving care that souls are nourished and cultivated. 

Denise and I dig into this little phrase "keepers at home", and we seek to share with you what God taught us- that we have a high calling! There is really no higher calling! Whether you are married or not, whether you have children or not, we all have homes that God intends for us to use for His glory and for the advancement of the Gospel. This study challenges us to do all to the glory of God!

What if we decided to work hard and pursue excellence in our homemaking? The only way to purse excellence is to pursue Christ. What place does He have in our hearts and homes?

Psalm 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it."

"The home is the beating heart that powers everything else." -Rebekah Merkle

 

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Ep 99-Tips for a Successful School Year

It's that time of year- back to school! Right now, everyone is a buzz with excitement, but often that fades. How can we determine to have a successful school year?

In this episode, I share wisdom I've gleaned from experienced home school moms and educators on how you can keep your heart anchored in your purpose for education and have a successful year.

Proverbs 18:15 says, "The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge." The purpose of education is to ignite a love of learning and expose our children to a feast of the intricacies of this complex world that God has created. Through learning science, history, math, and language, we come to know more about the God behind it all. And what an incredible God He is!

He will equip you with all you need to be the best educator for your children. When you ask for wisdom, you can trust that it is a prayer request He greatly desires to answer for you! That is the anchor of a successful school year- to continually seek wisdom from God. Beyond that, I discuss things like establishing non-negotiables for each day, having a consistent morning and evening routine. creating anchor points throughout the day, and more!

 

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Ep 98- The Windows of Heaven

Simeon joins me in this episode to talk about being a wise steward with finances. This is not an area that we have mastered, but we have received much godly wisdom from others that has helped us as we seek to glorify the Lord with the funds He has blessed us with. 

 

Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” There is only one other place in Scripture where the phrase "the windows of heaven" is mentioned. Simeon addresses this, and it is an incredible parallel!

 

In this episode, we discuss-

*Creating a budget

*Obeying the Lord by brining the tithe

*Giving to the Lord beyond the tithe

*Faith promise giving

*Stewarding your household well

*Following the Spirit's leading in regards to blessing others through giving

 

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Ep 97- Trusting Your Children to God with Tabitha Murdock

What does it mean to trust our children to God? Does this mean to commit to raise them for the Lord during a baby dedication service at church? That can be a part of it, but it goes far beyond that. Every day, we have to depend upon the Lord for the grace, strength and wisdom to parent these precious ones that God has blessed us with. 

Missionary to Germany, Tabitha Murdock, joins me to share what it has meant in her life to trust her children to God. She says, "Trusting our kids to Christ begins with our own trust in Him. We could never trust our children to God if we don't trust areas of our own lives to Him first." Tabitha has had some unique experiences that God has chosen for her and her children to walk through, but as she has leaned on Him, He's proven Himself faithful again and again. 

Tabitha shares things that are such an encouragement as we seek to raise soldiers for Christ in a dark world.

 

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Ep 96- Respectable Sins: Anger

If anyone has ever had the right to be angry with others it was Jesus. John 1:11 says, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Isaiah 53:3 says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:" Christ set aside all of His glory to humble Himself and die for the salvation of mankind, yet at every turn, man rejected His love. We allow anger to control our hearts for much smaller offenses! Yet Christ, our perfect example, never reacted in anger, but in loving compassion. We hear His love in some of His final words in Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

As we study through the "respectable sin" of anger, we will see how important it is for us to follow Christ's example in how we handle anger, and the weeds that stem from it.

 

Resources:

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges 

 

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Ep 95- Embracing Your Birth Year with Elizabeth Santelmann

We live in a "bounce back" culture when it comes to the postpartum season. This often leaves mamas struggling physically, emotionally, and spiritually. What if we allowed ourselves the grace and freedom to slow down during this beautiful time and embrace a birth year? It took 9 months to grow a little human. What if we gave ourselves 9 months to transition into acclimating our baby into life?

Elizabeth Santelmann from Sunshine in My Nest joins me to discuss different ways we can embrace a birth year and thrive. As a homeschool mom of 3 boys, she has some great advice to share to help the transition be smooth for mama, baby, and the entire family. She addresses how to focus on one or two important tasks, how to ask for help, and how to communicate your needs to your husband.

 

Resources:

Sunshine in My Nest (Elizabeth Santlemann) Instagram

Sunshine in My Nest Website

Elizabeth's Blog: Communication and Help

 

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Ep 94- Beauty from Ashes with Scott Varner

"... ashes don't have to be the end of our stories; they can actually be the sign of a new beginning." - Gretchen Saffles

 

I love my Dad, and he loves me. We are best friends, but it hasn't always been that way. While he was always a faithful provider for our family, there were emotional needs that had been left neglected. We share our story, and how God used different circumstances, some that brought joyful growth and others that threatened the foundations of our faith, to teach us about the heart of our Savior.  We have learned that no situation is beyond hope! God can restore the years the locust have eaten, and He truly delights in bringing beauty from ashes. For it is in those situations, He receives the glory due only to Him!

We pray that as we share our story, God will receive all the glory for the transforming work He's done in our lives, and the lives of those we love so dearly.

My Dad is my best friend, my greatest encourager, and my constant prayer warrior. Losing Clay changed us. We realized the brevity and fragility of life. You'll never regret the time spent investing in those you love, but you will regret the time you gave to other things- whether it be the business of life or bitterness and resentment over the past. While our story holds some dark chapters, the redemption God has brought and the beauty He has given has been worth the road of sanctification He ordained for us to walk!

 

 

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Ep 93- Tips for a Better Breakfast

This year, I have been focusing on several specific areas of my kitchen and cooking. Instead of having broad goals like cooking more healthy or eating at home more, I've broken it down into very targeted goals. One of those is to have a better breakfast routine. I've been working on this since the beginning of 2022, and I'm so happy to see improvements as we are enjoying healthy, delicious breakfasts without me having to be in the kitchen at 6am! No one wants to wake up to a stressed, tired mama!

Topics covered in this episode:

-The importance of breakfast

-Convenience breakfast foods vs real, nourishing foods

-How to simplify breakfast prep

-Our breakfast favorites

-Setting the tone of the day in the morning hours

 

Resources:

NHC Blog: Our Favorite Breakfast Recipes https://nohighercalling.org/our-favorite-breakfast-recipes/ 

 

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Ep 92- Q & A with Simeon and Brettnay Part 2

Simeon and I continue to answer your questions in part 2 of the Q & A episode. This part goes  deeper as we seek to answer some tough questions from the truth of God's Word. Some of the topics we dive into are: drinking, tattoos, how to witness to unsaved people without exposing your children to sin, and how to agree to disagree with kindness and grace.

Then we transition into answering some marriage/relationship questions such as: what do guys look for in a wife, advice for dating couples, how wives can encourage their husbands, and more!

 

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