Heart of the Matter Radio/Podcast

What lies hold you back? I was embarrased by my frizzy hair on a date because I swallowed the lie that I had to look perfect all the time.  Author Sheryl Turner believed lies from her childhood trauma, plus she held onto the sin from her past. However, there's good news.! She healed and offered hope to others.

Today people look inside themselves and decide who they are. And sometimes they even REdefine themselves based on how they feel. I recall that internal conflict in my early teens when I wondered who I was and what I was supposed to do on earth.  Sometimes during transistions, we rethink all those issues. My guest this week, Liz Thompson, didn't know who she was. She went through a crisis when she...

Our children's education impacts their future. We want them to learn to love learning and fall in love with Jesus. Cynthia prayed for teachers and moms who teach. 

Mavian Arocha Rowe, editor of Chispa Magazine, joined Cynthia for a Friday #momlife chat. They discussed how to handle extreme stress. You trust Jesus, but you still struggle with emotions. 

While I grew up, government schools supported our core beliefs, so I didn't attend private school until high school. However, today many people take issue with material presented and choose to teach at home. My guest today was Terri Gillespie . Her choice to homeschool saved her daughter's life. She told her story to encourage others. 

The next three weeks we'll be covering back to school topics as homeschool mothers start teaching. Training your children requires you to fully understand each child's temperment and inclinations. That means we need to pray for God's wisdom. Praying can be one of the hardest things we do. Robyn Dykstra was my guest this week. She didn't grow up in a Christian home. Robyn explained how she learned...

As believers, we want to use our money wisely. However, rising prices at the grocery store and gas pump horrify us. What are some ways we can watch our spending in these challenging times? Author Sarah Geringe r has learned to live on a shoestring budget. She shared her secrets to cutting back while still having fun. 

We live in an incredible nation. The Constitution is amazing and has lasted longer than any other governing document. Plus, we enjoy wonderful freedoms. As we celebrate July 4, we also applaud those heroes who kept our nation free. This week my guest was Author Mary Jane Holt . She tearfully shared her husband's story. He proudly served in Vietnam. 

We have been working and praying for years to see Roe v Wade overturned, and we rejoice with this court decision. However, we ache to see angry people in the streets, the nasty signs, and the threats to the court members. How should we respond to this backlash? Mavian Arocha Rowe, editor of Chispa and vitural assistant, joins us today as we talk about God's love in the midst of chaos.

My guest this week was Lori Vober . She suffered a stroke at 29, but she survived. As she told her story, she praised her husband for his loyal support. She also offered clues on keeping a marriage strong through adversity.

Sunday is Father's day. When my children were young, I encouraged them to come up with ideas to celebrate dad. However, to do that, you have to teach them to respect him all year.  My guest this week was Rhonda Dragomir and she shared her thoughts on teaching respect.  In addition, I'm offering moms a free resource for Father's Day. You can learn ways to show your hubby he's special all year. 

Nothing hurts like watching your child struggle to learn. I've been there. This week, Victoria Cuore shared her story and explained how she ministers to families with disabled children.

As women, we tend to avoid conflict. We want our nest to be safe and peaceful. However, we cannot avoid conflict. Right now, our world overeflows with it. Oletha Barnett was my guest this week. She runs Conciliation Services.com which assists churches, schools and families manage conflict with Biblical principles. She shared her thoughts on how to navigate tense situations.

This is Memorial Day weekend, and we need to remember the warriors who kept us free. This week, Carla Morris told her father's story. He was a 'silent peacekeeper' in the Airforce, and officials have declassified his job. He cared for the atomic bomb. Learn about his airforce base here. And see a video here .

This week we have a special treat: a mother/daughter team who chat about mothering issues. We often think of tension between moms and daughters. Blythe Daniel and her mother Helen McIntosh get along well and share mothering secrets.

Women want to be moms, and ofen we have no issues carrying a child. However, a miscarriage hurts, and you realize so many things can go wrong. The next pregnancy frightens her. My guest this week was Jenny Albers who wrote about losing two different babies. She explains her emotions and tells how she survived.

As I was folding clothes, I recalled my mother folded towels in thirds and in thirds again. I assumed everyone folded them that way. Looking back, I wonder if she folded them so they would fit in her narrow linen closet, but I've seen lots of other was to fold towels. This week we celebrate Mother's Day. And my guest and I talked about how to encourage moms who might do things differently.  Peggy...

I used to watch cartoons when I was young, but today your child may get inappropriate messages. The new sexual agenda permeates our society. Hillary Ferrer was my guest. Her ministry is Mama Bear Apologetics and she talks about what a parent can do to make a difference today. We discussed her book, Mama Bear Apologetics: Guide to Sexuality.

We have an inutitive sense the world we live in was designed, which runs contrary to Darwin's Origin of the Species. Daniel Reeves from Discovery Institute was my guest, and he shared resources and research.

Our choices impact us and others. Remember, Eve at the forbidden fruit, which changed the world forever. This week, Peggy Sue Wells joined me. She has just co-authored the novel, The Patent . The central issue revolves around decision making which turned out poorly. In light of the story, Peggy Sue shared tips on making good decisions.

Many women deal with anxiety and worry. We ladies like our lives to be safe and comfy, but life disturbs our peace. My guest this week was Michelle Lazurek . The Lord taught her huge lessons on managining anxiety and she wrote a book sharing what she learned.

According to the NCADV, domestic violence hotlines receive about 19,000 calls each day.  One in four women experience either sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an imtimate partner during their lifetime. My guest this week was Victoria Cuore , who survived an abusive husband. She offers help and a listening ear to women in crisis. 

Would you like to believe a lie? I wouldn't. That's why I'm always checking to ensure my I dropped my anchor in the right place, and God is my anchor.  When Darwin Publishsed  Oriigin of the Species, he proposed life evolved gradually over time, eliminating the need for a Creator.  However, today new discoveries show evidence of design. My guest this week was Casey Luskin , who works for Discovery...

Our culture has adopted unique ideas in the last few years, and many don't make sense. As believers, we hold a Biblical worldview, and that makes us go against the culture. My guest, Lisa Betz , loves the Roman era and has written two mysteries from that time period. She gave her historical prespective on living counter-culturally. 

Change! Last winter when it was cold, our power went out. We moved our cats to my son's to keep warm. However, the youngest cat was very unhappy, and he stayed under the couch refusing to eat. Whenever our kids face change, they experience stress too. Author Heidi Vertrees wrote a book called "Victor Survives Being a Kid. She offered tons of tips that manage the transistion.