No Higher Calling

What do pedicures and the good tidings of peace have in common?  Throughout Scripture, we find the phrase "beautiful feet" several different times. This got me thinking- what are beautiful feet? Culture puts a high importance on keeping our feet beautiful. In 2017, over 14 billion dollars was spent on nail salon services in the US. But what does God say beautiful feet are? Several other words are...

Portions of this episode have been redacted for the safety of the interviewee and those she loves in a closed country   A friend joins me in this episode to talk about the time God had her and her family serving the Lord in a closed country. It is a very different culture than what we are used to in the West, but the gospel breaks all barriers! They were able to see God do amazing things during th...

Missions is the heartbeat of God. His desire is that every tribe, nation, and tongue come to know Him as Lord and King. In Romans 10 we find the question, "How can they hear without a preacher?" God desires that every believer have a part in reaching the world with the gospel. Not everyone is called to be a missionary, but everyone is called to have a part in world missions. Even our children shou...

I could not be more excited to announce my new book Great Hymns for Growing Hearts: Christ the Savior is Born. This is a wonderful resource for families to countdown to Christmas together as you prepare your hearts and homes to celebrate Christ's birth.  Throughout the ages, carols have been sung at Christmas celebrating the joyous birth of Jesus Christ. The truths in these songs point us not only...

As we continue on through the Respectable Sins study, we come to addressing sins of the tongue. The Bible has a lot to say about our tongues! It is estimated that the average person speaks 16,000 words each day. How many of those words are for edification, encouragement, and the gospel? Or do we use our words for gossip, slander and complaining? This episode presents the challenge to pray the pray...

Denise and I come to the final command the aged women are given to teach the younger women. When we hear words like "obedient" or "submissive", we tend to bristle. In this episode, we study what God's heart was as He inspired Paul to write this letter to Titus. As we have learned, God does everything decently and in order. Everything He does is for His glory and our good. Our sinful flesh can balk...

We are in an interesting season. So many good things are happening; God is on the move! Yet in the midst of it all, I have found myself struggling with overwhelm- physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Maybe you've been there? Life circumstances, whether good or bad, have you spinning so many plates until all the sudden, they start crashing down. It is in this brokenness that God is r...

When we think of hospitality, we usually think about inviting people into our homes for a meal. While that encompasses much of the ministry of hospitality, there are ways we can serve the Lord in this way FROM our homes, not just IN our homes. What do I mean by hospitality on-the-go? This encompasses making meals for people who are in need of encouragement, help, or support, and then taking it to...

Rebecca Grant is a dear friend who is always an encouragement to me. In this episode, she joins me to discuss the topic of anxiety. This can be a difficult and delicate topic. If you have been in seasons marked by anxiety, you'll know it is not a joyous place to be. Feelings and fears crush our hearts leaving us struggling to cope. Is it possible to have victory? Is there hope beyond the anxiety a...

Continuing on our Respectable Sins study, we come to the sins of envy and jealousy. These are areas that have become great struggles in our culture today, especially in connection with social media. Facebook and Instagram have allowed us to have an intimate look into the "highlight reel" of other's lives. This often does more damage than good if we are not seeking wisdom in how we navigate these p...

As Denise and I continue our study through Titus 2, we come to the word "good." What does this word mean? Strong's concordance says that this is the widest and colorless work with this meaning. So what does God have for us to learn about being "good".  Denise compares Scripture with Scripture and draws out the connection that God is making between this command for the aged women to teach the young...

Modesty can quickly become a hot button topic. There are many differing opinions on what modesty is, or what it should be. The only opinion that should define how we live our lives is God's opinion! In this episode, we dig into this topic and see what God has to say about modesty. I do not give a guideline for what you should or shouldn't wear. While I have strong convictions on this issue, I woul...

Megan Kay joins me in this episode to discuss women's menstrual health. Having been told throughout her teens and early 20s that extreme period pain was "normal" and could be managed by the birth control pill, Megan thought she had no other option. PCOS and Endometriosis (and all the complications that came with that) became things that controlled her health and physical well-being. Wanting freedo...

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Philippians1:27 "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ ..." Our Respectable Sins study has brought us to the sin of judgmentalism. This is one that has cast a bad light on Christianity. Instead of the world...

We recently went on a 2 week trip through Florida with our four kids in tow. I received many messages (as well as stares along the way!) asking how we manage to travel with so many littles! Well, it isn't easy and we ended every day in utter exhaustion, but it was SO worth it! On this episode, I share different tips and tricks we've learned through our extensive traveling to help make things a bit...

"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 o...

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 swe...

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 pruden...

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, sa...

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...

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...

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? Eliz...

"... 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 br...

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 breakfa...

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 marri...