Audrey Rindlisbacher Podcast

It seems like things are changing so fast that our culture is becoming almost unrecognizable. Thomas Sowell in his book A Conflict of Visions, provides a framework for understanding the world that once you've learned, you WON'T be able to unsee it! The current conflict of visions in Western society is driving ideologies like wokeness, post-modernism, and others. Stick with me through the full hour to see how PROFOUNDLY this model applies to your life, right now!

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For many years I thought I was the problem, and that was why EVERYTHING I tried didn’t seem to work! Then, through a series of experiences and deep study, I realized that I was NOT the problem (and neither are you), SELF-HELP is the problem! In this podcast I reveal WHY self-help is not helping you and show you how the TRUTH is what will truly set you free.

Get your FREE "Truth Seekers Starter Kit": https://www.audreyrindlisbacher.com/

Gain the tools for learning and living truth by subscribing to the Audrey Rindlisbacher library: https://www.audreyrindlisbacher.com/

Enjoy book reviews, trainings, and highlights from the Audrey Rindlisbacher library on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AudreyRindlisbacher

“Our culture is moving further and further away from principles and truth. What we really ultimately hope to give you, and to build and create, is a community that has the power to shift the culture. We do that by beginning with shifting the culture in our homes and raising principle-centered children. But we also do that by reaching out into our communities and building bridges through emphasizing that there are fundamental truths that can unify us all.

And all of that begins with empowering every mom with a clear understanding of true principles and how to apply them in her life.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

Are you ready for the fast track to a principled life?! HERE IT IS!

This fall you have the opportunity to gather in Dallas, TX with other moms just like you--truth seekers who want to build a strong family culture centered on principles--and spend an entire day gleaning all the most important concepts, ideas, and tools that Audrey and her team have gathered in over 20 years of research, study, and teaching!

Do NOT pass up this unique and one-time chance to be mentored, inspired, and trained in the ability to pierce the confusion and identify the principles. Not only that, you'll be armed with skills for implementing those principles in your daily life and enjoying the abundant blessings that always follow principles.

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

1:16 - Welcome and introduction of Julie, Tracie, Lindsey, and Audrey

2:17 - When, how, why did you begin learning about principles?

12:57 - How have principles changed your life?

23:05 - What insights have you had as you've been preparing for the event?

30:43 - What would you tell someone who thinks this is too hard, too intellectual, or too abstract?

35:40 - What excited you the most about this event?

Quotes from this episode:

“We make rules, but we don’t make principles.” ~ Lindsey Wright

“His settled convictions were as a dike against those invading waters of novel opinion - social, political, and otherwise - which carried away, as in a torrent, no few minds, in those days; minds by nature not inferior to his own.” ~ Herman Melville, Billie Bud

“I realized that I was lacking something, I just didn’t know how to think when I was confronted with different ideas and different opinions. I just wanted a way to find a way through that and I knew I desperately needed it.” ~ Tracie Hyde

“Natural law is a way to bring people together; to connect us at our core.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher

“It’s been my passion to try to govern my life according to principles. I wanted to discover what they are and build a framework that can be communicated clearly to give other people tools for the discovery and utilization of true principles at the most basic, easiest level possible.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher

“I got so much clarity by asking better questions and focusing on the outcome that I want and then connecting that to some principles and first principles.” ~ Lindsey Wright

“Once you understand the principles and the outcome then it’s really clear what the next step is.” ~ Lindsey Wright

“Now I have a way forward. I have a way to act because principles have given me something specific to do - a direction to act that I didn’t know before.” ~ Tracie Hyde

“The role that each of these types play, from natural law to first principles, principles, and applications, is in helping us to clarify our vision and to figure out the what, the why, and the how, to move forward.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher

“They change the way I think about myself and the way I think about the world. They give me hope…They help me get clear.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher

“They create long-term solutions and peace.” ~ Audrey Rindlisbacher

“When we ask the five types of questions that’s what helps keep us focused on finding principles, articulating them and applying them.” ~ Tracie Hyde

“Just understanding this framework, that there is truth,

"I feel the sustaining presence of the Savior and a deep sense of calm." ~Sharidean Flint

One year ago, my sister was healthy and happy —as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, neighbor, and community leader. If you were part of our community then you probably watched or listened to an interview I did with her about her childhood, motherhood, and path to becoming the first woman mayor of Hyde Park city. We discussed her challenges, hardships, and the difficulties she’d overcome in her life. I also made sure to highlight how she lived the 7 Laws of Life Mission and the way in which they prepared her to become an amazing source of love and inspiration to those around her. Since our interview, Sharidean had continued to do all the good of which she was capable, serving others in her fun-loving way. Then, at the end of January, intense migraines began. Within two weeks she had brain surgery and was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Almost from the moment she was diagnosed I felt that I needed to share with you what I saw, heard, and experienced, so that, along with her family, friends, and community, you could be lifted by the legacy she has left.

This podcast is the rest of her story.

(P.S. When I went in to create the image for the podcast, I was going to post a picture of us together or of her with her family. But then I visited her Facebook page and noticed that I hadn't seen her newest profile picture. I've used that picture here. The image and words are what she created -- a powerful, faithful message which demonstrates all she stood for.)

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

1:20 - MDM Updates

6:30 - Sharidean Update

15:39 - Sharidean's fear is replaced with profound peace

29:30 - Love between Sharidean & her husband Kevin

31:13 - Outpouring of love from the community 

38:47 - Sharidean's letter to the city

Quotes from this episode:

"She went through a lot of really hard things in her life. And she used those hard things to drive her faith deeper." ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

"I feel the sustaining presence of the Savior and a deep sense of calm. I feel His love and your love." ~Sharidean Flint

Links from this episode: 

“There is an exhilaration in knowing who you are.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

The first time I learned about "The Hero's Journey" by Joseph Campbell, I was blown away. It was everywhere! The idea that there was a form for the way the best stories are told - across time and culture - spoke to how similar we really are as humans.

But for me, it was much bigger than that. My question was: WHY? Why do we tell the same kinds of stories, century after century, and why are these stories made up of the same components? Why do our best stories talk of "calls," "departures," "trials," and "treasures"? What is it about these kinds of stories that evoke our imagination and resonate with us so much? 

I believe it is because we are identifying with the Adventure of Self-Discovery. Deep down inside all of us want to grow and learn and become more than we are. "The Hero's Journey" reminds us of what that path looks like, that we need to say "Yes" to the call in order to begin the growth process, and that although the way will be full of obstacles and hardships the pay-off will be well worth the struggle. 

In this podcast, I explore "The Hero's Journey" using stories of those who have rejected and those who have accepted the call. I look at why we reject the call and remind us all of some of the treasures we can obtain if we accept it. I also encourage you, if you've heard the call of self-discovery - through an MDM program or other opportunity - and you've rejected the call, or you've hesitated on your journey, to ask yourself "Why"? And begin again on the adventure of your own self-discovery, knowing you won't be disappointed. 

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

2:39      Introduction to Andrew Young

4:38      The Heor's Journey/The Adventure of Self-Discovery

10:00     The turning Point

13:51     Leadership, Martin Luther King, and Non-violence

14:44     A New Chapter in Life

18:11     A Changed Man and Politics

21:53     Your Call to Self-discovery

30:10     Why Do We Do It

34:48     If You Are Stuck...

Quotes from this episode:

“Andrew, if you ever forget that under that sheet is a child of God you need to quit preaching.” ~Jean Childs Young

“We are like any growing thing, going to experience resistance, pain, trials, and tests. A flower has to burst out of its seed, push against the soil, and spring up above the earth. It has to put down roots, weather the rain and storms. It is always pushing, that's what makes it strong. It grows by pushing through the resistance. That is how we are fashioned, it's what we are meant to do.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“Why do we do it? Partly because that is what we are made to do. Partly because it is what makes life worth living. Partly because that's the only way we're really going to know ourselves. But mostly, we do it for the reward, the pay off - of who we will become, and the people we will bless.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“There is an exhilaration in knowing who you are.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

Books from this episode:

Links from this episode:

“Whatever is at the center of a person's life forms the fabric of his conscience. The conscience must be educated from divine sources in order for it to be keen and sharp, responsive and sensitive to God. ” ~Stephen Covey

The rights of life, liberty, and property seem pretty straight-forward and self-explanatory, but the right of conscience?! What does that mean? And more importantly, why does it matter? 

In this podcast, Audrey and Lindsey explore the 2 Consciences taught by Stephen Covey and why understanding them is so critical. With so much confusion in the world around rights and entitlement, absolute or relative truth, and the nature of the conscience, this podcast is a MUST LISTEN for those who want to better understand the proper role of government in society. 

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

0:45      Summary - Principles of Government Part 1

3:30      Understanding the Significance of Basic Rights

8:11      Conscience - What is It

18:30     Understanding Conscience and How it Affects Us

20:55     Shinichi Suzuki

23:26     James Madison

27:03     Albert Schweitzer

27:40     Immaculée Ilibagiza

28:05     Your Center is Your conscience

29:50     Recognising the Difference in the Two Consciences

38:40     Government and conscience

Quotes from this episode:

“The conscience is the internal voice, our sensitivity or awareness, our sense of right and wrong. This is why we can say we are all born with a conscience because on some level we have a sense that there is a right and there is a wrong and that we ought to choose the right.” ~Stephen Covey

“We basically have two consciences. We have a divine conscience and a social conscience. The divine one is the true one. It is the light God has given every man who comes into the world. The second one is also given to us but this one comes from our human experiences - from our upbringing, the culture around us, the norms, the mores, the traditions, values, and beliefs, and from the level of our obedience to the divine conscience.” ~Stephen Covey

“The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” ~Holy Bible, Psalm 37:31

“ We must educate our conscience. Once a person is true to the light he has received he is then capable of receiving more light and obeying it. Until he is true to the light already given additional light would only condemn him for he is capable neither of understanding it nor appreciating it. He would fall into the trap of being given a gift and being unable to receive it. The Lord gives to his children what they are able to receive and no more. If they are true to that he will give them more. ” ~Stephen Covey

“The voice of your conscience is the voice of God.” ~Leo Tolstoy

“Do the next right thing.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“You can speed up your own personal growth by deciding to stay in obedience to your divine conscience.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“In the former sense, a man’s land, or merchandise, or money is called his property. In the latter sense, a man has property in his opinions and the free communication of them. He has a property of peculiar value in his religious opinions, and in the profession and practice dictated by them. He has a property very dear to him in the safety and liberty of his person. He has an equal property in the free use of his faculties and free choice of the objects on which to employ them. In a word, as a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights...conscience is the most sacred of all properties.” ~James Madison

“Whatever is at the center of a person's life forms the fabric of his conscience. The conscience must be educated from divine sources in order for it to be keen and sharp, responsive and sensitive to God. ” ~Stephen Covey

“The heart never takes the place of the head but can, and should obey it."

“MDM has quenched a thirst to really be consistent in applying principles. It has broken open the doors of empowerment, freedom, and joy by helping me apply principles daily.” ~Leanna Irving

"Understanding principles fundamentally changes you." ~Lindsey Wright

“Permanent change is hard but living principles is the road to permanent change.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“When you are a Mother of Principle you no longer are so easily deceived.” ~Kim Miner 

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

5:25      Audrey Rindlisbacher-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles

13:18    LeeAnna Irving-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles

17:00    Kim Miner-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles

18:43    Lindsey Wright-My introduction to the Law of Nature and Principles

20:50    The Impact of Understanding and Living Laws and Principles

27:24     Understanding and Living Principles Isn't Easy

36:09    Other Qualities of a Mother of Principle

Quotes from this episode:

“ The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions… ” ~John Locke

“For he has so intimately connected, so inseparably interwoven the laws of eternal justice with the happiness of each individual, that the latter cannot be attained but by observing the former; and, if the former be punctually obeyed, it cannot but induce the latter. The truth is that right actions done for the wrong reason do not help to build the internal quality or character called a virtue.” ~William Blackstone

“MDM has quenched a thirst to really be consistent in applying principles. It has broken open the doors of empowerment, freedom, and joy by helping me apply principles daily.” ~LeeAnna Irving

“It is satisfying to understand principles and then see them in current articles and in the classics. Understanding principles fundamentally changes you.” ~Lindsey Wright

“In the world of memes and self-help, there is a lot of the application of principles. Applications of principle are a dime a dozen but it is digging into the root, the core that empowers us to handle anything.” ~LeeAnna Irving

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive...” ~Holy Bible, Ephesians 4: 14

“It is interesting the things I have had to unlearn, especially from graduate school, that aren't rooted in true principles but that sound good. ” ~Kim Miner

“ ...truth seldom is sweet; it is almost invariably bitter.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“It's hard work to identify false beliefs and put principles into action because you must change who you are. ” ~Lindsey Wright

“Permanent change is hard but [living principles] is the road to permanent change.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“When you are a mother of principle you no longer are so easily deceived.” ~Kim Miner

“Mothers of Principle have paradigm shifts that make them permanently different.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“When mom elevates herself everyone else is elevated.” ~LeeAnna Irving

“Principles are concentrated truth.” ~LeeAnna Irving

Books from this episode:

Links from this episode:

“Moral philosophy is the science of virtue and vice and therefore the true doctrine of the Laws of Nature is the true moral philosophy.” ~Thomas Hobbes

After sharing a difficult situation we are facing with a friend, and coming to the conclusion that there's nothing more we can do but wait, one of us will often finish the conversation with, "Well...patience is a virtue!" But what does it mean to say that patience is A virtue? Isn't virtue just "virtue"?

Over the last few weeks, as Audrey was studying patience, she was intrigued by this idea that it is "a virtue." So, she did what she always does - she studied virtue in more depth. Guess what she uncovered? A wealth of knowledge about how human beings have been talking about good and bad and right and wrong since the beginning of written history, and what they have been saying about them. 

It turns out that the greatest leaders and thinkers from all cultures, races and civilizations have universally agreed that not only are virtue and vice an integral part of the human experience, but we should all choose to be virtuous. In fact, Audrey learned that although being "virtuous" is a desired state of being, she also discovered that there are actually several different types of virtues that have been taught for centuries. 

Join her this week as she introduces you to "The Virtues", helping you understand what the virtues are and how they are connected to finding happiness here on earth and in the life to come!

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

3:47      Introduction to the Series

7:41      Why We Think The Way We Do

20:23    The Natural Virtues or Cardinal Virtues

22:47     Intellectual Virtues

25:42     The Theological Virtues or Supernatural Virtues

31:30     How Do We Become Virtuous

33:37     What is the Good of Virtue

45:13     The Culminating Point

Quotes from this episode:

“ The implication is simply that man may be good as a scientist or good as an artist by the acquisition of these virtues. But he is not made good as a man by these virtues, nor do they enable him to lead a good life and achieve happiness, as do the moral virtues accompanied by prudence.” ~Mortimer Adler

“The truth is that right actions done for the wrong reason do not help to build the internal quality or character called a virtue.” ~CS Lewis

“Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we should make ourselves happy, but how we should become worthy of happiness.” ~Immanuel Kant

“We do not acquire or preserve virtue by the help of external goods but external goods by the help of virtue. ” ~Aristotle

“Moral philosophy is the science of virtue and vice and therefore the true doctrine of the Laws of Nature is the true moral philosophy.” ~Thomas Hobbes

“Virtue is its own reward.” ~Marcus Aurelius

“That virtue is good and vice evil seems to go undisputed in the tradition of the great books, even by Machiavelli.” ~Mortimer Adler

“Virtue itself is a reference to a more ultimate good, happiness, for them the virtues are ordered to happiness as means to an end.” ~Mortimer Adler

“People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed. The golden rule is older than the Bible. The golden rule is as old as we are, that you should do as you would be done by.” ~C.S. Lewis

“Faith, hope, and charity - They are indispensable to lift man's life to a plane and direct it to a goal which exceeds his nature. ” ~C.S. Lewis

Books from this episode:

Links from this episode:

“What is the difference between my books and those of other writers, is that I prefer to describe and perpetuate the best I have known in life." ~Gene Stratton-Porter 

As a young girl growing up on a farm in Indiana, Gene had the idyllic life. The youngest of 12 children, Gene was given free-range of her large farm to fall in love with nature - her lifelong passion. Sadly, while she was still in her formative years, tragedy struck when the accidental deaths of her brother and sister were followed closely by the death of her mother. Yet, with the help of a loving, supportive father and siblings, she overcame her heartache and poured her heart into her self-education. 

Eventually, as her calling became clear, she determined to use her gifts to glorify God and inspire what is most noble and elevated in human life. Amidst rejection from editors and resistance from publishers, she insisted that her nature books and stories would be accepted and become well-loved by individuals and families around the globe.

She was right. Even in her own day she sold over 30 million books worldwide - a very rare accomplishment for any author. Of course today the legacy of her in-depth nature work and enriching, inspiring stories lives on, continuing to bless millions of lives. Join Audrey to hear the amazing true story of Gene Stratton-Porter's hard work and sacrifice to bring beauty and truth to the world. 

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

4:18      Laddie - an Autobiography

6:12      Her Parents and Family

17:24     Her Relationship to God

20:53    List of Principles Taught in The Stratton-Porter Home

21:25     Self-Care and Self-Discovery

25:00    A Tribute to Her Father and Family Tragedies

29:33    The Math Paper and an Affirmation of Talent

34:16     Leaving School for Six Months

36:24     A Father Assists in Learning

39:49     Her Own Family and Developing Her Talents

53:20     The Limberlost

58:16     A Commitment to Excellence

1:01:29    A Noble Purpose

Quotes from this episode:

“All [my father's] ideas were clear cut. No man could influence him against his better judgment. He believed in God, in courtesy, in honor, and cleanliness, in beauty, and in education. ” ~Gene Stratton-Porter

“[My father] would often say, "I would rather see my child the author of a book of which I could be proud than on the throne of England," which was the strongest way he knew to express himself.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter

“[My father's] very first earnings were spent for a book and when other men rested he read. All his life he was a student of extraordinary, tenacious memory.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter

“ All his life, with no thought of fatigue or inconvenience to himself, Mark Stratton, traveled miles uncounted to share what he had learned with those less fortunately situated by delivering sermons, lectures, and talks on civic improvement and politics. ” ~Gene Stratton-Porter

“The most that can be said of what education I have is that it is the very best kind in the world for me. I always had been too thankful for words that circumstances intervened which saved my brain from being run through a groove in company with dozens of others of widely different interests, tastes, and mentalities. What small measure of success I have had has come through preserving my individual point of view, method of expression, and...the spartan regulation of my girlhood home.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter

“[My father] knew I was boiling and bubbling like a yeast jar in July over some literary work and if I timidly slipped to him with a composition or a faulty poem he saw good in it and he made suggestions for its betterment.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter

“It was [my father] who demanded of me, from birth, the finishing of any task I attempted and who taught me to cultivate patience; to watch and wait even years, if necessary.

“It is the lack of knowledge of natural law and principles over the last century that has gotten us to where we are now.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

In this time of great civil unrest, do you know the principles of government that can save us? Do you have a clear understanding of the natural laws and fundamental ideas that shaped the first American documents? Do you know for yourself how these principles, ideas and documents led to the greatest amount of freedom for the largest number of people than ever before in history?

Most importantly, do you know how important all of this is -- for you, for your family, for your community and for the world?

Join Audrey and Lindsey this week as they begin a discussion about the natural laws, rights and duties that lay the foundation of proper thinking about ourselves, our communities and our government. As we learn these truths and put our own lives in line with them, and then share them with others, we can correct what's going wrong!

Listener's Guide:

Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

1:33      Begin at the Beginning - Aristotle

3:46     The State of All Men - Locke

12:01    The Beginning of Society

14:23    Natural Rights

23:50    Worldviews

29:53    The Four Natural Rights vs. Entitlement

32:32    Maintaining Natural Rights

40:25    Duty/Responsibility

46:19     Natural Law-Now and in the Future

Quotes from this episode:

“Of all the things that I know, what I know best is what goes on inside of me.” ~C.S. Lewis

“The better you understand your home life, the interactions in your family, and the interactions in your neighborhood, and how these interactions work, the better you understand government.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher

“It all begins with the individual.” ~Aristotle

“ ...it is impossible that the rulers now on earth should make any benefit, or derive the least shadow of authority from that, which is held to be the fountain of all power...” ~John Locke

“To understand political power, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.” ~John Locke

“A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank, promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same faculties, should also be equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another, and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty.” ~John Locke

“This equality of men by nature, the judicious Hooker looks upon as so evident in itself, and beyond all question, that he makes it the foundation of that obligation to mutual love amongst men, on which he builds the duties they owe one another, and from whence he derives the great maxims of justice and charity.” ~John Locke

“The family is the association established by nature for the supply of men's everyday wants...But when several families are united, and the association aims at something more than the supply of daily needs, the first society to be formed is the village. And the most natural form of the village appears to be that of a colony from the family, composed of the children and grandchildren, who are said to be suckled 'with the same milk...Now, that man is more of a political animal than bees or any other gregarious animals is evident. And it is a characteristic of man that he alone has any sense of good and evil, of just and unjust, and the like.