Bible Momming

Hi, I'm Paula Whidden, your mentor mom here at the Bible Momming podcast.  My girls are 14 and 18 and I've been testing out things on them for years. Some were great and some were not. let me help you out mommas. You can learn from my mistakes.

 

In addition to that, I've ministered to children and teens and their families as a youth and children's pastor. So the things, my kids didn't do, someone else's kid did. I was right there with them crying and praying through it. 

 

One of the biggest things I've learned over the years is how truly amazing the Bible is. I know everyone says that, or at least everyone in the Christian community, but I didn't always think that. I mean. I loved Jesus and I loved God or at least my idea of God. But the Bible was a hit or miss idea to me. I remember thinking that if no one had the Bible but they knew God loved them, that would be plenty. But then, I tried to do that. I tried to love Jesus without learning more about God through the Bible, and I kept blowing it over and over. So, I became really committed that if I was going to trust God with my whole heart then I would trust the Bible wholeheartedly. 

 

I've learned that there are things which are mentioned in the Bible, but they are not advice. They are not meant to be repeated, they are more of a WHAT-NOT-TO-DO kind of thing. The Bible is pretty blunt about people's failures and if someone does something in the Bible and then they completely fail in an important arena, they were an example of WHAT-NOT-TO-DO. 

 

There are verses that help us to know what to do also, but you have to spend time reading and digging and seeking to understand this great book so that you can tell the difference. I want to help you do that mommas. 

 

I'm doing this because I've discovered that this book is the best counselor you will ever find when you figure out how to read it. Some of its guidance seems counter-intuitive to what we naturally do. It takes some personal discipline and even help from God to actually do it, but when you do, there are major rewards for you personally, for your family, for your friendships, and your marriage.

 

In addition, with that in mind, I want to help you to not get held back by fear or your own expectations. I know what it's like to be afraid and that's not the life God has called you to live.

 

I was in two major car accidents before the age of 13. One killed my dad and almost killed my brother and me. In the second accident, I broke my jaw, my elbow and had a compound fracture in my right shin. As a result, when I became a parent I found myself scared to let my girls try new things. I called myself safety mom as I followed them around ready to catch them when they fell. When I realized that this could be a problem, I began seeking God's guidance in the Bible to help me overcome my fears.

 

I'd love to say I'm this totally fearless wonder woman, now, but actually I just know I'm better than before. I'm making progress toward this freedom that God has for me and my girls. I knew I had been making some great progress when I sat beside my daughter as she competed in a mixed martial arts boxing tournament and my job was to roll toilet paper to pack her bleeding nose. I was watching her cues and seeking to see if she wanted to keep going. The answer was a definite yes and I wasn't stuck in fear for her but helping her to keep moving forward with wisdom and grace.

 

If you are someone whose fears can easily get the best of her, stick around because Bible Momming is for you. I will share with you lessons I've been learning and help you to meet some other amazing Bible Moms who are doing their best to guide their kids. 

 

This season we will talk about:

 

• Things Adoptive Families Wish You Knew
• Our Family Is So Messed Up, How Could We Ever Be Biblical
• Conservative Clothing
• Forgiveness in the family
• pornography - Deanna
• My "Special needs" kids - 
• Embracing Weird
• Trips For a Cause (how vacations can also be an opportunity for service)
• Teaching Communication Skills to Kids
• Angry Momma stuff

 

and much more. 

 

We are fearlessly seeking the guidance God has for us from the greatest book ever written.

Also,

If you have ever wanted to dig into the Bible but you don't know where to begin?

If you have questions about the Bible and you are embarrassed to ask?

If you find the Bible confusing and wish someone would help you to make some sense of it?

 

Then, I created a course for you. The course is called Bible Basics: How to Read the Bible, Understand It, and Grow.

 

In it, you will learn who wrote the Bible and How it was written. You will learn how to pick out your own Bible so that it's one you can understand and appreciate. You will get an overview of each book of the Bible in a short but understandable format. You will understand the historical significance of the Bible and I will guide you so that you begin your own study of the Bible that connects with what you want to learn.

Get a 40% discount on the class by going to 

BIBLEMOMMING.COM/BIBLE-BASICS 

 

Also, I've been checking out some great podcasts for Bible Moms and decided to make a master list for you on my blog called BibleMomming.com. Come over and check out Biblemomming.com/Top-15-Podcasts-for-Bible-Moms. They are not all podcasts about being a mom or the Bible but they are great resources for you as you seek to be the best Bible Mom you know how to be. 

Many of my friends have adopted children using a wide variety of methods. Often I hear their wishes for things they would love other families to understand. Today, I'm talking with Leslie Hoff, one of the founders of Foster Love L.A. about her adoption journey in the foster care system and what it can be like for other adoptive families.

On this episode, I'm joined by my friends Val and Jenna as we have an honest and open conversation about all things Christmas and what we really do in our homes. You'll be surprised by the differences between us. 

 

Today, I'm joined by Val Vanderpal (mom of two based in Wisconsin) and Jenna Palomino (mom of two based in Los Angeles County). Both of them are pastor's wives and we all share our unique Christmas traditions and issues. We laugh at our ability or inability to create fun decor, the movies we watch, how we handle Santa, and much more. 

 

This is the end of our first season of the Bible Momming podcast. It's a great time to go back and check out episodes you may have missed. Below are links to other episodes. We will begin again in January. If you want to stay aware of our next episodes, join our newsletter here. 

 

We'll keep you up to date on new podcasts, places I'm speaking and online Momming Chats as they come up. 

 

Also, if this podcast has blessed you in some way, please consider donating to help keep this little boat afloat. It takes time, energy, and money to keep bringing these to you each week. 

BibleMomming.com

Paypal.me/BibleMomming

 

00:22                           

Hello, Mama's. I am coming to you today from my car while I'm waiting for my daughter to have her drum lessons….We are talking about how sleep matters and what happens when we get it or we don't get it. Now, whether you are a new mom or a night terror mom with infants or a mom with a teenager who wants to stay up all night, we all struggle with sleep. I've learned from science, all sorts of different things about sleep and it helps me to understand God's design and how He created us to be.

01:11                           

Now this is something I personally struggled with though I am from a long way back, a person who loves to stay out late.

02:53                           

So one of the things I've struggled with as a mom is the realization that, hey, wait a second. Staying up late may not be beneficial to me or my family.

03:45                           

And the struggle continued now as my daughter was ready to enter elementary school, we discovered that I had accidentally messed her up too. I got notes from the teacher telling me that she probably needed more sleep because she was falling asleep in class. Imagine how embarrassing that was for me. I thought I was so smart. Here I was a youth pastor and my kid was falling asleep in school and so I had to figure out what I need to do. So, I did a whole bunch of research trying to figure out how to help my kids and that did help.

04:37                           

There are some Bible verses related to this, but it's a little bit of a stretch and I'm going to be honest with you. It's not like the Bible goes into how much sleep you should get. Yet there are things that made me think of that as I was looking at it.

05:27                           

As I said, this is clearly not about how many hours of sleep you get but isn't there something sweet about the idea of just getting some rest and imagine if we're getting the proper amount of sleep for our bodies.

06:21                           

I did some digging. I wanted to find out some things related to sleep research, and there are a couple of different places I found things. We have a bunch research on sleep from places like the National Sleep Foundation.

12:03                           

Think about all those things, and that's just as an adult, how that affects us. If it's your kids, think about your kids when they have a lack of sleep.

12:51                           

It affects their emotions. They can be more moody, irritable, they can be impulsive. Their stress is increased throughout the day. And one thing I was fascinated by is how it can worsen the symptoms of an existing behavior, anxiety, mood disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, things that kids are going through that are already extra for moms where we have kids with disabilities, the lack of sleep can actually make those things worse.

                                   

I was able to find that the Canadian pediatric society produces a general guide for on average, the amount of sleep children need over a 24 hour period. Now, this includes naps.

17:32                           

There are some ways to get a better night sleep. One of them is to make sure you stick to a good sleep schedule: the same bedtime, same wake time, even on the weekends…The researchers also recommend having a good relaxing bedtime ritual.

20:33                           

I'm currently working my way through them right now. We don't have cell phones in our room and, as I said, they mess with me for a little bit. I've been getting my regular seven hours of sleep, but I've discovered that for me, I need a little bit more. ….We all need rest. We all need the regeneration. That sleep gives us many of us long for moments to pause. Maybe we won't need those moments of pause as often when we get this basic need down. When we trust God with our issues, enough to pause and rest, he promises to rejuvenate us in many ways.

21:23                           

We need to release this area of our lives so that God can bless it. Remember what Hebrews 4:10 says, "for anyone who enters God's rest also risks from their work just as God did from his." ….I hope you are having a good day and a good night's sleep.

In this episode, I share with you the story behind why and how my youngest daughter and I teamed up to make a pie from every state in the U.S. I'll share with you our favorite pies, the toughest pies, and how you can get the recipes for yourself. 

 

BibleMomming.com

Welcome to the Bible Momming podcast this is Episode 10. I'm your host Paula Whidden. I'm an author, pastor, wife, and mom. I've taught kids and teens how to understand the bible for 30 years, and now I'm here to help you raise your kids with a biblical foundation.

On today's show, I'm continuing my conversation with singer/songwriter Mandie Pinto about what it was like to discover that her daughter had brain cancer.

Before we begin though, I want to give you an opportunity to share with me your stories about when you experienced suffering in your family. You can tell me your frustrations as well as your feelings of success if that happened to you. I want to hear all perspectives. You can contact me at BibleMomming.com/contact Also, if you have questions, I would love if you would share your concerns with me on the topic of suffering, prayer, the bible or whatever you want.

The first Friday of the month at 9am, I am having an online Bible Momming Chat where we discuss the things that matter to you. I'll be answering those questions, to the best of my ability there. You can get all the details about the chats by joining the Facebook Bible Momming group or my newsletter at BibleMomming.com. Just scroll down the home page at the bottom and fill out the little form for our newsletter. I regularly send out info to my newsletter to let them know about what's going on in the Bible Momming community.

Mandie Continues - On Cancer 

Now on today's episode, Mandie Pinto and I had a great conversation last week about her music, and we just started talking about her daughter and what it was like to learn that she had cancer, but because Mandie is so open and honest we continued talking and it became another episode. 

If you missed the first part of our conversation, you would want to go back and listen to Ep 9. Mandie is a prolific artist with 8 independent solo albums. She's performed and led worship across the U.S. everywhere from the Georgia dome to the small backcountry church. In our previous conversation, she shared that as she was creating her latest album Hold My Everything, she and her husband Jeremy learned that their oldest daughter Bridget had brain cancer.

As we continue talking, she shares what it was like for her to learn this news and help her daughter face it with confidence and a sense of peace. She shares how she keeps hopeful and how she helped her two girls to work through not even getting to see one another because of chemotherapy and safety concerns.

Mandie's favorite Bible verse right now is..

John 16:33 

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Links from this Episode

BibleMomming.com Michael Hoefflin Foundation MandiePinto.com Hold My Everything Mandie on - Instagram/Twitter

Help us create a community here for moms so that we don't feel alone, share this with a friend. 

Do you have questions about the bible, marriage, prayer…you can contact me at BibleMomming.com/contact or [email protected]. I would love to hear your questions. Then, I'll be answering them at one of our monthly Bible Momming Chats. They are the first Friday of the month. You can get all the details by joining the Facebook Bible Momming group or the Bible Momming newsletter.

This week, I'm talking with singer-songwriter Mandi Pinto. She's a mom of two beautiful daughters and an extraordinary worship leader. We will be talking about her newest album Hold My Everything as well as what was going on with her family while she created and released it.

Mandie heard the call to minister through music and set out to sing at churches throughout the United States. God has given her the blessed privilege of leading and/or performing at churches and other venues all over the United States.

Mandie has independently recorded and released eight solo albums in the last 26 years. Mandie is an accomplished songwriter, with several of her songs winning notable awards in the Billboard Song Contest and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Mandie has recorded for Nintendo, NAMCO, Toyota, Disney and the theme song to Miss Spider on Nickelodeon, as well as many children albums.

She attends and serves as a Worship Leader at Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, CA. When not serving at Shepherd Church, Mandie leads worship and/or performs at churches and conference centers weekly across the country.

In the midst of prepping and releasing her latest project, her daughter Bridget was diagnosed with brain cancer. You will want to stick around and hear Mandie's story which is so amazing that I had to give it two episodes. If you have ever wondered where God is when suffering happens, this episode isn't to be missed.

I talk with Mandie about her favorite music ministry experiences and what it's like to be an independent artist who creates and funds her own albums. She also candidly shares what it was like to discover that her daughter had brain cancer while also creating a worship-filled album.

For more info on Mandie go to MandiePinto.com

Get her album, Hold My Everything.

She mentioned a helpful tool to connect with people who prayed for Bridget called, The Caring Bridge. 

Today, I'm talking with Anissa Simon. She's a missionary with Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic alongside her husband Cory and daughter Era. We talk about what led them from Southern California to the Czech Republic and what she does in this ministry. We also talked about how things changed when their daughter Era arrived. We learn about cultural differences and the great people of the Czech Republic. We also talk about her fears as a mom and the ways she has discovered and developed support. 

 

If you want to support the Simons. Go to JosiahVenture.com/Simon

 

Today, I'm bringing you some ideas to help your marriage. This podcast is for married mommas, but also for single mommas who hope to be married in the future. Planning ahead helps to prepare you for success.

As a youth and children's pastor, I've connected with many families who've experienced divorce as well as separations. These things don't just damage your marriage and your heart. They hurt your kids. They remove a sense of security in their lives. 

When I was a kid, I felt it and dealt with these things myself. I cannot remember a time my parents lived together.  When I was 10, they decided to get a divorce. When they were together you could cut the tension in the air most of the time or they were straight up yelling.

Then, my dad, brother and I got in a catastrophic car accident that killed my father one week before my parents were scheduled to go to court. This left me with the sense that I didn't know what a happy home or happy marriage looked like. I ended up seeking out families with healthy relationships and adopting them as extended family. In the midst of it, God taught me some amazing things.

Since that time, I have coached with over 100 couples. Many of them struggle because of personality clashes and expectations, but the addition of kids only magnifies the problems. 

Kids bring joy but they also bring stress on us personally and on our marriage.

Here are some of the issues we address at various ages in the lives of our children:

1. Infant - lack of sleep, who does what
2. Toddler - what to say and when to say it, discipline, chaos management, food ideas, continued fatigue
3. Elementary age - what to say and when to say it, how to build friendships, school expectations, drugs and alcohol (sometimes) outside activities (affording or choosing what they can do), dating, discipline, chaos management, food ideas, continued….FATIGUE
4. Jr. high - fresh new emotions, friendship drama, drugs and alcohol, the boy/girl thing, places to put energy, school expectations, outside activities, discipline, chaos/time management, food, early money management, and exhaustion.
5. High School - Emotional stress, Relationship drama, the boy/girl thing, drugs and alcohol, how to get/keep a job, driving training and trials, planning for college or a trade, places to put energy, school expectations, outside activities, discipline, chaos/time management, food, early money management, and we are so amazingly tired. 

Oh, and I happen to be married too.

It's easy to get caught up in the needs of our children and neglect marriage needs. Because hey, your husband is an adult, and he doesn't need you as much, or so you tell yourself.

WHAT RELATIONSHIP WORKS THAT WAY?

Friends need to spend time with friends in order to remain friends.

That doesn't stop just because you got married.

The best thing parents can do for their children is work on their marriage 

Parents Magazine had an article called "Happy Parents, Happy Kids." In it, Philip Cowen, PhD, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley said, "Kids whose parents' relationship has cooled are more likely to have behavioral or academic problems than kids of happy couples." 

As we're Bible Momming, we need to lean on biblical guidance for our relationships.  This goes for our kids but also for our marriages. 

Here are a couple: 

Ecclesiastes 4:12 [Full Chapter]

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 [Full Chapter]

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

 

Prayer is a mystical thing that will help your marriage and your family.

When praying for your marriage, consider the who, what, when, where, why and how's.

Who:  

You can pray on your own or with your husband. You can pray together or apart. 

What: 

Pray for…not against your husband.  Pray for the team of you

When:

You can pray whenever you want. For my husband and me, we like to pray in the morning. Meals can be reminders and a way to witness to the kiddos. You can pray in the middle of the day, even as you are driving, 

Where: 

You can pray in the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, the car, the park, or wherever you want. There is no special place where you are closer to God. Though personally, I do enjoy praying outside, but I don't do that all the time.

Why: 

Through prayer, we acknowledge God's sovereign ability to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. It's an act of submission and recognition of God's composition. He is capable of more than we can imagine. 

He is our Creator (thus He knows more about us than we do). He's our savior (thus He's rooting for us). He's our friend (thus He believes in and encourages us).

There are many reasons why we pray, here are a few mentioned in the Bible: 

• To resist temptation - 

Matthew 26:41 

"Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"

• to receive healing -

James 5:16 "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

• to be forgiven -

2 Chronicles 7:14 "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."

• to seek freedom from fears -

Psalm 34:4 "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears."

 

• to share your pain -

Psalm 102:2 "Don't turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you."

How:

1. Believe you will receive (you do not receive because you do not ask)
2. Be open-minded in recognizing God's answer is God's answer - God is not a vending machine
3. Be supportive
4. Be kind in your prayers
5. Participate in the prayer…faith without work is dead
6. Be thankful

If you pray together, seek quiet spaces for that precious time. Contact your husband when something comes up and you would like prayer. Also, offer to pray for him. Send a text asking him how his day going and how you can pray for him. Even if he doesn't want prayer, offer occasionally so that he knows you think of him. If he adamantly doesn't want it, you can still pray quietly to God in a way that is uniquely between Him and you. 

Make prayer a habit in your marriage because habits are amazing things. When you make it a habit, you'll notice ways that God is guiding and helping you as you seek His direction and support for your relationship.

You may find that you notice your husband's strengths more. You may find that you appreciate him more. You may find that you feel more romantic because of these things. You may find that you fight in a kinder way. You may find that you don't feel alone when tough times come at you. 

This constant connection with Your creator has an over flowing effect in many other parts of your life including your marriage. 

Mommas if you need the encouragement of other mommas, come on over and join our Bible Momming Facebook group. We pray for one another, encourage one another, and laugh at the strange things that moms do sometimes. 

 

 

Also, if you are considering solar power and live in Southern California, contact Green Convergence and tell them I sent you. 

GreenConvergence.com 

or (661) 491-5111

1. What is Grace? 

It's not a prayer at dinner or a way we walk 

 

Grace is...

Forgiveness without conditions

Letting go of a debt

 

2. Who is it for? 

In practical terms in our homes...

Your Husband

Your Children

Your Friends

Your Church 

Your Leaders

Even the guy who took your parking space

 

Do you remember the Golden Rule?

Matthew 7:12

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."

We all want grace. Even if we aren't receiving it, we can still give it. 

 

3. Why do we do it?

Because Jesus gave it to us

Acts 15:11

"We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

If we recognize grace as undeserved forgiveness, then when we read Paul's comments in Ephesians it becomes very personal.

Ephesians 4:32

"Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

Mommas, a lot of us get angry, we get frustrated because momming is hard. But that's just a bigger opportunity to give grace and understand the depth of God's grace as result. 

Our kids are watching and learning from us (like it or not). We teach it and live it so that they grab it. They will end up doing not just what we say or want them to learn, but what they see us doing. 

4. How do we do it?

• Recognize your limitations…we cannot give it on the same scale as God.
• Practice, practice, practice - Practice doesn't make you perfect, but it does make you a lot better than when you first started practicing.
• You have to have rules so that you can forgive.

Romans 5:20

"God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant."

• By being persistent - You'll get tired of trying, do it anyway, The more we do it, the more we understand and receive God's grace. You'll feel frustrated by it, do it anyway
• Take tiny steps - The size of the step don't take away the fact that you took a step.
• Be real (kids can tell the difference)
• Be willing to ask for forgiveness too. 

 

If you would like encouragement, prayer and support from other mommas, join the Facebook Bible Momming Group.