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Motherhood isn't just a journey; it's a transformation. In this episode of the FamilyLife Today Podcast, hosts Dave and Ann Wilson talk with author Abbie Halberstadt about her book, "You Bet Your Stretch Marks." She shares her personal experiences as a mom of ten, reframing the physical, emotional, and spiritual "stretching" of motherhood not as a burden, but as a path to a deeper faith and a lasting legacy.

Show Notes and Resources

• Get your copy of "You Bet Your Stretch Marks: Finding Beauty and Worth in the Ways Motherhood Marks Our Bodies and Souls"

• Learn more about Abbie at her website: M is for Mama

• Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• See resources from our past podcasts.
• Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

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If you asked me to choose between a fast-food hamburger or let's say a home cooked pot roast dinner with all the trimmings, it wouldn't take me much time to decide. It probably wouldn't take you much time either. But having lived in metropolitan areas most of my life, it was great to rush into McDonald's or Burger King and grab something. See, often the choice has been between dinner on the run and no dinner at all. So, that was an easy choice.

But there was a time, believe it or not, when there weren't many fast-food places. (And yes, I can remember those.) We had to drive almost an hour where we lived at one point to get to a McDonald's. Oh, there were diners or expensive restaurants, but nothing really that fast.

Now it is always, of course, my preference to have carefully prepared, full course meals. But sometimes, hey, you need what you need fast.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Wisdom To Go."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Nehemiah 2, and Nehemiah is the cupbearer to the King of Persia. He's had his heart broken when he's heard about the destroyed condition of his home city of Jerusalem, and he has been praying about this now for several months. And he goes before the king, and this particular conversation will turn out to change the course of history.

"I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, 'Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This could be nothing more than sadness of heart.' I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?' The king said to me, 'What is it you want?'" Now, you can almost hear Nehemiah's knees shaking here as he says, "Then I prayed to the God of heaven and I answered the king."

Well, he proceeds from here to tell all about his burden for the city. And the king responds and equips Nehemiah to go there, and miraculously that city is rebuilt in 52 days. Now, this turns out to be a decisive conversation. Nehemiah is really on the spot. Everything is riding on his answer.

Now, it's nice when you have a week to pray for something but when you have just a moment and you really need some wisdom? But there are those moments when there is no chance for you to do any of those things. You have to get it fast. So, what does Nehemiah do? He's on the spot. He taps into one of God's most practical gifts - wisdom to go.

You're faced with those kinds of crunches on many occasions. Whenever it's possible, of course, it's best to take some time to decide your next step. It's like taking time to prepare and eat a great dinner. But in some situations you barely have time to drive up to the window and say, "Wisdom to go please...with everything on it." But God will give it to you in those pressure moments, maybe like the ones you're in right now.

He promises in James 1:5, "If we ask for wisdom, when we lack it, He will give it to us liberally." Notice the kind of lifestyle, though, that gets that instant insight. Nehemiah gets it because he is already a prayed up person. He's been praying for four months about this situation. He's bathed it in prayer. He has surrendered the situation to the Lord. Back to Nehemiah 1:11 he says, "I am your servant (talking to the Lord). Give your servant success today. Lord, it's all up to you." Now comes that sudden moment of truth when the king says, "What is it you want?" Nehemiah fires off a "Help!" to heaven.

Now, your wisdom crunch may come in a moment of needing to know how to handle a situation with your child, or a situation at work, or how to respond to fast-breaking developments, or to an unexpected call. The good news is you can

Morse was the son of a Protestant minister and a struggling painter of landscapes. In the 1820s, he made a meager living as a limner—“an itinerant painter” of colonial America. But his was a life God led in another direction. Morse also had an interest in science. He learned about electromagnets, conceiving an idea that would change the world. In 1832, Samuel F. B. Morse conceived the idea of an electric telegraph and later went on to make the first working telegraph.

Probably the most dramatic biblical account of “career change” was that of Saul, who was “breathing out murderous threats” against believers in Christ (Acts 9:1). Jesus appeared to him in a great light (v. 3) saying that Saul was persecuting Him. Essentially, Saul was told to stop because he was under new orders now (v. 6). Saul did a U-turn in his life and assumed a new identity in Christ as the apostle who would eventually spread the gospel wherever he went.

Sometimes what we think is our future really isn’t. God leads us in another direction. Perhaps He needs to call us out of our sin. Or maybe it’s a change of ministry or vocation. When God redirects our lives, we do well to stop what we’re doing and follow our new orders. And as our new path opens before us, we might just echo the joy of the first dot-and-dash message of Morse’s telegraph: “What hath God wrought!”

Segment 1:

• How do I honor my parents when constant conflict leads to yelling?

Segment 2:

• Is it okay for pastors to use AI as a “wordsmith” without crossing into sermon plagiarism?

Segment 3:

• If a sermon doesn’t include the gospel, does that make it unorthodox?

Segment 4:

• Should pastors confront chronic lateness even if it risks losing people?

___

Thanks for listening!

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On this episode of Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage, Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley delve into the importance of men adopting lion-hearted characteristics in today's culture, inspired by Brandon and David Lindell's book 'Lion Hearted: A Man's Guide to Living Focused, Fulfilled, and Fearless.' We'll talk about the challenges faced by men stepping into leadership roles within their families, the significance of intentional living, and the need to understand and guard the heart. We'll also look at animal behaviors, illustrating lessons applicable to strengthening marriages. Then we'll answer a listener question about their spouse's weight gain.

Lionhearted: A Man's Guide To Living Focused, Fulfilled, and Fearless

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Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Giraffic Park." Enjoy!

We often think of education as a means to make a living - a job, career. The wisdom of Solomon points in a different direction. God provides wisdom to make a life - a life blessed by God’s ways. In this study of Proverbs 1-9, Dr. John highlights the wisdom of God for the young and old. We will find that the wisdom which helps us make a life, will provide all the goodness of living.

Wisdom Matters: Is it better to be wealthy, good looking, successful, popular or wise? If any Christian isn't sure of the answer, then Proverbs has something to say! In this 10-message series, Dr. John will point us to wisdom that shapes our living. Proverbs doesn't guarantee us wealth or popularity, but it does promise the blessings of God.