Delighted Motherhood

Welcome to Part 2!

Listen in as Amanda Balikian and Laura Hughes discuss how a grateful heart is the what enables us to serve with a grateful and generous heart. 

****
https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/easy-dill-dip/
https://lilluna.com/turkey-veggie-tray/

Happy Thanksgiving week!

Thanksgiving began as a time to celebrate God’s provision in the lives of a small group of Christians. But a thanksgiving feast wasn’t their idea! From the beginning, God has been telling his people to feast and that feasting can actually be a form of worship. All feasting should point us to a time when we will feast in total comfort and security away from sin and distress in the presence of God.

The fall feasts of Israel were a little different than our Thanksgiving celebrations, but they too were times when families traveled from long distances to gather together and eat specific traditional foods. 

Today I am joined by two of my closest friends and fellow Bible teachers Laura Balikian and Amanda Hughes and we are going to spend a few minutes chatting through the ancient fall feasts of the Israelites, seeing how those feasts ultimately find their fulfillment in Christ and finally reflecting on how we can serve up our families a picture of the gospel through the way that we set our tables and prepare our food.

*****
Bible Talk Podcast by IX https://www.9marks.org/episode/leviticus-16-on-the-pinnacle-of-the-pentateuch-bible-talk-ep-39/

In Galatians Paul urges us to each carry our own load. But sometimes as a young mom it can feel like  I am doing everything. 
But oftentimes when I am feeling bitter at my husband it may be that I am not seeing the load he carries –especially given the pressures he is dealing with outside of our family.

And the cultural narrative that each spouse should be doing 50/50 doesn’t help. How does anyone figure out what 50/50 is anyway? 

But on the other hand, a girl can’t do everything! How do we ask for help? How do we bring to light the “hidden” aspects of mothering and homemaking that are too much or too burdensome for us? In seasons when a husband might be traveling a good deal, how can we prioritize intimacy in marriage? (physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual)?

Listen in to a vulnerable conversation with writer and mom to four Moriah Lovett.

“Don’t blink! You might miss it!”

If there’s one thing I desperately don’t want to miss, it's their childhood. And I often stress out that I am! Their childhood and my life are very fleeting. 

The kid stage is here today and gone tomorrow. The phrase #babiesdontkeep is a hashtag for a reason.

But should the brevity of childhood cause us anxiety? 

Chelsea Boes, senior writer at WORLD Magazine, the editor of WORLDkids Magazine and mom of two weighs in. 

“The global anti-aging market was valued at around 62 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and is expected to increase to some 93 billion by 2027.”
In the midst of all that angst over preventing physical aging could we be neglecting a far more important consideration in aging beautifully –the state of our hearts?
From a physical perspective, what's okay and what's not? Should we be doing all the latest treatments? Are we allowed?
Listen in for a vulnerable conversation with Ashley Keller, a Prenatal and Postnatal exercise specialist and the founder of GlowBodyPT, on aging gracefully from a Biblical perspective.

Nothing screams cozy quite like fresh baked bread. And with a quality sourdough starter bread baking is actually super easy. 

That's because a mature starter is "alive" and will work its way into all of the dough in comes in contact with. Which is why in Scripture leaven to likened to sin.

Listen in for a quick look at the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Leviticus 23 and a tutorial on no frills baking with sourdough. 

****
Kira's super basic sourdough recipe:

• Pull your recently fed starter out of the fridge (as long as mine has been fed within a week its good to go!)
• Add 3-3.5 cups of King Arthur bread flour, half a cup of starter, a teaspoon of salt, and a cup of warm water to your Kitchen Aid with the bread hook attached. 
• Feed your remaining starter equal parts flour and water (usually a cup to half a cup of each. Make sure to either weigh or pack your flour down). Leave on your counter until doubled in size. Then pop back in the fridge for next time.)
• For the bread, turn the Kitchen Aid on to medium speed for about 5 minutes until everything is combined and your dough is somewhat soft.
• Cover bread for between 5-9 hours.
• Place in a dutch oven on parchment paper and bake in oven at 425 for about 25-30 minutes with lid on.
• Take lid off and bake until golden brown and delicious (20-25 minutes)
• Let rest for a bit and serve! Magic!

Kira's Italian Inspired Coconut Soup (Gluten and Dairy Free!)

• Mild Italian sausage 
• Carrots 
• Onions 
• Garlic 
• Potatoes 
• Can of coconut soup 
• Can of tomatoes 
• Peas 
• Mushrooms

Simmer the above ingredients on medium heat in the order listed until delicious.
 

It’s fall time! The majority of us love it. And really what’s not to like. It’s a time for lots of good food, reading, campfires, leaf piles, and delicious smells.

But in Scripture there is much deeper significance to the season of harvest. Harvest is a time when God gathers in his peoples and completes his work in this present age.

In many ways, harvest is a time for celebration and sober reflection.

Listen in as our guest Laura Good (Behind Our Farm) describes life on a farm during Harvest, how God walked her through one of the most painful trials a momma can face, and tips for cultivating life giving spaces during the Autumn seasons. 

"Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:37-38

****
Note: Midway through the podcast Laura references references a passage in Isaiah. That passage can be found in Isaiah 24:4-5.

The U.S. Surgeon General just released an advisory warning that parental stress is a significant public health concern. Reporting on the advisory, the Wall Street Journal ran a headline stating that, “Parenting is Hazardous to Your Health.”

According to the advisory, four in 10 parents report feeling so stressed they can’t function. 

What is it about our current cultural moment that makes parents so prone to severe mental health challenges? 

“Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit –indeed, Sam my dearest hobbit, friend of friends.” 

There's something spectacularly lovely about a true friend.

A friend who loves what you love, who understands your deep longings, and who helps you see the things that are truly beautiful --even in the midst of brokenness. 

 A friendship like that is a gift from God. 

Since the dawn of sin, friendships have been broken. All relationships are fraught and sometimes the obstacles to meaningful friendships can feel insurmountable. 

Tune in as we think through a Biblical definition for friendship, consider how we are designed for friendship, and then chat through a few practicalities. 

As parents we all long for our kids to “turn out right.” 

We want them to grow up to be kind, thoughtful, well adjusted and successful adults. And most of us, as Christians, are desperate for our kids to know the Lord.

But how does the sovereignty of God factor into all of that? Does my parenting even matter?

The biblical view of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in parenting –as in the rest of life –is freeing, empowering, encouraging, and glorious.

Tune in as Jason Seville, pastor at Del Ray Baptist Church and father to five, helps us to unpack the paradox of sovereignty and human agency.

We can be encouraged that when we are faithful to parent our children according to Scripture, that directly brings a blessing upon our children in ways we may not even fully understand because God is sovereign and he gave us Scripture for our good.