Fruit Pursuit Podcast

Hey friend! I have a secret message for you, so pay attention!

These ARE the good old days!  Don’t miss them!

Joshua 4:21-22 “And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

It’s easy to look back at amazing things God has done, to reminisce of miracles and provision, but do you ever consider what the people were actually going through at the time?  What emotions they were experiencing?  What fears or logistical concerns they were faced with? How does that compare to your current situation?

In today’s podcast, I’m exploring the idea that we all have a precious opportunity to see these current days and our current situations as the “Good Days.”

Give a listen to see how you can approach these days from a most positive perspective without even trying hard.

Then, jump over to Facebook and join, “Moms in Control” where I have plenty of practical ways to navigate difficult times.

The post The Good Old Days appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Does peace feel elusive? Do you sometimes feel so disjointed that it seems like it would take an entire day or even a week to get back to feeling calm and happy? I’ve got good news for you!  It doesn’t have to take that long! In this episode we’ll cover 3 things that bring us back to peace of mind and it can happen in a moment.

A couple of helpful verses we’ll be discussing are:

Philippians 4:4-9

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Colossians 3:14 And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

This is a great time to go looking for that peace that God promises.  It’s there, already.

Lots of love!

PS- If you want more support, check out maryaldrichcoaching.com/apply and sign up for a free coaching consultation.

The post Peace of Mind appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Are you looking for life changing peace?  It just might be closer than you think. What if it’s all in your own mind? In this episode, I’m sharing how a simple change in perspective changes how I feel and how I respond to the situations and circumstances around me.  Give a listen and then consider, what one thing can you do to shift your perspective today?

The Life Metaphors I mentioned:

Life is like a river. With all its bends and rapid falls, one must follow the right path or else you’ll lose your way to the sea.

Life is like a box of chocolates. You’ll never know what you’re going to get.

Life is like a bagel. It’s delicious when it’s fresh and warm, but often it’s just hard. The hole is the middle is its great mystery, and yet it wouldn’t be a bagel without it.

Life is like eating grapefruit. First you have to break through the skin; then it takes a couple of bites to get used to the taste, and just as you begin to enjoy it, it squirts you in the eye.

Life is like a banana. You start out green and get soft and mushy with age. Some people want to be one of the bunch while others want to be top banana. You have to take care not to slip on externals. And, finally, you have to strip off the outer coating to get at the meat.

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, but you don’t have the picture on the front of the box to know what it’s supposed to look like. Sometimes, you’re not even sure if you’ve got all the pieces.

Life is like a maze in which you try to avoid the exit.

Life is like riding an elevator. It has a lot of ups and downs and someone is always pushing your buttons. Sometimes you get the shaft, but what really bothers you are the jerks.

Life is like money. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.

Life is like a whisper. If you only try and stop wailing you’ll suddenly realize that it is there.

Life is like a pencil. You can be sharpened, you can correct mistakes, and you can leave a mark.

Life is like the journey of the children of Israel through the desert. It might be difficult, hot, and include lots of whining and complaining, but there is an end goal that is so glorious it’s worth the effort to get there.

Life is like water-skiing! I have the responsibility to be ready, with my skis on, life jacket fastened, and holding the rope- waiting.  But Jesus is the boat driver and he is the one who does all the pulling up out of the water.  He determines the speed and it’s his responsibility to be aware of what my skill level is and take me over only what he thinks I can handle.  My only job is to hang on, have some confidence that I can do it, and enjoy the ride.   The waves can be scary, just like life’s surprises, but if I have courage and go into it without fear, it can be exhilarating- an adventure.  Watching the boat keeps me more balanced than watching my feet.  If I fall down, the driver instantly circles around and picks me back up right where I left off.  There is no rejection, no quitting on me, just “let’s go again”. Then, at the end of a day of water skiing I’m tired, sore, and ready to flop into bed, but if the boat captain says, “Wanna go out again tomorrow?” I jump at the chance to go again.

The two days:

DAY #1

This morning I woke up feeling groggy. Remembering that I was way backed up on laundry I padded downstairs to the laundry to get some clean clothes only to find that the washing machine was broken- really broken.  One load had just been put in by my son and I’m not sure but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with it.  Sigh…all those clothes and now the machine is broken.  I begged Brandon to look at it and after several hours of meetings and finally getting around to it, he announced that we’d have to order a part and wait.  When do we ever have time to wait for laundry in this house?

Breakfast was tough.  I spent the time hording down bites in between answering questions, solving problems and keeping people on track to do what they were supposed to do.  Sometimes I feel as though I haven’t eaten when I finish.

School was difficult.  The kids couldn’t sit still. I mean, one of them kept trying to sit in the chair on his knees, bent over, with his bottom up in the air, and his head all the way down on the floor in front of him.  Who listens like that? I ended up giving some long lectures to kids who, I’m sure, weren’t really listening.

To make matters worse, my head wasn’t really in it.  My mother-in-law was at the doctor having some serious procedure and I was wondering how she was handling it.  And my own mother was having difficulties with my grandmother who forgets things, is having back problems, and can’t seem to get her bowels straightened out.

But we struggled through. At lunch I discovered that some kids didn’t want to eat what I prepared.  After that was over I went down the hill to deliver a message.  Errands seem to be my only escape from the cave these days.

I returned to a pile of dirty dishes and the familiar sound to the neighbor children playing in our yard, AGAIN, without having asked.  During this time the kids managed to get in a fight and that led to a major altercation with my oldest son.  Really, one of the dumbest arguments I can remember having recently.  I tell you, he’s becoming more and more like me every day and it’s such a tragedy!

No sooner had I settled that and turned back to the dishes than I heard a wail and in comes my daughter screaming.  I was trying to visit with my brother on the phone, but no- that buzzer goes off that warns the children of a phone call, telling them to come get mom quick!  She came in hollering at the top of her lungs and I told her to go sit on the couch until she could get over it.  After she just wouldn’t quit and I couldn’t hear any more, I reluctantly hung up and went to check on her.  Of course, she had managed to actually hurt herself.  Her finger was all bent over to one side, clearly I was going to have to take her to the doctor.

I sighed, knowing that I had just interrupted Brandon 3 times that afternoon and I was going to have to do it again.  I’m always having to interrupt him it seems. He was disappointed, as usual, to hear that I had to go ANYWHERE, much less the hospital. And of course it coincided with Perspectives, as most of my “interruptions” do.

I took her to the Dr. and discovered that the finger was broken.  Great. Cast. She won’t be able to dress herself, climb on the stool, go to the bathroom alone, it’s gonna hurt. I’m going to be up late. AND, 6 weeks! Means she will have it on while we go to the beach!!! UGH!

Somewhere in there I discovered that my mother was on the way to the hospital with my other grandma thinking that her kidneys were shut down.  That wasn’t at all distracting.

Due to stress, I ate too much for dinner, the kids got in bed late cause someone didn’t finish his chores and complete making beds, so I had to put the sheets on two beds, Justin got up 3 times and managed to have a dirty diaper at 10pm.  I had to put away all afternoon projects I was hoping to work on today that I didn’t get to, Jeff won’t stop picking at his ear and then when I’m most exhausted, I couldn’t sleep. I have prayed so many times, but stuff just keeps happening!

Sigh.  It’s been a long day.

END OF DAY #1- Do you feel like I do at the end of this? Overwhelmed? Busy and discouraged? Tired? Slightly crazy and with the thought of “don’t make me have to do this again?”  Well read on…

DAY #2

Today I woke up a little earlier than I usually do.  Had a chance to pray for God’s best to be done today.  When I got up, Brandon was making breakfast and I was able to concentrate on fixing something healthy for me.  What a treat.  Jonathon is finally getting the hang of his chicken chores and James had most of his stuff done this morning before I ever got out of bed!

School started on time today for the first time in weeks.  I even got my cup of coffee and enjoyed it during devotions.  We had a great devotional time, not only memorizing the verse we are working on, but also a discussion and silly practice time about how to make appeals instead of argue.  Justin behaved pretty well during the whole thing too.

We got in some good solid English, something that I’ve wanted to do for a while and I was able to spend some time individually with each kid to work on some of their weak points.  It was a nice day outside, so the little kids played sweetly in the sandbox during school, providing me with some uninterrupted instructional time.  Brandon came in and did math and while he was doing that, I got to visit with my sister, Amy on the phone and clean up several piles of “stuff” that have been around the dining room for a while.  Rachel was anxious to finish her chores during break time and I was so encouraged by her desire to get done, I helped her vacuum the playroom, so it got a little more thorough job than normal.

When lunch came, I had the plates all ready for the kids.  We had some healthy snacks that most of them ate a good portion of.  I’ve been really thankful for the chance to have good food to eat recently. After lunch, I had a chance to finish up some cleaning in the kitchen.  Pat came over and folded tons of clothes and read with the kids.  Such a blessing.

That afternoon, I prepped some sweet potatoes for dinner on Tuesday, which is always a busy day and boiled a couple of chickens to add to salads for lunches.  Also enjoyed getting out for a little exercise with a quick run around the property.  Later I had to take one of the children to a doctor visit and the battery to the car was dead.  But Brandon was home and he showed me how to use a battery pack we keep in the back of the car to jump it off.  It took less than five minutes and I was on my way.

Diane spontaneously called up and said she wanted to bring pizza over for dinner along with our original plan to have a haircut.  I certainly didn’t turn her down.  When she came, she had pizza, chips, chocolate milk, and ice cream sundaes.  The kids were thrilled.  We had a nice dinner while Brandon was away at a meeting, and then she stayed while I put the kids to bed.  I forgot that I had committed to cutting someone else’s hair that evening as well and so she graciously said we could do hers another time.

After she left and I cut hair, I had a nice visit with the guy and then spent a good amount of time talking to my sister Ruth on skype- something I don’t get to do very often.  Later in the evening, when Brandon still wasn’t home I spent some alone time praying and connecting with Jesus- also a rare opportunity.  Actually, now that I think of it, I spent numerous moments reconnecting with Jesus all day long.  By the end of the day, I had the makings of a great women’s meeting and sat down to write it all out.  One of the kids was having trouble sleeping, so while I was listening out for them, it gave me a chance to write out a lot of things that had been on my mind.

All in all, I don’t think I could have asked for a better day.

END OF DAY #2- At the end of this, while it’s no less busy, I come away encouraged that God met needs, it was fun, I can look forward to something like this again.  I could envision doing this another day and enjoying it.

The real key here is that:

THEY ARE THE SAME DAY!  And how I respond to the next thing in life is directly impacted by my attitude about what just happened!  I’m encouraged by the idea that I have the power to CHOOSE to look for the blessings and not leave them out.  Yes, the hard things came and I don’t have to ignore them, but I often do ignore the blessings that came alongside that made the difficulties bearable.

What is your current perspective?  How can you shift it even just a little bit?

The post Life Changing Peace appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Romans 15:14 – I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Most Christians are trying to do a good job.

We long to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Like the master declares to the servants in the parable in Matthew 25.

And yet, so often it is easy to wonder, to question, “Am I doing a good job?”

There are so many good options, how do I know which ones are the ones I’m supposed to be doing?

Today, let me give you three mile markers for doing a good job that you can use to evaluate your own actions as well as teach them to your kids and help them learn to evaluate their actions.

The post Doing a Good Job appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

I’ve always wondered about this idea of being free in Christ.  Does the idea of having been a slave to sin and now alive to Christ seem confusing sometimes?  How is it that choosing to follow and obey Christ is freedom in spite of sometimes feeling like we just have a different set of rules we have to follow?

And how does this all fit into an idea that this IS the GOOD LIFE?

Why is this considered abundant?

And in today’s circumstances, how can any of this feel good considering the pain, suffering, and difficult situations so many people are facing today?

Well, let’s dig in and discuss a perspective of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, goodness, that is often misunderstood.

Are you living the good life right now?

By the way, during this difficult time, if you or someone you know could use some practical tips for how to deal with a variety of issues that come up as a result of quarantine, I recommend you check out “Moms in Control,” a free Facebook group designed specifically to help moms out during this season of huge transitions!  Please reach out to [email protected] if I can help you further!

The post The Good Life appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Psalm 34:8 – Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Do you have that favorite recipe you can always count on to be delicious?  Everytime you make it? I have one. It’s Raspberry Cream Pie. Nilla wafer crust, perfectly cooked vanilla custard layer, and fresh homegrown raspberries cooked with sugar into a saucy, sugary goodness that gets spread on top.  Chilled in the fridge and then eaten cold.  It’s delicious – every time.

I think that’s one of the most lovely tastes in the whole world, and yet I think that God’s goodness tastes better than that.

However there are some differences to the taste of that pie and the goodness of God.

Today’s focus verses:

Psalm 145:9 – The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

And BONUS:

CRUST:

1 ⅓ cups vanilla wafer crumbs

2 Tablespoons sugar

5 Tablespoons butter, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING:

⅓ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 ½ cups half n’ half

5 egg yolks, beaten

4 ½ Tablespoons butter

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ Tablespoon powdered sugar

TOPPING:

4 cups fresh raspberries

⅔ cups sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

CRUST:

Combine the first four ingredients; press into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350’ for 8-10 minutes or until the crust just begins to brown. Cool.

FILLING:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually whisk in cream; cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Gradually whisk half into egg yolks; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted. Cool 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into crust; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Chill 30 minutes or until set.

TOPPING:

Makes 1 9 inch pie, or 8 servings.

The post The Goodness of God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

How important is patience, really?

Well, today we are going to find out!

When we choose to let fear control our actions instead of allowing patience to rule in our hearts, we tend to allow our Survival responses to kick in.

We might choose fight, flight, or freeze.

In today’s episode, we are going to see three different examples in the Bible of how men chose those different responses and the consequences of their actions.

Then we’ll discuss what that looks like for us in today’s situations and what we can do to choose patience instead. Even waiting often takes conscious action.

Additionally, if you are interested in taking these concepts to a deeper level, I urge you to check out our Fruit Pursuit 9 week Intensive, beginning in April!

Simply go to maryaldrichcoaching.com/apply and when you fill out the information, comment “9 week intensive” in the comment box. We’ll do our best to reach out to you in the next 24 hours to let you know more about the program and whether it’s a good fit for you!

The post Patience is the Key appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

In our Mastermind this month, we are discussing creative ways to find support while we are waiting it out for various needs to be met.

Have you ever played a game that required waiting for a series of turns before you can actually make the moves you really want to make?  There is strategy involved in the waiting. Even a pattern to each turn we take so that all the bases are covered.  We use each turn as strategically as possible while we are waiting for that opportune moment.

Patience works the same way and in this episode we are going to discover the “pattern” to patience game that allows us to get through the waiting periods of our life successfully.

For a written list of the pattern, just check out Philippians 4:4-9, which says,

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worth of praise, think about the things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (ESV)

Here’s the pattern:

Rejoice! (Celebrate!)

Be reasonable. (Calm, patient, persevere.)

Make requests.

With Thanksgiving.

Think about good things.

Remember that part of patience IS making requests.  Not only of God, but also of others.

If you want regular encouragement coming to an inbox near you, I urge you to sign up for the newsletter at the link below!

optin.maryaldrichcoaching.com/optin

The post The Patience Game: Asking for Help appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

The practice of waiting often makes me want to strangle a person!  Do you ever feel that way?  I’ll be honest, this is not my best fruit of the Holy Spirit. In fact, it’s one that I prefer to squirm out of at every possible opportunity. There are plenty of ways I avoid having to wait. In this podcast episode, I’ll give you some examples of the kinds of ways I attempt to escape the need for patience. You can pick your favorite one from the list.

Then, we’ll talk about how we can patiently wait with three different encouraging focuses, to help us hold steady.

Verses I reference in this podcast include several verses from these chapters:

Psalm 50

If you want more support around practical ways to build your patience skills, I encourage you to sign up for our newsletter at:

optin.maryaldrichcoaching.com/optin

The post Patience is A Virtue appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Ever find yourself most annoyed at the people you are supposed to love the most?  Those closest to us often have the highest capability to drive us crazy the fastest.

Relationships are like a long line of music, or a giant pyramid.  They aren’t easily built in a day and they don’t come apart or change quickly either.  They take time to build and time to adjust.  Asking good questions can help us adjust those relationships over a long period of time while still feeling like we are working towards positive results.

In this podcast episode we’ll discuss three different ways we can employ the concept of good questions to help us display patience in our relationships.

By the way, these concepts are just the tip of the iceberg for how you can change various aspects of your relationships- even when the other person is not on board or has no clue what to do differently.  In our Fruit Pursuit Mastermind, we do a deep dive into so many other ways we can take action to love God, love others, and enjoy it.  Please reach out if you think you’d like to take more intentional action to see your relationships grow in healthy ways, and enjoy loving others in your life. Simply apply to maryaldrichcoaching.com/apply

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