No Higher Calling

If anyone has ever had the right to be angry with others it was Jesus. John 1:11 says, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Isaiah 53:3 says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:" Christ set aside all of His glory to humble Himself and die for the salvation of mankind, yet at every turn, man rejected His love. We allow anger to control our hearts for much smaller offenses! Yet Christ, our perfect example, never reacted in anger, but in loving compassion. We hear His love in some of His final words in Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

As we study through the "respectable sin" of anger, we will see how important it is for us to follow Christ's example in how we handle anger, and the weeds that stem from it.

Resources:

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges 

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We live in a "bounce back" culture when it comes to the postpartum season. This often leaves mamas struggling physically, emotionally, and spiritually. What if we allowed ourselves the grace and freedom to slow down during this beautiful time and embrace a birth year? It took 9 months to grow a little human. What if we gave ourselves 9 months to transition into acclimating our baby into life?

Elizabeth Santelmann from Sunshine in My Nest joins me to discuss different ways we can embrace a birth year and thrive. As a homeschool mom of 3 boys, she has some great advice to share to help the transition be smooth for mama, baby, and the entire family. She addresses how to focus on one or two important tasks, how to ask for help, and how to communicate your needs to your husband.

Resources:

Sunshine in My Nest (Elizabeth Santlemann) Instagram

Sunshine in My Nest Website

Elizabeth's Blog: Communication and Help

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

"... ashes don't have to be the end of our stories; they can actually be the sign of a new beginning." - Gretchen Saffles

I love my Dad, and he loves me. We are best friends, but it hasn't always been that way. While he was always a faithful provider for our family, there were emotional needs that had been left neglected. We share our story, and how God used different circumstances, some that brought joyful growth and others that threatened the foundations of our faith, to teach us about the heart of our Savior.  We have learned that no situation is beyond hope! God can restore the years the locust have eaten, and He truly delights in bringing beauty from ashes. For it is in those situations, He receives the glory due only to Him!

We pray that as we share our story, God will receive all the glory for the transforming work He's done in our lives, and the lives of those we love so dearly.

My Dad is my best friend, my greatest encourager, and my constant prayer warrior. Losing Clay changed us. We realized the brevity and fragility of life. You'll never regret the time spent investing in those you love, but you will regret the time you gave to other things- whether it be the business of life or bitterness and resentment over the past. While our story holds some dark chapters, the redemption God has brought and the beauty He has given has been worth the road of sanctification He ordained for us to walk!

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

This year, I have been focusing on several specific areas of my kitchen and cooking. Instead of having broad goals like cooking more healthy or eating at home more, I've broken it down into very targeted goals. One of those is to have a better breakfast routine. I've been working on this since the beginning of 2022, and I'm so happy to see improvements as we are enjoying healthy, delicious breakfasts without me having to be in the kitchen at 6am! No one wants to wake up to a stressed, tired mama!

Topics covered in this episode:

-The importance of breakfast

-Convenience breakfast foods vs real, nourishing foods

-How to simplify breakfast prep

-Our breakfast favorites

-Setting the tone of the day in the morning hours

Resources:

NHC Blog: Our Favorite Breakfast Recipes https://nohighercalling.org/our-favorite-breakfast-recipes/ 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

Simeon and I continue to answer your questions in part 2 of the Q & A episode. This part goes  deeper as we seek to answer some tough questions from the truth of God's Word. Some of the topics we dive into are: drinking, tattoos, how to witness to unsaved people without exposing your children to sin, and how to agree to disagree with kindness and grace.

Then we transition into answering some marriage/relationship questions such as: what do guys look for in a wife, advice for dating couples, how wives can encourage their husbands, and more!

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

Simeon joins me once again for a Q & A episode. We've asked the listeners to submit questions, and we have done our best to answer! Part 1 has some light hearted questions regarding our family life, personal preferences, Australia plans, and more! Our final question for part 1 transitions us into deeper topics as we seek to biblically answer the question of how to prepare for possible shortages and government & economic instability in the future. 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

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What a joy it is to have my spiritual mentor, Denise Palmer, joining me once a month for a Titus 2 Talk! On these special episodes, Denise and I will be doing a deep dive into the truths God has taught us through the book of Titus. 

On this episode, we discuss the word chaste. This word means to be pure of carnality, chaste, modest; immaculate; clean. So often, ideas of purity are connect with the outward. How do we dress? How do we present ourselves? Do we outwardly portray biblical womanhood? While all these things are important, the most important aspect is much deeper. We will not live a chaste outward life if we do not have a chaste heart. What does is say to our God who gave everything for us if we rest on Him for our soul's salvation, yet we continue to allow the filth of this world to reign in our hearts? As women who are seeking to conform into the image of our Savior, we must live lives defined by chastity.

We transition to several practical areas in which women today might struggle with being chaste, inwardly and outwardly. . .

-Pornography amongst women

-The influence of entertainment/media on our purity

-Guarding your relationships (as a married and unmarried woman)

I Thessalonians 4:3, 7 "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

I have set two reading goals for 2022. 1. To read 50 books 2. To read 1 book with Simeon each quarter. It's hard to believe that we are already wrapping up the first half of this year! In this episode, I share an update on where I'm at with my reading challenge, as well as a summary of the books (and a few read-alouds) that I've read so far. Be ready to hear lots of great book recommendations!

Resources:

NHC Blog: My 2022 Reading Challenge (Quarter 2)

www.nohighercalling.org/blog/my-2022-reading-challenge-quarter-2

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

We are half way through 2022 which means that we are also half way through our Respectable Sins Bible study. I pray that this study has challenged your heart like it has mine. As I've meditated on Scripture and asked God to reveal ways that these sins have taken root in my heart, I've come to realize that there are many different areas of my life where Christ does not reign supreme.

This episode covers some "respectable" sins that I've struggled with personally, whether in the past or in recent days. The first one we discuss is a lack of Spirit-control. This is different than self-control. This is allowing the Holy Spirit to be in control of every area of our lives- our eating and drinking, our finances, our decision making. The second part of the episode focuses on impatience and irritability. I share lessons God's taught me in recent days regarding these sins in my own life.

Resources:

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges 

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org

James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,"

As Christian women, we tend to take a strong stance on being pro-life when it comes to abortion, and rightfully so! It breaks my heart to think of the millions of babies that have died because of the selfishness of another. But what about the babies who's moms decide to keep them, and they enter into unimaginable circumstances? Who steps into these lives to rescue them from the trauma? If we are truly going to be pro-life, we must fight for lives inside, and outside of the womb! This is where the ministry of foster care and adoption come in.

My friend, Beth Hyde, joins me in this episode to share about her journey with foster care and adoption. As she continued to lay her yes at the feet of Jesus, He gifted her with the most beautiful family. It didn't come easy, but God was so evident in every detail. Beth's story will encourage you to find your part in foster care. May we be challenged to share the light of Christ through the opportunities that foster care and adoption provide as we introduce broken lives to the Father of the fatherless!

Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and www.nohighercalling.org