No Higher Calling

We have many exciting things happening in our family right now! Two very special guests join me on this bonus episode to share some exciting news with you. It is an honor to get to share our journey with you. God is at work in our family, just as He is at work in yours! Let's give Him much praise as we see His guiding hand in our lives!

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

The tasks of home can often feel repetitive and mundane. There are always meals to cook, piles of laundry to fold, and surfaces to dust. As Christian women, we want to glorify Christ with our days, but is He really receiving glory as we mop our floors? As I've searched the Scriptures, I believe that the answer is, yes!! If the glory of God is the end accomplishment of all that we do, then it doesn't really matter what the task is. All that matters is that He is glorified. If God is glorified, one task isn't more important than another. What matters is that our Savior receives the glory due His name!

In this episode, I share ways that God has directed my perspective to eternal things and transformed my mundane moments of homemaking into moments of worship. 

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

"For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted." -Amy Carmichael

We live in a sin-cursed, fallen world. As we journey through life, we will face inconveniences, difficulties, and trials. We can either allow those things to make us bitter, or make us better. Katie Davidson joins Brettnay in this episode to talk about how God has taught her that when she keeps her focus on Him, even the sourest of days can have blessings abundant. 

To keep this heavenly perspective, you must have God's Word deeply seeded in your heart. You will need a deep well to draw from when the hard circumstances arise. God has not left us to journey through life alone. He is our ever-present Shepherd who goes before us. He also gifts us with friendship. Finding an "iron sharpeneth iron" friendship is always a blessing, but it can be an even greater treasure when you have someone to walk with you through life's ebb and flow. Brettnay and Katie share some of the unexpected adventures God brought into their paths in the past few months, and how God has used those to drive this lesson a mile deep in their hearts.  

Follow Brettnay's motherhood journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow her at www.instagram.com/nohighercalling_ and www.nohighercalling.org 

The toddler and preschool years are full of lots of challenges, but there is so much sweetness in this season! Children are alight with wonder and curiosity about the world around them. The soil of their hearts is soft and easily cultivated as we seek to pour Truth into them. The days are filled with giggles, playtime, and precious moments of togetherness.

Brettnay is mama to an almost 5 year old, 3 year old, and a 15 month old.  In this episode, she shares some of her favorite resources she uses with her children in these categories. . .

-Educational

-Arts & Crafts

-Bible

-Audio

-Toys

This isn't a comprehensive list, but these are things that have been loved and enjoyed in Brettnay's home!

Resources:

No Higher Calling Blog: My Favorite Preschool Resources

Follow Brettnay's motherhood journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow her at www.instagram.com/nohighercalling_ and www.nohighercalling.org

Schedules are something that everybody struggles with. It takes so much thought, and sometimes trial and error, to find a schedule that is perfect for the needs of your family. Then, once everything is going smooth, seasons change, and so does your schedule. 

I want to be a wise steward of the time that God has given me. I also need to realize that God doesn't call me to do more than He gives me time to accomplish. How can we find balance in our schedules? I share some ways God has helped me prioritize what exactly it is that He has for my family to invest our time in. Time is precious, and I don't want to waste the opportunities God has given me. Having an intentionality in planning my days allows us to redeem the time and accomplish all that God has for our family.

At the end of the day, if schedules go haywire and seasons bring stressful demands, God is sufficient! We can rest in His strength and His sufficiency. I might not accomplish everything on my to-do list, but if I do those things that are important in light of eternity, I can find peace and contentment.

Resources: 

She Laughs Without Fear by Jami Balmet

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Real Cool History for Kids Podcast

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

Brettnay's husband, Simeon, is a co-host of the podcast, General Order 4. His podcast takes a deep dive into Biblical discipleship as Christ outlined with His disciples. Simeon joins Brettnay as they do a joint episode for both of their podcasts. They explain what Biblical discipleship really is- a transfer of the life of Christ in you into the life of someone else. While we often think of the responsibility believers have to disciple new converts, this episode discusses the importance of having a discipleship mindset within the home. The call Christ gave His disciples was a call to be with Him. Our children are with us, living life with us. It falls under the jurisdiction of our stewardship as parents to be intentional with this time God has given us, and give our children the Word of God. This will enable them to grow in maturity- spiritual and emotional maturity. 

Resources: Find General Order 4 on all major podcast platforms.

Follow Brettnay's motherhood journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow her at www.instagram.com/nohighercalling_ and www.nohighercalling.org 

Katie Ferguson, with Open Heart Doula, joins Brettnay on this episode. Katie was instrumental in Simeon and Brettnay's beautiful homebirth experience with their third baby. God used her in many ways, but the most life-changing for Brettnay was having Katie open her eyes to the realization that birth doesn't have to look one way. You have options, and you get to make the choice of what is best for you and baby.

Listen in as Katie answers questions like. . .

-What is a doula?

-How are they an important part of the birth team?

-Is a doula only for natural, homebirths?

Brettnay and Katie transition into talking about the beauty that is found in birth. The experiences Katie has had from being at over 80 births has given her a deep appreciation for a woman's body, the birth process, and God as Creator. Whether your best birth looks just like Brettnay and Katie's, or something completely different, God desires to reveal Himself to you in a deeper way as you lean on His strength and as you mirror the character of the Life-Giver.

Resources:

Open Heart Doula

NHC Blog: Our Home Birth Experience

NHC Blog: Ivy Jade's Birth Story

Follow Brettnay's motherhood journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow her at www.instagram.com/nohighercalling_ and www.nohighercalling.org 

Brettnay has been studying the life of Elisabeth Elliot. Elisabeth and her husband, Jim, had big dreams of how God was going to use them on the mission field. All of those plans drastically changed when Jim was speared to death by the very people that he desired to share Christ with. Elisabeth was overwhelmed as she worked through those days following her husband's death. The only way she was able to cope was by doing the next thing. Following Christ and obeying Him in the responsibility of that next thing led her from that thing to the next. This lesson led her to thousands of "next things" she accomplished for Christ.

We all face seasons of uncertainty and overwhelm. Brettnay shares how God is using this lesson of doing the next thing in her life. 

Suffering Is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn

The Holy Spirit led Brettnay and Simeon to share their personal journey with the birth control pill, the lies they believed regarding it, and the truth that God brought them to. They have a strong desire to help families and glorify Christ, even in the area of fertility and intimacy. Culture has led us to believe lies that are in direct opposition to God's Word. We must stand for truth, no matter how difficult or inconvenient. Every life is precious, and every life deserves to be fought for! Why? Because every life is created in the image of God! As Brettnay and Simeon have sought God's Word, medical advice, and researched this issue for themselves, they have come to believe that the birth control pill is an abortive form of contraception. This episode shares how they came to that belief and where God led them from there.

Resources: The Fierce Marriage Podcast: Abortion, Birth Control, IVF, and Babies (Adam and Chelsea Griffin)

Is Abortion the Killing of the Unborn by Clarence Sexton

For more information on the negative affects hormonal birth control has on the body, read Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden

Follow Brettnay's motherhood journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow her at www.instagram.com/nohighercalling_ and www.nohighercalling.org 

Hospitality should not be a daunting task. It is something God has called believers to. Whatever God asks of us, He always equips us to do. So, why do we feel like showing hospitality is so difficult? It is because we have gotten our eyes off of Christ's intentions for hospitality and onto the world's version. When you look to the world's standard, all of the sudden your house is too small, not chic enough, food not fancy enough, conversations not impressive enough. 

Marcie Fowler joins Brettnay in this episode as they debunk myths as to why many women think that hospitality is unattainable. Marcie's mission is to help women in this area and to provide advice to help simplify hosting while keeping your focus God's focus. 

Resources: https://www.marciefowler.com/

Follow Marcie on Instagram @marcie.carol.fowler

Marcie's Freebie: 5 Easy Crowd Pleasing Meals

*Be watching for Marcie's Hospitality Course coming in September!

Follow Brettnay's motherhood journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow her at www.instagram.com/nohighercalling_ and www.nohighercalling.org