The Journey Life with Les Herron

A few weeks ago my friend and I, Jim Sim, looked at the biggest barriers that keep us Jesus followers from experiencing the freedom we are promised.

We talked about how many Christians don’t believe they need more freedom, how fear keeps us stuck to a familiar path (and familiar pain!), and how shame quietly but powerfully shapes the way we see ourselves and relate to God.

But, we weren’t finished so listen or watch to Part #2.

I would love to hear what resonates with you the most after listening to this. You can reply to this email or you can chat privately with me below.

There is one line that really stuck out to me and that is…

“Whatever a person believes is fundamentally true about themselves will shape the rest of their life”

Wow!

Enjoying the journey with you,

Les

If you like YouTube then head over their and like my channel! BTW, if you know what Jim Sim looks like then you know that this picture is not close enough to him BUT I am trying to get better at it!

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I am finding more and more people respond to current events with the thoughts of others rather than taking some time to think for themselves.

In this 25-minute video I share my response. It is not a look at what this case proves about society but a look at how I am thinking about the case.

More important than WHAT we think is HOW did we get there?

Why? Because the HOW you are thinking determines the quality of your thinking.

And in order to be those who “Take Every Thought Captive” we must know HOW we are thinking.

There is much more to this idea of WHAT + HOW but that is for another time.

There are 12 questions asked and answered in this podcast. The challenge for you is to listen to each Question, pause, answer the Question and then continue before hearing my answer.

Enjoying the journey with you,

Les

PS This was some new territory for me and I’d love some feedback in order to know if I should tackle more current events or less. You can message me directly and privately below…

You can also watch on YouTube if you prefer that!

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I am 64 years old and I desire more freedom.

In this podcast my friend Jim Sim says that freedom is not primarily the absence of bondage but rather it’s living in relationship with God so that we become who He created and redeemed us to be.

When we think of freedom as the absence of something we stop pursuing more and more freedom, stop pursuing more and more of who God is, who He created us to be and the good works He has for us to do.

In this podcast we talk about 5 barriers that keep us stuck doing the same things, thinking the same way and being the same person (you know, the one we say we don’t want to be!).

Let me know if you would add any barriers or have any thoughts about freedom.

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.

PODCAST OUTLINE

Why do so many people stay stuck if freedom is available?

1:00 – What is real freedom? Jim’s definition may surprise you.

6:00 – Freedom is found in a Person, not just a better life.

10:00 – Barrier #1: Fear – Why familiar pain often feels safer than change.

25:00 – Barrier #2: Shame – The difference between guilt and shame, and how shame attacks our identity.

35:00 – Barrier #3: False Identity – Living from who you believe you are instead of who God says you are.

41:00 – Barrier #4: Self-Protection – How unhealthy patterns can become our way of feeling safe.

55:00 – Barrier #5: Quitting Too Soon – Why transformation is usually a process, not a single moment.

1:00:00 – Repentance as a gift: changing what we believe, not living in condemnation.

1:10:00 – Rapid-fire questions:

* Freedom is...

* Healing begins when...

* The biggest lie people believe...

* The hardest person to forgive...

* One thing every believer should know...

1:11:00 – Final encouragement and practical next steps toward real freedom.

You can watch the video by clicking the screen above or by watching via the YouTube link below.

This week on The Journey Life Podcast, Sue and I talk about 5 habits that can quietly strain and eventually wreck our relationships with our adult children.

I hope this conversation invites us to release control and increase our ability to communicate well with the kids we love so much.

Below is a short outline if you want to fast forward to specific topics and if you prefer to watch on YouTube then keep scrolling for that link.

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

PODCAST Outline

00:00 Parenting Adult Children in a New Season02:05 Stop Being the Family Middleman09:34 Secrets and Direct Communication14:35 Silent Expectations and Releasing Control25:50 Speaking Poorly About Your Adult Children38:09 Gifts, Money, and Strings Attached48:19 Clear and Courageous Communication49:55 Hope for Repair and Restoration54:08 Questions for Parents to Consider

When I hear about family estrangement it is typically from the perspective of the parent of the adult child.

Almost always they are shocked and say that it came “Out of the blue'“ and they don’t know what happened.

Distance between parents and adult children can grow through small moments repeated over many years. Estrangement rarely happens over night.

Advice may land as criticism, especially when it comes with crossed boundaries or continued oversight. Scripture describes this pattern in Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21, where exasperation and embitterment leave a child discouraged.

In this episode, my sister Sue Laprise and I look at the habits that can strain these relationships.

We talk about respecting an adult child’s home and choices, learning to listen, becoming their champion, and seeking help when the relationship is hurting.

Please share this episode with someone you know who is struggling with their adult children using the link below.

And, I would love to hear your comments which you can give by clicking the Comment link below.

If you want to leave a more personal message you can send me one if you scroll down. You can also use that Send a Message button to send me a prayer request.

Enjoying the journey with you,

Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

POD #80 Outline

* How exasperation developsRepeated demands, fault-finding, and crossed boundaries can create lasting discouragement.

* When advice feels like criticismUnsolicited parenting advice can make adult children feel judged and controlled.

* Respecting their householdAdult children need room to make decisions about schedules, holidays, marriage, and parenting.

* Seeing them as adultsParents can release oversight and relate to their grown children as peers and fellow parents.

* Patterns passed through familiesPoor communication, rejection, and control can affect future generations. Protective boundaries still matter when ongoing harm is present.

* Beginning the work of repairParents can examine their words, listen with love, affirm what their children do well, and seek wise counsel for their own growth.

Send Prayer Requests and Personal Messages Here…

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Have you ever heard you adult child share a memory of their childhood that you remember completely different?

I am pretty sure we all have! And, hearing a negative memory can hurt, especially when you believe you did your best.

The question is what happens next; and most importantly, what happens next within you (which will determine how you then respond).

In this episode of The Journey Life, my sister Sue and I talk about learning how to relate to grown children as adults. We look at unsolicited advice, old assumptions, family boundaries, and the pressure adult children can feel when parents still expect to have their way.

We also share questions that invite honest conversation and discuss what it takes to receive a difficult answer with patience.

I would love to get some responses and questions from you so click the button below to leave a comment (or scroll down to send me a personal message).

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.

POD #79 Outline

* Why communication breaks down

* Learning a new language with grown children

* Deciding what relationship you want

* Letting your adult child tell their story

* Changing expectations around time and help

* Asking questions that open conversation

* Receiving difficult answers

* Taking responsibility for your part

Message Me for More Personal Comments

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Most of us hear the word leader and picture someone with a title, a platform, or a microphone. That picture leaves many of us wondering whether leadership belongs to someone else.

God has already entrusted each of us with people, responsibilities, gifts, and places where our lives carry influence. Leadership begins as we take responsibility for what he has placed in our care.

You may feel unqualified. Your life may still have unfinished places but God works through people who are willing to follow him while they are still growing.

He values process and progress over perfection (which is unattainable!).

As you listen, ask the Lord: What have you entrusted to me, and what is my next faithful step?

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.

MESSAGE OUTLINE

* God created each of us to lead through everyday influence.

* Leadership means taking responsibility for what God has entrusted to us.

* Myth one: Leadership requires a title or platform.

* Myth two: We must feel qualified before we lead.

* Myth three: We need to have everything together first.

* A prophetic word is shared with Jett.

* The message closes with a call to identify our next faithful step.

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My sister Sue and I have been thinking about why so many adult children are pulling away from their parents and what may be happening beneath the surface.

In this episode, we talk about biblical honor, healthy boundaries, and the quiet pressure parents can place on grown children through advice, expectations, and disappointment.

We also look at the stories families tell themselves, the voices that reinforce those stories, and what can happen when we invite Jesus into the conversation.

The most important question is rarely “What is happening?” but rather “Am I inviting Jesus into it?”

I would love to hear from you on this topic, so click comment below or scroll down below the POD cover and send me a private message.

Enjoying the journey life with you,

Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.

POD #78 OUTLINE

* Family estrangement, no-contact culture, and social media

* What biblical honor means in adult relationships

* Boundaries that protect safety and allow thoughtful connection

* How parental advice, expectations, and disappointment affect adult children

* Approaching strained relationships with curiosity, prayer, and respect

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The clouds are where we pray, worship, dream, listen to God, study Scripture, and receive vision. The dirt is where we obey…serving people, forgiving others, keeping our promises, loving our families, and doing the difficult work God has placed in front of us.

Some Christians spend so much time thinking, studying, and talking about what God is doing that their feet never touch the ground. Others become so busy working for Jesus that they stop spending meaningful time with Him.

But Jesus lived in both worlds.

He withdrew to lonely places to pray, and then returned to heal, teach, serve, wash feet, and love people. His work flowed from His relationship with the Father.

James writes:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22, NIV

And:

“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” — James 2:17, NIV

Agreement is not transformation. Knowing the truth is not the same thing as becoming the kind of person who lives it.

God often gives us direction in the clouds, but He forms our character in the dirt; in difficult conversations, ordinary obedience, forgiveness, faithfulness, sacrifice, and loving people who are not always easy to love.

So where have you been living lately?

Have you spent so much time dreaming that you have forgotten to obey? Or have you spent so much time working that you have forgotten why?

Lift your eyes. Spend time with God. Pray, worship, listen, read, and dream.

Then roll up your sleeves.

Love your family. Serve your neighbor. Forgive quickly. Keep your promises. Do excellent work. And do the next thing God has already shown you to do.

That is where heaven touches earth, not when we choose the clouds or the dirt, but when we learn to live faithfully in both.

I lean towards getting in the dirt over the clouds and over the years have worked on how I best get “into” the clouds.

Which side do you naturally drift toward—the clouds or the dirt?

Tell me in the comments…

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

You might have guessed that I’ve been thinking a lot about distraction lately.

Not just phones. Not just social media. Not even busyness.

Something deeper.

The more I pay attention to Scripture, and to my own heart, the more I wonder if distraction isn’t primarily an attention problem at all. I wonder if it’s a love problem.

A heart problem.

A soul problem.

The word itself means “to be pulled apart,” and that feels like a pretty good description of modern life. Most of us don’t feel openly rebellious against God. We feel fragmented. Torn in a dozen directions by good things that slowly crowd out what matters most.

You can watch the video by simply clicking the button above or find it on my Facebook page HERE.Enjoying the journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.