Women of the Bible: Esther

This week we talk about Miriam, Moses and Aaron's sister who helped lead the Israelite nation from exile in Egypt and through the desert. Miriam was a powerhouse woman who was courageous in Egypt, a leader for the people, and a steady force along with Moses and Aaron.Miriam is also known for her story in Numbers 12 when she and Aaron (who were grumbling about Moses and complaining about his position as leader of the trio) got mightily told off by God and she consequently was given leprosy for seven days. In this episode I reflect on why Miriam was the one to receive the physical punishment and how we find ourselves in the same sin as Miriam in our lives. Though we may know a lot about those we spend time with, we will never know them as God does. We can trust His will for them (and us), and we should never cease praying for one another as we continue on the journey. Please pray for me! I will pray for you too!

Continuing on to learn from women in the Bible, we look at Hannah, who appears in the beginning of 1 Samuel. Hannah is a beautiful example to us of faithful femininity. In her anguish of not having children, she bears her soul before the Lord in the temple and beseeches Him to grant her a child. In an exchange she offers to give her child right back to Him. When God does grant her the child she desires, she follows through with her promise and gives up the one thing she always wanted. I am grateful to Hannah for her example of detachment and reflecting on her helps me to call out what idols are in my life. I encourage you to take Hannah's story to prayer and consider what would be the most difficult thing for you to give up, should God ask. This might be an idol in your life that you need to offer to God and ask Him to help you overcome it. **CORRECTION** A psalm to pray to claim God is king is psalm 93, not psalm 91 like I mistakenly say in this episode!

The most relatable woman with the least relatable story: Queen Esther! Esther was given a role she never would have predicted and followed God's voice by simply following the guidance of her cousin, Modecai. She went through times of doubt and fear, yet eventually chose to put her life on the line for her people. Sometimes God speaks to us in small ways that we may overlook. Esther reminds us that God can speak through trusted family and friends and that we only have the job of being faithful. When we are overwhelmed with our responsibilities as mothers, wives, etc. we can look to Esther to know that God can make our small, flawed efforts extraordinary. He only needs our "yes!"

Today we think about Anna, the prophetess who got to witness the presentation of Jesus at the temple. This holy woman does not have much about her in the Bible, but we can tell that she was a prayerful woman who, though she had experienced hardship, never gave up on seeking God. She was granted the gift of meeting Jesus and proclaiming His identity to those around her. May we all have enough openness in our hearts to welcome whatever God puts in our way and to have the relationship with Him that we may recognize Him when we see Him. Anna models a life of prayer that molded her relationship with God. If you have had trouble hearing God's voice in the past, check out The Lila Rose Show episode 218 where Jonna Schuster lays out a methodical way of prayer and hearing God's voice in various ways.

I'm starting a new solo series about women from the Bible! Learning from them--their wisdom and their mistakes. Today we talk about one of my very favorites, Martha. She gets a bad rap sometimes, because she comes to Jesus complaining about her sister, Mary, but I believe that Jesus' love for Martha comes through in the story as He invites her to not worry so much about solving problems and to simply come and be with Him. In this episode I share ways that I relate with Martha and how Jesus is currently inviting me to choose "the better part" by simply choosing Him. Let us not get so focused on the specific problems in our lives that we miss the ultimate solution--God Himself. Join me in future weeks for reflections on other amazing women of the Bible.

For our last episode of the series, Stefani Blackwell and I go through eight different topics that (although sticky) didn't warrant a full episode. Many of these topics are more about personal preference as a parent as opposed to moral issues, so we simply share about how we have handled them in our homes without giving straight opinions on a "right" way to do them. Now that we have larger families (and older kids), we take many preferential things less seriously than we did when our kids were younger and that is a big relief!We also discuss that these topics are so much easier to handle when you are in a good place in your marriage. We give a few helpful hints, but encourage you to check out the marriage series I did last spring on The Better Part. Check out all episodes beginning "marriage," for MUCH more marriage discussion.

Stefani Blackwell joins me for the sixth episode in the sticky conversations series where we discuss all topics LGBTQ. This is the most commonly asked topic for us to discuss and for good reason. It is a tough one where we feel we have to battle the culture at large and teach our children truth while at the same time being respectful and loving to those around us.Stef and I talk about how to broach these subjects with kids young and old and how to talk about them honestly without ruminating on them. We give some real examples of family members and friends who struggle with SSA or gender dysphoria and how we help our kids navigate those relationships. We know that with Christ there is always hope for sinners, which includes us!We encourage you to check out Kim Zember's new podcast called "here I AM stories" where she interviews individuals who have lived the LGBTQ+ lifestyles and found their way out toward Christ. These stories give us insight into the lived experiences of those struggling and what to do (or rather what NOT to do) when in relationship with them.

Join Stef Blackwell and I again for another conversation about sticky topics we have to uncover with our kids. Today we talk about teaching our kids about disabilities, whether they be obvious, physical disabilities or not-so-obvious mental ones. This can be difficult because kids can often not know how to handle seeing someone with a big disability and be unwittingly unkind. They can also be difficult as we teach our kids about boundaries we (or they) may want to set for our children's protection. We pray this episode does not offend or that we do not share something that leads anyone astray. If you have further insight into this topic, please email me at [email protected] resources mentioned in the episode are:Book: Let's Go Play by Shelby McCarthyExpert in autism: Dr. Amanda BlackwellGame: Concept

Probably one of the most common topics for parents to DREAD talking to their kids about: SEX. This can be hard because it's a sensitive, private topic that we would like to keep private! We don't want to scar our kids with too many details, but we don't want them to learn the complete wrong things either. How do we share the right things about sex at the right time and how do we do that without 1) freaking our kids out or 2) accidentally "telling" the whole neighborhood about sex via our children?Stefani Blackwell and I begin this Sticky Conversations series by sharing about The Birds and the Bees organization, how we've implemented our own family philosophies about sex, and how starting the conversation earlier helps a lot when you are talking about the "pains and pleasures" of sex later on in your kids' lives. Listen in to hear our experiences and check out The Birds and the Bees for more content!

This prompt is brought to you by a friend and listener, and I thought it was so great! How do we get through the summer without all driving each other totally crazy?? As a homeschool mom, I have had to learn how to make life work even when everyone is home together all the time and have put together a few thoughts for you to consider as you try to make your house just a little more peaceful this summer. I hit on:Structure & routinesFood planning & boundariesCleanliness of the housePreventing over-stimulationObedienceIf your family is driving each other crazy this summer, consider making a small move in ONE of these areas at a time to see if it can help bring a little more peace into your days.