Thankful Homemaker: A Christian Homemaking Podcast

God’s Word reminds us: I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ~ John 15:5 “apart from me you can do nothing” is a continual reminder that I am utterly dependent on the Lord to do anything. There are many things I can do without dependence on Christ, but the reality is I have achieved “nothing” in God’s sight. This is so true in the raising of our children. Our children are a gift from the Lord, a heritage, a reward (Psalm 127:3) and they are ever so precious to the Lord and us. Caring for our children is an immeasurable responsibility but one as believers we are not left alone in or to fend for ourselves. We can cry out to the One who created all things and is the only One who can redeem them. I have learned over the years that I am helplessly dependent on the Lord. I can’t parent on my own. I can’t do anything on my own. As parents, we can’t change the hearts of our children. Only the Lord can change their hearts. This truth should continually bring us to our knees in prayer, but many times we find ourselves thinking we can do this on our own. As a parent of now adult children, I can share that these are the more difficult years of life as the decisions and the difficulties they face are much more challenging than when they were young. Show Notes: “It didn’t take me long to realize that I did my best parenting by prayer. I began to speak less to the kids and more to God. It was actually quite relaxing.” ~ Paul Miller, A Praying Life God does a much better job of being God than I do. Children are fully dependent on parents for everything. As we get older, we become more and more independent. We need to be reminded to go back to living as dependent children. Living as a dependent child to the Lord in the everyday moments of life is the best example we can give to our children. The prayer below is from Setting Their Hope In God: Biblical Intercession for Your Children page 193 “Eternal God, Let my precious children rejoice in the Word, through whom all things were made. May they seek life only in Him. Praise be to Your name for causing them to receive Him and believe on His name, for giving them the right to become Your children. Open their eyes to the glory of the Word, the glory of Your only Son, full of grace and truth. From His fullness let them receive grace upon grace–the grace and truth that come through Jesus Christ. Help them to do what is true and come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been carried out in You. Help them not to judge by appearances, but instead to judge with right judgment. And when they thirst, let them go to Christ and drink. Let them follow closely after Him always, so that they will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Make them abide in His Word as true disciples so that they may know the truth and be set free by it (John 1 & 8).” Related Link: Podcast EP 20: The Blessing of Loving Our Children “I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” ~Martin Luther Related Link: Podcast EP 43: Hope for Imperfect Parents “What makes a heart upright and what makes prayers pleasing to God is a felt awareness of our tremendous need for mercy.” ~John Piper “Prayer is bringing your helplessness to Jesus.” ~ Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life Scripture & Resources: John 15:5 Philippians 4:6-7 Romans 8:28 John 5:19 John 5:30 Luke 5:16 Matthew 18:3 Mark 10:14-15 Luke 10:21 Praying God's Word Over Our Children Podcast Ep 23: Seasons of Waiting A Praying Life: Connecting With God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller Setting Their Hope in God: Biblical Intercession for Your Children by Andrew Case Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney Visit ThankfulHomemaker.com for complete show notes mentioned Subscribe to ThankfulHomemaker.com Follow ThankfulHomemaker on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram

Today's podcast episode is a topic we probably don’t find ourselves talking about with others because it can be a bit uncomfortable but it’s one I know we all deal with —it’s addressing our sins of jealousy and envy. It just seems no matter where we are in life we can always find ourselves sinfully comparing ourselves to others. I would think at my age and life stage this would be over, but sadly it's not. How often do I find myself in my head comparing the circumstances of my life to others – too many! Even though it may be just in my head, it's still a sin, and it may seem subtle, but it's not – all sin is an offense against God and one we must continue to do battle with. When we find ourselves dealing with jealousy comparing ourselves to others or envious of others, it's like we're saying to God that we're not satisfied with what He's given us. “If we are to successfully combat the temptations to envy and jealousy, we must mentally bring God into the picture. We must remind ourselves that He determines not only what abilities we have but also the degree of those abilities and the blessing He will bestow on their use.” ~ Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins Show Notes: Jerry Bridges, in Respectable Sins, a book I most highly recommended you read, describes jealousy of “intolerance of rivalry.” He shares there are legitimate times to express jealousy, like when someone is trying to win your spouse away from you. Our God declares Himself to be a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). Our jealousy becomes sinful when we become afraid someone is going to be more successful or honored over us. King Saul's jealousy over David (Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousand – 1 Samuel 18:7) is an example of Saul's jealousy over David because honor was given to David and not him. At that moment he saw him as a rival and jealousy took root. Envy is defined by Jerry Bridges as: “the painful and oftentimes resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by someone else. Sometimes we want that same advantage, leading to the further sin of covetousness. And sometimes we resent the other person having something we don't have. But we don't just envy people in general. Usually, there are two conditions that tempt us to envy. First, we tend to envy those with whom we most closely identify. Second, we tend to envy in them the areas we value most.” Scriptures & Resources: Exodus 20:5 1 Samuel 18:7 Romans 1:29-33 Galatians 5:19-21 Psalm 103:10 Philippians 4:12 Hebrews 13:5 Romans12:2 Romans 12:5 Romans 12:10 Philippians 4:11-12 Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges Messy Beautiful Friendship: Finding and Nurturing Deep and Lasting Relationships by Christine Hoover Visit ThankfulHomemaker.com for the complete show notes. Follow Thankful Homemaker on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App Subscribe to the blog and not miss a podcast episode or post

How many imperfect parents out there? Raise your hands. I’m hoping all my parents out there raised their hands. We are going to experience failure in our parenting – it’s not an option but a reality in our lives on this fallen earth. Don’t we all find ourselves at times sure that we’ve ruined our children? How many times have we yelled, acted rashly in our correction and the list of mistakes and sinful responses towards them we’ve made over the years sadly goes on. We’re going to fail – and in saying that it doesn’t mean our failure shouldn’t affect us. I know we all are saddened by the times we’ve caused hurt in any way to our children, and this isn’t a podcast to just give us a pass to the failures we’ve caused our children. We need to seek the forgiveness of our children, repent to the Lord of wrongs we’ve caused to them and to the best of our ability and by the grace of God avoid hurting them in the future when possible. We must remember always that we are sinners’ parenting sinners. Sin affects every one of our relationships. Romans 7:18-19 is true in my role as a parent just as it’s true in my relationship with all others on this earth. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. We are not perfect—we already know this. Remember that it is God’s grace that transforms our lives and the lives of our children – it’s not our perfect or more likely imperfect parenting. He is the only One that has the power to transform their hearts and minds. This doesn’t mean we don’t strive to set a pattern and routine for our homes that directs the hearts of our children towards Him. It is our duty as parents to train up our children in His ways but we can’t trust that our parenting is going to save them. Scripture & Resources: Romans 7:18-19 Ephesians 6:1-4 Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Matthew 19:25-26 John 6:37 1 Corinthians 15:10 Romans 3:23 Psalm 119:11 Matthew 18:22 2 Corinthians 12:9 Parents, Require Obedience of Your Children God's Blessing Does Not Depend on Our Performance Podcast Ep 20: The Blessings of Loving Our Children Podcast Ep 18: Putting on an Attitude of Love in Our Homes Parenting: 14 Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul Tripp Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick Free eBook - Motherhood Delighting in Our Children by Marci Ferrell Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app Find all podcast episodes with show notes here Visit Thankful Homemaker on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest The rest of the show notes are at ThankfulHomemaker.com

As we start getting back into fall and a routine (as we talked about last week at the podcast), I wanted to share a bit of encouragement for all of us today. Who doesn't like to be encouraged? Our time today is just a reminder that no one out there has it all together. We are a continual work in progress in the Lord's hand. If I shared only what I had mastered on this podcast, it would be non-existent ;). So today listen in and be reminded that no one has a perfect marriage, family or home while living on this fallen earth but that doesn't mean we just throw in the towel and stop trying. I'm reminded and reminding us today of God's Word to persevere and work heartily as unto the Lord, and this includes my normal day to day life of caring for a home and family. In the spirit of Titus 2, I want to be an encouragement in the areas of loving our husbands and children, being keepers of our homes, being self-controlled and submissive to our husbands so God's Word will not be reviled. We need to share our struggles but not leave each other there. But we need to spur one another on to love and good deeds. My hope always is to point one another back to Christ and to live by and abide in His Word. My greatest comfort in this world is that Jesus Christ is enough. He is enough on the days when everything goes wrong and on the days when it seems that everything is falling apart. Come listen in with us today. For the full show notes head to ThankfulHomemaker.com Follow Thankful Homemaker on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest Subscribe to the Podcast Scripture & Resources: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Homemaking 101 Series: Getting Dressed Are You Kind to Your Husband? What's for Dinner? Weekly Home Blessing 18 Ways to Be Your Husband's Helper Busyness is Not Godliness Podcast Ep 32: Preparing Our Families for Sunday Morning Worship Battling Our Sins of Envy & Jealousy Podcast Ep 28: Dealing with Our Anxiousness and Worry (Matthew 6:25-34) How to Resist Gossip Homemaking Ministries Online Conference - The Deep Dive Summit Thankful Homemaker Facebook Group

Are you struggling with getting back into a routine after the summer months? I know for us our summer months are a bit more spontaneous and flexible so I'm out of a daily routine quite often. Summer brings a sense of unpredictable days in our home. We don’t always have a regular schedule, and we’re on the go or outside more than usual so we may find our inside tasks take a back seat and our regular routine schedule doesn’t happen as often as it does in the fall, winter and even spring seasons. For me, I’m not sure why this is because I’m not even dealing with kids in school anymore but it just seems to be a rhythm in my life too in this season. I love to be open to spontaneous adventures and not get caught up in what needs to be done at home because I’ve learned over the years - the reality is – it always gets done. I do still get things accomplished in the summer, and my home is still running pretty smooth – it’s not a total disaster, but I have to share – I honestly miss the regular routines I’m used to. I am a creature of habit. I don’t find myself deep cleaning or de-cluttering or overly organizing anything. For some reason, I tend to drift towards those chores in the fall and winter months. So listen in as we talk about what it looks like on getting back into a routine after summer. Show Notes: Planners Mentioned: Brilliant Life Planner iBloom Planner Living Well Planner Articles & Podcasts Mentioned: Homemaking 101 Series: The Routines of the Day The Joy of a Morning Routine The Peacefulness of an Evening Routine Podcast Ep 21: The Routines of the Day - Making the Most of Your Morning and Evenings Menu Planning 101 Podcast Ep 12: Simple Menu Planning Tips Homemaking 101: My Daily, Weekly, Monthly Tasks Podcast Ep 16: Simplify Your Housekeeping with a Cleaning Schedule for Your Home Podcast Ep 27: Planning Our Days as Homemakers How I Plan my Days Bringing Order to Our Homes Podcast Ep. 14: Simple Tips for a Clutter-Free Home Podcast Ep. 29: Where to Begin When You're Overwhelmed in Caring for Your Home Grab your Free Weekly Menu Planning PDF Find the show notes and resources mentioned at ThankfulHomemaker.com Follow Thankful Homemaker on: Facebook Instagram Pinterest Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App

Sex is a beautiful gift from God. As Christian’s we have God’s permission to enjoy sex within our marriages – God invented it. We can learn not just to enjoy it but delight in intimacy with our husbands Martha Peace shares: The physical union of husband and wife is designed by God to meet God-given desire for companionship, to protect the husband and wife from temptation, and for the mutual giving and receiving of great pleasure and joy between the husband and wife. Companionship is strengthened by the private, intimate, physical bond of a married couple. Even as Christians we can too easily let the world or other voices in the church give us our view of sex when it has to come from God’s Word. God’s Word is sufficient in all ways and especially and even in our sexual relationship with our husband. Resources: Thankful Homemaker on Instagram Homemaking Ministries 2018 Online Conference - The Deep Dive Summit Marriage Series at the Blog My Favorite Resources on Sex and Sexual Intimacy in Marriage The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective by Martha Peace Intended for Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage by Ed Wheat Intimate Issues: 21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey Rekindling the Romance: Loving the Love of Your Life by Dennis & Barbara Rainey A Celebration of Sex: A Guide to Enjoying God's Gift of Sexual Intimacy by Dr. Doug Rosenau Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack The Intimate Marriage: A Practical Guide to Building a Great Marriage by R. C. Sproul My Abortion story & Why I Counsel at Abortuariesat Thankful Homemaker The Devilish Puppet Master of the Word-Faith Movementsermon at Grace to You on False Prophets Weekend to Remember from Family Life Today Podcast Ep. 35: Marriage Series #2 - To Love Their Husbands at Thankful Homemaker Podcast Ep. 17: What it Looks Like to Cherish Our Husbands at Thankful Homemaker Follow Thankful Homemaker at: Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter Subscribe to the blog to never miss a post here. For all the show notes, quotes and resources head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

We're going to discuss in today's podcast about how well we communicate with our spouses. God created us as relational beings so we are designed to communicate not just with Him but with one another. Because we're created in God's image, our communication within our marriages should be one of intimacy, beauty, and harmony. Communication is a huge part of our lives together. We share all of life together in our marriages and home should be a place where we can be vulnerable, open and honest with one another regarding all areas of our lives. We're going to break the show today down into three areas: Listening well, our day-to-day communication and dealing in a God-honoring way with conflict. Because of Jesus, we can have homes where we communicate with grace and peace. Our tongues can be tamed by the gospel – Jesus came to set us free. We are new creatures in Christ. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

We are continuing in our marriage series on the podcast, and this is the second half of the episode on submission. If you didn't get a chance to listen to the first one where my husband joined us you can do that here. I highly recommend it before listening in to this one. My husband shared last week on the theology of submission, and I'm continuing on today on what submission in marriage is and what it isn't. When we are living out the beautiful doctrine of submission the unbelieving world around us will take notice. They will see wives respecting and loving their husbands. Peace and joy in our homes. Wives who talk about their husbands with honor and respect. Wives who look to their husbands for guidance and leadership and are true helpers that come alongside them in the advancement of God’s Kingdom. They will see marriages filled with genuine love and affection. My hope today in our time together is to give you the practical application in our everyday lives of what submission in marriage looks like and what it doesn’t look like. Please know that when I am sharing with you, it does not mean I have this area of my life mastered. I am still a learner, and God continues to teach me much. Let’s pray that with the Lord’s help we can all be more obedient to God’s ways and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

We're continuing on in our marriage series and podcast episode 37 is part one of a two-part episode in the series on submission. I'm a bit excited to have my husband joining us today and he's going to work through with us what is the theology of submission. You can find all the podcast episodes in the marriage series here. We're camping in the text of Ephesians 5:22-24: 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. That’s the Christian wedding text that everybody wants their pastor to use for the ceremony but after the wedding cake, it becomes a real struggle in its application! It is a text often quoted, usually misunderstood and misapplied and creates a lot of unnecessary tension in a marriage. And that is why it is critical for us as married couples who are followers of Jesus, His disciples, to grasp this properly and obey its teachings. And so what we should attempt to accomplish in our short time together is the theology embedded in this principle of submission; that is, what does God mean in His command for wives to submit to their husbands? For the show notes and scriptures mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

We’re continuing in our series on marriage at the podcast, and episode 36 is on respect. So far we've covered God's Design for Marriage and Our Role as Women, Loving Our Husbands, and today we're talking about what does it look like to show respect to our husbands. What is respect? How is it defined? The dictionary defines it - A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. We are called by God to respect our husband’s position of headship in the home, and as we do this, we are honoring God first and foremost. God has called them to this position, and He has called us to respect their position. God has called our husbands, just like us, to be like Christ. One way we do this is by submitting our will and humbling ourselves before the Lord and taking the place of a servant in our homes. Christ is our ultimate example of a loving, respectful servant. This is only going to come about when we get a right view of who God. God is worthy of my trust and loyalty and respect and submission (please take a listen to Podcast Ep 31 on The Supremacy of God). This is part of His plan. The apostle Paul started out the verses here in Ephesians 5:22-33 with love and submission and he ends them here in Ephesians 5:33 with love and respect. For the rest of the show notes and resources mentioned visit ThankfulHomemaker.com

We’re continuing in a series here at the podcast on marriage. Each episode can stand alone, but they are meant to be listened to together. Last week we talked about God’s Design for Marriage and Our Role as Women. We touched briefly on areas of submission, respect, and love. Today we’re going to start by seeing what God’s Word has to say about loving our husbands. I struggled with titling the episode, so I borrowed it from scripture from Titus 2:4 passage that we are to be taught by the older women “to love their husbands.” Before we dig into that passage, I want to work through with you on what is love? Love is a necessary factor in our marriages. If we don’t have love for one another there’s going to be a lot of issues in our marriage. Without love in our marriages they’re going to be difficult to endure, any problems in the marriage will be difficult to overcome, as time goes on when we live in a relationship where there is no love the relationship is going to begin to fall apart. We’re not going to like each other very much or have any desire to be near one another, and it is just a dangerous place to be. God’s Word is clear on the importance of love in all our relationships and especially in our marriages. In a most familiar passage - Matthew 22:37-40 states: 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” We stated last week that our husbands are our closest neighbors. When love is talked about, do we understand what it truly is or what it means when God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves? We married our spouse because we loved them. Now that we’ve been married a bit we can find ourselves acting very unloving at times or maybe a lot of times and wondering what happened? We can’t exhaustively cover today what real love is, but I do desire to work through on what God’s Word says because He’s given us a clear idea of what real love is in His Word. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

I am so grateful to be back at the podcast and excited about this upcoming series on marriage. I've enjoyed my study time for this series and this first one is foundational because it lays out from God's Word His design for marriage and what our role is He has called us to as women. As we dig in together today if you can sit with a Bible handy that would be a help as we're covering a lot of verses. They are all listed below so you can go back and refer to them later. Genesis 2:18-25 is my main text in understanding God's design for marriage. My husband is going to join in on the podcasts on submission and I'm looking forward to working together with him on this series. We've been married over 32 years and consider ourselves continual learners in our walk with the Lord and in our marriage. The Lord has grown us in our love for Him and in that, in our love for one another. I have said it before but my Doug makes me want to be more like Jesus. For the complete show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com Future Podcasts in this Series: (not official titles yet but it gives you the topics at least) Loving our Husbands Respecting Our Husbands Submission (two-part series) Communication Intimacy Resources: Homemaking Ministries Conference - Deep Dive Summit The Creation of Woman- John MacArthur Sermon The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace God of Creation by Jen Wilkin Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack ESV Study Bible John MacArthur Study Bible Podcast Ep 17: Cherishing Our Husbands Podcast: Loving Our Husbands- Women's Hope Podcast Who Am I by Jerry Bridges Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney Love Has a Price Tag by Elisabeth Elliot A Picture-Perfect Marriage- Tim Challies For the complete show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about our cell phone use and discuss whether we master our cell phones or do they master us. This podcast was on my mind because of two recent posts at Tim Challies blog on the use of our phones. I recently read the book, 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke and it was a challenging read. I’m going to share with you some of what I took from that book to get us started, some thoughts on Tim Challies posting about him going back to a “dumb phone” and as we close today some questions for us to ponder from a quiz Tim Challies posted online called Are You Addicted to Your Phone? At the close, I share some ways I desire to make changes with the use of my phone in my life. Also, I have an announcement that I’ll be taking a short hiatus from the podcast but will be back with the regular weekly podcast sometime in early July.I’m working on content currently for the next Homemaking Ministries Conference coming up this fall – it’s my favorite online conference, and I hope you’ll join us again if you have in the past and if you haven’t yet I hope you will. There will be more details to come on it this summer. I'm working on a series on marriage for the podcast in the future, and I hope to get my husband on the podcast with me so we can do a few together.I’d love you all to “meet” him. I love listening to him and learning from him. The Lord has given him much wisdom and truly being around him makes me want to be more like Jesus, so I’m thankful to get to have him share here with you all. You can find the show notes and resources mentioned at ThankfulHomemaker.com

How many times does Sunday morning roll around and you find your heart in a state of chaos instead of calm to worship the Lord? How many Sunday’s do you arrive at church and realize you haven’t taken the time all week to pray for your pastor or your church family? I want to share with you some simple steps we can take to prepare our hearts and the hearts of our families for Sunday morning worship to the Lord. The hope today is to get you to understand the purpose and the mission of the local church and then to move on toward how we can proceed with some simple steps to prepare our hearts and the hearts of our families for Sunday morning worship to the Lord. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

On today’s episode, I’m sharing with you a message that I shared at our church's recent women’s retreat. Our time together at the retreat was spent learning about the attributes of God. I started the weekend off sharing about the Supremacy, Eternality, Self-Sufficiency, and Self-Existence of our most awesome God and I wanted to share what I learned with you all here today. It has been said that what comes into a person’s mind when he or she thinks about God is the most important thing about him or her. When we have a high view of God, it will lead to holy living, worship, evangelism, and service. I hope to spark within you today a heart’s desire to study more about this wonderful God we love and are known by. When we gain a better understanding of Who God is, we will be better equipped in our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Every area of our life and worldview is influenced by who we understand God to be. When we speak of God's attributes, we are talking about those characteristics that help us to understand who He truly is. We will never be able to fully grasp the depth of God’s character, but I hope we can get a bit more of a glimpse in our short time together today. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

The need for self-control is clear in God’s Word. There is much said about it. We live in a world where we are tempted daily to overindulge and live outside our boundaries. We live in a world that is dominated by “self” – Self-centeredness, self-pity, selfishness, self-deception. Wayne Barber shared: What’s the middle letter of the word sin? What’s the middle letter? What’s the middle letter of the word pride? Now, you take those two things out—which by the way, the cross does—then you don’t even have a word. When you say yes to Him, you’ve just crucified the “I,” the flesh. Proverbs 25:28 says, "like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit." This proverb gives us a picture of a city with its walls broken down and is utterly defenseless as a picture of what happens when our wall of defense. Our self-control is gone, and we’re not able to battle the sinful desires that wage war against our soul. Self-control means to master our emotions instead of being mastered by them. It is the ability to control oneself and in particular our emotions and desires or the expression of them in our behavior – especially in difficult situations. For the show notes and resources mentioned in the podcast head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

I’m sharing today from a post I wrote quite awhile back called Where to Begin When You're Overwhelmed, and it was dealing with our home keeping. It’s been a very controversial post and people either have a love or hate relationship with it. I’m hoping you all are in the love camp today because I’m not a fan of being in the hate camp. Before we begin, I want to lay out a statement here that I want you to remember as we walk through this. What I’m sharing is going to look different in every home. I don’t know all the battles or circumstances in your home from health and illness difficulties or various trials you’re dealing with. This may not be the season of your life for you to listen to a podcast on this topic right now. I’m never talking about perfection or Stepford wives or making an idol out of your homekeeping or whatever your thinking because as soon as you write a post or share a podcast about this topic of homekeeping that’s where the conversation tends to go. This isn’t about having a Martha Stewart lifestyle in your homemaking. It is about the heart of a homemaker who loves the Lord and desires to love and care for her family well because of the God she serves.It is out of a heart of love and thankfulness because she has been redeemed. Thank you, Jesus! This also does not mean you don’t do anything outside your home or saying you can’t work outside the home or have any employment. I work for my husband’s business and have ever since my kiddos were young. In my past - I’ve worked outside the home and inside the home and still work inside the home as a homemaker and for my husband’s business. This is not a SAHM vs. working mom podcast. This is for all Christian women in whatever season of life you’re in. I want to chat with you today as if I’m talking with my daughter – (Hello My Amberif you’re listening) and encouraging her in the role the Lord has called her to as laid out in Titus 2:3-5 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Getting some foundational understanding of why we are called keepers of our homes will be an encouragement in itself not to be overwhelmed in your homekeeping, but I hope to set your mind on things of the Lord and His ways today. For the show notes and resources mentioned please head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

We are discussing on today's podcast what God’s Word has to say about our anxiousness and worry. We’ve been working through the book of Matthew at church and have been in the Sermon on the Mount for quite a few months now. I’ve been utilizing D. Martin Lloyd Jones sermon series to read along with the scriptures as I prepare for Sunday mornings. It’s a great resource, and it’s called Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. One thing Pastor Ross shared about this text (Matthew 6:25-34) and what I want to begin with is an area that convicted me. When I am worried about a situation – I’m creating an idol. Worry reveals the idols of my heart, something I treasure more than Christ. My worry usually isn’t about physical things. It can be at times, but my worry and anxious thoughts usually come about with situations in my life that I have no control over. I tend to worry about the outcomes that I have no control over, pretty pointless. At that moment I forget Who is in control and my thoughts are self-centered and I believe at that moment that I know better than God. Ugh – that’s sin and my worry surely isn’t helping God in any way. At that moment – how Pastor Ross put it – I have forgotten that God is ruler – not me. The passage in (Matthew 6:25-34) reminds me what Jesus says to worriers like myself. As we walk through this passage today my prayer is that the Lord would speak to my heart and yours and the hope is we will both be reminded that the Lord knows what we need and has already provided for it. For the show notes and resources listed head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

I have always been a planner oriented person. I love notebooks and pens and making lists. I love seeing items I have to-do written down. Planning has been a help to me in caring well for my home and family. It helps me to keep order and meet the needs of my family and others while still getting time to do some of the things I love to do too (like write on this blog here). I'd like to walk through with you today how I use my planner to plan my days. It isn't meant to be copied buy to spark ideas on ways you can plan your days working with the way God has wired you. The days and weeks I take the time to plan well are the ones that are my most productive and efficient. I hope you'll be encouraged today to grab a few nuggets that may work for you and your life. For the Show Notes & Resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com To get a copy, while supplies last of The Homemaker's Friend Daily Planner at half-price ($7.50) you can do that here.

When our families go through battles with illness we know, as the mom, there seem to be no sick days for us. We may have quieter and relaxing days as we battle through the illness, but the needs of the home seem to await us until we are feeling better. Times of difficult trials can also place stress on our homes. How can we keep the peace of our homes when we do not at the moment see closure to the situation the Lord is bringing us through? Are you a tired mom out there who feels like everything you work so hard to get done seems to get almost immediately undone? I remember those days with toddlers in the house. Communicating clearly and patiently and pointing our children to Christ in our conversations with them is hard. Nurturing the hearts of our children is hard work. Day in and day out the workday of a mom can be physically but sometimes even more so emotionally exhausting. There is one comfort I can always bring us back to: I can assure you there is One who knows what it is like to be exhausted. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ~ Hebrews 4:15 The hope today is to encourage you in these challenging times, give some practical help and point you back to God's Word. So listen in with me today. For the Show Notes and Resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

How would you like to build relationships with your family, teach good conversation skills, work on proper table manners, eat healthier and laugh and enjoy each other’s company as a family? The solution is simple. Take the time to make the most of your family dinners. Do you think of your family table as a place of discipleship? Our family tables are a place where we can offer Christ to others. Our hope is that our children and others would leave with more than just full bellies but with the truth of Jesus who wants to feed their souls. Does it sound a bit overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be, and I’m sharing some simple tips today that I hope will be an encouragement to you. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

We’re talking about a topic that I pretty confidently say effects all of us. It’s our grumbling and complaining. My hope today is that the Lord would fill us with joy no matter our circumstances and we would rejoice always and give thanks in all things. As believers we can do this and how do I know this - because as it says in Philippians 2:13 – it is God who is at work in you. So let’s dig in, and I pray that as we start our time together today, you will pray for the Lord to give you a thankful heart. Why does it seem grumbling and complaining is so tolerated within our Christianity? Sometimes I think we tolerate it because we don’t always think of it as sin since it is so commonly practiced among us. We grumble about the weather, our government, our churches, our circumstances and so many other things that truly are trivial in light of eternity. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to thankfulhomemaker.com and click on the podcast show notes menu tab.

As I’m sharing this episode I’m finding myself in a waiting room on the Lord, and it’s been a long one, and I don’t see an end near. It has reminded me that when I gave myself to Him, I gave up my “right” to be in charge. The reality is we never were in charge anyway; we just came to that understanding when the Lord opened our eyes to His sovereign control over our lives. Even though it is a truth I know or we know, how many times do we want to think that somehow we can effect change in our life situations? Waiting is hard because there is no guarantee that my waiting will end in this lifetime. One thing I have learned - my waiting has deepened my trust in the Lord and has helped me to develop patience, perseverance, and endurance. It’s also given me different eyes to see with compassion others who are in a season of waiting. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

On today’s podcast episode, we’re going to talk together about how to have a Christ-centered Easter celebration. We’re going to talk a bit about the importance of the resurrection, walk through the gospel, and share some ideas to help us point our family to the risen Jesus and His gift of salvation. We know this time of year the stores are filled with Easter baskets, chocolates, and egg coloring kits but as Christian’s our celebration of Easter focuses on the truth that we serve a risen Lord. Our God is alive, and that truth is where our hope lies. He is Risen! Jesus is Alive! As a mom and now grandmother I desire our celebration of Easter or as many of us call it The Celebration of the Resurrection, to be Christ-focused. I’m not elaborate in our celebrations, but I desire to be intentional. I want to share more than just our traditional meal together; I want to point my family to the gift of Jesus. Please visit ThankfulHomemaker.com for the show notes and resources listed in the podcast.

I find comfort in the routines of the day. We all have areas of our lives that need to be taken care of on a daily basis. Having routines set in your day can make the whole day run smoothly, and those routines tend to become habits over time. I am such an advocate of having a morning and evening routine because they have helped to simplify and make my days run smoothly for over 25 years now. Starting your day with focus and structure does help you to maintain some order and not have a day of complete chaos. Even if the rest of the day turns to chaos, you have already accomplished a lot in that first hour or two of the morning. Whether you're a morning person, not a morning person a mother with littles or someone who already has some solid routines in place, I hope to have some encouragement for you all today. For the show notes and resources mentioned in the podcast head to ThankfulHomemaker.com and click on the Podcast Show Notes tab in the menu bar.

There is a favorite book I turn to often to look for encouragement in my role as a wife and mother. God’s Word is always my first destination but a book that I came across several years ago is Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. Carolyn is looking at our role as Titus 2 women and what the scripture teaches by taking apart that verse a section at a time. Chapter three is an excellent guide to show us what God’s Word says about loving our children. The chapter starts off by reminding us as mom’s how good we are at self-sacrificing love. It is a rare experience to meet a woman who doesn’t sacrifice for her children and daily lay down her life to serve them. We are good at that kind of love. I have two adult children and three grandbabies. I can tell you I fiercely love all my babies – my now grown children and those little grandbabies. This mama would do anything for them and be there in a heartbeat. Whether we have our own children or spiritual children we have a high calling to love these children and point them to Christ. This high calling of motherhood is truly an honor, and I hope that today I can with the Lord’s help, to help us to grasp this. I’ve talked much about cleaning and homekeeping and scheduling over the years but the moments we get with our children are hopefully pointing them to the reality that life is bigger than cleaning and cooking and that our example would be one of the sacrificial love of Jesus and of laying down your life for another. You are a disciple mama, and you are to be making disciples in your home. It is a tiring job at times and can seem overwhelming many days, but I hope that you will be reminded today in our time that you can’t do anything without the strength of Christ. In Christ Mama, we can do all things with great joy. So let’s look together at the blessings of loving our children: For the show notes, links and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com. To get your free copy of my eBook - Motherhood: Delighting in Our Children click here.

We all have habits we already do on a day to day basis. Habits are things that just happen without us thinking about them anymore. We brush our teeth, make our beds, maybe we exercise regularly, eat meals, or wake up and have a cup of coffee. We do these things now without thinking – it’s so good to have things we do without thinking! But a habit isn’t just a by-product of repetition. We can also develop and form new habits. I can’t determine what habits you would like to develop in your homemaking, but I can encourage you to ponder and start small by doing just one. Maybe you don’t clean the dishes up after dinner immediately and leave them until morning. Would you like to change that habit and do clean up the night before? When we have built good habits into our homekeeping they can become time savers for us and create more freedom into our days. Visit ThankfulHomemaker.com for the show notes and links from this episode.

How can we as believers "put on" an attitude of love in our homes? What does it look like to "put off" sinful responses and attitudes and "put on" God-honoring attitudes? I'm hoping today to encourage you that as believers we can "put on" attitudes and behaviors that are God-honoring. If we are in Christ, He has equipped us to do so through His presence within us and through our intake of God's truth. We're working through Ephesians 4:22-24 together today: Ephesians 4:22-24: 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. We have a new nature when we receive Christ and are born again – we become a totally different individual – we’re now a citizen of heaven Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation the old has gone the new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 The apostle Paul reminds us throughout his epistles that we have a new nature. It affects our mind, heart, knowledge, wisdom, love, desires and every aspect of our being. According to God’s Word, we are new – transformed. As believers, we now have a new nature. Our behavior is now able to match our new nature because Christ is in us. We are risen with Christ, and we should now behave in accordance with who we are. For show notes and links mentioned, please head to www.thankfulhomemaker.com and click on the podcast tab in the menu bar.

I’m sharing a message with you today that I gave at a sweet friend’s bridal shower. I had the privilege of watching this young woman as a teenager grow into a lovely, godly woman who as I’m now recording this just got married this weekend. I’m excited for the next season the Lord has for her, but I’m also excited for the season the Lord has us all in right now. I had such a problem titling this message, and I think you'll understand why when you listen in. The podcast today isn’t just for married women or soon to be married women, but I believe there will be much for all women. We’re going to be talking about our identity in Christ and what it looks like to love one another. I’m focusing on cherishing our husbands, but I think you will see much of this will pertain to all of us in our relationships with each other inside and outside the church too. You can find the show notes at www.thankfulhomemaker.com

One of the most fundamental ways to manage our homes well is to take the time to plan. Planning is merely deciding in advance the what, why and how things will be done even cleaning. Ladies the time it takes to put together a plan for the care and upkeep of your home is well worth your time and energy. You know the saying that sorta goes like this - “Many women plan to fail because they fail to plan.” On the other side of that, we can do so much planning and never get to the action part. I love to sit and plan – cleaning would not be my favorite – I say that but it really is getting started, and once I get moving on it I enjoy it because of the instant results you see from it. I want to remind you here this is a method or methods – I’m sharing three that I use at various times and seasons in my life - that work well for me and my personality. I’m not a naturally organized person and actually can be quite messy. My friends would not say this about me because when they come over, they see a neat and tidy home. I have to work hard to go against the bent of my natural personality in this area. I have trained myself to become a tidy home keeper – not perfect but neat and orderly. I still have my certain drawers and areas that I need to continue to declutter and organize, but overall I have worked to make my home easy to clean and keep orderly. I desire my home to be a haven for my family. I also don’t want to spend all my time and energy just cleaning my house. I desire to give my family and other relationships my time, so I’ve learned to manage my home well, so it doesn’t control me and take up all my time. I also appreciate having a house ready to offer hospitality and fellowship to others at a moment’s notice. My point I’m trying to make here is that my cleaning method or methods may not work for you, but I want you as you listen to me today ponder what type of cleaning schedule – if you don’t have one already- would help you to care and manage your home. Visit www.thankfulhomemaker.com for the Show Notes.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ not one of us would desire to remain a babe in the faith. We all desire to grow more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by osmosis – you have to be disciplined in putting God’s truth in your mind. Spending time with the Lord in His Word will transform our hearts and compel us to obey God’s Word. As we grow in our understanding of God’s Word we will develop convictions that will determine how we will live or how we hope to live. God’s Word helps us to develop principles that we desire to live our lives by – this is the process of sanctification. “Sanctification is a process – the process of becoming more like Christ, of growing in holiness. This process begins the instant you are converted and will not end until you meet Jesus face-to-face. Sanctification is about our own choices and behavior. It involves work. Empowered by God’s Spirit, we strive. We fight sin. We study Scripture and pray, even when we don’t feel like it. We flee temptation. We press on; we run hard in the pursuit of holiness. And as we become more and more sanctified, the power of the gospel conforms us more and more closely, with ever-increasing clarity, to the image of Jesus Christ.” ~C.J. Mahaney Growing spiritually is the most important step in our role as Christian wives and mothers. I do not have true wisdom to offer my family because true wisdom comes from the Lord and knowledge of Him. I know what you’re going to say – I barely have time to breath how am I going to fit in time with the Lord. Stick with me here today because I’m hoping I have some tips that will motivate you or at least seem doable that you can work into your current season of life. Find the show notes and more information at the blog - www.thankfulhomemaker.com

We all have this vision of working in this perfectly organized home where there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place. We picture saving time and money and less stress in this place, but many times that’s as far as we get. It’s just a vision, and we never get there. I hope today we can see that it isn’t just a dream, but we can get there. There are many ways to declutter, and I’m going to share some methods that have worked for me and I hope will inspire you today to start working away at your clutter piece by piece with me. I love to work in an orderly workspace. I love order and beauty in my home. Studies have proven that people think clearer and better in uncluttered environments. Clutter is a real enemy. Clutter can keep us from enjoying our families and homes as it takes up our time, can rob us of our joy, can add stress to our lives and takes up our living space. I was going to initially share a podcast this week on cleaning schedules (that’s a future one coming soon), but as I started writing it, I realized this is an area that needs to be dealt with before we can start cleaning. Remember we can’t clean clutter. You can find the show notes at www.thankfulhomemaker.com

As I’m sharing this with you today, I don’t know what you my listeners are coming to this podcast with. I don’t know the hurts in your lives. Hurtful words, betrayal from a friend, disappointments, and even much darker areas of abuse to unspeakable offenses that many of us could not even fathom. Many times we can just go on trying to live in a state of normalcy all the while these past hurts are building resentment and bitterness in our hearts. Our God does not want us to be stuck there. In Christ, we have the freedom to be set free. Forgiveness is a choice. It is not a denial that whatever hurt has been done against you isn’t real, but it does mean you need to face it and be reminded that not forgiving that sin against you is a sin in itself. For the links and show notes visit www.thankfulhomemaker.com

Who doesn’t want to save money, time, their sanity, reduce stress, eat healthy and avoid the dreaded question "What’s for dinner?" It sounds great right, and we’d all love to do it but how do we get there? Menu planning is the answer to all those questions above. We have a jam-packed episode today filled with tons of tips, examples, and ideas so stick with me, and I know there will be something that will appeal to each of you in some way. I hope to get you in the habit of menu planning if you’re not already and if you already are but find yourself in a rut, then I hope this episode will give you some encouragement to keep going. If you’re already a die-hard habitual menu planner, maybe you’ll gain some new ideas to jazz up your weekly menu plan. Come check out the show notes and all the links mentioned in the podcast at www.ThankfulHomemaker.com

We are already nearing Christmas Eve and plans that I had to bake or buy or clean haven’t all been finished. There are gifts I wanted to purchase or send that didn’t happen. There are cookies I wanted to bake that I didn’t get too and areas I wanted to tidy at home that I didn’t even get close to doing. But I want to share with you today reminders that I’m talking to myself about what I am choosing. I’m hoping to help us keep our focus on the main thing this Christmas season. You can read the full podcast here, but my hope is you will sit with me for just a few minutes of your day and listen in to the podcast and let me pour into you a bit. Thank you for spending your time with me today - I am blessed by each one of you. Thank you for your prayers, for your sweet notes of encouragement to me and for supporting this little ministry here at Thankful Homemaker by listening in to this podcast. I’ll be taking a break for the next week to enjoy family time. I will see you all next year back here at the blog and podcast. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my dear friends. Find the full show notes for this episode at ThankfulHomemaker.com Follow ThankfulHomemaker on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App Subscribe to ThankfulHomemaker.com

I am a calendar and planner lover. I love lists and making goals and seeking to make the most of my days. I’m also aware of how easy it is to become overwhelmed, miserable, and exhausted when I don’t have a good plan in place to make the most of my days. I want to share today a system I’ve used for years on planning my spiritual priorities for the year. It has helped me to focus and build my choices in light of biblical priorities. It comes from a great little resource called Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed by Carolyn Mahaney. This resource crossed my path several years ago and challenged me in the area of spiritual goals for the New Year. I realized if I didn’t plan and spend time in prayer of how I was going to grow spiritually not much growth would take place. For several years now I have spent time planning areas of my spiritual life where I would like to see growth. Spiritual Priorities PDF Planning Guide For more information and the show, notes visit www.thankfulhomemaker.com

As the busy Christmas season is upon us we can find ourselves all wrapped up (literally wrapping too) in planning, cooking, cleaning, shopping, decorating, ministry activities and a multitude of other tasks that seem to come about during the Christmas season in addition to just the normal activities of life that we are dealing with. I personally can lose focus and need to continue to pray to the Lord to remind me to have the heart of Mary and not get caught up with the attitude of Martha in all that needs to be done. I’m a very task focused person, and it’s how my mind works so I need to be intentional and prayerful to not miss the wonder of the Christmas season. The Christmas season can be a time – a reminder to us to refocus - to again to think deeply about the realities of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. For more information and the show notes visit www.thankfulhomemaker.com

I'm going to cross into a sensitive area but I'm hoping you will hang in here with me today and ponder some of what I'm sharing. This is an area that has been on my heart to talk about partly because I'm convicted by it when I see this sin in my life but also because I know the damage it can to in our churches and amidst our relationships with other Christians. I'm addressing today when we have a critical or judgmental spirit against others. What is the spirit of the Pharisees that we want to avoid? It is that of a self-righteous spirit. It's when we look down on others whether inwardly or express it outwardly. We may despise them or look at them with contempt or annoyance. It is being a fault finder. We're going to be working through the text of Matthew 7:1-5 open your Bibles and join in with me today as we ask the Lord to help us do battle with our critical, sinful spirits. You can find resources and complete show notes at www.thankfulhomemaker.com

My quick cleaning method I'm going to share with you has been serving me well for many years. I appreciate being able to make my family feel comfy and well cared for along with those we shoe hospitaltity to so I use this list for an occasional quick clean up for my family and company too. Listen in as I share today my top ten cleaning tips in preparing for company.

Self-discipline is essential to spiritual growth and it is useful in our lives in so many ways. Living lives that are disciplined means saying, "yes" to God in every area of our lives. Jesus is our ultimate example of what it looks like to live a disciplined life. He chose both dependence and obedience to His Father. As Christians we too are called to dependence and obedience to our Father. Self-discipline is primary to our spiritual growth. In 1 Timothy 4:7 we are called to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. It means to exercise control over one's self. It's the ability to keep ourselves under control.

As believers in Jesus Christ kindness should characterize our lives. Paul says in Titus 3:3-4 what change his life was the kindness of Jesus. Let's dig into God's Word together to see what God tells us about kindness.

Being women I know we are all interested in the topic of friendship because we are all relational creatures. There is something in the heart of every Christian woman that desires meaningful, intimate, godly friendships. My hope today is to point us to the Word of God and what He says about godly friendships.

My hope is to encourage you today to be thankful to the role the Lord has called you in as a keeper of the home.

Do you ever find yourself having "gospel amnesia"? Gospel amnesia is when I can find myself forgetting what the Lord has done for me at the Cross and I find myself sinfully complaining about difficult life situations.

On this episode of Thankful Homemaker we're talking about how our tongues can get us into so much trouble. We tend to have many words. Many times we're not careful with our words and say things that are slanderous, or gossip or sadly at times even malicious. This should not be for women who love the Lord and are loved and known by Him. Let's encourage each other today to speak words that glorify and honor the Lord.