Sarah J. Hauser

Are you going through a hard season right now? Does God feel silent? Sarah J. Hauser, my guest on the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), is no stranger to these difficulties. In our interview, she shares about her new book, All Who are Weary: Finding True Rest by Letting Go of the Burdens You were Never Meant to Carry, and about the difficult season she went through to learn the truths she writes about.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  Sarah’s battle with depression How a perfectionist mindset can manifest in unexpected (and harmful) ways The antidote to perfectionism How we should respond to God’s offer of rest found in Matthew 11 What we should do when God feels silent in our suffering How trials often force us to examine what we truly believe about God  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast   All Who are Weary: Finding True Rest by Letting Go of the Burdens You were Never Meant to Carry by Sarah J. Hauser The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom  About Sarah J. Hauser SARAH J. HAUSER is a writer and speaker living in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and four kids. She shares biblical truth to nourish the soul — and the occasional recipe to nourish the body. Sarah completed her B.A. and M.A. at Wheaton College. She’s a member of the Redbud Writers Guild and has written for Coffee + Crumbs, Risen Motherhood, The Rabbit Room, The Gospel Coalition, (in)courage, and more. Find her at sarahjhauser.com, on Instagram (@sarah.j.hauser), or check out her monthly newsletter at sarahjhauser.com/subscribe. How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Sarah J. Hauser: Finding Rest When Life is Hard appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Are you going through a hard season right now? Does God feel silent? <a href="https://www.sarahjhauser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah J. Hauser</a>, my guest on the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), is no stranger to these difficulties. In our interview, she shares about her new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/44x0lPW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All Who are Weary: Finding True Rest by Letting Go of the Burdens You were Never Meant to Carry</a>, and about the difficult season she went through to learn the truths she writes about.</p> <h4></h4> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Sarah’s battle with depression</li> <li>How a perfectionist mindset can manifest in unexpected (and harmful) ways</li> <li>The antidote to perfectionism</li> <li>How we should respond to God’s offer of rest found in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011%3A28-30&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 11</a></li> <li>What we should do when God feels silent in our suffering</li> <li>How trials often force us to examine what we truly believe about God</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li> <a href="https://amzn.to/44x0lPW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All Who are Weary: Finding True Rest by Letting Go of the Burdens You were Never Meant to Carry</a> by Sarah J. Hauser</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3pQkwt5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hiding Place</a> by Corrie Ten Boom</li> </ul> <h4>About Sarah J. Hauser</h4> <p><strong>SARAH J. HAUSER</strong> is a writer and speaker living in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and four kids. She shares biblical truth to nourish the soul — and the occasional recipe to nourish the body. Sarah completed her B.A. and M.A. at Wheaton College. She’s a member<br/> of the Redbud Writers Guild and has written for Coffee + Crumbs, Risen Motherhood, The Rabbit Room, The Gospel Coalition, (in)courage, and more. Find her at <a href="https://www.sarahjhauser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sarahjhauser.com</a>, on Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarah.j.hauser/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@sarah.j.hauser</a>), or check out her monthly newsletter at <a href="https://www.sarahjhauser.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sarahjhauser.com/subscribe</a>.</p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/sarah-j-hauser-finding-rest-when-life-is-hard/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah J. Hauser: Finding Rest When Life is Hard</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Sarah J. Hauser: Finding Rest When Life is Hard

Andrea Herzer

Do you suffer from chronic pain or a debilitating illness? Have you recently received a difficult diagnosis? Or are you or a loved one simply going through a difficult trial right now? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will be greatly encouraged by my interview with Andrea Herzer about her new book: Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  How to find God’s presence in the pain How God sends encouragement in unexpected ways Why it’s important to cultivate strong relationships with other Christians when facing an illness The power of the word “yet” to turn our laments into worship How to find contentment and joy in the midst of a life you really don’t want to be living How shifting our mindset can transform the way we go through a trial Andrea’s special reminders for anyone who’s recently been given a tough diagnosis  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Andrea’s new book: Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues. Andrea Herzer’s website Questions of Suffering – Sermon by Timothy Keller Follow Incurable Faith on Instagram Request to be a part of Andrea’s private Facebook group:  Abundant Life for Abundant Illness  How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Andrea Herzer: Living with Chronic Pain and Illness appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you suffer from chronic pain or a debilitating illness? Have you recently received a difficult diagnosis? Or are you or a loved one simply going through a difficult trial right now? If you answered <em>yes </em>to any of these questions, you will be greatly encouraged by my interview with <a href="https://www.andreaherzer.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrea Herzer</a> about her new book: <em><a href="https://amzn.to/42Ktgye" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues.</a></em></p> <h4></h4> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How to find God’s presence in the pain</li> <li>How God sends encouragement in unexpected ways</li> <li>Why it’s important to cultivate strong relationships with other Christians when facing an illness</li> <li>The power of the word “yet” to turn our laments into worship</li> <li>How to find contentment and joy in the midst of a life you really don’t want to be living</li> <li>How shifting our mindset can transform the way we go through a trial</li> <li>Andrea’s special reminders for anyone who’s recently been given a tough diagnosis</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Andrea’s new book: <em><a href="https://amzn.to/42Ktgye" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues.</a></em></li> <li><a href="https://www.andreaherzer.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrea Herzer’s website</a></li> <li><em><a href="https://podcast.gospelinlife.com/e/questions-of-suffering-1682092732/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Questions of Suffering</a></em> – Sermon by Timothy Keller</li> <li>Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/incurablefaith/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Incurable Faith</a> on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/incurablefaith/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li> <li>Request to be a part of Andrea’s private <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeforillness" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeforillness" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Abundant Life for Abundant Illness</a></li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/andrea-herzer-living-with-chronic-pain-and-illness/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrea Herzer: Living with Chronic Pain and Illness</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Andrea Herzer: Living with Chronic Pain and Illness

Jamie Erickson

Holy Hygge

Do you often feel rushed and like you’re not really enjoying life? Does your heart long for rest and for sweet fellowship with dear friends? If so, you’ll be encouraged by the Danish practice of hygge (HYOO-guh) which my podcast guest, Jamie Erickson, discusses in her latest book: Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow. Today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below) considers the beautiful practice of true hospitality.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  How, for the Christian, hygge is much more than décor and creating a cozy atmosphere The three main excuses we use to not show hospitality How true hospitality differs from merely entertaining friends Some practical tips to make opening our home to others easier to do One answer to loneliness (hint: it’s not more friends!) Some helpful practices to cultivate contentment  Resources Mentioned on this Episode  Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow  About Jamie Erickson When she’s not curating memories, hoarding vintage books, or homeschooling her five kids, JAMIE ERICKSON can be found encouraging and equipping a growing tribe of mothers all across the globe on the Mom to Mom podcast, through her blog The Unlikely Homeschool, at national conferences, and in her book Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Jamie Erickson: Cultivating Holy Hygge appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you often feel rushed and like you’re not really enjoying life? Does your heart long for rest and for sweet fellowship with dear friends? If so, you’ll be encouraged by the Danish practice of <em>hygge </em>(HYOO-guh) which my podcast guest, Jamie Erickson, discusses in her latest book: <a href="https://amzn.to/432w3Ua" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow</em></a>. Today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below) considers the beautiful practice of true hospitality.</p> <p></p> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How, for the Christian, hygge is much more than décor and creating a cozy atmosphere</li> <li>The three main excuses we use to not show hospitality</li> <li>How true hospitality differs from merely entertaining friends</li> <li>Some practical tips to make opening our home to others easier to do</li> <li>One answer to loneliness (hint: it’s not more friends!)</li> <li>Some helpful practices to cultivate contentment</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on this Episode</h4> <ul> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/434nb0m" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow</a></em></li> </ul> <h4>About Jamie Erickson</h4> <p>When she’s not curating memories, hoarding vintage books, or homeschooling her five kids, <a href="https://jamieerickson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>JAMIE ERICKSON</strong></a> can be found encouraging and equipping a growing tribe of mothers all across the globe on the <a href="http://momtomompodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mom to Mom podcast</a>, through her blog<a href="https://www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Unlikely Homeschool</a>, at national conferences, and in her book<em><a href="https://amzn.to/427vYNM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence</a></em></p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/jamie-erickson-cultivating-holy-hygge/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jamie Erickson: Cultivating Holy Hygge</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Jamie Erickson: Cultivating Holy Hygge

Mary DeMuth

No one can deny that we’re living in an era of great change in the area of morals and faith. Young adults are leaving their faith in droves, or continuing to believe in God but choosing a different set of morals than they grew up with. As parents, it’s hard to watch that process. If you have a child who is making choices that cause you to worry, I invite you to listen to my conversation with Mary DeMuth on the Christian Habits Podcast today (links below). Mary’s new book, Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Children with Joy, will give welcome advice for parenting your adult children with joy.  What We Talked About on the Podcast  How to keep from being emotionally distraught over the choices of your adult children Why it’s important to grieve when our kids take a different path than we would have liked for them to How the influence of culture – louder than ever, today, due to social media – is subverting the teaching of parents What is deconstruction and is it always harmful? How to use 1 Corinthians 13  to love your children well Apologizing to your adult children The importance of making your home a safe haven and how to make that happen Remembering that biblical love is the ability to tenderly care for your children when you disagree while still holding to biblical truth  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Children with Joy by Mary DeMuth A Year of Weekly Prayers for Your Adult Kids by Mary Demuth (This is a free resource.)  About Mary DeMuth Mary DeMuth is an international speaker, a podcaster, and the author of over forty books, fiction and nonfiction, includingThe Day I Met Jesus. Through God’s healing, Mary has overcome a difficult past to become an authentic example of what it means to live a brand-new story. She loves to help others“re-story”their lives through the books she writes. Mary lives inTexas with her husband of 30 years and is Mom to three adult children. Learn more at marydemuth.com Get Mary’s free ebook: A Year of Weekly Prayers for Your Adult Kids. How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Mary DeMuth: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>No one can deny that we’re living in an era of great change in the area of morals and faith. Young adults are leaving their faith in droves, or continuing to believe in God but choosing a different set of morals than they grew up with. As parents, it’s hard to watch that process. If you have a child who is making choices that cause you to worry, I invite you to listen to my conversation with <a href="https://www.marydemuth.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary DeMuth</a> on the Christian Habits Podcast today (links below). Mary’s new book, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3H0IS8M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Children with Joy</a>, </em>will give welcome advice for parenting your adult children with joy.</p> <p></p> <h4>What We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How to keep from being emotionally distraught over the choices of your adult children</li> <li>Why it’s important to grieve when our kids take a different path than we would have liked for them to</li> <li>How the influence of culture – louder than ever, today, due to social media – is subverting the teaching of parents</li> <li>What is deconstruction and is it always harmful?</li> <li>How to use <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013%3A4-7&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 13 </a> to love your children well</li> <li>Apologizing to your adult children</li> <li>The importance of making your home a safe haven and how to make that happen</li> <li>Remembering that biblical love is the ability to tenderly care for your children when you disagree while still holding to biblical truth</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3UWuiom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Children with Joy </em></a>by Mary DeMuth</li> <li><a href="https://marydemuth.ck.page/51d95e9769" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Year of Weekly Prayers for Your Adult Kids </a>by Mary Demuth (This is a free resource.)</li> </ul> <h4>About Mary DeMuth</h4> <p><strong>Mary DeMuth</strong> is an international speaker, a podcaster, and the author of over forty books, fiction and nonfiction, includingThe Day I Met Jesus. Through God’s healing, Mary has overcome a difficult past to become an authentic example of what it means to live a brand-new story. She loves to help others“re-story”their lives through the books she writes. Mary lives inTexas with her husband of 30 years and is Mom to three adult children. Learn more at <a href="https://www.marydemuth.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">marydemuth.com</a></p> <p><strong>Get Mary’s free ebook: <a href="https://marydemuth.ck.page/51d95e9769" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Year of Weekly Prayers for Your Adult Kids</a>.</strong></p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/mary-demuth-parenting-your-wayward-adult-kids-with-joy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary DeMuth: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Mary DeMuth: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy

Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson is an influential pastor and a prolific author of over twenty-three books. His latest book, Please, Sorry, Thanks: the Three Words that Change Everything digs into how every relationship can be positively affected by a new revelation and application of these three words in our lives. I think you’ll really enjoy my interview with him today on The Christian Habits Podcast (links below).Things We Discussed on the Podcast How we only need to really be good at three things in our relationships: please, sorry, and thanks Why “please” is much more than just a polite word The shift from a “here I am” to a “there you are” mentality Four principles of peace-making that Mark applies in his ministries Why “sorry” needs to be specific The value of personalizing your “please” The Law of Reciprocity regarding gratitude How a gratitude journal helps us to take every thought captive according to 1 Cor. 10:5 Comment on my Facebook page under this episode’s post for a chance to win a free book! Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Please, Sorry, Thanks by Mark Batterson Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Notable Quotes from Please, Sorry, Thanks by Mark Batterson Nothing opens doors like PLEASE. Nothing mends fences like SORRY. Nothing builds bridges like THANKS. Please is the way we level the playing field and find common ground. Please is the way we show respect, even to those we disagree with. Please is the way we bring some civility back to the public square. Please is one of the most important words we can ever say. Without empathy, our apologies are empty. Saying sorry without feeling sorry sends mixed signals. Are you or aren’t you sorry? You have to own the apology! Nothing mends fences like sorry. Every apology begins with empathy. It’s a heart that breaks for the things that break the heart of God. Nothing builds bridges like thanks. The theology of thanks starts with the things we take for granted. It’s cultivating profound gratitude for the things we overlook and under-appreciate. Please is a first-person plural approach to life. It turns “me” into “we.” It’s a win-win approach to relationships. About Mark BattersonMark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church in multiple locations, NCC owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, The Capital Turnaround, Miracle Theatre and the DC Dream Center. Mark is the New York Times bestselling author of 23 books, including Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words That Change Everything and Win the Day, as well as several books for children, including The Best Worst Day Ever, written with his daughter Summer. Mark and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill and have three children. Visit markbatterson.com and @‌MarkBatterson for more information.How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”  The post Mark Batterson: How Please, Sorry, and Thanks Can Change Your Life appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Mark Batterson is an influential pastor and a prolific author of over twenty-three books. His latest book,<a href="https://amzn.to/3zbPUmG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em> Please, Sorry, Thanks: the Three Words that Change</em> <em>Everything</em></a> digs into how every relationship can be positively affected by a new revelation and application of these three words in our lives. I think you’ll really enjoy my interview with him today on The Christian Habits Podcast (links below).</p><p></p><h4>Things We Discussed on the Podcast</h4><ul> <li>How we only need to really be good at three things in our relationships: please, sorry, and thanks</li> <li>Why “please” is much more than just a polite word</li> <li>The shift from a “here I am” to a “there you are” mentality</li> <li>Four principles of peace-making that Mark applies in his ministries</li> <li>Why “sorry” needs to be specific</li> <li>The value of personalizing your “please”</li> <li>The Law of Reciprocity regarding gratitude</li> <li>How a gratitude journal helps us to take every thought captive according to 1 Cor. 10:5</li> <li>Comment on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BarbRaveling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my Facebook page</a> under this episode’s post for a chance to win a free book!</li> </ul><h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4><ul> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3zbPUmG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em> Please, Sorry, Thanks</em></a> by Mark Batterson</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3zetLUR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Emotional</em> Intelligence</a> by Daniel Goleman</li> </ul><h4>Notable Quotes from <em>Please, Sorry, Thanks</em> by Mark Batterson</h4><ul> <li>Nothing opens doors like PLEASE. Nothing mends fences like SORRY. Nothing builds bridges like THANKS.</li> <li>Please is the way we level the playing field and find common ground. Please is the way we show respect, even to those we disagree with. Please is the way we bring some civility back to the public square. Please is one of the most important words we can ever say.</li> <li>Without empathy, our apologies are empty. Saying sorry without feeling sorry sends mixed signals. Are you or aren’t you sorry? You have to own the apology!</li> <li>Nothing mends fences like sorry. Every apology begins with empathy. It’s a heart that breaks for the things that break the heart of God.</li> <li>Nothing builds bridges like thanks. The theology of thanks starts with the things we take for granted. It’s cultivating profound gratitude for the things we overlook and under-appreciate.</li> <li>Please is a first-person plural approach to life. It turns “me” into “we.” It’s a win-win approach to relationships.</li> </ul><h4>About Mark Batterson</h4><p><strong>Mark Batterson</strong> is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church in multiple locations, NCC owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, The Capital Turnaround, Miracle Theatre and the DC Dream Center. Mark is the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of 23 books, including <em><strong>Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words That Change Everything</strong></em> and <em>Win the Day,</em> as well as several books for children, including <em>The Best Worst Day Ever</em>, written with his daughter Summer. Mark and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill and have three children. Visit <a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank">markbatterson.com</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/markbatterson/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank">@‌MarkBatterson</a> for more information.</p><h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4><ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul><p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/mark-batterson-how-please-sorry-and-thanks-can-change-your-life/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Batterson: How Please, Sorry, and Thanks Can Change Your Life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Mark Batterson: How Please, Sorry, and Thanks Can Change Your Life

Joanna Weaver

Do you ever find yourself wondering why certain things are happening in your life? Or paralyzed with regret, spending too much time in woulda-coulda-shoulda thinking? Are you afraid to admit that, at times, you question whether or not God really is good?If you can relate to any of these questions, I invite you to listen to my interview with Joanna Weaver on today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below). We discuss her newest book, Embracing Trust, and how to live with abiding peace and joy in the good times and the bad!Things We Discussed on the Podcast How trust is more than surrender Letting go of “if only” Joanna’s Four Unshakeable Truths How expectations factor into our willingness to trust God Making peace with the mystery of our lives The concept of handling competing ideas Learning to trust God’s process Overcoming perfectionist tendencies Being willing to let God change our identity How to glory in weaknesses, as Paul did, instead of resenting them Encouragement from the lives of Moses, David and Joseph, and how they had to learn to trust the outcome of their lives to God Resources Mentioned on the Podcast Joanna’s newest book: Embracing Trust Embracing Trust 5-Day Challenge Embracing Trust 10-Week Video Study Joanna on YouTube Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World Joanna’s podcast: The Living Room Podcast Joanna’s website Redeeming Your Time by Jordan Raynor About Joanna WeaverWith more than 1.6 million books in print, Joanna Weaver is the bestselling and award-winning author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, as well as Having a Mary Spirit, Lazarus Awakening, and At the Feet of Jesus devotional. A pastor’s wife, mother of three, and avid Bible teacher, Joanna loves speaking to women about the powerful freedom that is found in making Jesus Lord and trusting Him for things bigger than themselves. She lives with her family in Hamilton, Montana.How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”  The post Embracing Trust with Joanna Weaver appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you ever find yourself wondering why certain things are happening in your life? Or paralyzed with regret, spending too much time in woulda-coulda-shoulda thinking? Are you afraid to admit that, at times, you question whether or not God really is good?</p><p></p><p>If you can relate to any of these questions, I invite you to listen to my interview with <a href="https://www.joannaweaverbooks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joanna Weaver</a> on today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below). We discuss her newest book, <a href="https://amzn.to/41yoCDX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Embracing Trust</a>, and how to live with abiding peace and joy in the good times and the bad!</p><h4>Things We Discussed on the Podcast</h4><ul> <li>How trust is more than surrender</li> <li>Letting go of “if only”</li> <li>Joanna’s Four Unshakeable Truths</li> <li>How expectations factor into our willingness to trust God</li> <li>Making peace with the mystery of our lives</li> <li>The concept of handling competing ideas</li> <li>Learning to trust God’s process</li> <li>Overcoming perfectionist tendencies</li> <li>Being willing to let God change our identity</li> <li>How to glory in weaknesses, as Paul did, instead of resenting them</li> <li>Encouragement from the lives of Moses, David and Joseph, and how they had to learn to trust the outcome of their lives to God</li> </ul><h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4><ul> <li>Joanna’s newest book: <a href="https://amzn.to/41yoCDX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Embracing Trust</a></li> <li><a href="https://joannaweaverbooks.com/ETchallenge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Embracing Trust 5-Day Challenge</a></li> <li><a href="https://joannaweaverbooks.com/ETstudy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Embracing Trust 10-Week Video Study</a></li> <li>Joanna on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@JoannaWeaver" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3EP2BHj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World</a></li> <li>Joanna’s podcast: <a href="https://www.joannaweaverbooks.com/podcast-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Living Room Podcast</a></li> <li>Joanna’s <a href="https://www.joannaweaverbooks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3KMCvZe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Redeeming Your Time</a> by Jordan Raynor</li> </ul><h4>About Joanna Weaver</h4><p>With more than 1.6 million books in print, Joanna Weaver is the bestselling and award-winning author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, as well as Having a Mary Spirit, Lazarus Awakening, and At the Feet of Jesus devotional. A pastor’s wife, mother of three, and avid Bible teacher, Joanna loves speaking to women about the powerful freedom that is found in making Jesus Lord and trusting Him for things bigger than themselves. She lives with her family in Hamilton, Montana.</p><h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4><ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul><p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/embracing-trust-with-joanna-weaver/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Embracing Trust with Joanna Weaver</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Embracing Trust with Joanna Weaver

We live in an age where people are more connected than ever through social media and email, yet loneliness is rampant in all age groups. It’s easy to feel lonely even when we’re surrounded by people both online and in our own lives. We’re not the only ones who feel this way.  Mother Teresa once said, “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.” In this post and podcast episode, I’d like to talk about how to cure loneliness if you’re a Christian. We’ll begin with asking the question, “Is it normal to feel lonely?” Is it normal for Christians to feel lonely? I would answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” Even Jesus felt lonely. In the Garden of Gethsemane He wanted his disciples with Him yet they were asleep.  I’m guessing He also felt lonely at the cross when so many of His disciples had deserted him. And I can’t imagine He didn’t feel lonely in ministry at times. Over and over, we see Him leaving the crowds and going off to be alone with His Father where He was strengthened to once again do ministry. We also see King David who had both friends and followers feeling lonely. In Psalm 25:16, he prays, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” And we see Elijah, hiding in a cave in 1 King 19 feeling lonely. God says, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And Elijah replies, “I’ve been zealous for you, Lord, but I’m the only one left!” Elijah was feeling alone in ministry. God basically tells Elijah, “You are not alone, Elijah! There are 7000 others besides you who haven’t bent the knee to Baal.” Why does God allow loneliness? So why does God allow Christian loneliness? Well, the simple answer is that God is not a micromanager! He lets us do our own thing, and often the things we do lead to loneliness. Technology also contributes to loneliness. Think back to the day before television, the Internet, and even the radio weren’t invented yet. My guess is that people were less lonely in those days because they spent more time visiting with each other. I think God also allows Christians to feel lonely sometimes for things He wants to accomplish in our lives. I remember when several of my good friends moved far away when my kids were young. I was super lonely and unhappy in that phase of my life, but God used my loneliness to draw me closer to Him and also to mature in ways He wanted me to mature. That said, God doesn’t want us to stay in our loneliness! The two greatest commandments, love God and love others, both speak to relationship. God wants us to be close to Him and others. And He wants us to love well. The more we do that, the less lonely we’ll feel. Loving others involves effort. And the interesting this is that working on breaking free from loneliness will lead toward loving others well. The first step to overcoming loneliness is to find out what is causing it.  What causes loneliness? I can think of four different causes of Christian loneliness.   Situational Christian Loneliness  The most obvious cause is that we don’t have enough friends or family. Or we have friends but they’re not close friends. Or we have friends in our regular life, but we’re currently someplace else where we don’t have friends.  We may also feel lonely if we’re with a group of people who know each other well, yet we’re not part of their group.  Emotional Christian Loneliness  At other times, we do have friends and family, but we don’t feel like they love us. This happened to me when my kids were young. For some reason, I got on a no-one-loves-me kick and it was hard to get out of it. It can also happen to us if we’re with a group of people who all believe differently than we do, especially if we’ve heard those people condemn people like us. They may still love us (and probably do!) but we think they don’t because we know they don’t care for our beliefs. It can also happen when we see people doing things on social media that we weren’t invited to.  Social  Christian Loneliness  Another type of Christian loneliness we might experience is a social loneliness. If we’re naturally shy or socially awkward, or if we have low self-esteem, we can look at all those confident outgoing people out there and think we’ll never be able to make friends. This makes us feel more lonely than ever because we don’t feel like we have any hope. And because we’re Christians, we can beat ourselves up over this because we think, “I should be better at this since I’m a Christian!”  Spiritual Christian Loneliness  As Christians, we have one other opportunity for loneliness and that’s loneliness in our relationship with God. If we’re not feeling close to Him, that can make us feel more lonely than ever.  How do I stop being lonely? So how do you stop being lonely? After all, we can’t just snap our fingers and feel like we belong all of a sudden! The truth is that it can take quite a bit of work to overcome loneliness. To be successful, we need to make overcoming loneliness a goal, not a desire. And goals take work to accomplish. But it is possible! Following are some steps to end Christian loneliness based on what type of loneliness you’re experiencing.   Situational Loneliness  Be proactive in making friends. This is something I did a few years back when I found myself in the position of needing a couple more friends. I made it a project: find new friends! I had to force myself out of my comfort zone and start asking people to do things. Here’s what I found: The first time you ask someone to go out for coffee or a walk, it feels super awkward. The second time, it’s slightly less awkward. And the third time, it’s fun. But it can take awhile to find a friend. You’ll need to find out if you enjoy being with them, if you have common interests, if you like to talk about the same things, and if they want to spend as much time with you as you want to spend with them. Don’t take it personally if they don’t! Some people don’t value relationships and some are just super busy and don’t have time. Connect with old friends via the phone. You can also connect with old friends who have moved away. Now that we’re traveling the country (my husband is a travel physical therapist), I’ll often call a friend or family member and visit with them while I walk. Or the two of us will meet with another couple via Facebook for a little chat. Be proactive in building community.  One of the best ways to make friends is to start groups that meet every week. It will take a little effort in the beginning to set these up, but after you get them set up, you’ll have community each week with very little effort on your part! You could join (or start) a home group at your church, attend a Bible study, form a mom’s group where you visit while the kids play, or find a group that meets around one of your hobbies. My daughter and her husband have a craft night with some of their friends and another friend has a scrapbooking group. When we’re in Montana, we usually go hiking with a big group of friends after church on Sundays. We began it by just asking people at church to go hiking with us one Sunday. We probably rounded up a group of 10 or 12 people just by asking at church! When we’re on the road, we join a home group or Bible study as soon as possible so we have community even though we know we’ll only be in the area for 13 weeks. And it’s surprising how close you can get to people in just 13 weeks! Find new ways to serve people locally or online. Often we think community is all about fun and family, but there is great community in serving others, and God would love to see us doing this! Spend some time brainstorming ways you could serve. We have friends who do Habitat for Humanity, and I think there’s a group of handymen at our church who do home repairs for people. You could call the Chamber of Commerce and see if there is a volunteer organization in your town that matches volunteers with programs. Or look for ways to serve through your church.     Emotional Loneliness  Let go of unrealistic expectations for how people love you. The first step to overcoming emotional loneliness is to recognize that it’s natural to feel lonely at times. We live in a fallen world and no one is perfect at loving so sometimes we’ll feel lonely because others aren’t loving us well. Let go of envy. It also helps to recognize that we don’t know the whole story when it comes to other people’s relationships. So when you see that perfect couple on Facebook, you don’t know how perfect they are in real life. I remember at a low point in my own marriage, looking at two other marriages in my town and thinking, “I wish my husband were more like that man.” Well, both of those marriages ended up in divorce a few years down the road because even though those men had many wonderful traits, they also had some really non-wonderful traits that caused their wives to leave them. Recognize that some stages of life are more prone to loneliness. Also recognize that each stage of life has its pluses and minuses in the loneliness department. When my kids were middle schoolers and teenagers I was rarely lonely because I had built-in friends in the house. But when they all left home, I had plenty of opportunities for loneliness. I also remember being lonely in college when I lived alone but not so lonely when I lived in a dorm full of friends. So if you’re in a more lonely stage of life, you’ll have to be more proactive (see situational loneliness for ideas) about making friends. Believe that people love you. It also helps to think about who does love you when you’re feeling lonely. Name actual names of people! This doesn’t always work though because when I was going through my no-one-loves-me phase, I felt like the only person who loved me was our super loving two year old! I was wrong. Lots of people loved me but I was too insecure to see it. Renewing my mind (see #2 in Social Loneliness) would have helped me greatly at that time in my life but I hadn’t written my book yet so I didn’t have that tool! Develop a thankfulness habit. This is a great step to take no matter what our problem is! For loneliness, it will help if we start thanking God for all the people in our lives. Thank Him for all the people who love you and that will help you to believe that they love you.    Social Loneliness  Focus on others. If your loneliness is caused by shyness or social awkwardness, it helps to focus on others. At one stage of my life when I felt intimidated at social gatherings, I would pray through 1 Corinthians 13 on the way to the gathering with the people there in mind. It helped me to get the focus off myself and onto others, which led to feeling more comfortable at the gather and also experiencing more connection since I was focused on others, not myself. Renew your mind. If you have low self-esteem, try renewing your mind before you meet with a friend or go to a social event. Use any of the insecurity questions in my books The Renewing of the Mind Project or my I Deserve a Donut app. It can take a bit of work to get to the point where we don’t feel insecure, but it’s worth the work! The key to overcoming insecurity is not to get to the point where we think we’re great, but to get to the point where we’re more focused on others rather than ourselves and where we’re willing to be vulnerable to love them well.  Ask God to help you connect with others. Sometimes we’re lonely because we don’t value relationships. When I was a teenager, I remember playing the piano in my home and singing a song made popular by Barbra Streisand called “People.” The song said that people who need people were the luckiest people in the world – but I didn’t feel like I needed people at the time. So while I sang, I asked God to help me be a person who needed people. And He did! I love people and need people so I go out of my way to make connections with people. If you don’t feel that need, ask God to help you value people and relationships. Work on your faults. One last thing we can do to overcome social loneliness is to work on character traits that make people not want to be with us. We all have faults so we don’t want to slip into self-condemnation here, but some faults are harder to be around than others. If we’re constantly complaining or negative, or if we talk all the time, or say rude things or give advice all the time, or if we don’t talk at all and never ask questions of others–all of these things can make people not want to be with us. So out of love for others, we could go to God for help with changing those things so we can love others better.    Spiritual Loneliness  Put effort into your relationship with God. The only way to overcome spiritual Christian loneliness is to get closer to God. It’s been said that there is a God-shaped whole in each of us that can only be filled with God. Yet it takes work to grow closer to God!  Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Seeking God with our whole hearts is different than just doing a 5-minute duty-driven quiet time each morning. Instead, it’s making a relationship with God as important as a relationship with a close friend or a spouse. Spending both quality and quantity time with Him. Develop a renewing habit. One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is to start a renewing of the mind habit. When I began a regular practice of  going to God to see life and people through His perspective, I grew closer to Him. I started this journey with truth journaling more than twenty years ago and it has continued to draw me near to God all these year. Do a Bible study that helps you discuss life with God. Have you ever had an intimate conversation with someone you didn’t know that well? I find that those types of conversations always make me feel closer to that person. But often our conversations with God are one-sided. It can help us feel closer to Him if we learn how to discuss life with Him. I have lots of free Bible studies on this website that will help you with that (just look at the Bible study tab), or you could also try my James Bible study or RALLY Bible study. Here’s a lesson from the James Bible study: Letting Go of Anger and Annoyance.    Well, that’s about it. I hope you’re not feeling too overwhelmed by all these ideas! The bottom line is that we can break free from Christian loneliness but it takes a bit of work. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of these ideas, just print out this post and circle the ideas that appeal to you, then narrow it down to 1-3 ideas to start out with. Then ask God for help and give it a whirl! You’ll not only be helping yourself, you’ll also be helping all the other lonely people out there who are looking for friends! How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Christian Loneliness: How to Stop Being Lonely appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>We live in an age where people are more connected than ever through social media and email, yet loneliness is rampant in all age groups. It’s easy to feel lonely even when we’re surrounded by people both online and in our own lives. We’re not the only ones who feel this way.</p> <p></p> <p><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2013/0825/Mother-Teresa-10-inspiring-quotes/The-greatest-need" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mother Teresa</a> once said, “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.”</p> <p>In this post and podcast episode, I’d like to talk about how to cure loneliness if you’re a Christian. We’ll begin with asking the question, “Is it normal to feel lonely?”</p> <h4>Is it normal for Christians to feel lonely?</h4> <p>I would answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” Even Jesus felt lonely. In the Garden of Gethsemane He wanted his disciples with Him yet they were asleep.  I’m guessing He also felt lonely <a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/100/JHN.16.NASB1995" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">at the cross</a> when so many of His disciples had deserted him. And I can’t imagine He didn’t feel lonely in ministry at times. Over and over, we see Him leaving the crowds and going off to be alone with His Father where He was strengthened to once again do ministry.</p> <p>We also see King David who had both friends and followers feeling lonely. In Psalm 25:16, he prays, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”</p> <p>And we see Elijah, hiding in a cave in 1 King 19 feeling lonely. God says, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And Elijah replies, “I’ve been zealous for you, Lord, but I’m the only one left!” Elijah was feeling alone in ministry. God basically tells Elijah, “You are not alone, Elijah! There are 7000 others besides you who haven’t bent the knee to Baal.”</p> <h4>Why does God allow loneliness?</h4> <p>So why does God allow Christian loneliness? Well, the simple answer is that God is not a micromanager! He lets us do our own thing, and often the things we do lead to loneliness. Technology also contributes to loneliness. Think back to the day before television, the Internet, and even the radio weren’t invented yet. My guess is that people were less lonely in those days because they spent more time visiting with each other.</p> <p>I think God also allows Christians to feel lonely sometimes for things He wants to accomplish in our lives. I remember when several of my good friends moved far away when my kids were young. I was super lonely and unhappy in that phase of my life, but God used my loneliness to draw me closer to Him and also to mature in ways He wanted me to mature.</p> <p>That said, God doesn’t want us to stay in our loneliness! The two greatest commandments, love God and love others, both speak to relationship. God wants us to be close to Him and others. And He wants us to love well. The more we do that, the less lonely we’ll feel. Loving others involves effort. And the interesting this is that working on breaking free from loneliness will lead toward loving others well. The first step to overcoming loneliness is to find out what is causing it.</p> <p></p> <h4>What causes loneliness?</h4> <p>I can think of four different causes of Christian loneliness.</p> <ol> <li> <h5><strong>Situational Christian Loneliness </strong></h5> <p>The most obvious cause is that we don’t have enough friends or family. Or we have friends but they’re not close friends. Or we have friends in our regular life, but we’re currently someplace else where we <em>don’t</em> have friends.  We may also feel lonely if we’re with a group of people who know each other well, yet we’re not part of their group.</p></li> <li> <h5><strong>Emotional Christian Loneliness </strong></h5> <p>At other times, we do have friends and family, but we don’t feel like they love us. This happened to me when my kids were young. For some reason, I got on a no-one-loves-me kick and it was hard to get out of it. It can also happen to us if we’re with a group of people who all believe differently than we do, especially if we’ve heard those people condemn people like us. They may still love us (and probably do!) but we think they don’t because we know they don’t care for our beliefs. It can also happen when we see people doing things on social media that we weren’t invited to.</p></li> <li> <h5><strong>Social  Christian Loneliness </strong></h5> <p>Another type of Christian loneliness we might experience is a social loneliness. If we’re naturally shy or socially awkward, or if we have low self-esteem, we can look at all those confident outgoing people out there and think we’ll never be able to make friends. This makes us feel more lonely than ever because we don’t feel like we have any hope. And because we’re Christians, we can beat ourselves up over this because we think, “I should be better at this since I’m a Christian!”</p></li> <li> <h5><strong>Spiritual Christian Loneliness </strong></h5> <p>As Christians, we have one other opportunity for loneliness and that’s loneliness in our relationship with God. If we’re not feeling close to Him, that can make us feel more lonely than ever.</p></li> </ol> <h4>How do I stop being lonely?</h4> <p>So how do you stop being lonely? After all, we can’t just snap our fingers and feel like we belong all of a sudden! The truth is that it can take quite a bit of work to overcome loneliness. To be successful, we need to make overcoming loneliness a <em>goal</em>, not a desire. And goals take work to accomplish. But it <em>is</em> possible! Following are some steps to end Christian loneliness based on what type of loneliness you’re experiencing.</p> <ol> <li> <h5><strong>Situational Loneliness</strong></h5> <ol> <li><strong>Be proactive in making friends.</strong> This is something I did a few years back when I found myself in the position of needing a couple more friends. I made it a project: find new friends! I had to force myself out of my comfort zone and start asking people to do things. Here’s what I found: The first time you ask someone to go out for coffee or a walk, it feels super awkward. The second time, it’s slightly less awkward. And the third time, it’s fun. But it can take awhile to find a friend. You’ll need to find out if you enjoy being with them, if you have common interests, if you like to talk about the same things, and if they want to spend as much time with you as you want to spend with them. Don’t take it personally if they don’t! Some people don’t value relationships and some are just super busy and don’t have time.</li> <li><strong>Connect with old friends via the phone.</strong> You can also connect with old friends who have moved away. Now that we’re traveling the country (my husband is a travel physical therapist), I’ll often call a friend or family member and visit with them while I walk. Or the two of us will meet with another couple via Facebook for a little chat.</li> <li><strong>Be proactive in building community.</strong>  One of the best ways to make friends is to start groups that meet every week. It will take a little effort in the beginning to set these up, but after you get them set up, you’ll have community each week with very little effort on your part! You could join (or start) a home group at your church, attend a Bible study, form a mom’s group where you visit while the kids play, or find a group that meets around one of your hobbies. My daughter and her husband have a craft night with some of their friends and another friend has a scrapbooking group. When we’re in Montana, we usually go hiking with a big group of friends after church on Sundays. We began it by just asking people at church to go hiking with us one Sunday. We probably rounded up a group of 10 or 12 people just by asking at church! When we’re on the road, we join a home group or Bible study as soon as possible so we have community even though we know we’ll only be in the area for 13 weeks. And it’s surprising how close you can get to people in just 13 weeks!</li> <li><strong>Find new ways to serve people locally or online.</strong> Often we think community is all about fun and family, but there is great community in serving others, and God would love to see us doing this! Spend some time brainstorming ways you could serve. We have friends who do Habitat for Humanity, and I think there’s a group of handymen at our church who do home repairs for people. You could call the Chamber of Commerce and see if there is a volunteer organization in your town that matches volunteers with programs. Or look for ways to serve through your church.<br/> </li> </ol> </li> <li> <h5><strong>Emotional Loneliness</strong></h5> <ol> <li><strong>Let go of unrealistic expectations for how people love you.</strong> The first step to overcoming emotional loneliness is to recognize that it’s natural to feel lonely at times. We live in a fallen world and no one is perfect at loving so sometimes we’ll feel lonely because others aren’t loving us well.</li> <li><strong>Let go of envy.</strong> It also helps to recognize that we don’t know the whole story when it comes to other people’s relationships. So when you see that perfect couple on Facebook, you don’t know how perfect they are in real life. I remember at a low point in my own marriage, looking at two other marriages in my town and thinking, “I wish my husband were more like that man.” Well, both of those marriages ended up in divorce a few years down the road because even though those men had many wonderful traits, they also had some really non-wonderful traits that caused their wives to leave them.</li> <li><strong>Recognize that some stages of life are more prone to loneliness.</strong> Also recognize that each stage of life has its pluses and minuses in the loneliness department. When my kids were middle schoolers and teenagers I was rarely lonely because I had built-in friends in the house. But when they all left home, I had plenty of opportunities for loneliness. I also remember being lonely in college when I lived alone but not so lonely when I lived in a dorm full of friends. So if you’re in a more lonely stage of life, you’ll have to be more proactive (see situational loneliness for ideas) about making friends.</li> <li><strong>Believe that people love you.</strong> It also helps to think about who does love you when you’re feeling lonely. Name actual names of people! This doesn’t always work though because when I was going through my no-one-loves-me phase, I felt like the only person who loved me was our super loving two year old! I was wrong. Lots of people loved me but I was too insecure to see it. Renewing my mind (see #2 in Social Loneliness) would have helped me greatly at that time in my life but I hadn’t written my book yet so I didn’t have that tool!</li> <li><strong>Develop a thankfulness habit.</strong> This is a great step to take no matter what our problem is! For loneliness, it will help if we start thanking God for all the people in our lives. Thank Him for all the people who love you and that will help you to believe that they love you.</li> </ol> </li> <li> <h5><strong>Social Loneliness</strong></h5> <ol> <li><strong>Focus on others.</strong> If your loneliness is caused by shyness or social awkwardness, it helps to focus on others. At one stage of my life when I felt intimidated at social gatherings, I would pray through 1 Corinthians 13 on the way to the gathering with the people there in mind. It helped me to get the focus off myself and onto others, which led to feeling more comfortable at the gather and also experiencing more connection since I was focused on others, not myself.</li> <li><strong>Renew your mind.</strong> If you have low self-esteem, try renewing your mind before you meet with a friend or go to a social event. Use any of the insecurity questions in my books <a href="https://amzn.to/2sOjCiM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Renewing of the Mind Project</em></a> or my <a href="https://barbraveling.com/i-deserve-a-donut-weight-loss-app/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>I Deserve a Donut</em> app</a>. It can take a bit of work to get to the point where we don’t feel insecure, but it’s worth the work! The key to overcoming insecurity is not to get to the point where we think we’re great, but to get to the point where we’re more focused on others rather than ourselves and where we’re willing to be vulnerable to love them well.<br/> </li> <li><strong>Ask God to help you connect with others.</strong> Sometimes we’re lonely because we don’t value relationships. When I was a teenager, I remember playing the piano in my home and singing a song made popular by Barbra Streisand called “People.” The song said that people who need people were the luckiest people in the world – but I didn’t feel like I needed people at the time. So while I sang, I asked God to help me be a person who needed people. And He did! I love people and need people so I go out of my way to make connections with people. If you don’t feel that need, ask God to help you value people and relationships.</li> <li><strong>Work on your faults.</strong> One last thing we can do to overcome social loneliness is to work on character traits that make people not want to be with us. We all have faults so we don’t want to slip into self-condemnation here, but some faults are harder to be around than others. If we’re constantly complaining or negative, or if we talk all the time, or say rude things or give advice all the time, or if we don’t talk at all and never ask questions of others–all of these things can make people not want to be with us. So out of love for others, we could go to God for help with changing those things so we can love others better.</li> </ol> </li> <li> <h5><strong>Spiritual Loneliness</strong></h5> <ol> <li><strong>Put effort into your relationship with God.</strong> The only way to overcome spiritual Christian loneliness is to get closer to God. It’s been said that there is a God-shaped whole in each of us that can only be filled with God. Yet it takes work to grow closer to God!  Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Seeking God with our whole hearts is different than just doing a 5-minute duty-driven quiet time each morning. Instead, it’s making a relationship with God as important as a relationship with a close friend or a spouse. Spending both quality and quantity time with Him.</li> <li><strong>Develop a renewing habit.</strong> One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is to start a renewing of the mind habit. When I began a regular practice of  going to God to see life and people through His perspective, I grew closer to Him. I started this journey with <a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-truth-journal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">truth journaling</a> more than twenty years ago and it has continued to draw me near to God all these year.</li> <li><strong>Do a Bible study that helps you discuss life with God.</strong> Have you ever had an intimate conversation with someone you didn’t know that well? I find that those types of conversations always make me feel closer to that person. But often our conversations with God are one-sided. It can help us feel closer to Him if we learn how to discuss life with Him. I have lots of free Bible studies on this website that will help you with that (just look at the Bible study tab), or you could also try my <a href="https://amzn.to/3IYwJQb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Bible study</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/34SMwfN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RALLY Bible study</a>. Here’s a lesson from the James Bible study: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/letting-go-of-anger-james-bible-study/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Letting Go of Anger and Annoyance</a>.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> <p>Well, that’s about it. I hope you’re not feeling too overwhelmed by all these ideas! The bottom line is that we can break free from Christian loneliness but it takes a bit of work. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of these ideas, just print out this post and circle the ideas that appeal to you, then narrow it down to 1-3 ideas to start out with. Then ask God for help and give it a whirl! You’ll not only be helping yourself, you’ll also be helping all the other lonely people out there who are looking for friends!</p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/christian-loneliness-how-to-stop-being-lonely/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Loneliness: How to Stop Being Lonely</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Christian Loneliness: How to Stop Being Lonely

Mike Donehey

Do you have loved ones in your life with whom you disagree? Do you find it hard to engage with someone who has a different opinion than yours? Are you prone to just “agree to disagree” when beliefs differ? If any of these are true for you, my interview today on the Christian Habits Podcast with Mike Donehey (links below) will give you a more peaceful approach and practical tips to have more healthy conversations when divisive topics arise.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  The importance of how we disagree rather than just what is said How to gently engage another person with curiosity Maintaining openness with someone who has left the faith allows them a way back According to Romans 2:4, it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance When you’re confident in what you believe, you aren’t threatened by another’s questions When someone feels understood, it often drains away animosity How “agreeing to disagree” isn’t always the best way How to not become a “smug monster” Why Mike believes that bitterness is the most dangerous sin Why it’s always more important to love the other person than to win the argument  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Mike’s book, Grace in the Gray: A More Loving Way to Disagree The Renewing of the Mind Project  Notable Quotes from Mike’s Book “If we are to love in the gray spaces—the places where our arguments find just footing on either side—curiosity and kindness must lead the way. Our desire to be heard must not overpower our need to hear what others are saying. Our desire to be understood must not overshadow our need to understand others.” “When grace is our baseline, then being disapproved of no longer feels like being disowned. We can even invite in divergence because we know where we stand. We know whose love we stand in.” About Mike Donehey Mike Donehey is a singer, songwriter, podcast host, and former lead singer of the Christian contemporary band Tenth Avenue North. He’s also the author of Grace in the Gray: A More Loving Way to Disagree (WaterBrook; on sale 1/17/23) and the bestselling author of Finding God’s Life for My Will. Mike, his wife, Kelly, and their four daughters live in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s also the host of Chasing the Beauty podcast. For more information, visit mikedonehey.com, or find Mike on his social channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post A More Loving Way to Disagree with Mike Donehey appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you have loved ones in your life with whom you disagree? Do you find it hard to engage with someone who has a different opinion than yours? Are you prone to just “agree to disagree” when beliefs differ? If any of these are true for you, my interview today on the Christian Habits Podcast with Mike Donehey (links below) will give you a more peaceful approach and practical tips to have more healthy conversations when divisive topics arise.</p> <p></p> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>The importance of <em>how</em> we disagree rather than just <em>what</em> is said</li> <li>How to gently engage another person with curiosity</li> <li>Maintaining openness with someone who has left the faith allows them a way back</li> <li>According to Romans 2:4, it’s God’s <em>kindness</em> that leads us to repentance</li> <li>When you’re confident in what you believe, you aren’t threatened by another’s questions</li> <li>When someone feels understood, it often drains away animosity</li> <li>How “agreeing to disagree” isn’t always the best way</li> <li>How to not become a “smug monster”</li> <li>Why Mike believes that bitterness is the most dangerous sin</li> <li>Why it’s always more important to love the other person than to win the argument</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Mike’s book, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3VPW5Wy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grace</a><a href="https://amzn.to/3VPW5Wy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> in the Gray: A More Loving Way to Disagree</a></em></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3IrzUmp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Renewing of the Mind Project</em></a></li> </ul> <h4>Notable Quotes from Mike’s Book</h4> <p><em>“If we are to love in the gray spaces—the places where our arguments find just footing on either side—curiosity and kindness must lead the way. Our desire to be heard must not overpower our need to hear what others are saying. Our desire to be understood must not overshadow our need to understand others.”</em></p> <p><em>“When grace is our baseline, then being disapproved of no longer feels like being disowned. We can even invite in divergence because we know where we stand. We know whose love we stand in.”</em></p> <h4>About Mike Donehey</h4> <p>Mike Donehey is a singer, songwriter, podcast host, and former lead singer of the Christian contemporary band Tenth Avenue North. He’s also the author of Grace in the Gray: A More Loving Way to Disagree (WaterBrook; on sale 1/17/23) and the bestselling author of Finding God’s Life for My Will. Mike, his wife, Kelly, and their four daughters live in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s also the host of Chasing the Beauty podcast. For more information, visit <a href="https://mikedonehey.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mikedonehey.com,</a> or find Mike on his social channels: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MikeDoneheyOfficial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mikedonehey/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/mikedonehey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Twitter</a>, or <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mikedoneheyofficial/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TikTok</a>.</p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/a-more-loving-way-to-disagree-with-mike-donehey/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A More Loving Way to Disagree with Mike Donehey</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

A More Loving Way to Disagree with Mike Donehey

Jordan Raynor

If you’ve ever experienced stress over your personal productivity, today’s episode of The Christian Habits Podcast with Jordan Raynor will really encourage you (links below). I talk with Jordan about his book, Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for being Purposeful, Present and Wildly Productive.   What We Discussed on the Podcast  How this book’s advice differs from other “time management” books Having peace in Jesus regardless of your productivity How to centralize “open loops” with a commitment tracking system Learning to accept your “uni-presence” How good works are our worship in response to the gospel Ideas to minimize external and internal distractions How redeeming the time means that we are called to be very selective about what we say “yes” to  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Jordan’s book:  Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for being Purposeful, Present and Wildly Productive.  Jordan’s newest book: The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work Deep Work by Cal Newport Waves of Creativity: A Gathering of Ideas on Creating with God by Alan Arnold  Notable Quotes from Jordan’s Book “Our work matters today because it is a means of glorifying God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. But our work also matters for eternity because God can use it to build his kingdom.” “In today’s distracted world, being fully present is one of the most valuable presents you can give.” “Which problem, once solved, is going to make most of my other problems easier to solve or disappear entirely?” “Opportunities that aren’t attached to some meaningful end aren’t opportunities. They are simply possibilities that stir up frantic excitement.” About Jordan Raynor Bestselling author Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity.  He does this through his books including the bestselling Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive and The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work (WaterBrook; on sale 11/15/22), The Creator in You (children’s book), Mere Christians podcast, and weekly devotional (“The Word Before Work”)—content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth.  In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the executive chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which he previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan served in the White House under George W. Bush and has twice been selected as a Google Fellow. Jordan and his books have been featured on dozens of media outlets including CNBC, Fast Company, WIRED Magazine, Forbes.com, In the Market with Janet Parshall, Dad Tired, Ken Coleman Show &amp; The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. He lives near Tampa, Florida with his wife and their three young daughters. For more information, visit https://www.jordanraynor.com &amp; https://www.instagram.com/jordanraynor How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive with Jordan Raynor appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>If you’ve ever experienced stress over your personal productivity, today’s episode of The Christian Habits Podcast with Jordan Raynor will really encourage you (links below). I talk with Jordan about his book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3h8gyrr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for being Purposeful, Present and Wildly Productive. </em></a></p> <p></p> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How this book’s advice differs from other “time management” books</li> <li>Having peace in Jesus regardless of your productivity</li> <li>How to centralize “open loops” with a commitment tracking system</li> <li>Learning to accept your “uni-presence”</li> <li>How good works are our worship in response to the gospel</li> <li>Ideas to minimize external and internal distractions</li> <li>How redeeming the time means that we are called to be very selective about what we say “yes” to</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Jordan’s book:  <a href="https://amzn.to/3h8gyrr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for being Purposeful, Present and Wildly Productive. </em></a></li> <li>Jordan’s newest book: <a href="https://amzn.to/3BnAmxO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work</em></a></li> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/3Y9O5lx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deep Work</a> </em>by Cal Newport</li> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/3PgG2z9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waves of Creativity: A Gathering of Ideas on Creating with God</a> </em>by Alan Arnold</li> </ul> <h4>Notable Quotes from Jordan’s Book</h4> <p><em>“Our work matters today because it is a means of glorifying God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. But our work also matters for eternity because God can use it to build his kingdom.”</em></p> <p><em>“In today’s distracted world, being fully present is one of the most valuable presents you can give.”</em></p> <p><em>“Which problem, once solved, is going to make most of my other problems easier to solve or disappear entirely?”</em></p> <p><em>“Opportunities that aren’t attached to some meaningful end aren’t opportunities. They are simply possibilities that stir up frantic excitement.”</em></p> <h4>About Jordan Raynor</h4> <p>Bestselling author Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity. </p> <p>He does this through his books including the bestselling <em>Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive</em> and <em>The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work </em>(WaterBrook; on sale 11/15/22), <em>The Creator in You</em> (children’s book), <em>Mere Christians</em> podcast, and weekly devotional (“The Word Before Work”)—content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth. </p> <p>In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the executive chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which he previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan served in the White House under George W. Bush and has twice been selected as a Google Fellow. </p>Jordan and his books have been featured on dozens of media outlets including CNBC, Fast Company, WIRED Magazine, <a href="http://Forbes.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Forbes.com</a>, In the Market with Janet Parshall, Dad Tired, Ken Coleman Show &amp; The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. He lives near Tampa, Florida with his wife and their three young daughters. For more information, visit <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/8GUXCNk8j7IG49zpF8-PhA?domain=nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.jordanraynor.com</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanraynor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/jordanraynor</a> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/purposeful-present-and-wildly-productive-with-jordan-raynor/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive with Jordan Raynor</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive with Jordan Raynor

Daniel Fusco

When trials and hard times come into our lives, we can find ourselves questioning God and becoming bitter. On today’s episode of The Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I talk with Daniel Fusco about how developing resilience during trials can actually be a path to fruitfulness and growth in our lives, and also about his new book, You’re Gonna Make It.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  What is resilience? How hope and grit factor into the resilience equation How to submit to God’s will, no matter what Discovering the fruit that comes from hard times in our lives Learning to walk through trials open-hearted Dispelling the “life is easy” myth The profound growth that happens during trials in our lives Building resilience before the hardship Making space to cultivate hope How the Body of Christ is at its best when our lives are at their worst  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Daniel’s new book: You’re Gonna Make It  About Daniel Fusco Daniel Fusco is an author, a church planter, and the lead pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Washington. His radio program, Jesus Is Real Radio, is broadcast across the country, and his TV show, Real with Daniel Fusco, airs across the globe. He also hosts the popular You’re Gonna Make It podcast and is the author of Crazy Happy, and You’re Gonna Make It. He has written numerous articles for CBN.com, PreachingToday.com, and Relevant. Fusco and his wife, Lynn, have three children and reside in southwest Washington How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Daniel Fusco: Unlocking Resilience When Life is a Mess appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>When trials and hard times come into our lives, we can find ourselves questioning God and becoming bitter. On today’s episode of The Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I talk with Daniel Fusco about how developing resilience during trials can actually be a path to fruitfulness and growth in our lives, and also about his new book, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3DYiFXb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You’re Gonna Make It</a>.</em></p> <h4></h4> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>What is resilience?</li> <li>How hope and grit factor into the resilience equation</li> <li>How to submit to God’s will, no matter what</li> <li>Discovering the fruit that comes from hard times in our lives</li> <li>Learning to walk through trials open-hearted</li> <li>Dispelling the “life is easy” myth</li> <li>The profound growth that happens during trials in our lives</li> <li>Building resilience <em>before</em> the hardship</li> <li>Making space to cultivate hope</li> <li>How the Body of Christ is at its best when our lives are at their worst</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Daniel’s new book: <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3DYiFXb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You’re Gonna Make It</a></em></li> </ul> <h4>About Daniel Fusco</h4> <p>Daniel Fusco is an author, a church planter, and the lead pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Washington. His radio program, Jesus Is Real Radio, is broadcast across the country, and his TV show, Real with Daniel Fusco, airs across the globe. He also hosts the popular <em>You’re Gonna Make It</em> podcast and is the author of <em>Crazy Happy</em>, and <em>You’re Gonna Make It</em>. He has written numerous articles for <a href="http://CBN.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CBN.com</a>, <a href="http://PreachingToday.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PreachingToday.com</a>, and Relevant. Fusco and his wife, Lynn, have three children and reside in southwest Washington</p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/daniel-fusco-unlocking-resilience-when-life-is-a-mess/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Fusco: Unlocking Resilience When Life is a Mess</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Daniel Fusco: Unlocking Resilience When Life is a Mess

Do you ever feel like you can’t change no matter how hard you try? On the Christian Habits Podcast, we’ll talk about biblical transformation through the renewing of the mind. This is a practical, hands-on podcast that will help you break free from the things that control you: things like bad habits, idolatry, overeating, and negative emotions such as worry, insecurity, anger, and stress. We’ll also talk about how to develop a close relationship with God as we develop the habit of going to Him for help with life.

Jennifer Slattery

Do you find yourself looking to other people or things to satisfy you? Are you tempted to doubt that Jesus alone really does offer a life of joy, peace and contentment? On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I visit with Jennifer Slattery about nine common idols we are tempted to worship and how to resist them.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  What is an idol? Nine common things we are tempted to worship instead of God How idols can hurt our relationships How an inner-angst is an indicator that we may have an idol The process associated with giving up an idol Jennifer’s own struggles with an eating disorder as she struggled with a food idol Wisdom for overcoming idols A great question to ask when deciding to give up an idol  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating  Pre-Order bonuses for Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating Jennifer’s website, jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com  About Jennifer SlatteryJennifer Slattery is an author, speaker, and ministry leader passionate about helping God’s children reach their full potential and live fully surrendered to Christ. Find her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.       How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Jennifer Slattery: 9 Common Idols and How to Resist Them appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you find yourself looking to other people or things to satisfy you? Are you tempted to doubt that Jesus alone really does offer a life of joy, peace and contentment? On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I visit with Jennifer Slattery about nine common idols we are tempted to worship and how to resist them.</p> <p></p> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>What is an idol?</li> <li>Nine common things we are tempted to worship instead of God</li> <li>How idols can hurt our relationships</li> <li>How an inner-angst is an indicator that we may have an idol</li> <li>The process associated with giving up an idol</li> <li>Jennifer’s own struggles with an eating disorder as she struggled with a food idol</li> <li>Wisdom for overcoming idols</li> <li>A great question to ask when deciding to give up an idol</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SJQoZu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Counterfeit Gods</em></a> by Timothy Keller</li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/saygoodbyetoemotionaleating/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating</em> </a></li> <li><a href="https://saygoodbyetoemotionaleating.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pre-Order bonuses</a> for <em>Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating</em></li> <li>Jennifer’s website, <a href="https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com</a></li> </ul> <h4>About Jennifer Slattery</h4>Jennifer Slattery is an author, speaker, and ministry leader passionate about helping God’s children reach their full potential and live fully surrendered to Christ. Find her online at <a href="https://www.jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com./" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.</a> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/jennifer-slattery-9-common-idols-and-how-to-resist-them/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Slattery: 9 Common Idols and How to Resist Them</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Jennifer Slattery: 9 Common Idols and How to Resist Them

I don’t know about you, but when life is hard, I’m often tempted to do things that aren’t good for me. Eat, for example. Or waste time on my phone. Or sit like a lump on the couch and think of all the things that could possibly go wrong and how my life will be even worse in the future.  What I don’t normally do is run to God for refuge and strength and perspective. At least not first thing. When I do get around to that, I feel about a million times better. My problems don’t seem as huge through the lens of Scripture, and I feel much better soaking in God’s love and protection. In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I talk about three temptations we face when life is hard and three solutions for each temptation. I got the idea for the episode from one of my quiet times a couple of weeks ago. I was reading about the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4,  and it made me think about how Jesus responded to His trials and how often we are tempted to respond to our own trials. I’ll include a picture of the notes I made in my Bible below. (I don’t usually draw lines through the Scripture in my Bible, but I was out of room!) If you’re going through something hard right now, I hope this podcast episode helps you!  What I Discussed on the Podcast  How we face all kinds of different trials in our lives What we are often tempted to do in response to hard times The distractions that we often turn to Examples of hard seasons from my own life Solutions to the temptations we face in challenging times Scriptures that I reference – Deut. 6:16, James 1:2-4, Gal. 5:22-23, Ps. 27:13  Resources Talked About on the Podcast  Free Bible studies on my website Freedom from Emotional Eating  Rally: A Personal Growth Bible Study My newest book Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating Pre-Order Bonuses for my new book! Order by October 31st to take advantage of these.   How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post When Life is Hard: 3 Temptations &amp; 3 Solutions appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>I don’t know about you, but when life is hard, I’m often tempted to do things that aren’t good for me. Eat, for example. Or waste time on my phone. Or sit like a lump on the couch and think of all the things that could possibly go wrong and how my life will be even worse in the future.</p> <p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/when-life-is-hard.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <p>What I don’t normally do is run to God for refuge and strength and perspective. At least not first thing. When I do get around to that, I feel about a million times better. My problems don’t seem as huge through the lens of Scripture, and I feel much better soaking in God’s love and protection.</p> <p>In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I talk about three temptations we face when life is hard and three solutions for each temptation. I got the idea for the episode from one of my quiet times a couple of weeks ago.</p> <p>I was reading about the temptation of Jesus in <a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.4.ESV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 4,</a>  and it made me think about how Jesus responded to <em>His</em> trials and how often we are tempted to respond to our own trials. I’ll include a picture of the notes I made in my Bible below. (I don’t usually draw lines through the Scripture in my Bible, but I was out of room!)</p> <p>If you’re going through something hard right now, I hope this podcast episode helps you!</p> <p></p> <h4>What I Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How we face all kinds of different trials in our lives</li> <li>What we are often tempted to do in response to hard times</li> <li>The distractions that we often turn to</li> <li>Examples of hard seasons from my own life</li> <li>Solutions to the temptations we face in challenging times</li> <li>Scriptures that I reference – <a href="https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/6-16.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deut. 6:16</a>, <a href="https://biblehub.com/context/james/1-2.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James 1:2-4</a>, <a href="https://biblehub.com/galatians/5-22.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gal. 5:22-23</a>, <a href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/27-13.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ps. 27:13</a></li> </ul> <h4>Resources Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/free-bible-studies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Bible studies</a> on my website</li> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/3eR4b16" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freedom from Emotional Eating</a> </em></li> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/3xotY7i" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rally: A Personal Growth Bible Study</a></em></li> <li>My newest book <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3xo22AK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating</a></em></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/saygoodbyetoemotionaleating/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pre-Order Bonuses</a> for my new book! Order by October 31st to take advantage of these.</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/saygoodbyetoemotionaleating/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/when-life-is-hard-3-temptations-3-solutions/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">When Life is Hard: 3 Temptations &amp; 3 Solutions</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

When Life is Hard: 3 Temptations & 3 Solutions

Dana K. White

Do you feel overwhelmed by the task of getting organized? Does a simple glance around your home or office tell you that clutter is taking over your life? If so, my podcast interview with Dana K. White from A Slob Comes Clean (links below) will offer helpful advice about how to tackle these projects without stress.    What We Discussed on the Podcast  Coming to terms with our own unique clutter threshold The Container Concept Accepting the reality of the limited space we have How decluttering and cleaning are not the same things What the layers of a clean house are How Dana’s method is different than minimalism How to change our goals about our spaces The Visibility Rule How decluttering is a lifelong process  Resources We Talked About on the Podcast  James Bible Study Dana’s new book: Organizing for the Rest of Us Another of Dana’s books: Decluttering at the Speed of Life Dana’s website: aslobcomesclean.com  About Dana K. White Dana K. White is a Wallstreet Journal bestselling author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and (much to her own surprise) a decluttering expert. In an attempt to get her home under control, Dana started blogging as “Nony” (short for anonymous) at A Slob Comes Clean. Dana soon realized she was not alone in her housekeeping struggles and in her feelings of shame. Today, Dana shares realistic home management strategies with her signature humor and a message of hope for the hopelessly messy through her blog, weekly podcasts, and videos. Dana lives with her husband and three kids just outside of Dallas, Texas. Learn more at www.aslobcomesclean.com. How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”     The post Dana K. White: How to Declutter and Get Organized appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you feel overwhelmed by the task of getting organized? Does a simple glance around your home or office tell you that clutter is taking over your life? If so, my podcast interview with Dana K. White from <a href="https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>A</em><em> Slob Comes Clean</em></a> (links below) will offer helpful advice about how to tackle these projects without stress.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/declutter__get_organized_1200_×_630_px.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Coming to terms with our own unique clutter threshold</li> <li><em>The Container Concept</em></li> <li>Accepting the reality of the limited space we have</li> <li>How decluttering and cleaning are not the same things</li> <li>What the layers of a clean house are</li> <li>How Dana’s method is different than minimalism</li> <li>How to change our goals about our spaces</li> <li><em>The Visibility Rule</em></li> <li>How decluttering is a lifelong process</li> </ul> <h4>Resources We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/3GpIlvk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Bible Study</a></em></li> <li>Dana’s new book: <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3ag5hRM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Organizing for the Rest of Us</a></em></li> <li>Another of Dana’s books: <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3lPiWSt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Decluttering at the Speed of Life</a></em></li> <li>Dana’s website: <a href="https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">aslobcomesclean.com</a></li> </ul> <h4>About Dana K. White</h4> <p><strong>Dana K. White</strong> is a Wallstreet Journal bestselling author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and (much to her own surprise) a decluttering expert. In an attempt to get her home under control, Dana started blogging as “Nony” (short for anonymous) at <a href="https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Slob Comes Clean</a>. Dana soon realized she was not alone in her housekeeping struggles and in her feelings of shame. Today, Dana shares realistic home management strategies with her signature humor and a message of hope for the hopelessly messy through her blog, weekly podcasts, and videos. Dana lives with her husband and three kids just outside of Dallas, Texas. Learn more at <a href="https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.aslobcomesclean.com</a>.</p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/dana-k-white-how-to-declutter-and-get-organized/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dana K. White: How to Declutter and Get Organized</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Dana K. White: How to Declutter and Get Organized

Asheritah Ciuciu

In this interview with Asheritah CiuCiu, we discuss how to grow a prayer habit using the REST method from her new book, Prayers of Rest: 365 Prompts to Hear God’s Voice. If you find yourself struggling to make prayer a daily habit, Asheritah offers many helpful ways to cultivate this powerful discipline in this episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below).   What We Discussed on the Podcast  How to make a prayer habit stick by learning, fostering and practicing it Praying through hard emotions How distracting thoughts can actually become prompts in prayer How developing intimacy with God takes time How what we believe about God influences our prayers Written prayers vs. spontaneous prayers How to stop talking and begin listening in prayer The REST prayer method: Recite God’s goodness, Express your neediness, Seek His Stillness, and Trusting God’s faithfulness Praying through scripture  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  My previous interview with Asheritah: Overcoming Food Fixation Asheritah’s newest book: Prayers of Rest: 365 Prompts to Hear God’s Voice App that Barb referenced: Reimagining the Examen (free app available on both Google and Apple app stores) Asheritah’s books: Full: Food, Jesus and the Battle for Satisfaction, and Bible and Breakfast  About Asheritah CiuCiu Asheritah Ciuciu is a bestselling author, national speaker, and host of the Prayers of REST podcast. She is the founder of One Thing Alone Ministries, an online ministry that helps women all over the world find joy in Jesus through creative and consistent time in God’s word. Asheritah grew up in Romania as a missionary kid and studied English and Women’s Ministry at Cedarville University. She is married to her high school sweetheart and together they raise their three spunky kids in NE Ohio. Asheritah is the author of several books, including the best-selling Advent devotional Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. Her writing and speaking has been featured on Focus on the Family, Revive Our Hearts, Moody Radio, Relevant Magazine, Proverbs 31, and MOPS International. For more information about Asheritah, her books, and writing/speaking ministry, visit www.asheritah.com. How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Asheritah CiuCiu: Growing a Prayer Habit appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>In this interview with Asheritah CiuCiu, we discuss how to grow a prayer habit using the <em>REST </em>method from her new book, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3KiArV5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prayers of Rest: 365 Prompts to Hear God’s Voice</a>. </em>If you find yourself struggling to make prayer a daily habit, Asheritah offers many helpful ways to cultivate this powerful discipline in this episode of the <em>Christian Habits Podcast</em> (links below).</p> <p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/growing_a_prayer_habit_1200_×_630_px.jpeg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <h4></h4> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How to make a prayer habit stick by learning, fostering and practicing it</li> <li>Praying through hard emotions</li> <li>How distracting thoughts can actually become prompts in prayer</li> <li>How developing intimacy with God takes time</li> <li>How what we believe about God influences our prayers</li> <li>Written prayers vs. spontaneous prayers</li> <li>How to stop talking and begin listening in prayer</li> <li>The <em>REST</em> prayer method: Recite God’s goodness, Express your neediness, Seek His Stillness, and Trusting God’s faithfulness</li> <li>Praying through scripture</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>My previous interview with Asheritah: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/overcoming-food-fixation-interview-asheritah-ciuciu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Overcoming Food Fixation</em></a></li> <li>Asheritah’s newest book: <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3KiArV5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prayers of Rest: 365 Prompts to Hear God’s Voice</a></em></li> <li>App that Barb referenced: <em>Reimagining the Examen</em> (free app available on both Google and Apple app stores)</li> <li>Asheritah’s books: <a href="https://amzn.to/3OGH5HU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Full: Food, Jesus and the Battle for Satisfaction</em></a>, and <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3EUfaQC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bible and Breakfast</a></em></li> </ul> <h4>About Asheritah CiuCiu</h4> <p>Asheritah Ciuciu is a bestselling author, national speaker, and host of the <a href="https://onethingalone.com/prayersofrest/#podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prayers of REST </a>podcast. She is the founder of <a href="https://onethingalone.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One Thing Alone Ministries</a>, an online ministry that helps women all over the world find joy in Jesus through creative and consistent time in God’s word. Asheritah grew up in Romania as a missionary kid and studied English and Women’s Ministry at Cedarville University. She is married to her high school sweetheart and together they raise their three spunky kids in NE Ohio. Asheritah is the author of several books, including the best-selling Advent devotional <a href="https://amzn.to/3vhtgbk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Unwrapping the Names of Jesus</em></a>. Her writing and speaking has been featured on Focus on the Family, Revive Our Hearts, Moody Radio, Relevant Magazine, Proverbs 31, and MOPS International. For more information about Asheritah, her books, and writing/speaking ministry, visit <a href="https://asheritah.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.asheritah.com</a>.</p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/asheritah-ciuciu-growing-a-prayer-habit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Asheritah CiuCiu: Growing a Prayer Habit</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Asheritah CiuCiu: Growing a Prayer Habit

Joshua Becker

In Joshua Becker’s new book, Things that Matter, he talks about eight common distractions that keep us from living a meaningful life. Joshua Becker is a former pastor and the founder of the influential Becoming Minimalist blog, where he has been helping millions find more by owning less for the last 15 years. On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I visit with Joshua about two of those distractions—the pursuit of leisure and the pursuit of happiness.  Things We Discussed on the Podcast  How removing distractions from our lives enables us to realize our fullest potential How the pursuit of money, possessions, accolades, leisure, fear, and past mistakes hold us back Two types of distractions: internal and external The specific distractions of leisure and the pursuit of personal happiness How serving others helps to overcome the victim mentality The idea of retirement is found nowhere in the Bible How to transition from lives of self-centeredness to lives of service  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Things that Matter: Overcoming Distractions to Pursue a More Meaningful Life by Joshua Becker   About Joshua Becker Joshua Becker, author of Things That Matter: Overcoming Distractions to Pursue a More Meaningful Life, is also the bestselling author of The More of Less, The Minimalist Home, and founder of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to inspiring others to find more life by owning less. The website welcomes over 1.5 million readers each month and has inspired millions around the world to consider the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions. He is also the creator of Simplify magazine and founder of The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. He’s a contributing writer to Forbes and has appeared in dozens of media outlets, including Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CBS Evening News, and “The Drew Barrymore Show.” Joshua and his family live near Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit BecomingMinimalist.com. How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post Joshua Becker: Overcoming Distractions to Live a More Meaningful Life appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>In Joshua Becker’s new book, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/36EqPWX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Things that Matter</a></em>, he talks about eight common distractions that keep us from living a meaningful life. Joshua Becker is a former pastor and the founder of the influential <em><a href="https://www.becomingminimalist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Becoming Minimalist blog</a>, </em>where he has been helping millions find <em>more</em> by owning <em>less</em> for the last 15 years. On today’s episode of the <em>Christian Habits Podcast</em> (links below), I visit with Joshua about two of those distractions—the pursuit of leisure and the pursuit of happiness.</p> <p></p> <h4>Things We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>How removing distractions from our lives enables us to realize our fullest potential</li> <li>How the pursuit of money, possessions, accolades, leisure, fear, and past mistakes hold us back</li> <li>Two types of distractions: internal and external</li> <li>The specific distractions of leisure and the pursuit of personal happiness</li> <li>How serving others helps to overcome the victim mentality</li> <li>The idea of retirement is found nowhere in the Bible</li> <li>How to transition from lives of self-centeredness to lives of service</li> </ul> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><em><a href="https://amzn.to/3wTOX2n" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Things that Matter: Overcoming Distractions to Pursue a More Meaningful Life</a> </em>by Joshua Becker</li> </ul> <h4></h4> <h4>About Joshua Becker</h4> <p>Joshua Becker, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3iMYHU0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Things That Matter: Overcoming Distractions to</em></a> <a href="https://amzn.to/3iMYHU0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Pursue a More Meaningful Life</em></a>, is also the bestselling author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3uFe8D4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The More of Less</em></a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3JLM4V0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Minimalist Home</em></a>, and founder of <a href="https://www.becomingminimalist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Becoming Minimalist</a>, a website dedicated to inspiring others to find more life by owning less. The website welcomes over 1.5 million readers each month and has inspired millions around the world to consider the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions. He is also the creator of <em>Simplify</em> magazine and founder of <em>The Hope Effect</em>, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. He’s a contributing writer to Forbes and has appeared in dozens of media outlets, including Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CBS Evening News, and “The Drew Barrymore Show.” Joshua and his family live near Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.becomingminimalist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BecomingMinimalist.com.</a></p> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/joshua-becker-overcoming-distractions-to-live-a-more-meaningful-life/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua Becker: Overcoming Distractions to Live a More Meaningful Life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Joshua Becker: Overcoming Distractions to Live a More Meaningful Life

Do you ever have a hard time making yourself read your Bible? Or do you start out reading, only to find yourself reading the same passage over and over again because you can’t make yourself concentrate?  I spent twenty years of my Christian life struggling to have a daily quiet time. I’d do fine when I was in a church Bible study but when I was on my own, I just didn’t have the discipline to read my Bible. And even with church studies, you’d often find me rushing through all the lessons one hour before class! Back in those days, I would have loved to have someone take me by the hand and help me develop a daily quiet time habit. Following are some of the things that helped me develop a now 20+ year daily quiet time habit. Tips to Help You Become Consistent with Bible Reading  Remember your why. Authors of books on goal setting tell us the first thing we need to do is know our “why.” In other words, why do we want to develop this habit? Take a minute and write down as many reasons as possible of why you want to develop a Bible reading habit, then refer back to that list each morning you don’t feel like reading! Here are some reasons I thought of: to grow closer to God, be conformed to His image, find insight for current life, see how Jesus lived life, learn from other believers’ stories, store up truth to combat the world’s lies, gain comfort and strength, find good verses to memorize and meditate on, gain counsel for everyday life. For more ideas, check out Psalm 119! Start small. Habit experts tell us our best chance of developing a habit is to start small. So instead of saying, “I’ll read my Bible for one hour a day,” set a smaller goal. 15 minutes a day, maybe. Or even 5 minutes a day. Whatever you think you can make yourself follow through on. You can always up the time after your habit is established. Don’t be a perfectionist. Because I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to quiet times, it surprised me when women told me they feel they need to spend at least an hour in quiet time for it to be legitimate. I often spend an hour in quiet time, but if I felt like I had to, it might make me procrastinate or skip my quiet time! Try to remember that your Bible reading time is relationship-with-God time. And all amounts of time are good! Find something that engages your mind. This was one of my problems back in my can’t-make-myself-read-my-Bible years. I read through the whole Bible after becoming a Christian in 7th grade, but then I wasn’t sure what to do next. I thought, I’ve already read the Bible. Now, what do I do? Well, obviously the answer was, “Read it again!” but at that time, I’d lost my motivation to read the Bible again. When that happens to you, look for a Bible study that will engage your mind. One that makes you think. I actually wrote the questions in my new Bible study on James during one of my own quiet times when I couldn’t make myself focus on the Bible. I love Bible studies that make me think, whether they are topical or a book-of-the-Bible study. Focus on fellowshipping with God rather than checking “read Bible” off the list. If you view your relationships with people as duties rather than fun times to be with them, you won’t want to get together with them. It’s the same with Bible reading. If you view it as a duty, rather than time to fellowship with God, you won’t want to do it. Take time when you’re reading to visit with God about anything that pops up in your reading. I like to read small portions of Scripture each day so I have plenty of time to think about it, see how it interacts with my life, and talk to God about it. Don’t feel like your Bible reading has to be in the morning. My husband does his Bible reading at night because he is like a walking zombie in the morning. He likes to wake up, start his coffee, then sit in the dark drinking it. Rather than trying to force his mind to wake up that early, he does his Bible reading at night.  Join a group study or find an accountability partner. Group studies really helped me in the old days when I didn’t have much discipline. It can also help to have an accountability partner. This blog post will give you ideas on how to set that up: Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner’s Guide. Expect opposition. Often we stumble because we expect habits to be easy. So when we miss Bible reading for a couple of days, we think, I’m not capable of this, and give up. We’ll be more likely to succeed if we expect it to be hard. Because here’s the truth: It is hard! Not only do we have our flesh saying, “Let me sleep just a little longer!” we also have an enemy who doesn’t want us to read our Bibles. Satan is the father of lies and he doesn’t want you to develop a Bible reading habit. Here is a podcast episode that will help you defeat those lies: Consistent Quiet Times: 10 Lies That Get in the Way. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Not only does Satan lie to us, but he also condemns us. So when we beat ourselves up for not following through on Bible reading, we’re playing into his condemning tactics. God is a God of grace and He is for us. He knows what it’s like to be tempted so He’s not a bit surprised when we don’t follow through on things He wants us to do. Know that you won’t be able to do this perfectly but just continue to persevere to make it a habit. Look at the tips in today’s post to see if one of those might help you follow through with daily Bible reading.  That’s about it. I tried to come up with one more tip so it would be an even ten, but I couldn’t think of one! My prayer is that you will be able to develop a Bible reading habit that fills your soul and draws you closer to God. If you’d like help with a study that will engage your mind, check out my latest book below. James Bible Study  This is a Bible study I didn’t set out to write. It came out of one of my own quiet times when I couldn’t make myself focus on the Bible. After several times reading the same paragraph over and over because I couldn’t concentrate, I thought, Maybe if I write some questions down first, it will be easier to concentrate. I did that and I loved the process. Not only did the questions help me apply the passage to my life at the moment, they also drew me closer to God as I used that Bible passage to visit with Him about what was going on in my life. If you’d like to see a sample of two of the 20 lessons in James, check out these blog posts (you’ll find the lessons at the end of each blog post):  Lesson 3: Overcoming Temptation Lesson 4: Slow to Anger  Other Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  How to Truth Journal Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner’s Guide Consistent Quiet Times: 10 Lies That Get in the Way How to Use the Bible for Help with Real-Life Problems Rally Bible Study – a Bible study on trials that helps you learn truth journaling  How to Listen to the Podcast Version of this Blog Post  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post When You Can’t Make Yourself Read Your Bible – 9 Tips appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you ever have a hard time making yourself read your Bible? Or do you start out reading, only to find yourself reading the same passage over and over again because you can’t make yourself concentrate?</p> <p></p> <p>I spent twenty years of my Christian life struggling to have a daily quiet time. I’d do fine when I was in a church Bible study but when I was on my own, I just didn’t have the discipline to read my Bible. And even with church studies, you’d often find me rushing through all the lessons one hour before class!</p> <p>Back in those days, I would have loved to have someone take me by the hand and help me develop a daily quiet time habit. Following are some of the things that helped me develop a now 20+ year daily quiet time habit.</p> <h4>Tips to Help You Become Consistent with Bible Reading</h4> <ol> <li><strong>Remember your why.</strong> Authors of books on goal setting tell us the first thing we need to do is know our “why.” In other words, why do we want to develop this habit? Take a minute and write down as many reasons as possible of why you want to develop a Bible reading habit, then refer back to that list each morning you don’t feel like reading! Here are some reasons I thought of: to grow closer to God, be conformed to His image, find insight for current life, see how Jesus lived life, learn from other believers’ stories, store up truth to combat the world’s lies, gain comfort and strength, find good verses to memorize and meditate on, gain counsel for everyday life. For more ideas, check out <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119&amp;version=ESV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 119</a>!</li> <li><strong>Start small.</strong> Habit experts tell us our best chance of developing a habit is to start small. So instead of saying, “I’ll read my Bible for one hour a day,” set a smaller goal. 15 minutes a day, maybe. Or even 5 minutes a day. Whatever you think you can make yourself follow through on. You can always up the time after your habit is established.</li> <li><strong>Don’t be a perfectionist.</strong> Because I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to quiet times, it surprised me when women told me they feel they need to spend at least an hour in quiet time for it to be legitimate. I often spend an hour in quiet time, but if I felt like I <em>had</em> to, it might make me procrastinate or skip my quiet time! Try to remember that your Bible reading time is relationship-with-God time. And all amounts of time are good!</li> <li><strong>Find something that engages your mind.</strong> This was one of my problems back in my can’t-make-myself-read-my-Bible years. I read through the whole Bible after becoming a Christian in 7th grade, but then I wasn’t sure what to do next. I thought, <em>I’ve already read the Bible. Now, what do I do?</em> Well, obviously the answer was, “Read it again!” but at that time, I’d lost my motivation to read the Bible again. When that happens to you, look for a Bible study that will engage your mind. One that makes you think. I actually wrote the questions in my new <a href="https://amzn.to/3IYwJQb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bible study on James</a> during one of my own quiet times when I couldn’t make myself focus on the Bible. I love Bible studies that make me think, whether they are topical or a book-of-the-Bible study.</li> <li><strong>Focus on fellowshipping with God rather than checking “read Bible” off the list.</strong> If you view your relationships with people as duties rather than fun times to be with them, you won’t want to get together with them. It’s the same with Bible reading. If you view it as a duty, rather than time to fellowship with God, you won’t want to do it. Take time when you’re reading to visit with God about anything that pops up in your reading. I like to read small portions of Scripture each day so I have plenty of time to think about it, see how it interacts with my life, and talk to God about it.</li> <li><strong>Don’t feel like your Bible reading has to be in the morning.</strong> My husband does his Bible reading at night because he is like a walking zombie in the morning. He likes to wake up, start his coffee, then sit in the dark drinking it. Rather than trying to force his mind to wake up that early, he does his Bible reading at night.<br/> </li> <li><strong>Join a group study or find an accountability partner.</strong> Group studies really helped me in the old days when I didn’t have much discipline. It can also help to have an accountability partner. This blog post will give you ideas on how to set that up: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/christian-accountability-partners-a-beginners-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner’s Guide</a>.</li> <li><strong>Expect opposition</strong>. Often we stumble because we expect habits to be easy. So when we miss Bible reading for a couple of days, we think, <em>I’m not capable of this</em>, and give up. We’ll be more likely to succeed if we expect it to be hard. Because here’s the truth: It is hard! Not only do we have our flesh saying, “Let me sleep just a little longer!” we also have an enemy who doesn’t want us to read our Bibles. Satan is the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%208%3A44&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">father of lies</a> and he doesn’t want you to develop a Bible reading habit. Here is a podcast episode that will help you defeat those lies: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/consistent-quiet-times/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Consistent Quiet Times: 10 Lies That Get in the Way</a>.</li> <li><strong>Don’t beat yourself up when you fail.</strong> Not only does Satan lie to us, but he also <a href="https://biblehub.com/revelation/12-10.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">condemns us</a>. So when we beat ourselves up for not following through on Bible reading, we’re playing into his condemning tactics. God is a God of grace and He is <em>for</em> us. He <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%204%3A15-16&amp;version=ESV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">knows what it’s like</a> to be tempted so He’s not a bit surprised when we don’t follow through on things He wants us to do. Know that you won’t be able to do this perfectly but just continue to persevere to make it a habit. Look at the tips in today’s post to see if one of those might help you follow through with daily Bible reading.</li> </ol> <p>That’s about it. I tried to come up with one more tip so it would be an even ten, but I couldn’t think of one! My prayer is that you will be able to develop a Bible reading habit that fills your soul and draws you closer to God. If you’d like help with a study that will engage your mind, check out my latest book below.</p> <h4><em>James</em> Bible Study</h4> <p><a href="https://amzn.to/3IYwJQb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <p>This is a Bible study I didn’t set out to write. It came out of one of my own quiet times when I couldn’t make myself focus on the Bible. After several times reading the same paragraph over and over because I couldn’t concentrate, I thought, <em>Maybe if I write some questions down first, it will be easier to concentrate</em>.</p> <p>I did that and I loved the process. Not only did the questions help me apply the passage to my life at the moment, they also drew me closer to God as I used that Bible passage to visit with Him about what was going on in my life.</p> <p>If you’d like to see a sample of two of the 20 lessons in <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3IYwJQb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James</a>,</em> check out these blog posts (you’ll find the lessons at the end of each blog post):</p> <ul> <li>Lesson 3: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/overcoming-temptation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcoming Temptation</a></li> <li>Lesson 4: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/letting-go-of-anger-james-bible-study/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Slow to Anger</a></li> </ul> <h4>Other Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-truth-journal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Truth Journal</a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/christian-accountability-partners-a-beginners-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner’s Guide</a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/consistent-quiet-times/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Consistent Quiet Times: 10 Lies That Get in the Way</a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/rom-renewing-of-the-mind-tool-2-applied-scripture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Use the Bible for Help with Real-Life Problems</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/34SMwfN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Rally</em> Bible Study</a> – a Bible study on trials that helps you learn truth journaling</li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast Version of this Blog Post</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/when-you-cant-make-yourself-read-your-bible-9-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">When You Can’t Make Yourself Read Your Bible – 9 Tips</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

When You Can’t Make Yourself Read Your Bible – 9 Tips

Are you in the middle of a big life change? Or still adjusting to an old life change? Change can be difficult, even when it’s positive. Yet so many life changes don’t feel one bit positive. Here are  just a few of the life changes we go through:  A move Change of occupation: new job, loss of old job, career change, beginning college, etc. Engagement or marriage Divorce or separation Natural disasters and pandemics such as Covid Death of a loved one Serious illness, disease, or injury Children leaving home Retirement of yourself or a spouse   Since I’m experiencing my own life change at the moment (my husband just became a travel physical therapist and we’ve left our home of 30 years to travel around the country doing physical therapy and writing), I thought it might be helpful to do a podcast/blog post on how to navigate major life change. Following are a few things I’m trying as I enter this new season of life. 10 Tips to Navigate Life Change Well  Recognize that it’s hard. So often we say things like, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way,” or “Buck up, Buttercup!” And while I’m a big fan of that latter phrase, it’s helpful to realize that it’s not surprising that we’re struggling. Even a happy occasion like marriage can cause adjustment problems. We’ll do better if we admit to ourselves that yes, this is an adjustment, and yes, it’s hard. Have realistic expectations for the process and give yourself grace. If you recognize it’s hard, you’ll be more likely to give yourself grace. Beating yourself up for not adjusting quickly enough isn’t helpful. I’ve found that if I have realistic expectations for how long something takes—whether it’s a task on my to-do list or an adjustment to a new situation—I’ll be less likely to get worried, depressed, or beat myself up. Work on making this new life the best life possible—put time and effort into it. Often, we complain about how hard life is, but we do nothing to change it. Instead, we expect it to get better over time. While this does sometimes happen, we’ll have much more success if we put some effort into making it better. The rest of these tips will give you ideas of how to make the best possible life. Brainstorm ideas to make life better. When you’re in a new situation, you’re not an expert at that situation. Instead, you need to learn how to be joyful in this new life. Take a list and brainstorm different ways to make it better. Talk to a friend, mentor, or loved one. Visit with someone who’s been in this situation to see how they handled it. Then circle a few things from the list to try.  Join a support group or get involved in a community ASAP. When we moved to our first travel assignment in Santa Fe, the first thing we did was to find a church. We tried two churches in one day and found one we loved. We visited with people in the church, and I mentioned that it was hard to leave our community in Hamilton, Montana. This led to one couple inviting us to a home group and now we have instant community–a group of wonderful people to fellowship with. If your life change is traumatic, look for a support group in your area of others who are going through a similar trial. Dwell on the good. My tendency is to dwell on the good of the old life and the bad of the new life! This is not helpful! It’s easier to dwell on the good if you have a positive life change, but it can be incredibly difficult with a traumatic life change. That said, God can bring good from any situation. A bad situation is a perfect “opportunity” to develop a thankfulness habit, grow closer to God, and practice dwelling on the good. Lean on God and expect Him to teach you new lessons. Trusting God isn’t just a trite phrase. It’s an active event where we spend time with Him, time in His Word, time in prayer. The closer we get to God, the happier we’ll be. In fact, in some situations, this may be our only chance for happiness, at least in the beginning. Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-4 tell us that hard times are opportunities for growth. Our new pastor in Santa Fe said in a recent sermon that hard times can make us bitter, battered, or better. Leaning on God (rather than the way life used to be) will help them to be better. Recognize that you’ll have bad days. That said, expect to have bad days. It’s a process. One day you might think, I have this new life down pat! I can handle it now! And then the next day might be a disaster. That’s normal! It takes time to adjust to a new life. Don’t despair and don’t beat yourself up. Instead, trust that God will be by your side to help. Renew when upset. If I didn’t already have an established renewing habit, my current life would be much worse. As I write this post, we’re only three weeks into our new life. I went from being super depressed the first day here to being positive, hopeful, and excited about this life now. This happened through employing all the previous tips but this last tip was most helpful. Renewing is what helped me to see this experience from a biblical perspective, and more than anything, that’s what helped me be content. I’ll show you one of my renewing entries from the last few weeks below. Accept what you need to accept. Renewing helps, but often, you’re still left with an unpleasant truth. Your loved one is gone. You lost your job. The government is doing things you don’t like and they’re not asking you for permission. Accepting what we need to accept allows us to move on. It frees us up to pursue the best possible life within the context of what we can’t change. And it also frees us up to look for things—even in this life—to be thankful for. And we are far happy when we’re living in thankfulness.  My husband and I on top of Guadalupe Peak in Texas – we are immensely enjoying our current life change! Renewing Example: Barb’s Journal Entry – 1/10/22 One of the ways I like to renew my mind is to make an option chart. When you hear the phrase option chart, you might think of a chart that explores all of our possible options. But a renewing option chart explores the options we’re currently taking to see how those options are affecting different outcomes we want: things like our relationship with God, our relationship with others, progress on a goal, or our personal wellbeing. In the following chart, I’ve listed three things I want: to be happy in our new lifestyle, to feel close to God, and to be able to be productive in this lifestyle. To write and podcast and get other writing-related things done.  I put those at the top of the chart and all of my tendencies on the left side of the chart. I always start by writing down what I really want, which is always completely unrealistic. In this example, I wrote, “to be perfectly happy all the time during travel therapy.” Since I am NEVER completely happy all the time, even on vacation, it stands to reason I won’t be completely happy in this new life so I listed “NOT AN OPTION” on that line. With all the other options, I listed an up or down arrow indicating how I thought that action would affect the outcome and then listed a reason I thought it would go that way.  You’ll notice that my middle options almost always have a whole row of down arrows! Yet those are the options I consistently take if left to my own devices. On the bottom row, I always list what I call the “God” option. I think about it for a bit and record what I think God would want me to do. Then I evaluate that option with arrows. And I almost always discover that God’s plan is best. Option charts help me have the strength to do what God wants me to do because they show me that God’s way really is best. Following is a picture of my journal entry. Because it’s hard to fit charts in a blog post format, I thought it would be easier to just upload an image. I apologize in advance for my messy handwriting! At the time I wrote this, I had no idea I would be posting it on my blog!  This option chart completely changed my perspective. I’ve also done some truth journal entries that have helped. By making a commitment to regularly renew and also employ some of the other tips I mentioned, I’m able to celebrate and enjoy the good aspects of this experience and live a contented life. God is good. We just need to go to Him for help to see that life is also good, especially when we’re having a hard time adjusting! Have you gone through a big life change recently or in the past? I’d love any tips you have for me on how to adjust! Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Skip Heitzig message on trials – Skip is just starting this series as I write this post, but by the time it publishes, you should be able to watch all the videos in the series. James Bible Study by Barb Raveling The 12-Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington How to Develop a Thankfulness Habit  How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”     The post How to Navigate Life Change (Even if You’re Not Crazy about the New Life) appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Are you in the middle of a big life change? Or still adjusting to an old life change? Change can be difficult, even when it’s positive. Yet so many life changes don’t feel one bit positive. Here are  just a few of the life changes we go through:</p> <ul> <li>A move</li> <li>Change of occupation: new job, loss of old job, career change, beginning college, etc.</li> <li>Engagement or marriage</li> <li>Divorce or separation</li> <li>Natural disasters and pandemics such as Covid</li> <li>Death of a loved one</li> <li>Serious illness, disease, or injury</li> <li>Children leaving home</li> <li>Retirement of yourself or a spouse</li> </ul> <p></p> <p>Since I’m experiencing my own life change at the moment (my husband just became a travel physical therapist and we’ve left our home of 30 years to travel around the country doing physical therapy and writing), I thought it might be helpful to do a podcast/blog post on how to navigate major life change. Following are a few things I’m trying as I enter this new season of life.</p> <h4>10 Tips to Navigate Life Change Well</h4> <ol> <li><strong>Recognize that it’s hard.</strong> So often we say things like, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way,” or “Buck up, Buttercup!” And while I’m a big fan of that latter phrase, it’s helpful to realize that it’s not surprising that we’re struggling. Even a happy occasion like marriage can cause adjustment problems. We’ll do better if we admit to ourselves that yes, this is an adjustment, and yes, it’s hard.</li> <li><strong>Have realistic expectations for the process and give yourself grace.</strong> If you recognize it’s hard, you’ll be more likely to give yourself grace. Beating yourself up for not adjusting quickly enough isn’t helpful. I’ve found that if I have realistic expectations for how long something takes—whether it’s a task on my to-do list or an adjustment to a new situation—I’ll be less likely to get worried, depressed, or beat myself up.</li> <li><strong>Work on making this new life the best life possible—put time and effort into it.</strong> Often, we complain about how hard life is, but we do nothing to change it. Instead, we expect it to get better over time. While this does sometimes happen, we’ll have much more success if we put some effort into making it better. The rest of these tips will give you ideas of how to make the best possible life.</li> <li><strong>Brainstorm ideas to make life better.</strong> When you’re in a new situation, you’re not an expert at that situation. Instead, you need to learn how to be joyful in this new life. Take a list and brainstorm different ways to make it better. Talk to a friend, mentor, or loved one. Visit with someone who’s been in this situation to see how they handled it. Then circle a few things from the list to try.<br/> </li> <li><strong>Join a support group or get involved in a community ASAP.</strong> When we moved to our first travel assignment in Santa Fe, the first thing we did was to find a church. We tried two churches in one day and found one we loved. We visited with people in the church, and I mentioned that it was hard to leave our community in Hamilton, Montana. This led to one couple inviting us to a home group and now we have instant community–a group of wonderful people to fellowship with. If your life change is traumatic, look for a support group in your area of others who are going through a similar trial.</li> <li><strong>Dwell on the good.</strong> My tendency is to dwell on the good of the <em>old</em> life and the bad of the new life! This is not helpful! It’s easier to dwell on the good if you have a positive life change, but it can be incredibly difficult with a traumatic life change. That said, God can bring good from any situation. A bad situation is a perfect “opportunity” to develop a thankfulness habit, grow closer to God, and practice <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Philippians%204%3A8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dwelling on the good</a>.</li> <li><strong>Lean on God and expect Him to teach you new lessons.</strong> Trusting God isn’t just a trite phrase. It’s an active event where we spend time with Him, time in His Word, time in prayer. The closer we get to God, the happier we’ll be. In fact, in some situations, this may be our only chance for happiness, at least in the beginning. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+5%3A3-5&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romans 5:3-5</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A2-4&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James 1:2-4</a> tell us that hard times are opportunities for growth. Our new pastor in Santa Fe said in a <a href="https://calvarynm.church/teachings/#/series/319/sermon/4642" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recent sermon</a> that hard times can make us bitter, battered, or better. Leaning on God (rather than the way life used to be) will help them to be better.</li> <li><strong>Recognize that you’ll have bad days.</strong> That said, expect to have bad days. It’s a process. One day you might think, <em>I have this new life down pat! I can handle it now!</em> And then the next day might be a disaster. That’s normal! It takes time to adjust to a new life. Don’t despair and don’t beat yourself up. Instead,<a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.27.13-14.NASB1995" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> trust</a> that God will be by your side to help.</li> <li><strong>Renew when upset.</strong> If I didn’t already have an established renewing habit, my current life would be much worse. As I write this post, we’re only three weeks into our new life. I went from being super depressed the first day here to being positive, hopeful, and excited about this life now. This happened through employing all the previous tips but this last tip was most helpful. Renewing is what helped me to see this experience from a biblical perspective, and more than anything, that’s what helped me be content. I’ll show you one of my renewing entries from the last few weeks below.</li> <li><strong>Accept what you need to accept.</strong> Renewing helps, but often, you’re still left with an unpleasant truth. Your loved one is gone. You lost your job. The government is doing things you don’t like and they’re not asking you for permission. Accepting what we need to accept allows us to move on. It frees us up to pursue the best possible life within the context of what we can’t change. And it also frees us up to look for things—even in <em>this</em> life—to be thankful for. And we are far happy when we’re living in thankfulness.</li> </ol> <p>My husband and I on top of Guadalupe Peak in Texas – we are immensely enjoying our current life change!</p> <h4>Renewing Example: Barb’s Journal Entry – 1/10/22</h4> <p>One of the ways I like to renew my mind is to <a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-let-go-of-regret-and-if-only-option-charts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">make an option chart</a>. When you hear the phrase <em>option chart</em>, you might think of a chart that explores all of our possible options. But a renewing option chart explores the options we’re <em>currently</em> taking to see how those options are affecting different outcomes we want: things like our relationship with God, our relationship with others, progress on a goal, or our personal wellbeing.</p> <p>In the following chart, I’ve listed three things I want: to be happy in our new lifestyle, to feel close to God, and to be able to be productive in this lifestyle. To write and podcast and get other writing-related things done.  I put those at the top of the chart and all of my tendencies on the left side of the chart.</p> <p>I always start by writing down what I really want, which is always completely unrealistic. In this example, I wrote, “to be perfectly happy all the time during travel therapy.” Since I am NEVER completely happy all the time, even on vacation, it stands to reason I won’t be completely happy in this new life so I listed “NOT AN OPTION” on that line.</p> <p>With all the other options, I listed an up or down arrow indicating how I thought that action would affect the outcome and then listed a reason I thought it would go that way.  You’ll notice that my middle options almost always have a whole row of down arrows! Yet those are the options I consistently take if left to my own devices.</p> <p>On the bottom row, I always list what I call the “God” option. I think about it for a bit and record what I think God would want me to do. Then I evaluate that option with arrows. And I almost always discover that God’s plan is best. Option charts help me have the strength to do what God wants me to do because they show me that God’s way really is best.</p> <p>Following is a picture of my journal entry. Because it’s hard to fit charts in a blog post format, I thought it would be easier to just upload an image. I apologize in advance for my messy handwriting! At the time I wrote this, I had no idea I would be posting it on my blog!</p> <p></p> <p>This option chart completely changed my perspective. I’ve also done some truth journal entries that have helped. By making a commitment to regularly renew and also employ some of the other tips I mentioned, I’m able to celebrate and enjoy the good aspects of this experience and live a contented life.</p> <p>God is good. We just need to go to Him for help to see that <em>life</em> is also good, especially when we’re having a hard time adjusting!</p> <p>Have you gone through a big life change recently or in the past? I’d love any tips you have for me on how to adjust!</p> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://calvarynm.church/santa-fe/teachings/#/series/319/sermon/4644" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Skip Heitzig message on trials</a> – Skip is just starting this series as I write this post, but by the time it publishes, you should be able to watch all the videos in the series.</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3IYwJQb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>James</em> Bible Study</a> by Barb Raveling</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3GLroKu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The 12-Week Year</a> by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington</li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-develop-thankfulness-habit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Develop a Thankfulness Habit</a></li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/life-change/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Navigate Life Change (Even if You’re Not Crazy about the New Life)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How to Navigate Life Change (Even if You’re Not Crazy about the New Life)

If you’ve been married a long time, chances are good you’ve been attracted to someone at some time or another. In today’s podcast, I’ll be visiting with my friend Trish about how to keep that initial attraction from morphing into something that could potentially hurt your marriage, your family, your community, and yourself! We’ll be discussing how to avoid (or end) an emotional affair.  What We Discussed on the Podcast  What exactly is an emotional affair? How an innocent friendship can morph into something more Questions to ask ourselves about interactions with the opposite sex Tips for setting boundaries about your relationships with others Tips for how to avoid getting into an emotional affair Helpful ideas about how to end an emotional affair  Resources We Talked About on the Podcast  Barb’s upcoming James Bible study  How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”     The post How to Avoid (or End) an Emotional Affair appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>If you’ve been married a long time, chances are good you’ve been attracted to someone at some time or another. In today’s podcast, I’ll be visiting with my friend Trish about how to keep that initial attraction from morphing into something that could potentially hurt your marriage, your family, your community, and yourself! We’ll be discussing how to avoid (or end) an emotional affair.</p> <p></p> <h4>What We Discussed on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>What exactly is an emotional affair?</li> <li>How an innocent friendship can morph into something more</li> <li>Questions to ask ourselves about interactions with the opposite sex</li> <li>Tips for setting boundaries about your relationships with others</li> <li>Tips for how to avoid getting into an emotional affair</li> <li>Helpful ideas about how to end an emotional affair</li> </ul> <h4>Resources We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/coming-soon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb’s upcoming James Bible study</a></li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-avoid-or-end-an-emotional-affair/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Avoid (or End) an Emotional Affair</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How to Avoid (or End) an Emotional Affair

Do you ever set goals and fail to reach them? I used to do that all the time. The only goals I completed each year were my recreation goals! Over the years, though, I’ve learned some tips to help me be more successful with reaching goals. On today’s podcast, we’ll discuss ten tips about how to achieve your goals this year. I’ve asked my friend and fellow podcaster and writer, Dr. Melanie Wilson, to help me with this podcast as she is the master at completing goals!  Following are the tips we’ll discuss more fully on the podcast: Tips to Help You Achieve Your Goals  Develop a routine. Make it easy. Make a plan for dealing with obstacles. Find ways to make it fun Keep your why in front of you. Let go of perfectionism. Be a good coach to yourself. Renew your mind when necessary. Gain support. Conquer procrastination.  Melanie Wilson is a Christian psychologist turned homeschool mother of six.  She is also the author of a fascinating book called A Year of Living Productively. For one year, Melanie made a commitment to try a different productivity strategy, app, or program each week. In the book she shares how it went that week and what she liked and didn’t like about each of the productivity strategies. Resources We Talked About on the Podcast  Melanie’s routine kit Melanie’s book: A Year of Living Productively  Melanie’s blog: homeschoolsanity.com Melanie’s podcast: The Homeschool Sanity Show Barb’s upcoming James Bible study Freedom from Procrastination Renewing of the Mind Project Barb’s decision making sheet (Click on the link, then scroll down to “Resources Mentioned in the Book.”) 45 Bible Verses for Procrastination  How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”     The post How to Achieve Your Goals – 10 Tips appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you ever set goals and fail to reach them? I used to do that all the time. The only goals I completed each year were my recreation goals! Over the years, though, I’ve learned some tips to help me be more successful with reaching goals. On today’s podcast, we’ll discuss ten tips about how to achieve your goals this year. I’ve asked my friend and fellow podcaster and writer, Dr. Melanie Wilson, to help me with this podcast as she is the master at completing goals!</p> <p></p> <p>Following are the tips we’ll discuss more fully on the podcast:</p> <h4>Tips to Help You Achieve Your Goals</h4> <ol> <li>Develop a routine.</li> <li>Make it easy.</li> <li>Make a plan for dealing with obstacles.</li> <li>Find ways to make it fun</li> <li>Keep your why in front of you.</li> <li>Let go of perfectionism.</li> <li>Be a good coach to yourself.</li> <li>Renew your mind when necessary.</li> <li>Gain support.</li> <li>Conquer procrastination.</li> </ol> <p>Melanie Wilson is a Christian psychologist turned homeschool mother of six.  She is also the author of a fascinating book called <a href="https://amzn.to/3IQgchV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>A Year of Living Productively.</em></a> For one year, Melanie made a commitment to try a different productivity strategy, app, or program each week. In the book she shares how it went that week and what she liked and didn’t like about each of the productivity strategies.</p> <h4>Resources We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/e7joywhtkbj1ijt/Homeschool%20Routine%20Kit.pdf?dl=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melanie’s routine kit</a></li> <li>Melanie’s book: <a href="https://amzn.to/3IQgchV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>A Year of Living Productively </em></a></li> <li>Melanie’s blog: <a href="https://homeschoolsanity.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">homeschoolsanity.com</a></li> <li>Melanie’s podcast: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/homeschool%20sanity" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Homeschool Sanity Show</a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/coming-soon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb’s upcoming James Bible study</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/34X3nOw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Freedom from Procrastination</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2sOjCiM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Renewing of the Mind Project</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/procrastination/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb’s decision making sheet</a> (Click on the link, then scroll down to “Resources Mentioned in the Book.”)</li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/45-bible-verses-for-procrastination-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">45 Bible Verses for Procrastination</a></li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-achieve-your-goals-10-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Achieve Your Goals – 10 Tips</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How to Achieve Your Goals – 10 Tips

To give advice or not to give advice? That is the question. In the past I used to answer that with, Of course I should give advice! Why wouldn’t I give advice?! Well, I have since learned a few reasons why I shouldn’t!  Why You Should Think Twice Before Giving Unsolicited Advice For starters, too much advice can hurt relationships. On our end, we think we’re giving wise advice to help people be safe and happy. But on their end, they often feel like we’re trying to fix them. This makes them annoyed with us and hurts relationships. Unsolicited advice can make the recipient feel unloved. Again, we’re trying to keep them happy and safe because we DO love them! They on the other hand feel like we’re focusing on something negative in them. That can make them think we’ll only love them if they’re perfect. Unsolicited advice also hurts relationships when we give the same advice over and over. This makes people not want to be with us because they’re tired of getting advice! Finally, unsolicited advice can hurt relationships with our adult children because it’s seen as a lack of respect. We think, I need to tell them this so they don’t make the same mistakes I made! They think, Mom (or Dad) doesn’t realize I’m an adult! So how do we break free from giving too much advice when it’s something we just do without thinking? Well, let me give you some advice about that… How to Decide if You Should Give Advice or Not In this blog post (and podcast episode), I want to share an acronym I’ve made that’s helping me know when to give or not give advice. I’ll warn you ahead of time, though. Usually I decide I shouldn’t give advice after asking the questions! I call the acronym SPIKER. Think of a person standing at the volleyball net, jumping high to shove the ball down the other side of the net and take out the opponent. That’s how advice often feels to the advice-receiver. We think we’re giving a nice gentle lob over the fence to help them have a better life, but they think we’re pounding them with advice. This acronym will help you evaluate what you have to say so see if it’s worth giving. With the holidays coming up, it seemed like the perfect time to share this acronym as many of us will be surrounded by people we want to give advice to! SPIKER Acronym: 6 Questions to Ask Before Giving Advice Ask these questions before you give advice. If you have adult kids coming home for the holidays, think about what kind of advice you may want to give them while they’re here. (Yes, I know it’s already running through your mind!) Ask yourself these questions before they get home. Or better yet, each morning before they wake up! For Covid/Political Discussion: You can also ask these questions to determine if it’s worth getting involved in a political or Covid discussion – or if it’s worth saying that comeback you’re dying to say when the topic comes up. You’ll just have to tweak the questions a bit since they’re designed with advice giving in mind. For example, with P for Profitable, you could ask, “What are the odds they’ll change their mind if I engage this topic with them?” or “Is this discussion worth the damage it could do to our relationship?”)  S – Sure – Are you sure you’re giving the right advice or is there a possibility you’re wrong or you’ll find out one day that this was bad advice? P – Profitable – Will it be profitable? In other words, how likely are they to consider taking your advice? (This is especially helpful to think about for unsolicited advice.) I – Important – Is it important? Or are you wasting your advice-giving-currency on things that aren’t that important? K – Knowledge – Do they already know this? E – Edifying – Is it edifying? Will this build them up? Or will it make them feel like you think there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed? R – Repeat – Have you said this before? How many times? (Most people don’t want to hear the same advice more than once or twice.)  If you’d like to hear some examples of this acronym in action, check out the podcast episode. (Scroll down for links to listen to the podcast or click the player at the top of this post.) How to Give Advice: 6 Rules If you decide to still give advice after going through the questions, follow these six guidelines to help it be a positive experience.  Be respectful. You will have a far better chance of them listening if you’re respectful. Before you give advice, try thinking of five things this person is doing well or five things you like and respect about this person. This will help you be respectful. Consider asking them for permission first. Since so many people don’t like unsolicited advice, it may be helpful to ask before you give advice. Just remember they may say no, and be respectful if they do. Which means no advice! (And no little comments about how they need advice!) Choose the right time and place. Try to choose a time outside the heat of the moment, but also not when they’re relaxing and having fun. It may even be helpful to tell them you have something to talk about and ask them what a good time would be (if they have time). Build people up with your words. In Colossians 4:29, Paul tells us to use words that edify others. Paul also tells us not to let any corrupt talk come out of our mouths, and to give grace to those who hear. That’s good advice! Try to preface your advice with a compliment. This may or may not work. After all, you don’t want them to think you’re buttering them up so they’ll take your advice! But if it’s possible, try to offer encouragement and positive feedback about other areas of their lives. And try not to only give advice or point out faults. This goes against rule #4 as we’re tearing people down, not building them up. Stop before you give too much advice. So often our initial advice is short and sweet. But when we don’t get the response we want, we may go into convince-them mode. This is often seen as obnoxious-mode by our advice receivers! So give yourself a little lecture and avoid the long-winded advice!   6 Lies That Make Us Give Unwanted Advice Often we want to stop giving advice, but we believe lies that drive us to do it. Here are a few of these lies and some truth that will help us change our way.  If we give them advice, we can keep them from making the mistakes we made. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. We ALL make mistakes–and even if we lived around the most advice-giving person on the planet, we’d still make mistakes. Why? Because we often think other people’s advice is bad (even though it’s good). And because we don’t always have enough self-control to take good advice even if we want to. Not to mention the fact, that the advice-giver may be wrong! If they (do this thing we think they shouldn’t do), they’ll ruin their lives and be unhappy forever. Ruined lives and unhappy-forever is not dependent on one incident in life. Also, joy comes through walking with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17, 22-24), not having a perfect life. So we can be joyful no matter what life throws our way as long as we walk with God. If they (do this thing we think they shouldn’t do), they’ll die. Again, this isn’t necessarily true unless they’re planning to jump off a high cliff. The Bible tells us our days are numbered, and they will only die if God allows them to die (Psalm 139:16). It’s possible for my friends and loved ones to have trouble-free lives. We don’t think this one outright, but I think we might believe it at the unconscious level.  Unfortunately, we will all have troubles and trials! I need to give them advice so they can have a trouble-free life. See truth for #4. Plus, if I keep giving them unsolicited advice, I will be one of the troubles in their life! And do I really want to be that? I need to give them advice so they can continue to follow God their whole lives. Again, I have no control over this. In a world with so much skepticism, temptation, and condemnation of Christians, it’s a wonder any kids grow up to follow God their whole lives. We have lots of influence when our kids are young, not so much when our kids become adults sadly. The best thing we can do is pray for our adult children.  We can also work on our own sins and character flaws so we won’t make them stumble with our behavior.  Does that mean we should never give advice? No definitely not. Sometimes it’s worth giving advice. Just think it through first if you’re a person who tends to give too much of it. The Bible gives us all kinds of encouragement to ask advice from wise counselors, and advice can be life-changing! My guess is that if you’re a person who gives too much advice, you’re also a person who loves people and wants the best for them. That’s a good thing! Just be careful how you give it. Let your words edify and build up people. And love them well! Resources We Talked About on the Podcast  Blog post with advice questions – I wrote these awhile ago. They’re not as easy to remember as the SPIKER acronym, but still helpful!  How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   The post To Give Advice or Not Give Advice? 6 Rules to Follow appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>To give advice or not to give advice? That is the question. In the past I used to answer that with, <em>Of course I should give advice! Why wouldn’t I give advice?!</em> Well, I have since learned a few reasons why I shouldn’t!</p> <p></p> <h4>Why You Should Think Twice Before Giving Unsolicited Advice</h4> <p>For starters, too much advice can hurt relationships. On our end, we think we’re giving wise advice to help people be safe and happy. But on their end, they often feel like we’re trying to fix them. This makes them annoyed with us and hurts relationships.</p> <p>Unsolicited advice can make the recipient feel unloved. Again, we’re trying to keep them happy and safe because we DO love them! They on the other hand feel like we’re focusing on something negative in them. That can make them think we’ll only love them if they’re perfect.</p> <p>Unsolicited advice also hurts relationships when we give the same advice over and over. This makes people not want to be with us because they’re tired of getting advice!</p> <p>Finally, unsolicited advice can hurt relationships with our adult children because it’s seen as a lack of respect. We think, <em>I need to tell them this so they don’t make the same mistakes I made!</em> They think, <em>Mom (or Dad) doesn’t realize I’m an adult!</em></p> <p>So how do we break free from giving too much advice when it’s something we just do without thinking?</p> <p>Well, let me give you some advice about that…</p> <h4>How to Decide if You Should Give Advice or Not</h4> <p>In this blog post (and <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast episode</a>), I want to share an acronym I’ve made that’s helping me know when to give or not give advice. I’ll warn you ahead of time, though. Usually I decide I shouldn’t give advice after asking the questions!</p> <p>I call the acronym SPIKER. Think of a person standing at the volleyball net, jumping high to shove the ball down the other side of the net and take out the opponent. That’s how advice often feels to the advice-receiver. We think we’re giving a nice gentle lob over the fence to help them have a better life, but they think we’re pounding them with advice. This acronym will help you evaluate what you have to say so see if it’s worth giving.</p> <p>With the holidays coming up, it seemed like the perfect time to share this acronym as many of us will be surrounded by people we want to give advice to!</p> <h4>SPIKER Acronym: 6 Questions to Ask Before Giving Advice</h4> <p>Ask these questions before you give advice. If you have adult kids coming home for the holidays, think about what kind of advice you may want to give them while they’re here. (Yes, I know it’s already running through your mind!) Ask yourself these questions before they get home. Or better yet, each morning before they wake up!</p> <p><strong>For Covid/Political Discussion:</strong> You can also ask these questions to determine if it’s worth getting involved in a political or Covid discussion – or if it’s worth saying that comeback you’re dying to say when the topic comes up. You’ll just have to tweak the questions a bit since they’re designed with advice giving in mind. For example, with P for Profitable, you could ask, “What are the odds they’ll change their mind if I engage this topic with them?” or “Is this discussion worth the damage it could do to our relationship?”)</p> <ul> <li><strong>S</strong> – Sure – Are you sure you’re giving the right advice or is there a possibility you’re wrong or you’ll find out one day that this was bad advice?</li> <li><strong>P</strong> – Profitable – Will it be profitable? In other words, how likely are they to consider taking your advice? (This is especially helpful to think about for unsolicited advice.)</li> <li><strong>I</strong> – Important – Is it important? Or are you wasting your advice-giving-currency on things that aren’t that important?</li> <li><strong>K</strong> – Knowledge – Do they already know this?</li> <li><strong>E</strong> – Edifying – Is it edifying? Will this build them up? Or will it make them feel like you think there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed?</li> <li><strong>R</strong> – Repeat – Have you said this before? How many times? (Most people don’t want to hear the same advice more than once or twice.)</li> </ul> <p>If you’d like to hear some examples of this acronym in action, check out the podcast episode. (Scroll down for links to listen to the podcast or click the player at the top of this post.)</p> <h4>How to Give Advice: 6 Rules</h4> <p>If you decide to still give advice after going through the questions, follow these six guidelines to help it be a positive experience.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Be respectful.</strong> You will have a far better chance of them listening if you’re respectful. Before you give advice, try thinking of five things this person is doing well or five things you like and respect about this person. This will help you be respectful.</li> <li><strong>Consider asking them for permission first.</strong> Since so many people don’t like unsolicited advice, it may be helpful to ask before you give advice. Just remember they may say no, and be respectful if they do. Which means no advice! (And no little comments about how they need advice!)</li> <li><strong>Choose the right time and place.</strong> Try to choose a time outside the heat of the moment, but also not when they’re relaxing and having fun. It may even be helpful to tell them you have something to talk about and ask them what a good time would be (if they have time).</li> <li><strong>Build people up with your words.</strong> In<a href="https://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-29.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Colossians 4:29</a>, Paul tells us to use words that edify others. Paul also tells us not to let any corrupt talk come out of our mouths, and to give grace to those who hear. That’s good advice!</li> <li><strong>Try to preface your advice with a compliment.</strong> This may or may not work. After all, you don’t want them to think you’re buttering them up so they’ll take your advice! But if it’s possible, try to offer encouragement and positive feedback about other areas of their lives. And try not to only give advice or point out faults. This goes against rule #4 as we’re tearing people down, not building them up.</li> <li><strong>Stop before you give too much advice.</strong> So often our initial advice is short and sweet. But when we don’t get the response we want, we may go into convince-them mode. This is often seen as obnoxious-mode by our advice receivers! So give yourself a little lecture and avoid the long-winded advice!</li> </ol> <p></p> <h4>6 Lies That Make Us Give Unwanted Advice</h4> <p>Often we want to stop giving advice, but we believe lies that drive us to do it. Here are a few of these lies and some truth that will help us change our way.</p> <ol> <li><strong>If we give them advice, we can keep them from making the mistakes we made.</strong> Unfortunately, this isn’t true. We ALL make mistakes–and even if we lived around the most advice-giving person on the planet, we’d still make mistakes. Why? Because we often think other people’s advice is bad (even though it’s good). And because we don’t always have enough self-control to take good advice even if we want to. Not to mention the fact, that the advice-giver may be wrong!</li> <li><strong>If they (do this thing we think they shouldn’t do), they’ll ruin their lives and be unhappy forever.</strong> Ruined lives and unhappy-forever is not dependent on one incident in life. Also, joy comes through walking with the Spirit (<a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/59/GAL.5.16-17,22-24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Galatians 5:16-17, 22-24</a>), not having a perfect life. So we can be joyful no matter what life throws our way as long as we walk with God.</li> <li><strong>If they (do this thing we think they shouldn’t do), they’ll die.</strong> Again, this isn’t necessarily true unless they’re planning to jump off a high cliff. The Bible tells us our days are numbered, and they will only die if God allows them to die (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139%3A16&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 139:16</a>).</li> <li><strong>It’s possible for my friends and loved ones to have trouble-free lives.</strong> We don’t think this one outright, but I think we might believe it at the unconscious level.  Unfortunately, we will all have troubles and trials!</li> <li><strong>I need to give them advice so they can have a trouble-free life.</strong> See truth for #4. Plus, if I keep giving them unsolicited advice, I will be one of the troubles in their life! And do I really want to be that?</li> <li><strong>I need to give them advice so they can continue to follow God their whole lives.</strong> Again, I have no control over this. In a world with so much skepticism, temptation, and condemnation of Christians, it’s a wonder any kids grow up to follow God their whole lives. We have lots of influence when our kids are young, not so much when our kids become adults sadly. The best thing we can do is pray for our adult children.  We can also work on our own sins and character flaws so we won’t make them stumble with our behavior.</li> </ol> <h4>Does that mean we should never give advice?</h4> <p>No definitely not. Sometimes it’s worth giving advice. Just think it through first if you’re a person who tends to give too much of it. The Bible gives us all kinds of encouragement to ask advice from wise counselors, and advice can be life-changing! My guess is that if you’re a person who gives too much advice, you’re also a person who loves people and wants the best for them. That’s a good thing! Just be careful how you give it. Let your words edify and build up people. And love them well!</p> <h4>Resources We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/13-questions-to-ask-before-you-give-advice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blog post with advice questions</a> – I wrote these awhile ago. They’re not as easy to remember as the SPIKER acronym, but still helpful!</li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/christian%20habits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android: <a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> </li> <li>Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” </li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/to-give-advice-or-not-give-advice-6-rules-to-follow/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">To Give Advice or Not Give Advice? 6 Rules to Follow</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

To Give Advice or Not Give Advice? 6 Rules to Follow

Great reminders of renewing the mind for my commute!!

Always just what I need!

Just what I&#39;ve needed! Thank you for being there.

Very Helpful!

The Christian Habits Podcast

Do you ever feel like you have a million things to do, but you only have time and energy for about three things? Do you often ignore the important things in life because you’re too busy doing the million things in life? If so, you’re in the same boat as most of us. We’ve all experienced this at some point. The question is, “How do you stop feeling overwhelmed when you have a million things to do?” We’ll be talking about that today in the Christian Habits Podcast (but I’ve also included a summary below if you don’t have time to listen to the podcast). How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen and subscribe on Android: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here  How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed 1. Do the important things first. In Dr. Stephen Covey’s book First Things First, he gives an example of how to put a few big rocks and lots of little rocks and pebbles into a jar. If you start with the big rocks and fill in with the little rocks and pebbles, it works. But if you start with the pebbles and fill in with the big rocks, they don’t all fit. In like manner, when we focus our lives on all the little details, we ignore the important things we need to do (the big rocks) and that completely stresses us out. We can avoid that by starting the day with this question: What are the three most important things I need to do today? 2. Don’t let others choose your important things. Often we let other people answer that question for us. We’ll open an email and all of a sudden that email item is first on our list. We spend an hour working on it, ignoring our other to-dos, even though the email to-do wasn’t all that important. Or we’ll get involved in projects and goals that aren’t important to us–all because someone else wants us to do them or we feel like we should do them. Sometimes when we feel like we should do something, it’s legitimate. God wants us to do that thing too. But other times it’s not legitimate. It’s on our list only because others want it on our list or because experts tell us we should do that thing. This happens on a daily basis, but it also happens on a monthly and yearly basis. If you look at your life, you may find all kinds of things in it that don’t belong there. Not because they’re bad things, but because we don’t have time to do them. 3. Eliminate the things that don’t belong on your list. Sometimes we’re overwhelmed because we’re procrastinating or not managing our time well, but other times we’re overwhelmed because we really do have too much on our plate. We’re trying to fit too many huge rocks into that quart-sized jar. When that happens we need to take a close look at our lives and visit with God about what to keep and what to eliminate. If you need help with this, I have a chapter on reducing overwhelm in my Freedom from Procrastination Bible study. 4. Don’t let the little things distract you. This happened to me when I was writing this blog post/podcast. I had the outline all ready and turned on my computer to start typing. Then I thought, I wonder if I’ve ever written on this topic before? So I did a search, and sure enough, I had a blog post on it. I started reading it, wondered if that outline was better, and before I knew it, 15 minutes was wasted. This happens to me all the time, and I’m guessing it does to you too! We have so many options for distraction these days, it’s not even funny. Since a whole post could be written on how to focus, I won’t go into that here. Just be aware that this is something to think about and keep reeling yourself back in when you find yourself being distracted. 5. Go to God for help.  Last but not least, we need to go to God for help.  Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Here’s the problem, though. When we read that verse, we have a tendency to focus on the “I can do all things” part of that verse, and we use it as proof that we can do all things. We forget that the important part of that verse is the second half: “In Him who strengthens me!” It takes time to go to God for strengthening, just like it takes time to go to the gym for strengthening. We don’t get strong by walking into a gym and looking at the weights; we get strong by walking into the gym and interacting with the weights consistently and time-consumingly. It’s like that with God. The more we interact with Him and actually take the time to develop a habit of relying on Him–the more we’ll be able to do, because He will strengthen us to do it. So what does that look like on a practical basis? For me, it’s taking the time to renew my mind when I feel like I can’t do the next thing on my list. God speaks truth to me and strengthens me, and by the end of our visit I actually feel like doing the next thing on the list. If you’d like some help with going to God for that strengthening, see below. Freedom from Procrastination Bible Study Online Classes  If you need help with the relying part of your relationship with God, I’ve just published a new Bible study called Freedom from Procrastination that will help you develop the habit of relying on God for your daily to-dos. I’ll be teaching both an evening and a daytime class with the study beginning the week of November 4, 2019. For more info on those classes, click here: Freedom from Procrastination Classes  The post How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed – 5 Steps appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TheChristianHabitsPodcast_1400.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Do you ever feel like you have a million things to do, but you only have time and energy for about three things? Do you often ignore the important things in life because you’re too busy doing the million things in life? If so, you’re in the same boat as most of us. We’ve all experienced this at some point. The question is, “How do you stop feeling overwhelmed when you have a million things to do?”</p> <p>We’ll be talking about that today in the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a> (but I’ve also included a summary below if you don’t have time to listen to the podcast).</p> <h4><strong>How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:</strong></h4> <ul> <li>To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <h4>How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed</h4> <p><strong>1. Do the important things first.</strong></p> <p>In Dr. Stephen Covey’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/First-Things-Stephen-R-Covey/dp/0684802031/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=first+things+first&amp;qid=1571491550&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>First Things First</em></a>, he gives an example of how to put a few big rocks and lots of little rocks and pebbles into a jar. If you start with the big rocks and fill in with the little rocks and pebbles, it works. But if you start with the pebbles and fill in with the big rocks, they don’t all fit.</p> <p>In like manner, when we focus our lives on all the little details, we ignore the important things we need to do (the big rocks) and that completely stresses us out. We can avoid that by starting the day with this question: <em>What are the three most important things I need to do today?</em></p> <p><strong>2. Don’t let others choose your important things.</strong></p> <p>Often we let other people answer that question for us. We’ll open an email and all of a sudden that email item is first on our list. We spend an hour working on it, ignoring our other to-dos, even though the email to-do wasn’t all that important.</p> <p>Or we’ll get involved in projects and goals that aren’t important to us–all because someone else wants us to do them or we feel like we <em>should</em> do them.</p> <p>Sometimes when we feel like we should do something, it’s legitimate. God wants us to do that thing too. But other times it’s not legitimate. It’s on our list only because others want it on our list or because experts tell us we should do that thing.</p> <p>This happens on a daily basis, but it also happens on a monthly and yearly basis. If you look at your life, you may find all kinds of things in it that don’t belong there. Not because they’re bad things, but because we don’t have time to do them.</p> <p><strong>3. Eliminate the things that don’t belong on your list.</strong></p> <p>Sometimes we’re overwhelmed because we’re procrastinating or not managing our time well, but other times we’re overwhelmed because we really do have too much on our plate. We’re trying to fit too many huge rocks into that quart-sized jar.</p> <p>When that happens we need to take a close look at our lives and visit with God about what to keep and what to eliminate. If you need help with this, I have a chapter on reducing overwhelm in my <em>Freedom from Procrastination</em> Bible study.</p> <p><strong>4. Don’t let the little things distract you.</strong></p> <p>This happened to me when I was writing this blog post/podcast. I had the outline all ready and turned on my computer to start typing. Then I thought, <em>I wonder if I’ve ever written on this topic before?</em> So I did a search, and sure enough, I had a <a href="https://barbraveling.com/7-ways-to-stop-being-overwhelmed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog post</a> on it. I started reading it, wondered if that outline was better, and before I knew it, 15 minutes was wasted.</p> <p>This happens to me all the time, and I’m guessing it does to you too! We have so many options for distraction these days, it’s not even funny. Since a whole post could be written on how to focus, I won’t go into that here. Just be aware that this is something to think about and keep reeling yourself back in when you find yourself being distracted.</p> <p><strong>5. Go to God for help. </strong></p> <p>Last but not least, we need to go to God for help.  <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A13&amp;version=NKJV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philippians 4:13</a> tells us, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”</p> <p>Here’s the problem, though. When we read that verse, we have a tendency to focus on the “I can do all things” part of that verse, and we use it as proof that we can do all things.</p> <p>We forget that the important part of that verse is the second half: “In Him who strengthens me!” It takes time to go to God for strengthening, just like it takes time to go to the gym for strengthening.</p> <p>We don’t get strong by walking into a gym and looking at the weights; we get strong by walking into the gym and interacting with the weights consistently and time-consumingly.</p> <p>It’s like that with God. The more we interact with Him and actually take the time to develop a habit of relying on Him–the more we’ll be able to do, because He will strengthen us to do it.</p> <p>So what does that look like on a practical basis? For me, it’s taking the time to renew my mind when I feel like I can’t do the next thing on my list. God speaks truth to me and strengthens me, and by the end of our visit I actually feel like doing the next thing on the list.</p> <p>If you’d like some help with going to God for that strengthening, see below.</p> <h4>Freedom from Procrastination Bible Study Online Classes</h4> <p><a href="https://amzn.to/34X3nOw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <p>If you need help with the relying part of your relationship with God, I’ve just published a new Bible study called<a href="https://amzn.to/34X3nOw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <em>Freedom from Procrastination </em></a>that will help you develop the habit of relying on God for your daily to-dos. I’ll be teaching both an evening and a daytime class with the study beginning the week of November 4, 2019. For more info on those classes, click here: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/online-bible-studies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freedom from Procrastination Classes</a></p> <p> </p><p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/stop-feeling-overwhelmed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed – 5 Steps</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed – 5 Steps

Do you ever feel like you’d like a little help with some area of your life? If so, consider starting a “renewing of the mind project.” We’ll talk about what that looks like and how to get started on today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast. This podcast will be a little different than my normal as I’ll be the interviewee rather than the interviewer. I’ll be sharing a recent interview I did with Jodi Aiken on her podcast, Pennies from Heaven.  Jodi Aiken is a writer, podcaster, and speaker. Raised in a small South Carolina town, Jodi grew up in a non-Christian religion, the youngest of five children. She understands and desires for others to know that trusting God with the past, present, and future is essential to living free in Christ. She is a “mom” to two adult sons. Thirty years of marriage to her husband Chris have provided countless adventures, including life as a military spouse, a police officer’s wife, and now the wife of a pastor. Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  Jodi’s podcast: Pennies from Heaven Jodi’s website Jodi’s Instagram The Renewing of the Mind Project   How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen and subscribe on Android: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here  The post How To Do a Renewing of the Mind Project appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you ever feel like you’d like a little help with some area of your life? If so, consider starting a “renewing of the mind project.” We’ll talk about what that looks like and how to get started on today’s episode of the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>. This podcast will be a little different than my normal as I’ll be the interviewee rather than the interviewer. I’ll be sharing a recent interview I did with Jodi Aiken on her podcast, Pennies from Heaven.</p> <p></p> <p>Jodi Aiken is a writer, podcaster, and speaker. Raised in a small South Carolina town, Jodi grew up in a non-Christian religion, the youngest of five children. She understands and desires for others to know that trusting God with the past, present, and future is essential to living free in Christ. She is a “mom” to two adult sons. Thirty years of marriage to her husband Chris have provided countless adventures, including life as a military spouse, a police officer’s wife, and now the wife of a pastor.</p> <h4>Resources Mentioned on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>Jodi’s podcast: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pennies-in-your-path/id1441229100" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pennies from Heaven</a></li> <li><a href="https://jodiaiken.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jodi’s website</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jodiaiken/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jodi’s Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2sOjCiM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Renewing of the Mind Project</em></a></li> </ul> <h4><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-www.coastalife.com_.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></h4> <h4><strong>How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast</strong></h4> <ul> <li>To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-do-a-renewing-of-the-mind-project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Do a Renewing of the Mind Project</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How To Do a Renewing of the Mind Project

Michele Cushatt

How do you hold onto your faith when it seems like God has disappeared? Whether in struggle, illness, death, or failure, the presence of pain is often so overwhelming it can drown out God’s voice. On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, I visit with Michele Cushatt who offers hope and faith for times when life is so hard we can’t always feel God’s presence. A three-time head and neck cancer survivor, Michele is a (reluctant) expert of trauma, pain and the deep human need for authentic connection. Michele shares her story on the podcast and also helps us with the following questions:  Why doesn’t God take away the pain? What do you do on the days when the emotional and/or physical pain feels devastating? How do you deal with the doubts about your faith that often accompany relentless pain? How do you deal with the fairness issue–when it seems like everyone else has great lives and you’re stuck with this hard life? What final advice do you have for the person who is suffering?  Relentless, by Michele Cushatt Michele also discusses these questions and more in her new book, Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves. Like the Old Testament story of Joshua’s altar of twelve stones, Relentless delivers twelve key biblical stories that demonstrate God’s unfailing presence. Each chapter offers an invitation to identify a “stone” in your own life as tangible evidence of God’s nearness. With the turn of the last page, you will have discovered twelve markers of your own, an altar of memory to carry you through questions and losses, even ones yet to come. Where to Find Michele Cushatt OnlineWEBSITE: michelecushatt.comSPEAKING: http://www.michelecushatt.com/speaking/FACEBOOK: facebook.com/michelecushatt/TWITTER: twitter.com/michelecushattINSTAGRAM: instagram.com/michelecushatt  How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen and subscribe on Android: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here    The post How to Hold Onto Your Faith When Life Is Hard with Michele Cushatt appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>How do you hold onto your faith when it seems like God has disappeared? Whether in struggle, illness, death, or failure, the presence of pain is often so overwhelming it can drown out God’s voice. On today’s episode of the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>, I visit with Michele Cushatt who offers hope and faith for times when life is so hard we can’t always feel God’s presence.</p> <p>A three-time head and neck cancer survivor, Michele is a (reluctant) expert of trauma, pain and the deep human need for authentic connection. Michele shares her story on the podcast and also helps us with the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Why doesn’t God take away the pain?</li> <li>What do you do on the days when the emotional and/or physical pain feels devastating?</li> <li>How do you deal with the doubts about your faith that often accompany relentless pain?</li> <li>How do you deal with the fairness issue–when it seems like everyone else has great lives and you’re stuck with this hard life?</li> <li>What final advice do you have for the person who is suffering?</li> </ul> <h4>Relentless, by Michele Cushatt</h4> <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310352991" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Michele also discusses these questions and more in her new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310352991" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves</em></a>. Like the Old Testament story of Joshua’s altar of twelve stones, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Unshakeable-Presence-Never-Leaves/dp/0310352991/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SIQFB9C0GKHH&amp;keywords=relentless+michele+cushatt&amp;qid=1573496549&amp;sprefix=relen%2Caps%2C270&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Relentless</em></a> delivers twelve key biblical stories that demonstrate God’s unfailing presence.</p> <p>Each chapter offers an invitation to identify a “stone” in your own life as tangible evidence of God’s nearness. With the turn of the last page, you will have discovered twelve markers of your own, an altar of memory to carry you through questions and losses, even ones yet to come.</p> <h4>Where to Find Michele Cushatt Online</h4>WEBSITE: <a href="http://michelecushatt.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">michelecushatt.com</a><br>SPEAKING: <a href="http://www.michelecushatt.com/speaking/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.michelecushatt.com/speaking/</a><br>FACEBOOK: <a href="http://facebook.com/michelecushatt/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">facebook.com/michelecushatt/</a><br>TWITTER: <a href="http://twitter.com/michelecushatt" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">twitter.com/michelecushatt</a><br>INSTAGRAM: <a href="http://instagram.com/michelecushatt" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">instagram.com/michelecushatt</a> <h4></h4> <h4><strong>How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:</strong></h4> <ul> <li>To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/interview-with-michele-cushatt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Hold Onto Your Faith When Life Is Hard with Michele Cushatt</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How to Hold Onto Your Faith When Life Is Hard with Michele Cushatt

Neil Anderson

On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, I interview Neil Anderson about gaining freedom in Christ. Neil Anderson is the author of many best-selling books including The Bondage Breaker and Victory Over the Darkness. He writes and speaks worldwide, helping people resolve personal and spiritual conflicts.    Here are just a few of the things we’ll be discussing on today’s podcast:  What a stronghold is and how to break free from strongholds. The steps to freedom in Christ. Why it’s important to know who we are in Christ The difference between identifying ourselves as sinners saved by grace or saints who sin How unforgiveness affects us and why we need to forgive The importance of replacing lies with truth The importance of letting go of rebellion and submitting to God How the things we learn in childhood affect us.  Tips from Neil Anderson Podcast Here are two tips I got from Neil’s podcast that I thought were super helpful:  Go through the Steps to Freedom in Christ that are in his books. Neil said that if you want information, you should read the book. If you want transformation, do the Steps to Freedom in Christ with God because we need an encounter with God if we want transformation. Try reading through the “Who Am I in Christ” once a day for 30 days. Neil gave a great example on the podcast of a person who was transformed by doing this. Click here for a downloadable PDF: Who I Am in Christ  Resources We Talked About on the Podcast  Victory Over the Darkness Freedom from Fear The Bondage Breaker Freedom from Addiction A Way of Escape: Freedom from Sexual Strongholds Managing Your Anger How to Truth Journal  Other Helpful Resources from Neil Anderson  Great free resources from Neil’s website Steps to Freedom in Christ  How to Listen to the Podcast  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen or subscribe on Android: click here To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen or subscribe on Google Play: click here To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here    The post Breaking Free from Strongholds with Neil Anderson appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>On today’s episode of the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>, I interview Neil Anderson about gaining freedom in Christ. Neil Anderson is the author of many best-selling books including <a href="https://amzn.to/2tCoOGR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Bondage Breaker</em></a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/35E0a5Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Victory Over the Darkness</em></a>. He writes and speaks worldwide, helping people resolve personal and spiritual conflicts.</p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>Here are just a few of the things we’ll be discussing on today’s podcast:</p> <ul> <li>What a stronghold is and how to break free from strongholds.</li> <li>The steps to freedom in Christ.</li> <li>Why it’s important to know who we are in Christ</li> <li>The difference between identifying ourselves as sinners saved by grace or saints who sin</li> <li>How unforgiveness affects us and why we need to forgive</li> <li>The importance of replacing lies with truth</li> <li>The importance of letting go of rebellion and submitting to God</li> <li>How the things we learn in childhood affect us.</li> </ul> <h4>Tips from Neil Anderson Podcast</h4> <p>Here are two tips I got from Neil’s podcast that I thought were super helpful:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Go through the Steps to Freedom in Christ that are in his books.</strong> Neil said that if you want <em>information</em>, you should read the book. If you want <em>transformation</em>, do the Steps to Freedom in Christ with God because we need an encounter with God if we want transformation.</li> <li><strong>Try reading through the “Who Am I in Christ” once a day for 30 days.</strong> Neil gave a great example on the podcast of a person who was transformed by doing this. Click here for a downloadable PDF: <a href="https://ficm.org/about-us/#!/who-i-am-in-christ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Who I Am in Christ</a></li> </ol> <h4>Resources We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/35E0a5Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Victory Over the Darkness</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2N7Io4J" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Freedom from Fear</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2tCoOGR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Bondage Breaker</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2N7Lbuu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Freedom from Addiction</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2T7VWRw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>A Way of Escape: Freedom from Sexual Strongholds</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/302REfw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Managing Your Anger</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/how-to-truth-journal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Truth Journal</a></li> </ul> <h4>Other Helpful Resources from Neil Anderson</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://ficm.org/free-downloads/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Great free resources from Neil’s website</a></li> <li><a href="https://ficm.org/about-us/steps-to-freedom-in-christ/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steps to Freedom in Christ</a></li> </ul> <h4>How to Listen to the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/neilanderson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaking Free from Strongholds with Neil Anderson</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Breaking Free from Strongholds with Neil Anderson

Do you ever find yourself working on a goal but secretly thinking, I’ll never be able to do this? In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, Dr. Melanie Wilson shares three mindset shifts that can help us accomplish goals.  Here are the three mindset shifts we’ll be discussing on today’s podcast:  You don’t have to feel like working on it. Let go of all or nothing thinking. Believe that you can do it with God’s help if He has called you to do it.  Melanie also discusses what to do if you’re not sure whether or not God has called you to do something. Resources we Talked About on This Podcast  A Year of Living Productively by Melanie Wilson Ph. D The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey Time Warrior, by Steve Chandler Melanie’s podcast, The Homeschool Sanity Show Melanie’s blog How to Get Organized – podcast episode with Melanie 3 Habits that will Help You Boost Your Productivity – podcast episode with Melanie  How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen and subscribe on Android: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here  The post 3 Mindset Shifts That Can Help You Accomplish Your Important Goals appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Do you ever find yourself working on a goal but secretly thinking, <em>I’ll never be able to do this</em>? In today’s episode of the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>, Dr. Melanie Wilson shares three mindset shifts that can help us accomplish goals.</p> <p></p> <p>Here are the three mindset shifts we’ll be discussing on today’s podcast:</p> <ol> <li>You don’t have to feel like working on it.</li> <li>Let go of all or nothing thinking.</li> <li>Believe that you can do it with God’s help if He has called you to do it.</li> </ol> <p>Melanie also discusses what to do if you’re not sure whether or not God has called you to do something.</p> <h4>Resources we Talked About on This Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Year-Living-Productively-Experiments-Getting/dp/1724133837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1548963323&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=a+year+of+living+productively" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>A Year of Living Productively</em></a> by Melanie Wilson Ph. D</li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314/ref=asc_df_0679778314/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312094794926&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=15390833114936874240&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9021375&amp;hvtargid=pla-487659376527&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=&amp;ref=&amp;adgrpid=61851652293&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvadid=312094794926&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=15390833114936874240&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9021375&amp;hvtargid=pla-487659376527" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Inner Game of Tennis</em></a> by Timothy Gallwey</li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Time-Warrior-procrastination-people-pleasing-over-commitment/dp/1600250378/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1548963359&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=time+warrior+steve+chandler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Time Warrior</em></a>, by Steve Chandler</li> <li>Melanie’s podcast, <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/the-homeschool-sanity-show/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Homeschool Sanity Show</a></li> <li><a href="https://psychowith6.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melanie’s blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/2016/01/18/how-to-get-organized/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Get Organized</a> – podcast episode with Melanie</li> <li><a href="https://barbraveling.com/2014/10/01/14-3-habits-that-will-boost-your-productivity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Habits that will Help You Boost Your Productivity</a> – podcast episode with Melanie</li> </ul> <h4><strong>How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast</strong></h4> <ul> <li>To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/3-mindset-shifts-that-can-help-you-accomplish-your-important-goals/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Mindset Shifts That Can Help You Accomplish Your Important Goals</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

3 Mindset Shifts That Can Help You Accomplish Your Important Goals

A few weeks ago, I asked members of my Facebook page if they were afraid of failure. I was overwhelmed by the responses. It seems that I’m not the only one out there who fears failure! In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, we’ll talk about seven steps you can take to overcome fear of failure. But first let’s look at some of the things we’re afraid of.  Examples of Fear of Failure Here are just a few of the examples Facebook readers gave of the areas where they were afraid of failure.  Trying weight loss again after so many defeats. Messing up at work. Trying to be social and being or feeling rejected. Starting your own company and having it not work. Making decisions because you might make the wrong one. Deciding to resign and stay at home with the kids. Losing weight and then gaining it back. Raising kids.  There’s no end to the things we could come up with in the fear of failure arena. Let’s take a look at how to overcome fear of failure. If you’d rather listen to this as an expanded podcast episode on the Christian Habits Podcast, click on the links below. Keep reading for the blog post version.  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen or subscribe on Android: click here To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen or subscribe on Google Play: click here To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  How to Overcome Fear of Failure 1. Find out what you’re afraid of and why you’re afraid of it. We can’t fight something until we know what we’re fighting. Thus the first step in overcoming fear of failure is to ask yourself, “What am I most afraid of?” and “Why am I afraid of that?” Naming your fear will help you take the next step which is to evaluate your fear. Here’s an example: I’m afraid whenever I publish a new book. When I ask the question, “What am I most afraid of?” my answer is that I’m afraid someone will write a horrible review on Amazon berating me up and down for how terrible my book is. When I ask the next question, “Why am I afraid of that,” I answer with “then no one else will buy my book” and “all of my friends and family will read the negative review and think I’m a loser.” I’m not the only author with these fears, but there are many who don’t feel this way. I was talking to one very successful artist a few months ago and he told me that every time he finishes a painting he thinks its great and that everyone will love it. By the time I finish a book, I usually think it’s terrible and that everyone will hate it. This is probably the main reason I’m so bad at doing book launches – I’m afraid to put the new book out there. Often our fears are shaped by our childhood. When I was young, I had two different experiences where I did something in a public way and got yelled at for not doing it perfectly enough. Thankfully, God has given us wonderful brains we can use to evaluate those things we believe and see if they’re true. This leads to the next step. 2. See if your fears are realistic. When we have a nameless fear it’s pretty easy to be convinced that what we fear will take place. But when we name it, we often realize that oh, that’s probably not going to happen. This is helpful. For example, when I tell myself there’s a less than 1% chance of my fear coming true, it’s easier to see that it’s ridiculous to worry about it. And easier to stop worrying. Let’s see how this works with my publishing example: Is it true that no one else will buy my book if I have a terrible review for it? No, that’s not true unless 1) all of the reviews for the book are bad or 2) there aren’t enough good reviews to counteract the bad ones. It’s also true that God is really in charge of all of this, not me, and my only responsibility is to do my best to write the book He wants me to write. The rest is up to Him. Is it true that all of my friends and family will think I’m a loser if there’s as terrible review? No! First of all, I would guess that none of them even read my reviews – and if they did, they’ll feel sorry for me and love me – not berate me and think I’m terrible. This is true for you guys, too. If you fail in a public way, people will still love you.  Most people will be compassionate and feel bad for you. People care far more about your character and how you interact with them than they care about how successful you are in some arena of life. That said, it’s still possible that people will judge you if you fail or that there will be other consequences of failure. That’s why we need the next step.  3. Hold success with open hands (or let go of your have-to-haves). We’ll never be able to let go of the fear of failure if we’re not willing to have our fears come true. When we set out to do something scary, there’s no “guaranteed success with the project” option. We have to step into the project knowing we could fail. Because of that, the more we hold success with open hands, willing to fail, the less scared we’ll be. It will be easier to do this if we take the next step.  4. Look at your fears from a biblical perspective. Here’s what happens when we look at our fears from a biblical perspective: we usually realize that we’ve been barking up the wrong tree. We’re either caring about things God doesn’t care about (like looking good in the eyes of the world) or caring too much about things God does care about. In my example, God just wants me to love people and serve them by writing. His definition of success is so much easier than my own definition because I’m successful each day I work on the book and the minute I publish it. Even if I get a million bad reviews and no one buys the book. I’m also successful even if I don’t write – which leads to the next point: 5. Find your identity in who you are rather than what you do. Try to remember that whatever you’re trying to succeed at – that’s just a little part of who you are. So for example in my case, I’m not only a writer. I’m a child of God. He loves me and created me as a unique person, different than everyone else. It can help to look at those differences because they’re part of who we are. So in my case, I’m not just a writer. I’m also an outdoorsy person who loves to hike and camp and backpack and kayak and ski. I’m a wife and a retired homeschool mom with four kids. I’m also a person who loves to read and play games. And I’m an extrovert who loves meeting new people and visiting with them. Writing is just one of the things I do, it’s not who I am. 6. Remember that the spirit-controlled you is better than the non-spirit-controlled you, but that’s a work in progress for all of us. It’s also helpful to remember that we’re all works in progress. Often our sinful and fragile human selves show through. People see things in us that are worthy of condemnation. They may speak those things and they may be true. But rather than beating ourselves up, we can go to God for comfort, strength, perspective, love and finally, for help to change those things that need to be changed. That’s why it’s so important to take this last step: 7. Keep your eyes on Jesus. As you work on your goals, try to remember that Jesus is the main goal. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus knows what it’s like to experience failure in the world’s eyes. But his failure led to great success for all of us in being willing to come to God and have our sins forgiven. That’s what’s really important in life – not success with our projects. If God wants us to succeed, He’ll help us succeed. And if we don’t succeed, it’s not a big deal because Jesus is the our main goal. And we already have Him! More Help If you’d like more help to overcome fear of failure, check out the Week 5 Bible study in Freedom from Procrastination. The post How to Overcome Fear of Failure – 7 Steps appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>A few weeks ago, I asked members of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BarbRaveling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my Facebook page</a> if they were afraid of failure. I was overwhelmed by the responses. It seems that I’m not the only one out there who fears failure! In today’s episode of the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>, we’ll talk about seven steps you can take to overcome fear of failure. But first let’s look at some of the things we’re afraid of.</p> <p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-www.coastalife.com-4.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <h4>Examples of Fear of Failure</h4> <p>Here are just a few of the examples Facebook readers gave of the areas where they were afraid of failure.</p> <ul> <li>Trying weight loss again after so many defeats.</li> <li>Messing up at work.</li> <li>Trying to be social and being or feeling rejected.</li> <li>Starting your own company and having it not work.</li> <li>Making decisions because you might make the wrong one.</li> <li>Deciding to resign and stay at home with the kids.</li> <li>Losing weight and then gaining it back.</li> <li>Raising kids.</li> </ul> <p>There’s no end to the things we could come up with in the fear of failure arena. Let’s take a look at how to overcome fear of failure.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TheChristianHabitsPodcast_1400.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></strong>If you’d rather listen to this as an expanded podcast episode on the<strong> Christian Habits Podcast, </strong>click on the links below. <strong>Keep reading for the blog post version.</strong></p> <ul> <li>To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen or subscribe on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4RiCoYxtkWRm5B4FjXx3lT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <h3>How to Overcome Fear of Failure</h3> <h4>1. Find out what you’re afraid of and why you’re afraid of it.</h4> <p>We can’t fight something until we know what we’re fighting. Thus the first step in overcoming fear of failure is to ask yourself, “What am I most afraid of?” and “Why am I afraid of that?”</p> <p>Naming your fear will help you take the next step which is to evaluate your fear.</p> <p>Here’s an example: I’m afraid whenever I publish a new book. When I ask the question, “What am I most afraid of?” my answer is that I’m afraid someone will write a horrible review on Amazon berating me up and down for how terrible my book is.</p> <p>When I ask the next question, “Why am I afraid of that,” I answer with “then no one else will buy my book” and “all of my friends and family will read the negative review and think I’m a loser.”</p> <p>I’m not the only author with these fears, but there are many who <em>don’t</em> feel this way. I was talking to one very successful artist a few months ago and he told me that every time he finishes a painting he thinks its great and that everyone will love it. By the time <em>I</em> finish a book, I usually think it’s terrible and that everyone will hate it. This is probably the main reason I’m so bad at doing book launches – I’m afraid to put the new book out there.</p> <p>Often our fears are shaped by our childhood. When I was young, I had two different experiences where I did something in a public way and got yelled at for not doing it perfectly enough. Thankfully, God has given us wonderful brains we can use to evaluate those things we believe and see if they’re true. This leads to the next step.</p> <h4>2. See if your fears are realistic.</h4> <p>When we have a nameless fear it’s pretty easy to be convinced that what we fear will take place. But when we name it, we often realize that oh, that’s probably not going to happen. This is helpful. For example, when I tell myself there’s a less than 1% chance of my fear coming true, it’s easier to see that it’s ridiculous to worry about it. And easier to stop worrying.</p> <p>Let’s see how this works with my publishing example: Is it true that no one else will buy my book if I have a terrible review for it? No, that’s not true unless 1) <em>all</em> of the reviews for the book are bad or 2) there aren’t enough good reviews to counteract the bad ones.</p> <p>It’s also true that God is really in charge of all of this, not me, and my only responsibility is to do my best to write the book He wants me to write. The rest is up to Him.</p> <p>Is it true that all of my friends and family will think I’m a loser if there’s as terrible review? No! First of all, I would guess that none of them even read my reviews – and if they did, they’ll feel sorry for me and love me – not berate me and think I’m terrible.</p> <p>This is true for you guys, too. If you fail in a public way, people will still love you.  Most people will be compassionate and feel bad for you. People care far more about your character and how you interact with them than they care about how successful you are in some arena of life. That said, it’s still possible that people will judge you if you fail or that there will be other consequences of failure. That’s why we need the next step.</p> <p><a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-www.coastalife.com_.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></p> <h4>3. Hold success with open hands (or let go of your have-to-haves).</h4> <p>We’ll never be able to let go of the fear of failure if we’re not willing to have our fears come true. When we set out to do something scary, there’s no “guaranteed success with the project” option. We have to step into the project knowing we could fail. Because of that, the more we hold success with open hands, willing to fail, the less scared we’ll be. It will be easier to do this if we take the next step.<a href="https://barbraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-www.coastalife.com_.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br/> </a></p> <h4>4. Look at your fears from a biblical perspective.</h4> <p>Here’s what happens when we look at our fears from a biblical perspective: we usually realize that we’ve been barking up the wrong tree. We’re either caring about things God doesn’t care about (like looking good in the eyes of the world) or caring too much about things God does care about.</p> <p>In my example, God just wants me to love people and serve them by writing. His definition of success is so much easier than my own definition because I’m successful each day I work on the book and the minute I publish it. Even if I get a million bad reviews and no one buys the book. I’m also successful even if I don’t write – which leads to the next point:</p> <h4>5. Find your identity in who you are rather than what you do.</h4> <p>Try to remember that whatever you’re trying to succeed at – that’s just a little part of who you are.</p> <p>So for example in my case, I’m not only a writer. I’m a child of God. He loves me and created me as a unique person, different than everyone else. It can help to look at those differences because they’re part of who we are.</p> <p>So in my case, I’m not just a writer. I’m also an outdoorsy person who loves to hike and camp and backpack and kayak and ski. I’m a wife and a retired homeschool mom with four kids. I’m also a person who loves to read and play games. And I’m an extrovert who loves meeting new people and visiting with them.</p> <p>Writing is just one of the things I do, it’s not who I am.</p> <h4>6. Remember that the spirit-controlled you is better than the non-spirit-controlled you, but that’s a work in progress for all of us.</h4> <p>It’s also helpful to remember that we’re all works in progress. Often our sinful and fragile human selves show through. People see things in us that are worthy of condemnation. They may speak those things and they may be true. But rather than beating ourselves up, we can go to God for comfort, strength, perspective, love and finally, for help to change those things that need to be changed. That’s why it’s so important to take this last step:</p> <h4>7. Keep your eyes on Jesus.</h4> <p>As you work on your goals, try to remember that Jesus is the main goal. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”</p> <p>Jesus knows what it’s like to experience failure in the world’s eyes. But his failure led to great success for all of us in being willing to come to God and have our sins forgiven. That’s what’s really important in life – not success with our projects. If God wants us to succeed, He’ll help us succeed. And if we don’t succeed, it’s not a big deal because Jesus is the our main goal. And we already have Him!</p> <h4>More Help</h4> <p>If<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Procrastination-Living-Joyfully-Productively/dp/0980224373/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3L1GX0TSBFW1W&amp;keywords=freedom+from+procrastination&amp;qid=1572022523&amp;sprefix=freedom+from+proc%2Caps%2C238&amp;sr=8-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> you’d like more help to overcome fear of failure, check out the Week 5 Bible study in <a href="https://amzn.to/34X3nOw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Freedom from Procrastination</em>.</a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/overcome-fear-of-failure/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Overcome Fear of Failure – 7 Steps</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

How to Overcome Fear of Failure – 7 Steps

Tricia Goyer

On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, I’m excited to have Tricia Goyer with us. This will be the last podcast for the next few months as I’ll be taking a break from both the Christian Habits Podcast and Taste for Truth Weight Loss Podcast over the summer.    Tricia Goyer is a woman I could sit down and visit for hours with because I feel like she has so much wise advice. We talked about both productivity and parenting in this podcast and I’ve been thinking over one of her tips on productivity (the 80/20 rule) ever since I recorded the interview a week ago. We talk about productivity first on the podcast and then parenting. Here are a few of the things we’ll be talking about:  How the 80-20 principle can help you get more done. How to be productive in a house full of kids (Tricia has ten kids and has published 70+ books. I can’t even begin to imagine that!) How to calm angry kids. Why angry kids want to see you get mad as well. How the 80-20 rule can help you in parenting as well. What it’s like to live in a house full of kids. Why God wants us to get out of our comfort zone. Some of the things we struggle with when we get out of our comfort zone. How God can help us grow when we get out of our comfort zone.  Resources we Talked About on This Podcast:  Tricia Goyer’s book Calming Angry Kids Tricia’s website Tricia’s Podcast: Walk It Out Podcast Tricia’s Facebook Page   How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen and subscribe on Android: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here  The post Productivity and Parenting with Tricia Goyer appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>On today’s episode of the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>, I’m excited to have Tricia Goyer with us. This will be the last podcast for the next few months as I’ll be taking a break from both the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a> and <a href="https://barbraveling.com/christian-weight-loss-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taste for Truth Weight Loss Podcast</a> over the summer.</p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>Tricia Goyer is a woman I could sit down and visit for hours with because I feel like she has so much wise advice. We talked about both productivity and parenting in this podcast and I’ve been thinking over one of her tips on productivity (the 80/20 rule) ever since I recorded the interview a week ago.</p> <p>We talk about productivity first on the podcast and then parenting. Here are a few of the things we’ll be talking about:</p> <ul> <li>How the 80-20 principle can help you get more done.</li> <li>How to be productive in a house full of kids (Tricia has ten kids and has published 70+ books. I can’t even begin to imagine that!)</li> <li>How to calm angry kids.</li> <li>Why angry kids want to see you get mad as well.</li> <li>How the 80-20 rule can help you in parenting as well.</li> <li>What it’s like to live in a house full of kids.</li> <li>Why God wants us to get out of our comfort zone.</li> <li>Some of the things we struggle with when we get out of our comfort zone.</li> <li>How God can help us grow when we get out of our comfort zone.</li> </ul> <h4>Resources we Talked About on This Podcast:</h4> <ul> <li>Tricia Goyer’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Calming-Angry-Kids-Parents-Whirlwind/dp/1434711005/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=how+to+calm+angry+kids+tricia+goyer&amp;qid=1559571588&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1-fkmr0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Calming Angry Kids</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.triciagoyer.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tricia’s website</a></li> <li>Tricia’s Podcast: <a href="https://www.triciagoyer.com/wio-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walk It Out Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authortriciagoyer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tricia’s Facebook Page</a></li> </ul> <h4></h4> <h4><strong>How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:</strong></h4> <ul> <li>To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/productivity-and-parenting-with-tricia-goyer-fixed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Productivity and Parenting with Tricia Goyer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Productivity and Parenting with Tricia Goyer

Sarah Forgrave

Are you going through a difficult time right now either in your own life or the life of someone you love? On this episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, I’m excited to have Sarah Forgrave with us to talk about connecting with God during those difficult times in our lives. During hard times we have one of two choices: 1) We can go to God for help and grow closer to Him and more like Him, or 2) we can be a bit angry with God and distance ourselves from Him. Sarah Forgrave talks about connecting with God during hard times so that we’ll grow closer to Him and mature. Sarah Forgrave is the author of Prayers of Hope for Caregivers and Prayers for Hope and Healing, prayer devotionals that connect readers to God during hard times. Familiar with the broken messes of life, Sarah loves encouraging others toward a deeper walk of faith. When she’s not writing or speaking, she loves to shop the aisles at Trader Joe’s or spend time with her entrepreneurial husband and two preteen children. Resources We Talked About on the Podcast  Prayers of Hope for Caregivers Prayers for Hope and Healing Sarah Forgrave’s website  How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen and subscribe on Android: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here  The post Connecting with God in Hard Times with Sarah Forgrave appeared first on Barb Raveling.

<p>Are you going through a difficult time right now either in your own life or the life of someone you love? On this episode of the <a href="https://barbraveling.com/category/christianhabitspodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Habits Podcast</a>, I’m excited to have Sarah Forgrave with us to talk about connecting with God during those difficult times in our lives.</p> <p>During hard times we have one of two choices: 1) We can go to God for help and grow closer to Him and more like Him, or 2) we can be a bit angry with God and distance ourselves from Him. Sarah Forgrave talks about connecting with God during hard times so that we’ll grow closer to Him and mature.</p> <p>Sarah Forgrave is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Hope-Caregivers-Seeking-Strength/dp/0736975772/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=prayers+of+hope+for+caregivers&amp;qid=1554295763&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Prayers of Hope for Caregivers</em></a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Hope-Healing-Strength-Challenges/dp/0736971513/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=prayers+for+hope+and+healing&amp;qid=1554295817&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Prayers for Hope and Healing</em></a>, prayer devotionals that connect readers to God during hard times. Familiar with the broken messes of life, Sarah loves encouraging others toward a deeper walk of faith. When she’s not writing or speaking, she loves to shop the aisles at Trader Joe’s or spend time with her entrepreneurial husband and two preteen children.</p> <h4>Resources We Talked About on the Podcast</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Hope-Caregivers-Seeking-Strength/dp/0736975772/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=prayers+of+hope+for+caregivers&amp;qid=1554295763&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Prayers of Hope for Caregivers</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Hope-Healing-Strength-Challenges/dp/0736971513/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=prayers+for+hope+and+healing&amp;qid=1554295817&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Prayers for Hope and Healing</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sarahforgrave.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah Forgrave’s website</a></li> </ul> <h4><strong>How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast</strong></h4> <ul> <li>To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-habits-podcast/id899589208?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Android:<a href="http://subscribeonandroid.com/barbraveling.com/feed/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51757&amp;refid=stpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> <li>To listen and subscribe on Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iiwjfsakqlz3ubnrg2bsaknhgse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a></li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://barbraveling.com/connecting-with-god-during-hard-times-with-sarah-forgrave/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Connecting with God in Hard Times with Sarah Forgrave</a> appeared first on <a href="https://barbraveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barb Raveling</a>.</p>

Connecting with God in Hard Times with Sarah Forgrave

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