In this episode, Jenna shares her thoughts about spiritual warfare, emphasizing the importance of discernment in recognizing spiritual influences in our lives. Jenna cautions against hastily attributing challenges to spiritual forces without prayer, advocating for a balanced approach to understanding both divine guidance and everyday obstacles.
In this episode, Jenna shares personal updates as she approaches the end of her pregnancy and reflects on her journey with prayer and holiness. She discusses the distractions that can arise in both prayer and the pursuit of holiness, emphasizing the importance of God's grace and encouragement found in scripture. Jenna's insights aim to inspire listeners to navigate their own struggles with faith and personal growth, knowing that even "a bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not quench." Isaiah 42:3.
In this episode, Jenna explores the biblical figures Lois and Eunice, who played a significant role in instilling faith in Timothy. She emphasizes the importance of nurturing faith in children through everyday conversations and integrating scripture into daily life. The discussion highlights practical ways to encourage faith-based discussions within families, drawing inspiration from the teachings of Deuteronomy and the impact of parental guidance on children's spiritual journeys.
Podcast Interview with Christian Smith: https://www.churchleadership.com/podcast/how-parents-pass-religious-faith-to-their-children-featuring-christian-smith/
Lost in Translation by Christian Smith:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Transition-Dark-Emerging-Adulthood/dp/0199828024
In this episode, Jenna discusses the biblical character Abigail from 1 Samuel 25. She highlights Abigail's unique qualities, her bravery, and her diplomatic approach in a tense situation with David. Jenna draws parallels between Abigail's story and the importance of humility and understanding in modern conversations, especially in the political sphere. She encourages listeners to engage in civil discourse and to see the dignity in others, regardless of differing opinions.
In this episode, Jenna delves into the stories of Leah and Rachel from Genesis, exploring themes of love, approval, and personal transformation. She reflects on Leah's struggles with her husband's preference for her sister Rachel and how Leah ultimately finds solace in her relationship with God. Jenna also shares her own experiences with social anxiety and the desire for approval, encouraging listeners to seek God's love over the validation of others.
In this episode, Jenna shares her personal journey as she approaches motherhood while exploring the complex stories of Rachel and Leah from the Bible. She delves into the themes of motherhood, personal fulfillment, and the generational wounds that affect family dynamics. Through Rachel's struggles with infertility and her eventual motherhood, Jenna reflects on the societal pressures and personal aspirations that many women face today. The conversation encourages listeners to find joy and meaning in their daily lives, emphasizing that small acts of love and faithfulness can have a profound impact.
Read more about this story in Genesis 29-31 and get ready for next week when we discuss Leah!
In this Episode, Jenna Scott delves into the characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman in the second part of the passage, emphasizing her strength, dignity, and the importance of serving her family. She reflects on the heart behind the actions of this ideal woman, discussing the balance of confidence and reverence for God, and how this relationship influences her ability to serve without anxiety. The conversation encourages listeners to prioritize their families and recognize the value of their contributions, even when they go unnoticed.
In this episode, Jenna discusses the significance of Proverbs 31, focusing on the ideal wife and her contributions to the household. She contrasts this with the harsher views presented in Sirach 25, emphasizing the value and impact a wife has on her family. Jenna reflects on her own experiences and the importance of uplifting her household, while also acknowledging the challenges of balancing responsibilities. This episode encourages listeners to strive for the ideal wife as depicted in Proverbs 31, recognizing the worth of their contributions, no matter how small.
This week we talk about Miriam, Moses and Aaron's sister who helped lead the Israelite nation from exile in Egypt and through the desert. Miriam was a powerhouse woman who was courageous in Egypt, a leader for the people, and a steady force along with Moses and Aaron.
Miriam is also known for her story in Numbers 12 when she and Aaron (who were grumbling about Moses and complaining about his position as leader of the trio) got mightily told off by God and she consequently was given leprosy for seven days. In this episode I reflect on why Miriam was the one to receive the physical punishment and how we find ourselves in the same sin as Miriam in our lives. Though we may know a lot about those we spend time with, we will never know them as God does. We can trust His will for them (and us), and we should never cease praying for one another as we continue on the journey.
Please pray for me! I will pray for you too!
Continuing on to learn from women in the Bible, we look at Hannah, who appears in the beginning of 1 Samuel. Hannah is a beautiful example to us of faithful femininity. In her anguish of not having children, she bears her soul before the Lord in the temple and beseeches Him to grant her a child. In an exchange she offers to give her child right back to Him. When God does grant her the child she desires, she follows through with her promise and gives up the one thing she always wanted.
I am grateful to Hannah for her example of detachment and reflecting on her helps me to call out what idols are in my life. I encourage you to take Hannah's story to prayer and consider what would be the most difficult thing for you to give up, should God ask. This might be an idol in your life that you need to offer to God and ask Him to help you overcome it.
**CORRECTION** A psalm to pray to claim God is king is psalm 93, not psalm 91 like I mistakenly say in this episode!
The most relatable woman with the least relatable story: Queen Esther! Esther was given a role she never would have predicted and followed God's voice by simply following the guidance of her cousin, Modecai. She went through times of doubt and fear, yet eventually chose to put her life on the line for her people.
Sometimes God speaks to us in small ways that we may overlook. Esther reminds us that God can speak through trusted family and friends and that we only have the job of being faithful. When we are overwhelmed with our responsibilities as mothers, wives, etc. we can look to Esther to know that God can make our small, flawed efforts extraordinary. He only needs our "yes!"
Today we think about Anna, the prophetess who got to witness the presentation of Jesus at the temple. This holy woman does not have much about her in the Bible, but we can tell that she was a prayerful woman who, though she had experienced hardship, never gave up on seeking God. She was granted the gift of meeting Jesus and proclaiming His identity to those around her.
May we all have enough openness in our hearts to welcome whatever God puts in our way and to have the relationship with Him that we may recognize Him when we see Him. Anna models a life of prayer that molded her relationship with God. If you have had trouble hearing God's voice in the past, check out The Lila Rose Show episode 218 where Jonna Schuster lays out a methodical way of prayer and hearing God's voice in various ways.
I'm starting a new solo series about women from the Bible! Learning from them--their wisdom and their mistakes. Today we talk about one of my very favorites, Martha. She gets a bad rap sometimes, because she comes to Jesus complaining about her sister, Mary, but I believe that Jesus' love for Martha comes through in the story as He invites her to not worry so much about solving problems and to simply come and be with Him.
In this episode I share ways that I relate with Martha and how Jesus is currently inviting me to choose "the better part" by simply choosing Him. Let us not get so focused on the specific problems in our lives that we miss the ultimate solution--God Himself. Join me in future weeks for reflections on other amazing women of the Bible.
For our last episode of the series, Stefani Blackwell and I go through eight different topics that (although sticky) didn't warrant a full episode. Many of these topics are more about personal preference as a parent as opposed to moral issues, so we simply share about how we have handled them in our homes without giving straight opinions on a "right" way to do them. Now that we have larger families (and older kids), we take many preferential things less seriously than we did when our kids were younger and that is a big relief!
We also discuss that these topics are so much easier to handle when you are in a good place in your marriage. We give a few helpful hints, but encourage you to check out the marriage series I did last spring on The Better Part. Check out all episodes beginning "marriage," for MUCH more marriage discussion.
In this conversation, Stefani Blackwell and I discuss how we've handled conversations about death and hell with the kids. Each of our kids have various interest levels and needs as far as explanations go, but we discuss the basics of explaining hell, and the hope of heaven. We praise God that He has mercy and pray for His mercy to encompass all who pass. We allow our knowledge of hell not to scare us, but instead to convict us to tell everyone we know about Jesus.
A picture book recommendation for whetting kids' appetites about the amazing place that God invites us to is "Heaven is a Wonderful Place," by Angela Burrin. This give theologically accurate descriptions of what we know about heave, and my kids love it.
Stefani Blackwell joins me for the sixth episode in the sticky conversations series where we discuss all topics LGBTQ. This is the most commonly asked topic for us to discuss and for good reason. It is a tough one where we feel we have to battle the culture at large and teach our children truth while at the same time being respectful and loving to those around us.
Stef and I talk about how to broach these subjects with kids young and old and how to talk about them honestly without ruminating on them. We give some real examples of family members and friends who struggle with SSA or gender dysphoria and how we help our kids navigate those relationships. We know that with Christ there is always hope for sinners, which includes us!
We encourage you to check out Kim Zember's new podcast called "here I AM stories" where she interviews individuals who have lived the LGBTQ+ lifestyles and found their way out toward Christ. These stories give us insight into the lived experiences of those struggling and what to do (or rather what NOT to do) when in relationship with them.
Join Stef Blackwell and I again for another conversation about sticky topics we have to uncover with our kids. Today we talk about teaching our kids about disabilities, whether they be obvious, physical disabilities or not-so-obvious mental ones. This can be difficult because kids can often not know how to handle seeing someone with a big disability and be unwittingly unkind. They can also be difficult as we teach our kids about boundaries we (or they) may want to set for our children's protection. We pray this episode does not offend or that we do not share something that leads anyone astray. If you have further insight into this topic, please email me at thebetterpartpod@gmail.com.
Some resources mentioned in the episode are:
Episode Four of the Sticky Conversations series is all about technology including TV, video games, phones, social media, etc. Stephani Blackwell, and I discuss the necessity of first examining our own relationship with technology--especially phone usage and social media, and letting that be the first thing we work on before trying to influence our children's relationship with technology.
We discuss specific ideas for limiting technology, but focus mainly on how parents need to determine their own personal philosophies about technology and then let their examples and rules be based on that. Technology, though it can lead to many temptations and trouble, is not itself evil, and using it as a tool is not a bad thing. But we do not want technology to rule us. Follow along to hear more thoughts!
Check out The Tech Exit by Clare Morell to hear more insights about how technology can influence children (and their parents!)
Listen to Episode 157 of the Raising Boys and Girls podcast for more thoughts and ideas.
Though talking about friendships doesn't seem like the "stickiest" topic, we have found in experience that there can be many sticky conversations surrounding friendships (especially with girls). Hurt feelings, bad influences, and handling fights or bad behavior are all examples of things that parents have to help their kids navigate with friends, and Stef shares from an abundance of wisdom and experience about how she handles friendships with her kids.
As with sex, we find that starting conversations with your kids early about how to be a good friend (sharing, not hitting, etc.) is the best way to open the door to future conversations about deeper issues. We also find that examining your own relationships (with God, your husband, and friends) helps us to be able to teach our children honestly and vulnerably. Listen in for examples, ideas, and thoughts on godly friendship and how to teach it to our kids!
The book that Steph refers to is called Growing Friendships by Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Christine McLaughlin.
Back again with Steph Blackwell to discuss another sticky conversation. This topic was given to us by a listener who wanted to teach her daughter about feminism without bringing down men or pretending that men and women are made the same.
Steph and I discuss how to honor both sexes through the concepts of theology of the body, historical contexts, and living examples in our marriages. We believe that God made both men and women equal in dignity, but very different in form and purpose. We try to portray that to both our sons and daughters in both word and deed and discuss practical ways we can do that in front of our kids.
Please reach out @thebetterpartpod or thebetterpartpod@gmail.com with any specific topics you would like to hear about!
