The Year I Read the Bible with Laurie Larsen

Episode 9 -- We Learn How to Parent From Him

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Laurie shares the essay she wrote the morning after her grandson was born! With joy and love she creates the message, We Learn How to Parent From Him. We don't have to learn how to love our children -- it's in our DNA because it's how God our Father loves us.

Laurie welcomes as her guest Elizabeth Ann Wallace -- her dear friend Ann.  Together, they discuss the joys and challenges of parenting (and grandparenting) and they also discuss the award-winning classic Inspirational romance novel, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and what it can teach us about love, forgiveness and redemption.

Check out Ann's book, Extraordinary Hope

And Ann's website: 


Hi, I'm your host Lori Larson, and this is the year I read the Bible. Welcome a Lifelong Christian. I thought I was familiar with the Bible, but in 2023 I accepted the challenge of reading the whole thing, cover to cover. Whenever I encountered something I didn't understand or wanted to learn more. I jotted it down, but I kept reading to stay on schedule. Then I reached the end Imagine Confetti rating down on me, and a huge sigh of relief. I had 40 topics to research in 2024. I started diving into all those topics. I did research, I wrote blogs and I shared them with whoever might wanna learn too. And in 2025, the project continues. I published a book containing all my essays, and now a podcast. Is there something you can learn from that dusty book that sits on all of our shelves? Yes. Yes, there is. Let's dive into The year I read the Bible. We learn how to parent from him. As I sit down to write today, my heart is filled with love and excitement. Last night, a thousand miles away, my son's wife gave birth to a precious baby boy. We'd been anticipating this day for so long. We'd stayed in touch with her pregnancy, and we knew everything she'd gone through to get to this important day. Fortunately, due to modern technology, we were able to easily send quick text messages back and forth, keeping in touch with the progress. We stayed up late way past our bedtime so that we wouldn't miss the moment that he arrived, and we stayed up until after the doctors had examined him and declared him a perfectly healthy. Our old baby boy. The relief in my heart was intense, even though I'd given birth to two sons myself. That was a long time ago, and I was young enough then that I never considered that things might go wrong. I. And they didn't. Thank God, and this precious grandbaby is perfectly fine too, but my grandparents' heart was thick with love and prayers that everything would be smooth and right for his cherished parents. Have you ever looked into the face of a moment's old baby and known to your very soul that you would do anything for this little creature? If needed, you would sacrifice your own health, your own life to make sure that this little human has the greatest chances. Hopefully, you'll never need to make that sacrifice, but you know in your heart that you would if needed. How timely that this essay was inspired by Hosea 11, one through four. When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt, I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love to them. I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek. And I bent down to feed them. The overwhelming emotion that exudes from this passage is parental love. It's exactly the feeling that I have for my new grandbaby. Protection, love, sacrifice, pride, hope for a bright future. We feel all those emotions naturally. No one must teach us to feel that way about a child. We feel that way. Because God feels that way about his own creations, I'm willing to bet that you didn't even have to read Hosea 11 to know that's how you feel about your own child. We love our own children because it's in our DNA, because that's how God loves us. While we're here, let's dig a little deeper into this Hosea passage. According to Wikipedia, the prophet Hosea was active in the eighth century before Christ. He was considered the first of 12 minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible, biblical scholar, John Day says that Hosea chapter 11 portrays God's inextinguishable love leading him to call it one of the high points in the Old Testament. This chapter depicts God's unfailing love for the Israelites, despite their continuous rebellion and disobedience, and uses a parable of a father's love for a rebellious child. To illustrate God's persevering love, this parable speaks to me not only from a parental point of view, it also speaks to my heart from a child's point of view. As much as I try to be a good child of God, there are times when I fall, certain situations in life arise and make my attitude and my words and my thoughts to be decidedly ung godlike. It's going to happen because we're human, but I know that God is not going to banish me from his loving kindness because I had a falter. He's going to forgive me and love me through it because he is a good, good father. In my day job, I write novels. I say this jokingly because for over three decades, my day job was in an office working long hours, and I wrote novels at night. I'm currently enjoying a wonderful retirement from my number one day job, so now I write novels in addition to my, the year I read the Bible. Project specifically, I write love stories with a faith message. The genre is known as inspirational romance. There is a classic in our genre entitled Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It's a captivating historical romance novel set during the 1850s gold rush in California. The story is basically a retelling of the Book of Hosea and its central theme revolves around the redeeming love of God towards sinners. The protagonist is Angel, a tragically wounded soul who has endured a life of pain and betrayal sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. Her heart is frozen and she expects nothing but betrayal from men. In contrast, we have Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his father's heart in everything he obeys. God's call to marry angel and love her unconditionally. Despite angel's resistance, Michael defies her bitter expectations Day by day, thawing her frozen heart. As Michael's love persists, angel's heart softens. However overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear drive her to run back to the darkness away from her husband's pursuing love, but Michael's love is relentless and he refuses to let her go. The novel is a powerful retelling of the biblical story of Hosea and his wife Gomer. Emphasizing God's unconditional, redemptive, and all consuming love. Recently, a major motion picture was released based on the book, the most common review from people who didn't realize it was based on a Bible story was it's completely unrealistic. No one would ever go through that much pain and disappointment for love. While I agree that it was humanly unrealistic, we must remember that God's love for us is supernatural. He has the ability and the tendency to love beyond human limits, which surpasses our understanding. Redeeming love is a literary masterpiece that reminds us that God's love knows no bounds. It's a story of healing, redemption, and the transformative power of love. What is your love story between you and God? What has he done in your life to prove that He loves you with no bounds, let's say a prayer. Dearest God, we thank you for loving us as well and as fiercely as you do. We thank you that by your example, you teach us how to love our own children. We pray that we always follow your example, but thank you that when we stumble, as we always will, you're right there to take our hand, mend our scrapes, and love us through it all. Amen. And now. Stay tuned for our guest.

Laurie:

I am so excited to introduce you to my guest for today, Anne Wallace. Anne is a good friend of mine here in the low country of South Carolina, and she and I have done so many fun things together, she is also an author of a book called. Extraordinary hope, it is a Bible devotional, which is so informational and so inspiring. I hope that you'll all look it up. She also, for the last year or so, has been the talk show host of a, TV show called Divine Connections on a Christian. Network and I have appeared on her show several times and I'm so excited to have her on my podcast. Please welcome Ann Wallace.

Ann Wallace:

Thank you so much, Lori, for having me. It's such a pleasure to be on your show. How exciting. A new chapter for you, girlfriend. I'm excited for you.

Laurie:

Brand new chapter. This is completely outta my wheelhouse, but God knew what he was doing telling me that he wanted me to get the word out. And so here I am. Tell us a little bit more about yourself then I included in your intro. And then also let's talk a little bit about how you and I became acquainted.

Ann Wallace:

Well, I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, and, obviously author. Reluctantly. I'm not, the writer that you are, but, God told me to write a long time ago and it was really funny because I was teaching Bible study and I was loving doing that. I love talking and helping and discipling people. I've been on this journey for quite some time. God. Saved me as a little girl and then of course I felt like really saved me when I was in my mid thirties. As I came to some revelation about who he was and finding out that I really didn't know him, and it's just been such a journey. Like most people that are Christians. I've been involved in international ministry, national ministry, as well as local ministry over the years, and God called me to my own ministry called Grace Anointed Ministries, which is what my book falls under. I'm not sure where I'm going next. I do know I'm going to Egypt in about three months and I think God's gonna show me something different. My husband just retired and I think ministry is gonna look like the two of us instead of just me. So I'm excited about that.

Laurie:

How exciting.

Ann Wallace:

Yes. And so the way Lori and I met is I was actually in an author event down in the low country and I saw her sweet smiling face and she was very happy to be there. And I was like, who is this lovely lady? We started chatting and found out we had lots in common We just kept in touch. It just grew from that day and you know, you just meet some people and you just kind of know your spirit connects and you just kind of know you could be really good friends. And that's the way I

Laurie:

Yes. I totally agree. We were at this big book signing. Everybody had their own table full of books and a bunch of, readers were making their way around. And I had my mom there, to help as my assistant. Things had slowed down and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna walk around and see, who else is here and what kind of books they have. And I just walked by your table and you just had such a welcoming, friendly look on your face. And I introduced myself and we just chatted for a while and it all started there and we've been friends now what? At least six, seven years, and we've done so much together. We've gone on all kinds of social things. We've done writing retreats together. We've even shared a room at the Seaview Inn in P'S Island.

Ann Wallace:

Yes.

Laurie:

Yes.

Ann Wallace:

Yes.

Laurie:

am so excited. In fact, just the other day, Ann invited me over to swim in her pool and have a delicious lunch and soak up the sun. It was so much fun.

Ann Wallace:

Oh, yes.

Laurie:

We're gonna talk about episode nine, which is We learn how to parent from him. This topic is actually perfect for the two of us because we're both mothers and new grandmothers. When I first wrote this essay, my second grandson had just been born the night before a thousand miles away. I had to keep in touch and I couldn't go to sleep until I knew exactly, was born. Everything was okay. The doctors had checked him, mom was doing good, and the birth of that baby just with any baby makes me think back on my own two children and their births. You have recently added a second granddaughter to your family, so, Congratulations on, the birth of your baby.

Ann Wallace:

Thank you.

Laurie:

what do you think about. Parental and grand parental love, there's nothing like it is there?

Ann Wallace:

Oh, no, I think it's so hard because you are transitioning, not only are your children transitioning to become parents, but you as a parent are transitioning from a parent to a grandparent and that responsibility you felt as a parent over your children. Now becomes your children's responsibility for their children.

Laurie:

Yes,

Ann Wallace:

And

Laurie:

absolutely.

Ann Wallace:

and that's a change in your mindset for sure. Because you're, as a parent, you wanna help your children and now they have children. And so now you're wanting to help them you have to figure out how much is too much and how much is just enough.

Laurie:

Right and respecting the parents of the new baby

Ann Wallace:

Yes,

Laurie:

way. Even if it might be a little different than the way you did it as a parent, but no, it's best to just love, and love and love.

Ann Wallace:

Exactly.

Laurie:

Yes. And it's so wonderful to be with the little kids, but gosh, I don't have nearly the energy I used to have when I was a mother of a. Newborn or a toddler now as a grandmother.

Ann Wallace:

oh no, you definitely feel that difference after that like 30 year gap from your children, new grandchildren. You definitely feel that difference.

Laurie:

And you know, grandparents just get to spend a week here and there and everything's hilarious. You know, my older grandson who's. Now three and a half. Everything he does is funny. You know everything. Oh my gosh, he's so funny. He's so energetic. Look at him running around. Oh, look at him diving into the couch. Look at him doing this. You know? But mom and dad are like, mom, stop encouraging him. We're trying to get him to stop doing this stuff.

Ann Wallace:

No, they do. They wanna entertain the grandparents. They wanna show off. And it's so sweet. And you look at it so differently as a grandparent than you did as a parent. Like you said, it's, it's more freeing to be a grandparent than it is a parent. I

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

how difficult it would be in this day and time to be a parent.

Laurie:

Yes. A lot of different challenges that we didn't have to deal with. Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

for

Laurie:

In my essay, I brought in the, section of the Bible, Hosea 11. And it starts with when Israel was a child. I loved him. And it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms. This seems like such a. Illustration of God, not just talking about that particular child, but of all of us as children. What is your thought? What is your, reaction to this Hosea section?

Ann Wallace:

I loved how you saw that. I had never seen the way you had seen it. Don't You love that about the Bible. We can all read it and we all see what God is speaking to us at that moment. And it's such a living, breathing word and there's so many layers to it. I love that.'cause God is a parent, you know, he was the parent of Adam and Eve in the garden and how sad he must have been when they, you know,, from the tree I remind myself that all the time. I mean, God was the perfect parent, and

Laurie:

Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

still walked away, so when I think about him parenting, even in Hosea 11, he's talking about he did everything for them, and they still walk away. It removes that sense of perfection that I have to be as a mama or even as a grandparent, that God allows all these things to happen. He's still gonna, he's still sovereign. He'll still make it work out. You know, he'll still

Laurie:

yes.

Ann Wallace:

Oh, his mercy is endless. His goodness is endless.

Laurie:

Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

know, it's such a joy to see that.

Laurie:

Yes. And sometimes we have to do that as parents as well. Sometimes our children put us through a lot during their growing up years, but we still continue to love them and. Overlook and just try to help them through it, which sometimes an outsider looking in is unbelievable. It's like, wow, that kid put you through that much, but you know you still love him and you're still supporting him. And I will have a caveat. My two sons never put me through anything terrible. I'm not talking from personal experience just in case they're listening.

Ann Wallace:

But I will tell you it's hard as a parent to not take it personally that it's something that you did that caused them to do that, to

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

choice, you

Laurie:

Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

And God is the great example of that because he was perfect. There was nothing that he did that caused Adam and Eve to sin, or, you know,

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

in Jose calls. It's just, it's the things that we're exposed to. It's part of who we are and what happens to us, that we make those choices. It's not one individual person. So you, you have to literally remove yourself sometimes and not take it personally

Laurie:

Yeah, that's so true. So I mentioned the classic inspirational romance novel Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Have you read that book?

Ann Wallace:

Oh yes, one of my

Laurie:

It, it is a classic and it was recently, made into a movie, I'd say in the last two years.

Ann Wallace:

Yes.

Laurie:

It's a, historical romance about two people, but it's based on. Hosea, in the Bible. A common criticism of the book is that no human man would put up with so much trouble from a spouse and still love her and continue to forgive her. Could you tell us a little bit about that plot and what this spouse does? That is so hard to forgive.

Ann Wallace:

Well, first of all, I. Gammer. Well in this case, angel in the book. Because she had been a prostitute for so long. It was such a a part of her nature. She felt that's who she was. just like us, whenever we've been a certain way for so long, we think that's who we are. We've so bought into the lies that the enemy has sold us of who we are. It's hard to believe what somebody else is telling you, even if they show you this love, like Hosea was showing to her and showing

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

And

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

was showing to Angel. And, she goes back and forth back to prostitution, runs away and just thinks she doesn't deserve him. And he deserves better than her. How often do we see this in life?

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

happen all the time. I mean, and that's why divorce happens so often because people can't forgive themselves or they can't forgive somebody else.

Laurie:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

eliminate forgiveness from the equation, and God is all about forgiveness and redemption, and that's what this

Laurie:

Yes.

Ann Wallace:

all about. It's about forgiveness and redemption. God says, when one of the disciples said, how often should I forgive? Seven times, God said, no, seven times seven. You just keep forgiving because it's that unconditional love that will. Seal the deal, it'll make your relationship better. And I

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

so many people over the years who divorced their spouse and remarried like second, third, fourth time, and said, you know what? If I would've just stuck over with the first one, I would've been better off than I am now.

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

realized that they still love that person. And that's

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

love is deeper than the hurt.

Laurie:

Yeah. Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

I think we have to understand that as we're dealing with in relationships,

Laurie:

Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

know, we really have to tap into God's love for that person because no human love could possibly be like that. Love,

Laurie:

right. And going back to. Redeeming love. Yeah. A human man would have trouble putting up with that much. But guess what, Michael, in the book is the, example of God and how God loves us. And redeems us through his love so that we can become better people. It's told in a beautiful way that yes, it's probably hard to believe, but if you just look at it as a love story, it's hard to believe. But if you look at it as it's an allegory or a illustration of God's love in Michael, to his spouse, then it really is amazing when you put it all together in your mind.

Ann Wallace:

Yes.

Laurie:

So,

Ann Wallace:

you see that happen in real life too with couples, oh, it's a beautiful thing.

Laurie:

mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

It's

Laurie:

Yes.

Ann Wallace:

beautiful.

Laurie:

I end this essay with a prompt, to my listeners, what is your love story between you and God? What has he done in your life to prove that he loves you with no bounds? Does anything come to your mind about your own life with God?

Ann Wallace:

About my love story with God.

Laurie:

Yes.

Ann Wallace:

oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Of the times in my life when I was so angry, I was rebelling. I felt like everybody was getting away with something and I wasn't. And God was dealing with the perfectionism that I was expecting over myself. And so in my journey to walk away in my rebellion, the Lord gave me one of the greatest gifts I'd ever gotten. And I couldn't understand why. like, Lord, why would you gimme something? You know, I'm sitting against you right now. What's up with that? um, know, because it was black or white for me, it

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

you do the right things and you serve God and things will go well with you, and you don't do the right things. Things will not go well with you. But that's not always the case. As we know, the center sometimes is profitable or rich. You know what I mean? And,

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

and we question that, that causes us to question the justice of God, the love of God, and the goodness of God. But we have to trust like parents sometimes, you know, when you have to give a gift to a child they understand that your love for them. Beyond what they do. You love them for who they are, not what they do. And that was what God was trying to show me at that time. And so

Laurie:

Oh wow.

Ann Wallace:

me over time has been like, and I love you no matter what. I know you know better, but I'm gonna love you anyway. And he pursued me with a passion. It seemed like every time I was like, Lord, I don't wanna be saved. I don't care if I go to hell. I'm so upset with you right now. I really don't want that. And he just kept showing up. I could feel him. I told somebody, I said it felt like he was just right near my mouth waiting for me to cry, help. And as soon as I did, he was there just like that, he's such a gentleman. He waits for us to want that with him. He told me, even with my kids one time, he was like, you know what? I can't be their savior if you are. Because people have to be desperate to understand the love of the father. And

Laurie:

Oh wow.

Ann Wallace:

redeeming love, he had to be desperate. She had to get so down to the bottom where she realized that Michael still was gonna rescue her. was still

Laurie:

Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

her. And that speaks volumes. speaks greater volumes than you trying to punish somebody in show justice. I.

Laurie:

Mm.

Ann Wallace:

And once we get that, because God says, what is it a kind word turns away wrath. You know what I mean? in society think differently. We are like all about justice, all about being harsh,

Laurie:

Yes,

Ann Wallace:

not

Laurie:

And pain on my back. If you hurt me, I'm gonna hurt you

Ann Wallace:

and so to me the, greater love story is when God shows you with his goodness. woo

Laurie:

Yeah. Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

goodness and his love.

Laurie:

Oh my gosh. That is beautiful. That is such a beautiful sentiment and I knew that you were the perfect person to invite to be a guest for this particular episode. Thank you so much for sharing all that. Do you have anything else that you want to share before we wrap it up

Ann Wallace:

I would just say don't give up on your children, your spouse relationships. I've had several relationships with friends that. We came to an ending. I mean, I had one that it was over for 18 years and I just would

Laurie:

Oh.

Ann Wallace:

all the time. I was like, Lord, I love her. I'm so sorry. You know, I hurt her. I'm so sorry that happened. Please don't let what I did to her cause her not to be drawn closer to you. And I would just pray and I finally let it go and trust God and. day on my birthday, she reached out after 18 years and God had saved her. And he had been telling her, you need to reach out to your friend. It's all about forgiveness. And he

Laurie:

Wow.

Ann Wallace:

incredible. And so I would just say to you that never give up on relationships. Sometimes people,

Laurie:

Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

need seasons and time. get through and learn maybe something about God or something about themselves before they come back. You know,

Laurie:

that's,

Ann Wallace:

promises our children will come around even when we can't see it. So we have to stand in joy and faith, trusting God to do the work he says he's gonna do. that's so freeing. You know what I mean? We don't have to beat ourselves up or. Feel like we have not done enough or, all of those things, just trust him with the rest.

Laurie:

Yeah, and it's something that every single person. In the world can identify one person that they're either on the outs with or, wish that they could be reconnected with. It's such a universal situation and what a wonderful way to handle it. And you being so patient to wait 18 years, to get that person back in your life.

Ann Wallace:

Well, sometimes what can you do? I mean,

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

Just like God had to work some changes in me. He also has to work some changes in that person.

Laurie:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ann Wallace:

not just once with that one friend, but I've seen it happen two more times with two other situations, and it was like, wow, God. Wow.

Laurie:

he's in the details. He wants us. To have full and meaningful lives, and sometimes that means reconciling with someone that maybe you had an issue with, God knows best about, bringing the two of you back together.

Ann Wallace:

yes he does, because he knows all our secrets and he knows

Laurie:

Yes.

Ann Wallace:

you know, things that other people might not know as to why we reacted a certain way.

Laurie:

Yeah. And sometimes you have a long absence from someone you grow, a hate in your heart or, rejection or, love for that person is the last thing on your mind. And God wants us to have love for those, for our enemies, for our past enemies, for everyone in our lives. So, yeah.

Ann Wallace:

he does. And so often, those hurt people really hurt people because there's something that's so devastating that happened to them. And usually the worst cases are sexual assault or molesting or something like that, they're so afraid if they speak it. Then somebody is going to not them or see them differently. They're afraid of what you're gonna think,

Laurie:

Yes.

Ann Wallace:

is that they're hiding. They're afraid of what you're gonna think. And so the way they respond to you and the way they react to you is sometimes out of this deep, deep hurt

Laurie:

Yeah.

Ann Wallace:

um, you don't know what's going on and you take it personally, and then there's the end of the relationship. but God knows, he sees all of that. And so I think what I'm learning as I'm getting older, now that I'm in my sixth decade here on Earth, I'm sitting here going, you know what? I need greater empathy, greater love, greater compassion, greater understanding, and not say that they're against me. This is not about me. starting to try to look at it from that angle. What's causing that reaction? What,

Laurie:

Yeah,

Ann Wallace:

can I do to bring the light of Jesus into this situation?

Laurie:

There's lots of opportunities in in our world.

Ann Wallace:

yeah, when I start looking at it like that, it just changes everything.

Laurie:

I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation today. I'm gonna wrap it up, but you're also my guest on next week's episode, so I will look forward to that. I'm going to put in our show notes a link to your book, extraordinary Hope, and I hope that. Anyone who enjoyed our conversation today will look it up and get it for yourself, for your friends, for anybody that you might need to buy a gift for, because it is really a powerful book. And thank you so much for your time today and all your inspiration and, we'll talk to you again next time.

And that's it for today. Thank you very much for being here with me on The Year I Read the Bible Podcast. We'll be back with another episode next week. If you enjoy this podcast, please do all the normal things to spread the word: like it, review it, share it with your friends. If you are interested in additional The Year I Read the Bible resources such as the book, the video channel, and the blog, I will certainly include the links in the show notes. And I'd love to hear about your own journey to read the Bible cover to cover. Have you done it or are you doing it right now? Please reach out to me and let me know how it's going. Until next time, it's Laurie Larsen with The Year I Read the Bible. Bye.

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