My friend Jessica joins me for this episode to recount her session and talk at this last years #Letthewomenretreat weekend.  
Listen in as we discuss the importance of being in the word as preparation for the spiritual that is SURE to come.

100th Episode - and we are finishing up the Advent Study and talking about biblical Love, and the New Year.
Do you pick a word or goal each year? I picked a word this year, listen in to find out what it is - what is yours?

Merry Christmas Eve! Week 3 of advent (2 weeks ago, because I'm behind) is the week to reflect on Joy. Not circumstantial happiness but a deep Joy that comes only because of Jesus.
How is your Joy? How are you doing? What are you looking at for Joy in your life? Jesus? Or something else?
Let us meditate on our focus this Christmas Eve...

Who doesn't want peace? Do you have it? What is the biblical definition of peace? What do you trade your God-given peace for?  Let's talk about it as we are preparing our hearts this advent season.

If you still want more talk on peace, you can listen to episode #15: "Peace"  as well as episode #34: "Christmas Lights and Christmas Peace".

Week 1 of Advent! Advent is my favorite time of year to study and come together with others to refocus on the season ahead of us. Let's talk about the Hope of Advent. The Hope that is a person, the Hope that is Jesus.

What do you hope in?

We just finished up our 4th Annual Women's Retreat, where we spent our weekend discussing Spiritual Warfare. In this episode, I'm recapping our introduction to the topic and will spend the next few weeks reviewing the lessons from the retreat.
If you couldn't join us this year, I hope you mark your calendars for next week, Sept 22-24, 2023!
There are additional opportunities coming this fall and winter to study together starting with Advent, a study on the book of Acts in January, and a weekend event simulcast of the IF Gathering on March 3&4th!

Stay tuned & follow along; we have lots of great things coming up!

Scatter by Anne Wilson

Get outside today, observe God's nature, meditate on and be awe-struck by the amazing glory that God show's us each and every day and often takes for granted. God's glory need not be taken for granted.

Reading in my favorite devotional this morning, Paul David Tripp's "New Morning Mercies", made me thoughtful about fear and faith. And how we make decisions based on one or the other, that fear really could be considered forgetfulness of God, that we meditate on our own selves, resources and capacities often times, instead of moving forward depending on God and meditating on his faithfulness.

I took a few weeks off to go serve at a summer camp, 'the best camp in the land', and am back recording.  I met Nolan at Northern Grace Youth Camp a few years ago and have had the opportunity to watch him grow in his faith and service to the Lord. Join me in a discussion with Nolan as we talk about serving, what it means to him, why he does, and how he is blessed.

If you are looking for a fantastic Christian summer camp for your kids, visit www.northerngraceyouthcamp.org
If you aren't looking for a camp for your kids, but ARE looking for an opportunity to financially support a wonderful faith based organization, I'm sure they would welcome that too.

The book of Proverbs. It encourages wisdom, knowledge, instruction and the fear of the Lord. What does that look like? How well do we seek knowledge and truth? Do we value these things? Or are we just moving through life?

God his taught me the hard way to evaluate my opinions. To see where they might actually be coming from? And am I actually entitled to them? Join me as we talk about our opinions, it is an interesting idea to meditate on, that is for sure!

I just finished up a 5 week book club at church reading Allie Beth Stuckey's book "you're not enough (and that's okay) Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love". We thoroughly enjoyed the book and had great discussion about some challenging topics.  I give my overall review of the book in this episode and encourage everyone to read it.

The book of Job reminds me how small I really am. How I don't really have any reason to try to fully understand why God does the things He does.  That at times He may have to put me in my place, like He did Job, by asking  'who do you think you are?'. It reminds me that I need to refocus,  shift my thoughts and efforts away from control,  and to focus on how great God is,  who He is, what He has done for me and will continue to do.

How do you do with that? Do you try to understand God in all things? Join me as we briefly talk about what that can look like in our hearts.

Registration opens tomorrow (June 25th) for the 4th Annual "Let The Women Retreat" weekend, where we will be talking about Spiritual Warfare.

You can find the registration page HERE  - I hope you can join us!

With new listeners tuning in I thought it would be a good time to refresh us as to why I am here...why this podcast...why "Let's Be Real"? It's all about honesty. Being honest with others, with ourselves, with God.

My social media scrolling led me to 2 very different and opposing video's of parental experience. God is a faithful loving Father, not a father (or parent) who leaves. He does not come and go, reject you, or make you prove your worth. He is a faithful father who never leaves. His love is steadfast and unearned. 

2 Thes. 3:5 "May the Lord direct your hearts, to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ."

Let's close out the book of Ruth with the climax and conclusion of chapter 4!

We see a plan unfold in Ruth chapter three, and we see grace and righteousness (hesed) displayed yet again!

Let's walk through the second chapter of the Ruth Scroll together.  If you haven't listened to the Intro and Chapter 1, start there. If you have already, listen in :) Let's talk about Ruth, Boaz and HESED!
 
You can view the class slides HERE if you would like to follow along. 

 

Let's jump into chapter one, and look at the two scenes set before us. We will look at the 'Emptying of Naomi' and the 'Interpretation of her Emptying' - while seeing a picture of true covenant/biblical love - Aheb - in the actions of Ruth.

Join me as we talk about some important background information for the Book of Ruth, before we jump into the book and it's important lessons over the next few weeks. This is a class I am teaching in person and am recording for you as well, so I have included the classes slides HERE for you if you would like to follow along.
In this episode I refer to Gideon and Jonah; both of which I have previously recorded episodes on. If you would like to go back to those, Gideon is episode 3 and Jonah is a short series of episodes 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54.

I have 'priorities' that I value and hold in high esteem in my head and heart, but don't always show that value in my day to day life. What are some priorities that you really hold dear to your heart? Do they align with God's priorities for your life? Let's pray today and ask God to search our hearts.

The Middle Eastern way of thinking is very different from Western thought, and that applies to how we read the scriptures as well. Reading the scripture in context can be challenging and can add great understanding to the things we have already learned.
Kristi McClelland and her study "Jesus and Women" does an amazing job showing us these differences and walking you through how Jesus interacts with women in his life on earth. If you haven't done that study - I know you will love it.

How do you handle a change in plans? I'm not necessarily talking about BIG life challenges and hurts, I'm talking our daily plans. Do they throw you into a bad mood for the rest of the day? Or do you roll with it? I, honestly, can do either...it really depends. And today, I'm needing to renew my mind so that I can roll with it, with a godly perspective.

I at times wrestle with the purpose of prayer, and whether or not I should even ask for things, even though scripture says I can. Am I asking for the right things? I'm sure many of you have had the same questions.
This week I was working through The Weekly Prayer Project Journal (affiliate link - I think) and week 4 got me thinking about prayer and what peace comes through knowing that you have been "Heard".

Let's read some scripture together today, and let it speak to us, meditate on it and pray over it.