Today I’m wearing an apron because we are talking about motherhood!

I used to think that to be a single woman on the mission field was the hardest job in the world and then I became a mother. There are no handbooks to warn you but we do have a guide book that tells us where to go for help. Praise God for that.

Have you ever thought or even prayed: I'll be a better mom tomorrow but tomorrow never comes? You're not alone—and neither were the moms in Scripture.

Today I’m delighted to welcome back author, speaker, podcaster—Rhonda Stoppe to talk about her latest book, the just released: Moms of the Bible: Life-Changing Lessons from the Fearless, Flawed and Faithful

Rhonda's new book is her favorite and she's offering one as a giveaway so be sure to leave a comment or email me at sue@welcomeheart.com

Rhonda Stoppe, speaker and bestselling author of seven books with 40 years experience helping women build no regrets lives. We talk about that on my podcast in Ep 46 here.

Find and follow Rhonda at NoRegretsWoman.com.

Some gems from our conversation:

• The Lord had to break me before he could use me.
• Four years of post partum and hormonal imbalance took me to the end of myself. I needed help and I got it.
• People want to hear from people who have regrets so that they can hear how God redeemed their mistakes.
• The first step in forgiving our own flawed parent is to admit they were flawed.
• Hatred keeps us stuck so we begin by handing over our anger and resentment to God and let him deal with it.
• When our kids see us doing good to others, they will understand the Gospel.
• I felt so lonely as a mom and God led me to godly moms who led me to a deeper study of the Word.
• With God's help, you can become the mom that he's calling you to be.
• The Gospel transformed my life; I want my children and grandchildren to see me sharing that message of hope to others.

~~~

Do you prefer watching while listening? We are on YouTube:

Do you ever doubt your purpose in life, especially when facing different or difficult seasons? And what do you do to help you live fully in God’s presence?

Today I‘m delighted to be speaking to, Peg Arnold—a Christian speaker and author and encourager—and self-confessed drama queen—who speaks to the many different seasons women walk through: joy, loss, struggle, and waiting.

Some gems from our conversation and for your encouragement:

• I like to say I'm never retired, just repurposed.
• When facing the unknown, God spoke to me: "What makes you think that I don't have everything prepared for you in the days and years ahead?"
• When disappointed with circumstances, it helps me to have friends who remind me that God may have a different perspective than I am seeing right now.
• We have a choice to stay stuck in our anger and bitterness or choose instead to trust that God knows what he's doing and will bring good from whatever it is.
• When your heart is broken it's a lonely place to be but it doesn't mean that God is not there with you and your broken heart.
• Go to the Psalms and weave your painful story into David's lament. God is not afraid of our pain.
• My legacy is to share with others that God loves them, delights in them, and has a purpose for their lives.

Two of her books are Devotions for the Distracted Heart and Making Your Message Memorable and can be found on Amazon or her website: PegArnold.org.

She's walked through loss and change and through each season found God and his Word to be her constant source of identity and joy. Be sure to access her free prayer guide here:

Make Your Prayers Meaningful

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/752930/109370258823840924/share

~~

MOST DAYS, LIFE ISN’T PERFECT

I wrote this book for everyone who has felt the pain of being alone because I have felt its sting even surrounded by wonderful people. We’re created for relationship, with God and with one another—not because life becomes perfect when we have both God and community. That’s not the point. No, it’s because most days, life isn’t perfect. And remembering we are loved and not alone is what gets us through those days. READ MORE HERE

I was surprised by doubt in the middle of my college years. Thankfully, God didn't give up on me and invited me 4 times back to himself. Some of us need 4 times. A favorite professor helped me out. Listen in.

Back story:

Around age ten I fell in love with the Christian education pastor at our church. He was happily married—which was a good thing. I didn’t tell anyone about my crush—which was also a good thing.

But when I went off to college, I thought I might major in being a pastor’s wife. I was surprised to find out they didn’t have that major—nor did any aspiring pastor ask me. At least not anyone I wanted to say yes to.

I was even more surprised to discover sometime in the middle of my second year that I’d lost my faith. More than a surprise, it was a shock. I awoke one morning and thought: Is Christianity actually true? Close to panic, I wondered, Does God even exist? Have I been duped?

In school, no one spoke about doubt, not in daily chapel, never in class. Surrounded by godly professors, my friends and I took Bible courses alongside our majors and enjoyed the scholarship as well as the spiritual stimulation. But not one person asked: “So how much do you believe in God today, Sue?” (I wish they had—I would’ve been honest. I may have cried.)

No one ever preached in chapel: “You May Doubt Your Faith One Day and You Will Be Okay.” (I wish they had. I would’ve taken notes.)

One ordinary morning, doubts slipped in unnoticed and unwanted and rattled my cage of comfort and certainty. The fact remained: I no longer believed. I had lost my faith. I felt like I was living on the edge of crazy.

Do you have a friend who needs to hear they are not alone in their doubts? Share this podcast episode with them today. You can help bring them back from the edge of crazy.

Read more from Never Alone: Stories of Invitation and Connection

~~~

Do you prefer watching while listening? We are on YouTube:

Homeschool mom, writer and speaker, Adriana Gomez knows she doesn't have to "arrive" spiritually to obey God, surrender to his call and engage in mentoring relationships. Her passion is to "serve God and others radically" and sometimes that takes more courage than you think you have. She loves apologetics and is working on a kids apologetics course and book to help us teach our children well in the truths of God. Enjoy our conversation today and ask God, "What are you calling me to do? Help me surrender all."

Gems from our conversation:

• You can practice teaching someone else what God is showing you as you are learning from him.
• I'm not afraid to share my weakness because it is in that very weakness that God's strength comes through.
• We don't have to arrive to say "Yes" to Jesus.
• I gave up a promising career in education to educate the ones who were most important to me.
• This life hasn’t been easy, but we are seeing the fruits of that sacrifice, and seeing what the Lord has done with the little bit of faith we were able to trust Him with.
• Our kids pick up on who God is by how we live alongside of them and love them.
• My definition of apologetics is being able to defend the Bible inside and outside of the Bible.
• I quit working entirely, and we were fully dependent on the Lord to provide. But, like David and Goliath, God had already been preparing us for this decision.

Adri and her husband got interested in apologetics from listening to these two podcasts:Podcasts that Orlando listened to

MOST DAYS, LIFE ISN’T PERFECT

I wrote this book for everyone who has felt the pain of being alone because I have felt its sting even surrounded by wonderful people. We’re created for relationship, with God and with one another—not because life becomes perfect when we have both God and community. That’s not the point. No, it’s because most days, life isn’t perfect. And remembering we are loved and not alone is what gets us through those days. READ MORE HERE

Do you have a spiritual giant? Someone who has gone before you and been that example of faithfulness until the end? Today we talk with Lori G. Melton about her book Journey With a Giant—Choose Your Guide, Pursue Your Purpose and Grow in your Walk with God

What a fun conversation about what could be your next step in growing closer to God. Go HERE to receive a free peek at her book.

We are led on a year-long journey alongside a "giant" of faith, inspired by the author’s year of studying the life of Mister Fred Rogers, America's favorite neighbor. The practice of walking with a spiritual giant is not a new concept. Since the origin of the Church, believers have studied the Bible and pored over Christian biographies to learn and grow in their faith. In the same way that athletes can improve their game by studying the tactics of seasoned players, we can get unstuck in our spiritual lives, cultivate a deeper connection with God, and explore how to fulfill our purpose by learning from and journeying with a spiritual mentor who has traveled the path before us.

Some gems from our conversation:

• I began my year with this prayer: How can I grow closer to You this year? And He answered, Study the life and faith of Mr. Rogers.
• To be a disciple takes discipline—to hold onto what God is trying to teach us about ourselves and a deeper walk with Him.
• The truth is, they lived not perfectly but prayerfully, doing the best they could just like we can—and their weaknesses speak to us as much as their strengths.
• When we learn from a faithful followerer of God, it makes Him happy—as if He's saying, "Isn't it great to see how I worked in his life and now that's helped you as well!"
• Fred Rogers was a great model of one who accepted others while remaining faithful to the grace and truth of Jesus Christ
• I learned better how to love others, listen better and leave space for silence from my year with Mr. Rogers.
• Following a spiritual giant has brought me closer to God because I've learned to see things from differenct perspectives and it has helped me worship Him more.
• My legacy is to be one who loved God and listened to His voice, and when I did, I was filled with joy.

Lori G. Melton is an author, spiritual director, retreat leader, and a member of Hope*Writers. She and her husband, Bryan, are the creators of the Sanctuary Stirrings Podcast and the founders and directors of The Sanctuary at BearCreek Retreat Center, which serves hundreds of people a year. When she's not writing, speaking, or welcoming guests, she enjoys spending time with her six children and three grandchildren. She and her husband live in Allegan, Michigan.

Follow Lori here:

lorigmelton.com

thesanctuaryatbearcreek.com

Social Media:

FB

Lori G. Melton

Do you ever wonder if you can really trust the God of the Bible when things feel and are dark and discouraging? How do you synthesize with honesty Jesus loves me & The Lord is my Shepherd when your prayers are not answered, not only for yourself, but for those you love so very much?

Today we welcome for the second time, author and disability advocate, Jillian Benfield, and we get to talk about her latest book, Overwhelmed and Grateful—the Key to Finding God’s Goodness in All Life’s Ups & Downs

Benfield can speak to our suffering & call us to remember God's goodness all at the same time. We first met Jillian on Living a Legacy Life, Ep 183, and you will be so encouraged today as we talk about what it means to endure life's challenges and trials & practice honesty, gratitude and awe.

She's hosting a book giveaway so be sure to comment below or on social media to be entered to win her beautiful and faith-encouraging book, Overwhelmed and Grateful—the Key to Finding God’s Goodness in All Life’s Ups & Downs.

Some gems from our conversation

• I do not want to become an old woman who let the beauty of her life become the background.
• I no longer trust that God will rescue me from my humanity. Instead, I trust in a God who will love me through it.
• It's essential to remember God's goodness is always at work even when we don't see it.
• The bad part of your day or life doesn't define you; look for the beauty in the now, the mystery of God's goodness.
• We learn from Ecclesiastes that we need lay our questions down & move forward, anyway.
• I am working on becoming a person who is easily delighted.
• There will always be challenges, there will always be beauty. Being human is living with both.
• Living gratefully acknowledges a God who can be trusted.

After years in clinical social work and the sacred chaos of raising five children, God radically redirected Liz's path. She stepped into ministry as a writer and speaker, trusting Him to do what only He can. Raised by a faithfilled single mom, Liz felt called to love God and teach his Word in her late teen's and she's never stopped.

We met at two different writing conferences. Here we are last year at Mt Hermon:

Some gems from our conversation:

• To mentor someone in the faith, you just need to be one or two steps ahead, bringing them closer to Jesus.
• My legacy is to not try to be a perfect Christian, just forgiven and redeemed.
• I love to help people fall deeper in love with Jesus and to help them understand him and his character more thoroughly.
• When I don't feel close to God, I need to place the truth of his Word over and above my feelings and place my trust in him.
• From being raised by a single, faith-filled mom, I learned first-hand to look and depend on God as my Father and provider.
• My current favorite verse is the one that God is working into my life at this moment.
• Our emotions try and speak our truth but we only find truth in the Word and God's character.

Liz House is a Christian author, Bible teacher, and speaker passionate about helping believers grow in their faith with boldness and grace. She creates faith-based content such as books, Bible study tools, podcasts, and messages designed to help believers encounter Jesus and deepen their spiritual walk. She speaks and writes with conviction, humor, and vulnerability because she knows what it's like to wrestle with doubt and still choose faith. She lives in the U.S. with her husband and her kids, joyfully serving the local church and global body of Christ--one gospel-centered word at a time.

Book 1: Drowning in the Shallow End: A Guide for Deepening Faith

https://www.amazon.com/Drowning-Shallow-End-Guide-Deepening/dp/B0BCRTGVZH

Book 2: 10 Tips for Deeper Bible Study

https://tinyurl.com/3rpwv37r

Follow Liz and sign up for her newsletter at lizhouse.net

Social media links:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorlizhouse/

Blog:

https://www.lizhouse.net/blog/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/authorlizhouse

Threads:

https://www.threads.com/@authorlizhouse

Youtube Shorts:

https://www.youtube.com/@authorlizhouse/shorts

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@authorlizhouse?_t=ZT-8yhvT1dzQZj&_r=1

X:

https://x.com/authorlizhouse

Does the Bible make sense to you? Do you think it ever will or ever could? And what is God’s best intention for you as a child of his?

Today we welcome my friend and fellow podcaster, Tim Winders of Seek, Go, Create Podcast for the second time to Living a Legacy Life - and we get to talk about some of these thorny but enlightening questions that Tim’s been noodling about these past couple of years.

What if some things you learned were truth in Scripture were taken out of context and maybe out of order? Tim's spent the last couple years studying and figuring some of these things out. Whether or not you come to the same conclusions, you'll appreciate the opportunity to think and evaluate and maybe study a little bit harder on your own.

Some gems from our conversation:

• We need to see Scripture as written for us, not necessarily to us.
• When we interact with people, we want them to sense there is something different about us because of Jesus in us, our source of peace.
• Part of the deception of the enemy is to overload us with information.
• We need to take responsibility for our own growth in Christ by sitting at his feet and listening to what he has to say to us.
• Sometimes the greatest act of faith is to let go of man's answers so that we hear God.
• We live in a chaotic world but we can have peace when we remember how much—how very much—God loves us. (And we may also need to disconnect from social media for a while.)

We look forward to Tim's 90 Day Reading Plan when completed.

Find more of Tim's work at timwinders.com.