Heart Lessons Podcast

Latest Episodes:

III. The Mother's Day Series: Invisible Motherhood May 11, 2018

Show notes

Visit sarahrieke.com/podcast for complete show notes

Find the Dear Loss Mama, It's Okay If ... series here

Caitlin Mathieu of Due to Joy talks about what it means to be an invisible mother, a mother with no living children. She is a wealth of wisdom for leaning on the Lord during dark times and how to navigate the road of invisible motherhood with grace.

Connect with Caitlin: blog // facebook // instagram // twitter

Heart Lesson: The Lord wants to turn my mourning into dancing and return my joy even in the middle of my pain.

Scriptures Mentioned:

We Mention:

Still Standing Magazine

Facets of Grief workbook by Francesca Cox

Takeaway Truths:

Jesus wants to bring purpose to our pain. He does not want to waste it.

The devil wants me to believe that God has left me or that my body has failed me. But those are all lies.

We need to extend grace to people who say things and don't know your story and people who say things and do know your story.

I've had to release my white-knuckle grip on my fear because it's too heavy for me to carry and it isn't mine to carry.

You are not alone.

My heart that is so ready to love another baby is the same heart that already loves a baby who is a citizen of heaven.

Three Ways to Fight the Darkness:

Combat lies
Memorize scripture
Find people to pray for you and over you

Additional Resources:

My Invisible Motherhood (blog post)

When Infertility Doesn't End with a Miracle Pregnancy (blog post)

Through the Lens Podcast Episode 8: Mothering After Loss (podcast episode)

I. The Mother's Day Series: Heavenly-Minded Motherhood May 08, 2018

Show notes

Katie Bennett, author of Heavenly-Minded Mom, shares what it means to mother in light of eternity and how that truth can transform our everyday lives.

Connect with Katie: website // book // facebook // instagram// podcast

Heart Lesson: God is holy and it is not ok for me to be unholy. He is holy so I must be holy.

Scriptures Mentioned:

We Mention:

Shepherding A Child's Heart

Takeaway Truths:

I felt God leading me to make my faith my choice.

He called me to live the truth of an eternal reality and pursue the simple task of living for Him and obeying Him moment by moment.

All of our meaningless tasks are given lasting meaning because when we work hard and heartily as unto the Lord, we will receive an eternal inheritance as a reward.

It's all passing away. Everything except how we loved, how we persevered, and how we faithfully accomplished the tasks that God laid out for us.

Determine what is best for the kingdom of God and put that above your own wants and desires.

What does it mean to throw off the things that hinder us so that we can pursue Christ with all we've got, running our race with perseverance?

Allow your sense of overwhelm and need drive you to the cross and ask for help.

Even if things don't go how we expected, they went how God expected and knew it would happen. what is important is not the outcome, it is taking steps of obedience and trust in the midst of that situation.

It is important to let my children in on how I think.

Journal and Reflection Page:

Katie Bennett – Journal and Reflection Page

II. The Mother's Day Series: Mothering A Transracial Family May 08, 2018

Show notes

My dear friend, Lauren Casper, joins us for this episode of the Mother's Day series and shares what it means to mother a transracial family and embrace the diversity of skin colors and cultures within her own home.

Connect with Lauren: website // book // instagram // facebook // shop

visit sarahrieke.com/podcast for show notes

Heart Lesson: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

We Mention:

It's Okay About It

All God's Children International

Ethiopian calendar

Timkat

The Little Boy Whose Name Means Peace

How We Do Our Daughter's Hair

Jessica Turner

When God Made You

Michael Twitty

Matthew 22:36-40 (The Greatest Commandment)

Choose Joy

Takeaway Truths:

I want to be intentional to put in the time so I can raise my children as children of color, because they are, and not try to make them fit into my white world.

I need to learn about cultural differences because I don't want to erase the heritage they came from, as much as I possibly can.

So much of adoption is about loss. As beautiful as the process of adoption is, it is impossible to ignore that there is an enormous component of loss there, particularly for the children.

I do everything I can to embrace and celebrate their culture because I want to show them it is not something they were rescued out of.

It is our responsibility not to look away because how can we love each other well when we do?

This is how we raise racially aware children; by putting diversity in their world from early on.

I have recognized my need to have a lifelong posture of student and continuously be asking and learning and listening.

Empathy means to treat someone how they want to be treated and that requires listening and learning.

Journal and Reflection Page:

Lauren Casper - Journal and Reflection Page

Episode 46: Always Enough, Never Too Much Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

Hayley Morgan, co-author of Wild & Free and the just-released Always Enough, Never Too Much, comes to the podcast today to talk about walking big and wild in who God made us to be, walking free in what Jesus Christ bought for us on the cross, and then the truth that staying tethered to the Lord will allow us to live in being always enough and never, ever too much. We also talk fearing ourselves, the enneagram, and how to discern the voice of the Lord over the voice of the enemy.

Connect with Hayley: book // blog // facebook // instagram // twitter // Nellie Taft // WildlyCo.

Heart Lesson: Be needy of the Lord.

Scriptures Mentioned:

We Mention:

Ian Crohn Typology Podcast Episode 22

Takeaway Truths:

There is a difference between knowledge of something and understanding of something. Knowledge comes when you learn something for the first time, but the understanding comes when you work it out in the day to day and apply it to many different situations and continue to preach those truths to yourself.

It is not about not having goals or not being ambitious, it's about a right ordering of your heart toward the Lord.

There is nothing you can do to make the Lord love you less, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you more.

Our main job is to stay tethered to the Lord.

God's correction is kind and never feels like condemnation. It feels like a light has been shined onto something.

You've already been found out as a person who has a sinful nature and a person who lives in a fallen world. And also, you've already been redeemed.

[God's correction] is not indicting of our identity, it is God calling us His child who has done something wrong.

I want women to know they can't go too far one way or the other. Not that they lack the ability to, but that if they are intimately connected with the Lord, He is going to bring them right back to where they need to be.

God is secure in Himself and in His creation.

When we fear our own selves, it is almost clinging to what was instead of what could be.

My hope is that women would see this is a story more about God and not about them and they have a beautiful part to play in it, but they don't need to fear their capacity. God is not afraid of what they will do with how He has created them, especially when living a life that is yielded to Him.

Keys to A Successful Friendship:

Remember you are partners in the gospel.
Ask how to love one another well.
A willingness to be vulnerable
Keep a short account of wrongs
Be aware of your differences and see them as valuable
Be each other's cheerleader
Do not be easily offended
See the good spirit in the other person

Hayley Morgan - Journal and Reflection Page

Visit NellieTaft.com and enter 25heartlessons for 25% off your order!

Episode 45: I Can't Believe You Just Said That! Apr 17, 2018

Show notes

Ginger Hubbard shares her insights, wisdom, and all-around awesome tips for reaching our children with heart-oriented training. She aims not to only change their behavior, but reach their hearts.

Connect with Ginger: book // website // facebook // instagram // youtube

Visit sarahrieke.com/podcast for show notes

Heart Lesson: Trust that God is in control of my adult children and working in their lives.

Scriptures Mentioned:

We Mention:

Shepherding A Child's Heart

Child Training Tips

Family Life Today

Wise Words for Moms Chart

CD Series: Reaching the Heart of Your Child

Ginger's 3-Step Plan:

Getting to the heart of behavior
Reproving your child Biblically
Training your child in righteousness

Takeaway Truths

There is so much more to getting our children to act right; we need to get them to think right and be motivated out of a love for virtue rather than a fear of punishment.

Jesus himself asked heart-probing questions and in doing so, the people had to evaluate themselves.

It is never enough to train children what not to do; we need to tell them what to do. That's what it means to train them in righteousness, to walk in the wisdom of God's word.

We are administering grace and mercy when we take the time to diligently train our child up in the way they should go.

I love you too much to allow you to disobey and live foolishly.

There should be a clean slate and forgiveness after consequences.

We are responsible as parents to teach our kids the word of God, but it is God's word that actually convicts and brings about change. It is not about us, they still have a choice.

It is never too late to begin training a child in God's word.

How does God want you to obey? Right away, all the way, and with a happy heart.

Daily Prayer: Lord, help me to be wiser than my children.

Journal and Reflection Page - Ginger Hubbard

Episode 44: I Will Love You Forever Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

Cori Salchert shares her heart behind fostering terminally ill babies and children. Her transparency as to the level of faith it takes to stay committed to this beautiful and yet heavy work God has called her to is such a perfect picture of God's strength working in our weakness.

Connect with Cori: book // facebook // SafeHaven4Babies // facebook

Heart Lesson: I say I trust God and He gives me many opportunities to do so, many opportunities for me to look at God and judge my circumstances, and not judge God through my circumstances.

Scriptures Referenced:

Judges 7 (Story of Gideon and his army)

Mentions:

Treasures, by Martha Snell Nicholson

Safe Haven Laws

99 Balloons Video

I Will Carry You

Look at the Book, John Piper

Even Broken Can Be Beautiful III

Takeaway Truths:

There is a heavy gravity to all of this. It is not light warfare and it is not all song and dance. Having a terminally ill child is not a walk in the park and I don't want to minimize the grief that goes along with that.

Courage is not the absence of fear, it is just determining that there is something greater at stake.

I want it to be so evident that I am doing all of this in God's power. I do not want to stand at the burning bush and say, "I stutter ..." I want God to use me.

You can't take this as all pain and you can't just take it as a gift; it's both.

Additional Resources:

Journal and Reflection Page - Cori Salchert

Why Was This Child Born Blind?

Even Broken Can Be Beautiful III: Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

song credit: Nichole Nordeman, You Are Good

When our life circumstances are so hard and leave us brokenhearted, can we still say that God is good?

George Mueller

Psalm 119:68

Ravi Zacharias

Ann Voskamp's Brutally Honest Psalms #3

Why God Doesn't Heal People We Love

Romans 8:28

Through The Lens Podcast, Ep. 06, Why Did God Let My Baby Die?

When God Doesn't Fix It, by Laura Story

You Are Good, Nichole Nordeman

You Are Good, Evie's Memorial

Journal and Reflection Page - EBCBB III

Episode 43: Believe Bigger Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

Marshawn Evans Daniels, reinvention strategist and faith and business coach, talks about her newly released book, Believe Bigger, and encourages women to walk confidently in the purpose God has placed in their lives. We talk about the coexistence of both humility and confidence, what it means to find purpose in painful circumstances, and what it was like for her to be on Miss America. You are going to come away from this episode with a soul on fire for being ok to own whatever it is that God has called you to do.

Connect with Marshawn: website // book // twitter // instagram // facebook

Heart Lesson: Having permission to go at a slower pace and find the door opening in a time of pause rather than a time of pursuit.

Scriptures Mentioned:

5 Steps to Finding Your Purpose (Purpose Map):

Discovery
Talents
The Gap
Gifts
Influence

Takeaway Truths:

Grace is what you need in the middle of battle when you're under attack.

When we see a need we can feel free to meet that need in that moment.

Believing something that seems too big to understand but believing in it anyway, that is the start of a greater purpose.

Purpose is a process. God is more concerned with our character than He is our calling and He wants us to have the capacity to fulfill our calling, so He's going to take us through a process.

Sometimes we don't know our purpose and so we just have to walk. We can't always make sense of what God is doing.

Your story will take you into a greater purpose.

God loves impossible circumstances. He loves to part the Red Seas.

His yoke is easy but we want to make it hard.

We need permission not to hide because then we are hiding what God has given us. And what if the very thing you are hiding is the very bridge someone needs to enter eternity?

God speaks in cans and not in can'ts.

Are we warrior princesses or are we not?

Christ was humble because He knew where His power came from.

Humility is about reliance and operating on an extension of who God is. Confidence is all about who we are because of who God is in us.

Godfidence is believing in the unseen and not being afraid to shine, but relying on who God has called me to be.

Giving ourselves permission allows us to take the limits off for the unlimited Holy Spirit.

Journal and Reflection Page

Journal and Reflection Page - Marshawn

Episode 42: Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot Mar 06, 2018

Show notes

**This conversation is recommended for mature audiences only**

Mo Isom speaks openly and candidly about her sexual testimony and what her life looked like when she neglected to ask the question of why God calls His children to live a life of purity.

"It's about so much more than doing what's right and avoiding what's wrong. It's a reflection of preserving our bodies and our hearts for a God who gave His life for us first. " - Mo Isom

Connect with Mo: website // book // instagram // facebook // twitter

Heart Lesson: The realization and awe of the power of the Holy Spirit's operation within us.

Scriptures Mentioned:

Helpful Resources:

If You Only Knew, by Jamie Ivey

Clean, Natalie Grant

Heart Lessons Episode 32 with Shelley Hitz

Steps to overcoming addiction to porn:

Pray for a shift in your heart to want what is good and holy.
Give voice to your struggles and share them with someone you can trust.
Guard your computer.

Takeaway Truths:

We are creatures made to worship but quickly worship what we want.

We must begin by knowing what God calls us to and why He calls us to it so that we don't even give the enemy a foothold from the start.

The purity God calls us to is really a heart purity.

We can get lost in serving ourselves.

We need to get uncomfortable for the sake of our own lives. Eternity is at stake and yet we are often worried for a five-minute conversation.

Sin will win out every single time if we are not careful.

Sex (in marriage) is not just to serve ourselves, it is laying our lives down in service of another.

Sex (in marriage) is a powerful weapon against the enemy.

Journal and Reflection Page

Journal and Reflection Page - Mo Isom

Intentionality Part I: Feb 13, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Part I of the Intentionality Series of the Heart Lessons Podcast! In this intro episode we talk about intentionality in Scripture, how God models intentionality for us, and share the resources you shared on social media about all the things that are helping you live with greater intention. This episode kicks off the series designed to help you stay on track with your New Year's Resolutions.

Visit sarahrieke.com for show notes on this episode and the other episodes in this series.

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