The Home and Hearth Podcast

Latest Episodes:

096: The Plague of the Mommy Wars with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 3) May 13, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until recently, has always been mostly an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the third of her solo podcasts to talk today on the topic of the mommy wars. This is a topic Rebekah has written about extensively and shared about on other podcasts, as well, so she's excited to now be branching out into discussing it on her own podcast!

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~Defining the term "mommy wars" and covering a bit of its history

~How the mommy wars show up in our current culture

~8 problems with the mommy wars - 8 main ways in which they are doing damage in the church:

*They are causing us to major on the minors, only to forget what is really important.

*They are causing us to forget what the Word of God actually has to say on the topic of mothering (see Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4, Titus 2:4-5, Deuteronomy 6:6-7) as we're so focused on things of lesser importance.

*They are destroying the Titus 2 model and its outreach (see Titus 2:3-5).

*They are causing us to ignore (and even blaspheme!) the gospel.

*They are hindering us from being able to walk by the Spirit and to walk by faith (see James 1:5, Isaiah 30:21, Psalm 139, and Galatians 5:16-18,22-23).

*They are causing division and leading to our losing out on encouraging friendship and valuable fellowship (see Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Romans 14).

*They are leading to our losing our salt and light and to our becoming poor examples of Christ (Matthew 5:13-16, John 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians 5:20, Colossians 3:12, 4:6, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 12:18).

*They are burdening us with unnecessary and unbiblical expectations.

~How the enemy is using the mommy wars to keep our noses on the internet and social media rather than in Scripture

~1 Timothy 4:8's response to the mommy wars

~How the mommy wars have led to a subconscious misunderstanding of the gospel as we look to our mothering choices to provide us with our righteousness, perfection, and good standing before God

~The issues of the mommy wars as being issues of secondary importance and why we have no right to judge other mamas in these areas

~Viewing mommy wars topics in light of Romans 14

~Romans 14 and why I do not publicly share our family's choices regarding things like vaccination

~Assuming the best of other mamas, realizing that every mama comes to the decision they make with a desire for what is best for their children

~The wisdom of the world vs. the wisdom of God

~The long list of expectations we as moms have on our shoulders as to what "good moms" do vs. the very short list God has for us

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

095: Help and Hope for the Single Mom with Kristen Lisemby Lee May 06, 2020

Show notes

Kristen Lisemby Lee is a single mama of 3, writer, and contributor to The Better Mom. She has walked a hard road over the past few years, experiencing infidelity in her marriage and walking through a subsequent divorce. She comes on the show today to share her story, encourage us with the reality of the faithfulness of God in the midst of these hard trials, and also to inspire the church for how we can truly be the body of Christ to the single mamas we know.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~The journey that led Kristen to unexpectedly becoming a single mom

~The difference that being raised in Biblical truth made for Kristen when the hard times hit

~The hard seasons when God's plan and your plan aren't the same thing

~Hope and help for anyone facing infidelity in their marriages

~The importance of having close, trusted friends you can confide in during the hard times

~The helpful tool of journaling

~The importance of not taking to social media to publicly process everything as you are going through it

~How this hard journey has affected Kristen's three kids

~Navigating the hard questions with our kids

~Just being with our children in the hard seasons

~Help and hope for mamas trying to walk with their kids through their battle of anxiety

~The importance of loving and listening to our kids through these times

~The important part therapy can play in our seasons of grief and trial

~The importance of truth in action

~How this trial has affected Kristen and her faith personally; the good that can come from going through a crisis of faith

~The three new children's books Kristen has written to help children who are going through hard times

~What life looks like for Kristen now as a single mom; a wakeup call for the church to realize how hard life can be for the single mamas among us

~Some advice and encouragement for how the church can be the body of Christ to the single mamas in the congregation; the importance of the church seeing, noticing, and utilizing the single moms

~Encouragement for single mamas

~The reality that God does not waste our pain

~Grace for the raw moments of pain and how being honest with God in and through them builds intimacy with Him

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

094: Navigating the Working Mom Life (Part 2) with Katie Walters Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

Katie Walters is a pastor's wife, mama to 6 kiddos, serves at her church alongside her husband, Josh, and runs, as founder and CEO, the nonprofit clothing company based in Togo, West Africa called Francis and Benedict. She comes back on the show today for the second part of our conversation to inspire working mamas everywhere with the truth that whatever God calls you to do, that He will equip you for.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Advice and encouragement for the mama listening who is feeling a pull to go back to work, start a business, or go in the direction of some sort of work in addition to mothering but isn’t sure what the first step might be

~Myths and stereotypes in the church surrounding working women that we need to get rid of

~How Katie has been able to cultivate so well the relationship she has with her kids

~Intentionally studying our children and learning who God made each of them to be

~Being a cheerleader for our mama friends and pointing out a job well done in their lives

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

093: Navigating the Working Mom Life (Part 1) with Katie Walters Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Katie Walters is a pastor's wife, mama to 6 kiddos, serves at her church alongside her husband, Josh, and runs, as founder and CEO, the nonprofit clothing company based in Togo, West Africa called Francis and Benedict. She comes on the show today to inspire working mamas everywhere with the truth that whatever God calls you to do, that He will equip you for.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Answering the question of whether or not Katie always wanted to be a working mom, or if that was a hard decision for her to make

~The issue of the mommy wars between stay-at-home moms and working moms

~Different work in different seasons

~Viewing the work itself, rather than merely the outcome, as the reward

~The issue of mommy guilt as a working mom; speaking truth to yourself; how understanding different cultures helps you battle mommy guilt here in the US

~Handling pushback from certain Christian circles for being a working mom; answering those who would say that Scripture shows that women should not work outside the home in any capacity

~Following a truly Biblical guide, not merely a cultural one

~How our work can make us better moms

~The many dangers and bad fruits of the comparison trap

~How comparison stems from our own insecurity

~What a typical "day in the life of Katie Walters" looks like

~The reality that being a homemaker and working outside the home are not mutually exclusive

~Tips and tricks for time management and making right priorities

~How Katie views her family as a 10 in level of importance and everyone else as a 2

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

092: Mothering in the Midst of a Pandemic with September McCarthy Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

September McCarthy is a wife of 30 years, homeschooling mama of 24 years, has ten children ages 28-8, and is a grandma, as well. She is in the midst of multiple seasons of life all at once, and at the same time is a business owner, podcaster, and author. September is incredibly passionate about motherhood and joins me on the show today to inspire and encourage us in how we can mother well in the midst of a world-wide pandemic.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Inspiration for moms who are trying to find passion for motherhood as their kids are suddenly and unexpectedly at home with them

~The hard challenge that this time presents to all of us

~Picking just one thing at a time to focus on during this season of quarantine

~The danger of just trying to entertain our kids

~Help for mamas who are really lacking in energy and motivation right now

~Establishing new patterns

~Taking care of ourselves as we take care of our families

~Cultivating bravery and strength in an anxiety-causing time

~Putting a healthy boundary of respect around what we know to be true; focusing only on what is factual and true, rather than on all the "what if"s

~Embracing the gifts God has given us as moms to pass on the torch of the gospel to our children and others around us

~Learning the Bible together, alongside our kids

~Prioritizing family devotions when you don't know how or where to start

~What Bible time looks like for September and her children; how she equips her children to also lead family devotion time themselves

~How music appreciation, learning to be storytellers, being equipped in public speaking, and more can all come from Bible time together as a family

~How a mother who is in the Word can lead her family well; making time for the Word as a busy mama; freedom for mamas in all different seasons and scenarios

~Equipping our kids to serve God now, not to wait until they're older

~Living on mission as a family in the midst of quarantine and isolation

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

091: Walking Through the Loss of a Child with Kim Erickson Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

Kim Erickson is a wife of over 20 years, mama of Austin (in heaven) and Ethan, family immigration attorney, speaker, and author of, among others, her newest book, "Surviving Sorrow: A Mother's Guide to Living With Loss". Today she walks us through how we can grieve, how we can help others in their grief, and how the Lord helps us along the way.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Kim's new book, "Surviving Sorrow", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~Balancing your grief against your hope awaiting you in heaven

~Jesus' example for how to empathize with others in their loss and grief and to enter into it with them

~The problem with offering nice little platitudes to those who are grieving a loss

~What to say and what not to say to those who are grieving

~The power of just being silent and crying with those in grief

~Going to our Heavenly Father with our real emotions - anger, frustration, grief, all of it

~Coming to the point in believing God has a plan for all that is happening in your life

~The healing that comes from surrender

~The things to do and not do when with someone who is walking through grief

~The gift of the Holy Spirit as we walk this journey

~Believing that God is good even when life is feeling like it's anything but good

~The power of studying the stories of Joseph and David in the hard times

~The current coronavirus situation

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

090: Walking Through the Seasons of Your Marriage with Debra Fileta Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

Debra Fileta is a wife of nearly 13 years, mom of 3, licensed professional counselor specializing in relationships, podcaster, author, and runs the relationship advice blog True Love Dates. She joins me on the show today to share about her newest book, Love in Every Season: Understanding the Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, and how we can make the most of each season of our relationships.

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~Debra's new book, Love in Every Season: Understanding the Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~What the four seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter represent in relationships, and how we can navigate those well

~Planting seeds in the spring of your relationship, shedding your layers and being vulnerable in the hot season of summer, the season of fall when your true colors start to shine through, and the season of winter, where things begin to cool down a bit emotionally

~Conflict as an opportunity

~What compatibility is, and what it is not

~The wrong view we have of typical, normal marriage of always being in the season of winter

~The reality that each season is necessary and lays the foundation for the next season; how this has proven true in Debra's own marriage

~What God's job is in the hard seasons of marriage of making a way in the wilderness, and what our job is of just moving forward

~The reality of God working in and through our day-to-day lives, and how we can apply that reality to marriage

~Romance in marriage

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

089: Bible Study 101 with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Podcast 2) Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until this point, has always been mostly an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the now second of (what will hopefully be many - that's up to the feedback she gets from you!) her solo podcasts to talk today on the topic of "Bible Study 101". This episode was recorded back at the end of January, but the timing has worked out perfectly. As we are feeling fearful in these times and find ourselves at home with more free time, what better thing to do than grow in our knowledge of the Bible and our ability to study it? That is what we are chatting about today!

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~*How* to study the Bible, and then moving on into *when* to study the Bible (help for the busy woman who finds it hard to make time for the Word)

~5 Bible Study tips for beginners:

*Pick a user-friendly Bible translation

*Choose a Reading Plan for where to begin (see my Bible Reading Plan article below, however, for some necessary caveats to this!)

*Find a good Bible study or Bible study method

*Learn to reflect on what you are reading

*Take advantage of the many free study resources at your disposal

~Different Bible translations, and what the differences are between word-for-word translations and thought-for-thought (or dynamic equivalent) translations

~The Bible translation I personally would recommend that is an "optimal equivalence" translation

~What the Holy Spirit has clearly called me, personally, to do in my personal Bible study time in 2020

~Free online resources and websites for Bible study

~Great books of the Bible to begin with if you are a new believer

~Bible study methods:

*SOAP method Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

*Inductive Bible Study Method

~Great guided Bible study book recommendations

~Practical tips for how to be in the Word as a busy woman

~Meeting with God all throughout the day in relationship with Him, as opposed to relegating time with Him to a business meeting in the morning

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

088: Foundations for Christian Parenting with Ruth Chou Simons Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

Ruth Chou Simons is a wife, mama of 6 boys, artist, author, and founder of GraceLaced. Most recently (as of yesterday's launch day!) she and her husband, Troy, are authors of the brand new family worship devotional book, "Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family". Her wisdom for mamas in this episode are sure to be a balm to your soul!

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Ruth's newest book, what led her and her husband to write it, and what readers can expect

~"Older mama to younger mama" advice from Ruth; the things she is so glad she did the way she did, and those things she would change if she could go back to her early days of mothering

~Traps we can fall into in motherhood

~The reality that what our children are catching from us shapes them more than what we teach them

~Some of the daily practices that have had the most impact in the Simons home when it comes to raising their children to know and love God

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

087: I Still Believe with Kevin Downes Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Kevin Downes is a husband, father, actor, and movie producer perhaps best known for films such as Moms Night Out, I Can Only Imagine, and Courageous. Today, I sit down with Kevin to chat about his newest movie, I Still Believe, which releases nationwide March 13th.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Kevin's newest film, "I Still Believe", which releases nationwide March 13th; what it's about, who is starring in it, and what led Kevin to choose this story as the topic of his newest movie to produce

~Audience response during the pre-screenings

~Takeaways from the film that Kevin hopes married couples will have; how married couples will relate to the story

~Some things Kevin learned while filming this new movie

~Kevin's favorite scene in "I Still Believe"

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast