The Home and Hearth Podcast

Latest Episodes:

086: Growing in Discernment with Hannah Anderson Feb 19, 2020

Show notes

Hannah Anderson is a pastor's wife, mom of 3, writer, speaker, and author of the book "All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment". On today's episode, she shares with us what discernment is, what it is not, and how we as believers can grow in it.

What We Chat about in Today's Episode:

~Hannah's latest book, what it's about, what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~What discernment is and what it is not; breaking through some of the myths and stereotypes surrounding discernment and being discerning

~Discernment and the mommy wars

~Discernment and legalism

~The crisis-level impact of the digital age on discernment and our ability to actually discern

~Discernment as a search and development of a taste for what is good and beautiful, as opposed to just a looking out for what is bad or wrong

~The language of discernment in Scripture, and why discernment isn't to come from a critical, negative posture

~Philippians 1:9-10's definition of discernment

~The correlation between negative-spirited "discernment", legalism, and having a judgmental heart

~Why adopting certain rules and positions or retreating into certain circles is not enough to prevent a worldly heart or to ensure that you become a wise person

~Hannah's own experience with legalism

~The pride that can come with doing the "right" things

~The two problematic extremes of our tendency to either dehumanize and demonize people who we don't agree with, or else embrace everything across the board - even those things which we truly should not be embracing

~The problem with a list-driven path to sanctification

~Tribalism as a result of our legalistic boxes and checklists; what we miss out on when we hold to an unbiblical tribalism

~How list-driven "goodness" is taught in both the camps of progressive Christianity as well as conservative Christianity

~God's character as our standard for goodness

~How communicating with others digitally leads to a harsh, critical heart towards them, particularly when we disagree

~Actually treating those with whom as disagree as fellow image bearers of God

~The sin of disregarding and disrespecting someone else's humanity just because we disagree with them

~The beauty of giving others the benefit of the doubt

~Coming to potential disagreements with a kind of humble curiosity, a teachable spirit, and an ear that is quick to listen

~Swapping out a list of man-made rules for a list of the characteristics of God

~Philippians 4:8 and discernment

~The faith-builder that walking by the Spirit really is

~The difference between "live and let live" and "love and let love"

~A bonus little sneak-peak into the brand new book Hannah is working on right now!

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

085: Navigating Difficult Friendships with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 1) Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until this point, has always been an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the first of (what will hopefully be many - that's up to the feedback she gets from you!) her solo podcasts to talk on the topic of "Navigating Difficult Friendships".

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~A bit of Rebekah's own experience with difficult friendships

~How friendship is messy as a result of our living in a fallen world; why this should not come as a surprise

~5 red flag warning signs to watch out for in your friendships:

Friends who ignore your boundaries (Proverbs 25:17) Friends who are emotionally insensitive (Proverbs 25:20, 27:14, ) Friends who betray confidences (Proverbs 11:9) Friends who are given to backbiting (Proverbs 1:28) Friends who are commonly given to belittling people (Proverbs 11:12)

~The friendship example Jesus is for us

~The difference between being a backbiting friend and being a Biblical friend that is as iron that sharpens iron

~How to deal with friends who are operating out of one or more of the above five red flags

~The problem with the "good little Christian girl" syndrome

~Turning the other cheek vs. exercising boundaries

~The Matthew 18 Method (Matthew 18:15-17)

~Being enablers and idolizing your own comfort vs. seeking to erect necessary boundaries and be as iron that sharpens iron

~6 steps to take when dealing with a difficult friend:

Pray (James 1:5) Point out the problem (Matthew 18:15) If necessary: Bring witnesses (Matthew 18:16) Erect Boundaries (Matthew 18:17) Continue to Pray for Reconciliation and walk by the Spirit as you do (Galatians 5:16) Proceed with caution if/when prompted by the Spirit to reconcile and restore wisely

~Our call to be ministers of reconciliation

~And more!

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

084: All Shall be Well with Catherine McNiel Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Catherine McNiel is a wife, mama of 3, speaker, gardener, and author of two books, "Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline" and "All Shall be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World". She shares about the newest of her two books today and inspires us with that truth that God's unending presence is a promise that all shall be well.

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Catherine's new book, "All Shall be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~How God is still working in and through us, forming, growing, and using us, in both the mess and the abundance of our everyday lives

~The importance of not just knowing or talking *about* God, but truly knowing Him and praying *to* Him

~Prioritizing our relationship with the Lord

~Practical ways to notice and relish in the Lord's presence in our every moment

~The importance of paying attention to context in the Word

~Why it is so important to remember that God is present with us

~How to become more mindful and aware of God's presence in the midst of the busyness of our daily lives

~What each of the four seasons of the year teach us about God

~What hope is and is not

~And more!

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

084: All Shall be Well with Catherine McNiel Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Catherine's new book, "All Shall be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~How God is still working in and through us, forming, growing, and using us, in both the mess and the abundance of our everyday lives

~The importance of not just knowing or talking *about* God, but truly knowing Him and praying *to* Him

~Prioritizing our relationship with the Lord

~Practical ways to notice and relish in the Lord's presence in our every moment

~The importance of paying attention to context in the Word

~Why it is so important to remember that God is present with us

~How to become more mindful and aware of God's presence in the midst of the busyness of our daily lives

~What each of the four seasons of the year teach us about God

~What hope is and is not

~And more!

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

084: All Shall be Well with Catherine McNiel Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Catherine's new book, "All Shall be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~How God is still working in and through us, forming, growing, and using us, in both the mess and the abundance of our everyday lives

~The importance of not just knowing or talking *about* God, but truly knowing Him and praying *to* Him

~Prioritizing our relationship with the Lord

~Practical ways to notice and relish in the Lord's presence in our every moment

~The importance of paying attention to context in the Word

~Why it is so important to remember that God is present with us

~How to become more mindful and aware of God's presence in the midst of the busyness of our daily lives

~What each of the four seasons of the year teach us about God

~What hope is and is not

~And more!

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

084: All Shall be Well with Catherine McNiel Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Catherine's new book, "All Shall be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~How God is still working in and through us, forming, growing, and using us, in both the mess and the abundance of our everyday lives

~The importance of not just knowing or talking *about* God, but truly knowing Him and praying *to* Him

~Prioritizing our relationship with the Lord

~Practical ways to notice and relish in the Lord's presence in our every moment

~The importance of paying attention to context in the Word

~Why it is so important to remember that God is present with us

~How to become more mindful and aware of God's presence in the midst of the busyness of our daily lives

~What each of the four seasons of the year teach us about God

~What hope is and is not

~And more!

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

083: Homeschooling Bravely with Jamie Erickson Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Jamie Erickson is a wife, homeschooling mama of 5, and author of the new book, Homeschooling Bravely: . This is an episode for you whether you are a brand new homeschooling mama, just starting to consider homeschooling as your education method of choice, or a mama in the thick of homeschooling who needs her vision for it restored and revitalized. You're sure to come away inspired and encouraged!

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Jamie's new book, "Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~How to quiet the voices that say we aren't doing enough in our homeschooling or aren't doing it right

~Some of the biggest fears homeschooling moms face, and the truth that can free them

~The importance of practicing silence and stillness before God, and how you can do that as a busy homeschooling mama

~What our job is and is not as homeschooling moms

~Going through different seasons in our homeschooling, and willingly going at the Spirit's pace; trusting God's timing and work in our hearts and in the hearts of our children

~The problem with our idolizing instant gratification and forgetting that growth is a process; how slow growth leads to stronger roots

~Believing the lie that homeschooling and parenting success is all on us and that there is one "perfect" way to homeschool in order to ensure perfect success

~Trying to build our own little kingdoms vs. handing things off to God and trusting Him in the work and in the process

~The mommy wars and the problem with thinking there is only one right and good method for home education; the issue with thinking our homeschool has to look like someone else's

~The importance of walking by the Spirit in your homeschooling

~Help, hope, and practical tips for mamas who find themselves in a whole host of challenging situations and seasons in their homeschooling

~Common homeschooling myths and stereotypes that are really holding moms back

~And more!

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

082: Cultivating a Beautiful and Soul-Filling Christmas with Victoria Duerstock Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

Victoria Duerstock is a wife, homeschooling mom, design guru, speaker, coach, and author. Today she is coming on the podcast to share about her brand new book, Heart and Home for Christmas: Celebrating Joy in Your Living Space. You will come away from this episode built up, inspired, refreshed, and excited for the Christmas season.

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Victoria's newest book, "Heart and Home for Christmas: Celebrating Joy in Your Living Space ", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~The biggest struggles we face as women in an effort to cultivate a meaningful Christmas while at the same time not giving into the hustle and bustle busyness of the holiday season

~The pull of Pinterest during the holiday season and remembering what the important things really are

~The role decor can play in helping us to cultivate meaningful Christmas memories

~The importance of intention and planning

~Assessing the "why" behind the traditions we practice at Christmas time

~Practical tips for how we can decorate really well this Christmas without the stress and overwhelm

~Fun ways for our kids to be involved in our holiday decorating

~What to do with our expectations as we enter into the Christmas season

~The importance of protecting our time this season; how to go about doing that

~Specific devotionals in Victoria's book that really stood out to her personally

~What stands out to Victoria as to what the Lord is trying to teach us through the way in which the Christmas story unfolded

~The humility and humanity of Christ

~And more!

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

081: Help and Hope for the Angry Mom with Natalie Hixson Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

~Natalie's testimony of growing up struggling with anger issues and then struggling with mommy anger; what led to her passion for freeing other moms from it

~What therapy looked like for Natalie as she sought to overcome anger issues

~The power of asking your children's forgiveness for your bouts of mommy anger

~How growing in your walk with God is crucial if you're going to grow in freedom from anger

~The false belief we must challenge of "I am angry because of my children"

~Parenting with love, grace, and humility

~God's faithful ability to bring good out of everything

~Using our imperfections to point our kids to a perfect Savior

~How to, practically-speaking, begin to tame the mommy anger

~Questions to ask yourself to discover what your triggers are and how to deal with them

~When and how to know that your struggle with mommy anger has crossed over into something you need professional help for

~The adverse side effects our anger has on our kids

~The reality that you can enjoy being a mom

~Living out an intentional legacy in and for our families

~And more!

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

080: Health in Mind, Body, and Soul with Corrie Stanway Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

Corrie Stanway is a mama and woman of God who is passionate about health and wellness. As a certified health and wellness coach and physical education instructor for kindergarten to middle school students. she is excited about educating and equipping others to be healthy in body, mind, and soul.

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Corrie's testimony of being freed by Christ from a fitness addiction; her struggle of basing her self-worth in whether or not she had exercised on any given day

~Finding a balance between self-loathing and self-esteem, and how neither perspective lines us to how Christ views us

~Freedom from comparison and towards purpose

~Exercise as a stewardship

~The importance of being in a healthy emotional state when you are also seeking to be healthier physically

~Corrie's health and fitness program, Integrity and Grace, and how she weaves Bible study into her workout regimen; how lives have been changed through it

~What functional, restorative exercise is and why it is so important; the crucial nature of core stability

~The difference between body awareness and body preoccupation

~What truly Biblical health looks in the various areas of body, mind, and soul

~How knowing who you are in Christ positively impacts your physical wellbeing and supports your mission to be healthy physically

~How putting ourselves down is us actually saying God didn't make us good enough

~And more!

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