The Gospel-Shaped Life Podcast

Latest Episodes:

HandH 006: Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and the Goodness of God with Caitlin Schwanke May 17, 2017

Show notes

What we Chat about in this Episode

~Caitlin's story of experiencing the stillbirth of her son at 21 weeks and the subsequent miscarriage of her 3rd baby at 7 weeks

~How she dealt with feelings of blaming herself and God and the hard "Why?" question

~How the losses affected Caitlin's walk with the Lord and her trust in Him

~The goodness and fruit she has seen come about as a result of this hard journey

~Passages of Scripture, songs, and books that encouraged Caitlin during this time

~How God so clearly orchestrated things so as to help prepare Caitlin for this hard road

~How she dealt with fear of loss during her most recent pregnancy with her daughter

~Advice and encouragement for the mama who has just gone through the loss of a baby

~The best and worst things to do and say to encourage and help our dear friends or family members who have gone through pregnancy loss

~Dealing with pregnancy guilt when around ladies who have lost babies

~The best ways to minister to a mom 6+ months after a loss; how to commemorate and remember that precious life

~How to pray for mamas who have gone through these losses

~And more!

For all show notes and links, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

HandH 005: Racial Tension and the Body of Christ with Retha Nichole May 10, 2017

Show notes

Retha Nichole is my wonderful guest for episode 5 of the podcast, and I am honored to be chatting with her today. On today's episode, we dive deep into the issue of racial tension in the church and culture. This chat is a very meaty conversation on what is too often a very difficult, oftentimes touchy, topic. I'm so grateful for Retha and the wisdom, wit, encouragement, knowledge, and perspective she shares with us today. It is my prayer that this conversation you hear serves to make a difference in the climate of racial tension we are experiencing in our day.

What we Chat about in this Episode

~How one even begins to address such a difficult issue; what to say to the person we know who is in denial that there is a problem of racism still left in America, either in the church or in the culture; the existence of "white privilege"

~Specific cases/examples of racism and racial bias still alive and well in our country (ex., police cases, red-lining, CRA programs in banks, etc.)

~What to say to the erroneous sentiment that is out there that "blacks should just stop lamenting their place - after all, they have already been freed from slavery and segregation!"

~How to address the shooting incidents in the news between police officers and black folks and why we all need to be talking about this; answering both the automatic assumption that the officers are always in the right, as well as the assumption that the blacks are always the victims

~What some of the worst things are that we inadvertently say these days in terms of race and racial tension and what to say instead

~How we can embrace each other while understanding that we have cultural preferences that can be different within the body of Christ

~What white adoptive parents of children of minority races can do to celebrate, preserve, promote, and include their uniqueness and cultural heritage in the family

~Advice for couples who are struggling with finding a church that is comfortable for them, racially

~Answering the question of why racism and racial bias exist in the church when we claim to believe that all people are created equal in God's image, and what we can do about this problem

~And more!

For all shownotes, go to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

004: Bible Study for Busy Women with Katie Orr May 03, 2017

Show notes

Katie Orr is my guest for the 4th episode of the Home and Hearth podcast! It was such an honor to get to chat with her and to pick her brain on all things Bible study and quiet time. Katie's passion and mission is "equipping busy women to experience God" and to really provide the tools women need in order to learn to do in-depth Bible study right where they are, even in this busy season of life.

To that end, she has written a series of Bible studies on various topics where she takes you through the FOCUSed 15 method, enabling you to really dig down deep into the Scriptures in just 15 minutes a day. We all, even the busiest of moms, have 15 minutes a day, right? After all, we're probably all on social media longer than that each day, so we can totally do this! We can be faithful to redeem the time, especially with Katie's help and direction, showing us how easy it can truly be.

I was so honored to be able to be a part of the launch team for Katie's 5th and newest study, Everyday Obedience, which just released May 1st! It is absolutely incredible and is opening my eyes to the truth of what obedience is and is not in such powerful ways. From the day I started the study, I knew I had to have Katie on the podcast. She is going to bless your socks off!

And, be sure to listen to the very end of the episode for a super exciting giveaway! :D

What We Chat About in This Episode:

~Katie's own journey with the Lord, coming to Christ, learning how to study the Bible, and how she came to be a Bible study author

~Her advice and encouragement for women who say they are "too busy to study the Bible"

~What her FOCUSed 15 method is, how she came up with it, and how it works

~Each of her 5 studies (Everyday Hope, Everyday Love, Everyday Faith, Everyday Peace, and Everyday Obedience) and what they are about

~Recommendations for "quiet times"

~What Katie's typical "quiet time" looks like as a busy pastor's wife, homeschooling mom of 3, author, and podcaster

~Big Bible study mistakes we make and what to do instead; tips for HOW to actually study the Bible

~Ideas for moms who want to encourage and equip their children to love and do Bible study on a regular basis themselves

~Encouragement and advice for women who already love and do regular Bible study but who have husbands who do not

~And more!

For all the shownotes, links to all the resources mentioned as well as links to Katie's website, podcast, and Bible studies, just head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

HandH 003: Foster Care and Adoption with Lauren Jane Bellows Apr 22, 2017

Show notes

On this episode of the Home and Hearth podcast, I chat with my friend, Lauren Jane Bellows, on the topics of foster care and adoption. We cover issues including the following:

~How Lauren and her husband got started on their foster care/adoption journey and what that journey has consisted of so far

~How to deal with foster care concerns such as government interference

~How to deal with people who may disagree with your decision to foster and/or adopt

~Dealing emotionally with the fears and struggles of foster care

~Why it may be that the church is not more involved in foster care and adoption in our day

~How to balance caring for the needs of your biological children while also tending to the needs of your foster children

~The importance of prayer in this sometimes-challenging lifestyle

~Ways we as the church can serve the orphan even without being foster or adoptive parents

~and more!

For all the show notes, links to the resources mentioned, and links to where you can get in touch with Lauren, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

HandH 002: Mothering and Homeschooling Wisdom from a Mama of 11 with Amy Morse Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

On this episode of the Home and Hearth podcast, I chat with my pastor's wife, Amy Morse, on topics pertaining to her life as a homeschooling mama of 11 children. We cover issues including the following:

~How the Morses came to the point of willingly embracing large family life and deciding to have as many children as the Lord would bless them with

~What a typical homeschooling day looks like for the Morses, and how Mrs. Morse manages to homeschool so many different grade levels all at once

~The importance of keeping your husband first even in the midst of busy family life and ideas for how to do just that

~How she handles things such as chores around the house, curriculum choices, and family worship time

~The goodness of God in our everyday lives

~Striking the balance between the here and now (motherhood in the trenches, as it were) and the big picture, living with the end goal in mind

~and much more!

For all the show notes, links to the resources mentioned, and links to where you can get in touch with Amy, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

HandH 001: Chronic Illness and The Christian Walk with Angela Parsley Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

On this episode of the Home and Hearth podcast, I chat with my dear friend, Angela Parsley, on the topic of chronic illness. We cover issues including the following:

~What Angela's chronic illness is, how long she has had it, and how it has affected her Christian walk and daily life, and what the Lord has taught her through it

~What Scripture passages have been of the most encouragement to her during this long, hard journey

~Encouragement for those battling a chronic illness

~What the best and worst things are that we can say or do to someone who is suffering from a chronic illness

~How we can best serve those we know and love who have chronic illnesses

~The concept of each of us being "walking parables"

For all the show notes, links to the resources mentioned, and links to where you can get in touch with Angela, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Get full access to Beyond the Boxes at rebekahhargraves.substack.com/subscribe

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