The Better Part - Intentional Living for Christian Moms with a Bible-Loving Catholic Mama

Women of the Bible: Anna

Today we think about Anna, the prophetess who got to witness the presentation of Jesus at the temple. This holy woman does not have much about her in the Bible, but we can tell that she was a prayerful woman who, though she had experienced hardship, never gave up on seeking God. She was granted the gift of meeting Jesus and proclaiming His identity to those around her. May we all have enough openness in our hearts to welcome whatever God puts in our way and to have the relationship with Him that we may recognize Him when we see Him. Anna models a life of prayer that molded her relationship with God. If you have had trouble hearing God's voice in the past, check out The Lila Rose Show episode 218 where Jonna Schuster lays out a methodical way of prayer and hearing God's voice in various ways.

Women of the Bible: Martha

I'm starting a new solo series about women from the Bible! Learning from them--their wisdom and their mistakes. Today we talk about one of my very favorites, Martha. She gets a bad rap sometimes, because she comes to Jesus complaining about her sister, Mary, but I believe that Jesus' love for Martha comes through in the story as He invites her to not worry so much about solving problems and to simply come and be with Him. In this episode I share ways that I relate with Martha and how Jesus is currently inviting me to choose "the better part" by simply choosing Him. Let us not get so focused on the specific problems in our lives that we miss the ultimate solution--God Himself. Join me in future weeks for reflections on other amazing women of the Bible.

Sticky Conversations: Rapid Fire Topics

For our last episode of the series, Stefani Blackwell and I go through eight different topics that (although sticky) didn't warrant a full episode. Many of these topics are more about personal preference as a parent as opposed to moral issues, so we simply share about how we have handled them in our homes without giving straight opinions on a "right" way to do them. Now that we have larger families (and older kids), we take many preferential things less seriously than we did when our kids were younger and that is a big relief!We also discuss that these topics are so much easier to handle when you are in a good place in your marriage. We give a few helpful hints, but encourage you to check out the marriage series I did last spring on The Better Part. Check out all episodes beginning "marriage," for MUCH more marriage discussion.

Sticky Conversations: Death & Hell

In this conversation, Stefani Blackwell and I discuss how we've handled conversations about death and hell with the kids. Each of our kids have various interest levels and needs as far as explanations go, but we discuss the basics of explaining hell, and the hope of heaven. We praise God that He has mercy and pray for His mercy to encompass all who pass. We allow our knowledge of hell not to scare us, but instead to convict us to tell everyone we know about Jesus. A picture book recommendation for whetting kids' appetites about the amazing place that God invites us to is "Heaven is a Wonderful Place," by Angela Burrin. This give theologically accurate descriptions of what we know about heave, and my kids love it.

Sticky Conversations: LGBTQ+

Stefani Blackwell joins me for the sixth episode in the sticky conversations series where we discuss all topics LGBTQ. This is the most commonly asked topic for us to discuss and for good reason. It is a tough one where we feel we have to battle the culture at large and teach our children truth while at the same time being respectful and loving to those around us.Stef and I talk about how to broach these subjects with kids young and old and how to talk about them honestly without ruminating on them. We give some real examples of family members and friends who struggle with SSA or gender dysphoria and how we help our kids navigate those relationships. We know that with Christ there is always hope for sinners, which includes us!We encourage you to check out Kim Zember's new podcast called "here I AM stories" where she interviews individuals who have lived the LGBTQ+ lifestyles and found their way out toward Christ. These stories give us insight into the lived experiences of those struggling and what to do (or rather what NOT to do) when in relationship with them.