Ep. 119 | Momcast: Be the Light | ft. Casey Dicks, Kaci Young, Laurie Giebeig & Mary Beth Everett

In today's episode, Astin Kahnk is joined by Casey Dicks, Kaci Young, Laurie Giebeig and Mary Beth Everett for another Momcast episode! Listen in as they discuss being a light through motherhood and share some of their daily routines and rhythms that help keep Jesus at the center of their homes. Let's dive in!

References:

Egermeier Bible Story Book

If you have any questions about this podcast, or about The Orchard Community Church, we would love to hear from you! Visit our website at theorchardcc.org and fill out our contact form, or send us a message on Facebook (@IAmTheOrchard) or Instagram (@theorchard.cc). Until next time!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I think that that just shows our kids we're not perfect. I mean, no one's perfect, but we still point them back to God. For them to learn too that his will and his sovereignty is so much greater and looks different than what we can imagine in our little minds.

SPEAKER_03 0:16

It's a supernatural thing. Reminding them that in your own flesh, in your own might, you are not going to have self-control. In your own might, you are not going to be super generous or selfless or like that is a supernatural thing that the Holy Spirit works out within you.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

It doesn't happen overnight. Continue to pray. You also have to be obedient in the fact of, you know, reading your Bible, renewing your mind, praying. You have to do your part in filling your heart and your mind and your body with his word, because that's what's going to change it. You're going to start exhibiting the fruits of the spirit.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Welcome to Let's Talk About That, the podcast where we deep dive into Sunday's message and explore your questions. I'm your host, Aston Kank, and I'm excited to share this journey with you. Whether you're a longtime member of The Orchard or a first-time visitor, Let's Talk About That is your space to explore, reflect, and connect. Join us as we navigate the intricacies of faith, spirituality, and daily life, seeking to understand how the wisdom shared on Sundays can be applied to our modern challenges. So, grab a cup of coffee, find a comfortable space, and let's dive in together. This is Let's Talk About That, where the conversation about Sunday's message never stops. Well, welcome back to Let's Talk About That, episode 119. And the ladies and I decided after the last recording that the conversation just needed to continue. Once the mics were turned off, we just kept talking and laughing and decided we need a part two. So I'm gonna let them quickly introduce themselves and we're just gonna jump right back into the conversation.

SPEAKER_04 2:06

Hey guys, this is Casey Young. It's Casey Dix, Laurie Guyvey, Mary Beth Everett.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Love it. And Aston Kang, the host. So yeah, so ladies, thanks for uh coming right back to week two of Momin' Through a Biblical Lens. Before we jump into the Conver conversation, I want to kind of talk about just yesterday. Yesterday was Easter Sunday and the message. I don't know about y'all, but I loved the message and just the way that Chip and the other pastors took the Easter story and turned it into a very applicable applicable way. Wow, that word's really hard today. So at the orchard, you know, we talked about just being the light. You know, when you follow Jesus, you get to be the light in the world. So I'm curious to hear what were y'all's like table conversations like yesterday after Easter service with your kids, your family, your husbands. Yeah, I'd just love to start with that.

SPEAKER_04 2:55

Honestly, for me, yesterday was a blur. I don't I don't think we really talked much at dinner. I just I remember sitting by myself while the boys played with the with the football and my aunts, and I just sat there and soaked everything in and enjoyed some quiet time.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Yeah, because four services. I'm sure your voice was very tired. It was amazing. Oh man, all hail King Jesus gets me every single time. Go ahead and give it a little bit, Keep it right now. Take it away from this.

SPEAKER_03 3:25

I don't want it warmed up. No, I would say the same. What's the word? Uh um, y'all words are real hard for Monday after Easter. Decompressed. I can. What is that word? Relate. Relate? Why did I say decompress? I said today for Mary Matt. I can relate to Casey. I got home yesterday around like 2, 2.15. And then we didn't have family dinner at my mom's house until 5 30. And so we got we got a few hours in the afternoon to just kind of chill. And that's that's what we did. We didn't we really didn't have any table conversations yesterday. Now we had a great day. We had a really great family Easter dinner at my mom's house with extended family, but yeah, there was there was lots of sitting and soaking.

SPEAKER_05 4:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Yesterday, reflecting, reflecting, sitting and soaking, decimals all the things.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

Yeah, what about you ladies?

SPEAKER_01 4:25

So my kids came home pumped up about the block party that's gonna be happening in kids' church next week. I guess they shared that with them. And the block party is actually Legos, am I right?

SPEAKER_03 4:36

Love it.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

They're excited about that. I was exhausted yesterday, and after lunch, I was more exhausted. But they wanted to be outside, they wanted to swim, and I wanted a nap. So I had to choose am I gonna take a nap or hang out with them outside. I'm like, I'm gonna be with my kids and I'm gonna be exhausted. Yeah, um, thought I'd get a nap later.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Yeah. But did not happen.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

I just got bedtime.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Yeah, no, Jack's so with the kids got the little uh snack mix yesterday. So that was fun. You get to talk with him about the different because you know, we didn't get home until later as well, but talking with him what the different pieces represented. And I keep asking him, like, why do we celebrate Jesus? He's like, It's Jesus' birthday, and I'm like, No, it's actually not. So reminding people like what Jesus is, but yeah, it was cool. Even since seeing their little pictures with their let there be light was was good. But I think it was even a good reminder to me of like in those moments, you know, yeah, how can I be the light to the just the broken world, but also like shine the light in, you know, in my ugliness, in my sin. So it was a great reminder for just like for me personally to yeah, be the light.

SPEAKER_04 5:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Um, okay. So let's kind of ease our way back into where we Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want to say something, Casey? No. The teacher and me is like, and we're moving on to the next one. No.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

Um I do have something funny to say about the snack mix thing. So I taught the 830 service in 252 kids, and the younger kids, we had the snack mix pre-made and sent home with them as a treat. But yeah, the older kids, it was actually one of their activities where we talked about it. They got to make their own snack mix bag. And so it's titled Easter Story Snack Mix. So I kept referring to it as your Easter story snack mix and this, that, and the other. And you know, we're talking all about it and what each piece represents and the scripture that it's related to from the Bible, and this, that, and so we get to the point where we're about to get up and start start making them. And one little boy raises his hand and he's like, Isn't that just trail mix? And I was like, No, it is Easter stories not good.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

That's hilarious. Love, love the sweet innocence of those babies. Yeah, so two weeks ago we had Location Pastor Sunday and chip reference Romans 12, you know, living kind of in a counterculture way. And that's kind of where we left off the conversation last week. So thinking about Romans 12, how does viewing motherhood as a living sacrifice change your perspective of just normal tasks like laundry, making dinner, lunches, or managing behaviors with your kids?

SPEAKER_04 7:19

So when I think of living sacrifice, I think of like, you know, in the movies, whenever people like are dying for the ones they love. Like they're they're running out in front of horses with men in armor and and all this stuff. I think of them laying down their lives. And and for motherhood, I feel like it's obviously I would do the same thing for my kids. I would I would jump in front of a bus or whatever if if it if I needed to save my kids. And but for me, it's it's an everyday thing because it's like if if I have something left, it's like I'm making that sacrifice to give it to my kid if that's the only thing I have left. Even if it's what I really wanted, it's the last Oreo in the bag. Or I feel that. And there's only one left. And I got two kids. Like, I'm like, okay, maybe I should just eat it. And they're like, hey, mom, can I have that? Sure. You know what? You can you can have one half and you can have the other half. Yeah. I'm not saying I'm sacrificing my Oreo.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

No, you don't get one. I can be a little stingy with my Oreo.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

I'm definitely not sacrificing my Alpha Gal food. So I'm like, nope, this is mom's.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

You have other things you can have that I would much rather be having. Yes. But that that's just what I think of whenever I think of being a living sacrifice. It changes my perspective, you know, as as like I might be super tired at the end of the day and I don't want to cook dinner. But you know what? Like, I as a mom, like, this is what's nourishing my kids. This is what's keeping them healthy. I don't want to do their laundry every single day. I don't want to fold their clothes and all that. But that's just that's being a sacrifice. And I've noticed that, like, I've I don't remember where I've heard it, but I've noticed that it changed my whole perspective of thinking, honestly, because instead of like grumbling about, okay, there's dirt on the floor. Like I just swept this up. I just, I just cleaned out your tub. I just cleaned out your sink. And instead of grumbling about it and complaining about it, I like look at the positive of it and think, I get to do this so good for my kids. I I get to have these two kids that God bless me with and clean up after them. Yeah, I I mean, I'm not saying I don't still complain and like we're human, yeah. But I it just makes me change my whole perspective on that. That's so good.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

Yeah, no, there's I was just when you're talking about, I was thinking about our morning routine right now with you know, Lucy, she needs a lot from me. And then, you know, we get up at 6 30 and my whole morning routine, so honestly, from 6 30 to about 7 30, I don't even get a chance to brush my teeth, anything. It's like, all right, get Lucy fed, get Jack's fed, get breakfast. And Barry and I are, you know, tag teaming these things. And finally at like 7:30 is my time to get ready once everybody, you know, everything else is settled. And I think just as a mom, that's what we do. We just, all right, let's get everyone else, you know, peaceful, cheerful, we're good. Then we can go have time for ourselves very selfishly. I'm like, yeah, I really do want to brush my teeth first thing in the morning. But it's like that stuff can come, you know, come later. So that's what made me think of that. Yeah. How about you ladies?

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Hey, that's me. Hey. Um, whenever you were just saying that, it made me think about something. How, and this might be very controversial, and I'm sorry. That's okay. But you know, I like to, I like to bring it. Um, so you know, our culture right now is so heavy on self-care.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

And I think that that is such a good example of, I mean, of course, we need to take care of ourselves. Yeah. We need we need to take care of ourselves, you know, physically so that we can be there for our kids. And, you know, it's very important, you know, to eat healthy and to exercise and do all those things. But, you know, that just popped in my mind. I'm like, yeah, but that's not what's putting your kids first. Yeah. Well, obviously, your husband, you know, there's a whole line. Yeah. But it is a living sacrifice to not feed into the self-care first. Like you have time, if you have overflow, whatever. Culture has put such an emphasis on self-care first. Yeah. You know what I mean? And I honestly don't think that's biblical. You know, we're actually supposed to be putting others before ourselves. You know, we're supposed to carry the burdens of others first. Yeah. You know, and we're actually supposed to be consider ourselves last. Yeah. And, you know, going into that as motherhood, you know, I just think about that. Like, yes, we need to take care of ourselves, but you know, caring for our kids, caring for our husband, yeah, you know, should come first. Yeah. We are sacrificing that.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Yeah. And I'm reminded too, like in those, like right now, just my kids are little, so they do need a lot more just from morning routine. So that one day it is going to be where I will have that time back to where I can brush my teeth right when I first get out of bed instead of waiting until 7 30 to brush them. So I have to girl, I'll still wait to brush my teeth.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

And then you'll wish you had those times back. There's not a personal choice. There's not a person I talk to that says, oh man, I'm, you know, I don't everybody that I talk to says, Man, I wish we kicked it. Oh, yeah. Well, I wish we were still living in the chaos.

SPEAKER_03 12:19

Yes. You know. That's what I was thinking about whenever you were finishing up and you chimed in too, is that if you look at it, it's hard to get sucked into seeing like what's right in front of you because it can feel so hard and tiresome and just like grueling sometimes, depending on what season you're in. But if you look at it as a season, yeah, seasons start, seasons end. That's so good. Yeah, it is good. You look at it as a season, and as you as you go through life and as you go through motherhood, you can look back and you can see just how quickly those seasons change. Yeah. And it can help you just gain perspective because things are gonna be hard sometimes, but it's not gonna be hard forever. And you're just gonna have a new hard by the time you make it to the next season. Like I said, it doesn't make it any easier as far as like taking away the sacrifice that you're gonna have to do because you are gonna have to sacrifice things, whether that be sacrificing personal time, whether that be in the little years, sacrificing personal space, yeah, which was hard for me. I got touched out so easily and still struggle with that because I'm not a very touchy-feely person. And I have one child who is very much a touchy-feely person. And so that's a little bit of a sacrifice for me, which sounds so I just realized that sounds like I don't like love and adore my child. Yes, not at all.

SPEAKER_04 13:44

You're not alone. I'm the same way. And it's funny, God gave us a child that that one children. Oh my gosh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

He he will like pet my arm sometimes. That must be their love language is at physical distance. Oh, it a hundred percent. It a hundred percent is. So they're you know, just seasons of motherhood and seeing it that way through that lens, I think helps a lot with just the sacrificial part of being a mom. Yeah. I don't know. It just it has helped me at least. And I always think about it. But anyhow, I don't remember where I read it or heard it or whatever. But it I it has stuck with me and I remind myself of it a lot is don't miss the forest because of one tree.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

Oh, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 14:31

Like, don't spend so much time focusing on this one tree. Yeah. Instead, zoom out, see the whole forest, see the your whole kid, your whole family. And most of the time, that one thing is not really that big of a deal.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Yeah, that's really good. I don't know. That is good. No, one thing too, that my um just thinking about like time and all the things we want to do. One thing my sister does, and I love this, is at the end of the day, before she has like her time, she'll set like a timer, like 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and then she and her husband will just like bust out anything they want to bust out. And then after that, they're like, Okay, we're done. Now we can have, you know, so this I'm talking about like once the kids are in bed, it's like now we can have that time. We've done what we can get done. And I've done that a couple times too. Whenever I get home, the kids are gone. I'm like, okay, I have one hour. What's something that I can get done? That way I can have some time for me. And so that's also like kind of helped me find a little bit of a balance. What about you, ladies?

SPEAKER_01 15:23

So this might be just too personal, I don't know. But my personal journey with this has been hard. I I've had to really change my perspective from what it used to be.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

I think the way that I'm wired is I want to get everything done on my to-do list. And what I found is that to-do list never ends.

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

So I found myself in a place where I was just burnt out. I mean, I every day I'm like grinding, trying to get everything done, and just as fast as I'm getting stuff done, there's new things on the list. Like Mary Beth said, there's always just gonna be another challenge around the corner. And it's taken me some time to change that perspective that there's not really an end.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Yeah. You know, I was always striving to get to the end when everything gets done, then I'll be able to do this or that. And what I found is that never comes. Yeah. I'm like on a hamster wheel, and yeah, it's never it's that's the way it feels sometimes. But instead of feeling that way, like I'm trapped, I I try to look at it as like, what a gift. What a gift that I get to have new things because, and I'm sure you guys have seen those things like when you're 80.

SPEAKER_02 16:42

You look back that wrecks me every single time.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Yes, I I'm I would be thrilled to wash little clothes and fold little clothes and put them away. And so I've tried to change my perspective. And there's sometimes I have to like give myself a reality check. Yeah. You know, come back. Yeah, like get back. Um, I start to veer off. But I sent you guys that song last week, I'm in a hurry by Alabama, which could be a spiritual song if you look at it that way. It is kind of funny because I found myself like listening to that song a lot. And the kids can kind of pick up on if I'm stressed. Because you want to put on the hurry song.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

That's hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Like, you know what? Yeah, let's put it on. And and that's just an an example of something that like snaps me back. Like, what am I in a hurry for? Yeah. Why am I trying to get through this to-do list? Yeah. You know, I'm blessed that I have one. That's so good.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

That reminds me of, I feel like maybe I've talked about this on the podcast before, or maybe not. Maybe it was a side conversation when the mics are off.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

We have a lot of those.

SPEAKER_03 17:53

But what you just said about like, why am I in a hurry? Something that also changed my perspective. And again, I'm not perfect at this, but something that changed my perspective one time was somebody I follow on Instagram said it was one summer, I want to say it was like the summer of COVID. She realized, I mean, like literally nobody had anywhere to go or anything to do. And she found herself saying no to a lot of things that her kids were asking to do, or just they would do them, but she still found herself like rushing through them just to like get it over to be able to say yes, but then just to get it over and done with. And she said it hit her one day. She was like, I've literally got nothing but time. Like we have nothing but time right now. And she carried that on, even when life went back to quote, you know, normal, where people were going places again and doing things and they're her kids were back in school. She still kept that perspective of really and truly, we have nothing but time. Like you can make the time and you can stop and you can, you know, just chill out a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

Yeah. When when you were talking about, like, you know, and having a gr a heart of gratitude in those things. One thing that helps me whenever I have a lot of like dishes or laundry is I'll get my I got some beats, some beats headphones that I will put worship music on. And man, it does help. I have so long. A little concert in my kitchen, just me, I'm so thankful no one can hear me sing because I have not been gifted like Casey, but I will just blast some music in my ears and just truly just like praise while I'm doing that. I know that's helped me when I'm feeling really overwhelmed. I put those beats by Dr. Dre on and I'm just in the zone. It's amazing. Okay, so I have a question. So, what are just some routines that you and your husbands have built in your home just to kind of make Jesus the center? And it could be, you know, just things that you're, you know, like your the spiritual foundation, I should say, of like your family in your home.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

So one uh accidental routine that we've built in our house, I say accidental because uh Caleb and I didn't intentionally do this, but what has just seemed to work for our family is I pray over the kids in the morning. And it used to be on the way to school in the car, I would pray for sometimes I would have the kids pray, but I I usually pray over them in the morning. And now that we're homeschooling, we still do that, but we do it before we do school. Okay, and then Caleb prays over them at night before bed, which is usually when I'm tired and yeah, he's out, yeah, he's the strongest prayer warrior at night. Yeah, my my brain is just like on its last nerve ending.

SPEAKER_02 20:37

Yep. Been there, been there, girlfriend.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

So, so that's kind of what we've done to like start the day out on the right foot, and then if it's been a hard day, sometimes finish the day on the right foot.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

But I like I was saying earlier, I love that like your kids get to see mom and dad pray, especially Hudson getting to see his dad pray. That's huge. I think little boys, you know, a lot of the times I think a lot of moms just take on that role. But for you, your husband's willing to jump in and do I think is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Yeah, and he's really showed them too like how you can pray like talking. You know, it's not a formal prayer. Sometimes, you know, you don't like we said, you don't have a lot of words. Yeah, and that's what you do. Yeah, but just a simple, like natural prayer from your heart, and they see what that looks like just to be able to talk to God in that way. And we've seen them develop their own, you know, I love that prayers. And I do too. It's it's sweet to watch and listen to what they pray for. Yeah. What's on their hearts.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Yeah. It's almost like sometimes I I've done this with the voice a couple of times. I'll get out my my voice recorder on my phone because it really is like I don't want to forget. I don't want to forget like these prayers that are like they amaze me sometimes at the prayers that they pray. You know?

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

And I don't want to forget it.

SPEAKER_04 22:02

Yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

What about you ladies?

SPEAKER_04 22:05

So in the mornings on the way to school, and sometimes like I'll I'll forget, but the boys always remind me. And we've done this for a while now. And we do daily affirmations on the way to school. And we just say, like, there's one thing we always say, and they'll they know to re like I'll say it and then they'll repeat after me. It's like today I will. Today I will. Make wise choices. They'll say, make wise choices, show God's love and work really hard. I'm loved by my family. I'm gifted for greatness, and I'm never alone because God is with me.

SPEAKER_02 22:35

Oh my gosh, I love that.

SPEAKER_04 22:36

So we say that every single morning, and they'll repeat after me. Some days it's not like the most petty.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

They're just checking the box.

SPEAKER_04 22:44

Yes. But I know that like during the day, they're gonna say they're gonna remember those things. Yeah. Where they're struggling at school or they're having a rough day, they're gonna go back and remember those daily affirmations that we speak every single morning. And then we say our normal morning prayer on the way to school. We'll listen to Bible recap kids podcast. Cool. And lately, so I would wake up in the morning and listen to Pastor Eddie's podcast, but I there was one morning that Weston's really into this song called Is it Judas? Is it Judas?

SPEAKER_00 23:16

Carter loves so do my boys.

SPEAKER_04 23:18

So he's really into that song. And then Pastor Eddie spoke about that and like kind of mentioned it on his podcast. Yes. And so I let the next morning I let Weston listen to that. And I was like, hey, like this is about that. Like he talks about Judas in this song. Like, I think you'll really like this. And then so now every morning we listen to Pastor Eddie's podcast on the way to school after like I love that. So that is like our our little routine in the morning. And then like Laurie, usually we we do prayers at night too with the boys and we'll but we take turns to do them. So one night's Weston's, one night's Bryce, me and Cameron. Like we all each night we rotate taking turns. And usually it's the same prayers every night, like especially with them. We do me and Cameron will add on our our part. And then we do like after they say their prayer for who they want, like each person will say, Do you have anybody else that you want to pray for? And then we'll we'll add our list. But that's just something we do as well to end out our day and just thanking God for just for giving us a day to be able to do that and see the new see a new day.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

I love that. How about you, girlfriend? So this is actually something that I used to feel a little bit of guilt and maybe some shame around because I am very much a type B person and I have a hard time sticking to like the same thing.

SPEAKER_05 24:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

So we all we do our, you know, we pray together at night. We, you know, we have our our routines, but I felt like super just kind of guilty about, oh, we're not intentional every single time we have dinner together. I'm not intentional on every single card. Like I used to kind of worry about that. I will eventually get to the things that we do every day that are routine, you know, that we have built in. But like I said before, I have a hard time sticking to, I'm like real ambitious and then I have a hard time sticking to it. So, like, you know, I was doing kids' biblical podcasts on the way to church or not church church too, but like school every day, and then we'd do it for like four days in a row and then fall off the wagon, or that, you know, and so I used to feel kind of like guilty over that. And then I was reminded of Deuteronomy chapter six, starting in verse seven. It actually I think was around the time of baby dedication one year, because we always talk about this verse. And it kind of it helped me release that guilt because I realized that we do this. So I'm actually gonna read it. It says Deuteronomy chapter six, starting in verse seven, impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up, tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads, write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. So I realized we do this all day.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:02

We build our day, we build our life around Jesus. And we talk openly about following the Lord and seeking the Lord in prayer. And we talk openly about questions they have about anything, scripture or what God would say about something, having our conversations naturally revolve around the Lord.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:26

And showing them that we are living our life for Jesus and what that looks like and how that affects decisions we make personally, decisions we make for our family, even as simple as things we choose to watch and things we choose not to watch, and how we choose to structure our time as a family. I don't know. I'm starting to ramble now, but yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:50

I think that's good. I think that that just shows our kids like we might we're not perfect. I mean, no one's perfect, but we all like it still, we still point them back to God and it still shows them, I feel like, that just because just because like we're we're not doing something every single day like we want to, like if we don't have a routine, you still tie those things back to God. Yeah, whether you realize it or not, and then you see them tying those things back to God as well. I mean, we I this made me think of we were riding on the road the other day and we passed an ambulance and it was going the opposite direction. And I've always like just kind of silently was like, Oh, I I'm I hope that everybody I hope they're okay that where that's going. I keep keep them safe. And then like I would be praying over the ambulance and over the people that they were going to to go see. And I've noticed on the way that we passed the ambulance the other day, and Weston said something about it. He's like, Oh, I I hope that a person's okay. We should pray for them. And I like and I didn't notice that I was doing that in that moment and and teaching him that, but seeing him say that and and do those things, it's like, wow, he is paying attention. They're sponges more than I realize.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

And it's yeah, what also I think takes the pressure off of us is this if we just choose to be the light, our kids are gonna see that in those situations. Again, you're doing unintentional things, but for them, they're they're making a point of like, oh mom, we have to do that because they've seen you do it. So the unintentional things you're doing, they are now intentionally doing, which is really cool to see that fruit of us of just we're just being followers of Jesus and our kids are seeing that reflected in just day-to-day stuff, which I think is what we're supposed to do as moms anyway, just to take the mom guilt and the pressure off, just follow Jesus, and I think your kids are gonna see that in us.

SPEAKER_00 28:36

Well, even when we're not being the like, very true. You know, even when that's really good, especially when you know our daily rhythms at home, yeah. When we're raising our voice or so, you know, I literally will say, you know what, mommy should not have done that. Like, will you forgive me? Yes, like I did not have self-control. Yes, and I'm asking you to have self-control. That's so and I'm not having self-control. So can you please forgive me? Yes. But but the same with Mary Beth. Like, we have we have started reading, and I will promote this Bible, this kid's Bible, like all day, every day. I've been so excited about it. I'm almost positive it's the same one.

SPEAKER_03 29:14

It probably is because it's and I need I have it now. I need to pull it out. Pull it out. Because I want to start using it at night.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Yes, I will see more lane.

SPEAKER_03 29:21

Yeah. What's it called? I promise. I promise.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

It's just a by a children's. Let me let me pull it up. Let me call it. Let me pull it up.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Once you put it up, I'm gonna put it as a recommendation that's on the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Please do. It's called Bible Storybook, and they have different ages. This one, it's by Edgar Meyer. It's Egar Meyer's Bible storybook. Okay. And I'll I'll show you the actual so you can link it or whatever. But we have been reading this every day, and the boys ask for it. They're like, Mom, can we read out of the Bible? Mom, can you keep going? Because they love it. And it's like from Genesis, it's not chronological, it's from Genesis to Revelation, and it's not just like stories of the Bible, like Noah's Ark and you know, Daniel in the Lion's den. Like it goes from Genesis to Revelation and it chunks the stories. So there'll be like multiple, you know, chapters and verses in one story. But I was I was telling our family last night, and I was telling my mom that we skipped over to Jesus' resurrection, you know, that whole story. And we did that this past week. And I tell you, like I have read, I have read the story of the crucifixion a million times. But reading it this week with the kids through the lens of a child, you know, reading it in in simple like simple words. I mean, I was just like boohooing, like reading this to the kids. And there were things and details that I picked up while reading that I never really paid attention to before. You know what I mean? And we were able to talk about it. And it just, it was such a good conversation. And it has been, even when, you know, we started in Genesis, it has been really, really good conversation with the kids. That's like it has questions in the back for you to ask the kids. Oh, that's cool. Yes. And so it it just really prompts really good discussion. Yeah. And they have they have loved, loved it. So I I recommend that 100%, you know, to get that for your kids. Yeah. Um, and my boys are eight and ten, and it's a perfect age for them. Okay. Anyhow, so we try to do those daily rhythms, like Mary Beth said, you know, during discipline, you know, I often ask them, was that honoring to God? How you're talking to each other or what you just did is that honoring to God? Yeah. Honoring to mom and dad. You know. And also, and I think Mary Beth is the one that told me about this, but it's a ginger hubbard put it out. It's called Wise Words for Moms. Okay. And it has different things for like being disrespectful, lying, mistreating siblings, conflict, any kind of conflict. Okay. It brings it back to scripture. Very cool. Um, and so we have been like an incident happened the other day, and we got out the Bible and we read about, you know, what the Bible says about that. And there was a word in there that one of the boys did not know. So we went and got the dictionary. I love it. Looked it up homeschooling, you know, right? Bring it all in. But we went and it really got to one of the boys. I'm like, I'm like, oh, call him out. But it really sank in. Like it really, you know, so so trying to tie in scripture when you have the time when you can think about it. Yeah. You know, I'll do that every time. I'm, you know, I do not do that every time, but especially with big things that need to be like have attention. Yes. And, you know, just trying to, or what the Bible says about that. Even if you're not breaking out scripture, you know, what does the Bible say about this? But we just try as much as we can to incorporate that, you know, and I know I have a little more time than a lot of moms. Yeah. You know, I I do because it does take, and that's another thing about living sacrifice. Like, that takes time and it takes effort and it takes intentionality. Intentionality. And it's not always quick. And that in itself, I have been guilty of before just like maybe giving, giving out the consequence, but not taking the time to do that. But I've noticed when I do, it sticks, it makes a world of difference. And it really makes a world of difference in how they are starting to conduct themselves, you know. Anyway, so no, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:26

I love that. One thing that when y'all were talking, something different that we did at our house is when like someone is hurt, praying that Jesus would heal it. Like with Jack's teaching him that Jesus heals, like that, he's the ultimate healer. And so that's something we've done. He'll stab his toe, like, mom, can you pray for my toe? And I'm like, Yeah, I'll pray for your toe. So that's something that we've done is just ask Jesus like to heal. Like we've a you know, a scabbed arm or whatever. And the the part I love, so go to bed the next day. We're like, mommy, Jesus healed my scab. I'm like, thank you, Jesus. Like, you know, giving honor to, but but for him at four years old, like that's a big deal. And so, you know, we pray, we put a band-aid on it, and we're like, you know, if Jesus is gonna heal it, you're gonna be okay. And so I think that's just something that we've done in our house at Jack's, like anytime. Like, even though I had a head, it was super sweet. One random day I had a headache and I was laying on the couch, you know, put a movie on because I had a headache, and I just see my sweet little boy go over and he's like, Mommy, are you okay? And I was like, No, my head hurt. And that little boy just laid his hand on my head and started praying. He said, Jesus, would you please heal my mommy's head? It hurts really bad. And I was like, Thank you, Lord. That like that's just normal in our house. We pray for healing and we believe for healing, and he's catching on. And that's just something that has been fun. Obviously, you know, we pray for in our you know, before and after our day and stuff, but that was just one thing that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

Listen, wait until they get older and they're like, Mom, we've asked the Lord to help us with this. We've been praying about this and he ain't helping me. Right. Wait, wait till it gets but the Lord is also God's timing you the Holy Spirit, yeah. You know, like and you anyway, yeah. You actually have to do something too, you know. Yeah, sometimes you do have to pray and say, Oh, why did he do that?

SPEAKER_03 35:05

Yes, yeah. Well, something too, because my kids still do that. Like Carter will go to sleep. My kids are having bad growing pains right now, Carter at least. But anyhow, so at bed, sometimes one of the things I did say eventually I'd get back to like what we actually do as a routine. One of the things that we do is we they like the same two songs. They like for me to sing the same two songs every single night, and then we pray. And then I ask each of them, like, is there anything that you want, you know, specifically for me to pray for for you or somebody you know or anything like that? And so we we do that. And yeah, usually the younger ones, it's you know, for my leg to quit hurting, or sometimes it's a little deeper, and it's like, you know, for me not to have bad dreams or all that stuff. Anyhow, but it made me think of when you were talking about that with Jax, it made me think of like their little injuries that they have that that might not be better when they wake up, yeah, is pointing it back still to giving God the glory for it, is you know, God made us and he made our bodies really cool. Yeah, that they they can like heal, not heal and say, absolutely. I'm losing my words, but he he designed and created our bodies in a really neat and cool way. Yeah, and so he does heal us through those things through the way that he designed our bodies. And you may not feel completely better tomorrow, but it is healing. Yeah, yeah. Well, that was like a rest. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

That was his little friend that broke his arm, and obviously that's gonna take you know a couple of weeks. And so every day he was like, Mommy, I prayed for his arm. It's not better yet, but Jesus is healing. And I'm like, Yes, he is. We're thinking about it. When there isn't that instant relief, he was like, Okay, like every day, how's your buddy? Well, mommy, his arm's still in a cast, but we're still gonna pray for healing. Sweet boy.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

I love that. But I don't know, you know. So I was struggling because one of the things for one of the boys was self self-control, you know, and and both of our boys have trusted in Jesus. So they have the Holy Spirit inside of them.

SPEAKER_03 37:05

Which can I say, whenever you know your kids have done that, yes, it makes conversations like that. When it when it's like a a deep root issue, right? It makes conversations like that so much easier to have with them because you can remind them that they have the Holy Spirit. Yes, anyways, I'm taking what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

No, no, no. No, that's that is great. This was all about mentoring off of each other. But so, you know, I was like, okay, Lord, how do I how do I respond to that? You know, like I know I I ask for things too, and it doesn't happen overnight. And, you know, that was one of the things that doesn't happen overnight. Continue to pray. But then I'm like, listen, I brought in the fruits of the spirit. And I'm like, you also have to do what you also have to be obedient in the fact of, you know, reading your Bible, yep, renewing your mind, praying. You have to do your part in filling your heart and your mind and your body with his word because that's what's going to change it. You're gonna start exhibiting the fruits of the spirit. Yeah. One of them is self-control. You know, but the things that you watch, the things that you listen to, everything that you're filtering through your ears and your eyes, you know, that is going to shape your heart. Yeah. And because you've trusted in Jesus, you have to do those things and build, it's not gonna happen overnight. Like I'm still a work in progress. We all are, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

But that was that was something. If y'all have any have any other other ideas of like to help to say, you know, or as teaching moments. But that was the one one of the things that I said, you know, to him was listen, you have to, you know, if they haven't done that, I don't really know a great answer for that.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

I know, I know. Well, it's just it's reminding them that they have the Holy Spirit too, like those are fruit of the Holy Spirit indwelling in you. Yeah. And it's a supernatural thing, yeah. Like reminding them that in your own flesh, in your own might, you are not going to have self-control. Yeah, exactly. In your own might, you are not going to be super generous or selfless or like that is a supernatural thing that the Holy Spirit works out within you. And it's hard when they're little. Like it's hard as an adult to have self-control sometimes. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. And so you have a lot of years to work on it. Right. Right. But I think, I think too, just reminding them that they don't have to just rely on their on themselves for that. They can go to Jesus, they can ask him for help and just say, I need your help in this. Yeah. I need, you know, I think of a of a sweet story of Emery. When he was about four, he was at a friend's house for a play date, and he was not one of the things he was praying for intentionally, like one of your kids was praying for self-control intentionally. He was praying for patience intentionally. Oh, um you're like, no, no, buddy. No, no, I'm just kidding. He's a very old soul and um can be kind of like a grumpy old man sometimes. And he just really has not ever naturally been very patient at all. And so that was something he was intentionally praying for. And he was at this this friend's house. Well, I guess he wasn't quite that young then. I don't remember what it was when it was. He was young and he was coloring and it was a really big picture, and he was coloring it. And the mom was like, Wow, Emery, you're you're being, you know, you're doing a really great job. You're being so patient and all this stuff. And she used the word patient, and he like didn't even look up and was just still coloring. It was like, Yeah, I know. He was like, I didn't always used to be this way, but I've been praying about it. No, you didn't. That's not where I'm not that was gonna go that is patients all the time.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

And I'm like, only four years old. No, that's almost like.

SPEAKER_03 40:57

Well, now that I'm thinking that he wasn't quite that young.

SPEAKER_02 41:00

He was probably like seven at least, but I didn't know that you'll say that he was a blindfant.

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Do you said he literally didn't look up or anything? He just kept throwing on. He was like, I know he was like, I'm in part about it.

SPEAKER_02 41:14

I love what you're doing. What are you doing? I love it. That is so good. Oh my goodness. Man. Well, ladies, do you have any final thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 41:25

I do have one thought. And and I've I've been thinking about it for a minute since we were talking about sickness and healing. I think back to about a a little over a year ago, year and a half ago, Hudson was in the hospital at Shand's. He had this really rare issue with his eye. Okay. It's called orbital cellulitis. I don't know if you've ever heard of that, caused by a sinus infection. But the infection that was in his sinuses got into his orbital bone and it was super scary. And Caleb and I were switching off, and I was heading back to Gainesville, trying to get there before the doctors made their rounds. And I was on I-75, it was super early. I was just crying and asking God to heal him. Yeah. And my adult mind thinks of all of the times that people maybe cried out to God for healing.

SPEAKER_05 42:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

And they don't get that healing. I think about you know little kids with cancer, and I think about Job and things like that. And so I'm like, you know, ultimately, God, it's your will. Yeah. But then I also know there's times in the Bible where people have changed God's mind. Yeah. So I'm like, please, God, please, life change. You know, I struggle with that. That's just my personal struggle with healing. And I, you know, fully believe. And that was one, that was my prayer. I'm like, God, this is nothing for you to heal him. Touch his eye. Yeah. You know, just touch his eye and he'll be healed. I know he will. Is that your will, though? Yeah. I want your will. And so I'm like torn between, you know, wanting that healing and ultimately wanting his will. Yeah. And I don't know really where I'm going with this story, other than I just know that there are times where people cry out for that healing and he and sometimes he doesn't heal in the way we think he's going to. That's it right there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:22

Because I know in a situation too, where I was praying for healing for my body and for a situation. And what I was praying for, I did get healing, but it wasn't the healing how I thought it was. And so it was one of those of like trusting God that you are sovereign and whatever the outcome is, like, I trust you in that. And that's hard to do, especially when it comes to our kids and ourselves. But I would just say like the advice is just continue to pray for that because the healing can look like something else. Through what happened in, and again, I should probably share my testimony at some point because people are probably wondering what I'm talking about. But through the healing that I received, it didn't come across on the other end of someone else. But still Someone was saved through my it it's a whole story, but I think the bottom line is like just trusting that God is sovereign and whatever the outcome is, his will is going to be done in a way that maybe we don't see how he's working behind the scenes, but just to trust that in that. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

Yeah. Yeah. And so I guess that was my my hope and like share and just sharing my thoughts on that was for someone that maybe listening that didn't get healing the way they thought they would, or for for a child, even like I prayed for healing for this and and I'm not getting it. So does that mean that God doesn't hear me? Yeah, for them to learn too that his will and his sovereignty is so much greater and looks different than what we can imagine in our little minds. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:47

Yeah. No, I think that's really good because I think, yeah, some people could be on that side of like, you know, I have been praying and I haven't seen anything. But I would just say in those seasons when you are in that, like just trust that God is a sovereign God and that he's gonna do what he says he does. And you know, healing can look, you know, I mean, we could have a whole other podcast on that. It could be healing's gonna look in a variety of different ways, but the fact that he is sovereign and whatever the outcome is, there's a purpose behind it. I know that's hard to sit in sometimes, but there is a purpose in all of I think of the the book that Brandon read a while ago called The Purpose in the Pain. And that's kind of like where that relates to. But yeah, yeah. That was good, Laurie. Ladies, that was good. Thank you for sharing that because there very well could be some ladies or some men in here, you know, on here that are listening that maybe have questions, but maybe that's an avenue. Maybe we'd love to have Chip or another pastor continue the conversation. Well, ladies, thank you for joining me and continuing the conversation. It was a good one. It was, yes. Always, always a pleasure. Gal. Yes, okay. Talk to you guys for hours. Oh, yeah. If the only human parts we didn't record, it would have been like, you know, two hours long. Um, but yeah, so thanks again for listening to today. Check us out next week and have a great week. We'll see ya. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Let's Talk About That. We hope it encouraged and challenged you as we continue to grow on this journey of faith and embrace community together. If you have more questions, thoughts, or feedback, we want to hear from you. Be sure to reach out to us through our social media or visit our website to stay connected. If you found today's discussion meaningful, don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. Until next time, we hope that this episode inspired you and will keep Sunday's message at the front of your mind. See you next week.