Thankful Homemaker: A Christian Homemaking Podcast

Explore the art of communication within marriage, emphasizing the beauty and intimacy intended by God. Discover practical strategies for listening well and engaging in daily conversations. Learn how to face conflicts with grace and unity, drawing on biblical principles for resolution. The discussion highlights the transformative power of kind and honest speech, encouraging emotional and spiritual connection between spouses. Embrace the gospel's message to cultivate a home filled with grace, humility, and forgiveness.

Explore the profound concept of submission in marriage from a biblical viewpoint. Discover how mutual respect and love can transform relationships, particularly in the context of an unbelieving partner. Learn practical strategies for conflict resolution, emphasizing that true strength lies in voluntary submission, not control. The discussion challenges misconceptions, highlighting how a wife's honor and support can reflect God's grace in everyday life, fostering homes filled with joy and peace.

Doug Ferrell, a teacher of God's Word and Marci Farrell's husband, joins the conversation about biblical submission in marriage. They delve into Ephesians 5:22-24, unpacking the theology behind a wife's submission to her husband. Misunderstandings abound, but Doug emphasizes that true submission fosters mutual love and respect, not domination. The discussion highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in nurturing a supportive relationship, clarifying that equality in value exists alongside distinct roles, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling Christ-centered marriage.

The discussion delves into the vital concept of respect within marriage, rooted in biblical teachings. It highlights how a wife's admiration can uplift her husband, influencing his behavior positively. Personal anecdotes illustrate the importance of encouragement and recognizing strengths over flaws. Spiritual maturity is explored in relation to marital respect, emphasizing growth through challenges. Prayer and selflessness are presented as key practices to cultivate respect, showcasing Christlike love as essential for a thriving relationship.

This discussion highlights the vital role of love in marriage, examining its Biblical importance and implications. It delves into the concept of agape love, emphasizing love as an action-driven commitment rather than just a feeling. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their relationships and pursue unconditional love, emphasizing the necessity of a strong relationship with God as a foundation. Practical strategies for embodying Christ-like love and overcoming challenges in marital bonds are also explored, reinforcing respect and safety.

The podcast dives into God's design for marriage, emphasizing the unique and equal roles of partners as outlined in Genesis. It redefines the term 'helper,' highlighting the supportive and integral role of women in a marriage. There’s a focus on intentional communication and the biblical concept of 'cleaving' for unity. The discussion also connects marriage to the profound relationship between Christ and the church, encouraging listeners to reflect their faith through their marital relationships.

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about our cell phone use and discuss whether we master our cell phones or do they master us. This podcast was on my mind because of two recent posts at Tim Challies blog on the use of our phones. I recently read the book, 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke and it was a challenging read.  I’m going to share with you some of what I took from that book to get us started, some thoughts on Tim Challies posting about him going back to a “dumb phone” and as we close today some questions for us to ponder from a quiz Tim Challies posted online called Are You Addicted to Your Phone? At the close, I share some ways I desire to make changes with the use of my phone in my life.  Also, I have an announcement that I’ll be taking a short hiatus from the podcast but will be back with the regular weekly podcast sometime in early July.I’m working on content currently for the next Homemaking Ministries Conference coming up this fall – it’s my favorite online conference, and I hope you’ll join us again if you have in the past and if you haven’t yet I hope you will. There will be more details to come on it this summer. I'm working on a series on marriage for the podcast in the future, and I hope to get my husband on the podcast with me so we can do a few together.I’d love you all to “meet” him. I love listening to him and learning from him. The Lord has given him much wisdom and truly being around him makes me want to be more like Jesus, so I’m thankful to get to have him share here with you all. You can find the show notes and resources mentioned at ThankfulHomemaker.com 

How many times does Sunday morning roll around and you find your heart in a state of chaos instead of calm to worship the Lord?  How many Sunday’s do you arrive at church and realize you haven’t taken the time all week to pray for your pastor or your church family? I want to share with you some simple steps we can take to prepare our hearts and the hearts of our families for Sunday morning worship to the Lord. The hope today is to get you to understand the purpose and the mission of the local church and then to move on toward how we can proceed with some simple steps to prepare our hearts and the hearts of our families for Sunday morning worship to the Lord. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

On today’s episode, I’m sharing with you a message that I shared at our church's recent women’s retreat. Our time together at the retreat was spent learning about the attributes of God. I started the weekend off sharing about the Supremacy, Eternality, Self-Sufficiency, and Self-Existence of our most awesome God and I wanted to share what I learned with you all here today. It has been said that what comes into a person’s mind when he or she thinks about God is the most important thing about him or her. When we have a high view of God, it will lead to holy living, worship, evangelism, and service. I hope to spark within you today a heart’s desire to study more about this wonderful God we love and are known by. When we gain a better understanding of Who God is, we will be better equipped in our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Every area of our life and worldview is influenced by who we understand God to be. When we speak of God's attributes, we are talking about those characteristics that help us to understand who He truly is. We will never be able to fully grasp the depth of God’s character, but I hope we can get a bit more of a glimpse in our short time together today. For the show notes and resources mentioned head to ThankfulHomemaker.com

The need for self-control is clear in God’s Word. There is much said about it. We live in a world where we are tempted daily to overindulge and live outside our boundaries. We live in a world that is dominated by “self” – Self-centeredness, self-pity, selfishness, self-deception. Wayne Barber shared: What’s the middle letter of the word sin? What’s the middle letter? What’s the middle letter of the word pride? Now, you take those two things out—which by the way, the cross does—then you don’t even have a word. When you say yes to Him, you’ve just crucified the “I,” the flesh. Proverbs 25:28 says, "like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit." This proverb gives us a picture of a city with its walls broken down and is utterly defenseless as a picture of what happens when our wall of defense. Our self-control is gone, and we’re not able to battle the sinful desires that wage war against our soul. Self-control means to master our emotions instead of being mastered by them. It is the ability to control oneself and in particular our emotions and desires or the expression of them in our behavior – especially in difficult situations. For the show notes and resources mentioned in the podcast head to ThankfulHomemaker.com