The Heidi St. John Podcast

Last week, I answered a question from a reader about breastfeeding in public.  What I wanted to do was to get to the root of a fruit which gives license to disregard the thoughts and feelings of others. I wanted to open a dialogue about the old-fashioned idea of putting others first—and instead, I hit a nerve that tells me we have a very real problem as women—one that’s worth talking about. This is not about breastfeeding. I have breastfed all seven of my sweet babies. I’ve nursed them in public—on trains, planes and in restaurants and libraries. I’m an advocate of breastfeeding—so this is not about that. This is about being considerate of others. Women, a new generation of girls are watching us. Social media is watching. Our daughters and nieces and watching. Teachers, your students are watching. Are we “lording” our rights over others, or are we being examples of beauty and grace?  The ability to bear and nurse babies is a precious gift—just like the precious responsibility of modeling thoughtful behavior to the children we are blessed to call our own. Influence is a gift. And that’s what this is really about. Are we influencing others in such a way that our lives say, “I think you’re precious?”  Human beings are precious to God—therefore—they should be precious to us. Jesus Christ laid down His rights for us—even to the point of going to the cross. He is the example we are called to follow. Today on the podcast, I’ll unpack a little of what happened and explain why I believe this is a conversation that women need to have—in love—and with the heart of Christ.   Scripture References cited Ephesians 4:11-16 Philippians 2:3 More Like This From the Busy Mom Learning to be Wise and Gentle A Spiritual Battle

We’re talking about our attitudes again, and today we’re talking about scoffing, scorning, and sarcasm.  Hmmm… it may seem like it’s just a little jab, but is it really? Scriptures Psalm 1 Proverbs 14:6 Proverbs 9:12 Proverbs 22:10   More Like this from The Busy Mom Don’t Make Me Come Up There—And Other Things I Yelled Last Week Joy: The Serious Business of Heaven

We tell our kids all the time to check their attitudes, right? But in some seasons, I think we forget that we need to be checking our own. Our attitude can effect our relationships with everyone we meet, and we can make the choice to use it for building up or tearing down.  What’s your attitude, and how is it affecting you today? Scriptures Proverbs 14:17 Psalm 37:8 Proverbs 19:11 More Like this from The Busy Mom Don’t Make Me Come Up There—And Other Things I Yelled Last Week Joy: The Serious Business of Heaven

Heidi’s voice is still in and out, so we’re pulling out all the favorites around here! It’s never out of place to talk about the authority of scripture and how much security it offers when we choose to trust it. Let’s rest in what the Word tells us today!   Scriptures Mentioned in Podcast Luke 16:17 Joshua 1:8 Proverbs 3:5-6 Resources Firmly Planted Family™ is dedicated to encouraging and building strong, Christ-centered families who are “firmly planted” in the rich soil of God’s Word.  FPF publishes the Firmly Planted™ Bible studies for families, organizes retreats for moms and couples, and hosts Strong Roots™ conferences across the United States. Firmly Planted Bible Study for All Ages – We all agree that teaching our children the life-changing truths of the Bible is one of our most important jobs as parents. But where do we begin? How do we consistently explore God’s Word in a way that helps our children understand and apply the core truths of biblical teaching in their own lives? The Firmly Planted Family Series is divided into ten-week studies and is your key to making sense of the Bible—even if you’re learning right along with your children. Each lesson provides a core idea, a simple narrative, memory verses and discussion questions for children of all ages. And the companion student workbook is filled with age-appropriate, full-color, reproducible activities for children of any age!

Did you know that you have been given influence in the lives of those around you? It’s true! God’s Word says that we are “the fragrance” of Christ! 2 Corinthians 2:15  Listen in and discover why being an ambassador for Christ  should influence every area of your life, starting with your children. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians  2:15 More info about these and all of Heidi’s 2018 events here!

Psalm 119 – Read with me! More like this from The Busy Mom Dare to Be a Daniel: Talking to Your Kids About Standing for The Lord – This is startlingly new territory for parents: explaining why a man is being celebrated as a woman on the cover of a magazine is not something we’re used to talking about. Here’s the thing: If we don’t set a place for the truth of Scripture at the table of our children’s hearts, the world will set out a feast all it’s own. What Are We Like When No One Else is Watching? -Are we growing in our walk with God? Today, we’re talking about a “big” word … sanctification. It’s a big word that means a simple thing: grow.  Grow. As Christians, we’re called to live set apart lives—no matter who’s watching. Resources Firmly Planted Family Bible Study We all agree that teaching our children the life-changing truths of the Bible is one of our most important jobs as parents. But where do we begin? How do we consistently explore God’s Word in a way that helps our children understand and apply the core truths of biblical teaching in their own lives? The Firmly Planted Family Series is divided into ten-week studies and is your key to making sense of the Bible—even if you’re learning right along with your children. Each lesson provides a core idea, a simple narrative, memory verses and discussion questions for children of all ages. And the companion student workbook is filled with age-appropriate, full-color, reproducible activities for children of any age! Victory in Spiritual Warfare: Outfitting Yourself for the Battle Dr. Tony Evans, one of the most respected church leaders in the country, is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, a thriving congregation of 8000. In this timely, unique exploration of spiritual warfare, Dr. Evans unveils a simple yet radical truth: every struggle and conflict faced in the physical realm has its root in the spiritual realm. With passion and clarity, Dr. Evans demystifies spiritual warfare so that readers can tackle challenges and obstacles with spiritual power―God’s authority! The Power of a Praying Parent Stormie Omartian’s bestselling The Power of a Praying(R) series (more than 28 million copies sold) is rereleased with fresh new covers and new material to reach a still-growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives. Fool’s Gold?: Discerning Truth in an Age of Error edited by Dr. John MacArthur In an age of open-mindedness, many believers accept too much with too little discernment, resulting in great confusion and compromise. But God’s Word makes it clear that not everything that glitters is gold. False teaching is at every turn, and the temptation to embrace it is great. As God’s people we are called to sift through the overwhelming number of traditions and trends and use the truth of Scripture to determine which are the true treasures-and which are “fool’s gold.” General editor John MacArthur and the contributors of this uncompromising book define the principles of biblical discernment and...

With terrible things happening in our country, it makes sense to be fearful. But how do I live without being gripped by that fear? As we weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn, let’s talk about how we keep moving without fear. More Like this From The Busy Mom Hope in the Place of Fear – Podcast –  For Paris and the Rest of Us Shepherding your Children Through Fear Are you Ready to Run Into the Roar? -It’s so natural to choose what’s easy for us, but so often it’s not what’s best. This analogy of running toward the roaring lion is a great way to challenge us to do what’s best, not easy. Through the Eyes of a Lion: Facing Impossible Pain, Finding Incredible Power Storm: Hearing Jesus for the Times We Live In

I’ve been sick for a week, so we’re revisiting this one today: Are we growing in our walk with God? Today, we’re talking about a “big” word … sanctification. It’s a big word that means a simple thing: grow.  Grow. As Christians, we’re called to live set apart lives—no matter who’s watching. Resources for today’s podcast: Victory in Spiritual Warfare: Outfitting Yourself for the Battle Dr. Tony Evans, one of the most respected church leaders in the country, is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, a thriving congregation of 8000. In this timely, unique exploration of spiritual warfare, Dr. Evans unveils a simple yet radical truth: every struggle and conflict faced in the physical realm has its root in the spiritual realm. With passion and clarity, Dr. Evans demystifies spiritual warfare so that readers can tackle challenges and obstacles with spiritual power―God’s authority! The Power of a Praying Parent Stormie Omartian’s bestselling The Power of a Praying(R) series (more than 28 million copies sold) is rereleased with fresh new covers and new material to reach a still-growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives. Fool’s Gold?: Discerning Truth in an Age of Error edited by Dr. John MacArthur In an age of open-mindedness, many believers accept too much with too little discernment, resulting in great confusion and compromise. But God’s Word makes it clear that not everything that glitters is gold. False teaching is at every turn, and the temptation to embrace it is great. As God’s people we are called to sift through the overwhelming number of traditions and trends and use the truth of Scripture to determine which are the true treasures-and which are “fool’s gold.” General editor John MacArthur and the contributors of this uncompromising book define the principles of biblical discernment and use them to address several contemporary Christian issues. They provide straightforward, biblical critiques of some popular but unfortunate Christian trends, such as watered-down preaching and doctrinally questionable best-selling books. Dr. MacArthur ends with a practical plan for cultivating discernment in the Christian life. It is the duty of every Christian-not just pastors and elders-to follow the biblical command to cling to what is good and to reject what is not. This book will equip you with a foundation for biblical discernment that will enable you to make careful distinctions in your thinking about truth.

From the Archives: Knowing that we can’t give our kids what we don’t have, we certainly can’t lead them through fear unless we are adept at trusting the Lord ourselves. Let’s take a look back at what this looks like today.   Scripture Focus Proverbs 3:19-26 Resources Fearless Necklaces! My Favorite Journaling Bible Wisdom for Parents: A Daily Devotional from the Book of Proverbs Hope in Place of Fear – for Paris and the Rest of Us (Related Podcast) Storm: Hearing Jesus for the Times We Live In

Mailbox Monday is about how we’re to live in the world and not of it… shouldn’t I put my kids in school? And is Halloween really that bad? Listen in! Scripture Romans 14 Matthew 5:2-13 More Like this From The Busy Mom Halloween Hangups