Bible Promises For Moms by Heidi St.John – Book Review

“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” -Psalm 18:30

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you just can’t ‘mom’ anymore? I have! If I’m perfectly honest with you, I’ll confess, I’ve had many.

When I heard that Heidi was writing Bible Promises for Moms I was really excited! I know if Heidi is writing something, it’s going to be good. Let’s face it, what mom does not need daily, if not hourly encouragement? Bible Promises for Moms is exactly that- promises and encouragement for any situation or issue that may arise in our daily lives.

Whether you have babies or you are in the midst of releasing children into the world, Bible Promises for Moms has nuggets of wisdom and scripture for each stage and struggle.

Bible Promises for Moms is small and compact and in true Heidi fashion, always points us to Jesus and His word. The subjects are arranged in alphabetical order, and cover most anything we deal with as moms. Heidi shares personal stories that will warm your heart and encourage your walk with God.

Most of the time you aren’t able to pack a Bible in your purse, so this little pocketbook of wisdom is perfect to carry with you when you need encouragement on the go!

I would recommend that you to pick up multiple copies. Ask the Lord to bring women across your path and into your life that you can bless and encourage by gifting them this book. I praise the Lord once again for Heidi St.John and her heart to equip women to be the wives and mothers that God has called us to be.

Has The Culture Worn You Out?

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do.” D. L. Moody

Do you feel small and inadequate in the world we live in? I do. Are you overwhelmed by what is going on in the culture around us? I am. Do you sometimes ask yourself, “What’s the point?” I do.

I liken this feeling to sitting in a leaky boat with water coming in through various holes. You try to plug them, but you don’t have enough hands. You can’t plug holes and bail at the same time, so your efforts seem futile; you’re going to sink.

The state of our culture has many of us feverishly bailing. I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle sometimes.

There are so many causes to get involved in, so many injustices to fight. We can wear ourselves out standing for righteousness and truth.

I have to ask myself though, should we really be worn out? Saddened by the evil that is running rampant, yes. Weary from the onslaught of opposition to God’s Word and truth, of course! But worn out? No, I don’t think so.

I tried looking for a scripture this morning that encouraged us to be worn out. Would you be surprised if I told you that I didn’t find a single one?

When we hear or say the phrase “worn out,” it suggests tired, empty, weak—all things that occur when we are physically spending ourselves. We get to the point at which, to rephrase a common saying, we become so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good!

My friends, it is easy to take on the burden of this world. But all through Scripture Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy, His burden is light. We know that the battle is not an earthly one, but oftentimes it’s easier for us to try and fight verbally and physically, through social media posts and protests, than it is to fight on our knees, where the battle is truly fought and won.

I do believe we have to take a stand and engage the culture. We are called to be salt and light in this world. We are to be the voice of righteousness. But not in our own strength.

We should not be taking on our shoulders a burden that only God can carry. We can’t plug all the holes and bail at the same time.

Our hearts should be broken for lost souls who believe the lies of the enemy, and that should drive us to pray.

Pray for those who are in such darkness that they believe they are something other than what God created them to be. Pray for the evil hands that shed the innocent blood of the unborn. Pray for those in authority in our nation who are pushing agendas that fly directly in the face of the Lord. Pray for churches that are watering down the truth. Pray for those who have a platform and claim to know Christ but are compromising for money, book sales, and popularity.

The question we need to ponder is, what has God called each of us to do?

For me, He has called me to raise my children to be a blessing and a beacon to the next generation. He has called my family to be a remnant family, a kingdom family. He has called me to proclaim truth in a culture that is saturated with lies. He has also called me to trust Him with the issues that are out of my control—to rest in His peace and remind myself often that He has not and will never fall off His throne.

For those of you who, like me, have been struggling to bail the water out of the boat, stop wearing yourself out.

Second Samuel 22:33 reminds us that it is God who arms us with strength, and He makes our way perfect! Believer, “the Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still” (Exod. 14:14).

Get out of the boat and keep your eyes on Jesus, because He wins in the end.

Lord, help us to trust You in a culture that is so adamantly against You and those who stand for righteousness. Help us to take up only what You have called us to take up. Help us not to become weary in doing good but to rest and gather our strength for the battle from You. May we be broken for the world around us, seeing people as You see them. Amen.

Oprah for President? No Thanks!

As I signed into my newsfeed this morning, one of the top trending items to cross my screen was Oprah Winfrey’s rousing Golden Globes Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech. I’m not a fan of Oprah and her hot-aired opinions, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. People stood, they applauded, they bowed down, they looked on adoringly, they even went as far as to say that she would be a good candidate for president. Really? I thought. Have y’all lost your ever lovin’ minds?

Now don’t get me wrong. I will give credit where credit is due. Oprah rose from a seemingly hopeless childhood, and she fought and overcame an awful lot to arrive at the position she is in. But so have a lot of people. Ben Carson is black and was born into poverty to an illiterate mother, but even so he overcame. Through hard work and persistence, he became one of the world’s leading doctors in his field. Countless people can stand up and tell their stories of triumph. Hundreds could tell of how prejudice and abuse have hindered their journeys in life. Thousands of white women have been attacked and assaulted by black men and vice versa. Thousands of black and white children are abused by their black and white parents. Most of Oprah’s speech was rhetoric, good hashtag material, stuff we already know. But because it came from Oprah’s lips, it is somehow inspired, profound, worship worthy. Whatever.

So here’s my question. Why are we as a society paying attention to anything that comes out of Hollywood? Haven’t the majority who work there proven themselves to be hypocrites? The tales of abuse from that corner of the world that have recently hit the news are terrible, disgusting. But people! This has been going on for decades. Many prominent women in the entertainment industry have known about the depravity in the business and have done nothing about it! This makes those women in Hollywood accomplices, not heroes.

For Oprah Winfrey to stand up and tell all the “magnificent women” and “some pretty phenomenal men” (she had to throw in the men because, well, ya know, equality matters) that “a new day is coming, where nobody ever has to say #metoo again” is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Not only is it unrealistic, but it is completely disrespectful to the majority of men who are good, well intentioned, and supportive of women—like the men I am raising my sons to be.

For the Christian who lauds Oprah and her words, hear this: Oprah is a charlatan. She has bought into and peddles a philosophy, a religion, that flies in the face of God and His precious Word. If you heed anything Oprah has to say, you are being deceived.

Sin is here to stay. Not matter how many speeches we listen to, marches we participate in, or celebrities we expose, sin abounds. The only, to quote Oprah, “new day that is on the horizon” is the day when Jesus will return for His people. May we remain faithful to what is true and right. And while we wait, I pray, “Please Lord, do not let Oprah become our future President!