Imperfect Parenting with a Perfect God

Listen to today's podcast to hear how some long-time prayers have come to fruition. (Notice "fruit" is the root of that word!) Praying that this gives you hope to continue to pray even when you don't see the answers right away. Scriptures in this Podcast: Psalm 40 Hebrews 4:16 Hebrews 10:23  1 John 5:14  Hebrews 4:16  Ephesians 3:20  John 15:7  John 9:31  Matthew 6:8  Psalm 40:10  Hebrews 11:1  2 Corinthians 5:7  2 Thessalonians 3:3  Deuteronomy 7:9 

The first thing Moses does when the Israelites survive the Red Sea crossing is to sing praises to God's strength. He immediately recognized that they had witnessed something that only God could do. That no matter how much they rallied their own strength and grit, they could never have literally parted a sea to save millions of people and conveniently swallowed up their enemy. Moses could be pretty smart sometimes. Throughout the bible, there are verses and lessons that give us wisdom regarding how weak we are but we have God to fill the gap. This applies to parenting too. We could read or even write all the parenting books in the world, but without going to the One who actually created us, we can't even fathom the power we could wield with him. Scriptures in this Episode: Exodus 15:2 Exodus 15:13 Psalm 121

Is your calendar full of the kids' activities? Do you have a to-do list a mile long? Me too. These are things that try to steal my attention and time away from God. But we need to put Him first. Anything that tries to get in the way of that has the potential to become an idol. Let's revamp our calendars and to-do lists so that the enemy does not have a foothold in our calendars. Let's put God in His rightful place: first. Scriptures in this Episode: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 John 4:23 Check out all the new inspirational wear at Izzy Drew Lane! Looking for something specific? Email us at izzydrewlane@gmail.com and we can design it for you.

Daily diligent seeking of God is necessary to keep us built up in our faith. We need to seek His Word regularly to continually put on the armor of God. Some days we have more questions than answers, but some days we can just sit and be thankful. I stepped out my Bible study routine and decided to listen and praise Him before opening my study instead of after, and it became an even more personalized and intimate experience than I expected. God is so good. He loves us and wants us to just sit at His feet, rest, and be refreshed in His presence. Join me. Scripture in this episode: Colossians 2:6-7 Check out the new inspirational wear at Izzy Drew Lane! New designs being added reguarly so be sure to favorite the shop and follow them on Facebook.

Put God at the top of your To-Do list today and every day. You'll be amazed at how He supernaturally maximizes your time when you choose to step out into obedience first. Honor Him and walk in the Spirit, not the flesh, today. Scripture in this Episode: Galatians 5:16-26

Fear not, mama! God’s got this. We tend to worry as parents. It’s natural. But what does worry bring us: fear, anxiety, stress, physical discomfort, and more. Instead, leave your worries at the Cross and trust God with our and our kids’ futures. He has them in the palm of His hands and He’s not letting go. Let this be your Mother’s Day encouragement. Scripture in this episode: Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

I like to think of churches as outposts of faith. It is a place where Christians can gather, be equipped and encouraged, and then be sent out to share the Truth of God. We can experience worship and praise together, stir one another up to good works, and battle the enemy together. No country ever enters a war alone. They don't just send one guy to fight. They recruit and train an army. They arm them with weapons. They make a plan of attack and defense. They continuously train together and separate. We are in a spiritual battle every day. We are not meant to fight it alone. We gather together with other believers, we are armed with the Truth of God and imbued with the Holy Spirit, Who helps us plan our attacks and defenses. He is our ONE defense. His Word is a double-edged sword. But we need our army if we are going to win. Alone, the enemy has us cornered easily. But with the army of believers and the Holy Spirit, we already have victory because Christ already overcame sin and death with His blood and resurrection. Going to church regularly and building relationships with other believers is one of the best weapons against the enemy. Don't just make church a checklist item, make it a part of your life so that you can both receive and dole out encouragement and love. It is vital to your battle against the enemy and the hope that Jesus gave. Scriptures in this episode: John 14:26 2 Timothy 3:16 Hebrews 10:23-25 Book cited: The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield copyright @ 2018, Crossway, Illinois

Before we can use the Scriptures for disciplining and raising our children, we must first know it ourselves. I made the mistake of trying to teach what I didn’t know, which did not go well, but I have since learned from that mistake. I hope this testimony encourages you to know God before you make Him known. We cannot instruct someone about something or someone we don’t know ourselves. Dive into the Scriptures and enjoy God’s goodness! SCRIPTURES IN THIS EPISODE: PROVERBS 22:6 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 JOHN 14:26 EPHESIANS 6:4 DEUTERONOMY 4:9 ROMANS 15:4 JOSHUA 22:5 DEUTERONOMY 4:40

Ah, teenagers. Independent, passionate, creative, hungry, loud, argumentative, and growing. They are on the cusp of becoming adults, but not quite there yet. The age of wanting to be older, but lacking the maturity. It is a fun and tough age to parent all in one. I love being a mother of two teens. I have one that is almost ready to launch into adulthood and one that is just trying to figure out why she is so emotional and hasn't quite learned self-control yet. They are like bookends. I also have the privilege of leading a teen core group at our local Community Bible Study group and have really fallen in love with this group each year. I love being able to have real discussions with them about God's Word and how it applies to their worlds. I say "their worlds" because though we all live in the same fallen world, they each have their own perspective and some still think they are the sun in their own universe, while others have figured out that God is the center. I love the mix and that's what brought me to today's topic: mandatory church attendance for teens. Should we or should we not? There are so many factors to consider here: their age, the church, the reasons, their peers, our own priorities and rules, etc. Join me today as I dive into some of these and hopefully encourage and equip you with some ideas to help you if/when you have to make that decision. It's good to know ahead of time and have the plan to address this question. If only we could be prepared for all things that parenthood throws at us! Bless you on this journey we call parenting! My Top 5 Reasons Teens Should Attend Church: Community: Attending church can provide teenagers with a sense of belonging and connection to a community. They can meet and socialize with other teenagers who share their values and beliefs, which can be particularly important during adolescence when social connections are critical. Spiritual growth: Church can provide teenagers with opportunities to learn about their faith, engage in religious practices, and reflect on their personal beliefs and values. This can help them develop a sense of purpose and direction in life. Positive values: Churches often promote positive values such as kindness, generosity, forgiveness, and respect for others. Teenagers can benefit from exposure to these values and learn how to apply them in their daily lives. Mentorship: Churches often have adult mentors or role models who can provide guidance and support for teenagers. These mentors can offer advice, help teenagers navigate challenging situations, and serve as positive examples. Service opportunities: Churches often provide opportunities for teenagers to engage in service projects and give back to their communities. This can help them develop a sense of empathy and compassion, as well as leadership and teamwork skills. Overall, attending church can provide teenagers with a supportive community, opportunities for spiritual growth, exposure to positive values, mentorship, and service opportunities. However, whether or not to attend church is ultimately a personal decision that should be based on individual beliefs, values, and preferences. Scriptures in this Episode: Acts 2:42 Hebrews 10:24-25 Luke 8:14 Romans 12:2 If this episode was an encouragement to you, please be sure to leave a review and come back for more next week. Thanks for listening today! Check out our Comfort Creatures and inspirational tees in the Izzy Drew Lane Etsy Shop.

Do you ever feel the pressure of your kids making mistakes just because you are a Christian? Are you worried when your kids act up in church? Do you think that your kids have to be perfect so that people outside of the church don’t have a negative opinion about God, your parenting, and your church? Let me ease your mind and remind you about grace. Scripture in this episode: 1 Peter 5:10 2 Chronicles 30:9 Psalm 130:1–2 Psalm 8:4 If this episode was an encouragement to you, please be sure to leave a review and come back for more next week. Thanks for listening today! Check out our inspirational tees in the Izzy Drew Lane Etsy Shop https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

Should you require your kids to go on mission trips? In this episode we will delve into the reasons why even an unsaved kid can go on mission and God will use him or her. It happened to me, so hear my testimony and decide for yourself. Scripture in this episode: Romans 10:13–15 Mark 16:15 Psalm 96:3 Acts 13:47 Check out our inspirational tees and Comfort Creatures in the Izzy Drew Lane Etsy Shop https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

The first thing that Moses did when they were led out of Egypt and went through the Red Sea was to praise God. He was so relieved, and in awe of God‘s power that he couldn’t help but pour out praise to God. The Israelites joined in because they saw his example. My question to you is: how are your children learning to worship God and put Him first in their lives if you are not doing it yourself? If your kids are little and distracting during worship, I’m here to give you a few tips that I used when mine were little to help you put the Lord first and let your kids see that example. Scripture in this episode: Hebrews 13:15 Job 1:20-21 Luke 4:8 Check out our inspirational tees in the Izzy Drew Lane Etsy Shop https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

Training our children in the way they should go also involves preparing them for the battles ahead in their lives. We have no idea what battles they are going to face in this world, but we do know that there are giants out there waiting in the land that they are to claim as long as they go with God. How are we going to help them before they even know the battles that they’re going to face? We need to arm them with wisdom from God in the form of studying his word regularly, learning how to pray, and learning how to repent when they have turned away from him in any way. With these things they can face any powers and principalities they come against in this world, and they can stay strong in their relationship with God, because with God all things are possible. So listen to this podcast to learn a lot more about what God’s been doing in training for the battles in my kids’ lives so that maybe you can glean for your battles. The victory already belongs to God. Scripture in this episode: Hebrews 13:17 (ESV) Izzy Drew Lane Etsy Shop https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

But the greatest of these is love. Merry Christmas!

Joy and happiness. Happiness and joy. They are not always the same thing, but how do we find joy when things are hard? How do we find joy when we don’t want to? How do I find joy when the memories are just too hard? The answer is Jesus. Scriptures in this Episode: Psalm 30:5 Psalm 118:24 Nehemiah 8:10b John 15:1 https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

Is it possible to have perfect peace in our house? Not really. We are just a bunch of humans trying to love God and live with one another and reflect His joy. It’s not easy because we don’t have full control over the whole situation, but so far as it depends on us we can have that peace and we can give that peace and we can model that peace. The rest is up to God . Scriptures in this Episode: Matthew 5:9 Romans 12:18 Isaiah 26:3 Hebrews 12:14 Romans 8:6 Psalm 119:165 James 3:18 https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

Advent is here! Whether you are welcoming in the advent season with something official or just enjoying the season, this is the week we are reminded of our hope that is in Christ Jesus. Instead of doing a formal study, we are diving into the Word directly and letting God speak to us. Scriptures this week: Romans 5:2 Isaiah 40:31 Romans 8:24-25 Jeremiah 29:11 Comfort Creatures and other fun items https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane Comfort Creatures Slime Kits Inspirational Tee Shirts

When we go through trials and sufferings with our children, we often get caught up in trying to change them, and when it doesn’t work out, the little bit of hope that we have in our heart gets dashed every time. When we hope in the things of this earth, we are going to get disappointed. When we hope in the glory of God, we are in a good place, because He never changes, He never leaves us, and He should get all the glory. Let our hope be in the glory of God both through the trial and at the end of the trial. Scripture in this episode: Romans 5:1-5 (ESV) Comfort Creatures https://www.Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane

Have you ever panicked because you couldn’t see the way out of a bad situation? Do you worry that your child is just never going to go out of this terrible phase and it will walk with his bad personality flaw forever? Me too! But I have learned to go to God with each and every situation now. I have learned to trust him with my children more than ever because he loves them even more than I do, knows them more intimately than I ever will, and will be with them their entire lives. How can I think that I know better than God? I don’t. Join me today as we talk about Moses as he is facing Egypt in a do or die situation. Let’s compare Moses with his Israelite tribe and the different ways to react to what seems like life-threatening situations. Exodus 15:13-14 Comfort Creatures https://Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane Like this episode? Please share it with others. Like this podcast, leave a review for others to see. Thanks for helping this podcast reach others!! ☺️ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/heather-pfeifer/message

It can seem daunting to teach our kids how to read the Bible. Many of you may struggle with reading it too. It took me years before I found why worked to help me study the Word, but once I did, my relationship with Jesus soared! It was the vital thing I was missing in my ability to know Who He is. Once I started doing it, I knew my kids needed to as well. We have tried many different methods over the years. Some have stuck, some have not. No matter how old or young your kids are, take a listen because today’s podcast provides practical tips and tools from many resources that can help encourage and equip you to give your family a great gift: wisdom from God. Resources mentioned today: Community Bible Study The Chosen Right Now Media Veggie Tales Lifeway.com Notconsumed.com (@notconsumed) Biblestudytools.com Desiringgod.org Scriptures in this episode: Romans 10:17 John 14:26 2 Timothy 3:16 Colossians 3:16 Hebrews 4:12 Proverbs 22:6 Comfort Creatures https://Etsy.com/shop/izzydrewlane Like this episode? Please share it with others. Like this podcast, leave a review for others to see. Thanks for helping this podcast reach others!! ☺️