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< Back Purposed Parent Connected Child Podcast - Episode 076 - Do You Make it Difficult for God to Give You His Best? Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast – Episode 076 – Do You Make it Difficult for God to Give You His Best? When I was young I kept several journals. Sometimes they were fancy, some were just a spiral notebook, but from the earliest recollections of my childhood, I always had something to write in. Whether it was fiction, poetry, or simply my thoughts, placing words on paper cleared my mind and enabled me to survive challenging times. Although my parents loved me and did the best they knew how to do, our home life was sometimes difficult. Placing my deepest thoughts on paper and allowing creativity to flow allowed me a type of escape and release I wasn’t able to find elsewhere. God obviously created me with a love for words and books. After I got married at 17, my husband became my biggest supporter. His encouragement to follow my dreams was consistent. I remember the Christmas he presented me with my first laptop. The joy in his eyes when I opened that gift still touches me so deeply it brings tears. During my twenties and thirties I wrote several novels, and would have continued to polish, perfect, and submit each one to agents and editors. What stopped me? I knew in my spirit that God was telling me it wasn’t His plan. In my late thirties, God made it clear to me that this was not the path He wanted me to walk. I was shocked. Writing felt like the air I breathed. The thought of stopping felt like a death in a deep place of my soul. But I couldn’t ignore that I knew I was hearing Him clearly. To continue to pursue a writing career would be direct disobedience to God. So what did I do? I packed away every manuscript. Even the one I was enjoying writing more than any of the others. It was a Christian fiction novel that was growing my faith as I wrote it, but I couldn’t deny that obedience to what God was calling would deepen my faith even more than putting words on paper. As God directed me to stop writing altogether, I realized He was calling me to sacrifice what I had unknowingly placed higher than Him. I never really felt like I loved writing more than Him, but in hindsight, I can see that the way writing filled my spirit could be considered a form of idolization. My new life without writing began to shape me in higher ways for Him as I allowed God to fill me and give me release. Instead of stealing the air I breathed when I quit writing, I began to inhale and exhale God with greater depth of faith, trust, and obedience. Many years later, God whispered to me that it was good for me to write again. At first, I resisted, knowing that He had previously directed me not to write. But that still, small voice was persistent. The difference was that now God filled me with different writing desires. I no longer yearned to publish fictional stories, whether Christian or mainstream. My writing became about the ways God had carried me through loss, through trials, and into obedience. My stories were crafted from a heart full of love and awe for Jesus and the way He had changed my life and family. My stories were gifts of praise and hope for others to build a foundation of truth and salvation through Christ. My writing was all for Him. Just last week, I thought about my writing journey. I had been reminded of how God transforms each of us who trust in Jesus. How? By watching the actions of our two year old Golden Retriever, Beau. On this particular day, I was washing Beau's “Chewys,” which are a rubberized toy with a carved out center to hold food of whatever sort you want to fill it with. Then the “Chewy” is placed in the freezer so the item freezes and your dog gets to enjoy licking the iced treat. Since our dog tends to get bored through the day and sometimes begins licking himself out of that boredom, we purchased the “Chewys” with the hope that they would be a distraction to lessen the habit. As I was preparing to put treats in Beau’s “Chewys” and freeze them for him to enjoy later, he watched me, highly concerned because I had his toys. My dog circled the kitchen, panted, and tried to see what I was doing. He peered over the countertop with upleveled anxiety as watched me place a few pieces of his food in the center of the toy. He whined and paced again, then returned to sit next to me with concern stretched across his usually joyful golden expression. Do you ever get anxious or worried when you can’t get something? When something you want badly is just out of your reach? Beau’s behavior made me think about what we must look like to God sometimes. How must our Heavenly Father feel when He knows He’s preparing a beautiful tailor-made gift for us, but we refuse to wait in peace and trust. Instead we try to make what we want happen and of course, always in the timing we desire. Have you ever wondered how much you might miss out on just because you’re so concerned with getting something you think is best? Have you ever desired something so deeply because of the way it made you feel ? Can you think of a time that happened to you? Mine would be my writing. I never asked God whether I was supposed to write. I just knew the desire was in me. How could it be wrong if the desire seemed to be part of the very core of me? Giving up writing was painful. If I hadn’t clearly heard God tell me to stop, I certainly wouldn’t have. Now, on the other side of that process, God lovingly allowed me to write again, but changed my reasons for doing it. He changed my heart and thought process. I see how false my sense of peace was years ago when I strived to write those novels that would propel me into a multi-city book tour. When I wrote simply because I loved creating characters and plots, I didn’t experience the same peace-filled joy that I have now when writing for God. What I do now isn’t to impress or gain accolades, but simply to live in obedience and to show what the Lord has done for me, what He continues to do, and what He is doing for others. He’s given me a calling to help younger mothers raise children to chase Christ over culture and to help mothers parent to prepare, not repair. He’s given me a yearning now to let mothers know to stop being a good parent, and become a godly mother. So much meaning and joy has blossomed from writing for Him. Not only for me, but for my family. When we study the Bible we see many stories of humans who made mistakes, like you and me. We may not think so at first glance, but at the core, the people we read about in the Bible are just like us. As you read their stories, you notice that there were many times God had better plans for them than they had for themselves. Or He desired to give them better than they could conceive. Because we all fail, because we are so far from God and His sovereignty, we are prone to easily sway from God’s best or to expect less than He intends to give. Think for a moment about God’s provisions for the Israelites when He led them out of captivity. Remember the way they responded with sin and rebellion, fear and complaints? They missed seeing the beautiful, promised land God had for them. They forgot His promises of a hope and a future. We also have Adam and Eve, the very first in a long line of sinners who missed what God created for them. Think of Esau losing his blessing to Jacob. Esau didn’t value God’s Word and promise like his brother, and allowed Jacob to steal it from him. Each person thought they knew more than God or had a better idea of what would be best for them. Humans following self instead of a loving, giving Father. Genesis 25:29-34 says, “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom). Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright .” There are several ways we can lose the blessings God has in store. Let’s look at some of the ways you can miss out on God’s best for you, and in turn, your family. 1. Feelings/Emotions – What we feel and how those feelings affect us. Although people often use the terms feelings and emotions interchangeably, they have distinct, but similar meanings. Emotions involve our feelings, but stem from an event or circumstance that evoke a feeling, such as fear, sadness, happiness, surprise, anger, or disgust. Feelings are our reactions to those emotions and how we interpret them. For example, if you are shopping and you get mugged, that situation causes emotions such as fear or anger. You may feel like it is unsafe to shop in that store again. You may feel like there are no nice people anymore because bystanders didn’t react the way you needed at the time. Sometimes life circumstances and/or situations evoke emotions that cause feelings that bring reactions and actions that pull us away from trusting in God. Or those reactions bring actions that aren’t honoring to God and cause problems or heartache. 2. Past Experiences – Past experiences can linger in our heart and mind. It is truly only through the life-changing power of relationship with Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit living within that we are able to live in freedom. If we don’t submit to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and instead live by reacting to emotions and feelings, we cheat ourselves and our family out of blessings God desires to bring to us. 3. Pride/Stubbornness – Sometimes we know we shouldn’t react with the actions and/or words we do, but because of pride and stubbornness we do what we want regardless of consequences. Our Holy God doesn’t bless rebellion. 4. Jealousy/Greed – When we look at how God has blessed another or we believe that we have less than others, we aren’t living with the thankful spirit God desires we carry. Our Heavenly Father carries no partiality, but He does honor humility, faith, trust, and obedience. He sees into our heart at the very core of what we think, feel, believe, and desire. God won’t bless a heart set against Him or one that lives without gratitude. 5. Disobedience/Sin – When we live in ways that go against God, His desires for us, and His teachings, we walk in disobedience. God wants the best for His people, but He is sovereign and holy. He will not bless sin or disobedience. James 4:1-6 says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Your walk with God is such a blessing when you follow Him in the ways He deserves and calls. Don’t set yourself up to miss out on the blessings He wants to pour on you. Don’t let your children miss the blessings He desires they receive. Your walk influences the walk of your children. The God you show them, and the way you respond to Him, will be engraved in their mind and heart. Don’t let them be led astray by your circumstances, emotions, feelings, past experiences, ego, stubbornness, jealousy, disobedience, or sin. Know and show the God of the Universe, the One who made a way for you to know and show Him. Help your children see and claim Jesus as their Savior. Allow them to be blessed in the mighty ways God has for them. Your life will be immensely blessed when they are blessed by Him. Psalm 46:10 says, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth .” Dear Heavenly Father, there is truly none like You. The closer we walk with You the more joy, peace, and love we carry. Thank you for making a way straight to You through Jesus. Your Word tells us that we are Your handiwork, that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works which You have already prepared for us in advance. Father, thank you for loving us so much that You crafted us with purposes that come from You and are designed to honor and please You. Help us live in ways that honor and fill You with delight. Help us to make You known to the children You have entrusted to us. Allow them to find You and be blessed by all You have for them. May they let Jesus shine from them and bring You honor. Thank you for loving us so much and for having a heart that only wants the best for us. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Supporting and encouraging mothers to rest in Christ and pursue a holy relationship with Him so they purposely raise set-apart children is the cry of my heart. I believe godly parenting is rooted in relationship with Christ and the mindset a mother carries. That’s why I’ve created the Set-Apart Collective. Have you decided peers and culture won’t be the main influence over your child? Would you like to parent to prepare your child for eternity with Christ, not to repair a relationship? In the Set-Apart Collective, you will deepen your walk with Christ, learn a Christ-centered Motherhood Mindset Model, and create a Purposed Parenting Plan. You will be a purposed mother with an intentional mind and heart set on Christ and your family. The Set-Apart Collective wait list is open now. The first group of women is currently growing together. The second group is about to start. Please send me an email at info@terrihitt.com to let me know you’d like to receive information. It’s time for believing mothers to be purposed in preparing their children for a lifetime pursuit of Christ. If you connected in some way with this episode, would you please rate and review the podcast on Apple or Spotify? It only takes a minute or so and makes a big difference in people finding the podcast. You and I know that the best reviews are by word of mouth, so would you please choose a friend to recommend the show to? Let them know that the podcast is found at terrihitt.com, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Imagine the change we will see in the way mothers parent for Christ if they learn to be intentional, too. Remember, if you’re not purposed in knowing Jesus and showing Him to the next generation, the world will likely sway your children away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast enables you to stop being a good mom and focus on being a godly parent. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to parent with eternal purpose and connection. 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< Back Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode 029 - Blameless Before Christ Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode #029 – Blameless Before Christ Thank you for listening to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast. My prayer is that you and I will parent with purpose and confidently connect with Christ and our children moment by moment. We brought our middle daughter home from China eighteen years ago. I have such beautiful memories of how deeply I longed to raise her for Christ before we ever brought her home. In fact, God began working on my heart years before we even knew we had a baby in China. It’s ironic, because my husband and I were perfectly content that we had raised two children, a son and a daughter. We knew we were entering a new season in our life since they had both graduated from high school. We weren’t sure what it would be like, but we had raised children starting at the age of eighteen and we were still young. Well, you know that saying, “but God?” That definitely applies here. I’ve always been one of those people who critically examines myself. Let me explain. For example, when I was young my parents only had to say, “we are very disappointed in you.” The spankings or groundings that I received when I was in trouble were nothing to compared to a stern look of disapproval or hearing that I had let them down. So after we had raised our first set of children, I would sometimes mentally review our parenting years in my mind. There were so many beautiful memories and times I thought we had done well as parents. There were also recollections of moments I wished I had handled differently. No one is perfect and I didn’t expect my life or parenting skills to be, but I like to learn. I like to grow. Most of all, I desire to mature my walk with Christ moment by moment. Because of the purposed growth I had in my relationship with Jesus by this time, I had become a different person than I was when I had two children by the time I was 21 years old. How deeply I wished I had known Christ in those early precious years. I wish I had given my children a deeper knowledge of Jesus, but I didn’t even know Jesus until I was 22. I yearned to have known Jesus earlier and really matured my walk with Him quickly. Sometimes my mind would wander to tiny thoughts of how I would parent differently if I had a baby at that time in my life. By then I was around 40. It surprised me that I had these wistful urges to parent differently with a deeper connection to Christ. It certainly wasn’t empty nest syndrome. It was more of an awakening that God was stirring within me, not a craving for another child. In my mind, I could see myself with a little girl and I thought of all of the things I would do differently. In hindsight, I now know that God was weaving many details together because He knew the plans He had for us and the plans for our future daughters. He was preparing a heart that thought it was finished parenting for the tasks He would honor my husband and I with. A mother’s heart usually has many longings. As believers, we want our children to have and be the best God intends for them. We all know each day can bring trying times. Our intention may be to start and end the day with sunshine and roses, but events or mishaps occur that challenge or change the plans we made. Life interferes and if we are not eternal minded, we trade opportunities God intended with purpose for cheap versions of a worldly existence. We think it’s good. We can be perfectly happy, but we may not know we are missing a deep joy in our soul that gives God joy and honor. We miss opportunities to lift our child to the Lord and teach them the way to live a blameless life before Christ. I know I was a good mother. But time and relationship with Jesus has taught me how to be a godly mother. There is no comparison. I want to continue to mature in the depth of my skills and wisdom as a mother parenting for the Lord. I desire for you to be a godlier mother, too. Our children desperately need Jesus. The instruction they receive from us is the direct line that will guide them to Him. In the book of Philippians, Paul speaks to the saints in Christ who are in Philippi. His words in Philippians 1:8-11 are beautifully inspiring and I yearn for us as diligent, discerning mothers to listen to what he says. The passage reads as follows, “For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment , that you may approve the things that are excellent , that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ , to the glory and praise of God .” Can you imagine saying these words to your children? Think of the godly power of placing their names individually at the beginning and then reciting this passage to them. Imagine praying these words over them, for them. The power of Christ would be at work to honor this prayer as you strive to parent with eternal meaning. In this passage shared from Paul’s eloquent and loving letter, we hear great wisdom regarding the way we are to live as heirs with Christ. Let’s look more closely at the passage and break down the meaning it still holds for us and our children today. 1. The word “affection” used in this passage is the strongest Greek word for intense emotion, and refers to internal organs, considered to be the parts of the body that hold and react to intense emotion . This word selection indicates a generous, gracious love that encompasses the entire being of a person. Imagine Christ’s power behind you as you purposely raise your children to greatly long for Him and for them to see you doing the same. 2. “In knowledge” is also from a Greek word, depicting absolute, advanced insight, judgement, and understanding. This form of biblical love is deeply rooted and regulated in Scriptural truth. Exactly the type of teaching and training we should purpose to give our children. 3. “Discernment” references moral integrity and insight, as well as effective and efficient utilization of knowledge. This astute attentiveness analyzes and approves what is appropriate or amiss. As 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 says, “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil .” This deliberate discernment seeks to determine what is good and what is evil. Oh, how we must long for God to give us the discernment we need to parent with these qualities in mind with our eyes, heart, and mind fixed on eternity and centered on building these character qualities with a focus on God in our children. 4. As the passage continues, the phrase, “approve the things that are excellent” allows believers to differentiate what is truly important to Christ and enables the right priorities to be established and endorsed. As we raise our children in this sinful world, we must endorse and endow them with excellence built on a foundation of godly principles and relationship that honors God through Christ. 5. To be “sincere and without offense” is the highest calling for believers to attain. Our lifetime should be spent in an attempt to establish this genuine standing before Christ. A believers and followers of Christ, the integrity we carry in our personal life is the purity others believe comes from Christ. All we are and do reflects Him. This is what we should desire our children to witness within us. As we build our relationship with Jesus, making it stronger day by day, the result should bring us closer to this goal and allow us to be a witness to our children of a goal for them to strive for as well. Our children see and understand what is truly important to us. It is critical that we mirror the character of Christ and the passion He carried for pleasing and honoring the Father. 6. The phrase “fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ” refers to what is produced within believers through our standing with Jesus and the Holy Spirit living within us. As believers, we have have been redeemed and transformed through Jesus and also receive ongoing transformation through the Holy Spirit, which is alive and at work within us. The day our child also accepts Christ as Savior and begins a personal walk with Him is the best day a parent can experience. To see the fruits of the Spirit building fruits of righteousness as they pursue Christ is a miracle we are privileged to see and participate in. 7. To the glory and praise of God” recognizes and highlights Paul’s desire (and what should be our longing) – to glorify our Father in Heaven. That we can help our children do the same is a beautiful blessing. Each of us who claim to be Christians must purposely exercise the same preparation and practiced discipline that Jesus did as He obeyed our Heavenly Father as we live and parent daily. We must establish godly priorities and mentor them to our children so that they can live with true integrity established through relationship with Christ. Our godly mentorship allows our children to discover, desire, and develop a maturing walk with Jesus that will bless them for eternity. Philippians 2:14-16 says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain .” “Blameless and harmless” mean to live above blame or disgrace, a life of purity and dignity that is only found through salvation and relationship with Jesus. Humans tend to relate to other humans and follow the standards or cultural norms accepted, but believing mothers desire that our children follow Jesus as mentor and guide and live in ways that will cause them to be blameless before Jesus each day. This will take the proper attitude from us and our children. As we set the tone and temperament of our household, mentoring Christ as we mature our personal walk with Him, we prayerfully rely on God to work out the salvation of our children as we entrust and lift them to Him. I love the words, “shine as lights in the world.” Before we even brought our middle daughter home as a baby, my husband and I prayed each day that we would raise her in pleasing ways to the Lord, that she would come to know Jesus as her Savior, and that she would be a shining light for Him. Do you know one of the most common compliments we receive for her? People tell us that she is a light. Mothers, as you purpose to raise children who will carry a mind set for eternity with Jesus, pray specific scriptural prayers. Seek His words and pray His words over your children. Pray them for yourself and your spouse. God will honor every prayer that is within His will. God is not willing that any should perish and He deeply desires for your children to love and honor you because they cherish and obey Him. Dear Heavenly Father, Your glorious light has the capacity to shine through us and into the hearts of others. Help us allow You to work through us. We are nothing without You. We thank you for the holiness and mercy You offer us and for the way You love us completely. Help us to see our children through Your eyes and heart. Enable us to carry Your mindset for eternity as we raise and care for them. Help us to stand blameless before You and model the character of Christ to our children and those we interact with. May this world be brighter because You are in us and we are actively and passionately pursuing You moment by moment. Father, thank you for teaching and growing us daily. May we never turn from You and only stay in the center of Your palm, attracting our children to You so that together we may stand blameless before You now and into eternity. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” podcast. This and my “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast may be found at terrihitt.com, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts may also now be found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? Did you know that when you review my podcasts on Apple, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcasts online so that more people are allowed to find and hear them. Will you please take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will sway them away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Parent and Connect With Eternal Perspective. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #049 – How Do We Love Christ? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Have you increasingly felt the love of Jesus in the last few podcast episodes as we prepare our hearts for Him this season? If so, I know without a doubt that it is nothing I said or did. Deepening awareness of and increasing love for Christ simply comes from time in His word and moments invested in speaking to and listening for Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6 says, “But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.” As we move closer to the Father and the Son, we experience life-changing transformations. A personal relationship with Jesus is the source. It has been astounding to witness the goodness of God in the transformation of our youngest. When we brought Brooklyn home from China five years ago, she was understandably a frightened girl who had no idea what was in her future. When we talk about the time now, she admits her fear. Our treasured daughter had lived in an orphanage most of her life and was placed in a foster home for less than a year (from what we can piece together) before we brought her home. I’ve heard much about what she experienced in both places, but because I crave every detail available; I cannot ever hear enough history. We lived without our youngest daughter for too long, and I yearn to fill the holes in her precious story to uncover everything she endured and braved. Since that is impossible, I must rest in the truth that although she was treated, and felt as though she was a forgotten one who did not matter in China, she was actually never alone. Before Brooklyn knew Him, God was already watching over her. Our Heavenly Father does the same for you and me. Matthew 10:29-31 says, “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” The Lord has a love for us that is so deep He even knows the number of hairs on our head. As much as I love each of my family members, I cannot record in my brain or understand every minuscule feature about them. Honestly, can you imagine how difficult it would be to remember that much information about everyone? Not just remember, but even cherish the details so deeply that they sit on your tongue and abide in your heart to recite and obtain at any moment? That fact that we don’t have that capacity doesn’t diminish our love or affection for the special people in our lives; it just shows how tiny and worthless our mind and abilities are in comparison to God’s omnipotence and wisdom. Beyond the personal way God recalls everything about us, He planned for us and tailor-made each of those details in beautiful and unique ways that is never duplicated in another individual. Nehemiah 9:6 says, “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” How high God’s love is, for He, the author and perfecter of love, is supremely higher than each of us. Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Thank you, God for planning me. For crafting each of us. Your fastidiousness and devotion to us are fathomless. Boundless is your love. Love. Many ponder the meaning of such a small word. Our culture carries many confusing and warped definitions of this simple, yet profoundly important word. So, let’s examine love. 1. What is love? Our Lord beautifully offers living examples and definitions of love in the Bible and through His life on earth and in Heaven. In this world, the meanings of love point to the following: a profoundly tender, deep, or passionate affection for another person, a feeling of personal attachment for a parent, child, or friend, to have a strong liking for or to take great pleasure in something. God’s definition of love is not built or based on the wisdom, values, morals, or agenda of our culture or human belief systems. God defines true love because He is love. God was love before we knew love existed in any form. In John 15:9, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Love for our Heavenly Father and for one another is not an option when we follow Jesus. It is only through Jesus that we see and experience love in action. Most people have heard John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Sometimes it is quoted so much that I think many people have stopped paying attention to the promise and eternal value in these powerful words, yet they prove God’s plan for the world with the most spectacular sacrifice and gift that could ever be bestowed. Less quoted, but just as powerful and central in the study of God’s love for mankind is Romans 5:8, which says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is authentic, eternal love. Our society has a difficult time distinguishing love, yet it waits for us. He waits for us. 2. How do we recognize love? John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” We only begin to view and accept love as Christ does when we clearly see, know, and follow Jesus. 1 John 4:16 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” The way the world sees Christ is through us – His followers. 3. How is love described? Luke 6:32 says, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” Jesus extracts impurities from within us; sometimes easily, often painfully. Yet, He never leaves our side. Jesus walks through the fires with us, replacing what we lose with qualities we can only receive from the Spirit. Because of His refining, we are continually becoming new creations and “take-on” the qualities of our Lord. Our behavior reveals the nature of our relationship with Jesus. Changed by His love, we are able to love others differently and in visibly Christ-centered ways. 1 John 4:16 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” Our actions expose our heart. 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” One of the passages in the Bible most widely connected with love is 1 Corinthians 13, which is an entire chapter expressing biblical love in multiple ways: modeling grace, virtue, faith, joy, patience, kindness, humility, forgiveness, truth, perseverance, assurance, hope, and God’s agape love. 1 Corinthians 13 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 4. Where do we learn love? The Trinity reveals perfect love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Matthew 22:36-40 says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 1 Peter 1:22 says, “You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.” 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 5. How can we show our love for God? Jesus modeled perfect love, expressing His love for the Father in a way we can all replicate. Obedience. Like you may have experienced in your own life, obedience has the been key to fulfilling joy in my life and in deepening my walk with Jesus. When I keep my gaze and heart set on the Lord, my reliance on Him grows, my relationship matures, and listening and obeying when and where He calls becomes easier and is such a desire for me. Through this, I have experienced the most profound blessings - deeper than I could ever imagine. Obedience is costly, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. God continues to call us into deeper waters than we have previously tested. He requires reliance on, and obedience in Him. For good reason. Our life is meaningless and empty without Him. Fully expressed love from a believer to God’s heart is exhibited when we fix our thoughts on Him and move without question where He calls. Obedience to God brings us fullness of life and love. Luke 1:26-38 says, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Don’t you adore these verses?! This is one of my very favorite stories and responses in the Bible. Examine the heart, faith, and simple, prompt response of Mary. I want a heart that always follows exactly where God leads, exactly when He requests, and exactly how He desires me to move. Mary exemplified obedient love in action. 1 John 5:1-3 says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.” When we love God, and the Holy Spirit is alive and active inside us, obedience becomes a pleasurable, desirable source of peace. Jesus remained steadfast; modeling obedient love, bidding us to imitate His actions. John 15:10 says, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Luke 6:46-49 says, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Don’t wait for hardships and tragedies to force you to follow the Lord. Let obedient love guide and rule your life. John 15:9-17 says, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” Jesus already expressed obedient love to the fullest degree with the largest sacrifice one could make. Beseeching us to love and follow His commands, Jesus tells us that by doing so, we will abide in His love, carry His joy, and bear fruit that will last. Because He loves us so deeply, He commands us to love each other. The Bible tells us that three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. Dear Jesus, thank you for modeling love with the greatest act of obedience the world has recorded. Your passionate and unfailing love is a template for us. We fall so short, Lord. Help us to abide in Your perfect love that casts out all fear and enable us to obediently follow where You call with a passion that never becomes a burden, yet is a joyful delight for us and for You. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. The Live With Eternal Perspective podcast is currently linked to my new website at terrihitt.com, where you can access all the podcasts housed in one convenient location, as well as receive access to blog posts, transcripts, and additional free resources that are added to regularly. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to Jesus and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up and find new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 049 How Do We Love Christ Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #049 – How Do We Love Christ? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Have you increasingly felt the love of Jesus in the last few podcast episodes as we prepare our hearts for Him this season? If so, I know without a doubt that it is nothing I said or did. Deepening awareness of and increasing love for Christ simply comes from time in His word and moments invested in speaking to and listening for Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6 says, “But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.” As we move closer to the Father and the Son, we experience life-changing transformations. A personal relationship with Jesus is the source. It has been astounding to witness the goodness of God in the transformation of our youngest. When we brought Brooklyn home from China five years ago, she was understandably a frightened girl who had no idea what was in her future. When we talk about the time now, she admits her fear. Our treasured daughter had lived in an orphanage most of her life and was placed in a foster home for less than a year (from what we can piece together) before we brought her home. I’ve heard much about what she experienced in both places, but because I crave every detail available; I cannot ever hear enough history. We lived without our youngest daughter for too long, and I yearn to fill the holes in her precious story to uncover everything she endured and braved. Since that is impossible, I must rest in the truth that although she was treated, and felt as though she was a forgotten one who did not matter in China, she was actually never alone. Before Brooklyn knew Him, God was already watching over her. Our Heavenly Father does the same for you and me. Matthew 10:29-31 says, “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” The Lord has a love for us that is so deep He even knows the number of hairs on our head. As much as I love each of my family members, I cannot record in my brain or understand every minuscule feature about them. Honestly, can you imagine how difficult it would be to remember that much information about everyone? Not just remember, but even cherish the details so deeply that they sit on your tongue and abide in your heart to recite and obtain at any moment? That fact that we don’t have that capacity doesn’t diminish our love or affection for the special people in our lives; it just shows how tiny and worthless our mind and abilities are in comparison to God’s omnipotence and wisdom. Beyond the personal way God recalls everything about us, He planned for us and tailor-made each of those details in beautiful and unique ways that is never duplicated in another individual. Nehemiah 9:6 says, “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” How high God’s love is, for He, the author and perfecter of love, is supremely higher than each of us. Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Thank you, God for planning me. For crafting each of us. Your fastidiousness and devotion to us are fathomless. Boundless is your love. Love. Many ponder the meaning of such a small word. Our culture carries many confusing and warped definitions of this simple, yet profoundly important word. So, let’s examine love. 1. What is love? Our Lord beautifully offers living examples and definitions of love in the Bible and through His life on earth and in Heaven. In this world, the meanings of love point to the following: a profoundly tender, deep, or passionate affection for another person, a feeling of personal attachment for a parent, child, or friend, to have a strong liking for or to take great pleasure in something. God’s definition of love is not built or based on the wisdom, values, morals, or agenda of our culture or human belief systems. God defines true love because He is love. God was love before we knew love existed in any form. In John 15:9, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Love for our Heavenly Father and for one another is not an option when we follow Jesus. It is only through Jesus that we see and experience love in action. Most people have heard John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Sometimes it is quoted so much that I think many people have stopped paying attention to the promise and eternal value in these powerful words, yet they prove God’s plan for the world with the most spectacular sacrifice and gift that could ever be bestowed. Less quoted, but just as powerful and central in the study of God’s love for mankind is Romans 5:8, which says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is authentic, eternal love. Our society has a difficult time distinguishing love, yet it waits for us. He waits for us. 2. How do we recognize love? John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” We only begin to view and accept love as Christ does when we clearly see, know, and follow Jesus. 1 John 4:16 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” The way the world sees Christ is through us – His followers. 3. How is love described? Luke 6:32 says, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” Jesus extracts impurities from within us; sometimes easily, often painfully. Yet, He never leaves our side. Jesus walks through the fires with us, replacing what we lose with qualities we can only receive from the Spirit. Because of His refining, we are continually becoming new creations and “take-on” the qualities of our Lord. Our behavior reveals the nature of our relationship with Jesus. Changed by His love, we are able to love others differently and in visibly Christ-centered ways. 1 John 4:16 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” Our actions expose our heart. 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” One of the passages in the Bible most widely connected with love is 1 Corinthians 13, which is an entire chapter expressing biblical love in multiple ways: modeling grace, virtue, faith, joy, patience, kindness, humility, forgiveness, truth, perseverance, assurance, hope, and God’s agape love. 1 Corinthians 13 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 4. Where do we learn love? The Trinity reveals perfect love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Matthew 22:36-40 says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 1 Peter 1:22 says, “You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.” 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 5. How can we show our love for God? Jesus modeled perfect love, expressing His love for the Father in a way we can all replicate. Obedience. Like you may have experienced in your own life, obedience has the been key to fulfilling joy in my life and in deepening my walk with Jesus. When I keep my gaze and heart set on the Lord, my reliance on Him grows, my relationship matures, and listening and obeying when and where He calls becomes easier and is such a desire for me. Through this, I have experienced the most profound blessings - deeper than I could ever imagine. Obedience is costly, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. God continues to call us into deeper waters than we have previously tested. He requires reliance on, and obedience in Him. For good reason. Our life is meaningless and empty without Him. Fully expressed love from a believer to God’s heart is exhibited when we fix our thoughts on Him and move without question where He calls. Obedience to God brings us fullness of life and love. Luke 1:26-38 says, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Don’t you adore these verses?! This is one of my very favorite stories and responses in the Bible. Examine the heart, faith, and simple, prompt response of Mary. I want a heart that always follows exactly where God leads, exactly when He requests, and exactly how He desires me to move. Mary exemplified obedient love in action. 1 John 5:1-3 says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.” When we love God, and the Holy Spirit is alive and active inside us, obedience becomes a pleasurable, desirable source of peace. Jesus remained steadfast; modeling obedient love, bidding us to imitate His actions. John 15:10 says, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Luke 6:46-49 says, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Don’t wait for hardships and tragedies to force you to follow the Lord. Let obedient love guide and rule your life. John 15:9-17 says, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” Jesus already expressed obedient love to the fullest degree with the largest sacrifice one could make. Beseeching us to love and follow His commands, Jesus tells us that by doing so, we will abide in His love, carry His joy, and bear fruit that will last. Because He loves us so deeply, He commands us to love each other. The Bible tells us that three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. Dear Jesus, thank you for modeling love with the greatest act of obedience the world has recorded. Your passionate and unfailing love is a template for us. We fall so short, Lord. Help us to abide in Your perfect love that casts out all fear and enable us to obediently follow where You call with a passion that never becomes a burden, yet is a joyful delight for us and for You. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. The Live With Eternal Perspective podcast is currently linked to my new website at terrihitt.com, where you can access all the podcasts housed in one convenient location, as well as receive access to blog posts, transcripts, and additional free resources that are added to regularly. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to Jesus and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up and find new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #001 Heart Conditions Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective podcast Episode #001 – Heart Conditions. Thank you for entrusting and investing part of your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed and thrilled to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. In the last podcast, #000, the Introductory podcast, I explained a little about why I started this show. The main points I shared are the great joy I experience in sharing and hearing God stories, in encouraging others to live with an eternal perspective for Jesus, and that I consider myself a “girl” in love with Jesus. I hope each episode encourages and inspires you to mature your walk with Christ and allow Him to transform your heart, as well. I pray that each personal experience and lesson I share with you points your heart and mind upward to Him. I have a husband, one daughter in Heaven, one son, a grandson, and two daughters on earth. My youngest daughter is always on the hunt for hearts. She spots the shape in flowers, in artwork, in cereal, rocks…really the list is very long. I enjoy looking for them with her. Finding hearts together feels like a special gift from God to make us smile. One Christmas morning, I found a perfectly shaped heart in the foam on top of my orange juice. Our sweet girl came home from China to be with us at the age of nine. Brooklyn had survived a lonely existence in the crib room at a Chinese orphanage. The bed she was confined to was smaller than an American port-a-crib. No one talked to her, ate with her, or played with her. Because of her heart condition, no one thought she would survive, except for God. At the age of 7, Brooklyn was able to have open heart surgery. There was actually a first step in this procedure that should have been have been performed on her when she was just an infant, and the surgery she had in China should have been performed when she was around the age of 2. We will never know why or how she finally received the operation, but it enabled her to experience life with much better quality, and she was abruptly released from the crib room to join regular orphanage life at 7 years old. There’s a deep and detailed story behind that release, but I’ll save it for another podcast. Because our girl has several heart defects, the surgery she had wasn’t a repair, but she definitely did have a better quality of life than before. Knowing that Brooklyn’s health was much improved, but that it was still imperative she have another open heart surgery, the orphanage finally prepared documents for her to be eligible for adoption. Most couples, however, did not want to take a risk on a child who could not have her heart repaired, even after the next surgery. Because her future was uncertain, her prepared adoption records sat mostly unnoticed. I believe God was holding her for us to find. I had been praying for various children, both domestically and internationally, to find forever homes for over ten years at the time I saw Brooklyn’s face online. While scrolling through photos and offering prayers for several of the children I viewed on my computer screen one morning, I literally stopped when I saw her. I could not scroll past her face or expression. I immediately began praying for her, yet instead of moving on to other children to pray for them, she remained embedded in my memory. I told my husband about her and asked him to pray for her, too, but instead of releasing thoughts of her, I continued day dreaming about her each day. After a couple of weeks, I contacted the adoption agency that listed her and inquired about her history. I also asked for more information to be gathered. Before long, I memorized every fact they had on her and I was receiving updates from China. The agent I worked with said I knew her file better than anyone. The only concern that kept rearing an ugly question was her health. I sent her medical file to top pediatric cardiologists at several major hospitals in the United States. They all reported back with the same information. Any repair would be palliative. Her heart could not be fixed. At some point, a heart transplant would be needed. It was such deep news to process. My husband and I went straight to the Lord. The major hesitation in my heart was that we had already lost a daughter. I didn’t want to experience that pain again. I also didn’t want my then nine year old daughter or my grown son to experience losing a sibling again. Marissa was four when Jaime died. It had been brutally hard. Even harder on her and the whole family was losing Jaime, then also dealing with the gradual decline of my mother’s health due to Alzheimer’s disease, and walking through almost a year of lung cancer with my father. My father died six years after Jaime, but dealing with me managing the care of my parents in the interim was excruciating for my then youngest child. We spent almost every day with either my mother or father and it had been one hard battle after another for years by this time. My mother was still alive and I knew her health would only decline. Even thinking of caring for a palliative child who had lived in isolation most of her nine years in an orphanage on top of everything made no sense. But one question kept pressing in my mind. Would it make sense to God? My husband and I prayed for three months before knowing it did. This was His plan. God doesn’t call us to seek a life of ease; He calls us to obey. Once we knew God was requesting us to bring Brooklyn home to our family, we moved as quickly as possible to submit documents to begin the adoption process. After we received pre-approval, we completed our home study, began completing all of the required paperwork, and gathered much needed funds. In our case, I spent hours locating, completing, and submitting grant applications. God provided absolutely everything we needed. We were blessed to be recipients of several matching grants and experienced the generosity of many friends and family. There is never an excuse for us to ignore the calls that God places in or on each of us. Where God leads, He does provide. It is our responsibility to take the step of faith that creates obedience and opens the door for God to supply. One special friend held a huge garage sale for us and donated all the money toward the adoption fund. On top of that, she contributed $500 to the adoption. Another dear friend donated $800 towards the adoption. God was clearly calling others to invest in His work and in the life of His dear daughter who deserved a family to love her. It only took eight months from the start of our paperwork that began the process, until we actually traveled to China. We were on a mission to get our girl home, and then quickly get her as healthy as possible. After she was home, Brooklyn had so many doctor appointments. There were many health issues and as I said before, this subject would be another podcast on its own. Following other surgeries that she had to undergo to rid her body of multiple infections, we were finally able to focus on her second heart surgery. Due to several heart defects, our girl basically lives on half a heart. But let me tell you that her heart explodes with love as full as several whole hearts. That’s actually the focus of our podcast today: the condition of our heart. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 4:23, which warns, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Do you ever just stop and look around? It seems everyone is always in a hurry. We’re so used to immediate gratification, and over-scheduled lives. We’ve jam-packed kindness right out of the picture. No one has time for it. In reality, we make time for what we care about. This world – and all of us in it – will not change until we change the condition of our hearts. I truly believe the problems of this world would be solved if we all allowed a heart adjustment from Jesus. Before Jesus left His disciples, He warned them that He would not talk with them much longer. “The ruler of this world is coming,” He said. “He has nothing in me.” Jesus was letting them know that Satan had nothing over Him. There was absolutely no handle with which Satan could get a hold on Jesus or persuade Him to sin. Here’s the important point for us to remember. Satan actually needs fertile ground to plant and grow his damage and destruction. This means that when we have an area of our life that has not been surrendered to the Lord, we invite Satan into the garden of our hearts to begin preparing for a harvest. Do you realize that God’s word is actually full of warnings for us? The Bible holds wise and seemingly simple advice to steer us straight to Jesus and away from the clutches of Satan. Here are a few: Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Give to those who have need. Be kind to one another. Be tenderhearted. Forgive one another. Walk in love and be imitators of God. They are all such simple directives. What is the key? We have to follow these commands with a pure and willing heart that is submitted to Jesus because we love Him and we have surrendered our lives to Him as our Savior. The works we do are acts of love and obedience – they’re not done to attempt to gain favor or to look good to others. Everything circles back to the condition of our heart. Ephesians 4:30 instructs, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” What I find so fascinating is that the verses right before, and also following this verse, warn extensively about the inappropriate use of anger, fighting, slander, bad attitudes, and our tongue. This proves that the Holy Spirit is deeply grieved by sins committed daily by those of us who profess to love Him. Matthew 12:34b says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If you skip down to verses 36 and 37, Jesus warns, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The excess in our hearts - both good and bad - will eventually spill out of our mouths. When it happens, it reveals our core nature. Colossians 4:5 offers a wise solution. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Simply translated, this means that the words of believers must be spoken with the intention of being useful for helping others and for building them up. Help others and build them up. So incredibly hard to do when we’re angry. Hard to do when we have been abused or misunderstood. Almost impossible when we’ve been wrongly accused. Just like Jesus was. Yet, every single action He took was intentional. Jesus didn’t react according to how He felt. Jesus longed to fulfill His Father’s plans for Him. He longed to please the Father. Jesus loves us so much that He kept His focus on what He knew with a certainty God was calling Him to do. Jesus didn’t put himself on the throne of His life. Because He knew His life wasn’t His own. Neither is ours. We know it, but don’t always keep it in the forefront of our mind and heart. Abiding in Jesus means we are to allow every bit of ourselves to abide in Him. We are here on this earth for such a short time. There’s a purpose to the personal suffering each one of us has endured. No one else is created exactly as you are. No one else is created exactly as I am. We are called to use our lives for Him and let that overflow to each other. Each of our stories, each of our glories and disasters are sifted through His hands before they touch us and have been allowed for a divine purpose. Our hearts cannot help but be radically transformed when we remember that truth. In turn, our transformation affects everyone around us. This then draws others to Jesus, as we allow His heart and mind to radiate and work through us. Our hearts begin to love others as Jesus does and our words and actions prove it. This is living with true eternal perspective. It changes everything about us, beginning with our heartitude. It’s my made-up word, but I think you know what I mean. It’s what God refers to as our “core nature.” Heartitude vomits what we’ve got stored inside. We suddenly expel what is, and has been, buried deep within. For example: What about when we are tired at the end of a day and we just want to run into the grocery store and get out quickly with what we need for dinner. The lines are looong! One cashier works as quickly as they can to process everyone in the store through one line, and of course, everyone suddenly wants to leave at the same time. The scowl on our face and the impatience in our body language tells everyone around us just how much we love Jesus, right? What about when we’re dealing with customer service or a medical representative on a phone call, and after we’ve been transferred again, and have repeated our story for about the fifth time, but we’re still no closer to getting direction or resolution on our issue? The tone of our voice and choice of our words lets the person on the other end of the phone hear how much we love and follow Jesus, right? What about when someone, an adult, or even another child, intentionally treats your child unfairly or unkindly? Even after you rationally discuss it with them, they continue to harass or harm your beloved child. What about when they make fun of your child with special needs? Our reaction reflects how we respond just like Jesus, right? I have lived through each of these triggers. Sometimes I have responded in a way that I believe Jesus would approve of, and I believe I have shown Him to others through the way I handled my reaction. But at other times, I know I have saddened Jesus with my response. I immediately regretted the choices I made. It grieved my heart to know that I intentionally caused sorrow for Jesus. When we live by reaction or for what is easiest for us at the time, we are choosing to live for our own flesh, whether that is because we are simply being selfish, or because we lost our temper, or because we became frustrated, it doesn’t matter. We are intentionally making a choice to hurt Jesus, whether we recognize it or not. We all have different triggers and strongholds. Instead of living in shame or embarrassment when you react in an ungodly way, praise God for it! I am always humbled after responding in a manner unworthy of a daughter of the King. I apologize to God (and the person I offended, if I can) and I look at my weakness as a reflection in a mirror that has clearly shined my area of need. God has shown my frailty with a distinct clarity because He loves and He understands me completely. He is expelling “me” so He can fill all of the spaces. As we abide in God and allow Him to fully reside in us, the changes are permanent and visible. “More of Him, less of me” becomes the chant we hear internally and respond from when we are thrown off balance, disturbed, or hurt because Jesus and His reactions and replies are permanently embedded in the pulse of our being. We are then truly living with an eternal perspective. Thank you for listening to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. God has impressed so much on my heart to share. Living with an eternal perspective affects absolutely everything in my life. I am thrilled to delve into different areas with you. Since everything affects our eternity, we will have a lot to discuss! I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you found value in this podcast, please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. I also encourage you to leave a review. In order for others to be able to find this podcast, I will need the support of listeners who will invest a few minutes in subscribing and reviewing to lift Live With Eternal Perspective higher on the charts so that the platform shows it to everyone. Thank you again for sharing part of your day with me. Until next time, keep looking Upward and finding new ways to live with an Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 001 Heart Conditions Listen to Episode Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #001 Heart Conditions Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective podcast Episode #001 – Heart Conditions. Thank you for entrusting and investing part of your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed and thrilled to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. In the last podcast, #000, the Introductory podcast, I explained a little about why I started this show. The main points I shared are the great joy I experience in sharing and hearing God stories, in encouraging others to live with an eternal perspective for Jesus, and that I consider myself a “girl” in love with Jesus. I hope each episode encourages and inspires you to mature your walk with Christ and allow Him to transform your heart, as well. I pray that each personal experience and lesson I share with you points your heart and mind upward to Him. I have a husband, one daughter in Heaven, one son, a grandson, and two daughters on earth. My youngest daughter is always on the hunt for hearts. She spots the shape in flowers, in artwork, in cereal, rocks…really the list is very long. I enjoy looking for them with her. Finding hearts together feels like a special gift from God to make us smile. One Christmas morning, I found a perfectly shaped heart in the foam on top of my orange juice. Our sweet girl came home from China to be with us at the age of nine. Brooklyn had survived a lonely existence in the crib room at a Chinese orphanage. The bed she was confined to was smaller than an American port-a-crib. No one talked to her, ate with her, or played with her. Because of her heart condition, no one thought she would survive, except for God. At the age of 7, Brooklyn was able to have open heart surgery. There was actually a first step in this procedure that should have been have been performed on her when she was just an infant, and the surgery she had in China should have been performed when she was around the age of 2. We will never know why or how she finally received the operation, but it enabled her to experience life with much better quality, and she was abruptly released from the crib room to join regular orphanage life at 7 years old. There’s a deep and detailed story behind that release, but I’ll save it for another podcast. Because our girl has several heart defects, the surgery she had wasn’t a repair, but she definitely did have a better quality of life than before. Knowing that Brooklyn’s health was much improved, but that it was still imperative she have another open heart surgery, the orphanage finally prepared documents for her to be eligible for adoption. Most couples, however, did not want to take a risk on a child who could not have her heart repaired, even after the next surgery. Because her future was uncertain, her prepared adoption records sat mostly unnoticed. I believe God was holding her for us to find. I had been praying for various children, both domestically and internationally, to find forever homes for over ten years at the time I saw Brooklyn’s face online. While scrolling through photos and offering prayers for several of the children I viewed on my computer screen one morning, I literally stopped when I saw her. I could not scroll past her face or expression. I immediately began praying for her, yet instead of moving on to other children to pray for them, she remained embedded in my memory. I told my husband about her and asked him to pray for her, too, but instead of releasing thoughts of her, I continued day dreaming about her each day. After a couple of weeks, I contacted the adoption agency that listed her and inquired about her history. I also asked for more information to be gathered. Before long, I memorized every fact they had on her and I was receiving updates from China. The agent I worked with said I knew her file better than anyone. The only concern that kept rearing an ugly question was her health. I sent her medical file to top pediatric cardiologists at several major hospitals in the United States. They all reported back with the same information. Any repair would be palliative. Her heart could not be fixed. At some point, a heart transplant would be needed. It was such deep news to process. My husband and I went straight to the Lord. The major hesitation in my heart was that we had already lost a daughter. I didn’t want to experience that pain again. I also didn’t want my then nine year old daughter or my grown son to experience losing a sibling again. Marissa was four when Jaime died. It had been brutally hard. Even harder on her and the whole family was losing Jaime, then also dealing with the gradual decline of my mother’s health due to Alzheimer’s disease, and walking through almost a year of lung cancer with my father. My father died six years after Jaime, but dealing with me managing the care of my parents in the interim was excruciating for my then youngest child. We spent almost every day with either my mother or father and it had been one hard battle after another for years by this time. My mother was still alive and I knew her health would only decline. Even thinking of caring for a palliative child who had lived in isolation most of her nine years in an orphanage on top of everything made no sense. But one question kept pressing in my mind. Would it make sense to God? My husband and I prayed for three months before knowing it did. This was His plan. God doesn’t call us to seek a life of ease; He calls us to obey. Once we knew God was requesting us to bring Brooklyn home to our family, we moved as quickly as possible to submit documents to begin the adoption process. After we received pre-approval, we completed our home study, began completing all of the required paperwork, and gathered much needed funds. In our case, I spent hours locating, completing, and submitting grant applications. God provided absolutely everything we needed. We were blessed to be recipients of several matching grants and experienced the generosity of many friends and family. There is never an excuse for us to ignore the calls that God places in or on each of us. Where God leads, He does provide. It is our responsibility to take the step of faith that creates obedience and opens the door for God to supply. One special friend held a huge garage sale for us and donated all the money toward the adoption fund. On top of that, she contributed $500 to the adoption. Another dear friend donated $800 towards the adoption. God was clearly calling others to invest in His work and in the life of His dear daughter who deserved a family to love her. It only took eight months from the start of our paperwork that began the process, until we actually traveled to China. We were on a mission to get our girl home, and then quickly get her as healthy as possible. After she was home, Brooklyn had so many doctor appointments. There were many health issues and as I said before, this subject would be another podcast on its own. Following other surgeries that she had to undergo to rid her body of multiple infections, we were finally able to focus on her second heart surgery. Due to several heart defects, our girl basically lives on half a heart. But let me tell you that her heart explodes with love as full as several whole hearts. That’s actually the focus of our podcast today: the condition of our heart. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 4:23, which warns, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Do you ever just stop and look around? It seems everyone is always in a hurry. We’re so used to immediate gratification, and over-scheduled lives. We’ve jam-packed kindness right out of the picture. No one has time for it. In reality, we make time for what we care about. This world – and all of us in it – will not change until we change the condition of our hearts. I truly believe the problems of this world would be solved if we all allowed a heart adjustment from Jesus. Before Jesus left His disciples, He warned them that He would not talk with them much longer. “The ruler of this world is coming,” He said. “He has nothing in me.” Jesus was letting them know that Satan had nothing over Him. There was absolutely no handle with which Satan could get a hold on Jesus or persuade Him to sin. Here’s the important point for us to remember. Satan actually needs fertile ground to plant and grow his damage and destruction. This means that when we have an area of our life that has not been surrendered to the Lord, we invite Satan into the garden of our hearts to begin preparing for a harvest. Do you realize that God’s word is actually full of warnings for us? The Bible holds wise and seemingly simple advice to steer us straight to Jesus and away from the clutches of Satan. Here are a few: Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Give to those who have need. Be kind to one another. Be tenderhearted. Forgive one another. Walk in love and be imitators of God. They are all such simple directives. What is the key? We have to follow these commands with a pure and willing heart that is submitted to Jesus because we love Him and we have surrendered our lives to Him as our Savior. The works we do are acts of love and obedience – they’re not done to attempt to gain favor or to look good to others. Everything circles back to the condition of our heart. Ephesians 4:30 instructs, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” What I find so fascinating is that the verses right before, and also following this verse, warn extensively about the inappropriate use of anger, fighting, slander, bad attitudes, and our tongue. This proves that the Holy Spirit is deeply grieved by sins committed daily by those of us who profess to love Him. Matthew 12:34b says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If you skip down to verses 36 and 37, Jesus warns, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The excess in our hearts - both good and bad - will eventually spill out of our mouths. When it happens, it reveals our core nature. Colossians 4:5 offers a wise solution. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Simply translated, this means that the words of believers must be spoken with the intention of being useful for helping others and for building them up. Help others and build them up. So incredibly hard to do when we’re angry. Hard to do when we have been abused or misunderstood. Almost impossible when we’ve been wrongly accused. Just like Jesus was. Yet, every single action He took was intentional. Jesus didn’t react according to how He felt. Jesus longed to fulfill His Father’s plans for Him. He longed to please the Father. Jesus loves us so much that He kept His focus on what He knew with a certainty God was calling Him to do. Jesus didn’t put himself on the throne of His life. Because He knew His life wasn’t His own. Neither is ours. We know it, but don’t always keep it in the forefront of our mind and heart. Abiding in Jesus means we are to allow every bit of ourselves to abide in Him. We are here on this earth for such a short time. There’s a purpose to the personal suffering each one of us has endured. No one else is created exactly as you are. No one else is created exactly as I am. We are called to use our lives for Him and let that overflow to each other. Each of our stories, each of our glories and disasters are sifted through His hands before they touch us and have been allowed for a divine purpose. Our hearts cannot help but be radically transformed when we remember that truth. In turn, our transformation affects everyone around us. This then draws others to Jesus, as we allow His heart and mind to radiate and work through us. Our hearts begin to love others as Jesus does and our words and actions prove it. This is living with true eternal perspective. It changes everything about us, beginning with our heartitude. It’s my made-up word, but I think you know what I mean. It’s what God refers to as our “core nature.” Heartitude vomits what we’ve got stored inside. We suddenly expel what is, and has been, buried deep within. For example: What about when we are tired at the end of a day and we just want to run into the grocery store and get out quickly with what we need for dinner. The lines are looong! One cashier works as quickly as they can to process everyone in the store through one line, and of course, everyone suddenly wants to leave at the same time. The scowl on our face and the impatience in our body language tells everyone around us just how much we love Jesus, right? What about when we’re dealing with customer service or a medical representative on a phone call, and after we’ve been transferred again, and have repeated our story for about the fifth time, but we’re still no closer to getting direction or resolution on our issue? The tone of our voice and choice of our words lets the person on the other end of the phone hear how much we love and follow Jesus, right? What about when someone, an adult, or even another child, intentionally treats your child unfairly or unkindly? Even after you rationally discuss it with them, they continue to harass or harm your beloved child. What about when they make fun of your child with special needs? Our reaction reflects how we respond just like Jesus, right? I have lived through each of these triggers. Sometimes I have responded in a way that I believe Jesus would approve of, and I believe I have shown Him to others through the way I handled my reaction. But at other times, I know I have saddened Jesus with my response. I immediately regretted the choices I made. It grieved my heart to know that I intentionally caused sorrow for Jesus. When we live by reaction or for what is easiest for us at the time, we are choosing to live for our own flesh, whether that is because we are simply being selfish, or because we lost our temper, or because we became frustrated, it doesn’t matter. We are intentionally making a choice to hurt Jesus, whether we recognize it or not. We all have different triggers and strongholds. Instead of living in shame or embarrassment when you react in an ungodly way, praise God for it! I am always humbled after responding in a manner unworthy of a daughter of the King. I apologize to God (and the person I offended, if I can) and I look at my weakness as a reflection in a mirror that has clearly shined my area of need. God has shown my frailty with a distinct clarity because He loves and He understands me completely. He is expelling “me” so He can fill all of the spaces. As we abide in God and allow Him to fully reside in us, the changes are permanent and visible. “More of Him, less of me” becomes the chant we hear internally and respond from when we are thrown off balance, disturbed, or hurt because Jesus and His reactions and replies are permanently embedded in the pulse of our being. We are then truly living with an eternal perspective. Thank you for listening to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. God has impressed so much on my heart to share. Living with an eternal perspective affects absolutely everything in my life. I am thrilled to delve into different areas with you. Since everything affects our eternity, we will have a lot to discuss! I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you found value in this podcast, please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. I also encourage you to leave a review. In order for others to be able to find this podcast, I will need the support of listeners who will invest a few minutes in subscribing and reviewing to lift Live With Eternal Perspective higher on the charts so that the platform shows it to everyone. Thank you again for sharing part of your day with me. Until next time, keep looking Upward and finding new ways to live with an Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #077 – Easing Heartache Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those mourning, for they will be comforted.” June 18th and June 21st were beyond difficult days in our family. Grief hit our home and the impact was hard. Before I married a dog-loving man I never would have imagined the depth of relationship a person could have with a household pet. My parents never allowed us to have an inside dog as I was growing up, and an outside dog, although still cared for, is certainly not the same as a loving furry family member who knows everything about you, follows you everywhere inside the house, and adores you despite whether you're made-up or in need of a bath. Your schedule is known and if you deviate in any way, they may offer a question with a slight tilt of their head, but all-in-all, accept the change as long as you are still with them and they have the honor of remaining in your presence. Since marrying a man who has always had to have a pet in our house, I have slowly become accustomed to an ever-present dog. While we have had absolutely amazing pets over the years, and some that took a giant piece of my heart with them after they passed, I have never been as affected by the death of a pet as I was last month. On June 18th we lost Max, our ten year old, exquisitely handsome Golden Retriever. While Max truly loved every family member deeply, he was the first family dog that chose me as his favorite. He was a mama's boy to the core. Whenever I petted him, he purred his favor and satisfaction like a cat and slapped me with his clumsy giant paws, proving his devotion as he tagged me as his. Max followed me everywhere, becoming my four-legged shadow who was always up in an instant and ready to go whenever and wherever I was headed. Max often carried a football around the house. Never mind that he could not catch! Whatever we tossed his way would land awkwardly on the floor beside or behind our boy, but rarely in his mouth. He was my baby, my friend, my warm cuddle-buddy, and my blessing, for time with him always brought a smile and warmth to my heart. On June 21st, a few days after losing Max, we lost his sister, our thirteen year old Miniature Schnauzer, Misty. Just as Max loved everyone, but chose one favorite to shadow, Misty loved each of us well, yet claimed my husband as her special family member. We used to laugh at the adoration in her eyes whenever she looked at him. We called Misty our "little girl," because she always seemed to envy Marissa as they grew up together. It seemed she wanted to be a person, not a canine, and the depth of desire and love in her eyes for all of us seemed to confirm our thoughts. Misty loved music and whenever we would sing to her, she would stop whatever she was doing and come to sit in front of us so that we would continue a special personal concert designed for her. Our "little girl" also grew up attending family worship and prayer time with us, and she and Marissa used to race each other for a seat next to me when they were younger. In her mature years, Misty still came to school with us and almost never missed Bible or prayer time. My youngest, Brooklyn loved feeding and brushing the dogs and spending quiet time with them as she slept near both of them. Marissa and I loved the way Misty always raced upstairs when she knew I was headed to Marissa's room to do something with her. Misty knew she would get to sit with us and receive a special time of cuddles and hugs that Max would never know about. After losing Max, we spent three days trying to save Misty, gently feeding her baby food from our fingertips, gently wrapping cool washcloths on her paws in an attempt to reduce her fever, and carrying her outside to enjoy the breezy sunshine weather when she could no longer walk. I never imagined we would lose both of our precious babies within days of each other. The emergency veterinarian told us it was a rarity to have a family come in with two critically ill dogs at the same time. We aren't sure what happened. Suddenly both of our furry family members became very sick. Misty had declined the previous summer and after we urgently prayed for a miracle for her health last year, we received one. Misty had seemed healthier, stronger, and going on regular walks with Marissa daily. Just days after Max suddenly got sick, she did as well. Our regular vet could not figure out what was going on and referred us to the emergency clinic. Without hospitalizing both of them and spending what could amount to ten thousand dollars for the next few days (on top of what we had already spent), neither of our babies was going to make it. In the end, the vets believed that Max's kidneys had failed and Misty had underlying cancer, perhaps in her pancreas. At least they lived without symptoms until the very end, and even then, neither of them complained. As we tried to nurse both of them ourselves, praying for improvement, they loved and trusted us with their usual tenderness. love, and compassion. I will never find animals quite like them this side of heaven, where I pray I meet with them again. God amazes me that He crafted these sweet babies, knowing they would be ours, and instilling just what I needed, we each needed, in both of them. Pure love, gentleness, acceptance, and peace emanated from them with ease, reminding me daily of what the Father desires from each of us. Without them, I also think of the Father's gentle spirit when He created them and it allows me to grieve with hope that I will see them in eternity. Although animals do not have a soul that can choose to accept Christ as their Savior, and nothing biblically proves that animals will be in heaven, I pray that because Adam and Eve were stewards over animals in the beginning, that God will allow the beautiful four-legged family members we loved to have a final resting place with Him for eternity. Grief is tricky, but also a beautiful mechanism of the love that God must have for us. For if I, a mere sinful human, can love with an intensity that allows me to deeply miss the animals I called a part of my family, imagine the extreme and passionate love God holds for each of us, His creation made with a purpose. As we said goodbye to our beloved pets, I told the emergency vet that I had lost a daughter and many close family members, and that loss was a million times worse, yet the pain of losing my precious pets was still extremely painful. I carry the sweet memories made with them very close, thinking of their precious faces often throughout each day. I feel emptiness in my schedule because they are not here to make me laugh, sing, play hide and seek, or marvel at the way they join every activity with excitement and love simply because we are there with them. The way we each are to rejoice in our time spent with the Lord. It’s okay to take life slower for as long as I need to and I should not feel guilty because I am grieving pets. If you are not a dog or pet lover, I understand. I honestly thought that I wouldn’t want any more pets after these were gone. I failed to understand the depth of the devotion I had for them. Although I am admittedly not a puppy person, it’s like having a newborn in the house, and that means a lot of work. Yet, I truly and deeply loved our dogs. They perfectly fit into each day and situation, even with quirky habits that made them even more a part of the family. Losing pets also proves that pain is pain. Loss is loss. Who understands the depth? Jesus. Remember John 11:35? “Jesus wept.” I remember the first days after losing my daughter. The depth of anguish was chasm-sized, relentless, and I had to force myself to breathe through the crushing pain weighing on my chest. I didn't want to cry in front of others because it felt too personal and I also wasn't sure that I could stop the tears. I wanted to grieve in my own way, plus I didn’t want to upset my four year old daughter or leave her burdened with a mother who couldn’t care for her. So I grieved in private times and allowed God to offer the peace only He can. But the years of loss after her, filled with many others I loved, have made me ultra-tender to grief. Also knowing that I have a young daughter who could experience decline at any time, and seeing the losses of so many parents I know who have children with similar conditions has marked my spirit in a way that has left me more vulnerable to grief. I've cried or thought of them daily since my sweet, furry companions have been gone and I feel like they must have felt when they used to lay on the floor, with underbellies exposed. But I don't care. God offers me peace and calm when I ask, just like with the losses before. He is ever-present and I feel Him near. He tells me that He holds my tears and each one is recorded. He understands as no one else can. What is gone had been a gift from Him and the preciousness is a reminder of each loved one I have been with, yet lost, and those I still hold and treasure. Any or all of them could be gone in an instant; another reminder that living with eternal perspective is the only way to fully live in this world. About two weeks before Max got sick, I remember hearing a voice in my spirit one day that concerned me. It said, "Max will be attacked." Just as my Heavenly Father sent me a warning twenty-four hours before I lost my first child, I think God must have sent me a sign to trust Him again. He always watches over us in ways unique to each of us, and for the purposes He intends. I am glad He prepared me in this way. Losing both of our beloved and precious furry family members at once was truly very difficult. I feel like our culture sometimes dismisses the loss of pets as insignificant, but we the ties and bonds we have with our pets can be as strong and intense as some we have with humans. Our pets trust us implicitly, they love unconditionally, and spend almost every moment with us. The loss of their presence leaves a giant hole in our daily routines and lifestyle, as well as our ability to laugh and love in the same way we previously experienced. Yet, it makes everything sweeter still. One of the gifts of God is the ability to continue to peel away layer after layer of humanity and heal that exposed area with not new flesh, but the ability to hold and feel life more like He does and how He desires – with our mind and heart set for Him. Eccesiastes 1:14 says, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Love trumps possessions or power. In the Bible, even Solomon’s special wisdom granted by God did not provide meaning that satisfied his soul. God continues to burden my heart with an ache that nothing in this world can satisfy. I truly desire for everyone to know Him and the peace that God alone brings us through a maturing relationship with Christ. My heart yearns for each of us to make time to rest in Him. Change your schedule. Slow your life. Make time to not only read the word, but digest it. Ponder God’s words and ways. Apply His teachings, promises, and love to your life and those around you. Do not harbor bitterness or anger, jealousy or hatred, unforgiveness or sadness. Truly examine your heart and lay it before God so that He can heal the areas you need. Even when we already feel those areas have been released to Him, God and His words have mighty power that is living and active. Just as Hebrews 4:12 says, “Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Cling ever tighter to Jesus, beginning now. Although I don’t enjoy the hurts of this world, God never fails to be the steadiness that is exactly what I need and He draws me ever nearer through all that occurs. May it always be so, and true for each one of us. Father God, may we allow You to examine our thoughts and heart. We need You so much more than we know. Despite heartache and difficulty in this world, we become closer to You when we allow troubles and disappointment to draw us ever nearer. The only way we can do that is to be building a relationship with You consistently as one lays a firm foundation on solid ground so that we are ready before the storm hits. Thank you for being calm, peace, and steadiness that our minds can grasp, yet also so much more that we can only begin to fathom through the hope and trust You leave us in Jesus. You are all we need, dear Father. Thank you. In Your precious name we pray. Amen. This week I pray you find new ways to rest in Him and cause yourself to cling to Him in deeper ways that test your faith and understanding. Allow Him to bring you to a new level of trust and abandonment of self. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture as You rely on God to direct your steps. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to the Lord and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 077 - Easing Heartache Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #077 – Easing Heartache Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those mourning, for they will be comforted.” June 18th and June 21st were beyond difficult days in our family. Grief hit our home and the impact was hard. Before I married a dog-loving man I never would have imagined the depth of relationship a person could have with a household pet. My parents never allowed us to have an inside dog as I was growing up, and an outside dog, although still cared for, is certainly not the same as a loving furry family member who knows everything about you, follows you everywhere inside the house, and adores you despite whether you're made-up or in need of a bath. Your schedule is known and if you deviate in any way, they may offer a question with a slight tilt of their head, but all-in-all, accept the change as long as you are still with them and they have the honor of remaining in your presence. Since marrying a man who has always had to have a pet in our house, I have slowly become accustomed to an ever-present dog. While we have had absolutely amazing pets over the years, and some that took a giant piece of my heart with them after they passed, I have never been as affected by the death of a pet as I was last month. On June 18th we lost Max, our ten year old, exquisitely handsome Golden Retriever. While Max truly loved every family member deeply, he was the first family dog that chose me as his favorite. He was a mama's boy to the core. Whenever I petted him, he purred his favor and satisfaction like a cat and slapped me with his clumsy giant paws, proving his devotion as he tagged me as his. Max followed me everywhere, becoming my four-legged shadow who was always up in an instant and ready to go whenever and wherever I was headed. Max often carried a football around the house. Never mind that he could not catch! Whatever we tossed his way would land awkwardly on the floor beside or behind our boy, but rarely in his mouth. He was my baby, my friend, my warm cuddle-buddy, and my blessing, for time with him always brought a smile and warmth to my heart. On June 21st, a few days after losing Max, we lost his sister, our thirteen year old Miniature Schnauzer, Misty. Just as Max loved everyone, but chose one favorite to shadow, Misty loved each of us well, yet claimed my husband as her special family member. We used to laugh at the adoration in her eyes whenever she looked at him. We called Misty our "little girl," because she always seemed to envy Marissa as they grew up together. It seemed she wanted to be a person, not a canine, and the depth of desire and love in her eyes for all of us seemed to confirm our thoughts. Misty loved music and whenever we would sing to her, she would stop whatever she was doing and come to sit in front of us so that we would continue a special personal concert designed for her. Our "little girl" also grew up attending family worship and prayer time with us, and she and Marissa used to race each other for a seat next to me when they were younger. In her mature years, Misty still came to school with us and almost never missed Bible or prayer time. My youngest, Brooklyn loved feeding and brushing the dogs and spending quiet time with them as she slept near both of them. Marissa and I loved the way Misty always raced upstairs when she knew I was headed to Marissa's room to do something with her. Misty knew she would get to sit with us and receive a special time of cuddles and hugs that Max would never know about. After losing Max, we spent three days trying to save Misty, gently feeding her baby food from our fingertips, gently wrapping cool washcloths on her paws in an attempt to reduce her fever, and carrying her outside to enjoy the breezy sunshine weather when she could no longer walk. I never imagined we would lose both of our precious babies within days of each other. The emergency veterinarian told us it was a rarity to have a family come in with two critically ill dogs at the same time. We aren't sure what happened. Suddenly both of our furry family members became very sick. Misty had declined the previous summer and after we urgently prayed for a miracle for her health last year, we received one. Misty had seemed healthier, stronger, and going on regular walks with Marissa daily. Just days after Max suddenly got sick, she did as well. Our regular vet could not figure out what was going on and referred us to the emergency clinic. Without hospitalizing both of them and spending what could amount to ten thousand dollars for the next few days (on top of what we had already spent), neither of our babies was going to make it. In the end, the vets believed that Max's kidneys had failed and Misty had underlying cancer, perhaps in her pancreas. At least they lived without symptoms until the very end, and even then, neither of them complained. As we tried to nurse both of them ourselves, praying for improvement, they loved and trusted us with their usual tenderness. love, and compassion. I will never find animals quite like them this side of heaven, where I pray I meet with them again. God amazes me that He crafted these sweet babies, knowing they would be ours, and instilling just what I needed, we each needed, in both of them. Pure love, gentleness, acceptance, and peace emanated from them with ease, reminding me daily of what the Father desires from each of us. Without them, I also think of the Father's gentle spirit when He created them and it allows me to grieve with hope that I will see them in eternity. Although animals do not have a soul that can choose to accept Christ as their Savior, and nothing biblically proves that animals will be in heaven, I pray that because Adam and Eve were stewards over animals in the beginning, that God will allow the beautiful four-legged family members we loved to have a final resting place with Him for eternity. Grief is tricky, but also a beautiful mechanism of the love that God must have for us. For if I, a mere sinful human, can love with an intensity that allows me to deeply miss the animals I called a part of my family, imagine the extreme and passionate love God holds for each of us, His creation made with a purpose. As we said goodbye to our beloved pets, I told the emergency vet that I had lost a daughter and many close family members, and that loss was a million times worse, yet the pain of losing my precious pets was still extremely painful. I carry the sweet memories made with them very close, thinking of their precious faces often throughout each day. I feel emptiness in my schedule because they are not here to make me laugh, sing, play hide and seek, or marvel at the way they join every activity with excitement and love simply because we are there with them. The way we each are to rejoice in our time spent with the Lord. It’s okay to take life slower for as long as I need to and I should not feel guilty because I am grieving pets. If you are not a dog or pet lover, I understand. I honestly thought that I wouldn’t want any more pets after these were gone. I failed to understand the depth of the devotion I had for them. Although I am admittedly not a puppy person, it’s like having a newborn in the house, and that means a lot of work. Yet, I truly and deeply loved our dogs. They perfectly fit into each day and situation, even with quirky habits that made them even more a part of the family. Losing pets also proves that pain is pain. Loss is loss. Who understands the depth? Jesus. Remember John 11:35? “Jesus wept.” I remember the first days after losing my daughter. The depth of anguish was chasm-sized, relentless, and I had to force myself to breathe through the crushing pain weighing on my chest. I didn't want to cry in front of others because it felt too personal and I also wasn't sure that I could stop the tears. I wanted to grieve in my own way, plus I didn’t want to upset my four year old daughter or leave her burdened with a mother who couldn’t care for her. So I grieved in private times and allowed God to offer the peace only He can. But the years of loss after her, filled with many others I loved, have made me ultra-tender to grief. Also knowing that I have a young daughter who could experience decline at any time, and seeing the losses of so many parents I know who have children with similar conditions has marked my spirit in a way that has left me more vulnerable to grief. I've cried or thought of them daily since my sweet, furry companions have been gone and I feel like they must have felt when they used to lay on the floor, with underbellies exposed. But I don't care. God offers me peace and calm when I ask, just like with the losses before. He is ever-present and I feel Him near. He tells me that He holds my tears and each one is recorded. He understands as no one else can. What is gone had been a gift from Him and the preciousness is a reminder of each loved one I have been with, yet lost, and those I still hold and treasure. Any or all of them could be gone in an instant; another reminder that living with eternal perspective is the only way to fully live in this world. About two weeks before Max got sick, I remember hearing a voice in my spirit one day that concerned me. It said, "Max will be attacked." Just as my Heavenly Father sent me a warning twenty-four hours before I lost my first child, I think God must have sent me a sign to trust Him again. He always watches over us in ways unique to each of us, and for the purposes He intends. I am glad He prepared me in this way. Losing both of our beloved and precious furry family members at once was truly very difficult. I feel like our culture sometimes dismisses the loss of pets as insignificant, but we the ties and bonds we have with our pets can be as strong and intense as some we have with humans. Our pets trust us implicitly, they love unconditionally, and spend almost every moment with us. The loss of their presence leaves a giant hole in our daily routines and lifestyle, as well as our ability to laugh and love in the same way we previously experienced. Yet, it makes everything sweeter still. One of the gifts of God is the ability to continue to peel away layer after layer of humanity and heal that exposed area with not new flesh, but the ability to hold and feel life more like He does and how He desires – with our mind and heart set for Him. Eccesiastes 1:14 says, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Love trumps possessions or power. In the Bible, even Solomon’s special wisdom granted by God did not provide meaning that satisfied his soul. God continues to burden my heart with an ache that nothing in this world can satisfy. I truly desire for everyone to know Him and the peace that God alone brings us through a maturing relationship with Christ. My heart yearns for each of us to make time to rest in Him. Change your schedule. Slow your life. Make time to not only read the word, but digest it. Ponder God’s words and ways. Apply His teachings, promises, and love to your life and those around you. Do not harbor bitterness or anger, jealousy or hatred, unforgiveness or sadness. Truly examine your heart and lay it before God so that He can heal the areas you need. Even when we already feel those areas have been released to Him, God and His words have mighty power that is living and active. Just as Hebrews 4:12 says, “Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Cling ever tighter to Jesus, beginning now. Although I don’t enjoy the hurts of this world, God never fails to be the steadiness that is exactly what I need and He draws me ever nearer through all that occurs. May it always be so, and true for each one of us. Father God, may we allow You to examine our thoughts and heart. We need You so much more than we know. Despite heartache and difficulty in this world, we become closer to You when we allow troubles and disappointment to draw us ever nearer. The only way we can do that is to be building a relationship with You consistently as one lays a firm foundation on solid ground so that we are ready before the storm hits. Thank you for being calm, peace, and steadiness that our minds can grasp, yet also so much more that we can only begin to fathom through the hope and trust You leave us in Jesus. You are all we need, dear Father. Thank you. In Your precious name we pray. Amen. This week I pray you find new ways to rest in Him and cause yourself to cling to Him in deeper ways that test your faith and understanding. Allow Him to bring you to a new level of trust and abandonment of self. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture as You rely on God to direct your steps. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to the Lord and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #070 – Refining Time Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. This week I purchased a gift for a baby shower. Out of all the various gifts listed on the registry, I chose something very simple. A bottle warmer. Why did I choose that item? A bottle warmer certainly isn’t glamorous or exciting. Yet, the simplicity spoke to my heart because of the purpose behind it. The warmer made me recall the days I had babies in the house. My precious memories of that time brought back cherished moments that now seem so far in the past, yet also feel like yesterday at the same time. Have you ever heard older mothers pass on advice about being in the moment? Appreciate the times with your children while they are young. People always say in hindsight that the days are long, but the years are short. How true the words are. As an older mom who has had the unique gift of raising one family and starting again with a baby, the words stir me very deeply. Although it saddens me, I realize the slight differences between the early years with my first two and my last two. I admit that my love for each of my children is the same and very deep and strong, yet I have a deeper appreciation for my time with the younger set because of the wisdom gained during the years I aged in between. That insight allowed me to understand what a gift our children are and how purposely unique each one is. I always knew they were more precious than gold, but when I was young, my attention was split between chasing dreams and gaining the worldly treasures I thought we needed, instead of realizing my blessed role of raising my children for Jesus. Now I have learned that resting in the arms of our Heavenly Father, appreciating what He has given me, whether it be a long session with a crying child or a quiet time of reflection as I gaze at my infant who never knew attention before, rejoicing as she maintained eye contact for the first time, I am blessed. I bought that bottle warmer for a shower gift because I hope the mother will quietly sit with her baby, appreciating every single moment and will desire to be the one holding and feeding her beloved gift from God. Just as it takes intentional time to bond and attach with our child, we must purpose to mature our relationship with God. Have you ever noticed that some people seem to cultivate a deep relationship with the Lord effortlessly? Yet, the truth is that appearances truly are deceiving. Deep relationships, whether experienced with our Heavenly Father or our loved ones on earth, are strengthened through a wise use of time and attention. Wise believers will implement each moment given with a heart focused on eternity. God has no favorites; He gives each of us the same amount of time and love. We are the ones who vary our attention to and devotion for Him. Unless we realize that the time allotted to us is a valuable resource, we never prioritize what we want our life and our future to hold. If we desire our eternity to hold more treasures than what we could accumulate in this temporary life, we will make a faith-fueled decision that heavenly wealth is more precious and meaningful than worldly possessions. Next, our actions must match what we believe, because in reality, most people, with time and focused effort, can obtain all or much of what their heart yearns for. A life spent merely acquiring belongings can never be returned to us, even after we realize that we wasted those moments chasing temporary, worthless trappings. Purpose now to view eternity with Jesus as wealth. Value the time you have on this earth with a heart and mindset that places relationship with Jesus at the top of goals to achieve. People must stop saying we hope to mature our walk with Christ when we find more time. Get on your knees now, pray for guidance and wisdom, then open your Bible and your heart to what He desires to reveal to you. Relationship with Jesus is “free,” yet priceless, but costs in ways we cannot imagine when we decide to follow Him. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 promises, “Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Rather, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.” Just as we hope, plan, and dream about our future daily here on earth, we must make more time to contemplate our eternal future. Our beliefs and the focus of our actions and moments in this world form our eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” What season are you in? Where is God calling you to change the time you spend for and with Him? Let’s focus on some truths about time to see where we should pivot how we use it. Remember, you don’t need to keep notes. You can easily read and print these suggestions at terrihitt.com in the podcast transcripts area. 1. How we spend time directly affects all areas of our life, most directly, our eternity. 2. Who we spend time with affects and shapes our values and actions. 3. Time can either soothe and heal or cause pain, bitterness, and jealousies to multiply. 4. Time is more valuable than currency; we cannot retrieve more once it has been spent. 5. We do not know how much time we have been gifted. Are you utilizing the time you have been allotted in ways that God would find pleasing? Let’s examine ways we can deliberately use our time for God. 1. Make God a priority. It’s easier to sit on the couch and watch television or scroll through our phone than it is to pick up our Bible. Why? What we discover about God and the life-changing power His word and obedience to Him bring are much more impactful than a movie or sitcom will ever be. 2. Learn the word. Memorization can be hard. If you feel it is an impossible task, allow yourself to read God’s word. Reading His truths bring knowledge, faith, love, joy, peace, and so much more into your life. Write His words. Speak His words. Pray His words. Absorb His words. Read them over and over so they become the wind lifting you confidently through life. 3. Obey the word. As we begin to know the Father’s heart, His desires become ours. We long to obey and please Him as His truths penetrate our heart and mind. 4. Communicate with God. Prayer is the lifeline God blessed us with. How often do you think of prayer as a gift? How often are you distracted when praying? We fail often at such a simple task, yet God is faithful and allows us to continue to step into His glorious and holy presence time after time. Experience the reminder of His righteousness and holiness as you pray His words of truth to Him. 5. Listen to God. Once we continue to communicate with the Lord through prayer, we begin to develop ears to hear. As our walk matures, we hear His still, small voice and His booming commands. Both are important. 6. Repent to God. When we open our heart and confess our sins, He is faithful to listen and forgive. He is able to carry our loads and change our habits. 7. Express gratitude. Just as the Lord longs to hear us repent, He desires to hear sincere thankfulness. When we are grateful during the hard and easy times, the joys or disappointments, we grow our trust and dependence on Him and show Him through contented faith that He is enough and we are thankful for His gift of eternal life and His presence in our life. 8. Plan fun activities with God. God delights in knowing that we look forward to spending time with Him! Whether we long to talk to Him throughout our day, sharing secret thoughts or thankfulness, or whether we pray to Him at a special time every morning or night because we long to share that quality time together, or we look forward to reading His word, drawing for Him, singing for Him, or sharing His truths with others, God sees and knows our heart. Think of new ways to authentically bring delightful obedience to the heart of our Father. 9. Give God good gifts. We know we can never outgive God. With a heart full of love for Him, we can give pleasingly when we use what He has given us to further His kingdom on earth. Money, time, and talents all make beautiful gifts to Him that last for eternity. 10. Value and share God’s wisdom. Making time for Him in all the ways I mentioned prove that we are intentionally bowing in humble submission to God. As we practice deepening our walk and desire for Him, we come to value every aspect of God. Our Heavenly Father, I AM WHO I AM, the God who sanctifies, provides, is all powerful, holy and righteous, the God of peace, the Redeemer, and Truth. Allow Him to penetrate all of you and shine through you for all to see His majesty and glory. Just as a secure and healthy attachment is the foundation that allows your child to freely explore the world, trusting that they have a safe anchor to hold them steady, the time we invest in attaching to our Heavenly Father will allow us to organize and adjust our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, actions, and goals through godly methods because we trust the One who created and knows us best. He knows the plans He has for you, to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a future, and a hope. Look to the Lord for care, guidance, and comfort as an infant seeks His primary caregiver. Just as with a baby, attachment is essential to long-term emotional, financial, spiritual, mental, and physical health. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 10:38-42 says, “As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” Precious Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your gracious gift of an eternal future with You. Thank you for making the way to You so clear through Jesus and for the ultimate sacrifice You offered to bring us into eternity with You. Cause us to see each moment through Your eternal mind and heart-set. May we please You with our willingness and desire to know You more deeply. Allow us to rest in Your presence without a distracted heart or mind. What we have here is nothing in light of what You offer us in our eternal home with You. Help us to fully realize that truth and grant us inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys because we have sought You with a heart of devotion through sacrifice and priority, just as You do for us. In Your holy name we pray, Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 070 Refining Time Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #070 – Refining Time Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. This week I purchased a gift for a baby shower. Out of all the various gifts listed on the registry, I chose something very simple. A bottle warmer. Why did I choose that item? A bottle warmer certainly isn’t glamorous or exciting. Yet, the simplicity spoke to my heart because of the purpose behind it. The warmer made me recall the days I had babies in the house. My precious memories of that time brought back cherished moments that now seem so far in the past, yet also feel like yesterday at the same time. Have you ever heard older mothers pass on advice about being in the moment? Appreciate the times with your children while they are young. People always say in hindsight that the days are long, but the years are short. How true the words are. As an older mom who has had the unique gift of raising one family and starting again with a baby, the words stir me very deeply. Although it saddens me, I realize the slight differences between the early years with my first two and my last two. I admit that my love for each of my children is the same and very deep and strong, yet I have a deeper appreciation for my time with the younger set because of the wisdom gained during the years I aged in between. That insight allowed me to understand what a gift our children are and how purposely unique each one is. I always knew they were more precious than gold, but when I was young, my attention was split between chasing dreams and gaining the worldly treasures I thought we needed, instead of realizing my blessed role of raising my children for Jesus. Now I have learned that resting in the arms of our Heavenly Father, appreciating what He has given me, whether it be a long session with a crying child or a quiet time of reflection as I gaze at my infant who never knew attention before, rejoicing as she maintained eye contact for the first time, I am blessed. I bought that bottle warmer for a shower gift because I hope the mother will quietly sit with her baby, appreciating every single moment and will desire to be the one holding and feeding her beloved gift from God. Just as it takes intentional time to bond and attach with our child, we must purpose to mature our relationship with God. Have you ever noticed that some people seem to cultivate a deep relationship with the Lord effortlessly? Yet, the truth is that appearances truly are deceiving. Deep relationships, whether experienced with our Heavenly Father or our loved ones on earth, are strengthened through a wise use of time and attention. Wise believers will implement each moment given with a heart focused on eternity. God has no favorites; He gives each of us the same amount of time and love. We are the ones who vary our attention to and devotion for Him. Unless we realize that the time allotted to us is a valuable resource, we never prioritize what we want our life and our future to hold. If we desire our eternity to hold more treasures than what we could accumulate in this temporary life, we will make a faith-fueled decision that heavenly wealth is more precious and meaningful than worldly possessions. Next, our actions must match what we believe, because in reality, most people, with time and focused effort, can obtain all or much of what their heart yearns for. A life spent merely acquiring belongings can never be returned to us, even after we realize that we wasted those moments chasing temporary, worthless trappings. Purpose now to view eternity with Jesus as wealth. Value the time you have on this earth with a heart and mindset that places relationship with Jesus at the top of goals to achieve. People must stop saying we hope to mature our walk with Christ when we find more time. Get on your knees now, pray for guidance and wisdom, then open your Bible and your heart to what He desires to reveal to you. Relationship with Jesus is “free,” yet priceless, but costs in ways we cannot imagine when we decide to follow Him. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 promises, “Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Rather, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.” Just as we hope, plan, and dream about our future daily here on earth, we must make more time to contemplate our eternal future. Our beliefs and the focus of our actions and moments in this world form our eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” What season are you in? Where is God calling you to change the time you spend for and with Him? Let’s focus on some truths about time to see where we should pivot how we use it. Remember, you don’t need to keep notes. You can easily read and print these suggestions at terrihitt.com in the podcast transcripts area. 1. How we spend time directly affects all areas of our life, most directly, our eternity. 2. Who we spend time with affects and shapes our values and actions. 3. Time can either soothe and heal or cause pain, bitterness, and jealousies to multiply. 4. Time is more valuable than currency; we cannot retrieve more once it has been spent. 5. We do not know how much time we have been gifted. Are you utilizing the time you have been allotted in ways that God would find pleasing? Let’s examine ways we can deliberately use our time for God. 1. Make God a priority. It’s easier to sit on the couch and watch television or scroll through our phone than it is to pick up our Bible. Why? What we discover about God and the life-changing power His word and obedience to Him bring are much more impactful than a movie or sitcom will ever be. 2. Learn the word. Memorization can be hard. If you feel it is an impossible task, allow yourself to read God’s word. Reading His truths bring knowledge, faith, love, joy, peace, and so much more into your life. Write His words. Speak His words. Pray His words. Absorb His words. Read them over and over so they become the wind lifting you confidently through life. 3. Obey the word. As we begin to know the Father’s heart, His desires become ours. We long to obey and please Him as His truths penetrate our heart and mind. 4. Communicate with God. Prayer is the lifeline God blessed us with. How often do you think of prayer as a gift? How often are you distracted when praying? We fail often at such a simple task, yet God is faithful and allows us to continue to step into His glorious and holy presence time after time. Experience the reminder of His righteousness and holiness as you pray His words of truth to Him. 5. Listen to God. Once we continue to communicate with the Lord through prayer, we begin to develop ears to hear. As our walk matures, we hear His still, small voice and His booming commands. Both are important. 6. Repent to God. When we open our heart and confess our sins, He is faithful to listen and forgive. He is able to carry our loads and change our habits. 7. Express gratitude. Just as the Lord longs to hear us repent, He desires to hear sincere thankfulness. When we are grateful during the hard and easy times, the joys or disappointments, we grow our trust and dependence on Him and show Him through contented faith that He is enough and we are thankful for His gift of eternal life and His presence in our life. 8. Plan fun activities with God. God delights in knowing that we look forward to spending time with Him! Whether we long to talk to Him throughout our day, sharing secret thoughts or thankfulness, or whether we pray to Him at a special time every morning or night because we long to share that quality time together, or we look forward to reading His word, drawing for Him, singing for Him, or sharing His truths with others, God sees and knows our heart. Think of new ways to authentically bring delightful obedience to the heart of our Father. 9. Give God good gifts. We know we can never outgive God. With a heart full of love for Him, we can give pleasingly when we use what He has given us to further His kingdom on earth. Money, time, and talents all make beautiful gifts to Him that last for eternity. 10. Value and share God’s wisdom. Making time for Him in all the ways I mentioned prove that we are intentionally bowing in humble submission to God. As we practice deepening our walk and desire for Him, we come to value every aspect of God. Our Heavenly Father, I AM WHO I AM, the God who sanctifies, provides, is all powerful, holy and righteous, the God of peace, the Redeemer, and Truth. Allow Him to penetrate all of you and shine through you for all to see His majesty and glory. Just as a secure and healthy attachment is the foundation that allows your child to freely explore the world, trusting that they have a safe anchor to hold them steady, the time we invest in attaching to our Heavenly Father will allow us to organize and adjust our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, actions, and goals through godly methods because we trust the One who created and knows us best. He knows the plans He has for you, to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a future, and a hope. Look to the Lord for care, guidance, and comfort as an infant seeks His primary caregiver. Just as with a baby, attachment is essential to long-term emotional, financial, spiritual, mental, and physical health. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 10:38-42 says, “As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” Precious Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your gracious gift of an eternal future with You. Thank you for making the way to You so clear through Jesus and for the ultimate sacrifice You offered to bring us into eternity with You. Cause us to see each moment through Your eternal mind and heart-set. May we please You with our willingness and desire to know You more deeply. Allow us to rest in Your presence without a distracted heart or mind. What we have here is nothing in light of what You offer us in our eternal home with You. Help us to fully realize that truth and grant us inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys because we have sought You with a heart of devotion through sacrifice and priority, just as You do for us. In Your holy name we pray, Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

< Back Purposed Parent Connected Child Podcast Episode 119 - How Can I Reflect Christ to My Children? Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast – Episode 119 – How Can I Reflect Christ to My Children? Thank you for sharing your day with me. I pray this podcast gives you the awareness and tools you need to STOP being a GOOD mom and BECOME the GODLY mom God entrusts you to be. Then you will be the SET-APART woman PURPOSELY raising children to chase CHRIST over culture. Just a quick reminder as we start, if you enjoy Purposed Parent Connected Child podcast episodes, would you please share this episode or others with a friend or family member? When you graciously take a moment to do that, and leave a rating or review at Apple Podcast, you are ensuring that others will find the podcast. When you do, you’re helping affect generations for Jesus. Now on to this episode about how you can reflect Christ to your children. Over the last couple of years, my youngest daughter has been fascinated with roly polys. I’ve never seen one of my children so absorbed in learning about this little creature. In fact, Brooklyn has maintained several terrariums over time, and still has one or two left. Over the course of these many months she has viewed the cycle of life, learned how to distinguish male and female roly polys, and has gained maturity and wisdom through caring for them with food and climate choices. I remember a time last year when she prepared the soil in a new habitat to move the roly polys into a bigger residence. She carefully laid chia seeds in soil, then daily you would find her checking soil moisture, sunlight, and adding water when needed. Although you couldn’t see anything growing, when you looked under the clear terrarium box, you could see that many roots were winding beneath the dirt in preparation for the changes that would take place on top of the soil later. It’s fascinating to see how many hidden roots twisted and turned, but you couldn’t see them unless you purposely made an effort to find them. Just as our heart needs seeds of truth to be planted before we can experience changes, no one can see how the Holy Spirit is working within us unless our words, actions, and reactions are altered to showcase His presence. When we first become believers and followers of Christ, we can’t comprehend the life-changing beauty of what a maturing relationship with Him could look and feel like. Yet, once we are His and the longer we walk with Him, the more intentional we are about pursuing Jesus and submitting to His work within us. Then the greater our belief grows, we humbly invite Christ to shine through us, we move out of the way so He freely makes a great impact on those around us. How true it is that the way we conduct our life and Christian walk attracts attention. Even when we don’t believe anyone is paying attention, they are. The older I’ve gotten, the more I focus on how my actions affect others. Actually, this thought process probably has less to do with aging, and more to do with my walk with Christ. As time has progressed and I’ve continued to mature in Him, Jesus prompts me to examine motives and actions in light of the way others are impacted by them. I desire others to see Him clearly through me and that hope comes with great responsibility. As I ponder what that responsibility holds, I acknowledge how easily my behavior can attract people to, or turn people away from Christ. Have you ever noticed that small and seemingly insignificant decisions you make can cause someone to build their foundation of Christ on rock or sand? Those decisions may also cause another to stumble or to turn away from Jesus completely. Especially our children. Romans 14:12-13 says, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Have you ever been short with someone at work? Or with a family member? Maybe you gave a dirty look to the crazy driver who totally cut you off on the highway or at the person who took the parking spot they could see you were going to take. Have you ever rushed to get in line to order food or check out at the store before someone else could get ahead of you? Perhaps you yelled at your child or reprimanded too harshly. Do you ever stop to think about how well you’re representing Christ in these situations? What if the person you hurried past showed up at church the next Sunday and took a seat next to you? What if they heard you proclaiming to love Jesus or giving testimony at a later date and they remembered that it was you who did whatever act didn’t offer a holy representation of the Lord? What about your watching children? Every word and act is absorbed by them and becomes interwoven as a building block of their desires, character, and actions. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ .” This verse from 1 Corinthians 3:11 reminds us that the only foundation that is true and lasting is one built on Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, and parents of the children He entrusted to us, our mind should remain focused on our character, our visible and invisible walk with Christ so that He is reflected in the way we model a fruitful life. Our reason for showing others the Way, the Truth, and the Life should be because our own heart and mind are so full of Him that He overflows and we can’t help but exude His spirit, grace, mercy, and love to others because He has permanently entwined His spirit within ours. Do you guard your actions, your mind, your heart, and reactions daily through the power of the Holy Spirit alive within you? In order to train yourself to respond in ways pleasing to God and in ways that will impress Him perfectly to others, you must be aware of how your actions reflect Him. Just as an athlete develops discipline through intentional daily training, we must be attentive to the coaching of the Lord within us. We must desire to reflect Him in Christlike, not fleshly ways. We must invite Him to guide and guard us and our responses and reactions so that others clearly see the work He has done - and is still completing within us. Through life, each of us develop habits. Some are good, making us stronger in the Lord while others may become the opposite. Without consistent, intentional, purposed life through Christ, we shine Him less and flash self more. Which do you want your children to emulate? As you grow in relationship, strength, and character through Christ, your affections and actions toward others change. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me .” When most of us become believers, we still think of “self” more than Christ. Once we begin to mature our walk, humbly inviting the Holy Spirit to transform our character and desires, our thought processes change. We begin thinking of others more than self and deeply desire to be stewards of the relationship we have with Christ. When selfishness, jealousy, impatience, or other fleshly feelings try to overtake us, it is a blessing to know we can utilize the power of Christ within us to shift our thinking process to Him. He makes us aware of how others see Him through us, reminding us of the challenge and responsibility we must bear. Our inadequacies, even when we strive to follow and honor Christ are apparent in differing ways. One method to strengthen our Christian walk and make Jesus known to others in ways that attract them to Him is through our habits. We all have behaviors we repeat daily. We understand that it’s much easier to develop bad or harmful habits over nurturing good ones. One key to growing habits that press your walk upward through Christ while drawing others to Him is to pay attention to the Word. Stop excuses and study the Word! Each of us need individual time with God, as well as time with family. The better you know God’s Word, the more you effortlessly exhale Him on your spouse and children. Of course, right now we’re only discussing godly habits, not health, beauty, finance, work, or study habits. Goodness! When you think about it, our lives consist of a variety of routines and habits we’ve developed over years without giving them much thought. One purpose of fostering positive habits is to build character. As followers of Christ, we want our character to reflect His. Righteousness or Christlike character is only fashioned through reflection on Him and formation of excellent, repeated actions. It is crucial to discover which thought processes you need to alter, then commit to doing it. Just as we get out of bed, get dressed, brush our teeth, etc. we must have a set standard we commit to completing for the Lord. If we aren’t purposed women, we can’t be purposed parents or create the connection with Christ and our family that we long for. As humans, we often make plans to be consistent or to begin character formation in some way, but life interferes. Our schedules are tight. We get sick. Our children need us. Maybe we run errands all day and just need to relax in the evening. When we’re tired, hungry, cold, or overscheduled, we tend to think of “self” first. We want to satisfy the burning need we have or the commitment to child or spouse that must be completed. Instead, stop. Allow yourself to think of Christ. As He was dying on the cross, He put sinners first. He didn’t just fulfill what obligations He had to. Jesus remained committed to a lifestyle of integrity and obedience. Jesus followed habits He constructed through righteous intention throughout His life. Remember: 1. Your children see your actions. 2. Your children hear your words. 3. Your children learn your desires. 4. Your children appreciate your acts. 5. Your children feel your love. 6. Your children see your devotion to Christ. When others see followers of Christ, they consciously and subconsciously observe whether we appear to be genuine, whether we lovingly serve others, how well we appear to trust and obey Christ, whether we are discerning or judgmental, and how our actions affect them. The same is true of your children. They hear your professions for Jesus, and can easily evaluate whether your actions match your words. Over time, your attitude and actions are the biggest reflection of what theirs will look like in the future. It is imperative that you: 1. Desire His Word 2. Study His Word 3. Know His Word 4. Practice His Word 5. Share His Word 6. Live His Word As you develop habits, remember to form them around your view of eternity. 1. Which habits will you construct that support what you believe? 2. Which habits will be important enough to ensure you continue? 3. Which habits will draw you nearer to Christ? 4. Which of your habits will draw your children to Jesus? 5. Which habits will draw your spouse to Christ? 6. Do you possess the qualities needed to form godly habits in your children? 7. Will your daily words and actions draw your children and spouse nearer to, or farther from, Christ? 8. Which habits will they copy? Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things .” Does your professed faith match your actions, reactions, and words? How are you working daily to develop strong, righteous integrity that is pleasing to God? 1 Samuel 16:7b says, “For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart .” Make sure that what God sees in your heart is intentionally more pleasing to Him for your children day by day. Dear Heavenly Father, oh Lord, how we need You! Left alone, we are so far from the holiness You require. Thank you for sending Jesus to bridge the way to You. Thank you for loving us as we are, yet purposely making sure that we don’t have to stay where we are. May our lives proclaim Your glory, mercy, love, and holiness more each day. Enable our hearts to desire You above all else. Give us a longing for You that cannot be quenched by this world. Help us remain steadfast in studying Your Word, the life of Jesus, and obeying what You call. Help our lives proclaim You to those who do not know You and draw them closer to Your heart, especially our children and grandchildren. May future generations of our family never go without knowing, trusting, and following You with passion that spreads to others. Help us never act in ways that turn others away from You, but invite You to flow through us to spread a sweet fragrance that draws them nearer to Your truths. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Raising children is challenging. No one has all the answers because each child is unique as are parenting styles and family dynamics. By connecting with and knowing your children as you maintain purposed growth in Christ, you will be better prepared for any situation you face. That’s why you hear me share about the Set-Apart Collective in this podcast. I work with ambitious women who care about making Jesus known to their children. Are you a high-achieving woman who loves Jesus, but is so busy with the rush of work and daily life that you feel like you’re being drained like the water in your bathtub? Do you yearn to get closer to Jesus and show Him to your kids so you will create a love that will last into eternity? The desire is there, but your days spiral out of control before you even think about opening your Bible. Do you ever stop to think that you are the first Jesus your child will see? Let me remind you there is hope. There is a way you can be equipped to raise kids who chase Christ over culture. If you want a connected relationship with Christ and your children that leads them to your side and His feet, instead of them seeking validation from peers, I have an 8-step program to move you from frustrated to fulfilled. I will show you how to reflect Jesus in a way that attracts your family to a connected relationship that lasts into eternity. Remember, godly parenting is rooted in relationship with Christ and the mindset you carry. If you don’t want peers and culture to be the main influence over your child, if you desire to parent to “prepare” your child for eternity with Christ, not repair your relationship with them, the Set-Apart Collective will arm you with a Christ-centered Motherhood Mindset Model™, and create a Purposed Parenting Plan™. You’ll also deepen your identity in Christ so you can mentor the way for your children to do the same. You will be a purposed mother with an intentional mind and heart set on Christ and your family and you will have the tools to raise set apart kids as you parent the heart, not simply the behavior. Does this sound like a lifeline to help you be that set-apart mom God has entrusted you to be? Visit terrihitt.com/coaching and click the link for a free, no obligation conversation call with me. This is a strategic call where I will hear your biggest struggle and show you how to turn it into a blessing that will bring you closer to Christ and your children. It’s time for believing mothers to be purposed in preparing their children for a lifetime pursuit of Christ. Time is short. Make yours matter for eternity. If you need a little jumpstart, visit my website at terrihitt.com/resources. Scroll down near the bottom of the page and click on the link for my free ebook, “Good to Godly: A 31 Day Scripture and Prayer Guide for Moms.” One last thing to remember - if you’re not purposed in knowing Jesus and showing Him to the next generation, the world will sway your children away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast enables you to stop being a good mom and focus on being a godly parent. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to parent with eternal purpose and connection with your children and Christ. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #080 – Do You Love Jesus? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. What do you feel when you think of love? Possibly intense feelings of affection or a great interest in someone (or something)? Love affects us emotionally, mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually. This is exactly what a relationship with Christ does; Jesus alters our life in every way. I find it fascinating to consider that the extent to which He changes me lies in my hands. For example: Am I clinging to Him? What good work am I allowing Him to cultivate? Am I clay in His capable hands, or am I an unyielding stone that must endure years of living water dripped and poured over me? Culture tries to downplay the significance of relationship with God through Christ. This world places high hopes and expectations on experiences. Feelings and emotions have become the new cultural foundation. We easily share “our truths” and “ways we identify” and expect it to become instantly validated by everyone as fact. Even when the Bible says differently. God’s word also proves that no one is an afterthought. Our Heavenly Father lovingly and intentionally planned each person, and knew the days of our life before any of us existed. Through His holy and sacred instruction to us, we can come to know and honor Him with devotion and love, patterned by a relationship with His son, Jesus. The Bible often teaches and instructs us to live completely opposite of what the world teaches or indoctrinates. Instead of basing truth on experiences, opinions, or agendas, God desires that we establish hope, faith, and trust through scriptural living. God’s holy word presents a living storehouse of wisdom, principles, and revelation breathed directly from the Father of creation. Through His word, God penetrates our core, confronts, challenges, convicts, and carries us as we release self and sin to our Savior. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Unblemished, authentic love was established by the Father and fulfilled by the Son. No other measure of love should exist or be accepted but what His word instructs. Yet, our selfish, foolish, ignorant lifestyles seek and receive imitation love through various forms, and in our emptiness, we wonder why we never experience fulfillment, purpose, or joy. Because God desired and first sought us with purposed grace, we know He plays a very active role in our relationship with and understanding of Him. John 6:44 says, “No one is able to come to Me unless the Father, the one having sent Me, draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.” John 6:65 says, “Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.” Through the sacrificial love of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of the Living God exists within us! Without the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us, first initiating connection, then miraculously and gradually transforming us, we would never recognize the need for new life or spiritual renewal. Only God can reveal and pierce our spirit with His truth and prompt us to respond by faith to the mysteries of His truths. Our relationship maturation with God heavily relies on whether we allow the Holy Spirit to truly penetrate the core of our being. I believe the difference is largely explained as experiential versus scriptural faith. Do we rely on the experiences and history of our life on earth or believe the truths found in God’s word? Do we dig into what the Spirit reveals when we know and follow Jesus? Do we ask God for, and receive His wisdom, understanding, and discernment? Once we understand that God first pursued us, how will we respond? Do we continue living as usual, or do we allow the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit to shift our intentions, thoughts, actions, and beliefs? Do we pursue Him with relentless abandonment of self? Luke 12:31 says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.” Such easy words to read and hope for. How hard that verse can be to believe in the course of daily life, schedules, and plans. The words of Jesus speaking to Martha about her sister, Mary touch my heart and free my soul to yearn for more, to intentionally cultivate a deep desire for Jesus. Luke 10:42 says, “But one thing is needed: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” There is nothing more important than abiding in the presence of Jesus. Strive to be more engaged with Jesus than engaged for Him. Relationship with Jesus, constructed on the foundation of His love and sacrifice for us builds a devotion for Him that discerns and withstands what this world might call us to accomplish or believe and instead, awaits the calling He places within us. Psalm 63:8 says, “My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” When we allow our fleshly desires, plans, or failures to pull us away from the heart of Jesus, distracted by the shallowness of this world, we lose sight of the weighty destruction of sin and forget the joy of sweet fellowship with our Savior. God has created us for fellowship with Him. Never ignore the depth of the fruits of the Spirit God graciously deposits within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Remember the promise of the Spirit of the Lord Himself is resting within us—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. Such solemn, holy endowments should be examined with a heart set for Him and an attitude of reverence at the work He is completing within us because of His love for us. How will you respond? Will you love Jesus or be in love with Him? Proverbs 16:20-21 says, “Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction.” As we use discernment from the Lord, we understand that we increase the depth of our relationship with Him when we intentionally love Him more than this world. We cling to Him because we discover He is the only rock that stands firm. We move Him into the center of our world and pursue Him with an eagerness that although imperfect, is genuine and consistent. We believe the solid truths, promises, and instructions of the Bible because we trust and adore the Source more than the deceitful wisdom of this world. Once our hearts are soothed with the balm of His love despite the heartaches of this life, we understand that God has graciously and permanently lifted the veil once separating us from Him, and we never desire to leave His Holy and loving presence. After we discover that we have been the stumbling block keeping us from eternity with Him, we allow ourselves to begin preparing now to abide with Him in our eternal home. We must build the structure of our life upon the foundation only God can provide. Do not base your construction of beliefs, attitudes, actions, or love on what this world offers or the experiences you have suffered or endured. God is enough. His strength and grace are more than sufficient and are tailor-made for your every need or desire. As we deepen our relationship with Him, He shifts desires to truly satisfy our heart and fulfill wishes we often never even knew we had. At the same time, God also shifts our aspirations into alignment with His in beautiful and miraculous ways. Develop the courage and stamina to live for Christ by delving into His word with a desire for truth and fulfillment, allowing your faith and trust to grow scripture by scripture and prayer by prayer as you learn of, speak to, and listen for the Lord. The mindset of this world is in direct opposition to God because they are not in love with Him. As we seek to know, follow, and love Him completely, we recognize inconsistencies and lies that threaten society and entrap our culture. Through Jesus, we are able to escape the snares and live with grace and faith that guides us to deeper truth and fuels us with a holy desire to know and show Him to an empty world. Father God, You are good. Your righteousness and faithfulness to us are unimaginable. No one can completely understand Your ways, yet You still surround us with Your beautiful and loving gifts. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but Your word stands forever. Help us develop a true desire for You and Your word. Allow us to recognize our need for You, then step aside to enable You to work mighty miracles within us that will honor and glorify You. We have come to know and believe the love that You have for us, for You are love; and Your word tells us that whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Abide in us, Father, when we passionately, relentlessly pursue You because we not only love you, but are in love with You. In Your holy and precious name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. I invite you to visit terrihitt.com to access additional podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture as You rely on God to direct your steps because you are in love with Him. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to the Lord and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 080 - Do You Love Jesus? Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #080 – Do You Love Jesus? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. What do you feel when you think of love? Possibly intense feelings of affection or a great interest in someone (or something)? Love affects us emotionally, mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually. This is exactly what a relationship with Christ does; Jesus alters our life in every way. I find it fascinating to consider that the extent to which He changes me lies in my hands. For example: Am I clinging to Him? What good work am I allowing Him to cultivate? Am I clay in His capable hands, or am I an unyielding stone that must endure years of living water dripped and poured over me? Culture tries to downplay the significance of relationship with God through Christ. This world places high hopes and expectations on experiences. Feelings and emotions have become the new cultural foundation. We easily share “our truths” and “ways we identify” and expect it to become instantly validated by everyone as fact. Even when the Bible says differently. God’s word also proves that no one is an afterthought. Our Heavenly Father lovingly and intentionally planned each person, and knew the days of our life before any of us existed. Through His holy and sacred instruction to us, we can come to know and honor Him with devotion and love, patterned by a relationship with His son, Jesus. The Bible often teaches and instructs us to live completely opposite of what the world teaches or indoctrinates. Instead of basing truth on experiences, opinions, or agendas, God desires that we establish hope, faith, and trust through scriptural living. God’s holy word presents a living storehouse of wisdom, principles, and revelation breathed directly from the Father of creation. Through His word, God penetrates our core, confronts, challenges, convicts, and carries us as we release self and sin to our Savior. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Unblemished, authentic love was established by the Father and fulfilled by the Son. No other measure of love should exist or be accepted but what His word instructs. Yet, our selfish, foolish, ignorant lifestyles seek and receive imitation love through various forms, and in our emptiness, we wonder why we never experience fulfillment, purpose, or joy. Because God desired and first sought us with purposed grace, we know He plays a very active role in our relationship with and understanding of Him. John 6:44 says, “No one is able to come to Me unless the Father, the one having sent Me, draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.” John 6:65 says, “Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.” Through the sacrificial love of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of the Living God exists within us! Without the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us, first initiating connection, then miraculously and gradually transforming us, we would never recognize the need for new life or spiritual renewal. Only God can reveal and pierce our spirit with His truth and prompt us to respond by faith to the mysteries of His truths. Our relationship maturation with God heavily relies on whether we allow the Holy Spirit to truly penetrate the core of our being. I believe the difference is largely explained as experiential versus scriptural faith. Do we rely on the experiences and history of our life on earth or believe the truths found in God’s word? Do we dig into what the Spirit reveals when we know and follow Jesus? Do we ask God for, and receive His wisdom, understanding, and discernment? Once we understand that God first pursued us, how will we respond? Do we continue living as usual, or do we allow the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit to shift our intentions, thoughts, actions, and beliefs? Do we pursue Him with relentless abandonment of self? Luke 12:31 says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.” Such easy words to read and hope for. How hard that verse can be to believe in the course of daily life, schedules, and plans. The words of Jesus speaking to Martha about her sister, Mary touch my heart and free my soul to yearn for more, to intentionally cultivate a deep desire for Jesus. Luke 10:42 says, “But one thing is needed: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” There is nothing more important than abiding in the presence of Jesus. Strive to be more engaged with Jesus than engaged for Him. Relationship with Jesus, constructed on the foundation of His love and sacrifice for us builds a devotion for Him that discerns and withstands what this world might call us to accomplish or believe and instead, awaits the calling He places within us. Psalm 63:8 says, “My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” When we allow our fleshly desires, plans, or failures to pull us away from the heart of Jesus, distracted by the shallowness of this world, we lose sight of the weighty destruction of sin and forget the joy of sweet fellowship with our Savior. God has created us for fellowship with Him. Never ignore the depth of the fruits of the Spirit God graciously deposits within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Remember the promise of the Spirit of the Lord Himself is resting within us—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. Such solemn, holy endowments should be examined with a heart set for Him and an attitude of reverence at the work He is completing within us because of His love for us. How will you respond? Will you love Jesus or be in love with Him? Proverbs 16:20-21 says, “Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction.” As we use discernment from the Lord, we understand that we increase the depth of our relationship with Him when we intentionally love Him more than this world. We cling to Him because we discover He is the only rock that stands firm. We move Him into the center of our world and pursue Him with an eagerness that although imperfect, is genuine and consistent. We believe the solid truths, promises, and instructions of the Bible because we trust and adore the Source more than the deceitful wisdom of this world. Once our hearts are soothed with the balm of His love despite the heartaches of this life, we understand that God has graciously and permanently lifted the veil once separating us from Him, and we never desire to leave His Holy and loving presence. After we discover that we have been the stumbling block keeping us from eternity with Him, we allow ourselves to begin preparing now to abide with Him in our eternal home. We must build the structure of our life upon the foundation only God can provide. Do not base your construction of beliefs, attitudes, actions, or love on what this world offers or the experiences you have suffered or endured. God is enough. His strength and grace are more than sufficient and are tailor-made for your every need or desire. As we deepen our relationship with Him, He shifts desires to truly satisfy our heart and fulfill wishes we often never even knew we had. At the same time, God also shifts our aspirations into alignment with His in beautiful and miraculous ways. Develop the courage and stamina to live for Christ by delving into His word with a desire for truth and fulfillment, allowing your faith and trust to grow scripture by scripture and prayer by prayer as you learn of, speak to, and listen for the Lord. The mindset of this world is in direct opposition to God because they are not in love with Him. As we seek to know, follow, and love Him completely, we recognize inconsistencies and lies that threaten society and entrap our culture. Through Jesus, we are able to escape the snares and live with grace and faith that guides us to deeper truth and fuels us with a holy desire to know and show Him to an empty world. Father God, You are good. Your righteousness and faithfulness to us are unimaginable. No one can completely understand Your ways, yet You still surround us with Your beautiful and loving gifts. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but Your word stands forever. Help us develop a true desire for You and Your word. Allow us to recognize our need for You, then step aside to enable You to work mighty miracles within us that will honor and glorify You. We have come to know and believe the love that You have for us, for You are love; and Your word tells us that whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Abide in us, Father, when we passionately, relentlessly pursue You because we not only love you, but are in love with You. In Your holy and precious name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. I invite you to visit terrihitt.com to access additional podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture as You rely on God to direct your steps because you are in love with Him. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to the Lord and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

< Back Purposed Parent Connected Child Podcast Episode 079 - The Power of Using Scripture in Prayers - A Guide for Christian Homes Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast – Episode 079 – The Power of Using Scripture in Prayers - A Guide for Christian Homes When I was a little girl my sister and I shared a bedroom until my senior year of high school. I remember praying together, especially at night as we both lay in our bunk beds with whispered words in the dark. I don’t recall how we learned to pray, but I thank God for our clumsy attempts to reach His ears even before I knew who Jesus was or had studied His Word. Luke 11:1-13 says, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be Your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him !” I’m so thankful God was already reaching down from Heaven to show us the way to Him through the unknown power of prayer. God was already making Himself and the power to reach Him known to little girls who sought hope and provision He alone can give. As we consider the passage I read from Luke 11:1-13, we notice that there is order in the prayer. Although as a child I didn’t understand much beyond the fact that my spirit called out to speak to God, our Heavenly Father does desire order in life and in prayers . In this section from Luke 11, you can see that the first thing Jesus did was praise God , before making requests. As we lift praise to the Maker of Heaven and Earth first, recognizing Who He is , we humbly submit to Him and acknowledge His rightful place in our heart and life. God doesn’t want our prayers to be thoughtlessly thrown to Him as we think about other things. He wants us to be cognizant of Who we humbly bow before. He desires and deserves to be given recognition, honor, and glory. As you study the passage I read earlier, you may notice that there is order in the passage after praise . The verses show three additional aspects of prayer: the content we lift to God, our persistence we should carry in coming before Him, and God’s faithfulness and generosity to us. Jesus’ mentorship of prayer provides a glimpse into His heart and the will of God. Our Heavenly Father desires that we praise Him, seek His daily provisions, keep a clear and connected relationship free of bitterness, unforgiveness, or temptation as we are sustained by God, lift godly requests , remain persistent with faithful expectation, and recognize God’s goodness and grace. As you mold your walk with God and your prayer life after the examples Jesus set for us, you are well-equipped to lift Scriptural prayers that God will receive with great joy. Are you ready to deepen your prayer life and walk with God and mentor the power of using Scripture in prayers to your children? Use God’s truths in His holy Word to craft Scriptural prayers. 1. Believers should regularly assess their heart and mind and ask God to purify thoughts, desires, actions, and reactions. As your relationship remains strong and you mature your walk moment by moment, you will be able to present yourself as one approved and lift your prayers to God without hindrance. 2. Make sure you regularly read God’s Word. The more you know and understand the Father, you are better able to pray according to His desires and will. 3. Any prayer need can be Scripturally-based and beautifully lifted to the Father. God loves hearing His children lift His sacred Words to Him in love, faith, and trust. 4. Find Scripture that fits your prayer requests and praises. You can pray God’s Word as it is or craft His holy Word into your prayers. You may also use the themes of the Bible to see God’s heart and purpose prayers to be lifted for His mighty hand to work in those topical areas of your life or in the world. 5. As your prayer life is shaped by God’s Word you will experience your holy heavenly Father working in ways you may not have yet experienced. Praying God’s Word works miracles in your life, your marriage, for your spouse, your work, your home, and your children. God’s Word applies to every area of life. So can the prayers you form from Scripture. Let’s look at ways to craft powerful prayers from God’s Word. As you grow in studying and knowing God’s Word you will hear His voice more clearly as you pray. 1. If you are a beginner, or need more direction in your prayers, look for topics as you read the Bible. Keep a journal or notepad to reference Scripture of certain themes or use the Topical Index to search for verses that fit your need. Use the topics you desire to transform your needs, praises, and worship into powerful prayers that speak God’s truths back to Him. 2. Find verses applicable to your prayer purpose. You are preparing to humbly present yourself and your desires or gratitude before the sovereign, holy God of the Universe. When you come before Him with a need, know His Word so you will know His ways. When you pray according to His will, 1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us .” 3. After selecting Scripture pertaining to the prayer you want to offer God, speak your heart and use His Word to form the prayers you present. I’ll share various examples you may use as templates to guide your prayers or you may use the examples to ignite your own ideas. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus .” Father God, I rejoice in You and the treasures You given me through Jesus and the Holy Spirit inside me. Help me focus on You through the ups and downs of life and keep my focus where You call it to be. Matthew 6:6 says, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ” Dear good and glorious Heavenly Father, help my walk with You focus on what You call to my attention. Enable me to care only for Your praise. Work through me to craft an intimate relationship that comes to You with problems and praise. May you be the One I cling to and seek for guidance in all areas. Let’s examine specific topic examples of Scriptural prayers. First I’ll list various verses, then craft prayers that align with them. Prayers for your walk with God : Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God .” Deuteronomy 8:6 says, “So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in His ways and by fearing Him .” Romans 13:14 says, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh .” Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them .” Dear Heavenly Father, You are the Great I Am, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. I thank you for the ability to come before You with requests. I thank you for the merciful, sacrificial work of Jesus who became the bridge that carries me to You. Father, I desire a deeper walk, a deeper relationship with You. You have shown me what is good. All You require of me is to submit to Jesus as Savior, to act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with You. I praise You for your mercy and love! Help me keep the commandments You expressed in Your Word as I allow You to carry me through this life. Give me the desire to walk in Your ways and carry a reverent fear of Your holiness. Your Word promises me that I am Your beautiful workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which You have already purposed and ordained for me. Help me please You in the way I seek and serve You and others in those ordained ways. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Prayers for your husband : 1 John 3:22 says, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him .” James 1:5-6 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers .” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me .” Dear merciful and loving Heavenly Father, How we need Your loving and holy presence and guidance in our life and family. I thank you for my husband. May He seek You ever more each day. Help him be the man You purposed as You knit Him together in the secret place. I pray that when He comes before You his prayers are heard by You because he knows You intimately and follows Your commands and will. I pray His prayers are always in accordance with Your Word because he follows it. Help him remember that You have promised that he can do all things through You, His strength. Protect him - his thoughts and ways. Help him not to keep company with sinners or mockers who would lead him from You. Help his thoughts and actions not to be offensive to You. Help my husband take delight in Your Word day and night and be like a tree planted by streams of water. May all he do prosper because His follows You with his whole heart and soul. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Prayers for your children : Proverbs 29:17 says, “Correct thy son, and he will give thee rest; Yea, he will give delight unto thy soul .” Colossians 3:21 says, "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged ." 2 Timothy 3:14-17 says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Dear Heavenly Father, How I praise You for Your many good and loving gifts. You are kind and personal. Thank you for Your love for me and my family. I thank you for my precious children. Help my husband and I raise them in ways that delight Your soul and give us rest because they are obedient to You. Help my husband and I to be sweet honey, like a soothing balm, not embittering our children in any way that would discourage them or deter them from You. May they learn Your truths as preserved in Scripture, Your holy Word. May they cling to them in life, coming to a saving knowledge that lasts for eternity. May they uphold Your good and perfect Word and live a righteous life that equips them for every good work You have purposed for them. May they be a joy and blessing to Your heart and ours. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Prayers for your family : 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land .” Colossians 1:9-10 says, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God .” Dear Heavenly Father, You are so wise. How we need Your loving guidance. Help my husband and I continue to humble ourselves before You and each other so that it is Your wisdom, knowledge, guidance, and understanding that we cling to. Turn us from anything that is wicked in Your eyes. Heal the areas our family needs individually and as a unit under You. Help us to be godly examples that mentor You and lead our children to Your feet. I pray Your holiness fills us because we seek, find, and follow You in all the ways You desire. Please fill each of our family members with the wisdom and understanding the Holy Spirit desires so we may live a life worthy of You and please You in every way as we bear Your fruit. May our family encourage others who see us. May they experience something different and know that it is You. Cause the way we live, love, and act to send others straight to Your arms. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Other ways you may use Scripture to pray are to find a verse or passage you want to use and select a portion to focus on. If you can’t express the deep desires or needs on your heart – Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God .” Dear Heavenly Father, You are so far above me. Your ways so much higher. I need Your love and wisdom to guide me. I don’t know what to pray, but I know You listen. Your heart is attuned to my needs, but You want to hear my words. Father, my burden is too heavy. I don’t know what words to use. May the Holy Spirit inside me carry my requests to Your hands as I humbly ask You to intercede according to Your good and gracious will. If you want to deepen your walk with God and carry deeper trust in Him – Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law .” Gracious, merciful Father, I long for a deeper walk with You. Please open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in Your law. Help me follow your will and ways and become the person You created me to be. When you need His help - Matthew 14:30 says, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" My Lord, I need You! Save me! When you want to keep a pure heart before God - Psalm 51:2 says, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin .” Holy Father, I want to be clean before You. I want to be pleasing in every way. Continue to wash away my iniquities and keep me pure before You. When you are in leadership - 1 Kings 3:9a says, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong .” Dear loving Heavenly Father, enable me to see others through Your eyes and know the ways to reach them. Give me a discerning heart that knows good from evil and right from wrong. Help me humbly allow Your work to shine through me. When you want to remain close to God - Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need .” Dear Heavenly Father, You are my strength, my guide, my life. Help me draw nearer to You so You will draw nearer to me. May I always approach Your throne with confidence that comes from a pure and close walk with You. Thank you for the grace and mercy You extend so freely. Help me always walk with you in times of ease and call out to You in times of need. You may also use Scripture as song and incorporate it into prayers of worship. Let your walk with God grow deeper and wider as You explore the various ways you can connect with Him more intimately through the power of His written Word. Remember the mentorship of Jesus as He guided His disciples of the way to lift requests before our Holy God. Praise Him, seek Him moment by moment, letting Him purify your heart, mind, and walk. Lift godly requests that show Your Christlike character growing daily. As you remain persistent with faithful expectation and lift prayers that release God’s Words back to Him, God will receive your requests and praise with great joy and goodness. Your children won’t wonder how to pray or Who they pray to. They will grow in wisdom and understanding of the Lord and begin a journey you will nurture for a lifetime. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of Your Holy Word. Father, You have promised that if I remain in You and Your Words remain in me, I may ask You whatever I wish, and it will be done for me . Thank you for placing the Holy Spirit within me to teach that means I must walk closely with You to know Your will and ways. You don’t call for selfish desires to flow to You through my prayers, but You call for me to be humbled before You. Bring me closer to You. May my requests show the transformation of my heart, mind, and desires as I grow in You. God, You are so good. Thank you for reaching out to me and loving as I am, but showing me the way to become more Christlike moment by moment. May my prayers reflect You and be a joy to Your heart. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Supporting and encouraging mothers to rest in Christ and pursue a holy relationship with Him so they purposely raise set-apart children is the cry of my heart. Godly parenting is rooted in relationship with Christ and the mindset a mother carries. That’s why I’ve created the Set-Apart Collective. Have you decided peers and culture won’t be the main influence over your child? Would you like to parent to prepare your child for eternity with Christ, not to repair a relationship? In the Set-Apart Collective, you will deepen your walk with Christ, learn a Christ-centered Motherhood Mindset Model™, and create a Purposed Parenting Plan™. You will be a purposed mother with an intentional mind and heart set on Christ and your family. The Set-Apart Collective is open now. Please send me an email at info@terrihitt.com to let me know you’d like to receive information or look online at terrihitt.com/setapart. We can also set up a 15 minute call to chat about details. It’s time for believing mothers to be purposed in preparing their children for a lifetime pursuit of Christ. If you connected in some way with this episode, would you please rate and review the podcast on Apple or Spotify? It only takes a minute or so and makes a big difference in people finding the podcast. You and I know that the best reviews are by word of mouth, so would you please choose a friend to recommend the show to? Let them know that the podcast is found at terrihitt.com, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Imagine the change we will see in the way mothers parent for Christ if they learn to be intentional, too. Remember, if you’re not purposed in knowing Jesus and showing Him to the next generation, the world will likely sway your children away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast enables you to stop being a good mom and focus on being a godly parent. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to parent with eternal purpose and connection. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #134 – You’ve Trusted God With Eternity - What About Today? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. The absolute best day in the life of a believer in Christ should be the day we humbly submit our life to Him. While filled with many emotions and feelings, most of us wonder with amazement at what the rest of our life will be like with Jesus at our side. However, one of the best revelations or lessons a follower of Christ can realize is that Jesus does not ever belong by our side. The Lord of All, Prince of Peace, Author and Perfecter of our Faith, and the Alpha and Omega holds out His strong and capable arms, ready for us to rest in them. This means He isn’t behind or beside us, but should be the One carrying and sustaining through every disturbance, disruption, and delight. One of the most basic, but challenging questions in the personal life of a believer is: How can I choose to trust Jesus for eternity, but not for each moment? I believe that if we study the story shared about Peter in Matthew 14, we learn valuable insight. Matthew 14:22-33 says, “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” What a decision Peter made! He chose to step out of the boat and into the choppy, stormy waters to walk toward Jesus. While His eyes and mind were centered on Jesus, Peter actually walked on the water! When his focus slipped away from Christ and fell to self and surroundings, Peter experienced fear, panic, and difficulties. Jesus had not moved; He had not changed. Jesus remained centered on Peter and ready to care for him. Peter’s mind moved away from Jesus and he began to sink. Focus marks the distinction between faith and fear. Are you choosing to focus on self, the world and those around you, or Jesus? While it is easy to blame Peter and belittle his faith, he was willing to be the one who walked toward Jesus. Peter was willing to leave the other disciples, leave what he knew, and venture alone into the turbulent waters toward Jesus. The other men remain unchanged and unmoving inside the boat while Peter took the risk of trusting Christ. Why did the others remain in the boat? Why didn’t they walk with Peter? Why is it so difficult to place and keep our mind, heart, and focus on Christ? What do people struggle to trust God with each occasion and stage of life? There are actually multiple reasons. Let’s look at what the most common causes are and how we can turn to Scripture to battle them. 1. Trust – It can be difficult to trust or believe in what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” John 20:29 says, “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” 2. Worry/Anxiety – It’s easy to imagine what might happen and allow our thoughts to spiral out of control. Matthew 19:26 says, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you.” Matthew 6:31-34 says, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” 3. Control – We don’t want to relinquish our perceived control. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Psalm 138:8 says, “The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands.” 4. Doubt – When things don’t go the way we desire or think they should or if we begin to wonder why there is hardship and evil in the world, doubt can begin to creep in. Hebrew 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” Matthew 6:30 says, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” 5. Sinfulness – I also like to call this selfishness. When we don’t want to give up sin, we are choosing self over Christ. We’re also choosing self over those we love or are in our life. Personal sin always affects those who love us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Romans 7:22-23 says, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 6. Arrogance/Pride – Pride rears up in each of us through different ways. Whether it be entitlement, perfectionism, bragging, if we think we are superior to someone or deserve something more than another, the root of each thought ties back to arrogance or pride. Isaiah 2:12 says, “For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low.” James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” 7. Unworthiness – Each of us was bought with a price. The life of Jesus was exchanged so that we could begin to understand our great worth to God. Isaiah 43:18 says, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Psalm 56:8 says, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.” Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 8. Fear – When fear creeps in, I believe it is because we have taken our mind and eyes off of God and centered them on self or surroundings. Every time I have felt fear even begin to touch me I stop and focus on Jesus (and in my mind I actually picture blinders on my face that force my vision upwards on God). As I rest in His presence and pray to Him about the situation I am fearing, He takes the burden and calms any fears. It is said that God leaves the message “Do not fear” 365 times in the Bible. I'm not sure whether that is an accurate count, but I trust that the Lord gives us the command as many times as needed. He knows our thoughts can easily be distracted and move from His sovereign holiness and perfect provision and protection. Isaiah 43:1 says, “But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.” Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 94:19 says, “When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 115:11 says, “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.” Psalm 118:6 says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” 9. Faith – Perhaps our belief doesn’t feel real or big enough. Maybe difficult times in the past, unanswered prayers, or present hardships may cause us to feel like God has forsaken us or that He isn’t real. Each of the points we discussed can arguably return back to the thought of faith that is too little. But remember, God’s Word tells us all we need is a faith the size of a mustard seed. Plant that seed and let it grow and mature through Christ. Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” We each know how easy it can be to allow self or situations to distract us and move our eyes off Christ. Being aware of this offers us the opportunity to purposely prepare to be ahead of our next season of trials. Intentionally living in ways that set us up to trust God gives us assurance that our focus will not be easily swayed this moment or tomorrow. How can we live in ways that set us up to trust God for eternity and the everyday? 1. Know Jesus through a personal relationship. 2. Read and study God’s word. 3. Prayer – speak to God and listen for God. 4. Pursue close relationship with God daily. 5. Invite and allow Christ to transform your life. Take your thoughts captive for Christ and see the difference He makes to a surrendered soul. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 2 Corinthians 1:10 says, “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 says, “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As you study God’s Word and think about or pray about the verses we read today, ponder the following questions: 1. What does this verse promise? 2. What does this verse command? 3. Where do I need to apply this in my life? Ask God to carry your cares and deepen your faith and trust. He alone is able to reach the crevices of your body and spirit and remedy what troubles you. Dear Heavenly Father, Your love for us is so great! Your glory fills the earth and yet we fail to experience Your love and power as You desire. Help us to see You clearly as Your word instructs and to love us with a love that fills us in the deep and dark spaces of need we each carry. Thank you for loving us first and for making a way straight to You through Jesus. Help our faith to be full, alive, and active. Enable us to cling to You through every moment we face and trust in Your provision and protection despite what happens in the world around us. Fix our eyes and our heart on You. In the precious name of Your Holy Son, Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 134 - You've Trusted God with Eternity - What About Today? Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #134 – You’ve Trusted God With Eternity - What About Today? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. The absolute best day in the life of a believer in Christ should be the day we humbly submit our life to Him. While filled with many emotions and feelings, most of us wonder with amazement at what the rest of our life will be like with Jesus at our side. However, one of the best revelations or lessons a follower of Christ can realize is that Jesus does not ever belong by our side. The Lord of All, Prince of Peace, Author and Perfecter of our Faith, and the Alpha and Omega holds out His strong and capable arms, ready for us to rest in them. This means He isn’t behind or beside us, but should be the One carrying and sustaining through every disturbance, disruption, and delight. One of the most basic, but challenging questions in the personal life of a believer is: How can I choose to trust Jesus for eternity, but not for each moment? I believe that if we study the story shared about Peter in Matthew 14, we learn valuable insight. Matthew 14:22-33 says, “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” What a decision Peter made! He chose to step out of the boat and into the choppy, stormy waters to walk toward Jesus. While His eyes and mind were centered on Jesus, Peter actually walked on the water! When his focus slipped away from Christ and fell to self and surroundings, Peter experienced fear, panic, and difficulties. Jesus had not moved; He had not changed. Jesus remained centered on Peter and ready to care for him. Peter’s mind moved away from Jesus and he began to sink. Focus marks the distinction between faith and fear. Are you choosing to focus on self, the world and those around you, or Jesus? While it is easy to blame Peter and belittle his faith, he was willing to be the one who walked toward Jesus. Peter was willing to leave the other disciples, leave what he knew, and venture alone into the turbulent waters toward Jesus. The other men remain unchanged and unmoving inside the boat while Peter took the risk of trusting Christ. Why did the others remain in the boat? Why didn’t they walk with Peter? Why is it so difficult to place and keep our mind, heart, and focus on Christ? What do people struggle to trust God with each occasion and stage of life? There are actually multiple reasons. Let’s look at what the most common causes are and how we can turn to Scripture to battle them. 1. Trust – It can be difficult to trust or believe in what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” John 20:29 says, “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” 2. Worry/Anxiety – It’s easy to imagine what might happen and allow our thoughts to spiral out of control. Matthew 19:26 says, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you.” Matthew 6:31-34 says, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” 3. Control – We don’t want to relinquish our perceived control. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Psalm 138:8 says, “The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands.” 4. Doubt – When things don’t go the way we desire or think they should or if we begin to wonder why there is hardship and evil in the world, doubt can begin to creep in. Hebrew 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” Matthew 6:30 says, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” 5. Sinfulness – I also like to call this selfishness. When we don’t want to give up sin, we are choosing self over Christ. We’re also choosing self over those we love or are in our life. Personal sin always affects those who love us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Romans 7:22-23 says, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 6. Arrogance/Pride – Pride rears up in each of us through different ways. Whether it be entitlement, perfectionism, bragging, if we think we are superior to someone or deserve something more than another, the root of each thought ties back to arrogance or pride. Isaiah 2:12 says, “For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low.” James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” 7. Unworthiness – Each of us was bought with a price. The life of Jesus was exchanged so that we could begin to understand our great worth to God. Isaiah 43:18 says, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Psalm 56:8 says, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.” Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 8. Fear – When fear creeps in, I believe it is because we have taken our mind and eyes off of God and centered them on self or surroundings. Every time I have felt fear even begin to touch me I stop and focus on Jesus (and in my mind I actually picture blinders on my face that force my vision upwards on God). As I rest in His presence and pray to Him about the situation I am fearing, He takes the burden and calms any fears. It is said that God leaves the message “Do not fear” 365 times in the Bible. I'm not sure whether that is an accurate count, but I trust that the Lord gives us the command as many times as needed. He knows our thoughts can easily be distracted and move from His sovereign holiness and perfect provision and protection. Isaiah 43:1 says, “But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.” Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 94:19 says, “When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 115:11 says, “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.” Psalm 118:6 says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” 9. Faith – Perhaps our belief doesn’t feel real or big enough. Maybe difficult times in the past, unanswered prayers, or present hardships may cause us to feel like God has forsaken us or that He isn’t real. Each of the points we discussed can arguably return back to the thought of faith that is too little. But remember, God’s Word tells us all we need is a faith the size of a mustard seed. Plant that seed and let it grow and mature through Christ. Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” We each know how easy it can be to allow self or situations to distract us and move our eyes off Christ. Being aware of this offers us the opportunity to purposely prepare to be ahead of our next season of trials. Intentionally living in ways that set us up to trust God gives us assurance that our focus will not be easily swayed this moment or tomorrow. How can we live in ways that set us up to trust God for eternity and the everyday? 1. Know Jesus through a personal relationship. 2. Read and study God’s word. 3. Prayer – speak to God and listen for God. 4. Pursue close relationship with God daily. 5. Invite and allow Christ to transform your life. Take your thoughts captive for Christ and see the difference He makes to a surrendered soul. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 2 Corinthians 1:10 says, “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 says, “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As you study God’s Word and think about or pray about the verses we read today, ponder the following questions: 1. What does this verse promise? 2. What does this verse command? 3. Where do I need to apply this in my life? Ask God to carry your cares and deepen your faith and trust. He alone is able to reach the crevices of your body and spirit and remedy what troubles you. Dear Heavenly Father, Your love for us is so great! Your glory fills the earth and yet we fail to experience Your love and power as You desire. Help us to see You clearly as Your word instructs and to love us with a love that fills us in the deep and dark spaces of need we each carry. Thank you for loving us first and for making a way straight to You through Jesus. Help our faith to be full, alive, and active. Enable us to cling to You through every moment we face and trust in Your provision and protection despite what happens in the world around us. Fix our eyes and our heart on You. In the precious name of Your Holy Son, Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

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Are you ready to take steps toward a life free from worry and anxiety? Download the Cast Your Cares Resource Against Worry Ebook today! Cast Your Cares - A Resource Against Worry Are you ready to take steps toward a life free from worry and anxiety? Download the Cast Your Cares Resource Against Worry Ebook today! Download

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #138 – Christ, The Master Builder Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Each morning my youngest trusts that she and I will sit together and play before we do anything else. In fact, as soon as I wake her up, she uses the restroom, brushes her teeth, takes her medications, and meets me where Lego’s and creativity have overtaken the space. Our entire kitchen table is filled with creations that prove her genius ability to construct something from nothing. What can be challenging to me is of no effort for her. Sure, it looks easy to build tiny objects from plastic bricks, but when you want true workmanship that boasts working doors with hidden hinges, elaborate pieces of furniture, and symmetrical construction, you need an expert creator. Of course, that would be her. I’m content to sit in my role as the one who honors what she makes. I help use her designs and ideas in joyful ways that bring us closer together. Anything I make on my own falls far short of the craftmanship she possesses, and the quality of my constructed items fall short of her ingenuity, but I sit by her side to observe and learn, so I may grow my skills under the master. Although Brooklyn is superbly skilled at establishing visions of what she desires to make and then actually causing it to come into existence, her skills fall short of the glory of God. My girl constructs elaborate cities and stories, while God created a world, universe, and all that we know and can only imagine. He designed intimate details into each person and knows each of us by name. He knows the days established for us and what we have done, are doing, and will do, and created each one of us for purposes and with gifts He crafted into being. 1 Corinthians 3:5-14 says, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.” In a way slightly similar to how Brooklyn has patiently given me the skills to build, but on a much, much larger and more important scale, God showed Paul how to sow the seeds of the gospel message into the hearts of people. God also enabled Apollos to nourish the believers and grow them in faith. Paul founded the Corinth church and Apollos took that foundation and built upon it. The work God requires involves a multitude of people who carry a variety of God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. Although I think Brooklyn is an architectural superstar, the truth is that her abilities come from a choice God made to gift her in that area. How many more God-gifted abilities does she carry? How many will she choose to use for Him? God doesn’t craft special talents into us for us to become superstars who receive all the glory. He patiently plans and lovingly lavishes abilities on us for the purpose of combining followers who will become “team members” of sorts who will set aside personal desires and glory in exchange for approval from Him. Of course, we know that Paul and Apollos worked for the Lord, but what arose spiritually from their work was credited to God’s power, grace, and mercy. Believers know that Jesus is the foundation of the church. He is the reason we worship, why we give praise; we cannot lay another foundation other than what has been established by Christ’s sacrifice, love, and obedience. Paul laid a strong and perfect foundation for the Corinth church by preaching salvation through Christ. Paul was used by God to establish spiritual foundations as he worked to construct groundwork for churches in Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor, while others, such as Timothy and Apollos were used to build upon the foundations of his labors. Each person working for God was allowed to participate through God’s loving mercy and grace. In our time, we must remember that whoever builds our present day church, whether it be preachers, teachers, deacons, or worshippers, the church must be built with first fruits, or the very best we can offer through establishing godly doctrine built on God’s Word and a lifestyle of godly integrity. In the Corinthian church, many members were vulnerable to incorrect doctrine, immature in their faith, and hardened toward one another. Instead of being committed to God and each other, they had much to learn in shaping Christian character and sacrifice. Just as the Lego buildings I construct are not as solid as the ones Brooklyn builds, believers must be careful to build their life on the solid foundation of Christ. Jesus is the firm foundation that lasts. All else will fall away. If we choose to build a life upon fame, wealth, another person, culture, or however we define success, our life will not stand in eternity. When we stand before Him, God will determine through His sinless, sovereign mind whether each of us has been faithful to follow the instructions and guidelines set by Christ. Any honor and glory for salvation goes to God, as He alone saves. As we work for the Lord, we will not see what we view as equality in our journey on earth. Some believers will see great fruit from their work in this lifetime; some will not, but each person who sacrificially and obediently works for the Lord is seen equally by God. He will reward who and how He chooses. We do not know and cannot comprehend His plans. We must look only to what God calls us to do and step out to complete the tasks He poses for us as we keep our heart focused on obediently honoring and pleasing Him. As we labor for the Lord, I believe we must fix our eyes above. No matter what feels like drudgery or may be unpleasant, no matter whether we experience what we consider success or what this world calls failure, we have choices to make. 1. What foundation will we choose to build our life upon? 2. Will that foundation endure into eternity? Believers must also remember to ask ourselves: 1. Is what I am laying as my foundation pleasing to God? 2. Will I trust that God will bless what I allow Him to complete through my obedience for His purposes (even when I don’t see the fruit)? Matthew 9:37-38 says, “He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Are you willing to labor for the Lord without seeing the outcome? 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Do you trust His work? 1 Thessalonians 1:3 says, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Are you inspired by Christ or this world? Colossians 1:28-29 says, “He is the One we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” Do you allow Him to energize and strengthen you each moment? 1 Timothy 4:10 says, “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” Is your hope and trust in Christ? Philippians 2:16 says, “As you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” Are you looking forward to the day you will stand in front of Jesus? 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Are you ready to humbly stand before God unashamed? 1 Timothy 1:12 says, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.” Do you consider yourself appointed to His service? How does that affect your actions and decisions daily? Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Are you willing to continue to surrender each day? Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your glorious work within us. Thank You for the plans you have made for us and the salvation You established for us through Jesus. May each of us surrender more completely moment by moment, see ourselves through Your eyes, and come to follow You in deeper ways daily. Thank you for establishing good works through us and for allowing us to participate in Your work. May we allow you, the Master Builder access to our deepest parts as You continue to craft Yourself into our heart and mind. Oh, God, how we long to be fully Yours and to stand before You with humble joy one day and hear that You are pleased with the way we lived. May we be filled with hope, joy, and grace in light of our expectation of an eternity with You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 138 - Christ, The Master Builder Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #138 – Christ, The Master Builder Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Each morning my youngest trusts that she and I will sit together and play before we do anything else. In fact, as soon as I wake her up, she uses the restroom, brushes her teeth, takes her medications, and meets me where Lego’s and creativity have overtaken the space. Our entire kitchen table is filled with creations that prove her genius ability to construct something from nothing. What can be challenging to me is of no effort for her. Sure, it looks easy to build tiny objects from plastic bricks, but when you want true workmanship that boasts working doors with hidden hinges, elaborate pieces of furniture, and symmetrical construction, you need an expert creator. Of course, that would be her. I’m content to sit in my role as the one who honors what she makes. I help use her designs and ideas in joyful ways that bring us closer together. Anything I make on my own falls far short of the craftmanship she possesses, and the quality of my constructed items fall short of her ingenuity, but I sit by her side to observe and learn, so I may grow my skills under the master. Although Brooklyn is superbly skilled at establishing visions of what she desires to make and then actually causing it to come into existence, her skills fall short of the glory of God. My girl constructs elaborate cities and stories, while God created a world, universe, and all that we know and can only imagine. He designed intimate details into each person and knows each of us by name. He knows the days established for us and what we have done, are doing, and will do, and created each one of us for purposes and with gifts He crafted into being. 1 Corinthians 3:5-14 says, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.” In a way slightly similar to how Brooklyn has patiently given me the skills to build, but on a much, much larger and more important scale, God showed Paul how to sow the seeds of the gospel message into the hearts of people. God also enabled Apollos to nourish the believers and grow them in faith. Paul founded the Corinth church and Apollos took that foundation and built upon it. The work God requires involves a multitude of people who carry a variety of God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. Although I think Brooklyn is an architectural superstar, the truth is that her abilities come from a choice God made to gift her in that area. How many more God-gifted abilities does she carry? How many will she choose to use for Him? God doesn’t craft special talents into us for us to become superstars who receive all the glory. He patiently plans and lovingly lavishes abilities on us for the purpose of combining followers who will become “team members” of sorts who will set aside personal desires and glory in exchange for approval from Him. Of course, we know that Paul and Apollos worked for the Lord, but what arose spiritually from their work was credited to God’s power, grace, and mercy. Believers know that Jesus is the foundation of the church. He is the reason we worship, why we give praise; we cannot lay another foundation other than what has been established by Christ’s sacrifice, love, and obedience. Paul laid a strong and perfect foundation for the Corinth church by preaching salvation through Christ. Paul was used by God to establish spiritual foundations as he worked to construct groundwork for churches in Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor, while others, such as Timothy and Apollos were used to build upon the foundations of his labors. Each person working for God was allowed to participate through God’s loving mercy and grace. In our time, we must remember that whoever builds our present day church, whether it be preachers, teachers, deacons, or worshippers, the church must be built with first fruits, or the very best we can offer through establishing godly doctrine built on God’s Word and a lifestyle of godly integrity. In the Corinthian church, many members were vulnerable to incorrect doctrine, immature in their faith, and hardened toward one another. Instead of being committed to God and each other, they had much to learn in shaping Christian character and sacrifice. Just as the Lego buildings I construct are not as solid as the ones Brooklyn builds, believers must be careful to build their life on the solid foundation of Christ. Jesus is the firm foundation that lasts. All else will fall away. If we choose to build a life upon fame, wealth, another person, culture, or however we define success, our life will not stand in eternity. When we stand before Him, God will determine through His sinless, sovereign mind whether each of us has been faithful to follow the instructions and guidelines set by Christ. Any honor and glory for salvation goes to God, as He alone saves. As we work for the Lord, we will not see what we view as equality in our journey on earth. Some believers will see great fruit from their work in this lifetime; some will not, but each person who sacrificially and obediently works for the Lord is seen equally by God. He will reward who and how He chooses. We do not know and cannot comprehend His plans. We must look only to what God calls us to do and step out to complete the tasks He poses for us as we keep our heart focused on obediently honoring and pleasing Him. As we labor for the Lord, I believe we must fix our eyes above. No matter what feels like drudgery or may be unpleasant, no matter whether we experience what we consider success or what this world calls failure, we have choices to make. 1. What foundation will we choose to build our life upon? 2. Will that foundation endure into eternity? Believers must also remember to ask ourselves: 1. Is what I am laying as my foundation pleasing to God? 2. Will I trust that God will bless what I allow Him to complete through my obedience for His purposes (even when I don’t see the fruit)? Matthew 9:37-38 says, “He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Are you willing to labor for the Lord without seeing the outcome? 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Do you trust His work? 1 Thessalonians 1:3 says, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Are you inspired by Christ or this world? Colossians 1:28-29 says, “He is the One we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” Do you allow Him to energize and strengthen you each moment? 1 Timothy 4:10 says, “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” Is your hope and trust in Christ? Philippians 2:16 says, “As you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” Are you looking forward to the day you will stand in front of Jesus? 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Are you ready to humbly stand before God unashamed? 1 Timothy 1:12 says, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.” Do you consider yourself appointed to His service? How does that affect your actions and decisions daily? Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Are you willing to continue to surrender each day? Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your glorious work within us. Thank You for the plans you have made for us and the salvation You established for us through Jesus. May each of us surrender more completely moment by moment, see ourselves through Your eyes, and come to follow You in deeper ways daily. Thank you for establishing good works through us and for allowing us to participate in Your work. May we allow you, the Master Builder access to our deepest parts as You continue to craft Yourself into our heart and mind. Oh, God, how we long to be fully Yours and to stand before You with humble joy one day and hear that You are pleased with the way we lived. May we be filled with hope, joy, and grace in light of our expectation of an eternity with You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #133 – The Power of Your Story Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. When I was a new Christian I was absolutely terrified that I’d have to give testimony of my walk with Jesus. I had no idea what I would say. Have you ever been afraid to talk to someone about Christ? My problem wasn’t that I was ashamed of Jesus, but that I wouldn’t be good enough to talk about Him. I was afraid I wouldn’t know enough. I was scared I’d need to memorize a lot of Scripture or I wouldn’t know the right verses to share. I was afraid someone would ask me a question I wouldn’t know how to answer. I was scared I would tell someone the wrong thing. I didn’t want to mislead anyone. As I’ve walked with Jesus longer, my heart has discovered the joy of sharing truth. The power of living truth. I understand that I am not the one who will change the heart of another person. All I should focus on is growing and maturing my walk with Jesus and letting Him seep from me in all I am and do. Sharing is an outpouring of the overflow of Christ in me. Offering my testimony is now a lifestyle. I don’t think about having the perfect words or verses to share, although I have many underlined in my Bible and have stepped through them with people. I admit, I’m still not the best at memorizing the Word, but I’m acquainted with my Bible and know God’s Word well enough to recognize His truths and allow them to flow through my daily language. His Word naturally comes to me when I share with others, advise others, and pray for others. Sharing my testimony and the truth of the gospel is no longer a fear, but a joy. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I believe I should pray for God to reveal opportunities for me to share the gospel. I also believe I should intentionally walk so closely with the Lord that it causes people to notice a difference in my life. When they ask what makes me so happy, or whatever word they use, I should make the most of the opportunity to share the hope of Christ, the fruits of the Spirit, or whatever pertains to the situation or compliment. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Your Christian testimony is your personal story, but it is also the autobiography of what you have seen, experienced, read, and heard through or about Christ in your lifetime. The nearer one draws to God through personal relationship with Jesus, the more they have to share and the more they want to share. When we communicate what God has done in our life, He draws others to Him to experience His glory. Your testimony, the story of your life because of the sacrifice and influence of Christ is important and impactful to others seeking hope and light. Through your story, you can share: 1. Your life before Christ 2. How you came to know Jesus as your personal Savior 3. Your life now (the power of Christ in you) 4. How others can know Jesus Your story may help keep another person’s faith from being “cold”, from becoming “lukewarm,” or it may encourage or empower them to lead a “hot” life for Christ. Everyone has a testimony. Some testimonies are dramatic; some are quiet. Each is a miracle. Just as each of us is uniquely made by God, no testimony is the same, yet each story is a gift of grace and mercy extended from Heaven and meant to be shared. I believe Paul’s testimony from Acts 26 is a wonderful example we can learn from. His testimony can be read and examined as an encouraging model of how we can also share our story. I’m going to read it now so we can study how Paul shared with King Agrippa and Festus in Acts 26:1-29. It’s important to note the way Paul presented his testimony and what we can learn from it. As I read, I’m going to break these verses into sections, then I’ll add my thoughts after reading each portion. I encourage you to read this yourself and prayerfully search the Scripture for what God reveals to you. We’ll begin with Acts 26:1-5, which says, “So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.” In this passage we see that Paul is showing respect to King Agrippa and recognizing his qualifications. Paul made it evident that he was not trying to offend Jewish citizens with his intentions, words, or actions. Paul also reminded Agrippa of his own personal character and background, and the truth that he was not a disobedient or rebellious man, but a Jew who had been raised as a supporter and an educator of the law. Paul began where his audience was and could understand without offending them. Acts 26:6-8 says, “And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” Here, we see Paul address the fact that he is being accused of believing in doctrine that was actually central in Judaism. Paul continues to connect with his audience by showing that he has done nothing offensive. Acts 26:9-11 says, “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” In these verses, we notice that Paul desires Agrippa to recognize that Paul was a devoted Jew, who fought against and persecuted Christians. Paul begins his personal story with background his audience should remember. Acts 26:12-18 says, “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me, and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” Paul, passionately appealing to the King so he could understand his words, gained Agrippa’s attention. Paul clearly revealed his personal story of meeting the Lord. During this astonishing testimony, Paul exposed every detail with truth, hope, and courage. He was a changed man whose perspective had suddenly been altered by miraculous methods. Paul continues his personal testimony with glory to God. Acts 26:19-23 says, “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” Paul exposed his understanding of the purpose of his vision and transformation. God was causing and calling him to deliver his testimony with personal authority granted by Him and to take the message of Christ to Judea and to the Gentiles. Paul confessed that he had been imprisoned for believing and sharing what the prophets and Moses declared would happen regarding Israel’s Messiah. Acts 26:24-26 says, “And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.” After Paul finished speaking, Festus spoke no opposition; He knew nothing of Moses or the prophets. Agrippa was not an Old Testament academic, however he was acquainted with Jewish Messianic traditions. Yet, he spoke no challenges to Paul’s testimony, revealing the conviction most likely pricking his heart. Paul shares the truth of God’s miraculous work in his life, giving God glory and letting Him move and work as He desires. Acts 26:27-28 says, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” Because Paul shared with boldness, the truth and evidence were clearly presented. He couldn’t force anyone to accept the truth of the gospel, but Christ had clearly been shown. Agrippa saw the truth, seemed to be impressed in some way by it, but did carry a personal hesitation or unwillingness to profess Christ as King. Acts 26:29 says, “And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Paul clearly and bravely professed Christ, allowing those who heard him to declare their belief and fate for themselves. Paul knew his duty was not to change hearts; only God could do the transforming work in a willing heart. Important facts to remember: 1. Your story isn’t about you. It isn’t for you. Your story is about what Jesus sacrificed for you. It is a personal testimony of how He lifted you out of death and established new life within you. 2. The power of story has the same holy, sovereign thread woven throughout each person. The cord that ties us together is the wondrous sacrifice and loving grace of Christ. Here’s a quick recap of the top facts we’ve learned: 1. Respect your audience. 2. Connect personally with them. 3. Profess your story. 4. Pray for your listeners. Sharing our story or testimony does not have to be something to be afraid of. As we simply move nearer to Christ daily and allow Him to work through us, we obediently respond to His promptings. The good work He completes within us spreads to those around us or those we come into contact with if we show and tell the truth of the gospel and the work of Christ. Every day brings new work and transformation to share if we are willing to humbly submit and cling to Him. I want to share five short verses that I believe help us carry gratitude for the sacrifice and work of Christ and remind us to share with joy, hope, and truth. Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Psalm 107:1-2 says, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble.” Psalm 71:5 says, “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.” Psalm 71:23 says, “My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to You; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 says, “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” Dear Heavenly Father, Your love for us is astounding! How could we ever understand the depth and heights to which it extends? Yet You still purpose to prove Your great love, grace, and mercy through the gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for Your pursuit of us and patience extended to us. Father, may we cling more tightly to You each day. May Your love be made known in intimate ways only You can extend and our love extend intentionally toward You. May You be the first thought on our mind each day and the last thought as we lay down to rest. May our mind and heart dictate a driven desire to devour Your Word and may we allow You to flow through us to share Your great mysteries and truths. Give us Your courage, Your boldness to obey You and allow You to shine from within us every moment, with those we love and even those we don’t. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. Remember that you may find transcripts online at terrihitt.com. On the website you may also find my “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” podcast and transcripts. Both podcasts are also available on iHeart Radio, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts may also now be found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 133 - The Power of Your Story Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #133 – The Power of Your Story Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. When I was a new Christian I was absolutely terrified that I’d have to give testimony of my walk with Jesus. I had no idea what I would say. Have you ever been afraid to talk to someone about Christ? My problem wasn’t that I was ashamed of Jesus, but that I wouldn’t be good enough to talk about Him. I was afraid I wouldn’t know enough. I was scared I’d need to memorize a lot of Scripture or I wouldn’t know the right verses to share. I was afraid someone would ask me a question I wouldn’t know how to answer. I was scared I would tell someone the wrong thing. I didn’t want to mislead anyone. As I’ve walked with Jesus longer, my heart has discovered the joy of sharing truth. The power of living truth. I understand that I am not the one who will change the heart of another person. All I should focus on is growing and maturing my walk with Jesus and letting Him seep from me in all I am and do. Sharing is an outpouring of the overflow of Christ in me. Offering my testimony is now a lifestyle. I don’t think about having the perfect words or verses to share, although I have many underlined in my Bible and have stepped through them with people. I admit, I’m still not the best at memorizing the Word, but I’m acquainted with my Bible and know God’s Word well enough to recognize His truths and allow them to flow through my daily language. His Word naturally comes to me when I share with others, advise others, and pray for others. Sharing my testimony and the truth of the gospel is no longer a fear, but a joy. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I believe I should pray for God to reveal opportunities for me to share the gospel. I also believe I should intentionally walk so closely with the Lord that it causes people to notice a difference in my life. When they ask what makes me so happy, or whatever word they use, I should make the most of the opportunity to share the hope of Christ, the fruits of the Spirit, or whatever pertains to the situation or compliment. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Your Christian testimony is your personal story, but it is also the autobiography of what you have seen, experienced, read, and heard through or about Christ in your lifetime. The nearer one draws to God through personal relationship with Jesus, the more they have to share and the more they want to share. When we communicate what God has done in our life, He draws others to Him to experience His glory. Your testimony, the story of your life because of the sacrifice and influence of Christ is important and impactful to others seeking hope and light. Through your story, you can share: 1. Your life before Christ 2. How you came to know Jesus as your personal Savior 3. Your life now (the power of Christ in you) 4. How others can know Jesus Your story may help keep another person’s faith from being “cold”, from becoming “lukewarm,” or it may encourage or empower them to lead a “hot” life for Christ. Everyone has a testimony. Some testimonies are dramatic; some are quiet. Each is a miracle. Just as each of us is uniquely made by God, no testimony is the same, yet each story is a gift of grace and mercy extended from Heaven and meant to be shared. I believe Paul’s testimony from Acts 26 is a wonderful example we can learn from. His testimony can be read and examined as an encouraging model of how we can also share our story. I’m going to read it now so we can study how Paul shared with King Agrippa and Festus in Acts 26:1-29. It’s important to note the way Paul presented his testimony and what we can learn from it. As I read, I’m going to break these verses into sections, then I’ll add my thoughts after reading each portion. I encourage you to read this yourself and prayerfully search the Scripture for what God reveals to you. We’ll begin with Acts 26:1-5, which says, “So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.” In this passage we see that Paul is showing respect to King Agrippa and recognizing his qualifications. Paul made it evident that he was not trying to offend Jewish citizens with his intentions, words, or actions. Paul also reminded Agrippa of his own personal character and background, and the truth that he was not a disobedient or rebellious man, but a Jew who had been raised as a supporter and an educator of the law. Paul began where his audience was and could understand without offending them. Acts 26:6-8 says, “And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” Here, we see Paul address the fact that he is being accused of believing in doctrine that was actually central in Judaism. Paul continues to connect with his audience by showing that he has done nothing offensive. Acts 26:9-11 says, “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” In these verses, we notice that Paul desires Agrippa to recognize that Paul was a devoted Jew, who fought against and persecuted Christians. Paul begins his personal story with background his audience should remember. Acts 26:12-18 says, “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me, and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” Paul, passionately appealing to the King so he could understand his words, gained Agrippa’s attention. Paul clearly revealed his personal story of meeting the Lord. During this astonishing testimony, Paul exposed every detail with truth, hope, and courage. He was a changed man whose perspective had suddenly been altered by miraculous methods. Paul continues his personal testimony with glory to God. Acts 26:19-23 says, “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” Paul exposed his understanding of the purpose of his vision and transformation. God was causing and calling him to deliver his testimony with personal authority granted by Him and to take the message of Christ to Judea and to the Gentiles. Paul confessed that he had been imprisoned for believing and sharing what the prophets and Moses declared would happen regarding Israel’s Messiah. Acts 26:24-26 says, “And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.” After Paul finished speaking, Festus spoke no opposition; He knew nothing of Moses or the prophets. Agrippa was not an Old Testament academic, however he was acquainted with Jewish Messianic traditions. Yet, he spoke no challenges to Paul’s testimony, revealing the conviction most likely pricking his heart. Paul shares the truth of God’s miraculous work in his life, giving God glory and letting Him move and work as He desires. Acts 26:27-28 says, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” Because Paul shared with boldness, the truth and evidence were clearly presented. He couldn’t force anyone to accept the truth of the gospel, but Christ had clearly been shown. Agrippa saw the truth, seemed to be impressed in some way by it, but did carry a personal hesitation or unwillingness to profess Christ as King. Acts 26:29 says, “And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Paul clearly and bravely professed Christ, allowing those who heard him to declare their belief and fate for themselves. Paul knew his duty was not to change hearts; only God could do the transforming work in a willing heart. Important facts to remember: 1. Your story isn’t about you. It isn’t for you. Your story is about what Jesus sacrificed for you. It is a personal testimony of how He lifted you out of death and established new life within you. 2. The power of story has the same holy, sovereign thread woven throughout each person. The cord that ties us together is the wondrous sacrifice and loving grace of Christ. Here’s a quick recap of the top facts we’ve learned: 1. Respect your audience. 2. Connect personally with them. 3. Profess your story. 4. Pray for your listeners. Sharing our story or testimony does not have to be something to be afraid of. As we simply move nearer to Christ daily and allow Him to work through us, we obediently respond to His promptings. The good work He completes within us spreads to those around us or those we come into contact with if we show and tell the truth of the gospel and the work of Christ. Every day brings new work and transformation to share if we are willing to humbly submit and cling to Him. I want to share five short verses that I believe help us carry gratitude for the sacrifice and work of Christ and remind us to share with joy, hope, and truth. Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Psalm 107:1-2 says, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble.” Psalm 71:5 says, “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.” Psalm 71:23 says, “My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to You; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 says, “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” Dear Heavenly Father, Your love for us is astounding! How could we ever understand the depth and heights to which it extends? Yet You still purpose to prove Your great love, grace, and mercy through the gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for Your pursuit of us and patience extended to us. Father, may we cling more tightly to You each day. May Your love be made known in intimate ways only You can extend and our love extend intentionally toward You. May You be the first thought on our mind each day and the last thought as we lay down to rest. May our mind and heart dictate a driven desire to devour Your Word and may we allow You to flow through us to share Your great mysteries and truths. Give us Your courage, Your boldness to obey You and allow You to shine from within us every moment, with those we love and even those we don’t. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. Remember that you may find transcripts online at terrihitt.com. On the website you may also find my “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” podcast and transcripts. Both podcasts are also available on iHeart Radio, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts may also now be found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

< Back Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode 007 - Parenting Styles Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode #007 – Parenting Styles Are you yearning for greater connection with your child? Would you like to parent beyond the moment with eternal perspective? Let’s grow together now with practical tips, scripture, and stories geared to draw your heart to Jesus and guide your child into His arms. Eighteen years ago my husband and I were leaving the local library when the most adorable little Asian boy of about 3 or 4 years old held open the door for us and waved as we passed through. Why do I remember this particular snapshot in time so well? This child represented the beginning of a special unfolding journey of obedience and a step back into parenting after raising two children. After leaving the library, my husband and I compared stories, and found that God had been speaking to me through a vision at the very time He did the same thing with my husband. We knew God was telling both of us that we had a daughter in China. One of the first things we did (after praying together daily for God to guide us and make His desires known) was to talk seriously about what we wanted to do differently this time. How many times do parents get the opportunity to “reparent” or shift their style as they have matured and grown in the Lord and as a person? We’d already raised one set of children who were out of the house. Although we deeply loved our older children, we hadn’t experienced “empty nest syndrome,” and desired to start raising children again. This was proving to be a specific journey God had chosen for us. We couldn’t escape the clarity with which God was working to let us know He had much larger plans for us and a very different future than we had ever imagined. We were both eighteen when we had our first child, a daughter. We were 21 when our son was born, and we were used to being the youngest parents in any group. By the time we knew God was calling us to begin a parenting journey for the second round, we were in our early 40’s and feeling like we would be ancient compared to the couples just beginning to parent. Let me tell you; it’s much more common to see older first-time parents now than it was 18 years ago. God was so gracious to us. I remember long prayerful spans of time spent alone with my Heavenly Father during this special time. At the time my husband worked at an international firm and was often out of the country. Although it was lonely at times, I realized God was offering me special time for just Him and I. I was able to connect with Jesus in new ways of humble dependency and recognition of His personal relationship with me. Just kneeling at His feet, sharing my innermost dreams made me feel so much closer as I humbly appreciated that the Lord of Heaven and Earth would see fit to allow us the sacred privilege of raising another child. My heart was full of ways I wanted to mother differently and I pictured the life of my child in new ways I had never considered the first time around. I was no longer the young woman who learned as she went or parented the way others told me to. I finally had a confident voice that wanted to follow where God led and my deepest desire was to raise my daughter to love and honor Him with whatever unique and special abilities He crafted within her. With all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I deeply loved the Lord and I desired nothing but mentoring my child the gift of a holy walk with Him. As I spent quiet time in prayer with my husband, and much reflective, humble, and prayerful time with God, I questioned ways I had parented my first two and how I could allow God to alter my mindset and skills to raise this child in ways He would call holy and good. I began deeply examining 5 factors I believed were of utmost importance. 1. What did I want the end of my life to look like? 2. What were our previous parenting challenges and joys? 3. What were the best ways to influence my child’s life for God? 4. What did I want the end of my child’s life to look like? 5. What did I need to continue or change in my walk with God? I was on a journey to discover exactly what type of parent I had been and what type I would be in the future, not through what I thought or by comments others made to me, but by judging against what scripture says. Seeking God with a purposed heart and actively maturing and deepening my personal walk with Him through relationship with Jesus, led me to discover a deeper, eternal perspective parenting style. Perhaps you would like to consider the ways you parent now and what you might like to change in the future. One of the blessings in life is that we are not supposed to be the same person from day to day. We have the ability to desire and implement change inevery area of our life . As I continued to develop a mature walk with Christ, it opened the power of the Holy Spirit within and grew me in spiritual ways that overflowed into all areas of my life. I know that with intention, the same will happen for you if it is what you desire and are willing to call on Him. As we examine parenting styles, let’s start by looking at the top 5 methods of parenting: 1. Uninvolved – This parent is busy. Perhaps they work a demanding job or have overextended themselves with responsibilities. They don’t make time for involvement with their child. Student friends, academic pursuits, homework, sports, or extracurricular activities aren’t part of their life. Their child must learn to manage them alone or suffers from the loss of them. The parent feels they don’t have time to be involved or choose not to be. They expect their child to raise themselves with little input from them and they don’t spend time nurturing their child. 2. Permissive – This parent sets rules and expectations, but rarely enforces them. It’s easy for the child to persuade the parent to cave on punishments. The parent will listen to their child’s desires and opinions and allow changes because they act like more of a friend than a parent. 3. Authoritarian – This parent is obedience-driven. Kids are seen, but not heard. Feelings are not taken into consideration. Rules are dictated by the parent and consequences are upheld. 4. Hovering – This parent is also commonly called the “helicopter parent.” Almost unable to control herself, this parent will complete tasks that should fall to the child, such as finishing homework to ensure a good grade, step in to rescue their child from consequences, force their child to accept their help when it is not needed, make decisions instead of allowing the child to mature, and shield their child instead of allowing him to learn from mistakes. 5. Authoritative – This parent is connected to their child. Feelings are heard and validated. Although the parent and child are bonded and share attachment, the parent doesn’t try to be a best friend. She sets rules, as well as enforces consequences when needed. This parent also attempts to prevent problems before they begin. Once we understand the type of parenting we employ, we can work to ensure that we make needed changes that allow us to become better attuned to Christ as we connect with Him and our child. I believe strong attachment needs to be made through the heart. What we hold in our heart affects the way we think, act, and how we react to life. The same is true for our children. Unless we begin our parenting mindset connected to and growing in our walk with Jesus, we are parenting with the standards and values the world advertises, chases, or "falls into" as we deal with life and all the busyness surrounding us. Your child deserves intentional, Christ-centered parenting that builds and strengthens a faith foundation every day. We’ve looked at the top 5 basic methods of parenting. Now let’s consider scriptural methods of parenting. As we purposely mature our walk and allow Christ to perfect His work within us, our parenting is naturally affected. God leads and guides us as to how to mentor our children as we prayerfully submit ourselves and our children to Him. God, the perfect parent infuses us with His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for His child that He has entrusted to us for the short period we are blessed to have them. I can’t begin a list until I share one of my favorite passages of scripture. If you’ve listened to many of my podcast episodes, either Live With Eternal Perspective or Purposed Parent/Connected Child, you will have heard me share this passage before. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of 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 reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” I believe it is vital to remember that when Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest, He responded with Deuteronomy 6, verse 5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength .” I find it interesting that in Hebrew, the word “love” isn’t confined to feelings. So as we remember that we are to love God, we need to remember that the biblical definition of love is in the Hebrew form, which centers on the intellect , sensibilities , and will . When we are instructed to love God, we are actually told to cling to Him alone. The command includes our soul and our strength, meaning with everything in us and in every way. Mark 12:20 adds another very important word in the verse, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” With all of our mind. This is the way we are to respond to God and build our intimate relationship with Him. Think of Him as the air you breathe, remember the Holy Spirit within you, guiding you each moment. It is also the way we are to teach our children to acknowledge and esteem Him. We are to know and show Him so clearly to them that they are taught to be a lover of God. We want to influence them in such ways that their life naturally flows into a worshipper of God. Then they will truly love God with all they are in the ways He designed them to uniquely be and offer Him their heart, soul, mind, strength, talents, time, dreams, gifts, and abilities. So, how do we do that? Consider these following 4 verses to embody scriptural parenting: 1. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In order for us to lovingly instruct our child to love and uphold a righteous relationship with Christ, we must read, study, and instruct them in God’s word. This verse shows us that we must hold God’s word within us and use it in our parenting mindset, heart, and reactions. 2. Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” In the Bible, this verse takes place when the shepherds visited the baby Jesus and made known what the angels had told to them about the child. All who heard what they said marveled at the meaning of the words they spoke. Mary absorbed all of the experience and the miracle behind it, pondering the meanings in the present and future of her child. This verse shows us that we must share God’s word as we parent, not only by reading the word with our children, but by embodying it in all we are and do, so that they experience and absorb God’s power, goodness, and grace . 3. Psalm 37:31 says, “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.” This verse should be looked at as two parts that represent cause and effect. Holding the law of God within our heart and teaching our child to do the same will prevent us and our children from falling away from God or going astray. This verse shows us that we must follow God’s loving truths and be the mentor our children need to see to believe that God is real. He transforms us and can do the same for them as they humbly release self to Him. 4. Psalm 40:8 says, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart ." As we examine this verse, we must back up to look at the one previous, which says, “Then I said, ‘Behold I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” This verse refers to Jesus, who fulfilled all the prophecies that were written of Him. Jesus delighted in following the will of God and fulfilled a perfect and heroic obedience. Jesus clung to the loving will of our Heavenly Father and fulfilled the purpose for which He came to earth. Through His intimate love with all that was within Him, Jesus’s love for God flowed into worship of and obedience for God, just as we must model for our children to do. This verse shows us that we must parent with delight in obedience to God. Our children will learn God’s word through and with us, but also learn to submit their heart moment by moment and trust that God is in control . Although it is very important to look at the top 5 parenting styles I mentioned at the beginning of this episode, it is more critical that we willingly submit ourselves and our children to God and allow Him to radically alter us moment by moment and allow Him to show us how to parent the specific children He created and purposed to us to protect and guide for Him. God expects us to teach our children of Him and lead them to His heart and feet. We will answer to Him one day for the job we did on this earth. Our children will answer to Him for the life He has given to them. It is imperative that we know and follow our Heavenly Father in godly ways that transform us daily and that we seek His wisdom daily to influence our precious children and raise them for Him. They must be able to live set-apart in this world and carry courage that comes from a strong relationship with God through a personal walk with Jesus . We will explore more about godly, scriptural, attached parenting in future episodes of this podcast. In order to have a close , lasting relationship with our children, we must be parents who connect with God and allow Him to flow through us clearly and lovingly, then into our children. Parenting a second set of children has been an enormous blessing to me. God knew secret desires of my heart that I didn’t realize were there. How good He is to lovingly and intentionally fashion each of us together with beautiful plans for us and our children. What a great joy it gives me to watch His story unfold as I obediently follow where He leads and teach my children to do the same. What might your heart hold? I pray you allow God to complete the perfect plans He has made for your precious family. Proverbs 3:1-12 says, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life. Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.” Dear God, we are blessed that there is none like You, the Great I Am, our Heavenly Father. Thank you for the gift of our precious children, in reality Your children that You have entrusted to us for this time. Help us to direct your children onto the right path so that when they are older they will not leave it, will not leave Your side or Your heart. Help us not to provoke our children to anger, but to raise them in the gentleness and truths of Your great love so that they are raised to honor You and respect us because they love and follow You so greatly. May our mouth be opened with Your wisdom and may we share Your instruction freely because we know You so well. May our children grow up in favor with men, but mostly with You, Lord because they are truthful and courageous with Your strength and honor. May we have great joy because our children walk in Your truths. Lord, we know that You know the measure of our days. Our lifetime is nothing compared to You. May we use our time wisely and influence our children well while we can. May we have nothing to be ashamed of when we meet You face to face because we pursued You greatly and humbly and our children do the same. In the name of Your precious Son, Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. Have you seen my free new resource, “Prayers For My Child?” It’s a helpful ebook you can find at terrihitt.com on the “Resources” page and is designed to guide the heart of your child to the feet of Jesus through scriptural prayers. The Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast will soon be available at terrihitt.com, where you can access the episodes housed in one convenient location, receive access to blog posts, read transcripts, and find additional resources designed to mature your walk with Christ and equip you to raise or influence connected children through Him. God knows that we are not capable of successful parenting on our own. As we rely on Him, releasing doubts and expectations, and humbly bow to His guidance and experience, we find greater clarity in parenting and a wondrous walk with our Creator that will extend to our children and those around us for generations . I pray this podcast helps you parent with purpose and deepen your connection to Jesus and your children as you intentionally place Christ above culture or self. Allow Him to work through you for true connection that will draw your children to Him and build a maturing relationship with Christ and your child that lasts for eternity. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #135 – May It Be As You Desire, God Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. In their unique ways, each of my daughters continue to teach me daily about the beauty of a humble heart. Through their words and actions, they allow me to catch a glimpse of God working in them. As I watch them, observing their very different surface personalities, I receive such joy. Although they have unique personalities, both girls love Jesus and make me think about the heart of Mary, mother of Jesus. They always purposely try to please and obey my husband and me. Not in ways that are only because they know they are supposed to, or feel they have to, but because they want to be pleasing to God. I consider it my honor to teach them to yearn for God and to desire to please Him above anyone else. If they do so, the overflow of their love for Him will cover the rest of us. Just as Mary modeled Christ in her words to Gabriel in Luke 1, “May it be as You Desire, God,” is what Christian parents want to hear and see from their children. Yet our reasons for desiring that make all the difference. My children are not to worship me, but Him. When they do, I see the beautiful benefits of their faith-filled and maturing life. It makes me ponder all the qualities God saw in Mary that made Him plan for her to mother the Savior of the World. I believe there were three keys qualities God considered necessary for the task He called Mary to (and of course, God knew she would possess). Christian parents must lead our children to the feet of Jesus in order to see these same qualities living in them. 1. Mary trusted God. 2. Mary’s life praised God. 3. Mary submitted to God. These are the qualities we want to mentor for our children and see them willingly carry in their life. Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.” Wouldn’t you love your children and grandchildren to live with a heart attuned to the Lord like this? We hold such great purpose in the life of children! It is our sacred privilege to intentionally instruct our children and grandchildren to: 1. Love God with a humble heart. 2. Fear God with reverence. 3. Respect God’s holy commands and instructions. 4. Serve God with a humble heart. 5. Obey God with respect for His sovereignty. Luke 1:26-38 says, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be borne will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Every time I read this passage of verses, my heart is tender for the love and reverence Mary offered God in a moment that must have been incredibly confusing or startling. Can you imagine being in her position? Even though she was just a young girl, she did not worry or wonder at what was going to happen, how it would come to be, or why God had chosen to reveal such a plan as this to her. The words, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word,” must have sounded preciously obedient to God’s ears. He had chosen Mary because He knew her reaction would be worthy of the privilege and promise He planned. Maybe it is so special to me because I was an unmarried pregnant teen. I know the shame and fear that a young girl faces. It brings me humble joy to read her reaction and imagine myself in her shoes. Luke 1:46-49 says, “And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” Mary was honored in life with the distinctive role of being the mother of Jesus. This honor required enormous sacrifice and suffering. Mary no doubt suffered deep pain along with the privilege of raising Jesus. Mary’s submissive obedience to God allowed her to humbly accept this position with grace and trust without demanding glory or answers. It is not about her. It is about Him. The Bible is full of character studies and stories that we can draw great wisdom and knowledge from and impart to our children. Let’s take a look at another person God found pleasing. 1. Solomon petitioned God. 2. Solomon heard God. 3. Solomon strayed from God. 4. Solomon returned to God. 2 Chronicles 1:1 says, “Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.” 2 Chronicles 1:7-12 says, “In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” This is exactly what God does. He peers without restraint or obstruction straight into our heart. Solomon’s prayer was pleasing to God. Solomon recognized the value of wisdom. His plea in that prayer seemed obedient, trusting, submissive, humble, and genuine. Because Solomon did not ask for wealth, possessions, riches, or honor, God answered and granted much wisdom to Solomon, as well as lavishing unrequested blessings on him. As we study the life of Solomon, we see that one critical piece of wisdom we can learn from his story is the importance of carrying more than wisdom. Wisdom without understanding can be very dangerous. Proverbs 4:5-13 says, “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” Solomon recognized the value of wisdom and requested it from God, pleasing our Heavenly Father immensely. Yet through the life and choices of Solomon we learn that we need more than wisdom alone. Wisdom without a humble heart for God or an understanding of what God requires to be wise will not keep us humble and reliant on our Heavenly Father. Without understanding and insight from God, personal wisdom may become worldly knowledge rather than godly instruction. We may end up yearning for and following personal, physical, and earthly desires instead of seeking what God desires. Just as Solomon strayed far from what God would deem wise, we are liable to make the same mistakes without keeping our mind, heart, and soul tied in reverence and submission to God. Solomon seemed to return to God in his later years, perhaps by viewing and utilizing the wisdom God endowed to him in his younger years through an eternal perspective. Through his story, we learn that we must teach our children to seek God’s wisdom and the qualities that build and sustain His common sense and uphold His commands. There are so many characters in the Bible that we can draw from, but the next I want to discuss in this podcast episode is the best mentor of all. The perfect mentor in every area is Jesus. John 13:1-17 says, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For He knew who was to betray Him; that was why He said, “Not all of you are clean.” When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed his place, He said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” In this short passage we see deeper into the heart of Jesus. God already knows every sin we have ever or will ever commit – and He loves us regardless. The love of Jesus is far-reaching and perfect, casting out fear and infusing us with hope and mercy that only comes from Him. In this story we understand that Jesus is speaking privately with His disciples and sharing His final instructions. Jesus is preparing them for His death and resurrection because the Lord knew both events would greatly impact and alter the foundation of their beliefs and lives forever. Because Jesus was the sinless, perfect mentor and model servant for God, He set a clear and wise pattern for His disciples to follow. Just as He does for us. In the passage we read, Jesus humbly wrapped a towel around His waist and began washing feet as only a servant would do. When we witness God in the flesh as a servant doing what was considered one of the lowliest chores, we (with the great hindsight of the Holy Word) see genuine and humble love and obedience that should compel each of us to be willing to serve in the same ways, honoring and glorifying God. Jesus showed how to treat others and how to obey God in a way not easily understood by the disciples As I stated earlier, it is only through our Bible study and hindsight that we are able to begin to comprehend the meaning and motive behind this act of Christ. With influence and intention far greater than requesting that the disciples extend kindness toward one another, Jesus modeled how to give and grow His truths through the world and into eternity before He left this earth. What a gift God extended to us! Our human minds cannot begin to fully fathom and we have an added blessing of so much to teach us. Jesus exposes the keys to the Kingdom of God for us to use to unlock the hearts of our children for Him. What a precious privilege! As we strive to build the Heart of Jesus in our children, we must remember our mentor Jesus and humbly show Him to our children in all we are and do. Jesus served the Father and others. Jesus loved the Father and others. Jesus taught the Father to others. Jesus exposed truth to others. Jesus was obedient to the Father in all ways. Jesus was a hearer and a doer of the Word. Jesus sacrificed for the Father and each of us. Jesus drew nearer to God with eternal purpose. As we see the simple truths of who Jesus is through Scripture, it makes it obvious to parents that we must purposely provide opportunities to produce identical characteristics in our children. As we look to our own lives, we must assess where we are so that we are prepared to parent with confidence through connection to Christ. Do you humbly submit to God? Do you listen for His voice? Do you keep areas of your life private or closed-off from God? Do you trust God’s plans? Where can you trust God more? How do you plan to draw nearer to Him? Do you expose more of your fleshly character qualities or more of Christ? How are you purposely showing Christ to your child daily? Are you reading and studying the Bible? Are you reading and studying the Bible with your child? Do you pray for your children daily? Are you asking God to show you what you must do to bring yourself and your children or grandchildren closer to Him? Although these may seem like a lot of questions, these are prompts to propel each of us to what we should consciously be doing for the children God has gifted us to parent for Him; for the people He surrounds us with. As we learn to depend on Him every moment as we live, He will guide us in the ways we should move and mother for Him. His desire is that we succeed in every way He calls for us, especially in the way we live and parent. Dear Heavenly Father, how great You are! You know our every thought, word, act, and motive. Yet you love us with an astounding and everlasting love deeper than we can imagine. You know our faults and failures, yet You entrust us with Your treasures, the children You give to us. Father, please enable us to become the parents You desire in a timely way that allows us to parent with godly wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and love from You. May the hearts of our children be turned to You. May they accept Christ as they complete the purposes You have established for them with complete trust in You. May their love for You and faith in You shine forth to bring others into Your arms. May our children bless You with joy and delight with the love and faith they exhibit and mature with purposeful intention. Father, thank you for entrusting each of us to raise Your children. May our hearts delight You and help us to know how to complete this privilege You have entrusted to us. Enable us to love You with fullness of heart and may the hearts of our children seek You in the same way. Impress Your commandments in not only our hearts, but the hearts of our children. May we think of You and speak of You through each day together as we entrust our future, their futures, to Your capable hands. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 135 - May It Be As You Desire, God Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #135 – May It Be As You Desire, God Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. In their unique ways, each of my daughters continue to teach me daily about the beauty of a humble heart. Through their words and actions, they allow me to catch a glimpse of God working in them. As I watch them, observing their very different surface personalities, I receive such joy. Although they have unique personalities, both girls love Jesus and make me think about the heart of Mary, mother of Jesus. They always purposely try to please and obey my husband and me. Not in ways that are only because they know they are supposed to, or feel they have to, but because they want to be pleasing to God. I consider it my honor to teach them to yearn for God and to desire to please Him above anyone else. If they do so, the overflow of their love for Him will cover the rest of us. Just as Mary modeled Christ in her words to Gabriel in Luke 1, “May it be as You Desire, God,” is what Christian parents want to hear and see from their children. Yet our reasons for desiring that make all the difference. My children are not to worship me, but Him. When they do, I see the beautiful benefits of their faith-filled and maturing life. It makes me ponder all the qualities God saw in Mary that made Him plan for her to mother the Savior of the World. I believe there were three keys qualities God considered necessary for the task He called Mary to (and of course, God knew she would possess). Christian parents must lead our children to the feet of Jesus in order to see these same qualities living in them. 1. Mary trusted God. 2. Mary’s life praised God. 3. Mary submitted to God. These are the qualities we want to mentor for our children and see them willingly carry in their life. Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.” Wouldn’t you love your children and grandchildren to live with a heart attuned to the Lord like this? We hold such great purpose in the life of children! It is our sacred privilege to intentionally instruct our children and grandchildren to: 1. Love God with a humble heart. 2. Fear God with reverence. 3. Respect God’s holy commands and instructions. 4. Serve God with a humble heart. 5. Obey God with respect for His sovereignty. Luke 1:26-38 says, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be borne will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Every time I read this passage of verses, my heart is tender for the love and reverence Mary offered God in a moment that must have been incredibly confusing or startling. Can you imagine being in her position? Even though she was just a young girl, she did not worry or wonder at what was going to happen, how it would come to be, or why God had chosen to reveal such a plan as this to her. The words, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word,” must have sounded preciously obedient to God’s ears. He had chosen Mary because He knew her reaction would be worthy of the privilege and promise He planned. Maybe it is so special to me because I was an unmarried pregnant teen. I know the shame and fear that a young girl faces. It brings me humble joy to read her reaction and imagine myself in her shoes. Luke 1:46-49 says, “And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” Mary was honored in life with the distinctive role of being the mother of Jesus. This honor required enormous sacrifice and suffering. Mary no doubt suffered deep pain along with the privilege of raising Jesus. Mary’s submissive obedience to God allowed her to humbly accept this position with grace and trust without demanding glory or answers. It is not about her. It is about Him. The Bible is full of character studies and stories that we can draw great wisdom and knowledge from and impart to our children. Let’s take a look at another person God found pleasing. 1. Solomon petitioned God. 2. Solomon heard God. 3. Solomon strayed from God. 4. Solomon returned to God. 2 Chronicles 1:1 says, “Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.” 2 Chronicles 1:7-12 says, “In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” This is exactly what God does. He peers without restraint or obstruction straight into our heart. Solomon’s prayer was pleasing to God. Solomon recognized the value of wisdom. His plea in that prayer seemed obedient, trusting, submissive, humble, and genuine. Because Solomon did not ask for wealth, possessions, riches, or honor, God answered and granted much wisdom to Solomon, as well as lavishing unrequested blessings on him. As we study the life of Solomon, we see that one critical piece of wisdom we can learn from his story is the importance of carrying more than wisdom. Wisdom without understanding can be very dangerous. Proverbs 4:5-13 says, “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” Solomon recognized the value of wisdom and requested it from God, pleasing our Heavenly Father immensely. Yet through the life and choices of Solomon we learn that we need more than wisdom alone. Wisdom without a humble heart for God or an understanding of what God requires to be wise will not keep us humble and reliant on our Heavenly Father. Without understanding and insight from God, personal wisdom may become worldly knowledge rather than godly instruction. We may end up yearning for and following personal, physical, and earthly desires instead of seeking what God desires. Just as Solomon strayed far from what God would deem wise, we are liable to make the same mistakes without keeping our mind, heart, and soul tied in reverence and submission to God. Solomon seemed to return to God in his later years, perhaps by viewing and utilizing the wisdom God endowed to him in his younger years through an eternal perspective. Through his story, we learn that we must teach our children to seek God’s wisdom and the qualities that build and sustain His common sense and uphold His commands. There are so many characters in the Bible that we can draw from, but the next I want to discuss in this podcast episode is the best mentor of all. The perfect mentor in every area is Jesus. John 13:1-17 says, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For He knew who was to betray Him; that was why He said, “Not all of you are clean.” When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed his place, He said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” In this short passage we see deeper into the heart of Jesus. God already knows every sin we have ever or will ever commit – and He loves us regardless. The love of Jesus is far-reaching and perfect, casting out fear and infusing us with hope and mercy that only comes from Him. In this story we understand that Jesus is speaking privately with His disciples and sharing His final instructions. Jesus is preparing them for His death and resurrection because the Lord knew both events would greatly impact and alter the foundation of their beliefs and lives forever. Because Jesus was the sinless, perfect mentor and model servant for God, He set a clear and wise pattern for His disciples to follow. Just as He does for us. In the passage we read, Jesus humbly wrapped a towel around His waist and began washing feet as only a servant would do. When we witness God in the flesh as a servant doing what was considered one of the lowliest chores, we (with the great hindsight of the Holy Word) see genuine and humble love and obedience that should compel each of us to be willing to serve in the same ways, honoring and glorifying God. Jesus showed how to treat others and how to obey God in a way not easily understood by the disciples As I stated earlier, it is only through our Bible study and hindsight that we are able to begin to comprehend the meaning and motive behind this act of Christ. With influence and intention far greater than requesting that the disciples extend kindness toward one another, Jesus modeled how to give and grow His truths through the world and into eternity before He left this earth. What a gift God extended to us! Our human minds cannot begin to fully fathom and we have an added blessing of so much to teach us. Jesus exposes the keys to the Kingdom of God for us to use to unlock the hearts of our children for Him. What a precious privilege! As we strive to build the Heart of Jesus in our children, we must remember our mentor Jesus and humbly show Him to our children in all we are and do. Jesus served the Father and others. Jesus loved the Father and others. Jesus taught the Father to others. Jesus exposed truth to others. Jesus was obedient to the Father in all ways. Jesus was a hearer and a doer of the Word. Jesus sacrificed for the Father and each of us. Jesus drew nearer to God with eternal purpose. As we see the simple truths of who Jesus is through Scripture, it makes it obvious to parents that we must purposely provide opportunities to produce identical characteristics in our children. As we look to our own lives, we must assess where we are so that we are prepared to parent with confidence through connection to Christ. Do you humbly submit to God? Do you listen for His voice? Do you keep areas of your life private or closed-off from God? Do you trust God’s plans? Where can you trust God more? How do you plan to draw nearer to Him? Do you expose more of your fleshly character qualities or more of Christ? How are you purposely showing Christ to your child daily? Are you reading and studying the Bible? Are you reading and studying the Bible with your child? Do you pray for your children daily? Are you asking God to show you what you must do to bring yourself and your children or grandchildren closer to Him? Although these may seem like a lot of questions, these are prompts to propel each of us to what we should consciously be doing for the children God has gifted us to parent for Him; for the people He surrounds us with. As we learn to depend on Him every moment as we live, He will guide us in the ways we should move and mother for Him. His desire is that we succeed in every way He calls for us, especially in the way we live and parent. Dear Heavenly Father, how great You are! You know our every thought, word, act, and motive. Yet you love us with an astounding and everlasting love deeper than we can imagine. You know our faults and failures, yet You entrust us with Your treasures, the children You give to us. Father, please enable us to become the parents You desire in a timely way that allows us to parent with godly wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and love from You. May the hearts of our children be turned to You. May they accept Christ as they complete the purposes You have established for them with complete trust in You. May their love for You and faith in You shine forth to bring others into Your arms. May our children bless You with joy and delight with the love and faith they exhibit and mature with purposeful intention. Father, thank you for entrusting each of us to raise Your children. May our hearts delight You and help us to know how to complete this privilege You have entrusted to us. Enable us to love You with fullness of heart and may the hearts of our children seek You in the same way. Impress Your commandments in not only our hearts, but the hearts of our children. May we think of You and speak of You through each day together as we entrust our future, their futures, to Your capable hands. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

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< Back Purposed Parent Connected Child Podcast Episode 067 - Have You Planned for Your Child's Spiritual Growth? Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast – Episode 067 – How Are You Planning for Your Child’s Spiritual Growth? I remember wanting to read everything I could about child development when I was pregnant with my first child. I was eighteen years old, and if I heard another parent or doctor state something, or if the information was was published, I thought it had to be true! How different I feel about those sources today. Regardless, that curiosity and desire to do well as a mother spurred me to find answers before they were needed. I wanted to be ahead, to know what to expect , and to give my child the best start in life. By the time I had my second child, I felt pretty confident that I could rely more on instinct and experience than what others said. But a generation later, when we brought our ten month old daughter home from China, I was back to reading books plus taking attachment, cultural, and trauma classes. Ten years after that, when we brought our youngest home as a nine year child with much deprivation in her history, I had also completed several foster-to-adopt courses. All of those courses and materials, combined with lots of prayer left me as prepared as I could be. People say you never know what to expect when you adopt, but the truth is that you don’t know what you will encounter as a bio mom, either. Most mothers like to be prepared. It makes us feel like better parents when we think we know a little more about what to expect. We feel empowered when we’re armed with the resources we might need. The phrase “mama bear” is so true. We fight for our children and knowledge is one of the best defenses we can have. But one thing I’ve noticed is that most mothers don’t think about planning for the spiritual development of their children. I certainly didn’t do it the first time I parented. It wasn’t until my husband and I decided to begin parenting with a baby again over twenty years later that we created a purposed parenting plan that caused me to think about charting spiritual growth. Obviously, spiritual development of your child is even more important than their physical, mental, and emotional development, because it affects their eternity . Why do we accidentally leave so much of it to chance? One of the Bible verses I’m intrigued by is Luke 2:52. In it, we read, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Surprisingly, God’s Word doesn’t tell us much about Jesus as a child. Yet this short verse exposes so much if we pay attention . First, let’s stop and look up the definition of wisdom, “the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action, discernment, or insight .” Next, if we look up the word stature, it says, “degree of development attained; level of achievement .” We know this means the Bible is telling us Jesus had godly insight and discernment, the wisest you can get and He achieved it at a very high level. As Jesus matured, He continued to grow in these ways of God. Don’t you bet God charted the spiritual growth of His Son? Don’t you think He was purposed in what Jesus was exposed to and what God allowed to happen? In how He used every experience to mature Jesus’ character and godliness? Just as we should do with our children. Because God intentionally planted eternity on our hearts, He also placed the need for us to mature spiritually while we grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. Just as He did with Jesus. Ecclesiastes 3:11a says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart .” Just as there are medically proven developmental stages for children, the spiritual life of a child seems to mature in stages. Before the age of seven, a child typically cannot understand the abstract. Some say that the thought of a Heavenly Father may be difficult to comprehend because children aren’t able to see God or understand specific theological points in discussions. However, they do understand and enjoy rituals and symbols, such as the cross or prayers. Although research demonstrates what is believed about children at this age, believing mothers must remember what the Bible tells us in Matthew 19:14. “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these .” I believe that when we teach our children Biblical truths about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit from the beginning of our time with them, and we prayerfully nurture their faith. When we ask God to convey His wisdom to us in how to parent His child in godly ways, He will honor our prayers. Continue exposing your child to God’s truths as early as possible in ways that enable your child to build interest, understanding, and faith. The heart of a young child is ready to hear about Jesus. You are nurturing their eternity. Until the late preteen years, around the age of twelve, you are helping your child construct their important foundation of faith. They are growing a personal sense of connection to God through experience with family. Where and how your child worships, the truths he has learned from the Bible, other faith-based experiences, family and church rituals, and traditions remain very important in building faith and understanding at this age. The teen years should solidify connection with God through Christ. A teen is searching for answers about self, the world, and others. You know Jesus is the answer. As you have helped your child build identity through Christ in younger years, you can now help them connect what they’ve already learned and experienced so they will bring faith, trust, and obedience to a higher level. Throughout the life of your child, whether in the earliest or teen years, continue with traditions you’ve established at home and church. Continue teaching God’s truths and helping your child understand why they believe. Although sometimes you may think your child doesn’t pay attention, they are absorbing everything, especially what you deem important and what you remain consistent with. Your faith , godly character , and obedience to God and His Word will affect them more than any other influence. If you are prayerfully and purposely committed to God, and personal growth in and through Him, your family, and children will see God at work in you. Remember, God gifts you with perfect parenting direction within His perfect Life Manual, His holy Word, the Bible and your prayerful time with Him. As you study God’s Word, you see that He has given you exactly what is needed to influence children for Jesus. He has offered guidelines, guards, and promises. When you hear the following verses, listen with new ears. Hear the heart behind the words. Think of ways you should use the verses to lead you and help you influence and raise your children for God. Let me give a few examples: Psalm 34:11 says, “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord .” The only way to learn the fear of the Lord is to know Him. After you accept Christ as your personal Savior, live with the Holy Spirit within, study God’s Word, and trust and follow the Lord with humble submission, you are transformed. You are made new. You carry new eyes, ears, heart, and desires. As you learn more of God and His truths, you carry the fear of the Lord because you recognize His holiness and sovereignty. Spiritual growth has occurred and you are able to help your children grow, as well. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 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 .” God tells us that we should be thinking of Him, living for and growing in Him, and purposely teaching our children to do the same moment by moment. Living for and growing in God should be as simple as the act of breathing . Life is full of distractions. Remember, God didn’t place Adam and Eve in a world like we have today and they still fell. We must be extra cautious of the confusion, interferences, and sin faced daily. God never said parenting for Him would be easy, but He has required us to do so. What will you sacrifice to obey Him and make Him known to your children? Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord .” Have you seen parents who treat their children as competitors or best friends? I have. None of us are perfect parents, but our children deserve the best we can give them. Your child receives your best when you intentionally draw near to God so He will draw nearer to you. Daily. Every moment. Wear those invisible blinders that lead your heart, mind, and eyes to Him. The closer you are to Christ, humbly trusting and obeying, learning how to be the godly woman and parent He desires, the less exasperated, confused, or hopeless your child will be. Numbers 14:18 says, “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation .” What needs to change in your life or the life of your spouse? Living with eternal perspective means paying attention to ways you can extract sins and spiritual neglect from your life and home. What happens now moves into future generations. How are you, your spouse, and children going to influence those after you for eternity? Your choices and decisions matter. Proverbs 14:1 says, “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands .” Who you are and what you do are drawing your child closer to or further away from Christ. How are you moving nearer to God daily? In what ways are you making Him known to your children? Do you inhale God’s love, grace, and mercy moment by moment and exhale His truths for your child to grasp? By your own hands you are influencing the next generation for Jesus in ways that either honor or dishonor God. There are so many verses – a whole book of them – that we could go over in this episode. I’ll list a few more verses without my thoughts for you to ponder and begin with. There are so many additional excellent verses to use in the Bible. Look at the Bible with new eyes the next time you study. Pinpoint verses that may be used to shape your character, motives, parenting, marriage, and choices. This is the best start to purposed parenting and planning for your child’s spiritual growth. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth .” Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long .” Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives .” Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ” 1 Samuel 3:13 says, “For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them .” Proverbs 23:24 says, “The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him .” James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you .” Psalm 19:7-9 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous .” Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.” Use these verses to help you begin charting the spiritual life of your children in purposed ways. Just as you mark the walls of your home to show the height your child is reaching, impress the heart and mind of your child with spiritual truths that will shape their character and morals for eternity. Dear Heavenly Father, how gracious You are to us. How can You entrust Your children into our incapable hands? Your generosity is astounding! Your holy character and sovereignty over our lives are such a gift. Your guidelines to us are a treasure that we need to cherish with more intentionality. May we read Your Words with open hearts and receive Your teachings with open hands. Help us to interpret and examine Your teachings with wisdom and insight that comes from You. Help us use Your Words to raise our children and influence our grandchildren for generations to come. May our families shine for You because we make time to know, love, and honor You now and help our children to do the same. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Supporting and encouraging mothers to rest in Christ and pursue a holy relationship with Him so they purposely raise set-apart children is the cry of my heart. I believe godly parenting is rooted in relationship with Christ and the mindset a mother carries. That’s why I’ve created the Set-Apart Collective. Would you like to walk with other like-minded mothers to deepen your walk with Christ, learn a Christ-centered Motherhood Mindset Model, and create a Purposed Parenting Plan? I want to share special news with my podcast listeners. The Set-Apart Collective wait list is open now. Send me an email at info@terrihitt.com to let me know you’d like to receive information and a special code to receive a discount if you find you’d like to join the collective. It’s time for mothers to be purposed in preparing their children for a lifetime pursuit of Christ. If you connected in some way with this episode, would you please rate and review the podcast on Apple or Spotify? The best reviews are by word of mouth, so if you would also choose a friend to recommend the show to, imagine the change we could see in the way mothers parent for Christ. Also, please tell friends and family that the podcast can be found at terrihitt.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place. Remember, if you’re not purposed in knowing Jesus and showing Him to the next generation, the world will likely sway your children away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast enables you to stop being a good mom and focus on being a godly parent. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to parent with eternal purpose and connection. Previous Next

< Back Purposed Parent Connected Child Podcast Episode 108 - Your Home is the Key to Safeguarding Your Children Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast – Episode 108 – Your Home is the Key to Safeguarding Your Children Thank you for sharing your day with me. I pray this podcast gives you the awareness and tools you need to STOP being a GOOD mom and BECOME the GODLY mom God entrusts you to be. Then you will be the SET-APART woman PURPOSELY raising children to chase CHRIST over culture. Just a quick reminder as we start, if you enjoy Purposed Parent Connected Child podcast episodes, would you please share this episode or others with a friend or family member? When you graciously take a moment to do that, and leave a rating or review at Apple Podcast, you are ensuring that others will find the podcast. You’re helping affect generations for Jesus. Now on to this episode about how your home is the key to safeguarding your children… Home is supposed to be a safe place. Comfortable. Loving. Kind. Christlike. When my youngest came home to be with us at the age of nine, she had no idea what was in store for her. Fear was all she felt when we brought her home to the United States from China. Life was uncomfortable. Our sweet girl wondered what would happen next. Now, praise God! Each night when we say prayers together, she consistently thanks God for one thing first. Night after night she begins her prayers like this, “Dear God. Thank you for my family.” Every single night. Every single prayer. Home. A place that should be a refuge. A place children should lovingly learn about Jesus from godly parents who mentor Christ intentionally with grace, joy, and patience. Yet, parents are human. Life isn’t perfect. Days flash by. Schedules get changed. Emergencies arise. Still, in the midst of tragedies, trials, or triumphs, one thing parents should provide for their children is a home that safeguards . Children deserve to be raised in a home where parents pursue relationship with Jesus and making Christ known to their children. A home that gives them joy, hope, and truth. Meaning God’s truths as written in His Word, the Bible. In fact, God commands parents to take this approach in parenting. He even instructs us in how to accomplish this monumental task. I know you probably already know which passage I’m going to refer to, because I say this often, but one of my favorite verses related to parenting is Deuteronomy 6:5-9 . “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 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 doorframes of your houses and on your gates .” God is very clear in His instructions to parents. There should be no doubt as to how we are to raise the children He has entrusted to us. His children are purposely in our care. If you profess to know and love Jesus, how can you not seek and offer God’s truths? Too many parents are good as by the world’s standards. We must stop being good! We must become godly parents who seek and shine Jesus and the truths of God for our children. If we do not, we risk our children falling for the deceits of this world and losing eternity with God. It’s a sobering fact . More and more kids are turning away from relationship with God. They see a walk with God as religion, not as relationship with Jesus Christ. One of the latest statistics I saw mentioned that about thirty percent of high schoolers reject religion. What if they were never taught to follow religion, but instead, were taught how to develop a close and abiding relationship with Jesus from the youngest possible age? What would that percentage become? I definitely think it would be lower. We must obediently pursue the Lord with love and honor and equip our children to do the same because of a growing love for God, not an obligation they see no need to follow. Be intentional. Every moment counts for eternity. In order to create a home that safeguards your children, there are several actions you must prioritize. 1. Relationship with God through Jesus. Ideally, you and your husband are equally yoked. If not, prayerfully pursue God’s Word and pray for your husband. Show Christ in your personal life. Your words, desires, actions, and reactions must be submitted to Christ. A lasting relationship with Jesus ideally begins in a home where both parents love, honor, and obey God. 2. Build a strong home/family unit . Love , biblical teachings with grace , patience , and joy are cornerstones to building a home that is safe and peaceful. When your child feels safe and loved by you, and they see Christ in you, they are more apt to seek, follow, and obey Him. 3. Godly love . When you know and trust Jesus, when you invite Him to transform your life, you are a magnet of godly love that will also transform the life of your child as you show Christlikeness in your desires, words, actions, and reactions. 4. Communication/Connection . When you create a home that fosters connection and communication, your child feels safe. They feel seen. Heard. Appreciated. Loved. When they feel close to you, as they see you purposely pursue Jesus with passion, they will seek Him, too. 5. Discipleship – not punishment . We will never have perfect kids or families. We are each imperfect adults raising imperfect children. Your kids are kids. Just as you made mistakes, they will. Guide and guard them – direct them to Jesus, and show Christ in your life. Remember that discipline should be discipleship , not punishment. It is critical to parent the heart, not seek to simply eradicate the behavior . 6. Godly mentorship (in actions – not just words). Remember that you are seeking to disciple God’s children who simply reside in your care. As you deepen your walk with Jesus, you are better equipped to mentor how your children can do the same. They see and know more about you than you might think. Little eyes and ears watch and hear. Show them Jesus as they examine you . 7. God’s Word . The way to know the Lord in intimate relationship is through His Word. Help your child see you study it and be in the Word with them. Not because you have to, but because you crave it. The only way for you to develop a taste for God’s Word is to read it. Do it whether or not you want to. Do it whether you feel you have time. Keep doing it. You can make time to read or listen each day. 8. Prayer . How gracious God is to give us a lifeline straight to Him. Use it often and regularly . Teach your children to do the same. Pray Scriptures, pray Scripture-based prayers, pray for yourself, your children, your spouse, those in authority. The list can be endless. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the opportunity to pray, pray for what you know is in alignment with God’s desires. Ask God for guidance in what else He desires you to pray for. If you’d like deeper discussion and training on prayer, you may listen to Purposed Parent Connected Child episodes. Simply go to terrihitt.com/podcasts and click on Purposed Parent Connected Child. Type prayers in the search bar and you can choose between about five episodes on this topic. You may also visit the website and click on Live With Eternal Perspective. Do the same by typing prayer in the search bar and you will see several choices about prayer. 9. Forgiveness . A home filled with the love and joy of Christ follows His model. Forgiveness. As you craft and deepen your walk with God through relationship with Jesus and grow your identity in Christ, you will live with mercy and forgiveness. Teach those characteristics to your children and extend them to your spouse and family. You safeguard your children when you teach them the act of obedience through forgiveness. The nine steps I mentioned are tips to begin building a foundation for Christ that also safeguards your home and children. Begin with these basics. Send me a message if you’d like to hear additional ways in future episodes. A godly home is a gift and blessing you will never regret building for your children. Your home will become one they will return to, one in which they will be able to find close relationship with Jesus and connection with you. Dear Heavenly Father, how great You are to give us Your Son and all the keys to Your heart. Thank you for the truths You teach us, the commands you give us, and the love you shower upon us. You are truly SO good. Work within us to enable us to create homes that lead our families to You. Help our children to be safe, loved, and brought to you because we are diligent to grow our walk with You and show You in ways that delight Your heart. Make our home a place that safeguards the children You have entrusted to us. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Because your home is key to safeguarding your children, I want to share a sweet and innocent company that has the same mission to safeguard the hearts and minds of children - Melane & Co. This shop was created by my middle daughter, who is the artist behind the watercolor creations available. Are you disgusted with book illustrations that honor darkness, not light? Have you ever taken your child to a gathering or been in the home of another person who has art hanging on the walls that simply isn’t God-honoring? Whether you’re looking through magazines, visiting a gallery, or a friend’s home, your kids have probably been exposed to artwork that you just wish they hadn’t seen. Has this happened to you? If it hasn’t yet, it probably will. But your home can be a place of refuge. Remember, under God’s command, you are responsible for safeguarding the heart and home of your children. If you’re looking for home décor that your child can grow up with and that won’t cause a flush to spread across your faces, Melane & Co. has gentle, beautiful watercolor prints, cards, and custom floral or pet paintings that bring joy and delight to young and old. Raising children is challenging. Don’t let artwork be another stumbling block. I invite you to visit Melane & Co. at www.melaneandco.com for a variety of pieces to bring a smile to your faces and walls. You’ll find fine quality watercolor cards you can use for gifts to family, friends, or teachers. If your home has a furry family member or two, you’ll also see a way to include them in your décor. A custom portrait of your pet is a timeless way to remember the joy they give so effortlessly daily. Any way you can honor God in your home with classic pieces that are sweet to the eyes and soul help you mentor Christ in beautiful ways. Visit Melane & Co. today. One last thing to remember - if you’re not purposed in knowing Jesus and showing Him to the next generation, the world will sway your children away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast enables you to stop being a good mom and focus on being a godly parent. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to parent with eternal purpose and connection with your children and Christ. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #076 – Direct Your Focus Last week I shared that my family is experiencing a difficult season. How I detest times like this, yet appreciate them at the same time. Why? Because I have lived long enough to know that the hardest times have stretched me beyond where I would cause my feet to travel. Jesus has carried me through the worst and the best moments in my life. While it would be amazing to live a perfectly happy life with no difficulties, the honest truth of this fallen world is that we are all alike. We will never find perfection. Life will continue to deliver painful blows. We are blessed when we recognize and remember that God already goes before us. Deuteronomy 1:30-31 says, “The Lord your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt and in the wilderness, where the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.” Oh, how I love the Lord! His ways are timeless! He is good. Intentionally place your full trust in Him. Direct your gaze Upward in every moment of life; not just when you think you need Him. I saw a Facebook post this week that reminds me of this truth. A mother was sending her child off to begin her life of “adulthood” and her heart is feeling multiple emotions! Understandably so. But the words that caught my attention were when she said that she prayed she had prepared her child enough for this world and that she guessed it was in God’s hands now. I am not singling out or judging what this mom spoke from her heart. Yet, as a follower of Christ who deeply desires to live in ways that honor God moment by moment and to always direct others to Jesus, I want to point out the fact that we must shift our thought process. Every moment of our life should already be in God’s hands. We should strive to grow so close to Him that our heart and mind are attuned to what the Father is calling us to submit to and release to Him moment by moment. We must seek to humble ourselves and submit to the Spirit within us, purposely allowing Christ to reign in our hearts and minds to eradicate self, more and more. How do we do this? The methods of a strong and maturing relationship with God through Jesus are basic. The difficulty comes in intentionally pursuing Him with a passionate mix of trust, hope, love, and faith that comes from seeking Him despite feelings and desires that get in the way and blind us to His truths. For example, if we feel far from God, or that He has abandoned us, that means we must draw nearer to Him. James 4:8 says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Never rely on feelings or thoughts, emotions or desires to direct your walk with Jesus. Psalm 73:28 says, “But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.” Good Father, It is the prayer of my heart that every unpleasant moment or hardship I experience on this earth will do nothing but draw me ever nearer to You. I pray that is the same for each listener and for our loved ones. May we inhale the Spirit with every difficulty and exhale Jesus for all to experience and capture the delight and joy of the Lord. For You are good, despite our circumstances and pain, feelings or emotions. Help us to remember to draw near to You so that You will draw nearer to us. May we always be mindful that You are always a step ahead, providing the means for us to thrive in this world if we only place our constant hope and trust in You. In Your precious name we pray and plead. Amen. As I continue to rest in the Lord through this season, I want to mention a few of the past “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast episodes you may find helpful. Where are you right now? Are you ready to: Submit Your Heart? Episode 1 – Heart Conditions Protect Your Thoughts? Episode 2 – Protecting Our thoughts Strive for Obedience? Episode 3 – Obedience Prepare your child or grandchild to live for Him? Episode 7 – Equipping Children Submit emotions? Episode 38 – Who Master’s My Emotions As I continue to rest in the Spirit within and know that He has good plans for me and my family that will not harm us, but will bring us ever closer to Him, I will continue to encourage and equip you to find your rest in and through Jesus, as well. May our spirits ever long for Him and marvel at the ways He provides all we need, especially as we submit each moment into His capable hands. We don’t have to understand or agree with His ways, but we must purposely know Him so that we will willingly trust Him. Thank you, Jesus, for all You are and allow. This week I pray you find new ways to rest in Him and cause yourself to cling to Him in deeper ways that test your faith and understanding. Allow Him to bring you to a new level of trust and abandonment of self. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture as You rely on God to direct your steps. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to the Lord and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 076 Direct Your Focus Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #076 – Direct Your Focus Last week I shared that my family is experiencing a difficult season. How I detest times like this, yet appreciate them at the same time. Why? Because I have lived long enough to know that the hardest times have stretched me beyond where I would cause my feet to travel. Jesus has carried me through the worst and the best moments in my life. While it would be amazing to live a perfectly happy life with no difficulties, the honest truth of this fallen world is that we are all alike. We will never find perfection. Life will continue to deliver painful blows. We are blessed when we recognize and remember that God already goes before us. Deuteronomy 1:30-31 says, “The Lord your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt and in the wilderness, where the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.” Oh, how I love the Lord! His ways are timeless! He is good. Intentionally place your full trust in Him. Direct your gaze Upward in every moment of life; not just when you think you need Him. I saw a Facebook post this week that reminds me of this truth. A mother was sending her child off to begin her life of “adulthood” and her heart is feeling multiple emotions! Understandably so. But the words that caught my attention were when she said that she prayed she had prepared her child enough for this world and that she guessed it was in God’s hands now. I am not singling out or judging what this mom spoke from her heart. Yet, as a follower of Christ who deeply desires to live in ways that honor God moment by moment and to always direct others to Jesus, I want to point out the fact that we must shift our thought process. Every moment of our life should already be in God’s hands. We should strive to grow so close to Him that our heart and mind are attuned to what the Father is calling us to submit to and release to Him moment by moment. We must seek to humble ourselves and submit to the Spirit within us, purposely allowing Christ to reign in our hearts and minds to eradicate self, more and more. How do we do this? The methods of a strong and maturing relationship with God through Jesus are basic. The difficulty comes in intentionally pursuing Him with a passionate mix of trust, hope, love, and faith that comes from seeking Him despite feelings and desires that get in the way and blind us to His truths. For example, if we feel far from God, or that He has abandoned us, that means we must draw nearer to Him. James 4:8 says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Never rely on feelings or thoughts, emotions or desires to direct your walk with Jesus. Psalm 73:28 says, “But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.” Good Father, It is the prayer of my heart that every unpleasant moment or hardship I experience on this earth will do nothing but draw me ever nearer to You. I pray that is the same for each listener and for our loved ones. May we inhale the Spirit with every difficulty and exhale Jesus for all to experience and capture the delight and joy of the Lord. For You are good, despite our circumstances and pain, feelings or emotions. Help us to remember to draw near to You so that You will draw nearer to us. May we always be mindful that You are always a step ahead, providing the means for us to thrive in this world if we only place our constant hope and trust in You. In Your precious name we pray and plead. Amen. As I continue to rest in the Lord through this season, I want to mention a few of the past “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast episodes you may find helpful. Where are you right now? Are you ready to: Submit Your Heart? Episode 1 – Heart Conditions Protect Your Thoughts? Episode 2 – Protecting Our thoughts Strive for Obedience? Episode 3 – Obedience Prepare your child or grandchild to live for Him? Episode 7 – Equipping Children Submit emotions? Episode 38 – Who Master’s My Emotions As I continue to rest in the Spirit within and know that He has good plans for me and my family that will not harm us, but will bring us ever closer to Him, I will continue to encourage and equip you to find your rest in and through Jesus, as well. May our spirits ever long for Him and marvel at the ways He provides all we need, especially as we submit each moment into His capable hands. We don’t have to understand or agree with His ways, but we must purposely know Him so that we will willingly trust Him. Thank you, Jesus, for all You are and allow. This week I pray you find new ways to rest in Him and cause yourself to cling to Him in deeper ways that test your faith and understanding. Allow Him to bring you to a new level of trust and abandonment of self. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture as You rely on God to direct your steps. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to the Lord and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

< Back Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode 004 - Arming Your Child Spiritually Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode #004 – Arming Your Child Spiritually Are you yearning for greater connection with your child and Christ? Would you like to parent beyond the moment with eternal perspective? Do the days seem long, but you know the parenting journey is short? Let’s grow together now with practical tips, scripture, and stories geared to draw your heart to Jesus and guide your child into His arms. As an adult believer, you are aware of the wickedness Satan causes, but can focus on Jesus so that you truly know , love , and obey Him. You understand that God has already defeated Satan. But how well does your child know this truth? How well are you guarding your children, teaching and instructing so that they are equipped against the devil who prowls like a roaring lion seeking to destroy them? Do you intentionally mature your walk with and belief in Jesus so that He pours from you? Are you guarding your mind and heart so that your child is lovingly mentored to do the same? For example, although it’s not a popular opinion, I’ve never been a fan of the Harry Potter series. Many parents insist that they read the books as children and “they turned out okay,” or that they “don’t see anything wrong with them.” I don’t pretend or profess to be a parenting expert, but I do know Who is. My intention on this podcast is to point my listeners to Jesus and discuss methods and tips that will ensure you do not lead your child into a slippery slope of temptation or away from you or our Heavenly Father. I believe that the Harry Potter books are part of the alarming trend of literature intended for harm, not sanctification. We should desire that our life and the life of our children honor God in every way. Protecting our mind is one of the biggest ways to ensure that we carry the thoughts and desires of Jesus and instruct our children in His ways. We must purposely stay ahead of trends and popular culture and above what this world calls good. We must dissect and analyze what touches our child in light of how Jesus would view them. Would you agree that what you are frequently exposed to usually becomes what you think on or believe? When our children are repeatedly subjected to the witchcraft and demonology in the Harry Potter series, it can easily open their mind, imagination, and musings to further interest in the occult, which God’s word strictly and clearly forbids . This series of books and movies create a world that desensitizes children to God’s clear command that they should stay away from anything close to the occult. How is letting them be involved with the Harry Potter series any different than if you let them use a Quija board or play with Tarot cards? Couldn’t your children just as easily have exposure to those items, yet say that they don’t really believe in what they are doing, so it is okay? Please, don’t tread on the slippery slope that leads to destruction. Wouldn’t you rather build a fence several hundred feet away from the cliff than next to it? Take care that nothing becomes an obstruction between your child and Jesus. Luke 18:16 says, “But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these .” Witchcraft is not fantasy, but a sad and scary reality of our sinful world. What we allow our children to ingest becomes what sustains them . It can also become the stumbling block that hinders them from growing a beautiful, maturing relationship with Jesus that carries them into eternity. Although the subject of this podcast today is not witchcraft or the occult, I mention it now because these topics are directly tied to arming children spiritually. Satan knows how to lure and tempt each of us. His methods are used over and over because we continue to fall for them. Past hurts and behavior, attitude, thoughts, lusts, pride, so many things can be touched on by the great deceiver. Culture is touched by many who do not follow Jesus. There is an arsenal of ways that Satan reaches our precious children. We must be aware and diligent in protecting our children, but also preparing them to have the skills and knowledge of how to look to God for ultimate protection. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed .” Christians know that the enemy of this world is Satan. Jesus warned us that we would face trials and persecution, but He also reminded us that He has already overcome the world. The devil knows his time is short. Believers of Jesus should follow Him in one direction, but the devil schemes and works to lure believers and non-believers in the opposite direction. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit within followers of Christ, we are more than conquerors and through Jesus, we have His strength within us to stand against the wiles of Satan. It is our obligation and honor to guide our children to Jesus so that they can stand in the power and strength of Christ. In order for them to stand, we must ensure that they are aware of the evil influence targeted against them in this world. This world is a battlefield for the mind and heart of you and your child. Today we will discuss scripture and ideas to help you start or continue conversations with your children and enable you to remain diligent and consistent in this critical area of raising your child to know, honor, love, and follow Jesus with joy and stand against what the unseen enemy seeks to destroy. 2 Chronicles 20:15b says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s .” As we know, children see and respond to Christ much easier than adults. It’s usually more difficult for an adult to accept Jesus as Savior than it is for our open, loving children. We do such an injustice to children when we do not love Jesus with a deepening maturity and disciple them as we should. I have a biblical example from the gospels showing the ease in which children recognize and honor God. Matthew 21:15-16 says, “The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “’From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” Although the children who chanted this praise may not have understood the full significance of what they were saying, their words forced religious leaders to understand that the cries of the children indicated they recognized the awaited Messiah before the adults did. Children want to know God. Remember, just like you, the mind of your child controls their thoughts, beliefs, actions, reactions, and words. Their heart controls their truthfulness, obedience, kindness, service, and acceptance of Christ. Activities, such as games, movies, books, shows, and music all contribute to the mind and heart your child will grow and mature. What they ingest will be reflected because it becomes who they are . Friends and teachers also have a huge influence. Of course, the fleshly nature of your child impacts their behavior, but that is also beautifully sculpted by the way you disciple, train, and love them through Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Bad company includes more than friends. All of the entertainment areas I mentioned earlier also shapes character. Sometimes games, books, and movies are the main company some children desire. There are companies and individuals with ungodly agendas who I believe live under the influence of Satan and seek to influence our children in impure ways through the items mentioned earlier. We must be diligent, wise, and alert. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” Since we desire to grow the knowledge of Christ in our child as early as possible, we need to ensure that we also teach them the truths about spiritual warfare. Even from a young age, we can let our children know that there is an enemy they cannot see who seeks to do harm in the world through experiences and people. Children love stories. I believe one of the most effective ways to share the truths of Jesus is through story telling. Of course, I recommend a good children’s bible. In fact, you will most likely purchase several as your children grow. We have multiple bibles in our home so that the girls are able to hear about the Lord and read about Him for themselves at any age. Beginning with picture books and ultimately progressing to adult study bibles, your child must have access to the word of God at any stage and be able to absorb, process, understand, and articulate what they have learned in order to believe and live it. In our home we read the bible together often; daily is our goal, and the girls also study God’s word in private, as well. When my youngest came home to us at the age of nine and could not understand English, it took creativity and persistence to help her begin to understand God. It was a sacred process to carry the honor of making God known to her. Once I looked at the challenge of teaching her as if she were just an infant, because it really was the beginning of everything for her, it was easy to introduce God to her naturally. We spoke about God throughout the course of our day, weaving Him through the center of everything, as we normally do. We read the bible together, even when I knew she wouldn’t yet understand. We used a children’s bible with attractive illustrations that kept and heightened her interest and helped her to understand what we were discussing. I used a whiteboard to draw pictures of what we discussed to help her better understand. I would go step by step with drawings to re-enact what we had read together. My youngest is very creative and we would sometimes act out scenes like we were in a play. Whatever way you know will connect with your child is the right way to teach them about their Heavenly Father. When teaching awareness of spiritual warfare, start with a basic story foundation you can easily share with your children in the same ways I mentioned, and do it from a young age. An easy story to remember and recite is one similar to the following: Once upon a time, God created this beautiful world for each of us to live in because He loves us so much. Our Heavenly Father made people in His own image, and He wants to have a special relationship with each one of us. Just like God made the people, trees, flowers, oceans, animals, insects, planets, and everything else, He also created heavenly creatures we cannot see, called angels. These angels were created to love and honor God, just like we were, but they are different from people. We cannot usually see angels, but there are times in the bible where some of the angels God sent were actually seen by humans! One of the important things angels were made to do is carry out special jobs on earth for God, like helping and protecting humans. Once upon a time one of God’s angels made terrible choices. He decided he wanted to be more powerful than God. He was prideful and rebellious. He didn’t want to love or honor God. He wanted to be better than the Heavenly Father who created him! Instead of loving and obeying God, this angel started a battle against God with other disobedient angels. God, who is always stronger and wiser, threw the devil and his demons out of heaven. Now they fight against God and all people, especially those who love Jesus. God already knew what they were going to do, so He had a plan to use all the bad things they try to do and turn those into good things. The best plan was that God sent His Son, Jesus to the earth to save all people who choose to follow Him. We must learn all we can about Jesus now and stay away from things that Satan, the disobedient and wicked angel likes. One day God will stop Satan and his followers forever. Satan and his followers will be gone and those who love and follow Jesus will live with God forever. Children need to learn the basic truths and deep love and grace of God. Build upon that foundation. Then increase their awareness and understanding of the unseen spiritual world. I will now share 7 important points that each child should know from an early age in order to increase their knowledge and understanding of spiritual warfare as they age and mature. 1. The devil is a liar. 2. The devil hates God. 3. The devil is active. 4. The devil is tricky. 5. The devil doesn’t want you to follow God. 6. The devil cannot control you. 7. The devil is not your main focus. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” Now we will share the other side, which is the truth , hope , and promise of each of the points we just mentioned. Just as we ended with letting children know that Satan is not their main focus, we direct them to learn and remember the way to stand against darkness in this world. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” 1. God is truth. 2. God loves you. 3. God is always with you. 4. God is mighty. 5. God loves you and wants relationship with you. 6. God is sovereign. 7. Focus on Jesus. 1 John 5:3-5 says, “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” My other podcast, “Live With Eternal Perspective” features additional information about this topic in Episode 110, “Armed for Spiritual Warfare.” This episode relays the necessities needed to arm and equip yourself against Satan, flesh, and the unseen forces ruling this world. Without a knowledge of this yourself, you will not be able to equip your child to stand strong in the power and protection of Jesus. If you look at Ephesians 6:10-18, you will see all that we need to stand against the evil schemes of the enemy and it is already supplied by God. These verses are also a wonderful passage of scripture that makes an excellent storyline for you to play or act out with your child or make into a beautiful story to remind them that each of us, no matter how young or old, must do to be equipped for any battle we face in this world. These verses in Ephesians have helped me at my most vulnerable and heart-broken. I have experienced God’s supreme and loving power through them, and I know from experience that they are proven, reliable, and effective. Just like His word proclaims. I am currently working on a short ebook with a storyline for teaching children how to arm themselves for spiritual warfare through God’s armor. It will be available soon on my website at terrihitt.com. If you would like to receive this free resource, please visit the website and sign up to my email list so that you will be notified when it is available. I would love to share it with you! “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power .” Ephesians 6:10 instructs us with these two commands. First, w e must rely on God , and second, we must allow His mighty strength to fill us , not so that we will fight, but so that we will allow Him to battle through us. We want to mentor this for our children to grow in and rely on throughout their lifetime. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you love us with an everlasting love that we cannot comprehend. We think we begin to with the deep, wide, incredibly immense love we feel for our children. But we know that Your love is so much more rich and complicated than our mortal minds can fathom. You are so good to us, even when we do not understand Your ways or want what You desire. We thank you that Your word warns us there is an unseen world we know little about. Thank you for preparing us for the heartaches and injustices we will face in this broken world. Thank you for the armor you have prepared in advance for us. We know there is no protection like Yours and that You go before us, making a way to withstand the attacks we will face. Enable us to stand firm in Your arms and battle gear, letting You fight the battles for us. Help us to teach and mentor our children to do the same, and to rely on You in all areas of life. Grow our heart for You so that they cannot turn from You, because they know and see You so well through us and they love You with an everlasting, maturing love. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. The Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast will soon be available at terrihitt.com, where you can access the episodes housed in one convenient location, receive access to blog posts, read transcripts, and find additional resources designed to mature your walk with Christ and equip you to raise or influence connected children through Him. God knows that we are not capable of successful parenting on our own. As we rely on Him, as we release doubts and expectations, and humbly bow to His guidance and experience, we find greater clarity in parenting and a wondrous walk with our Creator that will extend to our children and those around us for generations . I pray this podcast helps you parent with purpose and deepen your connection to Jesus and your children. Intentionally place Christ above culture or self. Allow Him to work through you for true connection that will draw your children to Him and build a maturing relationship with Christ and your children that lasts for eternity. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #107 –Scripture and Solitude Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together and live with purposed eternal perspective. My youngest seeks private time with me daily. If I view her desire to be with me, to ensure that we play together daily as a chore, I feel burdened or overwhelmed thinking about our busy schedule and trying to fit in playtime every single day. If I shift my mindset, however, knowing that our playtime should be guarded, that we never know how many days we are given with anyone, I savor the precious moments we have. Playing together is so important to her mental, emotional, and spiritual growth and has blessed our attachment process. Looking back at our memories, laughter, secrets, and creativity together, play time is one of the activities I cherish the most. This same mindset should apply to our walk with God. When I was a new Christian, I read my Bible as often as possible, trying to absorb as much as I could. Sometimes it was difficult to learn the meanings of the strange new words I had never heard of, imagine cities I’d never been to, or understand the cultures of a time so long ago. Yet, I kept reading. Passion for Jesus resided in me and I wanted to hear more. Over time, my life got busier. My Bible could sit untouched for days by my bed. As time continued to pass, I still loved God very much, but my actions and reactions began to look more fleshly than godly and my words reflected myself rather than my Heavenly Father. Thankfully, I didn’t continue moving away from the word, but began moving back to the One who gives true life and love, drawn back to His word for the nourishment my mind, heart, and body craved. Scripture, wisdom of the Bible, is defined as sacred writings. The Word sacred means consecrated, or set-apart. In order for us to be set-apart in our daily living and our walk with God, we must intentionally purpose to live life differently than our flesh would call us to or as the world lures us to follow. Believers know scripture is God-breathed and inspired. The Holy word God breathed, inspired, and established for us is undoubtedly more than words in a book. Full of God’s truths, instructions, promises, and wisdom, scripture is an under-used treasure and gift. I’m incredibly thankful that God kept His eyes and hand on me when I stopped intentionally deepening my walk with Him daily as a young woman. No matter what we tell ourselves we think or how we feel, we will drift away from the heart of God, following selfish needs or desires, unless we are purposeful in moving nearer to Him. God knows the plans He has for each of us, the purposes we were created for, the things that touch us and speak to our heart. God cares intimately. He knows what to allow in our life, what to expel from it, and how to accomplish both without crushing our spirit or individuality. If we keep our eyes and heart focused on Him despite whether we are experiencing life standing tall on the mountain or crouching with despair in the valley, our walk with Him will deepen and mature in innumerable ways that last for eternity. So, how do we develop faith that withstands the burdens and trials of life? How do we manage to draw nearer to God, especially during the fast-paced and challenging days we live? God’s Holy word is the crucial starting point where we find the presence and purpose of Jesus and find freedom through Him. Through scripture, we find Christ, the perfect Savior and mentor. To my knowledge, the Bible never specifically instructs us to seek solitude. Yet, we often see Jesus drawing nearer to His Father through seeking refuge in solitude. When we study the life and actions of Jesus, we witness the way He intentionally found time and made the freedom to be in the presence of His Heavenly Father despite His demanding life. What is the purpose of seeking God through solitude and scripture? Through careful study of Bible scripture, and seeing the example Jesus left us of sitting with the Lord in solitude, we recognize specific privileges we receive as a child of the King, as well as opportunities to stretch the relationship we have to a greater depth and understanding of Jesus. Scripture helps us to: 1. Know God – 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the Lord does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the Lord sees the heart." Our Heavenly Father looks directly into our heart. Because He formed us, He knows each innermost thought, urge, weakness, and strength. God understands the feelings we have for Him, the regrets, the joys, and loves us despite each of them. Above all, He is not persuaded by or turned away from any of them. Reading scripture allows us to read God. We recognize Him. Through the Holy Spirit, we can have God alive within us! As we seek to know, honor, and please the Father through His holy word, we are able to understand and discern the character and ways of God much more clearly and accurately as we draw nearer to Him. 2. Hear God – Psalm 95:6-7a says, “O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.” We are the created. He is the Creator. As we seek Him and come to know Him through His word, we see the great depths God has gone to in order to make Himself known to us. The Creator of heaven and earth has pursued us with a relentless and holy love. As we learn what He desires, we come to be more like Him through our thoughts, actions, reactions, and words. We clearly hear and follow what He calls for us and we begin to experience fellowship and joy in new ways this world cannot offer. 3. Focus on God – Matthew 15:8 says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” When we focus on self, we cannot focus on the Lord. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit can we truly love as God calls us to. God calls for pure hearts to be drawn to Him in authentic adoration and affection. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” As we know the Lord through His holy word, our hearts are changed. When we discover Jesus as our personal Savior, and the Holy Spirit abides within us, He woos us to Himself and gifts us with the ability to discern His truths and promises and desire them with our whole heart. Yet, because the love our Heavenly Father has for us is so unselfish and of the greatest depth, He allows us to choose whether to continue drawing nearer to Him moment by moment. Jeremiah 24:7 says, “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.” Jesus’s redeeming love is the only power that transforms our hearts from the selfish, stubborn flesh within us and penetrates our heart with a pure and holy transformation. John 17:3 says, “Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” As we focus on Jesus, we see and know God. For believers with a personal relationship with Christ, we have the blessed assurance that we will live with God for eternity one day. Eternal life through Jesus is not merely living forever with God, but is the definer of the quality of our life. Now that we’ve examined what scripture helps us discover, let’s examine what blessings solitude provides. Solitude helps us to: 1. Make discerning decisions – If we regularly spend time in God’s word, our heart is pricked and aware of God’s truths and commands. Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Committing also, to spending time alone with the Lord is difficult. Often, it is hard enough to make time to read the Bible regularly, let alone make additional time to sit in solitude with God. Any relationship, however, needs time to focus on the heart of one another, to purposely make time to love and appreciate, to listen to the desires of the one we love. Here, we do the same for the One who loves us. Sitting in solitude, in time meant to hear the Lord speak opens our heart and mind to awareness of what God is saying to us and how to apply it in our life. Understanding awakens the proper actions or reactions the Lord is calling us to make. 2. Focus on God’s truths – When we focus on time with God, it allows us to process our fleshly thoughts, feelings, and emotions, then discern and determine how to release what is not God’s truths. God lovingly made each of us unique and filled us with the ability to feel strongly and passionately. It is only through Him that we have the ability to determine what is our truth and what is God’s truth and how to move from there. John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 3. Rest and renew in Christ – Life can be exhausting. We rush from moment to moment activities, fill our mind with desires, needs, wants, and mindless entertainment, making excuses that we have no time for God. True rest is only found in the Lord. When we make the time to be with Him, we find the ability to drop the activities that serve no eternal purpose or we are able to focus on our days with a new mindset and His joy and strength. Matthew 11:28-29 says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” 4. Seek God’s strength – Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Without relationship with God through Jesus and purposeful reflection on Him, trusting God, seeking His strength and provision, we wearily trudge through each day reliant on self. Human strength fails. We get weary, stressed, depressed, and react without godly thoughts or intentions. God knows how difficult we make releasing self and worries or problems to Him. The Bible is filled with verses about His strength and provision for us. John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Absolutely nothing is too much for God. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.” Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” As we read, study, and process God’s precious words to us and reflect on them through solitude with Jesus, our mind, heart, thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, and reactions are altered. Our lives are changed as we view the world, our life, and the lives of others through the eternal perspective of Jesus. Gracious Heavenly Father, how good You are to us. You have made Yourself known to us, Your creation, through a love so profound we barely understand. Yet as we devote ourselves to knowing You, we begin to grasp the depth, the height, the width of Your loving provisions to us. There is none like You. We thank you for thinking of us, for giving us a life in which we can seek You, find You, and follow You into joy unexplainable. Please help each of us to find You in new ways as we make time to read Your holy word and make room for You in our life. Let us not exclude You from the intimate relationship You long for with Your beloved children. May we see You more clearly, exhibit You more lovingly as we walk more closely with You and spend quiet time together to see Your face, heart, and mind. May we reflect You in all we are and do. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening. If you find value in what you hear, I invite you to help others find the podcast. Please share Live With Eternal Perspective episodes with friends and family so that they can begin to listen each week. I’m very excited to share that my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” releases soon! I hope you will look for it, follow it, and share both podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. You can find more details on my website at terrihitt.com. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 107 Scripture and Solitude Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #107 –Scripture and Solitude Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together and live with purposed eternal perspective. My youngest seeks private time with me daily. If I view her desire to be with me, to ensure that we play together daily as a chore, I feel burdened or overwhelmed thinking about our busy schedule and trying to fit in playtime every single day. If I shift my mindset, however, knowing that our playtime should be guarded, that we never know how many days we are given with anyone, I savor the precious moments we have. Playing together is so important to her mental, emotional, and spiritual growth and has blessed our attachment process. Looking back at our memories, laughter, secrets, and creativity together, play time is one of the activities I cherish the most. This same mindset should apply to our walk with God. When I was a new Christian, I read my Bible as often as possible, trying to absorb as much as I could. Sometimes it was difficult to learn the meanings of the strange new words I had never heard of, imagine cities I’d never been to, or understand the cultures of a time so long ago. Yet, I kept reading. Passion for Jesus resided in me and I wanted to hear more. Over time, my life got busier. My Bible could sit untouched for days by my bed. As time continued to pass, I still loved God very much, but my actions and reactions began to look more fleshly than godly and my words reflected myself rather than my Heavenly Father. Thankfully, I didn’t continue moving away from the word, but began moving back to the One who gives true life and love, drawn back to His word for the nourishment my mind, heart, and body craved. Scripture, wisdom of the Bible, is defined as sacred writings. The Word sacred means consecrated, or set-apart. In order for us to be set-apart in our daily living and our walk with God, we must intentionally purpose to live life differently than our flesh would call us to or as the world lures us to follow. Believers know scripture is God-breathed and inspired. The Holy word God breathed, inspired, and established for us is undoubtedly more than words in a book. Full of God’s truths, instructions, promises, and wisdom, scripture is an under-used treasure and gift. I’m incredibly thankful that God kept His eyes and hand on me when I stopped intentionally deepening my walk with Him daily as a young woman. No matter what we tell ourselves we think or how we feel, we will drift away from the heart of God, following selfish needs or desires, unless we are purposeful in moving nearer to Him. God knows the plans He has for each of us, the purposes we were created for, the things that touch us and speak to our heart. God cares intimately. He knows what to allow in our life, what to expel from it, and how to accomplish both without crushing our spirit or individuality. If we keep our eyes and heart focused on Him despite whether we are experiencing life standing tall on the mountain or crouching with despair in the valley, our walk with Him will deepen and mature in innumerable ways that last for eternity. So, how do we develop faith that withstands the burdens and trials of life? How do we manage to draw nearer to God, especially during the fast-paced and challenging days we live? God’s Holy word is the crucial starting point where we find the presence and purpose of Jesus and find freedom through Him. Through scripture, we find Christ, the perfect Savior and mentor. To my knowledge, the Bible never specifically instructs us to seek solitude. Yet, we often see Jesus drawing nearer to His Father through seeking refuge in solitude. When we study the life and actions of Jesus, we witness the way He intentionally found time and made the freedom to be in the presence of His Heavenly Father despite His demanding life. What is the purpose of seeking God through solitude and scripture? Through careful study of Bible scripture, and seeing the example Jesus left us of sitting with the Lord in solitude, we recognize specific privileges we receive as a child of the King, as well as opportunities to stretch the relationship we have to a greater depth and understanding of Jesus. Scripture helps us to: 1. Know God – 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the Lord does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the Lord sees the heart." Our Heavenly Father looks directly into our heart. Because He formed us, He knows each innermost thought, urge, weakness, and strength. God understands the feelings we have for Him, the regrets, the joys, and loves us despite each of them. Above all, He is not persuaded by or turned away from any of them. Reading scripture allows us to read God. We recognize Him. Through the Holy Spirit, we can have God alive within us! As we seek to know, honor, and please the Father through His holy word, we are able to understand and discern the character and ways of God much more clearly and accurately as we draw nearer to Him. 2. Hear God – Psalm 95:6-7a says, “O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.” We are the created. He is the Creator. As we seek Him and come to know Him through His word, we see the great depths God has gone to in order to make Himself known to us. The Creator of heaven and earth has pursued us with a relentless and holy love. As we learn what He desires, we come to be more like Him through our thoughts, actions, reactions, and words. We clearly hear and follow what He calls for us and we begin to experience fellowship and joy in new ways this world cannot offer. 3. Focus on God – Matthew 15:8 says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” When we focus on self, we cannot focus on the Lord. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit can we truly love as God calls us to. God calls for pure hearts to be drawn to Him in authentic adoration and affection. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” As we know the Lord through His holy word, our hearts are changed. When we discover Jesus as our personal Savior, and the Holy Spirit abides within us, He woos us to Himself and gifts us with the ability to discern His truths and promises and desire them with our whole heart. Yet, because the love our Heavenly Father has for us is so unselfish and of the greatest depth, He allows us to choose whether to continue drawing nearer to Him moment by moment. Jeremiah 24:7 says, “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.” Jesus’s redeeming love is the only power that transforms our hearts from the selfish, stubborn flesh within us and penetrates our heart with a pure and holy transformation. John 17:3 says, “Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” As we focus on Jesus, we see and know God. For believers with a personal relationship with Christ, we have the blessed assurance that we will live with God for eternity one day. Eternal life through Jesus is not merely living forever with God, but is the definer of the quality of our life. Now that we’ve examined what scripture helps us discover, let’s examine what blessings solitude provides. Solitude helps us to: 1. Make discerning decisions – If we regularly spend time in God’s word, our heart is pricked and aware of God’s truths and commands. Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Committing also, to spending time alone with the Lord is difficult. Often, it is hard enough to make time to read the Bible regularly, let alone make additional time to sit in solitude with God. Any relationship, however, needs time to focus on the heart of one another, to purposely make time to love and appreciate, to listen to the desires of the one we love. Here, we do the same for the One who loves us. Sitting in solitude, in time meant to hear the Lord speak opens our heart and mind to awareness of what God is saying to us and how to apply it in our life. Understanding awakens the proper actions or reactions the Lord is calling us to make. 2. Focus on God’s truths – When we focus on time with God, it allows us to process our fleshly thoughts, feelings, and emotions, then discern and determine how to release what is not God’s truths. God lovingly made each of us unique and filled us with the ability to feel strongly and passionately. It is only through Him that we have the ability to determine what is our truth and what is God’s truth and how to move from there. John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 3. Rest and renew in Christ – Life can be exhausting. We rush from moment to moment activities, fill our mind with desires, needs, wants, and mindless entertainment, making excuses that we have no time for God. True rest is only found in the Lord. When we make the time to be with Him, we find the ability to drop the activities that serve no eternal purpose or we are able to focus on our days with a new mindset and His joy and strength. Matthew 11:28-29 says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” 4. Seek God’s strength – Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Without relationship with God through Jesus and purposeful reflection on Him, trusting God, seeking His strength and provision, we wearily trudge through each day reliant on self. Human strength fails. We get weary, stressed, depressed, and react without godly thoughts or intentions. God knows how difficult we make releasing self and worries or problems to Him. The Bible is filled with verses about His strength and provision for us. John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Absolutely nothing is too much for God. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.” Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” As we read, study, and process God’s precious words to us and reflect on them through solitude with Jesus, our mind, heart, thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, and reactions are altered. Our lives are changed as we view the world, our life, and the lives of others through the eternal perspective of Jesus. Gracious Heavenly Father, how good You are to us. You have made Yourself known to us, Your creation, through a love so profound we barely understand. Yet as we devote ourselves to knowing You, we begin to grasp the depth, the height, the width of Your loving provisions to us. There is none like You. We thank you for thinking of us, for giving us a life in which we can seek You, find You, and follow You into joy unexplainable. Please help each of us to find You in new ways as we make time to read Your holy word and make room for You in our life. Let us not exclude You from the intimate relationship You long for with Your beloved children. May we see You more clearly, exhibit You more lovingly as we walk more closely with You and spend quiet time together to see Your face, heart, and mind. May we reflect You in all we are and do. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening. If you find value in what you hear, I invite you to help others find the podcast. Please share Live With Eternal Perspective episodes with friends and family so that they can begin to listen each week. I’m very excited to share that my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” releases soon! I hope you will look for it, follow it, and share both podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. You can find more details on my website at terrihitt.com. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast. Episode #012 – Complaint Fosters Rebellion Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed and thrilled to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. What a day I experienced yesterday! It was actually perfect preparation for this podcast. I woke up feeling fine to begin my day. After eating breakfast, which, by the way, I want to eat as soon as I wake up every day, I began to have stomach issues. Unfortunately, since I have a lot of food allergies and intolerances, every couple of weeks I end up with severe stomach cramping that literally makes me feel like I have the flu. Since I have not been outside my home (because we are adhering to the CO-VID19 social distancing order), I knew I most likely was not sick. At about the time my worst cramps were hitting, my husband came home from the grocery store. He’s been going out as little as possible, so when he gets back home, we have quite a few groceries to disinfect and put away. I met him in the kitchen, told him I thought I was going to be sick, and asked him to leave the items on the kitchen floor so I could come clean them as soon as I was able to. About half an hour later, I made myself get to the kitchen to begin the long process of disinfecting every item he brought home. At first my thoughts began to slide to how much work it now was to clean everything just to put it away in the pantry and refrigerator. My stomach was still not feeling well, and even though I wasn’t feeling like I needed to run to the toilet to throw up at any second, I knew that could change again quickly. Yet as soon as the negative thoughts entered my mind, I decided to lift praises of gratitude instead. I began thanking God that my husband was able to go purchase the food and items we needed, and for the money to buy our essentials. I offered gratitude that I had spray disinfectant and that my husband came home with one small container of Clorox wipes that we hadn’t been able to purchase in weeks. As my thoughts began to wander toward wondering how long our cleaning supplies and paper towels would last, I questioned whether I should postpone cleaning the bathrooms in case we would not be able to restock our supplies on the next grocery run. It felt so odd to have to balance how long our supplies would last and decide whether I would have enough of what I needed left to clean the food items on the next grocery run. Again, when those questions arose in my mind, God gently shoved them away and reminded me to carry nothing but praise and trust in my mind, heart, and on my lips. I thanked Him once again for what He had provided and for the way He carried and loved us each day. I finished cleaning and storing all the new purchases and ran back to the bathroom as a new wave of cramps hit. I had been given just enough time to do what I needed to in the kitchen. New praise arose from my heart and lips. Through the remainder of the day, I was offered many opportunities to choose whether to praise God or complain. I thanked God for the reminders that just “happened” to come at this exact time that I was beginning to prepare this podcast. One of the funniest stories for me personally was the fact that with my food issues, it is difficult to eat a wide variety of items. Since I am so limited, it’s a big deal when I get to eat something different. My husband had also brought home a rack of pork ribs to grill for me yesterday. I’m really picky and dislike the fatty ones, so he always selects ones that look extra lean. He usually does such a delicious job when he grills and I was ready for the tasty treat, but when he changed out the tank to the grill it burned extra hot and the meat was ruined. In the middle of a pandemic and stay-home order, you don’t want your husband to go right back to the store for more meat. I praised God for a man who loves me enough to try to get me something special and for the food that I already had at home. Do I tell you these stories to make you think I have it all together and live with a perfect mindset and relationship with my Heavenly Father? Definitely not! I understand I’m so far away from where He wants me to be. But I also understand His grace and recognize His work in my life. I remember how far He has brought me. I acknowledge the Holy Spirit transforming me daily. When I live with such miraculous change and reconstruction of my thoughts and heart, I cannot help but share Him with you to encourage you to press on in your own walk with Jesus. It is so much easier to complain than to offer thanks, just as it takes more effort to smile than to sit with an unhappy expression. Erasing a grumbly or disappointed attitude takes concentrated effort, especially in our culture of entitlement and selfishness. I have to remain mindful and be very careful with my words because I tend to voice my opinions and feelings sometimes as I verbally process big thoughts. After I have done so, I don’t usually give them another thought because it has been cleared away and I am fine. Yet, I do not want to appear to others, especially my husband and family, that I am complaining. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” When I was young, I tended to view life through a more negative lens. Instead of automatically searching for the positive side of anything, I was passively raised to immediately think more negatively or pessimistically. It took years to recognize and shift my mindset to begin thinking with a positive, life-affirming attitude. It actually began to occur after I focused on deepening my walk with Jesus. He began shifting and molding my thoughts to be more in sync with His. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 Since our thoughts and attitude affect our words, what joy do you imagine it brings our loving Heavenly Father to hear us obey Him with our speech? Unfortunately, since the beginning of the creation of man, God has dealt with our complaints. Adam and Eve began the cycle of thoughts involving dissatisfaction when Eve allowed Satan to manipulate her into believing his attacks on God’s character and she began entertaining doubt about God’s love for her and Adam. She believed Satan’s subtle denials about the truth of God’s word, and his lies accusing God of jealousy. Because of these manipulations, Eve switched from listening to God’s instructions to following her own misguided will and thought things would be better if she took what God had forbidden. Adam listened to Eve and did the same, then complained to God that she had given it to him to eat. Complaining in the Greek is muttering or grumbling. It shows an inner rebellion that defies God and challenges His right to rule us. As we move a little farther in the Bible, we pass through Genesis to Exodus and come to the story of Moses, where once again, we see God’s dominion challenged. In Exodus 3:11, after God tells Moses that He has heard the cries of His people, the Israelites in Egypt and is going to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians by sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring them out of captivity, Moses questioned, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses was dissatisfied with what God was calling him to do. There may have been a variety of reasons why. None of them matter to God. Displeasure plus disobedience equals complaint and rebellion. Moses complained because he misunderstood the nature of God. He looked to “self” and missed the fact that God is and would be the Deliverer. God wasn’t relying on Moses to be the strength behind events; He wanted Moses to rely on His mighty power. Moses complained because He didn’t believe He knew enough. Instead of seeking and claiming God’s wisdom, truths, and power, Moses looked to his own inadequate knowledge. Moses complained because he had low confidence. He knew his abilities were limited, but didn’t look beyond himself and claim God’s ultimate power. Moses complained because he had limited speech ability. Moses didn’t understand or trust that God can use anyone, especially the weakest and least, when we are willing to let Him work through us. Moses complained because he was scared. Again, Moses proves that he was looking to self, instead of focusing on God, who can do above and beyond what we have the ability to imagine. God replied to Moses in Exodus 3:12a, “I will certainly be with you.” We must remember that the success of anything God calls us to do is not dependent on our ability. God’s promise and assuring words should have been enough for Moses to stop worrying and questioning the mission God had assigned him, yet Moses found it much easier to focus on his own personal faults or shortcomings and fret, standing in fear and complaint, rather than accept God at His word. Just as we often do. Exodus 3:14 says, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God declared to Moses exactly Who He is: an ever-present, uncreated self-existence, eternal, and unchanging. God is everything Moses would need to rely on and believe in to carry him through what God called Moses to let Him accomplish through simple obedience. God in the triune, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is everything each of us need. Another example of complaint signifying rebellion is the story of Jonah. When Jonah disobeyed God’s instruction to go east to Assyria (Nineveh’s capital city), as God had instructed, and traveled the opposite direction to Tarshish instead, we see major opposition to the authority of God. Jonah held many complaints against the Ninevites, and because of his anger and hatred, could not see he was refusing God just as much or more than they were. When we complain to God with our voice and/or our actions, and disobey His commands to us, whether they are shown to us intimately and directly, or through His Holy word, it is simple rebellion and we sin. Does this mean we can’t share our feelings with God? Definitely not. He already knows our thoughts and needs, but God never desires that we voice complaints simply for the sake of grumbling. He welcomes our questions and thoughts, and wants to teach and grow us, but He doesn’t wish for us to simply complain, expressing unhappiness or displeasure, then go our own way, placing a wedge between Him and us. When we approach God, we want to do so with honesty and trust, knowing He can relieve our frustration, bitterness, unforgiveness, loneliness, depression, or any emotion we have. He knows when we are hurting and never wants us to feel alone. Confide in our Heavenly Father, but trust Him to handle and relieve distress. Placing praise and trust ahead of frivolous complaints is the desire God has for our lives. After surviving a violent storm and being swallowed by a whale, Jonah is vomited out of the belly of the giant fish, and God again requests that Jonah travel to Nineveh, instructing him to preach a message to the people there. Finally obedient with his actions, although his attitude of complaint against God and the people still needed major adjusting, Jonah did travel quickly to relay the word God had given him. The very people Jonah held such hatred and contempt for quickly cast aside their evil behavior and repented to God, making Jonah extremely angry. Throughout the story of Jonah, we see his complaint-filled, rebellious attitude toward the immoral Ninevites and recognize rebellion and rejection of God in both. Yet, the Ninevites immediately changed their ways when face-to-face with God’s approaching judgement, while Jonah remained displeased and bad-tempered, proving that the prophet knew a lot about God, but didn’t really know God. How easy that is to do. Sometimes complaints and rebellion are not spoken, but are proven by the way we live. Our attitude and actions express our negativity and separate us from our Heavenly Father. Philippians 2:14 instructs, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” What is the key to adhering to this verse from Philippians? Jesus. When we are His, and allow the Holy Spirit to do a good work in us, we become children of God who shine Him in this world without complaint and living with gratitude and praise. Ephesians 2:1-10 says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Once we recognize and accept that salvation through Jesus is critical to eternal life and living with eternal perspective, how do we grow in and remain close to Him? How do we shift away from grumbling and complaining, to living with freedom and contentment? How do we ensure that our heart carries no inner rebellion that would dispute God’s authority in our life? How do we ensure that we do not become like the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness? 1 Corinthians 10:9-10 says, “Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” The grumbling in the desert drove the Israelites to perform many acts against the Lord. Through them, we are reminded that we must purpose to keep praise in our hearts and on our lips, despite circumstances. Even in the worst of times, God is faithful. We must chose to lift our eyes to Him and trust that He is present and that His unlimited knowledge, grace, love, and power will rescue and provide for us. When we focus on our present circumstances or trials through a lens of self-reliance, we fall victim to fear, worry, and complaint. If we live with a mindset of trust, faith, and reliance on the provision of an omnipotent Heavenly Father, we experience His power and blessings. John 15:1-11 instructs, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” We must abide in Him. Once we have purposely sought and accepted the gift Jesus sacrificed to give us, our obligation is to stay connected to Him, to rely on Him, and to reside in His care. We follow His command to seek Him daily, allowing Jesus to fill and transform us. We continue to be sanctified through Him as we dedicate our mind, heart, and soul to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, conforming us to the image of Jesus. Can you remember Jesus grumbling and complaining when He lived among us? Or do you imagine Him drawing nearer to God, sharing His intimate thoughts, seeking His provisions and appreciating His care? When we keep our focus on Him, we allow God to transform us into the image He created us to become. Complaints and rebellion are not welcome in God’s kingdom and deprive us from true peace and joyful fellowship. His ways become ours when we trust and follow Him, allowing Him to remove our grumbling, discontented spirit and replace it with a perspective influenced and nurtured by the One who loves us beyond measure. Thank you so much for listening to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. God has impressed so much on my heart to share. Living with an eternal perspective affects absolutely everything in my life. I am thrilled to delve into different areas with you. Since everything affects our eternity, we have a lot to discuss! I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you found value in this podcast, please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. I also encourage you to leave a review. In order for others to be able to find this podcast, I will need the support of listeners who will invest a few minutes in subscribing and reviewing to lift Live With Eternal Perspective higher on the charts so that the platform shows it to everyone. Thank you again for sharing part of your day with me. Until next time, keep looking Upward and finding new ways to live with an Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 012 Complaint Fosters Rebellion Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast. Episode #012 – Complaint Fosters Rebellion Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed and thrilled to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. What a day I experienced yesterday! It was actually perfect preparation for this podcast. I woke up feeling fine to begin my day. After eating breakfast, which, by the way, I want to eat as soon as I wake up every day, I began to have stomach issues. Unfortunately, since I have a lot of food allergies and intolerances, every couple of weeks I end up with severe stomach cramping that literally makes me feel like I have the flu. Since I have not been outside my home (because we are adhering to the CO-VID19 social distancing order), I knew I most likely was not sick. At about the time my worst cramps were hitting, my husband came home from the grocery store. He’s been going out as little as possible, so when he gets back home, we have quite a few groceries to disinfect and put away. I met him in the kitchen, told him I thought I was going to be sick, and asked him to leave the items on the kitchen floor so I could come clean them as soon as I was able to. About half an hour later, I made myself get to the kitchen to begin the long process of disinfecting every item he brought home. At first my thoughts began to slide to how much work it now was to clean everything just to put it away in the pantry and refrigerator. My stomach was still not feeling well, and even though I wasn’t feeling like I needed to run to the toilet to throw up at any second, I knew that could change again quickly. Yet as soon as the negative thoughts entered my mind, I decided to lift praises of gratitude instead. I began thanking God that my husband was able to go purchase the food and items we needed, and for the money to buy our essentials. I offered gratitude that I had spray disinfectant and that my husband came home with one small container of Clorox wipes that we hadn’t been able to purchase in weeks. As my thoughts began to wander toward wondering how long our cleaning supplies and paper towels would last, I questioned whether I should postpone cleaning the bathrooms in case we would not be able to restock our supplies on the next grocery run. It felt so odd to have to balance how long our supplies would last and decide whether I would have enough of what I needed left to clean the food items on the next grocery run. Again, when those questions arose in my mind, God gently shoved them away and reminded me to carry nothing but praise and trust in my mind, heart, and on my lips. I thanked Him once again for what He had provided and for the way He carried and loved us each day. I finished cleaning and storing all the new purchases and ran back to the bathroom as a new wave of cramps hit. I had been given just enough time to do what I needed to in the kitchen. New praise arose from my heart and lips. Through the remainder of the day, I was offered many opportunities to choose whether to praise God or complain. I thanked God for the reminders that just “happened” to come at this exact time that I was beginning to prepare this podcast. One of the funniest stories for me personally was the fact that with my food issues, it is difficult to eat a wide variety of items. Since I am so limited, it’s a big deal when I get to eat something different. My husband had also brought home a rack of pork ribs to grill for me yesterday. I’m really picky and dislike the fatty ones, so he always selects ones that look extra lean. He usually does such a delicious job when he grills and I was ready for the tasty treat, but when he changed out the tank to the grill it burned extra hot and the meat was ruined. In the middle of a pandemic and stay-home order, you don’t want your husband to go right back to the store for more meat. I praised God for a man who loves me enough to try to get me something special and for the food that I already had at home. Do I tell you these stories to make you think I have it all together and live with a perfect mindset and relationship with my Heavenly Father? Definitely not! I understand I’m so far away from where He wants me to be. But I also understand His grace and recognize His work in my life. I remember how far He has brought me. I acknowledge the Holy Spirit transforming me daily. When I live with such miraculous change and reconstruction of my thoughts and heart, I cannot help but share Him with you to encourage you to press on in your own walk with Jesus. It is so much easier to complain than to offer thanks, just as it takes more effort to smile than to sit with an unhappy expression. Erasing a grumbly or disappointed attitude takes concentrated effort, especially in our culture of entitlement and selfishness. I have to remain mindful and be very careful with my words because I tend to voice my opinions and feelings sometimes as I verbally process big thoughts. After I have done so, I don’t usually give them another thought because it has been cleared away and I am fine. Yet, I do not want to appear to others, especially my husband and family, that I am complaining. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” When I was young, I tended to view life through a more negative lens. Instead of automatically searching for the positive side of anything, I was passively raised to immediately think more negatively or pessimistically. It took years to recognize and shift my mindset to begin thinking with a positive, life-affirming attitude. It actually began to occur after I focused on deepening my walk with Jesus. He began shifting and molding my thoughts to be more in sync with His. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 Since our thoughts and attitude affect our words, what joy do you imagine it brings our loving Heavenly Father to hear us obey Him with our speech? Unfortunately, since the beginning of the creation of man, God has dealt with our complaints. Adam and Eve began the cycle of thoughts involving dissatisfaction when Eve allowed Satan to manipulate her into believing his attacks on God’s character and she began entertaining doubt about God’s love for her and Adam. She believed Satan’s subtle denials about the truth of God’s word, and his lies accusing God of jealousy. Because of these manipulations, Eve switched from listening to God’s instructions to following her own misguided will and thought things would be better if she took what God had forbidden. Adam listened to Eve and did the same, then complained to God that she had given it to him to eat. Complaining in the Greek is muttering or grumbling. It shows an inner rebellion that defies God and challenges His right to rule us. As we move a little farther in the Bible, we pass through Genesis to Exodus and come to the story of Moses, where once again, we see God’s dominion challenged. In Exodus 3:11, after God tells Moses that He has heard the cries of His people, the Israelites in Egypt and is going to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians by sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring them out of captivity, Moses questioned, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses was dissatisfied with what God was calling him to do. There may have been a variety of reasons why. None of them matter to God. Displeasure plus disobedience equals complaint and rebellion. Moses complained because he misunderstood the nature of God. He looked to “self” and missed the fact that God is and would be the Deliverer. God wasn’t relying on Moses to be the strength behind events; He wanted Moses to rely on His mighty power. Moses complained because He didn’t believe He knew enough. Instead of seeking and claiming God’s wisdom, truths, and power, Moses looked to his own inadequate knowledge. Moses complained because he had low confidence. He knew his abilities were limited, but didn’t look beyond himself and claim God’s ultimate power. Moses complained because he had limited speech ability. Moses didn’t understand or trust that God can use anyone, especially the weakest and least, when we are willing to let Him work through us. Moses complained because he was scared. Again, Moses proves that he was looking to self, instead of focusing on God, who can do above and beyond what we have the ability to imagine. God replied to Moses in Exodus 3:12a, “I will certainly be with you.” We must remember that the success of anything God calls us to do is not dependent on our ability. God’s promise and assuring words should have been enough for Moses to stop worrying and questioning the mission God had assigned him, yet Moses found it much easier to focus on his own personal faults or shortcomings and fret, standing in fear and complaint, rather than accept God at His word. Just as we often do. Exodus 3:14 says, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God declared to Moses exactly Who He is: an ever-present, uncreated self-existence, eternal, and unchanging. God is everything Moses would need to rely on and believe in to carry him through what God called Moses to let Him accomplish through simple obedience. God in the triune, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is everything each of us need. Another example of complaint signifying rebellion is the story of Jonah. When Jonah disobeyed God’s instruction to go east to Assyria (Nineveh’s capital city), as God had instructed, and traveled the opposite direction to Tarshish instead, we see major opposition to the authority of God. Jonah held many complaints against the Ninevites, and because of his anger and hatred, could not see he was refusing God just as much or more than they were. When we complain to God with our voice and/or our actions, and disobey His commands to us, whether they are shown to us intimately and directly, or through His Holy word, it is simple rebellion and we sin. Does this mean we can’t share our feelings with God? Definitely not. He already knows our thoughts and needs, but God never desires that we voice complaints simply for the sake of grumbling. He welcomes our questions and thoughts, and wants to teach and grow us, but He doesn’t wish for us to simply complain, expressing unhappiness or displeasure, then go our own way, placing a wedge between Him and us. When we approach God, we want to do so with honesty and trust, knowing He can relieve our frustration, bitterness, unforgiveness, loneliness, depression, or any emotion we have. He knows when we are hurting and never wants us to feel alone. Confide in our Heavenly Father, but trust Him to handle and relieve distress. Placing praise and trust ahead of frivolous complaints is the desire God has for our lives. After surviving a violent storm and being swallowed by a whale, Jonah is vomited out of the belly of the giant fish, and God again requests that Jonah travel to Nineveh, instructing him to preach a message to the people there. Finally obedient with his actions, although his attitude of complaint against God and the people still needed major adjusting, Jonah did travel quickly to relay the word God had given him. The very people Jonah held such hatred and contempt for quickly cast aside their evil behavior and repented to God, making Jonah extremely angry. Throughout the story of Jonah, we see his complaint-filled, rebellious attitude toward the immoral Ninevites and recognize rebellion and rejection of God in both. Yet, the Ninevites immediately changed their ways when face-to-face with God’s approaching judgement, while Jonah remained displeased and bad-tempered, proving that the prophet knew a lot about God, but didn’t really know God. How easy that is to do. Sometimes complaints and rebellion are not spoken, but are proven by the way we live. Our attitude and actions express our negativity and separate us from our Heavenly Father. Philippians 2:14 instructs, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” What is the key to adhering to this verse from Philippians? Jesus. When we are His, and allow the Holy Spirit to do a good work in us, we become children of God who shine Him in this world without complaint and living with gratitude and praise. Ephesians 2:1-10 says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Once we recognize and accept that salvation through Jesus is critical to eternal life and living with eternal perspective, how do we grow in and remain close to Him? How do we shift away from grumbling and complaining, to living with freedom and contentment? How do we ensure that our heart carries no inner rebellion that would dispute God’s authority in our life? How do we ensure that we do not become like the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness? 1 Corinthians 10:9-10 says, “Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” The grumbling in the desert drove the Israelites to perform many acts against the Lord. Through them, we are reminded that we must purpose to keep praise in our hearts and on our lips, despite circumstances. Even in the worst of times, God is faithful. We must chose to lift our eyes to Him and trust that He is present and that His unlimited knowledge, grace, love, and power will rescue and provide for us. When we focus on our present circumstances or trials through a lens of self-reliance, we fall victim to fear, worry, and complaint. If we live with a mindset of trust, faith, and reliance on the provision of an omnipotent Heavenly Father, we experience His power and blessings. John 15:1-11 instructs, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” We must abide in Him. Once we have purposely sought and accepted the gift Jesus sacrificed to give us, our obligation is to stay connected to Him, to rely on Him, and to reside in His care. We follow His command to seek Him daily, allowing Jesus to fill and transform us. We continue to be sanctified through Him as we dedicate our mind, heart, and soul to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, conforming us to the image of Jesus. Can you remember Jesus grumbling and complaining when He lived among us? Or do you imagine Him drawing nearer to God, sharing His intimate thoughts, seeking His provisions and appreciating His care? When we keep our focus on Him, we allow God to transform us into the image He created us to become. Complaints and rebellion are not welcome in God’s kingdom and deprive us from true peace and joyful fellowship. His ways become ours when we trust and follow Him, allowing Him to remove our grumbling, discontented spirit and replace it with a perspective influenced and nurtured by the One who loves us beyond measure. Thank you so much for listening to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. God has impressed so much on my heart to share. Living with an eternal perspective affects absolutely everything in my life. I am thrilled to delve into different areas with you. Since everything affects our eternity, we have a lot to discuss! I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you found value in this podcast, please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. I also encourage you to leave a review. In order for others to be able to find this podcast, I will need the support of listeners who will invest a few minutes in subscribing and reviewing to lift Live With Eternal Perspective higher on the charts so that the platform shows it to everyone. Thank you again for sharing part of your day with me. Until next time, keep looking Upward and finding new ways to live with an Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #091 – Interview with Charlene Notgrass of Notgrass History – Part 1 Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. I hope you have enjoyed this home education series that is continuing these last few podcast episodes. I know I have been reminded of tips and have enjoyed hearing the hearts and intents of pioneers in the home school industry. Even if you are not a home educator, I pray that you are absorbing just what God calls for you, so that you may better understand the needs of someone you know, you may support or pray for them, or that you will be enlightened in some way with the information presented here about educating children or grandchildren at home and the eternal lessons, blessings, and perspective found through obediently and intentionally taking responsibility for teaching school at home. Many life lessons focused on eternity are found through home education. I thank God daily for the gift and blessings of being the one who molds and shapes the godly values and morals my child should be exposed to. Remember that home education does not have to be perfect, but a successful school will honor Jesus, construct and execute clear educational goals based on respecting the child as a person made by God for a purpose, and a plan for shaping the heart of our child for eternity. The best mind and heart attitude for parents in the homeschool journey might be that we are helpless, but we are not hopeless. When we remember that we can choose to remove pressures from self or culture and look to God first for affirmation, guidance, support, and encouragement, He will carry us and lead us to the best choices for our family and season of life. This should be the heart intention of every parent, not just those in the homeschool journey. Today I’m thankful to have one of the founders of Notgrass History on the podcast. Charlene Notgrass is a Christian, the happy wife of Ray Notgrass, a veteran homeschool mom, and an ecstatic “Little,” (at least that’s what her grandkids call her). Charlene is the co-author, (along with her daughters), of Our Star Spangled Story for children in grades 1-4. She is also the author of America the Beautiful and co-author of From Adam to Us and Uncle Sam and You for students in grades 5-8. Charlene also loves to encourage homeschooling mothers through her blog called, Daily Encouragement for Mothers. I will leave the links for her website and blog at the end of the program and in the transcripts on my website. Charlene, welcome to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. -------------------------------------------------------- INTERVIEW ----------------------------------------------------------- I hope you found information that informed or encouraged you today. Please come back to the podcast next week for Part Two of this interview with Charlene as we continue our discussion about homeschool, history, our Heavenly Father, and what main objectives Charlene has found to help her to live with an eternal perspective each day. Dear God, our precious, holy Heavenly Father, how we need You. You are never-changing, omnipotent, and full of the wisdom we need. Help us cling to You as we journey through life. May we put You first in all things. Help us listen to Your plans for our children. Enable us to live our lives in such ways that we are ready and able to take on the tasks You set before us. May we rely on Your strength, Your will, and Your perfect plans. Please help those who may be looking for a way to homeschool. Carry those who have no strength left for the task. Comfort those who are overwhelmed. Encourage those who are weary, and bless each of us who follow the journey into home education as You set it before us. May we value Your children and influence their hearts for You in every way You desire and deserve. Thank you for the privilege of raising the children You created for just this time and with purposes only You can fathom. Infuse us with all we need, yet keep us on our knees looking to You for everything we must possess to be successful in Your eyes. In Your precious, holy, and loving name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 091 - Interview with Charlene Notgrass - Notgrass History - Part 1 Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #091 – Interview with Charlene Notgrass of Notgrass History – Part 1 Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. I hope you have enjoyed this home education series that is continuing these last few podcast episodes. I know I have been reminded of tips and have enjoyed hearing the hearts and intents of pioneers in the home school industry. Even if you are not a home educator, I pray that you are absorbing just what God calls for you, so that you may better understand the needs of someone you know, you may support or pray for them, or that you will be enlightened in some way with the information presented here about educating children or grandchildren at home and the eternal lessons, blessings, and perspective found through obediently and intentionally taking responsibility for teaching school at home. Many life lessons focused on eternity are found through home education. I thank God daily for the gift and blessings of being the one who molds and shapes the godly values and morals my child should be exposed to. Remember that home education does not have to be perfect, but a successful school will honor Jesus, construct and execute clear educational goals based on respecting the child as a person made by God for a purpose, and a plan for shaping the heart of our child for eternity. The best mind and heart attitude for parents in the homeschool journey might be that we are helpless, but we are not hopeless. When we remember that we can choose to remove pressures from self or culture and look to God first for affirmation, guidance, support, and encouragement, He will carry us and lead us to the best choices for our family and season of life. This should be the heart intention of every parent, not just those in the homeschool journey. Today I’m thankful to have one of the founders of Notgrass History on the podcast. Charlene Notgrass is a Christian, the happy wife of Ray Notgrass, a veteran homeschool mom, and an ecstatic “Little,” (at least that’s what her grandkids call her). Charlene is the co-author, (along with her daughters), of Our Star Spangled Story for children in grades 1-4. She is also the author of America the Beautiful and co-author of From Adam to Us and Uncle Sam and You for students in grades 5-8. Charlene also loves to encourage homeschooling mothers through her blog called, Daily Encouragement for Mothers. I will leave the links for her website and blog at the end of the program and in the transcripts on my website. Charlene, welcome to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. -------------------------------------------------------- INTERVIEW ----------------------------------------------------------- I hope you found information that informed or encouraged you today. Please come back to the podcast next week for Part Two of this interview with Charlene as we continue our discussion about homeschool, history, our Heavenly Father, and what main objectives Charlene has found to help her to live with an eternal perspective each day. Dear God, our precious, holy Heavenly Father, how we need You. You are never-changing, omnipotent, and full of the wisdom we need. Help us cling to You as we journey through life. May we put You first in all things. Help us listen to Your plans for our children. Enable us to live our lives in such ways that we are ready and able to take on the tasks You set before us. May we rely on Your strength, Your will, and Your perfect plans. Please help those who may be looking for a way to homeschool. Carry those who have no strength left for the task. Comfort those who are overwhelmed. Encourage those who are weary, and bless each of us who follow the journey into home education as You set it before us. May we value Your children and influence their hearts for You in every way You desire and deserve. Thank you for the privilege of raising the children You created for just this time and with purposes only You can fathom. Infuse us with all we need, yet keep us on our knees looking to You for everything we must possess to be successful in Your eyes. In Your precious, holy, and loving name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. http:// https://history.notgrass.com/ https://notgrass.com/dailyencouragement/ https://www.instagram.com/notgrasshistory/

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Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #038 – Who Masters My Emotions? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. This has been one very busy week! I am in the midst of writing resources for the new Live With Eternal Perspective website that is about to launch! I look forward to listeners seeing many free resources to help you grow your walk with Jesus intentionally. I’m truly excited and feel very blessed at how God obviously put everything together for this to happen. As I am definitely in a season of busyness, I usually work early morning and at night, leaving time through the bulk of the day for our homeschool lessons. But the one activity I have to do before we go to school each day is play with my youngest. I think it is her favorite time of day. Last week we were playing with her favorite toys, the Lego Ninjago Ninjas and their ship Destiny’s Bounty. The whole week of playtime had revolved around the storyline of the Ninjas going on vacation together. But, of course, what do you think happened? While they were on vacation, trouble found them and the gang was smack in the middle of a disastrous plot line full of adventure! On this particular day, Brooklyn had planned for a dinosaur to attach an invisible chain around the top of the Destiny’s Bounty sails and begin slowly and sneakily pulling the ship full of Ninjas farther out to sea. After attaching tiny Lego chains around the ship mast, she gently pulled and moved her dinosaur so that the ship would begin to turn. Except each time she did it, the chains burst off the ship one time after another. As I watched, I wondered how many times she would reattach and try again. I lost count. Each time, she adjusted her technique slightly, but in turn, received the same result. Most people would have been upset by that point, or at least given up. Not her. I was intrigued. I know at that age, I probably would have expressed some frustration and changed my storyline to do something else. Each it happened to her, she responded with joyful enthusiasm. I finally asked her how she stayed so encouraged without growing frustrated. She was genuinely surprised and asked, “Why would I be frustrated?” We began to laugh and I left her to continue with her plans. She finally found a method that worked for the storyline she created and joy was the only emotion she ever exhibited. Every disappointing result gives us an opportunity to choose what will master our emotions. My precious girl remarked that Jesus wouldn’t want her to get frustrated. It honestly seemed like such a foreign reaction to her. I was impressed that she had such control over her emotions. Most adults cannot master their moods. It was because her heart was directed upwards at how she felt Jesus would have her react. Out of anyone I know, my protective heart felt that she is the one who deserved to be able to get agitated. Most of her life has been very hard, filled with neglect, disappointment, and sorrow. But as I sat and watched her reactions that day, I realized that I don’t remember ever seeing her become defeated or angry. My mama heart was buoyed by her godly example of release to our Heavenly Father. Just because we think we deserve to receive – or someone offers us a “pass” to express frustration or negativity, it doesn’t mean that it is God’s best for us. Obviously, we are human, we feel emotions and need to be able to express them. God gave us feelings. Yet this world teaches and models for us to think of ourselves first, without thought of how our moods or rants affect others or portray Christ within us. God provided a way for us to look Up and He sent us Jesus as the perfect model who showed us how to handle emotions and feelings. Our merciful Heavenly Father wants us to admit and address our feelings and also what is driving it. Often, it is actually something else, often unaddressed, that causes us to explode or act in ways that magnify what we are experiencing. God gave us emotions. He expects us to use them wisely. Five basic steps to help us do that are to: 1. Reflect. Think about what we are feeling and why the emotion is so strong. 2. Stay calm. Do not react in ways that cause distress or danger to others. 3. Pray. Seek God, who understands our emotions and gives us the avenues to handle them properly. Ask Him to forgive and guide us. 4. Allow God to work inside us for transformation of thoughts and actions. 5. Get help. Sometimes we need to find a trusted family member, friend, pastor, or Christian counselor to help us get to the root of what we are experiencing and help us deal with and get through it. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” What makes some of us unable to withstand extreme hardship and simply crumble, versus others who rise up with even more joy? The Bible gives us many verses that show us the attitude and temperament God desires for us to carry. Although we can read study, memorize or write the words, real change won’t occur until we allow Jesus to penetrate our hearts and minds. When we follow Him, we aren’t miraculously changed into a carbon copy of Him. But day by day, actually moment by moment, we allow Him to transform us to become more and more like Him. Gradually, intentionally. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” God cares about even the smallest details of our lives. He pays attention to and knows all we think and do, and desires us to seek Him and please Him. He wants us to rely on Him so that we can experience fullness of joy. Just like my girl did, despite the circumstances around her. 1 Peter 5:8-10 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Satan would love nothing more than for us to experience hardship, failure, or disappointment and become angry at God. He would like us to make a scene and steal our power in being a Christian or make our lifestyle look less powerful to others around us in an attempt to make God appear weak and out of control. He wants us to strain our relationships with others and shatter our walk and dependency on God. James 1:19-20 offers beautiful wisdom. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Or listen to what Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.” Such wise advice doesn’t only apply to anger or frustration. It’s also perfect for social media. Many opinions and thoughts are better left unsaid. Modern technology allows fools to vent and attack others with the touch of a few buttons and in record time. Words, once unleashed hold wicked pain and power over the speaker and the receiver. Many relationships have been ruined by not heeding the advice of these scriptures. Also, words spoken in frustration or anger to many as children still carry deep pain and hurt in their adult years that only God can fully heal. Just as actions we viewed as children can negatively influence our responses and emotions for many years. Remember the words of Psalm 34:18, which says, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” The Lord sees and hears all our hurts. He knows the many afflictions we face and will deliver us out of them all. If we trust in Him. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” As we face trials and heartaches each day, let us lift our faces to the only One who understands. Seek God in all matters. He cares. He does not want us to carry burdens alone. In fact, listen to what Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” This passage of verses is relevant and timeless. Jesus offers such a merciful, compassionate command to us in His invitation to come to Him. No matter what is ailing us, no matter what is oppressing us, no matter what heavy burden afflicts us, Jesus invites us to lay it down and allow Him to shoulder it. When a believer takes the yoke of Jesus, as He offers, we are placing ourselves under his dominion. Are you ready for relief from daily stresses? The only way to find whole and true peace and live without frustration is to accept Jesus’s offer and accept His yoke. It is the true method God has given us to live stress-free. The first step is release. Strive to live with the faith of a child and let your burdens be lifted from your shoulders by Jesus. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” How like God to remind me of how powerfully He is working in our family through routine playtime. A little girl who never heard of Him five years ago beautifully shows the patience and joy that many of us take years to learn. I see the work He is doing in her special life. With her never having the opportunity to just be what we consider a normal child before she came to us, playing together has been a perfect way to bond and attach with each other and allow us both to mature our walk with Jesus and experience spiritual lessons at the same time. Remember, every disappointment gives us an opportunity to choose what will master our emotions. When we choose to release thoughts and emotions to God, despite trials and hardships, we will be brought to our knees, but drawn closer to God. It is only then that we build responses that model our Savior’s heart. Father God, I humbly ask You to help me address the areas of my life that are not pleasing to You. Help me to recognize where I need to allow You to craft better thoughts, emotions, feelings, and guide me in the ways I handle them. Let me use the times I mess up and react in ways unpleasing to You as a catalyst for lasting and eternal change. Help me to resist handling mistakes on my own and humbly bow to You and Your wise ways. Shape me to be more like Jesus each moment. In His precious name I pray. Did you enjoy this episode? Would you like others to hear weekly encouragement and learn how to live with more eternal perspective? Can you think of a friend or family member who might enjoy encouragement? If so, please share this podcast with them and take time to leave a quick rating and review wherever you listen to this podcast. Until next week, keep looking Up and finding new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 038 Who Masters My Emotions Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #038 – Who Masters My Emotions? Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. This has been one very busy week! I am in the midst of writing resources for the new Live With Eternal Perspective website that is about to launch! I look forward to listeners seeing many free resources to help you grow your walk with Jesus intentionally. I’m truly excited and feel very blessed at how God obviously put everything together for this to happen. As I am definitely in a season of busyness, I usually work early morning and at night, leaving time through the bulk of the day for our homeschool lessons. But the one activity I have to do before we go to school each day is play with my youngest. I think it is her favorite time of day. Last week we were playing with her favorite toys, the Lego Ninjago Ninjas and their ship Destiny’s Bounty. The whole week of playtime had revolved around the storyline of the Ninjas going on vacation together. But, of course, what do you think happened? While they were on vacation, trouble found them and the gang was smack in the middle of a disastrous plot line full of adventure! On this particular day, Brooklyn had planned for a dinosaur to attach an invisible chain around the top of the Destiny’s Bounty sails and begin slowly and sneakily pulling the ship full of Ninjas farther out to sea. After attaching tiny Lego chains around the ship mast, she gently pulled and moved her dinosaur so that the ship would begin to turn. Except each time she did it, the chains burst off the ship one time after another. As I watched, I wondered how many times she would reattach and try again. I lost count. Each time, she adjusted her technique slightly, but in turn, received the same result. Most people would have been upset by that point, or at least given up. Not her. I was intrigued. I know at that age, I probably would have expressed some frustration and changed my storyline to do something else. Each it happened to her, she responded with joyful enthusiasm. I finally asked her how she stayed so encouraged without growing frustrated. She was genuinely surprised and asked, “Why would I be frustrated?” We began to laugh and I left her to continue with her plans. She finally found a method that worked for the storyline she created and joy was the only emotion she ever exhibited. Every disappointing result gives us an opportunity to choose what will master our emotions. My precious girl remarked that Jesus wouldn’t want her to get frustrated. It honestly seemed like such a foreign reaction to her. I was impressed that she had such control over her emotions. Most adults cannot master their moods. It was because her heart was directed upwards at how she felt Jesus would have her react. Out of anyone I know, my protective heart felt that she is the one who deserved to be able to get agitated. Most of her life has been very hard, filled with neglect, disappointment, and sorrow. But as I sat and watched her reactions that day, I realized that I don’t remember ever seeing her become defeated or angry. My mama heart was buoyed by her godly example of release to our Heavenly Father. Just because we think we deserve to receive – or someone offers us a “pass” to express frustration or negativity, it doesn’t mean that it is God’s best for us. Obviously, we are human, we feel emotions and need to be able to express them. God gave us feelings. Yet this world teaches and models for us to think of ourselves first, without thought of how our moods or rants affect others or portray Christ within us. God provided a way for us to look Up and He sent us Jesus as the perfect model who showed us how to handle emotions and feelings. Our merciful Heavenly Father wants us to admit and address our feelings and also what is driving it. Often, it is actually something else, often unaddressed, that causes us to explode or act in ways that magnify what we are experiencing. God gave us emotions. He expects us to use them wisely. Five basic steps to help us do that are to: 1. Reflect. Think about what we are feeling and why the emotion is so strong. 2. Stay calm. Do not react in ways that cause distress or danger to others. 3. Pray. Seek God, who understands our emotions and gives us the avenues to handle them properly. Ask Him to forgive and guide us. 4. Allow God to work inside us for transformation of thoughts and actions. 5. Get help. Sometimes we need to find a trusted family member, friend, pastor, or Christian counselor to help us get to the root of what we are experiencing and help us deal with and get through it. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” What makes some of us unable to withstand extreme hardship and simply crumble, versus others who rise up with even more joy? The Bible gives us many verses that show us the attitude and temperament God desires for us to carry. Although we can read study, memorize or write the words, real change won’t occur until we allow Jesus to penetrate our hearts and minds. When we follow Him, we aren’t miraculously changed into a carbon copy of Him. But day by day, actually moment by moment, we allow Him to transform us to become more and more like Him. Gradually, intentionally. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” God cares about even the smallest details of our lives. He pays attention to and knows all we think and do, and desires us to seek Him and please Him. He wants us to rely on Him so that we can experience fullness of joy. Just like my girl did, despite the circumstances around her. 1 Peter 5:8-10 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Satan would love nothing more than for us to experience hardship, failure, or disappointment and become angry at God. He would like us to make a scene and steal our power in being a Christian or make our lifestyle look less powerful to others around us in an attempt to make God appear weak and out of control. He wants us to strain our relationships with others and shatter our walk and dependency on God. James 1:19-20 offers beautiful wisdom. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Or listen to what Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.” Such wise advice doesn’t only apply to anger or frustration. It’s also perfect for social media. Many opinions and thoughts are better left unsaid. Modern technology allows fools to vent and attack others with the touch of a few buttons and in record time. Words, once unleashed hold wicked pain and power over the speaker and the receiver. Many relationships have been ruined by not heeding the advice of these scriptures. Also, words spoken in frustration or anger to many as children still carry deep pain and hurt in their adult years that only God can fully heal. Just as actions we viewed as children can negatively influence our responses and emotions for many years. Remember the words of Psalm 34:18, which says, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” The Lord sees and hears all our hurts. He knows the many afflictions we face and will deliver us out of them all. If we trust in Him. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” As we face trials and heartaches each day, let us lift our faces to the only One who understands. Seek God in all matters. He cares. He does not want us to carry burdens alone. In fact, listen to what Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” This passage of verses is relevant and timeless. Jesus offers such a merciful, compassionate command to us in His invitation to come to Him. No matter what is ailing us, no matter what is oppressing us, no matter what heavy burden afflicts us, Jesus invites us to lay it down and allow Him to shoulder it. When a believer takes the yoke of Jesus, as He offers, we are placing ourselves under his dominion. Are you ready for relief from daily stresses? The only way to find whole and true peace and live without frustration is to accept Jesus’s offer and accept His yoke. It is the true method God has given us to live stress-free. The first step is release. Strive to live with the faith of a child and let your burdens be lifted from your shoulders by Jesus. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” How like God to remind me of how powerfully He is working in our family through routine playtime. A little girl who never heard of Him five years ago beautifully shows the patience and joy that many of us take years to learn. I see the work He is doing in her special life. With her never having the opportunity to just be what we consider a normal child before she came to us, playing together has been a perfect way to bond and attach with each other and allow us both to mature our walk with Jesus and experience spiritual lessons at the same time. Remember, every disappointment gives us an opportunity to choose what will master our emotions. When we choose to release thoughts and emotions to God, despite trials and hardships, we will be brought to our knees, but drawn closer to God. It is only then that we build responses that model our Savior’s heart. Father God, I humbly ask You to help me address the areas of my life that are not pleasing to You. Help me to recognize where I need to allow You to craft better thoughts, emotions, feelings, and guide me in the ways I handle them. Let me use the times I mess up and react in ways unpleasing to You as a catalyst for lasting and eternal change. Help me to resist handling mistakes on my own and humbly bow to You and Your wise ways. Shape me to be more like Jesus each moment. In His precious name I pray. Did you enjoy this episode? Would you like others to hear weekly encouragement and learn how to live with more eternal perspective? Can you think of a friend or family member who might enjoy encouragement? If so, please share this podcast with them and take time to leave a quick rating and review wherever you listen to this podcast. Until next week, keep looking Up and finding new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

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Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #144 – Life Lessons Through my Dog Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Job 12:7-10 says, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Last week our Golden Retriever had surgery. Because of this, he isn't allowed to jump, run, or be very active for about 10 days. Of course, he doesn't understand why he's suddenly restricted from doing everything he is accustomed to doing. In fact, not only has he lost these expected privileges, but he's also made to wear a humiliating bodysuit so he can't lick or scratch himself in the surgical area! Since my dog actually acts more like a cat sometimes, (and loves to jump up to the highest positions he can lay in), some of his favorite places are blocked off with bean bags and chairs. As I watched him eyeing one of his usual lounging areas, I could see displeasure reflected in his eyes when he could not get to it. Resigned, he walked over to a small bean bag on the floor and curled himself into a tight ball to fit. His reactions remind me how humans usually react. We often take much for granted, assuming we have the right to continue the same patterns, habits, and expectations. When something changes or we feel it has been taken away, we don't understand and sometimes get angry, frustrated, disappointed, or stressed. Although my dog was disappointed, he resigned himself to finding another spot. Even though he didn't understand why I wasn't letting him continue routine events, he didn't cry or fuss. He simply found another solution to what bothered him, still trusting that he would be loved and cared for. If only humans could react the same way. Each day brings such blessings. What we have isn't guaranteed for another moment. Living with eternal perspective means so much more than thinking we will be in Heaven one day if we know Christ. Living with our eyes, mind, and heart focused above is a constant, humble lifestyle. Seeing the simplicity of life through the eyes of an animal God allows us to care for is a reminder of how much excess we have. How much we assume and expect. I hope that as life changes, we can embrace the losses as much as we grab the gifts we recognize. Losses stretch us beyond what we imagine we can endure, allowing us the opportunity to reach a new level of understanding our Lord...if we allow ourselves to focus on Him instead of our desires. As disappointments, failures, mistakes, regrets, or hardships tug at your confidence or emotions, don’t allow them to affect your relationship with Christ. Instead, let them draw you nearer to Him. Seek God for how you can allow His transformation to flow through you because of what happened or is happening to you. As much as we love answers, as much as we want pain or hardship to cease, we must learn to follow Him and allow His work to penetrate where we need it. Think of how gracious God is to provide us with insight, reassurances, and wisdom through His creation. Not only does He teach and influence us through animals, but all of what He has made. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us that the heavens declare Your glory and the skies proclaim the work of Your hands. You teach us that day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Help us to see Your glory revealed through creation. Help us to recognize the beauty and majesty of Your hands. Help us to learn the lessons You sometimes present so simply if we only open our eyes and heart. Help us to study Your Word so we know and recognize You in all the beautiful ways You reveal Yourself to us with a holy and unsurpassed love. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. This summer I am working on a very special women and mother collective. You can visit terrihitt.com to learn more or send me a message at info@terrihitt.com. During the summer months, as I work on this special assignment I believe God is calling me to, I will have some shorter podcasts and may replay some treasured episodes from time to time. It is my prayer that you will find time to rest in the Lord as you listen and mature your walk with Him. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 144 - Life Lessons Through my Dog Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #144 – Life Lessons Through my Dog Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Job 12:7-10 says, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Last week our Golden Retriever had surgery. Because of this, he isn't allowed to jump, run, or be very active for about 10 days. Of course, he doesn't understand why he's suddenly restricted from doing everything he is accustomed to doing. In fact, not only has he lost these expected privileges, but he's also made to wear a humiliating bodysuit so he can't lick or scratch himself in the surgical area! Since my dog actually acts more like a cat sometimes, (and loves to jump up to the highest positions he can lay in), some of his favorite places are blocked off with bean bags and chairs. As I watched him eyeing one of his usual lounging areas, I could see displeasure reflected in his eyes when he could not get to it. Resigned, he walked over to a small bean bag on the floor and curled himself into a tight ball to fit. His reactions remind me how humans usually react. We often take much for granted, assuming we have the right to continue the same patterns, habits, and expectations. When something changes or we feel it has been taken away, we don't understand and sometimes get angry, frustrated, disappointed, or stressed. Although my dog was disappointed, he resigned himself to finding another spot. Even though he didn't understand why I wasn't letting him continue routine events, he didn't cry or fuss. He simply found another solution to what bothered him, still trusting that he would be loved and cared for. If only humans could react the same way. Each day brings such blessings. What we have isn't guaranteed for another moment. Living with eternal perspective means so much more than thinking we will be in Heaven one day if we know Christ. Living with our eyes, mind, and heart focused above is a constant, humble lifestyle. Seeing the simplicity of life through the eyes of an animal God allows us to care for is a reminder of how much excess we have. How much we assume and expect. I hope that as life changes, we can embrace the losses as much as we grab the gifts we recognize. Losses stretch us beyond what we imagine we can endure, allowing us the opportunity to reach a new level of understanding our Lord...if we allow ourselves to focus on Him instead of our desires. As disappointments, failures, mistakes, regrets, or hardships tug at your confidence or emotions, don’t allow them to affect your relationship with Christ. Instead, let them draw you nearer to Him. Seek God for how you can allow His transformation to flow through you because of what happened or is happening to you. As much as we love answers, as much as we want pain or hardship to cease, we must learn to follow Him and allow His work to penetrate where we need it. Think of how gracious God is to provide us with insight, reassurances, and wisdom through His creation. Not only does He teach and influence us through animals, but all of what He has made. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us that the heavens declare Your glory and the skies proclaim the work of Your hands. You teach us that day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Help us to see Your glory revealed through creation. Help us to recognize the beauty and majesty of Your hands. Help us to learn the lessons You sometimes present so simply if we only open our eyes and heart. Help us to study Your Word so we know and recognize You in all the beautiful ways You reveal Yourself to us with a holy and unsurpassed love. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen. This summer I am working on a very special women and mother collective. You can visit terrihitt.com to learn more or send me a message at info@terrihitt.com . During the summer months, as I work on this special assignment I believe God is calling me to, I will have some shorter podcasts and may replay some treasured episodes from time to time. It is my prayer that you will find time to rest in the Lord as you listen and mature your walk with Him. Thank you for listening to the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast. You can find this and other transcripts online at terrihitt.com. Remember that both of my podcasts are available on the website. You can also find them on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts are also found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #119 – Conquer Overwhelm Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. What a month we’ve had at our house! Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, you can’t get ahead or things keep happening to throw your plans off-balance?? Maybe you can’t stay on schedule due to unexpected events. Perhaps your family has been through bouts of sickness. Or maybe you’re just tired from the various demands life brings. No matter the reason, I believe it’s sometimes easy to be discouraged, frustrated, or simply overwhelmed by life. We are traveling through a season of what I will just call, “too much” right now. So much going on and way too little sleep!! It’s not even that we’re overscheduled, although we are busy. Life simply happens whether or not we’re ready, and sometimes that means things pop up that demand our attention or that stop the plans already made as we’re forced to shift focus. For example, a few days ago I was washing dishes. We’ve had some illness in our home recently and I always double wash dishes the sick person has used. It usually takes about two weeks of extra washing before I’m convinced that the person is fully well and they aren’t contagious anymore. Right after I finished our two weeks recently, someone else got sick with another virus. Already weary from the first bout of illness, I was not enjoying double-washing dishes. As I thought about what a pain it was and how tired I was of doing it, I felt the Lord whisper to my spirit, “Don’t do this work because you have to keep people from getting sick. Do the work because you love the person you’re serving for Me.” If you want to conquer overwhelm, master your perspective. Release it to God and view your situation through His eternal viewpoint. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Sometimes it feels impossible to complete a difficult task. It often feels impossible to release a stronghold in your life. Sometimes it feels like you can’t even make it through the day when one thing after feels like an attack formed against you. Everything builds up to form overwhelm. When this happens, stop to remember that feelings are just emotions. Emotions have no power unless you allow them to. Emotions are feelings that rise up within us to create strong sentiments. Sentiments reflect our attitude toward something, and our attitude can quickly cause anxiety. Unless we purposely take emotions, feelings, sentiments, or attitude captive and release them to the Lord, deceptive feelings easily and quickly morph into overwhelm. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.” No matter what situation or burden you are facing, know through the model Jesus set for each of us that you can submit your struggles to Him through prayer. I want to be clear on this point. Simply muttering a prayer, hoping that God hears it and changes everything so you can get back to your normal schedule isn’t what I mean. Nothing that has lasting value in our walk with Christ will come easily. It is only through release of self and purposed humility focused on growing our personal relationship with Christ that true change occurs. Standing freely in the grace of God and allowing Him to carry burdens takes determination and release of fleshly will. Jesus is our perfect example of a humble, obedient spirit releasing self. As Jesus turned to the Father through prayer, He also used the power of God’s word. Through prayer and scripture, we see Jesus model the way we are to come to God and offer self, thus truly trusting Him to do the work needed. With our selfish, limited vision we hope He changes our circumstances, making the day easier or more tolerable. Through the beauty of the gospel, however, we learn that submission brings glory to God. In His goodness, our Heavenly Father allows us to be cleansed and transformed through trials and daily occurrences. Instead of easily changing our day, God purposes to take our burdens and turn them into blessings that move us closer to Him and make us more like Him – even when we don’t think it feels good or comfortable. Even when life feels incredibly overwhelming. Jeremiah 1:19 says, “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” God’s truth makes the difference. When we rely on the legitimacy of God’s word to steady us, we understand that He is truthful; He is faithful. Walking closely with the Lord will prevent much of overwhelm. When we recognize that life is coming too fast or that we have lost peace, or we may not be feeling presence with God, it’s especially important to remember to react in those moments preceding great overwhelm. What we do before overwhelm washes over us like a flood sets the tone for our attitude. Attitude will determine our thoughts and actions or reactions. When overwhelm or agitation begins to creep into your spirit, stop to identify what is happening to cause the feelings or attitude you are experiencing. Remember the truth of your situation. It’s easy to get sucked into deceitful feelings and lies about our life and surroundings or events. Fear, trials, illness, lack of rest, new situations, and much more can work against us to create overwhelm. Isaiah 40:28-31 says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” God is sufficient. He has the desire and the holy, sovereign ability to carry your burdens, while strengthening you in Him as He does. Everything in our life, small or large, is meant to be evaluated and purposed for His glory. The imperfections of our day or relationships, the scary emergencies or illnesses, the interruptions that frustrate or delay, and the strongholds that threaten to cripple or disable us are each allowed to bring forth the fruit of Christ in our life. They are allowed or purposed to bring us to our knees in front of a Holy God who loves us with an everlasting love and deeply desires that we rest in Him and rely on Him to carry us through the fires of life. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” When we bring our burdens, overwhelm, or anxiety to the Lord, especially when we first notice it begin to take shape in our heart or mind, we grasp the perfect peace only God offers. God, the Author of peace carries it to us through the Holy Spirit within us. Through His presence, comfort, and protection, we are made new – and so is our attitude as He captures and rids us of overwhelm. Sometimes His help is instant. At other times, we may have been struggling to carry a sin or burden for too long on our own and it will take time to shed the fake covering we used to protect or hide us. Keep your eyes and mind focused on Christ, the true guide out of the confusion and chaos of overwhelm. Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.” Through the Lord, we have a true hiding place, a strong and mighty shield to cover us despite whatever is happening in our life. How often do you trust God, accept His offer to find comfort and protection under His wing, to hide in His care? One of the reasons we put our hope in Him is because His word is true, it is powerful, it is alive. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Because we have the light of Jesus and the word of God to illuminate our way, we can count on Him to shine His truths and peace into the dark corners of our world. No matter our obstacle, no matter the amount of overwhelm that creeps into our life, God is present and able to erase it and fill us with His peace that passes understanding. Through relying on Him and trusting that God will take captive of overwhelm before it becomes anxiety, we learn that: 1. God is present. 2. God is able to set us on a steady path. 3. God will allow us to learn faithfulness and provisions. 4. God will work through us to set us apart as a witness to others that He is competent. 5. God sees and hears us. 6. God cares about every detail. 7. God is our Mighty Rescuer. As you feel the spirit of overwhelm threaten to take over, I have 4 suggestions that may help. 1. Take a break from what you are doing (even when it feels like you can’t). 2. Focus on one thing at a time. 3. Voice how you feel (sometimes it helps to talk aloud to yourself and let the frustration out so you can focus clearly without emotional deceit). 4. Turn to God through prayer and/or scripture reading. The healing power of God never fails when our spirit humbly turns to Him. Dear Heavenly Father, how great Thou art! Father, thank you for Your goodness to us, despite the way we fail to grasp the love and guidance You have for us every moment, the peace You offer freely. Help us to delight in Your law day and night, and to be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. Father, enable us, to create such strong relationships with You that we don’t worry about life, what we will eat or drink; or about the burdens that assault from every angle. Help us to see the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet You provide for them. May we remember the provisions You offer that bring us eternal life, the only thing that matters. Search us, God, and know our heart; test us and know our anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting, for we know Your grace is sufficient, Your power is made perfect in our weakness. May we allow Your work to be done and see the beauty of the masterpiece as You create it within us. May we allow the power of Christ to rest within us. May we carry the attitude that delights in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. For when we are weak, then we are strong in and through You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. You may find them on the terrihitt.com website. Click on podcasts and type in the topic or title you wish to hear in the search bar at the top of the page. I can suggest three episodes that tie to the topic we discussed today. Episode 82, “Peace That Guards,” Episode 84, “No Worry,” and Episode 2, “Protecting Our Thoughts.” Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen, follow it, and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 119 - Conquer Overwhelm Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #119 – Conquer Overwhelm Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. What a month we’ve had at our house! Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, you can’t get ahead or things keep happening to throw your plans off-balance?? Maybe you can’t stay on schedule due to unexpected events. Perhaps your family has been through bouts of sickness. Or maybe you’re just tired from the various demands life brings. No matter the reason, I believe it’s sometimes easy to be discouraged, frustrated, or simply overwhelmed by life. We are traveling through a season of what I will just call, “too much” right now. So much going on and way too little sleep!! It’s not even that we’re overscheduled, although we are busy. Life simply happens whether or not we’re ready, and sometimes that means things pop up that demand our attention or that stop the plans already made as we’re forced to shift focus. For example, a few days ago I was washing dishes. We’ve had some illness in our home recently and I always double wash dishes the sick person has used. It usually takes about two weeks of extra washing before I’m convinced that the person is fully well and they aren’t contagious anymore. Right after I finished our two weeks recently, someone else got sick with another virus. Already weary from the first bout of illness, I was not enjoying double-washing dishes. As I thought about what a pain it was and how tired I was of doing it, I felt the Lord whisper to my spirit, “Don’t do this work because you have to keep people from getting sick. Do the work because you love the person you’re serving for Me.” If you want to conquer overwhelm, master your perspective. Release it to God and view your situation through His eternal viewpoint. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Sometimes it feels impossible to complete a difficult task. It often feels impossible to release a stronghold in your life. Sometimes it feels like you can’t even make it through the day when one thing after feels like an attack formed against you. Everything builds up to form overwhelm. When this happens, stop to remember that feelings are just emotions. Emotions have no power unless you allow them to. Emotions are feelings that rise up within us to create strong sentiments. Sentiments reflect our attitude toward something, and our attitude can quickly cause anxiety. Unless we purposely take emotions, feelings, sentiments, or attitude captive and release them to the Lord, deceptive feelings easily and quickly morph into overwhelm. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.” No matter what situation or burden you are facing, know through the model Jesus set for each of us that you can submit your struggles to Him through prayer. I want to be clear on this point. Simply muttering a prayer, hoping that God hears it and changes everything so you can get back to your normal schedule isn’t what I mean. Nothing that has lasting value in our walk with Christ will come easily. It is only through release of self and purposed humility focused on growing our personal relationship with Christ that true change occurs. Standing freely in the grace of God and allowing Him to carry burdens takes determination and release of fleshly will. Jesus is our perfect example of a humble, obedient spirit releasing self. As Jesus turned to the Father through prayer, He also used the power of God’s word. Through prayer and scripture, we see Jesus model the way we are to come to God and offer self, thus truly trusting Him to do the work needed. With our selfish, limited vision we hope He changes our circumstances, making the day easier or more tolerable. Through the beauty of the gospel, however, we learn that submission brings glory to God. In His goodness, our Heavenly Father allows us to be cleansed and transformed through trials and daily occurrences. Instead of easily changing our day, God purposes to take our burdens and turn them into blessings that move us closer to Him and make us more like Him – even when we don’t think it feels good or comfortable. Even when life feels incredibly overwhelming. Jeremiah 1:19 says, “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” God’s truth makes the difference. When we rely on the legitimacy of God’s word to steady us, we understand that He is truthful; He is faithful. Walking closely with the Lord will prevent much of overwhelm. When we recognize that life is coming too fast or that we have lost peace, or we may not be feeling presence with God, it’s especially important to remember to react in those moments preceding great overwhelm. What we do before overwhelm washes over us like a flood sets the tone for our attitude. Attitude will determine our thoughts and actions or reactions. When overwhelm or agitation begins to creep into your spirit, stop to identify what is happening to cause the feelings or attitude you are experiencing. Remember the truth of your situation. It’s easy to get sucked into deceitful feelings and lies about our life and surroundings or events. Fear, trials, illness, lack of rest, new situations, and much more can work against us to create overwhelm. Isaiah 40:28-31 says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” God is sufficient. He has the desire and the holy, sovereign ability to carry your burdens, while strengthening you in Him as He does. Everything in our life, small or large, is meant to be evaluated and purposed for His glory. The imperfections of our day or relationships, the scary emergencies or illnesses, the interruptions that frustrate or delay, and the strongholds that threaten to cripple or disable us are each allowed to bring forth the fruit of Christ in our life. They are allowed or purposed to bring us to our knees in front of a Holy God who loves us with an everlasting love and deeply desires that we rest in Him and rely on Him to carry us through the fires of life. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” When we bring our burdens, overwhelm, or anxiety to the Lord, especially when we first notice it begin to take shape in our heart or mind, we grasp the perfect peace only God offers. God, the Author of peace carries it to us through the Holy Spirit within us. Through His presence, comfort, and protection, we are made new – and so is our attitude as He captures and rids us of overwhelm. Sometimes His help is instant. At other times, we may have been struggling to carry a sin or burden for too long on our own and it will take time to shed the fake covering we used to protect or hide us. Keep your eyes and mind focused on Christ, the true guide out of the confusion and chaos of overwhelm. Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.” Through the Lord, we have a true hiding place, a strong and mighty shield to cover us despite whatever is happening in our life. How often do you trust God, accept His offer to find comfort and protection under His wing, to hide in His care? One of the reasons we put our hope in Him is because His word is true, it is powerful, it is alive. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Because we have the light of Jesus and the word of God to illuminate our way, we can count on Him to shine His truths and peace into the dark corners of our world. No matter our obstacle, no matter the amount of overwhelm that creeps into our life, God is present and able to erase it and fill us with His peace that passes understanding. Through relying on Him and trusting that God will take captive of overwhelm before it becomes anxiety, we learn that: 1. God is present. 2. God is able to set us on a steady path. 3. God will allow us to learn faithfulness and provisions. 4. God will work through us to set us apart as a witness to others that He is competent. 5. God sees and hears us. 6. God cares about every detail. 7. God is our Mighty Rescuer. As you feel the spirit of overwhelm threaten to take over, I have 4 suggestions that may help. 1. Take a break from what you are doing (even when it feels like you can’t). 2. Focus on one thing at a time. 3. Voice how you feel (sometimes it helps to talk aloud to yourself and let the frustration out so you can focus clearly without emotional deceit). 4. Turn to God through prayer and/or scripture reading. The healing power of God never fails when our spirit humbly turns to Him. Dear Heavenly Father, how great Thou art! Father, thank you for Your goodness to us, despite the way we fail to grasp the love and guidance You have for us every moment, the peace You offer freely. Help us to delight in Your law day and night, and to be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. Father, enable us, to create such strong relationships with You that we don’t worry about life, what we will eat or drink; or about the burdens that assault from every angle. Help us to see the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet You provide for them. May we remember the provisions You offer that bring us eternal life, the only thing that matters. Search us, God, and know our heart; test us and know our anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting, for we know Your grace is sufficient, Your power is made perfect in our weakness. May we allow Your work to be done and see the beauty of the masterpiece as You create it within us. May we allow the power of Christ to rest within us. May we carry the attitude that delights in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. For when we are weak, then we are strong in and through You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. You may find them on the terrihitt.com website. Click on podcasts and type in the topic or title you wish to hear in the search bar at the top of the page. I can suggest three episodes that tie to the topic we discussed today. Episode 82, “Peace That Guards,” Episode 84, “No Worry,” and Episode 2, “Protecting Our Thoughts.” Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen, follow it, and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #095 – Through the Shadow of Death – Interview with Johanna Cannelongo Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Today I am honored to begin a new series of interviews in recognition of National Adoption Month. What a blessing it is to be able to converse with several people regarding the topic of adoption. As you probably already know, our family has added to our family through adoption twice and we are deeply blessed, of course, through bringing our daughters home, but also through the relationships we’ve built in the adoption community. National Adoption Month is an initiative that seeks to increase national awareness of adoption issues and bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the U.S. foster care system. I also believe the movement includes awareness for international adoption. Although some adoptions abroad are closed due to Covid at this time, I pray the time will quickly come that all children, no matter where they live, will be able to live in loving, nurturing, permanent families. God doesn’t care where a child is adopted from. Whether domestic or international, children need homes. They are meant to live in attentive, loving homes. It breaks my heart that any child would be neglected, abused, or forgotten. Imagine how it makes God feel. Every person should know that someone cares about them and their well-being because they are deeply cherished. Our own journey with adoption began in China simply because that is where we knew God told us we had a daughter waiting. Over the ten years that followed our first adoption, we advocated and prayed for many children, both domestic and international. We worked with organizations, began an adoption ministry at church, and held seminars and conferences. I have lost count of the number of children I have prayed for as I viewed their photos and also shared them with others to pray and advocate for, as well. We also took courses to be approved to adopt domestically, but that was not God’s plan for us. Instead, He sent us back to China for our youngest child, and I will never forget the day I first saw her adorable face. It was the moment I fell in love with her. Today, I am beginning a series of interviews by introducing you to Johanna Cannelongo, a 4-time repeat adopter from China. Johanna is a wife and homeschooling mama of eight children, ages 5-21. She says she lives with her heart anchored in eternity, but her feet planted in Maryland on a little farmette with her amazing and funny husband of 23 years, Brian. Johanna’s passion is to raise children who love Jesus and to advocate for the most vulnerable. Now you will hear Johanna share the hope of Jesus through her story of His faithfulness in her life during tragedy and triumph. ----------------------------------------------------INTERVIEW------------------------------------------------ The goodness and faithfulness of God and His intimate provisions to each of us is clearly evident in the story Johanna shared with us. Johanna says that Jesus is her best friend, her light, and her song of living hope that saves her every day. His intimacy is free to each of us and He awaits our release of self so that He can freely minister and guide in the personal and loving ways He desires. Even through the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus can cause us to fear no evil, for He is right with us, carrying us each step of the journey, when we allow Him to. You can learn more about Johanna through her foundation, Live Gia Grow Forever on Facebook or Instagram. You can reach Johanna at johanna@wildflowerhope.com. Father God, we call upon Your name. You are the Great I Am, the Most High, our Creator and Sustainer, our Provider and Great Comforter. We need you so much more than we even realize. Father, thank you for the ways You carry us. You do not walk beside us. You intentionally and intimately desire to carry each load and carry us through the pain and trials. Heavenly Father, You are good, yet this world is not. Help us to crave You over culture and turn to You with every pain and heartache, every question and stumbling block. May we please You and fulfill the purpose You have set for us. May we give You honor and praise through easy and hard. When our deepest fears come true, may we not turn from You, but to You as we trust and rest in Your arms. Soothe our pain and show us Your tender mercies. In the precious name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 095 - Through the Shadow of Death - Interview with Johanna Cannelongo Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #095 – Through the Shadow of Death – Interview with Johanna Cannelongo Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Today I am honored to begin a new series of interviews in recognition of National Adoption Month. What a blessing it is to be able to converse with several people regarding the topic of adoption. As you probably already know, our family has added to our family through adoption twice and we are deeply blessed, of course, through bringing our daughters home, but also through the relationships we’ve built in the adoption community. National Adoption Month is an initiative that seeks to increase national awareness of adoption issues and bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the U.S. foster care system. I also believe the movement includes awareness for international adoption. Although some adoptions abroad are closed due to Covid at this time, I pray the time will quickly come that all children, no matter where they live, will be able to live in loving, nurturing, permanent families. God doesn’t care where a child is adopted from. Whether domestic or international, children need homes. They are meant to live in attentive, loving homes. It breaks my heart that any child would be neglected, abused, or forgotten. Imagine how it makes God feel. Every person should know that someone cares about them and their well-being because they are deeply cherished. Our own journey with adoption began in China simply because that is where we knew God told us we had a daughter waiting. Over the ten years that followed our first adoption, we advocated and prayed for many children, both domestic and international. We worked with organizations, began an adoption ministry at church, and held seminars and conferences. I have lost count of the number of children I have prayed for as I viewed their photos and also shared them with others to pray and advocate for, as well. We also took courses to be approved to adopt domestically, but that was not God’s plan for us. Instead, He sent us back to China for our youngest child, and I will never forget the day I first saw her adorable face. It was the moment I fell in love with her. Today, I am beginning a series of interviews by introducing you to Johanna Cannelongo, a 4-time repeat adopter from China. Johanna is a wife and homeschooling mama of eight children, ages 5-21. She says she lives with her heart anchored in eternity, but her feet planted in Maryland on a little farmette with her amazing and funny husband of 23 years, Brian. Johanna’s passion is to raise children who love Jesus and to advocate for the most vulnerable. Now you will hear Johanna share the hope of Jesus through her story of His faithfulness in her life during tragedy and triumph. ----------------------------------------------------INTERVIEW------------------------------------------------ The goodness and faithfulness of God and His intimate provisions to each of us is clearly evident in the story Johanna shared with us. Johanna says that Jesus is her best friend, her light, and her song of living hope that saves her every day. His intimacy is free to each of us and He awaits our release of self so that He can freely minister and guide in the personal and loving ways He desires. Even through the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus can cause us to fear no evil, for He is right with us, carrying us each step of the journey, when we allow Him to. You can learn more about Johanna through her foundation, Live Gia Grow Forever on Facebook or Instagram. You can reach Johanna at johanna@wildflowerhope.com . Father God, we call upon Your name. You are the Great I Am, the Most High, our Creator and Sustainer, our Provider and Great Comforter. We need you so much more than we even realize. Father, thank you for the ways You carry us. You do not walk beside us. You intentionally and intimately desire to carry each load and carry us through the pain and trials. Heavenly Father, You are good, yet this world is not. Help us to crave You over culture and turn to You with every pain and heartache, every question and stumbling block. May we please You and fulfill the purpose You have set for us. May we give You honor and praise through easy and hard. When our deepest fears come true, may we not turn from You, but to You as we trust and rest in Your arms. Soothe our pain and show us Your tender mercies. In the precious name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=live%20gia%20grow%20forever%20foundation

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #099 – Editing God Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. This week I saw something that I couldn’t ignore. It saddened me so much that I had to create a podcast about it. As Christians, we should strive to become more purposed in creating lives that honor and obey God. Living with eternal perspective means growing in our desire to follow God’s word more clearly daily; not because we should, but because as we draw nearer to Him, God draws nearer to us, causing us to crave Him more. Yet how many people profess to be Christians and do not read His word regularly? If we don’t read His word, how can we readily recognize when His word is being misinterpreted or mishandled? The only way to confidently navigate life with the assurance that we understand the word of God and His requirements of us is to pursue relationship with Him through Jesus. Because we desire to know and be like Him, we simply must make time read and study His word with a hunger to understand, recognize, and apply it. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The Bible is not a collection of spiritual words written by men. It’s not just a collection of thoughts. The Bible is alive; it is a purposed gift to us from our Heavenly Father. God’s word is living, active, and life-changing. God’s words are power and supernatural strength. Sharper than a double-edged sword, these living words actively discern who and what we are, and are not. Scripture penetrates to our core, both morally and spiritually, discerning the good and evil within us, understanding the thoughts and intentions within us before we do. God’s word demands that we either choose Him or choose to walk away. It does not leave us where we are unless we decide to ignore it and reject Him. Without the word of God alive within us through the Holy Spirit, we are walking in darkness. How does the Bible define darkness? Satan. Satan is the prince of the power of darkness. Whenever God’s word speaks of darkness, it is most often referring to the devil, his demons, and his kingdom. The power of the prince of darkness is real. Spiritual darkness can control the mind, emotions, actions and words of non-believers. What holds power over Satan and the darkness of his realm? God’s holy word. His perfect, unedited word. God’s word is inspired. It is inerrant. It holds authority from God Himself. When Satan attempted to tempt Jesus, the Lord used God’s powerful, living words against him, answering with the authority we read in Matthew 4:4. “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Jesus is our perfect mentor. He was able to withstand the temptations of the devil because He knew scripture, He utilized the power it held, and He obeyed it. We must read, know, and study God’s word, but we must also rely on it. Even Satan knows scripture, but he does not obey it. Proverbs 30:5-6 tells us, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Although the Bible was written by 40 authors over a period of time, there are no contradictions in the words. There are no inconsistencies. Every prediction made so far has come true, or, we know by faith, will come true. Without God’s holy and divine inspiration, the Bible could not exist. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.” The very word, inspiration is the foundation of truth undergirding Biblical scripture. In the original Greek, the word inspiration was a compound adjective. The word, theopneustos (thapaneustos) comes from God (theos) and (the verb pneo) (panow), which means to blow or a breath. Through the understanding of the original Greek definition, we learn that the word, inspiration literally means “breathed by God.” Each of us with a growing relationship with God through Jesus knows what it feels like to be inspired by God to do, say, or to produce something. For example, although the podcasts I write and produce are not scripture, I very prayerfully create each one. I know that my work is inspired by Him, and anything worthy, or honoring to the Lord, comes from Him and is for Him. Although my words are not perfect, I trust that He is guiding me. Any mistakes would, of course, be my error, yet I feel Him guiding me with topics and the scripture to be presented each time a podcast is released. I can only imagine what it was like for those who contributed to the Bible as God worked in and through them in a much deeper way. What sacred work was set before them. The very breath of God moved through the writers to inspire and create a masterpiece God would present to the world as a bridge for relationship and His glory. Through a profound and sovereign method, God moved human writers to pen His scripture. Through the Holy Spirit, He exhaled His thoughts and words into them as they wrote. We understand that scripture is God-breathed, recorded without errors, and is confirmed as authentic. How beautiful it is that God’s life-filled, everlasting words were brought to life under the writings of mere mortals created by Him. God lovingly worked through them, gifting them, allowing their distinctive personalities to be connected to His holiness and sovereignty as the style of the writers remained true to their unique perspectives, yet without error by the grace and supreme power of our Heavenly Father. Matthew 5:17-19 says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” As the verses I just read say, “not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished,” the words prove yet again that scripture is God-breathed and inspired. Did you know that in Hebrew, there is a tiny mark that looks like an apostrophe? It is called a jot. This smallest letter in the alphabet is very easy to omit. Although it seems to be an insignificant mark, the tittle is critical for distinguishing between letters. Jesus is telling us in Matthew 5:17-19 that even the smallest and seemingly insignificant biblical teaching or prophecy must be fulfilled. God's word is perfect and holy. It needs nothing added or subtracted. It withstands, and is proven, over the test of time. Read and know His word so you can recognize when others are misinterpreting or misquoting it. There is a trend in our culture that highly concerns me. Have you noticed the number of prosperity preachers and influencers who twist God’s word to make proclamations and promises that clearly do not convey the true meaning of scripture? Have you recognized how they bend scripture to suit their purposes (or that of our deteriorating culture), clearly following the darkness of this world through the advertising, indoctrinations in our educational system, and entertainment while shoving God’s word aside? I am sickened and saddened by this trend that worsens daily and how many mutely accept this moral and ethical decay without standing more firmly for the truth of God. As our Heavenly Father is pushed away, the power of darkness moves in to penetrate all areas of society and the home. Last week I saw a post made on social media that concerned me because it is not the only one of this type. It seems that more people are misunderstanding, misquoting, or mishandling God’s word to suit what they desire or believe without attempting to understand the true meaning of the message they are conveying or how far it strays from what the word of God actually says or teaches. Often times, it fits the agenda and emotions they “feel,” helps them get the acceptance of others, or gain the ease of not needing to change and grow themselves, so they eagerly use what affirms them. The quotes weren’t the first I’ve seen like this, but bothered me more because it is happening more frequently. People often do not look for, or notice, the errors and deceit in what is being presented as God’s words, yet are far from His actual truths. Listen to a few examples of what I am referring to. 1 Timothy 6:16 says, “He alone can never die, and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him. No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will. All honor and power to Him forever! Amen.” How powerful that verse is! Just reading the verse aloud fills me with worship right now. Our magnificent Heavenly Father is so far above us, so far from us, yet extends Himself for and to us in love, mercy, and undeserved grace. I recently saw the scripture I just read used as a quote to reference an online post that said, “God isn’t looking for winners; He’s looking for fighters. He doesn’t see if you won the fight, He looks to see if you can fight the fight!” How in the world can the author of this believe that it reflects the 1 Timothy 6:16 scripture in any way? Did they write scripture references on a piece of paper and reach their hand into a bag, grab a verse, and match it with their musings of the moment? Another posting referred to Hebrews 11:1, which says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This is such a popular verse that almost everyone, whether they know God’s word or not has heard it. Someone used this verse as the reference for this post: “You stayed in the ring regardless of money, jobs, what you had, what you lost, who left you, who stayed.” As I sit and shake my head again at how the person connected the reference verse with the words they posted, I can’t believe that people didn’t call them out. This is clearly changing the meaning of God’s words and using God’s words way out of context. God needs no editing. The last verse referenced in this particular post was Psalm 126:5, which says, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” The verse from Psalm 126 was used for this post, “Keep on walking, swinging, singing, crying, screaming, laughing. Keep On! Your blessing is on the other side of your suffering.” This scripture verse doesn’t promise us what the poster declares. This verse refers to the Israelites, who were in captivity, but their pain and sorrow turned to joy when they returned. When reading the Bible, we see that God rescued His people when they were humbled. Through this, the joy experienced was so much sweeter. God promises us that He can bring good out of tragedy, and that as we cling to Him through times of grief, we can find joy again. This verse doesn’t promise that we can keep on doing as we please and God will provide us with a blessing when we’re finished. At the end of the post, the person writing said, “These are the people God needs today.” I’m not sure if this poster wrote this mess or if they copied the work from someone else. It doesn’t say. But, please, if you are going to repost something by another person, check out the references first! Better yet, read the Bible. If you know God’s word, you can recognize when something does not seem right. We need to know what is sent from our Heavenly Father because we know Him. The world is changing and much is happening right now that is setting the course for our future. Much of it is dark and uncertain. But God never is. He is our light, our hope, our truth. When our minds, eyes, and heart are focused on Him, we can face anything. Knowing and obeying His word settles our spirit, connects us to Him, and alters our attitude, words, thoughts, and actions. We won’t be perfect, but we will be perfectly prepared to bring all to Him. We cannot handle everything; He doesn’t want us to. He has made a way and He calls for us to walk in it, allowing Him to carry us each step of the way. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” Earlier, we focused on the truth of God breathing life into scripture. Here, we also see that God has given us His thoughts and truths in written form for instruction, conviction, correction, and for training in righteousness. His desire is that we use His holy word in unedited form, just as He presented it to us in order to mature us completely, so we will be fully equipped for every good work He assigns to us, so that we are enabled to live our lives with a heart and mind set on eternity right now. Heavenly Father, The Great I Am, our loving, omnipotent, holy Father, Creator of the Universe and everything within, how do You set Your eyes upon us? We are so far from You and so far beneath You. You lovingly and generously present Yourself to us through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer, and in Your holy word. You are the giver of great gifts. Help us not to turn from them or alter them to suit our purposes. You need no editing. How can the created surpass the Creator? How could we presume to carry wisdom above Yours? Father, we thank you for the mercy and grace You bestow on us. I am so sorry for the ways we break Your heart, the ways we disappoint You. Yet You continue to love us deeply, equally. You continue to whisper worth and abundant love to us and yearn for us to turn fully to You, to allow You to guide and carry us in Your powerful arms. May we see Your word more clearly, follow it more closely, adhere to it with an awareness of the power and purpose it carries because we adore and reverence You, because we desire to obey and please You. We ask these things in the powerful and holy name of Your son, Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, I invite you to help others find the podcast. If you are able, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review to push the podcast out for more people to find. Without good reviews, others won’t hear the episodes designed to mature walks with Christ and equip all to live for eternity now. You can also share podcast episodes with friends and family so that they can begin to listen each week. You can share my website, terrihitt.com and let others know that on it they will be able to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature their walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage them to raise or influence children and grandchildren to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 099 Editing God Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #099 – Editing God Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. This week I saw something that I couldn’t ignore. It saddened me so much that I had to create a podcast about it. As Christians, we should strive to become more purposed in creating lives that honor and obey God. Living with eternal perspective means growing in our desire to follow God’s word more clearly daily; not because we should, but because as we draw nearer to Him, God draws nearer to us, causing us to crave Him more. Yet how many people profess to be Christians and do not read His word regularly? If we don’t read His word, how can we readily recognize when His word is being misinterpreted or mishandled? The only way to confidently navigate life with the assurance that we understand the word of God and His requirements of us is to pursue relationship with Him through Jesus. Because we desire to know and be like Him, we simply must make time read and study His word with a hunger to understand, recognize, and apply it. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The Bible is not a collection of spiritual words written by men. It’s not just a collection of thoughts. The Bible is alive; it is a purposed gift to us from our Heavenly Father. God’s word is living, active, and life-changing. God’s words are power and supernatural strength. Sharper than a double-edged sword, these living words actively discern who and what we are, and are not. Scripture penetrates to our core, both morally and spiritually, discerning the good and evil within us, understanding the thoughts and intentions within us before we do. God’s word demands that we either choose Him or choose to walk away. It does not leave us where we are unless we decide to ignore it and reject Him. Without the word of God alive within us through the Holy Spirit, we are walking in darkness. How does the Bible define darkness? Satan. Satan is the prince of the power of darkness. Whenever God’s word speaks of darkness, it is most often referring to the devil, his demons, and his kingdom. The power of the prince of darkness is real. Spiritual darkness can control the mind, emotions, actions and words of non-believers. What holds power over Satan and the darkness of his realm? God’s holy word. His perfect, unedited word. God’s word is inspired. It is inerrant. It holds authority from God Himself. When Satan attempted to tempt Jesus, the Lord used God’s powerful, living words against him, answering with the authority we read in Matthew 4:4. “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Jesus is our perfect mentor. He was able to withstand the temptations of the devil because He knew scripture, He utilized the power it held, and He obeyed it. We must read, know, and study God’s word, but we must also rely on it. Even Satan knows scripture, but he does not obey it. Proverbs 30:5-6 tells us, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Although the Bible was written by 40 authors over a period of time, there are no contradictions in the words. There are no inconsistencies. Every prediction made so far has come true, or, we know by faith, will come true. Without God’s holy and divine inspiration, the Bible could not exist. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.” The very word, inspiration is the foundation of truth undergirding Biblical scripture. In the original Greek, the word inspiration was a compound adjective. The word, theopneustos (thapaneustos) comes from God (theos) and (the verb pneo) (panow), which means to blow or a breath. Through the understanding of the original Greek definition, we learn that the word, inspiration literally means “breathed by God.” Each of us with a growing relationship with God through Jesus knows what it feels like to be inspired by God to do, say, or to produce something. For example, although the podcasts I write and produce are not scripture, I very prayerfully create each one. I know that my work is inspired by Him, and anything worthy, or honoring to the Lord, comes from Him and is for Him. Although my words are not perfect, I trust that He is guiding me. Any mistakes would, of course, be my error, yet I feel Him guiding me with topics and the scripture to be presented each time a podcast is released. I can only imagine what it was like for those who contributed to the Bible as God worked in and through them in a much deeper way. What sacred work was set before them. The very breath of God moved through the writers to inspire and create a masterpiece God would present to the world as a bridge for relationship and His glory. Through a profound and sovereign method, God moved human writers to pen His scripture. Through the Holy Spirit, He exhaled His thoughts and words into them as they wrote. We understand that scripture is God-breathed, recorded without errors, and is confirmed as authentic. How beautiful it is that God’s life-filled, everlasting words were brought to life under the writings of mere mortals created by Him. God lovingly worked through them, gifting them, allowing their distinctive personalities to be connected to His holiness and sovereignty as the style of the writers remained true to their unique perspectives, yet without error by the grace and supreme power of our Heavenly Father. Matthew 5:17-19 says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” As the verses I just read say, “not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished,” the words prove yet again that scripture is God-breathed and inspired. Did you know that in Hebrew, there is a tiny mark that looks like an apostrophe? It is called a jot. This smallest letter in the alphabet is very easy to omit. Although it seems to be an insignificant mark, the tittle is critical for distinguishing between letters. Jesus is telling us in Matthew 5:17-19 that even the smallest and seemingly insignificant biblical teaching or prophecy must be fulfilled. God's word is perfect and holy. It needs nothing added or subtracted. It withstands, and is proven, over the test of time. Read and know His word so you can recognize when others are misinterpreting or misquoting it. There is a trend in our culture that highly concerns me. Have you noticed the number of prosperity preachers and influencers who twist God’s word to make proclamations and promises that clearly do not convey the true meaning of scripture? Have you recognized how they bend scripture to suit their purposes (or that of our deteriorating culture), clearly following the darkness of this world through the advertising, indoctrinations in our educational system, and entertainment while shoving God’s word aside? I am sickened and saddened by this trend that worsens daily and how many mutely accept this moral and ethical decay without standing more firmly for the truth of God. As our Heavenly Father is pushed away, the power of darkness moves in to penetrate all areas of society and the home. Last week I saw a post made on social media that concerned me because it is not the only one of this type. It seems that more people are misunderstanding, misquoting, or mishandling God’s word to suit what they desire or believe without attempting to understand the true meaning of the message they are conveying or how far it strays from what the word of God actually says or teaches. Often times, it fits the agenda and emotions they “feel,” helps them get the acceptance of others, or gain the ease of not needing to change and grow themselves, so they eagerly use what affirms them. The quotes weren’t the first I’ve seen like this, but bothered me more because it is happening more frequently. People often do not look for, or notice, the errors and deceit in what is being presented as God’s words, yet are far from His actual truths. Listen to a few examples of what I am referring to. 1 Timothy 6:16 says, “He alone can never die, and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him. No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will. All honor and power to Him forever! Amen.” How powerful that verse is! Just reading the verse aloud fills me with worship right now. Our magnificent Heavenly Father is so far above us, so far from us, yet extends Himself for and to us in love, mercy, and undeserved grace. I recently saw the scripture I just read used as a quote to reference an online post that said, “God isn’t looking for winners; He’s looking for fighters. He doesn’t see if you won the fight, He looks to see if you can fight the fight!” How in the world can the author of this believe that it reflects the 1 Timothy 6:16 scripture in any way? Did they write scripture references on a piece of paper and reach their hand into a bag, grab a verse, and match it with their musings of the moment? Another posting referred to Hebrews 11:1, which says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This is such a popular verse that almost everyone, whether they know God’s word or not has heard it. Someone used this verse as the reference for this post: “You stayed in the ring regardless of money, jobs, what you had, what you lost, who left you, who stayed.” As I sit and shake my head again at how the person connected the reference verse with the words they posted, I can’t believe that people didn’t call them out. This is clearly changing the meaning of God’s words and using God’s words way out of context. God needs no editing. The last verse referenced in this particular post was Psalm 126:5, which says, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” The verse from Psalm 126 was used for this post, “Keep on walking, swinging, singing, crying, screaming, laughing. Keep On! Your blessing is on the other side of your suffering.” This scripture verse doesn’t promise us what the poster declares. This verse refers to the Israelites, who were in captivity, but their pain and sorrow turned to joy when they returned. When reading the Bible, we see that God rescued His people when they were humbled. Through this, the joy experienced was so much sweeter. God promises us that He can bring good out of tragedy, and that as we cling to Him through times of grief, we can find joy again. This verse doesn’t promise that we can keep on doing as we please and God will provide us with a blessing when we’re finished. At the end of the post, the person writing said, “These are the people God needs today.” I’m not sure if this poster wrote this mess or if they copied the work from someone else. It doesn’t say. But, please, if you are going to repost something by another person, check out the references first! Better yet, read the Bible. If you know God’s word, you can recognize when something does not seem right. We need to know what is sent from our Heavenly Father because we know Him. The world is changing and much is happening right now that is setting the course for our future. Much of it is dark and uncertain. But God never is. He is our light, our hope, our truth. When our minds, eyes, and heart are focused on Him, we can face anything. Knowing and obeying His word settles our spirit, connects us to Him, and alters our attitude, words, thoughts, and actions. We won’t be perfect, but we will be perfectly prepared to bring all to Him. We cannot handle everything; He doesn’t want us to. He has made a way and He calls for us to walk in it, allowing Him to carry us each step of the way. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” Earlier, we focused on the truth of God breathing life into scripture. Here, we also see that God has given us His thoughts and truths in written form for instruction, conviction, correction, and for training in righteousness. His desire is that we use His holy word in unedited form, just as He presented it to us in order to mature us completely, so we will be fully equipped for every good work He assigns to us, so that we are enabled to live our lives with a heart and mind set on eternity right now. Heavenly Father, The Great I Am, our loving, omnipotent, holy Father, Creator of the Universe and everything within, how do You set Your eyes upon us? We are so far from You and so far beneath You. You lovingly and generously present Yourself to us through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer, and in Your holy word. You are the giver of great gifts. Help us not to turn from them or alter them to suit our purposes. You need no editing. How can the created surpass the Creator? How could we presume to carry wisdom above Yours? Father, we thank you for the mercy and grace You bestow on us. I am so sorry for the ways we break Your heart, the ways we disappoint You. Yet You continue to love us deeply, equally. You continue to whisper worth and abundant love to us and yearn for us to turn fully to You, to allow You to guide and carry us in Your powerful arms. May we see Your word more clearly, follow it more closely, adhere to it with an awareness of the power and purpose it carries because we adore and reverence You, because we desire to obey and please You. We ask these things in the powerful and holy name of Your son, Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, I invite you to help others find the podcast. If you are able, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review to push the podcast out for more people to find. Without good reviews, others won’t hear the episodes designed to mature walks with Christ and equip all to live for eternity now. You can also share podcast episodes with friends and family so that they can begin to listen each week. You can share my website, terrihitt.com and let others know that on it they will be able to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature their walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage them to raise or influence children and grandchildren to choose Christ over culture. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #115 – A Joyful Life Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Thirteen years ago I faced my biggest fear. I lost a child. When my oldest daughter died, the life I knew ended. Dreams died. My future was forever altered. Our family would never be the same. I don’t know if it is really what the end of life is like, but when I hear stories of how your life supposedly flashes before you, it makes sense. Once the initial news and notifications to loved ones was over, like a slideshow, memories of my first baby rolled through my mind, especially when I tried to sleep. Before that moment, I lived in a safe world. Although I had experienced hardships and trials, I had never lost one of my children. Losing a child was a trauma I had seen others experience and it broke my heart to see families suffer in this way. I never wanted to be part of “that club.” Before heartbreak that deep, I naively thought I would go before my children, in fact, I expected it. When I hadn’t yet dealt with loss that severe, I still lived untouched in the bubble that floats just above the grief of others, bouncing down to feel their pain and minister to them, but light enough to flutter back to safety. After my bubble burst and I landed on the path of grief so deep and heavy I had to remind myself to breathe, I knew I was experiencing God in a profound way I didn’t know existed. I often explain it by saying God lifted the veil. The Lord became flesh and carried me. What my heart had trusted became the hope that proved it could lead me in ways I never needed before. Faith became sight. Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” Because people know of my loss, I am often asked how I find joy in life, despite circumstances. Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Each of us experience pain. What we grieve from or suffer as loss cannot be measured by another because we are individual and no experience is the same. Yet, because God has gifted most of us with the beautiful qualities of empathy and sympathy, we can unite with another, bringing comfort or happiness for a time, but we cannot give a joy that lasts. God alone is the founder and giver of deep joy. Far different than what the world seeks and calls happiness, joy reaches to the deepest region of our soul and cannot be shaken by anything we encounter in this world. Happiness is fleeting like the feeling you get when you receive a gift, eat a special treat, or experience the vacation of a lifetime. Joy comes from a peace and trust rooted by Christ and growing within a maturing believer as we experience the fullness of the power of God. Acts 14:22b says, “They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Jesus taught His disciples that there are 8 characteristics which describe the inner joy of one who truly follows Him. We find them in Matthew 5:3-10, which says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What are the 8 characteristics that Jesus says bring joy? Let’s look more closely at the verses I read and examine them with a heart for eternity. 1. Humility - Matthew 5:3 says the poor in spirit. Let’s define poor in spirit. The poor in spirit doesn’t mean one habitually depressed or mopey as it may sound, but one who is humble. When our heart recognizes our spiritual need for our Heavenly Father and we seek Him above self or anything found in this world, the Holy Spirit does a great work within us, allowing us the ability to find pure joy through Him. 2. Grieving - Matthew 5:4 says the ones who mourn. When this world crushes us with pain or grief, those who mourn can find solace through Jesus. In Greek, the word comforted is also used to describe the Holy Spirit’s miraculous ministry in our life, the only practice that brings lasting joy through pain. Jesus is absolutely everything He says, and that the Word of God proclaims. When I was in need of deep comfort, He never failed me. I made sure I stayed near to Him, drawing as close as I could, asking for His care, and the Lord ministered to me in intimate ways specifically tailored to my needs. He does the same for each of us. 3. Meekness - Matthew 5:5 says those who are meek. It has been said that meekness is not weakness, but power under control. In my experience, this can only be secured through allowing the Holy Spirit to mold and transform me moment by moment. By trusting in Jesus, meekness brings humility to the forefront of our mind and spirit and fills us with a joy that surpasses human understanding as He works in and through us. 4. Holiness - Matthew 5:6 says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. As shown in Psalm 16:11, which says, “Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” When we seek the presence of God and delight in what He calls justice or holy, we find true fullness of joy. 5. Mercifulness - Matthew 5:7 says those who are merciful. Through the power of the Holy Spirit within a believer, we find a holy ability to offer compassionate, cheerful, constructive love to those who suffer and receive deep joy in return as Christ works through us. 6. Purity - Matthew 5:8 says the pure in heart. Only Jesus within us in the form of the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to desire and form holy thoughts and motives. Scripture teaches us that those who live with pure hearts receive the blessing of deep and lasting joy from Christ. 7. Mediator - Matthew 5:9 says those who are peacemakers. The word peacemakers comes from a verb meaning “to join together.” Imagine two opposing forces being reconciled, coming together as one, and we better understand the way a peacemaker completes his work. As we help others reconcile with God, our Father, we experience massive joy and holy exultation deep within our spirit. 8. Persecution - Matthew 5:10 says those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. No one desires suffering, especially not punishment for living a righteous life connected to Christ. Jesus assured us that when we remain steadfast and loyal to Him, even when we are persecuted for our faith, He will reward with a great and joyful blessing. Connecting our mindset and heartset to Jesus, His view of life, and of this world frees us from the burdens that drag us from Him and equip us with His joy as we rest in His arms. We see and experience life differently and live in expectation for eternity with Him. Joy is a choice. Why? Because we must each choose to allow Christ to work within us. We must choose to live in the ways He calls, trusting that He is good and He is right. Joy visits when our spirit seeks Him and the ground is fertile for joy to erupt and mature. Keep pursuing your walk with God through Jesus. Only He has the power to transform lives. He is the One who meets every need we are searching for. He alone gives permanent joy in place of fleeting happiness. Happiness bursts in, then seeps out; joy permanently shines from within. Philippians 4:4-8 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.” Jesus doesn’t promise that His joy will free us from experiencing the burdens and pains of this world. What He promises is of far greater significance. While we are in the midst of pain, He gives us a joy that allows us holy connection which carries us beyond our suffering as we keep our mind on Him. Reliance on Jesus gives hope and security even when all we love or think we must have is snatched away. His joy reminds us to focus on Him, to rely on Him, and to rejoice in Him at all times, trusting that He has a purpose for our suffering as He carries us through every storm. When I was asked about joy after losing my daughter, I honestly didn’t even realize that joy was showing. I simply kept my eyes focused on the Lord, clinging tightly to my Lifeline. Jesus was my anchor; the foundation that kept me steady. Miraculously, the Holy Spirit worked within me when I had no energy or thoughts of the word, joy. Just as He promised, the Lord was present, moving to provide and sustain me in ways only He can promise and deliver. John 15:9-11 says, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Dear Gracious, Loving Heavenly Father. Just as Jesus prayed, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, we pray in Your Holy name. Allow us your mercy and joy through each moment. Happiness is fleeting, but Your joy is our sustenance. You are our strength and salvation. You are our God and we will praise You despite circumstances, expecting Your joy to carry us. We trust You, Father and know that You are good. Keep us looking to and following You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. You may find them on the terrihitt.com website. Click on podcasts and type in the topic or title you wish to hear in the search bar at the top of the page. Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen, follow it, and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 115 - A Joyful Life Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #115 – A Joyful Life Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Thirteen years ago I faced my biggest fear. I lost a child. When my oldest daughter died, the life I knew ended. Dreams died. My future was forever altered. Our family would never be the same. I don’t know if it is really what the end of life is like, but when I hear stories of how your life supposedly flashes before you, it makes sense. Once the initial news and notifications to loved ones was over, like a slideshow, memories of my first baby rolled through my mind, especially when I tried to sleep. Before that moment, I lived in a safe world. Although I had experienced hardships and trials, I had never lost one of my children. Losing a child was a trauma I had seen others experience and it broke my heart to see families suffer in this way. I never wanted to be part of “that club.” Before heartbreak that deep, I naively thought I would go before my children, in fact, I expected it. When I hadn’t yet dealt with loss that severe, I still lived untouched in the bubble that floats just above the grief of others, bouncing down to feel their pain and minister to them, but light enough to flutter back to safety. After my bubble burst and I landed on the path of grief so deep and heavy I had to remind myself to breathe, I knew I was experiencing God in a profound way I didn’t know existed. I often explain it by saying God lifted the veil. The Lord became flesh and carried me. What my heart had trusted became the hope that proved it could lead me in ways I never needed before. Faith became sight. Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” Because people know of my loss, I am often asked how I find joy in life, despite circumstances. Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Each of us experience pain. What we grieve from or suffer as loss cannot be measured by another because we are individual and no experience is the same. Yet, because God has gifted most of us with the beautiful qualities of empathy and sympathy, we can unite with another, bringing comfort or happiness for a time, but we cannot give a joy that lasts. God alone is the founder and giver of deep joy. Far different than what the world seeks and calls happiness, joy reaches to the deepest region of our soul and cannot be shaken by anything we encounter in this world. Happiness is fleeting like the feeling you get when you receive a gift, eat a special treat, or experience the vacation of a lifetime. Joy comes from a peace and trust rooted by Christ and growing within a maturing believer as we experience the fullness of the power of God. Acts 14:22b says, “They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Jesus taught His disciples that there are 8 characteristics which describe the inner joy of one who truly follows Him. We find them in Matthew 5:3-10, which says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What are the 8 characteristics that Jesus says bring joy? Let’s look more closely at the verses I read and examine them with a heart for eternity. 1. Humility - Matthew 5:3 says the poor in spirit. Let’s define poor in spirit. The poor in spirit doesn’t mean one habitually depressed or mopey as it may sound, but one who is humble. When our heart recognizes our spiritual need for our Heavenly Father and we seek Him above self or anything found in this world, the Holy Spirit does a great work within us, allowing us the ability to find pure joy through Him. 2. Grieving - Matthew 5:4 says the ones who mourn. When this world crushes us with pain or grief, those who mourn can find solace through Jesus. In Greek, the word comforted is also used to describe the Holy Spirit’s miraculous ministry in our life, the only practice that brings lasting joy through pain. Jesus is absolutely everything He says, and that the Word of God proclaims. When I was in need of deep comfort, He never failed me. I made sure I stayed near to Him, drawing as close as I could, asking for His care, and the Lord ministered to me in intimate ways specifically tailored to my needs. He does the same for each of us. 3. Meekness - Matthew 5:5 says those who are meek. It has been said that meekness is not weakness, but power under control. In my experience, this can only be secured through allowing the Holy Spirit to mold and transform me moment by moment. By trusting in Jesus, meekness brings humility to the forefront of our mind and spirit and fills us with a joy that surpasses human understanding as He works in and through us. 4. Holiness - Matthew 5:6 says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. As shown in Psalm 16:11, which says, “Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” When we seek the presence of God and delight in what He calls justice or holy, we find true fullness of joy. 5. Mercifulness - Matthew 5:7 says those who are merciful. Through the power of the Holy Spirit within a believer, we find a holy ability to offer compassionate, cheerful, constructive love to those who suffer and receive deep joy in return as Christ works through us. 6. Purity - Matthew 5:8 says the pure in heart. Only Jesus within us in the form of the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to desire and form holy thoughts and motives. Scripture teaches us that those who live with pure hearts receive the blessing of deep and lasting joy from Christ. 7. Mediator - Matthew 5:9 says those who are peacemakers. The word peacemakers comes from a verb meaning “to join together.” Imagine two opposing forces being reconciled, coming together as one, and we better understand the way a peacemaker completes his work. As we help others reconcile with God, our Father, we experience massive joy and holy exultation deep within our spirit. 8. Persecution - Matthew 5:10 says those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. No one desires suffering, especially not punishment for living a righteous life connected to Christ. Jesus assured us that when we remain steadfast and loyal to Him, even when we are persecuted for our faith, He will reward with a great and joyful blessing. Connecting our mindset and heartset to Jesus, His view of life, and of this world frees us from the burdens that drag us from Him and equip us with His joy as we rest in His arms. We see and experience life differently and live in expectation for eternity with Him. Joy is a choice. Why? Because we must each choose to allow Christ to work within us. We must choose to live in the ways He calls, trusting that He is good and He is right. Joy visits when our spirit seeks Him and the ground is fertile for joy to erupt and mature. Keep pursuing your walk with God through Jesus. Only He has the power to transform lives. He is the One who meets every need we are searching for. He alone gives permanent joy in place of fleeting happiness. Happiness bursts in, then seeps out; joy permanently shines from within. Philippians 4:4-8 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.” Jesus doesn’t promise that His joy will free us from experiencing the burdens and pains of this world. What He promises is of far greater significance. While we are in the midst of pain, He gives us a joy that allows us holy connection which carries us beyond our suffering as we keep our mind on Him. Reliance on Jesus gives hope and security even when all we love or think we must have is snatched away. His joy reminds us to focus on Him, to rely on Him, and to rejoice in Him at all times, trusting that He has a purpose for our suffering as He carries us through every storm. When I was asked about joy after losing my daughter, I honestly didn’t even realize that joy was showing. I simply kept my eyes focused on the Lord, clinging tightly to my Lifeline. Jesus was my anchor; the foundation that kept me steady. Miraculously, the Holy Spirit worked within me when I had no energy or thoughts of the word, joy. Just as He promised, the Lord was present, moving to provide and sustain me in ways only He can promise and deliver. John 15:9-11 says, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Dear Gracious, Loving Heavenly Father. Just as Jesus prayed, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, we pray in Your Holy name. Allow us your mercy and joy through each moment. Happiness is fleeting, but Your joy is our sustenance. You are our strength and salvation. You are our God and we will praise You despite circumstances, expecting Your joy to carry us. We trust You, Father and know that You are good. Keep us looking to and following You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. You may find them on the terrihitt.com website. Click on podcasts and type in the topic or title you wish to hear in the search bar at the top of the page. Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen, follow it, and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #060 – Communication With Passed Loved Ones Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Today we are going to discuss a topic that will most likely catch the attention of every listener. I pray that God will take each of my words captive for His truth. Two questions are routinely asked after people hear that I have lost a child. 1. How I kept joy after such a depth of pain and grief? 2. Have I received signs from my daughter after her death? I’ve never tackled the topic of life after death or receiving signs from loved ones. Honestly, it is an enormous and very important subject and I’ve had to pray for God’s great discernment and guidance. For those who have experienced loss, I am deeply sorry for your pain and heartache. Grief is extremely personal and demanding. Heartbreak can alter a person at the core. Loss takes our breath away. Mourning changes our present, as well as future, steals dreams, and rewrites plans without our consent. No one will experience loss the same; sorrow is as unique as fingerprints. I offer my sympathy, hope, and prayers to you. Through my journey of losses, I have found that even at the deepest and most distressful level, God was waiting there. He carried me, ministering to me in supernatural ways that tenderly express His love and personal care before and after my loved ones left. God placed the ability to love and grieve within us; He understands the immense pain and heartache we suffer once those we love are gone. Losing someone we love is complex and agonizing; bereavement is intense. It can be very tempting to seek any connection we can continue. Sometimes, after the loss of a loved one, people look for any sign of communication from the one they are grieving. It makes many feel comforted to imagine their precious one watching over them or that they have become a guardian angel tasked to protect them. Believers must strive to understand what God’s word has to say about this topic. Just because we can be comforted by what we wish to be true does not mean our perceptions are true. Although I cannot profess to know all of the answers, I am going to carefully seek what we can glean from God’s word because we don’t know exactly what happens to loved ones after death. The Bible doesn’t specifically tell us everything. It is certain, however, that we do not become angels. Many times people will attempt to offer comfort to those grieving by stating that their loved one will now watch over them as a protective angel. The Bible, however, clearly states that humans and angels are different beings. Psalm 8:4-8 says, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.” 1 Corinthians 6:2-3a says, “Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels?” Another topic associated with death that the Bible offers clear instruction on is to not look for contact from dead loved ones. There is no information that tells us they are willing or able to message us. God’s word is also clear that we are not to attempt to communicate with the dead through any means. Although we cannot correspond and we don’t know all details about loved ones after they die, scripture does contain interesting clues in several verses and parables throughout the Bible. One of the most informative Bible passages to read regarding the life of loved ones after death is found within Luke 16:19-31, which contains the story of Lazarus and the rich man. This is what it says: “Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” It is believed that Jesus actually spoke these words to expose the way the Pharisees were living with a religion based on status, laws, wealth, and appearance, not a true and lasting faith. The Pharisees believed that wealth was a sign of the righteousness of a person. When Jesus spoke this story, it startled those listening because the poor and diseased beggar receives the reward and comfort, while the rich man is thrown into hell with eternal separation. Jesus’s story teaches about wealth versus poverty and compassion for the poor and needy. The Lord was not speaking to specifically instruct or teach what the afterlife would be like, yet I believe this passage offers details that carry meaningful hints. The Bible clearly teaches that everyone will go to one of two places after we leave this earth. Each of us will either experience a joyful eternal life of fellowship with God or we will brutally suffer through affliction and live in agony forever in hell. As we study the passage in Luke, we read that Jesus tells us the two men are eternally separated by an extensive, insurmountable gulf. The rich man is bound forever in hell while Lazarus has immediately been carried to heaven. In the story, the rich man can see Lazarus. He cries for mercy and asks if the poor man can assist him, but is rejected and told that there is a great chasm with no way for anyone to pass in either direction. Next, the rich man pleads to have Lazarus sent to his father’s house to testify so that the rich man’s brothers may be warned and not end up in the place of torment. He is told that Moses and the prophets have already issued warnings and that his brothers have not heeded them, thus they would not pay attention to one raised from the dead." Now when we study verse 26, we see that the great abyss is fixed. No one passes from one side to the other. This passage of scripture demonstrates that although we yearn to continue some type of communication with the deceased, death separates us. At least for now. Some could argue that the rich man and his family did not know or follow God during life, so that could be why they were not allowed to communicate. Perhaps if the rich man had obediently known and followed God in his lifetime, he would be able to warn relatives about their eternity and convince them to change their ways. Scripture never says or addresses this point specifically. However, with many strong scriptural warnings throughout the Bible that clearly instruct and forbid us against attempts to communicate with the dead, it is highly likely that if our loving Heavenly Father desired us to receive communication from loved ones, He would provide clear information telling us how in the Bible. Yet, God does not offer that instruction. What is offered in the Bible is the truth that none of us are given a second chance at what our eternal future holds after death. Listen to these reminders from Hebrews and Romans. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Romans 14:11-13 says, “For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Another area in which to completely steer clear of is those who proclaim to be able to speak to the dead or who encourage you to take part in seances, Quija board sessions, or other items and activities of this nature. God’s word warns that if someone claims to communicate with the dead they are not. In fact, they may be associating with evil spirits. Leviticus 19:31 says, “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.” 2 Corinthians 11:14b says, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 1 Chronicles 10:13 says, “So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord's command, and he even consulted a medium.” 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” 1 Timothy 4:1 says, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” There is no place in scripture that states loved ones, even when present with the Lord, can communicate with those they left behind. Non-believers are cast into hell and eternal torment, where they will await their final judgement. We read in 2 Peter 2:4, “For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.” Revelation 20:12-15 says, “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” What we do know through scripture is that our loved ones remember us. This knowledge does not reveal whether they can see us, and the passage we read from Luke does not say whether the rich man could see his family. Yet, what a comfort to know that loved ones remember us and we will remember them. We also learn in Mark 9:2-6, that the disciples were even able to recognize Moses and Elijah, even though they had never met. The passage says, “After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them. And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.” Peter, James, and John had known enough about Moses and Elijah to recognize who they were. I find this extremely interesting! How many people will we automatically know in Heaven? Isn’t that thought exciting? I believe the best lesson we can learn from the verses and passages we have discussed today is to ensure that we do not look for assurance in the wrong places. Life should be centered around God, just as death should be. Any assurances about life and death should be found in Him alone. Eternal life found through Jesus Christ should be the comfort we seek and the treasure we hold dear. John 8:12 says, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Many people have earthly experiences in which they feel that their loved one is connecting with them. I am not making this podcast to credit or discredit them. Their walk is individual and they are accountable to God, not me. I appreciate knowing they feel peace and joy from what they believe comes from their loved one. However, I want to emphasize that everything we need to know or understand is found in God’s Holy Word. As we read and study what He has divinely left for us to search, we find nothing that encourages us to place hope and faith in our loved ones, but rather everything points to Him as the only one who can fill that role for us. Perhaps our reasoning is distorted when we believe loved ones are reaching out to us. I believe our Heavenly Father knows the exact times and ways we need reassurance, love, faith, and light in our hearts and He absolutely delights in giving us those pure and good gifts. God knows how to reach us in intimate, unique ways that prove we are not forgotten and that He understands the pain we are experiencing. Rather than claiming that those we grieve carry the ability to minister to us, we should acknowledge that God is there, as He always has been, and always will be. James 1:17 says, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” Our Heavenly Father gave us the ability to connect with others and to love incredibly deeply. As strong as our connections are, they are shallow compared to what He feels for us. We only love because He first loved us. God placed the ability to care, feel, and love into us when He formed us. Varied are the ways He proves His love for us. Each one of us is blessed to have the hope that one day we will be reunited with those we love. If we submit to Jesus now as we live our life on earth, we have the certainty that we will be with Him eternally and have the ultimate reunion with our loved ones who made the same choice to follow Jesus. Because humans often look for sensory experiences, it is easy to be persuaded to search for reassurance with something we can understand, touch, or hold. Sometimes it is doubt or guilt that can cause us to try to connect with those passed on. Most of the time it is simply grief. We miss those we knew and loved, shared life and dreams with. Flesh is weak. As we battle grief, we may yearn for instant connection instead of relying on faith and the hope and trust of the unseen. I pray we each recognize that God is in the details of every moment of our life. As we seek God in the ordinary, He proves Himself in the extraordinary. Although we believe our loved ones will remember us when we see them again, I don’t think our loved ones are pining over us, but rather, they are enjoying the only One who ever fills spaces within us with exactly what we need. All of life and death is about Him. God is calling us to mature our thought process and live with an eternal perspective that seeks Him through each detail of life. Perhaps this verse from Luke 24:5, is the best example. “The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?” We are the dead ones, while our loved ones soar with eternal life. Why would they be found among us? Loved ones who chose to follow Christ are alive in ways we can only imagine. As God’s word makes so clear in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Gracious and loving Heavenly Father, how we long for You. Thank you for the people You so lovingly place in our life with purpose. Comfort us as we grieve for them, carry us when we are overwhelmed with the intensity of pain born of separation. We know You understand. Fill us with the hope of Your promise of resurrection. May we long for You as we do our loved ones and seek to follow You in this life we have been granted for such a short time. We know all of our days are numbered, but we have the hope and promise of eternity with You and a blessed reunion with those we grieve. May we please You in the ways we live without them and may we draw nearer to You as we recognize the gifts You place before us in the midst of our pain and grief. In Your precious name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. I pray you find the peace and hope only Jesus can deliver through the words in each episode. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. My latest resource, “Scattering Seeds: Planting Character and Faith in Your Child” has released! This free eBook is an excellent encouragement and support for mothers or grandmothers of young children. I encourage you to visit my website to access and download it soon. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up and find new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 060 Communication With Passed Loved Ones Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #060 – Communication With Passed Loved Ones Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. Today we are going to discuss a topic that will most likely catch the attention of every listener. I pray that God will take each of my words captive for His truth. Two questions are routinely asked after people hear that I have lost a child. 1. How I kept joy after such a depth of pain and grief? 2. Have I received signs from my daughter after her death? I’ve never tackled the topic of life after death or receiving signs from loved ones. Honestly, it is an enormous and very important subject and I’ve had to pray for God’s great discernment and guidance. For those who have experienced loss, I am deeply sorry for your pain and heartache. Grief is extremely personal and demanding. Heartbreak can alter a person at the core. Loss takes our breath away. Mourning changes our present, as well as future, steals dreams, and rewrites plans without our consent. No one will experience loss the same; sorrow is as unique as fingerprints. I offer my sympathy, hope, and prayers to you. Through my journey of losses, I have found that even at the deepest and most distressful level, God was waiting there. He carried me, ministering to me in supernatural ways that tenderly express His love and personal care before and after my loved ones left. God placed the ability to love and grieve within us; He understands the immense pain and heartache we suffer once those we love are gone. Losing someone we love is complex and agonizing; bereavement is intense. It can be very tempting to seek any connection we can continue. Sometimes, after the loss of a loved one, people look for any sign of communication from the one they are grieving. It makes many feel comforted to imagine their precious one watching over them or that they have become a guardian angel tasked to protect them. Believers must strive to understand what God’s word has to say about this topic. Just because we can be comforted by what we wish to be true does not mean our perceptions are true. Although I cannot profess to know all of the answers, I am going to carefully seek what we can glean from God’s word because we don’t know exactly what happens to loved ones after death. The Bible doesn’t specifically tell us everything. It is certain, however, that we do not become angels. Many times people will attempt to offer comfort to those grieving by stating that their loved one will now watch over them as a protective angel. The Bible, however, clearly states that humans and angels are different beings. Psalm 8:4-8 says, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.” 1 Corinthians 6:2-3a says, “Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels?” Another topic associated with death that the Bible offers clear instruction on is to not look for contact from dead loved ones. There is no information that tells us they are willing or able to message us. God’s word is also clear that we are not to attempt to communicate with the dead through any means. Although we cannot correspond and we don’t know all details about loved ones after they die, scripture does contain interesting clues in several verses and parables throughout the Bible. One of the most informative Bible passages to read regarding the life of loved ones after death is found within Luke 16:19-31, which contains the story of Lazarus and the rich man. This is what it says: “Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” It is believed that Jesus actually spoke these words to expose the way the Pharisees were living with a religion based on status, laws, wealth, and appearance, not a true and lasting faith. The Pharisees believed that wealth was a sign of the righteousness of a person. When Jesus spoke this story, it startled those listening because the poor and diseased beggar receives the reward and comfort, while the rich man is thrown into hell with eternal separation. Jesus’s story teaches about wealth versus poverty and compassion for the poor and needy. The Lord was not speaking to specifically instruct or teach what the afterlife would be like, yet I believe this passage offers details that carry meaningful hints. The Bible clearly teaches that everyone will go to one of two places after we leave this earth. Each of us will either experience a joyful eternal life of fellowship with God or we will brutally suffer through affliction and live in agony forever in hell. As we study the passage in Luke, we read that Jesus tells us the two men are eternally separated by an extensive, insurmountable gulf. The rich man is bound forever in hell while Lazarus has immediately been carried to heaven. In the story, the rich man can see Lazarus. He cries for mercy and asks if the poor man can assist him, but is rejected and told that there is a great chasm with no way for anyone to pass in either direction. Next, the rich man pleads to have Lazarus sent to his father’s house to testify so that the rich man’s brothers may be warned and not end up in the place of torment. He is told that Moses and the prophets have already issued warnings and that his brothers have not heeded them, thus they would not pay attention to one raised from the dead." Now when we study verse 26, we see that the great abyss is fixed. No one passes from one side to the other. This passage of scripture demonstrates that although we yearn to continue some type of communication with the deceased, death separates us. At least for now. Some could argue that the rich man and his family did not know or follow God during life, so that could be why they were not allowed to communicate. Perhaps if the rich man had obediently known and followed God in his lifetime, he would be able to warn relatives about their eternity and convince them to change their ways. Scripture never says or addresses this point specifically. However, with many strong scriptural warnings throughout the Bible that clearly instruct and forbid us against attempts to communicate with the dead, it is highly likely that if our loving Heavenly Father desired us to receive communication from loved ones, He would provide clear information telling us how in the Bible. Yet, God does not offer that instruction. What is offered in the Bible is the truth that none of us are given a second chance at what our eternal future holds after death. Listen to these reminders from Hebrews and Romans. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Romans 14:11-13 says, “For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Another area in which to completely steer clear of is those who proclaim to be able to speak to the dead or who encourage you to take part in seances, Quija board sessions, or other items and activities of this nature. God’s word warns that if someone claims to communicate with the dead they are not. In fact, they may be associating with evil spirits. Leviticus 19:31 says, “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.” 2 Corinthians 11:14b says, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 1 Chronicles 10:13 says, “So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord's command, and he even consulted a medium.” 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” 1 Timothy 4:1 says, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” There is no place in scripture that states loved ones, even when present with the Lord, can communicate with those they left behind. Non-believers are cast into hell and eternal torment, where they will await their final judgement. We read in 2 Peter 2:4, “For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.” Revelation 20:12-15 says, “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” What we do know through scripture is that our loved ones remember us. This knowledge does not reveal whether they can see us, and the passage we read from Luke does not say whether the rich man could see his family. Yet, what a comfort to know that loved ones remember us and we will remember them. We also learn in Mark 9:2-6, that the disciples were even able to recognize Moses and Elijah, even though they had never met. The passage says, “After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them. And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.” Peter, James, and John had known enough about Moses and Elijah to recognize who they were. I find this extremely interesting! How many people will we automatically know in Heaven? Isn’t that thought exciting? I believe the best lesson we can learn from the verses and passages we have discussed today is to ensure that we do not look for assurance in the wrong places. Life should be centered around God, just as death should be. Any assurances about life and death should be found in Him alone. Eternal life found through Jesus Christ should be the comfort we seek and the treasure we hold dear. John 8:12 says, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Many people have earthly experiences in which they feel that their loved one is connecting with them. I am not making this podcast to credit or discredit them. Their walk is individual and they are accountable to God, not me. I appreciate knowing they feel peace and joy from what they believe comes from their loved one. However, I want to emphasize that everything we need to know or understand is found in God’s Holy Word. As we read and study what He has divinely left for us to search, we find nothing that encourages us to place hope and faith in our loved ones, but rather everything points to Him as the only one who can fill that role for us. Perhaps our reasoning is distorted when we believe loved ones are reaching out to us. I believe our Heavenly Father knows the exact times and ways we need reassurance, love, faith, and light in our hearts and He absolutely delights in giving us those pure and good gifts. God knows how to reach us in intimate, unique ways that prove we are not forgotten and that He understands the pain we are experiencing. Rather than claiming that those we grieve carry the ability to minister to us, we should acknowledge that God is there, as He always has been, and always will be. James 1:17 says, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” Our Heavenly Father gave us the ability to connect with others and to love incredibly deeply. As strong as our connections are, they are shallow compared to what He feels for us. We only love because He first loved us. God placed the ability to care, feel, and love into us when He formed us. Varied are the ways He proves His love for us. Each one of us is blessed to have the hope that one day we will be reunited with those we love. If we submit to Jesus now as we live our life on earth, we have the certainty that we will be with Him eternally and have the ultimate reunion with our loved ones who made the same choice to follow Jesus. Because humans often look for sensory experiences, it is easy to be persuaded to search for reassurance with something we can understand, touch, or hold. Sometimes it is doubt or guilt that can cause us to try to connect with those passed on. Most of the time it is simply grief. We miss those we knew and loved, shared life and dreams with. Flesh is weak. As we battle grief, we may yearn for instant connection instead of relying on faith and the hope and trust of the unseen. I pray we each recognize that God is in the details of every moment of our life. As we seek God in the ordinary, He proves Himself in the extraordinary. Although we believe our loved ones will remember us when we see them again, I don’t think our loved ones are pining over us, but rather, they are enjoying the only One who ever fills spaces within us with exactly what we need. All of life and death is about Him. God is calling us to mature our thought process and live with an eternal perspective that seeks Him through each detail of life. Perhaps this verse from Luke 24:5, is the best example. “The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?” We are the dead ones, while our loved ones soar with eternal life. Why would they be found among us? Loved ones who chose to follow Christ are alive in ways we can only imagine. As God’s word makes so clear in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Gracious and loving Heavenly Father, how we long for You. Thank you for the people You so lovingly place in our life with purpose. Comfort us as we grieve for them, carry us when we are overwhelmed with the intensity of pain born of separation. We know You understand. Fill us with the hope of Your promise of resurrection. May we long for You as we do our loved ones and seek to follow You in this life we have been granted for such a short time. We know all of our days are numbered, but we have the hope and promise of eternity with You and a blessed reunion with those we grieve. May we please You in the ways we live without them and may we draw nearer to You as we recognize the gifts You place before us in the midst of our pain and grief. In Your precious name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode. I pray you find the peace and hope only Jesus can deliver through the words in each episode. Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. My latest resource, “Scattering Seeds: Planting Character and Faith in Your Child” has released! This free eBook is an excellent encouragement and support for mothers or grandmothers of young children. I encourage you to visit my website to access and download it soon. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up and find new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #122 – Trials and Tragedies Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. On the last Live With Eternal Perspective episode we shared a beautiful reading from Hebrews 11. I thought we would be discussing the verses on this episode, but guess what? Life happened and interfered with the plans I had. Our Heavenly Father cautions us to hold plans loosely. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” And Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Because of an unexpected event last week, I’ve changed the plans I had, and honestly, it fits right in with what was read in Hebrews 11, and the faith that God desires we carry, yet also allows me to spotlight the goodness, protection, and provision of God right now. Please let me back up a bit with some explanation. One of the main driving factors behind beginning the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast was of course, the belief that God impressed a responsibility within me to create it. I knew nothing about getting a podcast started, but when we are obedient, God shows us the way to achieve His desires. Like you most likely do, I love and serve Him with a humble, grateful heart that recognizes the need for each one of us to view life through an eternal lens. In the back of my mind, I always knew that as a believer I was supposed to live in that way, yet when my oldest daughter passed away in 2009, a responsibility to share that life perspective with others became so strong. Like a surprise that you just can’t hold in, I yearned with great urgency to alert others to focus on Jesus and to live with great expectation that we are here for a short time and with great and intentional purpose granted by God. It may come as no surprise that I love to talk about the Lord wherever I go. I will share Him with anyone I meet at any time. I adore hearing the stories other people, as well, whether they be friends or strangers. When someone mentioned to me last week that life can change so suddenly, and we need to live with that knowledge, I was able to honestly reply that I do. I truly, truly do. It is always in my mind that life can change in an instant. In my heart, I knew that before my daughter died, yet before she passed, I didn’t live with that knowledge impressed in my heart, actions, and responses like I do now. After your life has been affected by hardship, tragedy, or death, you are changed. Each event alters the person you were into the person you are meant to be if you use the occurrences to carry you closer to the Lord. We can only pray that the changes within us are a beautiful expression of love for Him, as well as gratitude despite circumstances. So when my husband was involved in a sudden accident on a recent Sunday afternoon, I wasn’t surprised. Although I don’t look for trouble or live with the expectation of difficulty lurking behind each corner, I do live with the joy of knowing that anything can happen at any time and I must be present, or involved in life fully now so that I don’t miss the blessings before me. All we have, all we cherish can disappear in an instant. How have we used it while it was here? What ways have we honored God with what He has gifted us? Once gone, those beautiful gifts may never arrive again. Especially when what you cherished was a human being. Those we love are here for but an instant of time and always gone before we are ready. I wish I could show you the photo of the accident my husband lived through. The pictures are as bad as any Hollywood film effect, except this was real. When I review them, it almost doesn’t feel like it really happened. By now you’re probably wondering what type of accident he was involved in, but before I get to that part of the story, let me share with you just how God was working in advance. I’m always in awe of the majesty and intimate goodness and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. We have been waiting for years for the time we could finally get some much needed new siding installed on our home. This is the summer we are planning to move forward to do it! In preparation of this major home improvement, we had several trees and bushes pulled from our yard, both front and back. They were messy, not very attractive, and were ruining our siding! Even though our yard is still a disaster (we couldn’t grow grass with all the shade the trees supplied), I honestly cannot get enough of looking at the difference losing the trees and shrubs has made! I’m surprised at the freedom I feel not having to wonder when we will be able to get rid of them. This bit of change makes me think of how often people keep things in life that need to be extracted. How often do we wait to stop a habit or association with someone that needs to end? Our excuses, no matter how legitimate they may seem, are sometimes just weak justifications for putting off what we don’t want to handle. Those trees needed to be out years ago! By the way, the company that removed all of the trees and shrubs and did quite a bit of trimming for us make a simple mistake while they were at our home. Instead of facing the stump grinder away from our house when grinding down the stumps of trees removed in front, the person running the machine faced it toward our front door and completely shattered our storm door. There was simply no large piece of glass left. Everything was shattered into tiny bits and barely holding together. I didn’t know that the damage had occurred until the first time I opened my front door after the workers left; the suction of opening the front door caused the glass from the storm door to suck inwards towards me. The entire center of the glass panel broke out in the shape of what I saw as a heart. My sweet neighbor saw it as a pair of angel wings. Look for the blessings, right? Despite that bit of damage, we were still feeling great about getting the tree work completed. Next up was getting a window replaced. The company doing the siding won’t start until the window is finished. Did you know that windows are taking months to come in? You’re probably aware that many things are taking way too long to arrive right now. Well, our window finally came in and the manufacturer that received it broke it in the warehouse before our installer could pick it up, so now we are in the process of waiting for a new one. So the siding is postponed again. But the one job that could be completed deck removal from the back of the house. Since our deck needed to be rebuilt, and it is best to replace siding with the deck off the house, the siding company asked us to have it removed before they began their job. After working with several contractors who honestly must have a lot of work and not need another job because they would not follow up with quotes, and getting a high price from one who didn’t seem too excited about doing the job either, my husband and son decided to complete the project together. Although I agreed, and was ready to save the money we would have paid this person to tear down the deck so we could use it toward one of the other projects we were committed to completing this year, I kept having a nagging feeling that my husband was going to get hurt removing that deck. This feeling wasn’t an irrational fear, but a “knowing.” It was more of a feeling that was calm, yet always present, simply letting me know to pray in advance and remind everyone to be careful. For weeks in advance, I let my family know to pray, because I shared that I thought he would get hurt. You may be thinking I was worrying or that I would cause something to happen by getting them concerned, but I sincerely believe in my heart that God was going before us, reminding us that He is in control and that we needed to be praying and watching for Him. Which is exactly what we did. It has been so hot here! We really didn’t get a spring. May was cool and rainy, then June arrived with very hot temperatures early in the month. So, it took about three weeks of my husband and son working together for a couple hours each Sunday afternoon to get the deck off. On the third week my husband and son were working on the deck removal, they had only been outside together for about ten minutes when my son ran into the house yelling for a towel. He said my husband had gotten hurt and he needed something for the bleeding. I gave him a beach towel and went outside with him to check my husband. Since this is a story with many details, let me just say that at this point, I was unable to see the wound because my husband had the towel pressed against his forehead. I asked if I should be calling 911. My husband said he was okay, although he was sitting on the ground with a large puddle of blood in the rocks next to him, but my son disagreed. He told me it was bad. At this point, I believed my son, who had seen the wound, so I rushed back into the house to call an ambulance. After paramedics came and rushed my husband off to the nearest head trauma facility, I left to meet him and my son at the hospital. When I entered the ER and saw his wound, I felt like I was on a movie set. The film, “The Terminator” was all I could think of. Although my husband didn’t look robotic, of course, the gaping wound on his forehead exposed 4 ½” of his skull and the surrounding tissue didn’t look like it would be ever able to stretch back into place. By now, I’m sure you’re wondering what happened. In a nutshell, one of the large, heavy, main supporting beams fell on my husband. After attacking him on the head, the beam finished assaulting him with a blow to his right hand. During the almost 7 hours he was in the emergency room, my husband received a CT scan of his head, which thankfully did not show brain bleeding or skull damage. He also had hand x-rays that revealed the reason his hand felt uncomfortable. Just to speed the story details up a bit, four days later, my husband had to undergo hand surgery. The experienced surgeon said the damage was worse than he could see on the x-rays. In fact, he said it looked like someone took a sledgehammer to the base of my husband’s thumb and shattered it. Now, eight days after the accident, he is learning to live with using one hand, and not being able to use his dominant hand is challenging, yet he never complains. I don’t think I could say the same about myself. He’ll have the pins in his thumb base for a couple of months, then have to endure extensive physical therapy in order to have a usable hand. The surgeon said his thumb will probably always be stiff, and every doctor has said that my husband is lucky to be alive. Lucky? We don’t think so. We know he is blessed to be here. Instead of going to a doctor appointment or surgery every day last week, we could have been planning a funeral. By faith, I know God warned me that my husband was going to be hurt, so we could be praying for protection and provision in advance. God was so good to make sure we knew to pray and to remember that He is in control. Life events are going to happen, but no matter what, we must always keep our eyes fixed on Him. What is the biggest requirement for being able to live with our eyes, heart, and mind centered on Him? Faith. As I was preparing to leave the house to meet my husband at the hospital that day, I was trying to hurry. As I was taking care of last minute things before leaving, I noticed my hand shaking. I’m never the type to be nervous or shaky, so I immediately stopped to pray. Centering myself by speaking the name, “Jesus” aloud several times before I prayed, I then asked my Savior to give me His peace and calm. His perfect peace immediately flooded my spirit, and my hands never shook again. Since we know faith is a pre-requisite to a relationship with God through Christ, what type of faith do we need to carry? How does our faith change or help us? First, let’s examine what kind of faith the Bible tells us to have. 1. Faith in God through Christ – Matthew 9:22 says, “Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.” One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 26:3, which says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” 2. Faith that is obedient – Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” John 15:14 says, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” James 2:17-18 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” 3. Faith that endures – Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” As we follow the example set before us in God’s Holy Word, we see that faith in God through Jesus that is obedient and enduring will draw us nearer to Him, and also heal, affect, and perfect us through Christ. As we draw nearer to Him, we begin to resemble our Savior. Remember that in whatever situation or circumstance you may find yourself, any bitterness, fear, anxiety, loneliness, hatred, or anything emotion you can name should be used as a trigger. Let it be your reminder that although feelings are a normal part of being human, when what we feel is not a reflection of our Lord, we know our gaze has slipped. We are looking to self or others to manage our feelings and emotions, whether or not it is intentional. Let this warning direct you to raise your gaze to the Lord. Call out to Him! Say the name of Jesus aloud and ask for His peace and calm to flood you, call on Him to dictate your emotions and actions. We need Him so much! Remember to fix your mind and heart on Christ. He is everything He claims to be. If you need more help in strengthening your walk with God through Christ, the absolute best source you can have is God’s Word. Make it a point to read the Bible, study His Word, and know His Word. I guarantee it will change you, Scripture promises that fact. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Get to know Him better. Trust in Him. See and feel the changes only He will make. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the hope You give us when we trust in You through Jesus as Savior. We praise You for the life changes we feel and see within us as we trust in You with obedient faith that endures. There is none like You. You are good and faithful toward us. May our hearts cry out for You and our steps run to You. Enable us to desire obedience and live with a faith that endures, drawing us nearer to You in all the ways You desire. You tell us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and to be constant in prayer. Help us to do so, Lord. We also know from Your promises that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Help us to remember and to cast all trials, tribulations, and tragedies at Your feet and allow You to cradle us in Your arms. In the name of Your precious Son, Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. To hear episodes that deal with faith, I suggest listening to Episode 072, Faith that Perseveres. You may find this episode on the terrihitt.com website. Just click on “podcasts” and type in the topic or title you wish to hear about in the search bar at the top of the page. Again, thank you for listening to this episode of the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. As I mentioned, the podcast may be found at terrihitt.com, but is also a part of the Spark Media Network, and the podcast may also now be found on the Edifi app. Have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? For those who have, I thank you so very much! If you haven’t, would you please consider doing so? It is getting more difficult to keep from being shadow-banned on social media. Podcasts and social medias posts about Christian material simply do not get the same reach as secular topics. When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. If you believe the content you hear should be heard so that more people can begin to deepen their walk with Jesus and live with eyes set on eternity, would you please write a review and rate the podcast for me? I also want to ask if you have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen to this new podcast, especially if you are raising children or influencing grandchildren. Please follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 122 - Trials and Tragedies Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #122 – Trials and Tragedies Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. On the last Live With Eternal Perspective episode we shared a beautiful reading from Hebrews 11. I thought we would be discussing the verses on this episode, but guess what? Life happened and interfered with the plans I had. Our Heavenly Father cautions us to hold plans loosely. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” And Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Because of an unexpected event last week, I’ve changed the plans I had, and honestly, it fits right in with what was read in Hebrews 11, and the faith that God desires we carry, yet also allows me to spotlight the goodness, protection, and provision of God right now. Please let me back up a bit with some explanation. One of the main driving factors behind beginning the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast was of course, the belief that God impressed a responsibility within me to create it. I knew nothing about getting a podcast started, but when we are obedient, God shows us the way to achieve His desires. Like you most likely do, I love and serve Him with a humble, grateful heart that recognizes the need for each one of us to view life through an eternal lens. In the back of my mind, I always knew that as a believer I was supposed to live in that way, yet when my oldest daughter passed away in 2009, a responsibility to share that life perspective with others became so strong. Like a surprise that you just can’t hold in, I yearned with great urgency to alert others to focus on Jesus and to live with great expectation that we are here for a short time and with great and intentional purpose granted by God. It may come as no surprise that I love to talk about the Lord wherever I go. I will share Him with anyone I meet at any time. I adore hearing the stories other people, as well, whether they be friends or strangers. When someone mentioned to me last week that life can change so suddenly, and we need to live with that knowledge, I was able to honestly reply that I do. I truly, truly do. It is always in my mind that life can change in an instant. In my heart, I knew that before my daughter died, yet before she passed, I didn’t live with that knowledge impressed in my heart, actions, and responses like I do now. After your life has been affected by hardship, tragedy, or death, you are changed. Each event alters the person you were into the person you are meant to be if you use the occurrences to carry you closer to the Lord. We can only pray that the changes within us are a beautiful expression of love for Him, as well as gratitude despite circumstances. So when my husband was involved in a sudden accident on a recent Sunday afternoon, I wasn’t surprised. Although I don’t look for trouble or live with the expectation of difficulty lurking behind each corner, I do live with the joy of knowing that anything can happen at any time and I must be present, or involved in life fully now so that I don’t miss the blessings before me. All we have, all we cherish can disappear in an instant. How have we used it while it was here? What ways have we honored God with what He has gifted us? Once gone, those beautiful gifts may never arrive again. Especially when what you cherished was a human being. Those we love are here for but an instant of time and always gone before we are ready. I wish I could show you the photo of the accident my husband lived through. The pictures are as bad as any Hollywood film effect, except this was real. When I review them, it almost doesn’t feel like it really happened. By now you’re probably wondering what type of accident he was involved in, but before I get to that part of the story, let me share with you just how God was working in advance. I’m always in awe of the majesty and intimate goodness and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. We have been waiting for years for the time we could finally get some much needed new siding installed on our home. This is the summer we are planning to move forward to do it! In preparation of this major home improvement, we had several trees and bushes pulled from our yard, both front and back. They were messy, not very attractive, and were ruining our siding! Even though our yard is still a disaster (we couldn’t grow grass with all the shade the trees supplied), I honestly cannot get enough of looking at the difference losing the trees and shrubs has made! I’m surprised at the freedom I feel not having to wonder when we will be able to get rid of them. This bit of change makes me think of how often people keep things in life that need to be extracted. How often do we wait to stop a habit or association with someone that needs to end? Our excuses, no matter how legitimate they may seem, are sometimes just weak justifications for putting off what we don’t want to handle. Those trees needed to be out years ago! By the way, the company that removed all of the trees and shrubs and did quite a bit of trimming for us make a simple mistake while they were at our home. Instead of facing the stump grinder away from our house when grinding down the stumps of trees removed in front, the person running the machine faced it toward our front door and completely shattered our storm door. There was simply no large piece of glass left. Everything was shattered into tiny bits and barely holding together. I didn’t know that the damage had occurred until the first time I opened my front door after the workers left; the suction of opening the front door caused the glass from the storm door to suck inwards towards me. The entire center of the glass panel broke out in the shape of what I saw as a heart. My sweet neighbor saw it as a pair of angel wings. Look for the blessings, right? Despite that bit of damage, we were still feeling great about getting the tree work completed. Next up was getting a window replaced. The company doing the siding won’t start until the window is finished. Did you know that windows are taking months to come in? You’re probably aware that many things are taking way too long to arrive right now. Well, our window finally came in and the manufacturer that received it broke it in the warehouse before our installer could pick it up, so now we are in the process of waiting for a new one. So the siding is postponed again. But the one job that could be completed deck removal from the back of the house. Since our deck needed to be rebuilt, and it is best to replace siding with the deck off the house, the siding company asked us to have it removed before they began their job. After working with several contractors who honestly must have a lot of work and not need another job because they would not follow up with quotes, and getting a high price from one who didn’t seem too excited about doing the job either, my husband and son decided to complete the project together. Although I agreed, and was ready to save the money we would have paid this person to tear down the deck so we could use it toward one of the other projects we were committed to completing this year, I kept having a nagging feeling that my husband was going to get hurt removing that deck. This feeling wasn’t an irrational fear, but a “knowing.” It was more of a feeling that was calm, yet always present, simply letting me know to pray in advance and remind everyone to be careful. For weeks in advance, I let my family know to pray, because I shared that I thought he would get hurt. You may be thinking I was worrying or that I would cause something to happen by getting them concerned, but I sincerely believe in my heart that God was going before us, reminding us that He is in control and that we needed to be praying and watching for Him. Which is exactly what we did. It has been so hot here! We really didn’t get a spring. May was cool and rainy, then June arrived with very hot temperatures early in the month. So, it took about three weeks of my husband and son working together for a couple hours each Sunday afternoon to get the deck off. On the third week my husband and son were working on the deck removal, they had only been outside together for about ten minutes when my son ran into the house yelling for a towel. He said my husband had gotten hurt and he needed something for the bleeding. I gave him a beach towel and went outside with him to check my husband. Since this is a story with many details, let me just say that at this point, I was unable to see the wound because my husband had the towel pressed against his forehead. I asked if I should be calling 911. My husband said he was okay, although he was sitting on the ground with a large puddle of blood in the rocks next to him, but my son disagreed. He told me it was bad. At this point, I believed my son, who had seen the wound, so I rushed back into the house to call an ambulance. After paramedics came and rushed my husband off to the nearest head trauma facility, I left to meet him and my son at the hospital. When I entered the ER and saw his wound, I felt like I was on a movie set. The film, “The Terminator” was all I could think of. Although my husband didn’t look robotic, of course, the gaping wound on his forehead exposed 4 ½” of his skull and the surrounding tissue didn’t look like it would be ever able to stretch back into place. By now, I’m sure you’re wondering what happened. In a nutshell, one of the large, heavy, main supporting beams fell on my husband. After attacking him on the head, the beam finished assaulting him with a blow to his right hand. During the almost 7 hours he was in the emergency room, my husband received a CT scan of his head, which thankfully did not show brain bleeding or skull damage. He also had hand x-rays that revealed the reason his hand felt uncomfortable. Just to speed the story details up a bit, four days later, my husband had to undergo hand surgery. The experienced surgeon said the damage was worse than he could see on the x-rays. In fact, he said it looked like someone took a sledgehammer to the base of my husband’s thumb and shattered it. Now, eight days after the accident, he is learning to live with using one hand, and not being able to use his dominant hand is challenging, yet he never complains. I don’t think I could say the same about myself. He’ll have the pins in his thumb base for a couple of months, then have to endure extensive physical therapy in order to have a usable hand. The surgeon said his thumb will probably always be stiff, and every doctor has said that my husband is lucky to be alive. Lucky? We don’t think so. We know he is blessed to be here. Instead of going to a doctor appointment or surgery every day last week, we could have been planning a funeral. By faith, I know God warned me that my husband was going to be hurt, so we could be praying for protection and provision in advance. God was so good to make sure we knew to pray and to remember that He is in control. Life events are going to happen, but no matter what, we must always keep our eyes fixed on Him. What is the biggest requirement for being able to live with our eyes, heart, and mind centered on Him? Faith. As I was preparing to leave the house to meet my husband at the hospital that day, I was trying to hurry. As I was taking care of last minute things before leaving, I noticed my hand shaking. I’m never the type to be nervous or shaky, so I immediately stopped to pray. Centering myself by speaking the name, “Jesus” aloud several times before I prayed, I then asked my Savior to give me His peace and calm. His perfect peace immediately flooded my spirit, and my hands never shook again. Since we know faith is a pre-requisite to a relationship with God through Christ, what type of faith do we need to carry? How does our faith change or help us? First, let’s examine what kind of faith the Bible tells us to have. 1. Faith in God through Christ – Matthew 9:22 says, “Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.” One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 26:3, which says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” 2. Faith that is obedient – Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” John 15:14 says, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” James 2:17-18 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” 3. Faith that endures – Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” As we follow the example set before us in God’s Holy Word, we see that faith in God through Jesus that is obedient and enduring will draw us nearer to Him, and also heal, affect, and perfect us through Christ. As we draw nearer to Him, we begin to resemble our Savior. Remember that in whatever situation or circumstance you may find yourself, any bitterness, fear, anxiety, loneliness, hatred, or anything emotion you can name should be used as a trigger. Let it be your reminder that although feelings are a normal part of being human, when what we feel is not a reflection of our Lord, we know our gaze has slipped. We are looking to self or others to manage our feelings and emotions, whether or not it is intentional. Let this warning direct you to raise your gaze to the Lord. Call out to Him! Say the name of Jesus aloud and ask for His peace and calm to flood you, call on Him to dictate your emotions and actions. We need Him so much! Remember to fix your mind and heart on Christ. He is everything He claims to be. If you need more help in strengthening your walk with God through Christ, the absolute best source you can have is God’s Word. Make it a point to read the Bible, study His Word, and know His Word. I guarantee it will change you, Scripture promises that fact. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Get to know Him better. Trust in Him. See and feel the changes only He will make. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the hope You give us when we trust in You through Jesus as Savior. We praise You for the life changes we feel and see within us as we trust in You with obedient faith that endures. There is none like You. You are good and faithful toward us. May our hearts cry out for You and our steps run to You. Enable us to desire obedience and live with a faith that endures, drawing us nearer to You in all the ways You desire. You tell us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and to be constant in prayer. Help us to do so, Lord. We also know from Your promises that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Help us to remember and to cast all trials, tribulations, and tragedies at Your feet and allow You to cradle us in Your arms. In the name of Your precious Son, Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. To hear episodes that deal with faith, I suggest listening to Episode 072, Faith that Perseveres. You may find this episode on the terrihitt.com website. Just click on “podcasts” and type in the topic or title you wish to hear about in the search bar at the top of the page. Again, thank you for listening to this episode of the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast. As I mentioned, the podcast may be found at terrihitt.com, but is also a part of the Spark Media Network, and the podcast may also now be found on the Edifi app. Have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? For those who have, I thank you so very much! If you haven’t, would you please consider doing so? It is getting more difficult to keep from being shadow-banned on social media. Podcasts and social medias posts about Christian material simply do not get the same reach as secular topics. When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. If you believe the content you hear should be heard so that more people can begin to deepen their walk with Jesus and live with eyes set on eternity, would you please write a review and rate the podcast for me? I also want to ask if you have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen to this new podcast, especially if you are raising children or influencing grandchildren. Please follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #063 – Praying Scripture – Part 1 Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. On a recent Sunday evening, I asked my family to sit with me for a special prayer time. Are you this way? Do you need to share your heart with your family to get their support through prayer? That is exactly how I was feeling. I knew I could pray on my own, but I had ideas to ponder, emotions to share, and needed input from the people who know and love me the best and who would agree to pray with me because they also believe in the power of lifting requests to our Heavenly Father. At our house, my youngest receives electronic privileges before bedtime. When we all sat down to talk, it was less than an hour before her scheduled time to play, but I felt fairly certain we would be finished before she would see the clock ticking into her special time. As I began sharing all that I was experiencing and the needs I wanted my family to pray about, the clock chimed eight o’clock and we were still talking. After sharing all the feelings and thoughts that were heavy on my heart, Brooklyn asked if we could pray. Assuming she was antsy to get finished, I agreed that we could go ahead and pray at that time. We decided who would pray first and who would end, and began. Several minutes later, we finished, and I told our girl she could be excused to play. Wanting to stay with us, she looked a little surprised. I was blessed to hear her say that she wanted to stay and finish the discussion with us. So often, we assume we know what others are thinking or what their motives are. How wrong we can be. Brooklyn had wanted to get our prayer started because she knew I needed it. My heart was emotionally needy for what only God could provide, and recognizing this, she jumped ahead to get guidance and assistance from God started immediately. If you also pray regularly with your family, I bet you will agree that it is difficult to imagine life without this simple act of obedience and faith. Praying together has grown each of us individually and collectively in ways only God can explain. He goes before us, paving ground that we need later and providing for us in intimate ways only the Lord can know. James 5:13-16 says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Praying together opens our hearts to God in ways that invites His intervention. We also create deeper intimacy with our loved ones as we pray together. Whether we are suffering hardships, living in fullness of joy, praising, in need of healing, or forgiveness, God desires our heartfelt and faithful pleas to intercede with His will. The Lord honors a parent raising their children for Him and delights when we teach them to rely on Him for all of their needs and are living examples as to how to do so. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.” God delights in blessing families who invite Him into their midst to pray together. Praying together is essential. Do you know what makes prayer time more effective and meaningful? Using scripture to pray. Although my family is good about praying together, I want us to become stronger at praying God’s word daily. Praying scripture enables us to become stronger at knowing God’s word and allows us to release His power into our life. Specifically seeking His word and utilizing it in our prayers is a faithful and trusting act of obedience as we rely on God’s powerful words and truths. To pray His word, we must know it, study it, and claim it. By purposely connecting our heart to God’s and intentionally praying His words, we are beseeching our Heavenly Father to use His will, just as Jesus modeled for us. In order to prepare ourselves or our family to deepen prayer time individually and collectively by drawing nearer to God and using His word as ours, we may need to examine and adjust the way we pray. Prepare your heart and mind to connect with intimate devotion to God by crafting your language to align with scripture. Here are a few examples of how to enter the presence of the Lord and initiate your prayer. Ephesians 3:12 says, “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” When praying scripture, we simply craft God’s words and truths into the prayer we speak to Him. When entering God’s presence through prayer, we may use this verse from Ephesians to say, “Father, because of your gift to us through Christ, and the faith I have in Him, I thank you that I can now boldly and confidently enter into Your presence.” Hebrews 10:19-23 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Using this passage, our prayer could be, Gracious Heavenly Father, because of the blood of Jesus, I know I can enter Your Most Holy Place. By His death Jesus has given me intimate and holy access to You. I enter Your presence with a sincere heart of trust knowing my guilt has been covered through the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. I know that because He has washed me with pure water, I can hold tightly and without waver to the hope You have affirmed and that I can trust You to keep Your promises to me. Romans 8:26-28 says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Our prayer through this passage might be, Holy Spirit, I trust that You help me in my weakness. Draw near to me. My emotions are too complex; I cannot utter what I need to pray. Please intercede and express my needs in groanings that cannot be expressed by mere words. My Heavenly Father, Who knows all hearts, will understand as You plead for me in harmony with His will. I believe that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Thank you for Your goodness and faithfulness to me. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” This beautiful verse can be spoken as we enter into prayer or call upon His truths from this verse when we need protection, reassurance, or comfort. Father God, Your way is perfect; Your word is flawless. You are my shield when I take refuge in You. Do you see the beauty and inspiration God’s word brings? Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Praying God’s living, active word releases His profound power as we believe, trust, and call upon it to judge our intentions and do the work God wills. Why don’t most of us utilize this method of prayer more often? Probably because our lives are so fast-paced that we tend to believe we can come to God with requests when we need to. We do not stop to consider that we possess privilege and strength in God’s holy word. By relying on self, even though we do not consciously realize we are doing it, we lose the strength, peace, joy, and relief we could access at any moment, as well as the power released when we pray God’s word. We also miss the blessing of a more personal and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, who created us to enjoy fellowship with Him. 2 Samuel 22:31 says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” Let’s examine several Bible verses and how we can accept God’s invitation to seek refuge in Him through His perfect word and ways. Most mothers pray not only for themselves, but seek God through prayer for their spouse, children, and family. We also offer intercessory pray for friends, co-workers, strangers, and elected officials. Possibilities for prayer are vast. So is God’s omnipotence. Imagine the authority and blessings we miss when we consider ourselves too busy to delve into His word and claim His truths as our provision in every area. Praying scripture strengthens our bonds with God as we trust His word and rely on Him for every need as our mind and heart align with His. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.” When we begin praying with God’s word, our mind and heart are directed toward His desires and will for us and others. We should not hastily come before Him with our own agenda. God’s word allows us to see with His eyes and submit to His heart and sovereignty. Isaiah 55:6-9 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Studying, then using God’s word as the groundwork for our prayers allows us to absorb His truths and righteousness in ways we may have never experienced. As we use the verses from Isaiah 55, our prayer could be something like this: Father, I seek You while You may be found, I call on You while You are near. Help me forsake my own way, will, and thoughts and return to You while You have compassion and will freely pardon. My thoughts are certainly not Yours, as my ways are not Yours. As the heavens are higher than the earth, Your ways and thoughts are higher than mine. I submit to You and Your ways for me. Approaching God, our Father, the Creator of heaven and earth with a sincere and humble heart ready to accept His will for us and genuinely craving to please and follow Him changes the way we pray. It alters our desires. It cleanses our heart and mind and prepares our spirit for His cleansing and higher growth in and for Him. Prayer exposes our core belief system. Kneeling before our Lord in supplication, whether literally or through our heart, mindset, and actions, is a natural extension of our personal relationship with and our trust, faith, and belief in Him. Our reliance on God through the act of prayer exhibits our dependence on our Heavenly Father, humbling our position with Him, and improving the level of our reliance on Him. How do we establish this lifestyle of prayer? The important word to ponder shouldn’t be how, but rather, Who. Jesus is our life and prayer model. When God sent His son to earth as a sacrifice for our sins and to form a way to Him, it was the most extravagant gift He could give us. Our sovereign God stepped into this world through flesh to exist and walk among us. He came to show us exactly how to live, suffer, love, rejoice, and how to pray. Each day should bring us closer to the Father’s heart in numerous ways, prayer included. As we depend on the Father through the act of prayer, we humbly seek Him in new and deeper ways by using His sacred, living word as a guide for submission, conversation, and conversion with Him. Prepare to connect with God in intimate devotion by shifting your heart to align with scripture, our Father’s will. 1. Jesus’s prayers were an example for us to follow. Jesus is God in human form. Jesus did not need to pray, yet He lived and suffered as a human, relinquishing everything for us, even to the point of death, modeling the ways we are to live as we trust in and rely on Him. 2. Jesus prayers were the perfect instruction in communication. Every prayer He uttered is a holy framework for us to follow. 3. Jesus’s prayers modeled submission in the purest form. Jesus genuinely shared all: His heart, fears, pain, sorrows, hopes, anything. Yet, He did not expect to get His way. Jesus trusted God’s sovereign will and ways and yielded His desires to the Father. 4. Jesus’s prayers proved reliance on God. Rather than complaining or protesting, Jesus accepted the will of God and honored what He was called to do, despite great suffering and personal cost. Prayer instructs us in holiness. Just as Jesus modeled for us, we must pray in specific ways. As we offer God’s holy words back to Him through prayer we accomplish the ability to do the following: 1. Pray with sincerity. 2. Pray with submission to holy preeminence. 3. Pray with faith. 4. Pray with trust in God’s timing. 5. Pray with heart, but yield to God’s will. 6. Pray consistently. 7. Pray with focus. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.” May the prayer we offer be something like this: Father, I know that every word that proceeds from Your mouth will not return to You empty. Your words will prosper as they accomplish what You please. Help my thoughts and attitude be as Yours are and my words be Yours as I speak my heart and requests. Now that we realize the importance of praying not only the words of our soul, but of aligning our heart, mind, and words to match God’s through study of the Bible and growth of our relationship with Him through Jesus, may we deepen our walk even more through scriptural prayers. Join me next week as I share several verses, scripture passages, and craft prayers from each that will help us study, learn, and use God’s words as the backbone of prayer time with our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father, Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to You, our God. How pleasant and lovely our words are to You as we lift praise and submission to Your will through Your holy words to us. Thank you for allowing us Jesus as our perfect sacrifice and mentor to bring us to You. Your words are faithful and true. Help our hearts be the same as we draw nearer to You. Help us hear and lift Your words as a sacrifice and offering to know and follow You more deeply. Thank you for sending us truth, love, and hope. In Your precious and holy name we pray. Amen Thank you for listening to this podcast. If prayer is a topic you would like to learn more about, you may enjoy listening to episode 18, “Prayer.” Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I’m thrilled to share that my latest free resource, “Scattering Seeds: Planting Character and Faith in Your Child” has released! This eBook is an excellent encouragement and support for mothers or grandmothers of young children. I encourage you to visit my website to access and download it soon. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 063 - Praying Scripture - Part 1 Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #063 – Praying Scripture – Part 1 Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective. On a recent Sunday evening, I asked my family to sit with me for a special prayer time. Are you this way? Do you need to share your heart with your family to get their support through prayer? That is exactly how I was feeling. I knew I could pray on my own, but I had ideas to ponder, emotions to share, and needed input from the people who know and love me the best and who would agree to pray with me because they also believe in the power of lifting requests to our Heavenly Father. At our house, my youngest receives electronic privileges before bedtime. When we all sat down to talk, it was less than an hour before her scheduled time to play, but I felt fairly certain we would be finished before she would see the clock ticking into her special time. As I began sharing all that I was experiencing and the needs I wanted my family to pray about, the clock chimed eight o’clock and we were still talking. After sharing all the feelings and thoughts that were heavy on my heart, Brooklyn asked if we could pray. Assuming she was antsy to get finished, I agreed that we could go ahead and pray at that time. We decided who would pray first and who would end, and began. Several minutes later, we finished, and I told our girl she could be excused to play. Wanting to stay with us, she looked a little surprised. I was blessed to hear her say that she wanted to stay and finish the discussion with us. So often, we assume we know what others are thinking or what their motives are. How wrong we can be. Brooklyn had wanted to get our prayer started because she knew I needed it. My heart was emotionally needy for what only God could provide, and recognizing this, she jumped ahead to get guidance and assistance from God started immediately. If you also pray regularly with your family, I bet you will agree that it is difficult to imagine life without this simple act of obedience and faith. Praying together has grown each of us individually and collectively in ways only God can explain. He goes before us, paving ground that we need later and providing for us in intimate ways only the Lord can know. James 5:13-16 says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Praying together opens our hearts to God in ways that invites His intervention. We also create deeper intimacy with our loved ones as we pray together. Whether we are suffering hardships, living in fullness of joy, praising, in need of healing, or forgiveness, God desires our heartfelt and faithful pleas to intercede with His will. The Lord honors a parent raising their children for Him and delights when we teach them to rely on Him for all of their needs and are living examples as to how to do so. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.” God delights in blessing families who invite Him into their midst to pray together. Praying together is essential. Do you know what makes prayer time more effective and meaningful? Using scripture to pray. Although my family is good about praying together, I want us to become stronger at praying God’s word daily. Praying scripture enables us to become stronger at knowing God’s word and allows us to release His power into our life. Specifically seeking His word and utilizing it in our prayers is a faithful and trusting act of obedience as we rely on God’s powerful words and truths. To pray His word, we must know it, study it, and claim it. By purposely connecting our heart to God’s and intentionally praying His words, we are beseeching our Heavenly Father to use His will, just as Jesus modeled for us. In order to prepare ourselves or our family to deepen prayer time individually and collectively by drawing nearer to God and using His word as ours, we may need to examine and adjust the way we pray. Prepare your heart and mind to connect with intimate devotion to God by crafting your language to align with scripture. Here are a few examples of how to enter the presence of the Lord and initiate your prayer. Ephesians 3:12 says, “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” When praying scripture, we simply craft God’s words and truths into the prayer we speak to Him. When entering God’s presence through prayer, we may use this verse from Ephesians to say, “Father, because of your gift to us through Christ, and the faith I have in Him, I thank you that I can now boldly and confidently enter into Your presence.” Hebrews 10:19-23 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Using this passage, our prayer could be, Gracious Heavenly Father, because of the blood of Jesus, I know I can enter Your Most Holy Place. By His death Jesus has given me intimate and holy access to You. I enter Your presence with a sincere heart of trust knowing my guilt has been covered through the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. I know that because He has washed me with pure water, I can hold tightly and without waver to the hope You have affirmed and that I can trust You to keep Your promises to me. Romans 8:26-28 says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Our prayer through this passage might be, Holy Spirit, I trust that You help me in my weakness. Draw near to me. My emotions are too complex; I cannot utter what I need to pray. Please intercede and express my needs in groanings that cannot be expressed by mere words. My Heavenly Father, Who knows all hearts, will understand as You plead for me in harmony with His will. I believe that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Thank you for Your goodness and faithfulness to me. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” This beautiful verse can be spoken as we enter into prayer or call upon His truths from this verse when we need protection, reassurance, or comfort. Father God, Your way is perfect; Your word is flawless. You are my shield when I take refuge in You. Do you see the beauty and inspiration God’s word brings? Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Praying God’s living, active word releases His profound power as we believe, trust, and call upon it to judge our intentions and do the work God wills. Why don’t most of us utilize this method of prayer more often? Probably because our lives are so fast-paced that we tend to believe we can come to God with requests when we need to. We do not stop to consider that we possess privilege and strength in God’s holy word. By relying on self, even though we do not consciously realize we are doing it, we lose the strength, peace, joy, and relief we could access at any moment, as well as the power released when we pray God’s word. We also miss the blessing of a more personal and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, who created us to enjoy fellowship with Him. 2 Samuel 22:31 says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” Let’s examine several Bible verses and how we can accept God’s invitation to seek refuge in Him through His perfect word and ways. Most mothers pray not only for themselves, but seek God through prayer for their spouse, children, and family. We also offer intercessory pray for friends, co-workers, strangers, and elected officials. Possibilities for prayer are vast. So is God’s omnipotence. Imagine the authority and blessings we miss when we consider ourselves too busy to delve into His word and claim His truths as our provision in every area. Praying scripture strengthens our bonds with God as we trust His word and rely on Him for every need as our mind and heart align with His. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.” When we begin praying with God’s word, our mind and heart are directed toward His desires and will for us and others. We should not hastily come before Him with our own agenda. God’s word allows us to see with His eyes and submit to His heart and sovereignty. Isaiah 55:6-9 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Studying, then using God’s word as the groundwork for our prayers allows us to absorb His truths and righteousness in ways we may have never experienced. As we use the verses from Isaiah 55, our prayer could be something like this: Father, I seek You while You may be found, I call on You while You are near. Help me forsake my own way, will, and thoughts and return to You while You have compassion and will freely pardon. My thoughts are certainly not Yours, as my ways are not Yours. As the heavens are higher than the earth, Your ways and thoughts are higher than mine. I submit to You and Your ways for me. Approaching God, our Father, the Creator of heaven and earth with a sincere and humble heart ready to accept His will for us and genuinely craving to please and follow Him changes the way we pray. It alters our desires. It cleanses our heart and mind and prepares our spirit for His cleansing and higher growth in and for Him. Prayer exposes our core belief system. Kneeling before our Lord in supplication, whether literally or through our heart, mindset, and actions, is a natural extension of our personal relationship with and our trust, faith, and belief in Him. Our reliance on God through the act of prayer exhibits our dependence on our Heavenly Father, humbling our position with Him, and improving the level of our reliance on Him. How do we establish this lifestyle of prayer? The important word to ponder shouldn’t be how, but rather, Who. Jesus is our life and prayer model. When God sent His son to earth as a sacrifice for our sins and to form a way to Him, it was the most extravagant gift He could give us. Our sovereign God stepped into this world through flesh to exist and walk among us. He came to show us exactly how to live, suffer, love, rejoice, and how to pray. Each day should bring us closer to the Father’s heart in numerous ways, prayer included. As we depend on the Father through the act of prayer, we humbly seek Him in new and deeper ways by using His sacred, living word as a guide for submission, conversation, and conversion with Him. Prepare to connect with God in intimate devotion by shifting your heart to align with scripture, our Father’s will. 1. Jesus’s prayers were an example for us to follow. Jesus is God in human form. Jesus did not need to pray, yet He lived and suffered as a human, relinquishing everything for us, even to the point of death, modeling the ways we are to live as we trust in and rely on Him. 2. Jesus prayers were the perfect instruction in communication. Every prayer He uttered is a holy framework for us to follow. 3. Jesus’s prayers modeled submission in the purest form. Jesus genuinely shared all: His heart, fears, pain, sorrows, hopes, anything. Yet, He did not expect to get His way. Jesus trusted God’s sovereign will and ways and yielded His desires to the Father. 4. Jesus’s prayers proved reliance on God. Rather than complaining or protesting, Jesus accepted the will of God and honored what He was called to do, despite great suffering and personal cost. Prayer instructs us in holiness. Just as Jesus modeled for us, we must pray in specific ways. As we offer God’s holy words back to Him through prayer we accomplish the ability to do the following: 1. Pray with sincerity. 2. Pray with submission to holy preeminence. 3. Pray with faith. 4. Pray with trust in God’s timing. 5. Pray with heart, but yield to God’s will. 6. Pray consistently. 7. Pray with focus. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.” May the prayer we offer be something like this: Father, I know that every word that proceeds from Your mouth will not return to You empty. Your words will prosper as they accomplish what You please. Help my thoughts and attitude be as Yours are and my words be Yours as I speak my heart and requests. Now that we realize the importance of praying not only the words of our soul, but of aligning our heart, mind, and words to match God’s through study of the Bible and growth of our relationship with Him through Jesus, may we deepen our walk even more through scriptural prayers. Join me next week as I share several verses, scripture passages, and craft prayers from each that will help us study, learn, and use God’s words as the backbone of prayer time with our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father, Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to You, our God. How pleasant and lovely our words are to You as we lift praise and submission to Your will through Your holy words to us. Thank you for allowing us Jesus as our perfect sacrifice and mentor to bring us to You. Your words are faithful and true. Help our hearts be the same as we draw nearer to You. Help us hear and lift Your words as a sacrifice and offering to know and follow You more deeply. Thank you for sending us truth, love, and hope. In Your precious and holy name we pray. Amen Thank you for listening to this podcast. If prayer is a topic you would like to learn more about, you may enjoy listening to episode 18, “Prayer.” Please visit terrihitt.com to access podcast episodes housed in one convenient location, read blog posts, transcripts, and access additional resources designed to mature your walk with Jesus through an eternal perspective and encourage you to raise or influence children to choose Christ over culture. I’m thrilled to share that my latest free resource, “Scattering Seeds: Planting Character and Faith in Your Child” has released! This eBook is an excellent encouragement and support for mothers or grandmothers of young children. I encourage you to visit my website to access and download it soon. I pray this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #114 – Why Bad Things Happen Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Someone outside my immediate family has recently faced some difficult situations. While processing the events as she dealt with loss and disappoint, and many emotions, she posed the question asked by vulnerable people at various times over the history of the world. Why do bad things have to happen? It wasn’t that she thought she was better than anyone else or more deserving of escaping tragedy or hardship, but because she truly desires that good always exist and brighten the lives of people. Especially when they follow Jesus. Life is painfully difficult at times. For example, this week, my thoughts focused more on my first daughter, who passed away 13 years ago in January. Yesterday was her birthday and even though I carry Christ’s joy within me because of my relationship with Him, my heart will always be tender and my mind wistful, longing for the day I will see my daughter again. Even when I’m not talking about her, she’s present in my heart. I wish the pain of child loss on no one. Grief, disappointment, sadness, and agony exist in this world, along with dozens of other dreadful effects of this fallen world. There is no fast easy word besides sin to explain why such suffering exists, but we have a trustworthy name that will bring an end to it. Jesus. I admire the way Jesus taught with parables. I have personally prayed that I would have the wisdom and words to speak as Jesus did. Sometimes I might have a good story to tell, but mostly I feel that I fall short, looking to Jesus and others to bring the right phases and teachings to situations. Jesus taught the way I wish I could, piercing the heart where it needs to be exposed, but doing so in ways that made the person think and resolve the situation with their mind and heart so that true change would occur. What a blessing His teachings and wise words are to us. Although this is not from the Bible, I want to share an ancient Chinese parable that explains the mindset of good and bad, because the story reminds me of the directness of Jesus and the way we must allow Him to reframe our mindset. “A Chinese farmer gets a horse, which soon runs away. A neighbor says, "That's bad news." The farmer replies, "Good news, bad news, who can say?" The horse comes back and brings another horse with him. Good news, you might say. The farmer gives the second horse to his son, who rides it, then is thrown and badly breaks his leg. "So sorry for your bad news," says the concerned neighbor. "Good news, bad news, who can say?" the farmer replies. In a week or so, the emperor's men come and take every able-bodied young man to fight in a war. The farmer's son is spared.” Author Unknown Humans often try to define what is good or bad. How do we define what is good? Or what is bad? Usually by our feelings. The way what happened makes us feel. Or how it affects us. What causes discomfort, loss, pain, suffering, confusion, hardship, etc. must be defined as bad. Right? God is sovereign. He makes no mistakes. His knowledge and wisdom far exceed our understanding. We have to understand that our feelings may not necessarily be truth. Although they are a true representative of what we are experiencing and processing at that moment, they are biased and affected by our past, present, worldview, and many other factors. God gave us the ability to feel, but emotions and feelings cannot be used as an objective or truthful compass for His unequivocal truth. Feelings represent what is going on inside us at any given time, but are not a true compass of God’s authoritative truths. Our mind may question why God allows bad things to happen. Does He purposely inflict us with evil and chaos? Why does He let pain occur? When we are in the midst of suffering it can be extremely difficult to understand why God didn’t change our circumstances. We can easily wonder where He is or if He really cares. Even though our feelings are justified in our eyes, do we want to remain in that emotion indefinitely? How long should we dwell in the emotions, anger, heartache, or disappointment? While living in the midst of pain and suffering, it can be difficult to see beyond or through it. In a yard of weeds, it seems impossible that a four leaf clover is present. This world is full of tribulation. Each person experiences hardships. In fact, since we usually can’t see behind the curtains of another’s life to see what they endure, it’s easy to think others don’t live with problems or that they haven’t been hurt like we have. Humans care more about self and we usually get stuck in the hardships we personally have to handle. But the reality is that no one is exempt from the evils or corruption of this world. What are some of the ways people suffer? 1. Dreadful Decisions – Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” People make mistakes. The old saying, “we don’t know what we don’t know,” does carry truth. Often, we have to make mistakes to find truth or discover what not to do. In fact, that’s the way some people live and learn. Other times, we depend on self or listen to wrong advice from others. Maybe we trust the wrong people. Also, inexperience and pride can cause many issues. We must constantly seek God’s knowledge and wisdom to guide us. 2. Discipline for Disobedience – Deuteronomy 8:5 says, “So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.” Just as sin first entered the world through disobedience, we have the ability to make choices and decisions that can either honor and obey God or turn our back on what He says in His word. We may willfully neglect or ignore what we know He calls us to do. God cannot ignore sin and He will deal with it. 3. Satan’s Schemes – John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan never ceases to work against God or us. The devil delights in finding ways to throw disappointments, damages, and disaster our way. He revels in seeing us miserable and hopes he can find ways to turn us against God or at the very least encourage us to live with lukewarm tendencies toward our Heavenly Father. What are some of the truths about suffering? 1. God is present, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Matthew 28:20 says, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Psalm 139:7 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Jeremiah 23:24 says, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” 2. God is sovereign. Our Heavenly Father, the Great I Am, has ultimate authority; He has Lordship over all. All of creation, all beings, the devil, even nature come under His dominion. Revelation 21:6a says, “And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” Romans 11:33 says, “O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!” Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” 3. Man brought sin into the world, not God. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. Romans 8:23 says, “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” 4. Pain has a purifying purpose. Hebrews 12:4-6 says, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 5. Suffering allows us a choice. Will we turn to God or away from Him? Luke 14:11 says, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." James 4:7-10 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” If we can force ourselves to look past our experience or emotions, we will cling to the truth the Bible promises: God is always with us. What are ways to find help during or after suffering? 1. Get in or remain in God’s word. You don’t remove your oxygen mask when the plane is crashing. Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” God’s word is truth and in it, we find rest for our souls and truth that will allow our mind to stay connected to and maturing through Him. 2. Prayer. Communication with God combined with true study of His word will allow your relationship to deepen and your heart to find rest in His truths and mindset. Speaking to God and listening for Him will guide you in humble obedience to where He calls you next. Sometimes disappointment send us on a beautiful path for new ways to honor and serve our Heavenly Father. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and he will act.” 3. Don’t become a “stuck victim.” It’s normal to process emotions and disappointments. Then a time arrives when you must choose whether to believe God’s truths and accept what has happened or remain in misery that will suck you into a miserable pit. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 4. Find a believer with a listening ear and sound biblical advice who will speak God’s truths. Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Pastors, family, or friends who follow the truths of God and will empathize with you without allowing you to stray from developing your walk with God during your situation are blessings. 5. Look Up instead of wondering or listening to opinions from others about why you suffer. Job 2:3 says, “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Sometimes suffering does not have anything to do with us. God works in such mysterious ways. We pridefully speculate as to why something happened to us, but God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them. What we endure is watched by others and our reaction to suffering may be just what they need to forge an eternal relationship with Jesus. 6. Enlist Christian counseling if needed. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Only a strong, bible-believing Christian counselor will be able to guide you in the right ways that honor God and deepen your walk with Him. Take time to find the right one through recommendations from others you trust, if you need to speak with a professional counselor. Remember what Jesus spoke in John 16:33, which says, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” God never intended for us to feel or be alone. 1. God calls us to humble ourselves before Him. 2. God calls us to worship only Him. 3. God calls us to trust Him. How much do you trust Him? Nothing touches our life without God allowing it. If our Heavenly Father permits something in your life, it doesn’t mean He is evil. He’s not ruthless. We must each look beyond self, past our selfish fleshly nature that craves stability and ease, and look at this world with eternal eyes and heart. If our lives were always perfect, we would already be in heaven. Your life is not about you. Mine is not about me. Each of us exist to bring glory and honor to God. What He allows in our lives is not meant for harm or evil, but offers us the choice to bow to Him in faith and trust that there is a larger action occurring than we can see. This is exactly why stories of the Bible are so applicable today. Reading the sufferings of Joseph and others, especially Jesus should help us live with the eternal perspective that life is much more than we can bear on our own. There is a bigger picture being created. We exist for much more purpose than what we see or imagine. Jesus is our hope. In Him we place our trust. Christ has experienced the thoughts and feelings we do, He willingly died for us, then rose from the grave, conquering death. Jesus is a man of sorrows and He understands ours. Isaiah 53:1-7 says, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” Jesus knew that what He experienced was to glorify the Father. From His lips came no pleas of innocence or cries for relief. Jesus is our model for hope and relationship with God that can only be achieved through Him. May His dignified obedience on the cross be the personal light we use to redeem our mindset for trials and disappointments. Dear Heavenly Father, You alone are good. What we feel does not define truth. This world cannot change truth or define it in new ways that fit agendas. Only You create and define truth. Father, thank You for Your care. Even when we hurt, when we don’t understand, when we are angry or unforgiving, cause us to draw near to You so that You will draw nearer to us. Allow us to experience life with Your eternal mindset. Help us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of Jesus. Not only that, but may we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. May we remember that You work all things together for the good of those who love You, and are called according to Your purpose. We know that one day You will wipe away every tear from our eyes. You promise us that there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain, for the former things will have passed away. God, we trust in Your word and promises to us. We know Your thoughts are higher than ours and Your ways far beyond anything we can imagine. May we always remember and rely on the fact that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength for we know that Your grace is sufficient and your power is perfected in our weakness. May we boast all the more gladly in our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest in us. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. You may find them on the terrihitt.com website. Click on podcasts and type in the topic or title you wish to hear in the search bar at the top of the page. Let me offer 3 suggestions: episode 002, Protecting Our Thoughts, episode 005, Handling Hardships, and episode 038, Who Masters my Emotions. Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen, follow it, and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 114 Why Bad Things Happen Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #114 – Why Bad Things Happen Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. Someone outside my immediate family has recently faced some difficult situations. While processing the events as she dealt with loss and disappoint, and many emotions, she posed the question asked by vulnerable people at various times over the history of the world. Why do bad things have to happen? It wasn’t that she thought she was better than anyone else or more deserving of escaping tragedy or hardship, but because she truly desires that good always exist and brighten the lives of people. Especially when they follow Jesus. Life is painfully difficult at times. For example, this week, my thoughts focused more on my first daughter, who passed away 13 years ago in January. Yesterday was her birthday and even though I carry Christ’s joy within me because of my relationship with Him, my heart will always be tender and my mind wistful, longing for the day I will see my daughter again. Even when I’m not talking about her, she’s present in my heart. I wish the pain of child loss on no one. Grief, disappointment, sadness, and agony exist in this world, along with dozens of other dreadful effects of this fallen world. There is no fast easy word besides sin to explain why such suffering exists, but we have a trustworthy name that will bring an end to it. Jesus. I admire the way Jesus taught with parables. I have personally prayed that I would have the wisdom and words to speak as Jesus did. Sometimes I might have a good story to tell, but mostly I feel that I fall short, looking to Jesus and others to bring the right phases and teachings to situations. Jesus taught the way I wish I could, piercing the heart where it needs to be exposed, but doing so in ways that made the person think and resolve the situation with their mind and heart so that true change would occur. What a blessing His teachings and wise words are to us. Although this is not from the Bible, I want to share an ancient Chinese parable that explains the mindset of good and bad, because the story reminds me of the directness of Jesus and the way we must allow Him to reframe our mindset. “A Chinese farmer gets a horse, which soon runs away. A neighbor says, "That's bad news." The farmer replies, "Good news, bad news, who can say?" The horse comes back and brings another horse with him. Good news, you might say. The farmer gives the second horse to his son, who rides it, then is thrown and badly breaks his leg. "So sorry for your bad news," says the concerned neighbor. "Good news, bad news, who can say?" the farmer replies. In a week or so, the emperor's men come and take every able-bodied young man to fight in a war. The farmer's son is spared.” Author Unknown Humans often try to define what is good or bad. How do we define what is good? Or what is bad? Usually by our feelings. The way what happened makes us feel. Or how it affects us. What causes discomfort, loss, pain, suffering, confusion, hardship, etc. must be defined as bad. Right? God is sovereign. He makes no mistakes. His knowledge and wisdom far exceed our understanding. We have to understand that our feelings may not necessarily be truth. Although they are a true representative of what we are experiencing and processing at that moment, they are biased and affected by our past, present, worldview, and many other factors. God gave us the ability to feel, but emotions and feelings cannot be used as an objective or truthful compass for His unequivocal truth. Feelings represent what is going on inside us at any given time, but are not a true compass of God’s authoritative truths. Our mind may question why God allows bad things to happen. Does He purposely inflict us with evil and chaos? Why does He let pain occur? When we are in the midst of suffering it can be extremely difficult to understand why God didn’t change our circumstances. We can easily wonder where He is or if He really cares. Even though our feelings are justified in our eyes, do we want to remain in that emotion indefinitely? How long should we dwell in the emotions, anger, heartache, or disappointment? While living in the midst of pain and suffering, it can be difficult to see beyond or through it. In a yard of weeds, it seems impossible that a four leaf clover is present. This world is full of tribulation. Each person experiences hardships. In fact, since we usually can’t see behind the curtains of another’s life to see what they endure, it’s easy to think others don’t live with problems or that they haven’t been hurt like we have. Humans care more about self and we usually get stuck in the hardships we personally have to handle. But the reality is that no one is exempt from the evils or corruption of this world. What are some of the ways people suffer? 1. Dreadful Decisions – Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” People make mistakes. The old saying, “we don’t know what we don’t know,” does carry truth. Often, we have to make mistakes to find truth or discover what not to do. In fact, that’s the way some people live and learn. Other times, we depend on self or listen to wrong advice from others. Maybe we trust the wrong people. Also, inexperience and pride can cause many issues. We must constantly seek God’s knowledge and wisdom to guide us. 2. Discipline for Disobedience – Deuteronomy 8:5 says, “So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.” Just as sin first entered the world through disobedience, we have the ability to make choices and decisions that can either honor and obey God or turn our back on what He says in His word. We may willfully neglect or ignore what we know He calls us to do. God cannot ignore sin and He will deal with it. 3. Satan’s Schemes – John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan never ceases to work against God or us. The devil delights in finding ways to throw disappointments, damages, and disaster our way. He revels in seeing us miserable and hopes he can find ways to turn us against God or at the very least encourage us to live with lukewarm tendencies toward our Heavenly Father. What are some of the truths about suffering? 1. God is present, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Matthew 28:20 says, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Psalm 139:7 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Jeremiah 23:24 says, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” 2. God is sovereign. Our Heavenly Father, the Great I Am, has ultimate authority; He has Lordship over all. All of creation, all beings, the devil, even nature come under His dominion. Revelation 21:6a says, “And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” Romans 11:33 says, “O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!” Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” 3. Man brought sin into the world, not God. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. Romans 8:23 says, “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” 4. Pain has a purifying purpose. Hebrews 12:4-6 says, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 5. Suffering allows us a choice. Will we turn to God or away from Him? Luke 14:11 says, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." James 4:7-10 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” If we can force ourselves to look past our experience or emotions, we will cling to the truth the Bible promises: God is always with us. What are ways to find help during or after suffering? 1. Get in or remain in God’s word. You don’t remove your oxygen mask when the plane is crashing. Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” God’s word is truth and in it, we find rest for our souls and truth that will allow our mind to stay connected to and maturing through Him. 2. Prayer. Communication with God combined with true study of His word will allow your relationship to deepen and your heart to find rest in His truths and mindset. Speaking to God and listening for Him will guide you in humble obedience to where He calls you next. Sometimes disappointment send us on a beautiful path for new ways to honor and serve our Heavenly Father. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and he will act.” 3. Don’t become a “stuck victim.” It’s normal to process emotions and disappointments. Then a time arrives when you must choose whether to believe God’s truths and accept what has happened or remain in misery that will suck you into a miserable pit. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 4. Find a believer with a listening ear and sound biblical advice who will speak God’s truths. Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Pastors, family, or friends who follow the truths of God and will empathize with you without allowing you to stray from developing your walk with God during your situation are blessings. 5. Look Up instead of wondering or listening to opinions from others about why you suffer. Job 2:3 says, “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Sometimes suffering does not have anything to do with us. God works in such mysterious ways. We pridefully speculate as to why something happened to us, but God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them. What we endure is watched by others and our reaction to suffering may be just what they need to forge an eternal relationship with Jesus. 6. Enlist Christian counseling if needed. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Only a strong, bible-believing Christian counselor will be able to guide you in the right ways that honor God and deepen your walk with Him. Take time to find the right one through recommendations from others you trust, if you need to speak with a professional counselor. Remember what Jesus spoke in John 16:33, which says, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” God never intended for us to feel or be alone. 1. God calls us to humble ourselves before Him. 2. God calls us to worship only Him. 3. God calls us to trust Him. How much do you trust Him? Nothing touches our life without God allowing it. If our Heavenly Father permits something in your life, it doesn’t mean He is evil. He’s not ruthless. We must each look beyond self, past our selfish fleshly nature that craves stability and ease, and look at this world with eternal eyes and heart. If our lives were always perfect, we would already be in heaven. Your life is not about you. Mine is not about me. Each of us exist to bring glory and honor to God. What He allows in our lives is not meant for harm or evil, but offers us the choice to bow to Him in faith and trust that there is a larger action occurring than we can see. This is exactly why stories of the Bible are so applicable today. Reading the sufferings of Joseph and others, especially Jesus should help us live with the eternal perspective that life is much more than we can bear on our own. There is a bigger picture being created. We exist for much more purpose than what we see or imagine. Jesus is our hope. In Him we place our trust. Christ has experienced the thoughts and feelings we do, He willingly died for us, then rose from the grave, conquering death. Jesus is a man of sorrows and He understands ours. Isaiah 53:1-7 says, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” Jesus knew that what He experienced was to glorify the Father. From His lips came no pleas of innocence or cries for relief. Jesus is our model for hope and relationship with God that can only be achieved through Him. May His dignified obedience on the cross be the personal light we use to redeem our mindset for trials and disappointments. Dear Heavenly Father, You alone are good. What we feel does not define truth. This world cannot change truth or define it in new ways that fit agendas. Only You create and define truth. Father, thank You for Your care. Even when we hurt, when we don’t understand, when we are angry or unforgiving, cause us to draw near to You so that You will draw nearer to us. Allow us to experience life with Your eternal mindset. Help us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of Jesus. Not only that, but may we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. May we remember that You work all things together for the good of those who love You, and are called according to Your purpose. We know that one day You will wipe away every tear from our eyes. You promise us that there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain, for the former things will have passed away. God, we trust in Your word and promises to us. We know Your thoughts are higher than ours and Your ways far beyond anything we can imagine. May we always remember and rely on the fact that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength for we know that Your grace is sufficient and your power is perfected in our weakness. May we boast all the more gladly in our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest in us. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. You may find them on the terrihitt.com website. Click on podcasts and type in the topic or title you wish to hear in the search bar at the top of the page. Let me offer 3 suggestions: episode 002, Protecting Our Thoughts, episode 005, Handling Hardships, and episode 038, Who Masters my Emotions. Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen, follow it, and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

< Back Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode 018 - Shaping the Heart Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode #018 – Shaping the Heart Are you yearning for greater connection with your child? Would you like to parent beyond the moment with eternal perspective? Let’s grow together now with practical tips, scripture, and stories geared to draw your heart to Jesus and guide your child into His arms. When we brought our youngest child home from China, it took so many months for her to fully adjust. Days were a combination of multiple steps backwards and one or two forward. Some days we seemed to simply exist, learning more about each other and taking no forward gains or losses as we lived. Trust came slowly and was very hard-earned. Although from our perspective, we loved her before we went to get her, from her viewpoint, this new life change was basically a kidnapping. Being told to leave with complete strangers, our daughter had to gather enormous courage to come with us and forge a brand new identity and life in another country, learn a new language, eat new foods, experience new sounds, smells, and clothing, and undergo many medical tests, procedures, and surgeries. Although my girls got along from the beginning, it was almost too smooth. They never fought, probably because communication was difficult. There were moments of deep frustration, but they never lashed out at each other or caused harm or hardship to one another. Now that my youngest has been with us for seven years, their relationship has changed and grown, but they still maintain a beautiful respect for each other. Over time, our youngest has seen consistent love and attention, and is now able to discuss those days with hindsight and insight accumulated over the years. Now that my two girls have a history of shared parenting and family events, stories, laughter, and grief they have bonded through, they are able to communicate and share together. Much as they have shaped their hearts for sisterhood, we must shape the heart of our children for recognition of God’s truths and commands . In chapter four of the book of Genesis, we learn about siblings, Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. Unfortunately, due to a hardened heart and jealousy, which brought out his sinful nature, Cain eventually murdered his younger brother, Abel. Genesis 4:1-8 says, “Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. ” This story of Cain and Abel is reflective of the choices our children have in their approach to and relationship with God. Your child may have a heart like Abel that respects our Heavenly Father and offers the finest they have to give. Or your child could have a heart like Cain that isn’t devoted to God, and prompts them to offer as little to God as they think they can escape with. What signs do you see? Does your child get angry when you or someone else in authority corrects or disciplines him or her? Does he or she ignore your repeated requests to make good choices? Reaction to correction and circumstances exposes whether a heart is haughty or humble. As mothers, it is our duty to recognize and react to the responses we receive from our children. Ignoring a retort or refusal to complete a required task may be easier in the moment, but God calls us to a standard of excellence when shaping the heart of each child. Hard work or confrontation is rarely convenient or easy. One important fact I believe mothers should memorize is that we must look beyond the behavior to the root cause . Most of the time reactions are not about us, but stem from something that has taken root in the heart of our child . Parenting is about shaping the heart, not simply erasing wrong behavior. It’s often tempting for mothers to want to get away from behavior that causes embarrassment or hardship, but it is the time we need to step away from how it is making us feel and try to pinpoint what pain is causing our child to react as they are. We can’t simply discipline without teaching the moral reasons the behavior exhibited was wrong or sinful. Correction without connection and God’s moral compass will collapse. Luke 6:45 says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Since behavior is determined by the heart, we must intentionally shepherd the heart in advance . When conflict arises, we must parent behaviors by directing attention back to the heart, which drives future conduct and attitude . When we help our child realize , understand , and link their disposition and desires to sinfulness and teach them how the sin in their hearts guides actions , true and lasting change begins. If discipline is made without drawing attention to the heart issues behind the behaviors, both parent and child miss the deeper effects that prompt connection with the parent, child, and our Heavenly Father. To achieve heart change , we have to confront what is happening within the heart and direct them to God’s word and humble relationship with Him. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ” Your children will be attracted to or repelled by the God they have come to know through you. Without God’s word to guide them, your children discern right and wrong from watching your actions. We must study God’s Word in order to know it, teach it, and recognize when we are being misled by false doctrine. We must love God and His word so much that it attracts our children to learn it for themselves. Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. ” God’s wisdom is required for the unique child He created and is entrusting you to influence for Him. When you place your walk with Christ at the top of your priorities, He will graciously guide you in how to reach your child if you ask for His wisdom and insight. Allow Him to carry you each day. Be specific about what you desire Him to allow you to see and how to parent specific actions or characteristics of your child. Is life perfect because we are believers? No. It never will be in this sinful world. But we are able to place priorities in the order God requires and we value what God deems as good. As our children see these qualities and characteristics within us being lived consistently, as we discuss issues with them and make observations through daily life, drawing our children back to God’s word and values as their compass and guide, their character is changed through Christ, as well. Just as Jesus came to save and serve, we must look beyond self and allow Christ to work within us to affect the present and future of our children. If we look at each day with the eternal perspective of Christ, looking ahead to what His word tells us He desires and what God considers important, we are more easily able to keep our mind focused and become more like the image of Christ each day. The best parenting takes place when we reside in the Father’s hands. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” If you would like me to go into greater detail about shepherding the heart, please notify me at info@terrihitt.com . I’d be happy to make future podcasts about this topic. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your love for us. Thank you for the gift of motherhood. Through the trials, hardships, triumphs, and joys, we long to trust in You. Please craft our hearts to seek You first and allow Your work within us so that You can pour through us to reach the children You have entrusted to us. Help us to seek You when we are frustrated, afraid, lonely, or confused. Help us to confide in You and seek Your approval and guidance. Please remove the selfishness and sinfulness within each of us and our children and replace it with Your humility and hope. Help us to love our children with the pure love You have for them and see them with Your eternal-focused mind and heart. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast. Both of my podcasts may be found at terrihitt.com, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and are also part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts may also now be found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. If you find value in what you hear through my podcasts, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. I suggest listening to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast episode 2, “Mentor God’s Heart.” You may easily find this episode at terrihitt.com. Just click on “podcasts” and type in the topic or title you wish to hear about in the search bar at the top of the page. Also, have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? Would you please consider doing so? Did you know that when you review my podcasts on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate their online standing so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Do you believe in the mission of helping others deepen their walk with Jesus, live with eyes set on eternity, and raise or influence children for Christ? If so, would you please write a review and rate this podcast for me? It is incredibly important to help mothers recognize the need to raise children to know Jesus and to be a godly parent , instead of just focusing on being a good parent. Please also follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Previous Next

< Back Purposed Parent Connected Child Podcast Episode 125 - Should Kids Get Paid for Chores? Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast – Episode 125 – Should Kids Get Paid for Chores? Thank you for sharing your day with me. I pray this podcast gives you the awareness and tools you need to STOP being a GOOD mom and BECOME the GODLY mom God entrusts you to be. Then you will be the SET-APART woman PURPOSELY raising children to chase CHRIST over culture. Just a quick reminder as we start, if you enjoy Purposed Parent Connected Child podcast episodes, would you please share this episode or others with a friend or family member? When you graciously take a moment to do that, and leave a rating or review at Apple Podcast, you are ensuring that others will find the podcast. When you do, you’re helping affect generations for Jesus. Now on to this episode with an interesting question many moms wonder… should I pay my child to do chores? Most women with children want to be wise mothers, able to discern what to teach their children (and when), what to tell them about their own childhood and growing up years, and whether they should spank or pay their children to complete chores around the house. There are so many responsibilities when you’re a mom. One of the topics important to my husband and me was giving back to God. When our daughter Marissa was one year old we were already teaching her to tithe. At that time she didn’t have an income, so we would give her change to put in one of three different jars marked: spending, saving, and tithing. At that young age, we kept the concept simple. After all, we were really teaching her a habit at that point, and she would grasp the meaning behind the action in time. Since we gave the coins to her to tithe, save, and spend, the money was hers to place the coins into whichever jar she wanted to. Studies have shown that children comprehend basic money concepts by age three, and can establish money habits by age seven. Because we began instilling the responsibility of stewarding her money as far back as she can remember, Marissa has never questioned tithing to God and she has never been careless about how she spends money. Granted, this could be due to many things, but the early preparation we did with her concerning money, combined with her basic personality and character, and watching what we do made a positive impact on her beliefs and actions. Regardless of which of those had the biggest impact on our daughter, teaching children the concept that money carries responsibility is always a good lesson for children to learn as early as possible. Once birthdays started rolling around, Marissa began receiving money from friends and family members. Since the idea of tithing, saving, and spending already became ingrained her mind and habits, she also brought tithes to church from money received on cash gifts from holidays and special occasions. As an older child, she began earning money from odd jobs for neighbors, garage sales, lemonade stands, or selling paintings, and continued to use her jars. While it’s fun to think back at how our daughter views and handles money as a twenty year old young woman, and how that responsibility was taught from such a young age, it made me consider how differently parents choose to teach about money and how people differ on whether children should be paid for completing chores. In our family, we don’t pay our daughters to complete chores. Our girls are a part of the family, and as responsible members, we want them to take part in caring for our home and one other without expecting something in return. We’ve taught that chores are privileges and responsibilities that makes each family member a caretaker of what God has bestowed to us. We didn’t want to teach our children that they only need to be responsible when they get payment or a reward. Our desire is for them to carry integrity and purpose because they want to please God with all He has given, even when completing certain tasks like cleaning or laundry may not be what they would automatically call “enjoyable.” One example of how our family takes care of chores and activities together is that we purposely went without a dishwasher for years. During that time we were able to complete cleaning the kitchen as a family. Most of the time my daughters and I worked together while listening to the radio, the Bible on audio, or simply talking and laughing while we washed, dried, and put the dishes away. Even though it took longer to clean than it would have if we could have placed them in a dishwasher, we enjoyed our time together and were thankful for dirty dishes that signified we had food to eat and people we loved to work alongside. Having children help care for the house and be responsible with belongings makes them a steward of the family blessings. As my girls work alongside me they also learn how to care for our home and possessions. While doing so, they develop integrity, honesty, and responsibility. Recently, when my youngest was completing the task of daily laundry she came to me with a concerned expression. When I asked what was going on she shared that she wondered if she should wash the load again. She asked me to follow her to the laundry room, where she showed me the detergent had hardened in the bottom of the plastic detergent box in the washer drawer. I helped her get the brick-hard residue out and checked the amount of soap she used. Then, after a sniff test, I told her that she should rewash the quilt she had just removed from the washing machine. Of course, she didn’t wish to wash that load again. It ended up that she had to rewash several loads that day while we worked to troubleshoot what was happening with our washing machine. Together, we went through several steps that taught her how to think critically when issues arise. I thanked her for being honest and wanting to do the job correctly. How easy it would have been to throw those items into the dryer each time and be done with laundry on time instead of extending her work time by about five hours that afternoon. I made sure to compliment her integrity, honesty, and loyalty to God and me by doing the very best job she could and for asking for help when needed. Honestly, it was a little frustrating that the machine was acting up because who wants to purchase a new washer or be inconvenienced when one isn’t performing well, but we made memories yesterday as we worked together. I even gained a little appreciation from her for knowing little things she’d never discovered how to do like emptying the water from the tube at the bottom of the machine. Such a lover of learning new things, we had fun times that gave her a greater respect for me and a thankfulness for the days the washer performs well. Some parents believe differently about paying children for chores. They’ve determined that rewarding kids for chores teaches them appreciation for the value of hard work. Additionally, some families don’t pay for regular chores, but will reward kids with money for doing chores outside daily expectations. For example, they believe that helping a neighbor or grandparent or completing harder chores around the home such as mowing or raking leaves should come with a financial incentive. While my husband and I don’t pay for chores or the extras, we do give our girls a lot already. Because they look for ways to help around the house and don’t expect rewards for simple or large contributions to the home, we like to take them for treats, surprise with gifts, and give money for particular items they might want or need. We also make simple tasks fun by stopping for frozen yogurt or going to the park. As a give and take of mutual respect and appreciation, we strive to instill appreciation for what God has gifted to us as well as show that we appreciate them, too. We desire that our children acquire integrity, thankfulness, and relationship with us, but most importantly, with God. We don’t want them to develop an attitude of entitlement or to stop contributing around the house, with school work, or in the community because they don’t see a pay-off. Because of that, we’ve never really used the word chores, but call it “contributing” or “doing what needs to be done.” Working alongside my girls to clean the house and take care of what we own has helped us develop deep bonds with each other. As we work, we sing, chat, dance, and speak of what God is doing in our lives. We use the time to appreciate moments, even if we have five other things we need to be doing other than scrubbing a toilet or bathtub. Also, instead of just showing my girls how to clean and leaving the room while they complete the task, I enjoy being there with them to answer questions and doing work alongside them. It makes time pass much quicker and we enjoy the opportunities to share what lays on our heart. Of course, they’re old enough now that they also do many things that need to be done on their own. For example, today Brooklyn saw a dirty shelf in the refrigerator where it was obvious soy sauce had spilled. Many kids would either not even notice the mess or leave it for someone else to clean. Brooklyn started taking items out of the refrigerator so she could clean the bottoms of them, then clean the shelf. Instead of swiping with a paper towel, she took the shelf out and washed it with soap and dried it before returning it to the refrigerator. In the same way, Marissa will vacuum and mop floors for me without me saying a word simply because she knows running the vacuum is hard on my back. I honestly don’t know that they would be so willing to go above and beyond to help with family chores if we had started paying them in the beginning. All in all, each family has to seek what God calls for them. Even though the Bible is the perfect manual for any parenting question we have, that doesn’t mean God addresses each one exactly. In order to know how to parent the individual children He has gifted to us, we must seek Him, know Him and His character through His Word, have prayerful communication with Him, listen to His voice, and obey His calls and commands. Because each parent, family, and child is unique, He is the one to let you know the best course for your parenting adventure and family. May God bless every decision because you are moving ever closer to Him each moment. Dear Heavenly Father, how great You are. Thank you for Your presence in our life. We need You so desperately. Carry and equip us because we have invited You into our heart and home. Allow us to make wise and insightful decisions for our children and family that come from Your hand, mind, and will for us. May we move ever closer to You daily and show our children how to do the same in each parenting decision we make. Enable us to parent not only for this moment, but for the future and eternity. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. If you’re ready to become the godly mom God entrusts you to be for Him and His children, you’ll love my free “Good to Godly: A 31-Day Scripture and Prayer Guide for Moms.” Visit terrihitt.com to receive this resource. You are the first Jesus your child will see. Your relationship with Christ is the light that shines Him to your children. If you want a connected relationship with Jesus and your children that leads them to your side and His feet, instead of them seeking validation from peers, my Set-Apart Collective program can show you how to reflect Christ in a way that attracts your family to a connected relationship that lasts into eternity. If you don’t want peers and culture to be the main influence over your child, if you desire to parent to “prepare” your child for eternity with Christ, not repair your relationship with them, the Set-Apart Collective will arm you with a Christ-centered Motherhood Mindset Model™, and create a Purposed Parenting Plan™. You’ll also deepen your identity in Christ so you can mentor the way for your children to do the same. You will be a purposed mother with an intentional mind and heart set on Christ and your family and you will have the tools to raise set apart kids as you parent the heart, not simply the behavior. If you’re the mom of an adult child and in need of strengthening connection with them, you can also visit terrihitt.com/coaching and click the link for a free, no obligation conversation call with me. This is a strategic call where I will hear your biggest struggle and show you how to turn it into a blessing that will bring you closer to Christ and your children. It’s time for believing mothers to be purposed in preparing their children for a lifetime pursuit of Christ. Time is short. Make yours matter for eternity. Remember - if you’re not purposed in knowing Jesus and showing Him to the next generation, the world will sway your children away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast enables you to stop being a good mom and focus on being a godly parent. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to parent with eternal purpose and connection with your children and Christ. Previous Next

< Back Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode 024 - Biblical Parenting Through Hard Places Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode #024 – Biblical Parenting Through Hard Places Are you yearning for greater connection with your child? Would you like to parent beyond the moment with eternal perspective? Let’s grow together now with practical tips, scripture, and stories geared to draw your heart to Jesus and guide your child into His arms. Have you ever felt like you had been thrown into the deep end and you were treading waters that were over your parental capabilities? The first morning after bringing my youngest home from China at the age of nine, I walked into my office and saw my newest child sitting at my desk with a lit match in one hand. I’m not sure how many scenarios went through my mind, but I think it was the first time the adrenaline of fear shot through me. For a quarter of a second I wondered if I’d brought home a murdering pyromaniac. Since I had never experienced a child interested in matches, and the others had a sensible knowledge of the dangers of carelessly playing with fire, I had forgotten I kept a small box of matches and a tiny candle in the back of a desk drawer. After the initial feelings flowed quickly through my body and mind, my sensible side lifted my response, and I said, “Matches aren’t a toy to play with.” As I blew out the match and gently removed the stick from her fingers, her gaze met mine, mixed with curiosity and an unspoken plea for forgiveness. Never mind that she didn’t speak English. Some actions are understood beyond language barriers. Lack of experience and a beautiful curiosity led my girl to play with something more dangerous than she could understand. If I would have simply reacted to the behavior without empathy to how she had lived through before coming to me, I would have reacted much differently. In fact, left alone to first thoughts, I would have snatched the match out of her hand quickly. I wondered what other areas I needed to be worried about and what other dangerous acts she might attempt. But as soon as those thoughts crossed the threshold of my mind, the Lord wiped them clean and filled my heart with His truth . We had a long journey ahead to build connection and He needed to remain at the helm. Memories, trauma, or lack of experience can cause various inappropriate behaviors that families may struggle to understand. These memories, traumas, or experiences can be exhibited by the child, but the parent may also have unresolved needs. Everything combined can become a firestorm of confusion and complications that are impossible to overcome without holy reliance . This is the time for parents to set aside self or feelings of inadequacy, rejection, shame, surprise, anger, or whatever multitude of thoughts and feelings reside in the mind and humbly kneel before God for wisdom, direction, and healing. One truth parenting taught me is that children are in our care to safely learn and grow in godly ways. Whatever baggage a parent carries should be checked at the door and never picked up again once a child enters the home. Ideally, before a child arrives. But because we live in an imperfect world full of fallen sinners, this easy description and expectation is rarely seen. Because God entrusted these precious souls into our care, we must find the way to reach the unique heart God placed within them, and allow Him to tenderly develop and mature it for Him through our care and connection. First, we must be looking to the Lord for what we need and eagerly and faithfully allowing Him to execute the changes we so desperately need. Our children cannot receive what we do not carry . Isaiah 65:17 says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind .” Just as the Lord promises safety and peace for His people one day, He desires our families to live in plentiful harmony and joy together now . Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away .” Jesus desires the beauty of this verse for us now . However, so much heartbreak, confusion, and deception exist in this world and in the lives of our precious children and grandchildren. Our culture has twisted so much of what God commanded and desires for us. Children are being raised without biblical identity and the resulting apathy, confusion, and self-hatred is destroying a generation. Raising our children through connected parenting is the first step in moving them toward a lifetime of joy, faith, and purpose. When I speak of connection, I mean parent and God to child and child and God to parent. No matter whether you are raising a child who has come to you through foster, adoption, or other hard places, or you are raising a child who has been with you from birth, this world is taxing . Our children are exposed to things even adults don’t want to discuss. Nevertheless, there is hope and there is healing available for your child, grandchild, and your family. Through Christ, we are never without the hope and faith that He makes all things new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come .” John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world .” Many suggestions for raising your children to know Jesus and find identity through Him are available in various Purposed Parent/Connected Child episodes. In this one that you’re hearing now, I want to stress the importance of intentionally living a Christ-filled lifestyle that exudes and exemplifies Jesus for your child to emulate . In this episode, however, I also want to examine ways that you may connect with a hurting child or maintain connection throughout your parenting years. 1. Know Christ as Savior and build a lifestyle with Him at the center. 2. Model godly behaviors, attitudes, and reactions. 3. Be intentional in building connection. Don’t wait for difficult behavior. 4. Don’t expect “typical” children or behaviors. God doesn’t desire typical worldly character. 5. Say “I’m sorry” without hesitation when needed. 6. Nurture and build your child up in Christ, rather than tear them down. 7. Encourage godly choices. 8. Allow transition times from activities and as they mature in Christ. 9. Eat well, exercise, hydrate, and get enough sleep. 10. Read your Bible daily. 11. Pray for and with your child. Encourage them to pray for you. 12. Continue growing in the Lord, so your child sees the need and value to do the same. There are so many areas I could break-down for deeper discussion, but I want to recommend an excellent resource for working with children who have experienced trauma, are adopted, come from troubled backgrounds, have special emotional or behavioral needs, but also for parents who want to be proactive and parent from a place of connection. Combining techniques taught in this book with biblical discernment and wisdom from the Bible, and purposed prayer daily for and with your child and spouse will give your child or children the best foundation to stand on as they grow and develop in this world. The book is “The Connected Child” by Karyn B. Purvis and is available in bookstores and on Amazon. Remember to be attuned to behaviors exhibited by your child that may easily go unnoticed. While parenting my first generation of children, I thought it was easier to be attuned to what they needed. However, after many years of additional parenting experience, and with the hindsight of parenting through hard places through older child and special needs adoption, I can see times I likely missed responding as I should have. I can think of times when I wish I had understood more quickly or clearly and wish I had changed my parenting style to be more attuned and nurturing in those specific moments. Yet, that’s what life does to us. The person we are today should not be the person we are tomorrow. If we are growing and changing in godly ways, we will always see ways we could have acted differently, but because of the grace of God, we know that He has and will cover all our human mistakes and misunderstandings with His love and use all for His good and glory. Although parents are human, we’re not perfect, and we cannot know everything our child needs, especially when they can’t or won’t tell us, we should continue to improve our skills to identify ways our child gives unspoken clues or in areas that could trigger certain physical or behavioral reactions. Both birth and adopted children are subject to experiencing trauma and disconnect. Sometimes families experience physical, financial, spiritual, mental, or emotional trials or setbacks. Whether they are temporary or permanent, I don’t believe children are as resilient as many say they are. However, I do think that with the right care and attention, children and parents can bond and attach much more strongly after overcoming hardship together, especially if they look to God for direction and healing. Otherwise, if deprivations, trials, or traumas are not addressed, behaviors will eventually show and you may be caught off-guard without the responses or reactions you need to connect in a godly way. Healing can then take much longer for both parent and child. What are ways to build strong attachment ? 1. Hear what your child is communicating , not just what they say. 2. Listen , Love , and Look . Be responsive to what your child says and does. Children often do not have the experience or communication skills to say what they are feeling, experiencing, or needing. 3. Respond with empathy, not judgement. 4. Look beyond misbehavior to the message. What is your child unable to say? What do they really need from you? What could the root cause of the behavior be? Love, care, and personal attention are needed to move past trauma. Sometimes parents get it wrong. We can easily assume motives when our child is coping or experimenting with new sensations and experiences. God’s insight, understanding, and direction are essential to move forward together. Your child needs to see that you are safe, families are safe, families stay together, and that each member of the family is loved and appreciated. Your child needs to know and trust that you are committed to learning and growing together. As you teach and reassure them in this important area, and continue to help them mature in their walk with Christ, your child will be growing in beautiful ways that are beyond the scope of this world and stepping into living with eternal perspective and purpose. Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the children You have purposed for this world and placed in our homes. Your loving kindness is astounding. That You would trust us to raise Your children is a miracle that comes with great privilege and responsibility. Help our hearts not to be troubled because we trust in You and remain in close contact with You, using Your wisdom, discernment, and commands as the catalyst to our parenting success. May our success be established in Your eyes and heart, not what the world views as success. May our children rise and call us blessed because they recognize and follow You with love, faith, and integrity. May their obedience bless You and cause us to be evermore humble and obedient, as well. God, thank you for Your blessed children in our homes, Please enable us to mature fully in and through You in order to direct them in Your ways and straight to Your heart and feet. In the precious name of Your Son, Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” podcast. This and my “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast may be found at terrihitt.com, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts may also now be found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Parent and Connect With Eternal Perspective. Previous Next

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #121 – Facets of Faith – Reading of Hebrews 11 Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. This summer I am alternating podcast episodes with Scripture readings. We can never read enough Scripture. God has been impressing on me to read Hebrews 11 this week and I hope that you enjoy this reading from the NKJV Bible. Perhaps our next episode we will dig deeper into the passages you hear today. Hebrews 11 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” This chapter of Hebrews 11 delves into three aspects of faith: our mind, our emotions, and our will. Our faith is intertwined with our mind and emotions, and our intellectual understanding must lead to trust and action on what we hear. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 I hope you’ll join me next time as we delve into the meat of this chapter. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to choose Jesus and for the faith You grow as we draw nearer to You and ask for the gift of faith. We know that faith is pleasing to You and that the actions we take because of faith bring obedience to You. May our walk with You become deeper as we study Hebrews 11 and each passage of Scripture we read. Thank you for Your word, an intimate gift You freely offer every person with love. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. To hear episodes that deal with Scripture, I suggest the following: Episodes 63-66 is my series on praying Scripture. Episode 107 is Scripture and Solitude, and Episode 117 is The Bible – Life, Hope, and Truth. You may find each of these on the terrihitt.com website. Just click on “podcasts” and type in the topic or title you wish to hear about in the search bar at the top of the page. Have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? For those who have, I thank you so very much! If you haven’t, would you please consider doing so? It is getting more difficult to keep from being shadow-banned on social media. Podcasts and social medias posts about Christian material simply do not get the same reach as secular topics. For instance, when I make a post on my Live With Eternal Perspective FB page, I am fortunate to receive 15 views. It is evident that FB is not allowing the posts to be viewed. I believe it is the subject matter because even the people who have signed up to see the page posts do not get to see what is posted. When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. If you believe the content you hear should be heard so that more people can begin to deepen their walk with Jesus and live with eyes set on eternity, would you please write a review and rate the podcast for me? I also want to ask if you have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen to this new podcast, especially if you are raising children or influencing grandchildren. Please follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 121 Facets of Faith Reading of Hebrews 11 Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #121 – Facets of Faith – Reading of Hebrews 11 Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. This summer I am alternating podcast episodes with Scripture readings. We can never read enough Scripture. God has been impressing on me to read Hebrews 11 this week and I hope that you enjoy this reading from the NKJV Bible. Perhaps our next episode we will dig deeper into the passages you hear today. Hebrews 11 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” This chapter of Hebrews 11 delves into three aspects of faith: our mind, our emotions, and our will. Our faith is intertwined with our mind and emotions, and our intellectual understanding must lead to trust and action on what we hear. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 I hope you’ll join me next time as we delve into the meat of this chapter. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to choose Jesus and for the faith You grow as we draw nearer to You and ask for the gift of faith. We know that faith is pleasing to You and that the actions we take because of faith bring obedience to You. May our walk with You become deeper as we study Hebrews 11 and each passage of Scripture we read. Thank you for Your word, an intimate gift You freely offer every person with love. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you find value in what you hear, and you would like more information on the topic we discussed today, I invite you to listen to previous episodes. To hear episodes that deal with Scripture, I suggest the following: Episodes 63-66 is my series on praying Scripture. Episode 107 is Scripture and Solitude, and Episode 117 is The Bible – Life, Hope, and Truth. You may find each of these on the terrihitt.com website. Just click on “podcasts” and type in the topic or title you wish to hear about in the search bar at the top of the page. Have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? For those who have, I thank you so very much! If you haven’t, would you please consider doing so? It is getting more difficult to keep from being shadow-banned on social media. Podcasts and social medias posts about Christian material simply do not get the same reach as secular topics. For instance, when I make a post on my Live With Eternal Perspective FB page, I am fortunate to receive 15 views. It is evident that FB is not allowing the posts to be viewed. I believe it is the subject matter because even the people who have signed up to see the page posts do not get to see what is posted. When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. If you believe the content you hear should be heard so that more people can begin to deepen their walk with Jesus and live with eyes set on eternity, would you please write a review and rate the podcast for me? I also want to ask if you have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen to this new podcast, especially if you are raising children or influencing grandchildren. Please follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #129 – Don’t Let Lies Keep You From Living in the Fullness of Christ Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. After high school, most of the kids I studied with headed off to college. Although my parents and I never formulated a plan for my continued education, my father always told me he desired me to become a lawyer. Being an attorney was not a profession I would enjoy at all! I wanted to be the next big journalist and interviewer – like Barbara Walters. I could envision myself interviewing everyone – from famous to infamous, especially those no one knew publicly, but were greatly loved by family and friends and influential or impactful in the world. Everyone has a history with intimate stories to tell that inspire and bond most of us together. Despite backgrounds or history, I like to think most of us are more alike than different. I wanted to explore and share those stories. During my senior year of high school, I did complete some advanced classes, which would have given me high school and college dual credit. Nowadays, families plan and prepare for university years in advance. Back then, my family and I didn’t know how to plan in advance, and we voiced no thoughts about where I would attend college or how I would pay to obtain a degree. When I discovered I was pregnant that summer, the news changed the direction of my life. No longer did I daydream about ivy league schools or how I’d amaze every Language Arts professor there with my prolific prose that would surely bring rave reviews and awards. Instead, I was faced with telling my parents they would soon be grandparents and I was terrified to share the news I could barely comprehend. I was about to be a mother. Before I told them, my steady boyfriend and I decided that since we were already planning to get married in the future, we would just do it sooner. Surprisingly, his parents were very supportive, which made it easier to gather the courage to tell my parents and begin to stand up for what I wanted. In the end, my husband and I hurried to marry before I started showing. He had turned 18 just a month and a half before we were married. I was 17 years old. Although I did not yet know Christ as my Savior, and I was not raised with discussions about the reasons a girl should wait to have sex after marriage, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt. I praise God that my husband and I truly loved each other, although at the time I wasn’t really sure what true and lasting love between a man and a woman was. Looking back on those early years of our marriage, I can now see ways I wish I would have been able to remove myself from the burden of guilt, but I didn’t know how without Christ. It wasn’t that I thought about my sin every day. In fact, I was usually happy. I loved my husband and our baby girl when she arrived. Yet, I didn’t live a peace that passes understanding and only comes through relationship with Jesus. As I think back on those years, I can easily remember the emotions and guilt I carried, thinking I wasn’t as good as those who graduated from college or those who remained sexually pure until after marriage. Happiness isn’t the same as deep and lasting joy. I wonder how much joy I cheated myself out of. What did I miss by allowing lingering thoughts far from what God would have me thinking? Are you missing out on a special life Christ has for you? After I found new life through submission to Jesus and a new life through relationship with Him, I was able to let go of guilt. Now I strive to walk with Him moment by moment. He is present to guide and guard and to protect and provide my every need. He is ready to do exactly the same for you as you are covered by His sacrifice and grace. Philippians 4:6-8 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Through Jesus, we can live with freedom from sin and guilt. Because of Christ, we can know and believe the truth, but how do we escape our past and stop living in the bondage of guilt from sin? I believe there are several feelings that cause us to miss out on the life we could experience through God. Please remember that feelings are important. God allowed us the capacity to feel emotions and thoughts. However, we don’t have to stay stuck in them. It’s important to look at the definition of the word “feelings” to allow us to move past remaining in our emotions. The word “feelings” is described as sentiments, attitude, and opinion or an emotional perception. Keep that definition in mind when you allow words to flow through your mind or define you or your life, so you can process and destroy those feelings that keep you from living in the fullness Christ intends. Let’s expose some of the “fears” feelings can craft within you: 1. Fear of inadequacy 2. Fear of failure 3. Fear of trust 4. Fear of disappointment 5. Fear of comparison 6. Fear of judgement 7. Fear of separation 8. Fear of hope 9. Fear of positivity God’s holy Scripture reveals truth to us that is often contrary to what we feel. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” When we live by feelings, emotions, experiences, and comparisons, we rely on self. It’s similar to the Old Testament practice of keeping laws and traditions or relying on ceremonies. But those formalities pointed the way to Christ. They expose our need for Him. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit alive within believers, freedom from sin and guilt is provided freely. When we trust in Jesus, the burden of pleasing Him is removed. The inevitable guilt is gone. We will always fall short of perfection, but by trusting our lives to Jesus, we find that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Christ enables us to look to Him and be renewed each moment. Ephesians 3:14-21 says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Let’s examine the difference in our life before and after Christ. In our life before Christ we are: 1. Against God 2. Dead in sin 3. World and flesh followers 4. Under bondage to Satan 5. Victims of our thoughts and feelings In our life after Christ, He lives within us, and we are: 1. God’s child 2. Reborn through Christ 3. Following Jesus’s truths 4. Freed through Jesus 5. Living in fullness and freedom The fullness of God can only be known through Christ. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit alive within us, we are complete. God love reaches within every corner and crevice of our being. His love and forgiveness is deep and wide, immersing within where we think He won’t look or could love and extending far beyond us. It is high and low, reaching above and below what we deserve, expect, or imagine. As we live for Him daily, reliant on Him, we are transformed moment by moment. Scripture, faith, prayers, and obedience keep us connected to the Holy Spirit who fills every need we carry and allows us to experience freedom and fullness. Commit to believe, follow, and claim the Lord Jesus. Every single moment. Galatians 5:1says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” 1 Peter 2:16 says, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” Dear Heavenly Father, Your steadfast love surrounds and abounds within us. We welcome You and the Holy Spirit to cover and complete us. According to Your promises, we have hope and peace in the fullness of life that comes from You. Help us keep Your laws and obey Your truths and purpose for us because we live fully within the freedom only found through You. Help us to delight in Your commands and meditate on Your statutes because we adore time in Your presence. Enable us to let go of bondage of sin or guilt and rely on You to pull us from the depth of self-reliance and into Your sacrificial love and presence. Help us to believe and build a life on Your truths. May Your word not be contrary to what we believe because our mind and heart are fixed on You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Additional episodes may be heard at terrihitt.com, but the podcast is also a part of the Spark Media Network. Now the podcast may also be found on the Edifi app, where you can find thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? If you haven’t, would you please consider doing so? When you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen to this new podcast, especially if you are raising children or influencing grandchildren. Please follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective. Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 129 - Don't Let Lies Keep You From Living in the Fullness of Christ Listen to Episode Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode #129 – Don’t Let Lies Keep You From Living in the Fullness of Christ Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to seek, find, and follow Jesus together as we live with purposed eternal perspective. After high school, most of the kids I studied with headed off to college. Although my parents and I never formulated a plan for my continued education, my father always told me he desired me to become a lawyer. Being an attorney was not a profession I would enjoy at all! I wanted to be the next big journalist and interviewer – like Barbara Walters. I could envision myself interviewing everyone – from famous to infamous, especially those no one knew publicly, but were greatly loved by family and friends and influential or impactful in the world. Everyone has a history with intimate stories to tell that inspire and bond most of us together. Despite backgrounds or history, I like to think most of us are more alike than different. I wanted to explore and share those stories. During my senior year of high school, I did complete some advanced classes, which would have given me high school and college dual credit. Nowadays, families plan and prepare for university years in advance. Back then, my family and I didn’t know how to plan in advance, and we voiced no thoughts about where I would attend college or how I would pay to obtain a degree. When I discovered I was pregnant that summer, the news changed the direction of my life. No longer did I daydream about ivy league schools or how I’d amaze every Language Arts professor there with my prolific prose that would surely bring rave reviews and awards. Instead, I was faced with telling my parents they would soon be grandparents and I was terrified to share the news I could barely comprehend. I was about to be a mother. Before I told them, my steady boyfriend and I decided that since we were already planning to get married in the future, we would just do it sooner. Surprisingly, his parents were very supportive, which made it easier to gather the courage to tell my parents and begin to stand up for what I wanted. In the end, my husband and I hurried to marry before I started showing. He had turned 18 just a month and a half before we were married. I was 17 years old. Although I did not yet know Christ as my Savior, and I was not raised with discussions about the reasons a girl should wait to have sex after marriage, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt. I praise God that my husband and I truly loved each other, although at the time I wasn’t really sure what true and lasting love between a man and a woman was. Looking back on those early years of our marriage, I can now see ways I wish I would have been able to remove myself from the burden of guilt, but I didn’t know how without Christ. It wasn’t that I thought about my sin every day. In fact, I was usually happy. I loved my husband and our baby girl when she arrived. Yet, I didn’t live a peace that passes understanding and only comes through relationship with Jesus. As I think back on those years, I can easily remember the emotions and guilt I carried, thinking I wasn’t as good as those who graduated from college or those who remained sexually pure until after marriage. Happiness isn’t the same as deep and lasting joy. I wonder how much joy I cheated myself out of. What did I miss by allowing lingering thoughts far from what God would have me thinking? Are you missing out on a special life Christ has for you? After I found new life through submission to Jesus and a new life through relationship with Him, I was able to let go of guilt. Now I strive to walk with Him moment by moment. He is present to guide and guard and to protect and provide my every need. He is ready to do exactly the same for you as you are covered by His sacrifice and grace. Philippians 4:6-8 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Through Jesus, we can live with freedom from sin and guilt. Because of Christ, we can know and believe the truth, but how do we escape our past and stop living in the bondage of guilt from sin? I believe there are several feelings that cause us to miss out on the life we could experience through God. Please remember that feelings are important. God allowed us the capacity to feel emotions and thoughts. However, we don’t have to stay stuck in them. It’s important to look at the definition of the word “feelings” to allow us to move past remaining in our emotions. The word “feelings” is described as sentiments, attitude, and opinion or an emotional perception. Keep that definition in mind when you allow words to flow through your mind or define you or your life, so you can process and destroy those feelings that keep you from living in the fullness Christ intends. Let’s expose some of the “fears” feelings can craft within you: 1. Fear of inadequacy 2. Fear of failure 3. Fear of trust 4. Fear of disappointment 5. Fear of comparison 6. Fear of judgement 7. Fear of separation 8. Fear of hope 9. Fear of positivity God’s holy Scripture reveals truth to us that is often contrary to what we feel. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” When we live by feelings, emotions, experiences, and comparisons, we rely on self. It’s similar to the Old Testament practice of keeping laws and traditions or relying on ceremonies. But those formalities pointed the way to Christ. They expose our need for Him. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit alive within believers, freedom from sin and guilt is provided freely. When we trust in Jesus, the burden of pleasing Him is removed. The inevitable guilt is gone. We will always fall short of perfection, but by trusting our lives to Jesus, we find that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Christ enables us to look to Him and be renewed each moment. Ephesians 3:14-21 says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Let’s examine the difference in our life before and after Christ. In our life before Christ we are: 1. Against God 2. Dead in sin 3. World and flesh followers 4. Under bondage to Satan 5. Victims of our thoughts and feelings In our life after Christ, He lives within us, and we are: 1. God’s child 2. Reborn through Christ 3. Following Jesus’s truths 4. Freed through Jesus 5. Living in fullness and freedom The fullness of God can only be known through Christ. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit alive within us, we are complete. God love reaches within every corner and crevice of our being. His love and forgiveness is deep and wide, immersing within where we think He won’t look or could love and extending far beyond us. It is high and low, reaching above and below what we deserve, expect, or imagine. As we live for Him daily, reliant on Him, we are transformed moment by moment. Scripture, faith, prayers, and obedience keep us connected to the Holy Spirit who fills every need we carry and allows us to experience freedom and fullness. Commit to believe, follow, and claim the Lord Jesus. Every single moment. Galatians 5:1says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” 1 Peter 2:16 says, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” Dear Heavenly Father, Your steadfast love surrounds and abounds within us. We welcome You and the Holy Spirit to cover and complete us. According to Your promises, we have hope and peace in the fullness of life that comes from You. Help us keep Your laws and obey Your truths and purpose for us because we live fully within the freedom only found through You. Help us to delight in Your commands and meditate on Your statutes because we adore time in Your presence. Enable us to let go of bondage of sin or guilt and rely on You to pull us from the depth of self-reliance and into Your sacrificial love and presence. Help us to believe and build a life on Your truths. May Your word not be contrary to what we believe because our mind and heart are fixed on You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Additional episodes may be heard at terrihitt.com, but the podcast is also a part of the Spark Media Network. Now the podcast may also be found on the Edifi app, where you can find thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed this podcast on Apple Podcasts yet? If you haven’t, would you please consider doing so? When you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Have you listened to my second podcast, “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” yet? I hope you will listen to this new podcast, especially if you are raising children or influencing grandchildren. Please follow and share both of my podcasts with friends or family who would like to choose Christ over culture and be a parent (or be a grandparent) who connects with eternal purpose. Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. Live With Eternal Perspective helps us to find, trust, and follow Christ more intimately. Purposed Parent/Connected Child shares biblical, practical truths for parents and grandparents to influence and mentor Christ over culture. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Live With Eternal Perspective.

@aricaheintz Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 041 Arica Heintz Interview Listen to Episode @aricaheintz http://www.aricaheintz.arbonne.com

< Back Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode 020 - Teach Your Children Not to Follow Their Heart Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast Episode #020 –Teach Your Children Not to Follow Their Heart Are you yearning for greater connection with your child? Would you like to parent beyond the moment with eternal perspective? Let’s grow together now with practical tips, scripture, and stories geared to draw your heart to Jesus and guide your child into His arms. Listen to your heart. You’ve probably lost count of the number of songs that have used this line. How many times have you been given this advice? Or maybe you’ve even given it to given it to your child without thinking? Human nature tells us to seek the emotions and thoughts stored inside to lead us. But Galatians 5:17 warns, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want .” I have a personal story that illustrates these thoughts. When I was a child, we moved a lot. In fact, I lived in 8-10 homes by the time I was 12. One of the first things I would do when we settled into our new place was go get a library card. Books were one of the biggest joys of my childhood, as well as the blank spiral notebooks I would use as journals. Every day of my childhood was spent doing some form of reading or writing. Whether it was poetry, short stories, or simply journaling moments, writing helped me process and understand events. Words have always held life for me. They can also hold death. If we aren’t careful, the words we speak or write can become what breaks or makes the confidence, accomplishment, faith, or eternity of another person. Now that I’m older and my walk with Christ is deeper, I understand the necessity of prayerful reliance on God’s direction and timing. Something just as – or more - important as the tongue is our heart. Or I should say the condition of our heart. Words we speak or write to influence do so in ways we may never know. This world constantly fills our mind with the message that we should follow our heart. We should do what feels right or feels good. If I followed my heart, I would probably still be trying to make it as a mainstream fiction writer. By my early forties, I had written a few novels, and dreamed of one day having them accepted and published. Of course, Oprah would have me on her show and my book would be chosen as the book of the month for her popular book club. I wrote what I wanted, although I had no experience or track-record, so no one was interested in even letting me submit sample chapters. Next I wrote what everyone told me would get published. Every moment I lived and invested by working on that romance book I disliked writing affected the words and storyline I wrote and I know it was quite obvious; I didn’t believe the characters or plot. Neither did the agents who allowed me to submit it for consideration. When I began my next novel, a mainstream romantic thriller, it was obvious by my writing history that I had nothing to guide me clearly. Finally, I began the book heavy on my heart. I was working on a Christian mainstream novel and was far into the characterization, plot, and details. I even drew a map of the city I saw in my head so that I could keep storylines consistent. I found characters that resembled the people I saw in my head and cut them out of magazines and kept them on my desk as encouragement to fuel their storylines. A long index box full of the multiple chapters and storylines, as well as every detail I’d need about the individual characters sat on my desk for reference when needed. I knew their fears, successes, body types, birthdays, memories, and motivations. I was probably about one-third of the way through the first draft (plus had all of my plotting and characterization detailing finished) when I clearly knew God was calling me to put the book away. Unfinished. He didn’t want excuses or bargains. He wanted obedience. Immediate obedience. I was sad to let it all go, but I did. Yet, as I released the dreams and promises of the people who existed not only in my head, but lived in my heart as well, I felt the peace of obedience. Do you know what God had for me instead? After that book was put away, my Heavenly Father showed me a different path for my future. One I previously knew nothing about. In a nutshell, He made it clear that my husband and I had a daughter in China. The Lord didn’t want me focusing attention on crafting a book; His plan called for me to disciple a life. My future was at a cross-roads. I could leave the life my heart told me I wanted or trust what God offered. Writing fiction was not the narration of my story, no matter what my heart felt. It wasn’t until a few years later that I began occasionally blogging sweet and encouraging life stories that mostly had to do with my daughter who was about four years old by that time. Then many years passed before I knew God called me to begin crafting the “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast and I began posting and blogging about it. I’m sharing this story because it is so easy for each of us to think we know what we want or we are supposed to do. We think our heart is directing us in one direction. Or sometimes we are led by parents who see something in us, just as you probably see the gifts, interests, and talents your child carries. What is important, however, is waiting on the direction and discernment of our Lord. God crafted such intimate and purposed details into every human on this earth. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” If we are not purposed in following God’s direction, we easily distract our children and forfeit the best God has for them. Even when we see that our child has an obvious talent in some area, we must seek direction from God. How does He desire us to guide our child? Don’t be the one who guides your children down a path that is far from what He desires for them. Who knows the mind or plans of God without careful prayer, discernment, and direction from Him? Reliance on following our heart not only keeps us (and our children) from God’s best, but it can also lead to dangerous situations or decisions we later deeply regret. God knows our heart is untrustworthy. In fact, He warned us in Jeremiah 17:9 , which says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” This world pushes for us (and our children) to follow self . So many speak of self-care and listening to what our heart tells us. All that does is increase the selfishness already existing inside. 1 John 3:20 says, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything .” The hardest obstacle to ignore is the language and guidance of this world. Advertisements, books, magazines, movies, television shows, friends, family, teachers, and even strangers love to tell our children to follow their heart. Do what feels right at that time. Our human hearts are fickle and without understanding or discernment from God, our thoughts and feelings are based on what we have experienced in a fallen world. How can this be a moral or godly guideline? Is this what you want for your child to follow or rely on? Luke 6:45 says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Only through Christ may we acquire a heart that is willing to surrender to God’s purposes. How do we teach our children not to follow their heart? Through the Lords’ strength and Scriptures, we must teach our children 3 important truths. 1. They must seek God’s heart . Deuteronomy 30:6 says, “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.” 2. They must guard their heart . Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” 3. They must purify their heart . 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Only Jesus can shepherd our children away from the futility of following a haughty heart. It is only through the Lord’s strength that we can rely on His wisdom and direction instead of reverting to self and feelings or emotions and carry the ability to teach our children to rely on Christ. If our children follow what they believed their heart said to do, they would carry no values. Three would be no moral compass, no right or wrong by which to discern actions. Selfishness, heartbreak, embarrassment, and regret will cause division from friends, family, and faith. Our children’s’ hearts were crafted by God to desire Him, to be led and directed by Him. As their parent, we are hand-chosen by God to be the one to disciple and direct them to Him. It is our responsibility and privilege to be the one to guide them to His feet and His heart. 2 Thessalonian 3:5 says, “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” As the one in charge of shepherding the hearts of our child to Jesus, we must realize what following heart really means. The words are actually a sentiment with no real substance. The phrase, “follow your heart” is a fluffy, sweet filling that taste good when we swallow it, but causes pain when we live with the consequences of ingesting worldly advice . Dear Heavenly Father, You reign over the heavens and the earth. How great You are. Thank you for Your lovingkindness and grace toward us and the children you have entrusted to us. There is none like You. Help us to follow Your decrees willingly and joyfully. Help us to carefully keep Your laws and never mentor following the human heart. Instead, may our children see us draw near to You, our God, with sincere hearts and with assurance that only faith can bring, teaching that Your will and ways, Your commands and promises offer so much more than we can imagine. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” podcast. This and my “Live With Eternal Perspective” podcast may be found at terrihitt.com, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and they are part of the Spark Media Network. Both podcasts may also now be found on the Edifi app, where you can hear thousands of the best Christian podcasts in one place for your listening enjoyment. Have you rated or reviewed my podcasts on Apple Podcasts yet? When you review my podcast on Apple Podcasts, it helps to elevate the standing of the podcast online so that more people are allowed to find and hear it. Will you take a moment to follow the shows and think of someone you can share the podcasts with and encourage them to follow and share, as well? Remember, if we are not purposed in knowing Jesus ourselves and showing Him to the next generation, the world will direct them away from Christ. I pray that what you hear on this podcast draws you nearer to God and helps you cling to Him, despite any circumstances in your life. Until next week, keep looking Up while focusing on new ways to Parent and Connect With Eternal Perspective. Previous Next