Honest Christian Conversations
A weekly podcast dealing with cultural and spiritual issues within the Christian faith.
Honest Christian Conversations
Is Your Relationship with God Stale?
Feeling stuck in your relationship with God? Perhaps you desire a deeper Bible study but don't know how to begin, or life's constant demands leave you struggling to find even five minutes for a spiritual connection. Whether you're a busy parent, a new believer, or someone who hit a spiritual plateau, this conversation with Debbie Howell offers a refreshing perspective on making Bible study meaningful again.
Debbie's Website: https://debbielutherhowell.com/
NEEDING MORE EPISODES TO HELP YOUR ALONE TIME WITH GOD? CLICK HERE
SEND FANMAIL IF YOU WANT A SHOUT-OUT ON THE PODCAST!
Leave a Review for the Podcast
ARE YOU A PODCASTER?
Hey friends, welcome back to Honest Christian Conversations. I'm your host, Anna Murby. Have you felt stuck in your relationship with God? Perhaps you're wanting to go deeper with your Bible study and you don't know how to start. Or maybe you're like me and you're a mom with kids and they're always around needing help and you just can't seem to find time to yourself to do what you need to do. Maybe you're even somebody who's never read the Bible before, because you are a new believer Welcome to the faith, by the way Then you're going to want to listen to this episode because my guest, Debbie Howell, has some great tips to help you learn how to get deeper in the Bible.
Speaker 1:She's very patient, very kind and gracious with the way that she talks about these things, and she's very encouraging too. You're going to leave this episode feeling empowered to take back your time with God and make it useful. Make it encouraging for you and for listening to God's voice, so that you know what he wants you to do with your life. I know there have been many times in my life where I have struggled to hear God's voice. It's so busy in this world. We're constantly doing things where you're never able to sit still. So to make time for God seems impossible most days, especially when you're a mom, but there are no excuses for it. We can make. Even a few minutes out of our day matter for God, and Debbie has a great way of showing us how to do that. So I am very excited for this episode. I know you are going to love it. You are going to be encouraged and you are going to be strengthened and equipped to take on a new direction in your relationship with God. Let's get to it Before the episode starts. Make sure you follow the show so you never miss another episode.
Speaker 1:Hello, Debbie, Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I am very excited to talk to you. I loved how passionate you are about helping people go deeper in their relationships with God and have a more thriving Bible time and just relationship with God. I crave that so much and just relationship with God. I crave that so much, especially now. I am noticing that that is something that I'm really, really striving to have, and I know there's many others out there who are. Definitely they're feeling stale in their Bible study. They're feeling stale in their prayer life. I know I'm there not all the time, but a lot of times and I'm always looking for something new and fresh, but I want to make sure that it also lines up with scripture. So when I saw your profile on Podmatch, I was like, yes, we have to talk because I want to hear what you have to say. So go ahead and tell us how did you come to faith in Christ and tell us how did you come to faith in Christ.
Speaker 2:Well, it's so great to get to meet you and to have this time together. Well, actually, I am a fourth generation Christian. I was raised in the church, decided to get baptized at the age of 13. It's kind of when I made my commitment. Okay, now that I'm getting older, this is my choice, this is what I want to do, and I've always had just a desire to know God. But I will tell you that as an adult I went through some pretty rough times and there were a couple of seasons where I just really started to question God, to doubt God, and even though I still believed in him, I just kind of stepped away for a while and just had to process things. But God is faithful and both times he gave me that time. He gave me that space and then he lovingly invited me to come back when he knew that my heart was open to it.
Speaker 2:And the interesting thing is is it was, even though you know there's choices we make, looking back that we regret. We wish we had used better wisdom, made better choices. I still value that time because I saw how God fights for us. It's kind of when we're in a place of darkness or doubt or struggle that we see God really begin to show up, because he knows that we need extra strength from him. We need to feel his presence and his love. So I cherish those times when I had those encounters with him, and so I just want to encourage everybody. If you're in that time of just really doubt or even anger, sometimes we just like God. Why, why are these things happening to me? Know that God is there with you, even in those times, and he's not going to give up on you. He's going to keep reaching out to love you. Reaching out to love you, and what I've learned over the last 20 years or so is how important scripture is to that relationship.
Speaker 2:I mean, I was raised learning about the Bible. This is what we believe, this is what is true and that's important. But God wants to go further with us and say you know what the word of God is a place to meet with me and to get to know me and to grow a relationship with me. It's not just about our brains agreeing with yes, I believe in God, I believe in the Bible, but it's that having that heart experience with God through His Word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I also grew up in the church. I've been going since I was in a car seat, in a little baby car seat. So I grew up, I knew everything. I heard all the stories. It got to a point where I was in high school and college years and I'd hear the same stories and eyes would kind of glaze over. It's just like I've heard this, I know this, and now that I'm older and I'm trying to make my faith my own faith rather than this is just what I grew up with I'm seeing things differently.
Speaker 1:I'm reading the Bible differently. I'm reading it with intention. I want, like you said, god wants to speak to us about him. I want to listen now. I'm ready to listen now and he's been very patient with me through that journey of when are you going to be ready? When are you going to be ready? I'm like I don't know when I want to be, but I'm not and yeah, so, yeah, it's very, very important. What do you do to help those that you know that you work with, to deepen their relationship, their desire to know God on a deeper level? How do you help?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm an author, so I've published my first book and I'm about ready to release the second one, and it's just really my journey to learning how to pray scripture, how to meet with God in his word. Another thing that I will do is I'll teach classes on how to journal scripture prayers. So how do we make these beautiful scriptures into prayers for ourselves, into prayers for others? And another huge component is inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit's presence is what takes the words from off the page and plants them in our hearts and helps us have that encounter with who God is, who Jesus is.
Speaker 2:So, just really teaching people, you know the Bible. It's such a gift that God has given us and it's a way that we can just really sit and take a breath and say, God, I want to hear your voice. Like there's so many voices coming at me, I'm busy and I just, I just need to step away from all that and just hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit through your word and to find that peace and that purpose and that healing and that strength. Whatever we need, God can meet us in that place through scripture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. I've been working on journaling prayers. I'm a writer but for some reason journaling has been something that I'm like. I just don't do it. I don't know if that's bad or whatever, but I try to write them down because sometimes if I were to say it, it just doesn't come out right. But if I write it I notice I'm a little more focused on what I'm trying to say, until one of my kids comes in and knocks me off my track, but yeah.
Speaker 1:So I've been working on trying to be more consistent about doing that, because at least I know I'm getting what is in my brain. That might be super jumbled, I'm at least putting it down on paper, and I know that God can read my chicken scratch too. So praise the Lord for that, because I can't read it most of the time.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love it, but I do that kind of piques my interest and gets me excited about being in. Scripture is I'll think of a topic like if I have a hard time forgiving someone or if I just kind of need more patience in my life, I'll go to BibleGatewaycom and I'll put in that keyword love, forgiveness, faith, hope, whatever, and it will pull up every scripture from the Bible that has that word in it and then I'll just read through and any scripture that I read as I'm scanning on my computer, that's like. It's like oh okay, this, this is the journey I need to be on with God, this is the promise that I want to live out, I want to receive from God. So then I'll, I'll write those scriptures out in a journal and I like to decorate things so you can doodle, you can put stickers, washi tape, whatever you do. You can put stickers, washi tape, whatever you want to do, but that kind of helps to personalize it and own it.
Speaker 2:And I think God wants us to be creative in our time with him, because he made each one of us so special and unique with gifts and passions, so why not utilize those in our time with God? So if you're artistic, have a great time writing down scriptures and drawing around it. Or if you just really connect with nature, take a scripture with you and go for a walk and just meditate on that scripture, pray it, talk to God about it, find that place where it's like okay God, this creativity you've put in me, I'm going to give it back to you in our time together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a beautiful way of worshiping God. I just recently heard at a church service talking about how we need to not sit on our talent. That God has given us and that really convicted me because I had taken a break from writing my novels because I just kind of felt stale and stagnant and everything. But after that I was like, nope, I can't do that. I have to have to be intentional, I can't do that. So, yeah, I'm working on it and Satan's working on trying to keep me down still.
Speaker 2:But I'm going to work harder.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I used to have a lot more creativity when I was younger on how I spent my time with God. I had this cool notebook that had different colored pages and I had bulletins from the church that I went to and I'd cut out part of it and I'd paste it in there, have Bible verses and write some notes that I had taken from that and just kind of gave it a title and everything. And it was very creative, very beautiful. And I hate myself because when I went through my backsliding years I got rid of all that kind of stuff, which means that went out. So I don't even have it anymore to look back on. I don't have it anymore to show my kids and I'm just like I should at least put it somewhere and, you know, let my parents have it and say give this to me when I come back to my senses or something I don't know. But you know you can't do anything with that. I mean I can always do it again. I just I guess I just haven't done it, I don't know.
Speaker 2:It's kind of cool to do it again and include your kids in the process so they can kind of know what you do why you do it and kind of make it a family affair.
Speaker 1:Yeah, some of my kids like to draw a lot. So, yeah, I think that I think that would be beneficial for them too, because, too, because they're very artistic, my kids. So how do you teach people to pray the scripture? I've heard that before, but it almost feels like it would just be reading it out loud. You know what I mean. Like, how do you pray it in a way where it doesn't sound like you're literally just reading the verse and then saying amen? I'm pretty sure that's not what you would do anyways. But how do you make it a personal journey for yourself and for others who would do it that way? It doesn't just feel like just another way to check off. I did my time with God. Very good question.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, for me, the biggest and the first thing I do is invite the Holy Spirit into that time so that I can hear the voice of God behind scripture.
Speaker 2:And it takes practice, it takes time because we're not always good at listening to God, like you settle something and your kids come in or you know your alarm goes off because it's time to cook something, who knows? And sometimes maybe starting with your favorite scripture, like Psalm 23, is a very well-known, loved scripture. The other thing I like to do on BibleGatewaycom is I'll put in Psalm 23 and look it up in different versions, because you know you want to make sure it's true to the original. But like the voice version, the passion translation, they're very poetic and it brings like I'm a very kind of visual person but and words kind of bring me there, so they're so descriptive that it draws me in. So I'll find a scripture that I love, a version that I love, and sometimes just start with one verse at a time and say God, this week I want to spend time with you in this verse and I ask that each time I read it or pray it or think about it throughout the day, that I'll hear your voice and it'll draw me into a closer relationship with you.
Speaker 2:Some people kind of feel overwhelmed because they're like I just don't have time for God, like I can't get up as it is, I have to get up too early for work.
Speaker 2:So one thing I love to do is to bring scripture with me throughout the day.
Speaker 2:You could have a verse on your phone, you could write it down on a card, carry it in your pocket and you know, on your way to work you can be kind of thinking about it.
Speaker 2:Or you could even get one of the Bible apps and have the audio version where somebody is reading that scripture to you so you're hearing it while you're driving, because you know that's a perfect time if you have a long commute, that's a fun time with God in his word. Or if you have it on your phone, you know if you have a break during the day or lunch or go to the bathroom, just take a minute and say okay, god, I want to continue to invite your presence into my day as I read this scripture again and just kind of three or four times throughout the day. You know, before you go to bed at night can be the last time and it just shows God that we're intentional about meeting with him and knowing him and giving our hearts to him. And the more you do that my experience has been the more I do it, the more precious that time with God becomes to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a very good idea, and I've been working hard on trying to memorize scriptures too. I started with songs that I knew growing up, that I knew came from Bible verses, but I never knew where. Like Create in Me a Clean Heart, o God. I was like I know that is scripture, but I don't know where it is. But I could sing the song and I know the verse. I said so it'll be easy for me to start memorizing because all I need to remember is where it's found.
Speaker 1:So I started doing that and then I said, ok, what other songs do I know are from Bible, verses that I know them already and all I have to do is learn where it is.
Speaker 1:And I started there and it really has helped and I've been working on it and I'm trying to be more consistent on constantly working on it, not just be like, oh, I got it, good, you know, so next time I need it it'll be there. You know, because I've done that before and I've memorized certain like full chunks of Psalms and the only one that I still have in my brain that hasn't gone away is Psalm 1. But other than that, I've learned some other full Psalms before, but I can't remember it. Maybe if you give me one word and then I can start, but I can't just recall it like I can, psalm 1. So I'm trying to be more intentional on okay, I need to be meditating on it. I can't just think about it once and say, okay, now I've got it and then maybe another day later, check it and make sure I still got it and then just leave it at that. And I'm learning this through my study of the Russian language, because that's the language I've always wanted to learn and that's what I'm learning is that I can't just practice it whenever, do this, do that, and say, oh okay, I've got this, and then just not talk or not think about it or not speak it, and then expect that I'm just going to know the language.
Speaker 1:I was getting so frustrated because I wasn't learning anything, I wasn't retaining, and I was like, okay, I have to stop. Whatever I'm doing wrong, I have to stop it. And I realized I was not being consistent and taking it as serious as I should. So I said, okay, I'm going to do that. I said, but first I want to show myself that I don't have a problem with memorizing, because I can memorize songs, I can memorize movie lines. So I know I can memorize things, I know I can memorize verses too. So I told myself and I told God. I said, god, I want to learn the Bible verses because I want to show you that I put you first and.
Speaker 1:I want to understand your word and I said I know I haven't been doing that very well, but I want to and I'm going to be consistent. So I've decided that it's going to help me with my studying of Russian to put God first and to focus on learning Bible verses, and I have noticed that I'm gaining a little more knowledge. I can understand sentences. If I see someone who wrote me in Russian, I can read it a little better. Speaking is still another story.
Speaker 1:We won't go there. It's very difficult, but I'm trying to make an effort to put God first and make sure that I'm learning the Bible and want my kids to notice it too, that you have to do these things, because what if something happens and we're no longer allowed to have our Bible? What are you going to do? You have to know it in your heart, you have to understand it.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, yeah, I love what you said about how, when it's to music, it helps you to understand it. So, yeah, yeah, I love what you said about how, when it's to music, it helps you to remember it. So you know, I'm sure if we did Google searches, we could find some scripture out there that's been put to music. Or if you're musical, I mean, that's a great way.
Speaker 1:I wish it was yeah, something about the music helps that connection deeper. There is a good band, they're called the corner room. They do music to psalms and they'll do it to certain other bible verses too, and they have some for kids and it's just the bible and they're musically inclined. So they just put music and lyrics to it and I think if I listened to it often enough, I think that'll help with?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to check. Oh, that that's. Yeah, I've been looking for a group that does that because, yeah, way to meditate on and memorize the scriptures.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's. It's definitely something I'm realizing is super important is to take your time with God seriously, because we only get one life, we only get 24 hours in a day. Nobody has some special set schedule where they get extra time.
Speaker 1:But I notice that when I actually give God my honest to goodness, real good time and I'm not just trying to get it done because I have a million other things to do, but if I just take myself out of it and say you know what, I'm going to make sure I put God first and put my time with God first I notice that things line up in a way where I can get everything done that needs to be done or that I think needs to be done for the day, and then maybe I can get a few things that don't really need to be done or just whatever gets done in that day. I feel a peace about it because I put God first and I'm always waking up at 6.20 every morning because I got to make my kids lunches, but I don't have to actually be up at that time. I just use that time from 6.20 to 6.40, and I just lay in bed and I try to stay awake, but I try to pray and make intentional time for God, because it's literally the only time during the day where I have, where I'm not super scatterbrained. And then, once most of my kids go to school and I only have one home, then I'll read my Bible, either with my child telling me no, don't read, or whatever running off, or I'll just read to myself. And yeah, I'm just. I'm at the age now where I'm realizing the importance of I need to be intentional with my own personal relationship and I'm realizing how many missed opportunities I had, with my kids as well, to teach them the importance of it. I have one child who's about to be 18, and then I have another one who's about to be 13. And then I got some younger ones who are in a Christian school. So they're getting it, which I'm glad, but my other two are not. And it's so hard. It's like pulling teeth. Trying to get my almost 13-year-old son to want to read his Bible and to see the significance of what happens when you put God first. And it's really.
Speaker 1:The life of a Christian is not easy. I don't know why people think that we think we got it all together. I know there's some people who act like that, but if you talk to a genuine Christian, I believe you're going to notice that they aren't like that. They don't think, oh, I have it all together. I pray for six hours a day and I read my Bible. For the rest, it's like, no, we have lives, we have things we do and sometimes we forget to read the Bible and then we're like, oh no, I went all day and I didn't give God time, and if you take a breath you can look and see how your life was different from the last time you did give God your time. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And listening to what you're saying about your kids. You know my daughters are grown, but so much has changed in the app world since they were kids and I wonder if there's like a really neat, creative kind of a Bible app for young teenagers there could be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's something that I might have to look at. I mean, my oldest isn't following Christ right now. She's got her own baggage she's going through. My son is still. He's working through the Psalms. I'm trying not to be legalistic to the point where, if he forgets a day to be like oh, shame on you, I just tell him, hey, did you read your Psalms today? And he'll be like oh yeah or oh no. And if he says yeah and I don't fully believe him, I'm not going to call him out on it, I'll just say, okay, well, that's between you and God.
Speaker 1:you know, reminding him that God knows everything, he sees it, he knows if we're lying or not, and just kind of getting him to make his relationship his own. I do not want him to think that if something happens and he were to die and go to heaven, that he's going to ride on my coattails there. I don't ever want my kids to feel that way, because that's how I felt is that. You know, my parents taught me this.
Speaker 1:I know all these things, I'm good, but in the back of my mind I always wondered am I really saved? And I never felt saved until I was going through my second divorce at 30 years old and came back to Christ and realized that I was saved, but I gave my life to Him when I was 12. So I don't ever want my kids to feel like I'm forcing them on to Christianity or that if I tell them something, I want to explain to them why. I don't want them to just say oh well, this is just what we believe, this is what I was told to believe. It's like no, you need to figure out why you believe that. This is why I believe it, why do you believe that? This is why I believe it, why do?
Speaker 1:you believe it. I don't ever want my kids to think the way I did because it was not healthy and it took me forever before I finally figured it out. And God forbid they don't have forever to figure it out. I don't want them to lose this life thinking wrongly because I didn't help them the way I should have as their mentor, I guess.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I pray regularly that my daughters would have their own encounter with Jesus. They were taught, they know what I believe but, like you said, they can't just follow because that's what I told them is right. They experience God for themselves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I told them is right they experience God for themselves. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Hey friends, have you joined the Honest Christian Conversations online group yet? If you haven't, you're missing out on a perfect opportunity to grow your relationship with Jesus Christ. This is a community for those who want to go deeper in their relationship. You can do Bible studies together, ask the questions you have biblically and get the answers that you might need or maybe you're somebody who has answers to somebody else's questions. You can leave your prayer requests. You can leave your praise reports. This is a community.
Speaker 1:This is what church is supposed to be, and I am so glad that I finally took that step to make this group so that people's lives can flourish in Jesus name. Also, if you haven't signed up for the mailing list, you're missing out on an opportunity there as well. I send out a weekly email chocked full of so much awesome content that I don't have time right now to share it all with you. But when you do sign up for that mailing list, you get my seven-day free devotional that I created just for those who sign up for the mailing list. If you haven't joined either of these, you can go to my website, honestchristianconversationscom and sign up there, or you can use the links for it in the show notes. What do you want to say to the listeners who are struggling to find a way to start getting into their faith, deep relationship with God?
Speaker 1:maybe they're new to the faith and they have no idea where to start and they don't have anyone in their life speaking to them on this, because maybe they're the only ones in their family who are believers. What would you say to them? To get them on the right foot? Disciple them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, if there's any way they can become part of a small group, and I know some churches have really good ones. Some churches don't have many small groups, but if there's any, because it's so important to have that support from fellow believers. So just pray for at least a mentor, if not a small group to join, but then for your time alone with God, just coming to scripture with childlike faith. You know, because maybe, like you were saying, it's a new journey, just became Christians, or maybe you've had like a rough road in Christianity and you have all kinds of doubts as to who God is. Just, you know, get a Bible version that you can easily read and connect with. I don't read King James Version Bible just because that's old English, it's just. I guess my brain gets tripped up on all the old English words. God wants to talk to us like we talk to each other, you know so that for me, I don't read the old English.
Speaker 2:So just to find, you know, a good version of the Bible and if you're not sure which one you like, go to BibleGatewaycom and just put in Psalm 23 and then click on the different versions and see, okay, how do these different versions read?
Speaker 2:And then, when you find one that you like you know, get that Bible or you can always look it up online if you don't want the book version and just have a few minutes a day with God and say God, this is my time to seek you. I believe that you're going to reveal yourself to me in this book and through your Bible. My relationship with you will grow and then say Holy Spirit, thank you that you're here guiding me and helping me, and then just open the Bible and begin to read, believing that God will meet you there. It's just simple, childlike faith, just little steps. Don't feel overwhelmed. Connect with one book or one chapter at a time and there's no rush. You don't have to feel like you've got to get through the Bible in a year. Sometimes it's nice to just slow down and say, okay, the fruits of the spirit in Galatians like this is what I want my life to look like for the next month. God, I'm going to spend time with you in these few verses.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's very important to know, because I know there's a lot of the Bible in a year plans and people feel accomplished for that, which is all fine and good. But what did you really get out of that? Or did you just do it because you wanted to check it off? Or there's many reasons why people do it, and I'm not harping on any of those because I've done it before. But you can't just let that be it, because at that point it feels like it's a pit stop at the Bible, because the Bible is full of so much.
Speaker 1:I've been slow slicing the Bible, going through it from beginning to end, for probably almost a couple of years, and I'm only in John, chapter four, I think. So I mean, I don't want to miss anything and I've been reading and as I'm reading I'm seeing new things or I'm like, oh, this didn't hit me before. So, yes, you can take your time, there is nothing wrong with that, and if someone tells you there is, then you might want to check what they're saying, because there is nothing wrong with even doing just one verse.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Sticking to that for the week and trying to memorize it and think about it. And what is it that stuck out to you about that? Is it that stuck out to you about that? I recently did a prayer off of one of the verses that really stuck out to me and convicted me on something that I didn't think of before. I was so surprised when I saw it. I'm like I've read this before, this never hit me before, but boy do I feel convicted today. And when you take the time, that's exactly what happens.
Speaker 2:And I and I think the reason it's just so important to slow down with scripture is because we're learning to listen.
Speaker 2:It's so hard for us as humans to slow down our brains and our lives enough to say, okay, god, I'm listening, I'm in this word and I just I want to. I want a moment to just hear what you have to say. And if you're kind of new to the Bible, there's two places I want to encourage you to go to. First is Psalm 119, because it's the longest chapter in the Bible, but it's David's relationship with the Word of God and it will show you just how close God wants to be with us through His Word. And then also going through Matthew, mark, luke and John, because that's the beautiful story of Jesus and that's just such a great way to really get into the Bible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's definitely good advice. And for those who are looking for a community, if you don't have a church near you, maybe you don't have anyone else in your family who's a Christian this podcast has a Facebook group. That's an online community. You can join for free. The link will be in the show notes as it is every week. You can join, you can ask your questions, you can post things that you want answers to and you can get the encouragement you need from fellow believers there. So that's always a stepping stone until you can find that solid biblical church that you need to help you through everything too.
Speaker 1:Let's move on to moms, especially moms with little kids, who are running around and the mom just feels she wants time with God, but she doesn't have time with God because it's sporadic or she forgot she's middle of the night, she's sleeping. Then her eyes pop open. She's like oh, I haven't read my Bible in like a week. What is wrong with me? And just get that mom guilt going of shame on you. You haven't been doing it right. What helped you when your kids were younger? What helped you stay connected with God during that season?
Speaker 2:Because it's very difficult with God during that season, because it's very difficult. Yeah Well, first of all, I just I want to speak a truth. Anytime we feel shame, it's not from God, you know he'll. He'll convict us of things, he'll draw us to spend time with him, but anytime we feel like shameful for not doing something, or even for sinning, that's, I believe that's Satan just trying to hold us in this place, right? Oh, I'm not worthy and God doesn't love me and God's mad at me, like all that. It's just that one big ball of lies. So don't, don't give into that. Know that God loves you and he knows that you're busy.
Speaker 2:And so, just to define that time, I mean, maybe when you're driving your kids to school, listen to a Bible story app.
Speaker 2:That way you're hearing scripture, they're hearing it with you. I know my kids used to like to listen to like Adventures in Odyssey stories in the car. So I mean you're driving two ways, right, you're driving your kids to school and then you're leaving school to drive somewhere else. So your time to school can be time, a fun time in scripture, with the kids listening to something, and then you can use the time once you leave the school to just have that one verse, scripture in your hand, and say, god, I, just I want to, I want to be intentional about inviting your presence into my life today and just have that scripture with you and maybe set your alarm for every three or four hours. When the alarm goes off, just take a moment. Just take a moment and say, god, I still, my heart is still drawn to know you and just you know. Read the scripture and just those little moments in time won't be overwhelming, it won't be exhausting, but it will make a difference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. I love that. Mothers constantly need that reassurance that we're doing what we can and we got to work with what we've got at that time, because your time is divided in so many different ways and if we've grown up in the church, we tend to think that Bible study looks one specific way. But it's not the same. I have a friend who was telling me about a post she saw from someone who had this beautiful example of how she works her Bible study out. It was beautiful. I looked at it and smiled. I said how many kids does she have? My friend laughed she's like zero.
Speaker 1:I said I knew it. I could tell because it was so thought out. It just sounded so chill. I was like there's no way. No way unless their child was a teenager and doing their own thing. There was no way they were able to pull that off. So I mean it looks different when you're single. It looks different when you're a child. It looks different when you're a parent. What about with spouses? Sometimes their schedules don't sync up and they don't have time.
Speaker 1:Maybe, one of them gets home before the other and they fall asleep at different times. How can they connect together and make Bible time together?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is so important too, Whether going back to the moms or with the couple. I really think being in a small group if possible, you know, once a week, getting together with people who believe like you believe and want to learn about God, it's just kind of an anchor to some things that you can count on every week and commit to. As far as couples go, yeah, that's. I mean it's good to read the Bible together, it's good of a couple that they'll watch a sermon together every day and that just really helps them to grow spiritually. So, yeah, I guess, figuring out what time can we carve out, like maybe even at the supper table. I mean, if the whole family comes together for supper, the couple eat dinner together to have time to just read some scripture and have a prayer together before you eat. And the thing is, you know both people in the relationship need to want to make this happen, because it can be frustrating if one person really wants it and the other doesn't.
Speaker 1:And there's this tug of war.
Speaker 2:So that's just going to end up being frustrating. But yeah, or going, you know, during nice times of the year, go for a walk together and maybe listen to a scripture or talk about a scripture. Okay, this is a scripture that we carried with us today to work. Let's pray about it together and see what we can share, because when different people are in scripture, it'll speak different things to you depending on where you're at. For me, that's the beauty of a small group is people are studying the same thing but you kind of come with different reactions to it and you can learn so much more when you're studying it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree, those are definitely doable for most couples.
Speaker 2:Yeah, start small. Don't start with such high expectations of yourself that you're just going to get defeated and frustrated in the first two days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I like how you mentioned that they both have to want that, because if not, then the other is just going to be nagging them and then it's just going to shut down and make a barrier.
Speaker 1:So you definitely, if you're in a situation where it's not both of you mutually wanting to follow after God, or maybe you're with a non-believing spouse pray for them, just pray for them, that God would capture their heart and that it would come to a point where that would be a thing for you, where you can start doing that. I know you have a website and you wanted to share. What exactly do you do on your website? Do you have Bible reading plans, devotionals? I know you mentioned your books. Are they novels or are they nonfiction books?
Speaker 2:Well, it's a lot of stories from my life, so my journey. And then also, at the end of each chapter, there's a practical application, because I'm a strong advocate for applying what we learn you know it's good to read a book.
Speaker 2:You know, change, you know, for the better in some way from what you read, then you really didn't get the most out of the book. So just little practical applications at the end of each chapter to practice praying scripture. Yeah, so my my first book is available on my website and the second one will be later this year when it's available, and you can also follow my social media pages. They're all there on the website, Eventually getting some podcast interviews on there as well, and I'm also a speaker, so if somebody wants to book me as a speaker for their church or an event or a Bible study, they can find me on there.
Speaker 1:All right, sounds good. And what's the website? Again, it's.
Speaker 2:DebbieLutherHowellcom.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, Debbie, so much for the awesome advice and wisdom and encouragement. I believe that this is definitely going to help free people up who may have had one idea of this is how you should get close to God, and now they've got more ideas and I'm pretty sure it's going to help people's hearts today. So thank you so much for coming on and talking with me.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you for taking the time.
