Donna Barlow is a midwife and a mother of 5, and she helps bring clarity to the topic of fertility and children by answering the following questions: Should a single woman go to an OBGYN and have her fertility checked? Or should she wait until she is engaged to look into that area of her health? What are common myths about fertility? If someone has a condition that may impact fertility, how early should they disclose that in a dating relationship? What practical steps can a single woman do to help her fertility and hormones? What would you tell a woman who doesn’t have a strong desire to have children? Should couples seek to have children right away after marriage? For a woman who is thinking about freezing her eggs, what should she consider before a decision like that? And what comfort can you offer to women who are beyond child-bearing years?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Chris Hamilton addresses some common concerns surrounding money in a marriage relationship by answering the following questions: What do you see are common struggles married couples have with money, and what can single women do now to prevent those future conflicts? What attitude should a woman have when she submits to her husband’s leadership in this area? For a dating couple, who should pay for the date? And if the couple is in a long-distance relationship, is it appropriate or even expected for the man to help with the woman's travel expenses? In marriage is there a principle for who should handle the money? How do men and women think differently about money? And for a married couple who wants to keep their finances separate, what biblical wisdom can you offer on that decision?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Marie Clark helps us see how subtly manipulation can show up in our communication by answering the following questions: How would people manipulate others without fully realizing it? What is the opposite of manipulation that we are called to put on?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Biblical counselor Marie Clark helps us understand manipulation and navigate manipulative people by answering the following questions: What does a godly response to manipulation look like? What character flaws make is easier for someone to manipulate you? How do we know if something is flattery or sincere praise?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Pastor's wife Pam Hardy encourages us in our prayer life by answering the following questions: There is a temptation to approach prayer with an attitude of guilt. What mindset should the believer seek to cultivate instead? If God knows everything, why does He want to listen to us? Why did Jesus pray, and how can that help us understand prayer and our need to pray? What is the value of praying with others one-on-one or in a group setting? What are practical considerations for before and during our prayer time?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Pastor, biblical counselor, and author Deepak Reju walks us through his book on the topic of why women settle for men with major sin issues by answering the following questions: What inspired you to write a book about women “settling”? Women are sometimes accused of being too picky, but how do we know when the flaws outlined in your book are big enough to break off a relationship? What concerns would you have for a woman who is dating a “passive” man? What would a life look like being yoked to the “unteachable” man? How would you convince the woman to break off a relationship with the “commitment-phobic” man? And how would you encourage women who feel like all the good guys are taken and are disheartened by the current dating landscape?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Deepak Reju's book: "She's Got the Wrong Guy: Why Smart Women Settle" https://a.co/d/1rwIhLK
Pastor Jonny Ardavanis provides helpful clarity to the gift of singleness by answering the following questions: What is the gift of singleness and what are common misconceptions about this gift? How can we maintain a balanced view of both the gift of singleness and the gift of marriage, and why is that important? Extended singleness has become more common even in the church. How can we think biblically about this trend? There is a temptation for people to be critical of members of the opposite sex in how they steward their singleness or relationships. How can we guard against that spirit of resentment, and have a Christ-like perspective instead? How would you encourage a single woman to cultivate a desire for marriage, while also not making it an idol? What are ways you've seen Christian women leverage their singleness?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Jonny's Ministry and Podcast: https://dialinministries.org/
Drawing from biblical wisdom and real-life experience, Lynne Brown and Ann Bradley offer guidance to help women better understand and value the men in their lives by addressing these key questions: What are misconceptions that women have about men? What are common ways men misunderstand women, and how can knowing this help women respond better to them? Can you explain the importance of respect in dealing with men? How can you respond if there is a man in your life that you do not respect? And can you help us understand the strengths for the different “types” of men?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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30 Day Respect Challenge: https://www.reviveourhearts.com/articles/30-day-respect-challenge/?srsltid=AfmBOoo_65FCJ-3Pmww3ipzOKwt9OgIIwglM4eZEBchMz_mFCV78195d
Author and speaker Lydia Brownback answers the following questions from her book about singleness: Why is it important to get beyond the constant speculation of “why” we are still single? How can we be encouraged when our social stability changes as friends get married and move into different seasons of life? What would you tell the woman who is doing everything right to try and get married and despite her best efforts, she is still single? How can a better grasp of God’s sovereignty help the woman who is fearful she will miss an opportunity for meeting her future husband, or thinks she may have already passed him up? What would you tell the woman who is forcing herself to be attracted to someone, or simply grasping at an available man for fear that he may be her last chance at marriage? Sometimes single women can refrain from particular activities, purchases, or pursuits because they are afraid that going ahead with them will entrench them in a life of singleness, or they are waiting for the “bridal shower.” What are concrete steps a woman can take to break out of that mindset?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Lydia's Books:
"Fine China Is For Single Women Too" https://a.co/d/6UfonPa
"Finding God In My Loneliness" https://a.co/d/fVmsGdA
Pastor Philip De Courcy charts us through the murky waters of indecision by answering the following questions: God has given us the stewardship of making decisions in life, but can you expand on the blessing and challenge this presents? What are common reasons behind indecision? Should someone seek to have "peace" before moving forward with a decision? When is it appropriate to take a step of faith? What posture should we have before the Lord when making decisions? If I make a decision that doesn't turn out so well, am I now living God's “second best?”
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
“Off Color” Series by Philip De Courcy: https://ktt.org/sermons/series/off-color
Recommended Books:
“How to Know God’s Will” by Wayne Grudem
“Decisions Made Simple” by Tim Chester
“Found God’s Will” by John MacArthur
Related Episodes:
85. Navigating Decisions with Chris Hamilton
48. How to Make Decisions with Chris Hamilton
Author Pam Hardy helps us hold onto reality and hope at the same time by answering the following questions: What are reasons people tend to lose hope? How is hope cultivated in a believer's life? Should believer's hope for things in this life, or is our hope only on eternal matters? If someone loses their balance in the area of hope, what are the symptoms they may see? If someone doesn't have a firm grasp on reality, how might this negatively affect their life and decisions?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Pam Hardy’s Book: “Keeping Your Balance: Navigating Wisely Through the Challenges of Life”
Returning guest Lynne Brown addresses the common struggles of feeling left behind in life by answering the following questions: How can we avoid comparison to our peers when they seem to be moving effortlessly through life and we feel stuck? How do you answer the “What’s new?” question when nothing is new? How can those getting married later in life navigate the imbalance of having children later in life, or being in the newlywed class with couples much younger than them?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Lynne Brown’s Newsletter “Faith: A Refusal to Panic”: https://lynnemariebrown.substack.com/
Pastor Smedly Yates sharpens our perspective on those seasons of waiting by answering the following questions: Why does God have us wait, and what is He accomplishing in us through waiting? How should Christians wait? What are wrong ways people respond to waiting? How can we grow in embracing delayed gratification? And how can we enjoy and trust God’s plan when we are longing for something else?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Smedly’s book: Wait: Waiting on God in a World that Won’t Wait
In this second episode on keeping Christ central in the home, biblical counselor Marie Clark highlights the relationships and roles within the family by answering the following questions: Why is it important for Christians to understand their God-given roles and how to live them out for the harmony of the family? How do you go about developing a family culture? How do you keep practices like praying before a meal from becoming simply ritualistic? How would you encourage the woman who has a more passive husband in leading the family spiritually?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Biblical counselor Marie Clark shares from God’s word and her own personal experience on how to keep Christ at the center of your home by answering the following questions: What are the priorities a woman should focus on to keep Christ magnified in the home? What can we do if burdens from our past create fear for our future? How can we temper our desire to have a beautiful home without becoming materialistic? How can we successfully accept and blend family cultures when we get married? And what are the daily habits you and your family have built in to keep Christ at the center of your home?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Wife and Mom of 6, Cathy Olewiler shares her experience of how developing a life purpose statement helped shape their family life and culture by answering the following questions: What are the rewards of setting a life purpose statement for your life? How would someone go about developing a purpose statement? How do you say “no” to good things and keep from getting sidetracked with side issues rather than the main thing? What do you do when you feel overcommitted? How can you encourage your husband to lead in creating a family purpose statement?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Author and biblical counselor Martha Peace shares practical wisdom on how to navigate PMS symptoms by answering the following questions: What is God doing in our hearts through PMS? When do overwhelming emotions cross the line from being simply physical symptoms into being sinful responses? How should we respond when God does not deliver us from a long-standing trial? Why is it essential to think and act rightly even when we don’t feel like it?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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The common tendency to overthink can be overcome, and Taylor Jones provides helpful insight in this process by answering the following questions: What is "overthinking"? What are the fruits produced by mature thinking, and the negative fruit produced by overthinking? Is it possible to overthink the Christian life? How can we curb the tendency to overthink ourselves, and our relationships? And how do we move from being preoccupied with ourselves to worshiping Christ?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Recommended Resources:
Biblicalcounseling.com
"Self Image" booklet by Lou Priollo
"When People are Big and God is Small" by Ed Welch
"Trusting God" by Jerry Bridges
Biblical counselor Marie Clark helps us understand the negative women in Proverbs so that we can avoid being characterized as lacking discretion, being contentious, bringing shame to our husband, tearing down our house with our own hands, or being an adulterous woman.
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
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Sophie helps us understand how to guide our emotions in a way that pleases the Lord by answering the following questions: If a woman is emotionally stuck on a crush or previous relationship, why is it important that she actively address those longings? How can you be aware if your emotions after a relationship ends are healthy and normal or are sinful and idolatrous? When God has made it clear that a relationship is not moving forward, what steps can we take to accept God’s will and begin to move forward in our hearts? Is it ok to remove yourself from contexts where you will interact with the man? And how can we shift our focus from what we have lost or given up to excitement for the goodness and care of God and for what is to come?
Website: smilingatthefuturepodcast.com
Email: smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com
Support The Podcast: https://donorbox.org/smiling-at-2024
Recommended Book: “Picking Up the Pieces” with Lou Priollo
Recommended Episodes:
30.False Starts: Navigating Rejection and Breakups with Lynne Brown: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/30-false-starts-navigating-rejection-and-breakups/id1526155723?i=1000523786604
63. A Biblical Understanding of Food and Body Image with Sophie Southedon:
57. Recovering from a Breakup: Hope in the Midst of Heartache with Liz Tittle: