{"id":307192,"date":"2021-08-07T07:00:05","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T11:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/putting-things-in-the-right-place-2\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T15:39:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T20:39:43","slug":"putting-things-in-the-right-place-2","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-this-week\/putting-things-in-the-right-place-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting Things in the Right Place"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brooke McGlothlin and Natalie Jones share their successes and failures in prioritizing time with God and their husbands over the demands of their kids.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brooke McGlothlin and Natalie Jones share their successes and failures in prioritizing time with God and their husbands over the demands of their kids.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/d2c17sq0nj1f7e.cloudfront.net\/flw2021-08-07.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:28:00","filesize":"25.64M","filesize_raw":"26883691","date_recorded":"2021-08-07 07:00:05","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2853,2838,2806],"tags":[4798,4087,2209,6997],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[3511,9726],"series":[10388],"class_list":["post-307192","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","hentry","category-frazzled-family","category-mothers","category-spiritual-development","tag-kids","tag-mothers","tag-parenting","tag-spiritual-development","cwp_profile-brooke-mcglothlin","cwp_profile-natalie-jones","series-familylife-this-week"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/10\/FLTW-Podcast-Cover-2-1400x1400-1-300x300-1.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/dts.podtrac.com\/redirect.mp3\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/307192\/putting-things-in-the-right-place-2","player_link":"https:\/\/dts.podtrac.com\/redirect.mp3\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/307192\/putting-things-in-the-right-place-2","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-this-week","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"mWOmdDJjV3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-this-week\/putting-things-in-the-right-place-2\/\">Putting Things in the Right Place<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-this-week\/putting-things-in-the-right-place-2\/embed\/#?secret=mWOmdDJjV3\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Putting Things in the Right Place&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"mWOmdDJjV3\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Brooke McGlothlin and Natalie Jones share their successes and failures in prioritizing time with God and their husbands over the demands of their kids.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/flw\/flw2021-08-07.pdf","transcript_content":"<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Moms, I understand you have a tough job: it\u2019s a hard one, and it\u2019s a busy one. I\u2019ve also heard some moms say that God gives them a pass for spending time with Him because they are so busy; but Brooke McGlothlin says, \u201cYou better be careful with that advice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I say this with as much love and compassion as I can muster\u2014because I have been that mom that has struggled to get up five minutes earlier; or to find a time in the middle of the day and think that I\u2019m going to get some time when the kids nap, and then they wake up too early\u2014I know those frustrations; I remember them very, very well\u2014but the first step is to ask yourself: \u201cIs this a priority for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> We\u2019re going to help young moms be the <em>best<\/em> parent they can be by putting their kids in <em>third<\/em> place behind their spouse and God on this edition of <em>FamilyLife This Week. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Welcome to <em>FamilyLife This Week<\/em>. I'm Michelle Hill. It is the first weekend of August; it\u2019s truly the dog days of summer. In a few weeks, moms, you\u2019re going to have your routine back; so today, we\u2019re going to look at how to survive and thrive the rest of the summer. We\u2019ll also talk about a few tips to have some fun and make some memories as you finish out this summer well; a tip like this one:<\/p>\n<p>Let the kids stay up late one night this week. Catch some fireflies; put them in a mason jar; and then roast marshmallows by a fire in the backyard. If you don\u2019t have a backyard, maybe a microwave will work?\u2014I don\u2019t know; maybe not\u2014but you can try!<\/p>\n<p>The point is making memories with your kids does not have to cost that much; it can be <em>free<\/em>. But you\u2019re <em>still<\/em> making memories and you\u2019re still having conversations with your kids.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get back to the surviving and thriving, not just in the summertime, but <em>all<\/em> the time. I\u2019m going to talk today with Brooke McGlothlin. She has survived and thrived with raising <em>boys<\/em>. She is a wife; she is a mom of boys. She is an author and also founder of the online MOB Society, which stands for Mothers of Boys. She also is helping us understand what our kids really need from you. It might not be what you think.<\/p>\n<p>[Previous Interview]<\/p>\n<p>Brooke, welcome to the broadcast today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> Thank you so much. I\u2019m glad to be here.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> What is it like to be a mom of boys?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> It is wild, and wooly, and crazy. [Laughter] But I love it; I love it. I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. I actually prayed and asked the Lord to give me boys. He was gracious enough to do that and then laughed at me heartily after He answered that prayer. [Laughter] They keep me on my toes. We love every second of it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> How many boys do you have?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> We have two; we have an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Okay, so you <em>prayed<\/em> for boys.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I did.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Why did you pray for boys?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I wanted the opportunity to raise men, who really loved the Lord, and who were <em>different<\/em> than some of the men that I had seen around me. I had seen just enough true, loving, biblical God-loving men to know that that\u2019s what I wanted and that the world needed <em>more<\/em> of those.<\/p>\n<p>I was <em>clueless<\/em>; I was clueless. I thought I could do it by myself, and I wanted the opportunity to try. I was a very goal-driven person; and by the time my husband and I had our first son, I had checked off pretty much every major life goal that I ever had for myself. It made sense to me that, if I just worked hard enough, I could produce the kind of godly men that I wanted to produce.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s just say that God had a different plan for what that would look like for me. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> You had mentioned, \u201cIt\u2019s kind of funny\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> It is funny; it\u2019s <em>hilarious<\/em> when you think about it. How many times have you listened to someone, who is not a mom, talking about being a mom, and how easy it\u2019s going to be, and complaining about what\u2019s wrong with children today? Then she has children; and two years later, she\u2019s like, \u201cI am so sorry. I take it all back, every bit of it. [Laughter]\u00a0 This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>God used having these boys to literally kick my feet right out from under me. They were born 23 months apart, and they are what I like to call <em>those boys<\/em>. They are 250 percent boy: they are aggressive; they are full of energy; they are mouthy; they act before they think in most occasions. They still do on some level, but they ran me ragged. They really did. [Laughter] I went to bed <em>so many nights<\/em> when they were little, knowing that I had not been the kind of mom I wanted to be that day. They brought out the worst in me.<\/p>\n<p>Because no matter what I did, as someone who had always just been able to work <em>hard<\/em> to accomplish the things she had wanted to accomplish\u2014all it had ever required for me before my children to accomplish a goal\/to put a check mark beside whatever I wanted to do\u2014was to just work hard enough. I realized that I <em>couldn\u2019t work hard enough<\/em> to produce the kind of men that I wanted to produce, because it wasn\u2019t just a matter of behavior; it\u2019s a matter of the heart. God showed me that in Ezekiel 36:26, early on in my parenting, where He says, \u201cI\u2019m the One that turns the heart of stone to a heart of flesh [paraphrased].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I remember being <em>annoyed<\/em> by that on some level. [Laughter] Like, on the one hand, it was great; because I was able to recognize and be <em>relieved<\/em> of the pressure to have to be the one to change their hearts. But on the other side of the spectrum, I really wanted to just be able to <em>do<\/em> it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I couldn\u2019t do that, and the realization of my powerlessness in that was <em>very <\/em>hard for me to take.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> That would be hard. I mean, because we think we can be in control. You have these little\u2014these little boys that you\u2019re bigger than them; you\u2019re stronger than them; you\u2019re still smarter than them\u2014and all of a sudden, you were like, \u201cI <em>can\u2019t<\/em> do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> That\u2019s exactly what it was. It was me saying, \u201cGod, I can\u2019t do this.\u201d As it turns out, saying that to God was one of the best things I ever did.<\/p>\n<p>We have this check list in our minds, as moms, of what our kids really need. But I think, in our society today, we have forgotten that what our children actually need are moms, who are broken before the Lord\u2014who know that they are sinners in need of Jesus\u2014and who are pursuing Him with everything they have. If we are living that life, <em>that<\/em> is the freeing truth about what our kids really need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Help the mom out, who\u2019s listening, going, \u201cWhere should I even start if I am not cracking my Bible open every day? I believe in God, but I just don\u2019t have the <em>time<\/em>; there\u2019s just too many other things pulling at me\/too many other distractions.\u201d Where should she start? What was the <em>best<\/em> place? What did <em>you<\/em> do?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I got creative. I think, as with all things, it starts in our hearts. <em>Everything<\/em> comes out of our heart. The first step maybe is to just ask yourself\u2014I say this with as much love and compassion as I can muster\u2014because I have been that mom that has struggled to get up five minutes earlier; or to find a time in the middle of the day and think that I\u2019m going to get some time when the kids nap, and then they wake up too early\u2014I know those frustrations; I remember them very, very well\u2014but the first step is to ask yourself: \u201cIs this a priority for me?\u201d Because you will live your priorities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> You will. Sometimes I think people think that sounds a little bit harsh, but you will live what\u2019s important to you. The first question that you should ask yourself is: \u201cIs being in the Word of God important to me? Is it the <em>most<\/em> important thing to me?\u201d \u201cDo I know that, if I\u2019m not spending time with the Lord, then as a mom, I\u2019m pouring out, and pouring out, and pouring out, and <em>nothing<\/em> is being pumped back in?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no wonder that we find ourselves <em>exhausted<\/em> and with no resources\/nothing left to give. That\u2019s because we have pumped ourselves dry; and we are <em>not<\/em> filling the well back up with the Word of God, which is what our heart so desperately needs. Ask yourself those hard questions first, and then get creative in trying to find a way to live out that priority.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Brooke, that is <em>great<\/em> advice. We need to take a break; but Brooke, I want you to stick around. After the break I have another question or two that I need to ask you.<\/p>\n<p>Also, a quick tip for moms out there: \u201cHow about before school starts up, maybe take an <em>evening<\/em> in the next month and eat ice cream sundaes for dinner?\u201d I can guarantee you will be <em>the best mom ever<\/em>. My mom\u2019s the best mom ever, but I really wish that she would have fed me ice cream sundaes for dinner.<\/p>\n<p>Stick around; Brooke McGlothlin\u2019s going to join me after the break. You don\u2019t want to miss this. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n<p>[Radio Station Spot Break]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Welcome back to <em>FamilyLife This Week<\/em>. I\u2019m Michelle Hill. Again, it\u2019s August. Moms, we are helping you to survive and thrive that last little bit. It\u2019s like you\u2019re in this <em>race<\/em> to get to the end of summer, when the kids head back to school, and you can have your routine back; right?!<\/p>\n<p>A mom, who is helping us survive and thrive, is Brooke McGlothlin. Brooke, before the break, you had mentioned that you had aspirations in your 20s of having a PhD by the time you were 30\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> Yes. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> \u2014and having really these amazing mile markers or timeline in accomplishing a lot. Did you see yourself as a stay-at-home mom?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> Never; not once. In fact\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> I\u2019m not saying that as a \u201cless than\u201d; I mean, because the stay-at-home moms work hard\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> \u2014I totally get that. But did you see <em>yourself<\/em> that way?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I did not. In fact, there was a time, when I was in my early college years, that I wasn\u2019t sure that I wanted to be a mom at all. God totally changed my heart in that area. I really was very interested in being a professional when I was in college and then in graduate school; that\u2019s how I wanted to use my talents.<\/p>\n<p>God has been gracious to me and still allowed me to do some of that as I have been a stay-at-home mom; but it took a significant heart change in me, and even more so in my husband. He wanted our children to have the very best, but we just don\u2019t live in an area where a lot of the moms stay at home. It wasn\u2019t the norm; it wasn\u2019t what we saw every day. It was a <em>huge<\/em> sacrifice for us financially. But God put it on our hearts to do.<\/p>\n<p>I do want to be careful and say here that I don\u2019t think that God necessarily has that same call for every woman. You may be at a completely different life circumstance than I was at that time. You may be a single mom, who is supporting her kids by herself; you have to work in some way. I\u2019m not in any way, when I say this, that God called us to be\/for me to be at home\u2014I\u2019m not trying to extend that to every mom\u2014I\u2019m simply saying, \u201cThis is what God called us to do for this season.\u201d For us, it was a matter of obedience. For me, it was a matter of laying down the dreams that I had for myself in order to pick up the dreams that <em>God<\/em> had for me instead.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> That\u2019s so neat. It\u2019s so neat to see how God goes before us, and He has the path for our lives. We just need to walk it. Sometimes, that\u2019s so hard for us to do; but we just need to walk it. He has it all planned out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> His plan is <em>so much<\/em> better than ours ever could be. I would say to someone listening right now, who maybe finds herself in a season or a place that she never thought she would be, \u201cHang on; just hang on a little bit longer. Keep your head in the game; keep your <em>heart<\/em> in the game. Choose to trust the plan that God has for you, because it\u2019s <em>better<\/em> than your plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> What do you think you would have done if God had given you <em>girls<\/em>? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> I have people ask me all the time: \u201cDon\u2019t you want to try again for a girl?\u201d [Laughter] Actually, no; I don\u2019t. I really like having boys. My father was one of three boys; my husband is one of three boys. I have an older brother. I feel like God has uniquely gifted me to be able to understand and deal with boys in some ways. I\u2019m so grateful for that.<\/p>\n<p>I would have loved her. It wouldn\u2019t have been what I wanted; but then, nothing has been exactly what I wanted. Isn\u2019t that just what it is to be a Christian?\u2014is to let go of what we wanted and to let God do what <em>He<\/em> wants to do through us instead.<\/p>\n<p>If He had given me a girl, we would have loved her. We would have been probably just as challenged. Boy, I know; I talk about having <em>those boys<\/em>, and I am immediately corrected almost every day by girl moms that say, \u201cOh, no, no, I have one of <em>those girls<\/em>. [Laughter] I know whatever God would have chosen to give me, He would have had me on the same path; because God wanted me to know how much I needed Him; I didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, I knew that I needed Him to forgive my sins; I knew I needed Him for salvation. I had made that decision long ago before I had come to the point where I had my first child; it wasn\u2019t a matter of salvation. It was a matter of every day dependence upon God. If God had not given me the children that He gave me, then I hate to think where I would still be. I\u2019m <em>so grateful<\/em>, looking back now, that God did what He did in my life and completely rearranged me from top to bottom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> \u201cEvery good and perfect gift,\u2026\u201d\u2014and sometimes, those gifts are not what we ever expected; sometimes, those gifts hurt; sometimes, those gifts are exactly <em>what<\/em> we expected\u2014yet, those good and perfect gifts are the ones that drive us into His arms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Brooke, thank you so much for joining me today and talking about <em>boys<\/em>. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooke:<\/strong> It is one of my <em>favorite<\/em> things to talk about, so thank you for having me. It\u2019s been a treat.<\/p>\n<p>[Studio]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Brooke has such a <em>great<\/em> perspective. She was heading one way and figured she could have it all: kids, career\u2014everything. But she really traded her professional career for a career as a mom. In some ways, it\u2019s normal; in some ways, it\u2019s not so normal.<\/p>\n<p>There are a lot of moms, who are working outside the home. A tip for a mom, who is working outside the home\u2014a little summertime fun idea:<\/p>\n<p>You know that personal day you get from work?\u2014I mean, most people get a personal day\u2014well, take that personal day and <em>surprise<\/em> your kid. Either spend the afternoon at the pool or maybe a fun movie matinee. Splurge on some popcorn and some soda pop, and watch your kids run all over and get hyper. Fun, fun, fun!<\/p>\n<p>In my discussion with Brooke, we talked about her quest for a PhD. It reminded me of an interview that I had with Natalie Jones. Natalie Jones is a working mom outside the home. She\u2019s a mom of five; and she is also the founder and president of <em>Parent Compass<\/em>,which is a TV show that offers <em>hope<\/em> to moms and dads, who desperately need it.<\/p>\n<p>I asked Natalie, \u201cWhat were some of the challenges that are facing parents today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[Previous Interview]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> I think there\u2019s two that parents feel: one is overwhelmed and then the other is isolated. You feel like\u2014and it\u2019s a lie\u2014we feel like: \u201cWe\u2019re the only one that has this problem,\u201d\u2014like\u2014\u201cIt\u2019s our fault\u201d; or we don\u2019t feel <em>good<\/em> about who we are.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a verse that says, \u201cTake all my thoughts and make them obedient to Christ,\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>[2 Corinthians 10:5 paraphrased]\u2014say, \u201cLord, I\u2019m going to submit all my thoughts to You. I\u2019m going to resist this thought; I <em>refuse<\/em> it\u201d; right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> We don\u2019t spend our time\u2014because lots of times, if we get those negative thoughts about: \u201cOh my gosh, I\u2019m not parenting right,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m\u2026\u2014whatever\u2014it\u2019s like we get in that hole. God\u2019s got a rope to us or a way out of that hole; but we can\u2019t see it, because we\u2019re so busy <em>worrying<\/em>\u2014which we do\u2014I\u2019m certainly not saying I don\u2019t do these things. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>But it does say\u2014that\u2019s another thing that the Lord says, \u201cNo need to worry,\u201d\u2014right?\u2014\u201cDo not be anxious for anything; but in everything, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God,\u201d [Philippians 4:6]\u2014what I love about that is the second part to that. He doesn\u2019t promise that the problem is going to go perfect, but He promises \u201cthe peace of God that surpasses all understanding\u2026\u201d [Philippians 4:7].<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> On your TV show, have you talked about isolation and being overwhelmed?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> What we do is we <em>show<\/em> it. We have 12 different families, and they have allowed and opened the door to their lives. We go in their homes, and it\u2019s filmed in their home. They tell us the problems that they\u2019ve gone through. The message may be, for a lot of people, that: \u201cNo matter what\u2019s gone before\u2014no matter what your past is or your family\u2019s past\u2014focus on the Lord. He can bring you that comfort, and that love, and peace, and joy into your home, going forward.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> What was the most difficult thing that <em>you<\/em> had to face as a parent?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> Oh, that\u2019s a <em>good<\/em> question. I don\u2019t know if this was <em>the<\/em> most difficult, but it\u2019s what comes to mind; I know it was <em>really<\/em> difficult. We had one child\u2014for years\/in the teenage years\u2014was really, really, really tough. It sort of brings tears to my eyes when I think about it; it was so <em>tough<\/em>. You almost want them to move out; that\u2019s how bad it gets. He\u2019s disobeying; he\u2019s back-talking; he even threw things and broke them\u2014they were minor things\u2014but still\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> \u2014it just shows the intensity.<\/p>\n<p>That person has grown up now, and he\u2019s becoming stronger in the Lord. My husband and I are still somewhat in shock; and we go, \u201cOh my gosh, he\u2019s okay! He\u2019s <em>great<\/em>!\u201d We\u2019re just <em>thrilled<\/em>. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Hang in there, guys. Hang in there. There may be <em>very<\/em> tough years and difficulties in the teenage years. Just hang onto God; hang onto His Word, and walk through it with Him.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> What did you learn about yourself, walking through that time?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> How much we need to depend on the Lord and how <em>great<\/em> His Word is in helping. I felt like the Lord gave me <em>specific<\/em> Scriptures to pray. I had another friend that I joined with\u2014and I would recommend this\u2014I had another friend that we joined. She had a number of Scriptures, and we prayed those. Maybe that\u2019s what\u2014I mean, the Lord made the difference in this young man\u2019s life now, who\u2019s older\u2014we prayed the Scriptures and put our children\u2019s name in those Scriptures.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> How great practical help.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> Yes, one of the Scriptures that the Lord gave me for him was the one on \u201cFlee youthful lusts [2 Timothy 2: 22].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another one was: \u201cSimon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But Simon, I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers [Luke 22:31-32].\u201d Satan wants to stop everybody from their purpose. Your child has purpose: he\u2019s been given gifts from the Lord; he\u2019s been created in God\u2019s image. Give your life, as a living sacrifice, and He\u2019ll guide you to those good works. You don\u2019t have to <em>worry<\/em> about what they are or what [you\u2019re] doing. The Lord says, \u201cNo need to worry,\u201d\u2014right?\u2014but \u201cpray.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Now, I want to turn just a little bit. I\u2019m wondering how did you balance the demands of being a TV producer with the demands of being a mom?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> I\u2019m a stay-at-home mom. Most of the time, when I had five children\u2014well, that\u2019s true; I did ministry the whole time\u2014you\u2019re right. It was all done by prayer and the Lord\u2019s guidance. There were times when I was overwhelmed; and the Lord taught me\u2014not with this show, but with other ministries that I did\u2014I was the one that was overwhelming it. I was adding more to what He was giving me so that I was spinning plates.<\/p>\n<p>Many times I would\u2014or one specific time, I was living in London\u2014and the Lord asked to do a commemoration of September 11. I overworked that by adding: \u201cOkay, we\u2019re going to have book sales,\u201d and \u201cWe\u2019re going to have a list of everyone who passed away,\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re going to do these additional things\u2026\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> \u2014beyond what was necessary. That took more time and more stress that was unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Did you see your family <em>suffer<\/em> as a result of this?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t have enough time for them. It was a two-month time period that it ended up being.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> That\u2019s a long time of stress, and it\u2019s a long time without mom. You were still there, but your brain was probably other places.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> Right; right. What my husband and I decided is: I put the ministry into certain hours of the day, where it wouldn\u2019t affect the family; so that\u2019s what we did. I only did it within those times so then I could only do so much.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> How <em>hard<\/em> was that to cancel out some of those spinning plates?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie: <\/strong>They were in school every day, so there\u2019s your time. It\u2019s very clear: \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t fit in the school time, then you can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s so many women out there working, and know that the Lord knows that. The Proverbs 31 talks about working women and how, if the Lord\u2019s led you to it, that\u2019s a good thing in the eyes of the Lord. He <em>gave<\/em> work <em>before<\/em> the fall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie:<\/strong> But know that He will give you that time with your children if you pray and ask for it, and keep it special and reserved.<\/p>\n<p>[Studio]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> That\u2019s Natalie Jones reminding us that we need to be keeping our priorities straight: dealing with the reality that many women\/we\u2019re called to work outside the home and just: \u201cHow do we balance everything?\u201d That is a <em>very<\/em> hard thing to do. I think we also need to remember that our most important relationship\u2014is not with our kids; it\u2019s not with our husband\u2014it\u2019s with God. We need to keep that first.<\/p>\n<p>I was recently in Charlotte, North Carolina. I watched a film on the life of Dr. Billy Graham. In an interview, someone was asking Billy Graham: \u201cWhat was his biggest regret in life?\u201d His answer <em>surprised<\/em> me; it might you too. Dr. Graham missed out on <em>many<\/em> precious memories with his wife and kids; because he was traveling all over the world, preaching to people about God.<\/p>\n<p>But his greatest regret\u2014the regret that he shared\u2014was that he didn\u2019t spend enough time in God\u2019s Word. What struck me about what Billy Graham shared was that, when we get the vertical relationship right, that\u2019s the relationship that is most important\u2014our relationship with God\u2014then, the horizontal ones\/they will follow.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re listening right now, and you want to be that super woman or that super mom, guess what? You <em>can\u2019t<\/em>, and don\u2019t give into that lie. Just be mom; because moms, you have an important job; and it\u2019s a <em>big<\/em> job. The fact is, you can\u2019t do it alone; you need God.<\/p>\n<p>One last tip for you, moms, as summertime is for you too. Here\u2019s what I want you to do:<\/p>\n<p>Next time you\u2019re at the pool, set your book down and do a cannonball dive off the board and embarrass your teenager. [Splashing sound] Or why don\u2019t you go halfsies in with your best friend?\u2014find a babysitter, and you both go to the water park without your kids.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up next week, it\u2019s <em>another<\/em> show for moms; well, and for dads. We\u2019re going to hear from Barbara Rainey and also Karen Loritts on next week\u2019s <em>FamilyLife This Week<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Hey, thanks for joining me today. I want to thank the cofounder of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey; the president of FamilyLife, David Robbins, along with our station partners around the country. A big \u201cThank you!\u201d to our engineer today, Keith Lynch. Thanks to our producers, Phil Krause and Marques Holt. Justin Adams is our mastering engineer, and Megan Martin is our production coordinator.<\/p>\n<p>Our program is a production of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, and our mission is to effectively develop godly families who change the world one home at a time.<\/p>\n<p>I'm Michelle Hill, inviting you to join us again next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife This Week.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2021 FamilyLife. 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