Simply Joyful Podcast: Heidi St. John – Counter-Cultural Parenting

We live in a hurting and broken world. The influences of our culture try to seep their way into our homes any way they can. The hearts and minds of our children are under attack daily. However, often this battle begins with us — parents. Often we are the ones who are battling the pressures of this culture and allowing ourselves to get stuck in the “ditches” that the enemy seems determined to put us in.

Heidi and I  discussed these “ditches” in the first episode of this interview. These are the places we get stuck and off-track from the path that the Lord wants us walking on. In this episode we jump back in where we left off and discuss how parenting and womanhood are under attack today. We need to strive to live counter-culturally for our family’s sake.

Now, if you are unfamiliar with Heidi St. John, she is a dynamic speaker and has a very popular blog called The Busy Mom. Equally as popular is her podcast, The Busy Mom Podcast. 

On a “Simply” & “Joyful” side note…

Heidi has some great advice on how she simplifies…she shares it right after she laughs at me for asking the “busy mom” how she lives more “simply.” Ha! Hey, even busy moms can find ways to simplify their lives…and she has some great advice. Wait until you hear what she did with her husband’s power tools!

In This Episode…

In this episode Heidi and I get borderline controversial. If you follow Heidi anywhere online you know she is known for speaking truth on current events and how they relate to the Word of God. We dive into the recent Women’s March in D.C. and how we should respond as women and mothers. I typically don’t get into topics like this on my blog or on the podcast, but Heidi’s wisdom is so good in how she relates everything back to the Lord.

This podcast interview was so awesome…and long…that I split it into two episodes. Don’t miss Part One of this interview where Heidi shares some incredible encouragement for busy moms.

I hope you will be encouraged with every episode of this podcast…starting with this one!

Highlights from This Show…

• Heidi shares about how weak women are in the culture today as mothers, and how we don’t even know what being a woman means anymore.
• “We take our worth and our role from the Lord” — Heidi St. John
• ‘Women need to be strong in who they are and strong in the Lord, so that they can train their children.’ — Heidi St. John
• * With over 28 years of being married, having children, and now having grandchildren, Heidi talks about the fact that she has “the gift of perspective” which she shares in her new book, Becoming Mom Strong.
• * Heidi and Kristi talk a bit about the Feminist Movement. Heidi shares about the history of Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger.
• “I feel like womanhood is under attack.” — Kristi Clover
• “I want to embrace my femininity.”  — Heidi St. John
• * Heidi talks about the recent Women’s March in Washington D.C. — and her Facebook post that got millions of views!
• ‘These women want to be heard, but they won’t listen. They want to be respected, but they won’t give respect.’ — Heidi St. John
• “Unfortunately, we have allowed culture to get to the point where our kids think that’s how it’s done!”  — Heidi St. John
• Kristi shares about how she sees one of the biggest problem we have in society right now is our view of  “parenting.”
• ‘I think right now it’s not parenting, it’s friending.’ — Kristi Clover
• Heidi talks about how she’s seen a lot of people taking things that are happening in our culture out of the context of the Bible, because they don’t know the Bible.
• Heidi discusses the Johnson Amendment and how this affects our pastors ability to speak the truth of the Bible.
• ‘We have a lot of problems in this country, but we have a big God!’ — Heidi St. John
• Kristi talks about the amazing resource Heidi has on her website on Scripture writing.
• “I don’t think there’s anything that can touch a heart more than Scripture.” — Kristi Clover
• ‘If we would just spend 10 minutes before the Lord with our hearts open. It really will change your life.’ — Heidi St. John
• Heidi shares some incredible tips on how she simplifies her “busy” home. She’s a big fan of to-do lists, order, and having a plan for dinner.
• Heidi is getting ready to release a Busy Mom Planner that will be filled with her tips and the routines she incorporates into her day.
• Praying and asking the Lord to help order the day is the best way to start your day off right.
• Heidi is a big believer in getting rid of stuff — clutter!
• ‘Clutter messes up our lives…and creates stress!’ — Heidi St. John
• Lesson learned: Ask your husband before donating his power tools.
• We talked about how as wives we all know what our husband’s “primary” love language is. {wink. wink.}
• Heidi’s love language is acts of service. She joked that her husband is “bringing sexy back starting with the dishes.”
• We talked about how we feel like our love languages root from our family upbringing.

Please Note…

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of my book, Sanity Savers for Moms, by joining our Simply Joyful community. It’s a great way to keep in touch…and get subscriber only freebies like my book. Click HERE to get the book and join!

Words to Remember…

Here’s some of the Scripture that Heidi and I discussed in the first part of our interview. They really set up the backdrop for what we talk about in this episode.

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Connect with Heidi…

Heidi St John has delighted tens of thousands of readers through her blog, podcast, Facebook page, and her books. Her transparent style and her rich sense of humor combine to draw her readers into what feels like a very personal conversation over a cup of coffee. It’s like sitting and talking with a friend.

Heidi’s ability to bypass our prejudices and preconceptions allows her to speak directly to the heart of every reader and listener as she offers wisdom, inspiration, and grace to those who are all-too-often feeling overwhelmed by all that’s on their plate.

Check out more of Heidi’s books HERE on Amazon — and be sure to listen in to her incredible podcast HERE! You can find all of Heidi’s posts and podcast episodes on her website at heidistjohn.com.

Thank you, Rend Collective for allowing me to use your incredible song “The Joy of the Lord”!

(This podcast is by Kristi Clover. Discovered by e² media network and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not e² media network, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)