Heart Of The Matter Radio

My bedroom sat at the opposite end of the house from my parents, which enhanced that feeling of loneliness you have after a nightmare. Once I had a terrible dream, and I rushed down that long hallway to my father only to hear him tell me to trust in God. At that moment, I wanted someone I could see and feel.  We all sense the ache and tragedy in our world, so how can we sense the love of God. Deb and Roy Haggerty share from their recent book which draws from a lifetime of learning about God's mercy and love.

Years ago, while teaching my kids at home, we watched at the window while two birds landed on our bird feeder. One bird, (I assumed it was the mother bird) grabbed a beakful of seeds and stuffed them down the other bird. I was shocked. The 'baby' bird appeared full grown to me, especially since he flew to the feeder himself. After mom gave him several servings, both birds flew away.  What a terrific image for moms. As your children near their teens, you start equipping them to leave the nest and survive on their own. Counselor Brenda L. Yoder shares ways we can help our kids (and ourselves) through that tough transition.

I love reading women's diaries from the past because we often write down what we really think but would never say aloud. Once I read a diary by a young lady who thought she saw her friend in a mirror, and she recorded how beautiful and posed her chum appeared. However, she suddenly realized she was seeing herself.  That story reveals a lot about how a woman sees herself. Not many of us like what we see in the mirror. For instance, I used to long for straight hair instead of curly, but I've talked to women who wanted my curls rather than what they had.  Often we come close to condemning ourselves too. Author Tina Yeager shares from her latest book on how we can become beautiful warriors and see ourselves as God does. 

Life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. I recall showing off my ring after I was engaged, and one lady commented on how it might look after I mopped the kitchen floor. Looking back, I realize she thought I might be overly romantic rather than living in the real world, but I already knew life could be hard. And during tough times, we can wonder where God went. However, I have seen him at work during trials. My guest today, Patti Richter, wrote about a friend who experienced God's presence during a trial. 

In the South, we expect heavy thunderstorms and often tornadoes in the spring and fall, but we listen to the weather forecast so we can be prepared. When our kids were young, we had a tree fall on our house during a storm that hit in the middle of the night. My husband and I woke the children, and all of us huddled together in the basement until the danger had past. Life brings storms that can be just as devastating as tornadoes. You can weather those storms stay anchored. Author Cynthia Cavanaugh shares how to do that from her newest book.

If you injured your arm, you'd see the doctor and follow his instructions to elevate and add ice until you recovered.  However, if you had your nails done, you'd show all your friends and talk about the latest trends in nail design. In the same way, God intended believers to use their gifts in the church to build up and encourage one another. In a healthy church, if one member hurts, the others minister to that person, bringing them back to strength. Joy Trachsel is my guest today, and we trade stories on how we've seen the church do it's job. 

When God created male and female, he planned for us to have children and raise them together. Notice what Genesis says: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it..." He gave that command to both the woman and the man because neither could have children alone. God designed us to need a father and mother. Notice this verse from Proverbs: "Hear my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Prov 1:8 We learn best from both parents, and the lack of either can hurt us, even if death causes the loss.  TV personality Lisa Burkhardt Worley grew up without her father, and she tells how she found both healing and hope. Now her ministry offers help to others. 

I remember discovering I was carrying my second child. While I wanted another baby, my first pregnancy was rough and I hated the thought of enduring labor again. My husband couldn't understand my ambivalence because he responded with excitement to the news. However, a few days later, I began to bleed, and that alarmed me.  Suddenly, I wanted this baby. A lot! The inner nurse surfaced and I feared the worst. This time I was correct. My doctor did a sonogram, which proved the sack had dissolved. The baby was dead. Afterward, gloom impacted my judgement.  I thought of my training and decided I would probably never have another child. Infertility would plague me forever. I knew from my studies the problem often started this way.  To make matters worse, Another lady at church had a due date close to mine, and I watched in pain as her tummy grew. My heart ached with emptiness. I avoided her because she would have a new baby, and I would not. That experience gave me sympathy for those who struggle to have a child. M

I had a very involved father who was also very flawed. To my mother's dismay, he saved every paper cup he ever got at Starkbucks so he could shoot at them. When I emptied his house, I discovered he kept every scrap he ever wrote on too. He always kept filling his gas tank until the dollars and cents ended on a even number. He tore up Momma's washcloths so he could get his finger in the hem to wash every spot on his body. But he loved me. Just before he died he told me how much he adored me and let me know he was ready to go to glory. I miss those expressions of love more than I expected. However, what about those who didn't have a father? Today I have Author Fay Lamb. Her latest novel centers on recovering from a father wound, just like she had to do. She shares how she recovered.

We ladies tend to dream about our wedding day all our lives. A beautiful white dress, flowers, an adoring groom, and happy guests make that picture complete. So we want everything to be perfect, but pulling all the details together presents a challenge. With all the people and working parts things can go wrong and family members can cause problems. Everybody prefers to have fun, stress-free wedding Peggy Sue Wells, author and mother of seven, shares a list of tips on helping the bride decide what she wants and knowing what the guests care about so families can create great memories. 

Father's day has arrived again, and sometimes I wonder if merchants and card companies created these events so in order to promote sales.  My family already celebrates each person's birthday, and Christmas, so another occasion seems excessive.  However, the Bible does tell children to honor their parents.  So early in our marriage, my husband and I decided the children would remember him on Father's Day and me on Mother's Day. That allowed them to learn creativity and thankfulness. The idea worked well. However, the Bible tells wives to "respect their husbands" and in Titus it commands older ladies to"...encourage the younger women to love their husbands..." If we respect our husband, we love him. We all know men think differently. When I get upset, I want my husband to help me process my emotions rather than fix the problem. So, what's the secret to love our husbands as God commands? I've asked my husband to answer that. Ray Simmons is a teaching elder at Grace Community Church. 

Raising boys. Despite what you hear in the media, boys and girls act differently from birth. My oldest daughter had imaginary friends who lived in the vents, and she talked over her adventures with them. She also lined up her dolls and scolded them or taught them. Pretend cooking also fascinated her and she often offered me her concoctions. My two girls came first, then I had a son. The noises he made amazed me. He loved to tell me his imaginary adventures where he overcame lions or bears. Once he had a couple brothers, they scuffled in the living room, sometimes knocking things over.  My guest today is Jonathan McKee, and he writes and speaks honestly to young people about the consequences of their choices. Jonathan offers invaluable clues to parenting boys. 

As a girl, I can remember wanting to connect with other children, but I didn't know how. Once I sat down by a girl my age and told her my name. She told me hers, and we began to play. I thought that was easy, just exchange names and then you're friends. However, as you get older the process gets more complex. When I make a friend, I want to stay in touch forever, but time and circumstances change. A friend in high school stopped writing me, and I tried so hard to faithfully send her letters anyhow. At one point, I mailed her a pretty card with an empty mail box to let her know I was sad not to hear from her, but she never responded. That broke my heart.  Kathy Collard Miller has just completed a Bible study on friendship and she offers guidance on making and keeping friends. 

As a preteen, I prayed for Mom to get the wall-to-wall carpet she longed for. Later, my parents won a contest and received carpet for their living room and dining room. Mom was thrilled, and both parents considered me an incredible prayer warrior.  I look back now and wonder if that was God's encouragement. As an adult, I've had times prayer frustrated me. I prayed so hard and cared so deeply. Why didn't God answer.  My husband, Ray Simmons, a teaching elder at our church offers answers.  The photo is an Olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemene

After spending a life time teaching them and guarding them from harm, moms must step aside and allow grown children to make choices. Terri Gillespie, mother, author, and speaker, shares how she built a friendship with her formal prodigal. 

Peggy Sue Wells, mother of seven, offers tips to mothers from her upcoming book. 

Caregiver. Women tend toward nurturing, so we usually end up with the job, but caring for a family member can be tough. Watching a loved one decline hurts, and we all have hot spots and emotional baggage after years of being in the same family.  Veteran caregiver, Deborah Keys shares tips for those considering the job and guidance for those already doing the work. Plus, learn how you can support and encourage someone in the trenches.

During the Great Awakening, many Americans took issue with the revivalists for violating the norms of the typical church service. Rebecca Price Janney shares the history of the awakening and talks about how we can avoid deception today.

Easter outranks all holidays on our calendar because we celebrate a living Savior, but bunnies and eggs offer nothing eternal. On the other hand, the Passover Seder shares many valuable insights into Christ and his sacrifice for us.

We all have to live with less-than-perfect even though we sometimes regret our actions. And often we dislike the actions of others. Linda Rondeau talks about dealing with regret.