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Hey, sweet friends. This is Heidi St. John. How are you guys doing? How are you doing out there in Corona Land? I hope you guys are doing good. I’m so happy to be with you today. Today is Wednesday. Are you ready for it? Today is an actual Wednesday. It’s the 15th of April. So if you guys thought that this was Friday or Saturday or Sunday and you don’t know what day it is— you’re not alone. Today’s the 15th of April. I’m so glad you guys are here. We’re going to be encouraged today in the word of God. Today is episode number 911 it’s 911. So I’m going to study with you out of Psalms 91. Stick around, I think you’re going to be encouraged.

So thanks for listening today, you guys. I hope you’re doing good. It’s exciting to see all of the new members over at MomStrong International. We’re just beginning week three and the topic for this month’s study is HOPE. If there was ever a time that we needed hope, now is the time. So some of you have stopped by my page or you’ve messaged me directly to ask questions about how things work over at MomStrong International, and I thought— I’m going to take today and just break it down for you a little bit before I jump into your questions and a devotion out of Psalm 91.

So if you’re new to the podcast, MomStrong International is an online community of women that’s focused on learning about God’s desire for their lives through the study of His Word. And we’d love to have you join us for the free scripture writing challenge. It’s published on the first of each month, that includes copywork for your children and we would love to have you over there. We do it in English and Spanish. And the other option is that you can dive in a little bit deeper and become a Bible Study Member with a small monthly paid membership to take advantage of the weekly Bible Study, which includes a teaching time with me every Wednesday, so that’s today. I’m going to be over in our private Facebook group.

So, I’ve said it before you guys, I’m going to keep saying it—we are living in very challenging times right now and I know that you know that and finding a community of believers is essential, so I hope you’ll check it out: momstronginternational.com. Kay Orr, or any of my staff, will be happy to answer any questions that you have and you can email them directly at info@heidistjohn.com or hit my friend Kay up, at Kay@heidistjohn.com.

I am so blessed you guys to have the most amazing audience in the whole world. I know a lot of podcasters and a lot of bloggers and I just feel incredibly blessed by you guys. Thank you so much for leaving reviews for the podcast over at iTunes. I’ve told you before I read every single one of those. Our staff reads them and I love to just hear what God is doing in your life and I thank you for leaving reviews for the podcast and for Becoming MomStrong over wherever books are sold. Particularly over at Amazon. So thank you guys so much for doing that. I really, really appreciate it.

Several of you have asked how Savannah is doing, our daughter who’s due to have her baby girl any day now, and as of the date of this recording— she still has not had the baby, but things change really rapidly and I tend to record, especially while the coronavirus is happening, I’m recording a couple of days in advance whenever I can get into the studio. So right now, Juniper is just snug as a bug in a rug and Savannah’s doing the whole nine months pregnant, ready to have a baby thing. So keep praying for her and for the safe delivery of our granddaughter. We really appreciate that.

I hope you guys have been encouraged in the recent days here at the podcast from the guests that we’ve had on. You heard my friend David Fiorazo just a couple of days ago, last Friday, and he was encouraging us to a place of remembering that truth is a person. Truth is found in the work and person of Jesus Christ. It’s not subjective. It’s not something that where I have my truth and you have your truth. That’s what the world would like you to believe. And so that was a great segue into having my friend the amazing Mike Farris on the show on Monday, answering your questions.

I’m going to get to a couple of questions today, if I have time, but I want to remind you that the primary goal at the podcast is to encourage you to a place of really feeling solid in your understanding of God’s Word and how it relates to your life— particularly as it relates to your immediate family and the world around you that Jesus said, “You are the light of the world, the salt of the Earth,” and we don’t want to lose our saltiness, right? And so I hope you guys have been encouraged by the guests that we have had on here. If you would like to have a question answered here at the podcast—sometimes I bring guests on to answer your questions—I love to hear from you. You can reach out to me directly at heidistjohn.com/mailboxmonday.

If you are interested in bringing me out to speak for an event, I would love to do that. This has been a very challenging season for me because so much of what I do is out on the road, so we’ve had a total change of plans obviously here because of COVID-19— and I’m not on the road right now. But I will say this, we have been very, very blessed at our house to be able to take the time I’m working on a book and I’m just so excited about how it’s going. Oh my goodness, you guys, every day I’m writing devotions for you. It’s going to come out in a devotional, a 365-day devotional that I’m working on. It’s going to come out and, you guys, the Holy Spirit has just been pouring into me when I write that book and so I appreciate your prayers for that.

Also, we are getting stuff done at our house. I am not even kidding. I’ve got lights now up under my kitchen cabinets, which I’ve wanted for, I don’t know, 10 years. I painted. I stripped out the office and turned it into a home library. Super like that. My amazing husband has started a garden with my mother-in-law and our kids. We’ve cleared the top property. I mean, we are a going concern. The St. Johns are not sitting around.

And one of the reasons we’re doing that is because I realized weeks ago that if we sit at home and just watch the news, we’re going to get discouraged and I want to encourage you guys away from that place. One of the reasons I had Mike Farris on, on Monday was to try to bring some calm and some assurance that there are people who can actually help like Mike Farris that the Alliance Defending Freedom, like HSLDA who really safeguard and protect homeschool freedoms are kind of a watchdog organization.

Your state organization for homeschooling. I want to just encourage you to get involved in these organizations. If you have money, send them your money. Certainly we would appreciate that also here at Firmly Planted Family. Firmly Planted is a federally-recognized non-profit and we are dedicated to helping your family flourish by giving you resources and biblical encouragement. And so that’s the heart behind the podcast here. It’s the heart behind everything we do and I want you to be encouraged and to live in victory. This is how God wants us to live. God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.

And today, since today’s episode is 911 — I was like, “Wow, that’s amazing.” 911 right in the middle of a pandemic, right on the 15th of April when normally our taxes would be due, but we’ve gotten a bit of a reprieve from that. I think the Lord wants to calm our hearts and the 911 operator that we always should go to is the Lord, right? It’s the Lord of heaven’s army. So let’s look at Psalm 91 (NIV) starting in verse one.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Father, we thank you Lord Jesus that you are ever present in the midst of this crazy thing that we are experiencing as a nation and as a world right now. I thank you that you say that because you love us, you’ll rescue us. Thank you, that your promise, that you’ll protect us because we acknowledge your name has not changed. Lord, we thank that there is no shifting shadow with you. That we don’t need to be concerned in a time of drought because we know that the Lord of heaven’s armies is our supply.

Father, I thank you that we can trust in you. Thank you that you say that when we call on you, you answer us, that you’re with us in trouble and that you will deliver us. Lord, we pray for your peace in the midst of a pandemic. For every man, woman, and child that’s listening to this right now, Father, may the salve of your Holy Spirit, the ministry of your Holy Spirit, come over them and comfort them and remind them that they’re loved.

Lord, I pray that you’d help us to be intimately acquainted with your word. Lord, give us the opportunity to speak life to those around us, to quiet the noises— even the noises of my phone. And Lord just focus our eyes on you. So Lord, I invite you into this podcast. I thank you for the opportunity that you’ve given me to bring a little bit of encouragement to your people today and I praise you bless it in Jesus’ name, amen.

Men and women, we have cause to rejoice today. And I hope that as we settle into another podcast here, that you are rejoicing with me—that we don’t need to be people who are hijacked by fear. Because we know that God is with us. So I’m going to answer a couple of your questions here and I hope you guys have been encouraged by what’s been happening here lately.

If you’re encouraged, please, it would encourage me if you’d share the podcast. Share it on your Instagram. Share it on your Facebook. Share it in email. I let people know that we’re listening, that you’re listening rather, and that this is an encouragement to you. All right, so let’s jump into a couple of your questions today.

“Hi Heidi. I have listened to the majority of your podcasts.” Well, that is a lot, Melanie from Canada cause this is episode 911. So that’s a lot of podcasts. So thank you for that. She says, “I love each and every single one I’ve heard. I have been so encouraged and challenged through time with you and for that I am thankful. My question is in regards to marriage. I am a mom with two beautiful children, ages three and one and have filled into my motherhood shoes so nicely. I seem to have outgrown my marriage shoes though. I’ve learned, especially in this time of COVID-19 quarantine that I very quickly, and easily at that, choose to prioritize my children over my husband. I’ve really been struggling with putting my husband’s needs over my children’s and by the end of the day, as most moms probably feel, I don’t have anything left to give my hubby and I just want to go to bed. Do you have any tips that would be helpful for moms like myself who are tired of giving our husbands the leftovers of our energy and love? Thanks friend. Melanie.”

All right, Melanie. Sweet mom. Couple things. First of all, I love your question. I love your heart because what it tells me is that your heart really is for your husband, so I know you don’t think it is, but your question reveals that it actually is. Because if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t even notice that that’s what you’re doing. So be encouraged because you’re on the right path. Right? Our marriage, and you guys have heard me say this before— marriage will always be the primary relationship in the home.

And as a mom who has had seven children and many of my children are grown and out of our home now— I can tell you right now that your children are going to leave your home one day and you want them to leave with the assurance that their parents’ marriage is going to not only stay fine when they’re gone, but flourish. And God has a way for us to do that. And we do that by honoring the priorities that God sets out in His Word. All right? And so the first priority, and I’ve said this again, so for those of you who have heard me before, bear with me. All right?

The first priority is your relationship with the Lord. So be in the Word.Come and join us, Melanie, if you haven’t done that yet, come and join us over at MomStrong International. There are thousands of women over there now that are regaining their footing in a culture that’s so upside down and we’re pouring into our marriages and pouring into our children. But it starts with that relationship with the Lord. Then from an overflow, remember we talked about this last week?.. the principle, the overflow out of the overflow of what God does in our heart with Him, we pour into our marriage. And out of an overflow of what God does in the marriage, we’re able to pour into our children without upsetting the balance that God has designed for the home. Does that make sense?

And so God has designed this plan. It actually works beautifully. Years ago, I wrote a book called the Busy Homeschool Moms Guide to Romance. It might be one of the favorite books I’ve ever written. If you’ve never purchased it, I just want to encourage you, you can get it off of Amazon right now. You can buy it from me directly at the store. It’s really going to help you but it’s also going to help me right now because I’m not on the road, but I’m telling you right now that book has been life-changing for a lot of people because it’s going to give you ideas for how you can put your marriage first, ideas for how you can discover if you’re living what I call parallel lives.

We don’t want to live parallel lives with our husbands. We want to live entwined lives. And mom, I’m here to tell you right now with a three and a one-year-old, you’re at the beginning of this thing and you’re three-year-old and your one-year-old need to see you set the example for what it means to love your husband well. 

Jay and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this last September and we’ve had some rough seasons in our marriage. I’m not going to lie to you. I know if Jay came on the show, he’d say the same thing. We’ve gone through some really rough things in our marriage. We’ve gone through rough financial things. When the market crashed in 2008, we lost our home. That was devastating. There will be lots of opportunities for your marriage to be tested over the years. And can I just tell you right now the fact that my husband chose to invest in me when I didn’t feel like making much of a contribution because I was either discouraged or I was worried. And the Lord helped me to really focus my eyes on not only just being kind to him, but meeting his needs both sexually and emotionally.

That has paid off in the biggest way. He is my best friend. I love you guys, but there’s nobody in the world I’d rather be with than Jay St. John. Nobody. And that relationship has only gotten stronger as we have leaned into what God says is true. And so, I would say lean into what God says is true. Love your husband. Take the time. If you’re so tired at the end of the day… and I understand, I’m not saying that you don’t have the right to be tired. Okay? At the end of the day, I totally get it, right? As a woman who has raised seven children and homeschooled them. A moment of silence, please, for everyone who’s exhausted right now.

Yes, it’s a lot of us, but I’m here to tell you right now that the dividend that you will receive from pouring into the relationship with your husband, will be so worth it. The yield that you’re going to get back, the return on investment. I can’t even put it into words. Nurture your marriage. This is a great time, you guys, my goodness during COVID-19. Are you having meals together again? Are you making dinner from scratch? Are you waiting for your husband to come home? Are you putting your kids to bed early and putting on a movie? Right? So many things you can do. I think about this sort of 911 that this episode is right? Episode 911. I read Psalm 91 to you, the 911 right now in the culture is marriage and family, which is under attack by the adversary more than I have ever seen it in my lifetime.

Don’t let the adversary lie to you and tell you that your marriage is not important. Don’t be fooled by people who will say, “Oh, invest in your children cause your husband can take care of himself.” Of course, he can take care of himself. That’s not the point. The point is that we were created to be a helper for her husband, and that doesn’t mean that you’re his bond servant and that it’s suddenly this weird upside down, “Woman, bring me my slippers.” That’s not it at all.

It’s a beautiful give and take relationship, which the Lord of heaven’s armies has ordained before the beginning of time and it’s worth investing in. And so I hope that you’ll take the time to do that. Ask her husband, “How can I love you better?” Men, if you’re listening to this, ask your wife, “How can I love you better?” My husband, we were sitting in our bedroom the other morning just talking. We’d like to just sit in our room and talk a bit before we open the doors and all the kids come in, and the phone starts ringing. And looked at me and he said, “Heidi, do you feel loved today? Do you feel loved? Do you feel protected? Do you feel taken care of?”

And I love that he asks me those questions. You guys, ask the question. It’s worth asking and wait to see what the answer is. You guys, marriage is worth protecting and it’s worth investing in. And so Melanie, I love your question. I love your heart and I am going to love to hear what God does with you guys in the years to come. And give it 20 years or even 30 years and I’m telling you what, do what God says, and you’re going to have a story that’s going to bless your children and those around you for generations to come.

I hope you guys are doing well. I hope that you are encouraged by the podcast. Thank you so much for leaving reviews for it over at the podcast. If you are able to support this ministry at this time, we will be so blessed and encouraged. You can support Heidi St. John separately from Firmly Planted Family. Firmly Planted Family is a non-profit organization and we would love to have you support that, especially during COVID-19 and if you can’t, that’s all right too. We’re praying for you. We’re praying for you.

We’re going to come out of this thing, you guys, and God’s going to do an amazing thing. If you’ve got questions for me and you’d like them to be addressed here at the podcast, you can reach out to me, heidistjohn.com/mailboxmonday.

Thanks for tuning in today, everybody and I am excited to have you come back in just a couple of days and you’re going to hear an awesome encouragement from my friend Renton Rathbun. Until then, have a great day and I’ll see you back here on Friday.

Write to Heidi:
Heidi St. John
c/o Firmly Planted Family
11100 NE 34th Cir, Vancouver, WA 98682

Support this ministry by donating through E-giving. You can also send donations to: 11100 NE34th Cir, Vancouver, WA 98682