Sunday, March 11, 2012

A Great Pick-Me-Up

Encouragement.  Perspective.  Challenging.   Useful in every day life.  Focus on the Family produces regular podcasts that I have subscribed and listened to for a few years now.  They have been such a rich source of good things in my life and I want to encourage you to give them a chance.

I know personally it is sometimes risky to devote time and energy to something that is new or full of another man's ideas.  If something isn't grounded in God's word, it's not what I need to be filling myself with most of the time.  That being said, 90% of the time I agree with and really benefit from the thoughts these broadcasts share.  That might be a better percentage than I have with my family half the time!

When you subscribe (at least thru itunes - not sure about other places) you can go back and download past shows, which is great if you're only interested in a few areas.  Parenting, Dating, Grief, Finances, Health Issues, Adoption, Truth, Relationships, Men, Women, you name it and they've probably done 2 or 3 shows about it, at least.  I can be pretty emotional and sink into negative funks pretty quickly.  When there is housework to be done, I've made a habit of turning on one of these podcasts to help the time go by (which it does a great job of!).  EVERY time I finish one, especially when I was grumpy before, I come out encouraged, convicted to be less selfish, fill my role as a mom/wife better and I am able to show more grace and mercy to those around me (usually Mr. Butler).

That kind of success and reward is worth the 30 minutes that I was going to spend on housework anyway!  To give it a try, simply search for Focus on the Family in iTunes, download their iPhone app or go to their website for other options.  I guess I probably sound like they are paying me to advertise for them (and yes I would accept payment if offered), but really I just want to see others thrive in their lives.  So many people are unhappy, discontent and flat out angry about the life they lead.  None of us have all the cards dealt exactly the way we want, but the Lord is so good when you do it His way.  These broadcasts are really good at showing that.

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