LOVING LIFE AT HOME - Christian Marriage, Biblical Parenting, Creative Homemaking, Purposeful Living

Jennifer Flanders: Bible-believing wife and homeschooling mother of 12
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LOVING LIFE AT HOME - Christian Marriage, Biblical Parenting, Creative Homemaking, Purposeful Living

Do you want to develop stronger family bonds with your husband and kids, but don’t know where to start? Would you like to create a peaceful, orderly home where your family can thrive, but seem to be spinning your wheels? Are you trying to navigate life without the benefit of good role models and starting to feel a little lost? Have you repeatedly tried to live a life of joy and purpose, only to get sucked into a spiral of doubt and anxiety time and time again? Does all the conflicting marriage and parenting advice touted by modern day culture leave you confused and bewildered? Do you long for a seasoned mentor a little further down life’s road who’d be willing to point out the potholes and provide practical pointers? Then you’ve come to the right place! Welcome, friend! My name is Jennifer Flanders. As a devout Christian, happy wife, homeschool mom of twelve, and grandma of 20 (so far!), I’m well-practiced in minding the things that matter most. And since the Bible charges older women to teach younger women to love their husbands, love their children, and be keepers at home, I have a scriptural mandate to share the things I’ve learned with you. Loving Life at Home is your go-to podcast for Titus 2 encouragement in marriage, motherhood, and minding what matters most. In it, I’ll teach you how to: --＞ nurture your marriage and cultivate a life-long love with your husband --＞ communicate with your husband in a way he understands and appreciates --＞ raise children you not only love, but enjoy spending time with --＞ create a warm, peaceful, inviting home that is a blessing to all who spend time there --＞ cheerfully attend to all the sanctifying work that marriage, motherhood, and managing a home entails --＞ use your time wisely, looking to God for the grace and strength to fulfill His call on your life So grab a cup of tea and tune in every Monday morning.. In each 20-minute episode, you’ll get biblical encouragement, actionable advice, and firsthand insights on faith and family gleaned from over 35 years of marriage and motherhood and over 50 years of following Jesus. Listen now or connect with me through the links below. Read my marriage blog --＞ lovinglifeathome.com Download my free printables --＞ www.flandersfamily.info Connect with me on IG --＞ www.instagram.com/flanders_family/ Check out my books --＞ amazon.com/author/jenniferflanders Send me a message --＞ flandersfamily@flandersfamily.info

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    EP 69: When Things Don't Go As Planned

    The best laid plans sometimes go awry. How should we respond when that happens? That's what we're discussing on Loving Life at Home this week: What should one do when things don't go as planned? Show Notes VERSES CITED: - Proverbs 16:9 - “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”  - Matt 10:29-31 - “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” -James 4:13-15 - “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’”  -Philippians 2:4 - “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” - Proverbs 17:22 - “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”  - Philippians 2:3 - “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:8-24 - "But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him...." RELATED LINKS: - Episode 23: A Hill Country Christmas - Thai Lucky Sushi Bar - Yanaguana Gardens & Playground - Pioneer Museum of Fredricksburg - FBC Mainstreet Bethlehem in Burnet, TX

    27 min

  2. NOV 25

    EP 68: That Time My Husband Almost Got a Vasectomy

    It's Thanksgiving week, so I'm counting my blessings, and my 12 children are right up there at the top of the list. Another thing I'm grateful for? The fact my husband didn't cut my childbearing years short by getting a vasectomy, though he definitely considered it at one point. Listen to this week's episode to hear why, and to learn what stopped him from going through with it.  Show Notes: VERSES CITED:  - Colossians 1:16-17 - "...all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." - Hebrews 1:3 - "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." - Revelation 4:11 - “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” - 1 Corinthians 8:6 - "...there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all things came and through Whom we live." RELATED LINKS: - More than Meets the Eye - this is the book by Richard Swenson that made such an impression on my husband (I don't think I gave the title in the podcast) - Always Open: 5 Reasons I Love Having My Tubes Intact - my response to an article from the other side of the issue, written by a woman who was grateful to have hers tied - Postponing Motherhood: At What Cost? - my review of Holly Grigg-Spall's Sweetening the Pill

    22 min

  3. NOV 21

    EP 67: Early Education Ideas for Preschoolers

    This week on Loving Life at Home, I'm tackling a question about early education for preschoolers: What can a mom of multiple toddlers do to make sure her little ones are getting what they need? Those were pressing thoughts on my mind, too, when I was a young mom, and in today's episode, I'm sharing the advice a wise mentor gave me at the time. It served me and my children well and will hopefully do the same for you and yours! Show Notes RELATED LINKS: - Laying the Foundation for a LIfetime of Learning - 50 Picture Books Every Child Should Read - Cultivating Creativity in Young Children - Raising Kids Who Love to Read - Keeping Toddlers Occupied - 50 Chapter Books to Read Aloud to Your Family - Choosing Curricula Your Children Will Love

    24 min

  4. NOV 14

    EP 66: Marriage to a Difficult Man

    Several years ago, I read a book entitled Marriage to a Difficult Man. I felt a little self-conscious toting it around with me at the time, lest anyone assume it was a how-to book rather than recognizing it for what it was: a biography of the famous 18th-century revivalist preacher Jonathan Edwards in relation to his very patient and supportive wife. I have a similar concern in publishing this week's episode, in which I offer advice to a reader who is looking for help in dealing with what she calls a "Jekyll and Hyde" husband. While nearly 40 years of marriage has taught me a lot about living in peace with a partner who can sometimes be difficult (a description he could rightly apply to me, as well), I would never go so far as to compare my own husband's mood swings to the infamous Dr. Jekyll. Nevertheless, I've endeavored to answer this reader's question with tips that have been helpful in my own marriage and with ideas I've drawn from observing the marriages of those around me. I hope you'll listen in and be encouraged. Show Notes VERSES CITED: 1 Peter 3:8 - "...be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." 1 Corinthians 7:5 - "Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time...." Proverbs 13:12 - "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." 1 Corinthians 13:15 - "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But...." Romans 3:23 - "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Psalms 139:23-24 - "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my anxious thoughts...." Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if...." James 1:2-3 - " Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that....”   Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Colossians 4:6 - "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that....”  Philippians 1:6 - "...He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right...." RELATED LINKS: EP 34: The #1 Rule for Building a Happy Marriage EP 31: How to Love Your Husband Well EP 12: When You're Married to a Problem Solver EP 2: Dealing with Difficult In-Laws Love Your Husband/Love Yourself (my book) STAY CONNECTED: - Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources) - Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content - Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!)  - Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

    20 min

  5. NOV 4

    EP 65: How to Overcome Bad Thoughts

    Nearly everyone has to wrestle with negative or sinful or intrusive thoughts at one time or other, so in today's episode, we're talking strategies for overcoming bad thoughts and taking them captive to the obedience of Christ. Show Notes VERSES CITED: - 2 Cor. 10:5 - “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God….” - Psalm 19:14 - “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight...” - Romans 12:2 - “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....” - 1 Cor. 10:13 - “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind....” - Eph 6:16-17 - "...taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows...." - James 4:7-8 – “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.....” - Matthew 6:13 – “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” - Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace him whosemind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” - Psalm 23:4 – “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil....” - Matt. 11:28 – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” - Phil. 4:6-7 - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving...." - James 1:19-20 – “Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak andslow to anger; for the anger of man....” - Matt. 12:34-35 – “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good....” - Matt. 5:44 - “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you...." - Gal. 5:24 – “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” - Matt. 5 27-28 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you....” - 1 Cor. 6:18 – “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but....” - 2 Tim. 2:22 – “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that....” - Romans 13:14 - “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to...." - Phil. 4:8 - "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely...." - 1 Peter 5:5 - "Dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for God opposes the proud but ....” - Prov. 16:18 - “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before fall.” - 1 Cor. 4:7 – “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if...." - Phil. 2:3-5 - “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another ...." - Jer. 17:9 - “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” - 2 Cor. 12: 20 – “...there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.” - 1 Tim. 5:13 – “Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers....” - Prov. 21:23 - "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”  - Eph. 4:31 - "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." - Col. 3:8 - "But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander...." - 1 Peter 2:1 - "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander." - Eph. 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for...." - James 3:14-17 – “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart...." - 2 Cor. 10:12 - "... measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves...." - Col. 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone....” - Eph. 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as

    35 min

  6. OCT 22

    EP 64: 8 Crucial Things My Mom Got Right

    Today is my mom's 87th birthday, and this episode is in her honor. I'm immeasurably blessed to have the mother God gave me, and have learned so much from her over the years. Today I'm sharing 8 crucial things my mom did right, so you can benefit from her good example, too. Show Notes: VERSES CITED: - Proverbs 31:15 - “She rises while yet it is night....”  - Proverbs 31:17 - “She sets about her work vigorously....”  - Proverbs 31:25 - "She is clothed with strength and dignity...." - Proverbs 31:26 - "She opens her mouth with skillful and godly wisdom...." - Proverbs 31:27-31 - “She looks well to how things go in her household...." - James 5:16 - “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” - Ephesians 5:22 - “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:33 - “...and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” - Colossians 3:8 - “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” - John 15:13 - “Greater love has no one than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends.”  - Philippians 2:3-4 - “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind...." - 1 Peter 4:9 - “Show hospitality to one another without complaining.” - Ecclesiastes 12:12 - “...excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” - Proverbs 9:18 - “Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives." - Proverbs 3:24 - “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” - Hebrews 10:24-25 - “…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some....” - 1 Peter 3:15 - "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to....” - Romans 12:15 - "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." RELATED LINKS:  - Free Printable Prayer Guides - EP 1: How to Find a Good Mentor - EP 38: Making the Most of Your Child's Learning Style - Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich   STAY CONNECTED: - Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources) - Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content - Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!)  - Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

    20 min

  7. OCT 17

    EP 63: Get Ready for Stress-Free Holidays

    Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Does getting ready for the holidays feel burdensome or overwhelming to you? In Episode 63 of Loving Life at Home, we're discussing strategies to steer clear of stress, side-step the hustle-bustle, and enjoy a merry, meaningful, and blissfully peaceful advent season. Show Notes RELATED VERSES: - Philippians 4:6 - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Romans 14:5 - "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind." - Proverbs 6:6-8 - "Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest." LINKS MENTIONED: - Episode 2: tips for getting along with difficult or demanding family members - 6 Steps to a Stress-Free Holiday Season - source material for this podcast - Our Family Christmas Letters - all our past annual updates plus tips for creating your own - Our Christmas Card Assembly Line - one of my families all-time favorite traditions - Simple Bucket List - poll your family members on the top few things they don't want to miss - 6 Fun Ways to Count Down to Christmas - including the Christmas books we traditionally read - 50 Fun Things to Do With Your Family This Christmas - we just pick and choose from this list - Rakuten - a fantastic FREE cashback program which has saved me a bundle over the years - How to Install the Rakuten Browser Button - this will automatically alert you when cashback is available - Shifting Christmas Focus - my full answer to the mom whose entitled kids were driving her crazy - Large Family Gift-Giving - a more detailed answer to one mama's inquiry on this topic - Super Stocking Stuffers - a list of some of the small gifts we've put in our kids' stockings over the years - Smart Ideas for Turning Trash into Treasure - some of the recycled art projects our kids have enjoyed  - Elfster - gift exchange app - Thinking of Others at Christmas - brainstorming ways to be a blessing to others at Christmas - Taming the Toy Box - includes list of most worthwhile, lasting toys and how to keep them organized - Age-Appropriate Chore Chart - a good starting place for incorporating your children's help   STAY CONNECTED: - Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources) - Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content - Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!)  - Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

    30 min

  8. SEP 30

    EP 62: I Am NOT Enough (& Why It's Liberating to Admit It)

    Despite the fact the world proclaims with one loud voice, “You are enough!” that has never been the way it has played out in my life. And do you know what? It’s liberating to admit that fact. Join me today as we discuss why we should reject that self-affirmation for the lie it is. Show Notes VERSES CITED: - John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life...." - Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” - Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” - 1 Corinthians 1:25 - "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God...." - James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives to all generously & without reproach...." - 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become...." - Ephesians 1:7-8 - "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with...." - Romans 8:29 - "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son...." - James 1:4 - "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” - Revelation 5:12 - "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive... honor and glory and praise!” - Ephesians 2:4-5 - "We were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is..." - 2 Corinthians 3:5 - “Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from...." - Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift...." - Romans 9:16 - “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” - Philippians 2:13 - "... it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." - Philippians 1:6 – “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion....” - Romans 6:13 - "...offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life...." - 1 John 1 8-9 - "...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us ...."   RELATED LINKS: - I Am Not Enough (& Why It's Liberating to Admit It) - blog post I wrote in 2017 - Confession of an Unlikely Convert - book by Rosaria Butterfield (her personal testimony; published in 2014) - The Gospel Comes with a House Key - another great book by Rosaria Butterfield (2018) - Another Gospel? - must-read book by Alisa Childers (2020) - Live Your Truth - another wonderful book by Alisa Childers (2022) - M is for Mama – such an encouraging read from my friend Abbie Halberstadt (2022) - Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad – an even better book by Abbie (2023) - You Are Not Enough (& That's Okay) - book by Allie Beth Stuckey (2020)   STAY CONNECTED: - Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources) - Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content - Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!)  - Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

    12 min
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About

Do you want to develop stronger family bonds with your husband and kids, but don’t know where to start? Would you like to create a peaceful, orderly home where your family can thrive, but seem to be spinning your wheels? Are you trying to navigate life without the benefit of good role models and starting to feel a little lost? Have you repeatedly tried to live a life of joy and purpose, only to get sucked into a spiral of doubt and anxiety time and time again? Does all the conflicting marriage and parenting advice touted by modern day culture leave you confused and bewildered? Do you long for a seasoned mentor a little further down life’s road who’d be willing to point out the potholes and provide practical pointers? Then you’ve come to the right place! Welcome, friend! My name is Jennifer Flanders. As a devout Christian, happy wife, homeschool mom of twelve, and grandma of 20 (so far!), I’m well-practiced in minding the things that matter most. And since the Bible charges older women to teach younger women to love their husbands, love their children, and be keepers at home, I have a scriptural mandate to share the things I’ve learned with you. Loving Life at Home is your go-to podcast for Titus 2 encouragement in marriage, motherhood, and minding what matters most. In it, I’ll teach you how to: --＞ nurture your marriage and cultivate a life-long love with your husband --＞ communicate with your husband in a way he understands and appreciates --＞ raise children you not only love, but enjoy spending time with --＞ create a warm, peaceful, inviting home that is a blessing to all who spend time there --＞ cheerfully attend to all the sanctifying work that marriage, motherhood, and managing a home entails --＞ use your time wisely, looking to God for the grace and strength to fulfill His call on your life So grab a cup of tea and tune in every Monday morning.. In each 20-minute episode, you’ll get biblical encouragement, actionable advice, and firsthand insights on faith and family gleaned from over 35 years of marriage and motherhood and over 50 years of following Jesus. Listen now or connect with me through the links below. Read my marriage blog --＞ lovinglifeathome.com Download my free printables --＞ www.flandersfamily.info Connect with me on IG --＞ www.instagram.com/flanders_family/ Check out my books --＞ amazon.com/author/jenniferflanders Send me a message --＞ flandersfamily@flandersfamily.info

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