The Christian Habits Podcast

Do you have loved ones in your life with whom you disagree? Do you find it hard to engage with someone who has a different opinion than yours? Are you prone to just “agree to disagree” when beliefs differ? If any of these are true for you, my interview today on the Christian Habits Podcast with Mike Donehey (links below) will give you a more peaceful approach and practical tips to have more healthy conversations when divisive topics arise. What We Discussed on the Podcast * The importance of how we disagree rather than just what is said * How to gently engage another person with curiosity * Maintaining openness with someone who has left the faith allows them a way back * According to Romans 2:4, it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance * When you’re confident in what you believe, you aren’t threatened by another’s questions * When someone feels understood, it often drains away animosity * How “agreeing to disagree” isn’t always the best way * How to not become a “smug monster” * Why Mike believes that bitterness is the most dangerous sin * Why it’s always more important to love the other person than to win the argument Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * Mike’s book, Grace in the Gray: A More Loving Way to Disagree * The Renewing of the Mind Project Notable Quotes from Mike’s Book “If we are to love in the gray spaces—the places where our arguments find just footing on either side—curiosity and kindness must lead the way. Our desire to be heard must not overpower our need to hear what others are saying. Our desire to be understood must not overshadow our need to understand others.” “When grace is our baseline, then being disapproved of no longer feels like being disowned. We can even invite in divergence because we know where we stand. We know whose love we stand in.” About Mike Donehey Mike Donehey is a singer, songwriter, podcast host, and former lead singer of the Christian contemporary band Tenth Avenue North. He’s also the author of Grace in the Gray: A More Loving Way to Disagree (WaterBrook; on sale 1/17/23) and the bestselling author of Finding God’s Life for My Will. Mike, his wife, Kelly, and their four daughters live in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s also the host of Chasing the Beauty podcast. For more information, visit mikedonehey.com, or find Mike on his social channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

If you’ve ever experienced stress over your personal productivity, today’s episode of The Christian Habits Podcast with Jordan Raynor will really encourage you (links below). I talk with Jordan about his book, Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for being Purposeful, Present and Wildly Productive.  What We Discussed on the Podcast * How this book’s advice differs from other “time management” books * Having peace in Jesus regardless of your productivity * How to centralize “open loops” with a commitment tracking system * Learning to accept your “uni-presence” * How good works are our worship in response to the gospel * Ideas to minimize external and internal distractions * How redeeming the time means that we are called to be very selective about what we say “yes” to Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * Jordan’s book:  Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for being Purposeful, Present and Wildly Productive.  * Jordan’s newest book: The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work * Deep Work by Cal Newport * Waves of Creativity: A Gathering of Ideas on Creating with God by Alan Arnold Notable Quotes from Jordan’s Book “Our work matters today because it is a means of glorifying God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. But our work also matters for eternity because God can use it to build his kingdom.” “In today’s distracted world, being fully present is one of the most valuable presents you can give.” “Which problem, once solved, is going to make most of my other problems easier to solve or disappear entirely?” “Opportunities that aren’t attached to some meaningful end aren’t opportunities. They are simply possibilities that stir up frantic excitement.” About Jordan Raynor Bestselling author Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity. He does this through his books including the bestselling Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive and The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work (WaterBrook; on sale 11/15/22), The Creator in You (children’s book), Mere Christians podcast, and weekly devotional (“The Word Before Work”)—content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth. In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the executive chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which he previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan served in the White House under George W. Bush and has twice been selected as a Google Fellow. Jordan and his books have been featured on dozens of media outlets including CNBC, Fast Company, WIRED Magazine, Forbes.com, In the Market with Janet Parshall, Dad Tired, Ken Coleman Show & The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. He lives near Tampa, Florida with his wife and their three young daughters. For more information, visit https://www.jordanraynor.com & https://www.instagram.com/jordanraynor How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: 

When trials and hard times come into our lives, we can find ourselves questioning God and becoming bitter. On today’s episode of The Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I talk with Daniel Fusco about how developing resilience during trials can actually be a path to fruitfulness and growth in our lives, and also about his new book, You’re Gonna Make It. What We Discussed on the Podcast * What is resilience? * How hope and grit factor into the resilience equation * How to submit to God’s will, no matter what * Discovering the fruit that comes from hard times in our lives * Learning to walk through trials open-hearted * Dispelling the “life is easy” myth * The profound growth that happens during trials in our lives * Building resilience before the hardship * Making space to cultivate hope * How the Body of Christ is at its best when our lives are at their worst Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * Daniel’s new book: You’re Gonna Make It About Daniel Fusco Daniel Fusco is an author, a church planter, and the lead pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Washington. His radio program, Jesus Is Real Radio, is broadcast across the country, and his TV show, Real with Daniel Fusco, airs across the globe. He also hosts the popular You’re Gonna Make It podcast and is the author of Crazy Happy, and You’re Gonna Make It. He has written numerous articles for CBN.com, PreachingToday.com, and Relevant. Fusco and his wife, Lynn, have three children and reside in southwest Washington How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

Do you find yourself looking to other people or things to satisfy you? Are you tempted to doubt that Jesus alone really does offer a life of joy, peace and contentment? On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I visit with Jennifer Slattery about nine common idols we are tempted to worship and how to resist them. What We Discussed on the Podcast * What is an idol? * Nine common things we are tempted to worship instead of God * How idols can hurt our relationships * How an inner-angst is an indicator that we may have an idol * The process associated with giving up an idol * Jennifer’s own struggles with an eating disorder as she struggled with a food idol * Wisdom for overcoming idols * A great question to ask when deciding to give up an idol Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller * Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating  * Pre-Order bonuses for Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating * Jennifer’s website, jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com About Jennifer Slattery Jennifer Slattery is an author, speaker, and ministry leader passionate about helping God’s children reach their full potential and live fully surrendered to Christ. Find her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.       How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

I don’t know about you, but when life is hard, I’m often tempted to do things that aren’t good for me. Eat, for example. Or waste time on my phone. Or sit like a lump on the couch and think of all the things that could possibly go wrong and how my life will be even worse in the future. What I don’t normally do is run to God for refuge and strength and perspective. At least not first thing. When I do get around to that, I feel about a million times better. My problems don’t seem as huge through the lens of Scripture, and I feel much better soaking in God’s love and protection. In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I talk about three temptations we face when life is hard and three solutions for each temptation. I got the idea for the episode from one of my quiet times a couple of weeks ago. I was reading about the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4,  and it made me think about how Jesus responded to His trials and how often we are tempted to respond to our own trials. I’ll include a picture of the notes I made in my Bible below. (I don’t usually draw lines through the Scripture in my Bible, but I was out of room!) If you’re going through something hard right now, I hope this podcast episode helps you! What I Discussed on the Podcast * How we face all kinds of different trials in our lives * What we are often tempted to do in response to hard times * The distractions that we often turn to * Examples of hard seasons from my own life * Solutions to the temptations we face in challenging times * Scriptures that I reference – Deut. 6:16, James 1:2-4, Gal. 5:22-23, Ps. 27:13 Resources Talked About on the Podcast * Free Bible studies on my website * Freedom from Emotional Eating * Rally: A Personal Growth Bible Study * My newest book Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating * Pre-Order Bonuses for my new book! Order by October 31st to take advantage of these. How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

Do you feel overwhelmed by the task of getting organized? Does a simple glance around your home or office tell you that clutter is taking over your life? If so, my podcast interview with Dana K. White from A Slob Comes Clean (links below) will offer helpful advice about how to tackle these projects without stress.   What We Discussed on the Podcast * Coming to terms with our own unique clutter threshold * The Container Concept * Accepting the reality of the limited space we have * How decluttering and cleaning are not the same things * What the layers of a clean house are * How Dana’s method is different than minimalism * How to change our goals about our spaces * The Visibility Rule * How decluttering is a lifelong process Resources We Talked About on the Podcast * James Bible Study * Dana’s new book: Organizing for the Rest of Us * Another of Dana’s books: Decluttering at the Speed of Life * Dana’s website: aslobcomesclean.com About Dana K. White Dana K. White is a Wallstreet Journal bestselling author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and (much to her own surprise) a decluttering expert. In an attempt to get her home under control, Dana started blogging as “Nony” (short for anonymous) at A Slob Comes Clean. Dana soon realized she was not alone in her housekeeping struggles and in her feelings of shame. Today, Dana shares realistic home management strategies with her signature humor and a message of hope for the hopelessly messy through her blog, weekly podcasts, and videos. Dana lives with her husband and three kids just outside of Dallas, Texas. Learn more at www.aslobcomesclean.com. How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   

In this interview with Asheritah CiuCiu, we discuss how to grow a prayer habit using the REST method from her new book, Prayers of Rest: 365 Prompts to Hear God’s Voice. If you find yourself struggling to make prayer a daily habit, Asheritah offers many helpful ways to cultivate this powerful discipline in this episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below). What We Discussed on the Podcast * How to make a prayer habit stick by learning, fostering and practicing it * Praying through hard emotions * How distracting thoughts can actually become prompts in prayer * How developing intimacy with God takes time * How what we believe about God influences our prayers * Written prayers vs. spontaneous prayers * How to stop talking and begin listening in prayer * The REST prayer method: Recite God’s goodness, Express your neediness, Seek His Stillness, and Trusting God’s faithfulness * Praying through scripture Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * My previous interview with Asheritah: Overcoming Food Fixation * Asheritah’s newest book: Prayers of Rest: 365 Prompts to Hear God’s Voice * App that Barb referenced: Reimagining the Examen (free app available on both Google and Apple app stores) * Asheritah’s books: Full: Food, Jesus and the Battle for Satisfaction, and Bible and Breakfast About Asheritah CiuCiu Asheritah Ciuciu is a bestselling author, national speaker, and host of the Prayers of REST podcast. She is the founder of One Thing Alone Ministries, an online ministry that helps women all over the world find joy in Jesus through creative and consistent time in God’s word. Asheritah grew up in Romania as a missionary kid and studied English and Women’s Ministry at Cedarville University. She is married to her high school sweetheart and together they raise their three spunky kids in NE Ohio. Asheritah is the author of several books, including the best-selling Advent devotional Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. Her writing and speaking has been featured on Focus on the Family, Revive Our Hearts, Moody Radio, Relevant Magazine, Proverbs 31, and MOPS International. For more information about Asheritah, her books, and writing/speaking ministry, visit www.asheritah.com. How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

In Joshua Becker’s new book, Things that Matter, he talks about eight common distractions that keep us from living a meaningful life. Joshua Becker is a former pastor and the founder of the influential Becoming Minimalist blog, where he has been helping millions find more by owning less for the last 15 years. On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast (links below), I visit with Joshua about two of those distractions—the pursuit of leisure and the pursuit of happiness. Things We Discussed on the Podcast * How removing distractions from our lives enables us to realize our fullest potential * How the pursuit of money, possessions, accolades, leisure, fear, and past mistakes hold us back * Two types of distractions: internal and external * The specific distractions of leisure and the pursuit of personal happiness * How serving others helps to overcome the victim mentality * The idea of retirement is found nowhere in the Bible * How to transition from lives of self-centeredness to lives of service Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * Things that Matter: Overcoming Distractions to Pursue a More Meaningful Life by Joshua Becker About Joshua Becker Joshua Becker, author of Things That Matter: Overcoming Distractions to Pursue a More Meaningful Life, is also the bestselling author of The More of Less, The Minimalist Home, and founder of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to inspiring others to find more life by owning less. The website welcomes over 1.5 million readers each month and has inspired millions around the world to consider the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions. He is also the creator of Simplify magazine and founder of The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. He’s a contributing writer to Forbes and has appeared in dozens of media outlets, including Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CBS Evening News, and “The Drew Barrymore Show.” Joshua and his family live near Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit BecomingMinimalist.com. How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

Do you ever have a hard time making yourself read your Bible? Or do you start out reading, only to find yourself reading the same passage over and over again because you can’t make yourself concentrate? I spent twenty years of my Christian life struggling to have a daily quiet time. I’d do fine when I was in a church Bible study but when I was on my own, I just didn’t have the discipline to read my Bible. And even with church studies, you’d often find me rushing through all the lessons one hour before class! Back in those days, I would have loved to have someone take me by the hand and help me develop a daily quiet time habit. Following are some of the things that helped me develop a now 20+ year daily quiet time habit. Tips to Help You Become Consistent with Bible Reading Remember your why. Authors of books on goal setting tell us the first thing we need to do is know our “why.” In other words, why do we want to develop this habit? Take a minute and write down as many reasons as possible of why you want to develop a Bible reading habit, then refer back to that list each morning you don’t feel like reading! Here are some reasons I thought of: to grow closer to God, be conformed to His image, find insight for current life, see how Jesus lived life, learn from other believers’ stories, store up truth to combat the world’s lies, gain comfort and strength, find good verses to memorize and meditate on, gain counsel for everyday life. For more ideas, check out Psalm 119! Start small. Habit experts tell us our best chance of developing a habit is to start small. So instead of saying, “I’ll read my Bible for one hour a day,” set a smaller goal. 15 minutes a day, maybe. Or even 5 minutes a day. Whatever you think you can make yourself follow through on. You can always up the time after your habit is established. Don’t be a perfectionist. Because I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to quiet times, it surprised me when women told me they feel they need to spend at least an hour in quiet time for it to be legitimate. I often spend an hour in quiet time, but if I felt like I had to, it might make me procrastinate or skip my quiet time! Try to remember that your Bible reading time is relationship-with-God time. And all amounts of time are good! Find something that engages your mind. This was one of my problems back in my can’t-make-myself-read-my-Bible years. I read through the whole Bible after becoming a Christian in 7th grade, but then I wasn’t sure what to do next. I thought, I’ve already read the Bible. Now, what do I do? Well, obviously the answer was, “Read it again!” but at that time, I’d lost my motivation to read the Bible again. When that happens to you, look for a Bible study that will engage your mind. One that makes you think. I actually wrote the questions in my new Bible study on James during one of my own quiet times when I couldn’t make myself focus on the Bible. I love Bible studies that make me think, whether they are topical or a book-of-the-Bible study. Focus on fellowshipping with God rather than checking “read Bible” off the list. If you view your relationships with people as duties rather than fun times to be with them, you won’t want to get together with them. It’s the same with Bible reading. If you view it as a duty, rather than time to fellowship with God, you won’t want to do it. Take time when you’re reading to visit with God about anything that pops up in your reading. I like to read small portions of Scripture each day so I have plenty of time to think about it, see how it interacts with my life, and talk to God about it. * Don’t feel like your Bible reading has to be in t...

Are you in the middle of a big life change? Or still adjusting to an old life change? Change can be difficult, even when it’s positive. Yet so many life changes don’t feel one bit positive. Here are  just a few of the life changes we go through: * A move * Change of occupation: new job, loss of old job, career change, beginning college, etc. * Engagement or marriage * Divorce or separation * Natural disasters and pandemics such as Covid * Death of a loved one * Serious illness, disease, or injury * Children leaving home * Retirement of yourself or a spouse Since I’m experiencing my own life change at the moment (my husband just became a travel physical therapist and we’ve left our home of 30 years to travel around the country doing physical therapy and writing), I thought it might be helpful to do a podcast/blog post on how to navigate major life change. Following are a few things I’m trying as I enter this new season of life. 10 Tips to Navigate Life Change Well Recognize that it’s hard. So often we say things like, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way,” or “Buck up, Buttercup!” And while I’m a big fan of that latter phrase, it’s helpful to realize that it’s not surprising that we’re struggling. Even a happy occasion like marriage can cause adjustment problems. We’ll do better if we admit to ourselves that yes, this is an adjustment, and yes, it’s hard. Have realistic expectations for the process and give yourself grace. If you recognize it’s hard, you’ll be more likely to give yourself grace. Beating yourself up for not adjusting quickly enough isn’t helpful. I’ve found that if I have realistic expectations for how long something takes—whether it’s a task on my to-do list or an adjustment to a new situation—I’ll be less likely to get worried, depressed, or beat myself up. Work on making this new life the best life possible—put time and effort into it. Often, we complain about how hard life is, but we do nothing to change it. Instead, we expect it to get better over time. While this does sometimes happen, we’ll have much more success if we put some effort into making it better. The rest of these tips will give you ideas of how to make the best possible life. Brainstorm ideas to make life better. When you’re in a new situation, you’re not an expert at that situation. Instead, you need to learn how to be joyful in this new life. Take a list and brainstorm different ways to make it better. Talk to a friend, mentor, or loved one. Visit with someone who’s been in this situation to see how they handled it. Then circle a few things from the list to try. Join a support group or get involved in a community ASAP. When we moved to our first travel assignment in Santa Fe, the first thing we did was to find a church. We tried two churches in one day and found one we loved. We visited with people in the church, and I mentioned that it was hard to leave our community in Hamilton, Montana. This led to one couple inviting us to a home group and now we have instant community–a group of wonderful people to fellowship with. If your life change is traumatic, look for a support group in your area of others who are going through a similar trial. Dwell on the good. My tendency is to dwell on the good of the old life and the bad of the new life! This is not helpful! It’s easier to dwell on the good if you have a positive life change, but it can be incredibly difficult with a traumatic life change. That said, God can bring good from any situation. A bad situation is a perfect “opportunity” to develop a thankfulness habit, grow closer to God, and practice dwelling on the good...

If you’ve been married a long time, chances are good you’ve been attracted to someone at some time or another. In today’s podcast, I’ll be visiting with my friend Trish about how to keep that initial attraction from morphing into something that could potentially hurt your marriage, your family, your community, and yourself! We’ll be discussing how to avoid (or end) an emotional affair. What We Discussed on the Podcast * What exactly is an emotional affair? * How an innocent friendship can morph into something more * Questions to ask ourselves about interactions with the opposite sex * Tips for setting boundaries about your relationships with others * Tips for how to avoid getting into an emotional affair * Helpful ideas about how to end an emotional affair Resources We Talked About on the Podcast * Barb’s upcoming James Bible study How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   

Do you ever set goals and fail to reach them? I used to do that all the time. The only goals I completed each year were my recreation goals! Over the years, though, I’ve learned some tips to help me be more successful with reaching goals. On today’s podcast, we’ll discuss ten tips about how to achieve your goals this year. I’ve asked my friend and fellow podcaster and writer, Dr. Melanie Wilson, to help me with this podcast as she is the master at completing goals! Following are the tips we’ll discuss more fully on the podcast: Tips to Help You Achieve Your Goals * Develop a routine. * Make it easy. * Make a plan for dealing with obstacles. * Find ways to make it fun * Keep your why in front of you. * Let go of perfectionism. * Be a good coach to yourself. * Renew your mind when necessary. * Gain support. * Conquer procrastination. Melanie Wilson is a Christian psychologist turned homeschool mother of six.  She is also the author of a fascinating book called A Year of Living Productively. For one year, Melanie made a commitment to try a different productivity strategy, app, or program each week. In the book she shares how it went that week and what she liked and didn’t like about each of the productivity strategies. Resources We Talked About on the Podcast * Melanie’s routine kit * Melanie’s book: A Year of Living Productively  * Melanie’s blog: homeschoolsanity.com * Melanie’s podcast: The Homeschool Sanity Show * Barb’s upcoming James Bible study * Freedom from Procrastination * Renewing of the Mind Project * Barb’s decision making sheet (Click on the link, then scroll down to “Resources Mentioned in the Book.”) * 45 Bible Verses for Procrastination How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”   

To give advice or not to give advice? That is the question. In the past I used to answer that with, Of course I should give advice! Why wouldn’t I give advice?! Well, I have since learned a few reasons why I shouldn’t! Why You Should Think Twice Before Giving Unsolicited Advice For starters, too much advice can hurt relationships. On our end, we think we’re giving wise advice to help people be safe and happy. But on their end, they often feel like we’re trying to fix them. This makes them annoyed with us and hurts relationships. Unsolicited advice can make the recipient feel unloved. Again, we’re trying to keep them happy and safe because we DO love them! They on the other hand feel like we’re focusing on something negative in them. That can make them think we’ll only love them if they’re perfect. Unsolicited advice also hurts relationships when we give the same advice over and over. This makes people not want to be with us because they’re tired of getting advice! Finally, unsolicited advice can hurt relationships with our adult children because it’s seen as a lack of respect. We think, I need to tell them this so they don’t make the same mistakes I made! They think, Mom (or Dad) doesn’t realize I’m an adult! So how do we break free from giving too much advice when it’s something we just do without thinking? Well, let me give you some advice about that… How to Decide if You Should Give Advice or Not In this blog post (and podcast episode), I want to share an acronym I’ve made that’s helping me know when to give or not give advice. I’ll warn you ahead of time, though. Usually I decide I shouldn’t give advice after asking the questions! I call the acronym SPIKER. Think of a person standing at the volleyball net, jumping high to shove the ball down the other side of the net and take out the opponent. That’s how advice often feels to the advice-receiver. We think we’re giving a nice gentle lob over the fence to help them have a better life, but they think we’re pounding them with advice. This acronym will help you evaluate what you have to say so see if it’s worth giving. With the holidays coming up, it seemed like the perfect time to share this acronym as many of us will be surrounded by people we want to give advice to! SPIKER Acronym: 6 Questions to Ask Before Giving Advice Ask these questions before you give advice. If you have adult kids coming home for the holidays, think about what kind of advice you may want to give them while they’re here. (Yes, I know it’s already running through your mind!) Ask yourself these questions before they get home. Or better yet, each morning before they wake up! For Covid/Political Discussion: You can also ask these questions to determine if it’s worth getting involved in a political or Covid discussion – or if it’s worth saying that comeback you’re dying to say when the topic comes up. You’ll just have to tweak the questions a bit since they’re designed with advice giving in mind. For example, with P for Profitable, you could ask, “What are the odds they’ll change their mind if I engage this topic with them?” or “Is this discussion worth the damage it could do to our relationship?”) * S – Sure – Are you sure you’re giving the right advice or is there a possibility you’re wrong or you’ll find out one day that this was bad advice? * P – Profitable – Will it be profitable? In other words, how likely are they to consider taking your advice? (This is especially helpful to think about for unsolicited advice.) * I – Important – Is it important?

Do you struggle with productivity? Do you find that you often have trouble getting through your to-do list? At the end of each day, do you feel discouraged that you didn’t achieve more? If so, you’ll want to listen to today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, where I interview Polly Payne, the CEO of Horacio Printing and the creator of the Dream Planner. Polly shares many helpful tips so that we can productively focus our energy on what matters most each day and finally conquer that to-do list! Things We Discussed on the Podcast * How to win the day rather than letting the day defeat you * How to simplify your focus by using the “Top 3” strategy * The importance of planning your “Top 3” the night before * Two phone tips to help get things done * The Five Block System * A helpful tip to transition from your morning routine to work block * How remembering your “why” is so helpful to your productivity * The “Planning Fallacy” * Start small and give yourself the win Resources Mentioned on the Podcast Dream Planning Podcast with Polly Payne Shop at Horacio Printing  2022 Dream Planner  Soap Bible Study Systemize Your Life Podcast with Chelsi Jo * The Pomodoro Method * Finish by Jon Acuff Polly Payne is a southern girl from Alabama who moved to NYC to pursue her dreams. She left her successful career in advertising to run Horacio Printing and share her Dream Planner with the world. She has sold over 35,000 Dream Planners around the world and raised over $65,000 to fight human trafficking through her partnership with A21. Last year, she hosted the Dreamers Summit which featured Christine Caine, Alli Worthington and DawnChere Wilkerson as guest speakers! Polly now lives in Chattanooga, TN with her husband and daughter and has a little baby boy on the way coming New Year’s Day!  How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen or subscribe on Android: click here  To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

Most all of us have the desire to grow in God, but we often don’t know how to begin. My guest on the Christian Habits Podcast today, Darryl Dash, has written a great new book on this topic called 8 Habits for Growth: A Simple Guide to Becoming More Like Christ. Darryl discusses the habits in his book and gives helpful advice for the Christian desiring to go deeper in their faith walk. Things We Discussed on the Episode * What Christian growth is * Strategies for growth both for the individual and for the church * Sharing life with someone as an effective means of discipleship * How caring for your physical body is actually an important part of Christian growth * Tips for beginning habits * God’s deep compassion for us when we are trying to grow and we fail * How consistency is more important than perfection About Darryl Dash DARRYL DASH is pastor of Liberty Grace Church in Toronto. He is also cofounder of Gospel for Life, and director of Advance Church Planting Institute. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and has over 25 years of ministry experience. Darryl is married to Charlene, and has two adult children, Christy and Josiah. You can find Darryl online at DashHouse.com. Resources Mentioned on the Podcast * Darryl’s new book 8 Habits for Growth * Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg How to Listen to the Podcast To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here To listen or subscribe on Android: click here To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”