No Higher Calling

Watching a child's wonder and imagination ignite is incredible and nothing accomplishes that quite like a rich story. 

In this episode, we chat about. . .

-The importance of imagination

-Where to draw the line with fantastical literature

-Protecting the freedom and enjoyment of childhood

-Benefits of reading aloud and imaginative play

Resources:

NHC Podcast: Approving Things That Are Excellent https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcas...

Simeon and I have walked through five postpartum seasons together. Each one has look different. Our experience with our later babies was vastly different from our experience with our first two. Some of that came out of necessity, some of it came out of growth in our understanding of the postpartum season and each other. It has been beautiful for us to walk through this season as a team. 

In this episode, we discuss. . .

-The import...

Rachel Sengmany joins me to discuss ways to minister to today's teenage girl. Rachel has years of experience working with teenagers and she desires to see their lives transformed by Christ.

The things that teenagers face these days are very different from what people faced even just a generation ago. But the gospel is the same, and it has power! Rachel shares several different struggles that teen girls deal with today and how we, a...

A podcast listener asked me to address the question "how to encourage a missionary." I loved that question and the heart behind it! 

I polled a large group of missionary women and came up with a highlight list of things one can do to be an encouragement to a missionary familly. I share these on this episode as well as somethings people have done for our family that have been a blessing!

Resources:

www.brazzellstoaustralia.com 

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This episode brings us to a couple, who though joined in marriage, are nothing alike. Abigail is a women of strong character and a meek spirit. Nabal is a fool. In spite of this unequal yoking, Abigail has the joy of the Lord. When her husband acts in foolishness, she responds in godly wisdom. This wisdom saved the life of her husband and the reputation of the future king.

Some lessons we learn from this couple:

-Can you have joy...

Hear what books I've been reading in the first quarter of 2024!

Books Reviewed:

1. Until the Streelights Come On by Ginny Yurich

2. The Watchmaker's Daughter by Larry Loftis

3. Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis

4. The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart

5. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

6. Help for the Hungry Soul by Kristen Wetherell

7. Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay & Sally Clarkson

8. Em...

January of 2023, our family set out on our biggest adventure ever. With four kids in tow (ages 6, 4, 2, and 8 months), we boarded a plane in Knoxville, TN and set out of Sydney, Australia. It was a LONG 28+ hours of travel, but things went so smoothly. Most of that I attest to the hundreds of people who were praying for us, but there were also several things we did that wound up being very helpful.

In this episode, I share the smar...

“A budget doesn’t limit your freedom – a budget gives you freedom! It’s an intentional spending plan that grants you permission to spend.”

-George Kamel, Breaking Free From Broke

Rich, middle class, or poor, everyone is called to wise stewardship of their finances. Simeon shares from the Bible why it is important for couples to honor God with their money and budget the...

My Eden is an avid reader! She joins me on this episode to share several of her favorite book series. These are great recommendations for elementary age girls!

Resources:

NHC Blog: Favorite Book Series from Elementary Age Girls https://nohighercalling.org/favorite-book-series-for-elementary-age-girls/

Gather Round Homeschool https://gatherroundhomeschool.com/ 

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George https://amzn.to/3...

"It is a mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us; else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the choicest and loveliest gifts of His providence." -Susannah Spurgeon

Most of us have a chapter of our story that brought us deep grief. We live in a broken world where trials and sorrow abound. What does one do when grief changes everything? How can we move forw...

When we hear the name Jacob, we often think Rachel, but that was not his first wife. It is easy to get swept up in the romantic love story of Jacob and Rachel, but God has things to teach us from the loveless marriage of Jacob and Leah.

Lessons we learn from this couple:

-Keeping your affection and attention united in marriage

-Finding fufillment, identity, and contentment in Christ 

-Encouragement for those in a loveless relations...

Pastor Clarence Sexton said, "Choosing the high road is not choosing between the good and the bad, but the good and the best." Throughout our sanctification journey, we are to be growing in spiritual discernment and choosing things for our lives that are excellent. We dig into Philippians 1:10, defining the words of Scripture to get a deeper understanding of what it means to approve excellent things. 

Have you filled your heart and...

Now that we live in Australia, we follow thier school model and launch a new year with a new calendar year. We are about a month into a brand new homeschool year! In this episode, I share our curriculum line-up for the year.

Resources:

NHC Podcast: Homeschooling with Toddlers & Babies https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/homeschooling-with-toddlers-babies/id1547126864?i=1000624731570 

NHC Blog: Curriculum Line-Up 2024 https:...

You asked, we answered! Enjoy listening to this Q & A with us. Some of the questions we answer are as follows.

*When do we have our devotional time with so many littles?

*What are the 3 best things we've done for our marriage?

*Ways to keep your marriage a priority with young children?

*Did our marriage change when we had our first child?

*Advice for a couple facing an unexpected pregnancy

*Our thoughts on birth control

R...

Motherhood is a sanctifying journey, and often, the season of pospartum takes mothers on a sprint down that path! First-time mama, Morgan Young, joins me to share her postpartum experience- the beautiful and the ugly. Going from no children to adding a new human into your family can bring it's set of unique challenges. Throw raging hormones, lack of sleep, and new responsiblities to the mix, it can leave a woman floundering spiritu...

Flora Quinn's arrival did not go at all like we expected, but God was in every detail! Listen in as I share her story and all that God taught us as we humbly surrendered our will and rested in Him.

Resources:

Willow's Birth Story https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ep-86-willow-noelles-birth-story/id1547126864?i=1000565755697 

Brazzell Babies Birth Stories https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ep-24-brazzell-babies-birth-storie...

There are many lessons we can learn from the biblical account of Lot and Mrs. Lot. While there is very little said in Scripture about their marriage relationship, we can draw truths from what is recorded. Simeon joins me on this NHC Family episode to share all that God taught us as we studyed through this couple and the Scripture passages listed below.

Some lessons learned from Lot and Mrs. Lot include. . .

-The importance of being...

I once heard birth described as a labyrinth. There is an end goal to which you are pressing towards, and you often have a plan of how to get there, but as you wander the twisting paths, you sometimes walk paths you did not expect. The end reward is the same no matter what course you take- a precious baby in your arms.

My precious friend Tobianne McCown joins me to share the birth stories of her three daughters. Each one is so diffe...

What can I do now to make life easier later? That is the magic question! As we wrap up a month of focusing on simplifying life, this episode is to help you make all we've chatted about super practical. I walk through several everyday life pain points (laundry, dinner, groceries, etc), ask, the magic question, and seek to simplify the daily rhythms of home.

Resources:

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi: https://amzn.to/3TbI7k3 

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