The Christian Habits Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Most of us realize that our screens are consuming us. We know we should cut back on our screen-time but are at a loss for how to start. My guest on the Christian Habits Podcast today, Hannah Brencher, started off with a 1,000 hour screen-free challenge, and she hasn’t looked back since this pivotal life-change. Hannah gives practical tips as well as inspiration to start putting down our phones and re-discovering the world around us!

• What going “unplugged” actually means
• The unexpected outcomes of Hannah’s screen-free challenge
• What prompted the writing of this book
• How to practice presence
• Some inspiring thoughts on contentment and productivity
• Practical tips and ways to begin putting down our screens

• The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World
• The Aro App – Screen-time solution for families

©Taylor Zorzi / Zorzi Creative

Hannah Brencher is a writer, TED speaker, and entrepreneur. She founded The World Needs More Love Letters, a global community dedicated to sending letter bundles to those who need encouragement. Named as one of the White House’s “Women Working to Do Good,” Hannah has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Oprah, Glamour, USATODAY.com, the Chicago Tribune, and more. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Lane, and daughter Novalee. Find Hannah at hannahbrencher.com. Connect with Hannah on Instagram, Facebook,or Pinterest.

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Learning to Unplug with Hannah Brencher appeared first on Barb Raveling.

So many of us today are looking for ways to cope with the pressures of life. Instead of going to God, we turn to our phones, food, shopping, or even alcohol. Such was the case with Christy Osborne, my guest on the Christian Habits Podcast. Christy talks about her journey to sobriety and the choice to live without alcohol in her new book Love Life Sober. Even if you do not struggle specifically with alcohol, you will hear many helpful ways to deal with any addiction.

• How Christy assigned alcohol different “jobs” in her life
• The many ways that becoming alcohol-free has changed Christy’s life for the better
• Why Christy recommends the “experiment approach” when considering sobriety
• How to overcome addiction without willpower
• The surprising links between wine and disease
• Christy’s defiance against “Mommy Wine Culture”
• How wine and alcohol addiction takes more than it gives

• Christy’s new book Love Life Sober
• Christy’s website
• Christy on Instagram
• What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health – Huberman Lab Podcast

Christy Osborne, author of Love Life Sober, is a graduate of the University of Southern California and attended law school at Pepperdine University. After passing the California bar exam, Christy relocated to London and assumed various roles in law, public relations, and business development. She founded a popular website for American expat women and became a royal commentator on SKY News in the UK. Christy discovered her true calling when she chose sobriety and began openly advocating for it on social media. As a highly trained senior sobriety coach featured in/by Marie Claire, Newsweek, The Daily Mail, Yahoo, PBS, London Daily News, Hip & Healthy, and more, she empowers women throughout the US and UK to redefine their relationship with alcohol. Visit her at LoveLifeSober.com. Connect with Christy on Instagram.

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Christy Osborne: Love Life Sober appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you struggle to memorize Scripture? I do. For years I thought I couldn’t memorize it because I don’t have a good memory. But for the last couple of months–ever since I read Glenna Marshall’s book on memorizing Scripture–I’ve been going great guns with Scripture memory and love it!

If you’re someone like me who has struggled for years to commit God’s Word to memory, my latest episode of The Christian Habits Podcast (links below) will help. My guest, Glenna Marshall, has a new book out about the power and unexpected blessings of memorizing Scripture. It has been life-changing for her, and I can already tell it will be life-changing for me!

• The reason that Glenna began memorizing scripture
• The WHY behind scripture memorization
• The brain science of repetition and memory
• The case for memorization of long passages of scripture
• Practical tips for memorizing
• The “first letter” method
• How to use habit stacking to increase memorization
• An app that will help with Scripture memory–I’ve been using this app myself and it makes all the difference in the world. (See link below to find the app.)

• Memorizing Scripture: The Basics, Blessings and Benefits of Meditating on God’s Word by Glenna Marshall
• The Verses App

GLENNA MARSHALL is a pastor’s wife and mother of
two energetic sons. She is the author of The Promise Is
His Presence and Everyday Faithfulness. She writes
regularly at GlennaMarshall.com on biblical literacy,
suffering, and the faithfulness of God. She is a member
of Grace Bible Fellowship in Sikeston, Missouri. 

Find Glenna online at GlennaMarshall.com or on Instagram.

• 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.” 

The post Memorizing Scripture with Glenna Marshall appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Interview with Christina Smith

Today I’m excited to share an interview with my friend Christina.

We’ll be talking about how to follow lifelong eating boundaries, how to break free from the idol of skinny, and how Facebook sometimes gets in the way of that.

Christina shares her journey and how God has helped her along the way. She also gives practical suggestions for change.

To subscribe or listen on iTunes: click here

Other Resources:

• Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study – also discusses body image
• I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat)
• Insecurity Bible Verses
• When You’re Not Good Enough Bible Study
• Idolatry Series
• Thin Within blog

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Do you ever feel like you can’t break that habit that has been plaguing you all your life?

In today’s podcast we’ll talk about three steps you can take if you want to break your habit.

To listen on iTunes: click here

To listen on Stitcher: click here

If you’d like more info on this subject click on the following links:

1. How to Set Boundaries
2. Secondary Boundaries
3. How to Set Boundaries To Break Free From Idolatry
4. The Renewing of the Mind

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In this episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, we’ll talk about an attitude that keeps us from breaking our habits. 

If you’d like help with breaking a habit, check out the breaking a habit tab at the top of this blog. Click here to see the questions on today’s podcast.

To listen on iTunes: click here

To listen on Stitcher: click here

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The post 05: Breaking Habits: An Attitude That Keeps Us Stuck appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you ever feel like you have to say yes when someone asks you to do something? Do often find yourself saying yes and then regretting it later? Does it bother you when people are unhappy with you?

If so, you may be a people pleaser.

In this podcast, we’ll talk about 6 different things you can do if you want to break the habit of people pleasing. We’ll also renew our minds with the people pleasing questions from I Deserve a Donut.

If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast or listen to it on iTunes, click here, and then click “View on iTunes.” (It may not be there right away as I am having technical difficulties, which also explains why I have two play buttons rather than one!)

People Pleasing Questions

1. Why do you want to make this person happy?
2. What will make him happy?
3. Are you able to make that happen?
4. Will that really make him happy? Explain.
5. Are you:
   1. Interfering with what God wants to do in this person’s life by always trying to make him happy? Explain.
   2. Tempted to do something God doesn’t want you to do (or not do something God wants you to do) just so you can make this person happy? Explain.
   3. Remembering that only God can fill this person up and make him happy?
   4. Neglecting your responsibilities (as a parent, for example) just to avoid making this person mad?
6. How do you think God wants you to handle this situation?
7. Why do you think He wants you to handle it that way?
8. What would you need to sacrifice, give up, or risk to do what God wants you to do?
9. What will you gain if you do what God wants you to do?
10. Is there anything you need to accept?
11. What can you thank God for in this situation?

Question: Are you a people pleaser? Do you have any tips for us?

The post 04: 6 Tips for People Pleasers appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Interview with Terry Tignor

Today I’m excited to share an interview with my friend Terry Tignor, who has lost 140 pounds over the last 2 1/2 years.

Terry is the friend I mentioned in the intro to I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat).

Terry has wonderful words of wisdom, and I know her interview will encourage you, no matter how many pounds you have to lose!

In this episode, Terry shares some of her struggles along the way and how God helped her through the process.

Resources We Talked About on the Podcast

• Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It, By Gary Taubes

To listen on iTunes: click here

To listen on Stitcher: click here

I hope you enjoy the interview. I submitted my podcast to iTunes today so should be available there in the next day or two! (Unless I did something wrong!)

The post 03: How My Friend Lost 140 Pounds appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Welcome to the Christian Habits podcast, episode two! I won’t normally write a separate blog post to go with the podcast, but thought I would today so I could explain what it’s like to do a podcast.

The nice thing about blogging is that if you forget to say something when you write the first draft, you can easily add it in before you publish. Or if you said something you didn’t want to say, you can easily take it out.

You can’t do that with podcasting! Or at least if you can, I don’t know how to do it yet.

So if you ever hear me saying something in a podcast and think, Does Barb really believe that?, write and ask me.

It could be that I was just being spacey–as in today’s podcast when I called my youngest daughter my oldest daughter–or it could be that I’m wrong and need correction!

What I Meant to Say

Here’s an example. In today’s podcast I talk about some practical ways to change our lives when we’re discontent.

If I’d been on the ball, I would have given you lots of examples rather than just a couple from my own life. I also would have pointed out that sometimes we have to give up what we think we need to be happy–but that that’s not a big deal since God is the only one who can make us truly happy anyway.

But alas, I got sidetracked and didn’t say all those things. I can already see that podcasting will be a wonderful “opportunity” to let go of perfectionism.

Hopefully, this is the last time I’ll correct myself on the blog unless I say something really drastic. But as you listen to future episodes, just keep in mind that I am forgetful, absent-minded, spacey, and technologically challenged so listen to each podcast with that in mind!

Show Notes

I also wanted to let you know that if I reference something in the podcast, I’ll try to include the link to it or information for it in the blog post. Podcasters call the blog post the “show notes” so if you hear me saying that, it’s just the blog post.

Today’s “show notes” include the discontentment questions and Bible verses from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat). Here they are:

1. Why are you unhappy?
2. What do you think will make you happy?
3. Will that really make you happy? Why or why not?
4. Are you able to create the conditions you think will make you happy?
   1. Yes: If so, do you think God wants you to work on that? Why or why not?
   2. No: If not, is there anything else you can do to make life better? Explain.
5. Is God enough to satisfy you, even if you don’t get what you want?
6. What is one thing you can do to draw closer to Him today?
7. What is one thing you can do to show love to others today? Be specific.
8. Is there anything you need to accept?
9. Is there anything you need to hold with open hands?
10. Is there anything God wants you to do?
11. What can you thank God for in this situation?

Psalm 43:5Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. niv

Psalm 40:1-3a I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is so water.

Psalm 63:7-8 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 68:19-20a Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverance.

Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

Jonah 2:9a But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed.

John 16:33 These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage: I have overcome the world.

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:7-8 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

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The post 02: When Life is Hard: 11 Questions to Ask appeared first on Barb Raveling.

A few months ago, I interviewed my friend Terry who lost 140 pounds. Rather than doing it on video, I thought, I’ll just tape it and then I can make a podcast.

Little did I know how complicated it was to make a podcast! It’s definitely not for the technologically faint of heart!

But thanks to Terry’s wise words of wisdom that I wanted to share with all of you, I persevered. And now I am excited to introduce my new podcast!

I’ll be doing some interviews, some how-to podcasts, and some podcasts you can use to renew your mind with either on the way home from work, while you exercise or clean your house, or anything else you might like to do. I look forward to walking, exercising, cleaning, and commuting with you!

To listen on iTunes: click here

To listen on Stitcher: click here

I’ll try to post a podcast every Wednesday (the interview with my friend is the third episode), at least for the first few months, and will also cut down on my regular posts during this time period so I can put my efforts into the podcast. After it starts becoming routine, then I’ll start doing a mix of regular posts and podcasts.

I hope you enjoy listening to it. This whole thing will be somewhat experimental so please let me know if you have any ideas of how to make the podcasts better! This is definitely a learning-as-I-go experience!

Here’s the first podcast! (Hopefully!) (If you’re getting this post by email, you may need to go to my blog to access it.)

The post 01: Welcome to the The Christian Habits Podcast appeared first on Barb Raveling.