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What expectations do you have when you pray?
Is your heart watchful - anticipating His reply because you know He will come through - or do you just keep praying and hoping He will come through, but not really expecting much?
Sadly, I had placed my expectations in the wrong place and wondered why it felt like I lived in a perpetual Groundhog's Day.
It felt like no one could tell I'd been doing so much, yet I'd been doing everything, So I asked God why.
The answer?
I’d been doing everything!
Then, God asked me what I expected from Him.
What did I expect from God?
My prayers have changed -
GOD, I expect more. I expect YOU!
That is when the unexpected answers started coming!
One of the things that God did make clear was that I surrender this podcast for now.
Today is June 20th. I have been telling you that I will be taking a sabbatical, and in this episode, I will share why.
The best thing about podcasts is that they don’t disappear!
The 135 episodes I have already done are still there for you to enjoy and share.
During this time, it would be lovely to get to know you!
You can stay in touch with me by joining my email, where we can get to know each other better.
I will still be writing, continuing to blog, sharing devotionals, Spiritual Game Planning for upcoming events or situations, and updating on the direction God takes this ministry.
I’d love to know -
Was there a favorite episode?
Is there specific way I can pray for you?
Head over to my website, cherifletcher.com, and click Join Cheri.
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Isaiah 32:8 tells us that a noble man makes a noble plan, so he can stand on noble deeds.
If we aren't giving our young men noble plans and teaching them how to make them, how do we expect our sons to become men that stand on noble deeds?
As Father’s Day approaches, I chose a guest that would highlight one of the most important works that God has called Fathers to complete.
My guest, Dean Briggs, a father and stepfather to 7 boys, has carried the weight of this important mission heavily on his shoulders knowing that there are only a few brief years in which men can guide their sons into manhood.
Dean will share with us:
The Virtues of ManhoodHow to help boys grow up to be godly menHighlights from his book: Brave Quest - An Interactive Journey for Young Men to Help Them Build A Godly CharacterThis book is a great resource for fathers looking for a fatherhood Spiritual Game Plan!
If you know someone who would enjoy this powerful rite-of-passage system for fathers and sons, be sure to share this and encourage them!
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In our world, there has been a decline in outward manliness to the point where people say that chivalry is dead, but what makes up a “real man”?
In some cases, a man is defined as a "real man" based on his interests or hobbies, such as hunting, playing sports, grilling meat, fixing cars, and climbing mountains, but that is not the purpose of a man.
In this episode, my guest, Brant Hansen, talks us through the godly definition of men and God’s purpose for them.
Brant emphasizes that manhood is not about being the stereotypical manly or outdoorsman. He believes there should be a vision of masculinity that is beautiful and awesome rather than the toxic and domineering idea of masculinity.
He will share his thoughts on:
What a “real man” really isToxic MasculinityBeing “Keepers of the Garden”As we celebrate Father's Day this month, I wanted to devote this episode to the "real men" in our lives and offer some tips on how we can lift them up as wives, mothers, sisters, and mentors.
Can you think of a man in your life who might benefit from reaffirming his purpose?
Be sure to share and encourage them!
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When unexpected events change the trajectory of our lives, we have a choice to make:
Do we overcome the unexpected, as the world recommends, or undergo it?
In this episode, Jillian Benfield talks about her experience finding out she was going to have a child with disabilities and her new book - The Gift of the Unexpected - Discovering Who We Were Meant to Be When Life Goes Off Plan.
She will help us break down the following:
False beliefs we’ve built around God and our identity. How we cannot avoid our pain, but how we can learn to feel it in a way that is healing. Discover how our internal transformation leads to external purpose when we undergo the unexpected.God uses the unexpected to disorient us from a culture that values the prosperity gospel (control) and the American dream (achievement).
Through His surprising gifts, believers learn how to relate to others' pain and realize how valuable and significant they are.
Jillian wants you to know that - “No matter what you’re going through, you’re invited to open this gift: The Gift of the Unexpected!”
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As a new mother, what questions did you receive the first few days after giving birth?
You are not alone if you were asked more questions about the baby than how you were.
Maybe we'll get a pat on the back or hear, "Good job, Mama!" But what we need is a “How are you?”!!
There is so much excitement around the birth of the new member of your family that people tend to overlook the major experience you have just gone through.
Rachael Elmore, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, shares her personal and professional experiences from her book A Mom Is Born: Biblical Wisdom and Practical Advice for Taking Care of Yourself and Your New Baby.
When she had her first baby, she wanted others to know that “the baby wasn’t the only one born that day—so was I.”
Rachael believes that not everyone needs therapy, but everyone can benefit from it.
In This Episode, She Will:
Answer two listeners' questions about postpartum Tell us the difference between the baby blues and PPD/PPA Help you find the balance between caring for your new baby and caring for yourself.Being an empty nest mother, I understand if you don't think that this show is for you - But
I hope this message will be a resource you can use to help a young mom, use it as a gift for a daughter or daughter-in-law, or give you some grace if you missed out on these resources when you were experiencing postpartum.
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How have you filled in these blanks?
“Someday” when I don’t have to ___________, then I will _________.
Like me, you might need more blanks!
Having finally reached my "someday," while I'm enjoying the things I've been looking forward to, I often think back on those days when I was doing all of those things I'd wished away and wish I had taken time to enjoy them.
As a young mother, I seemed to be navigating my life one task at a time. I daydreamed about a life I believed would be more fulfilling instead of being awake and in the moment.
During this episode, Anjuli Paschall describes what it's like to feel the underlying anxiety that you are missing out on the good life, to zone out, to swipe up, to be slimming down, to be working harder, and to spin in circles with the anxiety of not living life to the fullest.
That was something Anjuli wanted to change! Knowing she loved people fearlessly and walked with God faithfully.
In addition, she wants to believe that she is loved and even liked.Anjuli is going to tell us how she discovered that the full life isn’t found by chasing it. It’s found by coming awake to it, and she wants you to live a soul-awake life too!
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In your mothering journey, which books from children's classic literature do you turn to for help?
That one made me stop and think for a while. Of course, there are plenty of “how to” books for mothering. However, I had never considered looking back at my childhood stories... until now!
As moms, we face so many struggles and fears. Is what we're doing enough? How will our kids turn out? As we face these fears, we wonder what we can do.
My guest on this episode is Jennifer Pepito, a writer, and mother of seven! Despite her desire to raise a strong family, fear stole her joy as a mother.
Likewise, she has asked herself whether what she was doing was the right thing for her children.
Then, she discovered her joy in an unexpected place! It was in the pages of classic literature that she read aloud to her children every day.
Through these stories, she restored the wonder of childhood to both herself and her children.
As Jennifer explains in her book, Mothering by the Book, we can use those lessons to overcome our fears.
Jennifer will share lessons from three of my favorite classics:
Focusing on the positive from: Little House on the Prairie SeriesSpeaking Life to those around you from: Charlotte’s WebTaking time to reflect from: Pride & Prejudice"Becoming a better, happier mom starts with the stories you tell your kids.”
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Hello, I’m Cheri Fletcher
I would love to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to every woman who has a mothering or a mentoring role in someone’s life.
I'm glad you're here if you’re new to my page.
And if you’ve been around here a while, you know that I love reminding you that -
YOUR ROLES IN LIFE WILL CHANGE - BUT YOUR PURPOSE IS ETERNAL.
Today, I will share my journey as a mom and how I struggled for years to feel like I was nothing more than my role.
I pray that by sharing God's plan for me and the plot that the enemy used to try and stop it, you’ll be surprised why being "Just" the mother God made you be is actually such high praise!
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Suppose you stopped worrying about what others might think if they heard you pray. How would your prayer life change?
There is no doubt that prayer is for God and that He desires a personal relationship with us!
For Amy Hale, that was the point where her relationship with Him deepened.
By studying the Word and drawing closer to God, she has come to share her insights and passion for daily Bible reading with others.
“I don't want others to spend most of their lives not knowing how powerful and life-giving it is!”
In this episode, Amy will share how her prayer life has grown stronger and more consistent after studying specific prayers from the lives of Abraham and Jesus Himself.
She will discuss fundamental key principles she learned, illustrate how she applied them, and then leave us with a challenge to flip the narrative of the enemy!
We can see significant changes when we take God’s Word and apply even the little things to our lives.
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Great changes are taking place every moment of every day, but are the prayers of God’s people keeping up?
This is a question that Reverend Randy Maxwell asks in his book, Closing Prayers; Facing the final crisis on our knees.
Randy is a good friend of mine, and during one of my trips back to Washington, I was blessed to hear a sermon he gave from this book.
The moment he began his sermon with an analogy of our current earthly time as a 4th quarter in a game, I pulled out my phone and hit record!
I didn’t want to miss one word.
As we make every effort to finish strong in the last quarter, we pull out all the stops.
In Randy's question, he asks whether we pray as if we were aware that we are in the final quarter of human history.
In this episode, Reverand Maxwell will share why it is time to pray the right prayers at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason, and how we do that!
Then he will discuss the 5 ways we should be praying in light of the times in which we live right now.
Change meSearch meWake meBreak meSend meGod uses forgiven human beings precisely because they have been forgiven. We know what it’s like to be weak and what it’s like to break our promises, what it’s like to doubt, and what it’s like to mess up and do stupid things. The angels don’t.
Listen in for a powerful episode on prayer and the answer to the ONE thing that stands between us and the change we seek!
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In what area do you need to trust that God has good and delightful surprises in store for you?
Some of the best discussions I have with God are when I’m taking a walk. The fresh air clears the fog from my brain, the sounds of nature drown out the perpetual to-do list in my head, and I can appreciate the beauty that God provides all around me.
It is as though He shows me something new every day and every season to remind me of His presence. It is easy for me to lose sight of how God has provided in the past and forget that His plans are far better than my own.
I often find myself praying for God to bless my will and forget to stop and listen for His.
Today I will be talking with Sarah Geringer about her latest book. - Hidden Manna on a Country Road: Seeing God’s Daily Provision All Around Us.
In 2020, she discovered many prayer prompts on her property while walking her dogs.
Everywhere she looked, she saw reasons to pray, much like the manna God provided Israel in the wilderness. The metaphors she saw in the seasons are so inspiring and helped add to my own prayer life.
Even if we have practiced our faith for years, prayer can be a mystery to us.
But God has hidden prayer prompts right outside our doors in nature. As you uncover their spiritual truths, these treasures can inspire deeper connections with God.
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How would things be different if you trusted God as He asked you to start, endure, or even quit a “thing”?
So often, we let the “what if” of fear stop us from taking those first steps.
The "thing" God has called us to do requires a strong plan to deal with obstacles the enemy places in our way.
In this episode, guest Rebecca George is going to share her personal experience of pursuing goals with grace and confidence through prayer and a lot of gumption!
As she discusses, tethering ourselves to Him every day is what truly transforms our lives, and that begins with being in His word, walking in community, and with a constant attitude of prayer.
This is also the launch day for Rebecca’s first book:
Do the Thing: Gospel-Centered Goals, Gumption, and Grace for the Go-Getter Girl!
With God's Word as your compass, you have the opportunity to take a courageous step today.
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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word boundaries?
My friend Leslie Newman asked this question in our writer's group, and she received a variety of answers.
My answer was protection, both for the other person and me.
Having learned the benefits of setting grace-filled boundaries, Leslie loves helping others do the same.
“Setting boundaries is an emotional process, and it has to start with me first, especially when facing a difficult situation, potential conflict, and difficult conversations.” Leslie
Leslie wants us to know that boundaries are Biblical. They are a bridge designed by God to bring us together, not always to separate us.
In this episode, she will explain her unique approach to setting boundaries without shame and how boundaries can actually rejuvenate us.
I would love to hear what word comes to your mind when you hear the word boundary!
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When was the last time you avoided a difficult conversation with someone just to get their approval?
Did it ever get resolved?
Having difficult conversations with those you care about is part of life, so it's better to prepare ahead of time.
In my conversation with Lori, she shares that our avoidance of an issue and not facing the hard conversation actually causes the disconnection we are trying to avoid in our relationships.
Avoiding the conversation completelyAssuming thingsBeing unprepared
According to Lori, there are three ways for a conversation to go wrong:With Lori’s game plan, my prayer is that you can be better prepared the next time you need to have a difficult conversation by being your authentic self.
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How different would your next family gathering, work day, or neighborhood picnic be if everyone chose to celebrate or weep with each other before trying to convince, correct, or lobby for their agendas?
Jesus never said that getting along would be easy, especially loving one another. But He did call us to do it.
Becky Keife, from (in)Courage, joins me in this episode to discuss the book, Come Sit With me, How to Delight in Differences, Love through Disagreements, and Live with Discomfort.
The book features Becky's story, as well as 26 other women from all walks of life who discuss friendship across religious and political differences, putting people over positions and forgiving before or without apology.
Relationships are hard, and we hope that today we can give you some tools to help navigate through some of those tensions and leave you with grace-filled learning moments.
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What keeps you from extending comfort within your community?
When I asked my friends that question, there was a common thread in their answers. It was “un” comfortable and it causes “dis” comfort.
Did you know there's a reason for it? There is someone behind that reason!
We were created to be in communion with each other and to be in unity - Community - but the enemy will do anything to keep us from it.
Today in this solo episode, I will share some examples of how God has created us to comfort others and restore community.
In fact, you may ALREADY be doing it AND even enjoying it!
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What is holding you back from experiencing joy?
Joy should be one click away, as self-care and getaways are more accessible than ever before.
Yet the search for happiness and joy continues to be a popular topic.
My guest Yvette Babs Walker knows all about wanting to experience joy and wondering when she would find it.She will talk about a time when she believed in God but felt numb in her faith. She knows what it’s like to be a seeker instead of a believer.
Yvette will share her experience of that season as well as what awakened her faith and how we can learn:
HOW to choose joy HOW to find itWHERE to apply it in our own homesIf your life is empty, Yvette wants to help you fill it with the joy of the Lord!
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Do you ever wonder why so many of our best memories and most cherished relationships involve food?
When my kids are going to come home, they will request their favorite meals and desserts. Making it for them warms my heart as their mom!
Why is that? Could it be a design decision rather than a default one?
There are numerous references in the bible to food, feeding and nourishing God's people, and the feasts God wants to prepare for us.
God's gift of food is to be enjoyed in every sense, in our home's environment, in preparation, and in bringing family members together.
“God never just fills our bellies. He fills our homes. He fills our hearts.”
Erin Davis
But with every gift that God gives, the enemy will attach shame to it.
In this episode, I will talk with Erin Davis about her new book Fasting & Feasting, 40 Devotions to Satisfy the Hungry Heart.
She will show how God's Word celebrates food as a gift while inviting us to surrender our lives in every area.
Instead of yo-yo-ing between loving and hating food, Erin invites us to accept Scripture's invitation into a different, nourishing, and refreshing rhythm.
Erin’s approach to Fasting and Feasting will change how you experience and cherish the voice of God!
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When was the last time you said to yourself, “I just want to be happy”?
How can one truly be happy?
I think if happiness were obtainable by our human ability, we would have stopped chasing after it by now.
Happiness is an emotion that changes and often relies on what is happening around us, our personal relationships, and our heart's desires.
In this episode, Tricia Goyer and I discuss her book Heart Happy, Staying Centered in God's Love Through Chaotic Circumstances.
Tricia is going to share how to:
Make small, positive changes to cultivate a heart that's happy in the LordUnderstanding your relationship with God in deeper ways allows you torest in Him, and that's where true happiness is found.
If you are ready to rise above the chaos and find some practical application from a mom of 10 who gets it - then listen in!
Happy Valentines Day
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Is there a time when your heart felt heavy because of difficult circumstances?
Focusing on what I can't handle can feel like my heart is heavy and full of despair.
When times like these came, I would escape to our family cabin in Oregon. I called it my Happy Place.
My heart would feel lighter when I turned down the road to the cabin. Observing the stars under the vast sky, I felt encouraged knowing God, my Creator, created me and cared for me!
Being states away from my family cabin now, I can't go there to escape. Nevertheless, I must remain mindful to keep calming my heart and resting like I did when I was there.
In this episode, I will talk to Marci Seither about her book Lakeside Retreat - Live Giving Devotions from a Restful Shore.
Through storytelling, recipes, games, and even some survival tips, Marci will take us to that cabin, to that happy place.
Inhale and smell pine trees and campfiresListen and hear loons or geese and also Taste Wild Berry Cabin Cobbler
You are invited to join us at the cabin and:Join Marci and me by the lake, and let me know how you plan to rest!
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected].
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