Wisdom for Wednesday

This chapter is FULL of wisdom and instruction for us. Join Crystal as she shares how the LORD spoke to her about loving others--along with some caution concerning how we should treat our spiritual leaders and respond when they fall.We'll continue I Thessalonians 5 next week. Join in on the study! We'll finish up I Thessalonians and continue into II Thessalonians over the next several weeks. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Ministry is the spiritual work or service of any Christian. To minister to someone is to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.We are all in the ministry! Join Crystal as she chats with Mrs. Brianna Simpson about how she stays involved in her local church while traveling as a missionary family.  Quiet Resting Places Ladies MeetingQuiet Resting Places Podcast (also available on Apple)REMINDER - We'll pick up our study of I Thessalonians next week with chapter five. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

This week, Mr. Ratcliff is back and joins Crystal to discuss I Thessalonians 4 with an emphasis on holy living, loving others, and the hope we have in Jesus. I Thessalonians 4:16-18 KJVFor the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.We will continue our study through I and II Thessalonians for the next several episodes. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

This week, we continue our study of I Thessalonians with special guest, Quortney J from @running_redeemed. Quortney discusses the importance of being established in our faith so we will not be shaken when afflictions, suffering, hardships come--and they will come. This episode is filled with encouragement that will help you weather the storms of life with an unshaken faith!Check out Quortney's website (lots of great resources available). We will continue our study through I and II Thessalonians for the next several episodes. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Join Crystal this week as she digs deeper into I Thessalonians 2 and what it means to "walk worthy of God." There is so much for us to learn from Paul as he established and encouraged the new believers in Thessalonica, but also from the new believers themselves. They were known for their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope as they waited for Christ's return. The expectation of His return caused them to live differently--to walk differently--sounding out and spreading forth the Gospel!We will be studying through I and II Thessalonians for the next several episodes. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

In today's episode, Crystal kicks off her study of I and II Thessalonians with some background information before digging into the first chapter of I Thessalonians. She shares how the LORD challenged her to be known for her "work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." The church in Thessalonica was a great example to others as they waited for Jesus Christ's return. Let's see what we can learn from them today.We will be studying through I and II Thessalonians for the next several episodes. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Richard Hester's books can be found here.Mark Trotter's 52 Weeks of Pursuit can be found here. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Ministry is the spiritual work or service of any Christian. To minister to someone is to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.We are all in the ministry! Join Crystal as she chats with Mrs. Janelle Durham about her local church, Calvary Baptist Church in Perry, Oklahoma. Next week, we will kick off our study of I and II Thessalonians. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Join Crystal as she digs into Psalm 63 this week and discusses the topic of Spiritual Dryness. Have you been there? When your Bible reading, your prayer time, your church attendance…it all just seems mundane? It's as if you are going through the motions of Christianity, but inside you're feeling apathetic or indifferent toward the things of the LORD.The solution is found right here in Psalm 63! The LORD wants to turn your dryness into devotion. Will you let Him?Beginning in April, we will be studying through I and II Thessalonians. Here's the link to the study guide if you'd like one to accompany your study. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

This week, Crystal shares a session from a ladies conference at Calvary Baptist Church in Perry, Oklahoma. The theme was "Be Still and Know that I am God" based on Psalm 46:10. Crystal digs into Psalm 46 and the link to the attempted Assyrian invasion during the time of Hezekiah (found in II Kings 18-19). She explains the importance of "knowing God" so that you will be able to "be still" and trust Him in the midst of your trouble. Digging deeper into this familiar verse will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the command to "be still and know that I am God."Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

After some reflection, I believe the advice, "Just read your Bible," is part of why I struggled so much as a young Christian attempting to develop a daily habit of spending time in prayer and God's Word. I would try to read my Bible and approach it as I did any other book. I would always start at the beginning. I can’t tell you how many times I started reading Genesis…one chapter at a time. If I made it to Leviticus–which most of the time, I did not–my motivation would die along with the animals brought to be sacrificed. Why? It hadn’t become personal to me. It hadn’t become precious to me. Truly, it is only after God has met with you PERSONALLY through His Word that you will develop a hunger and thirst for It, a passion for It. That is what gives you the ability to continue reading through difficult passages, to keep seeking for another life changing experience with the LORD. The truth is reading the Bible takes a bit of work and a reliance on the Holy Spirit to give us understanding. Join me in this episode as I share some encouragement for young Christians...and maybe a bit of correction for those of us who have been guilty of saying, "Just read your Bible."Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Ministry is the spiritual work or service of any Christian. To minister to someone is to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.We are all in the ministry! Join Crystal as she chats with Chaz and Leah Ratcliff about their local church and ministering in Seattle, Washington. Chaz and Leah serve alongside Kyle and Tiffany McMillan at Skyline Baptist Church in Seattle, Washington. The Northwest Baptist - a ministry of the church Chaz mentions in this episode. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

In this episode, Crystal reveals her word of the year for 2026 - Consistent. She shares how she chose this theme, Be Consistent, and how it applies to any goals you might set.  To be consistent is to be reliable, predictable, and steady in your actions, words, and emotions. It's about making steady progress. Crystal discusses her three main goals which fall into the areas of nutrition and movement (diet and exercise), household cleaning, and writing while inviting you to check in on your own word of the year and/or goals. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message.Support the showSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Join Crystal in today's episode as she finishes the study of the It's Time Bible Study with thoughts on the chapter "Esther: A Time for Courage." The episode feels a little heavy, but we can take comfort in remembering that it is no accident that we are living in this time. “We are here for such a time as this. And because we know that, we can trust the LORD will equip us to live in this day and time. In this culture. In this chaos and craziness. We are not alone or left to ourselves to figure it out. The LORD is actively working to fulfill His purpose and plan in this world.”~It’s Time, pg. 92It's not too late to start the study of It's Time (linked below). Get your book today and start studying! You can always access the video lessons and now these podcast episodes at your own pace. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Join Crystal in today's episode with a reflection on the chapter "Hannah: A Time for Waiting" from the It's Time Bible Study. She will dig further into the word REST. Rest is to have a quiet or tranquil mind, not to be agitated by fear, anxiety, or any other passion. It can be a struggle to find rest in this crazy, chaotic world, but the answer can be found in God's Word. Crystal breaks down Psalm 91 and the peace and rest that comes from dwelling in the Secret Place of the Most High and abiding under His wings.It's not too late to join us in the study of It's Time (linked below). Get your book today and start studying with us today! You can always access the video lessons and now these podcast episodes at your own pace. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Ministry is the spiritual work or service of any Christian. To minister to someone is to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.We are all in the ministry! Join Crystal as she chats with Mrs. Rebekah Simpson about her local church and Mercy and Truth Ministries.  Quiet Resting Places Ladies MeetingQuiet Resting Places Podcast (also available on Apple)Treasures for Truth Podcast (also available on Apple)REMINDER - We'll pick up our study of It's Time next week. The episode on Hannah: A Time for Waiting will air on February 4th. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Crystal's word of the year for 2025 was TRUST. As she studied through "Mary: A Time for Surrender" this last week, Crystal realized that TRUSTing the LORD fully requires complete surrender. In this episode of Wisdom for Wednesday, Crystal reflects on the past year and explores the thought of saying to the LORD, "I'm all yours!" There is great peace that comes from living a life surrendered to the LORD and letting Him lead. It's not too late to join us in the study of It's Time (linked below). Get your book today and start studying with us today!Interested in the Quiet Resting Places Ladies Meeting? Click here. REMINDER - Next week, we will pause the It's Time study for a Ministry Mindset episode. We'll pick up Hannah: A Time for Waiting on February 4th. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

This thought, "when the answer is no," has been on Crystal's heart since October when they lost their baby grandson. As she studied through "Naomi: A Time for Restoration" this last week, Crystal considered that Naomi would have prayed for the provision and protection of her family. The answer was no, and we can learn a lot from Naomi's  response. In this episode of Wisdom for Wednesday, Crystal tackles this difficult topic by looking at some basic Biblical principles that will help us respond in the right way when the answer to our prayers is no. It's not too late to join us in the study of It's Time (linked below). Get your book today and start studying with us today!Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

In this week's episode, Crystal shares how the LORD used the study of the first chapter of "It's Time" to speak to her heart and challenge her to be faithful to the end. Join her as she shares her thoughts on living a life committed to the LORD and reflects on some of her favorite passages from the study. Psalm 37:5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.Psalm 62:1-21 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.Psalm 73:26My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.Get your copy of It's Time (linked below) and join in on the study today!Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Mr. Ratcliff joins Crystal today for a special anniversary episode. Listen in as they discuss questions about faith, marriage, and parenting. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message.Support the showSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

This week, Marc joins Crystal to discuss how we must be careful how we approach Scripture. They cover some of the dangers of studying Scripture with our own personal bias and how we can avoid them. Resources mentioned in this episode:From One Bible Teacher to Another by James RasbearyPlanted. A Guide for New Disciples by James RasbearyOld Testament and New Testament Bible History books by Richard HesterAvailable Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Philemon is a small book of the Bible, but it is filled with lessons that can be applied to our Christian lives today. Join Crystal as she takes a closer look at this letter from Paul, who wrote to inform Philemon that his slave, Onesimus, was now a believer and to bring about full forgiveness and reconciliation between these two Christian brothers.Richard Hester's resource books can be found here. Get your Colossians/Philemon study guide here. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message.Support the showSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Ministry is the spiritual work or service of any Christian. To minister to someone is to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.We are all in the ministry! Join Crystal as she chats with Quortney J from Running Redeemed about the various ministries of her local church and how she balances "all the things" as a busy wife and mom. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

If we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we are risen with Christ! Now let's learn how to live like it. Colossians chapter three is filled with practical instruction for our everyday lives. We can find guidance for our personal spiritual lives, our mental health, our mindset, our work, and our relationships. "The LORD has used some of these verses to drastically change me over the years, my habits, my perspective. Let me tell you about it." ~CrystalGet your Colossians study guide here. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

This week, Crystal shares some of what she has been learning in her study of Colossians. Jesus, the preeminent one! He is the one that has made us complete. The word complete carries the idea of being “filled up.” We are literally filled up with Jesus Christ and just have to let Him live through us! Knowing and understanding this freedom that we've been given should cause us to desire to live a life pleasing to the LORD. And yet, sometimes we can get a little lopsided as we consider God's grace. We tend to lean either to the side of license or legalism. Instead, we must find the balance that puts us right in the middle so we can enjoy the liberty we have in Christ.Get your Colossians study guide here. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Let's talk about spiritual prayers! Paul prayed for the spiritual needs of the saints over and over again. He had a burden to see fellow believers grow in their knowledge of God's Word and His will. He desired for them to demonstrate patience, long suffering, joy and thanksgiving through the power of the Holy Spirit!In today's episode, Crystal shares how considering Paul's examples of spiritual prayers has changed the way she prays for her own church family. She will explain her new prayer binder and how praying more intentionally for her church family has allowed her to form deeper connections with them.If you'd like to join Crystal and the ladies of the Her Portion Podcast studying Colossians this month, get your study guide here. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Ministry is the spiritual work or service of any Christian. To minister to someone is to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.We are all in the ministry! In this week's episode Crystal shares what she has learned about being "in the ministry" since her husband went on full-time staff at their church, but not before she reminds us that we all have a place in the ministry of our local churches. Get your Colossians study guide here. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

What is your “one thing”? The one thing the LORD wants you to focus your time and energy on right now?In Scripture, we can find some examples of the "one thing." One thing we should do...press forward in my relationship with the LORD and knowing Him (Philippians 3).One thing we should desire...to dwell in the presence of the LORD (Psalm 27:4)!One thing is needful...a relationship with the LORD that drives our service (Luke 10).One thing the man lacked...complete surrender to the LORD (Mark 10). One thing I know...the work of the LORD in my life (John 9)! Join Crystal as she shares how thinking about her "one thing" led her to move Wisdom for Wednesday from social media to a podcast format. She also shares a few quick, practical time management tips in this episode. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

In today's episode, let's talk about where "Wisdom for Wednesday" came from and the importance of exercising Godly wisdom in our lives as Christian women. Exercising wisdom is like using God’s Word as a filter. We should filter all of our thoughts, words, actions, and decisions through God’s Word. We must take everything through the filter of God’s Word.Proverbs 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Welcome to Wisdom for Wednesday--the podcast edition! This series started on my social media pages as short, weekly devotional videos sharing how the LORD had been working in my heart through Bible study. In this episode, I share some thoughts from a recent session I taught at a ladies meeting in Alabama. It was designed to encourage those in attendance to trust the LORD no matter what they were facing and remind them of Who God is and some of the many things He does for us. At the time, I had no idea it was me the LORD was preparing. In His goodness, He was reminding me of all these things, knowing I would soon be facing another family crisis. Isn't God good?The LORD knows, and He cares. Tune in for some encouragement today. If you like this episode, please leave a review and share it with a friend. Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show

Welcome to Wisdom for Wednesday--the podcast edition! This series started on my social media pages as short, weekly devotional videos sharing how the LORD had been working in my heart through Bible study. In this introduction, I invite you to join me for the very first full episode on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. See you then!Available Bible Studies and Bible Study Guides (affiliate links):It's Time.Arise, Go.Pullin' Weeds, Plantin' SeedsThere's a Fly in my Tea!Study Your Bible With Me SeriesConnect with me:InstagramFacebookWebsiteSend me a message. If you'd like a reply, please include your e-mail address. Support the show