Keeping First Things First: Making God and Your Family a Priority – Podcast Episode 20

Natural Living Family Podcast, Episode 20 Transcript
Keeping First Things First: Making God and Your Family a Priority!

The contents of this presentation are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This presentation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

[0:00 – 1:00] Prelude

Dr. Z: So, she loves it. She loves getting out the cookbook. She loves getting out the apples. And she’s like making it with me, spending time with our beautiful children doing something that has to be done. Like it could be “I’ve got to make lunch.” No, it’s fun now.

Mama Z: And we do a lot of cooking project days. We do a lot of craft days where we DIY stuff and the kids help. And it’s so much to the fact that when they asked Elijah what he wanted to be when he grew up, besides a daddy, he said, “I want to be a baker.”

Dr. Z: Yea, he loves it. That was six months ago. Now he wants to be a daddy.

Mama Z: No, he actually wanted to be a daddy, but they said he had to pick something else.

Dr. Z: Oh, so he chose baker. But you ask him right now, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” (our kindergartner).

Mama Z: “I want to be a good daddy.”

Dr. Z: Oh.

Mama Z: Yep. “I want to be a good daddy.”

Dr. Z: That’s sweet.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: That touched my heart.

 

[1:01 – 1:34] Intro

Dr. Z: Hey there everybody! Dr. Z here.

Mama Z: And Mama Z. And welcome to our episode 20 of the Natural Living Family podcast.

Dr. Z: Each week we invite you to our home to talk about how you can master the art and science of natural living. And we share the same tips our family uses each and every day to enjoy an abundant life. And you’re going to love today’s talk.

Mama Z: So, come on in and get comfortable. After all, you’re one of the family, our natural living family.

Dr. Z: But before we dive into all the fun today, we’re excited to share a special note about today’s sponsor.

 

[1:35 – 1:55] Sponsor Spotlight: Thrive Market

Mama Z: As a special gift to our Natural Living Family podcast listeners, Thrive Market is giving you twenty-five percent off your first order.

Dr. Z: Plus a free thirty-day trial. Simply go to NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com to find the special link so you could redeem this deal on the show notes from today’s episode.

 

[1:56 – 4:24] How Far Reaching Are Your Actions?

Dr. Z: Well, hello there, everybody. Welcome to the show. Today we’re going to talk about something very dear to my heart.

Mama Z: And my heart.

Dr. Z: About keeping first things first, making God and your family a priority. And before we even got on today’s show, we prayed, like we always do, with Chris. Chris, are you there?

Chris: Yes, sir. I’m here.

Dr. Z: Chris is our audio/visual video extraordinaire. We were praying before, and God touched my heart that you never know how far reaching what you do will become. And something like a podcast, something like a blog post, something like whatever, even a post on Facebook, someone might read it years from now, and then that could change their life.

And so, I just know, I’m convinced that someone is going to listen, whether it’s tomorrow or next year, or ten years from now, and this can set them and will set them free of something that’s hindering their ability to experience the abundant life. We know that we live in a very much different society where God has pretty much been kicked out of the culture. And you have to fit God in. Two thousand years ago, especially in the Jewish culture we see in the Bible, God was part of the culture. Like that laws that they had were God’s laws. Our laws have kicked God out.

Our society has kicked God out. We don’t have sabbath days, in that if you disobey the Sabbath you get stoned. I mean we don’t deal with stuff anymore. That was extreme. “You’re breaking the Sabbath. Let’s kill this Jesus guy,” they were saying. “He’s not of God; he’s of the Devil. He’s breaking the law.” We don’t deal with that stuff. So, something happened. God got kicked out of the picture. And a lot of people’s families got kicked out of the picture.

And we want to help. This is an area I’ve personally struggled with and something God has helped me overcome. So, with that said, just know that we pray for you. And we always pray for you. And we want you to know that we love you and appreciate you. God loves and appreciates you. And He has something very, very special for you. So, have an open heart and open mind, because you might be convicted. You might be inspired. And you will definitely be challenged to do some awesome things today.

 

[4:25 – 5:52] Diffuser Reveal: Tangerine, Pink Pepper & Neroli

Dr. Z: So, before we dive into it, Mama Z, what do we have in the diffuser?

Mama Z: It is awesome. But it’s totally different.

Dr. Z: I love it.

Mama Z: Yea, so it’s tangerine, pink pepper, and neroli. What a combo!

Dr. Z: Oh, I know. What made you come up with it?

Mama Z: You know, at first I was thinking tangerine, grapefruit, and something earthier. Just the highs and lows there. And I liked the tangerine definitely. But what made it tie all together was because when I smelled the grapefruit, it wasn’t right. And so, not that I put it in the diffuser. I just kind of smelled them together. And the neroli made the party happen.

Dr. Z: I love neroli. Actually, I just bought a new bottle of neroli, and it’s expensive. I mean neroli, I’ve been saving up my pennies, y’all. Like I got a big bottle of neroli. I got a big one.

Mama Z doesn’t know, but I just bought a thousand dollars’ worth of essential oils. Hah, hah, hah. I just threw down. I did that last year, though; actually two years ago. Every year and a half to two years I buy like a thousand dollars’ worth of oils, and it will get me through.

Mama Z: And no, we won’t tell you where.

Dr. Z: And it will get me through. I always like to buy from multiple places, multiple providers, multiple suppliers, and all that fun stuff. But I threw down. And neroli was one I got like a thirty milliliter.

 

[5:53 – 11:59] Mama Z’s Miss Georgia Pageant Is Almost Here!

Mama Z: That’s okay. You haven’t seen my pageant bill yet.

Dr. Z: Don’t get me started. Oh, Lord! I love you. Anyway, I can’t wait.

Mama Z: We’ve got opening night, though.

Dr. Z: I’ve got a huge shipment coming, with awesome blends. And not only that, but neroli is one that you’ve got to get.

Mama Z: Hey, wait a second. I’ve got opening number. I’ve got cocktail dress. I’ve got swimsuit. I’ve got after party. See, I’ve got my list, too.

Dr. Z: And how are you going to work that off? What are you going to do?

Mama Z: I’m working right now.

Dr. Z: There you go. Actually, I had to bribe you.

Mama Z: No, this is what happened.

Dr. Z: Oh no!

Mama Z: No, no, no. Straight up I said, “Look, I made the deal with you.” I said, “Listen, we need to get these things done. You told me we need to get these things done. How about if we get them done before the end of the year, you’ll help towards my dress?” And so then, you were the one who said, “How about this much here, this much here.” And man, I made you toe that line. You started it. And then you were like, “Oh, we’ll get it done tomorrow.” And I was like, “Oh no we’re not.”

So, December 31, we got back from a birthday party. I put those kids to bed. We filmed solid. We didn’t even see the start of the New Year’s Day, because we were down filming in our office.

Dr. Z: I made you work off your dress, because of the book.

Mama Z: Well, but wait a second. But you did for part of it. But then you surprised me with my Valentine’s Day.

Dr. Z: I did. I covered the rest of it.

Mama Z: And it was really, really funny.

Dr. Z: But it was like, okay, Mama Z is a procrastinating smurf; I mean period, exclamation point!

Mama Z: No, no.

Dr. Z: And our publisher was like, “Look, we need this like yesterday.” And, you know, when you’re working on a book, like we just published a book, The Essential Oils Diet, you don’t have

Mama Z: But see, I get ready for lots of things weeks in advance.

Dr. Z: Yea, we don’t have that time. Like when you work with a publisher on a big deal like that, you get a week turnaround, maybe. Sometimes it’s forty-eight hours. So, we heard, “Hey, we need this back in five to six days.” Like they’re on a super tight production line. They’re publishing thousands of books, and we’re one of them.

Mama Z: You know, just like many of you, we’re balancing family and work and all of that stuff. I would not say procrastinating smurf. I would say I’m getting ‘er done in all these different areas. And sometimes you have to work with crisis management. What’s the next fire to put out?

Dr. Z: I know. So anyway, to motivate Mama Z to put it up on her to do list, I needed a—

Mama Z: But it was so sweet what you did, though.

Dr. Z: Wasn’t it?

Mama Z: On Valentine’s day. And it was so funny because my mom was in town. And I said, “Eric gave me my Valentine’s Day in the middle of the night.” And she goes, I don’t think I want to hear about this.”

Dr. Z: Hah, hah, hah! Hey, this is a Christian show. This is PG. Hah, hah, hah!

Mama Z: No, no. I said, “No! It’s not anything like that. You’re silly.”

Dr. Z: Chris is mortified. He’s like, “What did I get myself into?”

Mama Z: And I said, “No. He went ahead and paid off the balance of my dress just to bless me. So, it was one less thing to think about.

Dr. Z: Yea, God put it on my heart to bless you.

Mama Z: See, for those of you that don’t know me, I’m a zero-balance girl. Like I like to look at something, and I want it to say zero balance. I mean I owe nobody nothing anywhere, anytime, anyhow. I’ve done what I said I’m going to do. And it’s all said and done. So, zero balance.

Dr. Z: So anyway, I was motivating her to chip away her dress five hundred bucks at a time, and do this, do that. She was like, okay, every five hundred bucks I gave her, she went back and put another five hundred dollars down immediately. And she had like four months to pay off the dress, or whatever they did.

Mama Z: And it’s coming!

Dr. Z: I know. So anyway, that’s a quick announcement, coming up in a couple of days. This airs June 3. So, when’s the pageant?

Mama Z: June 9.

Dr. Z: So, at the end of this week, Roswell Cultural Center, if you’re local to Atlanta. Or if you just want to fly in for a free meal, because we’re treating everyone to a nice dinner at the after party at the local Roswell diner.

Mama Z: So, what happens at the pageant is it’s very exciting. And it does start at six. But you really have to get there at five. You have to get there at five because it’s first come and first serve.

Dr. Z: I’m going to get there the day before and just camp out. I’m going to be like the crazy people at Best Buy waiting for their iPhone-100, or whatever they call them now days.

Mama Z: So, you get there, and it’s so cute. My mom has all of these little, like, the kids did them last year together. And they have pictures of me on like a stick and all this stuff. So, she’s name tags and poster boards.

Dr. Z: It was like poster board. So, it was like a hand-held poster.

Mama Z: Yea, so people have stuff to—

Dr. Z: A paint can stirring stick. You know, when you go to the store and get like paint sticks.

Mama Z: Yea. Well, Home Depot was a sponsor, and they sponsored the sticks.

Dr. Z: Who would have thought?

Mama Z: Who would have thought?

Dr. Z: Home Depot gets credit. They gave us sticks.

Mama Z: Home Depot, they gave us sticks.

Mama Z: So, yea, I love that paint guy. So, the thing is that then the pageant goes on. And then they take sometimes a small intermission. And then the final part comes. And then afterwards they take pictures. And it does take a little bit to take the pictures. But then right after pictures is the after party at a local restaurant. That’s only a couple of miles, usually, from the event. So, what Dr. Z said is anybody that comes, then he will definitely—

Dr. Z: Dinner is on me, and fellowship and pictures and hugs and kisses. We kiss babies and we shake hands and we love all that stuff. And so, I want to talk about the pageant later on the second half, actually.

The second half of this show, we’re going to be talking about really balancing work with kids. And I really want to talk to the working moms. And then you as a working mom, how you fit God; not how you fit God, how you prioritize God in that, and how you’ve been prioritizing God. So, make notes on this, actually. How have you been prioritizing God with your pageant, if you can make a note on that.

Mama Z: Yep.

 

[12:00 – 18:18] Once Again… THANK YOU!!

Dr. Z: So, before that, though, thank you, by the way, for leaving us your testimonials and your comments and your thanks and your subscriptions. If you haven’t subscribed to this podcast, leave a review. We love reading them. And it’s been just really fun. Every episode the last month or two, I’ve been picking out some of my favorites. And this is a good one; a little bit longer, but this is a good one, from SRDavis86.

And SRDavis86 says this. The title of it is: “I’m eating up all they’re saying.” Five stars by the way. Thank you.

Mama Z: Yea, thank you.

Dr. Z: Hey, we love any review. But we especially our heart gets warmed whenever we see a five-star review like this. And here’s what they say:

“I stumbled across Dr. Z and Mama Z last fall. I was a little skeptical of them at first, because they just looked a little too perfect to be essential oil/organic/healthy lifestyle people.” We’ve actually got to talk about that for a minute. Actually, we’re shocked about that for now. It’s kind of funny. You know,

Mama Z: I mean, I’ve always had the kids all dress in the same color ever since Esther was born. You never know when a good photo opportunity comes up. And the fact of the matter is that if you have kids, you can’t preplan a lot of photo opportunities, because someone is doing something crazy. I mean I used to work at a photography studio. We would shoot lots of families. It was always the hardest thing to find all these people looking at the camera, not having someone look crazy at one part of the time.

So, knowing that, I thought this is a good opportunity to teach the kids their colors. There were so many people who I baby-sat for who didn’t even know the colors of things. So, anyway, that’s one of the reasons why we kind of always look a little bit picture perfect.

Dr. Z: Well, yea, you know, I think, too, and this is something that I want to challenge some people on in this. When she said this, I’m assuming it’s a woman. When SRDavis86 said this on their comment, I’m like, my first thought was, “We are like the modern, urban homestead, ‘hippy granola’ people.”

Mama Z: But we’re really preppy granola.

Dr. Z: Well, that’s what I mean. We’re the modern version of it. And so, when you go to the health food store, when you’re going to the essential oil aroma therapy shops, what I hear here is there’s a stigma. I’m hearing like, “Hey, I’ve had a stigma. And you all don’t really like fit that stigma.” And why is the stigma where it is? Like essential oil/organic/healthy living people, what do they look like?

Mama Z: But guess what? Like you said before, black is the new green. But the problem is that the healthy lifestyle was, you know. And I remember because in high school I had a boyfriend whose mom was very crunchy. And she didn’t wear deodorant. And she had body hair and burned her bra years before and never wore it, that kind of thing. And other than Mrs. Buck, she was a corporate America person, she was the only other person that I really knew that was very into that world. And so, that’s kind of what I, it was all patchouli and daisies.

Dr. Z: And maybe one thing, too, that I got from this—

Mama Z: And not that I don’t like those.

Dr. Z: And the reason why I chose this comment for this topic is because maybe. And SRDavis86, thank you, by the way. We can just call you Sarah. I don’t know, or are you Sarah Davis, maybe? I don’t know. But SRDavis86, thank you for this comment. It really touched my heart. I’m going to read the rest of this in just a second here.

But the reason I chose this comment for today’s show is because maybe what we’ve seen in the health world is that other people that are “in the health world,” maybe their lives are just a wreck in other places. Like how many people do we know who unfortunately they’ve just lost their jobs, their families? They’ve been divorced. They’re not balanced.

And we really try to keep God first in every area. And I got to say, I take no credit to anything, you know. I don’t have the perfect teeth. I don’t have perfect skin. I don’t have perfect anything. I love Jesus. We are trying our best to be balanced. And yea, maybe because of studio lighting, we might look a certain way. But at the end of the day, we’re your next-door neighbor. And some of our neighbors listen to this podcast. Hey, y’all!

So, the thing is, it’s so funny when people would be like, “Are you Mama Z?” at the store. And they’ll run into you and they’re like, “Are you the Mama Z?” And they’re like, “Oh!” We shop with you. And we sit next to you on the airplane.

And we want to inspire you to put God first in every area so that you will be the envy of the people that you’re with in a good way. And you’ll draw them to a life of excellence. And we talk about that in episode 17 of the Natural Living Family podcast, having a spirit of excellence.

So anyway, SRDavis86: “I was a little skeptical of them at first, because they just looked a little too perfect to be essential oils/organic/healthy living lifestyle people. But OMG, their content, time and time again is so good! Yea! Whether it’s on the website, their emails, their Q&As on Facebook, the book.” (Thank you, by the way, The Essential Oils Diet book) “And now this podcast, all of it is done with excellence.” Amen! Thank you!

Mama Z: I love that!

Dr. Z: “I love the fact that they’re not branded to a certain essential oil brand.” (Thank you for that, too.) “That makes them unbiased, which is huge in today’s world. Even though these podcasts are long,” (I told you we were long)

Mama Z: See, that’s what you do, one or two

Dr. Z: “I listen to the whole thing from start to finish, because I’m just learning so much. And it’s also reaffirming what I’ve learned in the past. I highly recommend this podcast. I’ve been telling all my friends and family about it, too.”

We love you! Thank you so much! I love that testimonial for so many reasons. And you have the spirit of excellence, too, SRDavis86. And thank you so much for pointing that out about us and about our Natural Living Family.

 

[18:19 – 19:52] Announcement: Mama Z’s New Cooking Show!

A quick announcement. In addition to the Mama Z pageant, go to MamaZsalads.com. You get a free, my favorite four-letter F word, f-r-e-e- viewing of Mama Z’s new cooking show.

And for those of you who checked out, and you know who you are because we’ve seen your emails and your comments. If you checked out the Italian class, Mama Z’s gluten-free Italian, you were blown away. This is just as good. It’s just perfect timing for summer.

And going back to the last episode, talking about summer holiday tips and all that cool stuff, you’re going to want to get this. So, go to MamaZSalads.com. Sign up for the free screening of Mama Z’s second cooking show. And if you’ve got a little envy over not knowing about the first one, go to MamaZitalian.com and check out the Italian one, because we have a replay out there for you. Okay.

Mama Z: One of the cool things about that is the salads class, because there are so many people who don’t know what to do when they go to barbeques and all different kinds of things. Like people are confused. They really want to have their cole slaw and their potato salad, but they don’t know a healthy way to do it. And that all fits in the salad category. So, we teach you how to think out of the box. We give you lots of different varieties. And then the sky is the limit. So, there are so many different options that you can get creative with.

 

[19:53 – 26:54] Keeping First Things First: Are You Under Satan’s Yoke?

Dr. Z: All right, today on the Natural Living Family podcast, we’re talking about keeping first things first, making God and your family a priority. So, I want to start with this. My mind was blown. I don’t where I’ve been. I must have been under a rock the last couple of decades. I had never heard of this before. You know the acronym, FEAR—false evidence appearing real? I think a lot of people have heard that.

Our pastor at church a couple of weeks ago talked about being busy—BUSY—being under satan’s yoke. And it was just like a knife in my spirit. It just like cut me right there, like oh! I have been guilty so many times, especially in the last decade, of being BUSY. And it dawned on me. A lot of things have been dawning on me lately.

Actually, you know, thank God for fasting and praying. We’ve been fasting and praying lately, too. We’ve been really seeking out the Lord. We have been really seeking out God, seeking first the kingdom. We’ll talk about that in a minute.

Mama Z: Yes!

Dr. Z: God has really just been dropping these revelation bombs and all these things that I hope y’all are picking up. This is good stuff, y’all. Ten years ago, there’s been a cultural shift. I remember vividly ten years ago, and, being a young professional, going up to someone like, “Hey, how are you doing? How are you doing?” You know, you always ask people how are they doing. Ten to fifteen years ago the answer typically was

Mama Z: Fine.

Dr. Z: Yea, I’m fine, I’m fine. No one was ever great. Until my mentor, Enoch, fifteen years ago-now it’s sixteen and half years ago I met him—and he was like, “I’m blessed of the Lord!” He never said, “Fine.” He never said, “Good.” He was, “I’m blessed of the Lord!” “How are you doing?” “I’m blessed of the Lord.” That really convicted me. What do you mean, you’re fine?

So anyway, ever since then, I like never use the word, “I’m fine.” Well something happened. There was a shift. And I’m telling you, there was a shift in our culture. And go back to episode, what is it, nine or ten now, about where we talked about technology. There was a shift. And once people became glued to social media, they became glued and addicted to their phone, and they became immersed with technology a few years. Now when you say, “Hey, how are you doing?” what do they say?

Mama Z: Busy. I’m busy, really busy.

Dr. Z: Everyone. Like everyone from people that don’t do anything. They don’t have jobs. They’re not entrepreneurs. They don’t work. From those people saying they’re busy to people that are “legitimately busy” to working moms that are extremely busy to other people. I’m like, “How is everyone busy?”

And you know, I found myself, I was legitimately busy, like all the time busy, doing something, because I had to. I am trying to provide for the family. I’m getting my doctorate in my mid-thirties with three kids, which was excruciating business. But we did it. We survived. But you know what? Out of that season, I didn’t need to work as much. I didn’t need to put in seven days a week, twelve hours a day anymore. And what happened was I found myself under satan’s yoke. I found myself in this mindset where I have to be busy all the time. I can’t rest.

And then as a culture, how are we acknowledging the very most important, but the most undervalued commandment of all? Thou shalt keep the Sabbath. We do not keep the Sabbath as a culture. We do not keep a Sabbath as a church. And we’ve been to busy doing work all the time, doing whatever. So, that’s the context of this, how to keep first things first, making God and your family a priority.

And talking about Enoch, Enoch said something to me. I love my brother, our brother, Enoch. He’s now 77, 76? You know, I really want Enoch on the show. We’ve got to get Enoch. We don’t do interviews. We actually have one coming up in the late fall. We have a couple of very, very special interviews of very special people from some very special projects that we’re working on right now. I want to get Enoch on this show because Enoch has been so instrumental in my life as my mentor in Christ Jesus for well over a decade.

And Enoch told me something. He was like, “Look, Eric. People are talking about God first, family second, career third, right?” That seems to be a motto, a proverb in the church, right? And people go to seminars about how to keep God first and how to have family second and career third.

Enoch said, “No, that’s wrong.” He said, “What you want to do is you want to put God first in your family, put God first in your career, and put God first in every area of your life.” And that blew my mind, because the accountability we have to the Lord to keep Him first in every area.

What does Jesus say in Matthew chapter 6? “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” Well, Sabrina, what are all those things? What does all mean?

Mama Z: It means all.

Dr. Z: All things.

Mama Z: You put Him first and it’s going to be just like what we talk about, the balance between the spiritual, the physical, the mental, the occupational, the family, the social, the finances, all that stuff. All of those things we want to have well balanced and thriving.

Dr. Z: Amen! So, you seek God. You seek His kingdom and righteousness first. And He will give you all things, your provision, your career, your heart’s desire, your spouse, health, wealth. And again, when I say that, I’m not talking about we are all destined to drive around in Mercedes Benz and Rolexes and all that stuff. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking your provisions, the things you need, and in abundance.

I do believe there’s something very special and ordained by God to give us so that we are not worried every day if we’re going to be able to put food on the table. Like I don’t think there’s anything sinful about having a bank account and having a couple of bucks in the savings account. That can be God blessing you for a rainy day. Or, guess what?

Mama Z: Or preparing you for other times and other seasons.

Dr. Z: You know what? I’m going to encourage everyone to think about this, too, about your savings account. I can’t tell you how many people, very close, not how many, a handful of very close people that I know in Christ that gave away their savings account to someone who needed it. “Like this person needed this twenty grand, and I gave it to them.” Or, “This missionary needed a hundred thousand dollars to build this orphanage, and I gave it to them.” Maybe God is helping you build that savings account to further His kingdom, too; not to give you a nest egg so can just whatever. But anyway, just think about these things, right?

So anyway, what are some practical ways to keep God first in every area of your life? Well, first to me, the most obvious thing is walk in love with everybody, especially your family. Again, we’re talking about keeping God first, making and God and your family a priority. But before we cover that, a quick word about our sponsor.

 

[26:55 – 27:34] Sponsor Spotlight: Thrive Market

Dr. Z: There’s nothing like hearing the doorbell of the delivery person letting me know that a Thrive Market package has landed on our doorstep. It’s like Christmas time every time we get a package.

Mama Z: Yes, from ingredients to snacks, it’s so awesome. And the kids go nuts.

Dr. Z: We love Thrive Market, the convenience, the price, and just the movement, because we know that every dollar spent goes to a more sustainable, healthy, natural world. So, if you haven’t joined, then what are you waiting for? You’re going to absolutely love it.

 

[27:35 – 30:41] What Does Walking in Love Look Like?

Dr. Z: So, what does that look like, walking in love? Well, when you mess up—and you will because you’re human—ask for forgiveness.

Mama Z: Right. I told Isaiah the other day, because he was really prideful when he made a mistake. And he had this smirk on his face. And I’m like, “No, you want to know what you’re supposed to do here? Mom, I really messed up. And I’m sorry. I’m not going to do it again. Please help me.”

And so, later that night, he did something, and he came up to me. He’s like, “Mom, I really screwed up. I made a mistake, and I need you to help me.” And then he goes, “Did you just recognize what I said? I said what you told me to say earlier today. I listened.” And then I said, “That was very good.”

Dr. Z: Yea, yea.

Mama Z: That was perfect timing, too. I mean like he applied it right away.

Dr. Z: You know, the first book of John, John says, “Remember, whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” So, if you want to keep God first in your life, if you want to keep God first in every area of your life, you have to be like God. And how are we like God? And we are called to be like God. It’s to love, because God is love.

And if you don’t know where to start, and a lot of us don’t. A lot of us, myself included, have been hurt, abused, bullied. We’ve been kicked to the curb so many times. We’ve given our heart and love away and it’s been trampled on.

The first is to read 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And I would invite you to read this passage, the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, every day as a devotional and as a commitment to God to put first things first. It would take you five minutes, not even. Do this until the truth of love is firmly rooted in your heart. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not envy. It does not boast. There are all these things that love does. And then you start to read this list.

Mama Z: Yea. And most of the people who got married, at some point probably had that read at their wedding. So, let’s bust that old Scripture out and break her down.

Dr. Z: And when you read this list, here’s another challenge. Put your life up to the test, a litmus test, to see are you really being patient? Are you really being kind? Do you keep a record of wrongs? Are you holding grudges against people or against yourself? See, you can’t keep God and your family first with keeping grudges against your family or against God or against yourself, right?

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: So, first go back to episodes, I think, 8 and 9.

Mama Z: And usually the love towards yourself is sometimes the hardest for people.

Dr. Z: That’s why they’ve got to go to episodes 8 and 9 of the Natural Living Family podcast, because we talk about self love. It’s so important.

 

[30:42 – 37:10] How to Stay Responsive to the Holy Spirit

How else do you keep God first in every area of your life? Well, you’ve talked before a lot about 1 Thessalonians chapter 5: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Mama Z: And we always need to be instant and in season. But sometimes, you know, praying about certain things, or somebody comes in your head during the day, praying for that person. And usually if that person comes into your mind multiple times, you need to take action on it. And we need to constantly be praying about things and have a relationship with God.

But also, we also need to take five to ten minutes a day in your not busy schedule and allow God to speak to us and meditate, meditate on His Word. And just be still for ten minutes a day. And you have to force yourself to do it, whether it’s when you first wake up, or whether it’s in the shower, not having anything else going, whatever it is. But I think it’s really important that sometimes we’re quiet and let God be able to speak to us through different things.

Dr. Z: So, Paul is telling us, I’m going to repeat this again. It warrants repetition. Rejoice when? Not once a day, not twice a day; always. Pray when? Without ceasing. Give thanks in call circumstances. See, walking in love and rejoicing always, being thankful, and praying without ceasing are lifestyle approaches to life.

You know, in The Essential Oils Diet book, we cover lifestyle approaches to health. By the way, these tips are very much in the book, too. It’s very much a Bible-based book. What we’re trying not to do is put you in a box, where it’s like, okay, you want to put God first? All you’ve got to do is go to church once a week. No, no, no; that’s not it. There’s no way in the world you’re going to make God and your family a priority if that’s all that you do.

And that also doesn’t mean daily devotional reading. That doesn’t mean reading your Bible five minutes to ten minutes a day. We’re talking a lifestyle where when something happens to you, you have an instinct of rejoice. Your instinct is to pray. Your instinct is to give thanks, even if something not so good happens to you. How do you rejoice? How do you pray through that? How do you give thanks through that?

Mama Z: Well, and the thing is that we know circumstances are going to come. And we know God is going to be with us. But being really sensitive to seeing other people in our lives that are around us that are going through something and being like, “Hey, can I pray with you?”

And I think for me, I think we got one of the best compliments from our favorite handyman in the whole wide world, Mr. Mike. And he was having a rough day one day. And I know you prayed for him. And I prayed for him. And he’s like, “How cool that is? I know I can always come to you guys for prayer.”

And he said, “But the coolest thing was one time that Eric didn’t know I was listening and one of the kids wasn’t feeling good, and he just laid hands on the kid and started praying. And the other kids were praying.” He was like, “You brought me to tears. And I had just come in to fix in some things.” And it was so cool.

Dr. Z: Thank God, hallelujah!

Mama Z: And so, we have to be, because if we’re not sensitive, then we’re missing opportunities, opportunities that God has for us to connect with people and to connect with him and do His work on the Earth.

Dr. Z: So, how do you pray without ceasing? You’re like Mama Z. You have a heart of prayer. You’re constantly thinking of God and committing things to God. I mean Mama Z is going to pray for a front row parking spot when she’s got twenty kids in the car, seriously.

Mama Z: I got favor for front row parking. I do, I do.

Dr. Z: We should have a whole podcast about that. So, pray with your friends and family regularly.

Mama Z: “You have not because you ask not.” So, I always ask.

Dr. Z: You do, and you get. Make it a point to pray for people on the phone before saying good bye.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “Yea, I’ll pray for you; yea, I’ll pray for you.” Well no, pray for me now.

Mama Z: That’s right.

Dr. Z: I have a need now. And I’ve told people, “Hey, can I pray for you now?” Business meetings. How many times have we been interviewed, radio, TV, or podcasts? We prayed for the people that interviewed us, whether they’re Christians or not. People want prayer. Who doesn’t want prayer? I’ve only had one or two people in my life ever say, “No.” And those were real deeply hurting people that were just so in hate of themselves and God that they couldn’t even receive it. But 99.9 percent of anyone I’ve ever asked, “Hey, can I pray for you?”

Mama Z: I don’t think I’ve ever had someone say no.

Dr. Z: That’s awesome! Pray! And here’s a key. And you mentioned Mike. And I’m so glad you did.

Mama Z: And I’ve even had people say, “I mean are you going to pray for me right now? Or are you going to pray for me when I leave?” And I’m like, “No, we’re praying right now.”

Dr. Z: We’re praying now. So, here’s a key, though. When a family or friend, a church member or your neighbor, whoever, tells you about an issue that they’re battling, stop what you’re doing. Literally lay hands on them or hold their hands and pray in the moment.

Mama Z: In the moment.

Dr. Z: Practical ways of keeping God first in every area. I’m telling you, this is really simple, but really practical. But you make this a lifestyle.

Mama Z: And you know, even on the way to school every morning, we pray with the kids. All of us pray together. Sometimes each one of the kids wants to say something. Sometimes only one of them does. Usually Elijah, he is always ready to pray for something.

Dr. Z: He’s our six-year-old. He’s in kindergarten. We love him.

Mama Z: He’s so sweet.

Dr. Z: We love them all. They’re all so sweet.

Mama Z: And sometimes it’s, “God, I pray we all get green at school today, and that we’re good.”

Dr. Z: Hah, hah, hah!

Mama Z: It’s so cute.

Dr. Z: I know.

Mama Z: But, you know, I think it’s just important. And we pray with the kids at night. But Isabella knows when I say, “Okay, you want to hold hands and pray?” She gets down. She lays on her tummy. She holds my hands. And then goes like this. She wants me to rub her back.

Dr. Z: Our almost three-year-old.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: Almost three!

Mama Z: Yea. So, she wants me to rub her back. And then we pray. And then she’s always, “Amen!”

Dr. Z: Amen!

Mama Z: It’s so cute.

 

[37:11 – 45:29] Fasting & Bible Reading in the Life of the Believer

Dr. Z: So, now here are some of the more traditional things that people think about with “putting God first.” You’ve got to read your Bible. And you’ve got to fast; you do. And whether it’s fasting from technology, or whether you do what we do. We do juice fasting or water fasting or cleanses. And schedule in Bible reading. I mean really, don’t go to your phone first thing in the morning and mess around on social media. At least go onto your Bible app and read the verse of the day. Get into the habit of having the first thing and last thing you see or hear being the Word of God.

But sometimes, many times for people that have a lot to do; and I’m not going to say, “I’m busy,” anymore. I don’t want to say, “I’m busy.” I don’t want to be under satan’s yoke. Amen? If I have a lot that I’m doing, I might have to schedule it in my calendar. Like you do a great job scheduling in exercise and scheduling in other things. So, that’s a really practical thing.

Mama Z: I really try to schedule everything in. And I think one of the biggest things is that if you do that, because a lot of people will just memorize stuff. But then you don’t see it on paper. And I used to say, “Yea, I don’t want to write down my schedule. It would probably make me crazy.” But I think it’s important, because it shows everything, and it lays it all out there. And it allows you to balance what you’re doing.

Dr. Z: And here’s something else really practical. Get involved, serve. How do you keep things first? How do you make God and your family a priority? Go to Bible studies. Bring your kids. Go to church. I mean church is there, not as a commandment. By the way, Paul does say, “Don’t forsake the assembly of getting together.” There is an element where it’s strongly suggested, if not commanded to.

I was raised in a faith that said if I didn’t go to church it was sin. And I was under condemnation to go to church. And there were situations sometimes maybe I shouldn’t have gone to church. I remember going to church when I was over half drunk, because I was on a bender the night before. And that comes from my alcohol days and my drug abuse days. Like I shouldn’t have gone to church that day, probably, right? I mean, sober up first, man. Or go to a church that gets you sober, to have the faith to knock that spirit out of you. I wasn’t going to that kind of church.

But go to church. Get involved with charity. Volunteer. But how do you make your family a priority? Don’t do this alone.

Mama Z: No.

Dr. Z: Get your kids involved. And we remember going to the George house, very close friends, Kendra and George. We called it the fun house. We had adult Bible study with families. And the kids would go upstairs. Twenty kids would be locked in a room, watching TV, going crazy in a room, while all of the adults would be in Bible study for about an hour. And then after that—

Mama Z: Then they would go, “Okay, ten minutes left and we’re letting them out.

Dr. Z: And then they let them out. And it’s crazy. Imagine like the floodgates. It’s like dat, dat, dat; a bunch of little footsteps.

Mama Z: And even for us with our fit family

Dr. Z: We all had dinner and fellowship afterward, as a family, though, right?

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: And it was a family thing. That’s what we are trying to do with our Fit Family.

Mama Z: And even our Fit Family, you guys try to schedule once a month Men’s Bible study. And we usually try to do girls something or other at the same time. And I think it’s really important, because we need to connect with people that are like-minded and do things. And even when I was a young adult, I would have people over for food, and we would do volleyball and food at the house and just fellowship with other people.

Dr. Z: Here’s a big one. I’m going to step on toes, and I’m okay with it. Stop giving up church for sports. Don’t do it anymore. And our daughter is part of a competitive gymnastics team. And I don’t know how it happened. Like we live in the Bible belt. I’m appalled. I’m absolutely appalled.

Mama Z: It’s like all baseball all the time.

Dr. Z: I’m appalled at how many sports games and things go on Sunday morning. And kids are missing church to participate in sports at like five, six, ten years old. I’m telling you something, unless I absolutely have to because of a business trip, because of a conference. By the way, I wish more conferences weren’t, but I say no to most of those, also. Don’t miss church for sports. You’re sending such a horrible lukewarm message to your kids. That’s saying, “You know what, fellowship and God are not a priority.” And what are you saying to yourself?

Mama Z: Well, and I will add this, that Esther did cry. And I had told her before we came to you about it. I told her, “Esther, it’s on Sunday. And I already talked to them. And they said, “You know, it’s a Saturday-Sunday event.” This group was just picked out of a hat to be done on a Sunday. And that happens. And, you know, it’s something that happens. And I said, “I’m going to tell you what my thoughts are. But we’re going to talk to your father.”

And I said, “It’s a priority that you don’t go.” And she’s like, “But I’ve worked so hard. And I’ve done all this.” And I said, “Okay.” So, I mentioned it to you. And I didn’t give you any of my feedback. I was like, “Hey, Esther has a gymnastics tournament on Sunday.” And you were like, “Absolutely not. No, she doesn’t.”

Dr. Z: It wasn’t even a question. And we play, though. After church on Sundays, we do beach volleyball. The kids play. We enjoy our Sundays.

Mama Z: Yes. But the other thing was that one of my favorite pastors, he said, “You know, if you start making these Sunday things a priority, you can’t go years down the road and wonder why kids don’t have a relationship with God and aren’t in church if you already set the example that that’s how it’s going to be.”

Dr. Z: It’s not legalism. This isn’t a law. This is like this is right. We need to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Mama Z: And I have seen many people who have sacrificed and have made it aware to their teams when they first start: “Hey, if a game falls on Sunday, I’m not going to be able to be there.”

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: And most of all, it’s kind of funny, because it seems like being Christians, we have favor. And we seem to be pretty good athletes. And so, I’ve never seen anyone get kicked off of a team because of it.

Dr. Z: What you mentioned just triggered something in me. Hey, we’re not Mormon. We’re not part of the LDS church. But a huge thumbs up to Utah. Guess what city does not have a professional football team, and guess why? Salt Lake City will not allow professional football in the City because of the games being played on Sunday. That’s a fact.

And Utah Jazz, guess what? You’re not seeing games being played on Sunday. That’s because the state is like 75 percent Mormon. The city itself of Salt Lake is like 85 or 90 percent Mormon. I’m telling you something. We need to get that back.

And so, y’all, it is such a blessing and such an honor to put God first and give him that day. And whether it’s Saturday or Sunday, depending on what your philosophy is about what the Sabbath should be, you give God that day and don’t look back. And he will honor and bless you.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: And here’s the thing, too. I recognize it. I have, again, told you I was working seven days a week for a little while. There are donkeys and mules that fall into the pit that you need to pick up. And just like Jesus said, “You’re going to pick up a donkey if it falls, or a mule. If it something gets hurt, you’re going to work. You’re going to do what you’ve got to do.”

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: And sometimes you have to do that.

Mama Z: In professional sports, I worked on Sunday afternoons. They didn’t have games until 2 p.m. in the afternoon. But because I worked, I had to be there, and sometimes I had to leave church a little bit early in order to make it.

Dr. Z: If you’re a professional gymnast and if you have to miss because you’re having a meet or you’re in the Olympics, that’s cool. But again, set the precedent—five, ten, fifteen-year-old sports for kids.

Mama Z: I mean five-year-old sports, it’s—

Dr. Z: It’s ridiculous. Anyway, we can go on about that.

Mama Z: And when we go by the baseball diamond, even on the way, you see people unpacking while you’re on your way to church.

 

[45:30 – 46:31] Putting First Things First – Honoring God in Your Health

Dr. Z: So, how else do you keep first things first. How else do you make God and your family a priority? Honor your health. I’m sorry; I should say it this way. Honor God in your health, right? Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Tune into episode 16 of our podcast, because we talk about our Essential Oils Diet book. This is a proven lifestyle approach to honoring your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. And you’ll feel good. You’ll honor God because part of it is emotional detoxing and prayer and fasting and all the things. It’s like a spiritual endeavor.

And commit your works to the Lord. How do you honor God in your work? If you “commit your works to the Lord, your plans will be established,” Proverbs 16 says. Colossians 3 says, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you are working for the Lord, rather than for people.” You know, that’s very simple. How to keep God first in your business is just commit it to Him and work as if you’re working for Him, not for your b-o-s-s; not for your boss. It produces a whole new level of accountability.

[46:32 – 56:20] Keeping First Things First – Balancing Work and Family Life

The next topic we want to cover is something really special and dear to both of our hearts. That is how to balance work and family life. Okay, Sabrina, so working moms. We’ve got to talk to working moms for a minute, because keeping first things first, making God and your family a priority is so challenging, especially for working moms, single working moms more so, of course, because it’s all on them.

So, let’s talk a little bit to the moms out there. And I want to cover family things and little tips that we’ve done to make sure that our kids and our family and each other that we are a priority.

Mama Z: Absolutely. Well, one of the things, too, is if you because of being a single mom and having to work, one of the things that I would recommend, too, is if it’s harder to get your Bible time in or things like that, while you’re in your commute to work or to school with the kids, put the Bible on CD or MP3 or on your phone into your speakers. And that way you’re at least getting that Bible time, and your kids are, too.

And, you know, it does matter the things that you listen to on the radio. And that also sows into the kids. And make sure you know what they’re listening to, too. And that’s a big thing, too. But take every opportunity to pray over your kids and to have that be part of your every day.

When you’re by yourself, and even when I’ve been in Michigan working and stuff and having all the kids with me, I’ve done the opposite of what Dr. Z has done now. It’s very difficult. It’s difficult to get your sleep in. It’s difficult to get everybody ready. And to do that on an ongoing basis is very challenging. So, make sure that you are always feeding yourself, because that’s so important. Like we’ve talked about with self-love and other things like that, make God the priority, and remember, all those things will be added unto you.

Dr. Z: So, play dates—that’s a great thing with friends, making that part of your deal. Like yesterday, you took the kids to run club. Whether I go, sometimes I don’t, but that’s your thing. Like that’s your set thing. Every couple of times a week you’re taking the kids to run club. You get that time with them. You also get your exercise. So, that’s a key.

This is what I’ve found children is multi-tasking.

Mama Z: Oh yea.

Dr. Z: Exercise now becomes play time. We go on a hike. We go run outside. Hey, you get on the trampoline, guess what you’re doing? You’re rebounding. People are spending all this money on little rebounders. Go outside and go on the trampoline with your kid.

Mama Z: And volunteer with your kids. I know that I had the opportunity when we have gone back to Michigan to take Esther to Special Olympics and help. And that’s cool. I mean that is one of the best organizations that you can volunteer your time.

Dr. Z: It is.

Mama Z: And I started volunteering for Special Olympics when I was in sixth grade. And one of the best organizations that you can ever be a part of is Special Olympics.

Dr. Z: And, of course, they have “Bring Your Kid to Work Day.” But for those of you who have home-based businesses or you do work at home, your kids can help file. They can help do things. They love sharpening pencils, like just things. Like think about all the little things that kids love to do.

Mama Z: You know, Esther, I’ll never forget all my classes. She’s like, “Do I get to take roll?” And so, I was like, “Yep, you get my clipboard.”

Dr. Z: Sabrina is teaching live classes, which she does. Esther takes the clipboard.

Mama Z: So, she says, “Excuse me, what’s your name?” And then she would check it off. “Oh, I don’t have an address for you. What is it?” And then at the end, I’m like, “Esther, I need you to print a little more clearly.” But it’s cool,

And that was one thing with my mom. I don’t even know how she did it with all of us, honestly. But she took us all down to the farmer’s market. And we’re talking we got up at 4 o’clock in the morning. And we were down there every Saturday morning with her at the market, and we worked together. And she used that as an opportunity to teach us about people, because we had every different type of person come down to the farmer’s market. And what a great way to connect with your kids to keep them involved in your business.

Dr. Z: And you could work with them around the house, doing chores with them. It was so cute. Elijah, our six-year-old, he was wasn’t feeling a hundred percent today. He had a little bit of a fever. So, I made him what we call butter, because I add little bit of almond butter. But it’s on our website, our immune-boosting shot. It’s our immunity blend, essential oil with some lipospheric vitamin C. We talked about this on a previous podcast. I don’t have to give the recipe.

But he’s like he wanted it. “Can I have butter?” I’m like, “Yea. How about you swivel sweep and you sweep up the floor and I’ll make you butter.” And it was like, “Okay, I’ll get the sweeper. You make the butter.” And we had a little moment for about five minutes during my hectic little day today that we’re doing. He and I just worked together. And we spent a minute together. I made him something that he needed and he wanted. We hugged, we kissed. He did something good for himself. Like cook with your kids.

Mama Z: Oh yea.

Dr. Z: Especially as your kids get older. Like Esther loves Sunday brunches right after church, or Saturdays, where I make apple pancakes. We love it. I have a recipe. At this point we don’t even need the cookbook. But she goes to the Betty Crocker cookbook. She gets it out. And I already know the conversions in my head. Is that recipe in our new book? I should know that—our Essential Oils Diet?

Mama Z: It’s not. I don’t think so.

Dr. Z: Oh, it’s awesome. But anyway, she loves going to the Betty Crocker cookbook. It’s so simple. By the way, if you don’t have a gluten-free cookbook, you know what you do? You go to Betty Crocker. You get whatever you’ve got. And instead of two cups all-purpose flour

Mama Z: And we give you all the conversions and stuff.

Dr. Z: Yea, we that in the book. It’s so simple. You just use gluten-free flour. And you use coconut milk. And it’s so easy to convert things. And so, she loves it. She loves getting out the cookbook. She loves getting out the apples. And she’s like making it with me, spending time with our beautiful children, doing something that has to be done. Like it could be, “I’ve got to make lunch.” No, it’s fun now.

Mama Z: And we do a lot of cooking project days. We do a lot of craft days where we DIY stuff and the kids help. And it’s so much to the fact that when they asked Elijah what he wanted to be when he grew up, besides a daddy, he said, he said, “I want to be a baker.”

Dr. Z: Yea, he loves it.

Mama Z: So, we want our kids to

Dr. Z: That was six months ago. Now he wants to be a daddy.

Mama Z: No, he actually wanted to be a daddy, but they said he had to pick something else.

Dr. Z: So, he chose baker. But you ask him right now, like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” (our kindergartner).

Mama Z: “I want to be a good daddy.”

Dr. Z: Oh.

Mama Z: Yep. “I want to be a good daddy.”

Dr. Z: That’s sweet.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: That touched my heart. Like Adam, our friend, our missionary pastor friend, came over and visited us. He was traveling and part of a conference. And Elijah told him that, and it brought him to tears. He was like, “Oh.” That’s like the heart of God.

Here’s the bottom line. How do you make your family a priority? Do life together. And I’ll say for me, sometimes my calendar is legitimately full. Like I got a lot going on. Sometimes I’m going from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. non-stop. And sometimes I don’t see the kids like at all. Sabrina takes them to school. They might sneak down. And actually, sometimes I don’t even see them period, because Sabrina is like, “Look, daddy is doing something really important.”

And I consider those days like a business out of town day, where I’m just knocking it out. Sabrina and I always have time at night that we snuggle on the couch. We do things like that. But, you know, certain things like that you have to do for work, I get it. But we do life together.

And so, they also enjoy the benefits of when we went to Cancun last year to film for a documentary. We took them. And then we went to Nashville for a film documentary. And we took them, and we went to the water park. So, they get a lot of benefits.

Mama Z: And we went to Florida and filmed.

Dr. Z: Oh yea, we travel with them all the time now. So anyway, do life together. That’s how you make your family a priority.

Mama Z: And they actually like forward to when we film somewhere, because they’re like, “Do they have a pool?” They love it.

Dr. Z: For us, again, we have a different type of job situation than most people do. I get that. But again, make your children and your wife, your spouse, your husband, a priority and the endnote of your family date. You have to date your spouse.

Mama Z: Yea, I’m already planning new dates for other stuff. I told you I wanted to make sure that we went to the Silver Comet trail and ride our bikes.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: We do. We go painting together. We go bowling.

Dr. Z: We love our sushi at our local place, Izumi.

Mama Z: Yea, that does brown rice.

Dr. Z: And sushi.

Mama Z: And does no preservatives, all that kind of stuff. They do a great job. And, you know, we like to do our little date nights together.

Dr. Z: You love it?

Mama Z: Yea, we have a lot of fun.

Dr. Z: Folks, you can make your family a priority. You can make God a priority. You need to. And for us, trust me, just trust me. Let Enoch’s words just sink deep into your spirit and your soul: “Put God first in your family. Put God first in your career. Put God first in every area of your life. And just seek first the kingdom in all of things that are on your heart. All the things that God has promised you will come to pass.”

 

[56:21 – 58:03] Natural Living Family Tip

Dr. Z: And to wrap up today’s show, we have a special natural living tip for you.

Mama Z: You know, one of the awesome ladies that works for us, Angela, her mom had a lot of kids. And her mom had a great thing that we’ve incorporated in our house. And that was COW: Child of the Week. And in order for them to be considered as COW, which meant if anybody went to the store, you got the front seat. And they had extra privileges for the week. And so, you had to be able to do an adult chore before you could be considered for COW.

So, Esther and Isaiah are our COWs. Every other week they get the front row seat in the car. And they love that. But one of the things that I’ve always tried to do is take at least one of the kids by themselves somewhere during the week. So, whether it’s like yesterday because Elijah wasn’t feeling as good, I took Isaiah to his karate. And we talked the whole time there. But we do little dates with each one of the kids, if it’s possible.

And some weeks it’s not as possible. But I try to rotate that so then each one gets a chance. Like I could have taken all three of them to go to the running store to get them running shoes. But I took each one of a separate date on a separate time. And I had a separate coupon each time; so, that was nice. But they had that alone time with me. And that’s so important to really connect with them, because you need to capture their hearts when they’re young, so that when they’re older they’re going to talk to you about everything as well.

 

[58:04 – 58:45] Sponsor Spotlight: Thrive Market

Dr. Z: As a special gift to our podcast listeners, Thrive Market is giving you twenty-five percent off your first order.

Mama Z: Keep in mind, Thrive Market’s prices are already twenty-five to fifty-percent off. And now, they’re giving you an extra twenty-five percent off your first order, plus a free thirty-day trial.

Dr. Z: Now, many of you are going to be making a grocery run this week. So why not give Thrive Market a try and shop from home?

Mama Z: Simply go to NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com to find the special link so you can redeem this deal on the show notes from today’s episode.

 

[58:50 – end] Episode WrapUp

Dr. Z: Well, thank you everyone for listening. And we hope that you enjoyed today’s show. As a reminder, you can find all of the Natural Living Family podcast episodes, show notes, transcripts, and all the goodies on NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com. While on our website, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter, which includes a personal invite to join our private Facebook group, so we can connect one on one, and so you can meet thousands, literally thousands of other natural living lovers just like you.

And don’t forget, please subscribe to our podcasts and leave a review. We love hearing what you have to say about our show. And we might read your testimony next episode. As always this is Dr. Z.

Mama Z: And Mama Z.

Dr. Z: And our hope and prayer are that you and your family truly experience the abundant life. God bless.

Mama Z: God bless.

Dr. Z: Bye bye.

Mama Z: Bye.