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What are the “stones” in your family, the stories you never want your children to forget?

In Joshua 4, God instructed the Israelites to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River and build a memorial. Why? So that one day, when their children asked, “What do these stones mean?” they could tell them the story of God’s faithfulness.

In this deeply personal episode, Nikki reflects on the stones within her own family: miscarriage and postpartum depression, closed doors that became protection, unexpected redirection, hospital rooms, a heart attack, pulmonary embolisms, and seasons when the ending was anything but certain.

But God’s faithfulness cannot be measured only by whether a story ends the way we hoped. Sometimes the stone says, “Look what God fixed.” Other times, it simply says, “God was with us there.”

This conversation is an invitation to remember where God has met your family, and to intentionally pass those stories on to your children. Because someday they will face their own closed doors, unanswered prayers, hospital rooms, and Jordans. When that day comes, may they have stones to look back on that remind them:

God was with us there.
God was faithful there.
God did not abandon us there.
And He will be with you here, too.

In this episode:

• Why God repeatedly calls His people to remember
• How rejection can sometimes be God’s protection
• Recognizing God’s faithfulness even when circumstances do not change
• Why our children need to see us depend on God
• Practical ways to preserve and share your family’s faith stories
• The difference between protecting children from adult burdens and allowing them to witness authentic faith
• A simple challenge to identify one “stone” and share its story with your family this week

Scriptures referenced:

• Joshua 4:4–7
• Deuteronomy 6:7
• Deuteronomy 31:8
• Psalm 46:1

Resources mentioned:

• Five-Year Prayer Journal - https://hosannarevival.com/collections/one-thing-i-ask/products/one-thing-i-ask-5-year-prayer-journal-edinburgh-theme
• Podcast - Deep Dive: Encouragement for the Weary: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-dive-encouragement-for-the-weary/id1458672189?i=1000785448263
• 2 Week Sermon on God's Faithfulness- https://redeemerrockford.church/sermon/faithful-a-look-back/ https://redeemerrockford.church/sermon/faithful-a-look-forward-god-will-be-faithful/

If you are walking through a difficult season—or if you have questions about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus—please reach out. Nikki would be honored to connect with you, pray with you, or help you find a Bible and a place to begin.

Next week, join us as we celebrate the 100th episode of A Heart That Beats for Home and revisit some of the most meaningful lessons and conversations from the past three years.

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