The Best-Of
Risen Motherhood
Podcast Series

Think fast: when you first became a mom, what expectations did you have? Chances are that many of us planned to be a certain type of mom, intentional or not: the crunchy mom, the do-it-all mom, the ‘little bit of everything’ mom, and so on. But it doesn’t take long in motherhood to realize that our ideal doesn’t always match our life circumstances: that’s why in this episode, Emily and Laura dive into the freedom of gospel motherhood. Inspired by their new book, Gospel Mom, they share three truths we find for motherhood in Scripture and the everlasting hope they bring. Let’s break free of the labels and find our true identity in Christ.

Was there a moment you realized motherhood had changed you? Or did it happen steadily, gradually, until one day you realized: I’m not who I was. For many of us, we can agree that motherhood rightfully requires much of us—but as the seasons of motherhood change, how do we hold our role as ‘mom’ alongside the whole woman God designed us to be? In this episode, Emily and Laura kick off a new mini-series with a look at Scripture to see how we lay down our lives for Christ and flourish as whole women of God. We’re going beyond the bounds of motherhood in this series, but here’s the beauty: as we embrace God’s design for us and give our lives wholly in allegiance to him, we will find ourselves growing in motherhood, too. Whether you’re brand-new to being a mom and it feels all-consuming or you’re in a season where you have time and capacity to cultivate other interests, there’s refuge in our Maker, who sees you, loves you, and is making you new.

So we’ve spent several weeks now dialing in on different areas of weakness and how Christ meets us in it all—as we set our eyes on him, what does it really look like in the day-to-day as moms to trust his design for us and accept our God-given limits? In this final show of the Abundance mini-series, Emily and Laura take to the mic to discuss limitations they’ve felt in their own lives, and practical questions to help us draw near to Christ in the everyday strains of weakness in motherhood. They also share more info on their newest book, Gospel Mom, releasing in 2024! Until we’re back in your earbuds again, let us leave you with this: we are weak, dear mom, but he is strong.

When we experience deep sorrow, many of us long for heaven more than ever. The desire for a joy-filled eternity with God is a good one, wired in us by our Creator. But have you ever wondered what makes heaven such a source of hope for believers today? In this episode, Emily and Laura sit down with author and Bible teacher Courtney Doctor to look at what Scripture says about heaven. Throughout the Grief series, we’ve heard stories of suffering and pain, but the thread of hope woven throughout them all is the promise that one day God will wipe away every tear for those who are found in Christ (Rev. 21:4). As Christian moms, when we ponder what his Word has to say about heaven, we can better run our race here on earth. Never-ending joy truly awaits those in Christ.

Screens are everywhere—from ordering groceries, responding to an email from school, managing our calendars, and more, it’s no surprise that our kids are interested in screens and technology. As faithful stewards of our children’s hearts and minds, what does it mean to navigate screen time, devices, content, and media engagement in today’s culture? In this episode, Emily and Laura revisit the topic of technology through the lens of discipling our children as they grow in curiosity and independence. While the Bible doesn’t directly address tablets and smartphones, we can trust that as we seek the Lord in wisdom, he will give us wisdom to disciple our children well in a digital age.

When we’re struggling with mom guilt, burnout, keeping up with housework, and more, where should we turn for help and hope? While fresh resources, support from others, creative hacks, and advice from other moms are helpful and important, one source of truth outlasts and supersedes all others: God’s Word. In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss the importance of God’s Word in the life of a mom, troubleshoot the most common barriers to studying it, and share the inspiration behind this Scripture-heavy series. As we study the story of God’s promises and faithfulness to his people throughout history, we can trust that he is faithful to work in our lives, too.

As moms, the work that fills our to-do lists can feel overwhelming. Schedules are tight, keeping the house clean is near-impossible, and the weight of meeting the mental and emotional needs of our families can put us in overdrive. In this episode, Emily chats with Jill Thomas, a mental health therapist focused on helping moms through the challenges of marriage and motherhood, on the ways work affects our mental health and how to step back and care for ourselves as we seek to faithfully do what God has placed before us. When our work feels heavy, we can rejoice that God has never asked us to do it alone, and his grace is sufficient to sustain.

*While Jill Thomas is a licensed therapist, this episode is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you resonate with any of the mental health topics discussed, please reach out to a counselor or medical professional.

The dishes pile up. The kids run circles around the house. The to-do list is a mile long. Motherhood is full, but too often, we fill our time hunching over our phones, giving our best self to social media instead of looking up at the work in front of us. When we don’t know where to begin, social media feels like a welcome distraction. But when our days are consumed by social media, we might miss the most important things. In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss faithfulness in motherhood, examining the way it impacts our limited time and energy. When we give God first place in our hearts and steward the responsibilities before us, we can use social media as a tool rather than an escape.

Maybe you’ve gotten this far into the conversation about obedience and you’re still wondering if it’s all about restrictions? Or maybe you want to obey but keep finding yourself in a pattern of sin? Maybe you’re skeptical about God’s demand for perfection and you’re not sure who can really measure up? Come behind the scenes in this episode, as Laura turns the microphone on Emily and asks her to unpack three truths about obedience. This deep dive is meant to help us understand the free gift of grace and its transforming power in our daily lives.

Motherhood offers no shortage of reasons to fear, which is why we’re doing a deep dive into the topic in this mini-series. In the first episode in this 7-episode series, Laura and Emily talk about some of the fears they’ve faced in the past year. Not all fear is bad though, so they give us examples of different types of fear and talk about the best kind—the fear of the Lord. If you find yourself in a state of fear, you’re not alone. Let’s fight our fears together with the truth of God’s word.