Have you ever noticed your child light up as they greet others at church or offer drinks to guests in your home? Those moments could be the first glimpses into your child’s natural or spiritual gifts. In this episode, Emily and Laura interview Karen Hodge about nurturing our children’s gifts in the context of community. Karen is a pastor’s wife and mom of two adult children, who serves as the Coordinator for the PCA Women’s Ministry. She’s also the R|M Board Chair and has been a faithful encourager of the Risen Motherhood ministry. As parents, we disciple our children with eternity in mind, preparing them to meet Christ. What a privilege to teach them how to use their gifts for God’s glory.

Whenever we ask the R|M community for questions, they range from lighthearted and practical to thought-provoking and theological, which makes the AUA show something special. In this one-hour episode, Emily and Laura answer listeners’ questions about the R|M pop-up shop and upcoming conferences, to things like spiritual slumps, attraction in marriage, and finding the right church for your family. We hope as you listen, you’ll see how the gospel applies to everything and how we have freedom in Christ to serve others in unique ways. 

Stretch marks, loose skin, and under-eye circles—oh my! Many moms stand a little awkwardly before the mirror, examining their postpartum bodies. We may know the world’s standard isn’t a true one, but how do we find peace with our new bodies? In this episode, Emily and Laura invite five women to share how the gospel changes their outlook on their postpartum bodies. While we’re tempted to focus on what we think our bodies should be today, the gospel reminds us that our hope isn’t in our flesh. Instead, these bodies reminds us that our hope is in Jesus alone—who willingly bore our sins, scarring his perfect body to give us life. This hope gives us grateful hearts, so we can care for and steward the body we have today as a vessel for good works.

Moms are no strangers to worry. We daily consider the possibility of danger, hurt feelings, or stressful situations. We turn hypothetical situations around in our heads, trying to find solutions, but it feels like everything is just beyond our control. And so we worry. In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss how the gospel changes our worry. As moms in a broken world, we know we’re going to ask ourselves, “What if?” and, “What then?” But what do we do when we start to dwell on those questions? We train our minds with the promises of God found in Christ. As our trust in God’s care deepens, our worry can become worship.

Oh and ps: We’re having our fall fundraiser through Friday! Instead of ordering pizza for dinner this week, consider giving $25 to help 19 women hear the gospel.

It’s easy to think of things that are more fun than doing dishes or putting shoes back where they belong. But serving in motherhood often means sacrificing what we want in order to care for those around us in service to Christ. We know we’re called to be living sacrifices, but what are we supposed to do when the “sacrifice” part is uncomfortable? In this episode, Emily and Laura examine another angle of being a living sacrifice: service. Working hard to serve others isn’t an obstacle to fun or freedom. It’s the pathway to joy in Christ.

Sometimes we serve ourselves into exhaustion, and sometimes we avoid serving to keep ourselves comfortable. Neither extreme is good. Many of us have heard that we’re called to be a living sacrifice, but what does that mean? In this episode, Emily and Laura examine one angle of being a living sacrifice: burnout. While not every mom experiences full burnout, many of us believe our work proves our worth or the world depends on us. If these lies motivate us, we’ll live as though we’re limitless until we’re unable to do anything well. But a heart abiding in Christ knows we can work faithfully and restfully within our limitations, which are for God’s glory and our good.