When Dad has to work late (again) and mom feels like she's soldiering on with the children, is there a gracious response to give? Although the long days might leave a wife stuck in cycles of comparison with other families and even anger, God hasn't left her without hope and help. In this episode, Emily interviews Laura, who shares a bit of her experience as a mom whose husband works long hours. Whether your own husband just misses the occasional dinner, or travels for months at time, you're not going to want to miss the wisdom she shares! The gospel turns "fairness" on it's head, and offers wives a better way forward - where her husband (or his job) isn't the enemy, and all her needs are met in Christ.

When it comes to anger in motherhood, it's easy to be caught in a cycle of guilt and despair. However, the good news is that there is hope in Christ and power to fight sin in practical ways! Just like a person on a diet doesn't keep tempting foods within reach, with God's help, we can find ways to limit the temptation to sin in our anger while we process through the issues of the heart. In this show, Emily and Laura discuss common triggers for outbursts in motherhood, and share helpful hints for prevention. Because of the gospel, even a worn-out frustrated mom is under grace, with the power of the Spirit to pursue holiness from a new heart.

Frustration, impatience, losing our cool, having a bad day, feeling overwhelmed; we all have different ways of describing an angry heart-attitude towards our children. Although we know what it looks like when we lose self-control (and we're experts at feeling guilty about it), we rarely stop to think about why we're so upset in the first place. In this episode, Emily and Laura share their personal struggles with anger and impatience, and discuss how the good news of the gospel is transforming their hearts. At the end of the day, we are not God and we don't deserve any of the kindness he's shown to us in Christ. Shouldn't we remember that, rejoice in it, and extend that same grace to our children?

Adoption should matter to every believer, because every believer is adopted. In this episode, Laura shares a bit about her family's journey to adopt two children from Bulgaria and why they were motivated by the beautiful picture it paints of the gospel. Even if you don't personally plan to adopt, this episode is for you too! All believers need to love orphans, supporting those on the front lines of this calling. We hope this episode plants seeds, waters seeds that God has already planted, and reminds you of the great love God displays for us through adoption!

As a child, Emily had visions of homemaking that included fresh-baked cookies, fun outings with children, and quiet afternoons of running errands. But after becoming a mom herself, she quickly realized that stay-at-home-motherhood wasn't as simple as she imagined. Without self-discipline, intentionality, and an industrious spirit, she was unable to stay-on-top-of the simplest child-rearing and homemaking responsibilities.

In this episode, you'll hear Laura and Emily discuss her journey as a stay-at-home-mom, and what finally helped her view motherhood as an important calling with eternal implications. When the gospel changes our identity, it also changes our mission. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or not, this episode will challenge you to mother for God's glory and his kingdom purposes.

Maybe it's related to a petty thing, or maybe it's rooted in a big daily decision, but all moms face familiar feelings of guilt. The question isn't, "Do we battle guilt as moms?" but, "What will we do with it?" Will we continue to live under a dark cloud of condemnation, or bring our questions to the throne of grace? In this episode, Emily and Laura explore the common underlying reasons for mom guilt, and start the conversation about how to deal with. Regardless of what you discover about your heart as you examine your guilt in light of scripture, there is only one outcome in the gospel: freedom.

When the days are long, the tantrums are continuous, the sleep is lacking, and the mess abounds; the call to motherhood can feel daunting. Maybe we are completing our tasks, but having joy in the midst of them feels impossible. As time passes, we find ourselves more familiar with a tone of bitterness than a heart of rejoicing. In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss the difference between momentary joy and biblical joy, and the common reasons why it's hard to experience. The good news is, joy is available despite our circumstances, because Jesus offers an unchanging hope.

In motherhood, we all value different things. Whether it's a clean house, a well-kept schedule, a rockin' postpartum body, a perfectly balanced work/home life, an easy day, an obedient child, a certain type of diet, a frugal budget, or praise for your hard work, all moms have preferences and desires. The problem isn't necessarily with our ideals, but with our hearts. In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss the common idols in motherhood (including their own). While we can sometimes be guilty of making good things too important, in Christ we are cleansed from all of our idols, and are set free to worship God.

Even when it seems like you've done everything right as a mom, inevitably, things still don't go your way. Someone disobeys, comes down with a fever, talks back or leaves their toy on the ground for you to step on, and in no time...you blow it. Your hopes for being a perfectly pulled-together mom are dashed for the day, leaving you wondering if there's even any point in trying. On today's episode, Emily and Laura talk about those bad moments that we let define and dominate our whole day. But we don't have to get stuck there, because our identity in Christ means we can keep pursuing holiness. When we finally stop believing that we are "bad mom" or "blow-up mom" or "can't get it together mom" but are "God's beloved daughter, fully redeemed," we can move on with bold purpose. Momma, will you join us?

As moms, we love practical help. Tips, checklists, and "how-to" articles seem to promise that we're finally going to get something right. But when we bypass dependence on God and decide to just model our lives after the mom down the street, we've missed the point. We weren't created to reflect each other, but to reflect Christ in ways that are unique to the skills, abilities and life circumstances he's given us. In this episode, Emily and Laura encourage moms to understand how the gospel frees us from adopting one style of "perfect" mothering. God wants our whole lives to be a living sacrifice, so we can be free to glorify him in all we do (even when that looks different from our friends).

While motherhood brings us great joy, it also elevates our deepest fears to sometimes irrationally high levels. We go from mama cub to mama bear after a few Facebook articles or moments spent reading the latest news. God gives us a healthy awareness of the risks our children face, but he doesn't want us to live in chronic fear or anxiety over those risks. In today's episode, Emily and Laura discuss common fear triggers moms face, and what to do when we get stuck in a cycle of worry, worry, worry. Jesus gives us a solid foundation, future hope, and promises that will never change. Because momma, God has good plans and he can be trusted in all circumstances!

As moms, we have a lot of demands on our time.  The world tells us we should "do it all", not leaving room for weakness or balance.  In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss the biblical vision for motherhood, sharing areas of their own lives where they've needed to wave the white flag and find extra support.  If you're feeling pressed for time and overwhelmed, listen in for encouragement and practical ideas for organizing your priorities.