Ever wondered how to create an environment of camaraderie, family connection, and meaningful discussion in your home? Continuing the theme from our conversation in the last episode with the Voetbergs, Jennifer Pepito shares her wisdom gleaned from years of investing intentionally in her own family, but she also shares mistakes and the grace the Lord has offered her in her imperfections. Be encouraged that you don’t have to “get everything right” to establish important traditions that become...

Ep. 63: Passing Down the Good (A Chat with Elisha and Katie Voetberg) In a world that champions airing every bit of trauma/bad strategies passed down from parents, it’s rare (and refreshing!) to encounter young families who are, instead, holding with the positive traditions of their origin families and being intentional to praise the good (while acknowledging the not-so-good).  Elisha and Katie Voetberg (who own/run our sponsor company, Voetberg Music Academy!) are doing just that—choosing...

Ever walked into a public library with your children, only to hurry them past the displays in the kids’ section because they’re almost all focused on promoting one secular agenda or another? You’re not alone. Choosing good literature for our kids--especially in light of the blatant bias many librarians proudly display--can be a challenging task in our current cultural climate. In this episode, Korie Johnson from Good Book Mom tells us all about how we, as Christian parents, can build...

“Child free” is a phrase that populates comment sections on social media, Reddit threads, news articles, and more. It’s more than a little trendy to at least entertain the idea of forgoing having children altogether.  But is it biblical? I sit down with my good friend, Jennifer Flanders from  Flanders Family Home Life, chat about the biblical implications of a child-free lifestyle.  We also chat all things birth control and what it looks like to live a surrendered life before the Lord—in...

In part one of this topic, we unpacked why “overstimulation” is such a commonly used term—especially in motherhood—these days.  In this episode, we take a deeper look at some of the ways we might contributing to our own overwhelm. Because sometimes, all those “tabs” left open in our brain, driving us nuts, are the results of too many bad yeses and not enough good knows.  Self-awareness and the ability to admit when we have gotten into bad habits or failed to heed wise advice are both...

Have you ever credited your frustration or overwhelm in a particular situation to “overstimulation?” If so, join the club!  “Overstimulation” seems to be the word for mothers on social media (and many in-person interactions too). And it’s easy to understand why with so many things grabbing for our attention on top of a need to love and care for our families well. The good news is there is hope in the midst of the overwhelm, and we don’t have to be slaves to the things that make our brains...

This conversation will be such an encouragement to any mama (or woman!) with a dream in her heart but no idea how to steward it well for the glory of God. In this episode, Lyndsey Mimnagh from Treehouse Schoolhouse chats with me about everything from personality traits (how much do they matter?) to working backwards from your end goal to make it a reality (it works!) to DIY house-building (we’ve both been there) to homeschooling (same) and much more! I know you will be encouraged by her...

“Masculinity” might be one of the most hot-button words in our current culture. And one of the most misunderstood.  Thankfully, my friend, Durenda Wilson, mama to eight, including five young men, is sharing her wisdom and experience with to help us understand the truth about raising boys. With humor, compassion, and practical action steps, she explains how important it is to parent our sons with intentionality and care for the unique ways that God has made them.  Check out her new book,...

Have you ever found yourself nervous to announce a pregnancy, discuss parenting philosophies with a friend, or discuss school choices when your mother-in-law? Why? Because you’re afraid of what they’ll say!  If so, you are far from alone. It’s so hard not to let other people’s opinions on the choices we make for our families affect our confidence in them. And yet, when it comes to issues that aren’t specifically addressed by Scripture, we have so much freedom in Christ to pray, seek wise...

I regularly get asked if any of my children have a diagnosis with which we must grapple.  While the answer is no, I do have firsthand knowledge of both the struggles and the joys of having a child with special needs through my friendship with Lindsay Long, my closest friend, business partner, and the illustrator of both M Is for Mama and Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad, and her daughter, Evie.  In this episode, we talk about the grief that comes along with realizing that your child may...

Heidi St. John—homeschool mom to eight, grandmother, author, and speaker—joins me on this episode to chat all things motherhood: finding our giftings, using them for the Lord + our families, and, yes, being willing to accept help.  Because motherhood (as with most things) is best done in community!  Join us for a lively conversation about how “bad days don’t make moms”—in fact, they often give us an oppportunity to repent and model asking forgiveness to our kids. You’ll be encouraged to...

It would almost take living as a full-on Luddite to not know something about Taylor Swift. The sheer volume of interest, speculation, online posts, and photographs of just one person exemplifies our culture’s propensity to “obsess” over celebrities. One thing that sets “T Swift” apart is a dogged loyalty to/approval of/fascination with her: music, life choices, and person as a whole. And this includes many Christians who include themselves in the ranks of enthusiastic “Swifties.” In this...

When you hear the word “deconstruction,” what comes to mind? An honest examination of biblical truth? An automatic rejection of it? Something in between? In this episode, my friend, Alisa Childers—author, respected apologist, and, herself, a survivor of the deconstruction movement—does a great job of speaking to the need for defining our terms.  After all, if nobody knows exactly what the term “deconstruction” means, it’s going to be impossible to bring it before the light of Scripture and...

One of the more common buzz phrases I’m encountering on the Internet is the term “church hurt.”  The problem, as with many popular phrases, is the true meaning of  “church hurt” is hard to nail down, meaning anything from true abuse of power and spiritual neglect to a rightful accountability check of sin. Not only that, but since we are called to look not only to our own needs but also to the needs of others (Phil. 2:4), the intensely personal narrative surrounding church hurt often becomes...

One of my favorite things as a mom is figuring out traditions that our whole family will cherish for years.  Our birthday traditions have evolved since we had our first almost 18 years ago until we have them down to, if not a science, a day of predictably fun (but also customizable) customs that everybody loves. If you’re looking for inspiration for creating traditions of your own, looking to switch things up a bit, or just needing encouragement that the effort to establish lasting...

When it comes to the topic of “things Christians do” or “organized church,” it’s a bit of a free-for-all. You don’t have to be kind. You don’t have to be truthful. And you don’t have to take into consideration how making Christians/the church the butt of all your jokes affects the way the outside world looking in thinks about either/both (especially on social media). Except we do. Scripture makes it very clear that 1. The Christian church is the bride of Christ (and that’s a big deal) and 2....

For those who watch via YouTube or Spotify, we apologize, but due to technical issues, there is no video available this week. We did it, friends! We made it through 2023 by the grace of God! And boy, do I mean that! There have been many moments this year that felt like too much, but tor Christ’s power at work in my life. I’m guessing you can relate!  From book launching to our whole-family European adventure to a house flood to living in a rental for months while we renovate our entire...

We're rounding out our Christmas series with a (mostly) lighthearted round of "Abbie's Favorite Christmas Things." This is such a special time of year to me, but, if I'm honest, this Christmas season hasn't felt particularly festive or fun, so this was a great exercise in reminding myself of the many ways that Christmas brings joy--the ultimate of which is the tiny baby who came to this world to save us from our sins! A quick reminder that, if you know someone in need who could use...

It’s all well and good to give ideas for fun holiday activities and ways to bring the Christmas "magic."  Family traditions are wonderful, and I will always advocate for their importance.  But what about those for whom Christmas is a genuine struggle? What about the years when you’re just not "feeling it."  There is hope in Christ for those who find themselves in this place.   In fact, it is the whole hope of Christmas. Be encouraged, friends, that, even when you feel alone, the Savior,...

One of the primary arguments I’ve heard against skipping Santa is that doing so will rob kids of the “magic of Christmas.” The thing is: Nowhere in the Bible are we exhorted to do things for our kids that make them feel “magical” (in the sense of euphoria or warm, fuzzy feelings). But we are encouraged to “rejoice in the Lord” and to “give thanks in all circumstances.” And one way to do that in the Christmas season is by establishing family traditions that spark joy and fun and...

Every year, somewhere between October 1st and December 25, I start getting the same question on repeat: “Does your family ‘do Santa?’ Why or why not?” I tackle this question, and the why behind our answer, in this episode. As always, the goal in every discussion of whether or not to adhere to a particular tradition must be: Does it bring glory to God in the way that we practice it (if we do)?  I also discuss three biblically sound questions to ask yourself as you approach the Santa...

Have you ever felt like you have nothing to be grateful for? That your circumstances are too miserable to bear and that any attempt at thankfulness would be faking it? The Bible makes it clear that it is God’s will for us to practice continual thankfulness, and yet it also gives us lots of room for grief and sadness when life is so hard.  Be encouraged that it is really is possible to honor God with our gratitude, even when we feel too weak to praise Him and even when our emotions feel the...

None of us have endless wells of energy. We all hit walls (of exhaustion or burnout or overwhelm) during certain seasons. Sometimes, it can be hard to know where our limited resources are best spent in particularly busy periods. Thankfully, we can turn to God for wisdom and rely on biblical principles to help us navigate the tricky waters of time management, learning to say no, and leaning into challenging seasons with the knowledge that we are right where God wants us to be! Organifi Red...