We all know a great and godly marriage takes work. And it's also fair to say that motherhood is a full-time job of its own as well. It's a delicate balance. How DO we find the time, the space, the energy, and the focus to keep both relationships healthy and strong?  Is it possible?

As the old saying goes, “More is caught than taught.” And there aren't too many examples of that proverb that carry more weight than character. Mamas, whether we want to admit it or not, little eyes are watching us. And they are going to parrot back, not just what we say, but what we do. So it goes without saying that if we want to raise kids with character, we have to lead by example.

It’s summer, school is out, and now it’s your chance, mama, to take a little “me” time. You’ve been making lunches, carpooling, driving the kids to soccer or ballet or violin lessons or whatever your children might be interested in every week for months on end so, not having to drive endlessly every day is a blessing! However, summer can become just as busy as the school year. We're hoping you’ll have some time to yourself over the next couple of months.

Mothering is no easy task. It requires much of you and can often leave you feeling overworked, understaffed, and pulled at every angle. But couple the never-ending job of mothering with an introverted personality--a personality that craves alone time in quiet spaces--and you add extra layers of guilt, frustration, and overwhelm.

Your children are growing up. They’re heading out of the nest soon and all those years of love and sacrifice, cooking and cleaning, disciplining and discipling, yelling and listening are coming to an unceremonious end. This is your invitation to Act 2, to Motherhood: The After Party.

Because Mother's Day is right around the corner, we thought it would be fun to share some of our top favorite mom tips, recommendations, and ideas for all moms!

It doesn't matter which season you may be in right now, this special Mother's Day bonus episode was made with you in mind.

From hospitality to busy days, here are our favorite mom favorites!

Be sure to check out the show notes for all the links.

The world would like women to believe that faith in Christ pushes women down and makes them “lesser than”--that the church holds women back or more aptly, that Jesus holds women back. Perhaps in an attempt to right that wrong, the current Christian culture has swung the pendulum in the opposite direction, encouraging women to rise up, to demand platforms and blow horns, to power grab for what is rightfully ours. This Girl Power Gospel has invaded the church like cancer but the fallout of this feel-good “Christian” message is just as dangerous as the lies the world is doling out.

Today anything you want is right at your fingertips and though life might be more convenient, it isn’t easier. In fact, it’s busier than ever! Today we’re chatting about the overwhelm of motherhood. Between the three of us, we have 16 children and have experienced more than our share of overwhelm in our mothering journeys.

The stress of a jam-packed schedule can actually alter a child’s DNA and it shrinks brain capacity. That’s terrifying! So, let’s talk about Mom Overwhelm and how we can combat it. 

A 2017 Gallup poll of over 2.5 million Americans showed the largest decline of overall feelings of well-being (or joy) in the last 10 years. We’re lonely, disconnected, and discontent with our lives. Now, I don’t think we can pin all of our troubles on comparison. I think it’s a more complicated equation than that. But, I do think that the longing of all of humanity to be more like this, and less like that--to have more of this and less of that--our tendency to make tally marks and tier levels out of virtually everything contributes greatly to our overall joylessness.

So today, we’re going to talk about comparison and the “trap” that it really is.

There is no greater gift to give your children than God's Word hidden in their hearts. Motherhood is a wide-open invitation to living a life led and loved by Jesus. You are the walking, talking example of God’s love they will remember.

Today, we want to talk about the two biggest obstacles that intimidate us from teaching our kids about Jesus: Time and Knowledge. God’s Word is not intimidating, but it is our fear of not bringing it alive that can sometimes stall us.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Right? I hate to tell you, friends, but that saying couldn’t be further from the truth! Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Today we’re talking all things words--how our words are either going to build up or tear down our children (not to mention husbands and all the other people in our lives!)

Thank you for joining in the conversation today as we chat about allowing other women into your space, tearing down the walls of fear in perfection, and asking for help from Biblical Mentors. We know that Motherhood can feel lonely and isolating. But, Titus-2 type relationships can create safe places to not only get answers and directions but also to feel loved and encouraged. 

Welcome to the very first episode of the Mom to Mom Podcast. We know that as a mom, your tasks are great, but your time is limited. We’re honored that you would take a few minutes out of your day to listen in. We trust that by the end of our time together, you’ll be encouraged and equipped to mother well today, no matter where you are on the journey. We’ve got such a great season lined up for you.

But, before we go any further, we want to introduce ourselves. We are 3 generations of moms--each about 10 years apart--whose paths to motherhood have all been unique. Though our methods and perspectives are quite different, our mission is the same: to draw others, especially our children, to the Gospel.  

In this episode, we share our greatest mothering struggles and strengths.