Have you ever felt desperate to find something steady in the midst of grief? Someone you can turn to that can hear, see, and truly understand your pain? While our needs in seasons of grief are many and real, from getting proper sleep to eating well and spending time in community, there is only one place we can go that will never fail us or prove untrue: God’s Word. In this episode, Emily reads verses from Scripture that we hope meet and uplift you in sorrow. As you listen to the words of God’s people crying out to him for help, and God’s gracious response to them that he will save and redeem all that has been broken, we pray that these truths from Scripture will be a steady rock when all else feels like sinking sand. Whatever we may be struggling with today, God hears the cries of his beloved people.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

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.

When you’re afraid, it’s so helpful to rehearse God’s word. But it can be hard to find a quiet place, or even time, to read and think about what God’s promises mean for your situation. Moms have a lot of demands on their time, so we’ve put together an entire episode designed to help you meditate on God’s word. In this episode, Emily reads a collection of scriptures on fear. So whether you’re scrubbing toilets, driving to work, or even on a walk, we pray these scriptures lift your eyes to the Lord as you face your fears.

We know we should be grateful for the gifts God has given us in motherhood. But instead, we may find ourselves battling discontentment, anxiety, and stress over our inability to keep up with even the simplest tasks. In this episode, Emily and Laura talk with author Hannah Anderson about her book Humble Roots. Hannah applies gospel-truth to challenging topics like postpartum body image, vocational or ministry calling, and dealing with the temptation to live for our ideal version of motherhood instead of God's plan for us. This conversation is candid, challenging, and leaves much to be considered as Hannah offers an opportunity for weary moms to rest by accepting their limitations and letting God be God.

Scroll through Pinterest or eavesdrop in a coffee shop and you might see or hear something along the lines of, “All I need is a whole lotta of Jesus and a little bit of coffee/tacos/Netflix/sleep.” While it’s usually said in jest, we all have little crutches that we tend to rely on when we’re in survival mode. In this episode, Emily and Laura talk about potential crutches in motherhood like wine, shopping, or social media. While these things may make us feel good temporarily, only Christ is the source of our greatest and lasting joy. So momma, let’s go back to the cross and fix our eyes on the only one able to sustain, encourage, grow, and help us in every situation—Jesus.

The daily hardships of motherhood weigh on us—difficult decisions, potty training, sleeplessness, and more. But sometimes we experience deeper, more profound suffering that makes us cry out, “Why God?” In this episode, Emily and Laura offer gospel encouragement for those in the midst of deep suffering. Suffering is different for everyone, but scripture offers unshakeable hope in every situation. Since God didn’t excuse himself from suffering, one day—through Christ—our suffering will give way to joy.

We make so many decisions in motherhood. Daily, we consider things like, what snack should I feed my child? How much screen time should they have? What discipline strategy should I use for this tantrum? And we also ask deeper, bigger questions like, how should we handle their schooling? What church should our family go to? How much time should we spend away from our kids? In today’s episode, Emily and Laura discuss how they each process decision-making and the many factors that influence the final outcome. God calls each of us to a dependent life that aligns with our deepest desire—to love and live like Christ in all we do, big and small.

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.

There's a reason our podcast opens with, "Motherhood is hard." Because it is! From sleepless nights and potty training accidents to constant discipline and raising adolescents, motherhood can leave us crying in the bathroom and eating from the secret chocolate stash. In this episode, Emily and Laura consider how the gospel breathes hope into the moments of motherhood that leave us feeling undone. The good news of Jesus means that God calls, equips, and sustains us in the work he's prepared for us to do—including requests for snacks, sibling squabbles, boo-boo kisses, and the fifth reading of their favorite book. We were never meant to mother in our own strength, and by the kindness of God, we don’t have to.

As moms, we spend a lot of time thinking about sleep, like, “Will I get to have it?” and “I can’t sleep – I have too much to do!” From tiny baby bellies to late-night toddler questions, we sacrifice our sleep out of love and service to Christ through caring for our families. In this episode, Laura and Emily discuss how the gospel gives hope to the weary, sleepy mom (most of us, right?). In light of God’s promises to us, we no longer worship sleep as an idol or ignore our need for rest. Instead, Christ has freed us from either extreme, offering us true rest and hope in himself. We may be tired, but we can trust him with our needs.

We were created to work and to rest, but sometimes it feels like our to-do list never ends. But we were not created to carry the burdens of “doing it all” or to indulge in copious amounts of “me time.” So, when and how are we supposed to rest amidst the busyness of motherhood? In this episode, Laura and Emily get to the heart of self-care for mommas. While we do need practical things like sleep, food, and a shower, what our hearts most desperately need is the refreshing truth of the gospel. We weren’t made to be limitless, so our limitations are actually a gift that draws us into the rest offered by Christ in every situation.