In so many moments throughout the day, little hands and hearts demand our time and attention, but we can’t meet everyone’s needs. With the flutter of noise, we grow impatient, our fuse is cut short. But it’s not just these moments that try our long-suffering. Maybe it looks like wading through deep sorrow as you walk through suffering that won’t let up. Maybe you’re growing tired, because you expected your season of life to look different by now, but God still has you in the same place. If patience is a fruit of the Spirit dwelling in us (Gal. 5:22-23), why does it feel so hard to actually be patient? In this episode, Emily chats with her dear friend, Maryanne Challies Helms, on seeing the ways God is training us in patience through our everyday moments as moms. Be encouraged: whatever trial you’re facing today, God has planned it for your growth and his glory—he will not leave you to fight this battle alone.

Have you ever hoped your day would go according to plan? Maybe it’s simply getting a moment to unload the dishwasher without a sibling squabble, or finally having hours on the calendar to finish that work project. Maybe your whole motherhood journey hasn’t gone the way you dreamed or expected. In this episode, Emily and Laura walk through a few questions we can ask ourselves as we grapple with inevitable interruptions. As we remember that God is Lord over our days and we willingly receive his plans, we can also trust that what he gives us is ultimately for our good.

When Dad has to work late (again) and the kids’ bedtimes are still hours away, is there a gracious response to give? Although 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. No matter the income-producing work balance between mom and dad, it can feel challenging to navigate family life alongside work responsibilities. In this episode, Emily and Laura look at the ways we can honor our husbands through busy work seasons, inflexible schedules, travel, and missed expectations. When our hope is rooted in Christ, we can trust that even when our husband’s meeting runs long or he’s called into work on a Saturday morning, God is our sure foundation and our greatest help.

*This show is intended to address the typical strains of balancing work and parenting within the context of healthy Christian marriages. If you’re in a marriage that is experiencing these tensions within the context of unconfessed sin or neglect, we encourage you to reach out to a trusted mentor, pastor, or counselor for help.

Most of us have heard it. Some of us have said it. There’s a common encouragement to moms of littles that if we “pay our dues now” or if we’re “faithful in the small things” then there will be bigger things coming later as our unseen sacrifices give way to visible fruit. In this episode, Emily and Laura unpack this idea, helping us see that while it comes from a very right desire to encourage faithfulness in following Christ, it may lead us to wrong expectations. Rather than serving the Lord looking ahead to “better” things he might give us later, we can be content in serving him now, because he has already given us the best thing in his Son.

At the beginning of June, you reveal your summer bucket list, which makes your children cheer with anticipation. By July, you can’t find your list and by August, you’re tempted to check out until a new season starts. It’s no surprise we need the gospel to shape every expectation we have as we think about our summer plans. In this episode, Emily and Laura look towards the next three months and offer challenges to help us keep the right perspective as we plan, hope, and dream for summertime. We’re living for something much bigger than our summer plans, and God’s grace will sustain us as we persevere in motherhood—and to September.  

It’s vacation time! We can see ourselves sleeping in, sipping hot coffee, and diving into a good book. But it’s more likely someone will get sick, the traffic will be terrible, and the diaper bag will be left at the house. In this episode, Emily and Laura offer a “Mom Heart Check” to help find the root of difficulty in family trips. When we travel, it’s not about being served but about serving others. We can prep our hearts before, during, and after a trip by rethinking our expectations and remembering the servant love of Christ.