The idea of eating around the table with little ones may bring to mind little tea cups in front of stuffed animal friends or fidgeting children and food-covered floors. No matter what mealtimes look like in our homes, each meal is a chance to share how God’s love impacts our children’s lives. In this episode, Sally Clarkson, wife, mother of four, and prolific author, offers her wealth of experience and insight on sharing Christ with your children around the family table. By making our times at the table something special and an opportunity for training, moms can tackle the hard work of sharing gospel truths in a natural way within the daily rhythm of mealtimes. 

Interactions with the grandparents in your life may leave you feeling thankful and energized, but they may also leave you feeling frustrated or misunderstood. One thing that all moms need in both easy and hard relationships is grace. In the second episode of our “Grandparents & The Gospel” series, Laura and Emily focus on how we can be the instruments of the gospel in our interactions with our children’s grandparents. When we understand how Jesus extends the most grace to us, we are free to offer unconditional love to some of our very closest neighbors, Grandpa and Grandma.

Grandparents can be some of the most loving and helpful relationships in the lives of our children, but they can also be some of the most complicated. Navigating different expectations, values, and family cultures can cause miscommunication and even estrangement. In this episode, Emily and Laura ask the question, “Why do Grandma and Grandpa get under our skin sometimes?” which is really a way of examining our own hearts in light of the gospel. What we worship determines how we respond to happy and hard relationships, and only when we reorient our eyes to Christ’s sacrifice can we approach these issues with grace.

In the little years, it’s easy to grow weary from sowing seeds without seeing much fruit. When the discouragement bears down, we wonder, “Does this even matter? Would another investment be more worthwhile?” In this episode, Ruth Chou Simons, author, artist and founder of Gracelaced, pours out gospel-rich wisdom from her years of parenting six boys. She discusses how she manages her dreams and motherhood, how she keeps her priorities straight with a blooming business, and offers practical wisdom for a busy mom to grow in her relationship with God. Through years of humble faithfulness, a mom can hope in Christ, even when she can’t see the outcome of her story.

What does a mom do at the beginning of an unknown journey with a kiddo who doesn’t seem to fit the mold? Whether it’s food allergies, therapy needs, medical concerns, hearing / vision impairments, challenging behaviors or something else; the differences can feel scary and isolating. How can a mom apply the truth of the gospel when she’s not even sure what she’s dealing with? In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss their own personal experiences with kiddos who don’t fit the mold, and offer encouragement rooted in an unchanging hope available in Christ. In Him, we can be confident that all things are for our good and God’s glory.

Regardless of how long it’s been since having a baby, we can easily tie too much self-worth to our external appearance. Our confidence can be sky high one morning when we see that “number we’ve been waiting for,” and drop to the ground when it we see a friend who looks better-than-before-baby. But what does the gospel say about how we should view our MomBods? In this special “welcome back” episode, newly postpartum moms Emily and Laura discuss common cultural mindsets about body image, encouraging themselves and others to believe the truths presented in scripture. God isn’t shaming our postpartum bodies, and we shouldn’t either.

When urgent needs and love for our littles abounds, it’s easy to become all-consumed by the role of motherhood. Without even realizing it, we can start to define ourselves by how we’re doing, letting our joy be found in the relative success of earthly ability instead of the secure anchor of the Savior. In this episode, Emily and Laura revisit the concept of identity and motherhood, encouraging moms to define themselves in Christ. As sinners, our success can’t be found in any earthly role or relationship, but only through our eternal hope in the Savior himself.

It’s natural to prefer spending time with moms who share similar parenting values, lifestyle choices, and special interests with us. Conversely, most of us can instantly think of a mom we avoid, because she makes us uncomfortable with her more-extreme views in a gray-area of motherhood. These feelings beg the question, “How should we love and interact with those who do motherhood differently than us, especially when those differences breed difficulties?” In this episode, Emily and Laura bring the gospel to bear on these challenging relationships, remembering that the cross levels all of us. Because of the extravagant grace shown to us, we can now love others who are different, even when it’s hard.

Moms celebrate Father’s Day with a variety of feelings. Some are incredibly grateful for their husband’s leadership, hands-on help, sacrificial love, and wisdom with child-rearing. But others feel the pain of disappointment, and aren’t sure how to reconcile their expectations with their reality. In this episode, Emily and Laura interview Jerrad Lopes, host of the weekly DadTired podcast and founder of the non-profit ministry, aimed at pointing men to Jesus. Jerrad tackles some of the most frequently-asked-questions Risen Motherhood receives about supporting husbands spiritually, with “from his perspective” insights and practical ideas. Because of Christ’s example, moms are free to love and support Dad, right where he’s at.

Any mom who reads to her children knows that you wouldn't start a storybook right in the middle! If you skipped the first half, your kids would miss important aspects of the plot and the character development. Instead, you would start at the very beginning and view all of the parts as a whole. But for some reason, when it comes to the bible, we often toss that concept aside and go straight for the easier-to-understand New Testament books. In this episode, Emily and Laura make a case for the Old Testament, citing eight reasons why it really matters! Processing the entire bible in light of the cross is critical for mom (and her kiddos) to rightly understand God's epic redemption story.

We know we should be grateful for the gifts God has given us in motherhood, but instead, we find ourselves battling discontentment, anxiety, and stress over our inability to keep up with even the simplest tasks. In this interview, author Hannah Anderson, talks about her book "Humble Roots," offering an opportunity for weary moms to rest as they accept their limitations and let God be God. She 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 us. This conversation is candid, challenging, and leaves much to be considered...don't miss it!

These days, it's common to hear the call for moms to find a "tribe" where they belong. While there is great benefit in connecting with women who share similar circumstances, challenges, or life passions, is this where we're supposed to find our primary source of community? In this episode, Emily and Laura address the online "tribe" trend, and challenge moms to examine God's plan for community, which is rooted in the local church. There is no online ministry or common interest group that can replace the need for deep relationships among flesh-and-blood believers.