Don't Mom Alone Podcast

What helped you feel ready for a new school year as a kid? All the supplies purchased and organized? The perfect first-day outfit? What helps you feel ready for school now, as a mom? How can you advocate for your kids and support their teachers? My guest this week is Dallas-based therapist and speaker Dr. Kelly Jameson. She shares a great set of tools to help us advocate for our children and interact well with teachers and school staff. She also shares her wisdom and experience on how to parent well through our ever-changing technology landscape. Connect with Dr. Kelly Jameson: Website: https://drkellyjameson.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyjamesonPhD/ Instagram: @DrKellyJameson Links Mentioned: Accommodations Sheet Template Donation for aid to Lahaina Families Related Episodes: How to Stay Calm With School Stress :: Kirk Martin [Ep 88] Supporting Students with Dyslexia :: Kerri Irvin [Ep 317] Creating Digital Safe Spaces :: Chris McKenna [Ep 360] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What percentage of the anxiety you feel comes from parenting? We are often most anxious about the things we care most about. That is normal! We love our kids and want to nurture and protect them, but we know anxiety isn’t helping us. My guest this week is counselor and parenting expert Sissy Goff. Her new book, The Worry-Free Parent, is designed to help us recognize how anxiety makes its way into our everyday lives, process it in healthy ways rather than passing it along to our kids, and connect more deeply and more freely with our kids. Connect with Sissy Goff: Website: https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingboysandgirls/?ref=hl Instagram: @raisingboysandgirls YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@raisingboysandgirls Podcast: Raising Girls and Boys Podcast Links Mentioned: The Worry-Free Parent: Living in Confidence So Your Kids Can Too by Sissy Goff Related Episodes: Getting Brave About Anxiety :: Sissy Goff [Ep 311] Raising Emotionally Strong Boys :: David Thomas [Ep 368] The Window of Tolerance :: Charissa Fry [Ep 260] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Have you felt that you’ve lost a part of yourself since having children? Maybe even “lots of” or “all” the parts? Motherhood changes us - and it should - but we need to consider our own emotional health and well-being just as important as that of our kids. My guest this week, mom, and author Alli Worthington, encourages us to be set free from mom-guilt by dropping some common “good mom”-myths. She invites us into confident motherhood where we can love our kids sacrificially and still stay attuned to our own needs. She even shares her Magic Question Habit to help us see ourselves more clearly. Alli Worthington is a business coach, speaker, podcaster, and overcomer. Her latest book, Remaining You While Raising Them releases August 8, 2023. Connect with Alli Worthington: Website: https://alliworthington.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alli.worthington Instagram: @alliworthington Links Mentioned: How to Break Busy :: Alli Worthington [Ep 105] Remaining You While Raising Them: The Secret Art of Confident Motherhood by Alli Worthington Related Episodes: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Practice Self-Compassion :: Kim Frederickson [Ep 188] Focus on Growth vs. Guilt :: Lisa Bevere [Ep 291] Manage Your Life With Guilt-Free Confidence :: Christy Wright [Ep 192] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

How do you give your kids independence? At what stage do you let kids try and fail? At the heart of parenting is this job: to give our kids the skills they need to live without us. We know that and we still might spend hours in their rooms trying to help them get to sleep or keeping up with their gym clothes or assignments. We bring our own fears or suppositions about the future to bear on their freedoms. Sometimes this is wise, but sometimes we must stop and watch what God is doing in their lives through difficulty. We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by an experienced mom and benefit from her wisdom. Bonus! My guest for these 6 weeks is both wise AND funny. Join me for conversations with wife, mom, author, and podcaster Cynthia Yanof. We’ll answer some listener questions, share our experiences, and laugh a lot. Connect with Cynthia Yanof: Website: https://cynthiayanof.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof Instagram: @cynthiayanof Podcast: MESSmerized Related Episodes: Freeing your Adolescents to Step Into Adulthood - Ages and Stages - Teens :: Dr. Ken Wilgus [Ep 382] Doubt, Questions and Your Teen’s Growing Faith :: Mary Jo Sharp [Ep 375] Life-Giving Faith in Every Circumstance :: Lisa Appelo :: Summer of Mentorship - Wk 2 Links Mentioned: Priscilla Shirer Speaking Over her Boys http://www.goingbeyond.com/blog/gods-word-spoken-over-our-children/ The Global Munchkins on Instagram Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

How do you connect with your spouse? And how often? It’s easy for us to get busy parenting and adulting and then take our marriage relationship for granted. We may think we’ll focus on it when things slow down or the kids aren’t so needy, but actually, a healthy marriage is a great help to our kids. We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by an experienced mom and benefit from her wisdom. Bonus! My guest for these 6 weeks is both wise AND funny. Join me for conversations with wife, mom, author, and podcaster Cynthia Yanof. We’ll answer some listener questions, share our experiences, and laugh a lot. Connect with Cynthia Yanof: Website: https://cynthiayanof.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof Instagram: @cynthiayanof Podcast: MESSmerized Related Episodes: Nurturing Your Marriage :: Brent and Janis Sharpe [Ep 299] Embracing Your Power in Marriage :: Dr. Juli Slattery [Ep 346] Building Strong Marriages :: Kimberly Beam Holmes [Ep 374] Links Mentioned: Genesis Women’s Shelter Love Nuggets Episode [Ep 299] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What do you do when your kids are a little sassier than necessary? How do you respond? Can we shape their responses? When does it really matter? To answer those questions we need both perspective and wisdom. We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by an experienced mom and benefit from her wisdom. Bonus! My guest for these 6 weeks is both wise AND funny. Join me for conversations with wife, mom, author, and podcaster Cynthia Yanof. We’ll answer some listener questions, share our experiences, and laugh a lot. Connect with Cynthia Yanof: Website: https://cynthiayanof.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof Instagram: @cynthiayanof Podcast: MESSmerized Related Episodes: 10 Ways to Stop Meltdowns and Arguments :: Kirk Martin [Ep 139] The Legacy of a Calm Father :: Kirk Martin [Ep 139] The Respect Effect :: Emerson Eggerichs [Ep 122] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Who are your close friends? What do you do to cultivate friendships in your life? Friendship as an adult can feel like we’re unicorn-hunting, clinging to some childhood ideal or tv show standard. But real life friendship requires risk and it can come and go in seasons. And it is so worth it. We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by an experienced mom and benefit from her wisdom. Bonus! My guest for these 6 weeks is both wise AND funny. Join me for conversations with wife, mom, author, and podcaster Cynthia Yanof. We’ll answer some listener questions, share our experiences, and laugh a lot. Connect with Cynthia Yanof: Website: https://cynthiayanof.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof Instagram: @cynthiayanof Podcast: MESSmerized Links Mentioned: Find Your People by Jennie Allen Related Episodes: Be Vulnerable, Find Your People :: Jennie Allen [Ep 354] Friendship is Hard :: Amy Weatherly & Jess Johnston [Ep 350] Healing from Broken Friendships :: Shundria Riddick [Ep 321] Helping Our Kids Foster Friendships :: David Thomas & Sissy Goff [Ep 338] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What do you feel when your child is struggling? How do you decide when to step in? Whether it's fighting for your attention from a new baby or struggling with a new skill there are times for us to intervene and there are times for us to let our kids be uncomfortable. Yes, because we’re limited, but also because, as our summer of mentorship guest puts it, “If I want to raise kids that can stand alone, then I've gotta let them.” We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by an experienced mom and benefit from her wisdom. Bonus! My guest for these 6 weeks is both wise AND funny. Join me for conversations with wife, mom, author, and podcaster Cynthia Yanof. We’ll answer some listener questions, share our experiences, and laugh a lot. Connect with Cynthia Yanof: Website: https://cynthiayanof.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof Instagram: @cynthiayanof Podcast: MESSmerized Related Episodes: Resolving Sibling Conflict :: Jim & Lynne Jackson [Ep 126] 5 Principles to Guide Motherhood :: Rosemary McFadyen [Ep 44] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

12What do you do when your kid lies? What about when your kid doesn’t make the team? Is this your failure or theirs…or is it something else? We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by an experienced mom and benefit from her wisdom. Bonus! My guest for these 6 weeks is both wise AND funny. Join me for conversations with wife, mom, author, and podcaster Cynthia Yanof. We’ll answer some listener questions, share our experiences, and laugh a lot. Connect with Cynthia Yanof: Website: https://cynthiayanof.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof Instagram: @cynthiayanof Podcast: MESSmerized Related Episodes: Focus on Growth vs Guilt :: Lisa Bever [Ep 291] Choosing Connection Over Critique :: Rachel Macy Stafford [Ep 280] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

How does your child’s behavior reflect on you? That’s a trick question - it doesn’t. But it’s easy for us to feel that it does. Parenting a neurodivergent child can heighten those feelings of guilt or shame when our child doesn’t behave in an expected way or when traditional forms of discipline or parenting simply don’t work. Pile on top of that everyone’s summer activity and vacation social media posts and you might be tempted to believe the lie that your family is less than somehow, or always missing out. My guest this week, Carrie Cassell, is mom to some fantastic neurodivergent kids. Her profound encouragement to “go with the child you have, not the child you wish you had” reaches to every mom. Through her honesty with her own emotions and journey through motherhood thus far she reminds us neurodivergent brains aren’t bad or broken, they’re unique. Carrie created a space online for parents and caregivers of neurodivergent kids, Mosaic Connection. She invites parents into community to free them from isolation and shame, to connect them with themselves and do the inner work so they can help their kids believe the best about themselves. Connect with Carrie Cassell: Website: https://www.mosaicconnection.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089418138152 Instagram: @MosaicConnectionInsta YouTube: Mosaic Connection - YouTube Related Episodes: It’s Not About the Food :: Angie Buja & Carrie Cassell [Ep 173] Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues :: Lynne Jackson [Ep 258] Parenting Sensitive and Intense Kids :: Lynne Jackson and Lydia Rex [Ep 395] When Your Child is on the Autism Spectrum (Part One) :: Terri Conlin [Ep 182] When Your Child is on the Autism Spectrum (Part Two) :: Terri Conlin [Ep 182] ADHD :: Sarah Furlich [Ep 165] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

If your God-given assignment is to work outside of your home or the WFH life, how do you manage the schedules and responsibilities and feelings that accompany those places? Mothering well is always hard - whether you work outside of the home or not. But moms who do work outside the home can feel a particular kind of difficulty caught between wanting to be the best mom and the best at work. My guest this week, Diane Paddison, gives us great encouragement and insight. As a single mom on a global executive team she zeroed in on what was important and built her schedule from those priorities. Diane has served as global executive of two Fortune 500 companies and is a leading advocate for women in the workplace. She is the founder and president of 4Word Women, a mentoring ministry for Christian women. Connect with Diane Paddison: Website: https://4wordwomen.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4wordwomen Instagram: @4wordwomen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4wordwomen Links Mentioned: https://4wordwomen.org/ Work, Love, Pray: Practical Wisdom for Professional Christian Woman and Those Who Want to Understand Them by Diane Paddison Be Refreshed: A Year of Devotions for Women in the Workplace by Diane Paddison Related Episodes: Corporate Working Moms :: Causha Jolly & Stacey McCabe [Ep 205] Working from Home :: Jehava Brown [Ep 288] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What do you feel when you hear, “It’s summertime”? Dread? Excitement? Anxiety? All three? No matter how many summers you’ve been mom-ing it’s the same - there will be fun and boredom, magical moments and fighting and we’ll be tired of it and wish it wouldn’t end. Join me this week as we talk about how to ENJOY summer, navigate sibling conflict, and much more. Clips from these original episodes: Summer (& Sibling) Survival Guide :: Kirk Martin [Ep 77] Summer Strategies :: Laura and Courtney [Ep 249] Links Mentioned: Evil for Evil [DMA BLOG POST] Laura Hernandez Surviving Summer Course Courtney Cleveland All the Best Days Travel Guides, Packing Lists and Bags Kirk Martin Celebrate Calm Reusable Water Balloons Water Gun Activity Sidewalk chalk Cynthia Yanof, host of the MESSmerized podcast Summer of Mentorship (sign up here for podcast club emails) Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What are your patterns of prayer? Has it been hard for you to fall into a rhythm of prayer? We know that prayer matters and works. It changes us, it opens our eyes to where God is at work around us. We want to pray for our kids, for ourselves, for others we love - why does it feel so difficult to jump in? My guest this week is Natasha Miller, The Praying Mama, and our conversation is full of encouragement for your prayer life. Through her own journey into connection with the Lord through prayer, Natasha invites us to know God’s nearness and to leave a legacy of trust in Him. Connect with Natasha Miller: Website: https://natashaannmiller.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashaannmillerlive Instagram: @natashaannmiller Podcast: Her Freedom Podcast Links Mentioned: Praying the Scriptures Journal by Jodie Berndt Related Episodes: Praying the Scriptures :: Jodie Berndt [Ep 194] Listening to the Lord :: Kelsey Phillips [Ep 279] When You Don’t Know What to Pray :: Kayla Craig [Ep 344] Available Now: Heather’s new book, “Right Where You Belong” is now available wherever books are sold. Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What’s The Thing you knew that you couldn’t talk to your parents about when you were growing up? Emotions you had or mistakes you made? As moms we want to connect with our kids, we want to be their source of truth and guidance as they grow, but how do we cultivate that sort of connection and trust? My guest this week, mom and author Kristen Hatton, helps us set the stage for walking alongside our kids through the tween and teen years (and beyond!). Her new book, Parenting Ahead, helps you evaluate your parenting and learn strategies for redemptive living and genuine connection with your kids. She encourages us that from the foundation of deep trust in God and his great love for you and your children, you can faithfully coach them through the realities of growing up. Connect with Kristen Hatton: Website: https://www.kristenhatton.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristenhattonauthor Instagram: @redemptiveparenting @kristen_hatton Twitter: @hattonkb Links Mentioned: Parenting Ahead: Preparing Now for the Teen Years by Kirsten Hatton Related Episodes: Get Your Story Straight :: Kristen Hatton [Ep 113] Summer of Mentorship 2018 :: Kristen Hatton [Week Four] Connecting With Your Daughter Through Humility and Compassion :: Kari Kampakis - part 1 [Ep 390] Ages & Stages Series - The Tween Years :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 380] Available Now: Heather’s new book, “Right Where You Belong” is now available wherever books are sold. Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What do modern manners look like? Manners are simply social behaviors or habits - you can have good ones or you can have bad ones. But it's been 101 years since Emily Post first published her book on manners and etiquette and it only seems as though lately we, as a society, have regressed in our social behaviors. My guest this week, Lee Cordon, has long felt called to make an impact on this generation and the next, to help people be gracious in all they do, say, and give. Sure, manners include which fork to use when, but it is much more than that. It’s a way to show love and respect to our neighbors and ourselves. In our digital age where boundaries can be blurry, Lee offers us encouragement in training our children (at any age) to respond with grace and dignity. DoSayGive tackles the topics that most traditional manners classes don’t, like social media and texting etiquette, how to be a good friend, and how to communicate with ease and consideration. DoSayGive also offers on demand video courses for tween and teen girls and boys (see links below). Connect with Lee Cordon: Website: https://dosaygive.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dosaygive Instagram: @dosaygive Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dosaygive/ Twitter: @DoSayGive Links Mentioned: https://theturquoisetable.com/ A Young Man’s Guide to Manners on Do Say Give use code: HEATHER for 20% off Etiquette Course for Tween/Teen Girls on Do Say Give use code: HEATHER for 20% off Feeding the Mouth that Bites You: A Complete Guide to Parenting Adolescents and Launching Them Into the World by Kenneth Wilgus, Ph.D. 52 Modern Manners for Today’s Teens by Brooke Romney Related Episodes: The Turquoise Table :: Kristin Schell [Ep 37] Adventures of a Boy Mom :: Monica Swanson [Ep 254] Tea Time for Boys {A Tribute to my Mom Mentors} blog post Available Now: Heather’s new book, “Right Where You Belong” is now available wherever books are sold. Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What is a place you’d rather not go? One that sounds nearly unbearable. The DMV? The school pick-up line? What about going into a serious medical diagnosis or a financial crisis? Following Jesus is no safeguard against difficulty in life. God may give you an assignment that feels impossible and overwhelming. That is where my guest this week, mom and author/speaker Cari Trotter, found herself in early 2021. But what Cari also found in those hellish months following a difficult diagnosis echoed what concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl says, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” Cari’s life shifted in an instant and her identity, health, and expectations of the future shifted too. But she found a solid rock to anchor to in her relationship with God - wherever he was leading her. However dark or lonely the path she was never alone. Her meaning and purpose were not gone because the Lord was her strength and her song. She is right where she belongs. Connect with Cari Trotter: Website: https://www.caritrotter.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caritrotter1 Instagram: @cari.trotter Twitter: @caritrotter Links Mentioned: Struck: One Christian’s Reflections on Encountering Death by Russ Ramsey Every Moment Holy, Volume I: New Liturgies for Daily Life by Douglas Kaine McKelvey Related Episodes: Two Questions for a Glorious Becoming :: Cari Trotter [Ep 40] Week Six Summer of Mentorship 2020 :: Stacey Thacker You Are Never Alone :: Max Lucado [Ep 298] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Have you ever seen a “magic towel” that swells and “grows” when you put it in water? Have you shrunk a shirt in the laundry? At different times in our lives God assigns us a space that we have to shrink or swell to occupy. This could mean giving up beloved roles, or taking on responsibilities we don’t want. How do we respond when we find ourselves in these situations? My guest this week is Courtney Defeo. At God’s leading she stepped back from a high-profile career and dreams of being a CEO so her husband could step forward in his career pursuits. She put certain things on hold to create the family and home culture she wants. While at first glance it might seem like she’s squandering her talent and intellect, when she looks around her life she sees things that can only be done now. She feels the freedom to use her gifts in the spaces she’s in now. Connect with [Courtney DeFeo]: Website: https://courtneydefeo.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyDeFeoPage/ Instagram: @courtney_defeo Links Mentioned: Right Where You Belong by Heather MacFadyen Treasured Journal: An Interactive Experience for a Tween Girl & Her Mom by Courtney DeFeo In This House, We Will Giggle: Making Virtues, Love, and Laughter a Daily Part of Your Family Life by Courtney DeFeo Raising Them Ready: Practical Ways to Prepare Your Kids for Life on Their Own by Jonathan & Erica Catherman Related Episodes: Uninvited :: Lysa TerKeurst, Kay Wyma, & Courtney DeFeo [Ep 131] Light ‘Em Up :: Courtney DeFeo [Ep 50] Inner Healing Prayer :: Jennifer Barnett [Ep 323] Listening to the Lord :: Kelsey Phillips [Ep 279] Available Now: Heather’s new book, “Right Where You Belong” is now available wherever books are sold. Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What is my God-given space? How do I figure that out? What if my God-given assignments feel at odds with one another? My guest this week is wife, mom, and singer-songwriter Caroline Cobb. She also deeply enjoys studying the Bible and writing songs, and at times, with little margin in her life, she has asked those questions and more. She shares with us how she learned to lean in, not to the perfect formula for time management and balance, but to the relationship she had with God and his daily and minute-by-minute leadings. Connect with Caroline Cobb: Website: https://www.carolinecobb.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinecobbmusic Instagram: @carolinecobbmusic Spotify: Caroline Cobb YouTube: Caroline Cobb Links Mentioned: Caroline’s albums Psalms: the Poetry of Prayer Album Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God by Timothy Keller Related Episodes: Listening to the Lord :: Kelsey Philips [Ep 279] Thinking Differently About Rhythms of Rest :: Shelly Miller [Ep 181] Sunday Planning :: Retha Nichole [Ep 349] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space and receive a FREE audiobook copy narrated by Heather MacFadyen (offer expires 4/18) Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What is unique about your life experience? Was your first thought, “Nothing”? Even the life that feels ho-hum is unique because no one else is wired precisely like you are, experiencing life precisely like you are. My guest this week is author, speaker, and mom, Sally Clarkson. Having moved 23 times in her life she has had to find things she can take with her wherever she goes. A favorite of hers is connecting with people over tea. She encourages us to adopt simple rhythms that fit our experience and wiring and allow us to connect with who and what matters most to us. Connect with Sally Clarkson: Website: https://sallyclarkson.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealsallyclarkson/ Instagram: @sally.clarkson Links Mentioned: Tea Time Discipleship: Sharing Faith One Cup at a Time by Sally Clarkson Related Episodes: Weathering Life’s Storms :: Sally Clarkson [Ep 336] Week Four Summer of Mentorship :: Sally Clarkson Cultivating Friendships in a World of Isolation :: Sally Clarkson [Ep 233] Choose What Matters to You :: Kendra Adachii [Ep 293] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space and receive a FREE audiobook copy, narrated by Heather MacFadyen Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What do you think when you hear the word “boundary”? Boundaries keep things in, keep things out, and help us feel safe. But they can also feel limiting, and we don’t always get to choose our boundaries. That’s where my guest this week, Cleere Cherry Reaves, encourages us to humbly submit to the space and assignment God has given us. Through her experience as a follower of Christ and a mom, she reminds us of this: in whatever way we are experiencing the boundaries of time and place, we can control where we spend our attention, our perspective, and how we inhabit our God-given space. Connect with Cleere Cherry Reaves: Website: https://www.cleerelystated.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleerelystated/ Instagram: @cleerelystated Links Mentioned: The Miracle of You by Cleere Cherry Reaves Related Episodes: Praising Through the Pain of Physical Limitations :: Karen Harmon [Ep 231] Signpost Parenting :: Ann Voskamp [Ep 394] Recovering from Mom Burnout :: Nicole Zasowski [Ep 357] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space and fill out the form to get a FREE audiobook copy narrated by Heather. Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What would it look like for you to live your best life? What if someone told you that you already are living your best life? Not because you’ve accomplished and arranged things just how you want, but because not only is God with you exactly where you are, but because he purposefully placed you there. My guest this week, author and mom Vaneetha Risner, encourages us with her harrowing story of intense suffering and God meeting her right in its midst. Frustrated by circumstances and eager to experience God in the same manner others did she felt the Lord gently saying to her, “This is where I've placed you. This is where I'm gonna meet you. I'm not gonna expect you to climb mountains or do things you can't do to meet me.” Do you feel out of place? Are you looking for the unique and specific ways God wants to use you? Join us for a series focused around my new book, Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space. We’ll walk together through six stories of women leaning into the varied assignments God has given them. Connect with Vaneetha Risner: Website: https://www.vaneetha.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vaneetharisner Instagram: @vaneetharisner Twitter: @vaneetharisner Links Mentioned: Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption by Vaneetha Risner Desperate for Hope: Questions We Ask God in Suffering, Loss, and Longing by Vaneetha Risner (Bible Study) The Scars That Have Shaped Me: How God Meets Us in Suffering by Vaneetha Risner Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense by Paul David Tripp Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller A Lifetime of Wisdom: Embracing the Way God Heals You by Joni Eareckson Tada Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space and receive a FREE audiobook copy, narrated by Heather MacFadyen Related Episodes: The Good God Wants for Our Families :: Paul David Tripp [Ep 285] Bottles of Hope :: Lindsey Wheeler [Ep 386] Faith for the Unexpected :: Christine Caine [Ep 202] Brave Enough to be Broken :: Toni Collier [Ep 388] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What does strength look like to you? Does it look like white knuckling it, holding your breath? Or does it look like putting your oxygen mask on first, and then attending to the needs of others? We all want to, need to be strong for those around us. But my guest this week reminds us there is a cost to being certain kinds of strong. Aundi Kolber is an author and therapist and her new book, Strong Like Water, helps unpack what true strength looks like and feels like and how to get there. In our conversation she encourages us in the practices of self-compassion and grounding and helps us see how white knuckling it is actually detrimental to our relationships and if we will pay attention to ourselves we can show up better for the people we hold dear. Connect with Aundi Kolber: Website: https://aundikolber.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aundikolberwrites Instagram: @aundikolber Twitter: @aundikolber Links Mentioned: Strong Like Water: Finding the Freedom, Safety, and Compassion to Move Through Hard Things – And Experience True Flourishing by Aundi Kolber Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us Out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode –and into a Life of Connection and Joy by Aundi Kolber Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space and receive a FREE audiobook copy, narrated by Heather MacFadyen Related Episodes: The Window of Tolerance :: Charissa Fry [Ep 260] True Intimacy with God :: Mo Isom Aiken [Ep 318] Quiet Your Inner Critic and Practice Self-Compassion :: Kim Frederickson [Ep 188] Walking Through Seasons of Unbelonging :: Shauna Niequist [Ep 362] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

12Where do you turn for answers? Answers in parenting, answers in your career, answers when you encounter the negativity that seems to be lurking around every corner of life these days? My guest this week is a mom who came to a crossroads early in her parenting journey - what will I teach my kids about God? What do I even know about God? In the hiddens years of mothering her small children a deep relationship with God was forged that would serve as the foundation for Candace Cameron Bure’s life. It directs how she mothers, her return to the entertainment industry, and her forays into entrepreneurship. Candace is, among many other titles, host of the Candace Cameron Bure Podcast where Heather will join her as co-host for season 2 of the show! Connect with Candace Cameron Bure: Website: https://candacecbure.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candacecameron Instagram: @candacebure @candacecameronburepodcast Twitter: @candacebure TikTok: candacecameronb Links Mentioned: The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble Candace Cameron Bure Podcast Candace’s Clothing Line DaySpring Candace Cameron Bure Collection Related Episodes: How to be Calm and Kind Under Pressure :: Candace Cameron Bure [Ep 223] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space

Join Bruce and Heather for a Q + A episode where they talk about the importance of connection and communication in their marriage (Happy 24th Anniversary! 🎉🥳) and what it looks like to be in the thick of parenting teens. Links Mentioned: Champion Tribes Feeding the Mouth That Bites You: A Complete Guide to Parenting Adolescents and Launching Them Into the World by Kenneth Wilgus, PhD. Townsend Sheet of Emotional Needs (scroll down below the show notes) Related Episodes: Communication that Connects :: Kimberly Galindo [Ep 396] Freeing Your Adolescents to Step Into Adulthood - Ages and Stages - Teens :: Dr. Ken Wilgus [Ep 382 Bruce Learns to Label His Feelings :: Bruce and Heather [Ep 316] 20th Anniversary Q + A :: Bruce and Heather [Ep 242] The Right to Change My Mind :: Bruce and Heather [Ep 196] This is Us :: Bruce and Heather [Ep 145] Goals, Roles, and Superpowers :: Bruce and Heather MacFadyen [Ep 112] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What does a child need to flourish? There are a million answers to that question, but in all honesty, it’s a little different for each child. We have so many tools available to us to help us see our own personalities and tendencies more clearly. My guest this week is mom and author Karen Stubbs. She challenges us to be students of our kids’ personalities - to tell them the way they are wired is a good gift from God. She encourages us to learn our kids. Not just to correct or discipline them, but to celebrate the way God has made them, help them grow into their strengths, and give them eyes to see their weakness with kindness and grace. Through her ministry, Birds on a Wire, parents can take a quiz to help understand their child’s unique personality and then be equipped to shepherd each unique personality well. Connect with Karen Stubbs: Website: https://birdsonawiremoms.com/karenstubbs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirdsonaWireMoms/ Instagram: @karenstubbs @birdsonawiremoms Twitter: @BOAWMoms Podcast: Wire Talk Links Mentioned: Personality Plus for Parents: Understanding What Makes Your Child Tick by Florence Littauer Birds on a Wire Personality Color Quiz Wire Talk Podcast Series on Personality The Art of Motherhood by Karen Stubbs Survival Guide to Motherhood: Learn to Thrive, Not Just Survive by Karen Stubbs PDF:: How to Parent Each Type Related Episodes: Honoring Others :: Rachel Wade [Ep 348] Temperament Guide: Help for All Types of Moms to All Types of Kids [Ep 14] Understanding Boys Better :: David Thomas [Ep 315] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Why do you think God created women? We know from Genesis that God didn’t say, “We have all these fish, we may as well have women too,” but instead he said, “It is not good” without women. Women take on all sorts of roles in our society, but it can be particularly difficult to suss out what exactly is our role in church and leadership. My guest this week is theologian Joel Muddamalle. Joel serves as the Director of Theology and Research for Proverbs 31 Ministries among other teaching and preaching responsibilities. In our conversation this week we dive into both the Complementarian and Egalitarian viewpoints as well as receiving gentle encouragement of the great value God places on women and the charge to approach these issues with humility. Connect with Joel Muddamalle: Website: https://muddamalle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Muddamalle/ Instagram: @muddamalle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@muddamalle Links Mentioned: Complimentarian Theologians Dr. Tom Schreiner Egalitarian Theologians Lynn Cohick Craig Keener Craig Blomberg Related Episodes: Gender and Sexuality :: Preston Sprinkle [Ep 370] Women Can Be All In For Jesus :: Kat Armstrong [Ep 253] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

With phrases like “you complete me” our culture idealizes connection between spouses or even friends that has no boundaries. This brand of intimacy sounds appealing but it doesn’t work well practically. Our desire for connection is innate, but vulnerability is messy and risky. My guest this week, Kimberly Galindo, encourages us instead that the point where “I” end and “you” begin is the point where we’re different, but it is our real point of connection. In our conversation Kimberly gives us some tools to communicate in a way that fosters connection, but maintains our separate personhood. Kimberly is a licensed therapist with experience helping married couples and individuals connect well in many areas. Connect with Kimberly Galindo: Website: https://www.aspenhausassociates.com/kimberly-galindo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekimberlygalindo Instagram: @thekimberlygalindo Related Episodes: Self-Differentiation and Why it Matters :: Nancy Houston [Ep 335] Bruce Learns to Label His Feelings :: Bruce and Heather [Ep 316] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Some of our precious kiddos live with their sensitivity and intensity turned up a notch from the rest of us. What we think should be simple or routine can trigger big outbursts from our kids. Daily life might feel chaotic or unpredictable. As a mom of a sensitive or intense child you probably have a good idea of what doesn’t work, but it can be hard to discern what will help in those moments. My guests this week are Lynne Jackson and Lydia Rex of Connected Families. Together, they have compiled research and real life experiences from over a 100 families of children who are sensitive and intense and created a parenting course to support and equip parents. Lynne and her husband Jim have been regulars on Don’t Mom Alone encouraging moms (and dads) that it is possible to connect with your child, to coach them, and correct them - you never have to lose one to have the other. Lydia joins Lynne in the thick of parenting her own sensitive and intense children to encourage moms to draw from the limitless well of Christ’s love for yourself and your child in real-life challenging situations. Connect with Lynne Jackson & Lydia Rex: Website: https://connectedfamilies.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnectedFamilies Instagram: @connectedfams Links Mentioned: Connected Families - Your Sensitive Intense Child Connected Families Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course Connected Families - 7 Practical Calming Strategies for Kids Related Episodes: Grace and Truth for Moms :: Lynne Jackson [Ep 296] Helping Your Children With Sensory Processing Issues :: Lynne Jackson [Ep 258] Connected Relationships (LIVE Event) :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 222] Discipline 101 (LIVE Event - Friday Night) :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 221] The Entitlement Fix :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 200] Bonus Mentor Episode - Resolving Sibling Conflict :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 126] Connecting With Your Kids in Any Circumstance :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 98] How to Connect, Coach and Correct Your Child :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 81] Help Your Child Feel Safe and Loved :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 80] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Who saw all that you’ve done today? Anyone? A mom’s work usually goes unacknowledged. We want to measure our work by how the house looks or how the children behave, or by how put together we look when we go out. But my guest this week, Ann Voskamp, invites us to prioritize the unseen. She dares us to prioritize things like the riches of Christ, the promise of an eternity in his presence that is “utterly and completely fulfilling,” and our relationships with those around us. She helps us see the value in “signpost” parenting - not overly concerned with outcomes we cannot control, but deeply committed to continually pointing our kids to Christ and the sufficiency of His great love for us. Ann is a mom to 7, farmer’s wife and author of several books including her newest, Your Brave Song: An Inspirational Children’s Picture Book That Shows How Faith in Jesus Can Help Kids Overcome Fear, Worry, and Anxiety. Connect with Ann Voskamp: Website: https://annvoskamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnVoskamp Instagram: @annvoskamp Links Mentioned: Your Brave Song: An Inspirational Children’s Picture Book That Shows How Faith in Jesus Can Help Kids Overcome Fear, Worry, and Anxiety by Ann Voskamp Waymaker: A Dare to Hope by Ann Voskamp Related Episodes: How to {really} Parent with Grace :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 55] How to be Calm and Kind Under Pressure :: Candace Cameron Bure [Ep223] Week Four Summer of Mentorship 2020 :: Sally Clarkson Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What’s the first word that comes to mind if I say, “Describe your body”? It wasn’t “good”, was it? Fellow human, it should be! Because that’s what God himself says about your body! He says it is good. Just the way he created it - not some past or future version of it, how it is right now. My guest this week is Alisa Keeton and she has spent the last 10+ years serving others through her ministry, Revelation Wellness. She wants you to understand not only that your body is good, but just how very much God loves you. She deeply desires that we would know God - not just about him, but know him. And that is where our journey to health and wellness can begin. “Freedom is not a look, it’s a feeling.” Connect with Alisa Keeton: Website: https://alisakeeton.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akeeton/ Instagram: @alisakeeton Twitter: @alisakeeton Links Mentioned: Revelation Wellness Food is Not the Boss of Me Challenge Revelation Wellness Podcast Related Episodes: Revelation Wellness :: Alisa Keeton [Ep 132] Your Body is GOOD :: Jess Connolly [Ep 329] Become Fully Alive - Mind, Body, and Spirit :: Susie Larson [Ep 218] Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

You know what you’re seeing of someone else’s life as you scroll isn’t the whole story and yet we all find ourselves longing for that perfect vacation, that look of pure delight on their child’s face, or the silent moments they were able to enjoy. We all know “comparison is the thief of joy,” and we should run from it. But what if, rather than try to immediately silence or distract whatever we’re feeling in those moments, we got curious about what’s going on inside? What if we could filter what we see and discern what is for us and what isn’t? In Christ, God has given us a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is available to us all the time. We can use that wisdom to guide us as we uncover the “why” behind our comparisons and help us recognize our God-given boundaries. Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-Order Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space Special Listening Guide for this episode: Download Listening Guide here Links Mentioned: Feelings Card and “What I Need” Quadrant (scroll down just under the text of the show notes) Feelings Wheel Related Episodes: Shaping Your Family Culture :: Kimberly Amici [Ep 294] Bruce Learns to Label His Feelings :: Bruce and Heather [Ep 316] How to Help a Friend Process Life :: [Ep 395] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

“As parents our job is to be kinder and stronger, and wiser.” Those words are simple and sensible, but that directive can be deceptively hard. How do we mother - how do we live even - as our roles change hourly, monthly, yearly? In this second part of our conversation with Kari Kampakis she encourages us that if we are finding our identity in Christ and our joy in Him we can more easily navigate our ever-shifting roles as women. We can be free to teach and guide our children through life and ultimately let go of the reins when the time is right. Connect with Kari Kampakis: Website: https://www.karikampakis.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karikampakiswriter/ Instagram: @karikampakis Twitter: @KariKampakis Links Mentioned: Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter by Kari Kampakis Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For? By Kari Kampakis 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know by Kari Kampakis More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family) Thrive by Kari Kampakis Related Episodes: Motherhood, Career, & Identity :: Kat Armstrong [Ep 171] Brave Enough to be Broken :: Toni Collier [Ep 388] Self-Differentiation and Why it Matters :: Nancy Houston [Ep 335] Rebranded: Stepping Into a New Season :: Christy Write [SOM Wk 6] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

“I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom” are the words of Mean Girl Regina George’s mom. We know she’s not a great example of a mom, but it can be difficult to sort out which moments are for connecting and which are for correcting. You want to be a valid voice in your daughter’s life as she enters their teen years and not just maintain, but grow your connection with her. It is possible to break from what society says and enjoy the teenage years. Mom of four girls and author, Kari Kampakis, talks with us this week about how humility and compassion can help us navigate our relationships with our tweens and teens. (Bonus - when they see us live this way, it will help them learn to navigate relationships too!) Connect with Kari Kampakis: Website: https://www.karikampakis.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karikampakiswriter/ Instagram: @karikampakis Twitter: @KariKampakis Links Mentioned: Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter by Kari Kampakis Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For? By Kari Kampakis 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know by Kari Kampakis More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family) Thrive by Kari Kampakis Related Episodes: Be Vulnerable, Find Your People :: Jennie Allen [Ep 354] Freeing Your Adolescents to Step Into Adulthood - Ages and Stages - Teens :: Dr. Ken Wilgus [Ep 382] Ages & Stages Series - The Tween Years :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 380] Helping Our Kids Foster Friendships :: David Thomas and Sissy Goff [Ep 338] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

We are all theologians. We may not be formally educated experts, but we all have beliefs about who God is and how and why he interacts with us (or doesn’t). All of our assumptions, presuppositions, opinions, and ideas make up our theology. The question is, where are we getting our information? What do we base our theology on? My guest this week is Phylicia Masonheimer, founder of Every Woman a Theologian, and her goal is “to teach [women] how to discern truth, know what (and Who) [they] believe, and live [their] faith boldly in a post-Christian world.” Her day to day work is creating resources for women to learn to study the bible and navigate doctrine because a firm theological foundation matters for us personally and individually as well as for our other relationships be it our spouses, kids, friends, neighbors. That foundation will underpin the comfort we bring to a hurting friend, the discipline we use with our children, and how we treat our spouse. Connect with Phylicia Masonheimer: Website: https://phyliciamasonheimer.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phyliciadelta Instagram: @phyliciamasonheimer @everywomanatheologian Podcast: The Verity Podcast Links Mentioned: The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New by Marty Machowski Mary Flo Ridley & Megan Michelson Birds & Bees Related Episodes: Become What You Behold :: Ruth Chou Simons [Ep 255] Let’s Talk About Sex :: Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson [Ep 328] Consistency in Bible Study :: Katie Orr [Ep 352] Giving Kids a Firm Foundation :: Troy Simons [Ep 278] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

The origins of our word vulnerable are found in a Latin word that means “to wound”. We all know that to be fully known is to open ourselves up to the possibility of being wounded. When we let down our armor, when we expose the wounds of our past as part of the healing journey is risky and scary, but my guest this week, Toni Collier, says, “Be brave.” Be brave enough to be just who you are before God - he knows you already and loves you unconditionally. Be brave enough to be just who you are before yourself and let guilt indicate places that need to change and banish shame. Be brave enough to be who you are before safe people who can walk with you, supporting your unsteady but important healing steps. There are better, healthier relationships to be had through the healing journey. As Toni would say, “hurt and hope can coexist.” Toni Collier is a wife, mom, author, speaker, and founder of the international women’s ministry Broken Crayons Still Color which helps women process through their brokenness to get hope. Her newest book, Brave Enough to be Broken, is available wherever books are sold. Connect with Toni Collier: Website: www.tonijcollier.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colliertoni Instagram: @tonijcollier @brkncrayons Podcast: Still Coloring Links Mentioned: Brave Enough to be Broken: How to Embrace Your Pain and Discover Hope and Healing by Toni Collier Setting Healthy Boundaries with Family :: Dr. John Townsend [Ep 250] New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp Related Episodes: Broken Crayons Still Color :: Toni Collier [Ep 267] Healing from Broken Friendships :: Shundria Riddick [Ep 321] How to Help a Friend Process Life [Ep 359] Be Vulnerable, Find Your People :: Jennie Allen [Ep 354] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

“Good fences make good neighbors” is a line from Robert Frost’s Mending Wall, but the poem goes on to say, “Before I built a wall I'd ask to know / What I was walling in or walling out” So often in our lives we feel the unrest of chaos or dysfunction in our relationships, but we don’t know exactly what we need to wall out or wall in. My guest this week, Lysa TerKeurst faced a new season of life and wanted to enter it with wisdom and strength - caring for others and herself in each of her relationships. Her personal journey led to her newest book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, a guide for each of us as we navigate relationships, practice setting healthy boundaries and even sometimes need to say goodbye. Connect with Lysa TerKeurst: Website: https://lysaterkeurst.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLysa Instagram: @lysaterkeurst Links Mentioned: Good Boundaries and Goodbyes : Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are by Lysa TerKeurst Setting Healthy Boundaries with Family :: Dr. John Townsend [Ep 250] Leslie Vernick and Difficult v Destructive Relationships - https://leslievernick.com Therapy and Theology Podcast Related Episodes: Setting Healthy Boundaries with Family :: Dr. John Townsend [Ep 250] Forgiving What You Can’t Forget :: Lysa TerKeurst [Ep 304] 5 Schedule Sappers and How to Stop Them :: Lysa TerKeurst [Ep 45] Uninvited :: Lysa TerKeurst, Kay Wyma and Courtney DeFeo [Ep 131] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Grief has been called the unwanted visitor - it shows up when you don’t want it and it often stays longer than we would want. In the midst of seasons of suffering or grieving it’s so easy to feel isolated and to be isolated, the weight of bringing our real selves into community feeling like another burden to bear. Whatever dreams we might have had of how our life we go or what it would look like for us to serve God and others seem to be an impossibility. Meet my guest this week, Lindsey Wheeler. For over a decade Lindsay and her family have fought through her chronic illness and fought for her special needs daughter. She has felt the sting of isolation and the deep relief and joy of true community. In the midst of it all she has found a way to serve others and share God’s gentle love for them by sitting with them in their grief. Through her small business, Bottle of Tears (see discount code below), she reminds others they are seen in their grief - by her, by God, by a loved one that would send one of her precious vintage bottles. Connect with Lindsey Wheeler: Website: https://www.bottleoftears.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bottleoftears Instagram: @bottle_of_tears Links Mentioned: IF: Gathering DMA listeners special code for Bottle of Tears: DONTMOMALONE20 for 20% off any order through January 31, 2023. Related Episodes: Adopting Special Needs :: Candace and Alice [Ep 213] Life Giving Faith in Every Circumstance :: Lisa Appelo :: Summer of Mentorship Week 2 Be Vulnerable, Find Your People :: Jennie Allen [Ep 354] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

“Deck the Halls with Chaos and Unmet Expectations” - not the traditional words to the song but maybe more accurate? Advent is celebrating Jesus coming into our everyday life, meeting us humans in the spaces where we are. My guest this week, Mindy Rives, reminds us that our activities to celebrate Advent should be just that - woven into our everyday life. But so often we get buried in “failed” activities or the season zooms past us. Mindy’s excellent planning tool, Advent Prep Club, will help you find all sorts of activities from free or inexpensive things to more involved activities, with plenty of space to add in your holiday traditions. Connect with Mindy Rives: Website: https://adventprepclub.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adventprepclub Instagram: @adventprepclub Links Mentioned: DMA Discount Code for 15 % off Advent Prep Club: DONTMOMALONE Related Episodes: Celebrating Advent :: Tsh Oxenreider [Ep 305] Christmas Traditions with Little Ones :: Jacki Rucksdashel [Ep 142] Santa or No Santa :: Ep 306 Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

The Chosen has taken the world by storm. It’s the largest fan supported entertainment project of all time with over 408 million views on its app alone. It’s a show about the Bible, about Jesus written from the unique perspective of the people Jesus chose to be around. It showcases Jesus’ incredible love and puts us the viewer right into the daily life of Jesus’ disciples and friends. Join Heather as she speaks with cast members and writers and more on The Chosen’s impact on their own lives and people around the world. Connect with The Chosen Series: Website: https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheChosen/ Instagram: @thechosentvseries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChosenSeries TikTok: @thechosentv Links Mentioned: Unfiltered: Gen Z Reacts to The Chosen Buy your tickets starting Oct 25th for the Season 3 World Premiere on Nov 18th Related Episodes: Media, Imagination, & the Kingdom of God :: Erick Goss [Ep 136] Doubt, Questions & Your Teen’s Growing Faith :: Mary Jo Sharp [Ep 375] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

Do you view other moms as collaborators or competitors? Whether it’s our achievements or our difficulties we often compare ourselves to other moms rather than come alongside them (or even celebrate them - gasp!). My guests this week say it this way - “[we] are committed to choosing collaboration over competition and running far from that scarcity mentality that there's just not enough at the table. Instead, we're just building a bigger table.” Jessica is the founder of Noonday Collections and her business partner Liz Bohannon founded Sseko and they are joining forces to become the world’s largest fair-trade fashion selling brand. They encourage us that joining together as moms doesn’t deplete our resources but actually multiplies them. Connect with Liz & Jessica: Website: https://www.noondaycollection.com https://ssekodesigns.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noondaycollection https://www.facebook.com/ssekodesigns Instagram: @jessicahonegger @lizbohannon @noondaycollection @ssekodesigns Twitter: @noondaystyle Links Mentioned: Become an Ambassador! (Get a heart to heart necklace AND join Liz, Jessica and I for a virtual happy hour!!) Sign up here and in the drop down menu on how you were connected select “Don’t Mom Alone”. Noonday Collection https://www.noondaycollection.com The Best of You: Break Free From Painful Patterns, Mend Your Past, and Discover Your True Self in God by Dr. Alison Cook Related Episodes: Winning Together as Co-Laborers :: Heather MacFadyen[Ep 367] Be Vulnerable, Find Your People :: Jennie Allen [Ep 354] Relationships You Need to Be the Mom You Want to Be :: Heather MacFadyen [Ep 341] Friendship is Hard :: Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston [Ep 350] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. Moms making a difference: join our bakery project. Click here to contribute to our goal of raising $12,400 to equip a bakery for 125 women in Guatemala.

It’s been pointed out that if you want to make anything scary or negative, put “teenage” in front of it. For example, teenage driving, teenage parties, teenage sex, teenage thinking. One of our main jobs as parents is to help our kids grow into functioning adults who make their own decisions. In order to do that, we have to give our kids freedoms to practice making their own decisions in meaningful ways. Dr. Ken Wilgus is a father, author, and licensed psychologist with many years of helping parents and young adults navigate the teen years. He tells us that our teens want to know they can actually grow up in our house - to begin experiencing the freedom (and responsibility) of being an adult while still under our care. Though he isn’t promising us an easy ride, Dr. Wilgus encourages us that if we do that it will actually foster more attachment and connection with our teenagers. Connect with Dr. Ken Wilgus: Website: http://www.drwilgus.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feedingthemouthPodcast Instagram: @feedingthemouth Links Mentioned: Feeding the Mouth That Bites You: A Complete Guide to Parenting Adolescents and Launching them Into the World by Ken Wilgus, PhD. Feeding the Mouth That Bites You Podcast Related Episodes: Doubt, Questions, & Your Teen’s Growing Faith :: Mary Jo Sharp [Ep 375] Understanding Your Developing Teen :: Dr. Nell Bush [Ep 351] Compassion Causes: Join our DMA community and help 125 women in Guatemala become financially independent by funding the equipment for a bakery!! Click here to join us and raise $12,400. Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit? To encounter or experience the Holy Spirit? How does he speak to us? Does he speak to us? Western cultures tend to operate under the assumption that if we can’t explain it, it isn’t real. My guest this week gives us hope beyond what we can understand. Author and pastor Max Lucado encourages us that God wants to guide us and speak to us and reminds us that the Holy Spirit was given to us as believers to guarantee our arrival one day in heaven. He shares some of his own experience and what it’s like to hear from God by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are looking for empowerment in motherhood and strength for difficult days and decisions, Max Lucado is encouraging you to “open yourself to the possibility that the greatest power in the universe is alive and well accessible to you wherever you are.” Connect with Max Lucado: Website: https://maxlucado.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxlucado Instagram: @maxlucado Twitter: @maxlucado YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MaxLucadoOfficial Links Mentioned: Help is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit by Max Lucado Cru Spiritual Gifts Quiz Related Episodes: You Are Never Alone :: Max Lucado [Ep 298] Parenting in the Power of the Holy Spirit :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 347] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

How do you feel when you are in between stages of life? Excited? Nervous? Afraid? Tweens - those kids in between childhood and adolescence - are capable, growing into their own thoughts and ideas and preferences, but not quite as opinionated as teenagers. In this “in between” there is plenty of room for curiosity and character development if we will stay connected to and interested in our kids. My guest this week is Charissa Lopez (she’s gotten married since she was last on the show as Charissa Fry), a therapist and parent coach, and she encourages us that healthy attachment can lead to healthy individuation (that process of our kids distinguishing themselves from us). She helps us see that for the entire time we are in relationship with our kids they need comfort and encouragement and connection with us. Though we still have authority over our kids we, as parents, are transitioning out of such a hands-on role in their lives and Charissa helps us think through puberty and friend groups, and our tweens’ spiritual growth. Connect with Charissa Lopez: Website: https://charissalopez.com Special Resources for DMA Listeners from past episodes: https://charissalopez.com/resources/regulation-pack/ Links Mentioned*: **For resources mentioned below, parents should read the book first. Don’t feel like you have to read every word to your child. Just use the parts that work for your family and skip the rest. Or discuss why some people believe differently than you.* Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté It’s So Amazing!:A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys Birds and Bees Ministry with Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson Related Episodes: Connecting Through Play :: Charissa Fry [Ep 319] The Window of Tolerance :: Charissa Fry [Ep 260] Self-Differentiation and Why it Matters :: Nancy Houston [Ep 335] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What do we do with ourselves when our kids need less of our minute to minute attention? How do we fill the space given to us when kids go to preschool or elementary school? If we aren’t intentional as we step into this next phase of motherhood it can become a place of confusion or lost identity. As we focus on different Ages & Stages of our children’s development during this series we are taking an aside this week to parent ourselves if you will. My guest this week, Kara Trochta, has a special place in her heart for the moms in the middle - whose children aren’t all launched into adulthood but who aren’t asking for their juice boxes to be opened 1675 times a day anymore. Through her own journey of soul searching and learning to dream again she has created a program to walk moms through this process of realigning who you are and where you are headed. Connect with Kara Trochta: Website: https://www.karatrochta.com/session/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karatrochtacoaching/ Instagram: @karatrochta Links Mentioned: Book Your Free Middle Motherhood™️ Life Audit Session to get clarity and create purpose and passion in this next season of motherhood. www.karatrochta.com/session Grab your Free Guide: 5 Steps to Writing Your Next Chapter in Motherhood www.karatrochta.com/free Related Episodes: Sunday Planning :: Retha Nichole [Ep 349] Manage Your Life with Guilt-Free Confidence :: Christy Wright [Ep 192] Creating Family Culture :: Amber O’Neal Johnston [SOM Wk 4] Featured Sponsors: Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.

What is your favorite elementary school memory? A teacher you loved? Playing on a favorite team? Parenting elementary school kids can sometimes feel like a breath of fresh air - kids are more capable, they can get their own snacks, help out around the house, and more. But in every stage of childhood our kids are developing and it’s important we give them the tools to do so. My guest this week is pediatrician, author, speaker, and mom, Dr. Meg Meeker. For over thirty years she has been helping kids and their parents navigate childhood. In this episode she encourages us to let our elementary kids slow down and grow self-esteem and empathy by being and doing with us. We cover a range of topics from identity formation to sensory issues to extra curricular activities. Connect with [Dr. Meg Meeker]: Website: https://www.meekerparenting.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megmeekermd/ Instagram: @megmeekermd Twitter: @megmeekermd Podcast: https://www.meekerparenting.com/podcast Links Mentioned: Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters on PureFlix Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Dr. Meg Meeker Related Episodes: Creating Digital Safe Spaces :: Chris McKenna [Ep 360] Shaping Your Family Culture :: Kimberly Amici [Ep 294] Featured Sponsors: Thrive Market. Get convenient, high-quality, affordable groceries delivered with Thrive Market! Join Thrive Market today and get $80 in free groceries! Visit ThriveMarket.com/DMA. Rothy’s. Find your new favorite shoes and get $20off your first purchase at rothys.com/DMA. Thrive Causemetics. Right now, you can get 15% off your first order when you visit thrivecausemetics.com/DMA.

It’s cliché until you have to live it - the grocery store crying infant or toddler tantrum. The hushed pleas or commands from embarrassed parents. The silent judgment of others. Crying or whining are often attempts at communication, but they cause a stress response in moms and it can feel easier to just hush the child than keep a boundary. From there it’s a quick hop, skip, and a jump to all the mom-guilt we can throw on our shoulders. No, we can’t keep your toddler from throwing inane tantrums or make your infant suddenly articulate, but we know someone who can help you approach these situations from a different perspective. As a licensed Language of Listening parent coach, certified sleep consultant, and mom to 5 kids, Rachel Norman has experienced a lot of infant and toddler behavior. In this episode she teaches us how to validate our children’s feelings while holding our boundaries. Rachel helps us understand why managing and understanding our own stress response to whining and crying can be a valuable tool as we help our children learn to regulate their own emotions. Connect with Rachel Norman: Website: https://amotherfarfromhome.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMotherFarFromHome?ref=hl Twitter: @momfarfromhome Instagram: @amotherfarfromhome Links Mentioned: If Mama Ain't Happy: Why Minding Healthy Boundaries Is Good for Your Whole Family (A Mother's Guide to Joy, Anxiety Relief, and Freedom from Depression, Stress, and Weariness. A Book of Hope for Moms.) by Rachel Norman **Please note, this is a pre-order link. The book releases October 11, 2022.** Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids by Scott Turansky It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn Do Over Principle Video Quiet Time (Rest Time) for Toddlers: All You Need to Know A Mother Far From Home blog post Related Episodes: Fed is Best || New Baby Series Pt 1 :: Demetria Martin and Dr. Odom [Ep 342] Fed is Best || New Baby Series Pt 2 :: Dr. Bridget Young [Bonus] Shepherding Healthy Sleep Habits :: Jenn and Robin of Sleepy Cues [Ep 230] Featured Sponsors: Ladder Life. Visit LadderLife.com/DMA today to see if you’re instantly approved. Gladskin. Enjoy 15% off plus free shipping on your first order at Gladskin.com/DMA. Hello Fresh. Visit HelloFresh.com/DMA16 and use code DMA16 for 16 free meals across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts!

What fear pops up in your parenting again and again? Maybe it’s, “how do I teach my kids that they can do hard things in a loving way?” or, “what if my kids make bad decisions?” or “what if I’m a bad mom?” These fears can feel overwhelming and that the answers to them are complicated. My guest this week gives us an unexpected ally in overcoming the fears that grip us as moms - reading aloud. It sounds almost too simple, but author and mom of 7, Jennifer Pepito, shows us that the stories we share with our kids can help them navigate some of the tougher experiences with life. By exposing our kids to character building stories we can infuse them with perspective and thoughtfulness as they face life’s difficult situations. She also encourages us that forgiveness can be an avenue to freedom from fear in our lives and specifically our parenting. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode briefly mentions suicide. If you or anyone you know are struggling with suicidal thoughts please reach out to someone you trust. You can call or text 988 anytime of day or night. Connect with Jennifer Pepito: Website: https://www.thepeacefulpreschool.com Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peacefulpress/ Instagram: @JenniferPepito Links Mentioned: Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito PREORDER BONUSES→Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito Wild and Free Podcast Books Mentioned: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody (book 1 of 8 in series) The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss James Herriot book series The Little House 9 Volume Set (includes Little House on the Prairie) by Laura Ingalls Wilder Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright Related Episodes: Recovering from Mom Burnout :: Nicole Zasowski [Ep 357] The Day Fear Died :: Courtney Smallbone [Ep 201] Practicing Faith Through Fear :: Dominique Young [Ep 295] Featured Sponsors: Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. Get 10% off your next purchase at Carawayhome.com/DMA. Stitch Fix. For a limited time, get $20 off your first purchase at StitchFix.com/DMA Outschool. Save $15 on your child’s first class at Outschool.com/DMA.

Doubt is a normal part of a growing faith. When the big questions come, you can navigate them with confidence. Is it worth it to go to church? If God is loving, why would he allow bad stuff in the world? Did God really create me the way I am on purpose? Questions and exploration are rites of passage for the teenage years as each of us grapples (in varying degrees) to figure out who we are and where we want to go in life. With a near endless supply of voices, ideas, and influences from the internet and culture at large it can feel like our kids are in danger of being lost in a sea of information we have no control over. But all is not lost! My guest this week, apologist and writer Mary Jo Sharp, encourages us to walk with our kids into the tunnel of doubt. She reminds us that contrary to what we might think, we really are still the biggest influencers on our child’s religious views and that the culture we create in our homes around self transformation and questioning can help our kids make their faith their own. By giving them a safe space to ask and discuss the big questions of life we will likely give ourselves a seat at their decision-making table. Mary and her team create resources for parents and teens as they walk through doubt and faith finding at DarkroomFaith.com Connect with Mary Jo Sharp: Website: https://maryjosharp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/confidentchristianity/ Instagram: @MaryJoSharp Twitter: @MaryJoSharp Links Mentioned: Darkroom Faith Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Karen Swallow Prior, Charlotte Brontë Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion by Rebecca McLaughlin 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin "Unfiltered" a documentary on the Chosen App Related Episodes: Practicing Faith Through Fear :: Dominique Young [Ep 295] Building Lasting Faith in Your Kids :: Dr. Kara Powell [Ep 290] Featured Sponsors: Thrive Market. Get eighty dollars in free groceries! Go to ThriveMarket.com/DMA. Gladskin. Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first order at Gladskin.com/DMA. Indeed. Start hiring now with $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/DMA.

Marriage is like riding a bike with no training wheels - you have to keep pedaling to stay up. There’s no easy downhill, no coasting. It’s worth it, but it’s work. Add a kid or a few in there with work and bills and activities and it’s easy for us to stop the pedaling of intentionality that builds a strong marriage. My guest this week is Kimberly Beam Holmes and without God’s intervention and her parents’ commitment to do the hard work of repairing their broken marriage she wouldn’t be alive! Now she is committed to helping couples build strong relationships through the organization her father started, Marriage Helper. They are passionate about situations that feel hopeless and she encourages us that while growing a healthy marriage isn’t simplistic, there are simple places for us to start. Connect with Kimberly Beam Holmes: Website: https://marriagehelper.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarriageHelper/ Instagram: @marriagehelper @kimberlybeamholmes TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marriagehelper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/marriagehelper Links Mentioned: Concrete Conversations Cards Related Episodes: Sinners Married to Sinners - How God Refines Us :: Cheryl Scruggs & Jae Carpenter [Ep 195] Habits of a Healthy Marriage :: Paul David Tripp [Ep 234] Featured Sponsors: Rothys. Step up your shoes and accessories, get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/DMA. Thrive Causemetics. Now is a great time to try Thrive Causemetics for yourself! Get 15% off your first order when you visit thrivecausemetics.com/DMA.

If you’re new here or even if you’ve been around a while, join us this week as I give you a glimpse into who I am, how Don’t Mom Alone came about, and where we’re headed as a show. We’ll talk through a listener story and some of my own healing journey I’ve walked through this summer. My hope is you’ll accept the invitation to “withness”. And, that you’ll join our team to help other moms not go it alone. Links Mentioned: DMA Podcast Club Info Redeeming Shame Through Community :: Dr. Curt Thompson [Ep 308] Related Episodes: Introducing the GCM Podcast Club — Carla Goodwin— Oct 2016 Answering Your Questions—Heather—Ep 276 Winning Together as Co-Laborers —Heather—Ep 367 Featured Sponsors: Stitch Fix—Sign up today at StitchFix.com/DMA to get $20 off your first purchase. Limited time offer purchase within 2 days of signup. HelloFresh-Go to HelloFresh.com/dma16 and use code dma16 for 16 free meals across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts.