Mom To Mom Podcast

When was the last time you took a "date night?" Is this an outdated, old-fashioned idea that seems elusive to busy parents who cannot even find time for a minute alone?  This episode is all about date nights and how we make it happen even when we aren’t feeling the “love?” Maybe that’s you? Or maybe you have tried date nights and have just run out of ideas or haven’t considered the importance of this time away? Don’t forget to check out our date night list in the show notes for this episode on The Mom to Mom Podcast website (and this time, we will include them on our Instagram feed as well.) Try a date night. What do you have to lose?

In today's episode, we're talking about the little years, and although we have all graduated or semi-graduated from those days, we walked through them for a long time and the conversation is never dull or old when we remember or re-invite others to the table to talk about those very formative and busy, crazy years. For links to some of our favorite practical hands-on helpful tools and resources, as well as ideas to help you bring the Word to life in the lives of your littles, please visit the show notes for this episode on The Mom to Mom Podcast website!

Tis the season. Or at least ‘tis almost the season. Now is the time to start making a Christmas list for all the special people in your life. We don’t know about you, but we don’t want the marketing gurus of Target and Walmart to determine what to put under our trees! Instead of just searching the sales ads or the store shelves for some random something, we find it more helpful to mull over the recommendations of trusted friends – folks who have used and enjoyed certain things and can vouch for their value. So, that’s what we do in today's episode – we'll be the friends that share what we’ve enjoyed, what our people have enjoyed – in case... like us... you find it helpful to have a few recommendations to get you started as you plan gifts for your people. For links to all the gift ideas mentioned, please visit the show notes for this episode on The Mom to Mom Podcast website!

There’s a spiritual battle going on in our culture today, Mama, and it’s a battle for our children’s hearts, minds, and bodies. Just turn on your TV and watch the news, or scroll through Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram. It’s everywhere your kids are and everywhere you don’t want them to be.  What can we, as moms, do to stem the tide of corruption targeting our kids? In today's episode, September, Jamie and Kate chat about how they are raising Christian kids in an unstable world and how we can help our children to not only stay pure, but desire purity.  “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:24. “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15. “He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king shall be his friend.” Proverbs 22:11 “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked (worthless) think before my eyes.” Psalm 101: 2b-3a. “Finally brethren, whatever things are noble, whatever things a

Are you curious about the lifestyle called hygge?  According to co-host Jamie Erickson, the word comes from the British and Norwegian words for hug, and it's a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality from fostering a life of comfort, contentment and rest. In today's episode, Jamie discusses her newly released book, Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow, with Mom to Mom co-hosts, Kate Battistelli and September McCarthy.  While the book breaks down each of the tenets of hygge and examines them in light of the Gospel, the ladies discuss what hygge is and how it can be a versatile tool in demonstrating the Gospel to the world as well as within our homes. For more on Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow by Jamie Erickson, please visit www.jamieerickson.com/holy-hygge

Marriage is God-ordained.  It’s God’s gift to mankind, as He initiated the very first marriage in Genesis. Its purpose is to bring joy to us, bring glory to Him, and raise Godly families. He gave marriage to us to make our lives more fulfilling and richer, ultimately drawing us closer to God. As soon as two become one through marriage, their relationship changes, and they are unified in a mysterious way, different from any other human relationship, with eternal significance. God’s design for marriage is companionship, purpose, and passion. And although every marriage comes with pitfalls, there are steps we can take to strengthen our relationship with our spouse even after physical or emotional infidelity and model what Christ taught us about loving and forgiving others.

Everyone wants to feel at home in their home. For some of us, nothing can be further from the truth. Our homes are sterile, uninspiring, or on the flip side cluttered and overwhelming. The good news is, transformation can often happen with just a few tweaks here and there. Today, we're joined by Marian Parson, known online as Miss Mustard Seed. Marian is a pastor's wife, mother of two boys, paint enthusiast, and lover of all things home. She’s recently released her fifth book, Feels Like Home: Transforming Your Space from Uninspiring to Uniquely Yours and she’s here to specifically give hope to those of us who are chronically hesitant decorators who might want to transform their spaces but aren’t sure where to start.

We realize that abortion is a very tender topic for some listeners, especially in light of the recent reversal of Roe vs. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. To be honest, it’s a very tender topic for each of us on the show. All three of us have been touched by the effects of abortion in some way or another. Our goal today is not to pass judgment or to point fingers. Instead, we hope to do two things: First, share our stories and the truth of Scripture to offer help, hope, and healing to anyone who might need it, and second: equip others to help their family, friends, and neighbors choose life. We are joined by Abby Johnson, former clinic director for Planned Parenthood and now an outspoken advocate of the pro-life movement.

Life isn’t always as smooth and happy as a Hallmark commercial. For some of us, tragedy arrives out of the blue, shattering every truth about God we thought we knew. It can come through divorce, death of a loved one, the loss of a secure job, or the loss of a spouse. How do you find your Rock in the midst of devastation? How do you find unshakeable peace? Danita Jenae has walked the road of deep loss after suddenly losing her husband Dan. In her new book, When Mountains Crumble, she shares a compelling message for the brokenhearted.

Summer is upon us and if you live in a place that is buried under snow for what feels like 95% of the year, you want to take full advantage of all three weeks of it. You welcome the sunburned noses, the skinned knees, and even the mosquito bites that are the required dress code of summer. Some moms, whether because of personality or daily responsibilities,  find summer easy–they become less structured, more breezy, and naturally more fun. But for some of us, our expectations of summer fun fall far short of our realities. We want to be the fun summer mom, but we’re perhaps more Type A. Or maybe our schedules and responsibilities don’t shift or we just prefer the Great Indoors. But here’s the thing, no matter our personalities or daily schedules, you and I  most likely only have 18 summers to spend with our kids without adulthood handing them adultish things–18 chances to squeeze in adventures and make lasting memories. Let’s not let this summer just slip by. Let’s grab a hold and make the best of i

Mom anger is real, it is hidden, it is often something that takes the calmest and even the most loving and positive mother by surprise, and is one of the most shameful and embarrassing topics in mom circles because most mothers think they must be the only ones who get angry with their children. From our children’s immaturity, our own personal struggles, our circumstances, and a child’s behavior, we all have moments where our children have not seen the best in us. And most of the time, it is directed or misdirected at them.  Which is the last thing any of us want for our motherhood or for our children. Today, we  are chatting with Amber Lia, a native of California, married to her husband Guy and raising four boys. Amber is an author, speaker, life and health coach and this topic brought her book Triggers, to the top selling list, as it caught the attention of many desperate mamas, finding help and encouragement with our Mom Rage.

Moms, we are in a battle--a battle against the culture for the hearts and minds of our children. Today, Heidi St. John has joined us to help us prepare for it.   Heidi has an uncanny ability to bypass our prejudices and preconceptions allowing her to speak directly to the heart of every mother as she offers wisdom, inspiration and grace to those who are all too often feeling overwhelmed by all that's on their plate. Heidi’s been married to her husband Jay since 1989. Together they have seven children and several grandkids. The St. John children range in age from tweens to adults. They’ve homeschooled their kids all the way through high school, with 5 graduates now. In addition to all this, Heidi is running for Congress for the 3rd district of Washington state.

We don’t know what myths…or really lies you’ve believed about what it means to be a “good” mom, but we hope that our discussion today will dispel some of those misguided beliefs. The truth is, we’re all in process–trying to be the best moms we can be to the children that God has specifically given to us to mother. We’re gonna get it right some times and we’re gonna mess it up at other times. But, let’s not get discouraged in doing well. Let’s remember Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” That’s not a myth. That’s a truth and a promise, not just for you but for your kids.

If you’re raising a strong-willed child, you’re well aware of it without having anyone tell you. Strong-willed kids aren’t bad but they can be incredibly frustrating. They’re often smart and confident, able to problem solve quickly, and are determined to achieve their goals. Although those are great traits, they’re probably not the first things that pop in your mind when you think about your child. The defiance can be exhausting and the disrespect crushing. The weight of it all can exhaust you and become all-consuming. Strong-willed children crave two things: respect and choice. So how do you find out what makes them behave the way they do? What do they need from you to help you both move forward and build on their strengths?

Motherhood can be overwhelming and quite honestly, as much as we organize, set up boundaries, and have a healthy view of our daily life, the peace and joy may be absent from our soul and our calm feels like chaos.  How can a mom be transformed from the inside out? Today’s guest, Tricia Goyer, understands what it’s like to be pulled in a dozen different directions with the longing and intention to do all things well.

Perimenopause and menopause are God-designed. They are seasons that can and should be welcomed and celebrated. But unfortunately, they are often talked about with undertones of regret, embarrassment, or lament. Today, we hope to change the narrative.

In Psalm 141:3, we read, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” This verse echos the theme of dozens and dozens of verses in Scripture. And it’s not by accident that God warns us more than once to watch what we say. Our tongues are powerful and as we’ve mentioned before on the show, they can give life. Today's guest, Ginger Hubbard, is here to give us some tips for taming our kids' tongues so that they too might speak life. 

It’s been said that lost time is never found again. You have but one life to live. So, how you use your time each day really counts. Today, we are looking back on all the promises we made to ourselves last month and doing a quick assessment of our goals. Hopefully our chat will be like a shot in the arm to you to keep pressing in to yours.

When we gossip, we’re sharing information about someone that’s not public knowledge…if they wanted you to know it, they’d share it themselves. Before you're tempted to share news about someone else, ask yourself this: "Would I say these words if the other person were standing right here in front of me?" Gossip is extremely harmful and, if what you're sharing is not true, it’s slander. When you gossip, you’re telling only a partial truth about someone because you can’t possibly know the whole story. The hard truth is this: Gossip is sin and it can destroy a home, a church, and a friendship. It’s like a secret hunger that we try to avoid but when someone starts talking about someone else, we almost can’t resist it.

When left unchecked, the seasons of a woman’s body and her ever changing hormones can often lead to discouragement, spiraling emotional and physical crashes, and a shadow loneliness. Sadly, after decades of ignoring the natural response of our bodies and the intricate design and purpose we were created for, many of us struggle to respond to our beautiful womanhood in healthy ways.