M Is for Mama Podcast

Have you ever felt like you have nothing to be grateful for? That your circumstances are too miserable to bear and that any attempt at thankfulness would be faking it?

The Bible makes it clear that it is God’s will for us to practice continual thankfulness, and yet it also gives us lots of room for grief and sadness when life is so hard.

Be encouraged that it is really is possible to honor God with our gratitude, even when we feel too weak to praise Him and even when our emotions feel the opposite of thankful.

In this episode, we talk about a perspective shift that helps us to view gratitude rightly and to view even the most frustrating people in our lives through a lens of thankfulness.

Praise God that He honors even our stumbling toward obedience in this area with the ability to keep going on the narrow path, even when we don’t feel like we have the strength to take another step.

Bible References:

Psalm 127:3

Lamentations 3:22-23

Romans 6:1-2

Ephesians 4:2

2 Corinthians 10:5

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Peter 2:23

Deuteronomy 31:6

2 Corinthians 9:11

Romans 7:19-25

Links:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paint & Prose⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pre-Order Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠M Is For Mama Chore Guide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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One of the most popular narratives I hear in person and on social media is that mothers are victims of their children's "nonsense." I get that perspective and sometimes *feel* the same way, as it can absolutely give major "you're doing this on purpose" vibes when your two-year-old calmly eats his yogurt, only to throw the half-empty container on the ground and SCREECH at the top of his lungs the moment you tell him it's time to leave for church--splattering your dress and the kitchen with white goo in what is obviously a planned attempt to take the last shred of your sanity.

The truth: Very young (and even some older) children respond to the impulses (some of them sinful) that drive their urges, and, while they can be incredibly empathetic and sweet, often couldn't care less how their behavior affects us. They're not "bullying" us. We are not at their mercy.

HOWEVER.

If we fail to recognize our role in investing very intentionally in their instruction, moral growth, knowledge of Scripture + the Lord, and training in both self-discipline and righteousness, chances are, no matter how many times we remind ourselves that "children are a blessing from the Lord, " they still won't feel like they are.

The Bible has a fair bit to say about children who bring shame to their parents and are a source of sorrow to their fathers and mothers. And while there's no perfect formula of "this amount of input produces this kind of results," the fact is that, sometimes, our children's not feeling like blessings in a particular moment has way less to do with their bad habits and more to with our lack of fortitude in helping to train them through those struggles.

If you're interested in practical steps for making strides toward raising kids you love AND like--kids who are both a blessing because God says so and feel like a blessing because of the efforts you've invested to help them grow in good habits, then this episode is for YOU!

Bible references:

Matthew 19:14

Psalm 127:3

Psalm 127:5

Proverbs 10:1

Deuteronomy 6:6-8

Matthew 7:14

Ephesians 6:4

1 Kings 1:5-6

2 Samuel 15

2 Samuel 18:33

Job 42:2

1 Kings 1:32-34

Proverbs 19:26

1 Samuel 3:1-8-4:22

1 Samuel 8:3

Genesis 6:5

Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs 15:20

Galatians 6:9

Proverbs 23:22-25

Deuteronomy 31:6

Links:

⁠M Is for Mama⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Penny Reward System⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a Review for the M is for Mama Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paint & Prose⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Pre-Order Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠M Is For Mama Chore Guide⁠

Find Abbie at:

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In a world which champions ungodly parenting philosophies, mocks the traditional family unit, and glorifies self over sacrifice, it can feel daunting to swim against the current of culture.

But I have seen (and heard from) so many mamas who are doing just that and making a difference for good in their communities and the world at large.

This episode is “an attagirl” and an encouragement to buck the status quo and value God’s wisdom above man’s.

I am honored to stand with the Mama Bears who fear God not man and are invested in raising their children in the “teaching and admonition of the Lord.”

Keep going. Your work matters, and the Lord is with you every step of the way.

Sponsor Info:

Voetberg Music Academy

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Bible References:

1 Peter 3:15

Galatians 6:9

Links:

⁠Rhythms Podcast Episode⁠

⁠Jennifer Flanders and Birth Control Podcast Episode⁠

⁠Mom Friends Podcast Episode⁠

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In a therapy-centric culture, it can be hard to differentiate between biblical truth and secular psychology (some aspects of which are at complete odds with each other). Anytime I speak to the importance of addressing this phenomenon from a biblical perspective, I get one of two responses: 1. “Thank you for speaking up,” or 2. “Please don’t talk about this. You’ll keep people from getting the help they need.”

So, which is it? Is it possible to question the “everybody needs therapy” narrative and examine it in the light of Scripture without hindering those who really do need professional counseling?

To help answer that question, I invited my friend, Amy Waters, who is a Bible-Believing professional counselor and owner of her own wellness practice called Living Well, on the show to discuss things like the overuse of the Three Ts (therapy, triggers, and trauma), what it looks like to shine the light of Capital T Truth on them, and how we can discern if we need therapy or just need to find better community.

I love her compassionate, measured, and, above all, biblical approach to this topic, and I think everyone who listens to this conversation will benefit greatly from the back-and-forth between two women who love the Lord first and really want to see women (and everyone else!) thrive in their God-given callings, however that can best be achieved in a biblical way.

P.S. I mention in this episode that Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad comes out next week, BUT, that’s actually THIS week. It released yesterday, and is available just about everywhere books are sold!

Bible References:

Colossians 3:17

2 Peter 1:3

John 11:38-44

Proverbs 27:6

James 3:16

Matthew 12:34

Isaiah 28:27-29

Proverbs 25:2

Deuteronomy 31:6

Hebrew 6:19

Matthew 24:13

Romans 5:4

1 Corinthians 3:19

Romans 12:15

Psalm 34:8

Links:

⁠⁠M Is for Mama⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Penny Reward System⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a Review for the M is for Mama Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paint & Prose⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Pre-Order Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠M Is For Mama Chore Guide⁠⁠⁠

Find Abbie at:

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Facebook

In a world where hyper-sensitivity to even a whiff of offense permeates many social interactions--both in person and online--the Bible calls us to something radical: overlooking offense (being what I term "unoffendable" in this episode). This is not a case for "stuffing emotions" or "ignoring wrongdoing" but rather looking for ways to be an overcomer in Christ rather than a victim of our circumstances or others' unkindness--an invaluable skill not only in motherhood but in every area of our lives!