MomLife Ministries Podcast

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Beautiful Mess: Seeking Jesus, Finding Beautiful WISDOM
Melanie and Christy are joined with friend and special guest Jenn Powell. They have a candid conversation around the hot topic of how to seek the wisdom of Jesus in the hard decision about schooling your child(ren). We get it—it’s hard! It feels weighty and important, and as moms we want to make the very best choice possible. Our goal isn’t to give you an answer, but to offer some helpful encouragement as you process what might be right for you and your family. Note: we merely touch on the various school options, as well as the depth of emotion and challenge that exists in making a decision about school.

We encourage you to have your own candid conversations with friends about school choices—How can you best learn from one another? How can you be supporters and cheerleaders for one another, even if your choices are different? How can we spur one another on in looking toward the perfect wisdom of Jesus as we grow in discernment?

And, If you are in the middle of considering a decision for your child(ren), here’s a couple of steps you can take:

(1) Gather some wise voices around you and learn about what made them choose their specific path. What do they love about their choice? What’s a unique challenge they’ve experienced with their choice? How has the Lord guided them in their decision?

(2) Ask a small group of friends to pray with and for you as you seek wisdom. Think about inviting them to help you process these questions (based on the doors of discernment by Fr. Mike Schmidtz):

• Is [this school option] a good option? Aligns with God’s Word, family values, etc.?
• If it’s a good door, is [this school option] an open option? Is the option available to you locationally, financially, etc.?
• If it’s good and open, is [this school option] a wise option? Take into account your/your child(ren)’s personal gifts, abilities, needs, and vulnerabilities.
• If it’s good, open, and wise, is [this school option] what I/we want? How might this choice benefit your child/family? What unique challenges might you need to be mindful of?

Special resource to help further your processing: The School Choice Workbook by Risen Motherhood. It will help you think biblically and prayerfully converse about school options.

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Find out more: momlife.org
Editing: Angela Edwards
Music: "Another Successful Day" Music by Bohdan Kuzmin

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Beautiful Mess: Seeking Jesus, Finding Beautiful CONNECTION
Marriage is hard. It holds great beauty and is also overwhelmingly messy at times. Melanie and Christy share some things that they have learned to be helpful in building and maintaining connection in marriage.

Find out more about MomLife Ministries at momlife.org.

Think about starting a local MomLife group for the September 2024 - May 2025 MomLife season as an independent Table Mom (meet in your home, coffee shop, over lunch at work, in your church, etc.) or Church Partner! Details coming soon—registration for leaders opens in April!...
Build Your Mom Community with a Podcast Club!

Discussion questions::

• How do you think marriage is a vulnerable practice in self denial?
• What are some hindrances to connection you need to lay down?
• Today’s beautiful Truth is Ephesians 5:31-32. How are these words encouraging [or challenging] to you?
• What is something fun you can do to pursue connection with your husband?
• Spend some time in prayer. Pray for the health of your marriage. Ask God to give you wisdom in ways to pursue connection with your unique spouse and current season of life.

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Recommended resources:

• Connect Through Fun PDF (free download: ideas for activities and questions for connection with your spouse, friends, and/or kids)
• Check out our recommended resources on marriage at momlife.org/resources-by-topic.
• 5 Keys to Healing From Trauma: A Simple Guide to Process Pain and Get Your Life Back by Dr. Pepper Pratt (one of our favorite marriage therapists with theprattclinic.com).

Subscribe & please leave a review!
Follow us on socials @momlifeministries @momlifeministriespodcast
Find out more: momlife.org
Editing: Angela Edwards
Music: "Another Successful Day" Music by Bohdan Kuzmin

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Wholehearted—Loving God With All Your Heart

Wholehearted Emotions

Christy and Melanie talk about what it means to love God with all of our heart, specifically with our emotions. We all have feelings about feelings—they are both good and uncomfortable. Emotions can at times feel overwhelming, complicated, and difficult to control. But as we turn our hearts (and emotions) toward God, we choose to look to him to help wisely guide everything that we feel because we trust that he’s in it with us, directing us toward what is best for us.

Listen in as we talk about what it looks like to submit our heart to the protection of the wisdom and guidance of God, which helps us to acknowledge and express our emotions in a healthier way.

• Sign up for The MomLife Monthly, our monthly email newsletter at momlife.org.
• Sign up for a MomLife group near you! Or, join our virtual MomLife group, or sign up to participate as an individual (or informally with a friend). momlife.org/get-connected
• Start a Podcast Club! Grab a friend (or two or three) and listen to the podcast and then have a conversation about it. We’ll always include some discussion prompts in the show notes.

Discussion questions:

• Discuss the stigma around emotions. How do you hear the people around you talk about women and emotions?
• How do your children see you process emotions? How do you think this has an impact on them?
• Read Proverbs 3:5-8, Proverbs 4:20-23. How are these words encouraging [or challenging] to you?
• What would it look like for you to wholeheartedly submit your feelings to the wisdom and guidance of God?
• What did you hear today as a next step that you could take toward Jesus and emotional health? Make/keep counseling appointment, spend regular time in scripture and prayer (maybe reading Psalms daily), do something creative, practice generosity, move your body, get outside, take a break from screens...
• Spend some time in prayer, expressing to God your biggest feelings right now.

Recommended resources for Wholehearted series: momlife.org/wholehearted.

Subscribe & please leave a review!
Follow us on socials @momlifeministries @momlifeministriespodcast
Find out more: momlife.org
Editing: Angela Edwards
Music: "Another Successful Day" Music by Bohdan Kuzmin

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Wholehearted—Loving God With All Your Mind

The New Year can come with a lot of celebration and also a lot of pressure to be made new and do things differently. So much so that maybe we avoid talks of resolutions altogether or we just immediately feel defeated at the very idea. Join Christy and Melanie as the talk about a different way to enter the new year with reflection and hope!

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• Send in your questions! In February we want to answer any questions you might have about becoming more like Jesus in marriage, motherhood, friendship... no questions are off limits! We want to talk about the very things you are longing to know more about. Send in questions to [email protected] no later than January 22nd. We can’t wait to hear from you!
• Sign up for The MomLife Monthly, our monthly email newsletter at momlife.org. This month we’re including a free resource to help you take inventory of what is going on in your mind so that you can then look to the Lord for redirection and renewal.
• Sign up for a MomLife group near you! Or, join our virtual MomLife group, or sign up to participate as an individual (or with a friend). momlife.org/get-connected
• Start a Podcast Club! Grab a friend (or two or three)—listen to the podcast and then have a conversation about it. Find discussion prompts in the show notes below.

Discussion prompts:

• As you reflect on the past year, what was hard?
• What feels hopeful as you look toward the days and weeks ahead?
• Read Colossians 3. How are these words encouraging [or challenging] to you?
• As you enter into this new year, what is something you need to lay down?
• What do you need to pick up?
• Who is a trusted friend that you can engage in conversation about these things with? Make a plan for how you’re going to meet up and possibly even check-in with one another throughout the year.
• Spend some time in prayer. Check out the BONUS episode that was released on January 1 for a guided prayer using Matthew 11:28-30 .

Recommended resources for Wholehearted series: momlife.org/wholehearted.

Subscribe & please leave a review!
Follow us on socials @momlifeministries @momlifeministriespodcast
Find out more: momlife.org
Editing: Angela Edwards
Music: "Another Successful Day" Music by Bohdan Kuzmin

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Wholehearted—Loving God: Heart, Soul, Mind, & Strength

Wholehearted Delight in the Lord

Christy and Melanie continue to look at how we can show up wholeheartedly in our roles, relationships, and responsibilities.

Loving God with all our heart requires that we trust him with our heart. As our Creator and King, he already knows us intimately and loves us deeply; and he invites us to experience a full relationship with him through humbly and honestly opening up our heart to him. He welcomes all of our questions, concerns, feelings—sadness, joy, despair, all of it—so that we can feel fully known and fully beloved.

• Sign up for The MomLife Monthly, our monthly email newsletter at momlife.org. September’s newsletter will include a FREE DOWNLOADS of a Time Inventory to help you mindfully evaluate how you spend your time and a Wholehearted Liturgy.
• Sign up for a MomLife group near you! Or, join our virtual MomLife group, or sign up to participate as an individual (or with a friend). momlife.org/get-connected
• Start a Podcast Club! Grab a friend (or two or three) and listen to the podcast and then have a conversation about it. We’ll always include some discussion prompts in the show notes.

Discussion questions for today's episode:

• What do you know about God—his character? His love?
• Read Jeremiah 29:13 and Psalm 139:23-24. How are these words encouraging [or challenging] to you?
• How would you describe your current relationship with God? How do you seek to know God more as King of your Heart?
• Knowing God intimately as a loving Father can be a great hope and help to a weary mom. How have you experienced this to be true?
• Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for delighting in your and calling you his beloved.

Recommended resources for Wholehearted series: momlife.org/wholehearted.

Subscribe & please leave a review!
Follow us on socials @momlifeministries @momlifeministriespodcast
Find out more: momlife.org
Editing: Angela Edwards
Music: "Another Successful Day" Music by Bohdan Kuzmin