Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Drop the Superwoman Myth :: Jessica Honegger [Ep 178]

From the American dream of finishing college, getting married and buying their first home to the financial nightmare of being unable to sell the home or make enough money each month support their growing family, Erin Odom boldly shares her family’s story of hitting financial rock bottom. We were told our whole lives you work really hard in school, go to college and get a degree and you’re set. You won’t ever struggle. Well, that didn’t prove true for us. But through it all, God weaved a story of such abundant grace. Listen as Erin shares her heart for getting free from financial frustrations with practical ideas for earning money and managing it well. She also shares a lot of wisdom about avoiding the comparison trap, breaking free from discontentment and working through challenging moments in her marriage. What we chat about: Erin’s story of hitting financial rock bottom. The humbling experience of needing to apply for aid. The practicals of buying a house vs. renting and other big financial purchases. Budgeting, saving and spending within your family’s means. The implications of social media on finances and trying to keep up with families around us. 57% of families have jobs that don’t pay enough to support them. Recommendations for faith-based financial planning classes. The power of discovering the root cause of financial frustration. Ideas and recommendations for using your God-given talents to make extra money. The stress of walking through the foreclosure process on Erin’s first home. Declaring bankruptcy from the debt that had weighed on Erin’s family for years. God’s abundant grace in the midst of humbling process of bankruptcy. Gratitude stills discontentment. Nothing can separate you from God’s love… not financial problems, not shame, nothing! How to get Erin's book if you are financially strained and can't afford it. Connect with Erin:   Links Mentioned: Crown Financial Ministries  Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University  Family Finances on Erin’s Blog More Than Just Making It by Erin Odom** Sign up for 5 day E-Course on "Eating Well on a Budget"  **Amazon affiliate link: small percentage of your purchase goes to supporting this podcast, at no additional cost to you. Featured Sponsor: Paul David Tripp Ministries Don't miss the opportunity to watch best-selling and award-winning author Paul David Tripp teach on Parenting: Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. This event is streaming live on September 29-30 and available for unlimited, on-demand replay until October 31. Streaming licenses are available for purchase for individuals, small groups, and entire churches. With your license, you can: - Stream the event as it happens from any device on Friday, September 29 (from 7pm - 10pm EDT) and Saturday, September 30 (from 9am - 12pm EDT) - Restart the live video stream from the beginning when its convenient for you, your group, and your time zone - Replay the four, 90-minute-long event sessions as many times as you want through October 31, 2017

Hope When Hit a Financial Bottom Erin Odom Ep 177

Pastor and author Paul David Tripp talks about the potential transformation available when we apply the gospel to our parenting. It is powerful. It is moving. I need to listen to this episode on repeat. If your eyes ever see or your ears ever hear the sin, weakness and failure of your children, it’s never an interruption, it’s never a hassle, it’s always grace. God loves that child, he’s put them in a family of faith and he will expose the need of that child to you so you can be a tool of his rescue and transformation. That’s parenting. Jump into this conversation and check out the great live streaming event he has coming up on Sept. 29-30 (details below). What we chat about: How the gospel is often missing from what parents think their role is in the lives of their children Grace vs. the law in parenting and how the law always falls short No parent has any ability to change their children. We are a tool in the hands of the one who can change my children Jesus bears the burden of the spiritual welfare of our children.  Controlling the behavior of your children does not create a heart change that is sustainable Answers to your questions from Facebook and Instagram Asking good heart-revealing questions: What’s going on? Just get a telling of the situation. What were you thinking and feeling as it was happening? What did you do in response? Why did you do it? What was the result? Grace is about asking the question, “What right now is God seeking to do in the heart of the child?” We have to stop making parenting all about us. It makes our responses angry and adversarial. The way we exercise authority is so important because we want to soften their hearts toward the authority of God Looking at each moment as a part of the long process view of parenting and how each conversation can bring our children closer to the process of transformation What system of values determines the schedule of your family? Parenting was ordained by God to be an ongoing conversation with your children Discipline of correction vs. discipline of consequences and why both are necessary Rebellion is really a rebellion against God. It’s God’s authority our children rebel against. We need to be rescued from ourselves. We can pray everyday for the help we need. Parenting is a massive spiritual warfare.    When our kids make us angry-- leave the room and pray before your respond Rather than responding in the wrong way that will push them away from God, choose the situations you need to respond to them wisely Connect with Paul: Links Mentioned: Grace Liberates Your Parenting video (from 3 years ago) New Morning Mercies** (Daily Devotional by Paul David Tripp) Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that Can Radically Change Your Family ** **Amazon affiliate link: small percentage of your purchase goes to supporting this podcast, at no additional cost to you. Featured Sponsor: Paul David Tripp Ministries Don't miss the opportunity to watch best-selling and award-winning author Paul David Tripp teach on Parenting: Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. This event is streaming live on September 29-30 and available for unlimited, on-demand replay until October 31.

Gospel Parenting Paul David Tripp Ep 176

We live in a world that loves to be noticed. As we go through our days in motherhood, we often long for validation, belonging and to be seen as valuable. But the majority of our moments are unseen and sometimes we spend whole seasons feeling unnoticed and unappreciated. My guest Sara Hagerty shares wisdom on how to find contentment when we feel hidden and why God’s eyes are the ones that matter most. “There is actually an invitation to have God’s eyes on me right now-- in my laundry room and chopping onions at the kitchen counter and 8 hours of the day that are undocumented. He’s documenting them. He's seeing them and actually wants to dialogue with me.” What we chat about: Sara’s family make-up (4 adopted kids and 2 biological) and her previous GCM episode #143, “Every Bitter Thing is Sweet” The roots of feeling unseen in motherhood and how we often obsess over our day-to-day weaknesses and failures God’s response to weakness is 2 Corinthians 12:9-- But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. Inviting God and his Word into moments beyond our quiet times in the morning Searching for validation other places-- social media, our kids’ fruit and outside ministries How it’s easy to feel resentment in motherhood from feeling unseen and misjudged Matthew 6:4b-- Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. The power of asking what is important to God and how does He see me in this unseen moment? Adoration of God through His word in our places of frustration and falling short Psalm 139:1 -- You have searched me, Lord, and you know me… There are so many things we can fill the “white space” in our day, but there’s always an invitation from God to be near to Him. Fasting from productivity to explore more deeply how God values us beyond what we can do or produce God’s eyes are the only ones that have the right and perfect evaluation of any given moment and his opinion is the only one that matters "Ask me what I'm thinking about you right now?" Connect with Sara:   Links Mentioned: Sara’s previous GCM episode #143, “Every Bitter Thing is Sweet” Sara’s book, Unseen** Unseen Book Trailer below (click here to watch if reading via email). **Amazon affiliate link: small percentage of your purchase goes to supporting this podcast, at no additional cost to you. Featured Sponsor: Paul David Tripp Ministries Don't miss the opportunity to watch best-selling and award-winning author Paul David Tripp teach on Parenting: Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. This event is streaming live on September 29-30 and available for unlimited, on-demand replay until October 31. Streaming licenses are available for purchase for individuals, small groups, and entire churches. With your license, you can: - Stream the event as it happens from any device on Friday, September 29 (from 7pm - 10pm EDT) and Saturday, September 30 (from 9am - 12pm EDT) - Restart the live video stream from the beginning when it...

When You Feel Unseen Sara Hagerty Ep 175

Have you ever felt like you "should" feel happy but struggle to muster the feeling? Ever wonder if and how you can move past deep soul wounds? Well, today's guest, Lisa Harper, shares her journey to happiness. Offering practical help by blending grace, humor and sound theology. You might think that happiness isn’t a the most biblical topic. It isn’t often the subject of sermons or the focus of bible lessons. Lisa wants to change that. She shares about what true biblical happiness looks like and how we serve a happy God who grins when he sees us. Lisa is the real deal. She isn’t sharing about happiness from the world’s point of view of having everything she’s ever wanted. In fact, she talks a lot about the hard places she’s experienced in her life: abuse, abandonment and pain. But it’s out of these difficult places that we can truly experience God’s fulfillment. Our world is desperate for this kind of happy. God give us contentment, fulfillment and delight in the midst of chaos. It can change the world and it changes us. What we chat about: Lisa’s start working in ministry and her encouragement to other women who want to be in ministry Learning that God delights in his children, not just tolerates us Reading Psalm 139 and personalizing it to remind us of our identity in God The importance of lingering in God’s affection Lisa’s miraculous story of adopting her daughter from Haiti The joy she is finding in motherhood and the restoration she’s seen through God’s grace How gratitude can transform the way we look at motherhood and happiness Lisa’s new book and the background of what the bible says about happiness In the bible, blessed = happiness and it represents the contentment and delight that comes from intimacy with God There are 3,500 references to happiness in the bible How sharing about our happy God can transform how we share the gospel Start with gratitude and make a list of 10 things you are grateful for Connect with Lisa:   Links Mentioned: Book recommendation: Lion and Lamb by Brennan Manning** Propel Conference Sacrament of Happy Site Sacrament of Happy book** **Amazon affiliate link: small percentage of your purchase goes to supporting this podcast, at no additional cost to you. Featured Sponsor: Yip Yap Yip Yap was started by a mom who desired for her young kids to be able to stay connected to loved ones – grandparents that live away, dad when he traveled for work – but without a home phone, the only option was to hand her kids her expensive and fragile smartphone, (anyone out there relate to that?). She imagined a better way and with a team of people, Yip Yap has designed, built, and launched a first of its kind kid’s WiFi phone called PIPSQUEAK. It’s durable, age-appropriate, and completely controlled by parents using the Yip Yap App on their phone. Parents build an individual private network of contacts and content spe...

When Your Wounded Soul Needs a Smiling God :: Lisa Harper [Ep 174]

It’s not a topic we like to talk about in church circles, but more than a third of people may develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. My guests today tackle this difficult issue head on with practical advice, candid stories and so much grace. My longtime friend Carrie Cassell shares about her 20+ year struggle with wrapping her identity around eating and control and how she finally found freedom. And her licensed therapist Angie Buja speaks into how we can tackle this issue as parents and how to respond if we think our daughter or son might be struggling with body image and food. What we chat about: Carrie’s story of struggling with an eating disorder, fear and control Warning signs to look for as parents and how to address them 35% of normal dieters at any point in their life will develop an eating disorder Kids who have food restrictions related to good or bad food, they are 12 times more likely to binge The effect of puberty on girls’ bodies and commons questions to come up for parents 13% of women over 50 develop eating disorders The importance of paying attention to our feelings as parents and carefully responding with love and validation when your kid is struggling with their body image Separating the eating disorder from the value of the person Eating disorders is the leading cause of death in mental illness The multi-step process of walking out of eating disorders How recovery can be a gift that reminds us we need Christ Links Mentioned: * The study Angie mentioned http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/03/fijian-girls-succumb-to-western-dysmorphia/ * International Association of Eating Disorder Prevention * Something-Fishy.org * National Eating Disorder Association **Amazon affiliate link: small percentage of your purchase goes to supporting this podcast, at no additional cost to you. Featured Sponsor: Yip Yap Yip Yap was started by a mom who desired for her young kids to be able to stay connected to loved ones – grandparents that live away, dad when he traveled for work – but without a home phone, the only option was to hand her kids her expensive and fragile smartphone, (anyone out there relate to that?). She imagined a better way and with a team of people, Yip Yap has designed, built, and launched a first of its kind kid’s WiFi phone called PIPSQUEAK. It’s durable, age-appropriate, and completely controlled by parents using the Yip Yap App on their phone. Parents build an individual private network of contacts and content specifically suited to their child and accessed using PIPSQUEAK. PIPSQUEAK features include calling, photo and video sharing, ad/commercial/search FREE YouTube streaming, music, games and more! How to listen to the podcast: 1.Listen on the blog. Click through to GodCenteredMom.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post. 2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one (that I mentioned) in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

Its Not about the Food Ep 173 Carrie Angie

Join me for some real talk with Chrystal Evans Hurst where she shares her story of pressing through hard times, admitting when she needed God to rescue her and reclaiming dreams she had as a kid. Chrystal is a mom of 5, an author, a podcaster and the chief operating officer of the Hurst household. Her new book, She’s Still There: Rescuing the Girl in You tells her story of wandering from the life she was meant to live and what’s she’s learned about how to find her way back. Through her testimony she lays out the rescue plan to allow God to bring back the girl He created you to be.  What we chat about: Chrystal’s story behind her new book She’s Still There Pressing through hard times and participating in God’s offer for rescue Why it’s important to recognize when you need help How help looks different in different seasons and situations God is with us and speaks to us in so many ways Doing the best you can with your day today Revisiting the core of who we are and how we can honor our hopes and dreams in our current reality Having “sister circles” of friends in different spheres Being the initiator of friendship when you feel lonely Practicals for learning to hear God’s voice for your life Connect with Chrystal:   Links Mentioned: She's Still There Book Info "She's Still There" book on Amazon** Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer** And Discerning the Voice of God Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer** **Amazon affiliate link: small percentage of your purchase goes to supporting this podcast, at no additional cost to you. Featured Sponsor: Yip Yap Yip Yap was started by a mom who desired for her young kids to be able to stay connected to loved ones – grandparents that live away, dad when he traveled for work – but without a home phone, the only option was to hand her kids her expensive and fragile smartphone, (anyone out there relate to that?). She imagined a better way and with a team of people, Yip Yap has designed, built, and launched a first of its kind kid’s WiFi phone called PIPSQUEAK. It’s durable, age-appropriate, and completely controlled by parents using the Yip Yap App on their phone. Parents build an individual private network of contacts and content specifically suited to their child and accessed using PIPSQUEAK. PIPSQUEAK features include calling, photo and video sharing, ad/commercial/search FREE YouTube streaming, music, games and more! How to listen to the podcast: 1.Listen on the blog. Click through to GodCenteredMom.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post. 2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one (that I mentioned) in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio. If you don’t have an iDevice,

Rescuing the Girl in You Chrystal Hurst Ep 172

Everyone calls her “Grammie.” Enough said. You know you’re gonna learn a lot from an 80-year-old, follower of Jesus, named Doris who goes by “Grammie.” Such a great way to end the “Summer of Mentorship” series, right? In this episode you’ll hear about how Grammie raised three kids, who all currently serve in ministry. She mentored Rich Mullins. Buried her husband after 32 years. As an older widow adopted a 14-year-old girl. That girl, now a married adult, lives less than a mile away to help care for Grammie. Mostly? You learn God provides. After I stopped recording the interview Grammie said a piece of wisdom I can’t stop thinking about: “We just need to obey and leave the consequences to God.” What you are contemplating right now? What is He asking you to stop doing or start doing? How much time have you spent with all the ‘what ifs’? Who are you afraid to disappoint? Or what do you think you’ll miss out on? Maybe you and I should absorb take Grammie’s advice and just obey and leave the rest to God. What we chat about: * How scarlet fever at age 3 & her grandfather’s prayers inspired her faith. * The goals Grammie set at the age of 14 years old, and how God met them all. * Her journey to Bible knowledge–learning one story at a time. * How Grammie and her husband, Morris, started to mentor Rich Mullins. * The death of her husband 3 months after Rich came to live with them and two weeks before her daughter’s wedding. * The 3 sentences God gave Grammie after her husband’s funeral. * How she became a missionary to a young Asheville church at the age of 70 years old. * Her ministry to parents called “Pioneer Parenting: to share heaven together.” * The four chapters of the Bible Grammie would pick for moms to read. * The one question to ask when hard things happen. * Grammie’s empathy for the young mom with little ones–her encouragement when you feel like you can’t serve. * A word of hope for days you get discouraged by circumstances. * The prayer Grammie prayed for each of her kids. * What their family worship time looked like once a week. * How we can share Christ from the overflow of what we are learning, in the every day moments. * Why Grammie calls Philippians 4:4-9 “mental health verses” (& connects them with Colossians 3). * God’s provision in Grammie’s old age, from her obedience with a 14 year old girl from youth group. GCM Podcast Club Discussion Questions: Grammie shares about the power of prayer in her life. How have you seen God to be faithful to answer the desires of your heart? Does her story inspire you to have even more faith? “Your goal in parenting is to share heaven together.” Does this statement shift your goals or intentions for parenting well? How can taking our eyes off tomorrow and asking God what he wants for us today relieve stress in our lives? How could it affect the time we have with our kids? Grammie shares about the role of scripture in her life. Ask God to reveal a scripture you need for your life right now. Then ask who else you can share it with. There’s so much wisdom in this episode! What top three things stood out to you about Grammie’s testimony? How will it change you moving forward? Links Mentioned: * Highland Christian Church–where Grammie serves as Spiritual Formation Leader * Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation”. * Rich Mullin’s life story, “Ragam...

When I go to bed my next day is planned trusting the sun will rise, as it does every morning. Without conscious thought I believe in it’s faithful presence. Because of this rhythm of life (and others like it) I wrongly assume each day will continue to be the same. I can take relationships and moments for granted. Then when a tragedy comes my way, a spirit of fear follows close behind. The “what if” enters the picture and I struggle to shake a fear of what could happen. In Lisa Appelo‘s case, in June of 2011 she went to bed with her husband of 26 years and was awakened by the sounds of him having a fatal heart attack. With one of her worst fears realized, Lisa learned to lean on her faithful God. By fighting fear with God’s promises, she moved forward in the life He has called her–a life of loving and training her seven beautiful children (and daughter-in-law).  In this episode Lisa shares her story, but more importantly she shares her faith. Then she disciples us in taking thoughts captive, holding them up to the truth of Christ. At the end of the episode I beg Lisa to share some mommy wisdom with me. But this is the main deal, y’all… We have put our trust in a God who declares himself to be faithful. It’s not that He chooses to be faithful to us. It is His very character. . . He is faithful. He can be nothing else to us. –Lisa Appelo AND. . . If you’re looking for a great resource to study the Bible and walk through the life of Jesus, click here to get a FREE copy of Lisa’s Bible Reading Guide: “100 Days with Christ”. What we chat about: * How Lisa’s world changed the Summer of 2011 * What the end of a marriage covenant looks like * How God blesses us when we obey His simple promptings * What encouragement Lisa would give to a young woman in a hard marriage season * How to fight fear considering Proverbs 31 & 2 Corinthians 10:5 * How do you know God is faithful when your husband passes away * What’s one thing Lisa’s learned boys need * What regular family Bible reading routine helped Lisa in her parenting * Lisa’s awesome idea for dividing up home responsibilities * How the body of Christ comes together to help care for widows & single moms GCM Podcast Club Discussion Questions: Lisa shares that there will be hard times in our marriages– peaks and valleys. What are some ways you can make time to build your relationship up especially when life gets busy? Take a moment to wait on the Lord for your marriage. Ask God how you can put your husband at the center and listen for ways to serve him. We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Are there any lies you are believing about your future? Are there obstacles in your life you aren’t surrendering to God? We all want to build God’s word into our kids’ hearts. Lisa shares about having a daily Bible time with her kids. Are you doing something to consistently pour God’s word into your kids? This episode may have brought up fears about losing your husband. Take a moment to pray for your marriage and thank God for your spouse (if you are married). Thanksgiving pushes out fear! Links Mentioned: * Lisa’s Story * Say Farewell to Fe...