All of motherhood is both hard and beautiful, but there is something uniquely intense about those first few weeks after welcoming a baby. A mother is recovering physically from bringing new life into the world while simultaneously learning how to care for a tiny, mysterious new person. It is tender. It is overwhelming. And it is often deeply exhausting.

In this episode, Annie VanderHedien, author of Christ’s Care for Postpartum Moms, joins us to offer gentle encouragement for weary mothers in the thick of postpartum sleep deprivation. Together we talk about how Christ meets us in our exhaustion, how His care is especially near when we feel unseen or invisible, and how we can experience real spiritual rest—even when physical rest feels out of reach.

If you are in the newborn fog, or if you love someone who is, this conversation is for you.

Pre-order Annie’s book here.

Annie VanderHeiden is the former editor of Risen Motherhood and now busies herself with freelance writing and editing, lay church ministry, and mothering two littles. She plants her roots in the uppermost corner of the PNW, enjoying salty sea air, drizzly days, long walks, overflowing mugs of matcha, and any thrifting opportunities she can get. Annie is the author of Cradled: Christ's Care for Postpartum Moms (P&R, 2026). Connect with her on Instagram (@anniekvanderheiden) or annievanderheiden.com.

Christian parenting is inherently missional. Rather than limiting ministry, parenting can provide a springboard for evangelism and discipleship within the home–both inside and outside our families. Far from being sidelined from ministry, parents who approach parenting with a missional mindset will find explosive opportunities to declare the glory of God. 

In this episode I'll be talking to James all about how dads can easily engage with kids through nightly family worship. We will cover: 

• Why is it specifically important for the dad to lead in discipleship within the home.
• How moms can encourage dads to lead in  discipleship.
• Various opportunities a busy dad might have throughout the day to disciple his children.
• How long or short it has to be. 
• Why leading nightly is important. 

How do you process grief? How does your husband process grief? 

Marriage is full of many good and lovely seasons. But every marriage will also experience losses. How do we process those losses in a way that brings us closer to one another and also closer to God? How is processing grief a chance to lean into God’s design for marriage? How can we work through differences in the way we grieve without bitterness or resentment?

Listen in to a real and vulnerable conversation with Clarissa Abbott, mom to two little girls and husband to Ryan, who serves with YWAM in Perth, Australia.

As members of a large-ish family, my kids aren’t often the center of attention. But I want them to know that they will gave a regular time when they have my full, complete, and undivided attention. 

For us, this means special monthly one-on-one coffee dates on Sunday mornings before church. Listen in for why to "date" your kids and when and how to do it. 

 It’s by no means a requirement, but it has been a sweet way to connect one-on-one with the four kids I adore and cherish most in the world. And I really enjoy it!  

Pretty soon, I will be welcoming a fifth baby, and my youngest will also be joining the date rotation. I’m sure continuing to carve out time will require creativity—but I am committed to it.

Setting year long goals can be a helpful way to stay on track with our ideals. Listen in for a very brief discussion of how and why to track fitness, reading, and outside time goals in 2026.

Parents are in the business of training --and that should include training to serve.

We train our kids not to run in the road, to put their shirt on frontwards, and to use the bathroom. During childhood these actions are challenging, but by adulthood, most of us have it figured out. We practiced these things over and over until they became ingrained and second nature.

In addition to learning to brush our teeth or make breakfast, I want to teach my kids to be kind and generous. As a parent, I can’t force my children to be servant hearted—only God can change them. But He has commanded me to train them in godliness, and training comes through repeated practice.

If I desire to raise servant-hearted kids, then I should give them lots of opportunities during their formative years to practice service both inside and outside the home.

Listen in for a discussion of why and how to do that in practical simple ways --without adding a bunch of extra tasks to our schedules.

If you’ve been married for more than five minutes, chances are you’ve faced conflict. Sometimes conflicts resolve easily, but other times they can eat away at your heart and mind.

What should your heart’s response be when your spouse is unreasonable and reconciliation seems impossible? When you’re facing serious disagreements with no clear path forward, what are some practical next steps you can take?

Today, we’re going to look at the conflict between two women in the Philippian church and see how Paul addressed and encouraged them. Although this disagreement was between two sisters in Christ rather than a husband and wife, the parallels are striking and deeply helpful.

Listen in as we think through how to navigate those tricky conflicts.

Several years ago, the kids and I started eating our breakfast on the front steps of our house. I had just finished reading The Art of Neighboring, in which the authors encouraged Christians to look for simple ways to be “seen” in their neighborhoods.

One of the easiest ideas they shared was moving some activity from the backyard to the front yard. At first, I set up a blanket on the grass and read stories in the afternoon, but eventually, we settled into being morning “front steps people,” and it’s been a daily routine—regardless of the weather or season—for almost two years.

I love being a front steps person for primarily two reasons—it is sweet outside time and it establishes our presence in our neighborhood.

Obviously, there are other ways to be outside and to be visible in the neighborhood, so what do I love about this practice in particular?

So glad you asked. Let me tell you all about it.

Note: This practice definitely isn’t for everybody. But it is a sweet one for us. I hope hearing about what we do has inspired you to establish your own fun, special and unique daily routines. ❤️

Fall is a popular time to start thinking about thankfulness. Thankful, Grateful, Blessed is on every mug, pillow, and sweater. What’s not to love about gratefulness? Talk to a random person on the street and ask them if they think gratefulness matters and they will almost certainly say yes. 

But what is thankfulness? How is Christian thankfulness distinct from secular thankfulness? Why is the object of our gratitude far more important than the expression of our gratitude? 

With our own children, how do we help them think about gratitude in the context of being creatures made by a good and powerful creator? What are some ideas for helping kids to grow in gratitude practically? 

Join for a conversation about gratitude with blogger, songwriter, author, and homeschool mama Allison Brost. Allison writes at her blog This Side of Perfect and recently published Grateful: 30 Days of Growing in Thankfulness with the Good Book Company. 

Is passion in marriage something we ought to desire? Where do we see a basis for pursuing romantic love in Scripture?

How important is friendship to a marriage? If I am sacrificing myself for the needs of my spouse and putting him first, does it matter if he feels like my “best friend”? Why or why not?

In a two part conversation our guests Jason and Casey Cashell are going to help us think through how to cultivate and stimulate deep love and connection in a sustainable and lifegiving way regardless of our season of parenting.

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Jason and Casey Cashell are homeschooling parents of four and the owners of Mayhurst Estate – a stunning historic home in Orange, Virginia that functions as a bed and breakfast. They are passionate about encouraging and strengthening families in so many ways but in particular they run a number of online courses on marriage, parenting, and hospitality from a Christian perspective.

https://thecashells.com/