Gospel Matrescence

In this episode, we discuss mental strength in light of motherhood.  How does a weary mama learn to embrace adversity, chaos, and disorder in such a way that builds antifragility and strength in her home?  How do we parent our own children away from victimhood and towards mental strength when we ourselves feel so weak and fragile?  Three books are mentioned:

• The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
• Antifragility by Nassim Taleb
• The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce Perry 

Andie draws out lessons learned from each of these books on the neuroscience behind adversity, trauma, and mental strength.  She mentioned a resource that can be found at the Gospel Matrescence website (GospelMatrescence.com) where you can evaluate your mental strength as well as your parenting style to see if you are parenting towards mental strength.  

In this episode, we dig deep into your sexual identity as both a mother and a wife.  There are countless ways that the enemy can distort our view of sexuality and rob our marriages of the gift that God intended for us.  It is time to begin the work to win that back for you and your spouse.  This episode may be the first baby steps toward restoring your sexual soul.  

In this episode, we will discuss the impact motherhood has on both our physical bodies and the way we view our physical bodies.  All too often, mothers struggle to nourish and nurture themselves while they are bearing and caring for children.  We will look at three truths that will renew our minds in this area: 1) Our bodies are tools, 2) Our bodies are a testimony, 3) We must embrace a Christian view of self.  If you have struggled with body image and the effect motherhood has on your body, this episode is for you! 

Today we will dig a bit deeper into the third pillar of healthy matrescence by discussing the emotional experience many moms go through. One of the important roles of every mother is to help her children process their big emotions but how can we do that if we don't understand our own emotional experiences?  What framework do we use for understanding the human heart?  What is the difference between sincere and indulgent emotions?  What does emotional intelligence have to do with matrescence?  Listen and find out! 

In this episode, Andie discusses what it means to have a self-differentiated identity that is rooted in the finished work of Christ rather than your childhood or life experiences.  One hallmark of this is when a mom can show up as a non-anxious presence in her home, even when the anxieties of others run high.  How do we exchange the identity we have gained from our past with the identity Scripture declares we walk in?  If you were able to be a non-anxious presence in your home, how would that affect your day to day life?  Listen and find out! 

This is the first episode in an eight-part series that will dig a bit deeper into each of the 8 Pillars of Thriving Matrescence.  Here we discuss the deep need every mother has to be filled with the grace and strength it takes to pour herself out on behalf of her family.  What does a mom do when her own tank runs low?  Who is responsible to replenish her?  What well does she drink from when her own is dry and empty?  

In this episode, we will look at the description of a mother in Psalm 128:3 - a fruitful and thriving vine.  While all women wish this could be true of them, often we find ourselves feeling dry, feeble, and fruitless.  Andie introduced an evaluation tool that will help you take a closer look at the eight pillars of thriving matrescence:  

1. Spiritual - A deep, abiding connection to God 
2. Identity - Becoming a self-differentiated person
3. Emotional - An understanding of your own emotional ecosystem
4. Physical - A sustainable & healing nutrition and movement plan that drives your health
5. Sexual - A thriving libido that deeply connects you with your spouse with a healing & redeemed sexual imagination
6. Mental - A thorough understanding of any maladaptations of your neuro system and how to overcome
7. Parenting - A confident practice of shepherding your children and managing your home 
8. Ministry - A fulfilling and clear sense of the calling you have to your broader community 

At Gospel Matrescence, we are creating a self-evaluation tool that will allow you to work through each of these eight areas with a Matrescence Coach or small group.  

In this episode, we look at the Hero's Journey story template and apply it to motherhood.  This involves a hero who goes on an adventure, learns a lesson, wins a victory with that newfound knowledge, and then returns home transformed. What do the 12 steps of the hero's Journey look like in matrescence? 

Click the link below to see an image of the Hero's Journey clock and watch a video that explains the concept.  

https://transformationacademy.com/2019/10/your-heros-journey/

In this episode, we look at mental health and matrescence.  We learn about the importance of not just discussing the psychopathologies that can occur during matrescence, but also the normalized experiences mothers have in this season of life.  We apply the work of Dr. Allen Frances and Dr. Bruce Perry to matrescence and discuss the four factors that contribute to mental wellness.

In this episode, we discuss the history of the concept of Matresscence and the women who created and developed the term.  We look at seven factors that are greatly affected by the occurrence of matrescence.  We also compare the modern perspective of motherhood against the description of a thriving mother in Proverbs 31.