Do any of you out there have a child (or children) who always want the shirt or dress or pants or shorts that are in some obscure place somewhere in the house?  Or maybe what they want doesn't even exist.

Do any of you out there have a child (or children) who always wants the shirt or dress or pants or shorts that are in some obscure place somewhere in the house, yard or car before they'll actually get dressed?  Or maybe what they need to have to get dressed or be happy doesn't even exist.  

If it's not the clothing item, it's the long lost toy they need to find before they can leave the house so you can be at your gym class on time.

And what happens?  

Well, even in my most planned out, organized days that I've wanted to accomplish something FOR ME...in order FOR ME to get in shape...or FOR ME to have my quiet time or FOR ME to put my oxygen mask on and do something that actually FILLS MY CUP, there always seems to be a kid that gets up a little earlier than normal when I've set my alarm clock for 5am...or a kid who needs their toy that we haven't even THOUGHT of in the last 7 months...or a child who wants to wear the white shirt with the red flowers even though that shirt doesn't exist in our home...and if it did, it's not currently in her room and clean.

It's so apropos that I would be talking on the very subject of beginning to do something NEW for YOU this week and helping you figure out a way to start small and be consistent in your efforts.  Because, let's face it, when you have children, it's hard to do anything, right?  Can I get an amen!?

But I want you to bear with me and allow me to walk beside you and guide you into a routine that works for you so you can achieve those goals and can fill your cup.

It's so important to realize that, if you feel like you're fighting an uphill battle, you're not alone.  We all struggle to accomplish things as mothers of young children.  But that never means we shouldn't try.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here! You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website, as well as Facebook and Instagram.  

Also, if you haven't yet, please jump over to iTunes, SUBSCRIBE to this podcast and leave me a rating and review!  It would mean so much to me!

Thanks for listening! 

xo,

Amy

 I'm so excited to introduce my long time friend, Sarah Tannehill Anderson, to my listeners.  She is one special lady!

SARAH TANNEHILL ANDERSON is a versatile musician, excelling as a singer of opera, oratorio, choral music, contemporary works, and art song.

For more information about her studio, workshops, and performance calendar, please visit www.raiseyourvoicekc.com. 

To find out more about her happy hour concert series, please visit www.thesocietyofsong.com.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here! You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website as well as Facebook and Instagram.  

Also, if you haven't yet, please jump over to iTunes and leave me a rating and review!  It would mean so much to me!

Thanks for listening! 

xo,

Amy

This episode concludes this week's series entitled "Getting Clear".  

It's so important, Friend, to get clear on what it is you should be doing in life, regardless if you are a busy Mom or not.

I mentioned a few people in this episode I want you credit for some of the things we discussed:

Viktor Frankl is the name of the Holocaust survivor I mentioned who contended with Sigmund Freud about Meaning vs. Pleasure.

Chip Gaines is another person I quoted from his book, "Capital Gaines".

Tom Bilyeu, author of Impact Theory, talked about passion being just a preference that you invest in.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here! You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website https://momonthefringe.com, as well as Facebook and Instagram.  

Also, if you haven't yet, please jump over to iTunes and leave me a rating and review!  It would mean so much to me!

Thanks for listening! 

xo,

Amy

As we begin the journey of getting clear about what we really want to do, I believe it's necessary to stop dead in our tracks and talk about that nasty word, "Comparison".  They say "Comparison is the thief of joy." and that's not only true for our lives, but also true for how we impact the world around us and live out our higher calling.   

In today's episode, I talk about microcosms and how we tend to find ourselves within one and almost instinctively begin the comparison game.  It's part of human nature and it's actually a survival technique.  But if we allow it to, comparison can breed self-loathing and actually keep us from doing the things God calls us to do. 

Today's episode comes with a free downloadable worksheet that you can print out and fill out on the go.  I want to challenge you to take me up on this and grab your worksheet, because I believe it could really unlock some deep-seated areas for growth as you see how much you are engaging in your own comparison game.   

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here! You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website, as well as Facebook and Instagram.  

Also, if you haven't yet, please jump over to iTunes, SUBSCRIBE to this podcast and leave me a rating and review!  It would mean so much to me, and it would really propel this podcast and get the message out to others!

Thanks for listening! 

xo,

Amy

Today, I come to you in an effort to be fully transparent, because, as a busy Mom of 3, things just didn't go my way when I prepared for this episode.  

I share about how we should ban goody bags from birthday parties and how siblings should be able to come to parties if we pay their way.  Controversial?  Yes.  But that's how I feel, darn it!!

I also shared how I had to get really clear on the goals I wanted to accomplish, the amount of time I wanted to spend with my family and the time and energy I had at my disposal -- which led to me having to quit my church job that I loved.

This episode kicks off a 4-day series about "Getting Clear" about our goals and dreams!  I hope you continue to stick around and listen to episodes 2-4 of this series.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here! You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website, as well as Facebook and Instagram. 

Thanks for listening!

xo,

Amy

Amy & Friends is a special segment of my podcast where I chat with my friends and talk about how much they inspire me and others around them.

Amy Stoker is a long-time friend of mine.  We were pregnant with our 10 year old boys at the same time and commiserated over those pregnancies.  But when Amy had her son, Clay, she immediately knew something was different about him.  Two years after he was born, Clay was diagnosed with Autism, and Amy and her husband Trent felt relieved rather than sad about his diagnosis, because it helped them understand why things were different and allowed them to immediately seek help for their son.

Throughout our conversation, Amy shares the ups and downs of being a mother of a child with Autism, talks about her moves from one place to another and shares about the joys and challenges of motherhood.  Amy is a talented singer, a realtor and an all-around girls' girl!  She loves spending time with her friends and family and is always open to new avenues that help her fill her cup and keep her sanity!

I hope you'll enjoy this chat as much as I did!

xo,

Amy

In this episode, I talk about how hard it is to be vulnerable and share our stories.  I shared some pretty personal information with you all, and we barely even know each other ;)!  Can anyone say "TMI"??  lol  But, I think it's necessary to share our stories and here's why: It helps us know that we're not alone and allows people to help us in our time of need. It opens up a gateway and gives the person we're talking to the freedom to share their stories with us.   1. + 2. = RELATIONSHIPS!!!  (I'm not that good at math!) In this episode, I share how my vulnerability with my good friend helped her share that she was going through an equally rough patch in her marriage.  We spent hours sitting and crying together, and ultimately, our conversation brought about healing and prayer for each other that led us to know we're not alone.  Do you have a story or a current situation that you have thought about as I've told my story?  I'd love to hear about it.  Send me a message over this podcast and let me know or leave me a review! 

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here! You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website, as well as Facebook and Instagram. 

Thanks for listening!

Today, we wrap up the story about how we found ourselves in the midst of complete financial and marital devastation in 2016.  I talk about how my husband met with a man whom he didn't even know named Tommy.  Tommy declared himself as my husband's "person" and walked with him through some of the hardest months of our lives.  Tommy also called me and prayed with me over the phone, and that conversation led me to the point of being able to make the active choice to forgive and move forward in our marriage.  

Throughout this story, where I try very hard to only share pertinent information to protect the innocent, there is an overarching message:

God can take our mess and use it for our good.  And not only can He do that, He will if we allow Him to.  Our mistakes and past failures don't define us, Friend.  They are part of our story.  And God wants to use our stories for His good.

Join us for Part #4 of this series when we wrap up how we can use our stories to help and encourage others!

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here!

You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website, www.momonthefringe.com, as well as Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I continue the story about how I was trying to work as a private voice teacher and my husband's response to me throwing up my hands in desperation.  I get a little vulnerable with you as I talk about how we struggled with our finances and had some major bumps in the road that threatened to take us down.  I also talk about my husband's online trading and how it took a turn for the worse and once again knocked us on our knees, struggling to get back up.  

Throughout this episode, I talk candidly about going back to work as a temp for a major tech company, and how that mundane entry level job that I HATED actually turned out to be the biggest blessing I could have ever asked for.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mom on the Fringe!  So glad you're here!

You can find me and more information about Mom on the Fringe at my website, www.momonthefringe.com, as well as Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks for listening!