Old Ladies Know Stuff with Rhonda Stoppe & Friends

What do a stranger's hand, a science notebook, and a purple butterfly with yellow wings have in common? They're all part of how God wove together this week's story.

Rhonda sits down with her friend Sherri Crandall, Vice President of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience for The Mom Co (formerly MOPS). The two met at MomCon when a silent hand-holding exercise left them both feeling seen. Now Sherri shares the story behind her new children's book, Lexi the Butterfly. It began at a campsite in the Rockies while her boys napped, as she waited through 18 months of paperwork to adopt her daughter from China.

Watch this interview on YouTube at Rhonda Stoppe No Regrets Woman Channel

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How a hawk, a sparrow, and a meadow of white butterflies inspired a "belonging story" that helps children (and grown-ups) understand adoption, loss, and being chosen
• Why the "damaged wing" in the story is a gentle way to talk with kids whose parents can't care for them, including grandchildren, foster kids, nieces and nephews, and stepchildren
• Sherri's challenge to every mom with a dream on the back burner: make an appointment with yourself. Pour the coffee or tea, sit down, and say yes to it. You are a writer, speaker, or leader if you want to be
• Rhonda's tips for aspiring authors, plus Sherri's honest look at the hybrid publishing route and hearing "no" before the right "yes"
• Why we need real friends and mentor moms, and why Rhonda says she doesn't want a mentor who's perfect, she wants one who recovered when she blew it
• A reminder that God doesn't make mistakes: He chose you to be the mom to the kids He gave you

Whether you're a young mom in the thick of it, an empty nester wondering what's next, or someone who longs to bless a family touched by adoption, this conversation will encourage, inspire, and maybe even challenge you.

Get the book: lexithebutterfly.com (signed copies available) or Amazon
Learn more about The Mom Co and MomCon: themom.com/momcon

Loved this episode? Share it with a friend, and consider gifting a copy of Lexi the Butterfly to a family in your church touched by adoption.

New from Rhonda: Moms of the Bible: Life-Changing Lessons from the Fearless, Flawed, and Faithful (Harvest House) is available now wherever books are sold. Discover timeless lessons from moms of all types and walks in the Bible, and learn more at RhondaStoppe.com.

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

Guest Cast: PostPartum Empowerment with host: Samantha Newman and Guest: Rhonda Stoppe. Before she was known as "The No Regrets Woman," Rhonda Stoppe was a young mom living in a one-room mountain cabin with no electricity, raising two small children on a generator — and unexpectedly pregnant with her third. In this candid conversation, Rhonda takes us back to 1990: a surprise pregnancy, a sofa-bed bedroom, a husband racing to finish a nursery that wasn't ready in time, and a postpartum fog so heavy she hid in a bunk bed to cry where her toddler couldn't see her.

Rhonda opens up about the isolation of struggling silently in Christian community, the doctor who offered no real help, and the moment her husband walked in and said, "I don't know who you are." She shares how she leaned on older, honest women for mentorship, wrestled with mom guilt, and slowly found her way back — while also carrying real regret over what those hard years cost her oldest daughter.

This is a story about the gap between the dream you're chasing and the reality you're living in, and how God can redeem even the seasons we wish we could take back. Come back next week for part two, where Rhonda shares how she found her way through.

Listen to the original Episode with Samantha Newman: PostPartum Empowerment Episode 105

This episode discusses postpartum anxiety and emotional overwhelm. If you're struggling, please know you don't have to walk through it alone — reach out to a trusted doctor, counselor, or someone in your life who can help.

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Facebook Page: Rhonda Stoppe No Regrets Woman
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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

Grandparent estrangement has jumped from 1 in 10 to 1 in 6 families — and Rhonda believes it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, she sits down with author and family coach Lori Wildenberg (Grandparents Make Grand Partners) to talk honestly about the messy, tender work of staying connected across generations: navigating in-law relationships, setting boundaries without burning bridges, handling passive-aggressive family dynamics, and grieving well in front of your grandkids. Whether you're a new mom figuring out your in-laws or a grandparent longing for closeness with your grandchildren, this conversation offers real, faith-filled tools for building the kind of family glue that holds through the hard seasons.

Episode Highlights

• Lori Wildenberg emphasizes that her guidance comes from real-life struggles and growth, not perfection, and discusses learning through hard family experiences 02:35.
• Navigating in-law relationships requires grace, honest conversations, and a willingness to recognize shifting family roles 04:54.
• Rhonda Stoppe and Lori Wildenberg talk about the increasing estrangement between grandparents and adult children, with Lori Wildenberg noting the statistic is now 1 in 6 families 09:08.
• Addressing manipulation and passive-aggressive behaviors as the top causes of estrangement, they share the importance of being direct and striving for healthy communication 27:02.
• Rhonda Stoppe shares personal stories of setting boundaries with her mother and modeling family honor, stressing the importance of letting adult children address issues with their own parents 21:08.
• They explore the spiritual influence of grandparents, highlighting biblical examples like Timothy’s grandmother and Naomi’s legacy with Ruth 17:07.
• The importance of processing grief openly as a family is discussed, with Lori Wildenberg sharing how their family honored her mother-in-law’s passing together 34:37.
• Practical tips for honest family conversations include proactively apologizing for missteps and prefacing invitations or requests to prevent misunderstandings 41:05.

Resources Mentioned

Books by Lori Wildenberg:

• Grandparents Make Grand Partners: How to Have an Eternal Impact on Your Grandchild's Life
• Messy Hope: Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety, Depression, or Suicidal Ideation
• Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home

Other People Mentioned:

• Timothy’s mother and grandmother (Biblical figures)
• Naomi and Ruth (Biblical figures)
• Larry Fowler (referenced via Legacy Coalition/Grand Monday Nights)

Events & Tools:

• Raising Disciples Conference, October 10th, Pompano Beach, Florida (Register at: raisingdisciplesconference.com)
• Lori Wildenberg’s website with free resources and book links
• Moms Together Facebook community

Next Step

Check out Lori Wildenberg’s books or join the upcoming Raising Disciples Conference to deepen your family connections and faith legacy.

Thank you for joining us. Please SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

One year ago today, the Christian world said goodbye to one of its most beloved voices.

Dr. James Dobson went home to be with Jesus — and left behind a legacy so vast, so deep, and so far-reaching that it is impossible to measure this side of eternity.

I am one of the countless women whose life and ministry was shaped by his work.

I remember reading Dare to Discipline as a young mom — exhausted, uncertain, and desperate for someone to hand me a biblical framework for raising my kids. Dr. Dobson's books did exactly that. They met me where I was, they pointed me to the Word, and they gave me the confidence to parent with purpose and without apology. I would not be the mom, the author, or the speaker I am today without the foundation his ministry laid in my life.

And I know I am not alone.

That is why today — on this one year anniversary of his blessed home-going — I wanted to share something very special with you.

This is a replay of my interview with Dr. James Dobson on Family Talk — one of the greatest honors of my speaking and writing ministry. In this conversation, Dr. Dobson interviewed me about my bestselling book Moms Raising Sons to Be Men: Guiding Them Toward Their Purpose and Passion — and what unfolded was one of the most honest, heartfelt, and hope-filled conversations I have ever had on any platform.

I share the story of my son Brandon — the severe seizure that left me crying out to God at the foot of my bed, ready to walk away from my faith. I share what God whispered to my broken heart in that desperate moment. And I was blessed to tell Dr. Dobson how his book, When God Doesn't Make Sense was what God used to get me through that difficult season. 

This episode is for the mom of a son who is wondering —

Am I doing this right?
Is God paying attention?
Will my son become the man I'm praying for?

The answer — as Dr. Dobson so beautifully understood and devoted his entire life to declaring — is yes. God is for your family. He is for your son. And He will use every ordinary, imperfect, faith-filled moment of your motherhood to accomplish something far beyond what you can see right now.

This conversation is proof of that.

And it is also a reminder of something I believe with everything in me —

books matter.

The right book in the hands of a struggling mom at the right moment can change the entire trajectory of a family. 

Dr. Dobson knew that. He built his ministry on that conviction. And I pray that Moms Raising Sons to Be Men — and every book I write — carries forward even a fraction of the impact that his words have had on this generation.

Dr. Dobson — we honor you today. We miss your voice. And we are grateful beyond words for the legacy you have left us to carry forward.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

Come listen, friend. And share this episode with every mom you know. 💛

📚 Book Featured: Moms Raising Sons to Be Men: Guiding Them Toward Their Purpose and Passion — Rhonda Stoppe

🎙️ Original Broadcast: Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk

🔗 Listen to Part 1 of the original broadcast: drjamesdobson.org

📩 Connect with Rhonda: NoRegretsWoman.com | @RhondaStoppe

🎧 Old Ladies Know Stuff Podcast — available wherever you listen to podcasts

Share this episode today in honor of Dr. Dobson's legacy — and in honor of every mom who is faithfully, imperfectly, courageously raising the next generation of men.

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

Ever catch yourself scrolling past another homeschool mom's picture-perfect morning — matching outfits, a spotless table, kids who actually finished their workbooks — and think, why can't I get it together like that?

You are not alone. And you are not failing.

In this episode, veteran homeschool mom, grandmother of 15, and author Rhonda Stoppe shares the wisdom that took her decades — and one honest mentor — to learn. Rhonda opens up about the moment she realized she was raising her kids for what other people thought of her, not for who God called her to be. From there, she walks us through the 7 C's of Homeschooling Without Regrets: a simple, soul-settling framework for moms who are weary, comparing themselves to everyone else, and terrified of getting this wrong.

This isn't a pep talk about doing more. It's permission to stop performing, let go of comparison, and trust that the God who called you to this is the same God who will equip you for it.

If you're heading into this school year exhausted before it even starts, or you're standing on the edge wondering if you even can do this — press play. Rhonda's going to remind you that the mess, the mismatched socks, and the days that don't go as planned aren't signs you're failing. They might just be exactly what God is using to raise kids who know Him.

In this episode:

• Why "what will people think of me?" might be quietly running your homeschool
• The difference between raising kids for your glory vs. God's glory
• How to stop comparing your homeschool to everyone else's highlight reel
• Why controlled freedom (not control) raises resilient kids
• The one mentor relationship every homeschool mom needs

You can homeschool without regrets. Rhonda's here to show you how.

In this episode you'll hear an excerpt of the message Rhonda presented at Generation's Homeschooling Virtual Conference:

Watch the replay and please share it with your friends!

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

Podcast Swap: In this powerful and heartfelt episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, I sit down with Joy Johnson: Coach, Speaker, Host Of The Top 1.5% Globally Ranked Podcast “The Journey To Becoming” And The Founder Of The Joyful Fit Life Community. 

Joy is a fellow California girl! She lives in California with her husband and her two wonderful children. She says, "Today, my life is better than I could ever imagine." Listen as Joy and Rhonda share some valuable insights regarding Mentorship, Motherhood and Faith.

Together, we dive deep into biblical motherhood, mentorship, healing, and the importance of learning from the women who have gone before us. Rooted in the wisdom of Titus 2, this conversation explores how God designed women to encourage, disciple, and strengthen one another through every season of life.
Rhonda shares wisdom from over 40 years of helping women build “no regrets” lives, offering practical encouragement for mothers, grandmothers, and women seeking to grow deeper in their walk with God. I also open up about my personal testimony, the healing journey that transformed my parenting, and how I learned to create biblical boundaries in motherhood.
We talk about:
•What it means to mother from healing instead of pain
•Why your children are not extensions of you
•Biblical motherhood and the Titus 2 woman
•Christian mentorship and generational wisdom
•Emotional, mental, and physical health for women
•Becoming an advocate for yourself as you get older
•Healing family patterns through Christ
•The importance of healthy boundaries in parenting
•Faith-filled encouragement for moms in every season
This episode is filled with biblical truth, encouragement, wisdom, and practical insight for Christian women, mothers, and grandmothers who desire to grow in faith, healing, and purpose.
If you’ve been longing for encouragement in your motherhood journey or wisdom from women who have walked before you, this conversation will remind you that God is still shaping your story — and your healing matters for generations to come.
Listen now and share this episode with a woman who needs encouragement today.
CONNECT WITH JOY JOHNSON 🎁
JOY's NEW RESOURCE: COMFORT IS COSTING YOU 7 DAY SYSTEM 🤩
BECOMING A WOMAN OF VALUE FREE 5 DAY CHALLENGE 💗
Connect with JOY here: 
WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/joyfulfit_life/

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

Mother's Day is beautiful for many women.

But for some of you — it's complicated.

Maybe you grew up with a mom who was harsh. Critical. Absent. Selfish. Or just simply not what you needed her to be. And every Mother's Day, while the world celebrates with flowers and brunch and sentimental cards — something inside you quietly aches.

This episode is for you.

Rhonda Stoppe takes us straight to one of the most disturbing mother-daughter stories in all of Scripture.

Herodias.

You may know her as the woman who demanded John the Baptist's head on a platter.

But what you may not have considered is this —

She didn't carry that platter herself.

She sent her daughter to do it.

Herodias was so consumed by her own bitterness, her own need for revenge, her own undealt-with sin — that she used her daughter Salome as a weapon. And in doing so, she robbed that girl of half a kingdom — and trained her to become just as vile as she was.

It is one of the saddest mom stories in the entire Bible.

And Rhonda refuses to leave you there.

Because here is the truth that this episode builds to — the truth that Rhonda has watched transform women across decades of ministry:

Having a bad mom does not mean you have to become one.

In Christ — you can be the thread that changes everything in your family line. The one who says, the cycle ends with me.The one who chooses forgiveness — not because the pain wasn't real, not because what happened to you was okay — but because forgiveness is the first step to freedom.

And freedom, friend, is exactly what God has for you.

In this powerful episode you will discover:

• The shocking story of Herodias and what her revenge truly cost her daughter
• Why confronting sin in love is one of the most caring things you can do — and how to do it well
• The truth about sexual immorality that every mom needs to speak boldly into her children's lives
• Why walking in purity positions your children to make the most important decisions of their lives led by the Spirit of God
• How to forgive a mother who was harsh, abusive, or negligent — and why your freedom depends on it
• The liberating truth that in Christ you are a new creation — fully equipped to break free from whatever you were raised with

Whether you had a wonderful mom or a heartbreaking one — whether you are carrying wounds you have never spoken out loud or patterns you are terrified of repeating — this episode will meet you with grace, truth, and the hope that only comes from Jesus.

Because in Him — your story does not have to look like hers.

📚 Featured Book: Moms of the Bible: Life-Changing Lessons from the Fearless, Flawed and Faithful by Rhonda Stoppe

🎙️ Find all Moms of the Bible chapter teachings FREE on Rhonda's YouTube Channel

📩 Connect with Rhonda @RhondaStoppe

Share this episode with the woman in your life who needs to know — her past does not have to be her children's future. In Christ, the cycle can end today.

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

What would you grab if you had sixty seconds to leave your home forever?

It's a question most of us have never had to answer. We did during the California Wildfires. And Lot's wife did too. And her answer — told not in words but in one devastating backward glance — cost her everything.

Lot's wife had a home. A life. Possessions. A community she had built in Sodom. And when God said go — she couldn't resist one last look at everything she was leaving behind.

And in that one moment of looking back, she was gone.

Now before we shake our heads at Lot's wife — Rhonda wants us to look in the mirror first.

Because if we're honest?

We do it too.

We look back at the comfort we've lost. The life we planned. Things we thought we deserved. Stuff we accumulated can quietly become more important than our obedience to God.

And Rhonda's phrase for this episode will stay with you long after it's over —

"People over possessions."

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• The sobering story of Lot's wife and the one backward glance that changed everything
• Why God's command to not look back was about so much more than direction — it was about the condition of her heart
• The powerful phrase Rhonda returns to again and again: "People over possessions"
• How our attachment to comfort, stuff, and security quietly competes with our obedience to God
• The liberating truth that when we choose people over possessions — we gain something no stuff could ever give us

KEY SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

• Genesis 19 — The story of Lot's wife
• Luke 17:32 — "Remember Lot's wife" 
• Matthew 6:19-21 — "Store up treasures in heaven"
• Luke 12:15 — "Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions"

RHONDA'S KEY PHRASE FOR THIS EPISODE: "People over possessions."

Write it on a sticky note. Let it be the filter through which you make decisions this week and always.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

📚 Moms of the Bible: Life-Changing Lessons from the Fearless, Flawed and Faithful — Rhonda Stoppe Available at NoRegretsWoman.com and wherever books are sold

🎙️ Watch all Moms of the Bible chapter teachings FREE on Rhonda's YouTube Channel Rhonda Stoppe No Regrets Woman (Watch This episode Here)

📩 Sign up for Rhonda's monthly newsletter and receive a FREE download of Chapter 1 of Moms of the Bible at NoRegretsWoman.com

SHARE THIS EPISODE with the mom in your life who needs permission to let go — of the stuff, the plans, the backward glance — and run forward into everything God has for her.

Because the life God is calling you toward is always better than the one you're looking back at.

Thank you for joining us. Please SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

Pull Up a Chair: The Conversation Every Mom Needs to Hear —Rhonda Stoppe &

Deb Weakly Get Real_A Podcast Takeover You Don't Want to Miss

What happens when two women who have spent decades pouring into moms, marriages, and families sit down together and just talk?

You get this episode.

Rhonda Stoppe of Old Ladies Know Stuff and Deb Weakly of Help Club for Moms are taking over each other's podcasts — and the wisdom they serve up in this conversation is the kind you only get from women who have lived it, prayed through it, failed at it, repented of it, and come out the other side still standing — and still deeply in love with Jesus.

In this warm, honest, laugh-out-loud and occasionally tear-jerking conversation, Rhonda and Deb tackle the real stuff — the things moms and wives are thinking about at 2am when they can't sleep:

You'll hear Deb share the single piece of parenting advice that stopped her cold — one look at her daughter's tiny hands that changed everything about how she showed up as a mom.

And you'll both laugh and nod along as these two women remind you that the gray hairs are earned, the lessons are hard-won, and the best is absolutely still ahead.

Because here's what Rhonda and Deb both know to be true:

God chose you — in this moment in history — to raise this generation. And He will not leave you to figure it out alone.

This episode covers the best marriage advice nobody tells you, the danger of making your children your best friend, what Eve's "just a little bit more" moment has to do with your scrolling habits, why stepmoms matter more than they know, the power of Scripture memory at 2am when anxiety won't let you sleep, and why linking arms with other women isn't optional — it's obedience.

Come for the wisdom. Stay for the friendship. Share it with every mom and wife you know.

Because old ladies really do know stuff — and they want to share it with you.

FIND RHONDA: NoRegretsWoman.com | Moms of the Bible | Podcast: Old Ladies Know Stuff FIND DEB:HelpClubForMoms.com | Podcast: Help Club for Moms

Deb Weakly | Co-Founder | Executive Director | Content Creator | Mothering Kit Mentor

Deb Weakly is a co-founder of Help Club for Moms, a ministry that encourages women in their faith and offers practical resources to help them thrive. She is a contributing writer to the book of the same name, The Help Club for Moms: Inspirational and Practical Help for You, Your Home, and Your Family, and to its companion series of books titled The Wise Woman. Deb and her husband, Randy, have two grown children and one grandchild.

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

What if the tension in your marriage isn't a sign you married the wrong person — but an invitation to know God more deeply? Dana Che, host of the popular: Rebuilding Us Podcast and author of Tried and True: Marriage Advice from 12 Imperfect Biblical Couples, joins Rhonda to talk about the "long middle" of marriage — that stuck, stalled, going-through-the-motions season so many couples quietly endure. You'll walk away with fresh eyes on why couples drift apart, how contempt silently kills a marriage, and how spiritual intimacy is the missing piece that holds everything else together. Real talk. Real scripture. Real hope.

Rebuilding Us Podcast

Get Dana's Free Resources: Here

Dana's Book: Tried and True: Marriage Advice from 12 Imperfect Biblical Couples 

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”