Ready to find more peace, even when your child is making choices you didn’t expect? Schedule a free Find Connection and Peace Call with me here: https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

Have you ever wondered, God, where are You in this? What are You doing? And how is this all going to work out?

In this episode of Open Conversations for LDS Moms, we’re talking about Nehemiah 9 and what it can teach us about trusting God when we can’t see what He’s doing in our child’s life.

The Israelites had seen God do incredible things. He parted the Red Sea, provided for them in the wilderness, and showed up again and again. And yet, they forgot. They wandered. They struggled. Sound familiar?

But here’s the beautiful part: their wandering never changed God’s faithfulness.

Nehemiah 9 reminds us that God is gracious, merciful, patient, and compassionate. Even when His children wander, He does not abandon them.

If you’re an LDS mom worried about an adult child who has left the Church, is questioning their faith, or is simply making choices you didn’t expect, this episode is an invitation to stop trying to figure out the ending and start remembering the evidence of God’s goodness.

We’ll talk about how to:

• Remember the “Red Seas” God has already brought you through
• Recognize God’s faithfulness when your child’s story looks different than you hoped
• Trust that God is still working, even when you can’t see it
• Let go of the need to control or convince
• Find peace before your circumstances change

Maybe the story isn’t finished. Maybe God is working in ways you can’t see yet. And maybe, instead of needing to know exactly how everything will turn out, you can remember who He has already shown Himself to be.

Because Nehemiah 9 isn’t really a story about how faithful Israel was.

It’s a story about how faithful God was. And how faithful He still is.

Listen in, and let’s talk about what it looks like to trust God with your adult child, let go of fear and control, and find peace when your child chooses a different path.

What if one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself isn’t changing who you are, but learning to love the woman you were, the woman you are, and the woman you’re becoming?

In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend Sherry Brower, founder of Sunshine in the Soul Retreats, for a beautiful conversation about loving your whole story. We talk about why women can be so quick to replay past mistakes, compare ourselves to who we think we should be, and believe we need to do more to be worthy of God’s love.

But your mistakes are not your identity. Your hardest days do not determine your worth. And you don’t have to shame yourself into becoming a better version of you.

Together, we talk about learning from the past without living there, being present with who you are today, and making choices your future self will thank you for. Most importantly, we come back to the truth that makes all of this possible: you are His, and because of Jesus Christ, your story is filled with hope.

If you’ve ever struggled to forgive yourself, wondered if you’re doing enough, or wished parts of your story looked different, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Sherry:
Sunshine in the Soul Retreats
https://sunshineinthesoulretreats.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sunshineinthesoulretreats/

Ready for a little more support?
Schedule a FREE Connection & Peace Call with me. In 25 minutes, we’ll talk about where you are, what feels hard right now, and help you find more hope, connection, and peace.
https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

If this episode speaks to you, follow the podcast and share it with another woman who might need this reminder today.

Your story is not over. God is still working in ways you may not be able to see.

If conversations with your child feel tense, awkward, or like you’re constantly trying to find the “right” thing to say, I created my FREE Conversation Scripts to help you know what to say while keeping connection at the center of the conversation.

👉 Get the FREE Conversation Scripts here:
https://sheryleekartchner.com/conversation-scripts-landing-page/

And if you’re tired of fear about your child taking over your thoughts, affecting your relationship, or stealing the peace from your own life, I’d love to help you personally.

👉 Schedule a free call with me here:
https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

You believe in agency.

But it’s a whole lot easier to believe agency is a gift from God when you like the choices your child is making.

What about when you don’t?

When you can see where their choices might lead, your brain starts spinning with everything that could go wrong, and you desperately want them to see what you see?

In this episode, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to trust the gift of agency when your child is making choices you wish they weren’t making.

We’ll talk about why fear is so focused on the future, why worry can feel responsible and useful when it’s actually creating more suffering, and how to recognize when you’re trying to solve a problem that belongs to your child.

I’ll also show you how to come back to what IS yours: your thoughts, your emotional health, your boundaries, the relationship you want to have with your child, and the kind of mom you want to be.

Because loving your child is not the same as controlling them.

And trusting their agency doesn’t mean you agree with their choices, stop caring, or stop parenting.

It means recognizing something that can be incredibly hard for a mom:

Their agency was never yours to give them. And it isn’t yours to take away.

You don’t have to figure out how to love your child AND take care of yourself on your own.

Ready for more peace?

Download my FREE 5 Days to More Calm and Peace and start letting go of the emotional weight you've been carrying.

https://sheryleekartchner.com/5-days-to-more-calm/

Want personal support?

Book a free coaching call with me. We'll talk about where you are, what's keeping you stuck, and whether coaching is the right next step for you.

https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

Can I be honest?

The story of Mary and Martha has always bothered me.

Every time I read it, I find myself thinking, "If nobody's making dinner... who's going to feed everyone?"

I've always related to Martha. I'm the one who notices what needs to be done. I want people to feel cared for. I want things to be ready. And if I'm honest, I sometimes wonder if her work gets overlooked.

In this episode, I'm thinking out loud as I wrestle with this familiar story. Along the way, I discovered that maybe Jesus wasn't correcting Martha for serving. Maybe He was gently inviting her to put down the burden she was carrying while she served.

That realization took me somewhere I didn't expect.

It made me think about the women I coach. So many faithful LDS moms have spent years trying to do everything "right." They taught the gospel, prayed with their children, held Family Home Evening, served in their callings, and kept their covenants. Then an adult child chooses a different path, and a painful question quietly settles into their heart:

"If I did everything I was supposed to do, why wasn't it enough?"

We'll talk about the difference between faithfully loving your children and believing you're responsible for the outcome of their choices.

Because those are not the same thing.

If you've been carrying guilt, disappointment, or the exhausting belief that everything depends on you, I hope this conversation helps you breathe a little easier.

Maybe the invitation Jesus gave Martha is the same invitation He's offering us today.

Not to stop loving.

Not to stop serving.

But to stop carrying what was never ours to carry.

If you've ever felt like Martha, I think you'll feel right at home in this conversation.

Free Prayer Prompts

Sometimes the hardest part of prayer is simply knowing where to begin.

I've created a free set of Prayer Prompts to help you turn your heart toward Heavenly Father when life feels heavy. These aren't scripted prayers. They're gentle prompts to help you find words when you don't know what to say.

Download your free Prayer Prompts here:
https://sheryleekartchner.com/prayer-prompt/

What do you do when you've prayed the same prayer over and over, but nothing seems to be changing?

If you're an LDS mom carrying the heartache of an adult child whose choices are different than the ones you hoped for, this episode is for you.

Inspired by President Henry B. Eyring's General Conference message, "Prayers for Peace," we'll explore what it really means to pray for peace, not just when life is calm, but especially when it feels uncertain.

Together we'll talk about:

• Why peace doesn't have to wait until your circumstances change
• The difference between praying for control and praying for connection
• How continual prayer can become a way of living, not just something you do
• What to do when you don't know what to say to Heavenly Father
• How the Savior's promise of peace applies to you today

If you've ever wondered whether God hears your prayers, or if you've felt too tired, overwhelmed, or discouraged to find the words, I hope this conversation reminds you that He knows your heart and is ready to offer His peace.

Need a little extra support?

If you're carrying the weight of an adult child's choices and would love someone to walk alongside you, I'd be honored to meet with you.

Schedule your free Find Connection & Peace Call here:
https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who could use a little more peace today.

When life feels lonely, messy, or uncertain, it can be easy to wonder if God still sees you. In this heartfelt conversation with coach and seminary teacher Anna Stice, we explore one of the most powerful stories of faith in the New Testament: the woman with the issue of blood.

For twelve years, she suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Isolated from others and out of options, she made one courageous decision: she reached for the Savior. She believed that even touching the hem of His garment would be enough. Her story reminds us that Christ not only heals, He notices. He sees every effort, every tear, and every quiet act of faith.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to keep reaching for Jesus when life doesn't look the way you hoped. We discuss perfectionism, shame, agency, motherhood, and the peace that comes from trusting Heavenly Father with the people we love most. If you've ever wondered whether you've done enough as a mom, or if you've carried guilt over your adult child's choices, this conversation will remind you that your worth has never been determined by someone else's agency.

You'll also hear why we don't have to wait until we're "good enough" to come to Christ, how small daily acts of faith strengthen us, and why understanding our divine worth changes everything. The Savior doesn't ask us to be perfect. He simply invites us to keep reaching.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why the woman with the issue of blood is such a powerful example of courageous faith
• How Christ sees and knows you personally, even when you feel forgotten
• Why perfectionism keeps us stuck and how the Savior invites us to let it go
• How to stop carrying responsibility for your adult child's choices
• What it means to trust God's timing and His plan for your family
• Practical ways to stay connected to the Savior during difficult seasons
• Why your worth has never changed, no matter what your life looks like today

If you're carrying worry, guilt, or fear about someone you love, this episode will leave you feeling hopeful, seen, and reminded that you are never reaching for the Savior alone.

Ready for more support?

If you're an LDS mom struggling with the choices of an adult child and longing for more peace, I'd love to help. Schedule a free Connection & Peace Call with me, and together we'll talk about what's weighing on your heart and explore how you can find greater peace while continuing to love your family well.

Thank you for listening! If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who needs this message today.

Have you ever sat in the church parking lot wondering if you had the emotional energy to walk inside?

Maybe you're wrestling toddlers alone because your husband is serving. Maybe he's stopped coming to church altogether. Maybe your teenager is making choices that break your heart, or your adult children have walked away from the faith you taught them. Or maybe you simply feel like you don't belong.

If church has started to feel heavy instead of hopeful, you're not alone.

In this episode, we're talking about why Sundays can feel so hard and why that doesn't mean you're failing. You'll learn the difference between clean pain and dirty pain, how the stories we tell ourselves can make our struggles even heavier, and how to find peace even when your circumstances haven't changed.

We'll also talk about:

• Why church isn't for perfect people
• What to do when you feel judged or out of place
• How the Savior meets us in our hardest Sundays
• A simple mindset shift that can help you stop spinning in shame and self-blame

Whether you're a young mom, sitting alone on the pew, grieving the choices of a child, or simply carrying a burden no one else can see, this episode will remind you that you are not alone and you are deeply loved.

If this episode encourages you, please share it with a friend who might need a little hope this Sunday.

Ready to find more peace?

Book your free Find Connection and Peace Call, and together we'll talk about what's weighing on your heart and help you move toward the peace that's possible, even when life isn't going the way you hoped.

https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

If you've ever wondered, "How did I end up here?" this episode is for you.

Maybe motherhood hasn't unfolded the way you imagined. Maybe you're praying prayers that seem to go unanswered, wondering where God is in the middle of your family's story.

In this episode of Open Conversations for LDS Moms, we're looking at the beautiful story of Esther through the eyes of a mother who is trying to trust God while her heart still hurts.

Esther wasn't fearless. She was faithful while afraid.

Together, we'll explore what it means to let faith and fear exist at the same time, why God is often working long before we can recognize it, and how Esther's story reminds us that Heaven is never absent from the hard chapters of our lives.

If you're carrying the weight of an adult child's choices, wondering if your family will ever heal, or questioning whether God still has a plan, this episode will remind you that your story is not over.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why faith doesn't require the absence of fear.
 • What Esther teaches us about trusting God when we can't see the whole picture.
 • How to let go of trying to control what only God can do.
 • Why "For such a time as this" still matters for mothers today.
 • The hope that comes from knowing God is working behind the scenes, even when you can't see it.

Your child's story isn't over.

Your story isn't over.

And God's work isn't finished simply because you can't see it yet.

If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to invite you to schedule a free Find Connection and Peace Call. In just 25 minutes, we'll talk about what's weighing on your heart and help you find greater peace, perspective, and hope.

Schedule your free call: https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

If this episode encouraged you, would you take a moment to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who needs this reminder today? Together, we can help more women find peace while trusting God's timing.

Have you ever found yourself asking, How do I trust God when nothing seems to be changing?

When an adult child steps away from the Church or makes choices you never expected, it's natural to search for answers. Your mind wants a plan. A solution. A way to fix it.

But what if the peace you're looking for isn't found in knowing how everything will work out?

In this episode of the Letting Go Summer Series, we're talking about the freedom that comes when we release the need to have all the answers and choose to trust God one step at a time.

Schedule a FREE Find Connection and Peace call with me. 

What if letting go isn't about giving up?

What if it's about making room for more love, more trust, and more peace?

In this episode of Open Conversations for LDS Moms, I'm joined by my friend Jennifer St. John for a heartfelt conversation about The Courage to Let Go and Love Anyway. Together, we explore what it looks like to release expectations, surrender the need to control outcomes, and continue loving the people in our lives even when their choices are different than we hoped.

If you've ever found yourself carrying the weight of someone else's journey, struggling to trust God's timing, or wondering how to stay connected without losing yourself in the process, this conversation will offer hope, perspective, and encouragement.

Grab Jennifers 5 part email series,  Anchored at Home

Connect with Jennifer

Website: Journey Cove Coaching
Instagram: @journeycovecoaching
Facebook: @journeycovecoaching

Ready for more peace in your relationship with your adult child?

Schedule a free Connection & Peace Call:
https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

If this episode encouraged you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend who could use a little more peace and hope today.