In this 33rd and final episode, each Seasoned Mama shares her current season of motherhood, key takeaways, and cherished Bible verses.

Faith Doerr (Season: Young children/toddlers, expecting third child)
- Takeaway: "Take a breath" and show grace to yourself
- Action Step: Focus on the end goal of each parenting moment
- Verse: Colossians 3:2 - "Set your mind on things above"

Lindsay Haush (Season: Children ages 5-12)
- Takeaway: "Silence is golden"
- Action Step: Teach children to "chew and spit" - engaging with culture while maintaining faith
- Verse: Romans 8:28 - God works all things for good

Michelle Diercks (Season: Adult children 20-23)
- Takeaway: "Silence and savoring" with adult children
- Action Step: Listen more than speak, create safe space for communication
- Closing Song: Isaiah 49-inspired song about God's faithfulness

Deb Burma (Season: Married adult children, new grandmother)
- Takeaway: Adult children still need mom in new, mutually supportive ways
- Action Step: Let adult children know you have their backs, wait for them to ask for advice
- Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart

 Michelle concludes our episode with singing a song based on Isaiah 49, reminding mothers that God has carved them in the palm of His hand.

In this episode of Seasoned Mamas, the hosts celebrate the release of Michelle's new book "Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness" (releasing January 7, 2025). Drawing from Chapter 7 of her book, Michelle leads a discussion about Jesus as our fount of living water, weaving biblical truth with contemporary motherhood challenges.

The conversation centers around the transformative story of the woman at the well (John 4:1-42), revealing how Jesus's longest recorded conversation in scripture was with someone society overlooked. Just as Jesus offered living water to the Samaritan woman, He offers the same grace and hope to weary mothers today. The hosts explore Jeremiah's metaphor of broken cisterns versus living water (Jeremiah 2:13), relating it to how mothers often seek fulfillment in temporary solutions rather than Christ's eternal provision.

Key topics include:
- Finding hope and rest in Jesus during difficult parenting seasons
- Navigating the emotional challenges of children leaving home
- Balancing faith formation and daily life with children 
- Dealing with unexpected life changes and health challenges as a mother
- Moving from self-reliance to God-reliance in parenting 

This episode features authentic conversations about motherhood struggles, including Lindsay's reflections on intentional faith formation, Deb's journey through empty nesting, Michelle's experience with letting go as children leave for college, and Faith's raw account of handling sick children during the holiday season.

"Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness" explores how God's promises sustain us through every season of life. While this episode focuses on motherhood applications, Michelle's book offers broader insights into how Jesus meets us in our daily struggles, just as He met the woman at the well. Through biblical truth and personal insights, the book reveals how God's faithfulness provides hope and peace in every circumstance.

Whether you're a new mom feeling overwhelmed, a seasoned mother navigating transitions, or somewhere in between, this episode and Michelle's new book offer encouragement and biblical wisdom for finding hope in Jesus rather than temporary solutions.

Episode Highlights:
- The significance of Jesus's conversation with the woman at the well (John 4)
- Understanding God's infinite care versus our finite abilities as mothers (Isaiah 40:11)
- Moving from perfectionism to grace in parenting
- Finding identity beyond motherhood while honoring its importance
- Embracing God's timing versus our own plans 

Pre-order "Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness" by Michelle, releasing January 7, 2025, to discover how God's promises bring peace and hope in every season of life. While this episode explores its applications to motherhood, the book's message speaks to anyone seeking to exchange their broken cisterns for Christ's living water.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: "Promise to Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness" by Michelle Diercks
• Available on Amazon
• Free first chapter available at CPH.org/promisedhope

In this special Advent episode, the Seasoned Mamas discuss waiting, hope, and motherhood through the lens of Mary's journey. Michelle, who is preparing to release her new book "Promised Hope" (coming January 7th), leads the discussion about how Mary's story of waiting and trust can encourage mothers in their seasons of waiting.

Scripture Highlights:

• "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." - Mary's faithful response (Luke 1:38)
• "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." - Psalm 126:5-6
• Mary's Magnificat theme of pondering and treasuring God's works in her heart (Luke 2:19)
• "It is finished" - Jesus' words from the cross (John 19:30)

Episode Highlights:

• The panel reflects on Mary's extraordinary journey from Gabriel's announcement to the foot of the cross
• Each mama shares their current season of waiting:
  • Lindsay discusses a significant ministry transition 
  • Faith courageously shares about loss and new hope 
  • Michelle contemplates changes ahead with her son's upcoming wedding
  • Deb reflects on waiting as an empty nester

Key Discussion Points:

• How Mary's response to Gabriel teaches us about waiting in faith
• The concept of "hope roaring" through difficult circumstances
• Personal stories of God's faithfulness during challenging seasons
• The parallel between Mary's waiting and modern motherhood challenges

Powerful Quotes:

"Hope roars, even when your darkest nightmares become reality." - Michelle

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy." - Psalm 126:5-6

Stories of Hope:

The mamas share powerful testimonies of hope, including:

• Lindsay's journey through a challenging first pregnancy to discovering unexpected joy
• Faith's story of loss and new beginnings
• Deb's reflection on watching her children grow through difficult transitions
• Michelle shares a story of how God helped her through medical uncertainties before, during, and after the birth of her son Matthew. 

Biblical Connections:

• Elizabeth and John the Baptist's recognition of Jesus before birth
• The parallel between Mary's waiting and modern mothers' seasons of uncertainty
• The promise that hope does not disappoint us because of Jesus

Resources Mentioned:

• Michelle's upcoming book, "Promised Hope," is available on January 7th. It's available for purchase on Amazon. 
• The first chapter is available for free on CPH's website under the picture of the book, you will see a "look inside." If you click there, you can read the first chapter. Please visit: cph.org/promisedhope

The Seasoned Mamas Podcast supports mothers in all seasons of motherhood, sharing wisdom, encouragement, and authentic conversations about the joys and challenges of raising children in faith.

The Seasoned Mamas continue their series on what they have been learning through the books they have written.

The Mamas begin discussing Michelle Diercks's book, Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness.

Michelle's book examines different names of God, and in this episode, the Mamas discuss what it means in their lives that the Lord is their Rock.

Key Scripture Focus

• Psalm 62: "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."
• Psalm 18: "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer."
• Psalm 37:5: "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Key Takeaways

1. God remains steady even when our circumstances are shaken
2. Building life on Jesus as our rock provides stability in unstable times
3. Every season of motherhood requires trusting God's faithfulness
4. Peace comes not from controlled circumstances but from knowing who holds us

Memorable Quotes

"If you build your life around temporary things - people, success, health, money - it's going to come crashing down eventually. But if you build your life on Jesus, who is your rock, that foundation holds steady, even when everything else is shaken." - Michelle Diercks

Coming Up

Michelle's new book "Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness" releases January 7th, 2025

Resources Mentioned

• Website: michellediercks.com/hope
• Michelle's book on Amazon: Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness

In this episode of Seasoned Mamas, Deb, Lindsay, Michelle, and Faith continue their miniseries on what God is teaching them, exploring Lindsay's new book, 'The Secret of Being Content,' a study through Philippians. They delve into how motherhood forms faith and contentment in Christ through everyday messy experiences. Lindsay shares a personal story about her dog, Finn, and how it ties into the lesson of contentment and the relationship with Christ. The discussion includes reflections on how motherhood teaches patience, sacrifice, and the transformative experience of knowing Jesus through life's challenges. Deb, Michelle, and Faith also share their experiences and insights, emphasizing the importance of partnering with the Holy Spirit in raising children. The episode closes with a reminder from Ephesians 2:10 and a prayer for strength and grace in motherhood.

00:00 Introduction to the Mini Series

01:49 Lindsay's Dog Saga and Contentment

03:02 Participating with Christ in Motherhood

03:59 Paul's Teachings in Philippians

07:50 Knowing Christ Through Experience

16:59 Motherhood and Sacrifice

21:30 Mothers Share Their Experiences

40:45 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

44:48 Upcoming Series Preview

Checkout Lindsay's Book

LISTEN ON THE PODCAST
Interview with Michelle Dierck's Peace in His Presence Podcast-
Unveiling Peace: A Conversation with Lindsay Hausch about Contentment through God's Word

Do you ever get stuck in a rut and focus on the hard things in life more than God's blessings? And do you ever get in a hard place where your children feel like more of a burden than a blessing? Moms! We've been there!

Finding contentment in motherhood is embracing each season with its unique blessings, opportunities, and limitations, but! But it is an ongoing process of God refining our hearts to see the best in our circumstances.

This is the second mini-episode in the TEACH ME WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING series where Lindsay talks to the Seasoned Mamas about her new book:
The Secret of Being Content: A Journey Through Philippians.

This week, the moms contemplate WEEK 4-DAY 3 of Lindsay's book, which focuses on the words from Jesus' Sermon on the Mountain, when he tells the gathered crowd, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). They consider how God at work in their hearts through life's challenges, can help them to be the kind of moms that recognize God's activity even in the hard circumstances.

This humorous episode considers how God is at work in our hearts through treacherous water slides, snack-groveling toddlers, and sock-eating dogs!
Grab a snack, sit back and enjoy this conversation as God stirs your heart to consider where He is at work in your own life!

Order Lindsay's Book Here:
The Secret of Being Content: A Journey Through Philippians.
Listen to Lindsay's Book Free:  LISTEN ON THE PODCAST
Check out Michelle's Interview with Lindsay at Peace in His Presence Podcast-
Unveiling Peace: A Conversation with Lindsay Hausch about Contentment through God's Word

Join the conversation on Facebook in our Seasoned Mama's Community.

As we continue in our Teach Me What You’re Learning series, the Seasoned Mamas hear from Lindsay Hausch as she shares her journey writing her new book: The Secret of Being Content, which is a journey through the book of Philippians.

Lindsay begins by sharing how God inspired her to write the book in the midst of her struggle to go off of her SSRI medication. It was in the place where she felt the full weight of her emotions that God has trained her to bring the burden to Him and find His rest regardless of circumstances.

Of course, Lindsay is the first to admit that learning contentment is always an ongoing process. She invites the moms to discuss how they would rate their own level of contentment, and also challenges them to consider if they have ever felt content regardless of difficult circumstances.

Deb, Faith, and Michelle share their own discoveries on this topic as well as stories that remind us that lit can be hard to feel like we ever fully "arrive" when it comes to having all of our circumstances just right, but that God is good through it.

The moms close by sharing the difference between the world's definition of contentment and the one described by Paul in his letter to the Philippians. They find rest in reminding themselves that even though their circumstances are constantly fluctuating, along with their moods, they can always find rest in Jesus Who brings a deeper joy and contentment.

Order Lindsay's new book HERE
Listen to the free podcast of the book HERE

In the ongoing series Teach Me What Your Learning, we get to hear one more time from Deb as we dig into her soon-to-be-released devotional journal, Immeasurably More: 100 Devotions on God's Extravagant Grace.

In this heartwarming episode of Seasoned Mamas, hosts Faith, Deb, Michelle, and Lindsay come together to explore the intrinsic value God sees in each of us, drawing from personal stories found in Deb's new book. The conversation is inspired by an endearing devotion called 'Brown Eyes,' which uses a childhood teddy bear to symbolize how God views us as precious and priceless, despite our flaws. 

Each host shares a unique item of personal significance: Michelle's treasured family fishing boat, Lindsay's inpirational old laptop, and Faith's priceless bathtub photo . . .each illustrating how seemingly mundane objects can hold immense value and serve as poignant reminders of God's love and grace for us in Christ. Moms are encouraged to reflect on their own priceless possessions and how they may serve as reminders of the immeasurable worth God places on His loved ones.
 
Pre-order Deb's new devotional journal and join the Seasoned Mamas community for more inspiration and support!

Immeasurably More: 100 Devotions on God's Extravagant Grace, releasing September 24th: https://www.cph.org/immeasurablymore 

Seasoned Mamas Podcast Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/650998710328320

In the ongoing series Teach Me What Your Learning we get to hear more from Deb as we dig into her soon to be released book Immeasurably More: 100 Devotions on God's Extravagant Grace.

In this episode Deb shares about her struggle with shaping her children's faith as they grew, and her doubt if she was doing enough.

Have you ever felt uncertain about helping your children or loved ones in their faith walk? Wondering if you are doing it right? Or if you are doing enough?

Deb encourages us as we recognize that every moment matters, and that as we pray and trust in God, He uses each imperfect moment to point to His perfect grace.

What Deb saw was God in every unexpected moment of parenting, as she discovered joy and opportunities in places she least expected including:
-discussing the sermon driving from church
-listening to the Christian radio
-processing hard conversations and experiences with friends
-seeing God at work through others

Then she posed the question to each of the moms:
"Concerning your children, a friend or another family member's faith how have you fretted?" 

Faith shared about struggling with teaching some of her new first graders who didn't know anything about faith. She felt uncertain about how she would approach it, but discovered God was already at work in the children's hearts that she got to witness and walk in.

Michelle talked about walking along side friend's whose children are struggling with their faith in God. Her friend wrestled with how she responds to her child's difficult life decisions, but they were encouraged by the story of the prodigal son, and the extravagant love that God the Father shows His wayward children. While there isn't resolution, her friend has the unshakeable faith in the grace of God and love of the father for her child.

Lindsay breaks the rules and doesn't answer the question as it was originally posed...but she shares about how she is "fretting" about her faith as a mom as she goes through a season of transition in motherhood. But she sees that God is at work in forming her faith as she trusts and rests in the process.

The moms close as they recognize the ways that they are seeing God break through as they see the evidence of God at work in the lives of those they love. While they don't have all the answers,  they recognize what God is doing in the mess of motherhood, and as they share their faith with others. As they pause and see the unexpected ways the Holy Spirit is already at work, they find joy in the journey.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory. 
Ephesians 3:20 NIV

As we continue in our series, Teach Me What You're Learning, fellow seasoned mama Deb Burma introduces her new devotional journal, "Immeasurably More," with 100 devotions and journals prompts on God's extravagant grace.

In this episode Deb tells us the story behind her inspiration of the book, and she invites the seasoned mamas to share where they need "God's immeasurably more" in their lives. 

Michelle shares about a recent season of awaiting a phone call for news that could change her life.

Faith shares about her adventure with exposure therapy in a busy airport.

Lindsay shares about a long season of loss.

As the moms share, one thing they agree on is that all of us need the Holy Spirit to supply more strength, more endurance, more courage, and more... to fuel us through hard things as mothers and as adults.