Do you feel like your life is on hold as you raise small children? Might you spend too much time idolizing the wrong things? Find yourself fixating on a clean house? Maybe pointing out imperfections in others? You will never want this episode to end! Ruth shares with us what she has ascertained as a parent to SIX boys over the past 18 years. We talk: resolving conflict, the actual purpose, and the importance of memorizing scripture, why your job is so important, and an overall reminder of where our eyes should be as we train our young ones.

Ruth Chou Simons is an entrepreneur, speaker, and bestselling author of Beholding and Becoming and GraceLaced. She shares her journey of God’s grace intersecting daily life with word and paintbrush through an online shop at GraceLaced.com and her Instagram community of more than a hundred thousand. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are grateful parents to six boys—their greatest adventure.

• social distancing with 7 guys in the house

Beholding and Becoming Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Healthy Family

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Are you watching your adolescent struggle with mental health? Are you ever torn between faith and your own mental health recovery? Matt Stanford works right at that intersection. He reminds those of us who have adolescents dealing with mental and emotional health issues to check our preconceived notions at the door. Forgetting where they should be and helping them recover gracefully.

Matthew S. Stanford (PhD, Baylor University) is CEO of the Hope and Healing Center & Institute in Houston, Texas, and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Baylor College. A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, he is the author of several books including Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness and Grace for the Children: Finding Hope in the Midst of Child and Adolescent Mental Illness.

• the church’s response to assisting with mental health issues

Between the World and MeWhite FragilityGrace for the ChildrenGrace for the Afflicted

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Where do you feel like you fall short? Just a little honest conversation about comparison going on over here today. It only makes sense to get into a rousing game of Would you Rather during our comparison chat and boy, it’s a tough one. Emily praises Katie for being a sandwich artist and Katie encourages Em to become a plant artist… because she has always wanted to be one.

• the ways we struggle with comparison

Kindle Where the Crawdads Sing Little Fires Everywhere Papermate Ink Joy Gel Pens Staedtler Marker Pens Sun Bum

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You know, I don’t feel like I’m cut out for this Mom thing. I am angry ALL the time and it can feel completely overwhelming to be in charge sometimes. But the truth is, we have been chosen to be the mothers of our children. The perspective shift for today is to stop thinking about all of the ways you are falling short and to start focusing on how you have already been equipped for this job.

Becky Keife is the Community Manager for DaySpring’s (in)courage, a widely followed online community where authentic women connect deeply with God and others. She is also a popular speaker for MOPS groups and other women’s events, and is the author of the new book, No Better Mom for the Job: Parenting with Confidence (Even When You Don't Feel Cut Out for It.) Becky is a huge fan of Voxer, Sunday naps, and moms in the thick of it. She and her husband live near Los Angeles where they enjoy hiking sunny trails with their three spirited sons.

• enjoying different seasons of motherhood

#45: The One Where We Model the Awkward Race Conversation in Hopes that You Will Have One Too #144: White Girls and Diversity with Nika SpauldingNo Better Mom for the JobNo Better Mom for the Job 5-Day YouVersion devotional

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Are you racing towards your goals? Running away every chance you can? I sure do. We could all use a gentle reminder to slow down and listen to what God may be telling us.

This week we are bringing you an exclusive interview with our very own Rebecky! There are no problems this month as we celebrate Rebecca Smith’s vulnerable and sweet page-turner that launched this week. In A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead, Rebecca tells us many personal stories of how she took baby steps and followed God’s lead to find her purpose. Even though she is one of my dearest friends, I didn’t know the sweet story behind Better Life Bags before reading. I loved each chapter more than the last and I’m so happy she shared her heart with all of us.

Rebecca Smith lives in a low-income area of Detroit, Michigan with her husband, four children, and many miscellaneous pets. She started a custom handbag company in her basement with a mission to hire women who have various barriers to employment. These women are adopted into the Better Life family and given a chance to succeed in life, family, and friendship. 

• an update on Better Life Bags

Milk & Honey Tees Ruggable #38: Starting Small and Saying “Hello” with Rebecca Smith

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It’s every young parent's nightmare and it’s some parents' reality. My guest this week shares with us her family’s story through her son's addiction, overdose, and recovery. She describes what it looks like through the eyes of a faithful mother who did all of the right things but still found herself in the middle of a war. We talk about her struggles with bipolar disorder and her husband's experience with Coronavirus. She has sweet encouragement for all of us moms - we are not alone in these struggles!

Katherine James attended Columbia University, where she also taught undergraduate fiction. Her debut novel, Can You See Anything Now?, won Christianity Today's 2018 Fiction Book award and was a semifinalist for the Doris Bakwin Award. Her new book A Prayer for Orion is out now and is very beautifully written. She lives in West Chester, PA with her writer-philosopher-preacher husband, they have three adult children who are more awesome than everyone else in the world and she prays for them every night.

• coping with the pandemic with your family geologically spread out

HopeForHurtingParents.com Clean by David Sheff You Are Not Alone by Dena Yohe

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Will the pools be open? What about the beaches? What are we going to DO this summer!?

We found ourselves asking all of these questions so we decided to get on the mic and talk through it like sisters do! We tried out two new recipes with our kids to pass some time and learned more than expected in that experience. We also talked about what swimsuit trends we may be rocking in our back yards this year and how to make limoncello like the Italians do. This episode was magnifico!

• how Katie’s messy ice cream in a bag experiment lead to the fulfillment of a 10-year dream

Unlocking Us podcast Ice Cream in a Bag recipe Bread in a Bag recipe Stitch Witchery

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Are you homeschooling by choice or by force? What “counts” as school, anyway? Maybe you just need some basic guidelines to keep your sanity. Erin shares with us 5 things that you can do right now to improve your homeschool experience plus ways to re-frame this unique situation to find the good. One of my favorite parts of this chat is where she shares the practice of placing value on “unique ability time” and I know it got me thinking of ways to switch things up at home for my kiddos.

 Erin Weidemann is the founder of Truth Becomes Her, a brand that equips moms and women with resources to help them step into their unique leadership roles. A sought-after homeschool consultant, certified teacher, coach, and nationally-recognized speaker, Erin’s personal mission is to shift the conversation around feminine values from being beauty-driven, to a focus on inherent worth. As an on-air personality for Air1 Radio as well as host of the Heroes For Her Podcast where she interviews positive female role models who are living out their passions in-line with their personal values. Erin has written eight (wow!) books, is a five-time cancer survivor, and lives and homeschools in San Diego, CA with her husband, Brent, and their daughter, Rooney.

• the goal of Erin’s ministry Truth Becomes Her

Adore by Sara Hagerty Free online Brave Moms conference Heroic Homeschooler Masterclass

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Emily doesn’t look forward to grandchildren and Rebecky has started cussing during quarantine. These are just the down and dirty facts, and we can’t hide them any longer. We talk about conflicting opinions on arugula, the good and bad days during a pandemic, and jaw-dropping chalk art. I would like to formally thank Rebecky for our shiny new explicit rating and for keeping things… fresh around here.

• when the pandemic became real for Rebecky and how she’s handling it

Every Plate Change-Your-Life Chicken recipe

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Does someone in your family have a chronic illness? Could you use a perspective shift towards grace when it comes to your children?

I was so happy to hear from my guest today because she has practical ways to get in the bible no matter what your spiritual maturity and that was just the motivation I needed. She shares with us her wisdom on the subject of grace and her family’s journey navigating Crohn’s disease.

Amy Seiffert is an author, writer, and teacher. She currently is on the teaching team at her church, where she directs community groups and team cohesion. Weaving biblical wisdom through her presentations, Amy inspires, teaches, and humbly invites any willing spiritual pilgrim to walk alongside her in the pursuit of truth and the knowledge of God. Amy is married to Rob, and they live in Bowling Green, Ohio, with their three kids.

• the need for parenting skills and relational help Amy sees in her community

Jesus Storybook Bible Feeding the Mouth That Bites YouNordace backpacks Grace Looks Amazing on You

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