Struggle Well School

Lauren is a girl who is walking the delicate balance of absolute truth and overwhelming grace.  She is also a girl with a life so wildly interesting people wonder if it's true!  Lauren and her family currently live in South East Asia and she works tirelessly to create jobs for women seeking safe work.  Her perspective on motherhood is unique and I can't wait for you to hear it!

What we chat about:

the importance of loving people even when they continue to mess up

I came across a great resource recently and wanted to share it with you!  My church has some questions they encourage us to ask our kids each year in an effort to gauge the opinions of our kids about how we are doing as a family unit and how they feel we are doing as parents.

Head to Momstrugglingwell.com for links to the lists of questions!

Logan Wolfram would give you full access to her pantry if you lived next door. She is a plate-juggling mom and interior decorator turned writer, speaker, and host of the Allume Conference. She is a passionate leader who desires to see women live fully in Christ. 

We chat about:

Her new book Curious Faith

Thanks to the thunderstorm we ended up with a part two to this conversation!  She had so many good things to say I just had to keep asking questions!

What we chat about:

her strategy to leave a tangible legacy for her daughters

There are a handful of people whose social media posts grab my attention every time.  Stephanie "Honey" Holden is one of them.  She is funny, encouraging, and really convicting all at once.  I was selfishly looking forward to recording an interview because I knew I would learn a lot and I DID until a thunderstorm knocked my power out...  It was great while it lasted though and we'll catch the rest of it next week.  Enjoy the first part today!    

meet melody:

what we chat about:

the importance of doing things that "don't compute" daily

shopmelodyjoy.com

My friend Jenny is a source of wisdom and encouragement to me personally.  She has experience loving overseas which has given her a great deal of compassion for refugees and she has worked tirelessly with her daughter who has autism.  Her gentle patient spirit is amazing to me and I know the only way to explain it is to look where she's looking: Jesus.

We chat about unusual ways to engage with robbers, creating visual schedules for anxious kids, and gratefulness as an antidote to comparison.  You're gonna get so much out of listening to Jenny's perspective.  Can't wait to hear what your plan to struggle well will be!

I love Jill's story.  She was a mom who (like all of us) wanted to take better pictures of her kids.  She got a nice camera and made her husband PROMISE he wouldn't let her think she was now a professional photographer just because she had a nice camera.  Well, a few months later, she took some photos of a friend's kids and it turned out she was pretty good at it! 

The other part of her story that I love is how God-directed it has been.  I have had a tendency to want to force things (I've gotten in loads of trouble that way) and I appreciate seeing people who do the opposite of me.  Her goal in her words: "He sees the beauty worth loving in all of us, so I’m doing my best to use the gift He’s graciously given me to capture that beauty while serving and inspiring others.

We chat about what it looks like to let God lead, how she fights perfectionism, what it's been like to go back to work after 8 years out of the workforce, and her serious love of foam.

So thankful to bring you some insight this week from my friend Kristin.  She's a mom of 6 kids (plus 1 in heaven) who has learned the importance of facing lies head-on with a plan.  She's passionate about helping moms be brave and seeing the importance of being the one to reach out to other moms instead of waiting for them to come to you. 

We talk about the journey through the grief of miscarriage, how to make new mom friends after you move, taking thoughts captive and how you'll hear the lies first, and the importance of prioritizing time with God even when you're exhausted.

This girl.  She's the spunky southern California artist behind HEart by CC.  She is a wife and the mom of 3 boys too!  She is a girl whose message of freedom and acceptance has been hard-won through many years of overcoming obstacles.  You're gonna love this conversation!

What we talk about: Trying to read your Bible when you're dyslexic, believing in your kids when no one else does, walking with kids with "unique needs," and what it's ok to be honestly disappointed in your current situation.