Where do career dreams fit in with God’s calling on our lives as moms? For most of us, our capacity for income-producing work has likely ebbed and flowed as we’ve transitioned into motherhood, enrolled our kids in school, or added to our families. In this episode, Emily and Laura chat with Portia Collins, founder of nonprofit women’s ministry She Shall Be Called and Partner Development Specialist at Revive Our Hearts, on being faithful in full-time income-producing work, career ambitions, and motherhood. As we ask the Lord what he has for us in each season, we can view all of our work as an opportunity to serve, trusting that he is faithful to give and take for our good and his glory.

As moms, the work that fills our to-do lists can feel overwhelming. Schedules are tight, keeping the house clean is near-impossible, and the weight of meeting the mental and emotional needs of our families can put us in overdrive. In this episode, Emily chats with Jill Thomas, a mental health therapist focused on helping moms through the challenges of marriage and motherhood, on the ways work affects our mental health and how to step back and care for ourselves as we seek to faithfully do what God has placed before us. When our work feels heavy, we can rejoice that God has never asked us to do it alone, and his grace is sufficient to sustain.

*While Jill Thomas is a licensed therapist, this episode is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you resonate with any of the mental health topics discussed, please reach out to a counselor or medical professional.

How many hours can we clock each week, and still serve our families well? Should we take that job now that our kids are in school, or pull back as our families grow? Scripture hasn’t given us a one-size-fits-all answer in this area (which means Emily and Laura won’t be able to tell you either!), but we can find help for direction and discernment from God’s Word. In this episode, Emily and Laura outline a few questions to think through when considering turning the knob up or down on income-producing work, particularly if you have the privilege of choice*. To take this show even further, we’ve also created a free workbook filled with gospel-centered questions to help a mom think through their income-producing work. You can find the link to the workbook below! As we navigate these decisions, we can trust that the Lord is our Counselor and Comforter in every season.

*We know not all moms are afforded choice in this area and it's an enormous gift to have options in work. If you are in a season where you long for a change in how you spend your days, please know we've prayed for you, asking God to give you strength to trust him in every season.

It’s time to make the bed–again. Do the dishes–again. Sit in a meeting again. Answer an email–again. When we’re in a cycle of everyday, ordinary work, what is our reaction? Some of us dive head-first into busyness and box-checking, and some of us pull back, saving the hard work for “later.” In this episode, Emily and Laura examine our various sin tendencies when it comes to our work as moms. While we all will face challenges in our work on this side of heaven, God is gracious to help us work according to his principles and lead us in his ways.

As moms, we all want to be faithful in our work. Whether paid or unpaid, seen or unseen, mundane or exciting—God has given all of us work to do, and what he has given us matters. In this episode, Emily and Laura look at God’s good design for work and the variety of ways it manifests in motherhood. The work we do as moms won’t always be easy or exciting, but when we’re able to lay it before the Lord, we can trust that he is faithful to finish the work he started in us.

The dishes pile up. The kids run circles around the house. The to-do list is a mile long. Motherhood is full, but too often, we fill our time hunching over our phones, giving our best self to social media instead of looking up at the work in front of us. When we don’t know where to begin, social media feels like a welcome distraction. But when our days are consumed by social media, we might miss the most important things. In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss faithfulness in motherhood, examining the way it impacts our limited time and energy. When we give God first place in our hearts and steward the responsibilities before us, we can use social media as a tool rather than an escape.

It’s easy to pick on social media, but for all of its challenges, we also believe it can be used for good. In this special bonus episode, Emily and Laura provide four quick ways we can use social media redemptively. When we use our social platforms to obviously or subtly point to Christ, we provide an opportunity for someone to encounter the beauty of the gospel while they scroll. We hope this encourages you with fresh ideas for stewarding social media well, no matter the size or purpose of your account!

As proud moms, most of us can’t resist sharenting. (Yep, that term is real! If you haven’t heard it before: it just means sharing pictures of our kids online.) Whether we have a small, private account for friends and family or share lifestyle content for thousands of eyes to see, let’s at least ask the question—why are we posting this? What are the rewards? What are the risks? In this episode, Emily and Laura chat through questions to consider the ‘why’ behind our sharenting. While the takeaway will look different for everyone, when the gospel guides our thinking, we’ll share with love and wisdom.

“Mom influencers.” How does that term hit? Some of us love them. Some of us roll our eyes at them. Sometimes we do both. But either way, we might not realize how influencers shape our motherhood—the pans we buy, the parenting methods we use, and the pacifiers we purchase. Whether you’re on social media or not, you’ve been influenced! In this special live-recorded episode, Emily and Laura break down the topic of influence and mom-influencer culture, examining the good and the bad. If we’re going to navigate motherhood in a digital age, we need Christ to be our greatest influence.

Let’s get real: we all want to be liked. No matter where we are on the social media spectrum, from a professional content creator on Instagram to an occasional poster for the sake of the grandparents, God’s principles for the way we share content remain the same. In this episode, Emily and Laura walk through questions to consider as we seek to honor God in the things we post online. When we’re known and loved by him, our content won’t be ruled by our desire to be ‘liked’ by others.

Whether we recognize it or not, social media is changing us. It changes how we interact with people. It even changes our motherhood—what we buy, what strategies we use, and where we go for hope and help. In the first episode of our social media mini-series, Laura and Emily invite us to wake-up to the impact of social media on our lives. If we want to know how to swim in the waters of social media, we need to take a hard look at it’s risks and pitfalls. But as we bring the gospel to bear on our social media use, we can ask God to shape our desires and impulses for what brings the longest good to our families.

Whether we recognize it or not, social media is changing us. It changes how we interact with people. It even changes our motherhood—what we buy, what strategies we use, and where we go for hope and help. In the first episode of our social media mini-series, Laura and Emily invite us to wake-up to the impact of social media on our lives. If we want to know how to swim in the waters of social media, we need to take a hard look at it’s risks and pitfalls. But as we bring the gospel to bear on our social media use, we can ask God to shape our desires and impulses for what brings the longest good to our families.