Have you ever felt desperate to find something steady in the midst of grief? Someone you can turn to that can hear, see, and truly understand your pain? While our needs in seasons of grief are many and real, from getting proper sleep to eating well and spending time in community, there is only one place we can go that will never fail us or prove untrue: God’s Word. In this episode, Emily reads verses from Scripture that we hope meet and uplift you in sorrow. As you listen to the words of God’s people crying out to him for help, and God’s gracious response to them that he will save and redeem all that has been broken, we pray that these truths from Scripture will be a steady rock when all else feels like sinking sand. Whatever we may be struggling with today, God hears the cries of his beloved people.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

As moms, the grief of miscarriage is a deeply intimate one. After the joy of a positive pregnancy test, the loss of that life in the womb brings deep devastation. In this episode, Emily and Laura sit down with Abbey Wedgeworth, author of Held: 31 Biblical Reflections of God’s Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage, to learn about how miscarriage impacts women, the ways a mom can remember the life of her child, and how the gospel meets us in the sting of death and sorrow. Even when our darkest fears in motherhood come to life, we can trust that no questions, doubts, or pain are beyond the reach of God’s sovereignty and care for us—one day, he will wipe every tear from our eyes and death will be no more (Rev 21:4).

Motherhood has a way of revealing our limits, be it physical, mental, or emotional. When we find ourselves at the end of our abilities, it can be easy to wonder if God has equipped us with everything we need to be a good and faithful mom. In this episode, Emily and Laura sit down with Vaneetha Risner to discuss the topic of chronic pain in motherhood. Whether you suffer from chronic pain or disability, or simply find yourself wondering if you have what it takes to make it through another day of mothering, Vaneetha provides gospel encouragement and perspective for the mom who wonders if she’s ‘enough’ for her children. When we trust that our sufficiency is in Christ, our hearts are freed to steward the gift of motherhood faithfully with what God has given us today.

Have you ever wondered if your feelings are “normal” when navigating a hard season? Maybe we’re more easily irritated, shed tears more often, or even find ourselves apathetic or emotionless to what’s happening around us. In this episode, Emily and Laura chat with counselor and theologian Matthew LaPine on the science behind how our bodies process grief. Matt also shares a few trends to help a mom identify when it might be time to seek professional help. As we look at the ways God designed our bodies to respond and process in seasons of suffering, we can be reminded that he has knit us together in perfect design, and we can find refuge in our Maker even on the darkest of days.

*While this series is meant to be an encouragement to you in times of grief, we know that a podcast episode can’t speak to the specific details and struggles of your day-to-day life. If you’re walking through a season of deep grief, please reach out to a trusted friend, mentor, counselor, and/or medical professional that can speak into your specific circumstances. This series is not meant to give personal advice or be a substitute for professional help.

Motherhood brings a flood of emotions and experiences. We know the laughter and the joy, the frustrations and the hardships, but what about when motherhood brings grief? Whether we’ve had to encounter death, trudge through the deep pain of a chronic disease or disability, or we’ve felt the sting of a circumstance gone wrong, life in a fallen world eventually brings tears and heartache. In this episode, Emily and Laura launch a new mini-series by exploring the origins of sorrow in Scripture, considering what we can learn from others’ stories, and providing three truths we can cling to as we navigate motherhood in the midst of sorrow. No matter what hurt we walk through in this life—and we know the pain can cut unimaginably deep—we have the hope of knowing that Christ has defeated death, and one day our suffering will be no more.

Screens are everywhere—from ordering groceries, responding to an email from school, managing our calendars, and more, it’s no surprise that our kids are interested in screens and technology. As faithful stewards of our children’s hearts and minds, what does it mean to navigate screen time, devices, content, and media engagement in today’s culture? In this episode, Emily and Laura revisit the topic of technology through the lens of discipling our children as they grow in curiosity and independence. While the Bible doesn’t directly address tablets and smartphones, we can trust that as we seek the Lord in wisdom, he will give us wisdom to disciple our children well in a digital age.

Whether from sleepless nights, the loss of discretionary time, or the stress of managing family schedules, the demands of motherhood affect our physical appearance. As we look in the mirror each morning, how can we get ready for the day as stewards, considering how we can glorify God and adorn the gospel? In this live-recorded episode from The ONE Conference, Emily and Laura tackle the topic of aging—from anti-aging creams to coloring grays, expensive foundation to botox, the gospel really does give us the framework we need to shape our beauty regimen. As we shift our eyes away from the mirror and on to Christ, our lives can display the beauty of the gospel to those around us.

Have you ever felt a little awkward when your child asks you about someone with a disability? As moms, we want our kids to show kindness and compassion toward everyone, but it can feel tough to know how to address a topic that we ourselves don’t feel fully equipped for. In this episode, Emily and Laura provide four foundational truths we can use to help our children understand disability and what it looks like on this side of heaven. Laura also shares more about her new children’s book, Like Me. Whether your children are typically-developing or disability is woven into your family, God has created every one of us in his image with purpose and beauty—by his grace, we are far more alike than we are different.

From the moment we learn we’re going to be moms, the decision points begin to roll in quickly. Whether we’re unsure about pacifier styles and sleep training methods, or we’re researching the best time to get our kids a phone and leave them home alone, motherhood is made up of choices big and small. These decisions can leave us anxious and exhausted if we don’t know how to discern what is best in our own unique situation. In this episode, Emily and Laura revisit the topic of personal conscience—what it is, how it works, and how we honor other moms who make different decisions. Scripture may not directly address every topic we face in modern motherhood, but we can trust that as the Spirit works in us, our conscience will align more and more to God’s will for our lives as we pursue him.

As moms, we feel the weight of preparing our kids for so many things in life, from the early years of potty training to applying for their first job. But as believers, we also feel the weight of something far greater: the call to train them up in godliness, reminding them that the Bible is true and God is worthy of our obedience. In this interview with Hillary Morgan Ferrer and Amy Davison of Mama Bear Apologetics, Emily and Laura discuss what it looks like to equip our children with a biblical worldview and good critical thinking skills as they engage secular culture. Let’s point our children to the God who is unchanging, real, and true, who can hold them through the storms and pressures of the world.

Have you ever wanted to share the gospel with another mom, but held back out of fear? While some of us may have the God-given gift of evangelism (Eph. 4:11), all of us are called to make disciples—but what does this look like in the context of everyday mom life? In this episode, Emily and Laura discuss what it means to be a faithful presence in our communities, showing our neighbors what it looks like to hope in Christ. There are a lot of reasons it can feel scary or hard to share the good news of the gospel with those we know, but we can trust that as we pursue obedience in Christ, the Holy Spirit is working in us to bear fruit in our life and the lives of others.

God calls all of us to train our children up in the ways of the Lord (Prov. 22:6), but when our kids become school-age, our options for helping them learn subjects like math and reading abound. Should we send our kids to public school, enroll them in private school, or homeschool? Is there only one right way for all Christian families? In this episode, Emily and Laura revisit the topic of school choice, encouraging moms to thoughtfully evaluate risks, be invested in their education, and outline practical steps we can take as we determine the right fit for our kids’ schooling. There are a lot of voices out there that push us one way or another, but the gospel gives us freedom to prayerfully pursue what is right for our individual children and families.