Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Let’s have some “real talk” and think about our faith in action when it comes to our neighbors, even when they are different. This conversation will help you think about being more open and welcoming and train your children to do the same. Our guest this week, author Trillia Newbell, encourages us in the message of James chapter two - love for others that doesn’t show favoritism to those who look or think or act like us. Her book, The Big Wide Welcome, illustrates how the love of Christ sees and welcomes others for who they are and how we should do the same. Trillia is a wife, mom, author, and speaker whose writings address and encourage our faith, our families, and the culture around us  Connect with Trillia Newbell:  Website:  https://trillianewbell.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrilliaNewbell  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/trillianewbell/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/trillianewbell  Links Mentioned:   The Big Wide Welcome by Trillia J. Newbell DMA Convo Starters--NEW MERCH Related Episodes Ep 282 Many Hues, One Humanity :: Dr. Lucretia Berry Ep 261 Racial Healing Starts with You :: Latasha Morrison  Ep 198 A Declaration of Interdependence :: Sharifa Stevens Ep 216 Help Your Children Embrace Differences :: Dorena Williamson Ep 327 Exploring Global Cultures at Home ;; Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young  Featured Sponsors: Thrive Market–Join today to get 40% off your first order AND a FREE gift at ThriveMarket.com/DMA. Indeed–Start hiring right now with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/DMA. Offer valid through March 31st. Need to hire? You need Indeed.  PrepDish–The founder Allison is offering listeners a free 2-week trial to try it out. You can’t beat that. Check out prepdish.com/dma for this amazing deal. 

In a world of increasing chaos, we crave certainty. We “know” the answer lies in some good disciplines like daily time with God. How can you step into a habit of studying God’s Word with consistency and success, even when your daily rhythms are upside down? Let’s turn Bible study from a “should do” into a vibrant, life-giving way to get the Word into your heart. Our guest this week, Bible teacher Katie Orr, will encourage you in practical and approachable ways so that you can open God’s Word and be fed. We talk through the stops on Katie’s “Bible Study Boulevard” - an assessment you can take on her website to help you figure out just where you are on your Bible study journey. Identifying your “stop” can help you adopt methods you can use right where you are, right now to connect with God and know Him more. Her online community at www.biblestudyhub.com is a place where women can connect and receive training, encouragement, and accountability to enjoy God’s word. She is even offering Don’t Mom Alone listeners a special on her 5 Days to Better Bible Study Course to jump start your study!  Connect with Katie:  Website:  katieorr.me Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekatieorr Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thekatieorr Books by Katie Orr - Secrets of the Happy Soul FOCUSed15 Bible Studies Links Mentioned:   Katie’s Episode from 2015 (Ep 101) 5 Days to Better Bible Study  Bible Study Boulevard  Bible Recap  YouVersion App  Bible Project  E. Randolph Richards Misreading the Bible with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible  Featured Sponsors:  Athena Club: Show your skin you care with the Athena Club Razor Kit! Sign up today and you’ll get 20% off your first order! Go to Athenaclub.com and use the promo code dma. Stitch Fix: Get started today by filling out your free style quiz at StitchFix.com/DMA and take advantage of free shipping and returns.  Uncommon Goods: To get 15% off your next gift go to UncommonGoods.com/dma. Don’t miss this limited time offer.   

The preteen/teen years are a time of immense change and growth that often come with difficulty between mother and child. As the mom of a teen you may find yourself confused or frustrated with your child’s new behavior and attitudes. (The thought of those years is enough to fill elementary-kid moms with dread!)  Come and listen as we shed light on the confusion of these transitional years that will help us both prepare for and thrive during this crucial developmental stage. In this episode Child Development Specialist, Dr. Nell Bush, explains to us the four pillars of preteen/teen development.  Dr. Bush co-authored The Parenting Survival Guide, a practical handbook for parents addressing common child rearing concerns. Having four children of her own, she understands teen development on a theoretical and practical level. Nell encourages us that if we can understand what’s going on socially, emotionally, mentally, and physically with our preteens/teens we can respond with compassion and adapt our parenting strategies to fit their needs. She also covers aspects of development from why teens sleep so much to why they seem to love and hate us almost simultaneously. Draw hope for the present or wisdom for the future as you sit in (or do the dishes, or drive the kids all over) on Heather and Nell’s conversation.  Connect with Dr. Nell Bush:  Email:   nell.f.bush@gmail.com Links Mentioned:   Handout from Dr. Bush Birds and Bees  https://birds-bees.com/ Episodes with Mary Flo and Megan Michaelson of Birds and Bees Featured Sponsors:   Framebridge:Get started today–frame your photos or send someone the perfect gift. Go to Framebridge.com and use the promo code: DMA to save an additional 15% off your first order.  HelloFresh: Go to HelloFresh.com/dma16 and use code dma16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts.  Stamps.com: Save time and money this year with stamps.com. Sign up with promo code DMA for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, free postage and a digital scale. No long term commitments or contracts.     

We’ll just say it - friendship as an adult is hard. It’s hard to find friends, to keep friends, and to be a good friend amidst all the hustle and bustle of motherhood. And motherhood can be an extremely lonely place. On this episode, Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston, founders of Sister I am With You, share the good, the bad, and the awkward of making friends as a mom. They guide us through their own story of friendship (and encourage us to get out there and start the work of friendship) with candor and humor.  They talk about some pitfalls of making friends and share tips on how to be a good friend.  Their book, I’ll be There, (But I’ll be Wearing Sweatpants), releases January 25, 2022.  Connect with Amy and Jess:  Website:  https://www.sisteriamwithyou.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sisteriamwithyou Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sisteriamwithyou Instagram for Amy: https://www.instagram.com/amyweatherly Instagram for Jess: https://www.instagram.com/wonderoakblog Links Mentioned:   I’ll be There, (But I’ll be Wearing Sweatpants)   Related Episodes: Ep 321 Healing from Broken Friendships :: Shundria Riddick Shifting Perspective on Hard Things :: Summer of Mentorship Week 6 Ep 338 Helping our Kids Foster Friendships :: David Thomas and Sissy Goff Ep 289 Strengthening Our Friendships :: Susan Seay Ep 273 Navigating Friendships :: Melanie Shankle Ep 159 Healing Friendship Wounds :: Lisa-Jo Baker Ep 148 Overcoming Insecurities in Friendship :: Renee Swope Featured Sponsors: Prep Dish–Free 2 week trial to try PrepDish. Check out prepdish.com/dma for this amazing deal.  Outschool–Outschool has helped my kids get excited about learning and they can help yours too. To learn more about what Outschool has to offer and save $15 off your child’s first class go to Outschool.com/dma Indeed–Start hiring right now with a $75 job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/DMA. Offer valid through March 31st

Do you ever feel like you wake up Monday and the week is already running away from you? Overwhelm is a common feeling among moms and in this episode Retha Nichole shares the system she created that helped create margin in her own life.  As a working mom to three boys, and at times a single mom, her Sunday Planning routine and portioning out her “plate” has helped her take care of herself and her people well. “Sunday Planning looks different in the different seasons of life. As a mom of two  littles I thought of the five things that would help me the MOST. That is still what I do as my children have grown up and can do most of these things on their own.” Retha walks us through measuring our own capacity and how to craft your own Sunday Planning routine. Her website offers several products ready to make the most of your Sunday Planning efforts.  Connect with Retha:  Website: Retha Nichole https://www.thespcircle.com/ Facebook: Retha Nichole - Home | Facebook Instagram: @RethaNichole Links Mentioned:   Retha’s story on the So…What Else? Podcast with Kaitlin Eliott Featured Sponsors:  Stitch Fix Freestyle -- Get started today by filling out your style quiz at stitchfix.com/DMA HelloFresh--Get up to 16 free meals and 3 free gifts at hellofresh.com/dma16 use code: dma16 Prose--Take your FREE in-depth hair consultation and get 15% off your first order today. Go to prose.com/DMA. 

As we enter the holiday season, it’s easy to get swept up in the tasks and external pressures that crowd our days… coordinating family events, planning the food, buying and wrapping gifts. With so much to do, it can be easy to adopt a Grinch-like personality or to just be a bit snappy with people who enter our lives.  My guest Rachael R Wade is here to help our hearts grow three times larger by practicing giving honor to those around us. It’s a simple act of kindness that can be very powerful. “No one gets tired of hearing encouragement or being honored. And it's just calling out what God has put in others. Just taking the time to notice them and saying something kind. That little piece of encouragement could be the difference for if they decide to continue on in a dream or how they parent their kids. There's a lot of weight to our words.” Whether it’s showing honor to our kids and extended family or the clerk at the next store you enter, I invite you to pour out God’s love to a hurting world and use your words to heal. Rachael shares a lot of ideas for honoring others and how coming alongside and holding space for those around us is a catalyst for God’s kingdom here on earth.  Connect with Rachael R Wade:  Website: rachaelrwade.com   Facebook: facebook.com/RachaelRWade  Instagram: @rachwade  Links Mentioned:   Olive Us Community BOOK: Love Where You Live by Shauna Pilgreen  Don’t Mom Alone Patreon Group-- December Bonus Pep Talks Featured Sponsors:    Rothy’s --Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/DMA with extended returns and exchanges through the holidays.  Skylight Frames --Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go to Skylight Frame.com and enter the code DMA.   

Jeannie Cunnion is back on the show with a powerful message that reminds us that we are NEVER ALONE. As believers we always have the Holy Spirit with us and Jeannie shares how to deepen your understanding of the Holy Spirit and come to know Him as an intimate friend and companion. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit gives us power for the daily grind and holy work of motherhood. She shares about how He is faithfully at work, making the gospel irresistible to our kids and the freedom that comes from not having to do the Holy Spirit’s job for our kids.  “I think that there's a freedom and a frustration that comes with the Holy Spirit. There's freedom because it's like I can not do the Holy Spirit's job. He is going to be the one who sparks their faith, sustains their faith, strengthens them, sanctifies them. That is all his job. But that can also be frustrating because we want to be able to produce that fruit in their life to spare them from the consequences and the pain of sin. I have to remind myself that God loves my kids infinitely more than I ever could imagine and that he longs for them to live in the fullness of his grace and mercy, even more than I do.”  If you are longing to experience the freedom that comes from resting in the Holy Spirit instead of your own strength, this is the episode for you! Jeannie shares more in-depth on this subject in her new Bible study available for pre-orders now, Never Alone - Bible Study Book: Parenting in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Connect with Jeannie Cunnion:  Website: jeanniecunnion.com    Facebook: facebook.com/JeannieCunnion  Instagram: @jeanniecunnion  Links Mentioned:   BOOK: Don’t Miss Out BOOK: Never Alone - Bible Study Book: Parenting in the Power of the Holy Spirit   BOOK: Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit [Ep 190] Set Free From Shame :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 91] Anchoring Our Kids’ Lovability in Christ :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 55] How to {really} Parent with Grace :: Jeannie Cunnion PDF: Never Alone Manifesto Featured Sponsors: Uncommon Goods-- To get 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/dma.  HelloFresh-- Go to HelloFresh.com/dma14 and use the code dma14 for up to 14 free meals AND 3 free gifts. 

Many women feel lost in their marriages. They don't know what to do with their disappointment, when to ask for help, or what it looks like to let go of the need to control. But God has given women incredible power in marriage and Dr. Juli Slattery is here to help us learn how to use it. Dr. Slattery joins me to discuss key points from her bestselling book Finding the Hero in Your Husband and about how what we believe about our husbands can make all the difference in the intimacy, connection and health of our marriages.   “There are going to be issues in every marriage that have to be addressed, but it's the relational equity that we build through how we treat our husbands that gives us the power to confront things when they really need to be addressed. And when your husband has come to rely so much on your intimacy and companionship, then the fact that you have a concern really gets his attention because he doesn't want to lose you.” We talk about being emotionally safe for our husbands, stopping the cycle of disappointment and nagging in our marriages, and taking another look at intimacy as a sexual journey to go on with our husbands. It’s. So. GOOD.  If you are in need of a boost of hope and excitement to help you re-engage in your marriage, this episode is for you! Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery:  Website: authenticintimacy.com   Facebook: facebook.com/AuthenticIntimacy  Instagram: @authenticintimacy   Podcast: Java with Juli  Links Mentioned:   BOOK: Finding the Hero in Your Husband, Revisited  More Recent Episodes on Marriage: [Ep 299] Nurturing Your Marriage :: Brent and Janis Sharpe [Ep 234] Habits of a Healthy Marriage :: Paul David Tripp [Ep 335] Self-Differentiation and Why it Matters :: Nancy Houston  [Ep 206] Overcoming Barriers to Sexual Intimacy :: Nancy Houston Featured Sponsors:  Fazl --Socks, Hats & Mitts handmade in the Himalayas by Happy Women. Go to shopfazl.com and use the code DMA to get 15% off your purchase.  StoryWorth--Give someone you love the thoughtful, personal gift from the heart by preserving memories and stories for years to come. Go to StoryWorth.com/dma and save $10 off your first purchase.  

Jenn Kautsch is an empty nester mom and a retired "grey area" drinker. She takes us into her story of feeling tired, stuck on auto-pilot, and ready for a change when it comes to her relationship with alcohol.  Through her own journey of seeking God about her casual drinking habit that was becoming a toxic mental battle, Jenn stopped asking if her drinking was “bad” for her and reframed it. “So I turned it around and I started asking myself the question, Jenn, is it good enough? Is your drinking good enough for you? Is your relationship with drinking, helping you become the best version of yourself? Is it taking you where you really want to go? Is it matching up to your outsides being like your insights or are you walking around with duplicity in a divided mind and a mental tug of war?” After choosing to embrace a sober lifestyle, Jenn started SoberSis,  a like-minded community of women who are renegotiating their relationship with alcohol without labels, shame, judgment or rules. We talk about how God brought her freedom from what felt like a divided life -- constantly feeling in conflict and stuck in an internal tug-of-war so she could live a more wholehearted life. And how she’s now been able to connect with close to 20,000 women from all over the world through her SoberSis community of women. Connect with Jenn:  Website:  sobersis.com  Facebook: facebook.com/sobermindedsister  Instagram:  @sobersis  Links Mentioned:   Get the Happy Hour Survival Guide from Jenn Join her 21 Day Reset Challenge Free Video Series - https://www.sobersis.com/new-videos If you had a parent who was an alcoholic check out this episode: Forgiving my Alcoholic Mother :: Sarah Mae [Ep 257] If you need help setting boundaries this holiday season: Setting Healthy Boundaries :: Dr. John Townsend [250]   Featured Sponsors:  BetterHelp -- Visit BetterHelp.com/DMA and join over 2M people who have taken charge of their mental health with the help of an experienced professional. Get 10% off your first month. Rothys-- To help you welcome fall season in style Rothy's is doing something special. Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/DMA. Find your new favorites today. 

As Kayla Craig sat in the hospital watching her daughter have a machine breath for her, she struggled to find the words to pray. In that difficult time in her family’s life, she learned about the power of liturgies which are scripted prayers from scripture. The more she turned to these powerful prayers prayed by Christians from all over the world, the less alone Kayla felt.  Years later, Kayla has created a book with modern liturgies for parents with more than 100 prayers to voice when words are hard to find. “The book of prayers that I have created are just simply prayers that you can borrow, prayers that can become your own. The prayers of another can comfort us and can lift our arms up and we can't lift our arms up. If you don't have the words to pray, take mine.” From everyday struggles like helping your child find friends or thrive in school to larger issues like praying for a brighter world rooted in peace and truth, these pleas and petitions act as a gentle guide, reminding us that while our words may fail, God never does. Stay tuned for about 20 minutes in when Kayla prays a powerful prayer over all of us weary parents! I think you are going to love learning more about liturgies and breath prayers from Kayla. I hope this is just one more tool in your prayer tool belt -- we certainly need all we can get!   Connect with Kayla:  Website: kaylacraig.com  Podcast: Upside Down Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/kaylacraigwriter  Instagram: @kayla_craig & @liturgiesforparents  Links Mentioned:   BOOK: To Light Their Way: A Collection of Prayers and Liturgies for Parents   Featured Sponsors:  Simply Be Box -- Get your winter box just in time for Christmas. Go to SimplyBeBox.com use code DMA10 for $10 off your first box.  StoryWorth -- Give those you love the most a thoughtful, personal gift from the heart and preserve their stories and memories for years to come. Go to storyworth.com/DMA and save $10 on your first purchase.