Don't Mom Alone Podcast

What would you do to make sure your child’s faith life is growing strong? Is this something you’re taking on yourself or getting help with? Join us this week as Ben Bevis, a passionate advocate for youth empowerment through faith, shares insights on gathering Mentor Circles around our young people. As the founder of Encircled, Ben is dedicated to helping to launch the Next Generation with sustained faith. Ben and Encircled do this by helping to equip parents, grandparents and mentors by grounding youth in their identity in Christ, discover their God-given gifts and create a vision for their lives. Listen in about how you as a parent can gather a Mentor Circle around your child! Connect with Ben Bevis: Website: https://encircled.org/ Instagram: @encircled.official Email: ben.bevis@encircled.org Links Mentioned: FREE Encircled Parenting Resource (https://encircled.org/parents/) Fuller Youth Institute (https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/) Connected Families (https://connectedfamilies.org/) The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character by Jon Tyson  Related Episodes: Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids :: Dr. Kara Powell [Ep 290] Equipping Your Kids for Difficulty :: Kim Sorgius [Ep 356] Relationships you Need to Be the Mom you Want to Be :: Heather Macfadyen [Ep 341] Exchanging False Beliefs for True Identity :: Jamie Winship [Ep 433]  Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Happy New Year! We’re starting the year off right with mile-long to-do lists and a complex highlighting system so we don’t forget to wash the dog in the midst of crocheting that giant bow.  JK!   But we are thinking about what went well in 2023 and what we’re focusing in on 2024. Whether you make resolutions or not, evaluating how things are going is helpful and the flip of the calendar is a natural time to do just that. But because we’ve been victimized by the to-do list just as often as we’ve been helped by it, we brought in professional help. Laurel Denise, better known as Lolly, from Laurel Denise Planners joins us to talk about planning and to help us make sense of all those task-thoughts running around our brains.  Getting Sidetracked may be a little more productive than usual this month! (but still with plenty of laughs!) Connect with Cynthia Yanof:  Website:  https://cynthiayanof.com/  Podcast: Messmerized Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof  Instagram:  @cynthiayanof  Connect with Laurel Denise:  Website:  https://laureldenise.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laureldeniseloves  Instagram:  @laureldenise  TikTok: @_laureldenise Links Mentioned:   Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Fully Occupy Your God-Given Space by Heather MacFadyen Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets Life is Messy God is Good: Sanity for the Chaos of Everyday Life by Cynthia Yanof **ENTER to be a guest on our March Sidetracked episode (giveaway ends Feb 9th) Laurel Denise Planners  Pilot Frixion Erasable Pens Related Episodes: Organize Your Mental Load :: Laurel Denise [Ep 444] Cultivate What Matters :: Lara Casey [Ep 146]  Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

How are you handling your mental load? Are you a well-packed Sherpa able to take on any terrain or Sisyphus rolling the ball up the hill only to watch it roll back down?  This is the time of year when it feels natural to look back and look forward. We can evaluate what worked and what didn’t, but more importantly we can listen to what space the Lord is asking us to occupy. Maybe things need to drop off our list. Maybe God isn’t saying “let go” but is tasking you with bringing order to your every day. My guest this week is mom and planner creator Laurel Denise. Laurel shares her journey thus far through motherhood and owning a small business and how she made sense of it all.  Connect with Laurel Denise:  Website:  https://laureldenise.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laureldeniseloves  Instagram:  @laureldenise  TikTok: @_laureldenise Related Episodes: Sunday Planning :: Retha Nichole [Ep 349] Listening for God’s Leading :: Caroline Cobb [Ep 405] RWYB Week 4 Cultivate What Matters :: Lara Casey [Ep 146] Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Have you heard the Bible verse “Women will be saved through childbearing”? (It’s part of 1 Timothy 2:15) What do you think that verse means? What do you think it means for the woman facing infertility, or singleness?  My guest this week, Dr. Sandra Glahn, wants to dispel some iffy interpretations of this verse many of us grew up hearing. Dr. Glahn is Professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary and has spent over 20 years trying to better understand what Paul meant in these verses in 1 Timothy, and what they mean for us today. Join me for this fascinating conversation that delves into the role of women and the cultural context of Paul’s letter, 1 Timothy.  Connect with Dr. Sandra Glahn:  Website:  https://sandraglahn.com/  Instagram:  @sandraglahnauthor  Links Mentioned:   Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament by Sandra L. Glahn  Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting the Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible by Sandra L. Glahn   Related Episodes: On the Role of Women :: Joel Muddamalle [Ep 397] Every Mom a Theologian :: Phylicia Masonheimer [Ep 389]  Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Ready or not, the holidays are upon us! What are your favorite holiday traditions? What are the ones you could leave behind?  Get sidetracked with Cynthia and me as we discuss everything from trees (real, fake, and Jesse) to gift giving philosophies (more or less presents than Jesus?) to elves and shepherds and the awful name your pie might get if it doesn’t come out just right. There’s even help for the mom who just wants to help her kids see Jesus in the midst of all the holiday stuff!    Connect with Cynthia Yanof:  Website:  https://cynthiayanof.com/  Podcast: Messmerized Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof  Instagram:  @cynthiayanof  Links Mentioned:   The Jesse Tree Heather’s  Mother-in-law’s Wassail Recipe→ combine in a pot: a gallon of apple cider (or juice) with 12 whole cloves, 4 tsp whole allspice, 12 sticks of cinnamon. (optional: 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup orange juice, 6 Tbsp lemon juice). Bring to a slow boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and serve hot.  Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls Recipe  Pioneer Woman Chocolate Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie  Courtney DeFeo’s Light ‘Em Up  Cultivate What Matters Powersheets  Christmas Eve Service Printable  Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional by Paul David Tripp “Pilgrim Rick” Season 1 Episode 8 of This Is Us Related Episodes: Truth in the Tinsel with Amanda White (Ohamanda) :: [Ep 3]  Celebrating Advent :: Tsh Oxenreider [Ep 305] Christmas Traditions with Little Ones :: Jacki Rucksdashel [Ep 142]  Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

How are you doing?  Honestly. What is the pace of your day? What do you long for and feel you are missing out on? What activities have you crammed in your life out of a “should” mentality? When do you focus on your spiritual life? Today we are getting honest about our lives. And discussing ways to deepen relationships, simplify schedules, and connect spiritually. This week’s podcast guest is the talented, Shauna Niequist. Author of several books (“Cold Tangerines”, “Bread and Wine”, etc), she has a new devotional available called, “Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are”. If you are longing for friends you can share vulnerably with, Shauna offers a simple plan. If you struggle with the concept of slowing down and “savoring”, we discuss our own struggle and practical ways to start. If you want to expand your spiritual life beyond time alone with your Bible, then Shauna paints a beautiful picture of what that can look like. Shauna dishes out oodles of wise words. Enjoy! Connect with Shauna Niequist:  Website:  https://www.shaunaniequist.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sniequist/  Instagram:  @sniequist Links Mentioned:    Savor: Living Abundantly, Where You Are, As You Are by Shauna Niequist Cheddar Sage Shepherd’s Pie–switch out the sage for thyme and extra cheddar Nigella Lawson’s Guiness Chocolate Cake Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead Wayne Muller’s “A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough”  Concentric Circles of Care Related Episodes: Soulful Over Frantic :: Shauna Niequist [Ep 127] Walking Through Seasons of Unbelonging :: Shauna Niequist [Ep 362] Recovering from Mom Burnout :: Nicole Zasowski [Ep 257] Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “college tuition”? Does your heart rate speed up?  Sending a child to college is the culmination of a lot of effort. It’s emotional and there are a lot of logistics to manage. In this hands-on, information-packed conversation Kristi and I cover the basics of applying for financial aid for college. We talk through deadlines and how-to’s to help relieve some of the logistical stress of sending a child to college.   Connect with Kristi Steele:  Website:  https://www.kc360.co/  Links Mentioned:   FAFSA Federal Student Aid  CSS Profile MyCap College Funding Services  Kristi’s The College Project   Lunch and Learn: A Deeper Dive Into Financial Aid and Scholarships: November 27, 11:00am CST (Webinar will be recorded and recording sent to all who register) **Private School Special Circumstance Form will be found with the specific university your child is applying to**  Related Episodes: Work of Worth :: Kristi Griem [Ep 39] Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

What are two words to describe your mind when your head hits the pillow most nights?  The quiet space before sleep can be our most vulnerable moments. Whether it’s to-do’s or dredging up memories from the past, our thoughts can feel overwhelming. If we let our mind spiral we’re sacrificing the rest God intends us to enjoy. But my guest this week, Emily Ley has some bedtime rituals that can help us stop the spiraling. Crafted to help herself with the nighttime barrage of thoughts, Emily’s simple routines and reminders can set you on a path to the peace that comes, not from an easy life, but from an abiding trust in God.  Emily is a mom of three, a best-selling author, and the founder of organizational products and tools company, Simplified.    Connect with Emily Ley:  Website:  https://emilyleybooks.com/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplified  Instagram:  @simplified  Links Mentioned:   The Simplified Planner Heather uses Raising Them Ready: Practical Ways to Prepare Your Kids for Life on Their Own by Jonathan and Erica Catherman   How to Be a Person Camp - Emily Ley on Substack  Near in the Night: 100 Evening Meditations on God’s Peace and Rest by Emily Ley Sure as the Sunrise: 100 Morning Meditations on God’s Mercy and Delight by Emily Ley  Growing Boldy: Dare to Build a Life You Love by Emily Ley A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living by Emily Ley  Related Episodes: Fighting Toxic Thoughts :: Jennie Allen [Ep 272] Freedom From Anxiety :: Ashley Willis [Ep 180] Getting Brave About Anxiety :: Sissy Goff [Ep 311] Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Do the sights and sounds and feels of parenting overwhelm you some days? Or most days? How can we parent kindly and intentionally when we desperately need a break from all the stimulation?  My guest this week is Mary Van Geffen. She is a mom who has striven to cultivate good relationships with her children and husband while also navigating life as a Highly Sensitive Person with diagnosed ADHD.  She knows firsthand the struggles moms face with sensory overload and she’s not trying to “fix” you - you’re not broken! But she does offer a bevy of tips to help us take care of ourselves amidst the din of life and to parent in a calm and connected manner.  Connect with Mary Van Geffen:  Website:  https://www.maryvangeffen.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentcoachforspicyones  Instagram:  @maryvangeffen  Links Mentioned:    How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty Class with Mary Van Geffen  Heather and Mary’s Instagram performance–Body Posture in Parenting Related Episodes: Body Awareness in Parenting :: Mary Van Geffen [Ep 333] When Your Child is on the Autism Spectrum (Part 1) :: Terri Conlin [Ep 182] When Your Child is on the Autism Spectrum (Part 2) :: Terri Conlin [Ep 183] Parenting Neurodivergent Children - Summer Edition :: Carrie Cassell [Ep 413] Parenting Sensitive and Intense Kids :: Lynne Jackson and Lydia Rex [Ep 395] Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues :: Lynne Jackson [Ep 258] Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Pull out the petit fours and lip plumpers - it’s time to celebrate! Don’t Mom Alone has officially reached double digits!!  Get Sidetracked with us as Cynthia leads us on a surprising, only mildly teary ride as we look back on 10 years of the podcast.  There’s even a Cameo from Bob Ross! Jk, there isn’t.  But we do have a great lineup of special guests and listeners to help us commemorate 10 years of mom-ing together.  Connect with Cynthia Yanof:  Website:  https://cynthiayanof.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.yanof  Instagram:  @cynthiayanof  Links Mentioned:   Don’t Mom Alone  Right Where You Belong: How to Identify and Occupy Your God-Given Space PREORDER: Life is Messy, God is Good: Sanity for the Chaos of Everyday Life by Cynthia Yanof   Milani Keep It Full Maxxx Lip Plumper **Plump At Your Own Risk** Related Episodes: Helping Our Kids Foster Friendships :: David Thomas and Sissy Goff [Ep 338] Raising Girls :: Sissy Goff [Ep 141]  The Worry-Free Parent :: Sissy Goff [Ep 421] Getting Brave About Anxiety :: Sissy Goff [Ep 311] Raising Worry-Free Girls :: Sissy Goff [Bonus] Raising Emotionally Strong Boys :: David Thomas [Ep 368] A Lil Help with Boys and Screens :: David Thomas [Bonus] Understanding Boys Better :: David Thomas [Ep 315] The Art of Nuturing Boys :: David Thomas [Ep 119] Shrinking or Swelling to Fill Your Space :: Courtney DeFeo [Ep 406] RWYB Wk 5  Light ‘Em Up :: Courtney DeFeo [Ep 50] “Help, I’m Tired of Fighting with My Daughter About Clothes” :: Kari Kampakis [Ep 429] Connecting with Your Daughter Through Humility and Compassion :: Kari Kampakis  - Part 1 [Ep 390] Steady Identity in Shifting Roles :: Kari Kampakis - Part 2 [Ep 391] The Goldmine of a Mother’s Hindsight :: Chrystal Evans Hurst [Ep 71] Rescuing the Girl in You :: Chrystal Evans Hurst [Ep 172] Featured Sponsors:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.