

The Intentional Parents Podcast
Intentional
In a world where distractions are endless and culture constantly pulls us in different directions, it’s more important than ever to remain intentional in your marriage and parenting. Brook and Elizabeth Mosser, alongside Phil and Diane Comer, invite you into a conversation about biblical formation — offering wisdom, encouragement, and practical tools for raising passionate Jesus followers. As an intergenerational team that is also family, we bridge the perspectives of different life stages, drawing from both decades-long experience and fresh insight on the topics of parenting and marriage. From vulnerable Q+R sessions to insightful guest interviews, we explore real-life stories of both steady formation and radical transformation — unpacking how God is shaping our lives and the lives of those around us. Join us each week as we pursue God’s design for life, marriage, and parenting — with intention.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 30, 2023 • 1h 20min
Fatherlessness (Interview with Josh White)
Lead Pastor, Songwriter, and author Josh White shares his journey from childhood wounds to becoming a parent and learning to be a Dad without a healthy father figure. He discusses how God softened his heart toward his own father and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation in his family relationships.

Jun 21, 2023 • 1h 18min
Emotional neglect, being reparented and how to get what we need most
This conversation dives deep into the effects of emotional neglect and the journey of reparenting through divine love. Listeners discover the importance of acceptance, focused attention, and community support in healing from trauma. The discussion emphasizes how God’s unconditional love offers guidance and protection, showcasing the need for self-acceptance. Techniques for fostering deeper connections amid today’s distractions are also explored, urging parents to be present while nurturing their children's emotional and spiritual growth. It's a heartfelt journey towards healing and connection.

Jun 14, 2023 • 1h 2min
Measuring up, our mental committee, I should’s, the impossible mother, and shepherding our homes
Today's show talks about five ways moms are called to be shepherds in their homes. We define what a Shepherd is and what it looks like for moms of all ages. Our conversation circles around some vital elements like mom guilt, God's sovereignty, guarding what God has entrusted to you, pursuing wholeness, and continuing to grow in each stage of motherhood. As moms, it is easy to feel like we have to do this all perfectly, and if we don't, we are messing up our children. Still, we invite you into this conversation today to pause and consider a different perspective of walking toward transformation instead of perfection. It's a journey of holding your kid's hands as you walk closer to your Father in heaven and bringing your children along the walk. The five steps we discuss today are trusting in the sovereign God, Heeding the shepherd's call, Embracing obscurity, pursuing an integral life, and cultivating leadership competency. We hope you enjoy this episode today!Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer FREE TEXT Message Daily Devotional 👇🏼 https://intentional.flocknote.com Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Motherhood Retreathttps://www.intentionalparents.org/motherhood-retreat

21 snips
Jun 7, 2023 • 1h 10min
Regrets, Big Emotions, and Knowing Yourself so You Can Control Yourself
Today we respond to one of your questions that we think deserved some thoughtful conversation. The question was asked, "If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?" In our response to this great question, we explore a variety of insights and wisdom that God has taught us through the years. Some topics we discuss are shame versus regret, understanding the need behind our kid's emotions, how God deals with our emotions, our need for control, limitations that are gifts, the secret to having a healthy relationship with your adult children, and so much more. We hope this show blesses you today! Enjoy! Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer FREE TEXT Message Daily Devotional 👇🏼 https://intentional.flocknote.com Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Motherhood Retreathttps://www.intentionalparents.org/motherhood-retreat Interview with Pete Scazzerohttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intentional-parents-podcast/ id1462206659?i=1000469435042

May 17, 2023 • 1h 4min
Parenting Children with Disabilities, God's Grace for Today and the Gift of the Un-know (Interview with Laura Wifler)
We have the executive director for the non-profit Risen Motherhood and talented Author Laura Wifler, on today's show. This interview is a sweet and transparent conversation about children with disabilities. Laura shares stories from her own life about how God has used motherhood, in particular mothering a child with disabilities, to transform her, as well as her family and her ministry. She has a beautiful purpose to help create conversations, normalize disabilities, and train others to interact with people of all ages with disabilities. We hear how Laura educates her kids through great family phrases and helpful heart-to-heart conversations. Laura gives us some wise advice in handling the complexities of being in a family with disabilities, and she speaks to the grace God gives us each day. We also explore the healthy practice of holding grief, sorrow, hope, and joy. We hope today's show is an encouragement to families that have members with disabilities and to help serve as an education to those who don't. Enjoy! Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Leadership Retreat:https://www.intentionalparents.org/leadership-retreat The Intentional Motherhood Retreathttps://www.intentionalparents.org/motherhood-retreat Risen Motherhood website:https://www.risenmotherhood.com/ Instagram: @laurawifler Laura’s Book:https://laurawifler.com/likeme Risen Motherhood Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/risen-motherhood/id1072833310 Birdie’s Story:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intentional-parents-podcast/id1462206659?i=1000450191917

May 10, 2023 • 1h 31min
How to Discern God’s Will and The False Self
In today’s show, we talk about the different processes by which we make decisions. We make decisions every day, and sometimes they can be life-changing. Our culture tells us one way, but as followers of Jesus, how do we discern God’s will with the choices that come our way? We break down three different ways people make decisions: The way of Logic, The ignition way, and The way of discernment. We share some real-life stories where we learned the hard way and explore the lessons from those experiences. We dive into practical ways to help you navigate the discerning process. We cover topics such as how our egos or false self can affect our decision-making abilities and how some may have misconceptions about suffering related to God’s will for our lives. Today, we ask a couple of essential questions that can help you uncover some patterns that may make you stuck; What do I believe about God, and Does he want the best for me and my family? We also discuss balancing our feelings while not letting our emotions rule our decisions. We have been working thoughtfully to develop a process to help our own family make big decisions and discern God’s will for our lives. We genuinely hope these nine steps bless and assist you as you walk through your moments of discernment that arise. This process takes time, and we hope to encourage you to practice these steps slowly. The process: Focusing your attention on GodConsider what it means to be totally attached to God’s agenda and willLay your choice before God and examine the matter thoroughly.Share your desires with God. What is it you want?Use ReasonAttend to your feelingsListen to God as your read ScriptureSeek the counsel of those gifted in discernment who can listen to you and with youOffer your choice to God Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Leadership Retreat:https://www.intentionalparents.org/leadership-retreat The Intentional Motherhood Retreathttps://www.intentionalparents.org/motherhood-retreat Some scriptures mentioned today:John 16:7, Philippians 1:9-10, 1 John 4:1, James 1v5, 1 chronicles 4:10, Psalm 23 Books mentioned:Adele Ahlberg Calhoun: Spiritual disciplines handbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Disciplines-Handbook-Practices-Transform/dp/0830846050 Ruth Haley Barton: Pursuing God’s Will Togetherhttps://www.amazon.com/Pursuing-Gods-Will-Together-Transforming/dp/0830835660/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16QKGMD1P1Q1T&keywords=ruth+haley+barton+pursuing+gods+will+together&qid=1683580826&s=books&sprefix=ruth+haley+barton+pursuing+gods+will+together%2Cstripbooks%2C162&sr=1-1

May 3, 2023 • 54min
The Bible Project, teaching the skill of discernment and chasing desires (Interview with Tim Mackie)
We are thrilled to have the co-founder and creative director of The Bible Project, Tim Mackie, on the show today. Brook and Tim dive into some big questions like what it looks like to be faithful to Jesus in our time, where we need to put our attention, and how some desires will lead us to life and others will not. We get to listen in as Tim shares some fun inside stories of finding Jesus through skateboarding and what life in the Mackie house looks like now. He shares how he looks for opportunities in his parenting to teach big concepts to his children, even while building with Legos. Brook and Tim also unpack the creative and in-depth process behind making each Bible Project video. Tim imparts some practical wisdom about teaching our children the ability to discern that there is a story behind every voice that’s trying to grab our attention. And finally, Brook and Tim discuss chasing desires and how sometimes denying what we really want is the way to get what we really need.We hope you enjoy this show today filled with fun conversation and wisdom. Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Leadership Retreat:https://www.intentionalparents.org/leadership-retreat The Intentional Motherhood Retreathttps://www.intentionalparents.org/motherhood-retreat The Bible Project Links:Website: https://bibleproject.com/App: https://bibleproject.com/app/

Apr 26, 2023 • 1h 11min
Suffering, Prayer, and How to teach your kids to Talk to God (Interview with Strahan Coleman)
Today we have Strahan Coleman on the show. Strahan is a writer, spiritual director, and award-winning musician from New Zealand. In this rich conversation, Brook and Strahan discuss chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and how to find a vibrant faith amidst these challenges. They talk about the importance of shifting our prayer lives from following a prayer formula and seeking to perform for God to prayers that are intimate and purely about beholding the presence of God. In Strahan’s words, “Prayer equals nakedness with God.” They also discuss the constant noise in our culture and why bringing the volume down in our homes is essential. Strahan shares with Brook some practical ways he teaches his kids to hear from God. He gives us an inside view of his intentionality in teaching his kids to bring their heart posture to a constant awareness and integration of God in their everyday lives. We hope you enjoy this interview. Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Leadership Retreat:https://www.intentionalparents.org/leadership-retreat The Intentional Motherhood Retreathttps://www.intentionalparents.org/motherhood-retreat Strahan’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Beholding-Deepening-Our-Experience-God/dp/0830785183Strahan’s website: https://www.commonerscommunion.com/Strahan’s Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beholding-prayer/id1669562572

Apr 19, 2023 • 1h 7min
Being oblivious, closed family culture, idols, absorbing without resentment, and why extended family is often the hardest
Why is it that sometimes close personal family and extended family are the hardest? Occasionally well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies, but why? What does the Bible say about this paradigm, and how can we live at peace even in tension? We discuss our responsibility in the relationship and the part we can play. What does Matthew 10v34-37 mean when Jesus talks about not bringing peace, but a sword and "turning man against father, a daughter against a mother"? We break down the context of this scripture and define what an idol is, the purpose of not having idols, and how idols can be good things, just in the wrong order. We also discuss nine ways to honor your convictions and your family. Enjoy! Nine ways to move towards health. 1. Pray 2. Have a conversation 3. Treat them with honor 4. Let your words be full of grace 5. Is this a hill you want to die on? 6. Share the truth in Love 7. Keep short accounts 8. Seek counsel 9. Recognize it is up to them Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Leadership Retreat:https://www.intentionalparents.org/leadership-retreat

Apr 12, 2023 • 1h 27min
Why we over-respond, self-regulation, neuroception, and good enough parenting (Interview with Sally Lemos MS, LPC)
Today is a fantastic meaningful conversation. We have Sally Lemos on the show. We cover attachment, attunement, how to NOT parent from our woundedness, connection before correction, how to noitice when your flooded and so much more! Enjoy! A little about Sally...Sally Lemos, MS, LPC, is a mental health therapist providing services to adults, adolescents, and children experiencing various mental health challenges. She is certified in EMDR with advanced training in treating complex developmental trauma and dissociation with adults, adolescents, and children, attachment-informed EMDR treatment working with parents and children to heal intergenerational trauma, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). She has extensive experience and training working with children and families involved in the foster care system and with children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Follow us on Instagram:@intentional_parents@brook_mosser@Emosser@philmcomer@dianewcomer Grab a copy of our book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)https://amzn.to/3ReOgc4 Website: intentionalparents.org Join our Legacy Builders: https://www.intentionalparents.org/donate-index-impact Blog: https://www.intentionalparents./blog GET: The Intentional Film Serieshttps://www.intentionalparents.org/film-series The Intentional Leadership Retreat:https://www.intentionalparents.org/leadership-retreat Episodes Mentioned (Interview with Aundi Kolber)https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intentional-parents-podcast/id1462206659?i=1000537701695 Sally Lemoshttps://www.newbloomtherapy.com/about