Contemporary motherhood narratives are all over the place. On the one hand, it is assumed that moms can’t shower, do a serious Bible study, or go on a run and that it’s normal to want to “escape” from our kids.

On the other hand, the expectation to do it all can feel overwhelming.The internal pendulum of motherhood swings from striving to complaining and back again –sometimes in the course of an hour. How do we escape this cycle and reorient our parenting around Christ our Redeemer?

According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics only 4.1 percent of Americans attended or hosted social gatherings on a given weekend or holiday in 2023.

On the one hand, the decline of parties may not seem like such a big deal. The majority of Americans feel too busy (60 percent of the general population and 74 percent of parents) –so why not just eliminate the party stress?

But when we continually choose our cozy jammies over “putting ourselves out there” we suffer. God created us to thrive in communities. It isn’t good for us to be alone –as research demonstrates.

Social gatherings –which include more than one on one interactions – are key elements of human thriving and connection. Genesis to Revelation, God describes human flourishing as happening within a context of regular communal gatherings, celebrations, and parties.

In this podcast we will explore why parties should be saved.

See this previous podcast for a further discussion of HOW to throw parties:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-countercultural-throw-parties-regularly/id1655567906?i=1000700903181

A quick addition to the conversation with Katheryn Butler.

Buster's Ears Trip Him Up

Series: Good News for Little Hearts

If you were to ask your child what gives him or her value, what would they say? The message that our kids hear from culture is that our accomplishments define our worth.

Although this philosophy isn’t new, thanks to information technology kids suffer mounting pressure to base their identity on their successes. “Students today are saturated with messages about performance in their classrooms, with their peers, teachers, colleges, social media, and the larger culture,” comments Jennifer Breheny Wallace, the author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It. “They are hearing messages day in and day out that they have to strive; they have to do better; and that they’re only as good as their next accomplishment.”

Many Christian parents hear this and are saddened, but are there ways that we may be feeding into this same narrative without realizing it?

What is our drive to succeed based in?

Is it always a bad thing? Don’t we want our kids to succeed and to work hard? How do we balance between healthy expectations and crushing ones?

Tune in for a thoughtful conversation with Kathryn Butler (MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons), trauma surgeon turned writer and homeschooling mom, about what is at the root of our drive for our kids to have their names on the wall.

For many of us summertime is a blissful welcome. Schedules are relaxed, sports are mostly over, and there’s a lot more free time. But sometimes that lack of structure can feel really daunting! “What exactly am I supposed to do with these wild little humans?”

Listen in for encouragement from Meredith Hammer, mom of eight, to soak up this slow season of summer through thoughtful schedules, low-pressure adventures, and intentional family time.

This episode covers:

• Chores
• Routines
• Kid dates
• Devotionals
• Air Travel Tips
• Including Daddy (even when he's busy)
• Prioritizing Marriage

I think you’ll come away encouraged to play in the sun, read good books, sleep well, roast marshmallows, catch crabs, have good conversations with friends and grow in our wonder of God.

Note: I really love Meredith! She had a big impact on my early mothering journey!! <3

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Meredith Hammer is a follower of Jesus who finds great joy in the calling He has placed on her life as the mother of eight children—four boys and four girls—ranging in age from 13 to 7-month-old twins. Meredith was born and raised in coastal Virginia and North Carolina, but since marrying Stephen almost fifteen years ago, she has made her home in seven states and two countries. After learning much about living a transient life with a lot of little ones for the first decade of their marriage, she is now enjoying raising their family in Stephen's hometown of Dallas, Texas. Meredith loves to encourage other moms in finding the rhythms that help them to thrive in the calling of motherhood.

Here is a link to the Scripture cards she mentioned:

https://www.kidscripture.com/shop

Here is a quick read through of Meredith's summer bucket list!

In a world that prizes hustle and constant productivity, breaking the habit of hurrying can seem far-fetched, yet taking time for rest is far more productive than we may realize.

Listen to a conversation with naturalist Eryn Lynum and the author of The Nature of Rest as we consider patterns of rest from Scripture and nature and share practices for these times of refreshment in our own lives.

Eryn's new book launches today! Check it out on amazon

Happy Holy Week!

Everyone wants to enjoy parenting but so many of us are struggling. What's the key to delighting in this calling?

Everyone wants to be a loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled parent. But in this world marked by sin and decay, our efforts are never enough. Yet, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in me, more and more, God is working to make me holy.

The key to enjoying parenting is resting in the power of the resurrection and submitting the authority of Jesus in my life. The more obsessed we are with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the glory of God the more we will thrive in the good work he has for us to do.

Parenting ought not to consume or overwhelm me because I am consumed and overwhelmed by something far greater – Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1).

Elizabeth Eliot states, “God is my heavenly Father, and he loves me with an everlasting love, and the proof of this is the cross.”

A delighted mother’s joy doesn’t come from what she does but who she is.