Gems of Motherhood

Latest Episodes:

Teaching Children the Importance of Loving Thy Body :: Nancy Pearcey [EP18] Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast episode, Nancy touches on a very important subject matter. It’s important to teach our children to love their bodies. If we don’t, they may pick up misperceptions and wrong teaching from the culture. Issues, like homosexuality and transgenderism, are infiltrating school curriculums starting as young as preschool. As Christians we need to stay on top of these hot topics and equip our children with knowledge about their body to be able to combat the destructive teachings (i.e. secular ethics) readily accepted in schools around the country.

The best way to talk to children about sexuality is to stay positive. It is easy for Christians to be negative, launch into stereotypes and be easily typecast as judgmental, yet it is always better to present the Christian ethic free of “christianese.” Simply saying something is wrong or sinful is not helpful. Rather, Nancy shares if we explain, using examples, how secular ethic demeans the body it can serve as a bridge to understand Christian’s foundation of authenticity and love. a bridge to understand Christian’s foundation of authenticity and love.

“Kindergarteners are being taught that their bodies tell them nothing about who they are, it’s not authentic self. And that’s when as Christians we have a wonderful opportunity to say, God made your body and what God makes is intrinsically good.”

Nancy shares that gender dysphoria, the technical term when you feel out of sync with your body, starts at a young age and is currently especially prevalent in teenagers also known as rapid gender dysphoria.

“Genuine gender dysphoria is a long painful haul. It’s truly a deep psychological issue. But with God’s help, we can let our child know it’s okay for them not to live according to the stereotypes.”

Nancy encourages Christians to change the language they use to exude positivity which allows our children to see who God created them to be and gives them a glimpse into God’s intelligent design for their identity.

“We are meant to respect our body, to live in harmony with the creator’s design. We are meant to live consistently with our biological sex.”

What we chat about

Gender dysphoria

Rapid gender dysphoria

Examples of stories - Interviews with parents of transgender teens, homeschool parent, and more

Impact of social media

How to speak to children about loving their body

The impact of school and gender identity

Preparing children about loving their body

Darwinism

Connect with Nancy

WEBSITE: Nancy Pearcey

FACEBOOK: Nancy Pearcey

LINKED IN: Nancy Pearcey

Tearing Down Strongholds : Freedom in Motherhood :: Andi Andrews [EP17] Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

Have you ever found yourself wanting to be the perfect mom, or caring about what other people think of you or even finding yourself dwelling in mom guilt? Well, strongholds are real. If we’re not careful, strongholds can form in our hearts becoming bigger and bigger by the day, month and year.

Andi breaks down the terminology of a stronghold. She says it is a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack. Many moms can’t help, but compare themselves to others and can’t stop looking to the left and right. It’s easy to remain in the stronghold; however, it doesn’t have to be that way.

“We set up these strongholds because we have a perception of who we think we should be and we don’t just take things one day at a time.”

The shame of the mistakes we have made create a space for feeling tremendously guilty. And we hide because we’re afraid of how other moms will judge us. But in actuality, other moms also are going through similar stuff.

“We face this stronghold because when we think we’re not good enough… we buy into a lie and then we begin to play it over and over again until it becomes our truth.”

She shares about falling out of agreement with the lie of perfection. She suggests we write in a journal about the strongholds we might have and what we believe about ourselves in order to create a new “momtastic” belief system. By applying God’s truth and what He would say about you, she encourages moms to stop bad thinking and end the Enemy’s attempts to warp our identity.

What we chat about

Identifying the different types of strongholds

Why do moms face strongholds

The comparison game

Tearing down strongholds

How strongholds can affect our children

Applying the different seasons of motherhood and staying content

Connect with Andi

Website: http://andiandrew.com/

Instagram: @andiandrew

Hashtag: #sheisfreenyc #fakeorfollower

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andiandrew.page

Podcast: Coffee with Andi

BONUS :: Thriving as a Mompreneur :: Judy Weber Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Judy Weber a Mom and entrepreneur shares about what it takes to thrive as a mompreneur. Having the right mindset and commitment for motherhood and business is crucial. There’s a reason why entrepreneurs thrive in business and it is because of their drive, unwillingness to quit and stick-to-it-ness.

“So many women say they want a business but that’s not the same as being committed to having a business.”

Judy also shares about the importance of time blocking. Blocking a specific time for a specific task helps productivity and lessens the overwhelming feelings that often come. Women are natural multi-taskers, yet there are challenges to juggling multiple tasks and avoiding burn out.

She encourages moms to give themselves some grace and provides practical advice in doing just that.

“Do not think you’re going to set the world on fire and have a business in three months time”

What we chat about

Being a mom and running a business
Meaning of time blocking
The danger of figuring out on your own
Building relationships and connections
Thriving in your business

Connect with Judy

Website: https://judy-weber.com/about

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judyweberlive/

Hashtag: #blessedtothrive #sheisextraordinary

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/blessedtothrivecommunity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judymayweber/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4VaQJ9Na1IC5hHG8ikCag

Working Mom :: Chris Luppo [EP16] Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

There is an immense amount of pressure placed on moms to nurture and care for their family. In addition to the responsibilities of a full-time job, it's easy to see why being a mom is called the hardest job on earth.

My friend Chris Luppo, a single mom, shares about her life as a working mom. She shares about the difficulty she had balancing daily tasks with the demands of being involved in her daughter’s life. Her situation is played out each day by many moms, yet I love Chris’ heart and faith in God and her sincere desire to model Christ for her daughter and now her granddaughter.

“I had to teach my child to believe God for things. I never wanted to tell her that we couldn’t afford this. We have to believe God for this. And we saw so many miracles that year.”

Being a working mom didn’t stop Chris from teaching her daughter about learning scriptures. She prayed Daniel 1:20 over her every night that she would be ten times smarter and better than everyone else around her. She encourages moms to never regret and look back, but to embrace every season they are in.

What we chat about

Being a working single mom
Balancing faith and motherhood
Believing God for the impossible
The Daniel prayer
The value of a Christian school
Teaching her child scripture

How To Parent Children Who Come From Hard Places :: Stephanie Fast [EP15] Sep 14, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Stephanie Fast shares her personal story of her upbringing and how her upbringing prepared her for to parent children from hard places. An orphan, abandoned, tortured, outcasted and raped as a young child, Stephanie overcame rampant discrimination. Although her tortures left a toll on her body and she didn’t feel like there was hope for tomorrow, she tells her story of redemption by God’s mercy.

Stephanie shares about how the society and culture in South Korea looked at bi-racial children, like herself, as though they were “not human,” and “beneath” others. This view is not unlike how some people in this country have been looked at.

“Looking back again, all the abuses I received living on the street, really wasn’t because of how cruel they were. I just think they were dealing with their own pain, they were still trying to build the country back up and I was just a reminder of the horrors of the country went through”.

From her experience, Stephanie shares that when a child feels rejected, they may tend to reject others. A lot of times, this phenomenon is seen in children who are adopted or come from hard places. But, in reality, these children are dealing with emotions of the past, and not accepting who they’re created to be.

“You are the hardest with the people whom you feel most secure with”

Don’t be quick to assess your child. Oftentimes, we act too quickly due to what the professionals say yet not by what the spirit says. It’s important to be spirit-led and to ask God to show us our children’s hard places to coach them through their struggles.

Even if your story doesn’t resonate with Stephanie’s, I encourage you to listen because she clearly explains the love of Jesus.

What we chat about

Children from trauma

Overcoming challenges of parenting children from hard places

Children’s brokenness

Creating a safe environment

Identity

Mirror therapy

Teaching the children to be confident

Connect with Stephanie:

WEBSITE: Stephanie Fast

FACEBOOK: Stephanie Fast

TWITTER: @StephanieFast

INSTAGRAM: @stephanieannefast

LINKED IN: Stephanie Fast

YOUTUBE: Stephanie Fast

Being a Purposeful Mom :: Rachel-Ruth Wright [EP14] Sep 07, 2020

Show notes

Rachel-Ruth shares about the meaning of being a purposeful mom; walking with the Lord daily and being intentional. She talks about the importance of teaching children to truly love Jesus and not just be a church goer.

“When my girls see me loving Jesus everyday, they know its real. And so it has to start with your own personal relationship with Jesus.”

She shares about modeling the right behavior to our children, loving Jesus and allowing to flow out naturally. What makes it hard for mothers is this burden of perfection, navigating being purposeful and being perceived as perfect. To combat the pitfalls, we need to spend time with the Lord to keep us on the right path. Start off in scripture, and in prayer. Sometimes it’s easy for the enemy to attack us. And Christian fellowship is important. Hang out with like-minded mothers.

“There’s little nuggets in Proverbs 31 women in all of us. Every mom knows what it means to stay up late, wake up early, make lunch… we’re always trying to do our best and we know what we can do.”

What we chat about

Being an intentional mom

Spending time with the Lord

Being real as a mom

Proverbs 31 woman

Legacy from Anne Graham Lotz and Billy Graham

Connect with Rachel-Ruth:

TWITTER: @Rachel_RuthW

INSTAGRAM: @rachel_ruthlw

Building Lasting Faith in Your Children :: Glenna Salsburry [EP13] Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

Glenna shares about the importance of cultivating a lasting faith in your children. A mother’s role is critical in planting the seeds that will make the difference in their children’s futures. Drawing a distinction between seeds of faith and seeds of values, Glenna emphasized how mothers are models and how they help children with their development.

“I go back to the word modeling… my children knew there was a Source for our blessings.”

She shares that it starts from the moment children can have the most simple conversation and modeling prayer is essential to planting seeds. Spending alone time with each of her children is also crucial. It helps build up their faith and values and it is incredible to witness what children can come up with when encouraged to do so.

“Difficulties are part of life. If you have challenges and difficulties without faith, there’s no place to go.”

Look for the good things that happen in life. A positive mindset makes a huge difference in a child’s life. Glenna shares her formula for building faith in her children which starts with being a good listener so that children feel it is easy to talk with their mom.

“God is in charge of every footsteps you take.”

What we chat about

Planting the seeds of faith

Questions to ask children to build confidence

Praying with her children

Building confidence in children

Understanding children

Making dreams alive

Formula to bring dreams to reality

Connect with Glenna

BONUS :: Missionary Mama :: Myranda Morales Aug 26, 2020

Show notes

Myranda shares about being a missionary mom and her experience in Zambia where she and her husband served as street missionaries. She shares about coming back in the US and the culture shock she has experienced. However, she attributes her family’s experience in Zambia as being the catalyst for her children seeing beyond their present circumstances to appreciate what is really important.

“We have always been really open about how beautiful different cultures are and why we would like to be apart and learn from that.”

In Zambia, Myranda and her family were always surrounded by great needs, life changing experiences. This forced them to adapt and be flexible. She juxtaposed this to the US where everything is pretty sanitized. She appreciates the fact that her children got to go to school with all different walks of life, were able to see people for who they were and got to understand what it means to be in a community.

“We didn’t feel like it was very fair to force them to be missionary children. That’s not what they wanted to do. And when we made that decision, they became comfortable again.”

She shares about teaching her children about who they are in God’s eyes. Coming back into the US, she’s seen the fruit in her children. She encourages moms to allow their children to experience different cultures and make it teachable talking points. She shares about exposing children to different experiences like museum, African dance, Chinese drama and etc. and the life-altering impact it will have on children.

What we chat about

Experience in Zambia vs the US

Culture shock

Shifting perspective

Being raised as an ex-pat

Exposing children to different cultures

Valuing friendships

Connect with Myranda

Instagram: @thirdculturecraftco

Facebook: Myranda Morales

Cultivating Different Cultures :: Vivian Mabuni [EP12] Aug 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we’re going to be talking about Cultivating Different Cultures with Vivian Malbuni. Vivian was raised in a majority white culture. And during that time she tried to fit in and push down the Asian part of her. But she realized later that it was not an accident that God created her the way she was. Now Vivian has learned to celebrate her culture with her children.

Vivian shares about being intentional as a mom to share the Western and Eastern culture to her children. She shared about the difference between the Western and Eastern culture.

“I believe strongly that representation matters where there's a more holistic picture”.

She shares that it was important for her kids to know who they are, to create strength in knowing the difference and to carry their heritage as a badge of honor. Some examples of sharing the different culture experiences are experimenting with different foods, utensils, and seeing different part of the world.

“Part of being a mom is also helping our kids to celebrate their heritage.”

We must never have a mindset that our way of life is the only and the right way. And we need to be intentional about setting the example that cultural awareness is important and in turn, help our children explore different ethnicities.

What we chat about:

Challenges being raised in a predominantly white neighborhood

Ways to embrace different cultures

Help kids to cultivate their God given talent

Exposing kids to the bigger world around us

The influence of faith & culture

Individualistic vs collective

Her book, “Open Hands, Willing Heart”

Connect with Vivian:

WEBSITE: Vivian Mabuni

INSTAGRAM: @vivmabuni

TWITTER: @vivmabuni

The Value of Homeschooling :: Viviana Fusaro-Ramos [EP11] Aug 17, 2020

Show notes

Homeschooling is an opportunity to take ownership of your child’s education while living out your faith. Viviana shares that every parent is a home educator and that homeschooling is simply a vehicle where parents have the freedom to select subjects that they want their children to learn.

“God has engineered my circumstances as He has many times to show us the way that we should go. I’d say homeschooling fell on my lap.”

Viviana encourages parents to create a plan for the school at home by setting goals and a vision for the year. Education should not be confined to a building. There are so many creative ways to homeschool. Creativity is crucial yet avoiding technology as much as possible especially with younger children is essential. Replacing technology intentionally with art, play and outdoor activities further enhances your child’s learning experience.

Viviana shares that reading aloud and focusing on play is essential for younger children while the academic rigors of school should wait until age of 6. She encourages parents to take it one year at a time and be flexible. Although things may change and kids may get sick, always listen to the Holy Spirit and be flexible because at the end of the day it’s the heart that matters.

“No discipline seems good at the moment.”

What we chat about:

Setting goals and vision

Why homeschool

Things to do when starting to homeschool

Difference between homeschool, private school vs public school

Homeschooling children between the ages of 2-5

Practicing routines and habits

Organizing your day with your children

5 Mistakes that parents should learn from

Resources and support

Connect with Viviana