SPEAKER_02 0:01

Welcome to the Mom Life Ministries Podcast. We're your hosts, Melanie and Christy. We get it. Being a mom is messy yet lovely in a very real way, whatever your age or season of motherhood, and we want to talk about it all.

SPEAKER_04 0:15

We certainly aren't experts at this mom thing, but we'll share what we're learning, how Jesus has encouraged us all along the way on this journey that we call Mom Life.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Hey friends, welcome. We are currently at the Mom Life Planning Retreat where we are planning all of our curriculum and content for this next year. And we have a whole team of great women who are helping us do that. And so today we have three specific friends from some different places who are going to share a little bit of their story about why mom life has been important to them and even why specifically with our upcoming theme of safe and secure that it would be just really great. for you to join in to a mom life community near you. So friends, why don't you take just a moment and introduce yourselves?

SPEAKER_03 1:02

Hi, my name is Kayla Stevens. I am a mom of four little kids ranging in ages from seven to 16 months. I work from home full time and I love that because I get to kind of dabble in both worlds of being home with my kids and also, you know, work for my family. I've been a part of MomLife since 2020, so about five years now. And I just finished my first year leading a MomLife group at my local church.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Hi, my name is Elsha Mullenix. I am a mom of three boys. They are seven, five, and two. I've been married for almost nine years. And I've been with MomLife for about five years, too, give or take. And I also lead a group in my community at our church.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Hello, my name is Hillary Boyd. I have been with MomLife for about three years. I was involved in MomLife at Grace for two, and then I lead at my kids' school. I have three kids. I have a 14-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy, and an 8-year-old boy.

SPEAKER_04 2:13

So leading into this year, just where you sit as a mom right now, what are some of the biggest distractions or pressures you feel in this season?

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Like Kayla, working from home. I also work from home. I didn't mention that. So that was recent this year. I have been home with my kids for eight years straight. And then I started working again, going back to work full time. So I committed to mom life. And then I got a job. So that was hard. But it's all worked out. And God is good. And I've been able to do both.

UNKNOWN 2:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Even just that transition from staying home to getting a job. I mean, that's a big deal. That's a huge change in your daily routine. But then also just how you relate with your family, you know, and getting everybody on board because it's just for everybody, not just for you, which is hard.

SPEAKER_04 3:10

I think, too, the idea that you said, hey, I'm going to leave this mom life group and then got a job. It would have been easy for you to say, maybe not. But I love that God was just like, opening up the margin for you to do both. And I think that that's something I think about a lot in my own journey is if I look at everything as too big or too hard or too much, I don't leave room for him to do the things that only he can do.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

And a huge blessing is my job is so flexible. I was able to be like, hey, I'm not going to be available for this chunk of time. And yeah. It was, it was just, it was, there's so many blessings in that. It's not just like the hard thing. It was that I was able to do both.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

I think one of the biggest distractions for me has just been that my kids are getting older. So we're in school and activities and it's just a lot. I also work from home part-time, but also have a two and a five-year-old that's with me all the time. And then just trying to juggle, you know, the volunteer things that I do, I work at my church. Um, so just trying to juggle every aspect of that and doing that well, um, sometimes it's, it's hard. Um, but it's fun watching God show up and be like, I'm enough. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:34

So my kids are seven, five, three and 16 months. So period. Yeah. It's my pressure is that, It's so hard to be everything for everybody. I guess the end answer to that is I can't. And they're all in different stages and phases and it's wonderful. But I think I get caught up in the nitty gritty of packing the lunch, changing a diaper. Did you wipe your face? Did you comb your hair? And it's kind of all consuming sometimes, just even getting people out the door in the mornings. And it's really easy to get. lost in all of the little to do's of that. That being said, mom life has kind of been like a light for me in that busy distraction where if I'm not filling my cup, if I'm not setting aside time to focus on my relationship with the Lord first, then I can't meet everyone else's needs.

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Yeah, that's good. Because the next question that I want to ask is how does the speed and chaos of life impact your ability to be present with your family and with God, because I think everything that you guys have shared is something that every mom can identify with, that we have this unique pressure to try and hold the world together. I mean, our little world of our home and our family, but sometimes we take on even more than that. And so with all of the pressure and the busyness, because I think that every day seems to be moving maybe even a little bit faster and faster and faster and faster. And so how does that impact your ability? I mean, you brought up first of your relationship with Jesus. Like how does it, how does it impact you being present with God?

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Oh man, I think it's easy to focus on all the things you're not doing. You know, like I've often struggled with feeling like, okay, here's a podcast I can listen to, or here's a quiet time basket, or here's a book I can read. And all those are great tools. But if I'm actually not in scripture every day, just for a little bit, then those tools don't mean anything. I can listen to someone talk about it, but I'm actually connecting with it. So I think the biggest thing for me right now in this time that's been helpful is just to find one thing, even if it's like listening to a dwell daily devotional in the car. That's my life. If that's how I get scripture that day, that's, that's going to meet me right there.

SPEAKER_04 7:20

I think there's this idea too, that it has to be this like long time in scripture. And I think if you have the time, of course, great, like spend hours in scripture every day. But for most of us, this busyness and this chaos and speed is, we don't always have that much time. And I think one of the things I hear you saying, Kayla, I know for me, it's often, what can I do right now for these five minutes I have in the car that can bring me back to the presence of God and remind me, because He's always there, but remind me of His presence. And I might could do that three or four times in the day, right? And so maybe it is, I open my Bible in the morning, but then in the car, I listen to something else. And then later in the day, I look at my scripture memory card or something, you know, like I think that's the importance of being present with God in these little moments might be the best thing we can do in the chaos.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

I often, I mean, our days look like we're going, you know, we hit the ground running and every minute is accounted for in a way that is like overwhelming. And so I think about, you know, how can I find the minutes or the time to be like, Intentional. And so this year we've talked a lot about, you know, margin and creating that margin and that buffer space because our to-do list gets so long and I lose sight very quickly of why am I even doing the to-do list, you know? And so you think, oh, okay, I probably do need to get these tasks done, but with what purpose? And I think, you know, holding God-centered and clinging to that safety and security recenters me. In those minutes of margin, I'm saying, okay, this is the purpose. How can I do that well and to glorify God?

SPEAKER_01 9:10

For me, it's like there's too much chaos when the kids get up. So it's being disciplined for me to get up before the kids, which, let's face it, is not easy. to get up early. I almost

SPEAKER_02 9:25

feel, I almost feel like, yeah, you and I, we texted each other for a while. Yeah. Are you up? Are you up? For some accountability, but it's almost like sometimes I get up early and then my child gets up earlier that day and it's so frustrating. But yeah, it's difficult to find those times of maybe I don't have it during the day. How can I create it? Well, that's getting up earlier. Yeah. It's tough.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

And someone marches down the stairs and wants to sit and talk to you and you're like, All right. I guess I'll have to wait till later, but yeah, like just being a good steward of my time and trying to fit it all in. And that's looked different for me this year with having a full-time job and, um, doing mom life, you know, all the things we're all busy. We all don't have enough time, but, um, being intentional when I do have it.

SPEAKER_04 10:15

It's like telling your time where to go. We've talked about that before, but I think The other thing you said that was important and part, I think part of this question too is how does the speed and the chaos of life keep us from being present with our family even? And I think sometimes we forget that when they come and interrupt the quiet time, like they're not a distraction. And it is very much God's way of saying, Hey, this right now is the most important. So to your point, you know, of just the to-do list and the tasks, you know, like, Yes, they likely need to get done. But at what cost? And I think that's the question I have to ask myself a lot. I'm a very task-oriented list kind of girl. And it's like, no, like, yes, this thing needs to get done, but it could be tomorrow or it could be next week. Or if you wait long enough, it might be never. Like it might not be as important as I thought it was. And I think being present to God and being present with our people that he's put in front of us will help us shape what is most important on that list

SPEAKER_01 11:20

to do. What was the guy's name that spoke? Josh. Yes. So I listened to his podcast and he, what stuck with me that he said was with kids, it's caught, not taught. And that's like with my devotional time in the morning, like my kids see me do that. And that was the same way with my grandparents. I saw them get up early in the morning and do that. And then I see my daughter doing it too. And yeah, It's just like, it wasn't something I taught her. It just is something she just is following.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

So Psalm 23 describes God as our shepherd. And John 10 says that Jesus is calling himself the good shepherd. And so what does this image of God as shepherd, what does that mean for you?

SPEAKER_00 12:05

As you read through John 10, when Jesus is talking about being the good shepherd, he says that he knows his sheep by name. This level of, He wants, He knows us. And He knows each of us. And that level of relationship is just so crucial. And the intimacy that He has and He desires for us, I think, is just so profound. Because I look at the people around me and I think, I don't know why He loves me. But God does. In spite of who we are, He loves us. And I think that's pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

In the midst of all the pressures, in the midst of all of the to-do lists, in the midst of just trying to figure it out and find the pockets of time and to teach and model for our kids what to do well, yet we can very easily have these voices of insecurity and not enoughness rise up. And so this reminder that Jesus as our shepherd knows us by name, that, yeah, it's incredibly profound.

SPEAKER_03 13:15

Yeah. Jesus as the good shepherd is beautiful and amazing. And when you hear it, you're like, yes, I want that. I want that in my life. But when you really go into it, that requires a lot of surrender of control. And if I'm being honest, growing up, there's a lot of things in my life that were out of control. And so I sought to rectify that as a little kid through achievement and, and controlling what I could within my own self. Now, as an adult and as someone who maybe started truly following the Lord a little bit later in life, that requires me to surrender my control, to surrender my anxiety. And Jesus is the good shepherd. You know, the shepherd knows where he's going, but the sheep doesn't. And that's, That's scary to me in ways knowing I don't know where I'm going to go. I have to lay down my idea of what I want for my kids, for my family, my picture of good. But I have seen the fruits of doing that and that his good is so much better than I could have ever imagined. So I say that, but it's a work in progress.

SPEAKER_04 14:33

I think it always will be. a work in progress. I think that's part of our journey as a sheep, right? Is that like we follow for a while and we might trail off and then we get back on the path. And I resonate with your idea that like it requires so much surrender and it's scary and that's scary to me. But what I've come to more lately in my journey is it's actually so freeing To know that like, if I let go of control and truly let go of control, there's this level of safety and rest that comes when it's like, oh, I don't have to be in control. He can do that. And which leads me to this beautiful place of rest. And back to why we're talking about this this year, this place of safety and security that I so long for, that my heart wants. But the only way to it, right, is surrender. That's so hard. And I don't like it. And I fight it a lot. But when I do it, I see what that feels like. And it's an experience you almost have to do before you know that that comes on the other side.

SPEAKER_02 15:51

Yeah, because control and predictable outcomes, that's what feels safe and secure. Because I can know what's coming or I can manipulate it to be that good that I need or that I think that I want. And so it feels completely backwards to say I'm going to release that and live every day with open hands, surrendering my control to the Lord. I'm even just talking about it and getting uncomfortable. It's such a hard thing. thing to do on a regular basis because it doesn't necessarily feel safe. And at the same time, this trust that we have a good shepherd who not only knows yesterday, today, and tomorrow until the end of time, but he also, Alicia, as you said, he knows our name. He has counted, as Psalm 139 says, he has numbered every hair on our head. He is... He counted the grains of sand. He, as Job talks about, he tells the waves when to come in and when to go out and the storms when to roll in. Like, man, that's, yes, you can control.

SPEAKER_04 17:17

He knows every hair on their heads. He also knows their days. And he goes before, behind, you know, all the things. And that also brings me such a level of security to know that, like, I might not know, like you said, Caleb, but he does. And so I can rest in that. It's comforting to me in some ways and very hard. I say that really sweet and nicely. But the truth of the everyday, when things feel out of my control, it's really hard and it's really messy, but I know it to be true. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

So in the busyness and the chaos that we've already talked about, that makes it challenging to find the time and to slow down, to experience the presence of God. Like we're acknowledging that that is challenging as busy moms, but also as you have had those moments of experiencing it, how has the peace and the provision changed? that God has provided in those moments, how has it impacted your just everyday life of motherhood?

SPEAKER_01 18:22

I've read the 23rd Psalm several, several times, being raised in church. And today in our quiet times at the retreat, I kind of got stuck on where David says, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And we were talking about the rod and the staff And it's correction, right? They use that not to hit the sheep, but to just gently move them over. And then the correction through the valleys of the shadow of death, but also to the pastures, the green pastures, where you feel safe and secure, where you feel at peace. And that's been my whole life, not just through motherhood. God has just corrected me very gently. Sometimes not. He's always been there with me. And that makes me think of the rod and the staff comfort me and kind of pushed me through it. Like,

SPEAKER_04 19:21

come on, keep going. Well, and I think it's interesting too, that imagery, even in itself, the rod and the staff represent this protection of God, right? Which is what you're saying of like, come on, let's come back on this path. This is more safe. Going too far. Right? This is a safer path. But then there's the provision of the Lord too. And that is that the shepherds specifically use it to like, knock fruit out of trees and like different things for food and like provision. And I think it's just so cool to think about the fact that He is all of those things. You know, He can protect and He can correct and He can guide and He can lead and He can provide. The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need and all of those things together. Mm-hmm. We resist the correction. We resist the guidance. We resist. Or we look other places for it. And I think that's just natural. But then when it happens, the chaos comes. And we don't feel at peace. And we don't feel the joy. And I'm guilty of it. I do it all the time. One day it's like walking right along. And it's great. And the shepherd's leading. And then the next day it's like, what am I doing? How did I get over here? Oh, wait. I remember what that was like. Let me go back.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

Somebody this weekend was talking about about how like when she's alone she's kind of just on alert you know she's really paying attention to her surroundings and who's here and what's going to happen but when she's with her husband she's she's at rest. She knows that he's going to take care of that. He's going to be the one kind of on alert and paying attention to where they're going and what they're doing next. And so just the safety and the comfort that comes from knowing that he is with her. And so I thought that was such a good picture or whatever your safe person is, that there is just this natural comfort and I can let go. I can surrender because I am with this person that I trust with my whole heart and my very life. And so I know that they're going to take care of me, whatever comes. And so I think that that's it. When we do slow down to be with Jesus, as you're talking about, and have that ride and that staff, but just experience that comfort. That's everything. When you take the moment to be with Jesus, what are the benefits? How have you reaped the benefit of that?

SPEAKER_03 21:56

I think I was talking this weekend with you, Christy, about how sometimes I feel like I just miss it. I'm just... in such the busy moments, especially at bedtime, trying to get them all bathed and clothed and tucking them in. And then I'm so tired. I miss that connection piece. But I think the same thing is said when we just brush by our connection time with Jesus, we just miss it. And taking those little moments, even if it's like sitting in my car for an extra five minutes after I get home from the grocery store. We all know what that's like. Right? To like just pray or listen to scripture. That really does sustain me and it gives me the extra strength to spend those extra five minutes. And I wish it happened more often. I'm working on it. It's not something I am perfect at.

SPEAKER_04 22:54

Yeah,

SPEAKER_03 22:54

that's

SPEAKER_04 22:54

good. So with all of these things we've talked about, just, I hear you guys and I know you guys are in mom life, you're leading mom life groups, but like to the moms out there listening, why do you think even that being in a group of moms and being with other women in a gospel centered type community, like, why do you think that that's important? And, you know, how has it been important even for you in your own walk versus trying to kind of do this whole thing on your own?

SPEAKER_03 23:20

Well, I think that there's a difference when you, between a friend and a spiritual friendship. Friends are great. They're wonderful. They're a necessity. We're made to be in community. But I also think that there is maybe a tendency in mommy culture to maybe complain or vent a little bit, and rightly so sometimes. It's hard. But a spiritual friendship can... provide accountability in a way, or maybe reframe a lens that points back to Jesus that might reveal a need for more kindness or grace towards your children or your husband or coworker or whoever that might be. And that's something I never really had until I joined mom life. And it's been so refreshing to have a community that sees me and accepts me where I'm at and And is gracious and, but also truthful when need be.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

Yeah. I think like the Kayla's point community is necessary. Right. And oftentimes I'll get to a point in my life where I forget that. I'm just very forgetful. 30 minutes go by, and I'm like, oh, it was. Okay, I got it. Re-center. And I think the community at Mom Life holds me accountable to showing up and re-centering and re-remembering what God has done and what He will do. I think that it's very encouraging to be a part of a community that you know is solely united in that purpose of re-centering and just growing towards God in the way that is. Encouraging and supportive.

SPEAKER_01 25:05

And just like-minded women. Seeing the positive instead of complaining and being in the word together. I've been in mom groups who are not so biblically based. And it's nice to always point back to the scripture and in discussion, like just opening our Bibles and pulling out scripture and just kind of sitting in it.

SPEAKER_02 25:30

Yeah, because there's this one core thing that kind of binds us together. Like even if our particulars are different, whether our kids' ages are different or married, not married or work or stay at home, like there's so much or even how we discipline or where we choose to send our kids to school. Like there is this one binding truth. There's this one binding thing around God and his good word that helps us to be even better encouragers, I think for one another, Kayla, of what you're talking about. Whereas maybe we do take that moment and we vent about how hard and how chaotic and how fast life is. And then also we have a moment to recenter Alicia, as you were saying to refocus together. Okay. But this is why we're here. And this is, this is why we do this mom thing. You know, this is our purpose and even our jobs and how we rest, how we have fun, how we vacation, um, That we can just be true encouragements to each other.

SPEAKER_04 26:28

And I think so often in communities, specifically of women, but also moms, like you're saying, Kayla, there's this tendency to just stay in the heart. And I think my hope for mom life groups and my hope for even my own group of friends, you know, is that... we can come and we can say, this is really hard. We can be authentic. We can be vulnerable. We can be all of those things. And yet I know that those people are going to circle me back to God's word and they're going to circle me back to the truth. And I think most importantly, finding people that can be for you, for your relationship with Jesus and for your marriage or for your parenting and for your kids. And like, you're not circling the negative, you're circling the positive and you know, the negative is going to be there. And of course you address it, but there's There's this beauty that comes when we see the world that is broken through the lens of redemption and restoration and all of the things that God tells us he's about. And I think there is such, you said mommy culture, there is a culture out there that wants to just talk about the hard and circle the hard and never circle back to the Okay, yes, that's hard. But what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about it? Are we going to sit here? And because what happens, we all know, turns into resentful bitterness and ick that we just don't want to live in. We're just being scared all the time. Scared, fear, like, oh, this is never going to get better. That is not hopeful and not encouraging to me. And I don't think it's where God wants us to live. And so I think for me, that's what I love about gospel-centered community is just that it is different. And then it points us toward the gospel. And that's the point, right? And it's not easy to find. And you won't always find it in every single situation. But the hope is that if you are circling scripture, you will get there at some point.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

I think mom life has a special thing about it too. Because it's, you know, normally you can lead a small group, you can lead at a church, you can lead at a, you know, big church where you're having Thousands of people coming, right? Or whatever it is. But every year you get into a smaller group. And you don't know who those ladies are going to be necessarily. But they're always the right people at the right time to do life with in a way that you didn't know you needed to. And I think that's really

SPEAKER_03 28:53

encouraging. I really felt that too, Alicia. This year I was really blessed to be in a mom life group with women of different generations.

UNKNOWN 29:03

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 29:04

Multiple generations we spend, there were some ladies who joined and said, well, my mom days are kind of done, but I'm a grandma now and I can learn from this. And there are moms whose kids are in college and my kids are school age and younger. And on the outside, it might seem like, yes, we're in different stages and we don't have that much in common, but I think as the year went on, we really found that there was so much in common. And it's been so refreshing to just be in community with them and build relationships. People that I see on Sundays and love and serve and connect with, but to really know them has been so special and life-giving in a way that I don't know that I would have gotten otherwise, just to learn and grow from each other.

SPEAKER_02 29:55

That's great. I have learned and grown so much from the three of you and I am just grateful for Your friendship and even just the deep communications, the deep conversations that we get to have that once a year we get together and really dive in of what's working and what's not, whether that's in our personal lives or in homes or marriage or even in mom life and leading and ministry. And it is so fun just to get to learn from other people. And I just want to say you're doing a great job. Across the board, you're doing a great job. And I know all of the moms who are listening, they can identify with a lot of the things that you are sharing. And so I am with you. I have found such value in just being together with other moms, whatever their age or stage of life. And there are the days that I... Don't want to maybe, or I'm too tired or it feels like it doesn't even, it doesn't make sense in my schedule to take this hour or two to be together. But man, when I make the commitment and I still go anyway and show up because I know people will, you know, they're going to be looking for me, not because I'm important, but just, you know, they want to be around. They want the community too. And so they're going to follow up and say, where were you? Like just even that accountability to help me show up, you know, then when I go home, man, I'm just, I'm so glad that I have gotten to hear stories and I've gotten to be together and have the encouragement and have the space. So do you have any final encouragement to moms who are listening, who maybe have that very question of like, is it worth it? to invest, to build this kind of friendship with other people, to talk about the deeper or the harder things, to talk about who God is, to be able to ask questions like, is it worth it for my time? How would you encourage them?

SPEAKER_03 31:52

Yes. Yes, 100%. And you don't have to come with a full face of makeup in like your best clothes. Like, come as you are, wherever you're at in your walk with the Lord or in your life or your ability to be vulnerable, the Lord will meet you where you're at and grow you. And there's nothing better than being real with other people in the community.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

Yeah, I feel transparency. Like I went into group this year in mom life at my kid's school and being like super intimidated and just feeling judged which those were all in my head like I didn't even have to go there but I felt like nobody was going to talk like nobody was going to talk the whole time that was like my biggest fear but everybody talked and everybody just opened up and I was just like wow like I don't even know these women and they're just felt so comfortable just to share so much of their lives and and the things we had in common and we have a great group I'm very blessed

SPEAKER_00 33:02

Is it worth it? Yes. Yeah, it's worth it. It's worth it to show up. It's worth it to put yourself out there. It's worth it to do something new if this is new for you. It's worth it to try again if you've done it before.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

That's a good word. And whether you have a full face of makeup or not, whether this is your first time or not, whether you are joining a local mom life group that is in someone's home or in a church or in someone's school, because Hillary, you lead at your kids' private school, and that's great of just moms getting together after they drop off their kids. Or maybe you just find another friend who lives next door and just the two of you get together and meet on a regular basis, just Yeah. And I think that is our heart with mom life and

SPEAKER_04 34:10

why we do what we do. I mean, we are, as you can tell, we're really excited about our theme this year. And just this idea of what it looks like for moms to really feel safe and secure. And so if you're listening to this and you're like, okay, they convinced me. This sounds like something I want to do. There are many, many ways that Melanie and I can get you started. Like she just said, it can be as easy as a friend at coffee. And you guys have access to everything that we provide, which I'm going to clearly tell you really quickly what that is. You will receive teaching videos for nine months worth of content. Every single mom gets a journal and gets resources to use with that. And it's that easy. It is. We

SPEAKER_02 34:51

even give you the questions to answer and talk about together.

SPEAKER_04 34:54

Yes. You don't even have to come up with the questions to get discussions started. It's all of those things. And so we want to make it easy for you to say, Hey neighbor, Do you want to talk about this? Do you want to be safe and secure? Who doesn't, right? And so we want to make it that easy. And so reach out to us. There is the opportunity to start groups, small, in your home, at your kid's school, in your church, all the ways. So we want to hear from you.

SPEAKER_02 35:21

Yeah, you can find out all the details in the show notes, or you can go to www.momlife.org for all of the ways that you can register to lead or to join a group. And we would love to see you. And for those of you who are just going to continue to follow along with our podcast, we're going to talk about what it looks like to be safe and secure all next year, starting August through May, living life with the Good Shepherd. Let me pray for you. Father God, I thank you so much for... Just making moms. You have made such a beautiful world and moms are such a beautiful creation of you. And so are the dads and so are the kids and so are the uncles and the grandparents and the friends and everybody. But God, we want to be specifically grateful for moms today. And in just the normal busyness and the rush and the craziness and the chaos, God, we want to take a deep breath. And we want to remember that you are with us through it all. giving us comfort and peace and protection. And in those moments that maybe we even do pause for two, three, four minutes while we're in the car after having a crazy day, maybe we don't feel it. But God, we can still choose to trust that you are good and that you are true and that you are with us and just help us to feel that to get us through the next few minutes of today. God, I pray for the mom who might be feeling a little bit lonely and especially overwhelmed that you remind her even from hearing these stories from Kayla and Alicia and Hillary that they're not alone, that there are other people who understand just the overwhelm that they feel and that it would be so worth it to just have these conversations with someone else to be reminded that God is good, that they can remind other people and other people can remind them. And we love you so much in your holy and precious name. Amen.