Episode 100! I never dreamed Thriving With 8 Podcast would make it this far. Thanks for listening! After all, a podcast is no good without listeners.

I felt really strongly that these were the topics that needed to be shared- choosing to be present & progression, not perfection. Life is more enjoyable when we are present with our kids, let go of the mom guilt, and learn to thrive when things don’t go as planned.

Listen to Thriving With 8 episode 100 to learn more and celebrate with us!

Are you bone tired and soul tired at the same time? Although exhaustion in motherhood is common, we can feel joyful and weary, excited and exhausted, grateful and tired. When we choose to walk everyday with Christ we will find His Rest. 

Christ will walk by our side, just like a friend, if we let Him. He will show us what He loves about our day and about us. He will help us see the "manna" in our life. Turning our focus to Him will shift our weariness to energy and confidence. 

Listen to Episode 99 of Thriving With 8 Podcast for ideas to start that shift of mind, heart, and soul.

"Drapers are doers"! That is the motto Melissa Draper has established with her family, both in word and example. As a lover of service, she teaches her kids to say "yes" whenever possible when an opportunity to serve occurs. She is constantly looking for ways that her family can look outside of themselves to help those around them and inspires others through her "Do Something More" podcast.

What examples of service are you setting for your children? Listen to this episode of Thriving With 8 Podcast for inspiration on how you and your family can THRIVE through Serving!

As we approach the holiday season, stress and overwhelm threaten to sneak in. But that doesn’t need to be the case! We can have less stress and more meaning during the holidays as we focus on what matters most. As Saren Eyre Loosli says, “Less is more.”

In this episode of Thriving With 8 Podcast, Saren shares some wonderful ideas and experiences regarding how we can enjoy the holidays with our families by maintaining traditions that keep the holidays simple, thoughtful, and fun. 

How do you cultivate kindness in your family? It's not always easy, but as we open our eyes to see the world from another's perspective, we are able to show an increase of love and help others thrive. We can start by showing compassion and grace to our own children and lead by example.

In this episode of Thriving With 8 Podcast, Rachel Bonner shares some beautiful life experiences and how she and her husband have been able to transform some of them into a wonderful children's book series.

Being a mom is an experience like no other. And even though we all want what's best for our kids, we may approach motherhood a lot differently than our neighbor, sister, or friend. This is because we all have different personalities resulting from a variety of core motivations.

Just as we are different from other moms in our lives, the way our children view the world may not be the same as our perspective. We often want to mold our kids into little versions of ourselves. Instead we should help them discover their true inner self and help them grow and progress as God intends.

Listen to Episode 94, Enneagram for Moms, with author and Enneagram Coach Beth McCord to discover the importance of truly knowing ourselves and our children and what drives our fears, desires, weakness, and longings.

At times it can be hard to connect with other moms. Connection can begin with an intentional introduction of yourself. What do you share when you meet someone for the first time? Do you go beyond your name and how many children you have? Do you give the other person anything to work with in order to create a connection with you?

Stacy Goulding believes that it’s important for all moms to have an elevator pitch. This is a quick, intentional way to introduce ourselves, whether with a neighbor, a mom at the park, or a room mom at school.

Connection leads to vulnerability which leads to trust. A lasting friendship can begin with a simple introduction! Listen to episode 93 for more tips on creating your elevator pitch!

(Plus, make sure you are subscribed to our email list and following on IG @motherhoodtheprofession for announcements about our May 2024 Thriving Moms Gathering to celebrate the 6th birthday of Thriving With 8 Podcast!)

Jodi Orgill Brown prayed that her children would learn to serve others, see people at their heart for who they are, and have compassion. But she had no idea how those prayers would be answered.

Jodi and her family have learned on a very personal level what it means to be served, as well as the joy that comes from serving others. What makes the journey worth it is doing it together and knowing you are not alone.

In this part 2 Thriving With 8 episode with Jodi, she shares beautiful examples of how she has been the recipient of service from family and friends over the years. She also teaches how we can bring light to others by serving in meaningful, heartfelt ways. We can do something to make the sun shine in someone else's life.

Jodi Orgill Brown was living the perfect "white picket fence life" when the dizziness and headaches first began. Life quickly changed when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Jodi has learned through many hard trials including multiple surgeries, hospital stays, and a variety of health challenges that thriving looks different at different stages in your life. Even if you can't always be the mom you thought you would be, you are enough for your kids.

Learning to thrive is a process. But no matter what is happening in your life, the sun still shines! You get to choose everyday if you will see the light.

Listen to Thriving With 8 Episode 91 to learn more about Jodi’s experience and how she chooses to thrive each day.

A thriving marriage doesn't just magically happen! Just like motherhood, marriage is an arena for growth. We must be intentional if we want to become the best spouse we can be. It is a process of becoming. Perfection is the lie that can discourage us from trying.

In this conversation in episode 90 of Thriving With 8 Podcast, with couples coach and podcaster, Julia Woods, she teaches 5 tips to develop and maintain a thriving marriage. You are probably already doing some of them, but there's always room for improvement as you partner together with your spouse. Listen as she explains the importance of growing through tension, negotiating, weekly partnering, playing and chatting with your spouse. Even better, listen together! And then commit to starting small steps to improving your marriage relationship.