The Grace Filled Life with Margo Martin: Recent Episodes
Margo Martin
Welcome to The Grace Filled Life. As a mama of 4 young girls, I have grown weary of trying to keep up with the perfect pictures I see on social media when my life looks nothing like that perfect picture. My heart is to bring reality, encouragement, laughter, and a whole lot of Jesus to mamas who just want to know they aren't alone in the mess. I hope that as you listen, you feel less alone and encouraged through life and scripture to lean into a grace filled life!
Can I make a confession? I hate the phrase "mom guilt"...mostly because I immediately feel guilty! This phrase "mom guilt" has gotten quite a bit of attention amongst my peers in the past few years. I really struggle with mom guilt and regret. I feel guilty about all the things I should be done that I am not with my kids and with my life! I feel guilty about feeling guilty! The thing is though, that if we are living like we are guilty, then we are living as though what Jesus did wasn't enough. It leaves our kids watching a mom who is essentially saying that Jesus wasn't enough for her in this area! I don't know about you but that stings beacuse it's true for me! It may be the heaviness that comes with raising kids, but for some reason, we seem to think that feeling guilty as a mom is ok and we sit in it and joke around about it like it is normal. Living in guilt is living in enemy territory. It's time to take it back and teach our kids how to live free and in the light of grace too! Memory verse for the week: "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of thelife-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Romans 8:1-2Printable and Coloring Page:
Join me on the podcast this week as we talk about what it means to be wise! I tell my girls all the time that you can be really smart but really unwise. Here's what I want you to soak in...Wisdom is a deep understanding that the world isn’t always right, but God’s ways are. Psalm 111:10 shows us the way to wisdom. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight."
There is so much to unpack in this verse!!! We start to gain wisdom by having a fear of the Lord! Our kids are growing up in a culture that lacks Godly wisdom but believes themselves to be smarter than the last generation. It's a problem. This verse is a good start to helping ourselves to lean into God's way to wisdom.
Coloring Page and Printable are found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e1AcQPILQU54CV2r2aCSApu4MIfzsucH/view?usp=sharing
I'm really struggling in one specific area of parenting. Ironically, it's an area that I thought I was really good in for many years. Funny enough, I've noticed that my kids are struggling in this same area, and the Lord has been reminding me of the importance of living in His Spirit as opposed to my fleshly reactions. Although I'm constantly failing in this area, God is giving me hope through a few words he has spoken and tangible tips to live a more grace filled life in this area! Come join us on the podcast this week as we disect and memorize Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."Don't forget your Printable and Coloring Sheet! They can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19UX7y5xXbwrdrq0Uf-KV34Q4khdRB27w/view?usp=drive_link
Most of my life, I think I had the wrong picture of God in my head. When I thought of God, I thought of all the Old Testament fire, distance between his people and himself, and I think we sometimes just stay there in our view of God. Can you relate?
That's not all of who God is! He is actually approachable! He smiles over you. He sent Jesus so that he could be near to you!! You can Walk in with Your Head Held High!
Ephesians 3:12 is our verse we are digging deep into this week. We take a deep dive into the Old Testament view of God and how through Jesus, we need to take a new viewpoint! Join me as we dig in and realize the curtain has already been torn down so we can approach him boldly!
Ephesians 3:12-"In him and through faith in him, we can approach God with freedom and with confidence."
Printable and Coloring Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J-6gnUVz8hxqPPtigy4gw-WOCytDpMk7/view?usp=sharing
Do you or your children struggle with fear? Do you need tools to help you or your child work through those feelings of being afraid? This is what we are leaning into on the podcast this week. Fear is a common feeling, and we see that throughout scripture. However, fear has no root in God. It's the enemy's plan to get us so consumed with fear that we forget WHO GOD ACTUALLY IS. Today we are going to take a deep dive into Psalms 56:3-4 and what it means to actually trust God with our fears and teach our kids how to do that as well. Memory Verse of the WeekPsalms 56:3-4When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. Printable and Coloring Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gecSnIboUVOiWChC8vKEtTRZcAx8npNJ/view?usp=drive_link
If you want to be in God's word but you struggle to find time or motivation....THIS IS FOR YOU!!! This podcast is taking a turn to those of you who are BUSY with life get in the WORD!! You CAN be busy and still find time for Jesus. Actually I think that busyness should be the REASON why we make time to be in His Word.
My goal is to help busy women -Know His Word, Be filled with grace, Walk in power!
So join me today as we set up how this podcast will roll from here on out. We are diving into Psalm 119:37.
This is our memory verse for this week:
Turn my eyes from worthless things,
and give me life through your word. Psalm 119:37
Printable and Coloring Page can be found HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xDak4K90IpH2ArGpNjweeszQBRlu80OP/view?usp=drive_link
Being a mom means playing the long game, right? Actually, life is a long game whether you’re a mom or not! Sometimes we find ourselves exhausted and burnt out, but there seems to be no time to actually rest! The baby won’t sleep, kids are sick, nap time gets interrupted, we lay down and then someone wakes up…motherhood is life unexpected and interrupted! Motherhood is 100% missional. It is a laying down of our lives for our kids, but we also need rest! It seems to be a catch 22, so what do we do? In Mark 6, Jesus calls his disciples to rest, but their rest keeps getting interrupted just like ours often does. I think we can learn a lot from this chapter and the disciples on how we CAN find rest in the chaos and interruptions. Keep your eyes lifted up! He sees you!
It's time..to choose Revelation over Resolutions this year. If you are anything like me, I look back over many of my so-called resolutions for the past year, and there are many that I didn't accomplish. In the past, this has led me to feelings of failure and disappointment in myself. This is NOT how God has called us to live! He cares about our goals, but He cares about His purposes and our hearts more. What if 2024 was the year that we let go of resolutions and first chose REVELATION as our first priority?
Come join me on the podcast to explain what that means and how you can shift your goals to be more Spirit aligned than ever before! I'll also share with you what the last 3 months have brought for our family and how I've shifted my goals to be more in alignment with Jesus this year. I promise you'll leave feeling more empowered and encouraged to begin your year that in years past!
KEY POINTS
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Revelation leads to resolutions.
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Revelation gives us power to be resolute because we are asking for a power that isn't our own. 3. If you want to be resolute, you have to look to Jesus first.
KEY VERSES
“But when He, who had set me apart before Iwas born and who called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me,in order that I might preach Him among Gentiles,"-Galatians 1:15–16
"No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. "
-John 1:18 Questions or Prayer Requests please email Margo at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com.
Don't let the title of this podcast fool you. No one is asking you to give up your children. I don't believe that God would ever ask us to do that either, but today we are talking about how there was one parent in the Bible who WAS asked to give up his child and the faith it took to trust God in that moment.
The truth is that we face a lot of unknown as parents. Our kids grow up and become increasingly independent, and that sometimes brings up a lot of fear for us as parents as we realize that there is so much out of our control. We face daily fears about our children, our marriages, our jobs, and our relationships. We may not be called to physically give up and sacrifice our kids, but we ARE called to daily give up our fears and feelings to God and chose faith in His love for all of us including our children.
Lean in with me today as we talk about how much God loves his children and desires for us to live lives of faith over fear in our parenting journeys.
Today we are getting real with one of...if not THE darkest moments in my motherhood journey. I was lower than low.
The truth is that I know this won't be my last dark moment in life. It's taken me almost 4 years to wrestle with this moment, and what God taught me through it.
Funny enough, healing has come through studying the life of another mom in the Bible that had some dark moments as a mom. God CARES about our parenting journey. He hears us and sees us in our darkest moments.
If you are in a dark moment and feel alone, please email me for prayer. My prayer team and I would be blessed to pray you through it. Email: thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com
Rest is a dirty word in motherhood. If you are anything like me, the to do list is always long. It never gets crossed off completely. There is ALWAYS something to do. I have news for you...I don't think that's ever going to change, but we can change!! The amazing part about God is that he teaches us in Genesis 1 that the rest comes in knowing we can say, "we've done enough!". Our value does not come from productivity but in WHO we belong to. I've taken a journey the past few years on trying to understand rest, Sabbath, and how that can look practically specifically in motherhood. I never thought rest was possible as a mom, but as I will share today...rest is a heart posture and God has some important things to say about that. I can't wait to share what I have been learning with you!
So I shared with you all that I was starting my 75 Hard Journey. I actually ended up quitting, but it's probably not for the reasons you think. I am walking away from this feeling like I had a huge win in my thought process and also in my body.
Sometimes we have to have the discipline to let go of "good things" to receive what God's best for us in the moment is.
I might as well introduce myself like this, "Hi, my name is Margo, and I am a part time perfectionist." Perfectionism is a tricky beast, isn't it? In my recent journey, God has convicted me that perfectionism that isn't submitted to His throne is me living in sin. I am so guilty of trying to do things on my own, failing, and then feeling frustrated that I failed. In reality, I am learning to acknowledge that I was meant to be weak and boast in those weaknesses so that any success in life is only because HE enabled us to do what we were called to do! So actually, our lack of being perfect is how God receives glory. We are going to talk about perfectionism today on the podcast and why it's an important personality trait to give to Jesus! ****I would also like to add...that excellence and perfectionism are like fraternal twins. They look a lot alike so you can see that they are related, but one is submitted to Jesus and the other is submitted to self. Excellence IS important in the Kingdom! If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and I would be delighted to hold you up in prayer.
How did you grow up viewing your body? Good? Bad? Not normal? Better than normal? Ha! The truth is that I grew up viewing my body as something that was bad or needed to be fixed. The truth is that my body is good now and will be good when I'm 80. It is good when I'm at my lowest weight and at my highest weight. My body is good because God says it is!!
At the same time, I am realizing that I have not been submitting my self control in certain areas of my life over to God. So I started 75 Hard today because I needed to gain back control over my heart, mind, body, and soul. So with God's help, here I go and I am going to share with you all about that and also how I've gotten to a healthy conclusion about taking care of my body with God's help!
To join me or prayer or encouragement, you can email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com and I would love to encourage or pray for you!
Have you ever had someone say to you, "I promise, it does get easier!"? I have and it's made me want to punch them in the face. Not really, but it's one of those phrases that has always hit me the wrong way because I have seen NO LIGHT at the end of the tunnel when it comes to things getting easier with my girls in terms of vacations, traveling, and general life situations.
BUT I am here to share with you that I think I now understand WHEN it does get easier, and how I have seen the hard turn a little easier in this current stage of parenting! After traveling 4500 miles this past month with my 4 girls, ages 10 to 3...yes, that's over 60 hours we spent in the car, I can say that I was so shocked and pleasantly surprised at how much easier this trip was than in the past almost 11 years of trips we have taken. Somehow this has given me a new perspective on our life at home too. Join me as we talk about the hard years of parenting and how I can finally see how it does get a bit easier!
I'm learning a lot from my children this summer...even on the hard days. I will be the first to admit that I was dreading headed into summer because we are in a unique season in our household with sibling relationships and learning to love each other well. BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, He has changed my perspective (and theirs) and my kids are teaching me so much about the heart of God for me and for them this summer. It's only by His grace that He has changed my outlook and therefore, I truly believe changing the outlook of my girls. He is SO good, and I have the sweetest gift in these 4 girls He has given me to raise.
Come join me as I share 3 fun and touching stories of things my girls have done to remind me that we are so precious to our Heavenly Father. We are irreplaceable and safe in the hands of Jesus.
As followers of Jesus, we all know the importance of leaning into His words and His voice. Sometimes that can seem overwhelming, but I think summer time is a great time to make memorizing scripture fun for you and for your kids!
Today I am going to share how we are memorizing scripture as a family, ways to make it fun, and also WHY it's important to get God's word in our hearts and minds!
DWELL is the scripture card company I share about today!
KEY VERSES:
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
Psalm 119:11
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and I would be honored to pray for you!
If we are being honest, I have been in a season of motherhood that has made me feel completely out of my depth. Sometimes I want to run away, cry, or just tell God that I think He picked the wrong mom for this job! We've all had those feelings, right?
I want to share with you today what God has revealing to me recently about the connection between my heart and Jonah through reading the book of Jonah. I'm not so different from the guy who received God's call and doubted it so hard that he RAN into a deep, roaring sea because he thought He wasn't cut out for what God had called him to do.
You and I were created before the beginning of time to be the exact mom for our kids that they need. If you need prayer in this area, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com and my prayer team and I would be delighted to pray for you!
KEY PASSAGES:
Jonah 1
Jeremiah 1
What do you do when your kids start to give you attitude? Start to talk back? Say things to each other or to you that you "just can't believe they would say!"? I wanted to share a simple verse that we use often in our house. It's a way to connect scripture to their hearts and minds and help them to "hide God's word in their heart" as they seek to love other around them!
Are your words sweet or sour? Proverbs 16: 23-24-"Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com and I would be honored to pray for you!
We absolutely cannot pour from an empty cup! Well, we can but it never pours out the best from us! Today on the podcast we are talking about HOW to fill up your cup well and WHO you can do that with!
It takes some intentionality but it can be done! Come join me as I share my journey over the past few years of how I have sought to find the things that fuel and fill me so that I can continue to be the kind of mama who's cup is overflowing more than not.
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and I would love to pray for you!
As we wrap up our mini series on Resilient Motherhood, I recognize that there are many mamas out there who just feel bone tired and weary. You may be wondering if it is even possible to be resilient when you feel so tapped out. The good news is that you can...because HE IS!!
Jesus is the answer to our weariness and today I am going to share with you how we can lean on him in the seasons of mamahood that can feel long and hard.
Thank you for joining me in this mini series. I pray that you walk away carrying the RESILIENCE of Jesus into your everyday motherhood.
We so often downplay the importance of prayer and how it changes things in our lives. Mamas, we cannot afford to make this mistake with our children. We must pray for them to develop resiliency in the difference areas of their live so they can be protected from the lies of this world.
Our enemy is a ROARING lion....and we have to make sure that the RIGHTEOUS and TRUE LION of Judah is the one they hear above all else.
Join me today on day 6 of our Resilient Motherhood series as we talk about HOW you can specifically pray for your children in today's culture. I will give areas to pray as well as scripture to pray over your children while we talk about the power of prayer in the lives of our children.
You are loved, mama! Don't ever forget that your voice is heard by the King of all Kings!
KEY WAYS TO PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN:
Conviction and Courage, Joshua 1:9That they would know Christ, Ephesians 3:17
Connection with other believing kids and adults, Romans 12:5
Contentment to be free from other's approval, 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Covering of Protection, Psalm 91:1-2Love for the Word, Psalm 119:97 Direction, Proverbs 3:5-6
Compassion, Ephesians 4:32
Wisdom, James 1:5
Marriage can be challenging to keep on the front burner especially in the busy years of active motherhood and fatherhood. Having a resilient marriage that feels like it can bend and NOT break can feel like a mountain to climb and a lot of work. In this Day 5 episode of the Resilient Motherhood mini series, I am going to share 5 simple ways that we can create resiliency in our marriage and stay connected even when time feels like it is slipping away and the little humans need us so much.
We can stay resilient, connected, and strong with our spouses if we are "braided" well!
KEY VERSES
Ecc 4:12-Though one may beoverpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quicklybroken.
Welcome to day 4 of the Resilient Motherhood mini series where we are talking all things quiet time and resiliency! Motherhood is ANYTHING BUT quiet, right?! It's sometimes hard to find time to do it and making it a priority isn't always on our to do list.
However, maybe just maybe... the key to staying resilient at all in motherhood is spending time with Jesus. In a season of life that often feels impossible to find extra time and space, I hope that this encourages you that you CAN find time and also helps remind us all of WHY time with Jesus can make us truly resilient mothers.
Discipline. Correction. It's a never ending job that we do as moms (and dads! and grandparents! and teachers!). It often feels wearisome and it is hard.
What if I told you the key to resilience in discipline is NOT in the method, but in the consistency of what you choose to do. In this episode, I'll give you some tips and tricks to lighten the load on this road that sometimes seems unending!
Bottom line, you can stay resilient when it comes to the life long journey of mothering and discipline. I hope this encourages you to stay strong in HIM.
Do you struggle to take care of your body well? As a mom often our needs go on the back burner to take care of the little humans we have been entrusted with. As a mom of 4 girls ages 10 and under....I GET THAT!! Mothering is a full time job, but if we don't take the time to strengthen our bodies, we truly aren't doing all God has called us to. We are called to have strong arms to care for our families. That doesn't mean we do it for looks, but it means we purposely take care of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit so we can SERVE him well!
In day 2 of the Resilient Motherhood mini series, we are going to take about practical tips for taking care of ourselves while time is often short. We will also talk about WHY it's important to take care of our bodies and how that honors God in our roles as wives and mothers. I promise that if you struggle in this area, you are not alone. It is possible to build resiliency in this area of motherhood and enjoy it in the process!
Would you consider yourself a resilient mom? Yeah, I laughed too! I didn't even really know what that meant but my first thought was, "That is not a word I would use to describe myself!" The truth is that God built us to be RESILIENT. He built us to be bent and to be shaped, but to always come back to our "original shape" in Him! I promise you...Jesus is with you in the stretching and the bending, we just have to learn how to bend towards HIM and back into HIM as our firm foundation instead letting the world break us.
In this short 7 day mini-series entitled Resilient Motherhood, I will be sharing with you about what it means to live out Resilient Motherhood in 6 areas of our lives: Self Care, Disciplining our Children, Quiet Time with God, Marriage, Prayer in Motherhood, and Weariness in Motherhood.
Come join me as we lead into this Mother's Day Week and become more Resilient Moms.
What feelings does the word "PRAYER" strike up in you? Depending on how you grew up, prayer can bring out a lot of feelings for many people. Insecurity, doubt, hurt, confidence, relationship, tenderness, joy...it can all vary. Today we are going to be talking about how we can normalize prayer and pray for our kids well. Prayer doesn't have to be scary or a big deal, but it definitely is a game changer in our hearts and in theirs.
Join me as we break down what it means to pray for our kids, and hopefully you will walk away with simple ideas to implement this into your life a little easier.
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and I would be delighted to pray for you!
Key Verses:
Mark 11:24-I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.
Well, I didn't quite feel like Episode 17 was complete. If you haven't listened to Episode 17, please go back and do so before listening to this episode. In this episode, I give you 10 tools for helping manage your anger well as you parent. These tools are also tools that I use with my daughters to help them manage their emotions. I hope this is encouraging to you as you listen and gives you some practical ways to move forward in grace, hope, and joy! God is FOR you!
KEY VERSE:
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mightypower. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand againstthe devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, butagainst the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this darkworld and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, youmay be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with thebreastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with thereadiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take upthe shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows ofthe evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, whichis the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds ofprayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on prayingfor all the Lord’s people.
It's not very often that you see a picture of a parent on Instagram showing how they felt angry with their kids, right? Everything always looks so blissful and "that mom over there" must never get angry or frustrated with her kids! Meanwhile, we sit in our homes and our kids are struggling with anger or we are struggling with anger, and we feel that we must be the only one.
Here is the good news, you are NOT alone if your kids have made you angry. Anger is a common human emotion, but it's all about what we do with our anger and the "preventative medicine" we have to anger if we submit our emotions to Jesus.
So today we are going to talk about my struggles with anger (mostly inwardly) that I never thought I would struggle with and how I am working through that in my own life and in the lives of my girls. I hope this episode brings you hope, joy, and a desire to let Jesus in to give you his gift of patience.
KEY VERSES:
James 1:19-20-My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
James 1:5-If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
If you need prayer for your anger or in any other area, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com and I would be honored to pray for you.
Motherhood can be super lonely and isolating, right?! We've all been there. It feels like making deep and lasting friendships can be a hard task in this busy season of changing diapers, taking kids from activity to activity, homeschooling, sports, or even just having to be home for nap time. If you are anything like me, friendships have also changed throughout different seasons of life and motherhood. Sometimes I just feel so discouraged and lonely that I want to give up even trying. Whatever season you find yourself in right now when it comes to motherhood, please know that you are not alone.
Today we are going to be talking about all things motherhood and friendships. I've learned that there are differnet friendships for different seasons in life, and although sometimes that hurts, it's also ok. I'll share with you some things that I've learned to do as I've gotten older and why it's improtant that we don't give up on community espsecially in this busy season of life.
My heart is breaking for the amount of confusion that floods our children's minds on a daily basis. From the things they see on TV, billboards, and even taught in schools, our kids are bearing burdens that they were never meant to bear for their growing minds. This affects how they see themselves and finding their identity can become confusing. If we are being honest, it is confusing for us adults as well! HOWEVER...God is NOT a God of confusion. It says so in His Word. Sin is what makes life confusing.
Today I am going to share with you a situation that happened with my family that has given me so much help and freedom in helping my girls navigate issues that come up in today's world. I share a few ways to help your kids (and yourself) navigate these confusing times and how we can raise up children who are firm in their God given identity despite what culture throws at them.
Today's episode comes at you all with a posture of humility and heart of love. If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and my prayer team and I would love to pray for you.
KEY VERSE
1 Corinthians 14:33- "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace."
I'm a lot of things as a mom that I never thought I would be. A mom in a minivan is one of them. A messy minivan is another level! As I was uploading this episode, my daughter looked at the title and said, "Oh Mommy! You ARE the mom in the messy minivan! No offense!" Leave to kids to speak the truth!
Are you like me and do you ever look at other moms on social media or in your friend group and feel like you aren’t doing enough because you aren’t doing allthey are? What are the things that you said you’d never do as a mom that you now find yourself doing? Do you get stuck in the comparison game of what you think you “should” be doing with your kids?
Do you get caught in this trap too? I know I can’t be the only one! I often find myself beating myself up because I’m not like Suzie who camps with her kids, does crafts all day, and has a themed snack tray waiting after school every day.
Today we are going to talk about how to turn this mindset around and step into our giftings as moms. The good news is that you weren’t meant to be like all the other moms. You were meant to be exactly who you are!!
KEY VERSE
1 Corinthians 12;4-11
There are different kinds of spiritualgifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives theability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith toanother, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power toperform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone elsethe ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or fromanother spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknownlanguages, while another is given theability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit whodistributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person shouldhave.
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com. I would be honored to pray for you as youstep into your God given giftings as a mom.
Do you have 5 minutes? Bend an ear and take a listen...Have you ever been in a season where your home doesn’t feel peaceful? Maybe your kids are constantly fighting. Maybe the winter weather has everyone a little more snappy than usual. Maybe your spouse is stressed at work, and things just feel harder at home.
Whatever it is, GOD KNOWS and cares about what’s going on in your heart and home.
So how do we work through seasons or days when peace has been or is rocky? Today I’m going to share with you how I have been working through this tricky season in my home recently. You aren’t alone in the struggle.
Key Verses:
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
John 14:27-Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com. I would be honored to pray for you.
Come out, come out wherever you are! Are you a hider? Do you tend to hide when you arestruggling? I can tell you from firsthand experience that hiding doesn’t do anything but make us feel moreisolated. Maybe you are a hider and don’t even know it.
We are called to live differently. Today in 5 minute moments for moms, I amgoing to share with you why hiding is ingrained in us and why you need to stophiding!
KEY VERSES:
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Colossians 3:3 Set your minds on things above, not on earthlythings.
If you need prayer, please reach out to me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.comand I would be honored to pray for you!
The truth is...we all speak to ourselves in a way we would never speak to a treasured friend. Have you seen the movie Mean Girls? It was one of my favorite movies in a different season in life!!
Today I am going to get really real with you about my inner mean girl, what she says to me, and how I am learning (note: I say LEARNING) to battle her well. Jesus came and made us IN HIS IMAGE. It's important we fight this battle so that we can teach our children to do the same. It's time to start TALKING to ourselves the way God intended us to. He made us to LOVE who we were created to be, but too often, we speak to ourselves in a way that would grieve the heart of our Creator.
Come take a journey with me as I share some very real thoughts I battle and how you can fight yours!
KEY VERSES:
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Isaiah 26:3-4, NLT You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
For prayer, please email thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com. I would be honored to pray with you and for you.
You are loved...start talking to yourself like it!
Sometimes it is really hard to trust God. Especially when you keep praying for things that seem like they would be an easy YES for God! Maybe you've lost a child, suffered miscarriage, lost a spouse or a job, and you just struggle with having faith that God is good or even listening during the hard times. Maybe He feels like He's not listening and He's gone radio silent.
In this episode, I am going to share with you a situation that changed my whole perspective on why God sometimes may be silent or not answer our prayers. I felt like in this hard situation, I got a glimpse into heaven and an eternal perspective when hard things come my way. In this case, God saved my child's life by not answering my prayers and allowing me to go through a hard situation.
We can trust that God is good. He loves us, our children, and our spouses more than we do. He is in control and can be trusted even when we don't understand. His rejection just may be for your protection and His glory and good.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
If you are dealing with a hard situation and need prayer to trust God just need someone to pray for you, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast.com. My prayer team and I would love to pray with you and for you.
Have you ever woken up just feeling sad, mad, or frustrated? Maybe a situation happened IN your day, and you just can't get out of the funk. Today in 5 Minute Moments for Moms, I share with you a few simple tools that I use to turn my day around.
As someone who has struggled with depression at different moments or seasons (hello winter!) in my life, sometimes life feels heavy and hard the days feel long. Here is a simple way to turn around your day.
TURN your environment around. Choose praise instead of despair.
For prayer or encouragement, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com.
Psalm 119:25, 28, 31-32
My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
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My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
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I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;
let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart!
Psalm 147:1
Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
We've all been there. You know those moments where you hope no one randomly was about to ring your doorbell. Those moments we aren't proud of as parents because we acted out of our sinfulness more than out of God's grace. I've had many moments in my parenting where I realized that I shouldn't have said "that" or used "that" tone....and usually a lot of guilt follows.
However, what I have learned is that the REPAIR is often more important that what ever was said. The way we repair with our kids when we have blown it (or they have blown it) is a powerful way for them to understand the love of God for when they mess up too.
In this episode, I am going to share with you how we have made saying "I'm sorry" a normal thing. I also will share my process for helping my children repent with each other too.
There's always grace for when we mess up, and our children don't need our perfection. They need a perfect Savior, and our mess ups are an opportuity to point them to the one who will never fail them.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 8:11 “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Our Process:
Listen to the nudge (that’s the Holy Spirit)
Ask for specific forgiveness
Teach eye contact
Go and sin no more
For prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com. You are loved.
In these short episodes that I am calling 5 Minute Moments for Moms, I hope that you can find encouragement and hope in the middle of mamahood. Today's episode speaks to those who feel weary (and I know we all have!), and I share a very real story of how I work through the weary days that I experience as a mom. If I'm being honest, I feel weary more days than not in some seasons of life, but there is good news and grace in the midst of those days.
I hope you leave feeling encouraged and know you are not alone! For prayer or to connect with Margo, please email thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com.
Key Verses:
Nehemiah 8:10
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Isaiah 40:28 ESV"Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable."
Isaiah 40:31 ESV
"but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint."
Galatians 6:9
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Story time...and it's a messy one...no really...things got messy! Come join me today for a story...of my most epic mom fail to date. Ironically, it happened a year ago to the day of when this episode was published!
One of my biggest goals in starting this podcast was to let mamas and women know that we are NOT alone in our mess ups!! Perfection is unrealistic, and we will make mistakes...and grace awaits us through it all and on the other side of whatever we fell short in.
Come join me today for a good laugh and leave feeling less alone and probably better about yourself as a mom. HA!
Enjoy!!
Would you take a moment and send an epic mom fail to me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com? I'd love to share your story so that other mamas can know we are not alone in the reality of this beautifully messy journey of motherhood!
Ugh, life sure does know how to interrupt when we have a good thing going, right?! It seems that just when we get a good rhythm of spending time with God, the baby gets sick or we get sick or we travel or..."you insert your life craziness here". I had someone recently say to me, "how do you stay consistent in your time with God?'
Well, let me tell you that there is good news....good habits die hard...and I've created a habit of my time with God that keeps me coming back consistently. Am I always perfect? Um....no....come join me in the podcast today as I share about how my last week has absolutely wrecked my consistent quiet time!! BUT I've built a habit and leaned into grace so that no matter what life throws my way, I find my way back!!
Today I will share with you all my practical tips and tricks for creating a consistent and meaningful quiet time with God! Let's lean in together!
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com and I would love to pray for you!!
Key Verses:
Galatians 4:6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
1 Corinthians 6:12
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Have you ever wanted to spend time with God but just need some direction on where to start or need some new and fresh ideas to connect with God? Are you a busy mom or working woman (maybe both), and you just feel frustrated because you don't have a ton of time to spend with Jesus but you want to? Then today’s episode is for you! Today I am going to be sharing with you how I have been doing my quiet time for years now using what I call the GRACE method for journaling and time in the Bible. The best news is that this can take you 5 minutes or 40 minutes depending on what you have time for!{For more details on what Bible version to use and other devotional tools that I use to aid in my quiet times, please head to my LIVE video on @thegracefilledlife on Instagram}The GRACE method G: Greet and Gratitude R: Read Scripture A: Ask God (Pray for others and yourself) C: Connect and Confess (Connect scripture you read and confess anything before the Lord) E: Expect God to Show up!!!If you need prayer or ideas for getting into scripture, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast.com and my team and I would love to pray for you.Don't know where to start?-Try starting with the book of JOHN. It's a Gospel in the New Testament of your Bible...about 3/4 of the way into your Bible! Read a few verses at at time or a chapter at a time! Up to you!-Try starting with a Psalm a day! It's smack dab in the middle of your Bible.Links with ideas help you get into scripture:https://seedtime.com/15-bible-verses-to-start-your-day-off-right/https://go.gracechurchco.com/10-scriptures-on-fear-to-memorize-to-renew-your-mind/?gclid=CjwKCAiAioifBhAXEiwApzCzthT0XZ0sSKupmZoJL07cRDlueMMkfTznf24FkzLt6VWkJrS7wL1mARoCAtsQAvD_BwEhttps://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/prayer-bible-verses/
One of the biggest questions I get BY FAR on my social media is about my quiet time with God. "How do you do it?" "How do you keep on doing it consistently?" "What do you study?". While all these questions are fantastic, I think if I start there we would be missing out on the WHY of it all. The reason why I've made this a habit in my life is not because I have to but because I was CREATED to need this time(and so are you!). You see, if we don't discover the WHY of why we do quiet time....we won't have any power to actually DO it long term as a habit. This might be one of the most important episodes that I'll ever do because it explains most everything when it comes to knowing God and having a relationship! So whether you've NEVER had a quiet time before, have gotten away from it, or just need a refresher...this episode is for you! We've been plugging into the wrong power source, and we are going to talk about how quiet time is a solution to this problem.This is part 1 of a podcast series that I am going to do on quiet time. Part 2 will talk about HOW to spend time with God. Part 3 will talk about HOW to make time with God a priority and a habit even when you are busy. If you need prayer or have questions about this whole Jesus thing, I would love to pray for you. You can email me and my prayer team at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com. You can also connect with me on social media on Instagram at @thegracefilledlife and @thegracefilledlifepodcast. You are loved!*Key Scriptures:The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.-Genesis 2:15, NIV*Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze,[b] and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”-Genesis 3:8-9, CSB****Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.- Matthew 11:28-29, NIV
Do you wanna be more patient with your kids? Is patience something you never thought or even think now that you’d struggle with?
If you are anything like me, I used to think I was gifted with patience. Fast forward to 4 kids later, I’ve found patience isn’t something I can muster up on my own. Kids know how to push your buttons and somedays we just get triggered when things feel out of control.
There is grace and hope for when we blow it…and always opportunity for God to shine through the moments we feel bummed about. We may be “wanna be patient” moms, but we are moms who luckily have a very patient heavenly Father. Let’s talk about what to do when we lose our cool.
If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and my prayer team and I would love to lift you up in prayer.
Key Verses:
"So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:21-25
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:13
You can connect with me here:
Instagram: @thegracefilledlife and @thegracefilledlifepodcast
Email: thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com
Have you ever felt lost in the perfection you see on social media and all around you? Do you find comfort in knowing you aren't alone in the messy days of motherhood? As a recovering perfectionist and mom of 4 young girls, I can relate! Come join me as I share my story and my heart behind creating this podcast for mamas who are weary, struggling with shame over the struggles of motherhood, and find encouragement to lean into Jesus and His grace. If you need prayer, please email me at thegracefilledlifepodcast@gmail.com, and my prayer team and I would love to life you up in prayer.Scriptures Mentioned: But he said to me, " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV"Let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't" Romans 12:6 MSGInstagram:@thegracefilledlife