The Connected Mom: Recent Episodes
Becky Harling
Form a deeper connection with God, more empathic connection with other Moms, and more intentional connection with your child.
We're thrilled to be in SEASON 2 of The Connected Mom podcast! We kick off this season chatting with Caris Snider about how moms (and grandmas!) can use time in the CAR LINE (of all places) to deepen our relationship with God. Be sure to listen in and find encouragement ... even if you're on the go as you listen!
ABOUT CARIS
CARIS SNIDER loves to share the hope of God through speaking, writing, coaching, and leading worship. She is the author of "Car Line Mom Devotional," “Anxiety Elephants: 31 Day Devotional” and “Anxiety Elephants: 90 Day Devotional for Tween Boys and Girls.” From her own personal experience, she helps women in their journey of overcoming depression, anxiety, fear, and shame. Caris lives with her husband, Brandon, and two daughters in Cullman, Alabama.
CONNECT WITH CARIS
Instagram
Facebook
Phew. Perfectionism in motherhood can really be strong. If you're ready to break away from mindsets that hold you down, this is the podcast for you. Alicia shares from her experience as a NeuroCoach. Here's your reminder that thought patterns obsessed with perfection CAN change. There is hope!
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Alicia Michelle is an author, speaker, certified NeuroCoach and host of the award-winning The Christian Mindset Coach Podcast. Through her coaching, courses and Bible studies she loves equipping Christian women with practical brain-and-biblically-based tools to break free from the worry and exhaustion of perfectionism, people pleasing and performance that come from feeling “never enough”. She is a regular contributor to popular Christian sites such as iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com and her podcast is featured as a weekly radio show on KHCB’s Upliftd. Cultivate godly confidence, learn how to manage emotions and find lasting peace when you download one of Alicia’s free brain-science and biblically based mindset trainings at VibrantChristianLiving.com. You can also connect find her on Instagram at @aliciamichellecoach
Spoiler Alert! Yes, rest is possible for mamas...but it may not look how you think. Join us for this super-practical episode with Dr. Saundra about different kinds of rest and how you can get some...and must!
FREE Resource from Dr. Saundra:
Take this quiz and find out what type of rest you need to live your best life...
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is an award-winning author, speaker, wellbeing thought-leader and host of I Choose My Best Life podcast. She spent over 20 years in clinical practice as an internal medicine physician. Dr. Saundra speaks internationally to audiences on topics of faith, wellness, and healing. Learn more about Dr. Saundra at IChooseMyBestLife.com
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity
How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity, and relationships fresh and thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures, and the stress of everyday life? In Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine doctor, reveals why rest can no longer remain optional.
Dr. Dalton-Smith shares seven types of rest she has found lacking in the lives of those she encounters in her clinical practice and research-physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social, creative-and why a deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavorable effects on your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity. Sacred Rest combines the science of rest, the spirituality of rest, the gifts of rest, and the resulting fruit of rest. It shows rest as something sacred, valuable, and worthy of our respect.
By combining scientific research with personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical next steps, Sacred Rest gives the weary permission to embrace rest, set boundaries, and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame, or fear.
One of the hardest challenges for parents is dealing with our kids' BIG emotions (or even ours!). Sometimes these BIG emotions can interrupt family life and leave us feeling disconnected. In this super-helpful episode, we talk with Michelle Nietert about how to deal with these big emotions! We want to help you--and today's episode is packed with practical advice that can help you and your child deal with the big emotions that come our way.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Michelle Nietert has been a licensed professional counselor for over 25 years and the coauthor of the award winning book Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls along with Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life and soon to be released God I Feel Sad: Bringing Big Emotions to a Bigger God series. She leads a team of counselors as the clinical director of Community Counseling Associates in the Dallas, TX area. A popular speaker on topics regarding mental health, faith and parenting, she is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including her own “Raising Mentally Healthy Kids.” She and her husband Drew have been married almost two decades with two school aged children.
Connect with Michelle:
YourMentalHealthCoach.com
Facebook
Instagram
Michelle's books:
Make Up Your Mind
Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls
Michelle's Podcast:
Raising Mentally Healthy Kids
In this day and age, fear and anxiety for mamas is on the rise. School shootings have increased. There's strange illnesses out there, like monkey pox?! There's so much that we have to let go of as mamas. Right?
In this episode, we talk with author Judy Dunagan about how moms can step away from fear and pray Scripture over our children and lives. Judy shares many practical steps, some of which come from her newest book, The Loudest Roar. The book came out of an honest question Judy asked God, "Why does the enemy have so much power?"
Scriptures mentioned today:
Psalm 91:1-2
Psalm 139
Ephesians 6:10-18
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Judy Dunagan is an acquisitions editor for the women’s Bible studies and books at Moody Publishers. Judy is passionate about discipling others and making God’s Word and prayer come alive in everyday lives. She is a speaker and Bible teacher and serves on the board of Deeper Walk International, the ministry her father Mark I. Bubeck founded. Judy and her husband, Rick, live in Colorado and are the joyful grandparents of five littles.
Connect with Judy:
judydunagan.com
Judy.Dunagan@gmail.com
And, be sure to check out her book:
The Loudest Roar: Living in the Unshakable Victory of Christ
Do you feel stuck battling the same fears, temptations, lies, and doubts, wondering if you’ll ever overcome them? Does it seem as if you’re in that battle alone? Author Judy Dunagan has been there. In The Loudest Roar, you’ll marvel at the power, majesty, and authority of our Lord Jesus and learn how to stand in the unshakable victory He’s already won for you.
Carol had every reason to succumb to crippling “Mom Guilt” when an unimaginable situation rocked her family. Instead of isolation, Carol learned to keep a connection with fellow mamas in authenticity. Carol also stayed committed to keeping her connection with God alive, even with baby steps. She also shares the refreshing truth that we can never give up on HOPE…regardless of how life goes.
We need each other in this journey!
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Carol Kent is a bestselling author and an international speaker for conferences and retreats. She’s the executive director of the Speak Up Conference, an event committed to helping people develop their speaking and writing skills. She and her husband, Gene, have founded the nonprofit organization, Speak Up for Hope, which benefits inmates and their families. Carol holds a master’s degree in communication arts and a bachelor’s degree in speech education. Carol has trained Christian speakers for over twenty-five years and she has been a featured speaker at Women of Faith, Extraordinary Women, and Women of Joy arena events. She is the author of over twenty-five books, including the bestselling When I Lay My Isaac Down, Tame Your Fears, and Becoming a Woman of Influence. Her two newest titles are a 365 page-per-day devotional titled, He Holds My Hand, and Staying Power.
Connect with Carol
www.facebook.com/authorcarolkent
www.twitter.com/CarolKentSpeaks
www.instagram.com/carolkentspeaks
www.CarolKent.org
www.SpeakUpConference.com
www.SpeakUpforHope.org
Becky and Sarah had the privilege of talking with Lucinda Secrest McDowell in December 2022. Shockingly, it was one of the last interviews she gave before her death...and we cherish the time we had with her talking about being "soul strong." This is one of our favorite episodes that we're resharing as we talk about deepening our connection with God.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Lucinda Secrest McDowell, M.T.S., is a storyteller and seasoned mentor who engages both heart and mind while “Helping You Choose a Life of Serenity & Strength.” A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Furman University, McDowell is the author of 15 books and contributing author to 30+ books. Her award-winning books include new releases Life-Giving Choices(2019) and Soul Strong (2020), as well as Dwelling Places, Ordinary Graces, Refresh, and Live These Words. Lucinda, a member of the Redbud Writers Guild and AWSA, received Mt. Hermon “Writer of the Year” award and guest blogs for The Write Conversation, Blue Ridge Christian Writers Blog and (in)courage.
Sometimes these BIG emotions can interrupt family life and leave us feeling disconnected. We want to help you--and today's episode is packed with practical advice that can help you and your child deal with the big emotions that come our way.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Michelle Nietert has been a licensed professional counselor for over 25 years and the coauthor of the award winning book Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls along with Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life and soon to be released God I Feel Sad: Bringing Big Emotions to a Bigger God series. She leads a team of counselors as the clinical director of Community Counseling Associates in the Dallas, TX area. A popular speaker on topics regarding mental health, faith and parenting, she is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including her own “Raising Mentally Healthy Kids.” She and her husband Drew have been married almost two decades with two school aged children.
Connect with Michelle:
YourMentalHealthCoach.com
Facebook
Instagram
Michelle's books:
Make Up Your Mind
Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls
Michelle's Podcast:
Raising Mentally Healthy Kids
How can you help your kids be filled with gratitude . . . and how can you make that fun? Gratitude is something God honors, and according to the research, it actually makes people more happy in their adult life. Who knew? Today Becky shares lots of ideas to make gratitude fun at any age--from toddlers to high schoolers. We even throw in a few tips for grandparents!
Mentioned:
- Thank You Bear book suggestion for toddlers
- Mission trip opportunities
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and the author of Psalms for the Anxious Heart. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.
Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren!
You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com and www.harlingleadership.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling
GET HER BOOK:Becky shares tips for connecting with your children in How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk.
In this episode, we discuss so much! Starting your own business. Managing a budget (not a bad word!). Wise handling of debt. And how to make the best of our crazy economy. Plus, our guest, Katelyn Swiatek shares about her home-based business for women who love fashion and also want to be wise with money.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Katelyn Swiatek is the founder of SAVOUR Clothing located in Colorado Springs, CO.
SAVOUR Clothing is an online consignment business that Katelyn started in 2019. Katelyn loved being home with her children, but also missed working. For three years now, the business continues to grow and Katelyn plans to grow it on a national level within the next few years.
In addition to working on her business, Katelyn has a passion for female entrepreneurship.
She is also the author of a book addressing biblical financial stewardship, The Stewardship Movement.
In her downtime, Katelyn loves spending time with her husband, Stephen, and their three children Aaron, Adah and Austyn.
They love to get outside as a family whether it’s on a hike, on the golf course, or camping in the mountains.
Connect with Katelyn & check out her awesome thrift & consignment store business:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
We want to say right from the beginning, this is a guilt-free zone! So if you haven't been doing family dinners well, no worries. There's always time to improve. But in this episode, Becky gives some great ideas on how to make time around the dinner table a fun time (you read that right--fun!). It doesn't have to be stressful. It can be fun. Listen in and grab one new idea to try with your family this week!
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and the author of Psalms for the Anxious Heart. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.
Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren!
You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com and www.harlingleadership.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling
GET HER BOOK:Becky shares tips for dinner conversations and so much more in her book How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk.
You're in for a treat! Becky and Sarah interview Will Daniel, a sixth-grade author and his mom, Blythe Daniel. Will wrote a book with more than 400 laughs and he shares a few on this podcast! You're guaranteed to laugh while listening and also gather some encouragement from Blythe on how important it is to cultivate humor in the home. Will's new book will help you do that...so we encourage you to grab several for the upcoming holidays!
ABOUT OUR GUEST
William Danielis a sixth grader, a WWII enthusiast, and a competitive gymnast. He builds model airplanes and wants to be a pilot someday. He has an older sister, Maris, and a twin sister, Calyn, and is the younger by four minutes. As you can well imagine, he enjoys making people laugh, which he does for family, friends, and at school. William lives in Colorado with his family and dog, Riley.
Blythe Daniel is a literary agent and marketer with more than 20 years of experience in publishing. She has written for Proverbs 31 Ministries, Focus on the Family, Ann Voskamp, Christian Retailing, and she links bloggers with readers through the agency’s blog network. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three children. Find her latest book here.
ORDER WILL'S BOOK (Releases on 11/8/22)You're Joking Me: Jokes for Kids by a Kid (Burst Out Laughing)
On our last episode we started a conversation about comparison. As mom, our tendency to compare erodes our connection with God, our fellow moms, and our kids, which is exactly the opposite of what we hope to do on this podcast.
Becky shares life-giving truths from Scripture--it's less about being an achiever and more about being an abider.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and the author of Psalms for the Anxious Heart. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.
Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren! You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com, www.harlingleadership.com,
Facebook www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling
We’d love to have you subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode.
The truth is, comparing can damage our relationship with God, fellow moms, and our kids. Listen in as Becky encourages moms to embrace where your kids are and instead lean into helpful, biblical strategies of kicking comparison to the curb!
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and the author of Psalms for the Anxious Heart. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.
Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren! You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com, www.harlingleadership.com,
Facebook www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling
Relationships between mothers and daughters can be messy and hurtful. But they don't have to stay that way! Join us as we discuss healing from mother wounds with a very special mother/daughter team, Dr. Helen Mcintosh and her daughter, Blythe Daniel. This is our second podcast on healing from mother wounds. We're continuing the conversation about mending our relationship with our moms.
Dr. Helen McIntosh understands the uncertainty of a strained relationship and the scars that can develop. Raised by a mother who
battled anxiety, anger, and alcoholism, Helen struggled to understand her mom’s verbal abuse, thinking something was wrong with her. Years later, after becoming a Doctor of Counseling Psychology, Helen recognized she did the best she could with what she knew about her
mother. She developed a deep desire to help other women hurt by their mother-daughter relationship and to raise her daughter Blythe differently by maintaining a good relationship with her.
ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Blythe Daniel is a literary agent and marketer with more than 20 years of experience in publishing. She has written for Proverbs 31 Ministries, Focus on the Family, Ann Voskamp, Christian Retailing, and she links bloggers with readers through the agency’s blog network. The daughter of Dr. Helen McIntosh, she lives in Colorado with her husband and three children.
Dr. Helen McIntosh (EdD, Counseling Psychology) is a counselor, speaker, educator, and author of Messages to Myself and Eric, Jose & The Peace Rug®. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, ParentLife, and HomeLife magazines. She resides in Georgia with her husband Jim. They have two children and five grandchildren.
In Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters (Harvest House Publishers), they share how they’ve built, guarded, and renewed a relationship centered around respecting, listening, then talking. They walk readers through the steps to restoring what’s between you and include specific conversation starters that are open-handed and welcoming, using grace-filled words with each other. They also show how to experience freedom when you aren’t able to talk to the person with whom you want to be mended.
Connect with Blythe & Dr. Helen on their website.
"I always tell moms, the best thing a mother can do is find healing for herself." --Debbie Alsdorf
"We're all broken, Mamas. And we all make mistakes. So I really want our listeners to get that because you are not going to be able to do it perfectly. We have Jesus because we're broken. And so we continually need to go back to Jesus." --Becky Harling
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Debbie Alsdorf’s greatest joy is encouraging others. She has a mission— to help women live a better story and she does this by leading women to the heart of God’s love for them and the truth of His word. She does this through her writing, speaking, teaching, and life-coaching.
She has been a women’s ministry leader for over 30 years working with women in all stages of life. She is an author, international speaker, mentor, certified life coach, non-fiction writing coach and literary agent with the Books and Such Literary Management Team. http://www.booksandsuch.com
And, be sure to check out her book that we discuss on this episode: It's Momplicated: Hope and Healing for Imperfect Daughters of Imperfect Mothers by Debbie Alsdorf and Joan Edwards Kay.
Connect with Debbie:debbiealsdorf.comFacebookInstagram
Military families face unique challenges that Megan Brown helps us understand in this episode. Listen in to understand how military families can stay connected . . . and how non-military friends can love and care for families who serve.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Megan Brown is a seasoned military spouse, mother of four, and military missionary. She is the Founder and Executive Director of MilSpo Co.- a 501c3 Christian ministry dedicated to recruiting, raising up, and releasing active-duty spouses as paid and prepared vocational missionaries. Megan is the 2019 Robins Air Force Base AFI Military Spouse of the Year and is passionate about sharing Jesus in and alongside of the local church.
Connect with Megan:
Website: www.meganbbrown.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megbrownwrites
Instagram: @megbrownwrites
Check out her book:
Summoned: Answering a Call to the Impossible
Pre-order her new book (releases March 2023):
Know What You Signed Up For: How to Follow Jesus, Love People, and Live on Mission as a Military Spouse
As parents, we need to emphasize connection more than correction. But how can we do that? Becky shares how we can become better listeners to connect with our kids.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.
Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren! You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com, www.harlingleadership.com,
Facebook, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling
Be sure to check out her book:
How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk
Good parenting depends on good communication. The problem is, we parents tend to over-talk. Not only is this ineffective, it discourages children from sharing what's on their hearts. In this immensely practical book, communications expert Becky Harling shares the best listening practices to transform your family's relationships and set your children up for success, including how to
· help them express their feelings in healthy ways
· listen to affirm their strengths
· model how to navigate conflict with grace
· listen to God, knowing that he "bends down to listen" to us (Psalm 116:2 nlt)
In this day and age, fear and anxiety for mamas is on the rise. School shootings have increased. There's strange illnesses out there, like monkey pox?! There's so much that we have to let go of as mamas. Right?
In this episode, we talk with author Judy Dunagan about how moms can step away from fear and pray Scripture over our children and lives. Judy shares many practical steps, some of which come from her newest book, The Loudest Roar. The book came out of an honest question Judy asked God, "Why does the enemy have so much power?"
Scriptures mentioned today:
Psalm 91:1-2
Psalm 139
Ephesians 6:10-18
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Judy Dunagan is an acquisitions editor for the women’s Bible studies and books at Moody Publishers. Judy is passionate about discipling others and making God’s Word and prayer come alive in everyday lives. She is a speaker and Bible teacher and serves on the board of Deeper Walk International, the ministry her father Mark I. Bubeck founded. Judy and her husband, Rick, live in Colorado and are the joyful grandparents of five littles.
Connect with Judy:
judydunagan.com
Judy.Dunagan@gmail.com
And, be sure to check out her book:
The Loudest Roar: Living in the Unshakable Victory of Christ
Do you feel stuck battling the same fears, temptations, lies, and doubts, wondering if you’ll ever overcome them? Does it seem as if you’re in that battle alone? Author Judy Dunagan has been there. In The Loudest Roar, you’ll marvel at the power, majesty, and authority of our Lord Jesus and learn how to stand in the unshakable victory He’s already won for you.
Carol had every reason to succumb to crippling “Mom Guilt” when an unimaginable situation rocked her family. Instead of isolation, Carol learned to keep a connection with fellow mamas in authenticity. Carol also stayed committed to keeping her connection with God alive, even with baby steps. She also shares the refreshing truth that we can never give up on HOPE…regardless of how life goes.
We need each other in this journey!
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Carol Kent is a bestselling author and an international speaker for conferences and retreats. She’s the executive director of the Speak Up Conference, an event committed to helping people develop their speaking and writing skills. She and her husband, Gene, have founded the nonprofit organization, Speak Up for Hope, which benefits inmates and their families. Carol holds a master’s degree in communication arts and a bachelor’s degree in speech education. Carol has trained Christian speakers for over twenty-five years and she has been a featured speaker at Women of Faith, Extraordinary Women, and Women of Joy arena events. She is the author of over twenty-five books, including the bestselling When I Lay My Isaac Down, Tame Your Fears, and Becoming a Woman of Influence. Her two newest titles are a 365 page-per-day devotional titled, He Holds My Hand, and Staying Power.
Connect with Carol
www.facebook.com/authorcarolkent
www.twitter.com/CarolKentSpeaks
www.instagram.com/carolkentspeaks
www.CarolKent.org
www.SpeakUpConference.com
www.SpeakUpforHope.org
Anxiety is a BIG deal for moms. Between, worries about war, school shootings, strange diseases coupled with work pressures, financial pressures and generalized stress, some of us are like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any given moment.
Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental disorders in the United States. An estimated 264 million people worldwide have an anxiety disorder and women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and the author of Psalms for the Anxious Heart. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.
Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren! You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com, www.harlingleadership.com,
Facebook www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling