M Is for Mama Podcast

All right, friends! We’re answering all things Christmas in this episode. A few years back, I did a Christmas series you guys loved, but it felt like a good time to do a follow up. We talk gifts, keeping Jesus the focus, what to do about Santa Claus, and favorite traditions—all in one jam-packed Christmassy show! Mentions: Me First! Gameshow Buzzers Awana Advent Devotional Episode 45: Let's Talk C...

If you’ve ever struggled to find the line between teaching your children life skills while also not putting them in dangerous situations, then this episode is for you.  In it, we explore what the true purpose of promoting autonomy in our kids is from a biblical perspective and how we can do that while fulfilling our God-given parental roles of protecting and discipling. Practicing discernment in p...

During the Christmas season, joy can feel like something we *should* have, even while we struggle to stay afloat with everyday life plus the responsibilities of making magical memories for our children.  But what if joy were so much more than a feeling—were instead an assurance of something weighty and eternal that can never be taken away?  I wrote The Joyfulness Challenge to explore these exact t...

Join in as I answer your burning questions about everything from my favorite Thanksgiving foods to how to handle snarky comments about your family size to how I deal with exhausted days to what I think of all of the speculation swirling around Charlie Kirk’s death.  As always, it’s a mix of fun, lighthearted topics, and deeper cultural issues. And as always, my goal is to answer in a way that alig...

Join us as we tackle the tricky topic of grief and children.  A few weeks ago, a reader whose husband had died under tragic circumstances asked for resources on how to navigate grief with her four children. So I invited my pastor Wit (Rick Witmer) on to share from the perspective of a biblical counselor.  In this episode, he introduces the idea of “trellissing” grief in a way that helps our kids m...

Whether you have personal experience with a child asking questions about gender or are nervous about how to address issues that might arise from exposure to media or peers, this episode is for you! Dr. Jeff Meyers breaks down the importance of emphasizing God’s good design for gender and why it matters that male and female remain distinct.  We also dive into the science behind gender as well as th...

My friend, Alisa Childers, is back on the podcast to talk about how we can help the next generation—middle schoolers through young adults—to spot and refute the lies of progressive Christianity.  We talk about how politics and culture are always downstream from theology and ways we can prepare ourselves and our children to stand on historical Christianity in the face of an onslaught of secular ide...

Come along for the ride as I tell you all about the ways my family made my 43rd birthday a magical experience.  I pray you’ll be encouraged to press into whatever season you find yourself in, knowing that, regardless of your family’s response, the Lord sees and honors your efforts to invest well in your husband and children. Sponsor Info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠King’s Ridge Elderberries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fresh, cold-pressed elde...

This week’s episode is all about Share the Arrows—a conservative Christian women’s event in Dallas, Tx.  I’ve had the honor of being invited to speak and represent the motherhood perspective from a biblical standpoint for 2024 (the year of its inception) and 2025. And both times were utterly surreal experiences in sheer scope of number of attendees (4,000 the first year and 6,700 the next) and the...

We’re back with another episode of Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday in long/form podcast answers.  In this show, we tackle everything from toddler expectations to dating guidelines for teens and lots of things in between!  As always, my goal is to approach each topic from a biblical perspective while encouraging you to seek the Lord for wisdom in how to apply His Word to your specific circumstances. E...

Today, we’re tackling the hot button topic of whether women should be pastors with my own pastor’s wife, Jenn Witmer.  As female pastors and clerics become more common, it’s inevitable that even the most traditional minds will start to question or at least reconsider the historical church’s position on the subject.  The real question is: Should we?  In this episode, Jenn and I approach the topic w...

This show tackles such a timely topic for children and parents alike: how to approach anxiety from a biblical perspective.  My pastor, Rick Witmer, unpacks his very personal story of struggling with crippling anxiety and how the Lord lead him to write a book for children called Walking With God When I’m Afraid .  The impetus for this book was one of his children’s anxious tendencies, but everyone...

On September 10, all of America (and the western world, at large) was shocked by the violent assassination of Charlie Kirk.  Since then, more words and social media posts have been dedicated to his murder than to any other subject in recent history—prompting a wide range of responses.  This episode is mine—an attempt to respond to the violent, senseless death of a non-violent man with wisdom that...

This episode is a must listen for anyone who’s found themselves looking for answers to questions about the connection between nutrition and our brains, hormones, and overall well-being.  Erin Kerry is holistic health coach (and personal friend) who’s passionate about equipping and helping you to “live beyond your label.”  After being given multiple discouraging mental diagnoses beginning at age 18...

Shoowee! Friends! This is not an episode I ever expected to record.  In this show, I tell the story of a health scare I experienced the week before You Bet Your Stretch Marks came out—during our first week back to homeschooling and while my husband was out of town. Throughout the ordeal as it developed, it was so evident the Lord’s care and provision was going before me every step of the way.  I h...

Join my dear friend and mentor Jennifer Flanders and me as we dive into all things motherhood encouragement. Whether you’re struggling with encouraging camaraderie between your children, drowning in unhelpful comparison to other moms, or failing to find the joy in the every day, we have a bit of hope for you! Jennifer is one of my favorite people, not simply because she edits my books, has birthed...

Join us as we unpack foundational and practical helps for how to face “mom rage” head on.  Whether you’re dealing with irritability as the result of wonky hormones after having babies, a colicky baby who’s shredding your last nerve, or just discovering that you’re not as patient as you thought you were before you had kids, this conversation is full of hope for every mom who’s ever struggled with l...

Come along for the ride on our first WWKW since our sabbatical this summer. We’re tackling: How to store kids' clothing for hand-me-downs, what to do if you miss your life before becoming a mom, homeschool curricula recap, and so much more!  Enjoy! Sponsor Info: King’s Ridge Elderberries Fresh, cold-pressed elderberry from a family-owned farm! Visit Their Site ⁠Here⁠ Don't forget to use the code:...

We are back with season 3 of the M is for Mama Podcast and kicking it off with a great podcast full of helpful tips with KyAnn Molina from Simple Rhythms for Busy Moms. Whether you have a good routine that could use a few tweaks or feel like you’re drowning in daily tasks with no rescue in sight, we’ve got encouragement for you!  We chat gospel-centered encouragement and vision as well as doable,...

In our last show before we take a break for summer 2025, we chat about the final book in the M Is for Mama trilogy: You Bet Your Stretch Marks.  I reveal where the title came from, why it’s countercultural to the common narrative about “worth it” in motherhood and flesh out what it means to have a “tiger-striped soul.” Be sure to pre-order You Bet Your Stretch Marks (link below) for all the storie...

Welcome to our monthly installment of me answering your burning questions on long-form here on the podcast.  Today’s episode tackles topics I get asked about every single week (like prepping for adding a new baby to your clan and how to talk to your children about sex) and one I’ve NEVER received (“should I attend a divorce party?”). As always, the goal is the ground every answer in God’s Word (an...

We are in a whirlwind season of finishing school, taking trips, meeting deadlines, and transitioning to different vehicles.  It’s good stuff, but it can feel like a lot all at once. So today, we’re doing a good ol’ brain dump of all things life lately in the Halberstadt household to get you up to speed.  Enjoy! Sponsor Info: Voetberg Music Academy Check Out Voetberg Music Academy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, my friend and fellow mom + author, Laura Wifler, and I dig into a plethora of motherhood topics from a biblical perspective—listening to the Lord for direction in our callings, grief in unmet expectations, struggles which are hard but not bad, and even those which are hard and bad. Through it all, a central theme emerges: We are not victims of our circumstances, and Christ did not...

We’re back with the fan-favorite monthly install of Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday in which listeners submit questions, and I answer in longer form than my usual WWKW slides on Instagram allow. Today’s show centers around 2 themes that emerged from the questions submitted: outward appearance and earning an income from home.  As always, I strive to approach every topic from a “what does the Bible say...

In this episode, we dive right back into the deep waters of “Christians and Fertility” with a continued goal of bringing this topic under the magnifying glass of Scripture and historical Christianity.  We both truly believe that when the goal is to say, “What does God’s Word say about this,” we will receive wisdom and conviction that is timely and effective.  As we tackle topics like surrogacy and...