More Than Fine

Raising kids alone forces us to come to terms with the fact that we are one person doing a job that God designed for two. Sometimes it seems like maybe you just don't have what it takes. And despite our best efforts, all the statistics seem to show that the deck is stacked against single moms and their kids- is there anything that can be done? Michelle discusses how raising a boy as a single mom c...

When you already have kids, waiting until you're married (or married again) to have sex can seem pointless. And living together might seem like a good way to make sure your new family will blend well together. With all that is stake, how do we make sure we're doing the right thing? Michelle discusses God's design for sex and how it sets us up to get not only the most out of sex, but the most out o...

Being a single mom is overwhelming because, let's face it, you're one person doing the work of two. But if this was just about tasks– like homework, doctor's appointments, court dates, and keeping house– you could probably find a way to deal with the exhaustion. But overwhelm is different. Overwhelm stops us in our tracks; it's when we don't know what we need or how to move forward. It's the feeli...

Is it abuse? It's not uncommon for abuse survivors to miss the signs of abuse – but why does this happen? Michelle talks about the tricks abusers use to keep victims in a fog of confusion, and shares a tool you can use to figure out if you are or have been in a toxic relationship. She discusses why couples counseling with an abuser is a bad idea and what to do when you're afraid to speak up, expec...

One thing all bad relationships have in common: Unhealthy boundaries. So what do you do when what you're doing isn't working? Michelle explains a simple method for setting healthy boundaries (that Jesus taught His disciples) and suggests what you can do when you feel like a relationship isn't healthy for you. She also shares one thing you can do today to start setting better boundaries (no awkward...

Loneliness often feels like it's out of our control because let's face it- it involves relationships with other people. But what if it's not out of your control? And what if there's something you can do about feeling forgotten, rejected, and overlooked? Michelle shares about a Valentine's Day date gone bad, and what it revealed about the connection between loneliness and toxic relationships. She a...

How do you love someone who is hurting you? Jesus told us that we would have enemies– people who are actively trying to hurt us– but He also told us to love them. But what if your ex is your enemy? What if you've done all you can, but being nice to them just hasn't worked? Michelle shares why being nice to your enemies doesn't work, and the one thing you should do instead to love your enemies (wit...

Becoming part of a church community can be difficult and triggering. Church abuse and other negative experiences can leave us feeling like we don't belong. Ericka Andersen discusses the process of healing from traumatic church experiences and how to find a community where you belong. She discusses the importance of both pulling away from a hurtful situation to process pain and later re-engaging in...

Burnout. We've all felt it. There's so much we have to do (and sometimes with so little) that it sucks the joy right out of life. Jennifer Watson talks with us about the connection between burnout and the expectations placed on us (and the ones we place on ourselves). She discusses how to rediscover joy in taking a step back to reassess what things we are called to and what things need to come off...

Victims often have a hard time having their voices heard, especially in a church environment where hurt has happened. Dr. Scot McKnight shares what safe churches look like, and how churches with what he calls a "goodness culture" respond to the wounded and marginalized. He also discusses telltale signs of unsafe churches and leaders, and what to take note of if you are trying to find a new church...

Mixed emotions, anyone? Hurt and loss make the holidays super complicated, and figuring out how to be grateful in the midst of all of it can feel so overwhelming and unfair. Michelle addresses a listener question asking "How can I be grateful when all I feel is grief?" Record your question for a future POP Questions episode, or submit your question by email What's Your Loneliness Type?  Take the Q...

Grief is hard to work through when we don't understand it. And it often seems that no matter what we try, both our everyday lives and the holidays are full of triggers that keep bringing our grief to the forefront. Clarissa Moll shares why the traditional thinking of grief as stages or a journey isn't helpful, and instead offers an understanding of grief that helps us extend more compassion and gr...

Figuring out what our boundaries are can be difficult, and actually setting them can be even harder. Lysa TerKeurst explains boundaries as an essential part of God's design for healthy relationships, and shares a simple method for establishing your own boundaries in any situation. She discusses why a lack of boundaries can cause us to lose ourselves in unhealthy relationships, and how the anxiety...

Confronting brokenness and pain from the past can be emotionally exhausting work. Sometimes it seems that the past is too painful to dig into, or that the pain just won't end. Toni Collier shares her journey through brokenness, and describes how God supplies us with the courage to heal from traumatic experiences (even when we feel like we just can't do it or aren't making any progress). Check out...

Sometimes we may not even know we're doing it, but oversharing is a risky habit that can leave us pretty vulnerable. Michelle and Kelli talk about the roots of oversharing, the connection to rejection and wounding, and how changing this habit can help you find safe people and healthy relationships. Record your question for a future POP Questions episode, or submit your question by email Learn more...

Have you ever found yourself feeling rejected and disqualified? Like maybe God can't do anything with your life now? Samira Dean shares her testimony, and in the process reveals the connection between identity and purpose. She explains how Satan attacks our identity early on in life, and how feelings of rejection keep us from stepping into the purposes that God has planned for us. Samira shares ho...

Managing our time and emotions is overwhelming for single moms, especially when we're parenting and managing a household on our own. Rachel Norman shares how boundaries can look with our kids, and why we need them to be more responsive to our own needs and our kids' needs. She explains how boundaries can help us take the pressure off of ourselves (hello Mom Guilt!), heal well, and model the behavi...

Abuse survivors often struggle to find the support they need from their church communities, and may also find themselves isolated or further victimized when they try to speak up. Mary DeMuth shares how Scripture reveals the godly reponse to abuse, and explains how misinterpretations of Scripture have led to a lack of appropriate victim care in many churches. She discusses why safe relationships ar...

Establishing some kind of normalcy after a divorce or significant relationship loss takes a long time, and often longer than we'd like. But how long is too long? Is there a way to speed it up? In this episode, Michelle and special guest Kelli Trontel discuss this listener question. Learn more about Kelli at KelliTrontel.com Record your question for a future POP Questions episode, or submit your qu...

Overthinking plagues many of us, and you may even have a child struggling with the same habit. Jon Acuff and his teenage daughters, LE & McRae, share strategies for overcoming overthinking that you can practice along with your kids. They explain why many affirmations and mantras don't work, and discuss ways to get your new "soundtracks" to stick. Learn more at Acuff.me What's Your Loneliness Type?...

Our insecurities can be so deeply rooted that we find ourselves wondering if we can ever feel confident in who we are. Amanda Pittman discusses the spiritual roots of insecurity, and shares how toxic relationships can distort our view of God and ourselves. She explains what a confidence centered in Christ looks like, and how to develop a confidence that can't be shaken. Learn more at ConfidentWoma...

While on a healing journey, there are times when we feel stuck or like we're not as far along as we should be. Sometimes, we don't even really know where we are going or how to get beyond where we are now. Evan and Jenny Owens clarify common misconceptions about the healing process, and explain how to remove roadblocks so you can discover levels of transformation you may have never imagined were p...

This episode is the first of a new monthly feature called "POP Questions" where we answer listener questions right here on the podcast. This month's question focuses on the topic, "What do you do when no one has asked you out?" and features special guest, Kelli Trontel.  Learn more about Kelli at KelliTrontel.com Record your question for a future POP Questions episode, or submit your question by e...

Jesus died to rescue us from sin for all eternity, but we don't have to wait until Heaven to experience that victory in our lives. Jennifer Maggio from The Life of a Single Mom shares her personal journey as a single mom, and how God has used the darkest parts of her story to bring her spiritual and emotional freedom. She shares how you can begin to engage in spiritual warfare to break generationa...

When we have lost so much, trusting God can be frightening. We may find ourselves afraid of God and feel that we have to fend for ourselves in life. Joanna Weaver shares how our distrust of God is connected to a spiritual war that has been raging since the beginning, and how the enemy has been using lies and counterfeits to cause us to doubt God's trustworthiness. She discusses how we can let go o...