Nurturing Words: Voices of Experience

Send us Fan Mail Our new series highlights The Motherless Daughters Ministry volunteers. MDM podcast administrator, Sarah Lynn Wells, interviews volunteers to learn more about their stories of getting involved with the ministry. We will be highlighting various volunteers in this series to learn more about the work they do with MDM, how they have seen God use their stories to help others, and what...

Send us Fan Mail Motherhood is a challenge under the best circumstances to say nothing of doing it without your own mother. This is especially true for those others who grew up I a home with an emotionally absent mother. This episode looks at ways to become more confident as a mother and create connections with your kids that you may have missed out on. Pat Kuykendoll, one of the bloggers for Moth...

Send us Fan Mail As we have been thinking about freedom this week while celebrating the 4th of July, many of us struggle to feel freedom in our personal lives as we are stuck in our grief and pain. One of our Motherless Daughters Ministry participants shares her testimony of finding a way out of that into true freedom in Christ - freedom from pain, disappointment, family secrets, and unhealthy fam...

Send us Fan Mail A Motherless Daughters Ministry blogger shares her thoughts on being stuck in survival mode. She shares her experience of loss and how it affected her faith and relationship with God. She shares encouragement on how she was able to find healing and draw closer to God while healing long-held pain and grief. If you would like to share your mother loss story, " Contact" us...

Send us Fan Mail Who are the people doing the work behind the scenes for the Motherless Daughters Ministry? This episode is the first in a series highlighting MDM volunteers. Sarah Lynn Wells interviews our volunteers to learn more about what they do, what they have learned, and how God has used their story to help others.  Our first featured volunteer is the Founder, Executive Director, and Board...

Send us Fan Mail Our self-image is greatly influenced by the repeated messages and images we received as children about ourselves from others. As adults, we have the ability to discard destructive beliefs that hinder our vision. Gina Ellis, Motherless Daughters Ministry (MDM) volunteer,  shares one of her blogs, " Unveiled Faces ," about a routine day that turned out to be very special. ...

Send us Fan Mail Guest blogger, Cathy Crosby shared her journey of self-discovery with the Mother[ess Daughters Ministry. Along the way, she realized God “has taken my career struggles and being a motherless daughter to help me discover that my true identity is not found in a job, nor is it in being labeled motherless.” Her story, “ Who We Truly Are ,” walks us through her experience of moving pas...

Send us Fan Mail 056  Motherless Daughters Ministry blogger, Mershon Niesner, shares her wisdom on how to survive Mother’s Day as a motherless daughter. She draws from her experiences and how she has learned to honor her mother’s memory and make peace with a challenging day. The tips she shares give some ideas on how to approach the day in healthy ways. Be among the first to view our newest additi...

Send us Fan Mail 055  Motherless Daughters Ministry blogger and volunteer podcast Team member, Dottie Menkhaus, shares her reflections on two decades of journeying through mother loss. From a young teenager to being a woman in her thirties, Dottie has grieved her mother longer than she lived her life with her mother in it. Dottie's vulnerability and generosity shine through in her retelling o...

Send us Fan Mail 054 - Jill McKinney gives a candid account of her journey to "The Journey Retreat: Healing the Wounds of Mother Loss One Step at a Time." In this "voice of experience," you can hear the description of what it felt like to be a motherless daughter before the author knew how to label the situation. Jill shares with us the family dynamics that impacted her life, h...

Send us Fan Mail 053 -  Motherless Daughters Ministry guest blogger, Heather Wolper, reminds us to cling to those promises during the storms of life. She weaves in scripture throughout God’s Word as she counters the negative thoughts we encounter as we work through the painful journey of grief and heartbreak. For more than 20 years The Motherless Daughters Ministry has touched the lives of women w...

Send us Fan Mail 052 -  In recognition of Women’s History Month, this podcast authored by MDM blogger, Chris Fishel, shares the touching story of a family of strong women supporting one another during challenging times.  Witnessing the end of life will try the strength of any family. This testimony highlights how we may heal and grow through supporting others as they navigate loss. For more than 2...

Send us Fan Mail 051 - Having lost her own mother to cancer when she was just 16 years old, Mary Frank shares her journey to healing.  She recounts the signs that led her to the ministry, the importance of sharing her own story with her siblings, and the importance of a community of women to count on for nurturing and understanding. For more than 20 years The Motherless Daughters Ministry has touc...

Send us Fan Mail #050 The dark places in our journey contain the most painful parts of our story and stay hidden from view. What does it take to move from darkness to light? Our guest, Julie Thompson, shares 6 things she learned "moving from darkness to light.  Her story tells of fresh starts and encouragement as she overcomes the fear of moving forward on the grief journey. For more than 20...

Send us Fan Mail 049 - Motherless Daughter’s Ministry Blogger, Kris Fisher, recounts a painful experience of expectations and family dynamics as she shares the deeply intimate story of her own journey to forgiveness.  Kris’s vulnerability paves the way for the listener to approach their own hurts and examples how to walk through the pain with God and end up on the other side healed.  For more than...

Send us Fan Mail 048 -  There comes a time when we need to start again. We need to accept the blunt truth: I am a motherless daughter. Accepting this fact that we don’t want to be true allows us to begin again, to start to heal the deep areas of our brokenness. Guest blogger, Julie Thompson, shares with us about her journey of healing, the moment she needed to make a new start, and her perspective...

Send us Fan Mail 047 - As we approach the end of 2022, this is the last episode in “The Best of Our First Year” series. This podcast offers words of encouragement and positive suggestions for handling fear. Mary Ellen Collins, our Founder & Executive Director presents helpful information you can take away and use in real-time. For more than 20 years The Motherless Daughters Ministry has touche...

Send us Fan Mail 046- From birth to 6 years of age is the most significant period for brain development. It has a lasting effect on the individual's ability to learn and succeed in life. "The Best of Our First Year" series revisits the most popular podcasts of the past year. This podcast is another one that sheds light on the experiences that have the potential to hinder development...

Send us Fan Mail 045  If you experienced mother loss in your 20’s, there may be lasting effects that impact the ability to accomplish goals. Just when life begins to get exciting, the things serving as a firm foundation for your launch into adulthood begin to shift. Join us as we, again, explore mother loss at this stage of life. “The Best of Our First Year” series revisits the most popular podcas...

Send us Fan Mail 044 - In this not-to-be-missed episode, Dottie Menkhaus hosts Kristin Mitchener in a discussion about healing from trauma.  That process includes surfacing some of the things we keep hidden from view and don’t ever talk about with other people.  The traumas of our past fuel our current behavior.  Hear the voices of these two survivors. “The Best of Our First Year” series revisits...

Send us Fan Mail 043 - If you know a teen who has experienced mother loss, please share this episode. While the Motherless Daughters Ministry target audience is over 18, we offer resources that can be valuable to people in every population category. There are many “voices of experience” telling their story of mother loss as an adolescent.  “The Best of Our First Year” series has surfaced wonderful...

Send us Fan Mail 042 - If you experienced mother loss between the ages of 6 and 12, this podcast, as one of “The Best of Our First Year,” will be worth the time.  Our Founder and Executive Director, Mary Ellen Collins , presented a series that highlighted connections between early experiences and adult behavior patterns. For more than 20 years The Motherless Daughters Ministry has touched the live...

Send us Fan Mail 041  - Did you know that you already have the key to understanding the impact mother loss has had on your life? This episode lays the foundation for discovering answers to questions you have entertained about your experience. As one of “The Best of Our First Year” podcasts, you will not want to miss this one, presented by our Founder and Executive Director, Mary Ellen Collins. For...

Send us Fan Mail 040 - Our second most popular podcast brought you 5 'voices of experience'...... real women, real situations, and members of this ministry who tell their stories. Who exactly is a motherless daughter? This podcast answers that question. For more than twenty years The Motherless Daughters Ministry (MDM) has touched the lives of women who have lost or ever experienced the...

Send us Fan Mail 039 -  The most popular episode of the first year of our podcast was the story of how the ministry began. While we are gearing up for 2023, we will be bringing back the favorites our listeners enjoyed with updated comments. Mary Ellen Collins, our Founder & Executive Director allows us to look at her background and the rocky road that led to the beginnings of the Motherless Da...