The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom

There comes a moment in midlife when the roles begin to shift, and the woman who once cared for you now needs care from you. In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with a very special guest, my own mom, to talk about the realities of aging and the beauty of honoring our parents. If you’re navigating changing roles with your parents or wondering how to walk this season with grace, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching...

Watching an adult child walk away from faith can be one of the most painful experiences a mother faces. In this episode, author and podcast host Judy Douglas shares the story of her prodigal child’s return and the hope she discovered while waiting on God. If you are praying for a wandering child, this conversation will encourage you not to give up.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Prayer for Prodigals Website here

Prayers for Prodigals Facebook Page here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nes...

What do you do when your adult child no longer believes in God and is captured by the world? In this episode, we look at the father in the parable of the prodigal son and uncover six powerful ways to love your wayward adult child with grace, trust, and hope. If you’re a Christian mom struggling with fear, guilt, or frustration, this conversation will encourage you to release control, guard your heart, and trust God with your child’s story.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting's Moms, Dads & Grads Guide here

Free Guide: Journaling Throu...

Pastor Inés Franklin joins Pamela to talk about the hidden grief many children carry when families change because of divorce, remarriage, or other transitions. They discuss how unresolved loss can look like rebellion, why spiritual pressure often backfires, and how parents can disciple their children through empathy instead of control.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Ines' Website here

Ines' book, Blended and Blessed here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Rev...

When your adult child walks away from the faith, heartbreak is only part of the story. Shame often follows close behind. In this episode, Pamela shares six biblical perspective shifts to help Christian moms release guilt, trust God with their wandering child, and rest securely in their identity in Christ. If you’re carrying shame about a prodigal son or daughter, this episode will help you breathe again.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting Moms, Dads & Grads Gift Guide here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching wit...

What if learning to love your morning could change the way you experience the empty nest? Pamela talks with Jennifer Dukes Lee about her book How to Love Your Morning and how empty nest moms can create grace-filled morning rhythms, renew their mindset, and experience God’s mercy at the start of each day.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Get Jennifer's Book, How to Love Your Morning here 

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

R...

Does your relationship with God feel different in midlife? In this episode, Pamela shares 7 ways intimacy with God deepens as you grow older, especially in the empty nest season. If you’ve moved from striving to surrender, from performance to peace, this conversation will affirm the beautiful maturity happening in your faith.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting's Easter Bundle here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podcast here

F...

Author Autumn Schoeck joins Pamela to discuss what it means to find peace in Christ during empty-nest transitions. If you’ve been feeling unsteady in this season, this conversation will help you anchor your identity, peace, and sense of belonging in Him.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Autumn's book, This Feels Like Home: Inspiration for Finding Peace here

Autumn's website here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rat...

Worry doesn’t disappear when our kids grow up; it just changes shape. In this episode, Pamela shares a simple, grace-filled prayer framework from Philippians 4:6 to help empty nest moms move from worry to peace. If you’re tired of carrying anxiety, guilt, and unanswered questions, this gentle conversation will remind you that God isn’t asking you to try harder. He’s inviting you closer.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting's Easter Bundle here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take th...

In this episode, Pamela talks with Dr. Allison Alford about her book Good Daughtering and the emotional tension many empty nest moms feel in midlife. As we care for aging parents and learn new ways to relate to our adult children, guilt and pressure can quietly take over. This gentle conversation explores how to redefine what it means to be a “good daughter,” set healthy boundaries, and walk through this season with grace instead of obligation.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Buy Good Daughtering here

Dr Alford's website here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief...

When the kids leave home, many couples discover they don’t know how to talk anymore. Christian marriage counselors Chris and Jamie Bailey share practical, faith-filled insights on improving communication in empty-nest marriages, so couples can move from roommates to meaningful connection.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Chris & Jamie's website here

Free Guide: Marriage Awareness Worksheet here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podcast here

Follow Pamela on Instagram here

Follow Pamela on Facebook her...

Does your empty nest marriage feel more like roommates than partners? In this episode, we talk about why connection often fades after the kids leave home and share six practical, grace-filled steps to help you reconnect emotionally, physically, and spiritually with your husband. It’s not too late to grow close again.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting's Morning Minute here

Free Guide: Marriage Awareness Worksheet here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podcast here

Fol...

When the house gets quieter, many couples realize they’ve drifted spiritually. In this special episode, I sit down with my husband, Bob, a pastor and fellow empty nester, to talk honestly about praying together as a couple. We share why praying together matters, why it can feel awkward, and simple ways to begin rebuilding spiritual intimacy in the empty nest.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Marriage Awareness Worksheet here

Apply for Coaching with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podcast here

When the kids leave home, many women are surprised by an ache they didn’t expect; distance in their marriage. The house is quieter, the roles have changed, and the connection with your husband can feel strained or fragile. In this episode, Pamela shares 6 grace-filled ways to strengthen your empty nest marriage when you feel like you’re growing apart. Through faith-based wisdom, Scripture, and gentle reflection, you’ll learn how awareness, prayer, and intentional love can help rebuild connection and restore hope.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting's Morning Minute here

Free Guide: The Marriag...

What’s your purpose now that your kids have left home? The empty nest often brings big questions about identity, meaning, and what God is doing next. In this episode of  Empty Nest, Coach Pamela Henkelman shares six faith-filled questions to help moms rediscover their God-given purpose after motherhood.

Rooted in Scripture and real-life wisdom, this conversation will encourage you to see the empty nest not as an ending, but as an invitation to trust God and step confidently into your next season.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free...

What does purpose look like after the kids leave home? Author, speaker, and host of the Encouragement for Real Life podcast, Julie Lefebure, joins Pamela for a heartfelt conversation about discovering purpose in midlife. Julie shares her personal journey, her connection with God, and how God used writing, speaking, and even grandparenting to reshape her calling.

If you’re feeling unsure, stuck, or craving clarity in this season, this episode will help you see your life with fresh hope.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

CP Morning Minute here

Julie's Free Resources her...

Aging doesn’t mean you’re fading; it means you’re deepening. In this encouraging episode, Pamela Henkelman shares six faith-filled strategies to help midlife moms embrace aging with confidence and purpose.

Learn how to accept your season, walk in God-given confidence, harness your wisdom, and step into the most productive years of your life. You’ll come away encouraged, grounded, and reminded that God isn’t finished with you yet.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

CP 's Morning Minute here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection...

We’re celebrating our 200th episode as Pamela Henkelman reflects on the beautiful journey of The Midlife Momma Podcast, from the early days of recording with trembling hands to becoming a global community of Christian empty nest moms who love their adult children with grace and trust God in the transition.

Join Pamela as she shares the podcast origin story, God’s faithfulness, listener transformations, the most impactful episodes, behind-the-scenes moments, and the powerful lessons learned from walking alongside moms in this tender season of life.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Journ...

When the relationship with your son or daughter-in-law is strained, the ripple effects can touch every corner of your heart. Suddenly, the connection with your child feels fragile, your role as a mom feels uncertain, and even time with your grandkids can feel out of reach.

In this powerful, hope-filled conversation, Counselor Kathy Cunningham joins me to unpack what really happens when these relationships break down, and how healing is absolutely possible. Kathy offers practical tools, biblical wisdom, and deep compassion as she guides us through the very first step a mom should take when reconciliation feels...

Ever walked away from a conversation with your grown child thinking, “What just happened?” You’re not alone, Momma. Communication in the empty nest can feel tricky. The roles have changed, emotions run deep, and sometimes the words just don’t land the way we hoped.

In this highly downloaded episode, Pamela unpacks ten common barriers that make conversations with adult children so challenging, and shares practical, grace-filled solutions to overcome each one.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coac...

As moms, our words carry incredible power, especially with our adult children. We never intend to hurt them, but sometimes, without realizing it, what we say can sound like guilt, criticism, or disapproval.

In this listener-favorite episode, Pamela unpacks ten common phrases that can unintentionally wound your grown kids and offers loving alternatives that build connection instead of conflict. If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation wishing you’d said it differently, this episode is for you.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

End of Year Gift to Christian Parenting here

Fre...

What happens when your child’s choices take them down a path you didn’t expect, and you can’t fix it? In this heartfelt replay of one of our most-loved episodes, Pamela shares how to release the need to control your adult children and find peace in trusting God’s plan instead. Learn practical, faith-filled steps to trade worry for worship, surrender for strength, and fear for freedom.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Qui...

When your adult kids come home for the holidays, tough conversations can pop up fast. In this episode, Pamela shares how to talk with your grown children respectfully, even when you disagree. Learn how to listen without judgment, value the relationship over being right, and model Christ’s love in every conversation.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

End of Year Gift to Christian Parenting here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podca...

In this special Thanksgiving Day episode of The Midlife Momma Podcast, Pamela invites you to pause, breathe, and look for God’s glory all around you. Through the simple beauty of a sunrise and the practice of gratitude, she reminds us that even in the hard places of parenting adult children, God’s presence never leaves.

You’ll discover why gratitude is such a powerful antidote for a weary momma’s heart, how it helps us see God more clearly, and how writing down our thanks strengthens our faith.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Gu...

Hey Momma, are your holiday expectations stealing your joy? In this episode, we’ll talk about how to let go of what “should be” and embrace what is. Learn six grace-filled ways to stay flexible, find peace, and keep connection at the heart of your holidays. Even when things look different, God’s goodness is still all around.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

CP Christmas Gift Guide here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review...

Hey Momma, do the holidays feel different now that the kids are grown? In this heartfelt Advent conversation, Pamela Henkelman and guest Megan Nilson, author of Untangled Advent: Finding Hope in a Weary World, talk about how empty-nest moms can release expectations, embrace spiritual rhythms, and rediscover peace this Christmas. If you’re longing for a slower, more meaningful holiday season centered on Jesus, this episode will renew your heart and help you savor His presence in every moment.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Untangled Advent by Megan Nilsen here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here<...

What happens when not everyone can make it home for the holidays? For many empty nest moms, this new reality brings a wave of disappointment, but it doesn’t have to steal your joy. Join Pamela as she shares six practical and faith-filled ways to approach holiday planning with your adult kids. You’ll learn how to practice radical acceptance, lead with emotional steadiness, and discover that even when the traditions change, God’s love and family connection remain strong.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

CP Christmas Gift Guide here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Hey Momma, what happens when your grown kids spread their wings, and their new home is in a different time zone? The distance can leave a tender ache in your heart.

In this heartfelt conversation, I’m joined by Joanne McHugh, creator of Things Your Mom Should Have Told You, to talk about how to stay emotionally close even when the miles stretch long. We’ll explore how to accept the move, manage expectations, and keep your connection strong through faith and intentional rhythms.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Things Your Mom Should Have Told You newsl...

Are you feeling weighed down by the struggles of your adult kids? In this episode, Pamela shares six soul-care practices to help Christian moms move from overwhelm to peace. With insights from Dr. Alison Cook, you’ll learn how to honor your needs, process emotions through God’s truth, and find rest in His presence. Momma, you don’t have to carry it all. Come be reminded that God sees you, loves you, and is ready to restore your weary soul.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

CP Christmas Shopping Guide here

Free Guide: Journal...

Do you ever find yourself spiraling into worst-case scenarios about your adult child? In this episode, Pamela sits down with Master Coach Jennifer Collins, host of The Almost Empty Nest Podcast, to talk about why our minds default to fear and how to stop catastrophizing. Together they explore practical tools to quiet anxious thoughts, discern real concerns from imagined ones, and lean into God’s truth instead of panic.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Jennifer's Free Master Class here

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pam...

Launching a child can leave even the strongest momma feeling undone. In this episode, we unpack transitional grief, what it is, how to recognize it, and why it’s a normal part of the empty nest journey. You’ll learn practical ways to acknowledge your emotions, healthy strategies to cope, and how trusting God can bring comfort in the middle of change.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Journaling Through Transitional Grief here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podca...

Author and creator of Empty Nest Blessed, Suzy Mighell, joins me for an uplifting conversation about finding faith and joy in the empty nest. Suzy shares what inspired her new book, how God has met her in this season, and how moms can experience His presence during times of transition. Whether you’re grieving the quiet or longing for fresh purpose, Suzy reminds us that the empty nest doesn’t have to feel empty; it can be a place filled with God’s comfort, joy, and new beginnings.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Preorder Empty Nest Blessed here

Fr...

What do you do when your adult child says, “I’m not sure I believe in God anymore”?

In this episode, we explore how Christian moms can respond with grace, compassion, and trust. Instead of panicking or preaching, you’ll learn why listening is the greatest gift you can give and how it opens the door for God to keep working in your child’s heart.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Ta...

If you’ve ever struggled to set boundaries with your adult child, you’re not alone. Healthy boundaries with adult children aren’t about control; they’re about love, respect, and connection. In this episode, I’m sharing six phrases and behaviors to avoid so you can communicate clearly, protect your relationship, and honor God in the process. Learn how to set boundaries with your grown kids in a way that builds trust, strengthens your faith, and creates lasting connections.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

CP Friday Favorites Newsletter here

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adu...

What if saying “no” could actually bring you closer to your grown kids? In this episode, discover why healthy, biblical boundaries can deepen connection, protect your peace, and create the space where love grows best.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Christian Parenting's Friday Favorites Newsletter here

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podcast here

Follow Pamela on Instagram here

Follow Pamel...

Hey Momma, today we’ve got something special for you: a bonus episode straight from the

Pardon the Mess podcast!

Every Monday, host Courtney DeFeo shares a short prayer to help you lift up your kids. This

year’s series follows Christian Parenting’s brand new prayer journal, A Great Cloud of

Witnesses. 

Each week highlights a biblical hero of the faith, paired with Scripture-based prayers for your

kids. Here is a sneak peek into week one:

This first week is...

When motherhood shifts in the empty nest, how do you steady your soul? Author Mariel Davenport shares her TEND method and fresh encouragement from Scripture to help you walk with God through seasons of change.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Preorder Mariel's book, Ruth: Finding Grace in the Unexpected, here

Mariel's Free 4 Week Devotional Through Ruth here

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

Review + Rate podcast here

What should you do when your adult child won’t leave the nest? In this honest and hope-filled episode, we explore six faith-filled strategies to help you navigate delayed launching with wisdom and grace. Learn how to set healthy boundaries, communicate with love, encourage independence, and trust God’s timing, without losing the relationship or yourself in the process.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-minute Quiz here

...

Launching our kids into adulthood is one of the most emotional transitions of motherhood. In this episode, author and seasoned mom Ruthie Gray shares her honest wisdom on identity, boundaries, communication, and faith during the launching years. If you're feeling unsure or a little lost, you're not alone, and this conversation is full of hope and encouragement just for you.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: Next Steps Journal here

The Sandwich Season Podcast here

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child here

Free Connection Call with certified E...

Launching a child into adulthood is emotional, sacred, and often bittersweet. In this episode, Pamela shares six powerful tips to help you release well, support wisely, and stay rooted in your faith. Learn how to manage your emotions, set healthy expectations, and anchor your identity in Christ, not just your role as mom. With grace and intention, you can let go well.

HELPFUL LINKS: 

Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child here

Free Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela here

Take the free 2-mi...