M Is for Mama Podcast

If you had asked me if I had finding acreage and building another house on my bingo card for 2026, my answer would have been a resounding NO! 

And yet, here we are! 

In this episode, I’m tackling a bunch of your FAQs about how this came to be, the plan for our current house, and what we’re hoping to keep the same/change in the new build. 

We’re excited (and a little nervous) to embark on this adventure and hope you’ll enjoy co...

Homeschool moms, you’re in for a treat as I chat today with Mandy Davis, a former public school administrator turned homeschool educator. 

In this episode, we talk about her unlikely journey to homeschooling as well as what made her keep going once she arrived.

Woven throughout are so many tidbits and practical tips for new and seasoned homeschool moms.

Not only that, but Mandy’s created a resource for all homeschooling families capped The Homeschool Bible—with the goal of comprehensively answering the most co...

On today’s show, Abbie and Abbey talk all things grace, mom guilt, and perseverance in motherhood.

In a world that can swing from extremes such as try-hard motherhood perfectionism to the “hot mess express” mom, finding our center on the truth of the completed work of Christ for us as moms can feel almost impossible.

I’m thankful for grounded voices like Abbey’s who help moms to discern Scripture rightly and remind them of their worth in Christ as well as the high calling they have received to raise u...

If you’re a Christian and a mother (or soon to become one), this episode is for you!

Dannette McGrew, certified birth doula, is on the podcast today to talk about Christians and birth. We discuss everything from hypnobirthing to the best place to give birth (spoiler: it’s wherever the Lord leads you).

Everything that Dannette shares is rooted in a desire to compare birthing practices to the Word of God and approach birth in a way that honors the Giver of life. 

Regar...

If you’ve ever found yourself mumbling about what you’re doing in the pantry or asking yourself why you walked into the garage and flipped on the lights, then you’re probably well-versed in the art of talking to yourself. 

The science behind it is obvious: As we vocalize our thoughts out loud, we help our brains process better. 

So, what if we applied this truth to our spiritual lives and began “talking back” to the lies our brains try to sell us sometimes? This exact practice of preaching tr...

Today’s episode is extra-special since I have my 15-year-old daughter Della joining me to chat and answer your questions. 

We talk about what it’s like to be the oldest girl in a large family, how to navigate sibling conflict, what she’s looking forward to in her future and so much more!

I hope you enjoy hearing from Della’s much as I enjoyed chatting with her! She’s truly a gem of a human being. 

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In a world that tells every parent of young children, “Just you wait until they’re teens. Then you’ll really know how bad parenting can be,” RuthAnn Zimmerman and I are here to call hog wash. 

Yes, teens are a unique challenge and need to be treated with kindness and discernment. Yes, teen struggles can  feel much bigger and scarier than toddler meltdowns. 

But teenagers also can be delightful, funny, and thoughtful. 

In this show, we debunk the myth that the teen stage has to be mi...

One of my biggest FAQs involves questions about chores, kids’ responsibilities, and teaching children self-discipline. 

On this episode, I invite my friend RuthAnn Zimmerman to share her wisdom about intentionally facilitating responsibility and stewardship in children through hard work, discipline, and appropriate expectations. 

She talks about how they chose to take on animals and tasks for the sake of giving their children meaningful work, how we as moms should be “working ourselves out of a job”—at least for a time— and why our idolization of childhood can actually hold our chi...

Today’s episode has a rare treat—an appearance from my husband, Shaun.

We tackle some of your burning questions, most notably how to stay connected in seasons of stress, busyness, small children, or all of the above. 

We hope you’ll glean some helpful tidbits from this marriage chat and that you’ll be encouraged to invest faithfully in your own marriage each and every day.

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Tighten Your Tinkler was created so women could...

Sometimes, you meet someone with whom you instantly click, and it feels like you’ve known each other for decades. 

That’s how it felt when I found my friend Kat online. We started chatting via DMs, and a couple of years later, we got the chance to hang out face-to-face when she came to stay at our house for my book launch party for You Bet Your Stretch Marks. 

Our conversations during our time together ranged from the ridiculous to the deeply theological (and everything in between). 

What if we truly believed God’s power gave us everything we need for life and godliness? That His power really is made perfect in our weakness? That His grace is actually sufficient for every circumstance we encounter?

In this episode, we dive into the kind of thought patterns that keep us stuck in resentment + bitterness, instead of contentment (“must be nice” and “if I had what she had, I’d be able to…” are big ones!). And we talk about practical ways to reshape our thoughts to align with Truth from God’s Word. 

Y’all asked, and I’m delivering! So many of you wanted a dedicated episode on why “be a blessing” is our family motto and how we practically apply it in our home and community at large. 

As always, we go back to Scripture as our guide for any phrases or intentions we choose to focus on, and there are plenty of examples of what it means to look outside ourselves for the purpose of blessing others all throughout God’s Word. 

I pray this episode helps you to think throug...

Welcome to Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday podcast-style in 2026!

In this episode, we’re tackling everything from chores as discipline to whether you can homeschool without a co-op to how to move forward with peace when you’ve gone through multiple miscarriages. 

As always, my goal is to give you practical helps based on biblical principles, rather than teach you to do anything “Abbie-style.” 

May this episode encourage you to seek the Lord’s wisdom in every area!

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One of my favorite things when I have guests on is when they combine biblical principles with actionable steps for more peace, joy, and order in our homes. 

Arlene Pelicane does this so well in today’s episode in which we discuss the biblical principles that undergird family interactions in areas that span everything from technology to marriage.

I know you’ll be encouraged to stay the course (or maybe recalibrate your approach) as you hear Arlene’s articulate, passionate, and encouraging arguments for approaching everything in our homes with Go...

Have you ever wondered why you can’t seem to get as much done as you used to? Or, conversely, why something that used to feel overwhelming now seems like not as big a deal? 

The answer, in a word, might be capacity.

Human beings are seasonal creatures, and there will be times in our life when we are simply capable of more (or less), thanks to a variety of factors. 

Join me as we chat about how to approach capacity in a God-honoring way...

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!

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Me First! Gameshow Buzzers

Awana Advent Devotional

Episode 45: Let's Talk Christmas Part 1

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 parenting is hard in lots of areas—but especially ones in which there is so much noise about the psychological ramifications of we do...

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 themes, and we’re chatting about both the particulars of the challenge and practical, daily ways we can choose joy, even when our ci...

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 aligns with God’s Word and brings glory to Him.

Mentions:

Amare H...

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 make sense of it biblically. We also chat about more practical tools (like u...

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 the devastating consequences of going against God’s plan for boys and girls. 

Be confid...

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 ideologies. 

Share this resource with every parent you know!

Guest Info:

Alisa Childe...

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:

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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 work involved to prep/run our booth Paint and Prose booth to serve a never-ending stream of customers and moms who stopped by to say hi.

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.

Enjoy!

Mentions:

What Are Mouths For by A...

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 with the view of scripture, not culture, as our guide. 

We hope th...

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 who listens will find useful/practical/biblically sound strategies for moments of stress, anxiety, and fear. 

Be en...

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 only comes from God’s Word.

I pray this episode encourages and challenges you to double down on...

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, Erin is now symptom-free and sharing what she’s learned along the way to help others understand how to overcome labels and make actionable improvements in every aspect of their hea...

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 hope you’ll be encouraged that the Lord cares ab...

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 amazing humans who are some of my kids’ best friends, and tirelessly speaks words of life over everyone she...

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 losing her temper. 

We tackle how to get out of the house with small children without losing your mi...

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:

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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, boots-on the-ground ideas that can help you move from operating in burnout to feeling confi...

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 stories, Scripture, and lessons learned. But in the meantime, enjoy this preview + pep talk all rolled into...

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 (and common sense: NO divorce parties). 

Enjoy! 

Want to Sub...

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!

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Voetberg Music Academy

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Mentions:

Mother's Day Eclairs (We Substitute Normal Flour For...

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 rise from the dead for us to wallow in our troubles—real and heavy though they are. 

Or, to put i...

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” approach, and neither of this week’s topics is an exception. 

God’s Word has plenty to say about both...

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 “family planning,” we hope this conversation sparks thoughtful consideration and an ultimate desire to pursue God’s will above all else in this and e...