Chasing Hard-Trusting God when life doesn't turn out the way you planned
When They Reach Out
Sometimes our adult children surprise us in the sweetest ways. An unexpected phone call, an unprompted "I love you," or a thoughtful gesture can mean more than they realize. In this episode, listen in to Laurie talking about appreciating those moments without overthinking them or making them bigger than they need to be. Sometimes the best thing we can do is simply receive the love, enjoy the connection, and let the good moment be good.
Talking with It's Crystal Actually
What happens when you've spent decades raising your children and suddenly find yourself asking, "Who am I now?"
In this episode of Chasing Hard, Laurie is joined by Crystal of @itscrystalactually, a midlife lifestyle creator and mom of three, for an honest conversation about rediscovering ourselves beyond motherhood, embracing change, and getting excited about what's next.
Because our children growing up doesn't mean our best years are behind us. Maybe we're just getting started!
The Other Woman in His Life
When your son falls in love, another woman becomes one of the most important people in his life. And while that's exactly what's supposed to happen, it can bring unexpected emotions. In this episode, Laurie talks about the changing role of a mother, making room for the woman he loves, and learning that loving your son sometimes means stepping back,not losing your place, but finding a new one.
When Love Means Staying Quiet
Sometimes the hardest part of loving our adult kids is knowing whent ot stay quiet. We see things, we worry, and we have advice we're convinced could help, but not every thought needs to be spoken. Join Laurie as she talks about the difference between loving and controlling when silence can be an act of trust, and how to know when it's time to speak up. If you've ever struggled to bite your tongue while your adult kid makes their own choices, this episode is for you! Because sometimes the most powerful thing a mother can do is pray...
We Didn't Know We Were Spending It
We thought we were living ordinary days; packing lunches, driving to practice, doing laundry, making dinner. We didn't realize we were spending something we could never get back: TIME. Join Laurie talking about the bittersweet realization that so much of our time with our kids passes before we know how precious it is and what that means now that they're grown. If you've ever wished you could go back for just one ordinary Tuesday, this episode is for you.
When You Are No Longer the Mother They Need
What happens when the people who once needed you for everything no longer do so? Join Laurie as she talks about the identity shift that comes when our kids grow up, the difference between being needed and having purpose, and the beautiful possibility that God isn't finished with us yet. This season isn't about getting back to the mom we used to be, but discovering the woman God is asking us to be now.
You Can Want and Not Feel Entitled
As moms of adult kids, we can deeply want more time, calls and a bigger place in their lives without believing they owe us. In this episode, we're talking about the difference between longing and entitlement, making room for disappointment, and learning to love our adult kids without keeping score.
The Phone Call You're Always Hoping For
There's nothing quite like seeing your adult kid's name pop up on your phone, especially when they're calling for no reason. Join Laurie today as she talks about why those ordinary calls mean so much, how easy it is to measure closeness by how often they call, and why silence doesn't have to mean distance. Maybe the goal isn't to count the calls but to enjoy the connections when they happen.
When Their Home Isn't Your Home
There's a funny shift that happens when our adult kids build lives and homes of their own; suddenly we're the guests. Join Laurie as she talks about how to step into their world with curiosity instead of control, respect the life they're building, and simply enjoy being invited in. Sometimes the sweetest part is realizing we don't have to manage their lives anymore; we get to enjoy being part of it.
When Did My Adult Kid Become the Sensible One?
There comes a time in motherhood when your adult kid starts giving you advice, and the really annoying part is that sometimes it's really good advice. Join us today as Laurie talks about the quiet shift from always being the teacher to realizing our adult kids have things to teach us too. Maybe one of the sweetest parts of this season is getting to know and respect the adult kids that we raised.
Don't Have to Wait for Your Adult Kids
We don't have to wait for our adult kids to text, call, extend the invitation. Join Laurie as she talks about initiating even though we don't want to overstep our bounds with them. It's okay to reach out first. How they respond is up to them.
When You're Tired of Being the Bigger Person
Sometimes being the mom of adult kids means giving space. Join Laurie as she talks about respecting boundaries and biting your tongue. But what about your feelings? Today we are talking about the difference between keeping the peace and actually having peace, and why grace doesn't mean pretending something didn't hurt. Maybe being the bigger person isn't the goal. Maybe being a healthy person is.
The Mom I Used to Be
What happens when your kids grow up, and no one needs you like they used to? Join Laure as she talks about the unexpected grief of not only missing who our kids used to be but also missing the mom we used to be, too.
Take a Little Time
Sometimes it helps just to get away from your normal life, your regular routine. Join Laurie as she talks about the short trip she took and the ways it helped.
When You Feel Left Out of Their Lives
No one prepares you for this part of motherhood, when your kids are adults, and they're busy building lives of their own. If you've ever felt forgotten, left out, or wondering where you fit into their lives now, join Laurie as she talks the grief that often goes unspoken as we navigate this new phase of mothering adult kids.
Get Outside of Yourself
Join Laurie as she talks about how to get outside yourself and serve others when life is hard and doesn't turn out the way you wanted.
Did I Do Enough?
The question every parent asks when their kid leaves the nest, did I do enough? Join Laurie as she talks about the age-old question than no one really has an answer to.
When They Don't Need Us Like They Used To
Life is a series of changes. So is motherhood. Join Laurie as she talks about what life and motherhood look like when our kids don't need us the way they used to.
Let's Talk About Loneliness
Join Laurie as she talks about loneliness and what's behind it. And perhaps loneliness is simply part of the human experience.
When Did Motherhood Become a Competition?
Join Laurie as she talks about how we mothers sometimes put pressure not only on ourselves but other mothers as well. It seems like we do that in all phases but I'm noticing it more as moms of adult kids. Why do we do that? This is not a competition! We are in this together.
When Your Kids Visit
Being the mother of adult kids can have many challenges. When your kid lives hundreds of miles away or you don't see them much for whatever reason isn't usually how we picture our lives turning out. Join Laurie as she talks about when one of her kids came to visit.
Being Grateful
When spend years teaching our children how to become independent. And then, one day, they do. Join Laurie talking about what it looks like to love our adult kids healthily, trusting that God, who carried them when they were, small, is carrying them still.
Being Grateful
No matter what life throw's your way, those things that didn't turn out the way you planned, there is always something to be grateful for. Join Laurie today as she talks about how being grateful can make a difference in your attitude and heart.
Tale of Two Brothers
Join Laurie as she talks about the story of the unexpected addition to her family of origin, a baby brother, and the unexpected death of her younger brother. Truly a trusting God time.
When Perspective is Hard
Join Laurie as she talks about how helpful perspective can be and how hard at the same time. This is an honest conversation about love, hurt, expectations, communication and the quiet tension that can occur when life doesn't turn out the way we plan.
When You Feel Replaced
Join Laurie as she talks about the all-too-real feelings of being replaced when your kids grow up and start their own lives. There's nothing wrong with you. You're not crazy or weird. You're just a mom of adult kids who didn't see this coming. It's a life didn't turn out the way you planned situation. Hang in there. You are not alone.
When God Nods
Join Laurie as she talks about going through hard times, but when God nods, you feel less alone. She explores what God's nod looks like and the difference it can make
Truth Instead of Control
There is an ache that can come with this season of motherhood, watching your adult kids build lives that don't always include you the way they used to.
Join Laurie today, as she talks about feelings mothers of adult kids can carry with them that they don't always talk about. This episode is about how to process those feelings without shame, and how to move forward with grace and faith.
If you've ever wondered where you fit now, this episode will remind you that your role as a mom of adult kids didn't disappear, it si...
ProvidingForYourselfAudioUpload
Join Laurie as she talks about the temptations of Jesus and how He resisted everyone. How can we apply the temptations Jesus overcame for us to our own lives today?
When the Struggle is Big
Join Laurie as she talks about the struggles of being a mom when things are small and big! It's not what we signed up for.
When You Feel Left Out of Their Lives
There's a quiet ache that comes with this season of motherhood, watching your adult child build a life that doesn't always include you in the way it once did.
Join Laurie as she talks about the many feelings moms of adult kids can carry but rarely talk about: feeling left out. From missed moments to shifting roles, this conversation gently explores how to process those emotions without shame and how to move forward with grace, faith and a steady kind of love that still has a place.
If you've ever wondered where you fit in n...
When You Still Want to Mother Them
There's a tension that comes with loving your adult children. You still feel the pull to mother them, but you know things have changed. In this episode, we talk about the in-between space, where your love is just as strong, but your role is different.
If you've ever wrestled with when to step in and when to step back, this conversation will remind you that you're not doing it wrong, you're growing through it.
When You Miss Them but You Don't Know Where You Fit
Join Laurie as she talks about your grown children, building their own lives and while you're proud of them, there are times you miss them profoundly and wonder where you fit now. On this episode, we talk about the emotions in between that many moms of adult kids experience but don't say out loud. The space between being connected and no longer needed in the same way.
If you've ever felt unsure of your place, this conversation will show that your role as their mother hasn't disappeared, it just changed. And even in this season, it still...
When Your Adult Kid Struggles
Join Laurie as she talks about watching your adult kid struggle or what we perceive as struggling. We, as mothers just want to step in and help, even when we haven't been asked. Being present while they figure is sometimes the most loving thing to do.
When Your Adult Child Pulls Away
Join Laurie as she talks about loving children when they are grown. The hardest part of motherhood isn't when they are young. It's when they grow up and pull away. That is a natural process, but what about when they pull away emotionally. How do you navigate those times?
When Your Kids Become Adults
Letting kids grow up doesn't mean parenting ends; it just changes. Join Laurie as she talks about how kids evolve into adults and how motherhood evolves with it. Discovering your new identity and opportunities. The chances to grieve the "old days" and embrace the new. I hope you walk away feeling supported and less alone.
Loving Adult Kids Without Losing Yourself
Motherhood doesn't end when your kids grow up; it changes. Join Laurie as we talk about adult kids, boundaries and emtional health. If you're navigating the quiet grief of this season and wondering who you are now, this episode is for you.
No One Prepared Us
When we become mothers, we are prepared for a lot of things: the things to expect while pregnant, all the phases, newborn, toddler, middle, and the teen years, and even preparing for the empty nest. What catches some of us unprepared is parenting adult kids. Sure, it's different. Not much mothering is going on, but our hearts are still connected, even if the relationship has changed. Join Laurie as she talks about all things adult mothering and how it's normal when logic and emotions aren't always in sync.
Trying Not to Hear
Join Laurie talking about tinnitus and trying not to hear the ringing, hissing, buzzing in your ears. She connects other areas of life we try not to hear.
Chasing Approval
In this episode, Chasing Approval, Laurie talks about what it looks like to chase approval and how God offers freedom instead. If you're tired of people-please, givng more than you should and the expectations of others, this episode will help you realign your heart, release pressure and rest in God who created and defines you.
