If you want to be home with your kids but can’t shake the work God put on your heart, Mary K. Tiller has been there. She joins me to share how she went from a reluctant stay-at-home mom with a newborn and a toddler to building a writing and editing career in the margins of her day on a cattle ranch in East Texas.

Mary K., co-host of Writing Off Social, tells me about the afternoon her father-in-law’s overloaded peach tree showed her what God was asking her to prune, and why she walked away from good writing opportunities when her family needed more of her. She opens up about asking her husband for specific time and putting email response times in her signature so she could finally step away on weekends. If you’re trying to balance work and motherhood, you’ll leave with permission to start small and leave margin right where you are.

Check out the show notes and other resources at https://www.karlabmonterrosa.com/balancing-work-and-motherhood

Ready to discern whether God is calling you home?

Book your free clarity call here.

Connect with Mary:

• Tiller Editing: https://tillerediting.com
• Writing Off Social: https://writingoffsocial.com

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Are you a working mom who feels a tug toward something different, but you’re not sure what God is inviting you into? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Schedule a free clarity call with Karla to talk through where you are, what’s stirring in your heart, and what your next faithful step might be—no pressure—just a conversation, prayerful discernment, and some clarity for the road ahead.

Schedule your free clarity call.

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If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
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For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

What does the Bible say about success for Christian moms who feel like they’re never doing enough?

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re accomplishing enough, earning enough, or making the “right” choices for your family, this episode of Discovering HOME is for you. We’re taking a closer look at what biblical success really means—and what changes when we stop measuring our lives by the world’s standards and start measuring them by faithfulness to God.

I’ll share part of my own story, including why I took an $80K pay cut to be home with my daughters, and what that decision taught me about obedience, surrender, and trusting God with the outcome. We’ll look at Jesus as our ultimate example of success and consider what it means to faithfully steward what God has entrusted to us—even when there’s no applause, visible fruit, or guarantee that our choices will look successful to the world.

This episode is for the Christian mom who is tired of striving and wants to discover a more faithful, freeing definition of success.

Ready to talk through what God may be inviting you into in your own season? Book your free clarity call with me: [Clarity Call Link]

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Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

What if coming home wasn't the end of your gifts — but the beginning of a new season? One mom's story of leaving her career, trusting God's provision, and finding purpose at home.

In this conversation, I’m joined by Leslie Ramírez. Leslie is a wife, mom, and the host of Good Regardless podcast. Leslie understands what it's like when God calls you out of your career into a more intentional life at home. We had an honest conversation about leaving a career, becoming a stay-at-home mom, learning to live on one income, and trusting God with a future that doesn’t look the way you originally imagined.

Leslie shares her journey from a career-focused life into motherhood and a more home-centered way of living, including the difficult seasons that helped reshape her identity and deepen her relationship with God. We talk about what happens when our careers become part of how we define ourselves, and what it looks like to discover that our true identity is found in Christ.

We also talk honestly about the financial and relational side of becoming a stay-at-home mom—including the vulnerability of depending on your husband financially, the importance of communicating about the kind of family life you want, and what it means to trust God as your ultimate provider.

If you’re a Christian working mom wondering whether you could actually afford to leave your career, how one income could work, or whether coming home means giving up your purpose, this conversation will encourage you to consider a different possibility: coming home doesn’t mean losing your purpose. It may be the beginning of discovering a new way to live it out.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Leaving a career and becoming a stay-at-home mom
• Learning to live on one income
• Marriage, provision, and trusting your husband
• Moving from financial independence to dependence on God
• Finding your identity beyond your career
• Motherhood and home as a calling
• The pressure to “have it all” and cultural definitions of success
• Why coming home doesn’t mean becoming purposeless
• Using your gifts and career skills in a new season

Learn more about Leslie Ramirez and listen to the GOOD REGARDLESS PODCAST:

@GoodRegardlessPodcast

Good Regardless on YouTube

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Are you a working mom who feels a tug toward something different, but you’re not sure what God is inviting you into? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Schedule a free clarity call with Karla to talk through where you are, what’s stirring in your heart, and what your next faithful step might be—no pressure—just a conversation, prayerful discernment, and some clarity for the road ahead.

Schedule your free clarity call.

Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others find the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

Ready to take the next step? I'd love to support you through coaching.

• Apply for Coaching: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/work-with-me
• For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

If you're a mom living in survival mode, snapping at the people you love and lying awake replaying tomorrow's to-do list, this episode shows you that nothing is wrong with you and how to start feeling peace again.

I talk with Dr. Kelsey Hawk, a licensed mental health therapist and certified neurocoach, about what survival mode does to the brain and body and why so many Christian women struggle to slow down. She shares nervous system regulation for moms that fits into a real day, including pockets of peace that take as little as 30 seconds, and how renewing your mind with scripture changes the beliefs running on autopilot.

If you're a working mom who loves God and her family and still feels stuck on high alert, this one is for you.

Check out the show notes and other resources at https://www.karlabmonterrosa.com/22-2/

Scripture for Reflection

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Are you a working mom who feels a tug toward something different, but you’re not sure what God is inviting you into? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Schedule a free clarity call with Karla to talk through where you are, what’s stirring in your heart, and what your next faithful step might be—no pressure—just a conversation, prayerful discernment, and some clarity for the road ahead.

Schedule your free clarity call.

Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

If you're a parent who wants to raise children with a biblical worldview but isn't sure how to teach them what's true before the culture does, this episode shows you where to start while they're still young.

I sit down with Dr. William Lile, the Pro-Life Doc, a board-certified OB-GYN who has delivered more than 5,000 babies. We talk about why a child's worldview is largely set before 13 and how to bring science and scripture into the hard conversations at home, including abortion. Dr. Lile also shares what his family learned from 14 years of homeschooling, and I share my own pregnancy stories.

If you're a parent or grandparent who wants to raise children with biblical conviction and Christlike compassion, this one is for you.

Resources and the Pro-Life Doc curriculum are at www.prolifedoc.org

Check out the show notes and other resources at https://www.karlabmonterrosa.com/21-2/

Thank you for joining me for the Season 3 premiere of Discovering HOME. I pray this conversation encourages you to lead your family with courage and wisdom as you cultivate a home built on God's truth.

See you next week!

Send us Fan Mail

Are you a working mom who feels a tug toward something different, but you’re not sure what God is inviting you into? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Schedule a free clarity call with Karla to talk through where you are, what’s stirring in your heart, and what your next faithful step might be—no pressure—just a conversation, prayerful discernment, and some clarity for the road ahead.

Schedule your free clarity call.

Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

Welcome to Season 3 of Discovering HOME!

If you're a Christian working mom who has ever wondered, Is God calling me to something different?—this season is for you.

Join me each week as we explore what it means to build a life rooted in faith, family, and purpose. Through honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and biblical encouragement, we'll talk about discerning God's direction, navigating career and family decisions, embracing intentional living, and finding peace in the season He has you in.

Whether you're prayerfully considering becoming a stay-at-home mom, seeking better balance, or simply longing to create a home that reflects your values, you'll find practical wisdom, heartfelt stories, and hope for the journey.

New episodes begin September 16.

Be sure to follow Discovering HOME in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. And if you know another mom who could use this encouragement, I'd be so grateful if you'd share this trailer with her.

I'd love to connect with you! Visit karlabmonterrosa.com to learn more, explore coaching, and find additional resources to support your journey home.

Want a little extra encouragement each week?

Join my newsletter for behind-the-scenes updates, faith-filled encouragement, practical resources, and reflections that don't make it onto the podcast. It's my favorite way to connect more personally with this community.

Sign up at karlabmonterrosa.com—I'd love to welcome you.

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Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

Discover the biblical meanings of purpose, calling, and vocation, along with practical guidance to help you embrace your mission as a Christian mom at home. This episode is perfect for working moms discerning a transition to stay-at-home motherhood and seeking faith clarity.

In this Season 2 finale of Discovering Home, Karla Monterrosa unpacks Scripture and shares her personal journey to help you understand God’s calling and find peace in your motherhood season.

Key takeaways include:

• What purpose, calling, and vocation really mean biblically and practically
• Why your identity as God’s image-bearer is foundational
• How your home is your mission field and children are your first disciples
• Why stepping toward home is a step of obedience, not a step back
• Three practical mindset shifts to stop living by the world’s definition of success
• How to discover vocation through faithful exploration, not one moment of clarity

Whether you’re a working mom feeling career and family tensions, actively discerning a transition, or longing for peace in your current season, this episode encourages and equips you to walk confidently in God’s calling.

Send us Fan Mail

Are you a working mom who feels a tug toward something different, but you’re not sure what God is inviting you into? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Schedule a free clarity call with Karla to talk through where you are, what’s stirring in your heart, and what your next faithful step might be—no pressure—just a conversation, prayerful discernment, and some clarity for the road ahead.

Schedule your free clarity call.

Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking

If you're a special needs mom feeling pulled toward home, and you carry the quiet question of whether you caused this or are doing enough, this episode will leave you more confident that God chose you to be your child's mom on purpose.

I share my story as a stay-at-home mom of a special needs child, from the evaluations and therapies to how coming home in 2017 changed our mornings and our daughter's progress. You'll also hear five takeaways that helped our family, including what Jesus says in John 9 about blame.

If you're a Christian mom discerning a slower life to support your child, or you love someone with special needs and want to connect with them well, this one is for you.

Book a free clarity call with me to talk through your faithful next step.

• 00:00 Being Present As A Special Needs Mom
• 09:48 Coming Home As A Stay At Home Mom
• 11:38 Homeschooling Children With Special Needs
• 14:33 How To Advocate For Your Child
• 18:41 Letting Go Of Guilt And Blame

Related episodes:

• 06 Our Homeschool Story: Why We Left Traditional School for Faith-Centered Learning at Home
• 07 Can I Really Homeschool? Top 10 Questions Christian Moms Ask About Socialization, Schedules & Confidence

Check out the show notes and other resources at https://www.karlabmonterrosa.com/embracing-motherhood-and-special-needs-parenting-faith-and-advocacy/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

If you found this episode helpful, the best way to spread the word and help others discover the show is to:

• Text this episode to a friend!
• Leave a 5-star rating and review!
• Hit ‘subscribe’ so you’ll never miss an episode!

For speaking events, interview inquiries, or collaborations, visit: www.karlabmonterrosa.com/speaking