Have you ever looked at your life and thought, “This isn't what I planned”?

That's exactly where I find myself right now.

In this episode of The Rooted Mother, I'm sharing a very personal life update about the unexpected changes happening in my life, including going back to teaching full-time, putting much of Rooted & Thriving on pause, changing the way we homeschool, and navigating what this new season means for our family.

I share the surprising story of how I ended up with a teaching position I never planned to pursue, the financial reasons behind the decision, and the very real guilt and grief I felt about stepping away from the life I thought I was building.

I also talk about something God has been teaching me through all of this:

Being rooted doesn't mean being unchanging.

Our circumstances change. Our careers change. Our children grow. Our plans change. But when our foundation is Christ, we can remain rooted even when everything around us looks different.

If you're an overwhelmed Christian mom walking through a season you didn't expect, going back to work, adjusting to a new season of motherhood, grieving a dream, changing direction, or simply wondering what God is doing, I hope this episode reminds you that a change in direction doesn't mean you've failed, and a detour doesn't mean God has forgotten you.

You don't have to understand the entire plan. You just have to trust the One who does.

Not everything will go as planned. But I can trust the One who is in control.

📚 Help Me Build My Classroom

As I step into this new season, I'm also beginning a new chapter as a third-grade teacher at a small Catholic school. If you'd like to support me as I build a warm, faith-filled classroom for my students, I've created a classroom wishlist here:

My Amazon Classroom Wishlist

Whether you purchase something, share the wishlist, or simply pray for me and my students, I am incredibly grateful for your support as I step into this unexpected new season.

ROOTED & THRIVING

Rooted & Thriving exists to encourage overwhelmed Christian moms to find peace in the middle of motherhood by rooting themselves in Christ.

Shop the Rooted & Thriving journals and planners and follow along with the podcast for more conversations about faith, motherhood, anxiety, overwhelm, mom guilt, and learning to trust God in every season.

Support the show

✨ Free Gift for You: If mom guilt has been weighing on your heart, I've created a free printable, God's Truth vs. Mom Guilt, to help you replace the lies with God's truth. You can download it through the link in today's show notes.

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast and share it with another mom who needs the reminder that she doesn't have to walk this journey alone.

🌿 Start here: Download my free printable, God's Truth vs. Mom Guilt, and learn to replace guilt-filled thoughts with God's truth and Scripture:
https://www.rootedandthrivingmama.com/gods-truth-vs-mom-guilt

Next Steps

🌿 Website & Shop:
https://www.rootedandthrivingmama.com

Have you ever felt like you lost yourself after becoming a mom?

Maybe you miss the woman you were before motherhood. Maybe you’ve heard the advice to “not lose yourself in motherhood” so many times that you’ve started wondering if becoming a mother really does mean giving up a piece of yourself.

But what if we’ve been asking the wrong question?

In this episode of The Rooted Mother, we’re taking a closer look at the cultural message behind “Don’t lose yourself in motherhood” and asking whether motherhood is really something we need to protect our identity from.

Why don’t we hear “Don’t lose yourself in fatherhood” nearly as often? Why is fatherhood so often celebrated as a reason to step up, provide, work hard, and build, while motherhood can be framed as something that will hold a woman back? And why does “I’m just a mom” sound like an apology?

We’ll talk about the way our culture has confused financial productivity with contribution, why motherhood is often minimized, and the pressure moms can feel to prove they are more than just a mother.

But this isn’t an argument that motherhood should become your entire identity. You are more than a mom, but not because motherhood isn’t enough.

Your identity was never meant to be found in motherhood, your career, your accomplishments, your productivity, or your ability to hold everything together.

Your identity is rooted in Christ.

And maybe you don’t need to “find yourself” again after motherhood.

Maybe you’re becoming someone new.

We’ll talk about the grief that can come with the changes of motherhood, the difference between losing something and being lost, and how God can use motherhood to reveal, transform, and shape us.

Instead of asking, “How do I get myself back?” maybe the better question is:

“God, who are You forming me to become?”

If you’re an overwhelmed Christian mom who has ever wondered where you went after becoming a mother, this episode is for you.

You didn’t necessarily lose yourself.

Maybe motherhood is one of the places where God is teaching you who you really are.

Support the show

✨ Free Gift for You: If mom guilt has been weighing on your heart, I've created a free printable, God's Truth vs. Mom Guilt, to help you replace the lies with God's truth. You can download it through the link in today's show notes.

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast and share it with another mom who needs the reminder that she doesn't have to walk this journey alone.

🌿 Start here: Download my free printable, God's Truth vs. Mom Guilt, and learn to replace guilt-filled thoughts with God's truth and Scripture:
https://www.rootedandthrivingmama.com/gods-truth-vs-mom-guilt

Next Steps

🌿 Website & Shop:
https://www.rootedandthrivingmama.com

How many times have I told myself, “Okay, this week is going to be different”?

I’ll start eating better. I’ll work out. I’ll wake up early and spend time with God. I’ll finally get my house under control. I’ll create the perfect homeschool schedule, work on my business, keep up with the laundry, meal plan… and somehow get to everything else on my list.

Monday is going to be the day I finally get it all together.

And then Monday comes… and life happens.

As a Type A person who genuinely loves to plan, I’ve always found comfort in knowing what’s coming next. But when plans change, I can quickly become stressed and anxious. I realized that I wasn’t just making plans for my days, I was putting a lot of hope into those plans. I thought that if I could just get the schedule right, everything would finally work.

But I wasn’t just planning my day.

I was trying to control it.

In this episode of The Rooted Mother, I’m sharing what God has been teaching me about letting go of rigid routines and creating a simple rhythm with Him instead.

A rhythm that leaves room for motherhood, interruptions, flexibility, grace, and real life.

I’m sharing the simple practices that have helped me stay rooted in God throughout my day, starting with prayer, getting into His Word even when I only have a few minutes, choosing three priorities instead of trying to accomplish everything, and practicing gratitude in the ordinary moments.

Most importantly, I’m learning that I don’t have to wait until Monday to start again.

God’s mercies are new every morning.

So when I fall out of rhythm, I can return.

I can return to God.
I can return to what matters.
I can take the next faithful step.

Because I don’t need to know exactly how tomorrow will unfold.

I just need to know Who is already there.

If I’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck in perfectionism, or constantly like I’m behind, maybe I don’t need another routine.

Maybe I need a rhythm that leaves room for God, grace, and real life.

Scriptures mentioned: Lamentations 3:22–23 and Deuteronomy 31:8

Support the show

✨ Free Gift for You: If mom guilt has been weighing on your heart, I've created a free printable, God's Truth vs. Mom Guilt, to help you replace the lies with God's truth. You can download it through the link in today's show notes.

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast and share it with another mom who needs the reminder that she doesn't have to walk this journey alone.

🌿 Start here: Download my free printable, God's Truth vs. Mom Guilt, and learn to replace guilt-filled thoughts with God's truth and Scripture:
https://www.rootedandthrivingmama.com/gods-truth-vs-mom-guilt

Next Steps

🌿 Website & Shop:
https://www.rootedandthrivingmama.com