It’s evening and the house is quiet. I’m snuggled up on the couch with my oldest under the blanket at my feet and my youngest curled up in a ball on my chest. We’re watching The Pioneer Woman on Netflix make homemade everything with dashes of this, handfuls of that, and of course she “eyeballs” the rest of the ingredients. Anyone want to apply for the position of top chef at my house? It pays in hugs and dark chocolate!
While I’ve been on maternity leave and taking a break from blogging to love on my new little one, we’ve been so blessed with friends bringing meals and family pitching in to help us navigate our transition to a family of 5. In the meantime, I’ve been cooking up a long list of delicious posts for you!
I’m looking forward to sharing some incredible books I’ve read, sharing about keeping a spiritual perspective in the everyday happenings of our lives, and adding more entries to the popular Parenting With Purpose series.
I’m so glad to have you along for the ride as we let go of perfectionism in the day-to-day and learn to embrace the freedom we have in Christ. And if that wasn’t enough…there are giveaways in the works too!
{If you haven’t already…you can sign up to have posts delivered to your email to make sure you don’t miss them.}
And now on to today’s post!
Best Podcasts for Christian Moms
This is a post I’ve been wanting to share with you for awhile now. Podcasts are quickly gaining in popularity as a media form. More and more people are realizing how great they are for learning new things or just for entertainment.
Podcasts tend to range in length anywhere from 15 minutes to 60 minutes or more, depending on the type of podcast. This makes them perfect for listening to while folding laundry, going for a run, doing dishes, or commuting to work.
I first discovered the world of podcasting about 6 years ago while I was pregnant with my daughter. Back then I listened to weekly episodes of Pregtastic, a podcast by and for newly pregnant mommas about all things pregnancy, labor & delivery, and babies. It was set up similar to a talk radio show, except without the rude callers!
These days I tend to listen to podcasts about parenting, blogging, and growing a small business – all things I love to learn about. One thing is for sure, if there’s something you’re interested in, there’s probably a podcast about it!
For busy Christian moms looking for help gaining encouragement and tools for parenting with purpose and creating more God-centered homes, podcasts are a perfect way to learn and grow!
God-Centered Mom Podcast
Why I Love It:
This podcast is hosted by Heather MacFadyen, a wife and mom of four boys. She’s also a Speech-Language Pathologist and the owner of GodCenteredMom.com.
Heather interviews guests discussing the topic of staying God-centered. I love her down-to-earth “real life” approach. She’s quick to admit she doesn’t have it all together and she’s learning along with the listener. Guests on the show discuss a variety of topics but all provide godly wisdom for the parenting journey.
Favorite Episodes:
For Freedom Be Set Free with Francie Winslow {GCM Podcast Ep. 4}
I was in tears for most of this one. And then I listened to it again. Because it was that good. This one will break down barriers in your spiritual life and lead you to more freedom in Christ.
Hope for the Struggling Mom :: Interview with September McCarthy {GCM Podcast Ep. 15}
I was so encouraged by this episode. September has been married for 25 years and has 10 children. Yes, 10. She is a treasure when it comes to parenting wisdom.
A Pep Talk with Leslie Johnson {SurseeGal} –Yelling/Reading/Needing {GCM Podcast Ep. 20}
Leslie is an in-real-life friend to Heather and their casual conversation was so encouraging to me as a young mom. Leslie has grown children now and has lots of practical wisdom to share about parenting young children.
Birds & Bees? Oh, help me please :: Mary Flo Ridley {GCM Podcast Ep. 25}
If you’ve been scared to have “the talk” with your children, don’t miss this episode! Mary Flo has been teaching on this subject for many years and has developed her own program called Sooner Than You Think to teach parents how to make these sometimes intimidating conversations with our children easier to approach. You’ll want to bookmark this one to listen to again and share with your friends!
Listen to this podcast on iTunes for iOS or Stitcher for Android.
Parenting on Purpose Podcast
Why I Love It:
Parenting On Purpose is a resource developed by Sheridan House Family Ministries for parents dealing with everyday parenting issues. Each episode is right at 15 minutes, making it the perfect length to listen to during a quick run or household task. You can quickly browse past episodes by topic or by date going back to 2009. This is a treasure trove of Christian parenting resources!
Favorite Series:
The 30 Imperatives of Parenting
This is a fabulous series of 30 different podcasts covering a wide range of imperatives related to parenting children with intention, as we treat training up our children “in the way they should go” a priority in our homes.
Listen on iTunes for iOS or listen on the website
Inspired to Action Podcast
Why I Love It:
It’s like a pep talk for moms. As she describes on her website, Kat brings you motivating interviews, practical tips and lots of fun yet-insanely-useful conversation with people who believe in YOU and the amazing role you have as a mother.
Kat has experience in the radio business, so her podcast is well produced and is always encouraging!
Favorite episodes:
Overwhelmed? Learn To Say Your Best Yes – An Interview with Lysa TerKeurst {ITA Podcast Ep. 57}
Our ladies Bible class is working through this DVD series and in this episode, Lysa shares some key points from her new book. I think we all struggle sometimes with knowing when to say “no” to a request you’re dreading and when to whole-heartedly say “yes” to an opportunity that really makes you come alive.
How Moms Can Take Personal Retreats – with Erin Odom {ITA Podcast Ep. 49}
I met Erin a few months ago at a writer’s retreat and found out that she actually lives less than an hour away from me. So fun! She wrote a great ebook called Your Retreat: A Guide to Giving Yourself a Personal Planning Day and she talks about how any mom can find time for a personal retreat. The 64-page guide includes 35 pages of printables. I’ve found that the book is a wonderful tool to help me define what I want to focus on my life and take some action! It’s available on her site for $3.99 or you can download a Kindle copy on Amazon.
My Story – How God Takes Brokenness Aside and Makes It Beautiful – Kat Lee {ITA Podcast Ep. 39}
In this episode, Kat tells her personal story of growing up without a mom and how God redeemed her situation so that now she’s encouraging moms around the world. It’s a beautiful story of how God weaves pieces of our lives together for our good in the midst of struggles. Warning: you will need tissues for this one!
Listen on iTunes for iOS, Stitcher for Android, or on her website.
Focus on Parenting Podcast
Why I Love It:
Focus on the Family has a long history of providing quality content for Christian families. The guests are always top-notch and provide a solid Christ-centered perspective and advice. I also appreciate the references to scientific studies and consideration of current culture in addressing parenting topics.
Favorite episodes:
Tony Evans – Kids With a Kingdom Perspective
I’m in the middle of reading Tony Evans’ new book Raising Kingdom Kids: Giving Your Child A Living Faith and it is full of practical wisdom on parenting with purpose.
Surviving Your Baby’s 1st Year Series
This is where I am right now and although it’s baby #3 for us, sometimes surviving is all you can do that first year! This series is full of gold nuggets for handling the variety of stressful situations that come up with adding a new baby to your home.
Listen on iTunes for iOS or on the website.
So there you have it…my favorite podcasts for inspiration and encouragement as a Christian mom.
Even More Great Podcasts…
Wondering what else I listen to while folding laundry or commuting to work? Here are more of my favorites:
The Art of Simple – all kinds of topics around the topic of living simply
Big Boo Cast – two mom bloggers sharing life and laughs
Read Aloud Revival – all about the importance of reading aloud to your kids
RV Family Travel Atlas – benefits of camping with your family, even with young kids
And for those of you who are also bloggers or entrepreneurs, you’ll want to check out these:
EntreFamily – one entrepreneurial family shares their experience & interviews others
Learning With Leslie – Become a Blogger – Leslie is a great teacher with an awesome accent to boot!
How They Blog – this one is another podcast from Kat from Inspired to Action all about blogging
Smart Passive Income – one of the first podcasts I listened to, this one is top notch & shares in-depth advice for online businesses
Declare Conference – interviews with speakers from the Declare Conference
Brilliant Business Moms – interviews with other brilliant business moms so you can be one too
Ok, now it’s YOUR turn!
What are your favorite podcasts? Share in the comments your favorites so we can all discover the best podcasts!
{Don’t have time to look through all the podcasts right now? PIN them for later!}
Updated: More Reader Favorites
I asked and you answered! Here are some of YOUR favorite podcasts:
The Phil Vischer Podcast – creator of Veggie Tales & What’s in the Bible?
Anything & Everything with Alyssa and Jeff
Thanks! Literally in the next tan over I am talking to a friend who wants to find mommy podcast to listen to. Awesome! Okay, so is Kat still over at HowTheyBlog? I miss her!
So great Lauren! Thanks so much for sharing with your friend. I hope these podcasts are a blessing to her on her parenting journey.
I love love LOVE podcasts. Heather’s God Centered Mom podcast is really one of my faves. AmyJBennett.com has a new one coming out soon and I’m excited for that one.
My two faves (not parenting, but still Christian world-view) are The Relevant Podcast and Phil Vischer Podcast. I also listen to Good Job Brain when I need a fun, crazy thing to listen to. And a few Disney and TV podcasts, too! 🙂
a
Oh, I can’t wait to check out the ones you suggested, especially the Phil Vischer one. We love What’s in the Bible? at our house and I don’t know how I didn’t already know he had a podcast. So fun!
What a great list! Thanks so much for sharing!
I have not jumped into the world of podcasts but everything you described makes me want to! I’ll have to look into it more when my time frees up in June. So good to see you back here blogging! Hugs and stay warm!
There are so many great podcasts available now! And thanks…hoping school is in session next week to get back into our routine around here.
I always love post like this bc it gives me more ideas for podcasts to listen to. I always get good book recommendations too from people who post “what should I read next” . Anyways, I love God Centered Mom and Inspired to Action podcast. I want to start Parenting on Purpose and I’m also interested in listening to Phil Vischers podcast. I love podcasts!!! I’m curious about Good Job Brain. I’ve never heard of it. If I’m having a rough day I’m always uplifted by a podcast. Thanks for posting this! I know that you are always full of good resources!
I have a “what I’ve been reading” post coming soon too! 🙂
This is so helpful! I’ve been wanting to try out a few podcasts {I’m a little late to the party on this one!} but had no idea where to start. Thanks for this fabulous information and for linking to the Sat. Soiree. I’m sharing this tomorrow!
Podcasts are so much fun! I hope you’re able to find one or two to start with that you really like. I’d suggest giving each one a chance with a couple of episodes but if you don’t jive with the host(s), then move on and try out another one.
Haha, I’m laughing because I was going to comment that my friend Amanda loves podcasts and has me itching to listen to more – and then she had already commented here! Haha, I should’ve known. 🙂 Anyway – thanks for sharing your favorites and for linking up to Works for Me Wednesday!
Too fun! I hope you found some new ones to try out.
Oh my goodness, this is GREAT! I love (LOVE) podcasts and listen to Inspired to Action every week. Thanks for some more good podcast ideas…I cannot wait to check them out! 🙂
So glad you liked the list Summer!
Great suggestions, Leeann! You know God Centered Mom has a special place in my heart 🙂 I’ve also been listening to The Influence Network podcast; it’s not expressly for moms, but LOTS of moms are on and host the show. It’s really great! Pinning this list!
How did I forget The Influence Network?! I have listened to that one in the past too and it’s always good with interesting guests. Thanks for reminding me about it!
Thanks so much for including us in your list of favorite podcasts! Keep listening, keep folding laundry, and keep finding adventure with the little ones:-)
This is an awesome resource. Thank you for sharing this!
So glad it was helpful! I’m working on an updated list. So many more great podcasts are out there now!
Thanks for sharing, I have been a listener of GCM for a while now, but haven’t checked out ITA yet…will have to get onto that one!
I LOVE podcasts, and my favourites are Homemaking Foundations (youngwifesguide.com – biblical parenting, marriage and homemaking), Dave Ramsey (finance), Feathers (Faith in Flight) – interviews with Christian women sharing their stories, Be Still Be Free – improving yourself with a Christian worldview, Happy Home podcast – not produced very often, but well worth the listen when episodes do come out!, The Mom Hour – not specifically Christian, but full of informal advice for mothers, Cultivating the lovely – Christian mom podcast, At Home with Sally – great Titus 2 style advice from an older lady, Stay Married podcast – all about, well, staying married! Great, research based relationship advice, presented informally. Phew, that was quite a list! Also the bite-sized Proverbs 31 ministries podcast, which is only about a minute or so long, which is annoying if you are trying to listen and do something, but it is always a great ‘thought of the day’ type thing, so still gets my download!
Hi Eliza,
Thanks so much for sharing your list of favorite podcasts! There are some great ones on this list, including a few I’m not familiar with and will have to check out!
LeeAnn
This is such a useful list! Thank you. I’ve just discovered podcasts and I’m loving them. The treat of listening to one is such a good motivation for me to do house work. Looking forward to working my way through this list!