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"Often, motherhood is when we need God the most and yet have the least amount of time to spend with Him. But just as we desire to love and meet the needs of our children, so our Heavenly Father longs to do the same for us. Too often our time limitations and the guilt that comes with them, keep us from his arms and his transforming power. But the truth is, God knows the seasons of your life and sees your heart" (Emily Assell).

On today's episode, Emily Assell, author of the children's board book When It Hurts: Comforting Promises for Hard Times and the devotional book Wherever You Are: Devotions and Declarations for Moms, opens a beautiful conversation about the hard yet joyous work of mothering.

Emily's story contains so much strength. Her heart and passion for God shine through this conversation and enliven the need to know God's Word and follow His Truth.

Read more about Emily and her passions: Generation Claimed

Order your very own copy of Emily's newest book(s): When It Hurts and Wherever You Are

Read more about Emily's publishing journey: My Writing Journey

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Begin Your Heartlifter's Journey:

1. Visit and subscribe to Heartlift Central on Substack. This is our new online coaching center and meeting place for Heartlifters worldwide.
2. Download the "Overcoming Hurtful Words" Study Guide PDF: BECOMING EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY
3. Meet me on Instagram: @janellrardon
4. Leave a review and rate the podcast: WRITE A REVIEW
5. Learn more about my books and work: Janell Rardon
6. Make a tax-deductible donation through Heartlift International

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Something is stirring in the hearts of women across generations. That quiet voice urging us toward purpose beyond ourselves—toward becoming maternal presences in a world desperately needing wisdom, nurturing, and light.

In this soul-stirring conversation, Leslie Means (founder of Her View From Home and author of "So God Made a Grandma") joins Janell to unpack what happens when women fully embrace their capacity to nurture those in their spheres of influence. Leslie's journey from Nebraska farm girl to creator of a platform reaching millions of women reveals the mysterious way divine whispers guide us when we're brave enough to listen.

"I just felt something else," Leslie shares, recounting the moment she left her broadcast journalism career despite its outward success. Through financial uncertainty, a third pregnancy, and moments of questioning, she followed what she describes as a "gut feeling"—that internal knowing that something more awaited. What emerged was a platform where thousands of women's stories have found a home, including one that literally saved a reader's life.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when Leslie emotionally acknowledges what grounds her work: "I know that God loves me...if it all fails and goes away, I will be okay." This foundation of secure attachment—something Janell notes many women never experienced in their formative years—becomes the launching pad for authentic service rather than validation-seeking.

Whether you're a grandmother, mother, or woman seeking to understand your unique influence, this episode illuminates the extraordinary impact of maternal presence. Through stories of intergenerational influence, Holocaust survival accounts preserved through storytelling, and research confirming women's unique role in family systems, a compelling invitation emerges: What would happen if women fully grasped their value and stepped confidently into their calling?

As Janell powerfully concludes, "Watch out when women grasp that truth that they're loved, because a remarkable revolution will happen in all the right ways."

Visit Leslie's community home: Her View From Home

Order Leslie's books: So God Made a Mother and So God Made a Grandmother

Support the show

Begin Your Heartlifter's Journey:

1. Visit and subscribe to Heartlift Central on Substack. This is our new online coaching center and meeting place for Heartlifters worldwide.
2. Download the "Overcoming Hurtful Words" Study Guide PDF: BECOMING EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY
3. Meet me on Instagram: @janellrardon
4. Leave a review and rate the podcast: WRITE A REVIEW
5. Learn more about my books and work: Janell Rardon
6. Make a tax-deductible donation through Heartlift International

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Sandra Glahn's journey begins with eight failed pregnancies and a devastating question: If motherhood is a woman's highest calling, what was her purpose? Raised in a culture where women were expected to channel all spiritual gifts into raising children, her infertility triggered not just personal grief but a profound spiritual identity crisis.

This compelling conversation explores how Sandra's quest for answers led her from stay-at-home aspirations to earning a PhD in theological studies. When she knelt before God, questioning whether pursuing seminary education was pushing beyond her proper role as a woman, she received an unexpected answer through Jesus' words about Mary choosing "what is better" over domestic duties.

Sandra's groundbreaking research on Artemis of the Ephesians provides crucial historical context for understanding Paul's instructions about women in 1 Timothy. Unlike previous scholars who dismissed Artemis connections when they couldn't establish her as a fertility goddess, Sandra discovered other aspects of Artemis worship that illuminate why Paul wrote what he did about women being "saved through childbearing."

This episode offers healing for women whose lives haven't followed traditional paths, validating their worth beyond reproductive capacity. It reframes motherhood as a spiritual influence that can transform communities and advance God's kingdom regardless of biological connection. Sandra's story is powerful evidence that God's plans for our lives sometimes exceed our limited dreams.

Order Sandra's new book: Nobody's Mother

Visit Sandra's website: Dr. Sandra Glahn

Support the show

Begin Your Heartlifter's Journey:

1. Visit and subscribe to Heartlift Central on Substack. This is our new online coaching center and meeting place for Heartlifters worldwide.
2. Download the "Overcoming Hurtful Words" Study Guide PDF: BECOMING EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY
3. Meet me on Instagram: @janellrardon
4. Leave a review and rate the podcast: WRITE A REVIEW
5. Learn more about my books and work: Janell Rardon
6. Make a tax-deductible donation through Heartlift International