Episode 111. Beauty in Hard Times with Give Grace Author Megan Smalley
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Episode 111. Beauty in Hard Times with Give Grace Author Megan Smalley

Episode 111

If you could use a life-giving conversation right now, this episode is for you! Megan Smalley is here with us to share about her book Give Grace: How To Embrace The Beauty of Life’s Brokenness but in the process we talk about #allthethings that moms feel deeply in their motherhood journeys and how we can show up with more grace for ourselves and others.

Megan and I “get” each other. We have a lot of similarities and yet we are not the same. You’ll hear that in this conversation as we cheer each other on while being in very different (and yet kind of similar) seasons of life. We talk about what works for us and our families without any expectation that the other’s life look, feel, or sound like ours. You’ll get insights into what’s worked well on our motherhood path and glimpses into the not so glamorous mothering moments. It’s a vulnerable and honest conversation that I’m honored to be a part of.

Megan’s Bio: Megan Smalley is the CEO of the popular online shop, Scarlet & Gold, the author of Give Grace, and the creator of the Overcome Journal. She grew up as a pastor’s kid, and while the foundation of faith she was given is so important, it’s the fires she’s faced that have refined her heart and given her an unshakeable faith. Megan walked a hard road in pursuit of her lifelong dream to have children, and she’s now Mom to three boys, who she affectionately calls “The Bad Business Club.” Megan’s journey to motherhood is only one piece of her story that’s given her an important voice in the space of learning to overcome the hard stuff. She encourages women to overcome trials in their own lives and to give and receive grace in the process through her speaking, writing, and inspirational products. She lives in Alabama, ten hours away from her home state of Texas, where she and her husband Blake, a basketball coach, raise their young boys, twins Stisher and Eli and little baby James.

In this episode, Megan & I talk about:

  • Listening to God’s plans for us
  • Intense emotions during pregnancy and times of infertility
  • When life doesn’t go according to our plan/timeline
  • The beauty of her book
  • Getting to the root of our emotions
  • Taking a deep look at our identity
  • The birth of her twins
  • Family dynamics
  • “The Anger Trap”
  • When resentment and anger bubble to the surface
  • Being mad at your husband/in your marriage
  • Opening the door for bitterness to take root in our life if we don’t recognize it
  • Being tempted to stay in a hard space
  • Recognizing when our minds/hearts go to those negative spaces
  • Uncovering what is beneath those negative feelings
  • We’re not taught how to deal with resentment and other hard emotions
  • Defaulting to the socially acceptable emotion of anger
  • Taking moments to get right with ourselves so we can communicate more clearly
  • Snapping at our kids
  • We aren’t promised good and easy
  • James 1:2 “Count it all joy”
  • Accepting ups and downs can bring us so much peace and joy
  • The humbling experience that is infertility
  • Getting back up after we’re knocked down
  • Family dinners
  • Discipline and strength
  • Giving ourselves grace
  • Asking for help when we need it
  • Making shifts when we recognize the need for them
  • Not being “set in your ways” in motherhood
  • How “set in your ways” is different than “holding on to your values”
  • Having a coachable attitude
  • Learning from the moms who came before us
  • Our parenting outlooks
  • Not placing our value as moms on superficial markers like “does your baby sleep through the night or not”
  • Cheering each other on as mothers
  • Giving grace to moms
  • There is no one size fits all answer ever
  • Replacing comparison with grace
  • Waiting and surrender
  • Being brought to our knees
  • Not getting what we want
  • Surrender as a daily act
  • Setting healthy boundaries for you and your family
  • Fostering community with the heart that family comes first
  • Putting rhythms into place
  • Shifting and rhythms and how these can help your family
  • Homeschooling and working from home
  • Happiness comes from ignoring social expectations
  • Turning off notifications on our phones
  • Identifying when we’re having moments that are “too much”
  • You’ll “feel it in your spirit” when something needs to change
  • Bitterness and gratitude
  • Shifting

Megan’s Links: Websites: Scarlet and Gold Shop, Megan Smalley, The Infertility Sisterhood, and The Overcome Journal, Facebook, and Instagram

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