Episode 05 - Grounding Motherhood in the Spiritual Disciplines with Dana Taft

Dana is the mother of three children across three age-spans. She says she has three only-children, in fact. Her first baby was born when Dana was still a teenager in her first year of college.

Her lessons in motherhood started young. She learned resilience in society, and she developed a trust in the Lord to guide her.

You’ll want to hear Dana’s great ideas for raising spiritually-minded children and staying grounded in motherhood spiritually.

Dana is currently a pastor as well as a yoga instructor, and brings a beautiful cross-section of practical and spiritual experience.

OUTLINE

For mamas who don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, check out these minute markers!

2 minutes - “Becoming a mother helped me realize how much I needed to rely on the Lord”

3 minutes - Pressure to have an abortion at age 18

6 minutes - Hesitation to be called “Single Mom” 

8 minutes - Training up a child during the younger years

10 minutes - Not dragging children to church in teen years

13 minutes - Building a firm foundation in childhood

15 minutes - Therapy as additional support in teen years

18 minutes - Self love is taught by what I do, not what I say

19 minutes - Spiritual practices for Mother

23 minutes - The calendar as a life hack

25 minutes - Spiritual routines with children

28 minutes - Memorizing prayers with littles

29 minutes - Praying in the spirit with littles

30 minutes - Closing encouragement

***BONUS***

If you don’t know already, I love yoga.

Dana was a part of the community of teachers when I was getting my certification.

She’s been teaching yoga for almost 10 years and pairs her connection with Christ in her flows.

She answers some really great questions around how to incorporate yoga into motherhood. She also addresses how to think about yoga and Christianity. I’m SO excited to share this short but important bonus!

Message me your thoughts in the comments or directly!

Episode 04 - Losing and Finding Faith, with Echo Hill Vetter

Getting to know Echo Hill Vetter is like discovering a deep well of empathy. Echo has 5 children, including two surprise babies! Throughout the years of motherhood she has experienced miscarriages, confusing grief, surprising joy, and an overall re-orienting in her spiritual compass.

On the other side, she is now more vocal about her path of breaking a part religious beliefs and being honest with the true emotions and needs of motherhood. 

In listening to her story you may recognize parts of your own story of losing and finding self, including, losing and finding truth.

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O U T L I N E

For mamas who don’t have all the time to listen - check out these snippets at the minute marks.

1 minute - Losing the pieces of religion and reclaiming identity as a spiritual being
3 minutes - Motherhood as central to deconstruction
6 minutes - Postpartum depression and questioning identity as a mother
7 minutes - When spirituality is based on happiness
9 minutes - Surprising joy in an unexpected pregnancy
12 minutes - Being healed in the birthing process
15 minutes - The struggle and blessing of nursing 
16 minutes - Recognizing the loss of self after 3 children
17 minutes - Our culture doesn’t support mothers
20 minutes - Death and rebirth of self in motherhood
21 minutes - Hesitation of the word “deconstruction”
22 minutes - Building belief from zero
24 minutes - Grieving losing belief in God
25 minutes - Realizing “without Spirit, life is meaningless”
28 minutes - The shame around losing your faith
29 minutes - Feeling “I am a bad influence.”
30 minutes - The whisper of belief
31 minutes - Using/not using the word “God”

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On Instagram Live, I’ll be interviewing Echo again with questions YOU have for her!  Please send any questions or comments you have for her! stephanie@stephgdavis.com

Something you also should know is that Echo is the co-creator of Connection Codes and Wildish Retreats. She is a writer and a certified trauma-informed life coach. She works, travels, and homeschools her beautiful children in Nashville, Tennessee.

Her instagram is @echohillvetter.

Episode 03 - Supernatural Birth with Karen Welton

When I was pregnant with my first child, I didn’t realize was the process of preparing for birth was essentially the journey of preparing for motherhood.

Only days after having my first child, I had an epiphany. I had thought pregnancy and labor were the uphill climb to the finale of birth… I thought the end was “having a baby.” Oh no, I realized. What I thought was the top of the mountain was only the foothill.

Motherhood was now the new beginning.

Early in my pregnancy, my good friend Karen offered to be my doula. At the time, I had no clue what that meant, but walking along with her for nine months was powerful. She had been working on a book (which became an e-course) called Pain-Free Birth.

Karen has been a friend through the hardest of times and she’s endured the uphills in her own journey. It was my privilege to hear how motherhood and birth has transformed her life.

OUTLINE

For mamas who don’t have all the time to listen - check out these snippets at the minute marks.

2 minutes - Spirituality is empty without relationship

6 minutes - Birth can be a spiritual experience

10 minutes - Pushing her firstborn into independence too young

12 minutes - Learning that less than ideal births can be spiritual, too

15 minutes - Separating from a spouse in pregnancy and labor

18 minutes - Creating boundaries before the birth

20 minutes - Asking God for a mantra

24 minutes - “This is the worst time to have a baby”

30 minutes - We are powerful beyond what we believe

32 minutes - Birth is radically feminine

***BONUS***

Karen and I just had so much more to say that couldn’t fit into the podcast format. I really wanted to dig into her personal relationship with God, and how much ease she operates in. She kept re-iterating to me that she didn’t have any daily practices or rituals, and yet clearly she is in open communication with God daily.

I know you’ll enjoy what she has to say about eliminating SHAME from the spiritual relationship and how it affects our communication with the Divine.

Episode 02 - Real Life Faith Practices with Abena

I met Abena through a friend who told me, “She’s the real deal.” And sure thing, through our interview I learned how real-life spirituality looks.

She’s in the throws of servantship, raising her 4 young children. Her kids came quickly after she began, with a set of twins in the middle. 

She also traded in her job in social work in her thirties to be a stay-at-home mom, and now she is doing all she can to live Love in all the hard places. 

I know you’ll enjoy listening to her talk about real life as a mother, and also specifically, as a mother of black children in America today.

There’s lots to hear and feel in this podcast!

p.s. Join the conversation on the instagram page to see Abena’s resources and books that have helped her in her parenting. I’m sharing them throughout the month of July. www.instagram.com/spiritualityformamas

OUTLINE

(if you’re a mom, you may only have time for a snippet. Use this overview to find what you need today!)

1:00 minute — Simple ways to live out gratitude with kids

7:00 minutes — Organizations to give generously to

9:00 minutes — How to push back self-doubt

11:30 minutes — Abena’s morning routine

14:30 minutes — How to start a personal worship practice

19 minutes — Wrestling with religion

21 minutes — Her fears in her first pregnancy

22 minutes — The every-day struggles of a black family

28 minutes — Explaining the black experience to friends

29 minutes — What it looks like to see others in the image of God

Episode 01 - Spiritual Practices with Nashville's Elizabeth Bennett

Welcome to my podcast!

I wanted to make a space for mothers to listen to other moms on the journey. The journey of motherhood. The journey of life. The journey of enjoying God in the highs and lows.

You’re going to love this conversation with Elizabeth Bennett. At least, I did!

I met Elizabeth a year ago through a Women’s Circle here in Nashville, and throughout my time with her I just wanted to be with her more. She is joyful, affectionate, and sweetly feminine. Which means, she receives life with grace, and she soaks in wisdom and beauty around her.

May this interview spark wonder in you, as she is so good at doing!

THE OVERVIEW

Elizabeth Bennett — Mama of two and healer living in Nashville. @an.invitation.to.wonder

Depending on how much time you have, feel free to skip to the parts that interest (inspire!) you. Trigger warning from minute 8 to 12 relating to traumatic death.
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2 minutes - Her connection with God growing after having her first baby
3 minutes - When her spiritual “boxes” blew up
6 minutes - Parenting when she didn’t know the answers
8 minutes - What hasn’t changed
9 minutes - **Trigger warning** Experiencing grief with tragic death
12 minutes - Trusting that we have the tools to take on life
13 minutes - We are living the harvest of our seeds in the past
15 minutes - Spiritual practice: Journaling with the Divine
17 minutes - Spiritual practice: Embodiment movement (Non-linear)
18 minutes - Spiritual practice: Morning Tea Party
23 minutes - Inner child work and the need to work all of the time
25 minutes - Nervous system pushing us to work
27 minutes - Spiritual practice: Highly prioritizing Beauty and Wonder
32 minutes - Books to awaken wonder
33 minutes - Resources for mothers: Donna Eden Energy Medicine
34 minutes - Resources for mothers: Spooning the feet
35 minutes - Resources for mothers: Bleeding consciously

Want to reach out to Liz? Find her on instagram at @an.invitation.to.wonder.

THE *laundry & dishes* BONUS

So right before my interview with Elizabeth, I looked at my kitchen sink and hallway of laundry, and reached out for some desperate help from a friend. I was surprised at how ridiculously helpful she would be.

Liz is the mother of two middle-school children and so she’s been at this game longer than I have. Of course she would have some amazing plan! She’s also into minimalism and keeping things simple, so I thought she may have something cool to offer. Nope, she blew it out of the water. And I just feel like I need to share the gold.

This is not a professional recording at all, it’s what I was using on my phone during a zoom call, so excuse the quality. But please enjoy the information! And share below what you love, too!!