Let's explore gratitude in motherhood and how God meets us in the ordinary moments of our day this week:

Colossians 3:23-24Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Morgan encourages moms to shift their perspective by working "for the Lord" rather than seeking human recognition. She shares personal struggles with repetitive household tasks and introduces a practical brain-science tool: saying three "at least" statements to reframe frustration into thankfulness.

Ordinary moments are where God faithfully dwells, and choosing gratitude can transform daily routines into acts of worship, ultimately setting a joyful tone for the entire family.

...

Books:

"The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman": "00:05:54"

Scripture References:

"Colossians 3:23-24": "00:04:23"

Concepts Discussed:

"Three 'At Least' Statements": "00:09:06"

General Themes:

"Gratitude in Everyday Life": "00:10:45"

"Finding God in the Ordinary": "00:13:42"

Closing Remarks:

"Encouragement for Moms": "00:17:07"

In this welcome-back episode of the Joyful Mama podcast, host Morgan Ellis returns after a busy school year and introduces her new summer series, "Fill Your Cup."

Wherever you find yourself this Summer, Jesus invites the weary to find rest in Him. We unpack the deeper meaning of spiritual rest and what that can look like practically for you even in the midst of looser and more chaotic summer schedules.

Tools and Resources:

⁠BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP⁠ : find a group in your area

⁠REST FOR THE WEARY MAMA⁠

This Week's Scripture:

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Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

A practical way to look at rest:

Remove distractions

Entrust your season to God

Stay in God's Word

Talk to God

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Love you, mama! ❤️

As summer winds down, Morgan A. Ellis invites you to slow down, reflect, and reset as you prepare for the transition into a new school year. This episode is packed with encouragement, grace-filled truths, and practical tools for moms navigating the messy middle of motherhood.

⏱️ Timestamps & Highlights:

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

Morgan sets the tone with reflections on the beauty and chaos of summer and what today’s episode is all about.

02:15 – Segment 1: Soaking Up the Last of Summer

A gentle invitation to be present, savor slow moments, and let go of perfection.

07:01 – Segment 2: The Bittersweet Reality of Back-to-School

Acknowledge the mixed emotions — joy, grief, excitement, and guilt — and how God meets us in every part of the transition.

"Let go of some of the things that are coming down the pipeline and live presently in this moment."

Hey friends! I am so excited to introduce this new series on the podcast, the Summer Porch Series. Join me on my back porch as we dive into Summer and into God's word.

Summer means longer days, later nights, looser schedules, and all the fun, right? Well, maybe not all the fun. Which is why I wanted to dive into this topic of trusting God, even in the chaos of our Summers, along with a few practical ways to help you find a little more joy this Summer, even if the kids are home and driving you bonkers! Grab a glass of lemonade or maybe a cup of coffee and let's chat. Mom-to-Mom.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Where does this summer find you? Are you in the midst of a stormy season? If so, lean in and lean on God as your firm foundation. May He be the source of strength to get you through whatever it is you are facing. He is with you friend and He is walking beside you in this season.

4 Practical Ways to Find Joy this Summer:

1. Start Small:

Find pockets of space for you to get alone with God - maybe a 5 minute morning devotional, a short prayer time, or a small window to read a passage of scripture over a cup of coffee.

I encourage you to make this time in the morning to help you get your head in the right space to take on the day.

2. Breathe + Pause:

Invite God into the messy moments with you + don't forget to breathe!

3. Let Go of Perfection:

Trade perfection for peace in being present. Embrace this season you are in and all that is possible for you this Summer.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty...

Proverbs 14:4

4. Ask for Help!

Okay, this one is hard for me! Let's not let pride stand in the way of asking for help when we need it. Spiritual and Physical. Use your Community and your tribe to come alongside you and help you make this Summer the best it can be.

Friends, I know that Summer can some days feel out of control and overwhelming. May these simple reminders help you find so much joy, even in the chaos of Summer. I'm cheering you on!

Love you, mama!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Join Morgan Ellis as she finishes up the Weary Mama Series, where we have been going through her book Rest for the Weary Mama: Words of Hope and Encouragement for the Worn-Out Mom.

Please take a moment to share this episode or any other episode with a friend, and please go leave a review here on Spotify or wherever you listen to this podcast. Reviews truly help the word get out about this podcast and help more mamas find it. I so appreciate you, friends!

Chapter 9: Hope for the Journey

This chapter sums up beautifully everything we have talked about throughout the entire book so far. It is meant to be a heartfelt encouragement for you, mom, as you continue to persevere in your calling to motherhood. Some big takeaways from this episode:

"GOD DOES NOT CALL THE EQUIPPED, HE EQUIPS THE CALLED."

Believe this today, friend. God has called you to this task of motherhood, and He is equipping you and with you every step of the way. Trust in Him as your companion to finish well.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

May you, mom, count it all as joy. Whatever road lies beforeyou. Joy in the serving. Joy in the suffering. Because God is working in it all. And He is using whatever it is to shape you into the beautiful mama He has created you to be.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

James 1:2-3

I pray this book has brought you hope and encouragement and most of all helped point your heart towards the true source of rest, Jesus. Thanks for being here!

It is Holy Week, and in honor of this most reverent week and holiday, I wanted to share a bit about the Passover and how so much of ​the Exodus story points us right to Jesus. What an incredible way to start our week and hopefully help you posture your heart towards what Easter is actually about.

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Join me this week as we talk about Jesus in the Passover, and I will be sharing some of what our family does, as Christians, to honor and celebrate this glorious day.

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Links to some Passover musts I've used over the years:

Last Supper Printable Cards

Christ in the Passover booklet

Passover plate (option 1) (option 2)

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If you are interested in learning so much more go listen to The Bible Project podcast on : Jesus in the Exodus. Every episode is AMAZING! You won't be disappointed.

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Watch their summary of Exodus 1-18 HERE

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I hope this episode was informative as well as encouraging to you to find new ways to help you celebrate Easter (and Passover) in your home. It is never too early or too late to start new traditions! May this one be a blessing to you and your family.

Happy Easter, friends!

I know mama, you are tired. You have been burning the candle at both ends. As busy moms, rest may feel like a far-off concept, however, Jesus is inviting you and me, as believers, into a life of real rest, rest for our souls.

Come with me as we continue the Weary Mama Series and discuss chapter 8 of my book, REST FOR THE WEARY MAMA: WORDS OF HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE WORN-OUT MOM, “Finding Rest”

A brief practical way you can find true rest, even in the chaos of motherhood:

Remove distractions

Entrust God

Stay in God’s word

Talk to God

True rest is found with a heart well-connected to the Father.It takes practice and intentionality, but we are promised the gift of soul rest when we learn to come to Jesus and learn to do life with Him.

If you haven’t read or gotten a copy of the book yet, go getyours today! And if you have, would you take a couple minutes to go leave a review?

Leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads

They truly mean the world to me and continue to help get the word out to all the other tired mamas out there who may also need some hope and encouragement.

Thanks, friends, as always for being here!

Hey friends! Join me this week as we take a little break from the Weary Mama Series to talk about Lent and how we can use this season to fast from the things that are distracting us from God.

If you are anything like me, as moms, we can get so overly busy and distracted that our daily hustle pulls us away from time with God and the closeness He desires for us to have with Him. We unpack Luke 4:1-13, the account of Jesus who after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert is then tempted by Satan. What a powerful reminder to us to be on our guard and to continue to stay in God's word as our weapon against the schemes of the devil.

Account can be found in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13

If you struggle with knowing the Bible is true and valid, here are some great sources I have read over the years that have helped me:

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace

Obviously, there are more out there, but these are a great start.

As you ponder this week's topic, ask yourself as you go into this Lenten season, "what is something that is distracting me from having time with God?" And then I challenge you to be intentional about trying to change that. Lent is a beautiful time to posture our hearts back to God, to remove the things that are pulling us away from Him and dive deeper into fellowship with Him.

I love you friends and am always here praying for you and cheering you on!

Find more show notes over at: www.morganaellis.com/podcast

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