When Life Doesn’t Look Like You Thought It Would, Stewarding Suffering + Allowing Hope to Heal (w/ Katherine Wolf)

In this meaningful conversation, we sit down with Katherine Wolf, whose story has deeply impacted our lives and understanding of faith and suffering. At 26, Katherine experienced a massive brain stem stroke that nearly took her life. Now, 18 years later, she lives with significant disabilities, yet continues to live with purpose, joy, and a resilient faith. She shares the long journey of learning to believe that even in hardship, “the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places,” and how her early years were marked by deep struggle before discovering a renewed sense of calling.Katherine reflects on holding both joy and pain at the same time, and how suffering can shape not only us, but our children and families in meaningful ways. We talk about marriage in the midst of hardship, which includes choosing to come together as a team, extending grace, and recognizing the sacredness of caring for one another. She also speaks to grieving unmet expectations, embracing the life in front of you, and trusting that God’s presence, not a perfect life, is what defines true goodness.This episode is a powerful reminder that our pain is not wasted. Through honest perspective shifts and a deep dependence on Jesus, Katherine points us toward a hope that heals and a life that is still, even now, full of purpose.Katherine Wolf: Hope Heals: Instagram, Books, Camps + Retreats, Speaking + PodcastScripture Mentioned: Psalm 16:6, Acts 13:36, Matthew 7:24-27, Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:28 + 2 Corinthians 4:8-9Books Mentioned: Treasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf + Domestic Monastery by Ronald RolheiserSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

So many parents carry an unspoken “I should…” list: “I should be more patient, more present, doing more, doing better.” In a world full of parenting advice and constant input, it’s easy to feel like we know so much and yet, still aren’t doing enough. In this episode, we talk about how that pressure often leads to shame and guilt, and why it matters to understand the difference: guilt says “I did something bad,” while shame says “I am bad.” One leads us toward repentance and growth, while the other keeps us stuck, isolated, and disconnected.We explore how shame has been part of the human story since the beginning, and how it still shows up today in the subtle lies we believe about ourselves as parents. But instead of striving for perfection, we’re invited into dependence, trusting that God meets us in our weakness, just as He did with Moses. We also talk about practical ways to respond when shame creeps in: quieting the noise, getting honest about where our expectations come from, pursuing vulnerable relationships, and practicing repair when needed.At the end of the day, parenting isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about walking in faith, holding onto hope, and learning to love our kids well, even in our imperfection.Brook’s Interview on the Open Spaces Podcast: YouTube, Spotify + Apple PodcastsScripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 7:10, Genesis 3:9-11, Hebrews 11:24-28 + Hebrews 10:23-24Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

In this spontaneous conversation from the Bless God Summit, Brook sits down with magician Dustin Tavella — best known for winning America’s Got Talent — to hear the powerful and inspiring story behind his life, faith, and calling.Dustin shares about his difficult childhood, marked by addiction and instability in his home, and the couple who stepped in to love and invest in him consistently. Through their presence, he encountered a God who cares personally and pursues the heart, not just circumstances. That experience sparked a transformation in his entire family, leading to restored relationships and a new direction.Throughout the conversation, Dustin reflects on how God uses the things we love to serve others, from launching a homeless ministry that grew into the D PLUS Project, to discovering magic as a way to connect with people and share hope. He opens up about seasons of financial struggle, anxiety, miscarriage, and the journey of adopting their son, all while learning to trust God’s redirection in moments that didn’t go as planned.From early rejection on America’s Got Talent to ultimately winning, Dustin emphasizes that true success wasn’t the platform; it was the daily choice to say “yes” to Jesus. His story is a reminder that following God isn’t complicated: it’s about loving people well, embracing the unseen moments, and trusting that even the detours are part of a greater story. The episode closes with Dustin performing a mind-blowing magic trick, highlighting the beauty of play, joy, and meaningful connection.Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 13:1-23, 1 Corinthians 10:23 + John 2:1-11Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

Is parenting harder than it used to be? In many ways, yes. Today’s parents are navigating a faster, louder, more complex world than generations before us — marked by decision fatigue, rising costs, less community support, and the constant mental load of trying to care for both our kids’ emotional needs and our own. Add in technology, shifting family dynamics, and the pressure of “intentional parenting,” and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.But these challenges aren’t excuses; they’re the context we’re parenting in. And the good news is that God meets us right here, not in our perfection but in our limits. His strength shows up most clearly in our weakness. Parenting isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about humility, repair, and learning to depend on Him. In our moments of distress, we’re invited to release the burdens and anxieties we were never meant to carry alone.We also talk about practical steps: starting small instead of waiting for a full “village,” and learning to regularly release fear. Thankfully, we’re not doing this alone — God is with us, strengthening and sustaining us in the middle of it all. Parenting today may be hard, but He has already provided the help we need.Scripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Psalm 55:22, Isaiah 66:2, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 61:2, Isaiah 41:10-13Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

In this episode, Brook and Elizabeth sit down for an honest conversation about sex, intimacy, and connection in marriage. We begin with a few updates — including reflections from the Fatherhood Retreat, the upcoming Intentional Motherhood Retreat, and an update on Elizabeth’s back surgery — before diving into the topic.Just as the gospel reminds us that we are fully known and fully loved, marriage invites that same kind of vulnerability. Yet many couples carry shame from past experiences, including sexual abuse, pornography, cultural messages, or purity culture wounds, and those things often affect intimacy in marriage.We also discuss some of the common differences between men and women. Many men tend to feel emotionally connected after physical intimacy, while many women need emotional connection in order to feel open to physical intimacy. For many moms especially, exhaustion and constant demands can make intimacy feel like one more need to meet. Often, simple shifts in communication and care can make a significant difference.Throughout the conversation, we emphasize that intimacy is not just about physical consumption or emotional communication alone — it’s about a deeper connection where emotional, spiritual, and physical intimacy work together. That requires honest conversations, clear expectations, and a willingness to serve one another rather than compare our marriage to outside expectations.We close with a few practical invitations for couples this week: have one calm conversation about sex, initiate non-sexual affection, and spend time praying together. Husbands might also ask their wives a simple question: “What helps you feel safe with me?”If this conversation was helpful and you’d like to hear a part two on this topic, email us at [email protected] Mentioned: Genesis 2:25, 1 Corinthians 7:4 + Ephesians 5:22-33Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

In this follow-up episode on anger, the four of us sit down to respond to your honest, relatable questions — especially where anger shows up in parenting, marriage, and our own personal healing. We start with a common parenting struggle: when it feels like kids only listen after we get angry. We talk about identifying what’s underneath that reaction, learning to respond calmly, and following through with consistency. Sometimes that means creating space, by either separating kids in conflict or stepping away yourself, so you can respond with clarity and calmness instead of raw emotion.We also address the discouragement of slow growth. When it feels like “one step forward, ten steps back,” it’s easy to lose heart, even in prayer. But real transformation takes time. Prayer is never wasted; it’s like small, faithful deposits that eventually lead to lasting change. We also explore how anger directed at us can leave deeper wounds, and what it looks like to begin healing by finding safety in God, telling the truth about our story, and grieving what was lost.In marriage, we talk about the challenge of responding to a spouse’s anger without taking it on ourselves. We can’t control one another, but we can choose compassion, wisdom, and healthy boundaries. And for those navigating anger in young children, we highlight how normal those big emotions are developmentally, and how creating structure, paying attention to triggers, and patiently training over time can make a meaningful difference.Finally, we touch on engaging with anger from our families of origin. Healing doesn’t require cutting people off, but it does require forgiveness and bringing our pain to Jesus, who understands and cares deeply for us.Scripture Mentioned: Proverbs 4:7, Galatians 6:1-6, Hebrews 3:12, James 1:20, 1 Peter 3:1-2, Matthew 6:9-15, Isaiah 53:3 + 1 Peter 5:7Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

This week, all four of us sit down for an honest and hopeful conversation about anger — where it comes from, why it’s such a universal part of being human, and how pain so often fuels it. We share a few personal updates on what we’ve been up to, including an update on Elizabeth’s health, and then dive into the reality that simply being alive gives us plenty of opportunities to feel angry. Anger is something everyone experiences, but it’s often a secondary emotion pointing to deeper pain beneath the surface.We talk about how hiding anger in shame can actually enslave us to it, while bringing it into the light opens the door to real transformation. Rather than just managing our anger, we explore the hope that Jesus can actually heal us from it. We discuss how anger can be generational, how we’re raising kids in an increasingly angry culture, and the different ways anger shows up — from explosive reactions to simmering resentment to an underlying critical spirit. We also reflect on righteous anger, the need to hold both justice and mercy together, and what this looks like, especially in motherhood.We then turn to practical ways to engage our anger by slowing down to ask why we’re angry, inviting God to show us what needs healing or repentance, and taking responsibility for how we move toward repair. We talk about how anger is often a response to feeling threatened, the power of confession and bringing our struggles into the light, and the slow, faithful work of healing through the Holy Spirit. We end with real hope, as Diane shares how the anger she struggled with early in marriage and parenting no longer has the same hold on her by God’s grace — reminding us to be patient with ourselves and trust that anger can be transformed as we walk the path of humility and healing.Scripture Mentioned: John 17:20-23, Micah 6:8, Psalm 97:2, Proverbs 25:23, Proverbs 4:5, Genesis 4:6, Jonah 4:4, 1 John 3:12, James 4:1-3, James 5:16, Psalm 139:23-24, Romans 2:4, Galatians 5:22-23 + Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 107:1-2 + Romans 8:29Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser@emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

This episode features five of our most-listened-to moments from 2025. These conversations clearly resonated with listeners and sparked meaningful reflection for parents trying to follow Jesus in everyday family life. We reflect on how pride shows up when we’re corrected and how parenting gives us daily opportunities to model humility, drawing from Scripture to show why God consistently meets humility with grace and makes it the starting point of a usable life. We also talk about emotional intelligence, learning to name what’s happening inside us without letting emotions rule us, and how many of us are developing these skills in adulthood because they weren’t modeled for us growing up.We explore the tension between wanting to shield our kids from pain and learning to trust God with their formation, emphasizing the importance of repair, helping our kids make sense of emotional pain, and trusting that God is present and purposeful even in what we can’t control. We unpack the biblical call to discipline as loving training rather than punishment, why passivity and harshness both exasperate our children, and how rupture and repair are central to healthy parent-child relationships. Finally, we reflect on daily spiritual habits, letting go of legalism, and forming simple, life-giving rhythms with God — following Jesus’ example of regularly withdrawing to meet with the Father, not out of obligation, but out of relationship.These clips are taken from our five most-loved episodes of 2025. To hear the full episodes, click on your podcast platform of choice below.5 Necessities to Being a Calm, Regulated Parent in the Midst of Chaos + the Power of Meekness and Humility (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)Unlocking the Power of Emotional Intelligence In Ourselves and In Our Kids (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)Being Emotionally Present with Toddlers Amidst Responsibilities, Dealing with Overstimulation as a Parent + Shielding Kids from Emotional Pain (Q+R) (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)Tools of Discipline: Gentle Correction, A Loving Rebuke, Patient Instruction and Encouragement (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)Daily Habits, Formation, Why Did God Create My Kids, and Authority (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)Scripture Mentioned: Ephesians 4:2, Matthew 11:28-30, Numbers 12:3, 1 Peter 5:5, Genesis 50:20, Genesis 39:21, Romans 8 + Psalm 91, Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 29:17, Hebrews 12:11 + Ephesians 1:15-20Books Mentioned: Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman and James Reimann + Edges of His Ways by Amy CarmichaelSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brookmosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

During the Intentional Motherhood Retreat 2025, Elizabeth sat down with her older brother, John Mark Comer, for a deeply honest and encouraging conversation about spiritual formation in the thick of motherhood. For so many mothers, life feels crowded with the dailyness and busyness of caring for little ones, making it easy to believe the lie that we must do more or try harder to grow spiritually. But what if spiritual formation isn’t something you add to your already overloaded life — what if it’s already happening?John Mark and Elizabeth explore how every mom is being spiritually formed through the ordinary moments of motherhood, becoming a certain kind of person through how she lives, responds, and loves. Drawing from Dallas Willard’s teachings on practices of engagement vs. abstinence, they talk about removing rather than adding — taking an honest audit of your life and recognizing that so much of motherhood is already shaping your soul. They discuss the difference between active and passive spirituality, the surprising ways pain and sacrifice become places of growth, the generational shift in how we view parenting, and what it means to join Christ in His suffering. They also reflect on Jacques Philippe’s idea of “choosing what you have not chosen” and learning to respond to life’s constant interruptions with consent rather than contempt.Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation back to relationship — with God, with others, and with your own soul. It’s about noticing and naming what you’re feeling, staying responsive instead of reactive, and returning again and again to the cross in the ordinary rhythms of your day.Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series

In this episode, Brook and Justin sit down with Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, one of the most trusted and influential spiritual voices of our time, and someone whose work we deeply admire and return to often. A Catholic priest, theologian, and author, Fr. Rolheiser has spent more than 50 years teaching and writing about prayer, vocation, and the interior life, helping countless people understand how God meets us in ordinary, everyday faithfulness.Now 78 and a cancer survivor of more than a decade, Fr. Rolheiser reflects on this current stage of life and what it means to finish well. Drawing from his framework of getting your life together, giving your life away, and giving your death away, he shares wisdom shaped by experience, suffering, and surrender, reminding us that the way we die is the spirit we leave behind.Much of the conversation centers on restlessness, particularly in midlife. Fr. Rolheiser explains that our restlessness is not something to eliminate but a sign that we are “built too big for this world.” Rather than escaping it, he invites us to listen for what God may be teaching us through it, especially as parents learning to integrate spiritual life with ordinary responsibilities.We also explore ideas from his book, Domestic Monastery, where daily obligations — alarm clocks, mortgages, and kids’ schedules — become monastic bells calling us to faithfulness. Parents, he says, don’t raise kids; kids raise parents. The episode closes with reflections on surrender without passivity, responsibility without control, righteous anger, and the quiet power of fidelity. His final encouragement is simple and enduring: stay with your commitments, just show up for prayer, and trust that God is at work in your staying.Ronald Rolheiser: Website + Books (New Book: Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years)Scripture Mentioned: John 21:15-19, Mark 15:37 + John 4:21Books Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser, Sacred Fire by Ronald Rolheiser, Finding God at Home by Ernest Boyer Jr. + Naming the Whirlwind by Langdon GilkeySubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily DevotionalRaising Passionate Jesus FollowersThe Intentional Film Series