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Laina Graf, mom of 5 and Honey to almost 9 grandchildren, joins us to share the importance of processing hard and playing hard through all the years of mothering. She has been in ministry for decades, both internationally and in her own backyard in California (literally). She is a culinary wonder, but mostly an expert in loving people. She heard a mentor say that healthy families do lots of things, but they all do two things well… process hard and play hard. This transformed the way she mothered and still does. Listen to her connect these dots with all different ages and stages. King Camp Registration is now open for July 6-9, 2026!! If you have kiddos ages 5-11, be sure to sign them up!! Head here to learn more and register today. Stay up to date with all things You Are Family by following us on Instagram or sign up for our free monthly resources for parents and families.

Emilie McCormack, our fabulous, fun mom friend is back in the South after years in the Northwest and we are happy about that! You’ll quickly see why! Emilie carries passion, wisdom, and humility. As a mom of 5, she has so much practice looking for the God-given gifts in each child and calling them out. She gave some incredible one-liners you’ll want to write down. You’re going to finish this episode with new questions to ask your kids and new things to ponder with God! Enjoy! Emilie serves college students at Texas A&M and Blinn alongside her husband, Brian, Executive Director of Breakaway Ministries. Learn more about Breakaway at breakawayministries.org. You can also see what she's up to on Instagram here! To stay up to date on all things You Are Family, be sure to follow us on Instagram and sign up for our monthly email full of free resources for parents and families! And be sure to join us for You Are '26, Feb. 6-7, 2026! You Are is an intergenerational, interdenominational women's gathering centered on Jesus. Head to www.youareinc.com to learn more and register today.

Brenna Stull, mom of 7, kicks off 2026 on the Soapbox with vision for a family functioning as a team. Brenna is passionate about moms not doing everything. If you’re a mom who exhales at that thought but isn’t sure how to not do it all, you will love this episode. Brenna’s  excitement is contagious and her stories are inspiring. You will finish the episode thinking about your own family working together more in 2026. Check out to Brenna Stull’s Coach Mom book and learn more about her ministry at www.brenna-stull.com Here is the link to get 25% off the Coach Mom Tribe Vault! Don’t miss You Are Conference happening Feb.6-7, 2026 in Bryan, TX! Special guests Christy Nockels, Cynthia Berry, Stephanie Lee, Lizi Bailey and more! Learn more and grab your tickets at youareinc.com Stay up to date with all things You Are Family on Instagram and sign up for our free monthly email full of resources and fun for you and your family!

Drumroll please… it’s our first mother/daughter duo on The Soapbox! Cindy is a humble mom of 4 adult children who shares how the Holy Spirit invited her into a very specific posture with her children as a young mom. Bethany testifies, real-time, to her mom’s legacy- both in her life and as a mother and grandmother. We even left some bonus chatter on the Holy Spirit because it was too good not to share! You will absolutely be blessed by their wisdom and relationship! If you're in Bryan/College Station be sure to check out Bethany's dance studio, Suzanne's School of Dance, if you've got some little dancers in your home. We'd love for you to join us for You Are 26 on February 6-7! You Are is a 2-day intergenerational, interdenominational women's gathering centered on Jesus. To learn more and register today visit us at youareinc.com Make sure you're up to date with all things You Are Family by following us on Instagram and signing up for our free monthly resource email, full of Christ-centered discipleship resources for your family!

Susan West is a vibrant, alive, intentional “Mia” to many. She is young at heart and rich in wisdom. Susan explores marriage and motherhood, and the way your marriage really can set the tone in your home. You will hear her humility as she traces their own story (of 52 years in love!!!) and want to take notes. Susan touches on communication, expectations, dates, appreciation, common interests, forgiveness, and more. She and her husband have given attention to their marriage for decades and those around them have reaped. Stay up to date with all things You Are Family by visiting us at www.youareinc.com/family, follow us on Instagram, and sign up for our monthly newsletter full of discipleship and fun resources for parents and children!

We welcomed another wonderful Christine Hoover to The Soapbox and you’re going to be fast friends! Christine is a Church girl from ATX, an author, and most importantly, a boy mom! She vulnerably shares the importance of doing her own heart work as she has mothered. Christine and Kelsey discuss pain points in their own stories, idols, and opportunities to grow in wholeheartedness. Christine graciously shares how to know when there’s more underneath a reoccurring thought or feeling in motherhood and some ideas of where to go from there. Learn more about Christine’s ministry and check out her books at www.christinehoover.com or follow her on Instagram. Stay up to date with all things You Are Fam by subscribing to our monthly email full of free resources for you and your family! And be sure to follow us on Instagram!

Just wait till you hear Jamie Wells- the joyful, childlike, cali-girl artist, who lives fascinated by God!!! Jamie’s eyes are opened wide and I marveled just listening to her. Jamie shares that she’s mothered a little outside of the “box” in hopes her kids SEE the story of faith all around them! To learn more about Jamie and her incredible art, check her out Instagram @jamiewellsart or visit jamiewells.com Stay up-to-date with all things You Are Family by following us on Instagram or visiting us at youareinc.com!

Marian Jordan Ellis was our very first Soapbox Live guest! And lucky for you- this is a live recording! As you hear the women laughing along with us, I hope you can imagine them taking notes and nodding along too! Marian became a bonus mom later in life and then got to have another little girl at 43! She is full of wisdom and humility and will no doubt, leave you with more faith that the holy spirit has everything needed for mothering our young ones! Learn more about Marian’s ministry at thisredeemedlife.org. Follow all things You Are Family on Instagram or sign up for our monthly email full of free resources just for you!

Tamara Menges joins us for a special episode of The Soapbox to share about an opportunity for local BCS families to serve together called Kindness for Christmas. She and her daughter are using their gifts to prepare a space of kindness. You will be inspired to hear the ways Tamara is coming alongside her daughter’s gifts, and offering her own, to serve people. Check out Kerrington’s Kindness Shop here and Tamara’s floral business here. Be sure to follow You Are Family on Instagram to stay up to date with all things You Are Fam! And if you haven’t subscribed to our monthly email, you’re missing out on free resources to encourage discipleship in your home! Sign up here!

Julie Dickerson graciously encourages every mom to talk about God in the mundane moments of life with kids of all ages. She has older kids and has been faithfully following Jesus since she became a mom, so she has so many hacks and practical ways to point kids to look at God. Julie dives into the meat and potatoes of every day discipleship of the kids in our lives. Julie is clear that we all have something to share about God-no matter how long we’ve been walking with Him. Resources Julie mentioned: Table Top Truths Dwell Bible App Be sure to follow You Are Family on Instagram to stay up to date with all things You Are Fam! And if you haven’t subscribed to our monthly email, you’re missing out on free resources to encourage discipleship in your home! Sign up here!

Jean Marie, mom of 3, wants to encourage all the moms to keep walking with the Lord, even with a limp. She normalizes limping and shares vulnerably about learning to struggle well from the earliest days of motherhood through infertility, adoption, and the unique struggles of a transracial family. She shares ways she's helped her kids recognize and work through weakness as well. She will make you feel right at home with her no matter where your limping is. Jean Marie covers the bases from embracing weakness, to tackling hard things to teaching our kids the importance of “walking with a limp” and sticking with the Lord. If you'd like to learn more about Impact Retreat that Jean Marie mentions, you can head here. Do you have your ticket for The Soapbox Live happening Sept 18? It's a free event, but seats are limited so grab your ticket here. Stay up to date with all things You Are Family by subscribing to our monthly newsletter here and following us on Instagram.

Jamie Brown- mom of an only- joins us to share the why of knowing our kids. She, like most of us, has a kid wired very opposite of her. She is the champion of who God created her kid to be and left me even more convinced on my own kids exact wiring! She not only shares the why, but lots of practical hows in discovering more of our individual kids hearts. Head to youareinc.com to learn more about all things You Ate Family and grab your tickets for the Soapbox Live event!

Kari Breed is a mom of 3 and founder of a Christian Montessori school in North Carolina. She spends her time thinking about the next generation and lives with great intention. She shares about how the ripples from faithfulness in our homes can influence kingdom family! Kari’s  friendship with Jesus always leaves me wanting to know Him even better! Save the Date: Join us September 18th from 7-9PM at The Boathouse at Millican Reserve for The Soapbox Live! We’ll have a live interview, exciting guests, yummy treats, and more! Registration details coming soon. Be sure to stay up to date with all things You Are Family by following us on Instagram or signing up for our free monthly resource email here! 
 Some of Kari’s recommendations for intentional parenting: https://open.spotify.com/track/7CVLxsSOKpHjxehV7HFird?si=xxH_PiAp5SvaXx6BqflroIw Don’t Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Hubbard (https://a.co/d/7LyxyVm) Shepherding A Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp (https://a.co/d/dNJVGba) How to Really Help Someone with a Problem by Danny Silk (https://youtu.be/DsJzKZV_Nso)

Wynne Elder is a mom of 4 whose family was built non-traditionally, through adoption + IVF.  Her kids range in age and her schedule is full. Her life could feel frantic, but she believes motherhood doesn’t have to be that way. Wynne is free and fun and loves being a mom. She shares how good rhythms have made motherhood even more enjoyable for her. She says, "rhythms are the quiet framework of a beautiful and intentional life." You will love hearing her passion and you will want to follow her on Substack where she shares stories, seasonal tools & everyday rhythms that will no doubt inspire AND help you in your home! https://open.substack.com/pub/wynneelder

For our 10th episode Melissa Darst, one of my most passionate FRIENDS and the very inspiration for the SOAPBOX joins us a little differently! She shares a slew of soapboxes- everything from closets should be organized to the value in traditions! She could have kept going, but rest assured you’ll get to hear from her again! You are going to love hearing all the things, small and big, that she values!