Open Conversations for LDS Moms

The Picture of Your Family Changed, Now What?

Episode 19: The Picture of Your Family Changed, Now What? If you’re an LDS mom struggling because your child has stepped away from the Church, changed beliefs, or chosen a different path than the one you imagined this episode is for you. Book a free coaching call with me here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84270157732 [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84270157732] You raised your children with faith. Family Home Evening. Seminary. Prayer. Church every Sunday. You thought you knew what your family story would look like. Then one day the picture changed. In this episode, we’re talking about the grief, fear, confusion, and self-blame many Christian and LDS mothers feel when life no longer matches the picture they carried in their heads. We’ll talk about: * Why “families are forever” can suddenly feel complicated * What happens when your child leaves the Church or believes differently * Why many moms quietly feel like they failed * The pressure LDS women often carry around creating the “perfect eternal family” * What it actually means to trust God when life feels uncertain * How to stop seeing your family as broken * Finding peace when your child’s choices are different than what you planned This episode also explores how familiar gospel truths can become so common that we stop really seeing them until something painful moves the picture. If you’ve ever thought: “What did I do wrong?” “How did we get here?” “Why does this hurt so much?” “Can I still trust God with my family?” You are not alone. This conversation will help you feel more grounded, more hopeful, and less afraid while navigating faith transitions, mixed-faith families, adult children leaving religion, and the emotional pain that comes with unmet expectations. You’ll walk away with a new perspective on eternal families, trust in God, grief, agency, and what it means to love your family without panic. You are allowed to stop measuring your family against a picture in your head. The picture may have changed. The promises haven’t. If this episode helped you, please share it with another mom who needs it today.

What Happened vs What You’re Making It Mean

“Don’t tell me this is neutral when it’s breaking my heart.” If you’ve ever thought that, this episode is for you. When your child makes a choice that goes against everything you taught them, it doesn’t feel neutral. It feels heavy. It feels personal. It feels like everything is unraveling. It feels wrong. In this episode, I’m walking you through the difference between what actually happened and the story your brain is building around it. Because those are not the same thing. We’re talking about real situations LDS moms face every day: *  A daughter who is pregnant  *  A son choosing not to serve a mission  *  A child stepping away from church  *  A child living with a partner  *  A family that suddenly doesn’t look like what you pictured  I’ll show you how your thoughts about these situations can quietly add layers of shame, fear, and suffering and how to start separating that out so you can feel more confident, more clear, and more like yourself again. This is not about pretending things are okay.  This is about stopping the extra pain you don’t need to carry. You’re allowed to feel sad.  And you’re also allowed to stay whole. If your child’s choices are keeping you up at night or weighing on your heart, you don’t have to figure this out alone. 👉 Schedule a free call with me and let’s talk about what’s going on for you: https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min [https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min] I’ll help you come back to yourself… while still loving them deeply.

The One Painful Question Mom’s Ask

The One Painful Question Moms Ask As Mother’s Day gets closer, there’s a question many good women carry quietly: Am I enough? Enough as a mom, enough for the child who struggles, enough when life didn’t turn out the way you prayed it would. In this episode, we gently pull that question apart and replace it with something more honest, more grounded, and more healing. You’ll hear: * 6 clear ways to know you are enough (even when things feel messy) * The truth about why your child’s choices are not proof of your failure * What God actually sees when He looks at you and your family * How to stop measuring your worth by outcomes you were never meant to control We’ll anchor everything in powerful scriptures like Isaiah 49 and Romans 8, and a deeply moving story from President Dallin H. Oaks that will change the way you see both yourself and the people you love. If Mother’s Day feels tender this year, if you’ve been carrying quiet guilt, worry, or disappointment or If you’ve ever wondered if you did enough… This episode is for you. Do you want 1:1 help, join me for a free call  https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min [https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min] Press play. 🤍

Who Am I Now? Finding Yourself When Motherhood Feels Heavy

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, this is not how I thought motherhood would go? Maybe your children’s choices, struggles, distance from faith, or life decisions have left you carrying grief, confusion, worry, or even shame. And somewhere in the middle of loving them, helping them, and hurting for them you started losing you. In this episode, we’re talking about identity and the truth that your child’s choices do not erase who you are. You are more than your role as a mother. You are more than outcomes, appearances, or expectations. You are still a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents, still valuable, still growing, and still becoming. Inside this episode we talk about: *  Why so many moms lose themselves in motherhood  *  How to stop tying your worth to your child’s choices  *  The difference between true identity and “lie-dentity”  *  What God says about your worth  *  How to reconnect with yourself in this season  *  Why you are still allowed to dream, grow, heal, and become  If motherhood feels heavy right now, this episode will feel like a deep breath and a reminder that you have not lost yourself. You may simply need to come home to who you’ve always been. Ready for more support? If you’re tired of feeling emotionally hijacked by your child’s choices and want more peace, connection, and clarity, I’d love to help. Book your Free Connection + Peace Call here [https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min] If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another mom who needs this reminder today.

Judgement Feels Real But it’s Not the Truth

Feeling judged at church because your child’s choices don’t match the picture you thought your family would be? You do not have to carry that pain alone. If you’re tired of overthinking every conversation, feeling like you don’t belong, or making their choices mean something about you, let’s talk. Book a free call with me [https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min] and let’s help you feel steady, clear, and at peace again. In this powerful episode, we’re talking about the silent weight so many LDS moms carry when a child chooses a different path. Maybe they stepped away from the Church. Maybe they came home early from a mission. Maybe life simply doesn’t look like the “brochure family” you thought it would. And now church feels different. Even when people are kind, it feels awkward. Even when no one says anything, it feels loud. Even when you know better, judgment feels real. But what if the judgment you feel isn’t the truth? In this episode, we talk about: • Why church can feel painful when your family doesn’t look how you hoped • The difference between real judgment and self-judgment • How moms make their child’s choices mean something about their worth • Why joy and sorrow can exist at the same time • How to stop carrying pain that was never yours to carry • What it looks like to trust God with outcomes and reclaim your peace This episode will help you see judgment in a new way, think clearer, and remember that your worth never changes.  If you’ve been bracing yourself every Sunday, if you feel stuck between loving your child and grieving the life you pictured, if you’re exhausted from carrying this alone, book a free Connection and Peace call with me. [https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min] We’ll sort through what’s weighing you down and help you find peace, confidence, and hope again.