Tears, Tension, & Unhinged Opinions

For the Moms in the Thick of It

This week on Called to Chaos, Helen and Barbara have an honest conversation for the new moms, postpartum moms, and moms in the thick of raising littles. They talk openly about the challenges that can come with early motherhood including anxiety, overstimulation, exhaustion, mom guilt, mental health, antidepressants and medication, and the pressure moms often feel to do everything “right.” They also dive into comparison, the unrealistic expectations placed on moms, and the reminder that every child develops differently and every mom is doing better than she thinks. If you’re deep in diapers, tantrums, sleepless nights, survival mode, or just feeling overwhelmed by the weight of motherhood, this episode is for you. You are not alone, and you are not failing.

Random Thoughts & Rabbit Trails

This week Helen and Barbara decided to keep things a little lighter… so naturally that led to random "hot takes" that don't actually feel like hot takes. 😜 A couple random “this or that” debates, some unnecessary opinions, and plenty of rabbit trails along the way. From parenting and friendship thoughts, to shopping habits and anxiety quirks. Plus all the completely random places their brains tend to go in between… this episode really feels like you’re just hanging out with friends.

Helen's Story of Marriage, Betrayal, Divorce… & Redemption

This week’s episode is a little different… Barbara sits down with Helen to talk through the full story of her and Gary’s relationship — how they met, the early years of marriage, becoming parents young, betrayal on both sides, divorce, heartbreak, shame, and ultimately… reconciliation. This isn’t a polished “perfect marriage” story. It’s honest, messy, painful, redeeming, and full of the ways God can restore what feels completely broken when both people are willing to put Christ back at the center. We truly believe the enemy did not want this episode out. Between recording issues, editing problems, audio glitches, and video inconsistencies, this episode fought us every step of the way… but we kept pushing through because we know someone needs to hear it. So if you notice a few audio or video inconsistencies along the way, just know: this conversation was too important not to share. Whether you’re married, divorced, reconciling, hurting, or wondering if redemption is even possible for your story — this episode is for you.

Ministry, Motherhood, & The Myth of Balance

This week, Helen and Barbara recap celebrating Barbara’s birthday with a visit to The Worthy Co. and dinner afterward, which leads into an important conversation about trafficking awareness and the impact organizations like this are making. Then the conversation shifts into the very real struggle of trying to balance ministry, leadership, marriage, motherhood, family life, and personal health all at the same time. They talk honestly about the pressure women feel to “do it all,” the guilt that comes with constantly feeling pulled in multiple directions, and the realization that maybe perfect balance isn’t actually possible in every season. And to lighten things up a little, they end by discussing what their actual dream Mother’s Day would look like if Sundays, responsibilities, and ministry schedules weren’t part of the equation. It’s honest, relatable, funny in the real-life kind of way, and a conversation that will make every overwhelmed mom feel a little less alone

Life Was Life-ing This Week

This week Helen and Barbara talk about everything from birthday tattoos and weekly chaos, to family overload and what happens when life keeps adding “just one more thing” to your plate. 🫣 Between kids with allergy attacks, broken Chromebooks, promposals, and trying not to completely crash out while everyone needs something at the exact same time… this episode is basically a live look into their mental tabs being open everywhere. It's full of the chaos you've surely come to expect at this point. 🤣