Focus on the Family Archives

Mom Life: Watch, Print, ScreenSave, and Share!

02.14.2025

Hi Friends! Mom Life Unscripted premiered on Focus on the Family’s YouTube channel this week, and the response has been super encouraging. I’m sharing a quick recap with some links today, but I also have a little request: If mom life stuff isn’t your thing, please don’t unsubscribe! I love our email friend group, and I promise it won’t be “all moms all the time” in the months to come. In fact, I have a half-written post about how God meets our desires and our unmet longings in ways that go far beyond what we think we are asking. I can’t wait to finish that one and share it with you next month!

But for those who DO want to know more about navigating life with toddlers, teens, and kids in their twenties (and beyond), I want to be sure you get looped in for the good stuff.

Episode 1 featured Alexa PenaVega, a beautiful actress, author, and mom. She talked about the reality of heaven (an awareness made all the more poignant after the loss of their baby daughter), the peace and joy that come with surrender, and the fact that we’ll never be “Christian enough” for some people and we’ll always be “too Christian” for others, so we need to just look at God and say: “Where do you want me, Lord? How do you want me using my voice?”

At the end of each episode, you’re invited to click the link in the YouTube description to access a collection of scripture prayers you can use to pray for yourself and your children. The prayers come in three different forms: Printable cards to keep in your purse or your journal, screen savers you can use on your phone (a great reminder to pray all day long!), and a one-page sheet that has all six prayers in one place (I taped mine by my coffee pot).

We’ll have new prayers each week, available just for the asking. Click this link for all the details, or just text MOM to 32728 and you’re in!

This coming Monday, I talk with Alyssa Bethke, who wrote a terrific book called When Doing it All is Undoing You (is that a great title or what?). Just like you’d expect from a mom who knows what it’s like to “do it all,” Alyssa showed up on set, pregnant with her fourth child, less than three weeks shy of her due date:

Alyssa got right to the heart of a lot of the mom life wrestle: Figuring out what we can control (and what we can’t). Being okay with a kitchen (or a life!) that doesn’t look like a Pinterest board. Knowing that the hidden moments of our lives – the seasons when we feel unseen, or like we don’t have much to show for ourselves – can be the times when God is actually doing his best work.

It was a rich conversation, punctuated by laughter and at least one “what if” when Alyssa wondered what would happen if she went into labor, right there on the show. What if her water broke?

Truth be told, that would have been a relatively calm scenario, compared to what actually happened. I won’t steal their thunder, other than to say that never have I ever heard a more incredible childbirth story. If you have Instagram, check out @JeffersonBethke and read his account of the baby’s arrival. If you don’t use that platform, well. Just picture a driveway-turned-delivery-room, a 12-year-old midwife, and a MacGyver-esque neighbor who just needed a shoelace.

(All is well…mama is fine…and baby Jayden is absolutely beautiful and utterly worthy of one of the best birth stories every told!)

Phew! Mom life is never dull!

I hope you’ll join us next week (or jump in anytime; that’s the beauty of YouTube). I promise I’ll keep working on that post about God showing up and exceeding our unmet longings, but for now, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite prayers for times when you feel under attack, out of control, or just like you don’t know which way is up in your parenting journey:

Heavenly Father,

I don’t know what to do but my eyes are on you. (2 Chronicles 12:20)

Amen

Mom Life Unscripted: A new show for you!

02.06.2025

Friends! I’m popping (popping!) into your inbox today with some exciting news. Next Monday, February 10, Focus on the Family will begin airing weekly episodes of a new show called Mom Life Unscripted with Jodie & Friends.

Each week, I’ll talk with another mom about the wonderful, messy, challenging, beautiful adventure of MOTHERHOOD.

Our first guest is probably better known for her movies than her mothering (I loved her as Carmen Cortez in Spy Kids; now she’s making good-clean-fun films for grown-ups), but Alexa PenaVega opens up about her family and the joys and heartaches she has walked through as a mom, including the devastating loss of their daughter, Indy, and the ways she and her husband Carlos have prioritized family life in an entertainment industry that is not built to sustain healthy marriages.

Celebrity spotlight aside, I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenges we face as moms (and grandmoms). How do we know what’s best for our child? Where do we turn when we grow weary, or when we feel overwhelmed? What can we do to cultivate more patience and kindness in our parenting? The Bible talks about all of these things and, to celebrate the release of Mom Life Unscripted, I wove those thoughts together with some of my favorite verses to create A Mother’s Prayer.

This printable PDF, designed especially for our email community, covers everything from the wisdom we need to the worries we carry as we ask God to bless and protect our families. Click here to download the prayer and print it for yourself (and feel free to share this email with another mom who might want to join our friend group).

Where do I watch Mom Life Unscripted?

And now for the question that everyone’s asking: Where do I watch Mom Life Unscripted?

That’s a great question, actually, and one that it’s taken Yours Truly more than a minute to comprehend. Mom Life Unscripted will air on Focus on the Family’s flagship YouTube channel, which means you can watch on your phone, your computer, or (if you’re tech savvy like my husband) on your TV. If you want to be notified when each new episode drops, click this link and then click again where it says “Notify Me.”

The episodes are sized just right for busy moms (about 20 minutes each), but they’re chock full of encouraging stories and practical wisdom for navigating life in the trenches of motherhood. Plus, every show wraps with an invitation to access a collection of prayer resources specific to each episode, free downloads you can use as you trust God to accomplish his best purposes in your family’s life.

And with that little teaser, I’ll leave you with my favorite line from Spy Kids, one that Alexa (aka “Carmen”) delivers near the end of the film:

Spy work, that’s easy. Keeping a family together, that’s difficult. And that’s the mission worth fighting for.

Mom Life can feel like a battle, but it’s worth it. Hang in there, friends!

❤️

And P.S., if you want to rephrase the Spy Kids line as a prayer, you’ll find a parallel sentiment in Nehemiah 4:14. Here’s how this verse looks when we turn it into a prayer:

Heavenly Father,

When we feel exhausted and under attack, don’t let us be afraid. Instead, may we remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for our families, our sons and our daughters, our homes.

Amen

Three ways to blanket your kids in God’s love

10.21.2024

Note from Jodie: It’s been a minute, I know. And I want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to ask if I am okay (or if maybe their email isn’t working right?), since I haven’t posted anything since mid-August. Yes, I’m okay. Better than okay, actually. I’ve been teaching Bible Study to an amazing group of about 150 women in my home church, walking all over my little corner of the world to prepare for the Love-Paced Race (click here to join me), and spending a lot of time with my grandchildren. It’s been a beautiful, “unseen” season. But I’ve missed this space – this online friend group – and when a post I’d written years ago for Devotions Daily showed up in my inbox, I knew I wanted to share it with you. Maybe it’s all the grandbaby time, but the idea of “blanketing” our kids in God’s love was a good reminder for me…

Blanket Your Kids in God’s Love

I don’t know who coined the term “prayer covering,” or who it was that first offered to “cover” someone in prayer. (Maybe it comes from verses like Psalm 5:12, which talks about God covering us with his favor?)

Again, I don’t know.

But one of the reasons I like praying the Scriptures so much is that when we pray God’s Word over our kids, we literally cover them with the presence of Christ.

John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is the Word, and that he always has been. So when we use the Bible to shape our prayers for our kids – when we “cover” them with God’s promises – what we are really doing is blanketing them with his love.

With his protection.

With his very person. His presence.

Several years ago, I was a guest on Focus on the Family’s daily radio broadcast, and I talked about this idea of covering our kids with God’s presence. I mentioned a line from a poem I’d once heard – something about how when our children are young, we tuck them into bed and cover them with a blanket, but that when they are older and out of our reach, we cover them with our prayers. I didn’t remember the poem or its author, but the crack team of Focus on the Family researchers looked it up.

And sent it to me.

The poem, called Mother’s Cover, was written by Dona Maddux Cooper. Here it is:

“When you were small and just a touch away,

I covered you with blankets against the cold night air.

But now that you are tall and out of reach,

I fold my hands and cover you with prayer.”

Isn’t that a good one?

I don’t know where your children are today (and to be honest, I’m not entirely sure where my beloveds are, either!), but I do know that our kids are never out of God’s reach, and that He invites us to join Him in the work that He wants to do in their lives.

He invites us to pray.

And if you like the idea of blanketing your loved ones with God’s presence, here are three ways you can pray:

Heavenly Father,

Cover ______ with your feathers. May they find refuge under your wings. Let your faithfulness be their shield. (Psalm 91:4)

Go before ______ and follow them. Place your hand of blessing on ______’s head. (Psalm 139:5)

Let _____ take refuge in you and be glad, ever singing for joy. Spread your protection over _____, surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11-12)

Amen

❤️

P.S. If you’re looking for a place to record your prayers, the Praying the Scriptures Journal, regularly $24.99, is on sale for $11.49. It’s an interactive journal, with prompts to help you cover all sorts of needs and concerns…and with its beautiful linen cover and gold embossing, it might make a good Christmas gift for a mom on your list! 😉

Why Believe?

04.04.2021

The Bible says we should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope we have–to let folks know why we believe.

Few people knew how to articulate their faith better than White House “hatchet man”-turned prisoner-turned-criminal justice reform advocate and evangelical leader Chuck Colson. (I know that’s a mouthful, but Colson’s story is fascinating; to read more, click here.)

I had the privilege of working with Colson about a million years ago when I was a TV producer. He was one of the smartest, kindest, and most humble men I have ever met. Today–Easter Sunday–I am grateful to the folks at Focus on the Family for reminding me of Colson’s legacy, and of what he believed about the Resurrection:

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world–and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

To read more, including four solid reasons that answer the question “Why Believe?”, click here.

And if you’d like to join me in an Easter prayer for our own faith legacies, here’s what I’m asking God today:

Heavenly Father,

Help me to always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope I have, doing so with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

Amen

❤️

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!

Focus on the Family (and the antidote to worry and fear)

02.01.2019

Last fall, I was honored–no, make that thrilled–to sit down with Jim Daly and John Fuller, co-hosts of the Focus on the Family radio program.

We talked about parenting, and how our prayers for our kids change as they grow. And we covered things like worry and fear, and the fact that (as much as we might not like it) God often shapes our faith in life’s valleys. And that He will shape our kids’ lives, and their faith, in those low places too.

Jim and John are the most gracious hosts. Plus, they’re great dads; I found myself wishing that I were the one asking the prayer-and-parenting questions, and not the other way ’round!

The program airs today, and if you’d like to check it out, click here.

But if all you’ve got time for is just one little thought, here’s an encouraging note from the show:

Prayer is the antidote to a parent’s worry and fear.

When we find out something that scares us–whether it’s the news that our first grader has been stealing crayons from the classroom supply closet, our teenager got pulled for drunk driving, or our adult child’s marriage is falling apart–our default response is often worry. Or anger. Sadness. Or fear.

(All legitimate emotions–and all places I’ve been.)

But what if that’s not the whole picture? What if God sees things differently? What if, instead of prompting us to panic, He is clueing us in to a problem–letting us see our child’s need–specifically so we can pray?

God has good plans for our kids. And prayer is His invitation to us to partner with Him in accomplishing His purposes–even when we don’t see how things could work out, or when it doesn’t look like the needle is moving. Prayer opens the door to provision, that God may be glorified in our lives.

If you’re facing something that’s making your heart ache today–something that fills you with worry or fear–remember God’s promise in Psalm 34:18. He is close to the brokenhearted. He saves us when we are crushed.

Lean into that closeness. Let God’s strong arms comfort you. He’s a parent; He gets it.

And then, as you draw courage and strength in God’s presence, don’t give panic a foothold. Instead, lift your head, along with your hands, and let your default position be one of prayer.

Heavenly Father,

You are the God of our family. You have loved us with an everlasting love and drawn us with unfailing kindness.

Our children are your children. Save them, gather them, lead them along level paths where they will not stumble.

Turn our mourning into gladness; give us comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Satisfy us with abundance, and with your bounty.

(Excerpted from Jeremiah 31:1-14)

Amen

❤️

P.S. Robbie and I are so grateful for Focus on the Family, and for all the ways they have encouraged and strengthened our marriage, our parenting, and our faith. To access more info on everything from helping your kids overcome rejection to protecting your family against today’s opioid epidemic, click here.

Would You Rather Play a Family Game?

11.18.2014

“I would rather suck an old man’s toes.”

That’s what one of our daughters said, a few years back, when we suggested she attend a Christian summer camp. We’d done the research (James Dobson and other family gurus pointed to the value of the Christian camp experience—a theory that was backed up by reality when we polled our friends’ older kids about what had mattered most in terms of strengthening their own faith), and we were planning to send her, whether she wanted to go or not.

Better parents might have been appalled by our gal’s somewhat, um, graphic response, but we couldn’t help ourselves. Robbie and I burst out laughing.

And “Would You Rather…” became an instant classic in our family.

If you’ve never played this game, the idea is to come up with two choices and have the other player (or players) choose which one they would “rather” do, have, or be. You can buy the official board game at Target, but we liked making up our own scenarios. And last year, I put some of our favorites on a few sheets of cardstock and cut them up to make game cards to give as Christmas gifts. (I also sewed little envelopes for them out of burlap, using old buttons and twine as closures, but I am a little Amish that way, and if you’d “rather” put your cards into a plain envelope or a little bag from someplace like Michael’s, that works.)

Your questions can be important, silly, or—if you have teenaged boys or a husband like mine—even a little gross. And if you’re looking for a way to inject a little “God” into your family fun, you can throw in a random Bible question or two: “Would you rather be David going up against Goliath or Daniel heading into the lions’ den?”

Need some ideas? Here are a few favorites from our list, just to get you started:

Would you rather be considered slightly annoying or generally dull?

Would you rather be caught lip-synching on The Voice or taking steroids in the Olympics?

Would you rather have peace or joy?

Would you rather always spit when you talk or always be spat upon when people talk to you?

(See what a deep and intellectual family we are?)

And of course, the classic: Would you rather suck an old mans toes or have an old man suck your toes?

If you’re looking for a way to spice up (if not elevate) the conversation around the dinner table this Thanksgiving, why not try this game?

And while you’re at it, consider putting a gift certificate for summer camp under the tree for your kids, even if you think they’d rather suck an old man’s toes. Our family loves Young Life, Kanakuk, J.H. Ranch, and Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Fatherhood (which I hope Robbie will guest blog about one day soon!).

(And just in case you are wondering, I think I would rather have an old man suck my toes. But I would feel badly about it.)

Tag: Focus on the Family

Mom Life: Watch, Print, ScreenSave, and Share!

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Mom Life Unscripted: A new show for you!

Where do I watch Mom Life Unscripted?

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Three ways to blanket your kids in God’s love

Blanket Your Kids in God’s Love

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Why Believe?

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Focus on the Family (and the antidote to worry and fear)

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Would You Rather Play a Family Game?

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