Wire Talk With Karen Stubbs

As believers, how do we navigate the hustle and bustle of the holiday season while keeping our eyes focused on the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place? In part one of this series, Karen answers your questions about how to celebrate in a season when your church doors may be closed, how to prevent overwhelm as a single mom and of course, how to navigate gift giving.  

Navigating the differences between our needs and desires and those of our family and friends is tricky. On today's episode Karen answers questions about vacationing with family, teen dating, excessive gift giving (hello grandparents!) and being married to an extrovert when you're 100% an introvert! You're sure to find a practical nugget in this conversation that will provide wisdom for your world.   

Is there a recurring conflict in your home because your personality color is clashing with your child's? Tune in today to hear Karen's thoughts on the exhausting yellow kids, defiant red kids, and lethargic green kids who have their moms wondering how to cope.  Mentioned on today's episode: Colors Personality Quiz smile.amazon.com Mom Core- Being a Student of your Child Personality Plus for Parents by Florence Littauer Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend 2020 Soar Together bonus session with Dr Henry Cloud BOAW Moms Facebook group

From toddlers flinging food off high chair trays to siblings bickering during the blessing, dinner time is rife with opportunities for stress isn't it? Listen in as Karen tackles questions from moms tired of the chaos on today's episode and helps us survive meal time with her tips!  Continue the conversation with us over in our private BOAW Moms Facebook group, where moms ask and answer questions with grace and humility all week long. 

No matter the number of kids under your roof, managing the needs of your children isn’t easy! On today’s show we are answering questions from moms who are struggling with the revolving door of need that comes with having multiple children in the house.

This year the holidays might look a little different than years’ past. Managing all of the expectations (yours, your family’s, your in-laws…) can be overwhelming as a mom, so today Karen shares her thoughts on making traditions that work for you and your tribe, while letting go of all the things that truly don’t matter.

We are excited to release this much-anticipated conversation about race with friend of BOAW, Alexandra Bates. Last spring, when Alex discovered resources for talking to her daughters about race were lacking, she reached out to Karen and initiated a conversation. Their ensuing relationship has been enlightening for Karen, who wanted to share Alex's point of view and experience with the wider BOAW community. Alex shares her thoughts on racism and how we as moms can teach our children to love those from different races and backgrounds through the behavior we model.

Today’s conversation with author Wendi Nunnery drips with wisdom and grace as she shares her journey with mental health, the church, and motherhood. From growing up in a legalistic church culture to being diagnosed with OCD after becoming a mother, Wendi shares how her brokenness has driven her to Jesus and how she finds rest in His holiness. This is a good one mamas, be sure to share it with a friend who needs to be encouraged today. You can pre-order Wendi’s new book, Good Enough: Letting Go of Perfect for the Sake of Holy over on Amazon or enter our giveaway for a free copy over on Instagram.

Have you heard about the Soar Conference for years but never been able to attend? Listen in as Karen shares the story of God putting a vision for Soar in her heart almost a decade ago and how this conference has evolved since it began in 2015. We hope you're encouraged to set aside the time and financial resources to make attending a priority this year, because for the first time ever - location and time are not limiting factors! You can Soar Together from wherever you are, whenever you want to this fall.  Find out more at: boaw.mom/soar

God did not create us to live this life alone, He created us for community! And if nothing else, 2020 has taught us just how important community really is. On today's episode Karen and Sunny share your ideas and chat about the simple ways we can love on our actual neighbors even during these pandemic times.  Don't forget about gathering a group to Soar Together this year! Gather 9 moms in addition to yourself and you can snag our group pricing. Check it out at boaw.mom/soar

Today Karen is answering questions from moms about military life. Whether it's a mom facing deployment, a child struggling with the frequent moves that are the norm in the military, or a mom fearful about her child's interest in joining the military, there's something you can relate to in this conversation. If you’re not a military family, listen and learn about the issues our military families face. And if you have mom friends in the military - share this episode with them so they can be encouraged! Moms - don't wait another day to sign up for Soar Together! Tuesday, Sept. 22 is the last day for early bird pricing! 

2020 has been a crazy season in and of itself! How well are you taking care of yourself, momma? From big things like feeling lonely and isolated to little things like how to manage chaos in the car - today Karen answers questions from moms who need a little TLC. Listen and be encouraged! Don't forget to snag an Early Bird ticket for Soar Together before the price goes up! Watch together with friends on October 17 or watch ANY TIME after that date for six weeks. Learn more HERE. 

From how to sneak in time with God when your kids are home all the time to managing a move and a new baby with a spouse who has a demanding job, today’s questions are from moms struggling to manage their own needs alongside the needs of their household and their kids. Exhale deeply as you hear Karen and Sunny encourage these mamas to give themselves grace in these seasons and lower the imaginary bar you have set for yourself. Register NOW for Soar Together on October 17th!

These are the ‘no-man’s land’ years mommas, when our kids are caught in between childhood and adolescence. They are all insecure and they are all searching for their identity. Listen in today for some big picture thoughts about middle school in general as well as the practical answers you can always expect from Karen. Want more Karen in your earbuds? Become a Patron today and get access to our monthly show, Real Life Real Moms plus intimate Q&A sessions with Karen! 

Giving our kids a firm footing when it comes to financial habits is one the most helpful things we can teach as parents. Listen in to today’s show as Karen shares about her struggle with being on a budget early in her marriage and the lessons she and Greg have taught their kids over the years. Hear how they handled talking about finances in their family, what they taught their kids about money, and how they still budget to this day! Visit our show notes for links to everything we talked about in today's episode.  Want more Karen in your life? Become a Patron today and get an extra monthly episode and access to intimate Q&A sessions! 

Have you ever walked into a situation with certain expectations and been disappointed when they weren't met? Today Karen shares how expectations can set our relationships up for failure. She defines the difference between desires and expectations and offers several tools for helping change expectations (for our children's faith, our marriage, our kids behavior) into desires so we can experience peace in our daily lives.  Visit our website for links to everything Karen mentioned on today's episode.

Today we’re answering questions from those of you who’ve decided to homeschool your kids for the first time this year. From how to choose a curriculum to managing the needs of toddlers and school-age kids at the same time, Wire Talk’s producer, Katie Leipprandt, shares her insights and experience from homeschooling her four children for the past 6 years. Whatever your school situation looks like this year, we hope this episode reminds you that in spite of imperfect circumstances, God will equip you with everything you need.  Head HERE for links to everything mentioned in today's episode!  

Preparing our kids for puberty and sex does not have to intimidate us, mommas! If the thought of having “the talk” gives you all kinds of anxiety, tune into today’s episode to hear some straight talk from Karen. In this episode we cover talking about sex, modesty, and the physical changes our kids will be going through. As usual, Karen reminds us moms that we may not be perfect, but we are the perfect parent for our child!

Disciplining a toddler is no joke. As moms, we want our discipline to work the first time and every time, but as Karen reminds us, toddlers take time. If you need some encouragement to stay the course with your toddler, tune in today and take heart!

Plans for school this year are changing daily in school districts around our nation. One thing we know for sure this year? We have no idea what to expect! That’s why we brought Dr. Chinwé Williams into the studio today, to ask for her thoughts both as a therapist and as a mom, about how we can handle our own anxiety surrounding going back to school and how we can help our children navigate these strange days.