Called to Rise: Empty Nest, New Season

Denise Hines
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Called to Rise is the faith-centered podcast for Latter-day Saint women navigating the empty nest, midlife transitions, and the question, "What now?" Maybe it hits on an ordinary afternoon. The house is quieter, and you’re left wondering, "Who am I when nobody needs me?" So you reorganize a drawer, because Tupperware is easier to sort than identity. Each week, certified transformational coach Denise Hines shares honest, faith-based conversations to help Christian and Latter-day Saint moms rediscover personal purpose, renew confidence, and courageously create what comes next.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Notice What You’re Noticing: Navigating Midlife Discontent and Change

    Have you ever had an exciting new idea pop into your mind, only to immediately put it on trial? We often get caught in a mental trap, assuming a thought is either a direct, urgent command from Heavenly Father or a completely selfish distraction. In this episode, we explore why restlessness isn't necessarily a revelation, but why it is always worth noticing. Pulling from Doctrine and Covenants section 58 and the teachings of Elder David A. Bednar, we talk about the divine power of human agency. Discover how to correctly identify what your soul is actually longing for and how to match the size of your next step to the amount of clarity you have. In This Episode: Why agency belongs inside spiritual decision-making How persistence differs from panic What a desire may be trying to give you Why small, reversible experiments often create clarity This Week’s Practice: For seven days, record the nudge, the need beneath it, and one proportionate next step. 5 Key Takeaways: Restlessness contains valuable information: Before judging a restless feeling or trying to prescribe a radical cure, ask the smaller, gentler question: "What is this asking me to notice?" Agency is a feature of the plan, not a backup: God does not need to command us in all things. He trusts your beautiful mind, your experiences, and your free will to choose good paths. Revelation is usually like a sunrise, not a light switch: Divine guidance increases gradually. If you wait for absolute, mid-day sunshine before moving, you will never take the first step. Don't force your dreams to prove your worth: A healthy dream can involve big achievements, but ensure you aren't asking that dream to grant you the validation that God already gave you. Clarity comes through contact with reality: You do not need the entire map to start. Take a tiny, low-risk step—buy the paint, schedule the lunch, open the document—to let your desire test the real world. Resources: Next Chapter Clarity Workbook: https://calledtorisecoaching.com/free Scriptures and References: Brave Thinking Institute’s DreamBuilder Program Doctrine and Covenants 58:26–28 Elder David A. Bednar, adapt. from his April 2011 General Conference address, “The Spirit of Revelation.”  Moroni 7:13, The Book of Mormon.

  2. Sep 1

    Stop Rehearsing Catastrophes: How to Pause Anxiety Before It Starts

    Have you ever planned an entire disaster based on almost no evidence? An unanswered text or vague message can become a full catastrophe before the facts arrive. In this episode, we explore the small space between what actually happens and the worst-case stories our minds instantly invent. Learn how to stop your body from reacting to frightening predictions as if they are facts. Discover actionable, cognitive behavioral tools like worry postponement to regain mental authority. Shift your mindset from immediate panic to curiosity and faith as you navigate the empty nest season. In This Episode: Why worry can feel responsible and productive The difference between preparation and mental rehearsal How scheduled worry time works When a pause is not appropriate and qualified help is needed This Week’s Practice: Choose a brief daily or weekly worry time. When worry appears, write it down and ask: What are the facts? What story am I telling? What can I do now? 5 Key Takeaways: Rehearsing pain solves nothing: Simulating a future catastrophe only makes you suffer through it twice. Separate reality from fiction: Divide your circumstances into the bare facts, the story you tell, and the next step. Schedule your anxiety: Use a worry postponement tool to give fears a strict, limited time slot later in the week. Immediacy is not importance: Your brain confuses the urgency of a thought with its actual real-world weight. Worry is not preparation: True preparation creates clear action steps, while worry simply circles a problem. Resources: If anxiety is disrupting daily life, seek support from a qualified mental-health professional. Ready to move past the quiet restlessness of the empty nest? Download Denise’s free Next Chapter Clarity Workbook to start mapping out your next purposeful season today! calledtorisecoaching.com/free calledtorisecoaching.com References: Mary Morrissey, “The Power of the Pause Button: Pressing Pause on Panic,” Brave Thinking Institute / DreamBuilder LIVE. Matthew 6:34 Krzikalla et al. (2024), “Worry Postponement From the Metacognitive Perspective,” Behavior Therapy. Versluis et al. (2016), “Reducing worry and subjective health complaints,” British Journal of Health Psychology. The farmer story is a traditional parable commonly associated with Taoist teaching; versions and wording vary. Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss a Tuesday episode!

  3. Sep 1

    Building a Healthy Relationship with Adult Children: Influence Without Control

    Motherhood does not end when children become adults, but the job description changes. Denise explores how mature motherhood moves from management toward relationship, without pretending the grief or restraint is easy. In this tender episode, we explore how to love adult children when "management" is no longer in your job description. Discover how to handle the four most sensitive transitions: advice, access, tradition, and identity. And learn how building a meaningful life of your own is actually one of the greatest gifts you can give your adult children. In This Episode: Why capability can feel painful when adult children stop checking first Advice, access, traditions, and identity in the adult-child relationship How to miss your children without making them repair the missing Why building your own life is a gift to them This Week’s Practice: Create three columns: Release, Retain, Receive. Pray over what love requires in this season. 5 Key Takeaways: Adults need a mother, not a project manager: When children are small, love looks like management; when they grow up, management starts feeling like control. Access does not equal importance: Adult children have a right to privacy, and loving them means being a safe harbor where they can share on their own terms. Grieve and adapt to changing traditions: A shifted holiday or family dinner is not a rejection; love is far more durable than a calendar date. Build a life they don't have to manage: Staying over-involved in an adult child's problems is often a distraction from facing the vulnerable questions in our own lives. Two truths can live in pairs: You can deeply miss the ordinary sounds of a full house while simultaneously supporting and cheering on your child's independence. Resources: Ready to move past the quiet restlessness of the empty nest? Download Denise’s free Next Chapter Clarity Workbook to start mapping out your next purposeful season today! calledtorisecoaching.com/free calledtorisecoaching.com Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss a Tuesday episode!

  4. Sep 1

    "Do I Still Matter?" Overcoming the Empty Nest Identity Crisis

    When a familiar role changes, usefulness can feel like the measure of whether you still matter. In this powerful episode, we untangle the dangerous knot between being needed and being valuable. After decades of building identity around being hyper-competent and useful to everyone else, midlife asks us to slow down and reacquaint ourselves with the women God created us to be. Learn how to transition from a place of exhausted usefulness to an anchored confidence settled in Jesus Christ. In This Episode: Why competence and usefulness can become substitutes for identity The difference between a changing role and unchanging worth Why humility does not require denying God-given strengths How to carry mature qualities into a new chapter This Week’s Practice: Say three identity sentences each morning, then record one way you are learning, healing, creating, choosing, or becoming. 5 Key Takeaways: Usefulness fluctuates, worth never does: Your title, church calling, or child's daily dependency can change in an afternoon, but your value to God is eternal. True humility is rooted in gratitude: Humility isn't pretending God gave you no talents; it's recognizing His generosity and being willing to use what He gave you. Being a beginner is a sign of life: Moving from deep competence into new territories (like art, writing, or technology) can feel uncomfortable, but it is the next step of growth. Your skills did not evaporate: The patience, resourcefulness, discernment, and humor developed through motherhood remain inside you, waiting for new expression. Rest is not a character flaw: When your worth is settled, you no longer have to earn your place or your survival through an exhausted "yes" to every demand. Resources:  Free Next Chapter Clarity Workbook: https://calledtorisecoaching.com/free Called to Rise Coaching: https://calledtorisecoaching.com/ References: Psalm 139:14 Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss a Tuesday episode!

  5. Season 1 Trailer

    Trailer: God Is Not Finished With You Yet

    Maybe it happens on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. You look around a quiet house and wonder, “Who am I when nobody needs me in quite the same way?” Welcome to Called to Rise: Empty Nest, New Purpose, the essential podcast for Latter-day Saint women navigating empty nest syndrome, changing family roles, and adult children's agency. Hosted by certified DreamBuilder Coach Denise Hines, this show offers faith-based life coaching for LDS moms who want to separate their worth from their roles, rediscover their identity, and step into their next chapter. Your story is not over, and becoming is still part of your discipleship. Hit follow or subscribe to join our LDS parenting and personal growth conversation every Tuesday.

Trailer

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About

Called to Rise is the faith-centered podcast for Latter-day Saint women navigating the empty nest, midlife transitions, and the question, "What now?" Maybe it hits on an ordinary afternoon. The house is quieter, and you’re left wondering, "Who am I when nobody needs me?" So you reorganize a drawer, because Tupperware is easier to sort than identity. Each week, certified transformational coach Denise Hines shares honest, faith-based conversations to help Christian and Latter-day Saint moms rediscover personal purpose, renew confidence, and courageously create what comes next.

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