Open Conversations for LDS Moms

Sherylee

I help, encourage and inspire LDS women to find peace and connection with their adult children. How to love God and trust in his plan

  1. 6D AGO

    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 I’ll help you come back to yourself… while still loving them deeply.

    17 min
  2. APR 28

    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 If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another mom who needs this reminder today.

    20 min
  3. APR 14

    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 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. We’ll sort through what’s weighing you down and help you find peace, confidence, and hope again.

    18 min
  4. APR 7

    LDS Moms: How to Feel Peace When Your Child’s Choices Don’t Align With Your Faith

    https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min If you’ve been doing everything you know to do, praying, showing up, trying to stay strong as a mom, and it still feels heavy, this episode will meet you right where you are. In this episode, we’re talking directly to LDS moms who love their children deeply, but feel heartache when their child’s choices don’t align with their faith. If you’ve ever felt sadness, shame, worry, or even quiet disappointment that lingers in the background of your life, you are not alone, and nothing has gone wrong. This conversation will gently shift the way you understand your emotions. You’ll learn why those heavy feelings are not a sign of failure, but part of your divine human experience. We talk about what it really means to feel your feelings in a way that brings you closer to God, not further away. You’ll also learn the powerful difference between clean pain and dirty pain. Clean pain is the natural grief, sadness, and love that comes from caring deeply. It softens you, refines you, and connects you to God. Dirty pain is the extra layer, the thoughts like “I failed,” “this shouldn’t be happening,” or “what did I do wrong?” that keep you stuck and overwhelmed. When you understand this distinction, everything begins to change. This episode will walk you through a simple, practical tool you can use in real time called “name it to tame it and feel it to heal it.” You’ll learn how to sit with your emotions without letting them take over, so you can feel peace even when your situation hasn’t changed. We also anchor this conversation in faith, with powerful reminders from scripture and church leaders that nothing about your experience disqualifies you. You are still a good mom. You are still worthy. You are still doing better than you think. If you’ve been carrying this quietly, wondering if you’re the only one who feels this way, this episode will remind you that you are not alone, and that peace is possible right here, in the middle of your real life. You don’t need your child to change.  You don’t need your situation to change.  You just need a new way to experience what’s already here. And that is something you can learn. If you’re ready to take this work deeper, I offer free 25-minute Connection and Peace Calls where we look at your specific situation and help you start feeling relief right away. https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min You are allowed to feel sadness and still be a good mom.  You are allowed to feel fear and still trust God.  You are allowed to be in the middle of this and still feel peace. I’m so glad you’re here.

    24 min
  5. MAR 31

    Because He Lives: The Hope of the Resurrection

    In this final episode of our three-part Easter series, we turn our hearts to the moment that changed everything: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story of Easter doesn’t end at the cross. It doesn’t end at the sealed tomb. It continues with a quiet morning when Mary Magdalene arrived expecting grief, only to discover that the stone had been rolled away and the Savior had risen. Because He lives, the story is never finished. For many mothers, Easter feels deeply personal. You may have raised your children in the gospel, prayed with them, taught them about Jesus Christ, and hoped their lives would unfold in a certain way. When their path looks different than you expected, it can bring worry, grief, and questions about what comes next. But the Resurrection reminds us of something powerful. Jesus Christ is still working. He knows your child.  He loves your child.  And He is doing things we often cannot see yet. In this episode, we talk about the hope that comes from the Resurrection and how it applies to the tender places in a mother’s heart. We explore the story of Mary Magdalene discovering the empty tomb, the personal way the Savior revealed Himself to her, and what that moment teaches us about how Christ works in our lives today. You’ll also hear encouragement for mothers who are learning how to hold onto love and connection with their children even when faith journeys look different than expected. Because Easter teaches us something beautiful: Love is never wasted.  Hope is never lost.  And the Savior’s work is never finished. If you’ve ever wondered whether your child’s story is already written… this episode will remind you that God is still writing it. If you’re a mom navigating a difficult season with your child and you want support as you learn how to trust the Savior with their journey while finding more peace in your own heart, I would love to talk with you. You can visit my website for free resources or schedule a Free Connection & Peace Call with me here: https://sheryleekartchner.com/ You don’t have to walk this road alone.

    19 min
  6. MAR 24

    Holy Week and a Mother’s Heart

    If you’re a mom who raised your children in the gospel but their life choices have taken a different path than you expected, Holy Week can feel especially meaningful. This sacred week reminds us of something powerful: the Savior understands love, heartbreak, hope, and faith in ways we sometimes can’t fully explain. And if you’re carrying concern for someone you love, that matters. In this episode, we slowly walk through the final week of the Savior’s life, from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the quiet moments before the Resurrection. As we look at each day of Holy Week, we’ll talk about what it teaches us about Christ’s love, His sacrifice, and the way He walks with us through the tender parts of motherhood. Because the truth is, many mothers find themselves in their own kind of Gethsemane. You pray for your children.  You hope for them.  You trust that the seeds you planted will matter someday. And sometimes you simply ask Heavenly Father to help you keep loving them well while their story is still unfolding. Holy Week reminds us that Jesus Christ understands that kind of love. He understands the prayers whispered late at night. He understands the ache of caring deeply for someone and trusting God with their journey. And because of Him, hope is never lost. If you’re a mom learning how to hold onto faith, love your child well, and find peace in the middle of uncertainty, I would love to support you. You can schedule a free Connection & Peace Call here:  https://calendly.com/sherylee-kartchner/25min

    11 min

About

I help, encourage and inspire LDS women to find peace and connection with their adult children. How to love God and trust in his plan