WEBVTT 00:00:04.230 --> 00:00:07.129 If you wanted to change the world, where would 00:00:07.129 --> 00:00:09.890 you start? Politics? Education? The economy? 00:00:10.230 --> 00:00:12.730 You'd probably gather experts, set up panels, 00:00:12.990 --> 00:00:15.490 call a global summit. Some might appeal to the 00:00:15.490 --> 00:00:18.149 billionaires. Most of us would probably overlook 00:00:18.149 --> 00:00:21.530 the most obvious answer of all. Start with the 00:00:21.530 --> 00:00:25.190 moms. Mothers are the single most influential 00:00:25.190 --> 00:00:27.769 force on the planet economically, spiritually, 00:00:28.170 --> 00:00:30.629 culturally, domestically. They shape financial 00:00:30.629 --> 00:00:33.969 markets, mold values, pass down belief systems, 00:00:34.469 --> 00:00:37.969 drive social behavior, and uplift entire communities 00:00:37.969 --> 00:00:41.170 from the inside out. But here's the wild part. 00:00:41.710 --> 00:00:45.329 Most of that influence goes unrecognized. It's 00:00:45.329 --> 00:00:49.570 quiet, unpaid, unacknowledged, and yet it's everywhere. 00:00:50.109 --> 00:00:53.009 Funny enough the experts already know this more 00:00:53.009 --> 00:00:57.130 on that later This episode is all about the often 00:00:57.130 --> 00:01:00.250 hidden power the kind of power that doesn't scream 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:03.210 or campaign It just changes everything starting 00:01:03.210 --> 00:01:06.010 in kitchens carpool lines and bedtime prayers 00:01:06.010 --> 00:01:09.090 Society might think it knows what mothers do 00:01:09.090 --> 00:01:12.269 But what if the most world -shifting work isn't 00:01:12.269 --> 00:01:16.170 happening in boardrooms or on ballot boxes? What 00:01:16.170 --> 00:01:19.909 if it's happening right now? in the most unexpected 00:01:19.909 --> 00:01:23.030 places. Let's talk about the fierce influence 00:01:23.030 --> 00:01:28.989 of moms. Motherhood is history's greatest untold 00:01:28.989 --> 00:01:32.290 story. It's built empires, fueled revolutions, 00:01:32.469 --> 00:01:35.349 and pushed the boundaries of science. And yet, 00:01:35.609 --> 00:01:38.750 because it happens in quiet rooms, behind closed 00:01:38.750 --> 00:01:41.189 doors it's been left out of the grand narrative. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.560 But make no mistake, motherhood is not just tenderness. 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:49.359 It's raw, unrelenting, a force that tears you 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:52.900 apart and remakes you over and over again. It's 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:57.760 blood, bone, love, and sheer will. This isn't 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:01.560 a story about sacrifice. It's a story about power, 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:04.200 about what it means to become a mother, and what 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:08.439 it means to never stop becoming. This is Bloodlines 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:40.870 and Backbone. There's a moment in the movie air 00:02:40.870 --> 00:02:42.930 that's the Michael Jordan movie. Maybe you've 00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:46.449 seen it where Dolores Jordan, played by a transcendent 00:02:46.449 --> 00:02:49.669 Viola Davis, has a phone call with the Nike executive 00:02:49.669 --> 00:02:53.310 and quietly rewrites the rules of sports marketing 00:02:53.310 --> 00:02:55.990 history. Michael will get a percentage of the 00:02:55.990 --> 00:02:58.210 revenue of the sale of each shoe that is sold. 00:03:02.789 --> 00:03:05.969 I'm sorry? Not all Nike shoes, just the ones 00:03:05.969 --> 00:03:08.360 with his name on them. Her son Michael Jordan 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:10.520 is on the verge of signing the deal that will 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:13.240 change basketball branding and billion -dollar 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:16.039 sneaker culture forever. And in that moment, 00:03:16.099 --> 00:03:19.819 it's not his agent, not his lawyer, not his coach. 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:23.419 It's his mother who says he deserves a piece 00:03:23.419 --> 00:03:27.300 of every shoe that bears his name. This was completely 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:30.900 unheard of. An impossible request. Keep in mind, 00:03:30.979 --> 00:03:33.479 Michael Jordan wasn't Michael Jordan yet. No 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:36.740 one knew he'd be the GOAT. Well, one person knew. 00:03:36.990 --> 00:03:40.210 because moms know everything. But he gets a piece 00:03:40.210 --> 00:03:44.590 of the revenue of the shoe and all future Air 00:03:44.590 --> 00:03:51.370 Jordan shoes. The shoe is just a shoe until my 00:03:51.370 --> 00:03:54.430 son steps into it. I love this scene because 00:03:54.430 --> 00:03:57.330 it's the moment you realize this movie isn't 00:03:57.330 --> 00:04:00.430 really about basketball or sneakers. It's about 00:04:00.430 --> 00:04:03.069 a mother's belief. and how it can change the 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:05.870 course of history. It's a perfect illustration 00:04:05.870 --> 00:04:09.449 of the type of influence moms have. Dolores Jordan 00:04:09.449 --> 00:04:12.550 doesn't raise her voice. She doesn't posture. 00:04:13.069 --> 00:04:16.629 She doesn't need a title. But her calm, confident, 00:04:16.870 --> 00:04:19.589 inner knowing made Michael Jordan the richest 00:04:19.589 --> 00:04:23.170 athlete of all time. See, a mom's influence is 00:04:23.170 --> 00:04:25.569 not just confined to the household or her parenting. 00:04:25.790 --> 00:04:29.209 It's directly connected to monumental economic 00:04:29.209 --> 00:04:32.420 outcomes. It's been widely reported that moms 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:36.160 control 85 % of household purchases and influence 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:40.459 up to $3 .8 trillion in annual spending just 00:04:40.459 --> 00:04:43.420 in the United States. That's more than Italy, 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:47.160 Canada, or France's individual GDPs. If moms 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:49.459 were a country, their spending would make them 00:04:49.459 --> 00:04:52.519 one of the largest economies in the world. No 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:56.199 formal cabinet, no flashy campaign slogans. Just 00:04:56.199 --> 00:04:59.500 juice boxes, school shoes, therapy co -pays, 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:01.579 and a sixth sense for what's running low in the 00:05:01.579 --> 00:05:04.579 fridge. How is it that economists, financial 00:05:04.579 --> 00:05:06.600 strategists, the World Bank, and Wall Street 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:09.680 aren't talking about this? To understand the 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:12.560 depth of this economic influence, we sat down 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.620 with Katherine Winch, the CEO of the Mom Complex 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:18.420 and someone who's at the forefront of mom's spending 00:05:18.420 --> 00:05:22.060 power. Moms have extraordinary spending power. 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:25.160 And I think if women actually recognize that, 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:27.220 that there are many, many industries that we 00:05:27.220 --> 00:05:31.490 could put out of business. specifically the beauty 00:05:31.490 --> 00:05:35.709 industry. And so I think that I know that the 00:05:35.709 --> 00:05:38.230 beauty industry is a six billion dollar industry 00:05:38.230 --> 00:05:42.129 funded on the backs of women and mothers everywhere 00:05:42.129 --> 00:05:44.689 who think they're not pretty enough or thin enough 00:05:44.689 --> 00:05:48.250 or their hair's not long enough, et cetera. So 00:05:48.250 --> 00:05:51.269 my wish for women in this world is that we would 00:05:51.269 --> 00:05:54.569 realize that our physical appearance is not the 00:05:54.569 --> 00:05:57.529 end all be all and we could be happy with ourselves 00:05:57.529 --> 00:06:00.240 and I always love. to think about that if women 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:03.540 woke up tomorrow and decided that we were beautiful, 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:06.220 how many industries we would put out of business. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:11.540 I know for a fact why brands still use outdated 00:06:11.540 --> 00:06:14.680 tropes like the frazzled mom and the minivan 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:18.540 in their marketing and advertising. So if you 00:06:18.540 --> 00:06:21.079 take one mom and you put her in a room of seven 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:24.120 other moms that she doesn't know and, you know, 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:27.040 in the name of consumer research and you ask 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:29.519 her what her family eats every day, what their 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:31.680 family is doing, how well behaved their children 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:35.360 are, how involved their partner is, it's lies. 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:38.600 And so what it sounds like is, oh, my children 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:41.319 eat broccoli three meals a day. We always recycle. 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:44.939 We eat gluten free, dairy free, soy free. And 00:06:44.939 --> 00:06:47.439 my partner is super, super involved and helpful. 00:06:48.019 --> 00:06:51.480 And the reason that mothers lie is the reason 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:54.199 that I started my consulting company called The 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.360 Mom Complex is because in those environments 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:01.939 they do not feel safe saying, I am broken. I 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:05.279 am tired. I have breast cancer. I'm on the verge 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:08.759 of getting a divorce. My life is falling apart. 00:07:08.939 --> 00:07:12.120 My son... has ADHD. They're not comfortable saying 00:07:12.120 --> 00:07:15.579 any of that because they feel profoundly judged 00:07:15.579 --> 00:07:18.399 by other women, by other mothers, and even the 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:22.180 brands that are trying to attract the attention. 00:07:22.589 --> 00:07:27.129 and money from those mothers and so it's not 00:07:27.129 --> 00:07:29.529 necessarily the fault of these companies are 00:07:29.529 --> 00:07:32.490 spending millions of dollars they know moms are 00:07:32.490 --> 00:07:34.689 important and women they spend all this money 00:07:34.689 --> 00:07:38.310 to connect with them it's the environment that 00:07:38.310 --> 00:07:42.009 sucks we have to start opening up and being honest 00:07:42.009 --> 00:07:44.930 about our problems i think that is the greatest 00:07:44.930 --> 00:07:47.930 thing that holds women and mothers back is his 00:07:47.930 --> 00:07:51.120 belief. We cannot talk about our flaws. We cannot 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.720 talk about when we have. We make a mistake. We 00:07:53.720 --> 00:07:55.500 can't certainly cannot say we don't know what 00:07:55.500 --> 00:07:58.500 we're doing, you know, as a wife or a partner 00:07:58.500 --> 00:08:02.199 or a mother. And that's exhausting. And a lot 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.279 of women do not want to express any downside 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:07.939 of life because they believe that they are the 00:08:07.939 --> 00:08:10.339 only ones that have it. They believe everybody 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:14.339 else is perfect and they are pathetic. So for 00:08:14.339 --> 00:08:17.120 any woman listening right now, I encourage you 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:21.730 today to say the truth out loud in some way, 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:24.790 hint that you're struggling, give some clues, 00:08:25.250 --> 00:08:28.750 even say it out loud specifically. And what I 00:08:28.750 --> 00:08:32.250 can almost guarantee you will find is that the 00:08:32.250 --> 00:08:35.470 backlash that you are convinced is coming, that 00:08:35.470 --> 00:08:37.549 everybody's gonna think you're a trash fire, 00:08:37.909 --> 00:08:40.750 will not happen. And especially if you open up 00:08:40.750 --> 00:08:42.590 to another woman or mother, they're gonna go, 00:08:42.669 --> 00:08:46.370 oh girl, you too? Like you're struggling too? 00:08:46.509 --> 00:08:49.370 I thought I was the only one. And that's when 00:08:49.370 --> 00:08:52.230 we start to release the pressure. That's when 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:55.970 we stop holding on to the lies that are buried 00:08:55.970 --> 00:09:00.620 deep inside of us. And if we can start to talk 00:09:00.620 --> 00:09:03.200 about that, we will release all that pressure. 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:06.320 And that's when I think the social change will 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:09.519 happen, that we women are allowed to be flawed. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.200 We're allowed to not wear makeup. We're allowed 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:15.740 to not be perfect. But I think until we free 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:19.340 ourselves, no one's coming for us. No one's coming 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:22.830 to save you. Marketers know about the spending 00:09:22.830 --> 00:09:25.610 power of moms and profit greatly from maternal 00:09:25.610 --> 00:09:28.850 identity. In fact, they've built entire marketing 00:09:28.850 --> 00:09:31.850 empires around it, not just by targeting moms, 00:09:32.009 --> 00:09:35.409 but by co -opting the idea of motherhood itself. 00:09:35.669 --> 00:09:38.190 Take a stroll down any grocery aisle and you'll 00:09:38.190 --> 00:09:41.070 find it. Pastel packaging, words like natural, 00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:45.230 nurturing, gentle. The promise isn't just a product. 00:09:45.549 --> 00:09:48.789 It's the illusion of being a good mom. Organic 00:09:48.789 --> 00:09:51.350 baby food, toxin -free shampoo, early learning 00:09:51.350 --> 00:09:54.289 flashcards. These things are all sold not just 00:09:54.289 --> 00:09:57.730 as commodities, but as a moral compass. You're 00:09:57.730 --> 00:10:01.230 a good mom if you obsess over every detail. Because 00:10:01.230 --> 00:10:03.690 here's the trick. When you market to moms, you're 00:10:03.690 --> 00:10:06.440 not just selling to them. You're selling through 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.240 them. Moms don't just buy for themselves. And 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.159 let's be honest, so many moms don't do much for 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:14.159 themselves. They buy for their kids, their spouses, 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:17.240 their aging parents, their fur babies, their 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.799 classrooms, their communities. And the industry 00:10:19.799 --> 00:10:34.799 term for this? the consumer in chief. Moms are 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:37.759 everywhere in the economy, and nowhere in the 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.220 conversation about power. They're driving consumer 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:43.559 behavior, brand trends, and even community resilience, 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:46.879 but most of that labor, both emotional and economic, 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:50.220 goes unnoticed. And while many companies profit 00:10:50.220 --> 00:10:53.539 off maternal identity, few invest in actual maternal 00:10:53.539 --> 00:10:56.879 well -being. They want the mom who buys, not 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:00.340 the mom who leads. But make no mistake, if you've 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:03.159 got the title of mom, you lead. You lead dinner, 00:11:03.379 --> 00:11:05.720 you lead discipline, you lead doctor's appointments, 00:11:06.019 --> 00:11:08.340 daycare drop -off, disaster control when the 00:11:08.340 --> 00:11:11.299 stomach bug hits at midnight. You lead even when 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:14.360 you're exhausted, even when you're doubted, even 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:17.409 when you're not seen or think you lead. It's 00:11:17.409 --> 00:11:19.929 not just something you do, it's who you are. 00:11:20.409 --> 00:11:23.529 Motherhood is not a support role. It's a leadership 00:11:23.529 --> 00:11:28.389 position. You know this. And when moms are resourced, 00:11:28.610 --> 00:11:31.990 not just marketed to, entire communities rise. 00:11:32.590 --> 00:11:36.169 One woman who knows this firsthand is Dr. Aisha 00:11:36.169 --> 00:11:39.850 Nyandoro, CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, 00:11:39.970 --> 00:11:42.809 a nonprofit that helps low -income families thrive. 00:11:43.529 --> 00:11:46.850 In 2018, she launched the Magnolia Mothers Trust, 00:11:47.309 --> 00:11:49.929 the first guaranteed income program in the U 00:11:49.929 --> 00:11:52.750 .S. to give unrestricted cash directly to low 00:11:52.750 --> 00:11:55.980 -income mothers. No strings attached. No hoops 00:11:55.980 --> 00:11:58.919 to jump through. And what happened next? The 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:01.320 percentage of mothers able to pay all their bills 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:06.620 on time increased from 27 % to 83%. The capacity 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:09.960 to provide sufficient groceries rose from 64 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:14.240 % to 81%. Families with health insurance increased 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:18.100 by 25%. Children performing above grade level 00:12:18.100 --> 00:12:22.169 increased by 20%. These outcomes validate the 00:12:22.169 --> 00:12:24.470 program's impact, demonstrating that when mothers 00:12:24.470 --> 00:12:27.409 are given the resources they need, not only do 00:12:27.409 --> 00:12:30.269 their immediate circumstances improve, but they 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:33.669 pass it along to their kids. It turns out, if 00:12:33.669 --> 00:12:35.889 you want to raise a household, a neighborhood, 00:12:36.370 --> 00:12:38.950 or a zip code out of poverty, you start with 00:12:38.950 --> 00:12:41.570 a person holding it all together. You start with 00:12:41.570 --> 00:12:44.960 the moms. the backbone of the family, and the 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:48.460 blueprint for community health. Mothers are multipliers. 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:51.240 Give them resources, and they don't just survive. 00:12:51.779 --> 00:12:58.379 They build. If you grew up in a faith community, 00:12:58.860 --> 00:13:01.419 chances are it wasn't your pastor who first taught 00:13:01.419 --> 00:13:04.600 you how to pray. It was your mom, or your grandma, 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:07.399 or your aunt who always had butterscotch candies 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:10.759 in her purse and never missed a Sunday. The women, 00:13:10.919 --> 00:13:14.559 the moms, They showed up. They led bedtime prayers. 00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:17.220 They packed up diaper bags with Cheerios, church 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:19.899 bulletins, and children's Bibles. They were the 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:36.220 glue. For generations, moms and grandmas have 00:13:36.220 --> 00:13:38.379 been the spiritual caretakers of the family. 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:41.919 And for many, that's still true. But there's 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:44.779 a shift happening, and fast. For the first time 00:13:44.779 --> 00:13:46.960 in recorded history, women are leaving the church 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.500 faster than men. And if that fact makes your 00:13:49.500 --> 00:13:52.919 jaw drop, you're not alone. For decades, churches 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.700 were powered by women, not just quietly behind 00:13:55.700 --> 00:13:57.639 the scenes, but front and center in their own 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:00.360 way, organizing the nursery schedule, leading 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:03.200 small groups, and corralling toddlers into Christmas 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:05.779 pageants with duct -taped angel wings and sticky 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:09.840 candy canes. But today, that's shifting. And 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:13.340 the data tells a surprising story. According 00:14:13.340 --> 00:14:16.399 to Barna Group, Gen Z women who have historically 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:18.879 been the most likely to participate in church 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.779 life are now less religiously affiliated than 00:14:21.779 --> 00:14:27.379 Gen Z men. As of 2024, 39 % of Gen Z women identify 00:14:27.379 --> 00:14:31.059 as religiously unaffiliated compared to 31 % 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:33.960 of Gen Z men. It's the first time that gender 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:38.000 gap has flipped. And it's not just about affiliation. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.399 Weekly church attendance is higher for men for 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:43.879 the first time in modern history. 30 % of men 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:47.539 versus 27 % of women, according to the same Barna 00:14:47.539 --> 00:14:49.820 data. This trend didn't come out of nowhere. 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:54.000 From 2000 to 2015, women outpaced men in church 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.039 attendance. Then the line started to blur. From 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:02.220 2016 to 2021, they ran neck and neck. But over 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:04.909 the last three years, Women are consistently 00:15:04.909 --> 00:15:07.629 attending church less than men. So what's going 00:15:07.629 --> 00:15:11.470 on? According to Barna CEO David Kinnaman, it's 00:15:11.470 --> 00:15:14.429 not one single reason, it's a slow accumulation 00:15:14.429 --> 00:15:17.610 of many. Perhaps it's the feeling of always showing 00:15:17.610 --> 00:15:20.389 up and not being seen, the pressure to serve 00:15:20.389 --> 00:15:23.710 without ever feeling heard, or decades of purity 00:15:23.710 --> 00:15:26.789 culture messaging that hyper -focused on modesty 00:15:26.789 --> 00:15:29.870 and abstinence while skipping over discipleship, 00:15:30.009 --> 00:15:32.480 depth, and leadership. Or maybe it's something 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.580 that happened outside the church walls, something 00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:38.500 related to the unique challenges of modern motherhood 00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:44.700 from episode two. The fatigue, the burnout, what 00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:47.779 Barna calls compassion fatigue, the emotional 00:15:47.779 --> 00:15:50.000 exhaustion that comes from being the spiritual 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:53.740 backbone of a place and feeling like the scaffolding. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:57.720 At home, moms make the coffee, care for the kids, 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:00.240 do the admin, make sure everyone is taken care 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.389 of. and then they come to church and are expected 00:16:03.389 --> 00:16:07.370 to do those same roles. The pandemic only accelerated 00:16:07.370 --> 00:16:10.590 things. Women took on the lion's share of caregiving, 00:16:10.789 --> 00:16:13.610 homeschooling, meal making, career pivoting. 00:16:13.950 --> 00:16:16.809 And when the world opened back up, many never 00:16:16.809 --> 00:16:19.350 returned to their previous church roles, not 00:16:19.350 --> 00:16:23.289 out of rebellion, but because they were tired 00:16:23.289 --> 00:16:27.120 and no one offered a new model. Now in their 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.919 absence, men are showing slight upticks in engagement. 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.379 They're consuming more long -form theological 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:35.299 content, seeking out tight -knit communities, 00:16:35.620 --> 00:16:37.899 and for some rediscovering spiritual purpose 00:16:37.899 --> 00:16:41.240 in a disoriented world. But make no mistake, 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:44.799 this is not a victory lap. This is a wake -up 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.549 call. When women begin to step back, not just 00:16:48.549 --> 00:16:51.509 from programs, but from the identity of spiritual 00:16:51.509 --> 00:16:54.590 nurture. The ripple effect is enormous. Their 00:16:54.590 --> 00:16:57.230 absence doesn't just shift church attendance, 00:16:57.750 --> 00:17:01.470 it shifts the future of faith. Because for centuries, 00:17:02.090 --> 00:17:04.289 women have been the spiritual transmitters, passing 00:17:04.289 --> 00:17:06.750 down faith, shaping rituals, creating traditions, 00:17:07.309 --> 00:17:09.869 holding families together through hardship and 00:17:09.869 --> 00:17:13.210 healing, praying for their kids with unmatched 00:17:13.210 --> 00:17:17.660 fervency. And here's the catch. Interest in spirituality 00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:20.400 isn't declining, not even close. It's booming. 00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:23.740 People, especially women, are more spiritually 00:17:23.740 --> 00:17:26.859 curious than ever. But they're looking for something 00:17:26.859 --> 00:17:29.500 real, something meaningful, something that doesn't 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:32.420 come wrapped in performance or pressure. So the 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:35.039 question isn't if women still care about faith. 00:17:35.420 --> 00:17:38.180 The question is, are they being given a place 00:17:38.180 --> 00:17:42.609 at the table to explore it? I sat down with Bible 00:17:42.609 --> 00:17:45.230 scholar Joel Manamale to unpack the theology 00:17:45.230 --> 00:17:48.049 of motherhood and why reclaiming this role might 00:17:48.049 --> 00:17:50.410 just be one of the most important spiritual shifts 00:17:50.410 --> 00:17:53.589 of our time. What are you seeing in the faith 00:17:53.589 --> 00:17:57.019 lives of the moms in your church? Yeah, it's 00:17:57.019 --> 00:17:58.799 actually really interesting. I had the opportunity 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:01.220 just a couple of weeks ago to speak at a high 00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:04.680 school retreat and it was a bunch of freshmen 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:07.480 through seniors and there was a group of moms 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:09.960 who had actually come as kind of volunteers and 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:11.980 you know to help out with the retreat and I spoke 00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:16.019 for some main sessions and they did a Q &A for 00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:18.640 just the seniors one night and then right after 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:20.579 that Q &A got done they opened it up for just 00:18:20.579 --> 00:18:22.519 the parents you know to kind of have some conversations. 00:18:22.819 --> 00:18:24.599 The first observation that that was absolutely 00:18:24.599 --> 00:18:27.799 fascinating was that 80 % were all the moms who 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:29.920 were there and had the time and the opportunity 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.640 and the flexibility to actually invest and to 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:36.079 do this. But the questions that they asked gave 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:40.519 me a very specific insight into the things that 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:43.180 they are looking at and working through. And 00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:47.599 it's that these moms are curious theologically 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:50.380 for biblical and scriptural truth. Like they're 00:18:50.380 --> 00:18:53.500 being inundated. a day in and day out basis with 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:56.720 competing cultural values, competing cultural 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:00.240 ideas of understanding of gender and sexuality 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.960 and relationships and vocation. And I think what 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:05.900 they're looking for is, well, what does the Bible 00:19:05.900 --> 00:19:09.480 actually say about these things? How can we know 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:11.980 that the Bible actually said it versus this being 00:19:11.980 --> 00:19:14.119 something that has just been told to me from 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:16.579 my pastor or from church leaders or something 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:19.259 that I read somewhere? And then have this confidence 00:19:19.259 --> 00:19:21.680 that there's some honesty for the attention along 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.519 the way to navigate it. And so I think that's 00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:27.059 kind of what moms are looking at and thinking 00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:30.119 about right now. Teens report that moms are one 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:33.599 of their primary partners for almost every activity 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:35.500 outside of like sports and social media. But 00:19:35.500 --> 00:19:38.019 like talking about faith, I think 70 % of the 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:39.900 teens said that their mom was like their primary 00:19:39.900 --> 00:19:42.359 person that they talked about faith with, which 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:44.660 I just love. And you're so right. Moms are wrestling 00:19:44.660 --> 00:19:46.920 with all of these very real cultural issues that 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:49.480 are in our home. Our kids are navigating on a 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:52.319 daily basis and we want to do it right. From 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:55.220 a theology standpoint, one of the things that 00:19:55.220 --> 00:19:57.799 I'm having consistently conversations with with 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:01.259 moms and just church attendees in general is 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:05.619 thinking in terms of not just me myself and I 00:20:05.619 --> 00:20:08.420 and my immediate context, but thinking generationally. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:12.559 you know, thinking in terms of what is the impact 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:15.480 that I'm having now that is going to echo on 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:18.000 in generations to come. And when we look at the 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.660 biblical text, look at the biblical narrative, 00:20:19.900 --> 00:20:23.039 we get the benefit of seeing generational in 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:25.660 one macrocosm in a microcosm, we can kind of 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:27.660 zero down and see how all these things work out. 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:29.920 I mean, people get stressed out about genealogies, 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:32.039 right? Like, why in the world are these genealogies 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:34.579 in the Bible? And I think they're there as a 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:38.079 benefit for us to see like, oh, Generations matter. 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:40.519 The way that moms and dads raise their children 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:44.000 matter. Look at the entire First and Second Kings 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:46.740 and First and Second Chronicles. I mean, these 00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:50.359 things matter generationally. And so one of the 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:53.299 things I think that would be helpful is to recognize 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:57.039 that the value and the meaning and the intentionality 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:59.940 of these moments that feel like, gosh, am I making 00:20:59.940 --> 00:21:03.380 a contribution meaningfully to the world if we 00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:06.690 reframe our understanding and saying, Yes, you 00:21:06.690 --> 00:21:09.569 are, massively. Let's talk about a theology of 00:21:09.569 --> 00:21:12.549 motherhood. And this could easily just, you know, 00:21:12.609 --> 00:21:15.450 be a theology of fatherhood, so a theology of 00:21:15.450 --> 00:21:17.869 parenting in general. But what does that even 00:21:17.869 --> 00:21:21.430 mean? And why is it an important topic to explore, 00:21:21.569 --> 00:21:24.170 especially in the context of the church and us 00:21:24.170 --> 00:21:26.829 as people of faith? Yeah, that's so good. So 00:21:26.829 --> 00:21:30.009 it's really interesting. So my background, Mandy, 00:21:30.390 --> 00:21:33.190 is, you know, theological, academic, I've gone 00:21:33.190 --> 00:21:36.089 through seminary, the PhD in biblical theology. 00:21:36.289 --> 00:21:38.289 And I'm going to be honest with you, I never 00:21:38.289 --> 00:21:41.549 had a class on the theology of motherhood. Like 00:21:41.549 --> 00:21:44.529 I actually, in preparation for this, I went through 00:21:44.529 --> 00:21:47.069 my notes and did like a search of all my, I'm 00:21:47.069 --> 00:21:51.289 like, the search result was zero. You know? I 00:21:51.289 --> 00:21:53.690 actually think that's a challenge. I actually 00:21:53.690 --> 00:21:56.029 think that's something that has to be addressed, 00:21:56.250 --> 00:21:59.690 honestly, because comparatively, when I did a 00:21:59.690 --> 00:22:03.089 search on Um, moms, motherhood, there's some 00:22:03.089 --> 00:22:04.849 technical words. So when I say these technical 00:22:04.849 --> 00:22:06.990 words, I don't want people to like panic and 00:22:06.990 --> 00:22:08.829 say, oh my gosh, like just know that these are 00:22:08.829 --> 00:22:10.930 technical academic words. So like one of the 00:22:10.930 --> 00:22:13.269 phrases is childbearing that in the ancient world 00:22:13.269 --> 00:22:15.869 that, that biological function was connected 00:22:15.869 --> 00:22:18.150 with motherhood. So when you're doing research 00:22:18.150 --> 00:22:20.250 academically, those are the kinds of things you're 00:22:20.250 --> 00:22:23.690 looking at. Like it is everywhere in scripture. 00:22:24.029 --> 00:22:27.259 Mandy, I think it's fascinating. that when God 00:22:27.259 --> 00:22:30.039 first creates Adam, after a series, like if you 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:32.420 read Genesis 1, it is a series of it's good, 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:34.500 it's good, it's good, it's good, right? So these 00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:37.380 summary statements of it's good. He creates man, 00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:40.940 Adam, the Hebrew word is adam. And then for the 00:22:40.940 --> 00:22:43.920 very first time, he says it's not good. For the 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:46.839 very first time, it's not good. it's not good 00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:49.960 in response to the fact that man is isolated, 00:22:49.980 --> 00:22:52.859 he's alone, he doesn't have a counterpart with 00:22:52.859 --> 00:22:55.839 him, and so then God creates a woman from his 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:57.339 rib. Now I've actually done a bunch of study 00:22:57.339 --> 00:23:00.440 on this term rib in Genesis, and unfortunately 00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:03.859 a lot of modern translations they use a wooden 00:23:03.859 --> 00:23:06.240 kind of translation to just help our mind like 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:08.000 comprehend it, but it's so much more. The Hebrew 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.539 word shalah, it actually refers to an entire 00:23:11.539 --> 00:23:15.359 side of someone or something. So we think a modern 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:17.140 day of rib and it's like, I can have a cracked 00:23:17.140 --> 00:23:19.079 rib and it's painful or, you know, but I can 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:22.000 still live, but imagine not having an entire 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:25.240 side of something. Like you can't function. It's 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:27.680 not possible, right? And so, and then another 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:30.000 interesting thing, this Hebrew word is also used 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.839 of pillars of stability and structure. One of 00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:35.039 those instances is the temple of God that these, 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:37.099 there are these pillars and I just think, okay, 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:40.680 what is the bigger vision the bigger view of 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:42.839 woman before we even get to motherhood of woman 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:45.799 and the bigger view and vision of womanhood is 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:51.819 that um god creates a woman By making man half 00:23:51.819 --> 00:23:53.900 so in order for man to become whole he's got 00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:55.759 to have this counterpart you know which is which 00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:58.420 is woman which is kind of a brilliant and beautiful 00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:02.059 thing and then the purpose the the the value 00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:04.480 proposition here is that this woman is a source 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:07.579 of stability is a sort of source of strength. 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:10.960 You know an imagery that I sometimes give is 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:14.210 like what like. what would happen if in my house 00:24:14.210 --> 00:24:15.950 right now that I'm sitting in, all of a sudden 00:24:15.950 --> 00:24:18.130 you took out all the beams of stability, all 00:24:18.130 --> 00:24:20.349 the beams of structure, everything would implode. 00:24:20.650 --> 00:24:23.269 It would all fall in on each other, you know? 00:24:23.369 --> 00:24:26.069 And so I think this gives us a really important 00:24:26.069 --> 00:24:28.410 context that we have to consider a theology of 00:24:28.410 --> 00:24:31.349 motherhood from. And then we get to what, again, 00:24:31.490 --> 00:24:36.839 is so fascinating. Adam names his wife Eve. Now, 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.299 I think this is super important. This is prior 00:24:39.299 --> 00:24:42.960 to any children being born and prior to the fall. 00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:47.099 So this is in Eden prior to the fall. Well, what 00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:50.160 is this? What is her name, Eve? It's Hava in 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:52.599 Hebrew. What does it actually mean? It means 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:56.039 vitality and life. And then the biblical text 00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:58.099 actually gives us a definition. It means the 00:24:58.099 --> 00:25:01.359 mother of all living things. Well, you might 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:04.160 wonder, wait a minute. How can she be given a 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:05.680 title mother of all living things when she hasn't 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:08.180 even had any kids yet? Right. And I think this 00:25:08.180 --> 00:25:10.180 is an incredibly important principle. So what 00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:13.319 I give often when I'm teaching, I often say the 00:25:13.319 --> 00:25:15.799 Bible is more about principles and policy. We 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:17.380 often come to the scriptures because we want 00:25:17.380 --> 00:25:19.920 policy. A plus B always to equal C. The Bible 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:23.140 doesn't want to primarily give us policy. There 00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:25.180 is some policy in there, but primarily it's about 00:25:25.180 --> 00:25:28.940 principles. What is A and what is B? And how 00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:32.180 does C relate to A, B, and C? Because that actually 00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:34.960 helps us think rightly about the world and about 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:37.980 our relationships, about God himself. And so 00:25:37.980 --> 00:25:41.420 you have right off the bat this idea that God 00:25:41.420 --> 00:25:44.519 creates this woman and then Adam names her and 00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:47.720 then she gets this title, this glorious title 00:25:47.720 --> 00:25:51.500 of the mother of all living things. Adam on his 00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:57.539 own could not... confirm and live out the mandate 00:25:57.539 --> 00:26:00.720 that God gives humanity to multiply, to flourish, 00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:03.539 to extend the glory of God into the ends of the 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:08.000 earth. And so it was vital that he had Eve. Oh 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:14.559 my gosh. That is exciting and brilliant. And 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:19.500 thank you for kind of resetting the foundation 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:28.579 of motherhood and where it started. Life's most 00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:31.779 important moments happen around a table. A baby's 00:26:31.779 --> 00:26:34.319 first birthday, smeared frosting crinkled party 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:37.720 hats, grandparents leaning in close, a late night 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:40.059 heart -to -heart between teenage sisters over 00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:43.220 bowls of cereal. That sacred Thanksgiving when 00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:46.079 no one really knew what to say after the diagnosis, 00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:49.279 but the mashed potatoes still got passed. And 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:51.279 the random Taco Tuesday where a boyfriend looks 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:53.960 across the table and says, I'm gonna marry you 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:58.349 someday between bites of salsa. The table holds 00:26:58.349 --> 00:27:01.529 our stories. It remembers things even when we 00:27:01.529 --> 00:27:05.109 forget. In my faith tradition, God knew that. 00:27:05.309 --> 00:27:07.670 He designed it that way. The same is true in 00:27:07.670 --> 00:27:09.890 Scripture. The story of God happens through meals. 00:27:10.529 --> 00:27:12.490 In the beginning, God sets a table for Adam and 00:27:12.490 --> 00:27:15.289 Eve saying, eat, partake. You can eat everything 00:27:15.289 --> 00:27:18.309 except from one tree. It's all yours to enjoy. 00:27:19.250 --> 00:27:22.630 Then sin enters the world through a meal. Later, 00:27:23.069 --> 00:27:25.369 God's people are in captivity, and God tells 00:27:25.369 --> 00:27:27.329 them the way they're going to be rescued starts 00:27:27.329 --> 00:27:29.410 with the meal that they're to prepare, where 00:27:29.410 --> 00:27:31.630 they slaughter a lamb and put its blood on the 00:27:31.630 --> 00:27:34.410 doorposts. It's a foreshadowing of Jesus, the 00:27:34.410 --> 00:27:37.730 sacrificial lamb. Then Jesus feeds thousands 00:27:37.730 --> 00:27:40.309 with the few loaves and fishes that he miraculously 00:27:40.309 --> 00:27:45.079 multiplies. Then Jesus has a last meal. All of 00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:46.799 his friends are there, where he takes his bread 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:49.299 and wine and tells them to eat it in remembrance 00:27:49.299 --> 00:27:51.859 of him. And after that, we read in Acts that 00:27:51.859 --> 00:27:54.059 the followers of Jesus broke bread in their homes 00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:56.220 and ate together, praising God and enjoying the 00:27:56.220 --> 00:27:58.599 favor of all the people. And the Lord added to 00:27:58.599 --> 00:28:01.140 their number daily those who were being saved. 00:28:02.299 --> 00:28:05.640 And then the story culminates in a feast called 00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:07.819 the Supper of the Lamb that we read about in 00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:12.460 Revelation. God uses meals to shape his people. 00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:16.000 not just to nourish them, but to form them, to 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.400 remind them of who they were and who He was. 00:28:19.900 --> 00:28:22.339 In the Old Testament, God gave His people commandments. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.880 They were guidelines to live by, but sometimes 00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:29.339 we forget He also gave them feasts, seven of 00:28:29.339 --> 00:28:32.299 them to be exact, sacred meals baked into the 00:28:32.299 --> 00:28:36.059 calendar, a rhythm of remembering. Each feast 00:28:36.059 --> 00:28:39.720 marked a chapter in their story, rescue, renewal, 00:28:40.099 --> 00:28:43.900 trust, abundance. These weren't holidays. They 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:48.220 were theology on a plate. If you've never heard 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:50.779 of these feasts, you're not alone. But here's 00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:53.299 the point. They weren't just about rituals. They 00:28:53.299 --> 00:28:55.920 were about formation, about identity, and they 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:58.220 still whisper something to us now, especially 00:28:58.220 --> 00:29:00.500 if you've ever held the sacred responsibility 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:03.160 of feeding someone else. Because when you look 00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:05.339 at these feasts not as religious relics, but 00:29:05.339 --> 00:29:07.779 as signposts of spiritual power, you start to 00:29:07.779 --> 00:29:12.039 realize power isn't always what we think. But 00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:15.319 before we step into ancient Israel and the feasts, 00:29:15.579 --> 00:29:18.059 let's acknowledge something closer to home. Because 00:29:18.059 --> 00:29:20.779 no matter how sacred these feasts are, moms have 00:29:20.779 --> 00:29:22.980 been hosting one of their own since time began. 00:29:23.579 --> 00:29:26.539 It's called every single day. Moms are the ones 00:29:26.539 --> 00:29:29.420 who nourish. We make the grocery lists, we prep 00:29:29.420 --> 00:29:32.859 lunch boxes, we spoon feed mashed bananas, cut 00:29:32.859 --> 00:29:35.640 crust into hearts, and then we make the chicken, 00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:37.680 just how they like it when they come home from 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:41.450 college for a visit. And at the beginning? It's 00:29:41.450 --> 00:29:44.849 not just the kitchen. It's your body. You become 00:29:44.849 --> 00:29:47.529 the meal. You are the feast and somehow it doesn't 00:29:47.529 --> 00:29:49.549 stop, not when they're teens and not when they're 00:29:49.549 --> 00:29:52.549 grown. The table gets bigger, the menu changes, 00:29:53.009 --> 00:29:56.289 but the nourishing continues. It's beautiful, 00:29:56.589 --> 00:29:59.349 yes, but let's be honest, it's also exhausting. 00:29:59.849 --> 00:30:02.890 The constancy of it, the invisibility of it, 00:30:02.950 --> 00:30:06.750 the sacred repetition of care. So if these ancient 00:30:06.750 --> 00:30:08.849 feasts seem far away, remember you're living 00:30:08.849 --> 00:30:12.160 one right now. You prepare, you serve, you clean, 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:15.440 you feed hearts and bodies alike. You're participating 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:18.380 in a holy directive, maybe without even knowing 00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:22.140 it. So back to the feast. Let's start with the 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:25.460 very first one, Passover. This is a meal that 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:28.220 remembers rescue. God's people were enslaved 00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:30.920 in Egypt, beaten down, used up, forgotten by 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:34.660 the world, but not by God. Passover marks the 00:30:34.660 --> 00:30:37.359 night he brought them out. A lamb was killed, 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:39.619 its blood smeared on doorposts, and when death 00:30:39.619 --> 00:30:42.140 came through the land, it passed over every home 00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:47.460 marked by that blood. If you've ever stood at 00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:50.200 the door of your child's room, heart thudding 00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:52.660 with prayers too deep for words you know this 00:30:52.660 --> 00:30:56.240 kind of power. It's faithful, the kind of strength 00:30:56.240 --> 00:30:59.400 that says, not on my watch. It's a protective 00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:01.539 influence, like when you make a hard call that 00:31:01.539 --> 00:31:04.579 your child won't understand for 10 years. It's 00:31:04.579 --> 00:31:08.319 the kind of love that covers. Then it's the feast 00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:11.380 of unleavened bread. This one starts the very 00:31:11.380 --> 00:31:14.299 next day. They ate bread without yeast for a 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:18.269 whole week. Why? Because when freedom came, it 00:31:18.269 --> 00:31:21.190 came fast. No time to let the dough rise. It's 00:31:21.190 --> 00:31:23.529 a feast of urgency and purity, a reminder to 00:31:23.529 --> 00:31:26.309 leave behind not just the land of slavery, but 00:31:26.309 --> 00:31:29.390 the habits and corruption of it too. This is 00:31:29.390 --> 00:31:31.529 the kind of wisdom moms carry in their bones. 00:31:31.950 --> 00:31:34.970 The ability to say, we don't need that. We're 00:31:34.970 --> 00:31:37.410 headed somewhere better. The courage to travel 00:31:37.410 --> 00:31:39.630 light, to leave behind what doesn't serve the 00:31:39.630 --> 00:31:42.650 journey. That's leadership. That's influence. 00:31:43.730 --> 00:31:46.839 Next, the feast of first fruits. This feast was 00:31:46.839 --> 00:31:49.019 all about the very beginning of the harvest. 00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:51.619 The first glimpse of God's provision that Israelites 00:31:51.619 --> 00:31:53.779 would bring the first stalks of grain to God. 00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:56.579 It wasn't just gratitude. It was trust. Trust 00:31:56.579 --> 00:32:00.160 that more would come. This one's radical. Bring 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:03.859 your first, not your leftovers. Not what's safe. 00:32:04.079 --> 00:32:06.319 The first and best of what you have, even before 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:09.160 the rest has come in. Moms live this way all 00:32:09.160 --> 00:32:12.220 the time. They give first, go last. They put 00:32:12.220 --> 00:32:14.700 their energy, their creativity, their very bodies 00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:16.700 on the line before they even know how things 00:32:16.700 --> 00:32:19.680 will turn out. But they do it anyway because 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:22.819 that's what love does. It's not just sacrifice, 00:32:23.099 --> 00:32:26.980 it's sacred boldness. And then there's Pentecost 00:32:26.980 --> 00:32:30.500 and the Feast of Weeks. 50 days after first fruits, 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:33.920 the full harvest is in. The people bring leavened 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:36.259 bread, yes, with yeast this time, and offer it 00:32:36.259 --> 00:32:39.400 to God. It's a feast of joy, of fullness, of 00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:41.920 shared abundance. This was never just about food, 00:32:42.019 --> 00:32:45.079 it was about pouring out. A collective reminder 00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:48.140 that what God gives isn't just for you, it's 00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:51.799 for the world. Pentecost is a feast of power. 00:32:52.170 --> 00:32:55.390 not hoarded power, but shared power. And in the 00:32:55.390 --> 00:32:58.390 New Testament, it's the day that the Holy Spirit 00:32:58.390 --> 00:33:01.569 shows up. Tongues of fire and all poured out, 00:33:01.569 --> 00:33:05.269 not on a select few, but on everyone. Sons and 00:33:05.269 --> 00:33:09.930 daughters, old and young, including moms. Because 00:33:09.930 --> 00:33:12.650 if anyone knows what it means to pour out their 00:33:12.650 --> 00:33:16.210 strength, their sanity, their sleep, it's a mother. 00:33:18.190 --> 00:33:22.059 So yes, power isn't always a sword. Sometimes 00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:24.940 it's a meal. Sometimes it's a moment of presence. 00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:29.259 Sometimes, maybe most of the time, the most powerful 00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:31.940 person in the room is the one who prepared the 00:33:31.940 --> 00:33:34.980 table. And if that person also got three kids 00:33:34.980 --> 00:33:37.140 fed, kept the toddler from licking the dog bowl, 00:33:37.420 --> 00:33:39.279 and remembered where the science fair poster 00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:43.220 board ended up, that's next level holy. The table 00:33:43.220 --> 00:33:46.099 was always more than furniture. It was always 00:33:46.099 --> 00:33:49.180 a place of formation, of memory, of meaning. 00:33:49.609 --> 00:33:53.289 And maybe, just maybe, that means the work you're 00:33:53.289 --> 00:33:56.430 doing night after night, meal after meal, isn't 00:33:56.430 --> 00:33:59.869 small at all. It's sacred and more powerful than 00:33:59.869 --> 00:34:04.250 you can fathom. Next week on Bloodline and Backbone, 00:34:04.309 --> 00:34:06.730 we're talking all about community, solidarity, 00:34:06.950 --> 00:34:09.210 and sisterhood, and how it deeply shapes our 00:34:09.210 --> 00:34:11.710 experience of motherhood. Thanks for listening 00:34:11.710 --> 00:34:17.809 to Bloodline and Backbone. This has been Bloodline 00:34:17.809 --> 00:34:21.230 and Backbone. A production of Mamco Media. Created 00:34:21.230 --> 00:34:24.210 by Mandy Arioto. It was written by Emma Turnbull 00:34:24.210 --> 00:34:27.590 and Mandy Arioto. Produced by Jeremiah Shimaker. 00:34:28.190 --> 00:34:30.630 Special thanks to Catherine Winch and Joel Medamale. 00:34:31.030 --> 00:34:33.010 Music composition and sound design by Sleepy 00:34:33.010 --> 00:34:36.250 Dog Creative. Our executive producer is Kelly 00:34:36.250 --> 00:34:40.050 Jo Smith. And our theme song is Glory by Zuri 00:34:40.050 --> 00:34:44.050 Alvarado. If this episode moved you, share it 00:34:44.050 --> 00:34:45.610 with someone who needs to hear it. And don't 00:34:45.610 --> 00:34:47.750 forget to follow the podcast so you never miss 00:34:47.750 --> 00:34:50.769 a new story. You can reach us at media at themom 00:34:50.769 --> 00:34:53.710 .co. We'll see you next time on Bloodline and 00:34:53.710 --> 00:34:54.070 Backbone.