Mama, When You Can't Hold Them in Your Arms, Hold Them in Your Prayers
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Release Date: 08/20/2025
When It Feels Safer to Hide: Overcoming the Fear of Being Seen
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Have you ever felt like it was simply safer to stay small? Maybe you've been putting off that dream, avoiding difficult conversations, or quietly convincing yourself that "someday" will be a better time. Maybe you've learned to hide in ways that don't even look like hiding anymore. In this episode of Peace in His Presence, Michelle shares the deeply personal story of how childhood bullying taught her that staying unseen felt safe—and how that same pattern quietly followed her into adulthood, even as she stepped into podcasting, coaching, and writing. If you've ever struggled with the fear of...
info_outline
When Your Inner Mean Girl Gathers Her Posse
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
When Your Inner Mean Girl Gathers Her Posse Why the voices telling you to stay quiet, stay small, and stay safe get so loud when you try something new. Have you ever wanted to start something new—a book, a podcast, a Bible study, a business, a ministry, or another dream you’ve carried for years—only to find that your inner critic suddenly has a lot to say? Who do you think you are? What if you fail? What if you don’t know enough? What if someone else could do it better? Sometimes the moment we begin moving toward something that matters to us, the negative self-talk gets louder. Fear of...
info_outline
When Worrying Doesn't Fix It
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
You've been worrying about them for months. Maybe years. And here's what all that worry has fixed: nothing. Not their pain. Not their situation. Not the ache in your chest that shows up every time your phone rings. You know worrying doesn't fix it. You know that. And yet you cannot stop. You replay the conversations. You brace for the next phone call. You carry their pain home with you and set it right down on your kitchen table like it belongs there. Friend — this episode is for you. What This Episode Is About In this episode of the When You Cannot Fix It summer series, we're talking...
info_outline
When You Cannot Fix It: Rest for the Weary Soul
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Are you a Christian woman who can't stop worrying about someone you love? Maybe it's your child who is struggling and won't let you help. Maybe it's a marriage that feels like it's slipping through your fingers. Maybe it's a parent's health or a situation at work or a relationship that keeps you awake at 3am spinning through every possible worst case scenario. You believe in God. You know He is in control. And your body still won't calm down. Friend — there is nothing wrong with you. And you are not alone. In this first episode of the When You Cannot Fix It summer series, I'm sharing...
info_outline
When Life Feels Overwhelming | God Walks With You (Isaiah 43)
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Maybe you've had the phone call you weren't expecting. The diagnosis. The season you didn't choose. Maybe you're watching someone you love suffer and there's nothing you can do to fix it. Maybe you're just bone-tired from carrying more than you were ever meant to carry. Whatever brought you here today — you are welcome. You don't have to have it together. You just have to show up. About This Episode Isaiah 43 opens with words God spoke to a people in exile — people who were far from home, overwhelmed, and wondering if God had forgotten them. And before anything else, before the command not...
info_outline
Can’t Sleep Worrying? Psalm 121 for Peace at Night
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
It's the middle of the night. Your mind is moving. Your heart is racing. Your body just won't settle — even though you know you need sleep, even though you've prayed, even though you trust God. You're not alone. And you're not failing. This episode is for you — the one lying awake in the dark, scanning for danger that may never come, carrying worry about someone or something you cannot control. About This Episode Psalm 121 was written for travelers on a road — people who didn't know what waited around the next bend. Maybe that feels familiar. Maybe lately you've been lifting your eyes to...
info_outline
Rest from Anxiety | Bible Verses for When You Feel Overwhelmed (Psalm 91)
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Are you carrying something heavy right now? Maybe it's fear about someone's health. Maybe it's worry about your finances, your children, or the weight of everything happening in the world — things you cannot fix no matter how hard you try. This episode is a place to slow down, breathe, and remember who holds you. This guided meditation on Psalm 91 is part of the Be Still Series on the Peace in His Presence podcast — scripture-centered meditations designed for the moments when you know what's true, but your body hasn't settled down yet. About This Episode Psalm 91 opens with a stunning...
info_outline
You Trust God — So Why Does Your Body Still Feel Anxious?
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Have you ever noticed your stomach clenching, your shoulders tightening, or your chest going tight — even when you know God is in control? Even when you trust His promises? You're not spiritually defective. You're not failing at faith. There's actually a beautiful, science-backed reason your body responds the way it does — and in this episode, Michelle explains exactly what's happening and why it makes complete sense. What This Episode Is About In this deeply personal episode, Michelle shares a breakthrough moment that connected years of theological study,...
info_outline
Rest For Your Soul:When the World Feels Shaken
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Does your heart feel shaken right now? Social media feels like a war zone. The news is devastating. People you love are tearing each other apart. And you're already carrying your own heavy weight—relationship struggles, financial stress, health concerns, kids you're worried about. You go online looking for connection and find division instead. The weight just keeps getting heavier. If you're exhausted from trying to hold it all together, if you're weary of watching people fight, if you're searching for peace when the world feels like chaos—this episode is for you. In This Episode, You'll...
info_outline
What To Do When Grief Shows Up
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Grief doesn't follow a schedule. It shows up in the grocery store aisle, while looking through recipes, when you hear a certain song. And during the holidays, grief can feel even more intense. In this final episode of the Be Still series, I'm sharing what I've learned about welcoming grief instead of trying to fix it—and how Immanuel (God WITH us) meets us right in the middle of our pain. You'll discover: • Why "small" griefs matter just as much as "big" ones • The REST framework for processing grief when it catches you off guard • How to hold both grief and joy at the same time •...
info_outlineDoes your mama heart ache when your child leaves? You're not alone.
If you've ever watched your child drive away and felt your heart break a little, this episode is for you. Michelle shares her tender goodbye with her son Matthew as he heads to his senior year of college, and offers three practical tools to help you navigate the beautiful, painful journey of letting go with love.
What You'll Learn:
✨ Why being a "50-50 mom" is actually perfect (and gives you permission to stop trying to be perfect)
✨ The hero vs. victim mindset - how treating your child as the hero of their story creates connection instead of control
✨ Selah Moments - a simple way to stay connected without being controlling (plus the neuroscience behind why this works!)
✨ The power of release - what burdens you're carrying that were never meant for you
✨ A beautiful prayer based on Psalm 121 where you can insert your child's name
Perfect for Mamas Who:
💙 Feel anxious when their children leave home
💙 Struggle with wanting to control outcomes for their kids
💙 Wonder if they're "doing motherhood right"
💙 Have a child leaving for college, starting school, or any major transition
💙 Want to connect with their children without being controlling
💙 Need comfort for their aching mama heart
Key Timestamps:
[00:00] Michelle's tender goodbye to Matthew
[02:00] Why being a "50-50 mom" is perfectly okay
[04:00] The box story - when mama anxiety takes over
[07:00] Hero vs. Victim: How we see our children matters
[10:00] Selah Moments for connection instead of control
[13:00] Release: What you're carrying that isn't yours
[14:00] A mother's prayer using Psalm 121
Episode Highlights:
"All of motherhood is loving them enough to let them go."
"When we can't hold them in our arms, we can hold them in our prayers."
"Your heart has been in training for this moment. The ache won't break you."
"I'm a 50-50 mom and it's okay. I'm 50% great mom and 50% 'well, that didn't work' mom."
Resources Mentioned:
📖 Promised Hope by Michelle Diercks - Written during her first year of empty nesting, filled with truths and names of God that bring comfort to weary mama hearts
🙏 Psalm 121 - A beautiful prayer for your children's protection and God's watchful care
📱 Selah Moments - Connect with your children by sharing daily favorite moments
Connect with Michelle:
🌐 Website: [Your website]
📧 Newsletter: [Newsletter signup]
For the Mama Whose Heart is Breaking:
Sweet mama, if you found this episode because your heart is aching as you watch your child grow up and away, please know you're not alone. Every mama walking this earth knows the bittersweet pain of loving someone so much you have to let them go.
Your tears are holy. Your heartbreak is love. And your willingness to release them into God's hands is the bravest thing you'll ever do.
Keywords for SEO:
Empty nest syndrome, letting go of children, mama heart aching, sending kids to college, motherhood anxiety, control and parenting, connecting with adult children, prayer for children, Psalm 121 for mothers, Christian parenting, mama guilt, loving through letting go, first day of school emotions, helicopter parenting recovery
Leave a Review:
If this episode spoke to your mama heart, would you leave a review? Your words help other aching mama hearts find the comfort they need. ❤️
Remember, dear mama: When you can't hold them in your arms, you can always hold them in your prayers.