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 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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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 •...
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The Wonders of His Love: When Christmas Feels Hard
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Are you struggling to find joy this Christmas season? Maybe finances are tighter than usual. Maybe there's an empty chair at your table. Maybe you're exhausted from trying to make everything perfect when nothing feels right. You're not alone. In this episode, Michelle shares the beautiful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth - two women holding onto impossible promises - and a personal Christmas story that changed everything she thought about holiday perfection. You'll discover: Why God's promises are unshakeable even when your circumstances feel shaky How to find peace when Christmas...
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The Empty Chair: Coping with Grief During the Holidays
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Are you dreading the holidays this year because someone won't be at your table? Maybe someone you love has died. Maybe your kids have grown up and moved away. Maybe traditions are changing and your heart is aching in ways you didn't expect. You're not alone. And you don't have to "get through" this season by gritting your teeth and pretending you're fine. In this episode, you'll discover: ✓ Why trying to plan or control your grief doesn't work (and what to do instead) ✓ How to process grief when it ambushes you unexpectedly—in the grocery store, looking at recipes, or decorating the tree...
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Remember This When You Wonder If You're Enough
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Do you struggle with feeling like you're not enough? Are you tired of comparing yourself to others and always coming up short? Does shame whisper that your past, your failures, or your struggles disqualify you from being loved by God? If you've ever wondered "why do I feel like I'm not good enough" or searched for Christian help for overcoming shame, this episode is for you. Today we look at the woman at the well in John 4 - a woman who was hiding in shame, coming to draw water alone at noon so no one would see her. But Jesus saw her. He knew her whole story - five husbands, the man she was...
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When You Struggle With Negative Thinking
Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart
Do you wake up to the same negative thoughts every morning? Thoughts like "I'm not enough," "This will never change," or "I'm too broken"? You're not alone, and those thought patterns aren't permanent. In this episode, we explore the story of the woman who bled for 12 years - a woman whose thought patterns ran deep from isolation, suffering, and disappointment. We'll see how one desperate touch changed everything, and how Jesus rewrites our thought patterns with His truth. In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why negative thought patterns feel so permanent (and why they're not) How God's Word...
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
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Remember, dear mama: When you can't hold them in your arms, you can always hold them in your prayers.