Well friend, this is my last episode of Work & Play before I take a two month break from the podcast and a six month break from work and social media. I just want to use this time and space to encourage you. And I want to speak life over you. And I want to encourage you to speak life over the people around you.

Welcome to another episode of May is for Mamas! Today, I’m going to be brief and hopefully encouraging. And I don't say this lightly—I believe the secret to getting the most out of motherhood, and life in general, is to simply lean in to your season.

Today we are celebrating two whole years of this podcast, Work and Play with Nancy Ray. I have a really fun, unique episode planed—it’s like a birthday party that I want to celebrate and encourage you with.

Booker T. Washington's life story has impacted me so deeply. I can honestly say, this is one of those books that has changed me. I hope you'll listen in to his inspiring story, my top three takeaways, and I really, really hope that you're going to pick up this book.

I was talking with a friend the other day and she asked me the question, what are you fighting for this year? And it took me a minute to answer her, but after a pause, I finally said, “You know, I think I'm fighting for fun.” I know that might sound trite or silly, but I'm realizing it's—it's not that silly, it's actually necessary.

Today I'm going to be sharing with you seven ways that you can build trust with those around you and how I'm going to be working on that in my own life.

Today, I'm going to talk about how we don't actually know what 2021 is going to hold, but how we can approach it with wisdom.

In today's episode, I want to remind all of us of three things the Lord calls us to, in any and every season of our lives. Three things that, if I'm honest, I feel like they've been pushed to the side. Three things that I believe were part of the founding of this country and three things that we absolutely must maintain if we are to move forward.

Often times, this is the time of year where we go a little off the rails with our eating, our spending, with our planning. We just do too much of all of it.

So, my encouragement to you today is that if you want to finish this year strong, you have to start now.

"Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9.

Emily P. Freeman is the kind of person I have grown to admire, respect, and quite frankly, adore. I love her. I love her podcast, The Next Right Thing. I love her book, The Next Right Thing, and today I had a conversation with her that I think you are really going to love.

Today, we’re talking about mom guilt. I just want to say: I'm with you, I have felt it, it's real; but I also want to say, that is no way to live out our days as mamas!

Today’s guest is Robin Long, CEO of The Balanced Life! Robin brings such a beautiful perspective to body image and to movement and really just the gift that it is to be able to exercise.

Today is a conversation with my big sister, Mary Lindsey Blanton and I can't wait for you to listen to it. It was so good, so genuine, so heartfelt. Listen, if there is any person on this planet that should speak into the life and hearts of mamas, it is my sister.

All we really have is what's right in front of us, the present. And one of the best practices, the best gifts that I can give myself is to stop and look at today.

This year isn't over yet, and if we keep looking to the future and making plans and setting goals and dreaming about the next thing, we are going to miss the moments right in front of us. Today we are all going to take a pause and just remind ourselves to be present and enjoy the last days of this year to their fullest.

For the longest time I was really afraid of becoming a mom. I thought that I should have these longings to be a mother or I really should want to have a baby, but I never did. This is something my friend Katelyn James and I both experienced, and our hope is that if you’re in the same boat, our conversation would make you feel a little bit more normal and not alone.

I want to really, truly feel and experience joy—the deep, deep kind of joy. All of the emotions and pains and joys. That is living fully awake.

Life is hard, and sometimes it just seems we can't move forward in our lives until someone speaks some words of life to us. So that's what I'm here for today. If you're facing something really hard, I am here to tell you, you were made for hard things.