The Intentional Parents Podcast

• Aura Farming vs. Spiritual Formation, Hiddenness Over Hype, Slowness Instead of Spectacular + Childlike Dependence

  In this episode, we explore the growing “aura farming” movement — the cultural pressure to project effortlessness, curate our image, and step into our “main-character era.” While the world urges us to amplify our greatness, Jesus invites us into something entirely different.We look at Jesus’ call to become like children in Matthew 18:1–5, a posture marked by humility, dependence, and openness. Aura farming pushes us to present ourselves in a certain light, but spiritual formation pulls us into honesty, groundedness, and a truer way of being. Drawing from Henri Nouwen’s reflections on the Church’s long struggle with relevance, power, and success, we examine the deeper tension between cultural curation and kingdom transformation.From there, we walk through five practices that help move us from aura farming to the way of Jesus. We choose hiddenness over hype, leaning into quiet righteousness rather than performing for others. We pursue honesty and vulnerability, acknowledging that beauty and pain often coexist. We embrace slowness instead of the spectacular, allowing our souls to catch up with our schedules. We cultivate childlike dependence by asking for what we need rather than proving we can manage everything on our own. And we trade curation for authentic presence, resisting the urge to hustle for attention and choosing instead to simply be where we are.As we navigate new seasons — in which the old ways of striving may no longer work — we return to Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28 (MSG): “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.”Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 6 + Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily Devotional MerchGrab a Copy of Our Book:Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)BlogThe Intentional Film Series

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• 8 Rules for Families in a Digital World

  In this episode, we’re talking about one of the biggest parenting challenges today — raising kids in a digital world. Many of us have overprotected our children in the physical world but underprotected them in the digital world. To help you add some guardrails, we share the practical tools and boundaries our family uses around technology — from phones and iPads to TV — and the eight foundational rules that guide us. We’re not speaking as experts, just practitioners learning through trial and error.We start with the “why.” The data is clear about what technology is doing to us — especially our kids — and now it takes courage to respond wisely. Parenting in this area isn’t black and white, but it’s possible to approach it with grace and hope. In our home, that looks like saving smartphones for older teens, starting with basic phones, keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight, and using contracts and monitoring tools to stay accountable.Technology is always changing, which means our family’s digital rules should too. In fact, it’s okay to adjust your strategy along the way. Above all, we want our kids to grow into freedom — not be thrown into it. As parents, we can lead with empathy, stay connected, and offer a safe place for our kids to learn how to navigate the digital world with maturity and wisdom.Books + Resources Mentioned: Gabb PhonePinwheel PhoneThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtRefurbished Phones: Back MarketThe Mossers’ iPhone ContractParental Controls: Life360, Bark, Canopy, Screen Time + iPhone settings like locking apps and setting up downtime10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World by Jean M. Twenge, PhDThe Opt-Out Family by Erin LoechnerThe Hang 10 MovementProtect Young EyesGreta EskridgeSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTubeMotherhood Retreat 2025: More Info + Purchase TicketsJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily Devotional MerchGrab a Copy of Our Book:Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)BlogThe Intentional Film Series

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• Generational Differences with Self-Care, Child Loss, Social Media Addiction, Submitting to Limitations (Live Q+R From Intentional Motherhood Retreat 2025)

  Recorded live at the Intentional Motherhood Retreat in Portland, Oregon, this special Q+R features our entire Intentional team, with Joey Odom of Reclaimwell guiding the conversation as we move from humor to depth. From lighthearted moments — like where Diane and Elizabeth’s pant suits came from — to honest questions about self-care, marriage, grief, and limitations, this episode captures the heart of our weekend together.Together, we reflect on the generational swing from overextending ourselves to idolizing self-care, inviting us instead to pursue soul care — a rhythm of rest and renewal with God that enables us to love well. We also share wisdom for marriages: that husbands and wives are both called to lay down their lives in love, not through grand gestures but through small, consistent acts and words that build one another up.We speak tenderly about grief and child loss, pointing to the reality that while suffering is never good, God meets us in it. Grief and joy can coexist, and community is where we help one another carry both. The conversation closes with reflections on social media boundaries and discerning our limitations, reminding us that humility and dependence on God are where true peace and growth begin.Scripture Mentioned: Acts 20:35, Ephesians 5:22-33, Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 116:15, Romans 8:28-29, Luke 16:10, Philippians 1:4-6, 2 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 1:12 + Psalm 131:1-3Book Mentioned: A Grace Disguised by Jerry L. SittserSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TNSowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTubeJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily Devotional MerchGrab a Copy of Our Book:Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)BlogThe Intentional Film Series

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• Same-Sex Attraction, Freedom in Vulnerability + an Unfinished Symphony (Conversation w/ Jeff and Jourdan of Open Spaces)

  Note: This episode contains mature themes that may not be suitable for younger listeners. Please use discretion.This week, we’re joined by our new friends Jeff and Jourdan Johnson, hosts of the Open Spaces Podcast. They share their remarkable story — a journey marked by honesty, redemption, and deep faith. Jeff opens up about his decades-long battle with same-sex attraction and how bringing his struggle into the light marked the beginning of real freedom. From childhood trauma to seasons of breaking up and coming back together, their story is one of radical acceptance, surrender, and the relentless kindness of God.After years of wrestling with faith and learning to let go of control, Jeff and Jourdan eventually got married and are now raising three children together. Their relationship stands as a living testimony that vulnerability truly leads to freedom. Jeff describes it as a daily surrender — dying to himself, trusting God’s goodness, and finding hope in the truth that even in life’s “unfinished symphony,” God is still writing a story of redemption.In a cultural moment filled with confusion and competing messages about sexuality, Jeff and Jourdan share how important it is for parents to speak about these topics early and without fear — to create space for honesty, and even share their own stories, so their kids know they’re not alone. Through Open Spaces, Jeff and Jourdan invite others to bring hidden struggles into the light, reminding us that God can use even our deepest brokenness and pain for His glory.Open Spaces: Website, Instagram, YouTube + Contact (with Questions)Scripture Mentioned: Romans 8:28Book Mentioned: Wrestling with God by Ronald RolheiserSubmit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CAIntentional Motherhood Retreat: October 23-25, 2025 in Portland, ORSowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTubeJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily Devotional MerchGrab a Copy of Our Book:Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)BlogThe Intentional Film Series

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• Language of Encouragement, Speaking Life + Soul Friendships (Teaching from the 2024 Motherhood Retreat)

  In this special episode, we’re sharing a powerful recorded teaching from Diane and Elizabeth at our 2024 Motherhood Retreat. This session dives deep into our God-given desire for connection — the longing to be seen, soothed, safe, and secure — and how that shapes our relationships with one another.Our female relationships can often feel complicated, yet Scripture reminds us that we were created for blessing and belonging. From Genesis to 2 Corinthians, we see that God blesses us so that we might bless others — calling out the good we see in our children, our husbands, our friends, and others we come in contact with.Diane and Elizabeth walk us through what it looks like to cultivate a culture of encouragement: getting curious about what gets in the way (old hurts, insecurities, or fear), learning to speak life over people, and practicing the language of encouragement in everyday moments. Through passages like Proverbs 27:17 and John 1:35–51, we see the power of vulnerability and how Jesus models truly seeing others for who they are.When we learn to see others as God sees them — and to speak that truth out loud — we participate in His work of building one another up. As Proverbs reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Our words matter. They shape the culture of our homes, our friendships, and the next generation.Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 1:27–28, Genesis 1:22, Genesis 2:3, Genesis 5:22, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 12:2–3, 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, Proverbs 27:17, John 1:35–51, Romans 12:10, Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 16:24Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.Sowing a Hidden SeedIntentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTubeMotherhood Retreat 2025: More Info + Purchase TicketsJoin Our Legacy BuildersWatch on YouTubeFollow Us on Instagram: @intentional_parents @brook_mosser @emosserFREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDFFREE Text Message Daily Devotional MerchGrab a Copy of Our Book:Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!)BlogThe Intentional Film Series

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