The Self Love Podcast by Love, Maaden copertina

The Self Love Podcast by Love, Maaden

Di: Maaden Eshete Jones + Tennille Daniels
Ascolta gratuitamente

  • Riassunto

  • Encouragement and daily practices in healing, hope and hospitality at the intersection of scripture and science. Learn, laugh, and lean in to self-love.

    lovemaaden.substack.com
    Maaden Eshete Jones
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
Episodi
  • Hello, April

    Hello, April
    Apr 4 2024
    Spring has sprung. The rain showers are pouring, the cherry blossoms are blooming, our Savior has risen, and the season of birthday celebrations is rolling in at our house. It’s a beautiful time.Thank you—by the way—for the love on my birthday; it really filled me up.I woke up on my birthday amazed by the fact that I am an adult in her forties. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming, but it’s just wild how time flies. And it seems to move even faster with age. The months and milestones roll into decades before we know it.This year, I’ve been especially reflective on my identity. There’s a card I pulled from my Self Love Practice Deck that asks, “Who am I without my titles?” I love this question for how it pushes us to go deeper. Most often, when we're asked who we are or to introduce or describe ourselves, we start with our titles—who we are to others. “I am a mother.” “I am a business owner.” “I am Christian.” “I am a Black woman.” “I am a college graduate.” But these are titles, labels, that don’t even begin to describe our identity, who we truly are.In my quiet time on my 41st birthday, I struggled to answer this question. I sat with the question a bit longer, asking myself, “Who am I really?” I started considering traits that could only be uncovered with time or from the inside out—my passion, my potential, and my personality. This led me to our April series on identity. This month, I plan to share my thoughts on how we can explore our identity from the lens of identity & purpose, identity & personal growth, and identity & perception. Let’s start by asking ourselves this question, “Who was I created to be?”As always, thank you for being here, friend. I am looking forward to walking this path with you in the month ahead.xo, m.Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. — Matthew 5:5Meek is not a word that I would use to describe myself. In fact, if someone called me “meek,” I would probably feel a way. I came across this scripture in my Bible time this morning, and it jumped out at me for that very reason. I saw “meek” but it read “weak.” My first instinct was to look up the word "meek." It didn’t help. The definition used words like quiet, gentle, easily imposed upon, and submissive. Gentle, I can work with, but the rest, not so much.I kept going, y'all, trying to figure out how this scripture could speak to me. The promise that the meek “will inherit the earth” sounded worth it. I read different translations of the original text and found other definitions, words like humble, kind-hearted, sweet-spirited, and self-controlled. I thought, okay, we’re getting somewhere. I went back and read the chapter in its entirety, studying each of the beatitudes (nine blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount). I sat with each piece of encouragement, measuring my identity and experience against each one. I went further, looking for context by reading the previous chapters in the Gospel of Matthew. It was becoming more clear.As I began to understand it, meekness, in the Biblical context, is not about being weak or timid. It's about demonstrating strength under control, humility, and the consideration of others. It's the quality of being gentle, not in the absence of power, but in the choice not to misuse it. Jesus embodied meekness. He has the ultimate power, yet He chose to serve, to love, and to sacrifice for others according to God’s purpose for Him.Society often measures success by how much control we exert over our circumstances and over others. But adopting meekness as part of our identity means recognizing that true strength comes from God, and manifests in our lives as gentleness, patience, and self-control. It's about knowing when to speak and when to listen, when to stand firm and when to yield. This challenged my definitions of strength and success.The promise that the meek "will inherit the earth," while still appealing, hit differently when I went back to it. Yes, those who renounce the need for control, for power, even for wealth; those who live with humility and gentleness, are the ones who will be rewarded. But this reward isn’t the material wealth or earthly power that we often consider an inheritance, it’s something much deeper—the fulfillment and peace that comes from living in accordance with God's will.Embracing meekness will require practice, for sure. For some of us, more than others, we will need to make a daily decision to submit to God, to exercise kindness and respect in all circumstances, and to be mindful to pursue peace over anything. By doing so, we offer a compelling witness to the transformative power of the gospel that allows us to lead a life of impact, not influence.This month, as I consider my true identity, I will do so with meekness as my starting point. I am asking myself what ways my identity and personality may already be aligned with meekness, and what ways I ...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    7 min
  • Hello, March

    Hello, March
    Mar 5 2024

    I love the springtime. For most of my life, I’ve been excited about spring in anticipation of my birthday. I am big on my birthday. And while spring birthday season is still very much a thing for all the members of our household, it’s not the sole reason for my excitement.

    My excitement grows from a lot of the same feelings you are likely feeling — the anticipation of more sunshine, the lifting of the winter blues, and just this general sense of renewal. Renewal not just in the natural but also metaphorically in the areas of my spirit, my space, and myself. I am ready for something new on all fronts, and this month I intend to focus and meditate on renewal in the same way that I centered my thoughts around love last month.

    I’d love to know how you’re feeling this month. Are you anticipating refreshment and renewal, too? Is your spring cleaning underway? (Y'all know I am full steam ahead!) Maybe you’ve given something up for the Lenten season and find yourself going inward? Or maybe you're the opposite, and just ready to be outside? Let me know! I love hearing back from you.

    xo, m.

    The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come.

    — Solomon 2:11-12 (NIV)

    There’s something about shaking off the winter chill and welcoming even just a little more sunshine that helps lift our moods and renew our minds. This scripture from the book of Solomon evokes that feeling of beauty and hope that comes with the changing seasons. And just as nature has this rebirth each spring, we too can open ourselves up to renewal.

    For a lot of us, the season that we’re coming out feels a lot like winter — long, dark, isolating. A time when things didn’t appear to be growing. But like the winter, this season must make way for the next; the frost will melt away, and those things that looked not to be growing, maybe even appeared dead, will blossom and bloom.

    As we welcome spring, I am ready to let go of the past, to release the weight of burdens, and to embrace the possibilities of new beginnings. My word for the year is ‘lighter,’ and that’s how I am entering the coming season — cleaning and clearing, purging and purifying, organizing and in order.

    I’m taking inspiration from the flowers, the birds, and bees. Immersing myself in the beauty of nature, reconnecting with people I love, and pursuing the passions that bring me the most fulfillment. In a society that says we should decide who we are early on, brand ourselves as such, and then stick to it — I want to extend an invitation to evolve, just as nature does. To embrace growth, change, and something new.

    I invite you to join me as I welcome the month of March with an open heart and open mind, ready to embrace all the beauty and blessings it has to offer. Our season of singing has come.

    I am loving all things spring — the longer days, sunshine and rain, pastel prints, and floral facades. I can’t wait to see the Cherry Blossoms in peak bloom in the city I love later this month, just before the emergence of one of my favorite flowers, tulips at the Floral Library just near the National Mall.

    And, in the spirit of spring cleaning – which I have been doing feverishly all February long – I’m also loving the Brightroom storage collection at Target. It’s reasonably priced, modern, and has modular mix & match organization for every room in the house. I’ve used it to get all the little nooks and crannies of our home organized and in order.

    The Self Love Letter Love, Maaden is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lovemaaden.substack.com/subscribe
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    5 min
  • Love & Motherhood

    Love & Motherhood
    Feb 27 2024
    If you know about my journey to motherhood, how it was clouded by loss, seasoned with tears, and suffocated by moments of hopelessness, then you can only imagine the intensity of my joy when our daughter was born. That intensity often comes into play in my relationship with her now as she grows into a little person.Like so many mothers, I want to smother her with my love, to shield and protect her from this world, and to give her everything her heart desires because she is my heart’s desire. But her life doesn’t exist merely as a fulfillment of my hopes and dreams.Her life doesn’t exist merely as a fulfillment of my hopes and dreams.She is a person with her own purpose, developing thoughts, hopes, dreams, and validity— kid or not. I have to be careful that our relationship doesn’t become too me-centered. She should be just as much a part of our relationship as I am. She should be heard, seen, and guided, not smothered and spoiled.This week, as we close out the month of love, I am reflecting on what it means to show up with love as a mother.xo, m.The Self Love Letter Love, Maaden is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber."Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." — Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)Sarah Jakes Roberts described parenting in her first book, Lost & Found, as being a foster parent to this being who is, in actuality, God’s child. That’s so well stated. While our children are in our custody and care, they really do belong to God. It’s God’s purpose, protection, and plan that rules their lives, not ours.Still, we have a supremely important role in the lives of our children. While we can’t or shouldn’t live their lives for them, we do have a vital responsibility as their parents to “start children off on the way they should go”. Here are some ideas on how:Guide. On a trail, a guide is someone who has traveled the path before and can advise us on which way to go and the best route to take. Our role in "starting children off on the way they should go" requires us to be their guide. Proverbs 13:24 states, "The one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." It's our responsibility to teach right from wrong, provide structure and accountability, and correct them when they go off course.Support. Be your kids’ cheerleader. Just like in a marathon, the support you have on the sidelines can determine how far you go. Be careful that the energy you put into correcting and rebuking your child doesn’t overshadow the energy you expend to affirm, validate, and support them. Scream it at top of your lungs — value their ideas, show enthusiasm for their interests, and dedicate your time and attention to them.Model. Guiding them down this path means showing them the way. Be conscious not just of how you speak to and interact with your children, but also of how you speak about them, how you treat others, and how you talk about yourself. Demonstrate the respect that you expect, and the patience that you require. Be kind, be generous, be open to learn. They're always watching.I am grateful that God has chosen my husband and I to start our little one off on the way that she should go, and I trust that He will keep her the rest of the way!For the last nine months, I've been co-producing the Mamas In Waiting Retreat with my friend and founder, Erica Williams Simon, and it’s absolutely what I’m loving. This retreat was born from our shared experience of unexpectedly challenging journeys to motherhood, and we’ve designed it to offer what we wished we had during that time. And let me tell you, it's going to be amazing.I'm personally inviting you to attend if you're a mama-in-waiting, or to encourage someone you know to join us even if you're not. Being a mama-in-waiting isn't just about struggling to conceive; it includes so much more:* It's for the woman who has experienced the loss of a newborn, pregnancy, or pregnancies (1 in 4).* It's for the woman who has a child and is struggling to have another (1 in 10).* It's for the woman considering adoption after infertility (1 in 20).* It's for the woman who dreams of being a mother one day but doesn't see a clear path yet.* It's for the woman who feels like she's giving up or has given up on her desire.This retreat is for every one of those women and more. And it's not about "getting pregnant," giving advice, or offering encouragement. It's about creating a space for sharing, processing, and allowing ourselves to be loved and cared for amidst our unhealed grief and unanswered prayers. It will be luxurious, restorative, and nourishing. And I can hardly wait.Also, in the spirit of Love & Motherhood, I am loving the Family Connection Kit (available now in in my shop, Love Goods Co.) Our family uses the card deck during the week at dinnertime, and it has allowed us to practice vulnerabilty and ...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    6 min

Sintesi dell'editore

Encouragement and daily practices in healing, hope and hospitality at the intersection of scripture and science. Learn, laugh, and lean in to self-love.

lovemaaden.substack.com
Maaden Eshete Jones
Scienze sociali Successo personale Relazioni
Mostra di più Mostra meno

Cosa pensano gli ascoltatori di The Self Love Podcast by Love, Maaden

Valutazione media degli utenti. Nota: solo i clienti che hanno ascoltato il titolo possono lasciare una recensione

Recensioni - seleziona qui sotto per cambiare la provenienza delle recensioni.

Recensioni da Audible.it

Recensioni da Amazon
Non ci sono recensioni disponibili