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It's A Single Mom Thing
Welcome to “It's A Single Mom Thing,” the show for single moms by single moms, hosted by Sherry Chandler.
Being a solo momma and present parent is hard work, and losing focus is easy when you forget your faith. The good news is you are not alone. You were singled out this season, and together, we can work on what’s not working for you—finding Christ in the crisis! Whether you’re tuning in early in the morning or late at night, I’m here for you, momma.
This podcast is your go-to space for navigating life as a single mom with faith, fun, and a fresh perspective. We'll cover everything from mastering a single-mom success mindset and budgeting like a boss to prioritizing self-care and raising resilient kids. We’ll share time management hacks, parenting perspectives, co-parenting challenges, and how to find joy and laugh again. Together, we’ll move from surviving to thriving in every season of single motherhood.
Be encouraged. Get inspired. You can do this, momma.
Each Monday, join me for practical advice, relatable stories, and uplifting conversations as we walk this journey from solo momma to solo momma. I promise not to take too much of your time, and I’m so grateful you’re spending it with me.
It may be a single mom thing, but it doesn’t have to be the "single thing" that stops you!
It's A Single Mom Thing
Normal? Please. Finding faith, strength, and purpose in the new normal of single motherhood.
What does “normal” even mean when you’re a single mom? Culture may call single parenting the new normal, but if you’ve ever sat in a school auditorium surrounded by married couples, or explained to your kids why your family looks different, you know it rarely feels normal. In this episode of It’s a Single Mom Thing, Sherry keeps it real—messy, complicated, and sometimes unfair—while pointing to the faith, strength, and purpose you can still find in the middle of it all.
Whether you’re co-parenting, flying solo, or simply navigating a season you didn’t choose, this conversation will help you laugh, reflect, and reset. With honesty, sass, and hope, you’ll discover:
- Why culture’s definition of normal leaves us feeling anything but.
- How faith steadies you when everything falls apart.
- What your kids learn by watching you live through the mess.
- Why messy doesn’t mean meaningless—and how God grows miracles in chaos.
This isn’t a life sentence—it’s a lesson in living. And maybe, just maybe, it’s the start of your new normal. Normal? Please.
It's a Single Mom Thing, Not the Single Thing That Stops You!
Welcome to it's a Single Mom Thing, the show for single moms by single moms. This is Sheri, your host, and I am happy you are here today. Remember it's a single mom thing and not the single thing that stops you.
Speaker 2:Let's be real, life doesn't always go the way we planned it right? Some of you listening thought you'd be married forever. Some never pictured raising kids alone. Some of you, well, you aren't even moms, but you've had your own set of curveballs where normal got ripped right out from under you. And when that happens, though, it's easy to feel stuck am I right? Trapped like the walls, closed in and the judge threw away the key. But here's the truth that we're going to talk about. This isn't a life sentence. It's a lesson in living, because every season, every struggle, every setback has something to teach us, and if you're willing to lean in, what feels like the end can actually become the beginning of something new. Not just for you, though, but for the kids and the people watching you. So lean in, sister, because that lesson, it, might just be the one that changes not only you, but the generations watching you. So get your lip gloss, latte and a little bit of grit, and welcome back to another episode of it's a Single Mom Thing New normal.
Speaker 2:You know I've talked before about this whole idea of normal. In fact, back in season four, episode one, I told you my conclusion and that's normal? Well, it normally changes, and isn't that the truth? But when you become a single parent, that phrase new, normal well, it hits different. What does that even mean? What does the world consider normal and why doesn't my life feel anything close to it? And maybe some of you are thinking well, faith, god, the whole conversation doesn't even feel normal to me, and you know what. That's fair, but then again, neither is paying $7 for a cup of coffee, and we still line up at Starbucks, am I right? So maybe normal isn't the point, Maybe what we really need isn't normal at all, but something that actually works.
Speaker 2:And here's what I have learned. Culture may call single parenting quote unquote normal, but let's be honest, it rarely feels normal. It feels messy, complicated and often unfair. And yet now, listen closely. That doesn't mean it's meaningless. Let me ask you this how many of you have sat in the school auditorium during one of your kids' recitals, looking around at all the married couples and thought, well, this does not feel normal. Or maybe it was a soccer game, a church pew, a parent-teacher night. You feel like the odd one out in a room full of people who fit the picture. And yet, right there, culture would tell you this is normal. Statistically, single parenting is everywhere. Funny though that's not how my insides interpret it. My insides are saying this isn't what I hope for, this isn't what I thought my family would look like.
Speaker 2:And here's the thing, that inner ache. Well, that's actually confirmation of something bigger, because it wasn't God's original design. Back in the garden, way back in the day, his plan was wholeness, unity, walking with him. But when separation happens, he doesn't abandon us. He sets us apart so he can draw us back closer. And maybe that's the real trick here.
Speaker 2:The world and, let's be honest, the enemy, some may call him the adversary wants you to believe that the abnormal is actually normal, that the brokenness is just the way it is. I ain't buying it, but it's God's word. Well, it reminds us there is nothing new under the sun. Heartache, hardship, loss these aren't new, but neither is his redemption. What feels like a new normal to you is really an ancient story of God bringing beauty out of brokenness.
Speaker 2:Normal, please, life sentence or lesson in living. So let's give ourselves a pardon and stop treating single motherhood like a prison term and start recognizing for what it really is a lesson in living. Because here's the truth too many of us wear single motherhood like a scarlet letter. And for those of you who skipped English class, that's not a clothing line at Target. Okay, it is an old novel where a woman had to wear a big red letter A on her chest for the whole town to judge her Sound familiar. Yeah, some of us have been wearing invisible letters for years. But listen, this is not a punishment and you are not on parole, my sister, whether this was a decision you made or a decision that was made for you, it doesn't define you. This isn't a life sentence. No, it's a lesson in living.
Speaker 2:And what do we know about lessons? Well, they shape us, they grow us, they teach us what we couldn't have learned otherwise. So maybe the school of hard knocks isn't such a bad place to learn. Sure, some days it feels like you're killing it, slaying dragons, paying bills, holding it all together. And then there's the other days You're just slaying drive-thru fries in the minivan while your kids scream in the backseat. Both days count and both days teach.
Speaker 2:And here's the kicker, the lesson. Well, it isn't just for you, mama. You know you don't need a parenting manual. Your life is the manual and your kids? They're reading it, cover to cover, every chapter, every messy margin. Note every lesson in living. You didn't even know you were teaching.
Speaker 2:So don't mistake this for a sentence. No, this isn't your green mile, where every day feels like you're just walking the mile, waiting for the end. And if you didn't know the movie, trust me, it's a whole prison march. But hear me on this, you're not marching to your end, you're moving into your beginning. This isn't a life sentence, it's a lesson in living, as we said before. So don't buy the lie that you're stuck. See it for what it is a lesson, and not just a lesson in survival, oh no, but a lesson in living for you and for the generations watching you.
Speaker 2:Your kids don't need you to be perfect. We have covered that, podcast after podcast after podcast. But what they need actually is they need to see you learning how to live hot mess, express and all. Because this lesson, it is the layup for the one still to come. And if you don't know basketball, okay, a layup is the setup shot that makes the next one count. That's exactly what the season is. It is setting you up, girl, for the next play. God's already drawn on the board.
Speaker 2:Why faith even matters? So let's get real for a second. Why does faith even matter? Because some of you, I'm sure, are thinking yeah well, faith doesn't put gas in my tank, faith doesn't stop my ex from ghosting me, nor does faith change the fact that I'm raising my kids on my own. And well, you are right, sister. Listen, faith doesn't erase the hard, faith doesn't pay the bills. Faith doesn't always heal the heartache, and faith sure doesn't undo the mistakes yours or somebody else's have made. And I know some of you have church hurt People in faith communities.
Speaker 2:Well, they let you down. Leaders judged you instead of helped you, and that stings. Hurt people, hurt people. And sometimes it happens in a place where you least expect it. I have been there, but here's where I got to go a little harder in the paint.
Speaker 2:Some of you are still putting your faith in people. You're banking on the next man to come through and do what the first one couldn't do. But let me tell you something no man can carry that kind of weight. Not the first, not the next, not the one after that. No, that's a God-sized role. Now listen, don't get me wrong. Relationships, they matter. Community matters. God designed us to walk this life together.
Speaker 2:You need people in your corner. You need friends, family, mentors, maybe even a healthy partner one day. But people are not your savior. They can support you, but they can't sustain you, because people will fail you every single time. They'll break promises, they'll disappoint you, they'll ghost you when you need them most. Faith in humans will keep breaking your heart, but faith in God that's the only place strong enough to hold you when everything else drops you. That's why faith matters, because in this world, trouble is guaranteed. Married, single kids, no kids, faith, no faith. Trouble doesn't discriminate. The only thing that separates a breakdown from a breakthrough sister is where you turn when it shows up. And here's the legacy piece, because there is one. Your kids are learning this too. If all they see is mom putting her faith in the next guy, they'll learn to do the same. But if they see you put your faith in God, they'll know where to turn to when their own world breaks. That's the kind of faith that doesn't just carry you through, it changes the generations watching you. So lean on people, but put your faith in God.
Speaker 2:God and good in the messy. Here's the thing about life it's messy and we all know that. And single parenting yes, that is double messy. You got bills stacked like Jenga blocks, emotions running on empty like your gas tank, and kids who somehow always know the exact moment to spill juice on the carpet. Am I right? But here's the good news Messy carpet and all Messy doesn't scare God. Oh no, messy is where he does some of his best work. I have experienced it.
Speaker 2:Listen, god wants to be in the middle of your mess, not waiting for you to clean it up, but right there with. Be in the middle of your mess, not waiting for you to clean it up, but right there with you in the spilt milk and all. That means he's there when you're doing the kitchen sink prayers, trying not to cry in front of your kids. He's there when your teenager slams the door and you whisper underneath your breath oh Lord, help me love them anyways. And he's there when you look at your bank account and say, god, I'm going to need you to help me stretch this dollar bill because I can't. I am not that flexible.
Speaker 2:And for those of you co-parenting, god is in that mess too. Oh yes, he sees the text that went unanswered. He hears the argument that left you drained texts that went unanswered. He hears the argument that left you drained. He knows the weight of raising kids with someone who may not share your values, or raising them without someone at all. And here is the truth God is not intimidated by any of that. That's a total flex for him. He can work in your kids' hearts despite the gaps, despite the conflict, despite the missing pieces.
Speaker 2:Now, maybe, now maybe you're not sold on God yet. Maybe you're listening and thinking, yeah, but I've been doing this on my own. I am not sure I am ready to invite him into it. That's okay. Let me tell you this You're already reaching for something when life gets messy Hope, strength, perspective. Even if you don't call it faith yet, you know deep down you need more than what you can muster on your own. What I found is is that the more often I open the doors to God, the more I discover he was already there waiting to step in.
Speaker 2:So here's the reflection question I want you to sit with when are you shutting God out of your mess? Because you think it's I don't know too small, too ugly or too complicated for him to handle? Or maybe you're just too embarrassed to give it to him? And if you're not ready to call it God or Jesus, where are you still craving something bigger than you to carry it. Because, ladies, he wants it all the spilled juice, the slam doors, the lonely nights, the co-parent drama, the doubts you don't even say out loud. He wants to be right there in it, because the mess is where he grows miracles. And let me just pause and ask you this what man do you know would sign up for all that and stay? And to be clear, listen, I'm not bashing men here. Okay, there are good ones and yes, some will show up and yes, some will show up, but nobody and I mean nobody sticks through every ugly detail every late night meltdown, every broken piece.
Speaker 2:The way God does. That's his specialty, his secret sauce, that's his faithfulness. He doesn't bail when it gets hard. No, he digs in and says I'm not leaving you, girl. Well, who does that? And here's the kicker.
Speaker 2:Your kids see this. They may not understand it in the moment, but they're watching how you navigate the mess. When they see you forgive, they learn grace. When they see you pray, they learn where to turn. When they see you keep moving forward hot mess, express and all to turn. When they see you keep moving forward, hot mess, express. And all they learn resilience rooted in something bigger. So stop despising the mess. The mess is the miracle in progress. I needed to hear that too. It's the dirt where God plants seeds of strength, hope and faith that you and your kids will harvest later. Ladies, messy doesn't mean meaningless no. On the contrary, messy is just the place. God makes miracles out of your mistakes. That's normal, and maybe just now, maybe, it's your new normal. So let's pull this together as we close.
Speaker 2:Okay, we've learned that what culture calls normal doesn't always match what our insides feel. We've learned that single motherhood or whatever season you're in, isn't a life sentence. It's a lesson in living. We've learned that faith matters, because people will fail, life will fail, but God never does. And we've even learned that even in the mess, the spill juice, the slam doors and the lonely nights, god shows up, stays up and even works some miracles out too. Now maybe you're listening and you're not sure about God yet. Maybe you're still on the fence. That's okay, girl.
Speaker 2:Faith isn't about perfection, it's about honesty. It starts with saying I can't do this all on my own and maybe, just maybe, there's someone bigger who can. That's the first step. Here's your life lesson to chew on this week. Normal isn't about what your life looks like on the outside. It's about where you turn when the insides feel upside down. And, ladies, if your kids ever feel the sting of not normal when another kid says why don't you have a dad at home or why isn't your family like mine? Well, here's something that you can do, mama. First of all, it doesn't involve choking a kid out, okay, but maybe it involves sitting your kids down and reminding them that every family has its own story. Tell them your family isn't less, it's just different. And different isn't a defect. It's often where the deepest strength grows. And when you can't seem to find normal, here's a simple prayer you can pray God, I don't feel normal, right?
Speaker 1:now.
Speaker 2:Actually I feel messy, broken, maybe even forgotten, but I choose to believe you're here in the middle of it. Help me to trust you with what I can't fix. Help me to find peace even when life doesn't feel normal. And if you need someone to pray with you, don't forget we got a 24-7 prayer line where you can call us anytime, day or night, at 855-822-PRAY. So remember this, ladies, sister, friend, mamas, your life isn't a punishment, it isn't prison, it isn't a sentence. It's a lesson in living.
Speaker 2:It's a lesson in living and, as messy as it feels, this might be just the beginning of finding faith, strength and purpose in the new normal of single motherhood Normal. Please have a wonderful week and remember it's a single mom thing and not the single thing that stops you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to. It's a Single Mom Thing. I hope you enjoyed our time together. If you have more questions on how to have a relationship with Jesus or need prayer, visit us at wwwshepherdsvillagecom. Backslash prayer. For more information and resources, check out our show notes.
