How Does She Do It? with Latasha Kennedy

How to Find Joy Again After Loss: Faith, Grief & Motherhood | Lori LayneHow do you find joy again after losing someone you love? How do you keep showing up as a mother when you're grieving, questioning God, and trying to make sense of a life that looks nothing like you imagined?Lori Layne knows these questions intimately.After a high-risk triplet pregnancy, the heartbreaking loss of two of her babies, and a 77-day NICU journey with her surviving son, Lori found herself navigating profound grief while continuing to care for her family.In this deeply personal conversation, Lori shares the story of her daughter Calvary, the complicated experience of grieving one child while celebrating the survival of another, and what it looked like to continue pursuing God even when she was angry with Him.She opens up about the role of prayer, therapy, grief support, and writing in her healing journey—and how creating devotionals for NICU families became a way to honor her daughter's legacy while encouraging other mothers walking through difficult seasons.But this conversation is also about the life that continues around grief.As a homeschooling mother, healthcare professional, wife, author, and ministry leader, Lori shares how she's learning to live intentionally without trying to do everything. We talk about protecting time with God, managing family responsibilities, navigating marriage through difficult seasons, and giving yourself permission to let go of expectations that no longer fit your life.And perhaps one of the most meaningful moments comes when Lori reflects on a day she thought she'd accomplished nothing—until someone reminded her that watching Christmas movies with her children was exactly the kind of motherhood she wanted to experience.It's a reminder that even in difficult seasons, there can still be moments of love, connection, gratitude, and joy worth recognizing.As Lori shares:"Don't do it all. Do what God has called you to do in the season."Whether you're walking through grief, adjusting to an unexpected season of motherhood, or trying to reconnect with the things that matter most, this conversation offers encouragement, perspective, and practical wisdom for the journey.Here's What You'll HearFinding joy again while grieving: Lori's high-risk pregnancy, the loss of two of her triplets, and learning to recognize moments of gratitude while grieving her daughter Calvary.Faith when you're angry with God: How Lori continued reading her Bible, attending church, and pursuing her faith even when she struggled to feel connected to God.Finding support after loss: The role of therapy, grief support, writing, and community in helping Lori navigate her healing journey.Honoring her daughter's legacy: How Lori's NICU experience inspired her to create devotionals for other families facing medical uncertainty and loss.Motherhood when life feels overwhelming: How Lori balances homeschooling, working in a Level I trauma center, ministry, and family responsibilities.Protecting what matters in your current season: Creating non-negotiables, setting boundaries, releasing unnecessary guilt, and recognizing that you don't have to do everything.Marriage and family through difficult seasons: How Lori and her husband, Fred, have navigated grief while protecting their relationship and making time for their children.Recognizing joy in everyday moments: Why being present with your children can be just as meaningful as accomplishing everything on your to-do list.Keep the Conversation Going!Come Find Your Girlfriends!You don't have to navigate every season of life alone, and the conversations don't have to end when the episode does!Join our FREE Girlfriends Thriving community, a faith-rooted space for women who love God, want to enjoy life, and value genuine friendships.Inside, we're having real conversations, encouraging one another, growing in faith, and making room for more connection and joy in everyday life.We'd love to have you!JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITYNew Here? Start Here!Welcome to Girlfriends Thriving! We're a community and media platform encouraging women to grow in faith, live intentionally, and enjoy the lives God has entrusted to them.Explore our podcasts, helpful resources, community, and experiences. There's something here for every season of your journey.START HEREMeet Our Guest: Lori LayneLori Layne is an author, speaker, homeschooling mother, healthcare professional, and founder of The Layne Less Traveled, a faith-centered ministry.A former paralegal who now works in a Level I trauma center in Virginia, Lori understands the challenge of balancing motherhood, professional responsibilities, and personal calling.After a high-risk triplet pregnancy and the loss of her daughter Calvary to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), Lori began writing devotionals to encourage families navigating the NICU, grief, and other challenging seasons.Through her writing, speaking, and ministry, she shares her Christian faith and the lessons she's learning about loss, healing, purpose, and living intentionally.Connect With LoriMinistry: The Layne Less TraveledBook: Let Waves Draw You NearAbout How Does She Do It?How Does She Do It? explores a mother's journey at the intersection of faith, family, and calling. Through honest conversations with women building meaningful lives, we go beyond what everyone sees to talk about the decisions, faith, systems, sacrifices, support, and real-life seasons underneath it all.Content note: This episode includes discussion of high-risk pregnancy, pregnancy loss, infant loss, NICU experiences, and grief.Disclaimer: The experiences and perspectives shared are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical or mental health guidance.

You married your spouse years ago. But do you still know the person they are today?Marriage coach Kameran Al-Areqi says many couples continue relating to old versions of each other while wondering why they feel increasingly disconnected.In this episode of How Does She Do It?, Latasha Kennedy and Kameran unpack why longtime partners drift apart, what sits underneath repeated arguments, how expectations inherited from childhood enter marriage without our realizing it, and why curiosity can take a conversation somewhere defensiveness never will.Kameran says “the problem is never the problem.” The fight about money may actually be about security, respect, or power. The argument about the phone may be about loneliness. And the thing your spouse needed ten years ago may not be what makes them feel loved today.We also talk about personal growth inside marriage, recognizing emotional needs, navigating conflict in healthier ways, and the importance of continuing to learn the person you chose.From recognizing the signs of drifting apart to understanding the expectations fueling disconnection, this conversation offers practical steps toward intentional reconnection, healthier communication, and renewed closeness.For married couples who want to strengthen their relationship, deepen their understanding of one another, and build a marriage that continues to grow as they do.Because staying married is not only about remembering why you fell in love.It is also about remaining curious about who both of you are becoming.What You’ll Hear:Why “the problem is never the problem.” Kameran explains why an argument about money, the phone, chores or time may actually be pointing to something deeper, and we explore what might really be underneath the conflict.How the marriage you grew up watching can quietly shape the one you build. We talk about the expectations, beliefs and definitions of love we carry from childhood, often without realizing how much they influence what we expect from a spouse.Why your spouse may need to be loved differently than they did five or ten years ago. Children, careers, responsibilities and life experience change us, which means care, support, respect and connection may look different now.How slowing an argument down can change what happens next. We talk about pausing, checking what the other person actually heard, asking better questions and recognizing when continuing the argument is only creating more damage.How to stay connected without giving yourself away. We talk about maintaining friendships, interests and the parts of yourself that make you whole while still being intentional about the marriage you are building.Marriage is not strengthened because two people never disappoint or misunderstand each other. It is strengthened in what happens next: the questions you ask, the things you repair, the promises you keep, and the care you take with the person you love. Because just as a marriage can be worn down by a thousand small cuts, it can also be strengthened by a thousand small choices to show up differently.📣 Keep the Conversation Going! Come Find Your Girlfriends! 👯🏽‍♀️You don't have to navigate every season of life alone, and the conversations don't have to end when the episode does!Join our FREE Girlfriends Thriving community, a faith-rooted space for women who love God, want to enjoy life, and value genuine friendships. Inside, we're having real conversations, encouraging one another, growing in faith, and making room for more connection and joy in everyday life.We'd love to have you!→ JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITY✨ New Here? Start Here!Welcome to Girlfriends Thriving! We're a community and media platform encouraging women to grow in faith, live intentionally, and enjoy the lives God has entrusted to them.Explore our podcasts, helpful resources, community, and experiences. There's something here for every season of your journey.→ START HERE❤️ MEET OUR GUEST: KAMERAN AL-AREQIKameran Thompson Alareqi is a marriage coach and the founder of Recognizing Potential. Through coaching and her Married and Connected podcast, she helps couples understand recurring patterns, communicate more intentionally and create stronger connection.LINKS/RESOURCESWebsite: RecognizingPotential.comInstagram: @married.and.connectedPodcast: Married and Connected MagicDISCLAIMER: This conversation is educational and inspirational and is not a substitute for individualized therapy, mental-health treatment, legal advice or crisis support. Couples experiencing abuse or immediate safety concerns should seek appropriate professional assistance.

There is probably something you keep telling yourself you’ll get to when life settles down.Maybe it’s a book you want to write, a business you want to start, something creative you want to make or a skill you’ve been wanting to learn. You mean it when you say you’re going to do it, but motherhood is full, life keeps moving, and “when I have more time” can quietly turn into years.Kim Galloway has learned to work with the life and time she actually has.Kim is a bestselling author of more than 20 books, book coach, publisher and mother of four. She is raising four young children on a ranch, homeschooling, running a business and navigating a marriage shaped by her husband’s rotating work schedule. In the middle of all of that, she continues to write, build and make room for the things that matter to her.A big part of how she does it is knowing what deserves her time in the first place.In this conversation, Kim and I talk about using small pockets of time to make meaningful progress, deciding whether the “juice is worth the squeeze,” protecting your priorities and giving yourself permission to invest time, money and energy into something that matters to you too.Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:• How Kim decides what actually deserves her time: From her “half of the half” approach to asking whether the “juice is worth the squeeze,” Kim shares how she separates meaningful work from activity that only looks productive.• How small pockets of time can move a big dream forward: We talk about writing in 15-minute increments, using everyday moments as thinking time and letting go of the idea that meaningful work requires hours of uninterrupted space.• Why support matters when you’re pursuing something of your own: Kim explains why coaching, education and outside help can make it easier to keep going after the initial excitement wears off.• What our children learn when they see Mom pursuing her own dreams too: We talk about the example we set when our children see us growing, creating and making room for the things God has placed in us.• What changed after Kim nearly lost her life: A serious health crisis reshaped the way she thinks about time, postponed dreams and the things she no longer wants to keep pushing into “someday.”One of the ideas I kept returning to after this conversation was how easy it is for a woman to become so committed to helping everyone around her grow that she keeps postponing her own growth.We love our families deeply. We have real responsibilities, full calendars and people who genuinely need us. At the same time, there may still be something in you that deserves attention.You may not have three uninterrupted hours today. You might have fifteen minutes, and fifteen minutes is enough to begin.Used consistently, those minutes can become pages, a manuscript, a business, a new skill, a piece of art or the beginning of a completely different chapter of your life.You do not have to wait until life becomes less full to begin making room for something that matters to you.📣 Keep the Conversation Going! Come Find Your Girlfriends! 👯🏽‍♀️You don't have to navigate every season of life alone, and the conversations don't have to end when the episode does!Join our FREE Girlfriends Thriving community, a faith-rooted space for women who love God, want to enjoy life, and value genuine friendships. Inside, we're having real conversations, encouraging one another, growing in faith, and making room for more connection and joy in everyday life.We'd love to have you!→ JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITY: https://www.skool.com/the-thriving-circle-5595/about✨ New Here? Start Here!Welcome to Girlfriends Thriving! We're a community and media platform encouraging women to grow in faith, live intentionally, and enjoy the lives God has entrusted to them.Explore our podcasts, helpful resources, community, and experiences. There's something here for every season of your journey.→ START HERE: https://bit.ly/GT-START❤️ Meet Our Guest Kim GallowayKim Galloway is a bestselling author of more than 20 books, book coach, publisher and founder of New Frontier Books. She helps message-driven authors clarify the deeper message behind their work, write their books and share those ideas with the people they are meant to serve.CONNECT WITH KIMWebsite: newfrontierbooks.comResources and offers: newfrontierbooks.com/everythingABOUT HOW DOES SHE DO IT?How Does She Do It? explores a mother’s journey at the intersection of faith, family and calling. Through honest conversations with women building meaningful lives, we go beyond what everyone sees to talk about the decisions, faith, systems, sacrifices, support and real-life seasons underneath it all.FROM GIRLFRIENDS THRIVINGFollow Girlfriends Thriving (@girlfriendsthriving) and stay connected for new conversations, resources and experiences created to help women flourish in faith, family, purpose and the life God has entrusted to them.DISCLAIMERHow Does She Do It? and related Girlfriends Thriving content are provided for informational, educational and inspirational purposes. Guests share their personal experiences, perspectives and areas of expertise, which do not necessarily represent the views of Girlfriends Thriving or Latasha Kennedy. Nothing shared in this program should be considered individualized medical, mental health, financial, legal or other professional advice. Please consult an appropriately qualified professional regarding your individual circumstances.

Motherhood can give you a new identity before you have had time to understand what happened to the old one.Aurie Riley says no one prepared her for that part.Her love for God and her daughter never wavered, but motherhood introduced a new set of questions about her career, purpose, identity, capacity, and what this next chapter of her life could look like.In this premiere episode of How Does She Do It?, Aurie and I explore the parts of motherhood that often go unseen and the questions women navigate as they grow into new seasons of life.We talk about the unique dynamics of their family, with Aurie working outside the home while her husband homeschools their daughter. We also discuss learning to be fully present in the season you're in rather than constantly looking ahead to the next, letting go of perfectionism, establishing boundaries that honor your capacity, and recognizing that marriage sometimes requires each partner to show up differently as life changes.Aurie also speaks candidly about her experiences with depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and the struggle to rediscover her identity after becoming a mother. She reflects on the courage it took to pursue genuine friendships, why connection sometimes requires us to make the first move, and how gardening helped her see God's presence and the process of growth in a new light.One story in particular stayed with me. Aurie shared how daffodils spend much of their growing season developing beneath the soil, long before there's anything beautiful to see above ground. It's such a meaningful reminder that just because we can't see progress doesn't mean growth isn't happening. Sometimes the most important work is taking place beneath the surface, as roots deepen, strength develops, and God prepares us for what comes next.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why Aurie believes the real challenge is learning to “be where your feet are.”How she created a “good enough” list when working, mothering and maintaining a home made perfection impossible.What boundaries can look like when you love someone but cannot do their inner work for them.Why meaningful friendship did not simply appear for her, and what changed when she decided to go first.The identity crisis she experienced after becoming a mother and the questions it forced her to ask about purpose.Why dark seasons reminded her of bulbs growing roots underground before anything blooms.What it can mean to cultivate the life you have today instead of waiting for the next season to begin.Maybe the goal is not to become better at carrying everything.Maybe it's to become more honest about the season you are in, more intentional about what matters now, and more willing to trust what God may be growing beneath the surface.If this conversation sounds like the season you're living right now, send it to a woman who needs to hear that she doesn't have to have the next version of herself figured out yet. Follow How Does She Do It? so you don't miss the next conversation.📣 Keep the Conversation Going! Come Find Your Girlfriends! 👯🏽‍♀️You don't have to navigate every season of life alone, and the conversations don't have to end when the episode does!Join our FREE Girlfriends Thriving community, a faith-rooted space for women who love God, want to enjoy life, and value genuine friendships. Inside, we're having real conversations, encouraging one another, growing in faith, and making room for more connection and joy in everyday life.We'd love to have you!→ JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITY: https://www.skool.com/the-thriving-circle-5595/about✨ New Here? Start Here!Welcome to Girlfriends Thriving! We're a community and media platform encouraging women to grow in faith, live intentionally, and enjoy the lives God has entrusted to them.Explore our podcasts, helpful resources, community, and experiences. There's something here for every season of your journey.→ START HERE: https://bit.ly/GT-START❤️ Meet Our Guest: Aurie RileyAurie Riley is a muralist, painter, and founder of Sonshine Paperie, a faith-rooted paper goods brand inspired by gardening, nature, and intentional living.Through her art, coaching, and podcast Planted on Purpose, she encourages women to cultivate lives marked by deeper faith, sustainable growth, connection, and joy.Links / ResourcesExplore Sonshine Paperie: sonshinepaperie.comFollow Aurie on Instagram:@a_a_riley@sonshinepaperiePodcast: Planted on PurposeDISCLAIMER: How Does She Do It? and related Girlfriends Thriving content are provided for informational, educational and inspirational purposes. Guests share their own experiences, perspectives and expertise, which do not necessarily represent the views of Girlfriends Thriving or Latasha Kennedy. This episode includes discussion of mental health, trauma, depression, anxiety and personal wellness practices. Nothing shared in this program should be considered individualized medical, mental health or other professional advice. Please consult an appropriately qualified professional regarding your individual circumstances.

What if the greatest gift you could give your children isn't being a perfect mother, but being a present one?We spend so much time trying to get motherhood right. We want to raise emotionally healthy children, create peaceful homes, build strong relationships, and prepare our kids for a world that's constantly changing. But how do we do all of that without getting lost in the pressure to be everything, everywhere, all at once?In this episode of How Does She Do It?, I'm joined by Dr. Stacy Haynes, a licensed professional counselor, author, parenting expert, and mother who has dedicated her work to helping children and families thrive.We're talking about what really matters when it comes to raising children: creating an environment where they feel safe, seen, supported, and loved while helping them develop the confidence and skills they'll need long after they leave our homes.From family routines and emotional regulation to technology, mental health, faith, and financial responsibility, Dr. Stacy shares practical insights that can help us become more intentional in how we parent.And here's what I love about this conversation: It's not about adding more to your already full plate. It's about becoming more intentional with what's already on it.Here's What You'll Learn in This EpisodeHow to create a more peaceful, intentional home. Discover how prayer, planning, predictable routines, and clear priorities can bring greater structure and stability to family life.How to better understand what your child's behavior is communicating. Learn why sleep, nutrition, technology, and emotional well-being matter, and how looking beneath the behavior can change the way you respond.How to strengthen your relationship with your children, even when things feel disconnected. Explore practical ways to communicate, rebuild trust, repair strained relationships, and stay connected as your children grow.How faith and mental health care can support the whole family. Understand why prayer and professional mental health support can work together and how to recognize when additional support may be needed.How to prepare your children for life beyond your home. From financial responsibility and problem-solving to independence and healthy relationships, learn how to help your children develop skills they'll carry into adulthood.The Message I Hope You RememberDr. Stacy shared something that stayed with me:“Parenting is not about perfection. It is about significance.”Our children won't remember whether we got every morning routine right or always knew exactly what to say.But I hope they'll remember that we listened. That we paid attention. That we made time. That when we got things wrong, we cared enough to make them right.And years from now, I hope they'll be able to say:Mom showed up. Mom knew me. Mom loved me.If you've ever questioned whether you're doing enough as a mother, this is a conversation I want you to hear.And if today has already been messy, remember: you can begin again.📣 Keep the Conversation Going! Come Find Your Girlfriends! 👯🏽‍♀️You don't have to navigate every season of life alone, and the conversations don't have to end when the episode does!Join our FREE Girlfriends Thriving community, a faith-rooted space for women who love God, want to enjoy life, and value genuine friendships. Inside, we're having real conversations, encouraging one another, growing in faith, and making room for more connection and joy in everyday life.We'd love to have you!→ JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITY: https://www.skool.com/the-thriving-circle-5595/about✨ New Here? Start Here!Welcome to Girlfriends Thriving! We're a community and media platform encouraging women to grow in faith, live intentionally, and enjoy the lives God has entrusted to them.Explore our podcasts, helpful resources, community, and experiences. There's something here for every season of your journey.→ START HERE: https://bit.ly/GT-START❤️ Meet Our Guest  Dr. Stacy HaynesDr. Stacy Haynes, Ed.D., LPC, ACS is a licensed professional counselor, author, speaker and parenting and wellness expert with more than two decades of experience serving children and families. Her work integrates faith, evidence-informed mental-health practices and whole-person wellness.Her book Love Our Babies Well: Parenting with Faith, Love & Wellness follows children from infancy through young adulthood using eight stages of development alongside eight dimensions of wellness, with additional support for families raising neurodivergent children.She is also the author of Powerful Peaceful Parenting: Guiding Children, Changing Lives.CONNECT WITH DR. STACYWebsite: drstacyhayneslpc.comInstagram: @drstacyhayneslpcPodcast: The Dr. Stacy ShowBook: Love Our Babies WellWellness resources: Made Well by GodABOUT HOW DOES SHE DO IT?How Does She Do It? explores a mother’s journey at the intersection of faith, family and calling. Through honest conversations with women building meaningful lives, we go beyond what everyone sees to talk about the decisions, faith, systems, sacrifices, support and real-life seasons underneath it all.DISCLAIMERHow Does She Do It? and related Girlfriends Thriving content are provided for informational, educational and inspirational purposes only. This episode includes discussion of mental health, child development, nutrition, sleep, medication and parenting practices. It is not individualized medical, psychological, psychiatric or parenting advice. Please consult an appropriately qualified healthcare or mental-health professional regarding your child’s or family’s individual needs.