The Hero's Journey of Motherhood: Embracing Imperfection_MomCo (MOPs) CEO Mandy Arioto

The Hero's Journey of Motherhood: Embracing Imperfection with Rhonda Stoppe and Mandy Arioto

Join us for an incredibly honest and refreshing conversation with parenting expert Rhonda Stoppe and MomCo's Mandy Arioto as they tackle one of motherhood's biggest myths: the need to be perfect.

In this vulnerable discussion, both moms share raw, real stories from their own parenting journeys—from postpartum meltdowns on freeways to forgotten baked beans that became family legends. You'll discover why 93% of moms feel pressure to be perfect, and more importantly, why our kids don't actually need perfect mothers.

What You'll Learn:

• Why authenticity beats perfection in motherhood every time
• How to model healthy apologies and humility for your children
• The transformative power of viewing motherhood as a "hero's journey"
• How God uses the everyday chaos of parenting to shape us into better people
• Why your worst parenting moments might become your family's favorite stories

This episode will leave you feeling encouraged, understood, and ready to embrace the beautiful mess of real motherhood. Perfect for any mom who's ever felt like she's failing—spoiler alert: you're not.

Duration: 39 Minutes / Suitable for: Parents, especially mothers

As the host of Bloodline & Backbone and The Mandy Show, Mandy offers powerful insights and candid conversations that resonate with today’s moms, helping them navigate their unique journeys.

Under Mandy’s leadership, MomCo (formerly MOPS) expanded its reach to over 10 million people annually, making a profound impact on moms globally. Mandy is known for her deep empathy and practical solutions that empower women to grow in their roles as mothers and in their personal and spiritual lives.

When she’s not speaking on stages across the globe or writing books that challenge the status quo, you’ll find Mandy, her husband Joe, and their three kids scaling mountains and seeking

wild adventures in Denver, Colorado. Learn more about Mandy at www.mandyarioto.co.

WATCH this LIVE Stream interview on Rhonda's YouTube Channel: 

Rhonda Stoppe No Regrets Woman

ABOUT THE MOM CO

MomCo is a non-profit organization that encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women and leaders, in relationship with Jesus and in partnership with the local church. MomCo — then, simply known as MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)—was founded in 1973 when seven women in Colorado invited moms to meet regularly to grow together as women, parents, and leaders, with the ultimate goal of reaching women with the hope of Jesus. Today, the small gathering they called MOPS now extends to

101+ countries, 25 languages, 72,000+ meetings a year and influences over a million moms annually.

For more information about Bloodline & Backbone and available Mother’s Day resources, visit themom.co. Follow The MomCo on

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"This podcast is for the purpose of mentoring only and is not a replacement for therapy. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained biblical counselor for help with your specific situation.”

Transcript

Rhonda Stoppe [00:00:02]:
Friends, I am so happy that you joined us today because I have a special woman that I can't wait for you to meet. I can't wait for you to just glean all the things from Mandy Arrioto. Is that correct how I said it?

Mandy Arioto [00:00:16]:
Yep, you got it.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:00:19]:
I'm going to read you her bio and then we are going to just jump in because I don't want to waste any time. Mandy Arioto is more than just the CEO of momco, which if you know anything about momco, it used to be mops. She is a leading voice for millions of moms worldwide. Her fearless take on life, parenting and relationships has inspired a movement that encourages mothers to embrace their authenticity and grow in their leadership. As the host of Bloodline and Backbone and the Mandy Show, Mandy offers powerful insights and candid conversations that resonate with today's mom, helping them navigate their unique journey. Journeys. Under Mandy's leadership, Momco, formerly MOPS, expanded its reach to over 10 million people annually, making a profound impact on moms globally. Mandy is known for her deep empathy and practical solutions that empower women to grow in their roles as mothers and in their personal and spiritual lives.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:01:24]:
When Mandy's not speaking on stages across the globe or writing books that challenge the status quo, you'll find Mandy heroes, her husband Joe and their three kids scaling mountains and seeking wild adventures in Denver, Colorado. You can learn more about Mandy at mandyariotto co. Okay, so that's a lot I have spoken for. My first book came out, Moms Raising Sons to Be Men came out in 2013 and then it was a 10 year anniversary edition came out in 2023 because it was a bestseller. Harvest House and we need to rewrite this book because the world has changed in a decade. We all know that. But I started speaking at mops. That was one of my first places that I took Moms Raising Sons to be Men.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:02:06]:
And I sold out at every meeting and it just became my heart because not only are Christian women at mops from their churches, but there's always women that don't know Jesus. And I always get the opportunity to share the gospel. And that's my sweet spot, is being able to get that opportunity. So that's what I love the most about when I got to speak at mops was connecting with the moms there. But also and the mentor moms. This show is old ladies know stuff. And the mentor moms at the MOPS or the momco meetings, they're the ones that God has called to mentor the younger generation of mothers. So tell us about your marriage, your kids.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:02:46]:
Just give us a little insight into who you are. And really, even when you stepped into the mom company CEO role?

Mandy Arioto [00:02:53]:
Yeah. So I've been married to my husband Joe, for 26 years. We met in college, and the first time I saw him, we were running along the cliffs in San Diego. We were going to Point Loma Nazare University, and I had seen him around campus, but I didn't know him. And I was running down one side of the cliffs, and he was running down the other. I was with a friend, and I saw him running toward us, and he had a shirt off, and he looks super buff. And I was totally judging him. I was like, he thinks he's really awesome and all that.

Mandy Arioto [00:03:20]:
And he gets right in front of us and almost trips and almost falls off the cliff, and then he hops right back up, runs past us. And my friend looked at me, and she's like, he totally has a crush on you. And then he asked me out with the cheesiest pickup line in the whole world a few weeks later. And it's been the best decision that I've ever made is marrying Joe Arioto. And then we have three kids.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:03:42]:
Know the cheesy pickup line.

Mandy Arioto [00:03:44]:
So he called me at that time. We had phone straight into our dorm room. And so he called me and left a message, and he said, hey, Mandy, I'm doing a survey of girls with beautiful smiles at Point Loma, and you are top of the list. And then he's like, no, I'm just kidding. But I was like, oh, my gosh. I can't believe it works. But it did. So cheesy pickup lines.

Mandy Arioto [00:04:05]:
Who knew? But, yeah, we have three kids. Our oldest son, Joseph, is 23, Elle is 20, and Charlotte is 18. So we are in a phase of life where we're preparing for everybody to be off at college. And that's a whole new season, which is really exciting.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:04:23]:
Yeah, it is. It's a fun season. But, man, it's hard to get used to, especially when you've just been mom and for so long. Right?

Mandy Arioto [00:04:30]:
So true.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:04:31]:
When did you step into the role of the CEO of Momco?

Mandy Arioto [00:04:34]:
Yeah. So I got invited to a mom co group when my kids were little, and I thought, no, that's not really my scene. Not really a mom group kind of person. But I went because I love my friend and trusted her, and it completely changed my life. At the time, we were living in Southern California and helping to pastor a church and doing all sorts of things. And really well connected and our family lived there. And then out of the blue, I got an invite from the mom co to come out and join the team and at headquarters in Denver. And I turned them down.

Mandy Arioto [00:05:08]:
And then that night, the same night that I turned them down, I got woken up in the middle of the night. And I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like God very specifically and clearly said, you need to go and you need to go now. And so in the morning I told my husband. And eight days later, we were in a U haul driving out to Denver. We didn't have a place to live. He was like calling rental properties on our way out. But we just knew that God was calling us to Denver, even though it didn't make any sense. And so that was 12 years ago.

Mandy Arioto [00:05:38]:
And I get to do the best, most fulfilling work that it's exceeds anything I could have dreamed of. And so I'm so grateful that God called us out. And even though it didn't make sense, it makes perfect sense in hindsight.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:05:55]:
I love that. And I think of those scriptures that says he. He does exceedingly and abundantly, above all we could ask or imagine, right?

Mandy Arioto [00:06:02]:
100%. Absolutely.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:06:03]:
And honestly, we could camp right here for the rest of this episode because I understand. We lived in California. We moved to Austin, Texas. We planted a church. It was going amazing. We loved it. We knew this is where God had us. And the church that Steve had you pastored in in California reached out, asked him to come be their pastor.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:06:22]:
We said no. We loved where we were. We knew this is where for two and a half years, they called him every six months and we said no. And at the last call, Steve said, I'm going to go check it out. And I said, I'm not going with you. I'm going to stay here and pray for the Lord to give you guidance, because I don't want to go. Schools in Texas were great. California, the schools in this town were awful.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:06:41]:
I knew I was going to have to homeschool my youngest too. I didn't want to home. I homeschooled, but I didn't live.

Mandy Arioto [00:06:47]:
Yeah.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:06:48]:
And I was like, no. But I knew the first time they called, there was that thing in your heart that you know. And Steve came back and he said, they offered me the job. And like, I know. And we did a pros and cons list. And the pros list said, stay right where we are in Austin. And. And we both just started to cry.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:07:04]:
And we both were like, we have to go. It still makes me cry telling that story. And we included our oldest daughter because she was going to be a junior in high school, and we wanted her to be on board. And I fully expected her to cry, say, no way. And she said, I don't want to, but I can't help but think this is about my adult life and we probably should go. And I'm like, oh, wow, what a.

Mandy Arioto [00:07:27]:
Mature perspective for her to have.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:07:30]:
Because. So my husband just retired two weeks ago. We've been at that church for 25 years. So.

Mandy Arioto [00:07:35]:
Oh, my goodness.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:07:36]:
Yeah, The Lord definitely makes it irresistible. And what I love about your story is it wasn't a long process of charts and graphs and plans. It's like you say, yes, you follow, and then he charts the path ahead of you, and he's your rear guard. That, to me, if anyone who's listening right now, if you're at a crossroad where you're trying to make a decision, don't always think the decision is, I'm going to be so happy to do this thing. Sometimes it's terrifying. But yet, like Moses, right? God told Moses to go, and he's like, I am not your guy 100%.

Mandy Arioto [00:08:13]:
You are so right, too. And I think for me, it's a lot of my leadership. A lot of what I feel like is important is immediate action. So the minute I sense that God is telling me to do something, the quicker I get to it, the better I feel like. And occasionally I will drag my feet, and I'm like, I don't really want to do that. I don't like having to make this decision. And I've always found that the quicker I respond to whatever it is that God is asking me to do, the better it turns out. So, yeah, have you experienced that, too, where it's like, you kind of know, but then you're like, oh, I don't really want to do that.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:08:57]:
And then I've also experienced where I've had something in my heart I've wanted to do. And it's 10 years later before God opens the door, and it's like, it's in your head. Writing my first book. I'm not a writer. I dangle my parsifals, I run on my sentences. I don't write. And yet there was something in my heart that 10 years later, the Lord opened the door. I met an editor at Harvest House and the president of Harvest House Publishers, and they said, just tell us about your speaking engagements.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:09:24]:
What's your most popular? So I told them, and they said, write that, Mom's. Book. I want you to write the Mom's Raising Sons book. And I was like, oh, I'm not. I have two daughters and two sons. And my oldest son didn't even come to my family till he was 15. I'm not the boy, mom. And they're like, we want you to write that one.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:09:39]:
And, yeah, sometimes it just doesn't make sense, but it's like it's in there, and you're aching to do it, and then all of a sudden, there's the door, and do you walk through it, or do you really. Back to Moses story. Moses tried to rescue his people when he killed the Egyptian back when he was Pharaoh's son. You know, raised in Pharaoh's household, he literally tried to do it in his own strength. Like, this isn't right. There's injustice in this. My people aren't being treated fairly. He kills that guy, ends up on the backside of a desert, does his midlife crisis out there.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:10:08]:
Right? But that's what happens sometimes. God whispers to our heart something he wants us to do, and then we rush ahead. And sometimes it's like, just watch and see. I think I have seven books with Harvest House now. I just. My new one just will be out in March. It's called Moms of the Bible. Life Changing Lessons.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:10:25]:
That's a long title from the fearless, flawed, and faithful, so.

Mandy Arioto [00:10:28]:
Oh, I love that. Were there any surprising moms that you came across where you're like, ooh, this is new to me.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:10:35]:
Yes, Every single one of them. I was like, okay, I'm gonna write about Naomi. And Naomi's a mentor, and she was Ruth's mother in law, and she told her how to hook Boaz and how to trust God.

Mandy Arioto [00:10:45]:
Mm. Mm.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:10:46]:
It's all about grief and loss and infertility and her sons married ungodly Moabite women. I mean, it's just the whole story is this difficult path, and then finally she says, that's it. I'm going home. I'm going to back to my God and my people. And Ruth watched Naomi watch through, walk through the most difficult experiences that any wife, mom, woman could ever walk through. And she still pursued Yahweh. And the point of that chapter is I'm getting goosebumps. That point of that chapter is sometimes our trial is not about us.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:11:26]:
It's to validate our testimony to someone who really needs to see that even when life is hard, Jesus is the way, the only hope for making sense of our lives. Yeah, so that one. And then I wrote about Herodias, you know, horrible Herodias, like, her daughter gets told by the king, what is the most anything in my kingdom. Half up to half the kingdom. What do you want? And her mom's like, ask for John the Baptist head on a platter. And so that whole chapter is about maybe you had a bad mom, and maybe your mom gave you really bad advice. Talks about a woman that her mom took her to have an abortion when she was 15 and made her, you know, unable to have kids anymore. And you gotta get past hating your mom for being the mom that you wish she would have been different.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:12:08]:
So anyway, this interview isn't about me.

Mandy Arioto [00:12:09]:
I can't wait to read it, though.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:12:11]:
Oh, I'm so excited. Of all my books, if I never write another one, I am so excited. This one is so happy.

Mandy Arioto [00:12:19]:
Was it easy to write or was it a difficult one?

Rhonda Stoppe [00:12:21]:
I actually wrote it in, like, four months, which normally I take. The shortest I've ever written a book is six months. Normally, they give me a year contract, but Harvest wanted it out by Mother's Day 26, so they gave me a real short time Spanish. So. But I got it done. So it's like all I did for three months was right where when you have six months, you're like, I'll get to it.

Mandy Arioto [00:12:43]:
Oh, so cool. I can't wait to. I can't wait. It's gonna be.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:12:45]:
I'm super excited about it. Okay, so in Blood and Backbone, which I love that name of that podcast, by the way, you call Motherhood a Spiritual calling, how do you see God working in and through moms today? Inspire us. Yeah.

Mandy Arioto [00:13:00]:
Well, so I was speaking at a conference not long ago. It's a marketing conference for marketers to Fortune 500 companies. And so you might be wondering, why is the leader of this Christian nonprofit at this marketing company talking? And the reason is because they are deeply focused on moms. And right before I got on stage, there was a marketing exec from Unilever, and he was up there, and he was talking about how they have just shifted their entire strategy for their organization to focus on moms. And then he said this really fascinating line, and he said verbatim, because moms are some of the most powerful evangelists on the planet. And if you want a family to buy a brand of detergent or practice a certain religion, the place to start is with the moms. And so what marketers across the country are looking at are that moms control $2.4 trillion in spending, and moms are the ones who if you want to raise a community out of poverty, the UN says the best way to do that is to elevate the moms. And if you want, in the middle of the week, you go through the mom and even self report in a Barna study recently that the single biggest influence on their faith is their mom.

Mandy Arioto [00:14:18]:
And none of that disqualifies dads. I. Dads are equally important, but. So we'll just focus there for a second.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:14:25]:
Sure.

Mandy Arioto [00:14:26]:
So what I just see every single day is that moms are some of the most underrated and unassuming influencers on the planet. And when moms recognize how powerful they are, they have tremendous impact in the kingdom, in their community, and in their home. Oftentimes we forget as moms how significant our influence is.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:14:52]:
Absolutely. And I always say when we figure out this is a ministry of motherhood to which God has called us in history for this time, it makes our days so much more than just wiping, being boogers and bums all day long. Like, you get so lost in the day to day of it and you forget this is a big picture. This is. And you know that I, I love. Moms are some of the most powerful evangelists for anything. So. So what is one of your goals as the CEO of, of the mom company? It's to remind moms around the globe of their God given influence, which you just kind of talked about.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:15:28]:
But why do you think moms so struggle to believe that?

Mandy Arioto [00:15:32]:
Yeah, I think you hit on it, really. Motherhood, while profound and holy, is also very mundane. And so we kind of forget in the mundaneness of the tasks of the day that have to happen about the bigger picture and how significant it is. Rabbi Steve Leader said this fascinating thing that has just stuck with me ever since I read it. And he talks about how one day he was walking through a cemetery and he said, it's really fascinating because almost without fail, every single headstone in the cemetery says the same thing. Loving wife, mother, friend. Loving husband, grandfather, friend. There's a couple outliers that are funny or whatever, but most of them say the same thing.

Mandy Arioto [00:16:16]:
And it's interesting that when at the end of our life, our lives are boiled down to a few important words about us, it always comes back to the relationships that we have with our closest people and how we do for them. It's not our degree, it's not our gene size, it's not our address, it's not how much money we have in the bank, it's how did we do? Stewarding our marriage, our Kids and our friendships. And so keeping that perspective really reframes how important those tasks, the mundane things that we do every day, really culminates in something that really matters in the end. Oh, yeah.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:16:59]:
And honestly, that's where I feel like the mom code comes in, because you have speakers regularly coming in and reminding moms of that. You've got the mentor moms at the table reminding them of that. You know, when we look back at how that time went by so quickly when our kids were little, when you're in the trenches, it's like, it's never going to be over. I'm never going to sleep through the night. I was on a podcast, and it was about hormonal imbalances. And I said something about sleep deprived, and I said, guess what? Nowadays I sleep until I wake up. And the host literally went, what is it like, how wonderful. Like, your day's coming.

Mandy Arioto [00:17:42]:
Oh, I love that. I can't wait. That's.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:17:44]:
I know. So in your. In your episode five on your show, it talks about rediscovering strength and community. And that's kind of what we were just talking about a little bit. But how can the church better support moms in today's culture?

Mandy Arioto [00:17:59]:
Yeah, I think we have some reframing to do around community, because if you post a picture on social media and get 20 likes, you kind of feel like that's a big failure. But if you went out in your everyday Life today and 20 people commented on how cute your outfit is that you're wearing, that would feel significant.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:18:24]:
True.

Mandy Arioto [00:18:25]:
Right. And so I think sometimes we have our calibration for what true community and true connection and success looks like is off. And so I think that's what we do at the Mom Company, and that's what churches can do, is to help recalibrate. Like having five close people in your life who know all the details and will show up for you at 2am that's all that really matters. And so I just think the church is such a great place to recognize, like, our sense of belongingness in community, but also in Christ, our sense of vulnerability that we cannot be the best version of ourself if we have things that we're hiding. And the church should be the safest place to bring those things to light and find healing and even in our parenting, to recognize, like, there are other moms who are going through the same thing that we feel so embarrassed or ashamed about. There's 10 other people in the room who are like, oh, me too, sister. Like, we've got that going on at our house too.

Mandy Arioto [00:19:28]:
And so it's just that sense of shrinking down our community to really experience it to the full and how. And that's what the church is just so brilliant at.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:19:41]:
It makes me think back when they would sit around and make a quilt together and all sit around and you know, like those days. Yeah, yeah. Like the community that just chatting as their hands were busy doing something. You're right. It's so lost. And I. It's profound. If some.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:19:56]:
If 20 people said, I like your outfit, you'd be like, I'm keeping this outfit funny on social media. Like maybe disappointing.

Mandy Arioto [00:20:07]:
It's just. Yeah, that's true.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:20:10]:
It's a fake world, right?

Mandy Arioto [00:20:12]:
Yeah.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:20:13]:
And how are we going to teach our kids not to fall to that kind of pressure if we're falling to.

Mandy Arioto [00:20:18]:
Oh, that's good. Yeah, right. That's a good point. That's a really good point.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:20:22]:
In my mom's Raising Sons book, there's a section called people pleasing isn't pleasing. And I'm a middle child come from a long line of people pleasing. Like, just make everybody happy. I'll be invisible to keep the peace. And when you have your kids, all of a sudden I want you to think I'm a good person. So my kids need to measure up to what you expect them to act like or I look bad. So I remember clearly as a young ministry wife, some friends that we had asked to mentor us. My daughter Meredith was four years old, skipping around the church, loud giggling.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:20:55]:
After church, we were talking. I shushed her several times. And finally this one mentor said, why do you care? Is it a conviction that you don't want her making noise in the sanctuary? I go, no. Pushed me till I said the words, I don't want people to think I'm a bad mom. And he stopped me and he said, never raise your kids for what people think of you. You will ruin your kids.

Mandy Arioto [00:21:15]:
Wow.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:21:16]:
People pleaser. That. That phrase set my children free from the. The kingdom of Rhonda. Trying to make sure people know I'm doing a good job by how they dress, by how they act, by how they respond. It was an older mentor and he was a pastor. And I didn't know I was going to be raising pastors kids. How many PKs are not okay?

Mandy Arioto [00:21:38]:
Right?

Rhonda Stoppe [00:21:38]:
I would have been like, don't talk in church. What are people going to? Dad, don't wear jeans with holes in them. What people gonna think about your dad? That set me free. Which brings us all the way for Full Circle Back to the importance of godly mentors, those that have charted the path ahead of us. Right.

Mandy Arioto [00:21:54]:
Yeah. What a gift that that man gave you to offer that perspective. That is. As moms, that is a challenge that we all face. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, whether it's with other moms or at school drop off or. You're so right. Just giving our kids the freedom to be themselves and not moralizing what we think other people are judging us for.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:22:16]:
Yeah. I mean, even as a mom, when your kids are in school, like, you didn't do your homework. What's your teacher going to think of me? That you didn't do your homework? So it's people pleasing, it's peer pressure. You're literally training your kids. We live for the affirmation of others instead of saying, you didn't do your homework. This is an irresponsible choice that you've made that you're going to have consequences for. But it has nothing to do with how I look or even how you look. It has to do with the consequence that you've made a choice that now is going to cost you a grade or.

Mandy Arioto [00:22:46]:
Yeah, whatever. That's really good.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:22:49]:
Yeah. Thank God for mentors or I would have the life out of my kids.

Mandy Arioto [00:22:57]:
Yeah.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:22:57]:
So, so, so bloodline and backbone. That's your podcast. Invites moms to reclaim their story and purpose. I love that. What does redemption look like for the moment? Who feels choked up, like she's failed?

Mandy Arioto [00:23:10]:
Yeah. And I think every mom I know has felt like they failed at one point or another. I remember one time in high school, one of my kids came home and they had been smoking pot the day before, and I found out, and they had been throwing up because of it. And they came home, we're throwing up. I'm like, good, you deserve it. And I immediately was like, that is not the kind of mom I want to be. And it still pains me that I said it. And, like, the minute I said it, I was like, oh, my gosh, I am so sorry.

Mandy Arioto [00:23:44]:
I do not mean that. You do not deserve to be throwing up because you smoked pot one time. Like, it's fine. But we all have those moments where we say things or do things or we yell or whatever it is where we feel like we are completely failing. And I think it's so interesting because in a survey that was done recently, 93% of moms said that it's very important to them to be the perfect mom. How many of us enjoy being around perfect people? I don't. I don't like it at all. I don't want to go to their house.

Mandy Arioto [00:24:17]:
I don't feel like I know them. I don't feel like they're being real with me. And so our kids don't need perfect moms. They need real moms who are willing to say when we've done something wrong and model to them how to apologize when we've messed up. And to say, I did that was not right. I did not handle that well and I'm sorry and I'm going to do better next time. That's what our kids need. They don't need perfection.

Mandy Arioto [00:24:40]:
They need honesty. They need realness. And they need to know that we love them so much that we're willing to go through hard things and have hard conversations and humble ourselves when we mess up.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:24:51]:
Yes, our kids don't need perfect moms. They need real moms who model how to apologize when we've messed up. Right. How are our kids ever going to learn to apologize to their spouse if they haven't seen us apologize to our spouse or to our children? I think, oh, a memory I have. I was so postpartum hormonal after my third child. I had never had postpartum before, so I didn't recognize that. I was just overwhelmed. And we were driving somewhere and my car, it shut down.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:25:19]:
But it looked like it ran out of gas because the, the lever, the thing went. So I thought my husband didn't fill the tank. So I was just like, we're on the freeway, you know, how could he? And my 6 year old was saying, mom, mom, go to that gas station, mom, go to that gas station. I was trying to wrap my head around what I've got three small children on the side of a freeway. What do I do? And I really blew it. I looked at Meredith and I said, meredith, shut up. Just shut up. I never said that.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:25:44]:
Like, that was just not said in my home. I disciplined ourselves that we didn't say it to each other, the kids didn't say it. And I was just mortified that that came out of my mouth. And I saw her just shut herself down. You know, six year old, first daughter, you've got the answer for everything. Just let them help you. But I, I literally, after I got like a man stopped to pick us up and I'm like, I cannot get into your nice SUV truck with my three children. And then a woman pulled up next to me in this beat up old car with windows open because she had no air conditioning and it made all kinds of noise.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:26:19]:
And she said, honey, would you like a ride? And I said, yes, ma'. Am. I would.

Mandy Arioto [00:26:29]:
Love that.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:26:29]:
I had to go back after we were settled and tell Meredith how to. How mortified I was that I said that to her and how sorry I was. But we have those. And you feel like such a failure. So, yeah, there's hope in the. You know, obviously your trial is not about you. Your trial teaches your child how to walk through trials.

Mandy Arioto [00:26:48]:
It's so true. And I don't know about you, but for me, like, that's the things that my kids joke about now. Like, they think it's hilarious because we've resolved it in a way that it didn't harm them. Now they joke about the time mom flipped out when her wedding ring, you know, it's like all those things where I was like, did not have a good moment they think are hilarious and joke about now. So it's kind of like we can redeem those things and make it family stories that end up being, it's true. Great bonding moments.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:27:16]:
One of that, my girls, I had made dinner, which I'm not a great cook. Steve has taken over my kitchen over the last decade, which I'm so grateful for. But I had made dinner, and we were almost done with dinner, and I realized the baked beans were in the microwave. Just a can of baked beans, but we didn't eat them. And I stood up and went, baked beans. Baked beans. My children this day will yell, beans, baby.

Mandy Arioto [00:27:40]:
I love that kind of stuff so much. That's my favorite.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:27:44]:
But in my hormonal moment, it was a really big deal.

Mandy Arioto [00:27:50]:
Oh, that's so great. That's awesome.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:27:52]:
So let's talk about. You said that in there in your series Reframing the Hero story of Motherhood. How do you believe God used moms? And why does it even matter?

Mandy Arioto [00:28:03]:
Well, I find it fascinating that this story, the most important story, in my opinion, as a follower of Jesus, can be traced back intentionally through the moms. And I think that motherhood is such a holy endeavor that God honors it, not only in his story, but in our own stories. And what I recognize is that the moment we become moms, we start to get asked to do things that we don't think we're capable of. Like, I remember having three kids, and one kid threw up, and then it caused the other kid to throw up. And I'm catching three kids throw up in my hands, right? Something I never would have thought I would do. And that's a mild story. Like, there are much bigger stories of Things that, as a mom, you are called to do. And it is truly a hero's journey of recognizing that you are capable of way more than you think you are.

Mandy Arioto [00:29:09]:
And that when you partner with God and rely on him to lead you and guide you and trust him with all of the details of mothering and the complexities and the hard things and the amazing things that were on a trajectory, we're included in a story that's shaping us in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams. And we're becoming more holy, more interesting, more compassionate. All of these attributes that God is forming in us through motherhood that we didn't even realize when we started it, are actually shaping us to help us look more like Jesus. And. And so it's a profoundly wild journey that I think when we recognize, oh, this is an interesting story that I'm embarking on and is an adventure that is going to ask things of me that I'm not prepared to give. And then we can open ourselves to some truly remarkable experiences when we start to recognize that God is in it with us.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:30:12]:
Yeah. In my story, when my son was diagnosed with epilepsy, it was severe, had to be heavily medicated, and I remember at one point saying, I quit, Lord. We're planting a church. We're leading people to Jesus. You can't heal my son, but you know, if you hide God's word in your heart, you won't sin against him. And in that still small voice and everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. And I'm like, no, I can't. But I.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:30:37]:
I know you know what's good, and I know you can make good of this. And he made my son into the most amazing musician because he didn't play sports, because he was stoned on meds. But, you know, stoners make good music. So praise Jesus. He's a worship pastor now. The Lord has amazing things in and through his life. Ten years later, my daughter, who was in middle school at the time, gave birth to a special needs daughter. And all I could think of was, what if I had walked away? When Meredith was watching, when she was in stitch, she pressed into the Lord through Ivy's special needs and has trusted him.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:31:12]:
And it's an ongoing syndrome, surgeries. It's a lifetime of stuff. But, yeah, in the moment, God asks us to do things that are bigger than we ever dreamed, that we wanted. I don't have courage for this. You don't, but I do. And be strong for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.

Mandy Arioto [00:31:30]:
Oh, yeah, that's so good.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:31:32]:
Inspired by that. So you launched a new devotional on YouVersion. So how does that tie into the new podcast? And how does it support moms on their faith journey? I'm so excited about this.

Mandy Arioto [00:31:42]:
Yes, we have partnered with you version. It's a. It's a study on motherhood in the Bible. And so that's why I'm so excited to read your new book, too, because I think we're thinking alike on the importance of what this means. So I just really feel like being in God's Word, and it sounds cliche, and it sounds like something we're supposed to say as followers of Jesus, but, like, getting to know God's Word intimately is one of the most important things that I've done. Shaped my faith, my mothering, but just, like, getting to know Jesus in a real way, and it's spicy and it's interesting, and it's way, like, messier than I ever would have imagined. And so we just really feel compelled to help women get to know Jesus in a real, authentic way and get to know God's word in a way that just, like, weaves throughout their day seamlessly. And so that's what this youversion study is.

Mandy Arioto [00:32:41]:
It's just short ways to interact with God and God's Word and just to get to know God's voice better.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:32:47]:
I love that. And honestly, you'll never see yourself more clearly than through the lens of scripture.

Mandy Arioto [00:32:52]:
Oh, yes, so true.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:32:54]:
As you observe God's Word and you're being transformed by the renewing of your mind, all of a sudden, that thing that you swear was your husband's fault, you realize, oh, it's me.

Mandy Arioto [00:33:06]:
I love that. Oh, that's so accurate, too.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:33:13]:
Okay, so let's just ask this last question you've hinted at. The Mandy show is coming soon. So share with us about this new podcast. How is it going to help women anchor their mornings in truth and grace? Even before which this is heresy to me. The coffee kicks in, right?

Mandy Arioto [00:33:29]:
Well, what I recognized about a year ago was that I like listening to podcasts in the morning, but none of the podcasts that I want to put on are things I want my kids listening to when they're getting ready for school in the morning. Because whether it's, like, informational or I just wanted something that's joyful, that is reflective of the things that God cares about. That's funny. That's like having a conversation with friends. And so that's what we're Creating. And it's just a feel good morning show that lasts about a half hour that you can put on in the morning that's safe for kids. But we talk about all the topics that are interesting. We talk about culture and how it relates to interesting things in scripture.

Mandy Arioto [00:34:07]:
And it's just very unexpected and fun and like you're watching it. A TV variety show and also the deepest theological conversation that you're curious about but don't know where to go find someone to talk with. So it's the perfect show to start your day or when you're out for a run or taking kids in the car. And so we're really excited to get to share it with the world.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:34:31]:
So is it you interviewing people or you have a team that you're just having conversations with?

Mandy Arioto [00:34:35]:
It's all of it. It's a team that we have conversations with. We're bringing in friends. Candace Cameron Beret is going to be on one of our first couple of episodes. So yeah, it's going to a lot of fun.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:34:44]:
That's wonderful. I had, I was interviewed with Dr. James Dobson years back and he said he was instrumental in helping start mops. And I was really excited when he was telling me the story and I honestly don't remember it now. It was a long time ago, but he was just like so excited about what the Lord has done with mops from how the Lord has just launched it all over the world. That to me is an amazing. So it'll be exciting to see. When does the Mandy show podcast start?

Mandy Arioto [00:35:16]:
It comes out in September.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:35:18]:
September. Okay. So we will watch for that. Okay. So how. How can people get a hold of you if they want to have you come speak at their event or purchase your book? Tell me the name of your book. I didn't write. It's.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:35:30]:
It's way up in the.

Mandy Arioto [00:35:32]:
Yep, I've got a couple. Have more fun. Starry Eyed Wild Hope. So lots of of options to choose from. There's a devotional called Breathing Room, so. Yep. Yeah. And then if you're looking for a mom community to be a part of, you can go to the Mom Co.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:35:50]:
Okay. Mom Co. All right. Any final things you'd like to say?

Mandy Arioto [00:35:55]:
No. Thank you so much, Rhonda. What a treat to be able to be on with you. You are so instrumental and we've all learned so much from you about raising boys and man, you are just.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:36:07]:
And I have 15 grandkids, so I just was the master of ceremonies for the grandparenting summit in. Where was I? I Was either in Arkansas or Alabama. I can't. Alabama. I think it was in Alabama. And it was 8, 000 grandparents. I was like, baby, I used to speak events. Now I speak grandma and grandpa events.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:36:26]:
But I'll take it. Yeah, I actually had a blast doing it. I'm like, I need to find more master of ceremonies gigs because this was so much fun, and I can do that.

Mandy Arioto [00:36:34]:
I bet you were phenomenal. Seems like. Yeah.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:36:38]:
My sweet spot.

Mandy Arioto [00:36:39]:
So.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:36:40]:
Yeah. Anyway, I have so appreciated what I have learned from you, from afar, from the influence that MOPS has even had in my world and in the world of my children and my grandchildren. It's just been amazing. And honestly, I just got the stats for my show, and it was like, oh, this show is airing and being listened to in Israel and in Iran and India and all over the world that people are listening. So it's not just this, this culture, it's mom, a mom in Zimbabwe right now that is saying, my motherhood matters.

Mandy Arioto [00:37:14]:
Absolutely.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:37:15]:
Would you close us out in prayer?

Mandy Arioto [00:37:17]:
I'd be happy to. Thank you, God. You are a God who, as we mentioned at the start, does more than we could ask or imagine. And so, God, I just pray over every mom listening that right now, that thing in their life that feels like they don't know what to do with, they're not sure how it's going to turn out, that you would do more than they could ask or imagine. God, would you show up? Would you be clear? Would you provide the next steps? And would you soothe mom's hearts who are worried about a variety of things right now, but just reminding them that you've got it and that you're in control. God bless Rhonda. Bless this work that she is doing, Bless her new book, help it to go far and wide and use it in mighty ways to encourage women that you see them, that you know them, and that you understand them. And so, God, we pray all of these things in the mighty name of Jesus.

Mandy Arioto [00:38:11]:
Amen.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:38:12]:
Amen. Oh, and we didn't talk about mom the Mom Con, so tell us where that is and when, because there might be people that want to. Is it sold out?

Mandy Arioto [00:38:19]:
We're getting close. We have a big conference called Mom Con, where there's thousands of moms that come in, and we spend three days together. It's September 24th through the 26th, is in Orlando, Florida, and you can go to Momcon Co to get tickets, and it's super fun.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:38:37]:
It was very fun. All right, thanks so much for joining us and friends share this with someone. This episode is going to be such an inspiration and encouragement to the mom friend group that you're a part of. You don't even know behind closed doors those moms that are thinking I'm a failure. Looking at everybody else's social media posts, everybody looks like they have it all together. You don't even know who needs this, but the Lord does. So you do your part. Share the link for this show and let the Lord send this far and wide wherever he would have it go.

Rhonda Stoppe [00:39:12]:
Thanks so much. Thanks for joining us Mandy. I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.

Mandy Arioto [00:39:17]:
Such a treat. Thanks. Well.