hey there,
I’m Jen Coursey, wife to Chris and mom of Matthew and Andrew. I’m glad to be here with you.
Thriving Mamas came from a desire to branch out further to moms that struggle with “joyful” parenting.
As co-founder of THRIVEtoday, with my husband, we discovered early on the importance of joy. Studies are showing that our brain’s desired default is joy – or knowing that someone is glad to be with us.
I can tell you honestly that before my parenting journey began, I was deeply struggling with joy. And once my children were born, it became even more difficult to live with that as my default.
I knew I couldn’t be the only one – so here we are. Chris and I created a range of exercises and skills, known as the 19 Relational Skills™ through our nonprofit: THRIVEtoday.
While this has been a great way to reach a large variety of people from all walks of life, I knew that my heart has always had a huge spot for moms. The other Thriving Mamas on this site shared that their hearts are for the same mission and we knew we had to get together and start something.
I can confidently say from all of us, “We are glad to be with you!”
-Jen
Hello! My name is Kristy and I am wife to Nik and mama to four amazing kiddos – Elise, Joel, Erik, and James.
Before having kids, I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into. On the one hand, being a mom has been way more fulfilling than I could ever have imagined. The love I feel for these precious people has overwhelmed me on countless occasions.
However, parenting has also been the hardest thing I have ever done. Being a mom has revealed many of my own relational deficits, bringing me over and over again to the feet of Jesus in need of His help and transformation in my life.
On the bright side of that, parenting has been God’s greatest tool to draw me close to Him and to grow and develop me more into the image of Jesus. As He has grown my own capacity and relational skills, I awe at the changes that have come in my life and my family.
It is with great excitement that I join Thriving Mamas to offer you hope, encouragement, and support in your parenting journey. As we link arms as fellow moms and grow in building joy and connection in our families, beautiful things will come!
– Kristy
Hi friends, I’m Lieza. Before I became wife to Paxton, and mom to my two boys and girl, I was (and still am!) a lover of all things color, design, and storytelling.
With a passion and background in design, I first got involved in THRIVEtoday to help out with some marketing. As Jen wrote for that ministry, she would invite me to guest blog and I became hooked. So here we are – joining forces and making Thriving Mamas its own thing.
As a lower energy, lower joy person, parenting (and marriage) have been some of the steepest stairs I’ve had to climb. But like Kristy shared, it’s also these things that have made me most like Jesus. Not a day goes by that I’m not only grateful Jesus doesn’t leave us where we are, but that He also gave me a rockstar partner to walk with me in my low points. I know He will use my struggles to show the depth of His love and to show you that you’re not alone in these low points either.
For all of my Enneagram sisters out there, I’m a true-blue Type 2 with 3 wing.