Today, Mark and I are talking about raising our daughters, a challenging feat in a culture that not only hesitates to define what a woman is but also fails to provide a clear picture of femininity. With 15 and 17-year-old daughters, we are still actively in the parenting process, helping them to grow in faithfulness, beauty, and intellect. I mention that because, as parents, we all need grace as we do so. Mark and I discuss several topics, from Disney princesses and Boss Babe culture to some of the tender conversations we navigate as we prepare them for the world. I even fumble my own rhetorical question at the start. Wink. Books mentioned: Simplicity Parenting, The Soul of Discipline, The Chronicles of NarniaFind Mark over at The Viceroy Project.Image: Le Poème de l'âme Louis Janmot, 1854 This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cloisteredaway.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Mark and I begin to unpack some of the ways in which we have raised our children. We will begin with the topic of raising sons first, following the natural ways our parenting unfolded in having sons first. We discuss their robust childhoods of play and heroic influences as well as the demarcation of the 13th birthday and their transition toward manhood in adolescence. We hope you enjoy! Francisco Goya, Children Playing Soldiers, c 1782-85 This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cloisteredaway.substack.com/subscribe

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;your children will be like olive shoots around your table.Psalm 128:3 Today, Mark and I are discussing ways of cultivating a fruitful marriage, how we relate to one another emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Heads up—we talk about sex, too, because you can’t discuss a fruitful marriage without also addressing intimacy in the bedroom. But don’t worry: it won’t make you blush. We tackle lots of topics and lessons from our 23 years. We also realize that marriage can be a complicated and tender topic for a lot of reasons. As such, we desire this conversation to draw each of us upward in hope rather than downward in shame or comparison. God is faithful to meet each of us and grow us right where we are.Enjoy!Abraham’s Wallet Summit GuideThe Viceroy Project*Ripening Pears, Joseph Decker, 1884-5 This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cloisteredaway.substack.com/subscribe

Keep your heart with all vigilance,    for from it flow the springs of life. —Proverbs 4:23, ESVIn this episode, Mark and I discuss the ways in which we can guard and govern our souls toward truth, beauty, and goodness. As women, we live with robust capacity and passion, and as such, we can find ourselves more easily discussing the material of our days instead of nurturing the source of it. But what is the soul? Why does it matter for us to guard our souls, or to keep them diligently? Join us in the discussion in the comments below: how do you govern and nurture your soul? | Sources |You Are What You Love, James K.A. SmithThe Republic, PlatoYou can find Mark at Fidelis Creative Agency and The Viceroy Project. You can find Bethany at Cloistered Away on Substack and on Instagram. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cloisteredaway.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the first season of the Cloistered Away Podcast! In this first season, I am joined by my husband, Mark, as we casually discuss the layered ways of relating within our home and how those relationships have formed the foundation for so much that we do as individuals and as a family. In this first episode, we introduce ourselves and give a little history into the origins of our marriage, homeschooling, and Cloistered Away. We also discuss the rise of social media and its impact of motherhood and preview a few of the topics we’ll be covering in this season. We’re glad you’re here! Cloistered Away is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Finding Our Work ElsewhereBethany | Your Best Homeschool Year | Homeschool Consultations | Cloistered Away Mark | Fidelis Creative Agency | The Viceroy Project This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cloisteredaway.substack.com/subscribe