Hey friends and welcome back to the messy table, an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories,

and the God who's at work in our mess, which is basically the overarching theme of the entire

Bible and our entire lives. Clearly, we love a good messy table because that's where life happens.

That's where we gather to share a meal, to talk about the

good stuff, and the hard stuff, where our kids throw their backpacks and share about their

day over homework, where we meet friends for coffee and divulge our most honest thoughts. And that is

why we're here, to take an intentional moment, to hear a fresh perspective, and take a deep

breath of encouragement. So guys, if we haven't had the chance to meet, my name is Jen

Jewel, and I truly love getting to host this faith-fueled conversation-style podcast,

which happens to unleash a brand-new episode into your world and your speakers every other Tuesday.

And y'all back with me today as my co-host is my wise and spicy and full of life friend,

the Latanya Pratt. And y'all, it's the beginning of May and it's Mother's Day Week

and it's foster care awareness month.

And we are nearing the sun-soaked days of summer, which often means extra time with the

younger humans in our lives.

And that is exactly why we are thrilled to have Amanda Torres as our guest for today.

She's a wife and mom of five who is here to share the unexpected messes and mercies

of motherhood, as well as shed some light on the challenging yet meaningful work of biological,

foster, and adopted mamas.

But first, and this is more than a side note, we know that for many, Mother's Day really hurts.

And this week can be extra hard, extra triggering.

So we are linking a slew of important episodes

...