#17 Hearing God’s Voice & Embracing Purpose-Driven Motherhood | A Special Easter Episode

In this special Easter episode of Discovering Home, Karla Monterrosa shares her faith journey of healing and transformation as a Christian mom. Learn how to hear God’s voice, trust His call, and embrace a motherhood full of peace and purpose.

What does it feel like when God is calling you—and how can you respond with faith?

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or uncertain about your next step, this episode helps you recognize the subtle ways God may be speaking to you right now.

Key takeaways include:

• Karla’s turning point in 7 and quiet moments that changed everything
• A powerful Easter 2018 encounter that deepened her Gospel understanding
• What it really means to hear God’s voice amid busy motherhood
• How to build your relationship with God, even when feeling unsure or disconnected
• Why slowing down opens the door to deeper faith, peace, and purpose

Whether you’ve been walking with the Lord for years or just beginning to reconnect, this episode invites you to lean in, trust Him, and take one simple step of faith.

More than an Easter message, this is a reminder: Jesus is still calling, restoring, and offering new life today.

🎧 Listen and be encouraged to answer His call again and again.

Transcript

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Welcome back to Discovering Home. I'm your host, Carla Monterrossa, a coach for moms who desire more time and flexibility for their home and families. Today's episode is a little bit different. As we prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, I have been thinking about what to share with you. And I felt led to pause for a moment and simply tune in to what God is doing in our lives. The Holy Spirit is always at work calling to us. But we're not always aware. We live busy, often noisy lives, and in some seasons, it can be harder to hear him and even harder to respond. And yet, he never stops inviting us back into the conversation. He's always saying, I'm here, my child. Let's talk. If you're a believer, maybe that call right now is to worry less and trust him more. If you're new in your faith, you might not yet recognize that still quiet voice or know how to respond to it. But no matter how long we've been walking with the Lord, we all have seasons. Seasons where we feel strong, seasons of growth, and seasons of outright struggle. Because the truth is, we are imperfect. Jesus was the only one capable of walking this life in perfect faithfulness with the Father. And still, God never leaves us. He continues to call us back to Him. Easter is very special to me because early in my own transition from full-time work to being home with my daughters, I experienced a moment with God that changed everything. It was the moment I truly understood what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. And I want to share that with you today. But even more than that, I want to help you begin to recognize how he may be showing up in your life right now because he is always present. And he is always inviting you into deeper relationship with him. Even in the hard seasons, especially in the hard seasons, he is near. There's something about those moments that quiet the noise and make it easier to hear his voice. And in those places, he meets us, shapes us, and draws us into a deeper, more genuine faith. This episode is about Jesus, what he accomplished for us on the cross, and the invitation we've been given because of it. My story is one of transformation, of healing, and of what happens when you finally say yes to his call. I pray you leave this episode encouraged and more aware of his gentle but persistent call in your life. So what does it feel like when God is calling you? It's not usually loud or dramatic. More often it's quiet, gentle, and persistent. Maybe you felt a yearning to follow him, but something stops you. Maybe you worry that following him means you'll have to change some things and you're not sure you can. Maybe you have a friend or a relative who is a believer and you find yourself curious about their faith, or at least open to learning more as you watch their relationship with God. Maybe someone has invited you to church, told you Jesus loves you, or said they're praying for you, and that thought stays with you. Maybe deep in your heart you sense that God wants a deeper relationship with you, but you've told yourself, I'll get to that later. Or maybe you've been searching for fulfillment, love, peace, and satisfaction through your marriage, your motherhood, your career, or other priorities, but you never reach the fulfillment you're looking for. And maybe you're here listening to this message. This too is an invitation to draw closer to him. All things flow from him and are for him. He made you to know him, to walk with him, and reflect his glory. And nothing else will fully satisfy the space that only he can fill. Nothing else even comes close. These are not random thoughts. These are not coincidences. These are signs that God is seeking you out. When I look back on my life, these were all ways that Jesus was calling to me. In busier seasons, I still have moments when I struggle to slow down, where I'm tempted to go about my day doing all the things without truly stopping to listen. Now, I understand that it can be difficult to trust and speak to someone you can't see, but he is with you, ever present, he knows you fully, and he wants a relationship with you. And I think part of the reason it's difficult to trust God is because for many of us, our upbringing, our experiences, and even the culture around us has taught us to rely on ourselves. And because of that, trust is hard. We hear phrases like trust God or place your trust in Jesus. That can feel difficult to grasp because it's hard to trust someone you can't physically see, especially when the people you can see have disappointed or hurt you. And whether we realize it or not, those experiences can shape how we see God. We may begin to associate that pain with him, or we begin to think they're all the same. And I understand that struggle because of my childhood experiences, things I saw within my small church growing up, and the sinful choices of imperfect people around me, trusting people has been hard for me too. And if I'm truly honest, this is still an area of growth and tenderness in my life. I tend to keep my circle small. I feel most comfortable around women, and I'm so grateful that God has brought incredibly sweet, strong, and generous women into my life. Women that I can lean on for support, wisdom, and encouragement. But it has been a journey getting here. So how do we get there? Let me share a bit about my story because I think it's important to show the journey from a deep distrust of most people to being open to relationships and taking the risk that's involved in opening ourselves up to others. But I've been aware of the presence of God in my life from a very young age. I accepted Jesus when I was eight years old into my heart. But my childhood was hard, my family life was chaotic, and I experienced abuse at the hands of people close to me. I didn't grow up in a Christian home, but I did go to church with my grandmother and my aunts. And despite all the pain, I never felt completely alone. I knew God was with me, and that gave me a deep sense of comfort. But eventually, without someone to truly guide me in my faith, I drifted. And in my early college years, I stepped away from the church and began pursuing my own desires, making choices that I now recognize were sinful and harmful. And yet, even then, I always felt God near me, calling me back. All those signs I mentioned earlier, I experienced them. But like many people, I told myself, I'll come back to God later. When my daughters were born, that inner voice and my awareness of God grew stronger. I knew I wanted to raise my daughters in a community of believers. But that lingering distrust was still there. And at the same time, I was carrying so much in my everyday life. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, stretched too thin, trying to juggle career and motherhood, and feeling like I wasn't fully succeeding at anything. There was a quiet but growing dissatisfaction in me. A sense that something wasn't quite right, but I couldn't fully name it yet. We tried going back to church many times. My daughters were babies, and the thought of entrusting them to people I didn't know even in a church nursery felt unbearable. My husband wanted the girls to go into the nursery so we could focus during the service, but I could only focus if I had them safely in my arms. It became a point of tension for us, and eventually we stopped going. But God didn't stop pursuing me. He's so patient. He sees our struggles, our fears, our hesitations, and he doesn't give up on us. He keeps inviting us back, gently waiting for us to respond. And even in that season, I felt a growing desire to be closer to him. I just didn't know how to move past my fears. So I started small. Before I could commit to a local church, I began growing in my faith one-on-one with God. I prayed in my car on my way to work. I listened to Christian podcasts. I would play Bible devotions at night before bed. And if you can relate to any part of my story, if you have a desire to grow in your faith, but life feels busy, overwhelming, or maybe you struggle to trust people as I did, I want you to know that I understand. 2017 marked a true turning point in my life. When I stepped away from the workforce, I thought it would be for a short break from my career. But I had clear intentions for that season. I wanted to deepen my faith in my relationship with God. I wanted to be present physically and emotionally for my family. And I wanted to align my life with my purpose. And for the first time in a long time, I had space. Without the constant busyness and mental exhaustion, I was finally able to slow down and begin seeking God more intentionally. After dropping my daughters off at school each day, I would come home, brew a cup of coffee, open my Bible, and start reading. I committed to reading through the New Testament, and as I read about Jesus, his love, his miracles, his compassion, and the gift of salvation, it began to transform me from the inside out. I started praying more, seeking him more, inviting him more into my everyday life. For the first time, he was front and center. I talked to him honestly, I told him my fears, my desires, and how much I wanted to truly know him. And it was in that space, in that quiet, consistent seeking, that everything began to shift for me. God had been calling me all along. I can see it so clearly now. And I was finally responding. And in the Easter season of 2018, I was new to being a stay-at-home mom, unsure if I would go back to my full-time career, and spending a lot of focused time studying the word and praying. The Bible tells us, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. And that's exactly what I've experienced in my life. I wanted so badly to fully walk in the joy of the Lord. I remember saying that out loud to my husband one night. And that same night before going to bed, I felt led to open my Bible. And when I did, it opened to Hebrews 10. I began to read and I knew immediately God was speaking to me directly. And Hebrews 10 10 says, And by that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Those words hung in my mind. I read them over and over again. Once for all time, wait, that means he already took this from me. The guilt, the shame, the weight I had been carrying all those years, he accomplished what none of us can do in our own strength. He defeated sin and death on the cross, and he offers us forgiveness, peace, and freedom here on earth, and the gift of eternal salvation. And when we accept the gift he offers, we no longer need to fear death or question where we'll spend eternity. He has secured a place for us at his side. Despite our sins, despite our past, he offers forgiveness, peace, and freedom. He offers forgiveness, peace, and freedom. By his sacrifice on the cross, he has paid our debts and saved our souls. We just have to accept that gift. That Easter weekend, we went to my in-law's church on Resurrection Sunday. After the service, we gathered in their home, and I love to talk to my father-in-law about the Bible. He's so knowledgeable and full of grace in our conversations. And on this particular day, in a quiet moment, just the two of us, I b I opened up to him about my childhood and my desire to be restored. And he asked me this question, Carla, what happens when you repair a car? To which I responded, it breaks again. And he said, Exactly. But God works differently. Open your Bible to Hebrews 10. I was stunned. There was God, again, pointing to Jesus, the cross, and what he accomplished for us. Just a few days earlier, God had led me to that exact same scripture when I had said something similar to my husband. I knew without a doubt, God was speaking to me, confirming my place in his family. Something shifted that day. For so long, even as a believer, I struggled with the pain of my past. I carried shame for things that had happened to me as a child. I felt the weight of my sins, and deep within, there was a growing desire to be made new, to truly be free. And when I finally understood the gift of the cross, the forgiveness he offers, and what Jesus truly accomplished, that's when everything changed. The weight I had been carrying was lifted, and I have been different since that day. The memories lost their power over me, and I was confidently walking in my true identity, a forgiven, chosen child of God. And as I continued to grow, I eventually said yes to community too. I committed to joining a local church, not just attending, but becoming an integral part of it, studying the word in smaller groups, building friendships, allowing myself to be known. And it has been such a gift. God brought friendships into my life that have nourished me deeply. We need that. We were not designed to do this alone. Scripture says in Proverbs 27, 17 that iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another. Other versions say a friend sharpens a friend. We need each other. We need encouragement and accountability. And over time, even in motherhood, I began to grow in my trust. As my daughters matured, I had intentional conversations with them about safety and boundaries. I slowly began to feel peace in allowing them to be part of our church community too, and it has been such a gift. Watching them grow in their own faith and relationships gives me so much joy. God didn't rush me. He never left me. He gave me what I didn't even know I needed at the exact right time when I was the most open to it. And if you've been sensing God calling to you, inviting you into a richer relationship with him, I encourage you to lean in. It can be slow. You don't need hours on your own to study the word to begin to take steps of faith in his direction. You can start one-on-one with him, reading the word, praying, and opening your heart to him. And before we close, I want to be really clear about something. It wasn't becoming a stay-at-home mom that saved me or transformed my life. Yes, God used that season, and that decision, it absolutely changed the rhythm and dynamic of our family. But what truly made the difference in that season was this. I made a decision, a commitment. I chose to seek Him more deeply, to study His word, to pray, to step into Christian community, into friendships and a church family where I could learn, grow, and do life alongside other believers. And wherever you find yourself right now, in whatever season you're in, you can make that same choice too. You can decide in your mind and in your heart that you will pursue a closer relationship with him. And he will meet you there. He has been waiting for you to respond all along. You don't have to clean yourself up first. Just come to him as you are. Even right now in this moment, you can incline your heart and mind towards him and just say, Okay, God, I'm listening. Talk to him in your own words. Open your Bible. Even if it's just a few verses at a time, ask him to reveal himself to you. Listen to sound teaching, stay curious, and take one step. A relationship with God isn't built in one moment, it's built over time, one step of faith at a time. So as we close, so as we close this Easter, as we gather with our families to decorate eggs and celebrate together, let's remember what Easter is really about. Jesus, he came, he gave his life, and rose again. And because he rose, we are offered a new life too. I'm living proof of that. Not because I did anything right, but because I responded to the call. And that same invitation that changed my life is extended to you. I want to be really clear about something. It wasn't becoming a stay-at-home mom that saved me. Yes, God used that season and that decision. Yes, God used that season for sure. It changed the rhythm of our family and reshaped our days. But what truly made the difference in that season was that I made a decision, a commitment, to get closer to God. I chose to seek Him more deeply, to open His Word, to pray, to step into Christian community and friendships and a church family where I could learn, grow, and walk alongside other believers. And this Easter, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, invites us into new life today. Not a new schedule, not just a new routine, but a new heart, a renewed mind, and a restored relationship with Jesus. And wherever you find yourself right now, whatever season you're in, you can respond to that invitation. You can decide in your mind and in your heart that you will draw near to him, that you will pursue a deeper relationship, that you will open his word, spend time in prayer, and he will meet you there. He has been waiting for you to respond all along. And this Easter, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, invites us into new life today. Not a new schedule, not just a new routine, but a new heart, a renewed mind, and a restored relationship with Jesus. Let me pray for you. Lord, I lift up every woman that listens to this show and I ask, Lord, that you meet her where she is, that you help her to feel your love, your presence, your affection. Help her to know that you are with her. Give her the ability to lean into your voice. Allow her to truly know you. You know her struggles, you know her fears, you know her needs, and I pray, God, that you will meet her and provide according to her needs and what she's going through. We thank you for the cross. We thank you that when we pray, you listen. We thank you that you're always near us. And we ask, God, that you give us eyes to see and ears to hear spiritually, Lord, what you are doing and what you are calling us to do, Lord. Guide us, help us, forgive us, heal us, transform us, and give us eternal peace and salvation. We know that only you can, and we know that we need you. So we invite you into our lives fully this day, and we ask, God, that you accomplish your plans and your purposes in our lives. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen. So as we close, this Easter, as we gather with our families, decorate eggs, and celebrate together, let's remember what this is really about, Jesus. And if you're in a season of discerning, wondering if God is calling you into something new, I'd love to walk alongside you. You can learn about my coaching and find additional resources on my website. Everything's linked in the description of this show. Friend, if this message encouraged you today, would you share it with another woman who might need it too? Happy Easter. Until next time. God bless you.