MWS Leadership

Joy Chambley

Founder & President

joy@momswithswords.com

Andrea Christmas – Treasurer: My name is Andrea Christmas, wife to Terry and mama to Ryan. How is my baby in middle school?!?! My heart is for mamas and pointing them to Jesus in every situation and season. Draw close to HIM, keep your eyes fixed on HIM and HE will give you peace.

Ginger Bubolo – Sword Squad Leader: I have two amazing boys, one in college at KSU and the other is in middle school at Mount Paran Christian School.

With a house FULL of boys, including our very energetic puppy, I truly enjoy spending my free time with other moms sharing our journeys, passions, and love for our Lord. “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. “ Romans 8:28

Stephanie Newton – Media Booth Operator: I have been married for 22 years and have three kids, ages 18, 16, and 14 that keep me busy! My daughter and youngest son swim competitively year round, are very active in their schools, and our church. He also plays soccer! Our oldest started college this year so we are on a new adventure having a college freshman! He also has Asperger’s Syndrome, high functioning Autism. I have a big heart for moms raising kids with Special Needs. I want them to know they are not alone, that they and their children are loved by our Heavenly Father! I love spending time with my family, reading and studying God’s Word, going to the beach, and watching a good Hallmark Mystery movie! The journey certainly is challenging, but it brings great joy like no other!!

Alex Polk – Photographer

I am Alex, and I have been blessed to be part of Mom‘s with Swords since the beginning days! I am married (almost 20 years) to a black hawk pilot in the military (as Joy would say “he’s so cool”) and we have 4 amazing kids, Avery (16) Sloane (13) Landry (11) and Myers (8). It’s a true blessing to help raise these 4 arrows to be who the Lord has called them to be, while helping to guide them along the way. I love capturing moments of moms soaking in everything the Lord has for them each week. Moments of praise, moments of learning, moments where the Lord is working on hearts, and moments where we as moms, come together to love on each other each week.

Staci Parker: I am so excited to be a part of what the Lord is doing because if you’re reading this it’s on purpose!!! I have been married for 16 years and we are a blended family of 8 kids and 2 grandbabies. I am 100% a Georgia peach – born in Atlanta, grew up in the Marietta/Smyrna area. Let’s hop on this crazy train and encourage and pray for one another, while we are learning to trust and lean on God’s word to strengthen our marriages.

Band Leader Bios

Ecclesiastes 4:12 

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

The Mission of a Band

A Band is more than a small group. It is a circle of sisters intentionally woven together in Christ. Like the bands that hold things together, our Bands are circles of women who hold one neither together through prayer, truth, encouragement, and grace. Here, friendships grow, burdens are shared, and no mom walks alone. Just like small groups, they are designed to strengthen, support, and strengthen one another through every season of life.

Each Band exists to foster authentic friendships, build Christ-centered community, and dig deeper into the truths shared during our Large Group Study. Together, we study God’s Word, encourage one another toward love and good works, and create a safe place for accountability, vulnerability, prayer, and protection.

As Hebrews 10:24–25 reminds us, we are called to meet together, encourage one another, and stir one another toward lives that honor Christ. In our Bands, we don’t simply gather—we link arms, strengthen one another’s faith, and become a visible reminder that we were never meant to walk alone.

Together, we are stronger.

Together, we are held together.

Together, we are a Band.

NEW Marriage Dynamics Small Group

In the recent Moms With Swords survey, we asked what your biggest parenting struggles are and how Moms With Swords can support you. This new focused small group intends to address the results of those questions, many of which involve relationships. Life is relationships – relationship with God and with one another. Navigating these dynamics with grace and by honoring God will be our focus.

This group will be co-lead by Joy Martin and Jo-Ann Aragon.

Joy Martin –

I’ve been married to my husband, Marcus, for 26 years, and I’m a proud, BoyMom! We have three boys who have grown into three incredible young men, and raising them has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

Noah is 23 and in his first year of Vet School at Mississippi State University — Hail State! Luke is 21 and heading into his senior year at the University of Tennessee — Go Vols! And Isaiah is 19 and starting his sophomore year as a D1 swimmer at the University of Southern Indiana — Go Screagles!

I’ve absolutely loved every season of being a mom of boys, and now I’m embracing this new chapter of empty nesting with Marcus. We spent our whole marriage knowing this season would eventually come, and I’m so grateful that we can step into it with excitement, anticipation, and JOY!

One of the things I love most is connecting with other moms — encouraging them, praying alongside them, and reminding each other that we don’t have to navigate motherhood alone. I love finding ways to live out and share God’s love in the middle of our very ordinary, everyday lives.

I also have a huge heart for marriage. I believe that while raising our kids is an incredibly important part of our story, our marriage is the foundation we continue to build long after the kids leave the nest. I’m passionate about encouraging women to intentionally invest in their marriages, nurture their relationships with their husbands, and create a friendship and connection that makes you genuinely enjoy being together.

Now that we’re empty nesters, I can honestly say that all those years of intentionally working on our marriage has paid off. We truly enjoy each other, we like spending time together, and we’re excited about what’s ahead. Our boys will always be a huge part of our story, but raising them was never the whole story — it was one beautiful chapter of our life together.

I love starting each new session with MWS and seeing what God has planned for each of us. I’m excited for the friendships, conversations, encouragement, and growth that each new season brings.

I can’t wait to meet you and hear your story!

JoAnn Aragon: My life is a testimony to God’s faithfulness and His unexpected plans. I didn’t marry until I was 42, and after 30 years of marriage, my husband and I have learned that God’s timing is always perfect.

Two weeks after my 50th birthday, I became a mother for the first time—not to one child, but to three children under the age of five. That marked the beginning of our foster care journey. Over the years, we have opened our home and our hearts to many children through foster care. Some children returned to their birth families, and seven children became permanent members of our family through adoption.

We thought our parenting years were behind us until July of last year, when we learned that our youngest son’s newborn half-sister had entered the world and needed a family. Today, we are joyfully in the process of adopting her, which will make her our eighth adopted child. Through this unexpected blessing, God has once again reminded us that our home and our hearts remain open to the children He places in our lives.

It is a unique blessing to be the mother of adult children and the mother of a toddler at the same time.

For the past 44 years, my relationship with the Lord has been the foundation of my life. Through every season, He has taught me that lasting strength comes from knowing Him through His Word. My greatest passion is encouraging believers—especially women—to be deeply rooted in Scripture before life’s battles come, because God’s Word is the place of victory before you ever need the victory.

My desire is to encourage women to trust God’s timing, stand firmly on His Word, and discover the hope, strength, and victory that are found in knowing Him.

Lindsay Wade – My husband, Chris and I have been married since 2009 and have two young boys, Gregory and Kyle. I live life with a lot of humor, honesty and love! Professionally, I started my career in the luxury automotive sector. Once I became pregnant with our first son, we made the decision that I would become a full-time mom. Now that my boys are a bit older, I have moved to my true passion of design and I am the Design Manager for a local builder. I love getting involved when I can at my kids’ schools and I am a Championship T-Ball Coach.

In 2018, I was introduced to MWS by a friend, instantly fell in love, and I’ve been hooked ever since! This ministry has brought me so much closer to God and has brought so much JOY to my life. My hope is that each session will bring one more mom closer to Him and that it will positively impact the lives of the women in our local community.

Taylor Gindlesberger – I’m Taylor and my husband, Sam, and I have been married for 9 years and have 3 kids: Eli (6), Ellie (4), and Teddy (18 months). I am passionate about discipling teenagers and helping people engage in authentic, life on life community (even when it feels like a climb to find it, as it has for me since we moved here). In the past few years I’ve experienced the challenges of loneliness, the temptation to strive and prove myself, the complicated grief of loosing a parent, and so on. I’ve also experienced God resurrect me to new life over and over again and I hope to walk with and encourage others as they come alive in Christ.

Brittany Flem – My husband John and I have been married for 17 years. Our entire marriage, the Lord has challenged us to follow His lead, no matter how crazy! It started with 8 years of infertility that led us to foster care – a truly wild, sanctifying, God-filled story. We adopted our 2 oldest children through foster care: Ava, age 9 and Maverick, age 8. God gave us the desire for more children and led us to embryo adoption (another story full of God winks) that gave us our youngest – Tavor, age 4 and our boy/girl twins Vanna and Havoc, 4 months old! Finally, God led us to move our family across the country all the way from Washington State in the beginning of 2022. We moved away from all our family and friends. I desperately prayed that God would give me a Bible study group similar to what I had in WA. As Joy often says, “Won’t He do it!” I found MWS and have been rejoicing ever since at God’s providence.

The enemy wants you to feel separated, alone, and misunderstood. My heart’s desire is to link arms with my sisters in Christ through all seasons; supporting each other through joys and sorrows by saying “I see you and I’m with you”. Galatians 6:2 says “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Let’s fight our spiritual battles together. You are not alone!

Sara Fudge – My name is Sara and I live in Marietta with my husband James and our four boys. Anthony is 23 and a junior at Kennesaw State University. Colton is 15 and a freshman at Harrison High School. He enjoys cross country, track, wrestling, and swimming. Matthew is 8 and a second grader at Due West Elementary. He is into baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, and cooking. And finally, Bryson is 6 and a kindergartner at Due West Elementary. He enjoys baseball, basketball, swimming, and learning about dinosaurs.

When I’m not busy being a mom, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, mentoring with Young Lives, creating new recipes in the kitchen, and reading anything I can get my hands on. While I have loved being a stay-at-home mom for the past nine years, I now spend some of my time while the kids are in school on various work projects.

I was introduced to Moms With Swords by my friend Lindsey 7.5 years ago and it has been such a blessing in my life. It has helped me grow so much in my personal relationship with God, as well as the way I view marriage and motherhood. I’m excited to connect with other moms who are looking to encourage each other and grow in their faith.

Betsy Franklin – Hi, I’m Betsy—a former hairstylist turned stay-at-home mom to two silly kids, Colton (5) and Elle (3). My husband Tyler and I are in the thick of parenting little ones, and I’m LEARNING to embrace this season with grace and gratitude.

I started attending Moms With Swords in 2019 after a dear friend invited me, and it’s been life-changing. Through this ministry, I’ve discovered who I am in Christ and found a passion for helping other moms truly feel how deeply God loves them.

I’m all about honest conversations about faith and family and a good laugh. When I’m not volunteering at my kids’ school, you’ll likely find me in my garden or at my kitchen counter diving into a Bible study. Studying the Word has become a true passion of mine. My heart is to encourage other mamas to lean into God’s grace and uncover the unique beauty and purpose He has placed in each of us.

Lisa Garland – I have been married for 25 years. I have 4 children- 20 year old twin boys (sophomores in college), a 16 year old daughter (10th grade) and a 13 year old boy (7th grade). I love spending time with my family, preferably outside or at the beach! I love learning and growing alongside other moms and encouraging them in whatever stage of mothering they’re in. I also love sharing with my younger moms things I wish I had learned earlier.