mom next door LIVE
Tessa Mahler BY AMANDA MILLER
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5
Occupation: Christian Bookstore Owner Husband: David Children: Alyse, 23; Kinsey, 17; and Gavin, 13 Hobbies: Reading, working out, and watching movies
F or Tessa Mahler, this verse is more than a favorite—it’s the foundation of her life, parenting, and business. As the owner of the Christian bookstore The Vine, Tessa has created a space where others can encounter Jesus. Fueled by lots of coffee and even more Jesus, she navigates wearing many hats by setting boundaries and giving herself grace to grow. WHAT’S A TYPICAL MORNING LIKE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? TESSA: None of us are morning people—I take that back, my husband is the only morning person—but during school hours, we literally fall out of bed and just try to get there as fast as we can. During the summer, my house is quiet until 11. You know, hav- ing teenagers, they sleep in. My morning rituals really just include lots of coffee and lots of Jesus. CAN YOU SHARE A PARENTING MOMENT THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD? TESSA: This one’s kind of a running joke in our household. When my son was a toddler, he went everywhere in a costume, and he had a T-ball game when he was three, and he refused to go on the field without his Spider-Man mask. So, amazing mom I am, I let him, and of course, the pictures
WHAT VALUES OR LIFE LESSONS ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO PASS ON TO YOUR KIDS? TESSA: To always be true to who they are, don’t let the world change them, and to al- ways treat people with kindness even when they don’t deserve it. Those are lessons I’m still trying to learn today. WHAT PART OF PARENTING SURPRISED YOU THE MOST—GOOD OR BAD? TESSA: Just having a tight village and healthy environments for my kids really matter. When they fall, they need to. They
are just a running joke in our family to this day. WHAT’S A PIECE OF
PARENTING ADVICE YOU RECEIVED THAT TRULY RESONATED WITH YOU?
TESSA: Someone recently just helped me understand that we can’t save our kids from their testimony, that sometimes we try to over parent and tie every situation in a pretty little bow, and sometimes we just have to step back, let them fail, let them process things however they can, and always be there to catch them.
20 JULY2025 | BRPARENTS.COM
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