Posts tagged Catholic moms
Cradled by Christ with Dr. Mildred Chen

Do people see me? Do people hear me? Do they love me?

These are the questions that ten-year-old Mildred Chen, feeling lost in the middle of five daughters, asked herself.

When the sixth child was born into her family, Mildred was asked to clean his dirty diapers--a chore she felt terrible about. One day while she was completing this task, she heard a dark voice telling her to jump into the nearby water well.

And Mildred did.

As she fell into the well, Mildred found herself in a deep sleep and sensed herself being cradled.

Instead of drowning, she awoke standing in a small amount of water, a miracle because it was typhoon season with heavy rains.

Mildred survived to tell this miraculous story, as well as her discovery of the spiritual world and her spiritual charism.

Mildred's professions are also healing ministries: she is both a pediatrician and spiritual director.

Listen to this Advent mini-retreat in a podcast and ponder your spiritual charism, too! 

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The Gift of Christ-Centered Community with Anna Hurd of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)

"You’ve been trained to heal my body physically as a nurse, but what I’m inviting you to do is heal my body spiritually as a missionary."

Christ spoke these words into Anna Hurd’s heart when she was discerning what God was calling her to after completing her nursing degree.

Anna’s own life had already been transformed through FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at Western Kentucky University.

Now God was calling Anna to be a FOCUS missionary herself. 

Like nurses who go out to battlefields during war to care for the wounded, Anna could see how God was calling her to care for spiritually wounded students--Anna would invite college students into personal relationship with Christ and Catholic fellowship. 

Listen to this inspiring story, as well as Anna's wisdom about how to help encourage your own teenage and young adult children in their faith.

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A Hug from Heaven with Lisa Morris

This podcast contains sensitive content, including discussion of suicide.  

Lisa Morris stopped going to Reconciliation as a teenager. She figured she could just go to God herself.

Lisa now recognizes her turn away from God was the beginning of many choices that resulted in immense suffering, including an abortion, eating disorder, poor relationship with alcohol and divorce.

Lisa went to church on an impulse the morning she signed her divorce papers--she had a full circle moment when Confession was available and she attended about fifteen years after she stopped going.  

Lisa was touched by the unfathomable mercy of God in the confessional and began a healing journey of the soul. Lisa wants you to know this gift is awaiting you, too.

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Love is Everything with Immaculée Ilibagiza

Immaculée Ilibagiza followed her father’s instructions and ran to her neighbor’s house to hide at the start of the Rwandan genocide. She spent the next three months huddled in a tiny bathroom with seven other women, while extremist members of another tribe tried to find and kill them. 

It was in this bathroom that Immaculée gave her heart to God and began to pray in a way she never had before—as she recited the words of the Rosary, peace veiled and healed her from the anger and fear that otherwise consumed her.  

When Immaculée finally left the bathroom at the end of the genocide, she learned that her parents, grandparents, siblings, 950 schoolmates and so many more had been murdered.

While Immaculée cried out for her loved ones, she sensed God holding her tight and telling her that her journey on Earth was not over. While her family was in heaven, she still had a mission.

Since that moment thirty years ago, Immaculée continues to wake up every day and ask the same question that echoed in her heart so long ago: How much can you love with what God has given you?

In this Easter podcast, learn that love is everything.

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Totally Dependent on God with Frank of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Five-year-old Frank sat on the steps of his parents' home and couldn't wait to drink like the adults he was watching. 

From 16 to 60 alcohol consumed Frank's life--it was an obsession of his mind. Frank would wake up each morning recovering from the night before, eat mid-day and spend the afternoons functioning until he could finally be drinking again.

At sixty Frank found himself hospitalized when he was visiting Memphis, TN. The doctors were concerned he may have a heart problem and required he drive back to Nashville, TN in an ambulance. 

Frank's wife trailed the ambulance for three hours of his journey back to Nashville--Frank recounts how the look in her eyes moved from contempt to pity. He couldn't take the look of pity and it broke open his heart.

Frank asked for help that day and has remained sober due to his daily dependence on God for thirteen years. Frank tells listeners that while we may give up on ourselves, God never gives up on us. Frank is now happier than he ever imagined possible. 

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Weight, Shame and Grace with Jennie Guinn of Catholic Moms in the Middle

Jennie Guinn, Life Coach at Catholic Moms in the Middle, shares her struggle with shame and unworthiness. For many years these feelings were deeply tied into her battle to lose weight.

Jennie realized her weight loss was a spiritual matter that couldn't be fixed with things of the world alone. Jennie began to lose weight as she spent more time in solitude with the Lord and was honest about what was unfolding in her heart. Jennie found an eating program that works great for her and is now close to her weight loss goal.

Jennie discoverd the most significant part of her weight loss journey was “losing the weight of the lies she had been telling herself.”

Jennie's time of solitude and weight loss has been part of what she calls a “Season of Grace." Jennie has created an acronym for the world "Grace" that reflects her personal journey with God:

  • God’s Mercy

  • Rest

  • Awareness

  • Connection

  • Epiphany

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On Fire with the Holy Spirit

This Pentecost, Father Jon Meyer shares how Christians are called to be on fire with the Holy Spirit--no exceptions. Father Jon Meyer is the Chaplain of Mamas in Spirit.

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