Mercy with Lara Patangan

Lara Patangan was feeling lost in the suffering of this world and losing sight of God’s mercy. She reached a milestone birthday and began to reflect more deeply on her life. Lara decided to spend the next year practicing corporal and spiritual acts of mercy and writing about it.

God changed Lara and worked on her heart throughout the year. She was surprised to learn not only to share God’s merciful love, but also to receive it.

Lara says, “We are called to serve, not to solve.” When we walk into another's pain there is no way we will leave without being changed.

Read More
Tethered by God's Love

Sarah Hart is a singer, songwriter, speaker, storyteller and producer who talks about how we are tethered by God’s love. This tethering is a gift from God and is experienced in our relationships through love, emotion, care and concern.

Sarah shares how she is always tethered to her daughters, even after they grew into adulthood. Sarah trusts God is with them and recognizes her love for them is most important.

Sarah talks about being stretched as she learned to accept she doesn’t have control over her adult children's decisions. This has taught Sarah how it is healthy for adult children to make mistakes and return to the Lord.

Sarah sings for listeners in this beautiful podcast.

Read More
Losing My Beloved Daughter with Tamara Mariea

Tamara Mariea and her husband, Jude lost their daughter, Chloe in a tragic car accident two years ago. Chloe was twenty-four years old.

Tamara shares how she and her family continue to carried by Christ, Mary and the activity of their faith as they face this unimaginable loss and grief.

Tamara shares what God has revealed to her as she spends time in silence tending to her broken heart and searching to find God everywhere she turns.

Read More
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

Read More
Mental Illness and Alcoholism with Erica Campbell of Be a Heart

Erica Campbell shares her struggle with mental illness and alcoholism.

Erica started drinking in college to cope with her feelings of depression and anxiety and "get out of herself." Alcohol felt like medicine.

Erica learned drinking did not solve her depression or anxiety, but increased it.

Erica attended Reconciliation one morning and it changed her life. The priest became her spiritual director and has had a profound impact on Erica's life.

Erica began attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and is now nine years sober. She created her own company Be A Heart, which produces goods for a modern Christian lifestyle - ranging from planners and home goods to toys and textiles.

Read More
My Baby Needed a Kidney Transplant with Angie Mayer

Angie Mayer’s baby’s kidneys weren’t working and the hospital staff told Angie and her husband there was nothing more they could do to help him. Hear of baby Jake’s miraculous survival and the plight his parents have been through to save their precious son.

Angie, Darrin and Jake’s journey has been a pilgrimage of love. Jake is now twelve years old and has had two kidney transplants, as well as multiple additional medical interventions to improve his health and save his life.

Read More
Creating the Beauty of Heaven with Vivian Imbruglia of Sacred Image Icons

Vivian Imbruglia of Sacred Image Icons shares how she was drawn to attend Adoration during her lunch hour many years ago. Vivian sat in silence and the Holy Spirit clearly told her to change her life. Vivian left her job that day, lost friends and had to find a new home. However, Vivian says that day saved her soul.

As a Sacred Artist and Iconographer, Vivian is very careful about how she spends her time, including what she watches and listens to. She recognizes that she can’t listen to worldly things if she going to try to create pieces of artwork reflective of Heaven

Vivian is passionate about the motto of the Society of Jesus, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God). Vivian hopes to glorify God in everything she does.

Read More
Living in Truth with Father Jon Meyer

Father Jon Meyer, Chaplain of Mamas in Spirit, shares the importance of living in the truth of who we are as children of God.

Father Jon encourages us to identify when the world is speaking to us, recognize that these things don't reflect who we are and reject them. God equips us with Holy Scripture to constantly remind us of who God is and who we are in relationship to Him.

Read More
The Holy Path with Lori Stanley

Lori Stanley, Executive Director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality talks about the practice of Ignatian Spirituality. She shares how God is always present and at work in our lives.

Lori created a way to examine her heart and help her to align her will with God's holy will. Lori utilizes the acronym PATH.

P: What principles are guiding my life right now?

A:Who am I associating with and how are they impacting my relationship with God?

T: What thoughts are going through my mind? What am I feeding myself by thinking about myself?

H: What habits am I aware of that are obstacles to listen to God? How can I be more disciplined to respond to God’s call in my life?

Lori also shares about forgiveness and tells an intimate story in which God guided her to ask for forgiveness when she was wounded by two people she loves.

Read More
Healing Stress in Marriage with Brian and Lindy Wynne

Brian and Lindy Wynne have been married for twenty-two years and have faced significant stressors like chronic illness, infertility and raising children with special needs and mental illness. They also cope with the daily stressors all married couples face.

Brian and Lindy share six ways God helps them to continuously heal and return to one another in love: being a true friend, taking responsibility for one's own mistakes, having a forgiving heart, accepting imperfection, being physically intimate and praying and attending Mass together.

Read More
Will You Let God Love You?

Amanda Bagwell of Whole Catholic was at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Wisconsin sitting at the feet of a statue of Our Lady of Grace. Amanda heard God speak into her heart, "Will you let me love you?" Amanda responded, "I don't know how." This moment changed Amanda's life.

God has shown Amanda through the meaning of her name how to be loved. Amanda's name, Amanda Diane means beloved, worthy of love and daughter of the King.

Amanda shares the meaning of her first name in three parts:

*Be-loved By Him: Recieve God's love from God and others

*Be-love to others: show and express God's love to others through relationships

*Be-lov-ed: teach others to love through example, as well as intentional teaching

Amanda and her husband, Jansen have a deliverance ministry, Whole Catholic to help you get unstuck in faith and life. Learn how to experience mercy, find freedom and move forward to live the life God designed for you!

Read More
You are a Beloved Mama in Spirit with Lindy Wynne

Host Lindy Wynne shares what it means to be a Mama in Spirit.

When Lindy was twenty-one she spent a summer volunteering at an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. This was the first time Lindy heard little girls being referred to affectionately as "mamas."

Learn how God looks upon you as his beloved daughter, blesses you with spiritual maternal figures and friends, gifts you with His own Mama Mary and calls you to spiritual motherhood.

Read More
God's Love is Waiting for You with Rachel Balducci

Rachel Balducci shares her personal journey with the parable of The Woman at the Well from the Gospel of John.

Jesus waits for us in the ordinariness of our lives and offers us living water of eternal life. When we choose to trust God and drink of this water, God heals, transforms and sets us free.

Rachel reminds us that prayer is not for God to love us more. Prayer is for us to experience the love that is already there waiting for us, just like how Jesus waited for the woman at the well.

Rachel is the author of No Such Thing As Ordinary. Use the code “MAMAS0722” for a 15 percent discount off of Rachel's book at https://www.avemariapress.com.

Read More
My Son's Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol

Jean Heaton knew something was wrong with her son and asked God to show her what it was. Two days later she discovered her family needed help with substance abuse.

Jean talks about how drug and alcohol addiction is a family disease. Jean, her husband and their son all sought help. They "tackled it from every front they could."

What Jean learned was this meant surrendering her son and the circumstances they faced to God.

Jean shares numerous pearls of wisdom she has learned through the years it took for son to become sober.

Jean is the author of, "Helping Families Recover from Addiction: Coping, Growing and Healing through 12-Step Practices and Ignatian Spirituality."

Read More
Speak Up! with Kate Bryan of 1 Girl Revolution

Kate Bryan of 1 Girl Revolution felt her voice wasn't represented when she read an article in the Washington Post about feminism. Kate wrote a response to the article entitled, "I'm a 32-year-old virgin, and I'm living the feminist dream." Unexpectedly, it went viral.

Kate had Job's Syndrome as a child, a rare syndrome that causes skin infections. She was bullied in grade school and wanted to be "invisible."

Yet, "the girl inside" Kate is spunky and vibrant. Kate learned to be who God created her to be and how to use her voice to stand up and tell her story. Kate also discovered her call to help others to use their voices too.

Kate created 1 Girl Revolution, a multimedia platform and podcast that highlights the stories of everyday women who are changing the world.

Read More
Healing from My Parents' Divorce with Elise Crawford Gallagher of Ringlet

Elise Crawford Gallagher shares the impact of her parents' "gray divorce" (the divorce of older parents in long marriages). Elise experienced shame from the cultural pressure to not feel anything about the loss of her family of origin and everything she knew from the the first decades of her life.

Elise has experienced the gift of healing through counseling, spiritual direction, prayer and the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. This healing has been a blessing to Elise as she creates her own family with her husband and their two young daughters.

Elise is Founder and CEO of RINGLET, an innovative impact company that provides integrated marketing for small businesses.

Read More
The Interior of our Souls

Claire Dwyer encourages listeners to engage in a rich life of prayer and speaks of the deep relationship with God that we have been designed for.

Claire talks about our lifetimes being an invitation for an “ever-increasing encounter” with God. Just like those in religious life, our intimacy and forever with God starts now and is fully realized in Heaven.

Claire also shares about Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity and the spiritual wisdom Saint Elizabeth has left us.

Claire is the author of “This Present Paradise: A Spiritual Journey with Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity.”

Read More
The Sacred Call to Motherhood

Leah Jacobson, wife and mother of seven children never thought she'd be called to motherhood. Leah had been taught as a young woman that success was equal to a career.

Leah met her husband and remained faithful to the teachings of the Church to being open to life. After discovering the depth and beauty of her call to motherhood, Leah realized she had been pressured into a false identity by the secular world. Leah discovered her true identity as a daughter of God.

Leah speaks of Saint Catherine of Sienna's words, "Be Who God Meant You to Be and You’ll Set the World on Fire."

Leah encourages listeners to discover their identities in Christ and further the Kingdom of God.

Leah founded the Guiiding Star Project in 2001 to support women as they transition into motherhood and uphold the sanctity of life at every stage. Leah is the author of, "Wholistic Feminism: Healing the Identity Crisis Caused by the Women's Movement."

Read More
Blessed is She Who Believes with Elizabeth Santorum Marcolini

When Elizabeth and her husband Matt were asked by Sister Mary of the Sisters of Life to pray for a woman who was pregnant, they had no idea they were keeping their future daughter in prayer.

Elizabeth later learned Sister Mary had also given their daughter’s birthmother a copy of the book that Elizabeth had written with her parents, "Bella's Gift: How One Little Girl Transformed Our Family and Inspired a Nation."

Elizabeth speaks of God's "trail of divine breadcrumbs" that led Matt and her to adopt Zelie. This miracle has been greater than their own best laid plans.

Elizabeth encourages listeners to believe and be "good clay," as God is the Divine Potter.

Read More
Blindness and My Catholic Faith with Dr. Kimberly Aguillard

Dr. Kimberly Aguillard had some vision until she was ten years old--one of the surgeries Kimberly had in fourth grade resulted in total blindness.

Afterwards, Kimberly found that she was more isolated being disabled in a world that isn’t made for people with disabilities. Kimberly tells stories and shares ideas to help people who are blind feel more included in the Catholic Church community.

Kimberly has received invaluable resources from Xavier Society for the Blind, which "delivers faith and inspiration in braille and audio." Learn more about these resources at xaviersocietyfortheblind.org

Read More