Letters to Women - Exploring the Feminine Genius: Recent Episodes
Chloe Langr
Join Chloe Langr as she explores how Catholic women embrace their unique feminine genius in their ordinary, daily life.
In this is the fourth and final episode in the Letters to Wives season, my guest is Melissa Grace Tablada. She’s a Catholic psychotherapist and fertility care practitioner. Throughout this Letters to Wives series, many of my guests have mentioned how marriage therapy radically changed their marriage for the better.
Melissa and I are talking about what you should be looking for in a marriage therapist, the lies that keep you from therapy, and how to love your spouse in challenging seasons.
But we’re also talking about connecting with your spouse while raising a family, how to make date nights intentional, and how to have good, quality conversations with your husband.
Whether you’re looking for a quality marriage therapist to help your marriage thrive or you want some tips for having a quality conversation on your next date night, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Melissa’s story as a Catholic woman
- Why you shouldn’t wait for a crisis to consider marriage therapy
- How to go about choosing a good therapist for you and your marriage
- Some of the reasons that women and couples stay away from marriage therapy
- Bringing up your desire for marriage therapy with your spouse
- What to do if your spouse is hesitant to go to therapy with you
- Melissa’s advice for what to do if you’re feeling disconnected from your spouse while raising a family
- How to connect with your spouse on date night and Melissa’s surprising advice about how to get into deeper connection
- Why Melissa and her husband go on a marriage retreat every year and Melissa’s advice for going on a retreat with your spouse
- How Melissa lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a wife
Resources for you:
- Follow Melissa on Instagram
- Check out Melissa’s website
- Melissa’s (free!) 25 questions for better connections in your marriage
- 14 Day Marriage Connection Challenge (use the code LETTERS for 15% off!)
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
- Have you been to marriage therapy? If yes, how has it impacted your marriage? If not, what are your thoughts on reaching out to a therapist after listening to this conversation with Melissa?
- Have you believed the lie that your marriage “isn’t that bad” or the lie that your marriage is “beyond saving”? How do you think the Lord desires to speak truth over your relationship and sacrament?
- Does your marriage have a support team? If not, what is the first step that you could take today to creating a community around your marriage to support and encourage you?
- What are three questions you can ask your spouse on a date night or as you connect at the end of the day that can facilitate connection?
In this third episode of the Letters to Wives season, my guest is Kathryn Whitaker. She’s been married to her husband, Scott, for almost thirty years. We’re talking about the advice she wishes she would go back and give herself, how hard seasons have impacted her marriage, and what she’s looking forward to in her marriage as her kids all grow up and leave the house.
She’s also giving her advice on how to disagree with your spouse in a way that still honors them and your marriage, as well as when and how to reach out to a good marriage therapist for help healing your marriage.
So, if you’re looking for advice and encouragement when it comes to building a marriage that not only lasts, but is truly joyful, life-giving, and authentic, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Kathryn’s story as a Catholic woman
- The advice Kathryn would give to herself at the beginning of her relationship
- How a 44 day NICU stay imploded Kathryn’s marriage and how she and Scott have found healing
- How to make time to connect with your spouse so you don’t wake up twenty years from now realizing you don’t know your spouse
- Knowing when you need the help of a marriage therapist and what to do if your spouse isn’t interested in therapy together
- Three ways to work through disagreements in a way that honors your spouse and your marriage together
- What Kathryn is looking forward to in this next season of her marriage as her kids head off to college
- How Kathryn lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary, daily life as a wife
Resources for you:
- Check out Kathryn’s book, Live Big, Love Bigger
- Visit Kathryn’s website
- Listen to Kathryn’s radio show and NICU support podcast
- Follow Kathryn on Instagram
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
- As you reflect on your own marriage, what are some things about your spouse, yourself, and your marriage that you’ve learned along the way?
- How can you make time to connect with your spouse if you’re in a busy season of life?
- When you disagree with your husband, do you handle the conflict in a way that honors your spouse and your marriage? If not, what changes can you make the next time an argument arises?
- What are you looking forward to in this current season of your marriage?
In this second episode of the Letters to Wives season, Rebekah Olson and I are talking about what it looks like to run a business with your spouse—and her business, Ginger and Peach, happens to be a model-free lingerie company that she started out of her one room bedroom apartment.
Now she and her husband run a team of seamstresses all sewing from their homes in the US - and they partner with an ethical manufacturer in Nepal to bring fresh starts and fulfilled lives to women living in the margins.
We’re talking about her company, her advice if you’re listening in and think that there’s no way you could ever be confident in lingerie, and she’s dismantling some of the lies that we believe about our bodies as wives.
So if you’ve a wife looking to ditch the comparison and embrace your true worth as wonderfully made and loved, this letter is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Rebekah’s story as a woman and a wife
- The origin story of Ginger & Peach Lingerie
- How Rebekah honors the dignity and beauty of each woman by running a model-free lingerie company
- Why you don’t actually need lingerie to heal your body image or to have a great marriage - and what DOES bring healing in your heart
- Body image as one of the very first issues women face after the fall and how Jesus brings relationship and redemption
- How Rebekah’s husband, Andrew, spoke the truth over her desire to start a business and inspired her to become a lingerie designer
- The lies that we believe as women when it comes to our bodies and shame
Resources for you:
- Explore Ginger & Peach collections on their website and use the code LETTERSTOWOMEN for 10% off any purchase
- Follow Ginger & Peach on Instagram
- Habits for a Sacred Home by Jennifer Pepito
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
1. Rebekah chose to have Ginger & Peach be a model free lingerie company to combat comparison. Do you struggle with comparing your body to other women around you (in real life and online)? What would it look like to live confidently as the woman God created you to be?
2. You don’t need lingerie to heal your marriage, you need Jesus. What is one area of your marriage that you can invite the Lord into today?
3. Rebekah shares about how Andrew spoke the truth about her gifts and helped point her towards the mission of Ginger & Peach. In your marriage, when has your husband spoken truth over you and revealed something about who you are to yourself?
4. Do you believe that you are fearfully and wonderfully made? In what areas of your life have you believed the lies from the devil that say you are not loved, not good, and not created with purpose?
5. Rebekah shared how she creates because she is made by God who is a creator. What are some ways you enjoy being creative — and if you can’t think of any, what creative pursuits could you make space for in your daily life?
Ellen Holloway is my guest in this first episode of this Letters to Wives season! She is a Catholic Sexuality and Intimacy Coach and she's helping us learn how to have a great sex life without needing to go to confession.
The Catholic Church is actually incredibly PRO sex and intimacy … but where can you go to learn about the topics you just don’t want to Google?
We’re talking about what to do when sex isn’t pleasurable for you as a wife and what to do if sex is painful. We’re also covering feeling totally touched out by the end of the day and just wanting to skip sex and go straight to sleep. Plus, we’re talking about how to find answers if you rarely (or never!) orgasm and what it’s like for Ellen to be a Catholic in the world of sexology.
If you’ve a Catholic wife looking to improve your sex life, but not interested in the kinds of advice you find online, sister, this letter is for you!
Topics we cover:
- Ellen’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Ellen’s podcast, Charting Towards Intimacy, and how she became a Catholic sexuality and intimacy coach
- Why it’s important to reflect on who taught you about sex and how to bring Jesus into that space
- Why sex should never hurt or be painful and how to find healing for both your body and your soul
- Ellen’s lube recommendations (and why you should leave the coconut oil in the kitchen)
- What to do if you rarely (or never!) orgasm
- Practical tips to start talking with your spouse more about your sex life
- The 10 minute unwind and how it can make a difference if you’re feeling too touched out for sex
- What it’s like for Ellen to be in the field of sexology as a Catholic
- How Ellen lives out the feminine genius in her everyday life as a Catholic wife
Resources for you:
- Listen to the Charting Toward Intimacy podcast
- Follow Ellen on Instagram
- Check out Vines in Full Bloom
- Holy Sex by Dr. Gregory Popcack
- The Orgasm Course for Catholic Women
- Catholic Sex Positions Guide
Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
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Discussion questions:
- Who taught you about sex when you were in second grade? Do you think this education was appropriate? How did what you learn back then impact what you think about sex now as a wife?
- When you think about your sex life, do you get overwhelmed? What might be the root of your overwhelm—pain during sex? Lack of pleasure? What is one practical thing you can do after this podcast episode to find healing in your sex life with your spouse?
- How often do you talk about sex with your husband? Would having a daily, five minute conversation with your spouse about sex be something you could make a part of your day?
- What would you 10 minute unwind look like in an ideal world? Would it include Scripture, reading, journaling, sitting in the silence? Make a plan for what you’ll do the next time you sit down to unwind at the end of the day.
- Sex is a form of communication. What are some things that you love about your spouse that you want to communicate to them both in and out of the bedroom?
Letters to Women is back with a brand new season: Letters to Wives. This season is inspired by the following line from Saint Pope John Paul II’s ‘Letter to Women’:
Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life.
This upcoming season is going to feature conversations on topics like sex and intimacy (and we’re getting into the nitty gritty on this), communication in marriage, what marriage looks like in different seasons, how to strengthen your marriage in hard seasons, when marriage therapy could be helpful for your marriage and how to find a therapist you trust, how to go on a marriage retreat, and I’m sitting down with the owner of a model-free lingerie company to talk about intimacy. And more!!
I’m so excited to welcome brand new of the show on this journey to discover what the feminine genius is and how the Lord is asking us to live it out in our day to day reality as wives. Resources for you:
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
In this final episode of the Letters to Mothers season, we’re talking about one of the most difficult challenges you may face as a mother: having the first “talk” with your kids. You know the one—discussing their changing bodies and sex for the first time.
Where do you start? When do you start? How do you have those conversations in a way that makes sure they have the information they need without leaving them feeling overwhelmed or ashamed?
Today I’m speaking with Dr. Julia Sadusky, a clinical psychologist. She’s answering the questions that I have and giving all of us a boost of confidence that we need as we have foundational conversations with our young kids long before they hit puberty.
If you want to be ready to talk with your kids about human sexuality with confidence and clarity, this episode is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Julia’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Julia’s new book, Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics published by Ave Maria Press
- Why we can’t wait until puberty to start talking about sexaulity with our kids
- The barriers that hold us back from conversations about sexuality
- Why it’s important to use accurate medical terms when teaching kids about their genitals (and how it can help prevent abuse and neglect!)
- Explaining where babies come from to our little kids
- What to do if you’re worried you missed your chance to share about human sexuality with your kids
- How Julia lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary daily life (hint: it involves legos!)
Resources for you:
- Pick up a copy of Julia’s new book, Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics
- Visit Julia’s website
- Follow Julia on Instagram
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
- Who taught you about human sexaulity as a kid? What were those conversations like for you and how did they shape the way you think about sex and intimacy today?
- Have you had a hard time starting conversations about sex with your kids? What barriers might be holding you back from anticipating and initiating conversations about human sexuality with your kids?
- Was there anything in this conversation with Julia that struck you as a parent? Is there anything you’ll change in your approach to conversations about sexuality with your kids after listening to her advice about sharing with kids the goodness of their body?
- What did you think about Dr. Julia’s advice to use accurate medical terms to teach your kids about their body? Was that modeled for you growing up, or would using medical terms instead of nicknames be a change from your experience as a child?
- What is your vision as a parent for conversations with your kids about sex? What would you love those conversations to look like as your children get older, and what can you do today to start laying the foundation for continued conversations with your kids about sex?
In this seventh episode of the Letters to Mothers season, we’re talking about liturgical living and creating traditions with our families. Is it possible to enter into the rhythms of the church without getting totally overwhelmed? How do you decide which feasts to celebrate, how to create traditions in your domestic church?
Maybe you’ve taken some quick glances through blogs and Pinterest only to be left feeling discouraged or comparing your liturgical living to everyone else out there who seem to have it totally together. But it is possible to discover the joy of the liturgical season and be drawn closer to God in the middle of our daily lives as women and mothers.
If you’re looking for imaginative, effortless, and simple ways to live all of the Church Seasons, this episode with Erica Tighe Campbell is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Erica’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Erica’s new book, Living the Seasons
- Where to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed when it comes to living the traditions of the church in your home
- What liturgical living has looked like for Erica in different seasons of life
- How to build a domestic church that helps your children enter into the rhythms of the year
- How Erica lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary, daily life as a mother
Resources for you:
- Pick up your own copy of Living the Seasons
- Explore the Be a Heart store
- Follow Be a Heart and Erica on Instagram
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
- What did living liturgically look like for you growing up? Do you have any favorite family traditions that you continue as an adult?
- Does living liturgically intimidate you? If so, what is one small way you can be more aware of the rhythms of the church calendar this year?
- What is your favorite season of the church calendar? How do you enter into it in your own home?
- What are some ways you can celebrate favorite feast days in your own home?
- It’s tempting to compare our liturgical living to some other woman who “has it all together”—even if that woman only exists in our imagination. She remembers all the feast days, hosts the big Michaelmas party, and everything always looks Pinterest-perfect and beautiful. How can you resist the urge to compare when it comes to the way you live liturgically in you homes and what does it look like to confidently celebrate in a way that works in whatever season of life you find yourself in?
In this sixth episode of the Letters to Mothers season, we’re talking about infertility. What if you long for physical motherhood and spiritual motherhood feels like a consolation prize, like a second-rate motherhood?
What if you’re experiencing infertility, whether it’s a season of infertility with hope of a positive pregnancy test some day or permanent infertility and you wonder if you have any space in conversations about the feminine genius and motherhood?
Infertility is a burden that most women and couples don’t expect to carry. It can impact your marriage, your relationship with friends and family, and your relationship with God. On top of that, infertility often feels like a lonely and long path. But you aren’t alone. We’re talking about dismantling the lies around infertility, the importance of community in this journey, and how to support your spouse as you carry the cross of infertility together.
Wherever you are on the path of infertility, if you’re looking for a place of respite, solidarity, and encouragement, this episode of the Letters to Women podcast with Ann Koshute is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Ann’s story as a Catholic woman
- The story of Springs in the Desert
- The importance of language around the experience of infertility
- How infertility impacts marriage and Ann’s advice for processing emotions and grief in the shared experience of infertility
- The importance of community in the experience of infertility and the resources that Springs in the Desert offers
- How to live in the present moment during the experience of infertility
- Simple ways of generosity and how you can be fruitful in your marriage
- What spiritual motherhood means in your life
- Ann’s advice for couples receiving a diagnosis of male infertility and how wives can support their husbands through that diagnosis
- How Ann lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources for you:
- Springs in the Desert
- Springs in the Desert podcast
- Listen to A Letter to the Mother Wondering about Foster Care and Adoption, featuring Kimberly Henkel, co-founder of Springs in the Desert
- Today’s episode is sponsored by Rooted for Good - use the code LETTERS20 to save 20% at checkout
- Become a paid subscriber to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
- Has your experience of infertility left you feeling alone, or like you don’t belong? What is one practical resolution you can make today to connect with other women experiencing infertility?
- How has infertility impacted your marriage? Have you struggled with objectifying your spouse or reducing sex to a means to an end of conceiving a child together?
- In your experience with infertility, have you given in to despair or the belief that God has forgotten you, doesn’t love you, or is punishing you? How can you reject those lies, and who in your life can speak truth over you that you are a beloved daughter of God who is remembered and known?
- How do you deal with the stress of experiencing infertility? What are some healthy ways that you can process the emotions around this cross and
- Do you find it challenging to take things day by day in your experience with infertility? What are ways that you can surrender the past, trust God with the future, and be present to the now?
In this fifth episode of the Letters to Mothers season, we’re talking about mothering our babies who we’ve lost in miscarriage, still birth, and infant loss. Losing a child is heartbreaking and devastating. For mothers who lose a child before or shortly after birth, this grief comes with distinct, sudden, and difficult questions about God, the Church, and who they are now as parents to the child they have lost.
If you’re looking for a companion and guide through those har medical, theological, and practical questions, whether you’re a mother who has lost her baby or you’re a friend, family member, or medical professional who supports parents through that loss, this episode of the Letters to Women podcast with Dr. Abigail Jorgensen is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Abby’s story as as Catholic woman
- The origin story of Abby’s new book, A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss: Compassionate Answers to Difficult Questions
- A brief overview of miscarriage, still birth, and infant loss, and what the postpartum experiences can look like for mothers in each experience
- Abby’s favorite question to ask her clients as a bereavement doula
- What the Catholic Church teaches us about our hope for Heaven for children we’ve lost through miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss
- How to grieve together and separately as loss parents
- How to wrestle with the reality that God is all powerful, all good, and yet our babies still die
- Whether or not you can flush during a miscarriage
- How Abby lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary life as a mother
Resources for you:
- Pick up a copy of Abby’s new book, A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss
- If you want to learn more about Abby’s work as a sociologist, explore her website here
- If you want to learn more about Abby’s work as a Catholic bereavement doula, explore this website
- To discuss grief ministry training with Abby, reach out to her through Haven Bereavement Doulas
- Today’s episode is sponsored by Monks Bread - use the code LETTERS10 to save 10% at checkout
- Become a paid subscriber to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month
Discussion questions:
- Have you lost a child through miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss? What has your experience of mothering your child or children who have died look like for you'?
- How has losing a child through miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss impacted your relationship with the Lord? What are some moments of desolation and consolation you’ve experienced during the grieving process?
- Have you felt angry at God during your grieving process? Have you felt guilt for feeling anger? How did hearing Abby share about allowing ourselves to grieve and be angry impact you?
- Today, how are you parenting the child or children you’ve lost? What are some ways you can honor the memory of their short life here on earth while looking forward with hope to
- What are some ways that you can support friends and family who are grieving the loss of their child? What does it look like as a Church and parish community to support grieving parents?
In this fourth episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Johanna Seagren joins me to discuss emotional regulation, our interior life, and burnout in our motherhood.
Parenting is hard work, and sometimes it’s louder, messier, more complicated, and packed with tantrums (yours included) than you expected.
So many times, we end up exhausted and feeling like this can’t be the vision that God had for your family. We’re diving into a conversation about what it means to be an emotionally-healthy family without losing your mind.
If you’re ready to understand your own emotional triggers, learn how to connect with your kids instead of reacting to their big feelings, and grow closer to each other and God, this episode is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Johanna’s story as a Catholic woman
- Why Johanna created the Interior Kingdom as an emotional regulation program for her family and what Catholic families will find inside the program
- What the Catholic Church teaches about emotions and what it looks like to grow in our awareness of our emotions as adults
- The things that set Interior Kingdom apart from the calm kits and calm down spaces you’ve seen on Instagram
- How to become curious about the triggers (unmet needs!) in your parenting
- The reason that Interior Kingdom is for every family, regardless of your kids’ ages, abilities, and temperaments
- How Johanna lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a Catholic mother
Resources for you:
- Explore the Interior Kingdom program (and use the code LTW25 for $25 off the program now through April 10, 2024!)
- Today’s episode sponsor is Rooted for Good! Use the code Letters20 for 20% off your order at checkout
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Questions for discussion:
- What have been some moments of disregulation in your motherhood? And on the flip side, what have been some moments of peace, regulation, and rest in your parenting journey?
- When you were a child, what did your parents teach you about emotions? Do you feel confident in your understanding of emotions or is there room for growth?
- What are some of your triggers (unmet needs) in your motherhood and how can you begin to meet those needs and invite the Lord into those unmet needs?
- Have you ever felt guilty for anger in your motherhood? How did Johanna’s explanation of anger impact your understanding of emotions you may have labeled as “bad” before?
- How can learning more about your emotions as a mother impact the way that you parent and live out the feminine genius in your daily life?
In this third episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Kimberly Henkel of Springs of Love joins me to discuss foster care and adoption.
We’re talking about how Kimberly and her husband Greg discerned the call to foster care. We’re also busting myths around adoption that might be holding you back from discerning that call as a family, and both of us are sharing our experiences as adoptive mothers.
Whether you’re exploring the possibility of adoption or foster care, you’re already an adoptive or foster mother, or you’re wondering how to better support adoptive and foster families in your community, this letter is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Kimberly’s story as a Catholic woman
- How Kimberly and Greg discerned the Lord’s call to foster care and adoption
- The origin story of Springs of Love, Kimberly and Greg’s ministry that encourages, educates, and equips Catholics to discern and live out the call to foster and adopt
- The differences between foster care and adoption
- Spiritual maternity and the adoption triad
- Kimberly’s advice to couples hesitant to discern foster care or adoption because of the cost
- Why open adoptions can be healthy for everyone involved in the adoption triad
Resources for you: * Find Springs of Love online * Watch the Springs of Love video series * Ten Myths about Adoption from the Springs of Love website * Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Discussion questions: 1. Have you felt called by the Lord to discern growing your family through adoption or fostering children? What has that discernment looked like for you both as an individual and in your marriage? 2. What myth surrounding adoption that Kimberly mentioned in the show is something you’ve believed to be true before? 3. Romans 8:15 says that “You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we call ‘Abba, Father!’” How does reflecting on this theological reality of adoption in all of our lives as children of God through baptism impact the way you think about adoption and foster care? 4. What are ways that you can accompany birth mothers and families in the adoption triad? 5. Does your parish community support adoptive and foster families well? What are things you can do to encourage a culture of life for families who are called to foster or adopt?
In this second episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Grace Stark from Natural Womanhood joins me to discuss fertility awareness and motherhood.
This is a conversation about authentic womens’ healthcare, how to grow in an appreciation of your fertility as a gift, and discerning the size of family that the Lord wants to build with and for you—and what to do if you’re not on the same page as your spouse in that discernment.
We also talk about what it means to be mothers to daughters, and how the conversations we have from a very young age shape the way our daughters see their bodies.
If you’re ready to get to know and appreciate your cycle and fertility this letter is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Grace’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Natural Womanhood and their mission to help women work with their body, not against it
- What authentic women’s healthcare looks like and how we can grow as women in accepting our fertility as a gift
- What the Catholic Church teaches about using Natural Family Planning and family size
- Grace’s advice for couples in seasons of discerning adding another child to their family
- What to do when you’re not on the same page as your spouse about having more children
- How Natural Womanhood is helping mothers of pre-teen girls learn about ther bodies, cycles, and fertility
- How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother
Resources for you:
- Discover Natural Womanhood online
- Natural Womanhood podcast
- Charting Towards Intimacy podcast hosted by Ellen Holloway
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Interior Kingdom! Use the code LTW15 for 15% off the full Interior Kingdom program.
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Discussion questions:
- Have you ever felt angry or ashamed of your cycle as a woman? What were some messages that you received about your body as a girl, especially around your fertility and cycles?
- Do you feel pressure to have a certain number of kids as a Catholic woman? Or for your family to look a certain way? What are some ways you can grow in confidence about how the Lord is calling you specifically to mother?
- Are you and your spouse of one heart and mind when it comes to having children? What advice that Grace shared in this episode about discerning a family with your spouse struck you?
- If you’re a mother to a daughter, how have you approached conversations with her about fertility and puberty? Are there things you want to change about how you talk about those subjects after listening to this episode?
- What dreams do you have for your family and your motherhood? How can embracing your fertility as a gift impact those dreams?
In this first episode of the Letters to Mothers season we’re talking about a topic that so many of us are familiar with—body image. It’s a topic we’ve talked about on the show, but I wanted to revisit it with a specific focus on that experience as mothers.
Joining me on the show today is Shelby Hirschman. She’s a nutrition therapist who specializes in intuitive eating, body acceptance, and recovery from chronic dieting and disordered eating.
We’re talking about postpartum discomfort, the societal pressure to “bounce back” and why that isn’t helpful for us as women, and some actual practical behaviors and tools to put into place that I think can be a huge help.
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt frustrated, uncomfortable, disappointed, or unattractive, this letter is for you.
Topics we cover:
- Why so many of us feel at war with our bodies as mothers
- Defining the postpartum season
- The pressure women feel to “get their body back” or “bounce back” after giving birth
- What body checking is and why (and how!) to reduce that habit in your life
- Compassionate closets
- What is happening on a biological level to our bodies during the postpartum season
- How to prioritize consistent and adequate nutrition
- Habits to form in our lives as women during seasons of change to remind ourselves that our body is good
- How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother
Resources for you:
- Tune into Shelby and I’s first conversation on the Letters to Women podcast, A Letter to the Woman Struggling to Believe Her Body Is Unconditionally Good
- Visit Shelby’s website to learn about her work as a nutrition therapist
- Subscribe to Shelby’s substack, Good Body Notes
- Shop Good Body Nutrition on Etsy
- Learn more about Catholics Online, the sponsor for today’s episode
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Discussion questions:
- Have you ever felt at war with your body? What are some moments you’ve noticed postpartum discomfort in your own story as a woman?
- In what ways has motherhood impacted the way that you view your body? Do you feel a tension between being in awe of what your body is capable of and discomfort or frustration with your postpartum body?
- As a mother, have you felt pressured to “bounce back” after giving birth? Where have you received those messages from and how have they impacted the way you view your body today?
- Do the clothes in your closet honor the reality of your season of life? What would getting dressed in the morning look like if your closet had pieces in it that honored your postpartum experience as a mother?
- What are some practical ways you can begin to be more gentle and compassionate when it comes to the way you view and talk about your body as a mother? Make one resolution today to help you remember that your body is good.
Letters to Women returns February 13th with a season dedicated to motherhood. Plus, Chloe shares her favorite part of Saint Pope John Paul II’s original Letter to Women and reveals a few other surprises.
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A quick update about why there hasn't been a new episode of Letters to Women in your podcast feed lately ... and an announcement about the future of the podcast.
Should we care about what we wear? The short answer is “yes”—but don’t pull out your headphones just yet. There’s more to the conversation than that.
What about style? What do you think of when you hear that word? Maybe the pages of fashion magazines or reruns of Project Runway flash through your mind. Or maybe you wonder if style should even be something you think about—how many of us have felt guilty after splurging on a gorgeous dress, wondering how a piece of fabric can capture our imagination and desire.
We scold ourselves and say “I should bought something practical.” Or maybe you’ve even wondered if you’re vain if you care about how you look.
But what if that pull towards certain items of clothing is actually a sign of being made in the image and likeness of God? What if instead of finding a new “cool,” “fancy,” or “stylish” wardrobe, or becoming a “new” version of ourselves, we focused on how we can grow in an understanding of how we were made?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Lillian Fallon. She's a Catholic writer with a passion for helping women express their unrepeatability through style.
Lillian and I are talking about living life as an affirmed woman and daughter of God, how wisdom from St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body relates to clothing, and how to dress in a way that expresses who we are.
If you’ve ever wondered if your love of style is incongruent with your Catholic faith, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Lillian’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story behind Lillian’s new book, Theology of Style: Expressing the Unique and Unrepeatable You
- How an epiphany moment in a Theology of the Body class gave Lillian the freedom to pursue her passion for style
- What Theology of Style is and how it can transform the way we see ourselves and God
- What an understanding of modesty informed by Theology of the Body looks like—and why it is so much more than the length of a skirt
- Living life as an affirmed person who is confident in her identity, gifts, and passions
- How Lillian lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up your copy of Theology of Style: Expressing the Unique and Unrepeatable You
- Saint Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Artists
- Check out Lillian’s website and connect with her on Instagram
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, CORDA, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
It’s time we get honest with ourselves as women today—we’re being lied to. Today’s cultural beauty standards are messed up. We all know it, and we all think we can resist the pull to look a certain way. But most of us—and our sisters, daughters, and nieces, too—are still striving for a broken kind of beauty while feeling like we’re not good enough.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Johnson, a marriage and family therapist. The lie of today’s beauty standards eventually led her to battling an eating disorder. Through that experience, she saw that chasing broken beauty breaks us as women in so many ways. And she also realized that true, soul-deep beauty is not impossible—it abounds in us and all around us.
Melissa and I are talking about how to uncover the hidden damage cultural lies about beauty have on your mind and soul, how to reconnect with God, in whose image you are made, and how to walk away from shame and striving.
If you find yourself wishing that you were thinner or smaller, have a list of things you wish you could change about your appearance, or compare your body to other women’s bodies, and you’re longing for a more self-compassionate relationship with your body, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Melissa’s story as a Christian woman
- The origin story of Melissa’s new book, Soul Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless and what you’ll find when you open the cover
- The unhelpful (but normalized) beliefs we are buying as women when it comes to beauty
- What happens when we embrace our bodies as miracles and what it looks like to practice gratitude for our aging bodies
- What living in loving community with other women looks like
- How Melissa defines true beauty
- The ways that Melissa lives out the feminine genius in her own daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of Soul Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless
- Visit Melissa’s website, Impossible Beauty and listen to the Impossible Beauty podcast
- Follow Melissa on Instagram
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, CORDA, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
We’re living in a world of filters and photoshop. Thanks to the constant pull from the smartphone in your pocket, you might be experiencing internet overwhelm and social media fatigue. Is there any relatable women’s media out there that gives an accurate representation of what it means to be a women, reminds you of your belovedness, and encourages you to be authentic?
The world needs more of who women ARE. Not a long list of expectations of what we should be doing and what our bodies look like while we’re doing it.
That, and more, is what we’re diving into today in this episode of the Letters to Women podcast.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Rose Somarriba,. Mary Rose is the editor of Verily Magazine. True to their name, Verily sifts through the noise of the world to elevate what is honest, real, and beautiful for the modern woman—facilitating her connection with the things that matter the most to her through our production of original media, curation of quality content across the web, and in-person events.
Mary Rose and I are talking about the mission of Verily, what it’s like for them to totally reject photoshop, and why they’re returning to a print magazine in our digital world.
If you’re exhausted from a constant barrage of media that tells you what the “ideal” body type, image, or status is and you're ready to be empowered to be more of who YOU ARE, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Mary Rose’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Verily Magazine and what sets it apart from other fashion and lifestyle magazines
- What has changed and what has stayed the same since the first issue of Verily was published in 2012
- Why being a non-profit fits the mission of Verily
- The false expectations that we’re sorting through as women today and how Verily encourages women to live authentically
- How editing Verily has impacted Mary Rose as a mother
- The ways the Mary Rose lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Learn more about Verily Magazine
- Subscribe to Verily’s print magazine
- Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba
- Mary Rose’s article at National Review on how the internet has ruined women’s magazines
- Defend Young Minds and how they can help you chat with your kids about pornography ahead of time
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
We’re living in a world of filters and photoshop. Thanks to the constant pull from the smartphone in your pocket, you might be experiencing internet overwhelm and social media fatigue. Is there any relatable women’s media out there that gives an accurate representation of what it means to be a women, reminds you of your belovedness, and encourages you to be authentic?
The world needs more of who women ARE. Not a long list of expectations of what we should be doing and what our bodies look like while we’re doing it.
That, and more, is what we’re diving into today in this episode of the Letters to Women podcast.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Rose Somarriba,. Mary Rose is the editor of Verily Magazine. True to their name, Verily sifts through the noise of the world to elevate what is honest, real, and beautiful for the modern woman—facilitating her connection with the things that matter the most to her through our production of original media, curation of quality content across the web, and in-person events.
Mary Rose and I are talking about the mission of Verily, what it’s like for them to totally reject photoshop, and why they’re returning to a print magazine in our digital world.
If you’re exhausted from a constant barrage of media that tells you what the “ideal” body type, image, or status is and you're ready to be empowered to be more of who YOU ARE, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Mary Rose’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Verily Magazine and what sets it apart from other fashion and lifestyle magazines
- What has changed and what has stayed the same since the first issue of Verily was published in 2012
- Why being a non-profit fits the mission of Verily
- The false expectations that we’re sorting through as women today and how Verily encourages women to live authentically
- How editing Verily has impacted Mary Rose as a mother
- The ways the Mary Rose lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Learn more about Verily Magazine
- Subscribe to Verily’s print magazine
- Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba
- Mary Rose’s article at National Review on how the internet has ruined women’s magazines
- Defend Young Minds and how they can help you chat with your kids about pornography ahead of time
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Have you ever wished you prayed more with your spouse, but you don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re confident in praying FOR your spouse, but WITH them?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Dr. Sarah Bartel and we’re talking about Cana Feast, the marriage ministry she founded with husband, Nathan, and she’s giving some really practical, nitty-gritty ways that they’ve found make a difference in couple’s marriages - from how to get over the awkwardness of praying together to making time for each other in seasons of change and prioritizing your marriage when schedules are tight or babies are little. Or teenagers are up at all hours of the day.
Regardless of the season of marriage you find yourself in, there’s something here for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The origin story of Cana Feast, an online enrichment community for couples
- Navigating seasons of change in your marriage with grace
- Practical, daily practices for couples to strengthen their marriages
- How Cana Feast makes retreats-in-place possible for couples with busy schedules
- Sarah’s top advice for women who aren’t married yet but feel God’s call to the vocation of marriage
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Cana Feast
- Follow Cana Feast on social media and connect with Dr. Sarah Bartel on her personal Instagram account
- Dr. Bartel mentioned Living in Love, which is now known as EverMore in Love. This is a retreat that Joseph and I lead in our own diocese! We cannot recommend it enough. Learn more about upcoming retreats here!
- Enter to win a Custom Home Altar with The Catholic Man Show’s giveaway that ends September 14!
- Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Have you ever had the experience that life is flying by you at lightning speed and you’re just an observer? The year is already over halfway done, you’re not sure really what you’ve even done for the past six months. You’re just along for the ride.
But what if there was a daily practice that helped you grow in your ability to focus, to be grateful, and to be present?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Tsh Oxenreider. I love Tsh—her writing is absolutely fantastic, her podcast is one of the few that I listen to on long drives or as I work through mountains of laundry. And she’s just written a brand new book called First Light and Eventide, which is a daily gratitude journal. When you open up the cover, she guides you through a short, twice-daily thought exercise to help you better focus on gratitude, grace, and greater truth.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful way to bookend your day and you wish someone would just take you by the hand and help you navigate some of life’s uncertainty, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Tsh’s story as a Catholic convert
- The story behind her new book, First Light and Eventide: A Daily Gratitude Journal
- Tsh’s advice for building the habit of morning and evening bookends
- How Tsh has encountered truth, goodness, and beauty on pilgrimage (and how you can join her on upcoming trips!)
- How stepping away from Instagram has impacted Tsh’s ability to notice, focus, and be grateful
- Why Tsh curates playlists to pair with all of her books
- How Tsh lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of First Light and Eventide: A Daily Gratitude Journal
- Connect with Tsh through her newsletter
- Find out more about Tsh’s upcoming pilgrimages
- Join us in bringing the newest Langr home with our adoption fundraiser
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
When Sarah Swafford first started talking to college students about friendship, it was 2007. They were trying to figure out cellphones, dorm life, emotions, and virtue. Sixteen years later, Sarah is still talking about friendship—and it hasn’t gotten any easier with the rise of social media, smart phones, and a world pandemic.
Sarah fist came on the podcast way back in 2018 to talk about emotions and virtue. She’s back for another conversation about virtue, a brand new book called Gift and Grit that she just wrote with her husband, Swaff, and a deep dive into the topic of friendship, especially as you navigate changing seasons of life.
Whether you’re blessed with an incredible community of friends around you and you want to grow deeper in relationship with them, or you’re starting out in a new season of life and you’re hungry for authentic friendship, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Sarah’s story as a Catholic woman
- The story behind Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships and what it was like for Sarah to write a book with her husband
- What Środowisko is, what it looked like in the life of Saint Pope John Paul II, and what it means for us as Catholic women today
- Why finding meaning in life isn’t enough and why we need grit, too
- How to navigate friendship in changing seasons and how to be truly vulnerable with women you trust
- Sarah’s three ingredients for healthy and holy friendship
- How Sarah lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of Gift and Grit
- Connect with Sarah on Instagram and Facebook
- Visit The Swafford’s website and get a signed copy of Gift and Grit
- Lisa Cotter’s new book on femininity, Reveal the Gift—and my conversation with her about it on the Letters to Women podcast!
- Sarah and I’s conversation on emotional virtue from back in 2018 on the Letters to Women podcast
- Join us in bringing the newest Langr home with our adoption fundraiser
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
“Throw out whatever image that you think you need to have of yourself. Really ask the Lord to see you and be seen by you. Let the Lord love you. Let him define all the beauty that is within you.”
—Sarah Swafford
I’m sitting down with Grace Babineau. She’s a wife and mom of two, and she recently wrote an article on Verily Magazine called “Thrift is the Really Romantic Thing” about why saving money might be the best thing for your marriage. And today we’re talking about thrift and romance, but also the virtue of simplicity, prioritizing creativity in seasons where it’s easy to write it off as a luxury or selfish desire, and how to actually cultivate time in your day for creativity. So whether you are wondering how in the world creativity can fit into your daily life if you barely have time for a shower, or you’re interested in learning about how simplicity and thrift can actually be romantic, sister, this letter is for you. Topics we talked about in this episode:
Grace’s story as a Catholic woman
Grace’s recent article for Verily Magazine on what G.K. Chesterton had to say about thrift and romance
Finding things to talk about with your spouse when you don’t share interests in common
What it looks like for Grace prioritize and cultivate creativity as a woman and mother
How witnessing her daughter play reminds Grace of the importance of play in her own life—and what play practically looks like in our lives as women, wives, and moms
How to embrace thrift and creativity when it comes to home making
How Grace lives ou the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Read Grace’s article on Verily Magazine
My episode of the Letters to Women podcast with Leila Lawler on her series Summa Domestica
Visit Grace’s blog, A Graceful Journal
Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
We all know someone struggling with substance use disorder. We might not know it, but since nearly one in five Americans older than twelve reported illicit drug use in 2018, someone in our life is struggling. And those numbers were before a pandemic threw our culture into further isolation. With those kinds of numbers, if you live in the United States, it’s nearly impossible for you to not know someone battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
It could be your aunt, cousin, neighbor, your high school classmate, or your best friend’s sibling, son or daughter. Or, it might be you. One way or another, substance use disorders impact our society as a whole, and each and everyone of us as individuals.
So first, why do so many of us still think that this crisis is someone else’s problem? And how can we shift that mentality and become members of the Church who bring Christ’s love and mercy to the souls most in need of it? Souls in our communities, our parishes, and our families?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Keaton Douglas. She’s the co-author of a brand new book on responding to the crisis of addiction and we’re talking about what sets today’s suffering of addiction apart, what we can learn from St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body when it comes to accompanying someone struggling with an addiction, and practical ways that we can grow in our understanding of addiction as Catholic women today.
Accompanying those we love who are struggling with addiction is messy, challenging, and unfortunately too often, it’s devastating. But as Catholic women today, we need to do it. And for the sake of those we love, we need to start today.
So whether you’re tuning in to learn more about the epidemic of substance use disorders and come to understand it better or you’re wondering how to start making some real change in your family and community, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Keaton’s story as a Catholic woman
- The inspiration behind The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction
- Why it’s tempting to think that addition is “someone else’s problem” and why we have a responsibility as Catholics to move beyond that mentality
- What makes opiod addiction different from other suffering
- The important element that’s missing from most resources available for people suffering from addiction—and what the Catholic Church can provide
- How to tap into St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body as Catholics accompanying those who are addicted
- How to communicate the dignity of those who die of substance abuse and how to acknowledge (and eliminate!) social stigmas around addiction
- Keaton’s advice for how to grow in our understanding of addiction and accompany those we love through this particular type of suffering
- How Keaton lives ou the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of The Road to Hope by Keaton Douglas and Lindsay Schlegel
- Learn more about iTHIRST
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Have you ever wanted to sit down with a woman who is a few season of life ahead of you, settle in on her couch with a big cup of coffee, and pick her brain about all of the joys and challenges of the season of life you’re in now -- and the seasons you’re looking forward to? To hear her advice and learn from the wisdom she’s gained over the years?
That’s exactly what today’s episode from the archive is all about.
These past weeks have been really full here at the Langr house -- spring weddings, endless little house projects we can tackle now that the weather is getting warmer, and the last steps of our adoption home study before we move into a season where we’re just waiting to be matched.
So today, I’m pulling one of my favorite episodes from the archives to share with you — this is a listener favorite too, so there’s a chance you’ve already listened. But it’s so packed full of practical advice that you might discover something you missed the first go-around.
Kimberly and I are talking about her brand new Bible study, “Graced and Gifted,” which is all about how we can tackle the seemingly endless demands of caring for our families and our homes all from the perspective of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She also shares her tried and true tips for things like time management, her secrets for meal planning, and how she creates a peaceful and beautiful home for her family and friends.
If you are looking for not only useful tips but some inspiring help from a woman who has been there done that when it comes to taking care of the domestic church - no matter what season of life you’re in - sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Kimberly’s story of conversion
- What we can learn from the woman described in Proverbs 31 about marriage and homemaking
- Why (and how!) to prioritize prayer in your life as a Catholic woman
- Remembering that marriage (not motherhood!) is a sacrament and making space to encounter your spouse
- How to create a rule of life and why that matters for our lives as Catholic women
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Graced and Gifted, Kimberly’s Bible Study
- Chosen and Cherished, Kimberly’s Bible Study on marriage
- A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot
- Listen to Kimberly’s podcast, “Beloved and Blessed”
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
There are so many tasks on our to-do lists as women, wives, and moms that are repetitive—and hidden. You plan meals every week and wander the aisle of your grocery store, only to be back again the week after to do the exact same thing all over again. You fold a massive pile of laundry and as you’re putting clean clothes in dressers, you find the laundry baskets are full again and ready for the next load. You make a meal, only to be faced with a pile of dirty dishes and a full dishwasher ready for unloading…again.
It can be easy to get discouraged in the monotony of taking care of your home, your family, and yourself. So how do we find meaning in these daily tasks that we’re going to do all over again tomorrow?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Thérèse Desilets. Thérèse is the founder of Lovely Lady Linens, a Marian inspired home textile company. Her and I are talking about how the Blessed Mother can encourage us in our daily chores, the importance of beauty in our domestic churches, and how Thérèse integrates her work and vocation.
If you’re exhausted from the constant to-do list of taking care of your home and are needing some encouragement and inspiration, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Thérèse’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Lovely Lady Linens and the beautiful work of handblocking
- How designing Marian-inspired linen collections has impacted Thérèse’s relationship with the Blessed Mother
- Why domestic work is meaningful, even though so much of it goes unseen
- How Thérèse’s business and work as an attorney is at the service of her family (not the other way around)
- The story behind Mariamante Academy, where Thérèse donates a portion of her business proceeds
- How Thérèse lives out the feminine genius in her current season as a mother of three kids under five
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Browse the collections at Lovely Lady Linens
- Follow Lovely Lady Linens on Instagram
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Every single one of us has a feminine genius -- a particular way that the Lord is inviting us to bring forth new life into the world. But embracing that feminine genius in your daily life can be incredibly challenging if you’re facing something challenging in your life….but you’re pretending everything is fine, that you’re okay, and that you don’t need any help.
Maybe it’s hard to admit to a friend that you’re really struggling in your marriage or in your motherhood. You might be experiencing tension at work, or going through a big transition like moving or changing careers. Or maybe you are noticing tendencies in yourself that you’re ready to change -- people pleasing, perfectionism, pessimism.
Maybe you’re ready to take the next steps towards healing. Maybe you’re ready to open the door to your heart just a crack to the Lord, to a trusted friend, to a mentor, and share what’s really going on.
But what does it look like practically to experience healing from wounds, overcome self-doubt, reignite your faith life, and discover who you are on the journey to wholeness and holiness?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Crystalina Evert. I remember sitting in the audience at a National Catholic Youth Conference over a decade ago and hearing Crystalina speak for the first time—and then that evening, in the elevator of our hotel, bumping into her and Jason and just being such a Catholic fangirl.
What sticks with me from that memory is being struck with the (probably obvious) fact that the Everts, this couple who have very much shaped my ideas around chastity and virtue and relationships, are human beings. And something that is such a gift about hosting this podcast is that I get to sit down one-on-one with women and hear their stories—women who might be sharing their story for the first time, or who have shared their story with millions of people.
Crystalina and I are talking about her journey of healing, this incredible resource that she’s put together in a new book for women who are ready to take the first steps in their own healing, and how a heavenly friendship with St. Therese helps remind Crystalina of her mission.
If you’re ready to experience healing in your life, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Crystalina’s story as a Catholic woman and how Christ brought healing through both adoration and counseling
- How Crystalina created a resource to help women show up to their own healing process with the help of other women and their ministries
- Why all of us need to ask ourselves what is keeping us back from becoming the women God created us to be
- What happens in our culture and in our lives when we share our story—hard parts and all, with those we trust
- How a heavenly friendship with St. Therese of Lisieux inspired Crystalina on her journey of healing
- The first step that everyone needs to take on their healing journey
- Crystalina’s advice and encouragement for women as they ponder those questions and discover who they are and the healing the Lord desires in their lives
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Women Made New!: Reflections on Adversity, Transformation, and Healing by Crystalina Evert
- Check out Crystalina’s website Women Made New, which is full of incredible resources for your own healing journey
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
It’s an incredible gift to share the beauty of the Catholic faith with the kids in our lives. Whether you’re sharing about Christ in the Eucharist with your toddler, diving into Scripture together, or preparing children for their first reconciliation or first communion, there’s a lot that goes into evangelizing the littlest people in our lives.
How can we explain the faith, the realities of sin, and the incredible gift of the Eucharist in ways that resonate with little kids? How do we live our lives so that the children we love know that the sacraments matter and the sacraments change us?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Jackie Angel. I first saw Jackie speak at a youth conference over a decade ago, and it’s so much fun to sit down with her one-on-one today. Jackie and her husband Bobby are both presenters in the Parent’s Guide for Renewed and Received, a new resource for First Communion and First Reconciliation preparation from Ascension.
Jackie and I are talking about her experience preparing two of her children to receive first communion and first reconciliation, what it looks like to create a culture in our homes where conversations about the Eucharist and forgiveness are ongoing, and how teaching children about the beauty of the Catholic faith has impacted her own interior life.
If you’re helping children discover Christ mercy and experience his real presence in the Eucharist, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Jackie’s story as a Catholic woman
- What sets Ascension’s band new programs, Received: Your Journey to First Communion and Renewed: Your Journey to First Reconciliation apart
- Jackie’s experience preparing two of her children for First Communion and Reconciliation
- How to take big concepts like transubstantiation, sin, and forgiveness and explain them in a way that kids understand
- What it looks like to create a culture in our homes where the sacraments are part of ongoing conversation and our daily lives with our families
- Jackie’s evangelization advice for mothers of toddlers
- How Jackie lives out the feminine genius in her daily life through tender motherhood
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Check out Received and Renewed from Ascension
- Connect with Jackie on social media and through her website and podcast!
- The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast
- Visit The Catholic Textbook Project, the sponsor for today’s episode
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
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For 2,000 years, Catholics have been at the heart of the culinary arts. Maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the sacred feast of the Eucharist and how it gives life to our faith.
But, like so many other things in our lives today, our relationship with food has become compromised, cheapened, and robbed of its wholesomeness and purpose. And it’s so easy to lose the sacramental nature of eating and the sense of community that comes from a good meal.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Alexandra Greeley. She’s a convert to Catholicism, a trained chef, and the author of a brand new book, Catholics in the Kitchen.
Alexandra and I are talking about sacramental eating, the beauty and diversity of the Catholic Church, and how much we’re looking forward to farmer’s markets this spring.
Whether you’re looking for new recipes to add to your meal rotation or you want to discover the connection between food, faith, and farms, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The lightning bolt moment that brought Alexandra home to the Catholic Church
- The inspiration behind Alexandra’s new book, Catholics in the Kitchen and what you’ll find when you open up the cover
- What putting together this book taught Alexandra about the universality of the Catholic Church
- How to rediscover the beauty of sacramental eating
- The ways that food creates opportunity for evangelization
- Practical ways we can support farmers and be reminded of the origin of food
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get your copy of Catholics in the Kitchen through TAN books (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
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In my home growing up, we said a family Rosary every morning at 9am—my mom, dad, and seven siblings gathered in the living room and prayed together. We took turns leading decades and corralling toddlers.
But when I moved out, I got out of the habit of the daily Rosary. And I have a growing desire to get back into it now that my little crew of kids is able to say a few words of the Hail Mary themselves. But building that habit back is challenging, which is why I was so excited for the chance to record this perfectly timed podcast and get some encouragement—and I hope it’s encouraging for you, too!
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Shannon Wendt. Shannon is the founder and CEO of Chews Life—you might know them for their baby silicone rosaries or, my favorite, their rosary bracelets with a moveable charm that helps you keep track of what number of Hail Mary’s you’re on if you’re praying the Rosary throughout the day.
We’re talking about how the Rosary has impacted Shannon’s life as a woman, a wife, and a mom, the origin story of Chews Life, and Shannon’s advice for getting in the habit of praying a daily rosary—as well as the “why” behind this devotion in our Catholic faith.
Regardless of whether you pray the Rosary every day, you’ve never prayed the Rosary, or you find yourself somewhere in between, sister, this letter is for you
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Shannon’s story as a Catholic woman
- The origin story of Chews Life and how it’s grown since launching in 2008
- How praying the Rosary has impacted Shannon’s life as a Catholic woman, wife, and mother
- The biggest roadblocks Catholics face when it comes to praying the Rosary regularly
- The fifteen promises of the Rosary and what they mean for our daily life
- Shannon’s advice for praying the Rosary with your kids—everyone from toddlers to teenagers!
- How Shannon lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Check out the Chews Life website
- The Chews Life 28 Day Rosary Challenge
- Use the code LTW10 at Lovely Lady Linens and receive 10% off your purchase between 3/6/23 and 3/13/23!
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Valentine’s day is around the corner, and that means that you might be encountering a lot of Instagram-worthy pictures and posts about marriages over the next few days. And the vocation of marriage is incredible. God draws spouses closer to the ultimate Heavenly marriage through the powerful sacrament of marriage.
That doesn’t mean that marriage is always easy, and it isn’t always like what I imagined when I was a newlywed. The reality of marriage involves communication (and miscommunication!), healing, and intimacy. It’s messy AND good.
So what I want to do today as we get close to a day set aside for celebrating the beauty of love is sort through what struggles we can expect in healthy marriages and introduce you to a women who has practical advice on how to grow deeper in relationship to our spouse and the Lord through the incredible vocation of marriage
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Beth Sri. Beth’s been married to her husband, Edward, for more than twenty years and together they’ve written a book called ‘The Good, The Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys and Struggles of Real Married Life”
Beth and I are talking about how to resist the temptation to build up walls in your marriage, why it’s important to build individual prayer time for the good of your marriage, and the real life differences between men and women and what that means for marriage.
So regardless of whether you’re single, preparing for marriage, or you’ve had a wedding ring on your finger for years, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The inspiration behind Beth’s new book and her experience writing a book with her husband, Edward
- Different walls that we build up in our marriage and how we can tear down the barriers to unity
- How marriage has made Beth more aware of areas that God wants to heal
- What to keep in mind if you’re realizing something from your past is impacting your marriage today
- The differences between men and women and how to honor those differences
- How to build the habit of daily individual prayer to strengthen our marriage
- What Beth has learned over the years that has helped her and Edward have a consistent daily prayer life
- How Beth lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a Catholic woman
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Beth and Edward Sri’s new book, “The Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys and Struggles of Real Married Life”
- Follow Beth on Instagram and on her website
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
We’ve all experienced moments of pain and suffering. And while all of us carry different crosses, suffering is something that is part of every one of our stories. But how do you pray when you struggle to find words to express your pain and trauma?
How do you validate the emotions you experience in the valleys of life and embrace them as a gift instead of stuffing them down some place deep inside you? And in those hard seasons that seem to stretch on forever, how can you refresh your faith and find peace that lasts?
In this episode of Letters to Women, I’m sitting down with K.J. Ramsey. She intimately understands the reality of fear and the reward of courage. A survivor of spiritual abuse and religious trauma who suffers from chronic illness, KJ is a licensed counselor who recognizes the chasm that opens between our hearts and hope when life hurts. Through her struggle with emotional and physical pain, K.J. discovered a route to connection and joy:courage— the practice of trusting we will be held and loved no matter what.
We’re talking about praying the Psalms word by word, how courage has impacted KJ’s journey of trauma and chronic pain, and the importances of witnesses in our lives as women.
If you’re walking through a valley or a challenging season and want to cultivate courage and compassion and reignite joy, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The inspiration behind KJ’s new book, The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments and what it was like to write a book on courage while experiencing chronic illness
- What courage looks like as a practice
- How encountering poetry both from the Psalms and other authors helps us enter into prayer—especially in seasons when it’s difficult to find words
- Why the presence of witnesses and the experience of with-ness crucial in seasons of suffering
- How KJ has witnessed the co-existing of courage and suffering
- KJ’s encouragement to you if trusting others with your story is challenging
- How KJ lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary, daily life as a woman encouraging others in the practice of finding courage to heal
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get a copy of The Book of Common Courage
- Read KJ’s book that came out in 2022, The Lord is My Courage
- Explore KJ’s website and connect with her on social media
- The Alchemy of Grief by Annamarie Fidel Rice
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, The Little Catholic Box
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Hey friends, Merry Christmas season! I love that this episode drops in your podcast feed the day after Christmas, and I hope it finds you well rested and joyful. Our little Langr crew has been sick this past week, so we’re enjoying quiet family time and praying for everyone soon.
But this episode also finds you just a few days before the first day of 2023. There are many resolutions that I’ve made throughout the years, but one that I keep making ….and failing…is reading the Bible from cover to cover.
Some years, I’ve tried to read from Genesis to Revelations, falling off the wagon sometime around Leviticus. Then, I tried reading through with Fr. Mike Schmitz and his podcast and I made it PAST Leviticus, and then just stopped listening.
I WANT to read through the Bible, and you might too - but how?! And where do we find the motivation to get past the boring parts (I’m looking at you, descriptions of the ark of the covenant), the run-on sentences from St. Paul, and the parts that just leave you confused?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer. She’s an itinerant missionary and the author of a brand new Bible Journal. Oh, and she’s just wrapping up her 21st read through the entire Bible, so she has some great advice if that’s your goal this upcoming year, to!
We’re talking about what Meg’s very first read through scripture looked like (she was thirteen! It took her five years!) and the unique way she recommends reading the Bible so you don’t get bogged down in 1st and 2nd chronicles and Meg shares one of my new favorite saint quotes on scripture that I hadn’t heard until our conversation today.
If you want to spend time in God’s word every day and grow in your knowledge and love of Scripture, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Meg’s life as a hobo missionary and how she surrenders and trusts God to provide
- How Meg wrote her new book, A Year in the Word Catholic Bible Journal on Instagram
- How Scripture has impacted Meg from her first read through at age 13 to today
- Meg’s recommended reading plan to help you make it from Genesis to Revelations
- What to do with Scripture passages that confuse (and bore!) you
- The Bible verses Meg keeps close to her heart
- How Meg lives out the feminine genius
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Grab a copy of A Year In the Word Catholic Bible Journal
- Explore Meg’s website
- Listen to Meg and Chloe’s previous conversations about surrender and the saints
- Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, The Little Catholic Box
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Have you ever witnessed the Lord do something incredible in your life? And when you see him at work, what is your response? Do you share it with everyone who will listen, or do you keep it to yourself?
So often, we make evangelization too complicated. It’s not about knowing just the right thing to say, or having all the answers. The most potent evangelization is the personal testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Allison Gingras, the author of the brand new book Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints,and the Abundant Grace of God. And while this conversation is full of information about the sacramentals we have in our lives as Catholic women, it’s also a heart story about motherhood, evangelization, and adoption.
I’m so excited to share this conversation with Allison today for so many reasons. First, I’ve known her for years, and it’s so fun to introduce you as the listener to my dear friends. Second, Allison is a woman who has walked and prayed with our family for months.
One evening after a conversation with her on her podcast, A Seeking Heart, I asked Allison for prayers. I knew she and her husband adopted their daughter who has special needs from China, and Joseph and I were in the very beginning stages of exploring special needs adoption. That night, Allison encouraged me to pray boldly and specifically for God’s will with this adoption.
We’re about halfway through the home study process and have the specific hope and prayer to adopt a child with Down syndrome, and Allison's prayers and witness to bold faith have played such a part in that discernment.
Today, I’m talking with Allison about how the sacramentals helped her and her profoundly deaf daughter connect with God, the spiritual motherhood of Mary, and the beauty and depth of those tangible signs of faith in our lives today.
If you’re curious about the incredible amount of sacramentals we have as Catholics and what they mean for our daily lives and relationships with others, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The inspiration behind Allison’s new book, Encountering Signs of Faith
- How Allison and her husband brought their daughter, Faith, home through adoption
- Why each and every one of us is an adopted child of the Father
- Exactly what a sacramental is and how Allison uses them to teach her daughter who is profoundly deaf the Catholic faith
- Allison’s personal saint posse who accompanied her along the journey of adoption
- The promises associated with the Miraculous Medal and the spiritual motherhood of Mary
- How Allison lives out the feminine genius through spiritual sensitivity
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of Encountering Signs of Faith at your local Christian bookstore or online
- Find Allison on her website and social media
- Read more about Joseph and I’s desire to adopt a child with Down syndrome
- Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, The Little Catholic Box
The Lord wants to draw you ever closer to himself. He wants to transform you, and in doing so, transform every single relationship in your life—he’s leaving no stone unturned.
But growing in deeper relationship involves the hard and holy work of examining both sides of the struggles and the joys, the good memories and the awful memories in those relationships.
You don’t have to walk that journey alone.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Nell O’Leary, the managing editor for Blessed is She. She’s also one of six women behind a brand new book, Loving God, Loving Others: 52 Devotions to Create Connections that Last
We’re talking about all kinds of relationships and why it’s important to prioritize prayer and reflection in our lives as women today. Nell is also sharing her encouragement for you if you’re cautious to explore the parts of your story you just wish weren’t there.
If you want to prayerfully examine your relationship with God, with yourself, your family of origin, your loved ones, your friends, your work, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The inspiration behind the new Blessed Is She Devotional, Loving God, Loving Others
- Nell’s encouragement if you’re cautious to explore the parts of your story you just wish weren’t there
- How to examine our story in a holistic way that takes both the joy and sorrow into account
- Nell’s section of the devotional on her family of origin and how it has shaped her identity
- How writing alongside women like Beth Davis, Megan Hjelmstad, Bonnie Engstrom, Sarah Erickson, and Emily Stimpson Chapman deepend Nell’s appreciation for their feminine genius
- Why to prioritize daily prayer in your life as a Catholic woman
- The incredible resources that Blessed is She offers for both in-person and online community
- How Nell lives out the feminine genius
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of Loving God, Loving Others: 52 Devotions to Create Connections that Last
- Visit Blessed is She online
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
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In his Letter to Artists, St. Pope John Paul II said that “Human beings, in a certain sense, are unknown to themselves.” Jesus reveals who God is, but he also fully reveals us to ourselves. Yet we often find ourselves asking “Who am I” and “What is real”?
John Paul II goes on to say that “humanity in every age, and even today, looks to work of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.” But what does it look like to create and encounter art that answers those deep questions of identity and longing?
In today’s episode of the Letters to Women podcast, I’m sitting down with Kate Marin. Classically trained in Florence, Italy, Kate is an artist who works to create sculptures—large and small—that tell our human stories, that reveal the Divine, and that always uphold the dignity of each human person.
We’re talking about how the moment Kate fell in love with the creating and how she’s grown as an artist, the way that Theology of the Body influences her sculpting, and how becoming a mother has impacted the way she creates.
John Paul II says that “Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.”
Whether you’re tuning into this episode to connect with Kate as a fellow artist or you’re a woman who desires to encounter the beauty of God and learn more about the masterpiece of your own life, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Kate as grown as an artist throughout the course of her life and training
- The moment in Kate’s story where she fell in love with art and the creative process
- Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and how it’s influenced Kate’s work as an artist
- How Kate went about finding models for her sculpture of the Holy Family
- The way that prayer and the artistic process intertwine when Kate creates
- How creating art helps Kate answer the big questions that so many of us wrestle with today
- How becoming a mother has changed the way that Kate creates and what Kate is looking forward to teaching her children about art
- How Kate lives out the feminine genius as a woman creating works that help call people deeper into the truth of their own mystery
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Connect with Kate online and explore the art she creates
- Read St. Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Artists
- Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
What does it mean to think deeply as Catholic women today?
When you hear that question, do you worry that it means spending endless hours reading and writing academic papers?
Do you wonder if pursuing the intellectual life isn’t for you because you don’t consider yourself a thinker?
Or have you thought that maybe the intellectual life is for another season of life, one where you’re not as busy, not covered in spit up, or at least get full nights of sleep?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Rachel Bulman. She’s the editor behind the newly released book, With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life
We’re talking about the feminine genius and how that impacts both our affectivity and our intellect, what to do if the idea of growing in your intellectual life seems daunting, and how we can learn from the Blessed Mother as the Seat of Wisdom.
If you are a woman who wants to follow the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all your soul, all your heart, and with all your mind, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How a witness of hospitality and authenticity sparked Rachel’s interest in Catholicism
- The inspiration behind With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life
- Rachel’s encouragement if you think the intellectual life isn’t for you
- Getting to know Our Lady as the Seat of Wisdom and first philosopher
- Fostering the intellectual life in our daily lives as women
- How Rachel witnessed the feminine genius during the editing process of With All Her Mind
- Cultivating a sense of wonder in a world ripe with distractions
- How Rachel lives out the feminine genius in her roles as daughter, wife, and mother
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up your copy of With All Her Mind
- Connect with Rachel on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
- Watch episodes of Meet the Bulmans
- Read St. Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Women and Fides et Ratio
- Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
What does it mean to think deeply as Catholic women today?
When you hear that question, do you worry that it means spending endless hours reading and writing academic papers?
Do you wonder if pursuing the intellectual life isn’t for you because you don’t consider yourself a thinker?
Or have you thought that maybe the intellectual life is for another season of life, one where you’re not as busy, not covered in spit up, or at least get full nights of sleep?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Rachel Bulman. She’s the editor behind the newly released book, With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life
We’re talking about the feminine genius and how that impacts both our affectivity and our intellect, what to do if the idea of growing in your intellectual life seems daunting, and how we can learn from the Blessed Mother as the Seat of Wisdom.
If you are a woman who wants to follow the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all your soul, all your heart, and with all your mind, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How a witness of hospitality and authenticity sparked Rachel’s interest in Catholicism
- The inspiration behind With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life
- Rachel’s encouragement if you think the intellectual life isn’t for you
- Getting to know Our Lady as the Seat of Wisdom and first philosopher
- Fostering the intellectual life in our daily lives as women
- How Rachel witnessed the feminine genius during the editing process of With All Her Mind
- Cultivating a sense of wonder in a world ripe with distractions
- How Rachel lives out the feminine genius in her roles as daughter, wife, and mother
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up your copy of With All Her Mind
- Connect with Rachel on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
- Watch episodes of Meet the Bulmans
- Read St. Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Women and Fides et Ratio
- Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Today’s episode contains a conversation on sexual addiction and healing. If you listen around little ears, you might want to grab a pair of headphones.
No one intends to get addicted to pornograpy, masturbation, or other disordered sexual desires. And it doesn’t help that we live in a world that has ingrained into our minds the idea that pornography is a ‘guys issue’.
Yes, many men do struggle with an addiction to pornography.But the reality of the situation, the reality that you yourself might be living, is that women also struggle with addictions to sexual addiction, pornography, and masturbation.
But there is healing. You don’t have to hide and pretend that everything in your life is going perfectly. It’s time that we stop thinking about pornography as a problem only men deal with.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Rachael Killackey. She’s the Founder and Executive Director of Magdala, a space where women can find hope, healing, and freedom alongside each other from sexual addiction.
We’re talking about just what pornography is, how is Magdala shifting that narrative so women can find healing from sexual wounds, and the importance of healing from sexual wounds in community, even though things like pornography and masturbation are considered private struggles.
If you’re a woman who has struggled with pornography, masturbation, lustful thoughts, sexual daydreaming, or any other disordered desire, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Rachael started Magdala to answer a need for ministry to women impacted by sexual addiction
- Why having an all-encompassing definition of pornography matters when it comes to breaking free from addiction
- The different ways that pornography impacts womens’ creativity and imagination and how is Magdala shifting that narrative so women can find healing from sexual wounds
- Why pornography and mastrubation are symtoms of deeper wounds
- How pornography can drive women to obsession or suppression when it comes to body image
- The ways that physical motherhood has impacted Rachael’s mission and the conversations we need to be having with our daughters about pornography
- How Rachael lives out the feminine genius in her daily life through the grace of acceptance
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Connect with Magdala through their website and take a listen to their podcast
- Discover more about Magdala’s small support groups and apply to become a group leader
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
- Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Today’s episode contains a conversation on sexual addiction and healing. If you listen around little ears, you might want to grab a pair of headphones.
No one intends to get addicted to pornograpy, masturbation, or other disordered sexual desires. And it doesn’t help that we live in a world that has ingrained into our minds the idea that pornography is a ‘guys issue’.
Yes, many men do struggle with an addiction to pornography.But the reality of the situation, the reality that you yourself might be living, is that women also struggle with addictions to sexual addiction, pornography, and masturbation.
But there is healing. You don’t have to hide and pretend that everything in your life is going perfectly. It’s time that we stop thinking about pornography as a problem only men deal with.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Rachael Killackey. She’s the Founder and Executive Director of Magdala, a space where women can find hope, healing, and freedom alongside each other from sexual addiction.
We’re talking about just what pornography is, how is Magdala shifting that narrative so women can find healing from sexual wounds, and the importance of healing from sexual wounds in community, even though things like pornography and masturbation are considered private struggles.
If you’re a woman who has struggled with pornography, masturbation, lustful thoughts, sexual daydreaming, or any other disordered desire, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Rachael started Magdala to answer a need for ministry to women impacted by sexual addiction
- Why having an all-encompassing definition of pornography matters when it comes to breaking free from addiction
- The different ways that pornography impacts womens’ creativity and imagination and how is Magdala shifting that narrative so women can find healing from sexual wounds
- Why pornography and mastrubation are symtoms of deeper wounds
- How pornography can drive women to obsession or suppression when it comes to body image
- The ways that physical motherhood has impacted Rachael’s mission and the conversations we need to be having with our daughters about pornography
- How Rachael lives out the feminine genius in her daily life through the grace of acceptance
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Connect with Magdala through their website and take a listen to their podcast
- Discover more about Magdala’s small support groups and apply to become a group leader
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
- Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
There is something so challenging and good in St. Paul’s words to the Romans when he tells them (and us) to both rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Grieving is hard. And accompanying others who are grieving is hard and holy work. So how can we grieve as Catholic women, especially when grieving the loss of someone so dear and close to us, like our children? In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Breaux. She’s the president of Red Bird Ministries, which is a pro-life organization to help ordinary families who are carrying the extraordinary cross of child loss.
We’re talking about Kelly’s story of loss, what it looks like to heal from wounds and then minister from those same wounds, and how grief can actually be something that strengthens your relationship with your spouse instead of destroying it.
I loved how Kelly weaves in Scripture to her witness and her wisdom, and I’m so honored to share her story with you today. If you’re grieving the loss of a child, or if you’re walking alongside someone who is wishing they were just holding their baby and you want to grow in your ability to love them and their family, sister, this letter is for you. Topics we talked about in this episode:
Kelly’s story of reversion to the Catholic Church The origin story of Red Bird Ministries, and how the Breaux family ministers to others from their wounds healed by Christ The pain of miscarriage and dismantling the lie that losing a child to miscarriage “doesn’t count” as child loss The danger of using the words “I was only” when you are grieving" How The way that men and women grieve differently and how Christ can use grief, suffering, and vulnerability can build your marriage up How to accompany those you love well and continue to show up for them long after the day of loss How Kelly lives out the feminine genius and how the Visitation inspires her to love others well
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Connect with Red Bird Ministries online Download the new Red Bird Ministries app Listen to Red Bird Ministries’ reflections for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (October 15th) on the Hallow App Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
There is something so challenging and good in St. Paul’s words to the Romans when he tells them (and us) to both rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Grieving is hard. And accompanying others who are grieving is hard and holy work. So how can we grieve as Catholic women, especially when grieving the loss of someone so dear and close to us, like our children? In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Breaux. She’s the president of Red Bird Ministries, which is a pro-life organization to help ordinary families who are carrying the extraordinary cross of child loss.
We’re talking about Kelly’s story of loss, what it looks like to heal from wounds and then minister from those same wounds, and how grief can actually be something that strengthens your relationship with your spouse instead of destroying it.
I loved how Kelly weaves in Scripture to her witness and her wisdom, and I’m so honored to share her story with you today. If you’re grieving the loss of a child, or if you’re walking alongside someone who is wishing they were just holding their baby and you want to grow in your ability to love them and their family, sister, this letter is for you. Topics we talked about in this episode:
Kelly’s story of reversion to the Catholic Church The origin story of Red Bird Ministries, and how the Breaux family ministers to others from their wounds healed by Christ The pain of miscarriage and dismantling the lie that losing a child to miscarriage “doesn’t count” as child loss The danger of using the words “I was only” when you are grieving" How The way that men and women grieve differently and how Christ can use grief, suffering, and vulnerability can build your marriage up How to accompany those you love well and continue to show up for them long after the day of loss How Kelly lives out the feminine genius and how the Visitation inspires her to love others well
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Connect with Red Bird Ministries online Download the new Red Bird Ministries app Listen to Red Bird Ministries’ reflections for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (October 15th) on the Hallow App Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
About a year ago, when I’d find myself with nothing left to give, I started asking Jesus for His Sacred Heart. I asked him to give me his heart to love those around me, because my little heart was so exhausted. But in the back of my head, I wondered if Jesus was disappointed in me for not being able to love well, for having to return to him over and over to ask for help, to ask for his Sacred Heart. Wouldn’t it be more ideal if I could get my stuff together and love others well without having to ask for his help?
But after growing in devotion to the Sacred Heart this summer, that fear is gone. I’ve stopped treating the Sacred Heart like a safety net to catch me when I’ve tried and white-knuckled my way through the day and just need help for the last few hours. Instead, I start my day with a morning offering and ask Jesus for His Sacred Heart from the beginning, before I even start into the day. And I know now that he isn’t disappointed with that, but that when I share that I’m weak, it’s then that his power is made perfect in that weakness.”
In today’s episode, Emily Jaminet and I are talking about why now is the perfect time to revisit a classic Catholic devotion—the Sacred Heart.
You may remember a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging in your grandparents or parents' home, but what does devotion to the Sacred Heart really mean for our daily lives as Catholic women? Not only are we talking about some amazing promises Christ made to accompany devotion to The Sacred Heart, Emily and I even dive into our favorite depictions of the Sacred Heart and why art is important in your home.
So if you’re feeling like you have nothing left to give, that the demands of your day are taking more resources than you have, sister, this Letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Emily’s grandfather and how he provided images of the Sacred Heart for Mother Teresa
- Why now is the perfect time to discover a devotion to the Sacred Heart
- What it means to enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home and in your life
- Receiving grace from the Sacred Heart and the sacrament of confession
- How to prepare our hearts to meet Christ in the final moments of life
- How the feminine genius impacts the way that Emily loves Jesus and his Sacred Heart
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Secrets of the Sacred Heart” by Emily Jaminet - use the code JAMINET for a discount at checkout!
- Welcome His Heart
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
About a year ago, when I’d find myself with nothing left to give, I started asking Jesus for His Sacred Heart. I asked him to give me his heart to love those around me, because my little heart was so exhausted. But in the back of my head, I wondered if Jesus was disappointed in me for not being able to love well, for having to return to him over and over to ask for help, to ask for his Sacred Heart. Wouldn’t it be more ideal if I could get my stuff together and love others well without having to ask for his help?
But after growing in devotion to the Sacred Heart this summer, that fear is gone. I’ve stopped treating the Sacred Heart like a safety net to catch me when I’ve tried and white-knuckled my way through the day and just need help for the last few hours. Instead, I start my day with a morning offering and ask Jesus for His Sacred Heart from the beginning, before I even start into the day. And I know now that he isn’t disappointed with that, but that when I share that I’m weak, it’s then that his power is made perfect in that weakness.”
In today’s episode, Emily Jaminet and I are talking about why now is the perfect time to revisit a classic Catholic devotion—the Sacred Heart.
You may remember a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging in your grandparents or parents' home, but what does devotion to the Sacred Heart really mean for our daily lives as Catholic women? Not only are we talking about some amazing promises Christ made to accompany devotion to The Sacred Heart, Emily and I even dive into our favorite depictions of the Sacred Heart and why art is important in your home.
So if you’re feeling like you have nothing left to give, that the demands of your day are taking more resources than you have, sister, this Letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Emily’s grandfather and how he provided images of the Sacred Heart for Mother Teresa
- Why now is the perfect time to discover a devotion to the Sacred Heart
- What it means to enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home and in your life
- Receiving grace from the Sacred Heart and the sacrament of confession
- How to prepare our hearts to meet Christ in the final moments of life
- How the feminine genius impacts the way that Emily loves Jesus and his Sacred Heart
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Secrets of the Sacred Heart” by Emily Jaminet - use the code JAMINET for a discount at checkout!
- Welcome His Heart
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Has every conversation in this miniseries on friendship has left you whispering “But that won’t work for me"? Today, I’m sitting down with Lea-Anne Virnig. Lea-Anne is a writer and speaker passionate about inspiring women to live in the freedom of their identity in Christ. She helps women cultivate their magnanimity and grow in holiness through wholeness. A revert to the Catholic faith, she has homeschooled for over eighteen years, holds a certification in Youth Ministry, and has a certification as a spiritual director through Divine Mercy University. She is a military wife to Jon, her husband of over twenty years. Together, they’re raising six beautiful children brought to them through birth and adoption. When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Lea-Anne’s reflection on friendship in complicated seasons, which kicks off the last chapter in Sisterhood that talks about what to do when friendship seems impossible. Topics we talked about in this episode:
How the Lord used a season of loneliness to draw Lea-Anne closer to his heart What it looks like to maintain friendships throughout different seasons of life Making friends if you’re in a new town How to introduce yourself to someone new and get past the awkward small talk stage
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Visit Lea-Anne online through her website or via Instagram “The Eight Doors of the Kingdom” by Father Jacques Philippe “Be Healed” by Dr. Bob Schuchts Email me at letterstowomen@gmail.com or send me an Instagram message with your questions on vulnerability in friendship! Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
I’d just like to start this episode off with a moment of total honesty in which I reveal to you that one of my biggest fears is fish. I can’t stand them. I don’t swim in the ocean, I don’t swim in the lake, I don’t go to aquariums with my kids. Even talking about fish is making my skin crawl.
But today’s episode is all about the beauty, mystery, and depth that we can encounter when we revisit the familiar—with a special focus on the sea.
So you know it’s going to be good if I put aside my fish fears for thirty minutes to explore this.
In this episode, I sit down with Noelle Merring. She’s the editor of TheologyofHome.com and the co-author of the Theology of Home book series—the third installment of that series just launched this summer and it’s all about the sea. We’re talking about the feminine beauty and mystery of the sea, what the sea can reveal to us about our femininity and motherhood, and the beauty that we can discover when encountering the familiar things in our lives with new attention and depth.
If you want to bring the beauty, mystery, and depth of the sea into your home—and even into your soul, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How the most basic element of water inspired the newest Theology of Home book
- The beauty of friendship (rekindled and new!) in the creation of Theology of Home
- What the intertwining of the feminine and water reveals to us about what it means to be women—and how view of the feminine compares to the present view that we have of womanhood as a society
- How we can grow in an appreciation of the mystery of our femininity without falling into the cultural battle of the sexes
- The history of the Marian title “Stella Maris” and what it means for our own maternity today
- What can happen in our interior lives as women when we take a fresh look at the familiar
- How Noelle lives out the feminine genius in her writing on home, ideologies, and with her family
Resources to check out after listening to this episode:
- Theology of Home III: At the Sea
- Theology of Home Daily Collection e-mail
- A Letter to the Woman Reclaiming the Title of Homemaker (ft. Dr. Carrie Gress)
- A Letter to the Woman Looking for Home (my first conversation with Noelle on the podcast in 2020)
- Visit Noelle’s website
- Email me at letterstowomen@gmail.com or send me an Instagram message with your questions on friendship!
- Subscribe to Naptime Notes, my monthly newsletter
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
This summer, I’m focusing in on the topic of friendship with other women, and in this third episode of the series, I’m sitting down with Elizabeth Vargas.
Elizabeth is the recipe developer and photographer behind the blog “Elizabeth’s Table”. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, studied Economic Consulting and Business Analytics at India University, and currently lives in Ohio. In her free time, when she’s not cooking for her blog, Elizabeth enjoys drinking coffee, eating bananas, working out, listening to podcasts, and attending Mass.
You’ll recognize Elizabeth’s voice from a past episode of this podcast, “A Letter to the Woman Struggling With Body Image,” which I’ll link in today’s show notes so you can get to know Elizabeth’s story as a Catholic woman and hear her reflections on the feminine genius.
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Elizabeth’s reflection on friendships that grow online, which kicks off the chapter on navigating the digital world when it comes to our friendships with other women.
If you have a desire not only to take your digital friendships to the next level, sister, this letter is for you!
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How a podcast that never came to be was the start of a friendship between Elizabeth and her friend, Lauren
- How to take the next steps in friendship with the women you know online
- Elizabeth’s advice for being authentic when you share things online
- The unhealthy pressure to post your opinions about current events online and what to do before you make that post
- Whether or not friendships that start online are especially prone to comparison and competition
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Listen to “A Letter to the Woman Struggling with Body Image” to learn more about Elizabeth and how she lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
- Follow Elizabeth on Instagram and Tik Tok and check out her website to learn more about her writing and editing work.
- Email me at letterstowomen@gmail.com or send me an Instagram message with your questions on friendship!
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
This summer, I’m focusing in on the topic of friendship with other women, and in this second episode of the series, I’m sitting down with Lindsay Schlegel.
Lindsay is a daughter of God who seeks to encourage, inspire, and lift others up to be all they were created to be. She is also the author of Don’t Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to Godand the host of the podcast Quote Me With Lindsay Schlegel. She writes for Verily, CatholicMom.com, Radiant, and edits for various publications. Lindsay lives with her family in New Jersey, where she enjoys knitting, running, and reading to her kids.
You’ll recognize Lindsay’s voice from a past episode of this podcast, “A Letter to the Women Who Keeps Telling Her Kids to Say Thank You”—from all the way back in 2018!
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Lindsay’s reflection on friendships that remind you of Christ, which kicks off the second chapter in Sisterhood which talks Christ as the original giver of friendship
If you have a desire not only to recognize Christ in your friendships but also to bring him into your friendships with the women in your life, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Lindsay encountered Christ through a friend who accompanied her through a season of loss
- The beauty of friendship with women going through different seasons of life than you’re living
- What friendship with Christ looks like and why it’s the foundation of all good friendships
- How to help our kids make Christ-centered friends, even when they’re young
- Lindsay’s advice for sharing the joy of Christ with friends who aren’t Christian
- What to do when you’re newly married and navigating “your friends” and “our friends” as a couple
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Listen to ““A Letter to the Women Who Keeps Telling Her Kids to Say Thank You” to learn more about Lindsay and how she lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
- Follow Lindsay on Instagram and check out her website to learn more about her writing and editing work.
- Email me at letterstowomen@gmail.com or send me an Instagram message with your questions on friendship!
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
This summer, I’m focusing in on the topic of friendship with other women, and in this first episode of the series, I’m sitting down with Kiki Rocha.
Kiki is a Catholic woman on a mission to rebuild culture. She is an overcomer, and it is through her story of resilience that she has found her calling to coach women in wholeness by cultivating their self-worth, mindset, and dreams! Speaking is another one of her many loves. Having been brought up in a single parent home, being an abortion survivor and a sexual abuse survivor, she has much to share on how the modern-day woman is created for more. Bring her some babies and guacamole and you’ll make her happy!
You’ll recognize Kiki’s voice from a past episode of this podcast, “A Letter to the Woman Healing from Sexual Abuse,” which I’ll link in today’s show notes so you can get to know Kiki’s story as a Catholic woman and hear her reflections on the feminine genius.
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Kiki’s reflection on healing in friendship, which kicks off the first chapter in Sisterhood which talks about examining and healing your own heart for friendship.
If you’re wondering how to navigate a friendship breakup or you’re still stinging from a friendship that fell apart, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How past friendship wounds can impact current friendships
- Authenticity and vulnerability in friendship with other women
- Saints to get to know who have been through friendship breakups themselves
- Communicating boundaries and expectations in friendships with other women
- What to do when friends ask for advice in conversation but don’t take your words to heart
- How to decide when to set a boundary in a friendship and when to let a friendship go
- Why we should avoid the gut reaction to label someone as toxic
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Listen to “A Letter to the Woman Healing from Sexual Abuse” to learn more about Kiki and how she lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
- Follow Kiki on Instagram and check out her posts on friendship with other women!
- Email me at letterstowomen@gmail.com or send me an Instagram message with your questions on friendship!
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Have you ever secretly (or not so secretly) wondered if you’re doing this whole womanhood thing right? Are you tired of the secular rhetoric that tries to tell you how you should act and who you should be? And are you wondering what the church really teaches about Catholic femininity - but also a little worried about diving deeper into what the church says because you’re afraid you won’t measure up? In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Cotter. You may know her from talks that she’s given at Steubenville, NCYC, or SEEK conferences. She’s also the author of a brand new book, “Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius.” Obviously, we’re going to be talking about the feminine genius in today’s conversation, which is one of our mutual favorite topics. We’re talking about what the feminine genius is, where the idea that there are “four main aspects” of the feminine genius came from and why it falls short when it comes to the beautifully diverse ways the feminine genius can be lived out, and how we can strive for human virtues in a particularly feminine way. If there was a video of this podcast episode, you’d mainly just see me nodding along and mouthing YES for thirty minutes while I listened to Lisa’s thoughts on Catholic femininity, and I’m so excited to share this conversation with you. If you’re ready to explore what it means to be an authentic woman and discover how to be an authentic women, sister, this letter is for you. Topics we talked about in this episode:
Lisa’s story as a Catholic woman and how she does not do it all as a wife and mom What inspired Lisa’s new book, “Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius” Our mutual frustration at Saint Pope John Paul II’s lack of definition of the feminine genius, and a definition from Sister Prudence Allen that helps us understand what the feminine genius is Why “the four aspects of the feminine genius” falls short of what the feminine genius truly is How we live out human virtues particularly as women with a feminine genius Women’s capacity for fidelity Where we can draw inner strength from as women (especially in challenging seasons!) How Lisa lives out the feminine genius by being receptive to grace
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius by Lisa Cotter The Eternal Woman by Gertrud Von Le Fort How to Be a Spiritual Mother (Whether You Have Kids or Not)—an article I wrote back in 2018 for Aleteia that discusses the beauty of spiritual motherhood Follow Lisa on Instagram and her website, Made to Magnify Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
“I like to read, but I have no idea what books to read.”
“I sometimes pick up a self-help book or a spiritual book, but right now, reading other books with my schedule just feels selfish.”
“I haven’t liked reading since I was a little kid”
“I know there are good books out there, but I don’t know where to start, so I just pick up a bestseller that looks good when I’m browsing at Target.”
Are you nodding along, wanting to read more, but having no idea on how to take the first step to becoming a reader? Are you hungry for more deep connections, true leisure, and a sense of meaning and hope? And . . . can reading more books really be the answer to all of those longings?
In this episode, I sit down with Marcie Stokman. She’s the founder and president of Well-Read Mom, an international movement and book club. We’re talking about how reading brought Marcie back to the Catholic Church, the origin story of Well-Read Mom book clubs, and how to make space in your schedule for reading.
Even though we’re talking about an organization called Well Read Mom, this is a conversation for EVERY woman, and Marcie shares about how women who aren’t physical mothers - or even Catholic - have grown in their feminine genius through conversations with women in Well Read Mom book clubs.
If you’re ready to read more and read well, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Marcie’s story and how reading brought her back to the Catholic Church
- The conversation Marcie had with her daughter that brought about Well Read Mom
- How women accompanying women raises the bar and impacts the culture
- The experience of women who encountered Catholicism through Well Read Mom book clubs
- What books women read together in Well Read Mom book clubs
- How to practically prioritize reading in your daily life—especially in busy seasons
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Visit Well Read Mom’s website to find a local book club or start one of your own
- Contact Well Read Mom at info@wellreadmom.com
- St. Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Women
- Listen to the Well Read Mom podcast
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
What does it mean to run a business as a Catholic woman? What does success look like? What does integration look like? How do you discover your gifts and talents and steward those well?
In today’s episode, I sit down with Elise Crawford Gallagher. She’s the owner and CEO of Ringlet, a company that equips women to blaze their own path to business success and financial freedom through their marketing, strategy, and coaching services.
We’re talking about vulnerability in business leadership and why the phrase “girlboss” just doesn’t cut it in describing the work that women do in business.
But we’re also diving into MLMs and whether they’re all bad and what alternatives women have to provide the flexibility and success they’re dreaming about.
If you’re ready to reframe the way you think about work and learn about the nitty gritty of building a business the serves others, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Elise’s story as a Catholic woman and the origin story of Ringlet
- How to grow in awareness of your own gifts and talents and use them in the workplace
- The ways Elise has grown as a leader in the past five years of running Ringlet
- Vulnerability with your co-workers
- Whether or not all MLMs are bad, and what to consider if you’re thinking about joining one
- Why “girlboss” doesn’t describe success for women in business
- How Elise is a spiritual mother in the workplace
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Visit Ringlet on their website, and on Instagram
- Follow Elise on Instagram
- Visit Catholic Women in Business online and on Instagram
- Listen to Roll Your Way, Ringlet’s new podcast
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
Does it ever seem like life just kind of happens to you? You log onto Instagram or look around at the women in your small group or in the pew beside you at church and it just seems like everyone else figured it out. Meanwhile, you’re in the dark, wondering how people do it all, how some people have this adulting thing down. What’s their secret?
Did you miss the day in school where they taught you how to get your stuff together and be confident in who you are?
Or maybe there’s a podcast episode on it somewhere, or a book in the stacks of Barnes and Noble that will answer all your burning adulthood questions.
In today’s episode, I sit down with Julia Marie Hogan Werner, LCPC. She uses psychological research, real-world examples, and the eternal truths of the Catholic Faith to share how to reclaim your sense of direction and purpose as a Catholic woman today.
If you’re feeling crushed under the weight of external and internal expectations or feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what direction your life is going to take, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The story behind Julia’s new book, “A Work In Progress: Embracing the Life God Gave You”
- Why our cultural understanding of “adulting” doesn’t cut it when it comes to being an active participant in life
- How naming your values helps you make big and small decisions
- Identifying false expectations, both internal and external, and replacing them with healthy ones
- Why you don’t need to worry about what’s “trending” for Catholic women and why you should put in the work of discovering your own unique, feminine genius
- What a boundary is and a real life example of setting one in conversation
- How Julia is growing in her feminine genius by being sensitive to those around her
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “A Work in Progress: Embracing the Life God Gave You,” Julia’s new book
- “It’s OK to Start With You,” Julia’s first book on authentic self-care
- Julia and I’s 2018 conversation on Letters to Women
- “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl
- Grab a mug or sweatshirt from Julia’s online shop
- Find Julia on her website and on Instagram (don’t forget to send her a DM if you want a copy of the journaling pages for “A Work in Progress”!)
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Do you remember how simple it was to make and keep girlfriends when you were really young? All you had to do was wear the same pair of tennis shoes as a classmate or gal on the playground and man, you were set. Best friends forever. But the further we grow away from kindergarten classrooms and recess camaraderie, the more complicated friendship with other women seems to become.
Let’s face it - friendship is hard! How can we really achieve authentic friendship in our lives as Catholic women - and is it even worth the effort?
I’m switching things up a little bit today - if this is the first time you’ve tuned into a Letters to Women episode, welcome! Normally, I sit down with a Catholic woman and we chat about her story, something she’s passionate about, and how she’s living out the feminine genius in her daily life.
But this week, for only the third time in the entire five year history of this podcast, I’m going solo to visit with you about my brand new book, ‘Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship” - which launches into the world TODAY, May 2nd.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get access to the introduction and first chapter of “Sisterhood” here!
- Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
I dress rehearse disaster on the regular. If I’m driving in the car with my girls and we’re having fun bopping along to Ellie Holcomb, it’s so easy for me to spiral into thinking “what if we get in a car wreck” because everyone knows that the scene in the movie right before the car wreck is that closeup shot of a family getting along great in the car together. You know tragedy is going to strike.
But here’s the thing - I don’t want to spend my life waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. I want to be in the present moment - regardless of whether that present moment is joyful or challenging or just plain boring - and I don’t want to spend my time worrying. So how can we move from worry to wonder in our daily lives as Catholic women today.
Today, I had the honor of sitting down with Melissa Overmyer. She’s a fellow natural born worrier, so I loved sitting down with her and talking through big and small things that have been causes of worry in her own life - everything from studying for tests to losing her family home in a fire - and getting really practical with her on how we can move away from this state of being worried and really enter into wonder at who God is and the way that he has worked and continues to work in our lives as his daughters.
If you’re a worrier as you’re ready to grow in your capacity to wonder at who God is and what his plans are for your life, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What inspired Melissa to write her new book, “Worry to Wonder: A Catholic Guide to Finding Peace Through Scripture”
- What incredibly hard moments (like losing her home to a fire and her daughter’s surfing accident) taught Melissa about worry, trust, and praise
- How natural born worriers can choose to trust in God
- Melissa’s favorite Scripture passages that she recommends meditating on when you’re overwhelmed with worry
- Replacing lies in your life with truth about who God is
- Discovering the roots of negative self-talk in your life
- How Melissa is living the feminine genius in the present moment
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “From Worry to Wonder,” Melissa’s new book (use the code LTW20 for 20% off either the print book or ebook!)
- Visit Melissa's website
- “Five Loaves and Two Fish” by Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Pre-order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Just a heads-up - today’s episode is a conversation about intimacy within marriage.
There’s a lot of advice floating around out there for us as Catholic women today when it comes to our marriages and our motherhood. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a lot of that advice tends to be pretty conflicting.
It seems like every time I log onto Instagram, there’s a conversation about who-said-what about marriage, mothering, making love, and what the Catholic Church says or doesn’t say on those topics. Finding answers in that kind of environment can seem pretty intimidating. Who do you trust? What’s the truth?
Where do we go for answers to questions like what kind of pleasure is allowed when we make love to our spouse? What do you do when you and your spouse aren’t on the same page when it comes to a desire to grow your family?
Today, I had the honor of sitting down with Kimberly Hahn. She’s such a wealth of knowledge and has a beautiful gift of approaching topics that don’t get talked about enough with such reverence. She’s been through all the stages of motherhood and she’s been married to her husband, Scott, for over forty years. She’s steeped in Scripture and so knowledgeable when it comes to what Christ and his Church have to say about intimacy and sexuality.
If you have questions about intimacy in your marriage and you want answers, sister, this letter is for you.
A quick note, Kimberly came on the podcast back in June, and in that episode she really dove into her story as a convert to Catholicism and the way she lives out the feminine genius. Today’s podcast is hyperfocused on intimacy and discernment in marriage, so if you want to get to know Kimberly first, check out the link in the show notes for that episode from the archives.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What Proverbs 31 can teach us as Catholic wives when it comes to intimacy in our marriage
- Pleasure for both men and women within a marriage and how the Catholic Church’s teachings compare to what the world tells us about intimacy
- Discerning serious reasons for avoiding children with your spouse
- How to talk about sex and intimacy with your spouse
- The one question you should ask yourself before sharing something about your sex life with a friend
Resources you should check out after listening:
- “Beloved and Blessed: Biblical Wisdom for Family Life” by Kimberly Hahn
- Listen to Beloved and Blessed, Kimberly’s weekly podcast
- Hear more about Kimberly’s story as a Catholic woman and how she lives out the feminine genius in our conversation on creating a way of life from last June
- “Life Giving Love” by Kimberly Hahn
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Pre-order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- The Little Catholic Box (with a bonus for listeners!)
There are three Lenten practices that Christ and the Church invite us to really lean into - prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I don’t know about you, but I usually fall into two traps when it comes to fasting. Either I decide that this Lent is going to be the most challenging Lent for me ever - like the Lent where Joseph had to talk me out of fasting on just bread and water for the full forty days. OR I go into the other ditch and think that I actually don’t need to fast at all since my life as a mom is already sacrificial enough (hello, kids waking up at 3am). There is a virtuous middle when it comes to fasting and that’s what we’re here to talk about today.
Today, I’m sitting down with Kristen Van Uden. Kristin works at Sophia Institute Press and in this episode, we’re talking about a new book that Sophia just released called “The Lenten Cookbook.” But we’re not just talking recipes (and don’t worry, we are talking recipes). We’re also talking about fasting joyfully (yes, that’s possible), the history of fasting and Lent in the Catholic Church, and how to approach fasting if you’ve struggled with an unhealthy relationship with food.
Whether you’re listening in on this episode because fasting is something that comes easily for you or maybe it’s one of the most challenging aspects of Lent and you want to grow in joy surrounding your fasting, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The inspiration behind "The Lenten Cookbook," a collaboration between Vatican chef David Geisser and Catholic author Scott Hahn
- The history of Lent within the Catholic tradition and how has Lent evolved to what we have today as Catholics
- All of the “letter of the law” questions around fasting, but also how to fruitfully go deeper and enter into a spirit of self-denial in a healthy was as Catholic women today
- The difference between fasting and dieting
- How fasting can be joyful (in Lent and year-round)
- Ways to approach fasting if you’ve struggled with a healthy relationship with food in your story
- The recipes Kristen is looking forward to making from “The Lenten Cookbook”
- The beauty of creativity in our lives as Catholic women living out the feminine genius
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “The Lenten Cookbook",” published by Sophia Institute Press
- If you struggle with understanding food and receiving it as a gift, I highly recommend “The Catholic Table” by Emily Stimpson Chapman. Follow her on Instagram, too!
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Pre-order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners - this month’s surprise is perfect for my fellow coffee lovers!
This week, we’re celebrating the feast day of St. Joseph - and Pope Francis’ invitation to all of us in 2021 to “go to Joseph” is still ringing in our ears. But what can we learn from St. Joseph as Catholic women - isn’t he more of a saint for the guys?
Today I’m sitting down with Elizabeth Lev. She’s an art historian and tour guide who lives in Rome and she’s recently written a beautiful book on the history of St. Joseph in art. In today’s episode, we’re talking about what we can learn from St. Joseph as women, and the history of incredible women throughout church history who leaned on Joseph and his creative courage when they were feeling underrepresented or burdened with challenges.
Whether you clicked play to learn more about St. Joseph or you, too, are feeling overwhelmed and looking for a silent knight, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What inspired Liz’s new book, The Silent Knight: A History of St. Joseph as Depicted in Art
- Why we should turn to St. Joseph and what he can teach us especially as Catholic women
- Why St. Joseph absent from early Christian art and what sparked his appearance onto the artistic scene
- How the (sometimes contradictory!) depictions of St. Joseph throughout the centuries can teach us about the history of the Catholic Church
- What we can do to spark a Josephine renaissance today
- Liz’s favorite depictions of St. Joseph and how her favorite shifted as she wrote this new book
- How leading students and tourists through the Sistine Chapel encourages Liz to embrace the feminine genius in her daily life as a teacher and tour guide in Rome
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pick up a copy of Liz Lev’s new book, The Silent Knight: A History of St. Joseph as Depicted in Art
- I loved reading Liz’s first book, How Catholic Art Saved the Faith, before our family’s trip to Rome in 2019
- Visit Liz’s website for more information about her tours in Rome
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Pre-order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners - this month’s surprise is perfect for my fellow coffee lovers!
Ready or not, here comes Lent. Some of us are READY for it. Some of us hate it. But most of us know that we’re supposed to be transformed by Lent. So we give up our alarm clocks, we take on extra prayer time, we put away our coffee maker for forty days (well, some of you do, I haven’t done that one yet since my sacrifice isn’t supposed to be everyone around me’s sacrifice).
But what if Lent wasn’t about giving up our chocolate, or our wine, or our Dr. Peppers. Don’t get me wrong - those are good sacrifices (especially for me!) and practicing mortification is important.
What if Lent this year is a season of engaging the things that are deeper in our own hearts - and what would Lent look like for you if it were a time of healing those deeper parts of your heart?
Today, I’m sitting down with Sr. Miriam James Heidland. She’s recently written a guided Lenten prayer journal called “Restore,” to help you stop trying to go around, underneath, or over the Cross, but to instead go through with Christ this Lenten season.
If you’re longing for a season of healing and you’re ready to move past telling Jesus what you’re going to give up for Lent and truly listening to his invitation into the deeper parts of your heart that he wants to encounter with you, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Why Lent is the perfect time to engage the deeper parts of our hearts and stories
- How to grow in trust and courage to enter into the desert with Jesus this Lent
- What to do if you’re frustrated with your own journey of healing
- What the aches we experience while fasting can teach us about ourselves
- The concrete ways you can give alms this Lent that goes beyond “giving and going on your way”
- Sr. Miriam’s recommendations for going deeper into healing after the Lenten season is done
- How Sr. Miriam lives out her feminine genius as a religious sister inviting others into deeper healing and conversion of heart
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Restore” by Sr. Miriam (use the code RESTORE when purchasing from Ave Maria Press for free shipping!)
- Abiding Together, a podcast co-hosted by Sr. Miriam
- “Be Healed” by Dr. Bob Schuchts
- “Be Restored” by Dr. Bob Schuchts
- Sr. Miriam and Dr. Bob Schuchts on the Hallow app
- Restore the Glory podcast
- Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
- Arise: Catholic Young Adult Women’s Conference in Kansas City on March 5, 2022
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
When you start planning a wedding, it’s crazy how the tiny to-dos you never knew were even a thing start to take over your life. The nitty-gritty of guest lists, venues, and the schedule of the big day itself stack up and pretty quickly, those tiny to-dos seem like an insurmountable mountain.
It’s been five years since Joseph and I entered into the vocation of marriage, but I bet that if you’re tuning in and it’s been years since your own wedding, you can still recall that feeling. And if you’re in the season of engagement, you know exactly what I’m talking about. What’s a couple to do? Is it possible to arrive at the wedding altar and not be totally stressed out by what has to be done? Is there a way to prepare for a marriage and plan for a wedding that leaves you more joyful than when you started?
ln today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Beth Giltner and Rebecca Martin. We’re about a brand new Catholic wedding planner that they’ve created. The planner was born out of their experience planning a wedding in the middle of a pandemic, and they’ve truly created something that helps engaged couples keep track of all those little details without losing sight of what truly matters in this season.
We’re talking about everything from mental and physical health during a season of engagement to the subjects to discuss together around intimacy and sexuality before the big day. But we’re also going to be chatting about life AFTER the wedding and the advice both women would give couples just starting out into their new vocation.
So, if you’re in the middle of planning a wedding (or you know and love someone who is in that season!) and you want to both be intentional with your wedding to-do list AND prepare for a lifelong marriage, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What sets “The Catholic Wedding Planner” apart and makes it the perfect resource for engaged couples
- The four Fs needed for a sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church
- Why to focus on values in conversations about money
- How (and why!) to talk about sex before (and after!!) your wedding day
- The importance of physical and mental health during a season of engagement
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- The Catholic Wedding Planner, published by Our Sunday Visitor
- Created for Love: Reflections for the Catholic Bride-to-Be, by first book, published by Our Sunday Visitor
- It’s OK to Start With You, a fantastic book on self-care by our friend Julia Marie Hogan-Werner
- Rebecca’s article on Dr. Alice von Hildebrand over at Radiant Magazine
- “What to Include in a Catholic Wedding Program,” an article I recently contributed to over at Brides.com
- Arise: Catholic Young Adult Women’s Conference in Kansas City on March 5, 2022
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
You’ve probably heard the statistic - nearly half of Americans (48%) who are married or living with their partner say that they argue with that person about MONEY. Most of those money fights are about spending habits, with one person saying that the other spends too much and the other person saying the other is too cheap. Then comes fights about being dishonest with money, how to pay the bills, forgetting the bills (been guilty of that one before) and financial priorities.
So what’s a Catholic to do with those kinds of odds? It’s a loaded answer- but I know part of it is witnessing the joy of a couple who have worked through major financial decisions together and seeing their joy and their peace and their mission to help others have that same experience when it comes to their finances.
For only the second time in the nearly five years that I’ve been hosting this podcast, I’m joined today not only by Amanda Teixeira, but also her husband Jonathan, and guys, it’s such a good conversation. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in one episode.
We’re talking about everything from whether or not we should actually be tithing ten percent to getting on the same page with your spouse about finances and truly dreaming together.
If you know all too well those arguments about finances and you just want to know how to get the financial results you want while actually enjoying your life and your marriage, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Jonathan and Amanda paid of $25,00 in debt in less than eight months and what that taught them about finances
- The four phases of the WalletWin method and how they can free you from financial stress and say yes to generosity
- Why God doesn’t want just ten percent of your money and how you can give God your all
- The boundaries you can set up around money so you can build wealth without losing your soul
- What St. Katherine Drexel teaches us about radical generosity
- How Jonathan witnesses Amanda’s feminine genius in their marriage (and how Amanda sees Jonathan’s masculine genius!)
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get a copy of Jonathan and Amanda’s new book, “How to Attack Debt, Build Savings, and Change the World Through Generosity: A Catholic Guide to Managing Your Money”
- Check out the pre-order bonuses (including that live video about funding your vacations
- Listen to Jonathan and Amanda’s podcast, WalletWin
- Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
Have you ever wondered why we are so divided as women today? Then there’s feminism, but it doesn’t seem to be uniting us by addressing core problems we all face as women. In fact, in my experience, even conversations around the topic of what feminism is and isn’t can be divisive.
Maybe you feel that being a woman today comes with unrealistic expectations and a side of shame for not doing it all, not being enough, or not having it all together perfectly. You’re worried you’re not measuring up, and those worries are only enforced each time you compare yourself to your sister, your best friend, the mom’s from your small group, the woman you sit behind at church, your neighbor, or the gal you follow on Instagram but you’ve never met.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Leah Jacobson.
Ten years ago, Leah founded The Guiding Star Project, care centers you can find around the nation that empower women to understand, embrace, and love their natural bodies. Today, it’s her goal to spread the word about wholistic feminism - a principle that has been at the heart of The Guiding Star Project for the past decade. Leah writes about how the American women’s movement has defined success in a way that keeps us always striving, but never fully arriving.
Today, we’re having a conversation about the history of different waves of feminism here in the US, the good and bad of the results of those waves of feminism, and how realizing and appreciating our distinctly female abilities to ovulate, gestate, and lactate can help us understand what wholistic feminism looks like in today’s world - and provide the key answers to those struggles with expectations, comparison, and frankly, exhaustion, in our lives as women.
If your health is taking a back seat to all of the things on your to-do list, your relationships are strained to the max, and you struggle to overcome guilt, shame, and fear, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What wholistic feminism is and how it has shaped The Guiding Star Project for the past decade
- A brief overview of the different waves of feminism in American history
- How past waves of the feminist movements have failed us, and what grains of truth we can find in them
- What ovulating, gestating, and lactating reveal about our nature as women
- Leah’s recommendations for daily practices that help you honor your feminine identity and your WHOLE health
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Purchase a copy of “Wholistic Feminism” through Lumen Press to support The Guiding Star Project
- The Guiding Star Project
- Pope St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Women”
- Pope St. John Paul II’s “Evangelium Vitae”
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
You wouldn’t think that something as simple as showering would be that big of a hurdle to jump for me. But until recently, I was letting showering just kind of happen to me. If the girls’ naptime coordinated on an afternoon I didn’t have anything planned, then maybe I’d get a shower in. But after many afternoons passing and the stars and nap times not aligning, I got sick of washing my curly hair in the sink and decided to make regular showers part of my schedule.
I honestly didn’t think I’d ever say that on a podcast. In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Leila Lawler.
Leila has a blog, Like Mother Like Daughter, that I’ve been reading for years - and she is who taught me the practicals of making showers a regular thing for myself - but that is one of so many things I’ve learned from Leila. And, she’s recently compiled her practical, everyday wisdom into a three volume set called The Summa Domestica and that is what we’re talking about today.
So whether you’re struggling to get a shower in, or you wish you had a handy guidebook on everything from education to kitchen drawer organization, I have the book for you, or rather, the three book set for you.
If you’re not sure when the last time you took a shower was, or if you can remember, but don’t have a plan in place for the next time that you’ll take a shower, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Leila discovered the beauty of Catholic traditions as a convert
- Why her blog post on showering is one of the most popular pieces on her website
- The difference between life happening to you and making a plan
- What inspired Leila to pen a three volume set on all things domestic living
- How to root yourself in the daily reality of your life
- Why a happy home is foundational to the education of our children, regardless of what schooling option you choose
- The reason you should start your cleaning routine in your bedroom
- Why collective memory is so important, how we’ve lost it, and what to do to get it back
- The beauty of the liturgical year as a source of grace in our family life
- The beauty of Mary’s service and how it impacts our own feminine genius
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Visit Leila’s blog, Like Mother Like Daughter, and make sure to read her post on showering
- Pick up a copy of The Summa Domestica
- Follow Leila on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
- Check out Leila’s book on marriage and The Little Oratory
- Browse Lovely Lady Linens and use the code LTW15 to save 15% at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
It was 2017. I’d heard about this thing called the Saint Andrew’s Christmas novena, which honestly is a bit of a misnomer given that you pray it for twenty-five days, saying the small and beautiful prayer fifteen times a day.
I’d heard it was a great prayer to pray with big intentions, and I had one. So I set the prayer as the lock screen on my phone and prayed every day, fifteen times a day. The novena ends on Christmas, and I was expectant.
But Christmas came and went, and my prayer did not get answered. What do we do when God says “no” to our prayers?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Christy Wilkens.
When Christy prayed for the total healing of her son, Oscar, who is plagued by mysterious seizures, she didn’t hear Jesus telling her that he’d grant her a miracle. Instead, he told her “This is your cross, and I am not going to take it away from you. I will be with you, and I will help you, but it is yours to carry.”
Needless to say, not the words she wanted to hear. Almost a year after healing those words in prayer, she made a trek to Lourdes, France with her husband and Oscar, seeking a miracle.
What do we do when God doesn’t answer our prayers, when he says no to what we’re asking him for or doesn’t intervene in a situation we’re begging him to step into? Christy’s unanswered prayers healed her family and restored her faith, and I can’t wait to share our conversation with you.
If you’re praying and praying and praying about something but God is not answering that prayer in the way that you expect or want , sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How to surrender and let go of control in our prayer life with the Lord
- How to ask for help and how to give help graciously and generously
- How growing in relationship with Our Lady has helped Christy in her journey as a Catholic wife and mother
- What the Order of Malta is and what makes it unique
- How the real healing that happened at Lourdes was in Christy’s marriage
- The thin veil between women and the Lord found in our maternity
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Visit Christy’s website
- Pick up a copy of “Awakening at Lourdes”
- Follow Christy on Instagram and Facebook
- Browse Lovely Lady Linens and use the code LTW15 to save 15% at checkout
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
The holidays are packed with conversations and emotions around the topic of food and our bodies. We critique ourselves in the mirror as we’re getting ready for that work party, we make New Year’s Resolutions to work out three times a week at least, compare our bodies to the women we see at Christmas Mass, and we may even hear comments, intentional or unintentional from family members about how we look or the weight we’ve gained or lost.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Shelby Hirschman.
Shelby is a wife, mom, and registered dietitian. She’s also the owner and founder of Good Body Nutrition, LLC—a nutrition counseling company that strives to help women restore relationships with their food, body, and soul.
I think that our relationships with our bodies and our relationship with food as women is the perfect topic to dive into right in the middle of the holiday season - but I honestly could have released this episode anytime, because I think the struggle of body image and nourishing our bodies is a topic we could talk about as women any time of the year. After all, approximately 91% of us are unhappy with our bodies and resort to dieting to achieve our “ideal” body shape.
If you look at your reflection in the mirror and the first thoughts that come to mind are what you would change about yourself, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Why we struggle as women to believe God when he says that he created our bodies and calls them good
- How to find healing in our lives as women when it comes to body image
- Why should we let the scale go, and some things we can do as women that can help us be more in tune with our bodies in healthy ways
- How to be intentional as parents about fostering healthy relationships with food in our families
- Whether body neutrality is a healthy approach to body image for Catholic women
- What to look for when you turn to a professional for help healing from body image wounds and creating a healthy relationship with food
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Visit Shelby’s website (down temporality for redesign, will be back after the holidays!)
- Follow Shelby on Instagram
- Email Shelby to work with her at Shelby@GoodBodyNutrition.com
- Follow Feeding Littles on Instagram
- Follow Crystal Karges on Instagram
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
If a friend asks if she can swing by on short notice, do you spend the short window of time that you have before she arrives cramming papers in the kitchen cabinets, panic vacuuming, yelling at your kids to clean up their piles of stuff? Then, when your friend walks in the door, do you apologize for your home?
What if I told you that people don’t come to your home to critique the laundry pile, the dirty dishes, or the undusted baseboards . . . they came to visit with YOU? What if being truly hospitable (not clean, not perfect, not Instagram-worthy) but hospitable was the antidote to home apologies?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Weeder.
Amanda is the creator of Clare and Colette Home. She came on the podcast last summer in “A Letter to the Women Feeling Overwhelmed by Home Decorating,” which hands down is the most commented episode of the Letters to Women Podcast. I’ve talked to so many of you about the wisdom Amanda shared with me last year and I’m beyond excited to welcome her back for a conversation on hospitality - which is something that we all get some amazing opportunities to both give and receive in the upcoming holiday season.
If you welcome people into your home with an apology for the mess, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What Amanda calls “Dignity of Home” and how it impacts hospitality
- The advice Amanda would give you when it comes to preparing our homes to receive guests well
- What does hospitality look like during the event itself
- How to receive hospitality this holiday season
- The hospitality and friendship Amanda has received in her life
- The tip she’d give the woman who’s listening who wants to take the next friendship step and invite someone over
- Growing in hospitality to our family
- Amanda’s tips for a simple Advent
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Listen to “A Letter to the Woman Feeling Overwhelmed by Home Decorating,” the first time Amanda came on the Letters to Women Podcast
- Follow Amanda on Instagram
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
Have you made a commitment to exercise only to fall off the bandwagon a few weeks in? Have you ever gotten angry at your body for failing you but also the (possibly) unrealistic goals you set for yourself? What about using exercise as a way to punish yourself or a way to cancel out what you think is a poor choice, instead of moving your body in a way that supports your WHOLE health as a woman?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mairead Suthoff.
Mairead is a board certified Athletic Trainer, and a Fertility Awareness Instructor, trained in the FEMM protocol. She’s also the creator of Sync Up!, which is an online course that helps you navigate how to sync how you move your body, feed yourself, and take care of yourself all based on your fertility as a woman.
If you’re ready to approach exercise, nutrition, and self-care in a way that honors the way God made your body and created your hormones to fluctuate each mother, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- A quick guide to the natural hormonal fluctuations we go through every cycle as women
- What cycle syncing is and how it can change the way we move, nourish, and care for our bodies
- How to avoid being overwhelmed by all the changes you could make in your life around cycle syncing and focus in on the ones that matter to you
- What differences cycle syncing has made in Mairead’s life
- What all is included in the Sync Up! course and why you should sign up
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Use the code letters20 at checkout to save 20% off ANY of the courses Mairead offers, including Sync Up!
- Flo Living and Cycle Syncing
- “ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life” by Dr. Stacy Sims
- US Women’s National Team and their use of cycle data to improve training
- Follow Lumina Health on Instagram
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
Have you ever wanted to logout of Instagram for a day, maybe the weekend, but held off because you were afraid you were going to miss out on something? Are there clothes hanging in your closet or beauty products in your bathroom, or decor in your house that you bought (maybe influenced by an Instagram ad or someone sharing about it on Facebook) that you thought was going to solve all your problems . . . only for you to still feel empty and restless? Do you find that your creativity, clarity of mission, and just your ability to focus on something has tanked - and that has correlated to the time you spend in front of a screen? In today’s episode of the Letters to Women Podcast, I’m sitting down with Jessamyn Anderson Frain. For the first three months of 2021, Jessamyn didn’t buy anything that wasn’t essential. So yes, toothpaste, but no, all the cute stuff we love but really don’t need in the Target dollar section. She also took an intentional step away from social media. You’re going to want to listen in to what she learned about herself during that season and if she’s gotten back on social media after that time away. If you’re ready for a break and you’re hungry for contentment, sister, this letter is for you. Topics we talked about in this episode:
The three month contentment challenge that Jessamyn took part in at the beginning of 2021 (and whether she’d ever do it again or not!) What Jessamyn learned about herself when she took a break from Instagram How to overcome FOMO when you log off social media Setting up boundaries for yourself so you actually take a break If taking a break from social media can boost your creativity and clarity Entering into the holiday season with a spirit of contentment and gratitude Jessamyn’s tips for making lifestyle changes so you can interact with social media in a life-giving way
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Get on the waitlist for December subscription boxes with The Little Catholic Box (and get a free Marian tumbler as a Letters to Women listener!) Find Jessamyn’s music online Follow Jessamyn on Instagram Power sheets from the company Cultivate What Matters Check out this podcast episode from Nancy Ray that inspired Jessamyn’s contentment challenge Read through Digital Minimalism to help you create boundaries around taking a break from social media Theology of the Body Institute Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
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I think we can all agree that it’s no fun to go through suffering. And not only is it hard to go through a season of suffering, it’s also hard to admit you need help - at least it is for me. It’s a humbling experience to admit I need help carrying a cross.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Therese Williams.
Stricken with spinal meningitis at eighteen months old, Therese has lived as a quadriplegic for more than forty years. Listening to Therese talk about her life that’s been full of suffering left em in awe of how she’s come to not only accept the cross Christ asked her to pick up, but to love it. And to embrace it
If you’re struggling to accept the suffering in your life that you didn’t choose, or if you’re feeling ashamed for having to ask for help, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- The differences between resigning yourself to suffering and embracing suffering
- Why God allows bad things to happen to good people
- How to combat the lies of abandonment
- What we mean when we say “offer it up”
- How suffering has changed Therese’s experience with the Eucharist and Our Lady
- The duty we have to ask others for help
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Love Your Cross: How Suffering Becomes Sacrifice by Therese Williams
- Get on the waitlist for December subscription boxes with The Little Catholic Box (and get a free Marian tumbler as a Letters to Women listener!)
- Pick up a copy of the new Letters to Women book today!
- Interior Freedom by Father Jacque Philippe
When you hear the phrase “acts of mercy” or “works of service,” do you squirm and wonder if I’m going to ask you to add another thing to your already too-long to-do list? Do you worry that since you don’t have the time in this season of life to volunteer somewhere that you’re failing when it comes to living mercy in your daily life and you should just be doing more - maybe this fear that you aren’t doing enough is haunting you like I know it does me.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Lara Patangan. When Lara turned forty a few years ago, she decided to spend that year intentionally doing spiritual and corporal works of mercy - and that year has radically changed the way she loves others, the Lord, and herself.
If you worry that you just aren’t doing enough these days, or you struggle to be merciful and gentle to yourself, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Why Lara decided to dedicate her 40th year of life to living works of mercy
- How growing in mercy impacts Lara’s relationship with herself, her family and friends, and the Lord
- What growing in mercy looks like in our communities , and how Lara would suggest learning about mercy in your own communities
- How focusing on God’s mercy transforms our prayer life as Catholic women
- Why mercy is the antidote to busyness
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Lara’s brand new book, “Simple Mercies”
- Lara’s website, where she originally documented her year of mercy
- Sign up for a subscription box through The Little Catholic Box and receive an exclusive listener gift with your first box!
- Discover the feminine genius in the new Letters to Women book
Often, when we talk about adoption, it’s easy to focus on the couple who have discerned that the Lord is calling them to adopt. And, that is a beautiful part of the story - one I’ve featured on past Letters to Women episodes, in fact.
But I think that the other side of the story, the experience of a woman making an adoption plan for her unborn child, is something we don’t focus on enough. What does it look like to be truly pro-life and to support these women at all stages of their motherhood?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Makayla Carmichael.
When she was seventeen years old, Makayla chose adoption for her daughter. We talk about her experience making an adoption plan, the resources that she wished would have existed during that season of her life, and the advice and encouragement she would give to women who find themselves in a similar situation of considering adoption for their unborn children.
Maybe you clicked “play” on this episode because you are in a situation where you’re discerning adoption for your unborn baby. Or, maybe you want to learn more about supporting women as they make an adoption plan in the face of an unexpected pregnancy. Regardless of the place or seasons that you find yourself in as you listen into this conversation, sister, this letter is for you
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What led Makayla to make an adoption plan for her daughter
- What making an adoption plan looks like practically
- What healing has looked like in Makayla’s story and how healing for her looks like Mary
- Makayla’s motherhood in her daily life today, through her pregnancy with her daughter, and after the adoption
- The encouragement and advice that Makayla would give a mother who finds herself considering adoption
- How we can support women who chose life in all stages of life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Simcha Fisher writes and speaks about why and how Mary truly understands our suffering; and about the sensation of helplessness that so often comes along with motherhood and with love in general.
- Sign up for a subscription box through The Little Catholic Box and receive an exclusive listener gift with your first box!
- Discover the feminine genius in the new Letters to Women book
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
This year, after FIVE YEARS, I finally went swimsuit shopping. And let me tell you, it was a months long process. I added and removed at least thirty different suits from my online shopping carts and FINALLY landed on one - but even then, there are still things that I would change about it. The whole process reminded me why it took me five years to update my swimwear. It’s not that fun of a process . . . you know what I mean?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Catherine Huss. Catherine and I are talking about how she founded Siena and Co., a women’s swimwear line that is ethically made here in the US - and the only thing I’m wishing is that these swimsuits that she’s designed were available earlier this summer when I was looking EVERYWHERE for something I could feel both confident in lounging poolside on a girls day, but also chasing Maeve and Ada around the swimming pool, too.
We’re diving (pun intended) into the topic of modesty and whether or not it’s subjective when it comes to the clothes we wear. I know summer is drawing to a close as you listen to this episode, but there are still some poolside hours in our calendar and the topic of modesty is something listeners ask about quite a bit, so I think this conversation is more evergreen than summer specific.
If you’ve ever dreaded swimsuit shopping and you just want a functional and beautiful suit that you can feel confident in, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Siena and Co.’s origin story and what sets Catherine’s work apart
- How the swimwear designs that are part of the first Siena and Co. collection were inspired in adoration
- The subjectivity of modesty and how to discern dressing in a way that honors your dignity and worth
- Why Catherine decided to launch this year’s line on Kickstarter
- Spiritual maternity, midwifing dreams, and why you shouldn’t wait for a certain season of life to embrace your feminine genius.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Visit Siena and Co’s website
- Follow Siena and Co on Instagram
- Support Catherine and Sien and Co’s kickstarter before the deadline of September 2, 2021
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
- Marian Spiritual Bouquet cards from House of Joppa
- Get a copy of the new Letters to Women book!
Have you ever picked up a book on the lives of the saints and thought . . . well, shoot. I don’t know how I’m going to do this holiness thing. I’m not like Saint Jerome, or, maybe you think you’re a little too much like Saint Jerome with his grumpy, curmudgeon ways. But what if I told you that there are literally hundreds of saints I want to introduce you - saints who share some of your struggles, your joys, but most importantly, saints who want to encourage YOU to become the saint God is calling YOU to be.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer. If you know Meg, you know she is a huge fan of the Olympics, and it was a true honor for her to pause the Olympics to spend some time with me on this show talking about the saints.
In this episode, Meg and I are talking about her new book, “Saints Around the World,” a beautiful book that introduces you to over a hundred saints from sixty different countries. It’s illustrated by Meg’s friend Lindsey Sanders, and trust me, you’re going to want to get yourself a copy of this book by the time Meg and I are done chatting.
If you’ve been looking for some encouragement on your journey to holiness and needing a reminder that God wants to make you a saint, and the world needs a saint exactly like you, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Meg’s new book on the saints came to be, and what sets it apart from every other saint book you’ve read so far
- The saints you never have heard of that are featured in “Saints Around the World”
- Meg’s advice for finding your own unique path to sainthood
- How you can start interceding to Jesus through the saints on a daily basis
- How Meg’s storytelling and feminine genius intertwine
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Meg’s new book, “Saint Around the World.”
- Meg’s other new book on the saints, “Pray for Us,” which will be out this fall from Ave Maria Press
- Follow Meg on Instagram
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
- Pray & Wait Candle from House of Joppa
- Saint Augustine and St. Josephine Bakhita free prints from House of Joppa
- Get a copy of the new Letters to Women book!
If you were to sit down with your younger self, what would you tell her?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Stimpson Chapman and we’re talking about her new book, “Letters to Myself from the End of the World” It’s a book that Emily wrote to her younger self, equipping her for the challenges she’d face in a world where the Church is plagued by scandal, the culture is on the verge of collapse, and the we don’t even know what the word “normal” means anymore.
If you’ve been longing for encouragement, hope, and a voice of maturity and reason in all of the insanity that was 2020 and is 2021, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Emily’s new book, “Letters to Myself From the End of the World”
- Why this was the book Emily was supposed to write in 2020
- Self-denial and self-care in the life of mothers today
- Fighting the temptation to turn inward and instead, find genuine connection with others
- Staying grounded in the real, messy, present moment
- The one piece of advice Emily would give her younger self if she could
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Letters to Myself From the End of the World”
- Follow Emily on Instagram
- Watch "Women of Grace” with Johnette Williams on August 1st and 2nd to hear about the new Letters to Women book!
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
- Get a copy of the new Letters to Women book!
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Weeder and we’re talking about Amanda’s passion for helping tell the story of a home, her tried and true decorating tips (ones that I’d never heard before our conversation together), and why you don’t have to feel guilty as a Catholic woman if you’re wanting a beautiful home to retreat to.
I loved this conversation with Amanda and I can’t wait to share her beautiful understanding of not only making our homes places of beauty, but also understanding more about our eternal home in Heaven and how we can journey there as Catholic women.
If you’re exhausted from trying to keep up with all of the latest home trends and you’re discouraged by perfect Instagram home inspiration and just desiring to have your home be a place of beauty and rest, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- How to love our own spaces and stop comparing our homes to the ones we see on Instagram
- Why you should start small when you start decorating your home
- What it means to tell the story of your home
- The ways that Amanda helps clients discover the true beauty of their homes
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Your Blue Flame by Jennifer Fulwiler
- Theology of Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday
- A Letter to the Woman Looking for Home with Noelle Mering
- House of Joppa on Instagram
- Find Amanda’s home decor account, Clare and Colette Home on Instagram
Today’s episode was sponsored by Pink Salt Riot - use the Letters to Women’ affiliate link to support Letters to Women with your Pink Salt Riot purchase at no extra cost to you!
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Danielle Bean, a dear friend of mine who is a regular guest on the Letters to Women Podcast.
The week that I recorded this conversation with Danielle, I looked at our Langr family calendar and realized that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday were packed. Small groups, parish events, haircuts, doctor appointments . . . the works. Now that the world is slowly starting to get back to “normal” - I’m using air quotes here - it’s crazy how quickly we got back to BUSY again. It’s crazy how hard it’s gotten to say “no” to things.
In this episode, Danielle and I are talking about her new book, “Whisper - Finding God in the Everyday.” It’s a book full of real-life stories to teach us how to see God in our everyday lives - and how that starts with some mental shifts when it comes to our prayer life and saying no to things so we can say yes to making space to just be with the Lord.
If you’re struggling with a packed summer schedule and finding it hard to say a simple two letter word that starts with “n” and ends with “o,” sister, this letter is for you - and it’s for me!
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Danielle’s top joy and struggle of her current season of life
- Why now is the perfect time to dive into Danielle’s new book, “Whisper: Finding God in the Everyday”
- Shifting our mindset around prayer and our relationship with God
- Why it is so hard to say “no” to things - especially good things
- Practical tips for saying no to things in your daily life as a Catholic woman
- What rest means for our daily lives
- Danielle’s favorite memories of encountering God in her everyday
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- "Whisper: Finding God in the Everyday,” published by Ascension Press
- Follow Danielle on Instagram
- A Letter To the Woman Who Doesn’t Think She’s Enough - my first conversation with Danielle on the podcast
- A Letter To the Woman With an Emptying Nest with Danielle
- A Letter to the Woman Who Thinks Spiritual Motherhood is a Consolation Prize with Danielle
- “Diving Deep into the Feminine Genius” - my conversation with Danielle on Girlfriends
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
- Get a copy of the new Letters to Women book!
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Kimberly Hahn. Have you ever wanted to sit down with a woman who’s a few seasons of life ahead of you, sit down on her couch with a big cup of coffee, and pick her brain about all of the joys and challenges of the season of life you’re in? To hear her advice and learn from the wisdom she’s gained?
That’s exactly what today’s episode is all about.
Kimberly and I are talking about her brand new Bible study, “Graced and Gifted,” which is all about how we can tackle the seemingly endless demands of caring for our families and our homes all from the perspective of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She also shares her tried and true tips for things like time management, her secrets for meal planning, and how she creates a peaceful and beautiful home for her family and friends.
If you are looking for not only useful tips but some inspiring help from a woman who has been there done that when it comes to taking care of the domestic church - no matter what season of life you’re in - sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Kimberly’s story of conversion
- What we can learn from the woman described in Proverbs 31 about marriage and homemaking
- Why (and how!) to prioritize prayer in your life as a Catholic woman
- Remembering that marriage (not motherhood!) is a sacrament and making space to encounter your spouse
- How to create a rule of life and why that matters for our lives as Catholic women
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Graced and Gifted, Kimberly’s Bible Study
- Chosen and Cherished, Kimberly’s Bible Study on marriage
- A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot
- Listen to Kimberly’s podcast, “Beloved and Blessed”
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
- My House of Joppa table rosary and door hanger
- Get a copy of the new Letters to Women book!
In today’s episode, I’m sharing my morning coffee with Nicole Caruso. Well, let’s be honest, it’s more like cup of coffee #3 because life with a two year old and a two month old involves very little sleep for me.
Today’s episode is the first episode I’ve recorded since welcoming our daughter, Ada Caeli, on March 30, and friends, it’s so good to be back! I can’t wait for even more conversations on the feminine genius with you this summer and beyond.
You might remember that Nicole was a guest on the Letters to Women podcast last July when she was still in the book-writing trenches and the Worthy of Wearing movement was just starting.
We’re sitting down again because Nicole’s new book, “Worthy of Wearing” was just published with Sophia Institute Press. Today, we’re talking about why it’s important that this new book features photos of real women wearing their own clothes, how it celebrates the beautiful diversity found in the feminine genius, and what modesty means for our daily lives as Catholic women. Yep, we’re tackling that ‘m’ word, and I think you’re going to love what Nicole has to share about the topic.
If you’re tired of one-size-fits-all advice when it comes to our wardrobes and modesty and you’re ready for a refreshing conversation and a mindset shift around the way we dress daily, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What “Worthy of Wearing” means
- Why it was important for Nicole to create a book that featured photos of real women wearing their own clothing
- What Nicole’s journey of self-worth has looked like
- How Nicole’s daughter inspired her to dress in a way that honors her own dignity and belovedness
- What modesty means in our daily lives as Catholic women
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get your own copy of “Worthy of Wearing”
- Follow Nicole and Worthy of Wearing on Instagram
- Check out Nicole’s website and the Worthy of Wearing website, too!
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Ashley Stevens, and she’s sharing the story of a car accident that happened back in 2008, and the ways that that accident impacted her plans and dreams, and how that season that the Lord invited her into back then is impacting her now as a wife and mom.
If you’re in a hard place, a season of suffering right now, and you’re believing the lies that tell you that this season will never end, that you’re the only one who doesn’t have it together, and that no one would want to accompany you during this struggle, sister this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Ashley’s website, Mountains Unmoved
- “How To Be Confident God Is Working,” from Ashley’s blog
- “It’s OK To Pause Your Dreams (Six Reasons Why)” from Ashley’s blog
- “Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Wait Until I Was Prettier to Walk Down the Aisle,” from Ashley’s blog
- Follow Ashley on Instagram
- Order your copy of the new Letters to Women book
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Claire Dwyer. She’s the author of “This Present Paradise,” a book about the life of this amazing saint that has topped Amazon charts and sold out multiple times over the past few months.
Claire shares about her friendship with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and what she’s taught her about dreams, suffering, and rejecting the lie that she’s unlovable or unworthy.
We’re also diving into the fact that the saints are HUMAN and that they have personalities, and how to recognize those personalities as we grow in friendship with them as Catholic women.
If you’re in a season where you’re having to sacrifice things to the Lord and lay even the gifts and talents he’s given you at his feet, and you’re wondering how in the world that could possibly be his plan or something he’ll be glorified in, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get a copy of Claire’s new book, “This Present Paradise”
- Claire’s website, Even the Sparrow
- Follow Claire on Instagram
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Frase and Mary Bruno - both women who’ve been guests on the podcast before. They’re back because they’ve recently founded FabM Base, an online resource and database to help women tackle tough topics surrounding fertility, reproduction, and women’s health.
It’s an amazing place where science and real life intersect, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.
I truly believe that learning about how our bodies work as women is THE most effective and impactful self-care habit we can have as women today - and fertility awareness is so much more than family planning.
Regardless of the season of life you’re in as a woman, if you’re ready to discover the truth about your body and want to know more about fertility awareness options that are not your Grandma’s rhythm method, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Follow FabM Base on Instagram and Facebook
- Join the FabM Base e-mail list
- Uncharted Territory Series
- Brick House in the City’s highlight on the feminine genius
- A Letter to the Woman Wondering How to Bear Fruit if She’s Infertile - a conversation with Mary Bruno
- A Letter to the Woman Staying at Home With Kids - a conversation with Emily Frase
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Katie Bogner. She’s the author of “Through the Year With Jesus - Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children.” We’re diving into how to take some of the most ancient and gorgeous traditions in Catholicism like Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, and the Rosary, and help children encounter the beauty of the faith.
I’ve loved following Katie on social media for years, and have so many of her resources pinned, saved, and filed away for future use, so it was such an honor to get to know her story better, and have the chance to introduce you to her as well!
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a catechist, If the idea of sharing your faith with the kids in your life can feel a little daunting and you’re looking for some practical guidance to help kids encounter the Lord and His Church, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Get a copy of Katie’s new book, “Through the Year With Jesus”
- Read more about what the Catechism has to say about Catholic education
- Check out Katie’s blog
- Follow Katie on Instagram
- Discover Chews Life Rosaries for the littlest kids in your life
- Use the code CHLOE10 at Pillar and Pearl to save 10% on gorgeous Catholic gift boxes
- Order the new Letters to Women book
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Heather King - you may recognize her name from the writing she does in Magnificat on the witness of holy men and women. She also write about her experience with recovery, and how that healing process has impacted every area of her life - including the way she interacts with money.
This was without a doubt one of the best conversations I have ever had on money - and one that I’m going to be re-listening to quite a bit as I continue to sort through my own money wounds and the ways Christ is inviting me to steward the gifts he’s given me.
If you’re tired of the lack of good, meaningful conversation about finances and just how we should interact with money as Catholic women, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Connect with Heather on her website
- Check out Heather’s book, “Loaded,” which her and I discuss in our conversation
- Order your copy of the new Letters to Women book!
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today’s episode, I had the absolute joy and honor of sitting down with Paige Rien and we’re talking about how she first encountered God through her journey to recovery in the 12 step program and how her story of conversion and healing parallel so beautifully.
The universal need to address our vices and recognize that we are in need of help and a Savior is the perfect topic to dive into together during Holy Week, and I cannot wait to share this episode with you.
If you’re battling an addiction and desiring healing or wanting to dive into the topic of healing in a deep and profound way, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Discover Paige on Instagram
- Read Paige’s book, “Love the House You’re In”
- Get your copy of the new Letters to Women book!
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
- Use the code LETTERS15 over at House of Joppa to receive 15% off their gorgeous Catholic home décor!
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Lenaburg - she’s an incredible women who shares her witness and her journey to healing in an amazingly authentic way.
I truly believe that when each one of us is able to share the story of how God has redeemed the brokenness in our story and in our hearts, it not only gives God glory for the work he does as a divine physician, it also opens up the floor for other women in our own lives to have the courage to do the same.
If you’ve ever stuffed part of your story under the rug and avoided the process of healing out of a desire to fit in, sister, this letter is for you. You are worthy of healing, and you belong.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Follow Mary on Instagram and check out her website
- Order Mary’s latest book, “Be Bold in the Broken” through Ave Maria Press
- Order your copy of the new Letters to Women book and read Mary’s letter on healing!
- Follow Letters to Women on Instagram and check out Beth Williby’s Takeover Tuesday tomorrow, March 16th!
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
My brand new book, "Letters to Women: Embracing the Feminine Genius in Everyday Life" launches TOMORROW, March 9th! I'm so excited to share this book with you, and to celebrate, I wanted to share an exclusive conversation I had with Julia Marie Hogan about the feminine genius and the letter she wrote YOU in the new Letters to Women book.
Listen in to hear all about the launch day celebrations happening tomorrow and discover more about what you'll find inside the pages of the new Letters to Women book!
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out with TAN books on March 9, 2021!
- Unlock the exclusive Letters to Women pre-order miniseries
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
- Join me on Instagram for the launch day giveaway and the live Q&A chat at 8:00pm CT on March 9th!
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Catherine Fowler Sample and we’re talking about how writing and producing the award-winning documentary The Dating Project inspired her to write an entire book on the importance of connection around a shared meal when it comes to combating the loneliness that so many of us are all too familiar with in today’s world - where we’re connected to so many people via Instagram, but we struggle to connect with the people who live in our homes or are the closest to us.
Joseph and I sat down a few weeks ago for our 2021 dream date, where we share about our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year and review what went well and what didn’t go well in 2020 and both of us mentioned that something we really missed was hosting friends on a more regular basis - which got the boot thanks to COVID. But now that we’re God-willing seeing an end to the COVID tunnel, even if it’s still months away, the idea of hosting people again is something that is both exciting and a little intimidating. I think I’m a little rusty!
If you’re desiring human connection but are nervous to send out that invite to your friends for a shared dinner together because you’re worried about what you’ll cook, who you’ll invite, and what you’ll talk about, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Gather Together: Recipes and Reflections to Inspire Faith and Friendship around the Table,” Catherine’s new book
- Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out with TAN books on March 9, 2021!
- Unlock the exclusive Letters to Women pre-order miniseries
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Dr. Sarah Bartel and we’re talking about Cana Feast, the marriage ministry she founded with husband, Nathan. She’s giving some really practical, nitty-gritty ways that they’ve found make a difference in couple’s marriages - from how to get over the awkwardness of praying together to making time for each other in seasons of change and prioritizing your marriage when schedules are tight.
I know you’re listening to this episode the day AFTER Valentine’s day, but I wanted to share a conversation about some lifelong, daily practices to strengthen your marriage and your prayer life EVERY day of the year, not just on Valentine’s day
If you’re a married woman and you want to learn HOW to pray with your spouse, or if you’re not married but feel the Lord calling you to that vocation and you want to know how to prepare your heart for that season, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Cana Feast
- Follow Cana Feast on social media and connect with Dr. Sarah Bartel on her personal Instagram account
- Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out with TAN books on March 9, 2021!
- Unlock the exclusive Letters to Women pre-order miniseries
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
- Save 15% off your order at House of Joppa with the code LETTERS15
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mallory Smyth and we’re talking about her journey back to Catholicism, but also some of the big, elephant in the room topics that come up when you share about your Catholic faith with people who have left the Catholic Church - or honestly, could even be topics you struggle with yourself when it comes to living in today’s world as a Catholic woman - I know I’ve wrestled with many of the topics Mallory writes about and that her and I cover in today’s episode.
If you’re wrestling with those big questions about the Church, if you’re struggling to feel at home in the Church, if you have one foot out the door, or if you’ve left the faith, sister, this letter is for you!
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire,” Mallory Smythe’s new book
- The Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz
- Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out with TAN books on March 9, 2021!
- Unlock the exclusive Letters to Women pre-order miniseries
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Veronica Marrinan and we’re talking about the origins of Litany, an ethical, sustainable, and Catholic women's clothing line that she founded. But we’re also talking about what it’s like to live in New York City in the heart of the fashion industry as a Catholic woman, and how Veronica witnesses to truth through beauty in conversations with those who don’t share her Catholic faith.
So often we let lies like “I don’t know enough,” “I’m too busy,” “I don’t have all the answers,” and “I don’t have it all together,” hold us back from sharing about our faith and our relationship with Christ and His Church. If you’re wondering how to evangelize and honor the dignity of those you work with or your friends who aren’t Catholic, sister, this letter is for you!
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Litany
- The Mary, Mother of the Church Floral Silk Scarf
- Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out with TAN books on March 9, 2021!
- Unlock the exclusive Letters to Women pre-order miniseries
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Wilson and we’re talking all about her brand new weekly devotional for women, how to find time for prayer in busy seasons of life, and her top piece of advice for all of us as we close out 2020 and embark on all the adventures that 2021 has in store.
In a season where you are probably hearing about everyone else’s new years resolutions and maybe have thought about making some of your own, Emily and I are sharing the importance of small steps and creating healthy habits for your spiritual life that will last longer than the first few days of January. Because if you’re like me, you can think of many many failed new year’s resolutions that you’ve made in the past.
I’ve long admired Emily’s heart for women and she’s a guest I’ve hoped to have on the show for years - but it’s taken that long to coordinate between books being written and babies being born for both of us, so it was a total joy and honor to sit down with her and learn more of her story.
If you’re looking to this new year with hope, anticipation, and maybe a little bit of nervousness, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Emily’s brand new weekly devotional and how she finds time for prayer as a mom of two little boys
- Why prayer should be a priority
- Why we’re so hard on ourselves as women and how we can recognize the truth that God sings over our lives
- How to give thanks for the friends you have
- The advice Emily would give women looking ahead to 2021
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Emily’s brand new book, “Awaken My Heart”
- Saint Pope John Paul II’s “Mulieris dignitatem” (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women)
- “The Lazy Genius Way” by Kendra Adachi
- The Hallow App
- Find Emily on Instagram and YouTube
- Use the code CHLOE when you purchase gorgeous Catholic homemade accessories from Pink Salt Riot and save 10% off your next order!
- Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out on March 9, 2021!
- Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Dr. Carrie Gress and we’re talking not only about the beauty (and theology!) of home, but also the beauty of homemaking - a concept that might sound a little outdated - don’t worry, we’re going to get into that, too.
There’s a line from the song “Oh Holy Night” that keeps coming to mind - “A weary world rejoices” - and if your year has been anything like mine, it has indeed been a Christmas season I’ve arrived at weary, but also rejoicing.
If you’re desiring to be intentional with the home that you create not only this Christmas season but all year round, sister, this letter is for you!
Topics we talked about in this episode:
How we can reclaim the word “homemaker”
Patrick Lenocioni’s three common elements to evaluate job happiness and what the answers mean for homemakers
Why there needs to be a re-connection between homes and homemaking
Carrie’s advice for single women when it comes to mothering and creating a home
Encouragement for the mundane moments of motherhood
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Pre-order your copy of "Letters to Women: Embracing the Feminine Genius in Everyday Life."
Enter to win a copy of Theology of Home I, Theology of Home II, and the Theology of Home 2021 Planner
Follow the new Letters to Women Instagram account
“Theology of Home II: The Spiritual Art of Homemaking” by Dr. Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering
“The Daily Collection” email from Theology of Home
“A Letter to Women About the Most Influential Woman in the World,” my first conversation with Dr. Carrie Gress on the Letters to Women Podcast
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
In today’s episode, Emily Tate and I are have a conversation about being intentional with our Advent, our gift giving, and our traditions in this season.
Many of us are blessed with memories of just really perfect gifts that were given to us. This past summer, one of my friends gave me a beautiful birthday gift that included a book on gardening, a book on growing in joy, and book of cello music - plus a gift card to my favorite local coffee shop. I felt so seen and loved by her - she’d seen all of my interests and loves and combined them perfectly. You may also have memories around gifts you’ve given - maybe to a best friend, a sibling, a spouse - something that brought you so much joy to put together for them and that you loved seeing them unwrap.
In a season where it’s easy to get caught up in the to-do list aspect of gift giving, or the commercialized gift giving we find ourselves in, this conversation with Emily was so refreshing and such a fun way to start this Advent season.
If you are staring at a list of people who you want to give a gift to this Christmas and wondering how to honor those friendships and relationships well with an intentional gift, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What inspired Emily to found Pillar and Pearl
- The joy that Emily finds in collaborating with Catholic artisans and other Catholic women who curate boxes for Pillar and Pearl
- Emily’s tips for intentional gift giving and knowing the temperaments of those you love
- Creating your own family traditions
- The joy of remembering intentional gifts that were given to you
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Pillar and Pearl
- Follow Pillar and Pearl on Instagram
- “The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life” by Kendra Tierney
- “A History of the Church in 100 Objects” by Mark Aquilina
- “The Temperament God Gave You” by Art and Laraine Bennett
- Be Rooted Bead Co - use code CHLOE15 for 15% off your purchase.
- Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss updates about the new Letters to Women book, which is being published by TAN books in early 2021
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Jaminent and we’re talking about why now is the perfect time to revisit a classic Catholic devotion in the Sacred Heart.
You may remember a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging in your grandparents or parents' home, but what does devotion to the Sacred Heart really mean for our daily lives as Catholic women? Not only are we talking about some amazing promises Christ made to accompany devotion to The Sacred Heart, Emily and I even dive into our favorite depictions of the Sacred Heart and why art is important in your home.
If you’re looking for a place of rest in a year where we’ve felt like we’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Emily’s grandfather and how he provided images of the Sacred Heart for Mother Teresa
- Why 2020 is the perfect year to discover a devotion to the Sacred Heart
- What it means to enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home and in your life
- Receiving grace from the Sacred Heart and the sacrament of confession
- How to prepare our hearts to meet Christ in the final moments of life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Secrets of the Sacred Heart” by Emily Jaminet - use the code JAMINET for a discount at checkout!
- Welcome His Heart
- Pink Salt Riot use the code CHLOE at checkout for 10% off your order
- Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss the email exclusive cover reveal!
In today’s episode I’m sitting down with Kim Zember and we’re talking about same-sex attraction, but really this is a conversation about how we can examine our hearts and our lives and make sure that Christ is the the King of our entire life and topple any idols that are standing in the way on our journey back to His heart and the journey to becoming the women he’s created us to be.
We also talk about Kim’s work in Ethiopia, and how serving the women and children there has led to deeper healing in her own life. This is a beautiful conversation, and one I cannot wait to share with you.
If you’ve ever felt alone in your attraction towards women as a woman, or are looking for resources and advice on how to lovingly support the women in your life who experience same sex attraction, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What inspired Kim to write and publish her story in book form
- The role that missionary work played in Kim’s story of healing and finding rest
- What encouraged you to keep seeking the truth instead of taking the advice of trusted people in her life who told her her romantic relationships with women were good
- How to say “no” to things we put before God in our lives as Catholic women
- Kim’s advice for loving people you know who experience same-sex attraction
- What Kim would share with someone who is listening who experiences same sex attraction herself
- Kim’s work with Overcome, a ministry that supports people who experience same sex attraction and supports their families, as well
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Kim’s book, “Restless Heart”
- Unforgotten Faces
- Overcome
- Be Rooted Bead Co - use code CHLOE15 for 15% off your purchase.
- Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss updates about the new Letters to Women book, which is being published by TAN books in early 2021
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Buchan and we’re talking about her mission to help women and couples better understand their fertility and manage their reproductive health.
Some women (myself included!) have received a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility” from their OB-GYN. This frustrating news has seemingly no answers. But Melissa believes that women deserve to understand and discover the root cause behind the infertility they’re experiencing.
If you’ve ever wondered if there’s more to this “unexplained infertility” diagnosis and you’re ready for answers, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- Melissa’s work as the first Neo Fertility Advisor in the United States
- Why “unexplained infertility” is actually not a diagnosis
- How women can learn about their bodies through fertility awareness
- The connections between body literacy and the ability to embrace the feminine genius in daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Melissa’s website, Chart Your Fertility
- Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss updates about the new Letters to Women book, which is being published by TAN books in early 2021
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Maleski and we’re talking about what Saint Pope John Paul II meant when he called women “sentinels of the invisible.”
I’ve spent a lot of time researching what Saint Pope John Paul II said and wrote about women and it wasn’t until I read Melissa’s new book that I even heard of the phrase “sentinels of the invisible.” I loved this conversation about the feminine genius in our daily life and the stories of women throughout the life and history of the Catholic Church.
If you’ve ever wondered how the Catholic Church has championed the dignity of women and you want to know more about what the feminine genius means for you today, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- What Saint Pope John Paul II meant when he called women “sentinels of the invisible”
- Women’s three inclinations towards protection, illumination, and revelation
- Saints who inspire Melissa to live out the feminine genius in her daily life
- Having a disposition to maternity as physical and spiritual mothers
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- Melissa’s new book, “The Supreme Vocation of Women”
- Cardinal Sarah’s book, “God Or Nothing”
- Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss updates about the new Letters to Women book, which is being published by TAN books in early 2021
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Karna Lozoya and we’re talking about a brand new podcast that she’s hosting: “Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church.”
Karna’s podcast shares about the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church: its origins, characters, causes and reforms. She interviews bishops, survivors, reporters, lawyers, and social workers to help navigate a a systemic problem that has plagued the Catholic Church.
Conversations about this topic are challenging but absolutely necessary in a journey towards healing - and Karna navigates those conversations with grace and the feminine genius.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the reality of sex abuse within the Catholic Church and don’t know where to look to find the whole story, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
- A new podcast that Karna is hosting called “Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church”
- Listening to and honoring the stories of sexual abuse survivors
- Why we should keep having conversations about sex abuse, even though it’s challenging
- How to support people who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of clergy
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
- “Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church”
- Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss updates about the new Letters to Women book, which is being published by TAN books in early 2021
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Zurface and we’re exploring her work as a canon lawyer, her mission as a spiritual director, and how to find joy in your daily life.
My favorite part of our time together was her three incredible tips for ways to find joy in your daily life - including an ingenious novena-style journaling exercise that I’m diving into over the next nine days - and you can join me over on Instagram - you can find me @Chloe.Langr.
If you’ve ever wondered if looking into spiritual direction is the next step in your spiritual journey, and you’re seeking joy in your daily life, sister, this letter is for you.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Lehman and we’re exploring the historical background surrounding the idea that we shouldn’t care about what we wear as women.
This conversation made me think back to my undergrad days when I was studying history. It’s so important to remember that the reality of our current situation as Catholic women doesn’t exist in a bubble - there are so many historical events and religious schools of thoughts that have impacted the way we think today. I can’t wait to share this episode with you!
If you’ve believed the lie that the right outfit doesn’t matter, or have beat yourself up for caring about your appearance, sister, this letter is for you.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Frase and we’re talking about how to discern staying at home with your kids, being a stay-at-home mom in a world that values productivity, and what self-care looks like when you’re home with littles.
I’ve loved getting to know Emily more as a friend in this conversation and it was so much fun to sit down and talk to her about this topic of being a stay-at-home mom. I can’t wait to share her story, her honesty, and her humor with you in today’s episode!
If you’re discerning whether or not to stay home with your kids, or you’re looking for encouragement from a mom who is in the trenches alongside you, sister, this letter is for you
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Adele Collins and we’re talking about how to discern a relationship with someone who isn’t Catholic, her marriage with her husband, Ben, and how she lives out the feminine genius as a Catholic wife and mother to seven kids (six daughters and one son!)
This conversation with Adele was over a year in the making, and it was such a joy to get to know her better - and I can’t wait to share her story and love of her husband and family with you in today’s episode!
If you’re discerning whether or not to date someone who doesn't share your Catholic faith, or you’re married to a non-Catholic and you’re desiring someone to rejoice in the joys and accompany you in the challenges, sister, this letter is for you.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Nicole Caruso and we’re talking about the origin of Nicole's #WorthyofWearing challenges on Instagram, why self-confidence is contagious, and how to have a balanced approach to self-care as a Catholic woman today.
I loved this conversation with Nicole and I can’t wait to share her incredible insight into our closets and confidence as Catholic women. I learned so much about my closet and my heart in my time with her.
If you have pushed all of your beautiful clothes to the back of the closet, waiting for the perfect day or event to wear them, sister, this letter is for you.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Weeder and we’re talking about Amanda’s passion for helping tell the story of a home, her tried and true decorating tips (ones that I’d never heard before our conversation together), and why you don’t have to feel guilty as a Catholic woman if you’re wanting a beautiful home to retreat to.
I loved this conversation with Amanda and I can’t wait to share her beautiful understanding of not only making our homes places of beauty, but also understanding more about our eternal home in Heaven and how we can journey there as Catholic women.
If you’re exhausted from trying to keep up with all of the latest home trends and you’re discouraged by perfect Instagram home inspiration and just desiring to have your home be a place of beauty and rest, sister, this letter is for you.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Maribel Laguna and we’re talking about the beauty of healing from wounds and Maribel’s work with In His Image Counseling Center down in Texas.
In my story, there have been several seasons where I’ve seen a Catholic counselor - to work through grief and trauma, and to invest in my marriage.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Maribel and I can’t wait to share with you her wisdom and her passion for helping people heal and grow in this episode of Letters to Women.
If you’re desiring to heal from wounds and learn more about the work and mission of Catholic counselors, sister, this letter is for you.
In this episode, Chloe sits down with Kiki Rocha to discuss her story as a sexual abuse survivor. Together, they talk about how this abuse impacted Kiki's relationship with God, what healing looks like in her life, and how we can better support sexual abuse survivors.
If you’re longing for healing after surviving sexual abuse, but you feel alone or abandoned, sister, this letter is for you.
We all know the stereotypes around friendship with other women - gossip, catty remarks, back stabbing, vicious comments.
But you know what? I think that friendship - and I’m talking wholesome, holy, authentic, healthy friendship - with other women is something that is NECESSARY in our lives as women.
Friendship with other women isn’t something that’s good for some, not for all, or not worth the effort. I truly believe that we all need friendship with women in our lives - we learn how to be women from other women, whether that’s the women who are accompanying us as we all journey back to Christ’s Sacred Heart, or from the examples of women who have walked this path before us - the saints, and Our Lady.
I’m diving into this subject with a familiar voice to the podcast, Ginny Kochis. She came on the show to talk about raising twice exceptional children a few years back, and she’s back today to talk about comparison, impostor syndrome, and how to be authentic in our friendships.
If you’ve ever wondered compared your story, your body, your strengths, your gifts, your weaknesses or your life to other women, sister, this podcast episode is for you.
I don’t know about you, but Coronavirus is setting the discernment stage for me. So much of what I considered “normal” is being called into question, and I’m striving for a healthy discernment of what this “new normal” will look like for my family and myself.
I’m so excited to share this conversation with Samantha Povlock, founder and director of FemCatholic. She shares about a brand new digital community she’s created - and we also talk about why women shouldn’t let perfectionism or the seasonality of our lives hold us back from using the gifts God has given us in the ways he’s calling us to use them.
If you’re discerning where God is calling you to use the gifts he’s given you, or if you’ve ever felt like you’re on the outside looking in when it comes to Catholic community with women, this letter is for you.
When I was experiencing secondary infertility after losing our son to miscarriage, there was one line at every Catholic wedding that would leave me feeling empty and broken: “Be fruitful and multiply.”
It felt like a knife twisting in my heart, and it left me wondering if my infertility meant that my marriage couldn’t be fruitful.
If you’ve felt the sting that comes with hearing those words as a woman experiencing infertility, you’ll love this conversation that I had with Mary Bruno about why God allows infertility in some of our stories, but still calls us to bear fruit that will remain.
If you’re desiring to learn more about why God is allowing infertility in your life and where he is calling you to be fruitful, this letter is for you.
An empty nest seems so far off right now - but I know that I’ll blink and we’ll be parents to a teenager. What happens to our hearts as women as our children grow up and begin to lead their own lives?
How can we absorb the mixed emotions of anxiety and excitement, grief and hope?
Whether you’re a mother who is watching her nest empty, or you’re in the trenches with littles and an empty nest seems like a distant, vague idea in the future, I know you’ll love soaking up Danielle Bean’s wisdom and joy in this episode.
If you’re desiring to lean into God during the sacred seasons of motherhood, sister, this letter is for you.
I first encountered Kate Capato’s art through her painting called The Woman. It depicts Eve and Our Lady of Guadalupe. It’s beauty was (and still is!) captivating. It’s an image that I have thought of and taken to prayer many times.
Beauty is restorative - and it points us back to the ultimate beauty of God.
In today’s conversation, you’ll learn about the power of beauty in your ordinary, daily life as a Catholic woman. Kate and I talk about how God is the ultimate artist, and the ultimate source of creative inspiration.
If you’ve longed to encounter beauty and be drawn closer to the Lord’s Sacred Heart through that encounter, sister, this letter is for you.
Do you long for freedom in your life?
Have you wrestled against the knots of sin and shame?
It’s easy to believe the lies from the devil that are haunting our hearts as women. The lies that we are too much, or not enough. The lies that everyone sees our brokenness and doesn’t care, or that people would run away if they knew the pain on our heart. But Christ sings truth over our stories. And he invites us to freedom.
I loved the chance to sit down with Carrie Schuchts Daunt and talk about her brand new book: "Undone: Freeing Your Feminine Heart from the Knots of Fear and Shame."
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by shame or afraid of vulnerability, sister, this letter is for you.
I once heard a cross described as something in your life that you don’t want, you didn’t choose, and you don’t like. And I don’t know what cross you’re carrying in your ordinary life as a Catholic woman, but I know you’re carrying one, sister.
So as we get ready to enter into Lent, I hope this episode with Therese Williams inspires you to not just resign yourself to your cross, but to lean into it and to embrace it.
Whatever cross you’re carrying, sister, this letter is for you.
Innocent. Guilty. Good. Bad. Isn’t it interesting that we describe our food that way?
“Good” and “Bad” are also words that I’ve heard used to describe the shape of our bodies as women - even though we know that God looks at our bodies and sees that He made them good - always.
In today’s episode, Elizabeth Varga (The Plant Based Catholic) and I are diving deep into the way that we as women talk about food, diets, and our bodies.
Just as a heads up, we’re going to be honest about health habits and maintaining a health relationship with food.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, know that you're not alone. In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life.
While I was struggling with healthy eating, I visited a doctor and brought the issues to my counselor as well - and there is no shame in that. Sometimes what we struggle with is bigger than ourselves and asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but an incredible demonstration of bravery.
If you need to talk to a professional about your struggle, you can reach out through the National Eating Disorder Association hotlines and live chats.
One of my favorite podcasts that I listened to in the early hours of the morning during feedings with tiny baby Maeve was “Coffee and Crumbs” – it was honest, raw, and I found myself stifling laughter as the women on the show shared their stories of marriage and motherhood.
A phrase I will never forget from one of their episodes is this one: “Postpartum is forever.” It struck me, as I sat there cradling a tiny sweet newborn, that that was right.
I will always be Maeve’s mom, and I will always have given birth.
Postpartum brings so many changes. There’s recovery from birth, adjusting to a new baby in the house, setting boundaries, managing expectations, juggling meal time, so so little sleep, and the beauty of a new life.
In today’s episode, we’re talking all things postpartum. Whether you’re a new mom entering into that postpartum season yourself or someone near and dear to you is giving birth soon and you’re wondering how to help, this letter is for you!
How can we get better at self care? The answer may be unexpected, but in today's episode, I sit down with Bridget Busacker to talk about why fertility awareness is one of the best self-care habits women can form - and a solution I can personally attest to myself.
We’re also talking about the science and theology behind fertility awareness, why it’s good to know how your body works, and why your fertility isn’t a burden.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the how and the why behind fertility awareness, this episode is for you.
Home is where we live. But the word ‘home’ means a lot more than just the four walls that we call ours. This past summer, Joseph and I bought our first home and sometimes the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the word “home” is now, how every broken toilet, leaking laundry room, poorly insulated door, roach infested stove, and sinkhole in the backyard is ours to take care of and fix.
Yes, there is a sinkhole in our backyard.
It’s crazy.
This is what no one prepared me for before I signed on the dotted line of the mortgage papers.
But, what we’re striving for here in the Langr home, lovingly referred to as the Guadalupe house, is a domestic church - something that points those who enter back to the heart of the Father.
Domestic Church isn’t the phrase the comes to mind when dishes are piling up, laundry is really piling up, but that’s what were called to every day - and what we’re called to invite others into.
Your home isn’t too messy to invite others into. It’s not too small, either.
Let’s explore this idea of home together, and challenge the way that we think about the places where we live.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’re not doing enough. Maybe you worry you’re not spending enough time with your kids, especially during the holiday season.
Maybe you worry you’re not mom enough.
I know I have.
That’s why I’m excited to dig into perfectionism and motherhood today with you. At first glance, this may seem like a podcast episode just for mothers of children, grown or growing. But what I love about this conversation is that it applies to all women, because we’re all called to maternity, whether that’s physical or spiritual.
In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the root of perfectionism comes from for mothers, why some failure is inevitable, and how you can embrace the guilt.
Yep, you heard me right.
So pour a cup of coffee (I’m on my second of the morning, so you’re in good company), settle in - today’s episode is a letter to the women who doesn’t think she’s mom enough.
As you may be able to tell from the title of this podcast, John Paul II’s “Letter to Women” that he penned in 1995 is one of my favorite things that he wrote during his papacy. But he also wrote another letter that we’re diving into in this episode. It’s called the Letter to Artists. There are so many quotes I could pull from this letter that I love, but one in particular struck me:
“All artists experience the unbridgeable gap which lies between the work of their hands, however successful it may be, and the dazzling perfection of the beauty glimpsed in the ardour of the creative moment.”
For a lot of us, this idea of being an artist, experiencing and interacting with creativity can cause us to squirm. Some of us struggle to see ourselves as creative, and I think there’s a lot of shame around this idea of creativity in today’s world.
Maybe you were told to focus on something that pays the bills. Or maybe someone told you that you weren’t creative enough. Maybe you have art scars to heal from.
We have to be able to experience creativity in some shape or form in our life. We can’t just consume creative works. We have to contribute to the beauty found in today’s world.
In today’s episode, I sit down with Anna Camacho. We talk about her passion for creativity, her attention to detail, and the unique way she’s adding beauty to the world. We also discuss healing from shame around creativity.
There are a lot of myths about the Catholic Church floating around out there, but two that I hear quite a bit are first, the Catholic Church hates women, and second that a life of prayer and holiness is something that you’re not going to be able to attain unless your a big shot like John of the Cross, Edith Stein, or Catherine of Siena.
This week on Letters to Women, Kathyrn Jean Lopez and I dive in deep to how the Catholic Church honors and empowers women like nobody else, and how every single one of us is invited to union with God and a deep, rich prayer life.
When you open up your bank statement or your credit card bill, do you cringe?
You’re not alone if you’d rather avoid looking at the balance of your checking account. After all, a majority of us are sifting through things like student loan debt and credit card debt. You may even be realizing that your money worries are acting like a barrier between you and God when it comes to trusting him. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In today’s episode, Victoria and I are discussing all things money. Yep, we’re going there. Let’s leave behind this idea that talking about money is taboo or impolite.
From paying off debt to growing in deeper communication with God about our finances, I loved this conversation.
If the word “budget” makes you squirm, this episode is for you.
How do we serve those who suffer? In today's episode, Jacque Anderson and I discuss what it looks like to see the face of Christ in those who are suffering around us, and how to not turn away. She shares about her work with Emmaus Ministries, who serve men in survival prostitution situations on teh streets of Chicago.
I don’t have any tattoos, but if I was to ever get one, I know exactly what it’d be – the words “Be not Afraid,” written in the handwriting of John Paul II. Those words are so dear to my heart that they’re engraved on the inside of both Joseph and I’s wedding band.
John Paul II begin his amazing papacy with that brave cry. Throughout my story as a Catholic woman, his words encouraged me to let go of the fear that paralyzed me and exchange it for trust in the Lord. To trust in His divine providence and mercy.
Little by little, I’ve learned to let go of what makes me afraid and ask God for the grace of trust. This doesn't meant that everything make sense and I'm never afraid. But the phrase "Be Not Afraid" has been with me through so many trials.
In today’s episode of Letters to Women, I’m talking with Kaitlyn Clare Mason about how to move from fear to freedom. She shares the five keys things that have helped her in her own interior life, and we talk about her amazing ministry that helps women encountering unexpected pregnancy situations.
Did you know that women criticize themselves an average of eight times a day? Eight times a day. We’re more likely to see beauty and goodness in the lives of those around us than we are to catch a glimpse of it in our own lives.
If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror and listed off the litany of things you see that you think are wrong, then you’re not alone.
So how do start talking to ourselves and about ourselves like someone we love?
In today’s episode, I sit down with Patty Breen, a woman who is passionate about ecumenism, living in the power of the Holy Spirit, ministry to divorced Catholics, and women whose relationships have been impacted by sexual addiction.
“O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!”
Do those words bring comfort, or do they make you squirm? If you’re like me (type A control freak here), those words can be a hard pill to swallow. But Christ calls us to surrender everything, to hold nothing back, and to trust him completely.
But what about when he doesn’t fulfill the desires of your heart - even the desires he placed on your heart? What about when trusting him is hard and you want to grasp onto your plans?
In today’s episode, I sit down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer, a woman who has inspired me with her radical surrender.
Does your heart know the pains of motherhood that doesn't quite look like what you thought it would?
Has Christ called you to marriage, but not introduced the second part of that vocational equation into your life yet? Is your little saint in Heaven, too? Does the experience of infertility weigh heavy on your heart? Does physical motherhood not quite look like what you had dreamed of? Is Christ calling you to be His bride alone, asking you to sacrifice physical motherhood in a vocation to consecrated life?
If any of these situations are close to your heart, it may feel like the call to spiritual motherhood is a second-rate motherhood. But that couldn't be further from the truth.
In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Bean and we talk about why the universal call to motherhood applies to all women, how “mother” is a verb, and why you’re made for maternity as a woman, even if you don’t feel maternal.
This episode was brought to you by Stay Close to Christ, a Catholic gift company! Use the code LETTERS for 10% off your next order.
What are you passionate about? Maybe it’s music, cooking, spending time with friends, or reading a good book. But your passion shouldn’t just be something that you enjoy in the spare moments of your day or just on the weekend. After all, our passions aren’t supposed to exist in a vacuum. Instead, the things that inspire us are meant to draw us closer to the Lord and closer to those around us on a daily basis. So just how do you take your passion to a deeper level of service?
Today, I’m talking with Katie Lynch. She’s the founder of Kate+Grace boutique, an online clothing shop with a unique mission to serve women and bring joy. We talk about the story behind her boutique, how to practice the corporeal works of mercy in our own community, and why it’s important to bring our passions to prayer.
When you go through an unexpected change or struggle, you may find yourself thinking about life in terms of “before” and “after.” When Alexa Hyman reflects on her journey over the past two years, she remembers her life before and after February 17, 2017, when she found out she was expecting a baby girl.
Sharing our unique stories can help others feel less alone, and that’s Alexa’s goal. Each one of us has our own unique story of joy and struggle, our “Februaries.” So how do we be brave and face that struggle head on? Alexa is leading the way with a conversation about beauty, meaning, conversation, community, and heart. Because we’re all facing our own February, or have one that is yet to come.
Alexa is a passionate Catholic woman and mom who knows the value of being there for people. She’s also the creator behind Back in February, where she shares the journey of single motherhood. We talk about her unexpected pregnancy with her daughter, Renley, and how her experience inspired her to minister to other women going through unexpected struggles.
Happiness on this earth comes in many forms. I find happiness in my marriage, trips, hikes in the mountains, spring weather (minus the allergies), a good song that comes on my Spotify playlist, and a good cup of cold coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.
But we're made for transcendent happiness, the kind that nothing on this world can fulfill. What do our desires for happiness here on earth teach us about the life to come? Today, I sit down and talk with Rose Sweet about how we can search for (and find!) authentic happiness and true joy.
This episode was brought to you by Sudio headphones. Use to code letters15 to receive 15% of your purchase of your next set of headphones, and enjoy Sudio’s free world-wide shipping.
Today’s world is confused about the very basics: the value of human life, the meaning and purpose of sexuality, why beauty matters, and what exactly constitutes as true freedom.
In this episode, I’m talking with Mary Sheehan Warren, who teaches consumer behavior and fashion marketing at the Catholic University of America. She’s also the leader of the Fashion Intelligence Project, an organization dedicated to human dignity and sustainable fashion consumption. We talk about what’s changed in recent years when it comes to our culture and the way we communicate as women, defining our personal style, and why human dignity should be valued at all costs.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, iTunes, the list goes on and on. When it comes to navigating today’s world of social media as Catholic women, we almost need a field guide. How do we avoid getting sucked into the time warp that is Instagram scrolling? When do we need to step away and when do we need to step up and speak up?
Today, I’m talking with two Catholic social media influencers, Sarah and Amy. They’re two women who create Catholic content online, and they share their stories, tips, and tricks for interacting with social media. We talk about building up others, listening to the promptings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and honing in on your passions while remaining authentic.
This episode was brought to you by Stay Close to Christ, a Catholic gift company! Use the code LETTERS for 10% off your next order.
From a very early age, women are told both explicitly and implicitly that their worth is determined by what they look like. Our world offers a standard of beauty and as women, we spend a lot of our time measuring ourselves up to that standard. I remember distinctly being twelve years old and trying on clothes in my room. I looked in the mirror and I can remember thinking “You aren’t beautiful. You don’t look like the women in advertisements. You don’t even look like the women you know. You aren’t beautiful.”
Leah Darrow appeared on America’s Next Top Model and was in a successful modeling career. But she discovered how a focus on physical beauty alone lead to a culture of use. Today, Leah and I talk about how true and lasting beauty can only be found in a relationship with God. The desire that we have for beauty isn’t a bad thing – but it does reveal that we actually are desiring true beauty, the beauty of God. I hope you enjoy the show!
Swipe left, swipe right. Online dating is growing more popular by the day, but is it for you? I loved visiting with Christina Peterson in today’s show. She met her husband, Greg, online and shared their story along with her favorite tips and hints when it comes to filling out your online dating profile. This podcast episode is packed with practical information and real life online dating success stories - enjoy!
Long distance relationships can be intimidating. Your family members and friends may discourage you from trying long-distance love, encouraging you to protect your heart. Others may tell you not to take your new relationship seriously, since you aren’t going to your significant other very much. While long distance relationships aren’t easy, they definitely are possible. You may combat loneliness and communication issues, but it’s possible to thrive in a long distance relationship. In today’s episode, Mindy Fitterling talk about the unique challenges and joys of long distance dating, and how long distance relationships can be a beautiful way to prepare you for marriage.
Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: “I’m a feminist for the same reason I’m bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things.” But just how do women share their unique gifts and genius with the Body of Christ? What women can we look to as examples throughout history of women who championed Christ and the Church? In our conversation today, Claire points out that both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. Claire also pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first. So what does it mean to be a Catholic feminist? I think Claire brings a lot of great answers and conversation to the table. I enjoyed our episode and can’t wait to share it with you.
In a message delivered on May 20, 2013 Pope Francis, said: “When it comes to living out this message, the best way is by going out of one’s comfort zone.” He went on to say, “This is dangerous. We lock ourselves in our parish, with our friends, in our movement, with those who think just like we do. But you know what happens? When the Church is closed off, it gets sick.” Pope Francis also said: “today’s world needs many witnesses. Not so much teachers, as witnesses. It’s not about just talk. It’s about talking through your actions. Living a coherent life. It’s precisely about a coherent life.” When it comes to living out this message, the Pope said the best way is by going out of one’s comfort zone. It’s the beginning of a new year, and you may be feeling the urge to get out of your comfort zone. Maybe that means trying something new, or traveling. Maybe you want to conquer fears this year, or make sure you’re not settling for anything less than a magnanimous life. In today’s episode, we’re talking about comfort zones, being honest in our relationship with the Lord in prayer, and how to encourage healthy vulnerability in your life and in your friendships.
We live in a world that is full of people who think that faith and the gifts that God gives each of us are irreverent. In fact, many in today’s society would go so far as to say that we no longer even need God. Those people are wrong.But what if you’re struggling to see what gifts he has given you? I’m not talking about the gifts of relationships or the gifts of a good job, all of which are beautiful things. I’m talking about the charisms that he placed on your heart and soul at the moment of baptism, the gift that he wants to use to transform you, and then transform others around you.
What would our world look like if we each lived out those charisms to the brim? Today on the podcast, Jill Simon of Pink Salt Riot and I are going to talk about why your charisms are important, how to discern the particular gifts God has given you, and how to give back to others through that gift. I loved this conversation, and I hope you enjoy it, too.
The Catholic Church doesn’t allow women to become priests. If that’s something that frustrates you as a Catholic, or as a woman, don’t walk away from the Church because of this fact. But also don’t ignore the fact that you’re frustrated.
When tough topics in the Catholic Church come up in conversation, it’s tempting to shy away from those conversations, or to brush it all under the rug, saying, “Well, that’s just how it is. We have to accept it because of faith.” Instead, let’s have those vulnerable discussions where we admit that we don’t understand where the Church is coming from sometimes, but we know that we can find answers and find community in those struggles.
If you’ve found truth, goodness, and beauty in the Church but still struggle with some of her teachings, you’re not alone. Today, we’re going to have a conversation about the all-male priesthood, and especially what that means for Catholic women. But I’m really excited to bring Johnna Wilford back on the podcast. She offers an incredibly unique perspective to the conversation and it was wonderful to hear her thoughts on the subject.
If you’re a Catholic mom who works, you’re not alone (even though it can sometimes feel like it!) In this episode, JoAnna Wahlund of The Catholic Working Mother talks about what the Church has to say about working mothers, finding peace when you don’t want to work and would rather stay home, living to the fullest when you do want to work, how to discern whether to work or not, and many other topics. This is a subject near and dear to my heart as I’m starting on this discernment process myself with the littlest Langr due in May. I know that I’ll be returning to this episode in a few months as I continue to discern, and I hope our conversation is helpful for you, as well!
Did anyone else take a quick peek at the calendar and realize that Advent starts soon, then promptly start to freak out? Surely I can’t be the only one.
Although it’s meant to be a season of preparing our hearts, minds, and homes for a little baby born in Bethlehem, Advent tends to end up being a season of stress instead of calm preparation. The holiday to-do list grows longer and longer by the day, and before we know it, we’ll be lighting that first purple candle.
Take a deep breath, friend. We’ve got this. If “Advent” is synonymous to “nervous” and “anxious,” I hope today’s conversation with Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, empowers you with ways to prepare and calm your heart for the upcoming liturgical season.
It’s easy to get distracted by this world and doubt that God REALLY loves us. Log onto Instagram or any of your social media accounts and you’ll probably be met with messages that you’re not enough. You’re told that you’re not pretty enough, smart enough, thin enough, sexy enough, rich enough, successful enough, and we don’t have enough friends.
In a world that tries to sell us all of these fleeting temporary things and make us hustle for our worth, we have to remember that we’re made for the eternal, and we’re held in existence by God’s incredible love. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about how God’s love for us uniquely as women is a message he’s been telling us from the beginning of time.
In today's episode I sit down and visit with Catholic author, blogger, and podcast Danielle Bean and we talk about how we as women are enough!
Afraid you don't know enough to share your faith? Cathy Duffy encourages women today to be courageous and share their faith. You don't have to know all the answers. One of the most beautiful things I took away from our conversation is that the biggest key to evangelization is listening rather than talking. I hope that this episode encourages you to share your faith with someone today!
It can be hard to find time in busy schedules to renew your faith and inspire your spirit. And, as busy as your life is, you’re probably used to being pulled this way and that, and having countless people depend on you. The good news is that you don’t have to wonder anymore if you’ll ever find a community of like-minded women. And you can stop the search for the perfect Scripture passages to pray through, and the wondering if you’ll ever find time to pray. All you’ll need is Blessed is She, a beautiful community of women, delivered to you inbox daily, every morning. MaryRuth Hackett, the director of operations for Blessed Is She, joins me today to talk about the founding days of Blessed Is She, the importance of community, and how to invest into friendships in your life as a Catholic woman. Blessed Is She has been such a gift to my life as a Catholic woman, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
“Do you need help with that?" “Go say thank you." “Wait a minute." “Eat your food." What if we took all of those statements that we may find ourselves repeating to our kids or kids we are blessed with in our lives as aunts, god moms, and grandmothers and applied them to ourselves and our life with God?
Lindsay Schlegel and I talk about phrases that we frequently find ourselves saying as parents and how our faith and our life can change when we imagine God saying those things to us, his little daughters. Living out our feminine genius as mothers, whether that’s spiritually or physically, can show us more about our own role as a daughter of God.
I loved thinking about these common phrases in a whole new light – so if you’re someone who finds herself repeating phrases over and over to littles in your life, this episode is for you! I hope you enjoy it.
Self-care is a concept that our culture has commercialized and misunderstood. But just what is a healthy, holy understanding of taking care of ourselves? This week, I sit down with Julia Hogan, MS, LCPC to talk about why it’s okay to start with you. She shares tips on how to assess your self-care routine, how to improve areas that are a little messy, and how to learn to love yourself.
If you’ve spent too much time scrolling through Instagram or any other form of social media and have fallen into the trap of comparing your life to the lives of other women, you’re not alone. And if you’ve fallen into that trap of comparison in real life too, you’re for sure not alone.
So what can we do about it? We know we have a comparison problem. How do we tackle it?
My guest today is Emily Hannon, and we’re going to spend this whole episode talking about how social media can be transformed into a bridge, how we can recognize the beauty of our own story, and how to compliment the women in our life and reject the lies of comparison.
Dear sister - the world tells you that as you age, you become less worthy. Your shoved in the corner once you hit the world's 'expiration date'. Don't believe that lie. The culture has hijacked beauty by trying to sell it back to us as if we didn't already own it. I can't wait to share with you tips from Lisa Mladinich (from WOMAN on the Shalom World TV network) on how we can dig even deeper into the feminine genius in the second half of life.
In this episode I sit down with Carolyn Shields, the founder of The Young Catholic Woman and a campus minister at Penn State. We talk about how college is both exciting and nerve-wracking and give tips and hints for friendship, relationships, and your prayer life! This is the episode I wish I would have heard my freshman year back in 2013, and I'm so excited to share it with you today.
In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Burns and we talk about the challenges and the beauty involved with being an introvert. We chat about when we first discovered we were introverts. The world may paint introversion is a bad light, but we're striving to break that stereotype and thrive with our introverted personality. Take a listen to learn how to dive deeper into your prayer life as an introvert, how to interact with others in a healthier way, and how to embrace silence.
In this episode, I visit with Haley Stewart. Haley, her husband Daniel, and their three littles moved down to Waco, Texas to spend a year working a farm. That experience radically changed how Haley viewed the word 'success' and opened her eyes up to what Pope Francis calls the 'throw-away culture'. She shares the story of moving to the farm and how we can be better stewards of the earth God has given us.
This episode, I visit with Laura Kelly Fanucci, the blogger behind ‘Mother Spirit.’ Laura has lost children to infant loss and miscarriage, and found that there weren’t many resources available for women experiencing pregnancy after a devastating loss. We talk about the spiritual side of pregnancy after loss and why this is a conversation that needs to happen more in the lives of women.
In this episode, I visit with Lisa Duffy. She experienced an unwanted divorce and has she went through the annulment process as a source of healing. She talks about what an annulment is (and what it isn't!) and talks us through the changes that Pope Francis introduced. I hope this episode helps clear up some myths about Catholic annulments and explains the squishy process of divorce and annulments.
In this episode, I sit down with Emily Ricci. Shes' the founder and president of Gloriam Marketing, a business she started just a few days before she got engaged. We talk about the nitty gritty of starting your own business, and how Emily balances her schedule to keep Christ at the center.
In this episode, I visit with Dr. Susan Muto about the importance of gratefulness in a consumer driven world. She reminds us that being grateful doesn't mean being like Pollyanna, but instead, it means diving into the way of saints and Christians mystics like Julian of Norwich, Therese of Lisieux, and Dorothy Day.
In this episode, I sit down with Colleen Duggan, who wrote the book 'Good Enough is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom'. We talk about how we don't have to have it all together as Catholic parents, how we can strive to sainthood as parents despite our messiness, and how to reject the lies that the culture throws at us about how we should parent.
In this episode, Sarah Swafford and I discuss how we’re all called to a life of virtue. We chat about how none of us have it together, and when we say we’re ‘fine’, we actually mean that we’re Freaked out, Insecure , Nervous, and Exhausted. We also visit about emotional virtue and what that looks like (regardless of where you’re at in life).
I was blessed with an opportunity to visit with Connie Poulos and chat about her experience with infertility as a Catholic woman. If you're a woman who experiences infertility, she wants you to know that you're not alone. You're His daughter.
In this episode, I visit with Paula D'Arcy. She's a retreat leader, former psychotherapist, and best-selling author. We discuss how her life is marked with sorrow - including the loss of her husband and daughter to a drunk driving accident forty years ago. Her story is a witness to hope and she speaks about how to navigate the complex stages of grief.
In this episode, I sit down and visit with Ginny Kochis from Not So Formulaic. We talk about Today on the podcast, Ginny Kochis from Not so Formulaic and I visit about her parenting journey and how she and her husband navigated decisions in their parenthood journey. She shares how finding out that her daughter was twice exceptional has impacted their lives and how important it is to find great community.
In this episode, I sit down with Mary Elizabeth Sperry to tackle the subject of de-cluttering. We all have that ONE closet that we dread looking at. Mary Elizabeth's latest book, "Making Room for God: Decluttering and the Spiritual Life" provides practical tips for how to clean out our junk drawers and examine our consciences all at the same time.
In this episode, I visit with Dr. Carrie Gress, a Catholic wife, mother, and best-selling author. We discuss her latest book, 'The Marian Option', and why Marian devotion is the answer to so many of the world's problems today. As a woman who studied history in college, I loved the depth of Dr. Carrie's research, and I think you will, too!
Joseph joins me as we discuss our first year of marriage. We answer all the questions you had for us, as well as tell the story of how we met. I laughed so much while listening to this episode - I hope you'll like it, too!
In this episode, I sit down with Liz Sams and Janine McGann, the women behind the film "Speaking to Sparrows". We talk about how we can reject the lie that we're not enough, find our identity in Christ, and discover ways to share our stories in safe and holy ways. You'll love these women and their amazing creativity!
Lizzy Dowd is a passionate young woman who is not afraid to ask deep questions and say what's on her heart. I got the chance to visit with her and talk about how she's breaking stereotypes surrounding gender, the Catholic faith, and the pro-life movement. You'll love her stories - and her laughter is contagious!
I sit down and talk with Kassie Manning, the co-creator of the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal. We talk about what to do if you find Mass boring, tools to help you dive deeper into the beauty of Catholicism, and how Every Sacred Sunday came to be!
I sit down with Amy Thomas and we talk about what it's like to parent saints. Both of us have lost littles through miscarriage and are battling the fear that comes after those losses. If you've lost babies through miscarriage, or know someone who is grieving about a miscarriage, this podcast episode is for you.
In this episode, I visit with Sonja Corbitt, the Bible Study Evangelista. We talk about her amazing conversion to the Catholic Church, and why more Catholics need to delve into Scripture. She gives great tips and practical ways to encounter Christ in His word.
In this episode, Johnna from Catholic Women Run joins me and we visit about her conversion to the Catholic faith, how she finds Christ in running, how to avoid making fitness an idol, and a special challenge she has for women during Advent!
In this episode, I visit with Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet about their latest book together, "The Friendship Project". We talk about saints, virtues, and they give practical tips about how to invest into the women in your lives.
In this episode, I interview Dain Finney, a single Catholic woman who works at Benedictine College. We visit about how Christ calls us to rest in His plan during the season of singleness, and how to rejoice with our friends who are in Godly relationships and not give into the temptation of jealously.
In this episode, I interview Kelly Nugent, who leads my women's bible study here in Kansas City. She has a passion for fashion and Jesus, and we discuss authenticity, modesty, and how to put Christ at the center of our lives. Get it, boo.
In this episode, I interview Maria Morera Johnson, author of "My Badass Book of Saints" and "Super Girls and Halos". We chat about how sainthood is not boring, and how the saints are amazing models of how to live a life of virtue.
In this episode, I interview Samantha Povlock, the founder of FemCatholic, a website dedicated to exploring the intersection of Catholicism and Feminism. We visit about her journey with feminism and how to explore our own femininity.
In this episode, I interview Katrina Even, a passionate woman who has a heart for women's ministry. We chat about how to foster intentional friendships with the women in our lives and how to reject the lie that friendships with women are full of catty sarcasm and backstabbing.
In this episode, I interview Bethany Swanson, a stay-at-home-wife who blogs over at Strengthen My Heart. We visit about her past addiction to masturbation, and how pornography and masturbation addictions are not just 'guys' issues'.
In this episode, I interview Sarah Burns, who I lovingly refer to as my adopted big sister. Since I met her two years ago, I've loved her book recommendations. We visit about the role books play in her life and her favorite book characters who live out the feminine genius.
In this episode, I interview Sarah Lundgren, a Roman Huskies Missionary at Northern Illinois University. She's been engaged since the Easter Vigil and we talk about how wedding planning is going - but more importantly, how to focus on preparing for the sacrament of marriage.
In this episode, I interview Kelsie Gartner, an incredibly authentic woman who talks about her experience with same sex attraction and her search for the truth.
In this episode, I interview Kaitlyn Simon, an amazingly vulnerable woman who talks about her struggles with depression and anxiety.
In this episode, I interview Breanna Elley, a Nebraska Fertility Practitioner who teaches Creighton Model Natural Family Planning. We visit about contraception, the pill, NFP, and why charting your cycle is the best thing you can do for self-care as a woman.
In this episode, I interview Mary Khadivi, a missionary with Saint Paul's Outreach. We discuss how the feminine genius impacts her mission work.
Music: "Golden Sunrise" by Josh Woodward From the Free Music Archive CC BY 3.0
In this episode, I interview Mary Mooradian, my mom, and ask her about spiritual motherhood and how she lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary life.
Music: "Golden Sunrise" by Josh Woodward From the Free Music Archive CC BY 3.0
In this first podcast, I talk about Saint John Paul II's "Letter to Women" and introduce the podcast series.
Music: "Golden Sunrise" by Josh Woodward From the Free Music Archive CC BY 3.0