In this week's episode, we look back over the past year and remember both the joyful and sorrowful moments in our lives. We discuss the importance of regularly bringing our attention to what God is doing in our lives and reflecting on the opportunities we have to deepen our surrender to God’s provision. Today, join us in reflecting on your recent faith journey to discover the beautiful ways God has been shaping your soul through your own joyful and sorrowful mysteries. Joyful - an area of deligh...
Sep 23, 2024•36 min•Season 15Ep. 1
In this bonus episode, Heather is joined by Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR live at the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) for a special Abiding Together and They that Hope podcast mashup. They reflect on their experiences at the NEC and share how they hope God will transform the lives of not only those in attendance, but also those at home. Heather and Fr. Dave also discuss finding Jesus in our daily lives and the importance of feasting on God instead of earthly things. This episode is a production of F...
Aug 05, 2024•43 min
In this week's episode, we conclude our book study on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. We chat about the resurrection, what it means to be restored and reconciled, and making space for childlike wonder. We hope you’ve enjoyed this book study with us and will see you again this Fall! Everyone’s One Thing - The “Abiding” Women’s Conference in Louisiana Journal Questions: Where do I need to ask God for mercy in my life right now? Where is my heart hard? How can I allow time and space for play...
Jul 29, 2024•34 min•Season 14Ep. 22
In this week's episode, we continue with our book study on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (chapters 9-12). We discuss themes like the false narrative of the enemy, the dynamic of stoney hearts that God wants to restore and turn to flesh, true living of the paschal mystery, and the power of God’s resurrection power in our lives. We hope you enjoy this episode! Heather’s One Thing - The Abiding Together small groups! We love you! Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Fire Within - Fr. Thomas Dubay Mi...
Jul 22, 2024•32 min•Season 14Ep. 21
In this week's episode, we continue our book study on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Chapters 5-8. We reflect deeper on the story and how it relates to our spiritual lives. Themes such as the battle of light and darkness, jealousy and making others feel small, the power of the name of Jesus, surrender vs control and how the story of Narnia is an echo of what our hearts long for in Christ. Heather’s One Thing - Evangelization Ministry of Catholic Christian Outreach Sister Miriam’s One Thin...
Jul 15, 2024•36 min•Season 14Ep. 20
In this week's episode, we begin our book study on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chapters 1-4). We dive into the themes of this chapter such as innocence, faith, temptation, sin, and shared adventure. We hope you will continue to join us on the journey into this wonderful story, which we hope will help us reflect more deeply on our relationship with Christ, our own story of faith and redemption, and the invitation to adventure with God. Heather’s One Thing - Her Into the Deep Playlist S...
Jul 08, 2024•40 min•Season 14Ep. 19
In this week's episode, we conclude season 14 by reflecting on what we have learned in our lives this past season. We chat about surrendering control and allowing the Holy Spirit to move in power, the need to be grateful for what we already have and the importance of being present in the present moment. We also share personal experiences of transformation and deep intimacy we have found with God, even in the midst of suffering. Thank you for an amazing season, we are truly honored to be on this ...
May 27, 2024•42 min•Season 14Ep. 18
In this week's episode, we welcome Sarah Kroger, a GMA Dove Award®-nominated artist, songwriter, and worship leader to the podcast to speak into the beauty of worship. Sarah shares her story of becoming a worship leader, how she creates music based on the joys and sorrows from her personal life, and her passion for collaborating with others and the Holy Spirit. We also chat about spiritual dryness, cultivating peace and persisting in faith while in seasons of darkness, and the fruit that comes a...
May 20, 2024•51 min•Season 14Ep. 17
In this week's episode, we welcome Brya Hanan, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, to share how we can learn to engage as an adult with the young parts of ourselves. Brya shares her story, the trauma she experienced as a child, and how it affected not only her self-perception but also how she related to others. She reflects on her healing journey and shares practical ways you can begin your healing journey. We also chat about how our unmet needs as a child can affect us as adults, how to h...
May 13, 2024•49 min•Season 14Ep. 16
In this week's episode, we welcome Dr. Mary Healy, author, and professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, to talk about living life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Healy shares how her life was radically transformed through an encounter with the Holy Spirit and reflects on the beauty of allowing the Holy Spirit to work in her life. We also chat practically about how to live life day by day in the power of the Holy Spirit, how to learn to hear and respond to the voice of the Holy...
May 06, 2024•50 min•Season 14Ep. 15
In this week's episode, we continue our conversation about leading with our God-given authority, particularly in our spiritual or biological motherhood. We talk about how God has blessed us with the Sacraments, Scripture, and prayer to fight spiritual battles. We reflect on the importance of rooting our identity in Christ, how Our Lady modeled feminine leadership, and practical ways to do spiritual warfare. We also discuss generational bondage, repairing trust, and the power of an apology given ...
Apr 29, 2024•44 min•Season 14Ep. 14
In this week's episode, we reflect on leading with our God-given authority rather than worldly influence. We discuss the importance of remembering our identity in Christ and how true authority is a display of intimacy that has been rooted in a real tangible love. We share the ways we may have been wounded by authority figures in our past, why these wounds can distort our perception of authority, and how to heal from these wounds so that we can lead others into the light of Christ. Heather’s One ...
Apr 22, 2024•34 min•Season 14Ep. 13
In this week's episode, we reflect on the themes of resurrection, grief, and hope in Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil homily . We chat about the sadness of unfulfilled dreams and the tender places in our hearts where we are afraid to hope and want to stay in the tomb. We also talk about the anxieties and worries that can come with trying to figure things out on our own and the importance of surrendering our plans to God. Just like Christ, we are called to walk through the sufferings of this life with ...
Apr 15, 2024•32 min•Season 14Ep. 12
In this week's episode, we conclude our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and discuss the theme of “focus”. We chat about our natural temptation to focus on our woundedness, why we should take action and invite Jesus into these places, and how our wounds can be transformed into signs of the resurrection power of Christ. We also talk about the crosses we bear and the importance of recognizing the little resurrections in our life. Friends, thank you for journeying with us this Lenten se...
Mar 25, 2024•26 min•Season 14Ep. 11
In this week's episode, we continue our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and focus on how life is a continual process of refinement and how true learning comes through the healing found in suffering and communion. We also talk about the feelings of shame that accompany situations where we fall short, the importance of recognizing our limitations in humility, and how God desires to redeem our deepest wounds to help us grow in communion and love. Heather’s One Thing - Sarah Kroger’s ne...
Mar 18, 2024•27 min•Season 14Ep. 10
In this week's episode, we continue our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and focus on the theme of “filling up the sufferings of Christ”. We reflect on the connection between repentance and love, recognizing how they complement each other, and the beauty of repentance as an intimate act of drawing nearer to God. We share our own struggles during this Lenten season, how others have helped keep us accountable, and the importance of helping others grow in holiness. Lastly, we chat about...
Mar 11, 2024•30 min•Season 14Ep. 9
In this week's episode, we continue our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and focus on the theme of the right kind of zeal. We chat about how we may be feeling tired and tempted to relax our Lenten penances and discuss the importance of taking time to reflect on why we felt called to take on a specific sacrifice and then recommitting ourselves with zeal to carry it out. We also talk about the joys of living in covenant with the Lord, the heartache we should experience when our hearts ...
Mar 04, 2024•27 min•Season 14Ep. 8
In this week's episode, we continue our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and focus on the theme of being in conversation with Jesus. We reflect on the importance of reserving space for dialogue with God, surrendering to Him our own plans and desires, and allowing Him to love us in our poverty. The process of dying to self is always accompanied with the hope in the promise of resurrection and new life that Jesus offers. Heather’s One Thing - In thanksgiving for Deacon Bob and Fr Dave ...
Feb 26, 2024•30 min•Season 14Ep. 7
In this week's episode, we continue our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and focus on the theme of true self-denial. We reflect on the importance of recognizing our need for God’s love and allowing ourselves to be transformed by His grace. We also share personal experiences and insights on repentance, amendment, and trusting in God’s plan especially when the desires of our heart are not being fulfilled. We end by discussing the joys that can come from Lent when approached with a tend...
Feb 19, 2024•32 min•Season 14Ep. 6
In this week's episode, we begin our seven week Lenten study of the book “A Time of Renewal” by Mother Mary Francis P.C.C. In this episode we cover the introduction and the sections on the first four days of Lent. We discuss how Lent is an opportunity for us to grow in intimacy with God and how viewing fasting as a time of renewal, not suffering, can help us encounter a deeper transformation. We also reflect on our ability to help others grow in holiness, why Lent is the Springtime of the liturg...
Feb 12, 2024•35 min•Season 14Ep. 5
In this week's episode, we welcome Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR as our guest to dive deep into what it means to be in relationship with God as Father. Together we chat about how our earthly fathers both positively and negatively impact our relationship with God the Father and how to begin to receive the love of God the Father. We also share how our relationship with God the Father has changed through the loss of earthly fathers. Check out Fr. Dave’s new (free!) video series entitled My father’s Father ...
Feb 05, 2024•46 min•Season 14Ep. 4
In this week's episode, we discuss the relationship between solitude and community and how no matter if we are introverted or extroverted, we need both in order to live rightly ordered lives. We reflect on how solitude and community has changed throughout the different seasons of our lives and the importance of being open to these changes so we can receive the blessings God desires to give us. When we let our cups be filled by God through authentic solitude, we are able to grow, and therefore bu...
Jan 29, 2024•34 min•Season 14Ep. 3
In this week's episode, we reflect on the role both joy and sorrow simultaneously play in our lives. We chat about how pressing into grief allows us to more fully experience joy, and how when we try to numb ourselves to the sorrow we also numb ourselves to the experience of joy. We also talk about the importance of naming disappointments, intentionally maturing in our faith, and what we have personally learned while grieving the loss of a parent. When we learn to suffer well and meet God in the ...
Jan 22, 2024•41 min•Season 14Ep. 2
This episode continues our annual tradition of sharing our Word of the Year! Each year, we ask God to give us a theme to focus on for the new year and invite you to do the same. After personal prayer and reflection, we share what our words for 2024 mean to us and chat about how our words from last year have impacted our lives. At the beginning of the episode, we also share an announcement about this year’s Lenten book study. We are excited to be back and look forward to seeing what this season w...
Jan 15, 2024•37 min•Season 14Ep. 1
Merry Christmas, friends! In this episode, we conclude our four part Advent series on the book The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. Today, we focus on part four and discuss the sections on Our Lady Seeking, Our Seeking, The Way, and The Assumption. We reflect on the beautiful reality that when Mary looks at us, she sees her Son and how we are also called to not only become aware of Christ’s presence within ourselves but also to seek His presence within those around us. In order to do this, we ...
Dec 25, 2023•33 min•Season 13Ep. 14
In this episode, we continue with part three of our four part Advent series on the book “The Reed of God” by Caryll Houselander. Today, we focus on part three and discuss the sections on the Lost Child, Idols, and the Last Confession. We chat about how when we lose sight of Jesus, we are called to imitate Mary and seek until He is found. By persevering on this journey and staying strong in the face of distraction or complacency, we cultivate a deeper union with Him. God Himself is calling us to ...
Dec 18, 2023•36 min•Season 13Ep. 13
In this episode, we continue with part two of our four part Advent series on the book The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. Today, we focus on part two and discuss the sections on Et Homo Factus Est, the Fugue, Wooden Bambino, and Et Verbum Caro Factum Est. We chat about our desire as women to protect our children, but how this desire can easily morph into control, manipulation, or possession. We reflect on how Our Lady exemplifies perfect surrender and trust as she continually releases her Son...
Dec 11, 2023•31 min•Season 13Ep. 12
In this episode, we begin our four part Advent series on the book The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. Today, we focus on part one and discuss the sections on Emptiness, Fiat, Advent, and Pastoral. We reflect on the gift of virginity, how our own life experiences can alter how we view this gift, and how Our Lady perfectly models the truth about the fruitfulness of giving our full selves in love. We also chat about the beauty of accepting our littleness and how only through the act of emptying ...
Dec 04, 2023•39 min•Season 13Ep. 11
In this episode, for the first time ever, we answer questions submitted by our listeners! We answer questions like: How have we healed in our identity as mother, daughter, sister, and bride? How to handle the pressure of people relying on you for spiritual improvement? How to cultivate a life that reflects beauty? How to heal from childhood sexual trauma? How has our faith evolved over the different seasons in our lives? The difference between being too nice and choosing mercy? And more! Heather...
Nov 27, 2023•44 min•Season 13Ep. 10
In this episode, we discuss the second half of the Varanasi Letter written by St. Teresa of Calcutta to her MC Community. We reflect on how Jesus is calling us to encounter Him daily and what we can do to open our hearts to deeper communion. We also chat about how our Blessed Mother is a perfect example of how to comfort the Sacred Heart of Jesus in love and how to remain open and vulnerable even with a heart pierced with sorrow. Heather’s One Thing - Panel with Divine Renovation and Alpha Catho...
Nov 20, 2023•30 min•Season 13Ep. 9
