"I’d encourage you to just enjoy messaging and talking to them and be grateful for every interaction- it’s good to be interacting with other brothers and sisters in Christ. And only good things will come from it if you approach it that way." Watch on YouTube here! Are you considering online dating but are a bit weirded out by it? John and I were too, but we ended up finding each other through a dating site. We’re sharing our tips on how to get the most out of your online dating experience, stay ...
Jun 02, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 43
“You don’t have to ‘pray.’ Just sit and let Jesus love your heart.” WATCH SHOW ON YOUTUBE Apologies, tears, unfiltered opinions...all here. After all, we were on a reality show together....;) It's the FIRST EVER cast reunion of "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns!" Christie Porter (Young,) Claire Halbur, Eseni Ellington, Francesca DiPaola, and Stacey Sumereau (Jackson) have had a lot going on in the last five years. Collectively there have been 2 marriages and 4 babies, entering and leaving the conve...
May 19, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 42
"What if fear is along for the ride, but doesn't get to sit in the driver's seat?" CALLED AND CAFFEINATED IS NOW ALSO ON YOUTUBE! WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/tyEc3PVnUoI The coronavirus pandemic is hugely limiting our access to in-person events, but ministry is still happening. Today I'm having coffee with three other innovators who heard the Holy Spirit's call as the world seemed to fall apart in March, and responded with creativity. God works fast in hard times, and we're sharing what that ca...
May 05, 2020•44 min•Ep. 41
Nothing is normal, including this Spirit-led Conference I'm launching Friday 3.20.2020. BE NOT AFRAID is a wild idea Holy Spirit put in my head last Sunday (yes, that's 3 days ago,) to launch this Friday (yes that's FIVE DAYS to launch an entire conference!!!!) You can get all signed up here. Today is Wednesday, 3 days after I started reaching out to speakers and 2 days after marketing began. 3,102 people registered for the conference. Over 30 speakers presenting. WHAT IS HAPPENING Holy Spirit? ...
Mar 19, 2020•11 min•Ep. 40
“If he’s calling us to something, we don’t have to worry about what we lose in answering that call.” A working theory of mine about discernment is that it leads you to what you really want. Yup, you read that right. You get what YOU really want. I believe this because I believe that when God designed us, he planted desire for his plans deep in our hearts. Our deepest desire and his desire are the same thing . Discernment is the process of sorting through all the lesser, fluffy layers and discove...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 39
"The woman at the well and Jesus- what did they have in common? A love of cold water on a hot day. Our Lord, in his very tender willingness to come to our level, finds what we have in common and that’s the beginning of the conversation." I have so many questions about being a Catholic in the USA today. What should guide our decision when choosing a movie? How do we evangelize and communicate effectively when our culture is losing the ability to dialogue? How do we lovingly challenge someone whos...
Feb 25, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 38
“God’s primary calls come to you through a combination of opportunity, interest, and talent.” Have you ever felt as though you're too young, too old, unqualified, overqualified, or in some other way inadequate? The devil LOVES to make us believe that we have to be something other than we are to successfully start tackling God's callings. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God uses every single part of our story for the glory of His Kingdom. Owning your story means accepting your individual...
Feb 11, 2020•58 min•Ep. 37
"Don't persevere in something that's wrong just for the sake of looking like you know where you're going." What's the physical aspect of a Catholic marriage really like? What does that woman you want to ask out really want? Should you go on a date with that guy you only like as a friend? Paul J. Kim is one of the most sought-after speakers today and I had the privilege of sitting down with him to unpack all those things single people need to hear that few people will say. We also dove into Paul'...
Jan 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 36
“We fear rejection, but living in the mediocrity of being used is painful in a different way because of its emptiness. The Lord wants to free us from that so we can live in authentic joy.” Walking down a busy New York City street in a flowing blue and white habit and veil would force you to really think about your, your motivations, and what you stand for, eh? I got to sit down in person with Sr. Bethany Madonna for coffee at the National Catholic Youth Conferences where we were both blessed to ...
Jan 14, 2020•44 min•Ep. 35
“There is such a great joy of missing out. When we say no to something, we’re saying yes to something greater.” Funny story: I recorded this episode two days before posting my foot-washing post that went viral (over 17.6 million Facebook views so far!) After recording this episode I took a project I wanted to do to prayer and discerned that I'm called to prioritize my marriage, first and foremost. And then 2 days later God used my surrender to reach incredible numbers of people! She's young but ...
Dec 31, 2019•51 min•Ep. 34
“When you truly know yourself, then you truly don’t care what anyone thinks of you.” This episode was originally supposed to be called “How Should You Spend Your Teen Years?” However, my conversation with Mike Tenney covers issues that extend far beyond our teen years for many of us: insecurity, comparison, self-image problems, fear of commitment, pressure to perform/pick a public image, negotiating attraction and dating, and building your interior castle. Mike is a dynamic speaker and high scho...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 33
“I might not know the meaning of this moment, but if I am convinced that there is a God who loves me then I know that this moment has meaning.” The man, the myth, the legend: It's Fr. Mike Schmitz!!! If you’ve ever wanted to know his coffee order, you’ll hear ALL the details right down to his favorite roast here. Also, he shares that he might be Superman. He just might be. And you’ll also hear a fun story from my Broadway National Tour about how the Mayor of Munchkinland got arrested trying to c...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 32
"It’s easy to be hyper-focused on the intention, and to be less focused on what God may want in our life. So we need to make that the right priority in our prayers." How often have you asked "God, just show me what you want me to do and I'll do it?" Or said, "God, WHY WON'T YOU SHOW ME?" I know I said that to God daily during my discernment of religious life. Today's guest, Annie Deddens, is the founder of Pray More Novenas, a website dedicated to helping Catholics finish their 9 day prayers for...
Nov 19, 2019•46 min•Ep. 31
Every day, every moment, is a building block of God’s plan. Nothing is ever wasted. It's Called and Caffeinated's first father-daughter interview! Ever have a dream but think, nobody's going to pay me to do that? Ever wonder how to turn the thing you love to do into the thing you get to do all the time? Want to inspire others with your passion for your Faith? You might tell yourself the market is already saturated with creatives, only the very lucky make it, you've got nothing original to offer,...
Nov 06, 2019•48 min•Ep. 30
Orthodoxy. Pro-life. Mass on Sunday. Rosary. Doing allllll the Catholic things. Not enough. “The Lord really wants me to make him not just a part of my life, but the center.” In school we learn in a classroom, taking notes and regurgitating information on tests. But that’s not how people learned in Jesus’s day. Apprentices learned by living with their teacher- imitating not just what he did but how and who he was . The legendary Dr. Edward Sri, author of Into His Likeness (and so much more) desc...
Oct 23, 2019•28 min•Ep. 29
“I am going to praise the Lord because of who he is and what he has promised. And when I do it repeatedly, it brings life into me and changes my heart.” Ladies, if you struggle to believe that you have what it takes, if you are jealous of other women, if you’re angry with God because your life isn’t working out the way you wanted, if you struggle to trust God, if you feel caught between following your heart and following your dreams: This episode is for you. Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Leah, Rachel, Miri...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 28
"If God alone isn't enough, then nothing will be ever." I don't know about you, but my 20's were HARD- and a lot of that was because of conflicting advice. I was told you don't need to take responsibility or start a family until you're 30. Others said focus on your career. I got FOMO watching my friends in their early 20's who were already married with kids and thought, "what's wrong with me? Have I missed the boat?" Insecurity, confusion, and a general feeling of starring in Hot Mess: The Music...
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 27
“For many years I was scared to share my talents. And it led me to a life of correctness that was not Catholic…the greatest saints were not afraid to live outside of the bubble!” Fr. Leo is as spicy as the jalapenos he cooks with, and he is serving up lots of sass and loving reality checks in this episode. One of the things I so admire about Fr. Leo, who break dances and karate chops FIVE boards in his presentations for the glory of God, is his incorporation of his many talents into his callings...
Sep 10, 2019•52 min•Ep. 26
“I spend serious time in silent prayer every day and then I live my life. And I trust that either God is going to form my heart to desire what he desires, or he’s going to step in and stop me before I do something stupid, or he’s going to fix it afterward.” The self-proclaimed “hobo for Christ” is here and she’s BRILLIANT and hilarious. Because of living out of her car for the last seven years, relying on the mercy of others to take her into their home, and preaching the gospel wherever possible...
Aug 27, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 25
“I have (teenage) girls who are former gang members but who are down for some karaoke and ice cream- and they want to do it, because they’ve never had that before.” Imagine you have been systematically abused and neglected at home, and the court system says you cannot go home. Instead, you have to live in an unfamiliar environment with strangers. Oh, and you’re also fifteen, with a teenagers’ limited life perspective and hormones like craaaazay. What if that was your life? Unfortunately, members...
Aug 13, 2019•59 min•Ep. 24
“If our whole will is to do God’s will, then God’s will is our will. God is not here to crush my will; he’s here to vivify it. Sin shrinks it, and sin dulls it. Sin makes our souls a very dull gray, but sanctity gives it a vibrancy and color.” I have one job. That's not true right? As a mom I have MANY MANY jobs. Everyone I know is busy as heck. The questions are overwhelming: Where do I work? Whom do I marry? Where should I move? How many kids should I have? Which religious order do I join? If ...
Aug 01, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 23
“It gives God glory to answer our prayers. So he set all this up for a purpose.” What if you could make every decision not just well, but PERFECTLY? Well folks, it’s actually been done and cracking open scripture tells us how to do it. The Blessed Mother discerned perfectly, and when we delve into scripture with Joshua Mazrin you will love his insight on how to pray and hear God’s voice like the Blessed Mother did. And if ya love Catholic nerdiness like I do (ever heard the term "quasi-incarnatu...
Jul 16, 2019•58 min•Ep. 22
“It’s that balance of trying to put things down and simplify and silence the world so that I can pay attention to these beautiful people in front of me.” “Live every day as if it’s your last.” We’ve all heard this platitude, and it probably sounds stale. But what if you literally died and then got to come back? Discerning your choices now would probably be a lot simpler in light of your death. What would you do differently? What would you let go of? My guest Melanie Pritchard quite LITERALLY die...
Jul 02, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 21
“It’s a mix of being authentic but also sharing Jesus. If I were just trying to be what people want me to be on the internet I’d lose it! I’m never going to stop being myself.” Social media is a brand new, evolving frontier in our world. I have real-life friendships that started on social media. I love using it to network and gain ideas and stay connected with family. However, we all know that dark side too: bullied teens taking their own lives, isolation, and comparing our messiness to everyone...
Jun 18, 2019•54 min•Ep. 20
“In the end, it all comes down to one question: How well did I love in God’s name? And that’s where surrender comes in: in those little, teeny tiny, quiet yeses.” Life is unpredictable and we often don’t choose the crosses that we carry. Sometimes the things we so desperately want to be fixed, aren’t. Surrender is the most important part of discernment, but how do we surrender when we are scared of being hurt? Mary Lenaburg, author of Be Brave in the Scared , is here to offer empowering insight ...
Jun 04, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 19
Show Notes “When little things are hard, it’s not just about this moment. This is my training to be able to do a big thing later.” Do you feel like you’re sliding through your days without enough intentionality? Do the little moments of frustration make you lose your peace and feel crazy? If you’re a parent, do you feel like your parenting style is best described as: “kind of a mess”? *raises hand* If you’re a regular listener, you know that my mission on this podcast is to increase awareness of...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 18
Show Notes “I was like, ‘God, I don’t want to be a priest,’ but I knew to do good discernment I had to be open to everything. I had to be open to being a priest; I had to be open to being married; I had to be open to whatever God wants for me.” Every good Catholic boy hears from his parish priest and the Church ladies, “I think God is calling you to a priest.” Run away! Run away! Resist! There are instances in life for all of us where it may feel like God is calling us to something we don’t want...
May 14, 2019•47 min•Ep. 17
Show Notes “He said: ‘I came so that you can have life to the full.’ He didn’t say: ‘I came so you can be stressed to the max, or I came so that you can be stretched totally thin.’” How is a married couple called to be the person of Jesus in the world? If you’re single, do you worry that the sacrifices that come with marriage will be too hard? If you’re married, do you ever feel like you have to give too much of yourself? Does your marriage feel less joyful than you think it should? You’re going...
May 07, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 16
“I would rather not get married than marry into a bad, compromising situation just for the sake of being married because I guarantee it would be more miserable. And that’s so hard to see when you’re single!” Do you find yourself wondering, “Is this a deal-breaker in our relationship?” Do you fear that, if you break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you’ll never find anyone else? Have the rose-colored glasses come off and you realize he or she is not the perfect mate you thought they were? Do...
Apr 23, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 15
“Jesus was a deacon, and also a consecrated single person! Most people don’t think about that- talk about imitation of Christ!” *dies laughing* Discovering you’re not called to a vocation you're attached to can feel like God is breaking up with you. Deacon Gerard Anthony knows- he thought he was called to marriage, then religious life, then priesthood… until he realized his calling was none of those. He is called to what I believe are the two most misunderstood calls in Catholicism: the Diaconat...
Apr 09, 2019•59 min•Ep. 14
