Draw Near

For a limited time, as a "Christmas gift" to our listeners, please enjoy our full discussion from our I Believe in Love book study on the fourth chapter of this life changing book. Here we discuss what it means to abandon one's self to Jesus; to live the prayer, "Thy will be done." Shorter than a typical episode of Draw Near, but also a bit more personal at times, we hope and pray, but also believ...

For a limited time, as a "Christmas gift" to our listeners, please enjoy our full discussion from our I Believe in Love book study on the third chapter of this life changing book. Here we discuss the danger in becoming too dependent upon ourselves, how our weaknesses are actually opportunities to encounter the Lord and why we must "become like little children." Shorter than a typical episode of Dr...

For a limited time, as a "Christmas gift" to our listeners, please enjoy our full discussion from our I Believe in Love book study on the first chapter of this life changing book. Here we discuss times in our lives when we have needed his mercy, when we have felt alone and afraid and like God is far from us, and what it means to have a "living faith." Shorter than a typical episode of Draw Near, b...

For a limited time, as a "Christmas gift" to our listeners, please enjoy our full discussion from our I Believe in Love book study on the first chapter of this life changing book. Here we discuss our relationship with Christ, whether or not we see ourselves as a "joy" for Jesus, and what it means to "abide" in Him. Shorter than a typical episode of Draw Near, but also a bit more personal at times,...

Following up on the surprising popularity of our reading of "Yes, Virginia There is A Santa Claus" last year, we decided to share some more Christmas stories this holiday season. We both will be inviting listeners into our homes and into our families as we celebrate this year by sharing some of our favorite Christmas stories. We invite you (and your family) to enjoy... in the words of Linus from t...

Following up on the surprising popularity of our reading of "Yes, Virginia There is A Santa Claus" last year, we decided to share some more Christmas stories this holiday season. We both will be inviting listeners into our homes and into our families as we celebrate this year by sharing some of our favorite Christmas stories. We invite you (and your family) to enjoy this timeless story that Fred r...

In the deeply personal first half of this episode, Fred and Kara reflect on their relationship with Mary, and how that has changed and grown over the years. Fred shares more of his testimony about converting to Catholicism and the role Mary played in that process. He also reflects on issues such as identity, childhood trauma, mistrust, and difficult family experiences and how these can effect our...

In this BONUS episode of Draw Near, Fred is joined by Catholic convert, speaker, and creator of Lectio the Liturgy, Julie Storr. They talk about being a convert, the purpose and meaning of the Liturgy, hearing God's voice and how we can prepare our hearts and minds more fruitfully for Mass. Finally, we close with Julie's reflection for this first Sunday of Advent.

In our walk with the Lord, we can be tempted to take pride in what we see as "our own accomplishments." We may not realize it or admit it, but it is easy to succumb to. We can also give into discouragement when we believe ourselves to not be living up to our own standards (or the standards of others). Our "I Believe in Love" book study launches November 29, 2022 on Suscipe.co. We thought it would...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we have found ourselves reflecting a lot on gratitude and the Lord's faithfulness. It's always good to take some time and reflect on what we have to be thankful for. Because we enjoy sharing our own lives with our listeners, we thought we would discuss those things that we are most thankful for this Thanksgiving. We hope this will be a blessing to you this y...

Does God seem distant, silent or nowhere to be found? Are the storms raging and you feel left out at sea? Our "I Believe in Love" book study launches November 29, 2022 on Suscipe.co. We thought it would be great to offer another preview of some of the discussions! Please enjoy this clip from Chapter 2, where we discuss how, HE STILL HAS YOU! You will not sink! Want to join the study? You can purch...

In this episode, we are joined by our good friend, Fr Patrick Behm. We ask him a number of questions we have received from listeners. In particular, Fr Behm spends some time carefully walking through the Church's teaching on the priesthood, and why women cannot be ordained. He also makes the case for why Jesus clearly was not, and cannot be, sexist. Additionally we talk being a godparent, crematio...

Our "I Believe in Love" book study launches November 29, 2022 on Suscipe.co. We thought it would be great to offer a preview of some of the discussions! Please enjoy this clip from Chapter 1. Want to join the study? You can purchase I Believe in Love here! Sign up to join the book study and/or learn more about us by visiting our home page. Join the Draw Near Community Space on Suscipe.co Click her...

"They never told you in marriage preparation that some days, you won't like each other very much." Continuing our series on marriage and family life, Kara is joined by speaker, musician, podcaster, wife and mom, Noelle Garcia! Sharing from the heart and the "realness" of daily life as Catholic wives and moms, Kara and Noelle discuss the hardest and the greatest things about marriage and motherhood...

In this episode, we share some exciting news and rejoice in being back in the studio together for the first time since May! Reflecting on leading a time of music and prayer this past summer, we discuss one of our favorite songs, "Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury. Though not a new song, it is a phrase that has been debated. Is God's love reckless? What does that even mean? Does the phrase "reckless lo...

The ladies had to get their 2 cents in on this family series! If you enjoyed the husband/dad episodes, you'll love this one more. Tune in to hear Kara chat with her good friend (and Fred's wife) Krystal Shellabarger about marriage and motherhood. "We basically sat down with wine and recorded things we talk about all the time! We chat about being a wife, and the good, the difficult, and the proud m...

Becoming a father, and the reality of being a father in the day to days of life can be both stressful, terrifying and joyfully rewarding all at once! Phillip Grothus joins us once again for an authentic, reflective, but lighthearted look at being a dad. Sharing both the highs and the lows, Fred and Phillip share from their own experience, how their relationship with Christ and the faith they profe...

Kara is back in this episode!!! We are continuing the series on family life, and joined by none other than Kara's husband Beej, as well as our friend Taylor Schroll. In this episode three dads share from their own experience and offer some perspective on the struggles and the joys of being a father. Complete with a few sports analogies, whiskey sipping, and Kara poking fun (in love of course), we...

Kara is back in this episode!!! With a reflection on the Our Father as it appears in the Gospel of Luke. Click to Donate to become a supporter/patron! Join the community by following the Draw Near Facebook page . Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near " booking page ." Like our podcast? Hit that “subscribe” button AND the notification button/bell to know when new episodes are pos...

Here is a short heartfelt preview of what you have to look forward to in our next episode in a series on marriage and family life. We are joined once again by, Phillip Grothus (and others). Topic: Fatherhood. Enjoy! Click to Donate to become a supporter/patron! Join the community by following the Draw Near Facebook page . Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near " booking page ." L...

So bad, they are good. In the midst of recording several episodes on marriage and family life, we thought it would be fun to provide listeners with some behind the scenes bonus content. Enjoy! Click to Donate to become a supporter/patron! Join the community by following the Draw Near Facebook page . Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near " booking page ." Like our podcast? Hit th...

So bad, they are good. In the midst of recording several episodes on marriage and family life, we thought it would be fun to provide listeners with some behind the scenes bonus content. Enjoy! Click to Donate to become a supporter/patron! Join the community by following the Draw Near Facebook page . Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near " booking page ." Like our podcast? Hit th...

Beginning a series on marriage and family life, Fred is joined by friend and co-host of the Forte Catholic Podcast, Taylor Schroll for a fun and lighthearted discussion on marriage. What have they learned? What advice would they give themselves on their wedding day? How much more do they still need to grow? Why does Fred insist on mentioning Cobra Kai in every episode of Draw Near? Find out in thi...

Beginning a series on marriage and family life, Fred is joined by Draw Near listener and fellow Cobra Kai super fan, Phillip Grothus for a discussion on marriage. What have they learned? What advice would they give themselves on their wedding day? How much more do they still need to grow? Find out in this episode! *What are some resources we recommend? Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving...

Exciting news! Major life changes! And the future of Draw Near. All these are discussed in this episode. We also take a few moments to consider the problems with the way we typically say goodbye and the need to encourage one another. Why should we express gratitude and not take for granted that those closest to us know how much we love and care for them. Mentioned in this episode: Hebrews 10:24-25...