Girlfriends (A Podcast for Catholic Women)

Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

How can we grow closer to God every day? I think sometimes we take the ideas of holiness and sainthood and put them up high on an unattainable shelf in our minds. But God calls you to be holy! While he does call you to grow in big ways sometimes, he usually calls you to grow in small ways, in opportunities he sends your way every day. Here are some ways that I have been working on everyday holines...

Do you make prayer excuses? Don’t lie. We all come up with creative ways to avoid doing what we know we should do—pray! In this week’s show, I share some ways to respond to ourselves when we are tempted to make up excuses for why we aren’t praying more. The excuses we cover: 1) I don’t have time. 2) I will do it later. 3) I get distracted. 4) My family is almost never all home at once. 5) I don’t...

Summer is a time set apart, and so I see … opportunity! To set a goal! To try something new! This week, I’m sharing some ideas I think you should consider adding to your list of goals this summer. 1) Learn something 2) Add to your spiritual life 3) Go outside every day 4) Take a trip 5) Try something new What is going on your bucket list this summer? I would love to hear from you about what goals...

What a fun conversation we had with Heather Anderson Renshaw, wife, mom, writer, speaker, and upcoming author of Death By Minivan! With humor and grace, Heather shares about embracing her vocation as a mom, “growing up” in her marriage, and how she juggles family life with her work as a writer. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe To hear more, visit da...

Do you misuse social media? I think we all should pause regularly to assess our habits and discern better use of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, or whatever other social media website or app we’re using. I think there are some things we should never do: 1) Don’t “hate follow” people. Are you following certain people for bad reasons? Be honest! Cut it out! 2) Don’t compare. We al...

Our topic this week is conflict in marriage. How can we handle the inevitable disagreements that come in our married relationships with maturity and grace? I share some ideas for what I consider “fighting fair” but I want to hear yours too! I answer listener Bridget’s recent question on this topic with the following ideas: 1) No name calling 2) Check in with them about what they are saying 3) No u...

This week we are talking about the importance of simplicity—in all areas of your life, from spirituality to homemaking and hospitality. How can you live a simpler life and finally find peace in all that you do? Rachel has a new book coming out on this very topic in the fall, and you will be inspired by all that she has to share. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.c...

There has been a lot of conversation recently about finding out your gifts, and I have been hearing from women who are seeking to know what their gifts are. They particularly want to know how God wants them to use their gifts in their lives. How do we do that? First of all, I think it’s important that we have these conversations in light of the idea of “vocation,” which is a counter-cultural conce...

Listener Jennifer emails a question this week: How do you handle changing friendships? How do you navigate the need for a friendship to end, if a relationship becomes a negative influence in your life and motherhood? We discuss the importance of evaluating your friendships and of seeking new friends if you are currently feeling alone. I encourage every woman to screen her influences, as the people...

In this week’s show, I share a wonderful conversation I had recently with Mary Haseltine, a wife, mom, doula, childbirth educator, and author of Made for This: The Catholic Mom’s Guide to Birth. Mary shares beautifully about how she came to write this book, the ways in which women can connect through their experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, and what she wishes more women knew about the birth...

Does it sound like a bad idea to "fake it till you make it?" This week I'm sharing some ways that I think "faking it" actually can be an effective strategy for getting through tough times and challenges in your life. Some of the areas I think the idea of "faking it till you make it" can be helpful are as follows: 1) Marriage We all suffer through tough times inside of marriage. These are the times...

This week we are discussing how we can all be better witnesses to our faith, and we offer some ideas for ways to improve: 1) Say something. Don't be afraid to speak the truth and to share your thoughts, even when they are in opposition to others. 2) Say nothing. Sometimes, someone who does not share our faith does not need to be bombarded with our opinions, but they just need our sympathy and atte...

What is your "mother-heart" and why should you nurture that side of yourself? This week we are diving into a topic that is relevant to every woman, regardless of her state in life. Pope St. John Paul II tells us that every woman is called to be a mother. What does that mean exactly, and how does that apply to our life? I share four reasons why you should nurture your mother-heart, and invite you t...

Do you procrastinate? Join the club! But don't let yourself wallow in that bad habit. There are things we can all do to get over our tendency to put off work we don't enjoy. This week, I'm sharing some simple ideas for breaking the habit of procrastination. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com This is a publi...

Colleen Duggan is a wife, mom, friend, and author of the new book Good Enough Is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom. This week, I'm sharing an encouraging conversation she and I had recently about struggling with perfectionism, wanting to control our kids, and all the ways motherhood pushes us into uncomfortable places of real spiritual and personal growth. I have known Colleen...

This week I share some happy news and goings-on from my family, and then three ideas for ways to set Holy Week apart and serve this holy season in the liturgical year. These three easy ideas are: 1) Do something more. Go to church when you usually would not, say the Rosary as a family, go to adoration, or tackle a cleaning project you have been putting off. Do something "more" this week and offer...

Fiction author Amy Schisler shares about her work, her family, and how she balances a life of writing original "CLEAN" romance novels with her busy life as a wife and mom raising girls. You can check out Amy's work and learn more about her at her website. We know you will enjoy her books! If you do, be sure to leave her some good reviews on Amazon! Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at dan...

Children's behavior during Mass is such a common topic in Catholic family circles! At the very least, those of us who struggle to manage our children's behavior at Mass can know that we are not alone. This week, I share an email from a listener named Lori who received a nasty comment from a fellow parishioner after a recent Mass (where she actually felt her children were pretty well behaved!). Thi...

We've already talked about different ways we can add prayer and almsgiving to our Lenten observances this year, but this week I would like to focus on fasting as a spiritual practice. Learn ways to stay on track with your fasting and make it a meaningful part of your Lent. Don't be afraid to be creative and flexible when planning to fast; make sure prayer is a part of your plan; offer up the fasti...

Have you ever wasted time, avoiding tasks you don’t like to do, only to rush to complete them later? Everyone has certain things they don’t like to do and it is natural to put them off and fill the time with easier tasks. Even when we recognize what our priorities should be, we can sometimes make choices that are in direct conflict with our priorities, and this causes us to waste valuable time. To...

Are you working on generosity this Lent? This week I'm sharing some ideas for ways in which we can all work on being better servants to the people God has placed in our lives—in marriage, parenting, work, and in our communities. This is something I have been especially praying about and working on this Lent, so I am hoping you will have some ideas to share as well. Give me your feedback! Get full...

This week we talk about the beginning of Lent and I share some of my plans for the coming forty days. I also share a recent conversation I had with Dr. Ann Garrido, a professor and author. Ann Garrido, Doctor of Ministry, is associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO and a consultant with Triad Consulting Group, a conflict mediation and communications team...

Do you need healing in your life? Of course you do! We all suffer physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In this week's show, we discuss two Gospel passages that are helpful to reflect on when in need of healing. We talk about ways we can "get out of our own way" when it comes to finding peace and healing from God. Gospel passages cited: Mark 2:16-17 Luke 13:10-17 In this show, I also share som...

Do you often feel overwhelmed by multiple responsibilities pulling you in different directions? Do you often feel like you are failing at many things -- important things -- that others count on you for? Do you feel there is never enough time for you, for your spiritual life, your work, your kids, and your marriage? If so, JOIN THE CLUB. So many of us struggle to find balance in our lives. In this...