Mamas in Spirit

Merry Christmas!  Praying YOU receive the gift of new life this Christmas.  Be sure to subscribe to Mamas in Spirit wherever you listen to podcasts and follow on Instagram and/or Facebook. Announcements of new Mamas' projects in 2026! You are a gift to our beloved community. May God bless and keep you, always!

God created only one you. This Advent, learn to discern God's story written just for you. Chaplain Father Jon Meyer and host Lindy Wynne share personal testimony about their own discernment. Learn how we are not designed to be constantly busy or to live with high levels of anxiety and stress. Tune into this "mini retreat in a podcast' to embrace your authentic self and say "yes" to God's plan for...

Carole Frey experienced the light of Christ as a child.  Therefore, when Carole has gone through darker seasons in her adult life, she has known where to turn: Jesus. When overwhelmed with anxiety, Carole sensed God drawing her to church. She spoke with her parish priest. In his pastoral care and wise counsel, he encouraged Carole to share her God-given gifts with their community. Carole started p...

"Lord, if my will is not yours, please change my heart." In this Advent "mini retreat in a podcast," discover how to discern God's will for you joyfully! Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett discusses discernment and how to stay "locked in" with God through prayer. Get tips on how to lighten your load to create space for new commitments, prioritize the most important relationships in your life, and make both sma...

Rebecca Grabill's conversion started in the most unexpected way: a panic attack. Since Rebecca also struggled with anxiety and agoraphobia, her husband suggested the Sacrament of Healing. Rebecca was unsure and decided to reach out to her parish. Overcome with emotion, Rebecca wept as she recounted her story to her parish priest. Although he had never administered the Anointing of the Sick for sev...

As Charlene Kuznia reached adolescence, she started experiencing debilitating migraines. These headaches, along with severe endometriosis, continued to plague Charlene throughout her years as a wife and mother. In her 50s, Charlene felt a new kind of pain and tried everything she could to feel better. Nothing helped.  Charlene was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and began her fight for survival...

Caleb Templeton was not walking the straight and narrow. Smoking when he was young was just the beginning. By adolescence, Caleb was drinking and using drugs. While he had a job mowing lawns, Caleb realized he could make a lot more money dealing drugs. So he did. Until "his boy" set him up to be jumped. The attack could have ended Caleb's life. This week's "mini retreat in a podcast" explores how...

God meets us right where we are. When Jennifer Thomas was sitting on the floor of her bedroom closet, crying, he met her there.  God healed the shattered pieces of her heart after Jennifer lost both of her parents to cancer in a short time. Because, initially, Jennifer couldn't even talk about it. Yet, out of the Lord's generosity, he took her on a healing pilgrimage of the heart. In this week's "...

Andrea Boring was just scrolling on Facebook. She never expected that one post would lead her back to the Catholic Church.  Andrea sensed the Holy Spirit and heard clearly: "It's time to come home." Andrea's life was transformed in many ways. Yet, in God's abundance, God had another gift in store for Andrea—miraculous healing. Andrea was battling addiction, spending her evenings drinking, smoking,...

"God loves you and wants you to receive and depend on that love." This week's "mini retreat in a podcast" features Fr. Jon Meyer, Chaplain of Mamas in Spirit. Fr. Jon joins host Lindy Wynne to discuss the profound theme of poverty of spirit, highlighting the importance of relying on God. Tune in as they share personal stories, discuss the challenges of modern distractions, and highlight the beauty...

During her first three years, Mary Jo Thayer was primarily cared for by her teenage sister.  They were so close that Mary Jo says, "She took me into herself." Although it wasn't her sister's fault, Mary Jo felt abandoned when her sister moved across the country. Mary Jo carried this wound with her into adulthood. Well into her marriage and raising her own children, Mary Jo realized she needed to h...

"God works through ordinary people to remind us of what miracles look like in action." John O'Leary was on the verge of death when he was nine years old. Like many kids, he copied something he saw some older boys do. But the result was catastrophic. John caused an explosion in his parents' garage, which left burns over 100 percent of his body. Doctors didn't expect him to survive. Yet John did. In...

As a teenager, Michelle Ovalle agreed to help her aunt take photos at a Quinceañera, not thinking much of it. The Quinceañera changed Michelle's life.   While Michelle was captivated by the beauty of the Mass, she had no idea she was standing in the very church where her parents had been married and where she had been baptized. Michelle didn't even know she was Catholic. All of this and much more...

"I felt like one of those pieces." When Mellissa Vincent's Pietá statue fell off her bed and shattered, Melissa felt shattered, too. After the unexpected loss of her father the day after Christmas and taking on the primary care of her mother, Melissa was mentally exhausted. Until she had a vision from God. Melissa saw herself at the bottom of a swimming pool. Christ's arm reached in and lifted her...

"We often gain spiritual maturity through the hard times, the rough seasons of our lives."   Shantel Dudley is a mother to 18 children: four biological kids, three stepchildren, and 11 children with special medical needs from foster care.   Shantel is no stranger to tough times. She has "rocked six children into heaven."   At her lowest point, Shantel lay in bed, afraid of what might happen next....

At only 21, Anne Gabanelle and her new husband each packed a suitcase, took the little money they had, and left France. Over the years, Anne wondered why God had led her away from her family and friends to America.  Anne now has grown children and owns a French bakery with her husband in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Looking back, Anne can clearly see how God's will has unfolded in her and her husband'...

Saint Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward to die in place of another Auschwitz prisoner. It is at this moment that the film Triumph of the Heart begins. This week's "mini retreat in a podcast" features Cecilia Stevenson, the producer of this Catholic film.  Hear how Cecilia's "yes" to making this film has changed her. Cecilia shares the challenges she faced during the production of the film, how she...

Michele Sagarino, President of Cross Catholic Outreach, had a clear plan for her life. She was determined to make it happen. Yet, when it was time for Michele to have children, she wasn't getting pregnant. God began opening Michele's heart to His will for her life. Michele and her husband were blessed to start a family through the gift of adoption. Soon after, Michele went on a mission trip with C...

"I radiate the hope of the Holy Spirit, instead of the fear of condemnation." Rose Folsom, a Lay Dominican, received God's transformative healing. After growing up in a home affected by alcoholism, Rose dated a young man who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. In her journal, Rose compared herself to a "shattered mirror." She experienced intense anxiety and looked for others' approval to bu...

Host Lindy Wynne and her husband, Brian, said " yes " to the Sacrament of Marriage 25 years ago. They have said a million tiny yes ' s to each other ever since. By God ' s grace, Brian and Lindy have been blessed with the gifts of loyalty and steadfast love.  In this  " mini retreat in a podcast, " listen to Brian and Lindy share what they have learned through both the joyful and challenging seaso...

"That whole sense of loss reverberated again." Judy Orr, CEO of Catholic Charities Nashville, lost both of her parents before turning 20. She then faced a different kind of loss when Judy found out she was pregnant with the man she believed she would marry.   However, he told her he wasn't ready.  Judy sought wise counsel from her parish priest. He recommended she see a counselor at Catholic Chari...

Katy Lane was raised Catholic, but her passion for God was sparked when she was baptized in the Holy Spirit. At that very moment, Katy was healed of the deep trauma she had suffered from abuse as a girl. Miraculously, she was able to forgive. It was then that Katy truly began to live her faith.   Before this, Katy was hesitant to share her faith. In this "Women of Wisdom" series, Katy shares how s...

"So many times transitions involve pain and tears." Mary Dolan has remained deeply engaged in her relationship with Christ throughout times of change in her life. Recently, Mary faced retirement and wondered, "Does one truly retire from loving and serving the Lord? In this series, "Women of Wisdom," Mary explores the vulnerability of change. She shares how she has learned to sit in silence, listen...

 "My whole life burned down to the ground." When she was six, Joelle Maryn narrowly escaped a house fire. That day, she lost her beloved sister. Adding to her sorrow, Joelle also felt as though she had lost her parents to the heartbreak of losing their child.  Joelle became an actress and model, attempting to rebuild her life with worldly pursuits. What appeared to be a peak of success—her image d...

The year Maria Morera Johnson turned 49 almost did her in. Maria faced intense stress in every aspect of her life. The lowest point was when she had a stroke.  "I was an absolute physical, emotional, and spiritual mess." Maria survived and went home carrying a lot in her heart to reflect on. She decided to attend a spiritual retreat at The Monastery of the Holy Spirit. It was there that the Lord c...