Mamas in Spirit

When Emily and her husband went to a routine sonogram appointment seventeen weeks into her pregnancy, the technician struggled to find a heartbeat.   They were told they'd have to wait two hours for an ultrasound technician to take a closer look in the hope their baby was okay. Emily knew she needed to go somewhere she felt safe—they were close to The Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville. Emi...

"This is a story God wrote." God planted a seed in Kim's young heart to accompany and care for the sick and dying as an adult.  Kim was raised in a family in which the members surrounded one another in all the joys and sorrows of life, including death. She didn't realize until adulthood that this was not every person's experience. As a hospice nurse it broke Kim's heart that there were so many peo...

"Just take a step. Don't worry about the next step. Just take one step towards healing." This is Melissa Maleski's advice, mirroring her experience when her anxiety and depression reached a breaking point almost two decades ago. Melissa found herself hyperventilating with a panic attack on her shower floor.  God spoke into the quiet of Melissa's heart—Melissa realized she didn't have to live like...

When Rosemary Thérèse Robinson (affectionately known as "Rosie") was diagnosed with childhood cancer, her five older siblings returned home to support her. Little did they know that Rosie would not only carry her own cross of suffering, but would help carry theirs and their parents' crosses, as well. Rosie never complained. She laughed and loved with her family and retreated to the quiet of her be...

Joy Pinto lives for the "audience of one" every day--she lives for Christ.   At 48 Joy was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. As she faced her painful illness and mortality, her faith was tested in a way she would never change. One day Joy was in bed for 17 hours and she asked God when the "fire" would be over. God responded, "When you can dance with me in the fire." Joy got up from bed and slow...

Holly was raised in a wonderful Catholic family. Her chastity was of prime importance to her. When Holly went away to college and attended Mass, she noticed there weren't many college students there. Holly fell away from the Sacraments.   Holly learned "when we fall away from the Sacraments we stop receiving the graces that help us make good choices." Holly met a guy she thought she could fix. He...

Kayce Maddux lost her sister when she was in third grade. In their suffering, Kayce's family stopped going to church for a time. Yet God met Kayce right where she was at in the intimacy of her heart and backyard of her home. Jesus became Kayce's very best friend. Kayce continued to seek God throughout her adolescence and was blessed to meet her husband at a young age--she was surprised when they s...

For many years Natalie Hanemann's prayer life was one of routine and came from a place of obedience. But her heart longed for more. Natalie was struck when she heard about "the interior life," as well as Saint Catherine of Sienna's words about the "interior cell." At around the same time Natalie's family was experiencing significant brokenness--this inspired Natalie to seek God with all her heart...

"Maybe God doesn't have anybody for you or God has called you to be single." These were the types of heartbreaking responses Julieanne Bartlett heard from loved ones when she was struggling with prolonged singleness. Yet, Julieanne knew God was calling her to the Vocation of marriage and discovered she needed to let God work outside the box for her—nothing was going to go the "perfect way" or "the...

Dr. Cynthia Stewart grew up in Vidor, Texas. Vidor has historically been known as one of the last "sundown towns" in the United States. Cynthia discovered very young that people are complex--people carry within them the spark of God, as well as the ability to be so perfectly against what God tells us at the same time. No one is beyond the love of God and no one is perfectly what God envisions. Cyn...

Rainer Lowman and her husband Mitch put their hearts on the line for God--they adopted three children with special medical needs from China. Each time Rainer and Mitch sat down to discern their adoptions they would ask themselves how God had equipped them to potentially help a child and what their lives would look like if they said "yes."  Rainer talks about the call to adoption and the beauty of...

Beth had all the cards stacked up against her as a child--both parents struggled with drug addiction, she spent time in foster care and was the victim of abuse. Beth developed her own cocaine addiction by the time she was an adult and has spent most of her adulthood in and out of jail and halfway homes. Yet something profound unfolded the last time Beth was in jail--she was ministered to by Tennes...

Two of Juliana Stachurski's boys needed service hours for school. Juliana found the perfect non-profit to take them one Saturday that would meet the exact requirement, so they could check it of their list and be done. Little did Juliana know that her life would be forever changed. Juliana is now on the board of One Generation Away after joining the team every Saturday to distribute food since 2016...

Dorris Walker-Taylor is a survivor of sexual exploitation and addiction, as well as a graduate and now employee of the program that helped save her, Thistle Farms. Dorris landed at Thistle Farms after twenty-six years of addiction. She attributes the women at Thistle Farms for loving her back to life.   Dorris grew up with her parents in a lovely neighborhood where everyone knew each other. When s...

When Chaplain Fr. Jon Meyer was about to be ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he was interviewed regarding his Vocation. One of the things he said has often been quoted from that interview:  "Priests need families and families need priests." Marriage and Holy Orders are Vocational Sacraments--both are are lifestyles rooted in Christ and expressed in different ways.   They sha...

Andrea Bear felt paralyzed by grief when her mom passed away five years ago. She refers to this loss as an unplaced love that never goes away. Andrea has always been a "doer" but discovered there was nothing she could do to escape missing her beloved mother. Andrea listened as God drew her into prayer and to just "being" with Him.  Andrea has experienced profound healing from God through prayer. S...

Tara Roof was recovering from a hysterectomy and living paycheck to paycheck when she was invited on a mission trip to China. She learned how many children with special needs filled the orphanages—she was heartbroken and drawn to go.   Tara was told she would offer her professional services as a Speech Pathologist to the children. While Tara never rendered these services, God planted a seed that w...

Five-year-old Frank sat on the steps of his parents' home and couldn't wait to drink like the adults he was watching.  From 16 to 60 alcohol consumed Frank's life--it was an obsession of his mind. Frank would wake up each morning recovering from the night before, eat mid-day and spend the afternoons functioning until he could finally be drinking again. At sixty Frank found himself hospitalized whe...

The day they broke up, Brian handed Lindy a Bible. With both moving away, it was a moment drenched in emotion and laced with countless unknowns. It's jacket now well-worn, its pages heavily noted and highlighted, "The Breakup Bible" proved to be a cornerstone for both Lindy's faith-journey and Brian and Lindy's relationship. In this week's podcast, Brian and Lindy share how God helped them climb o...

Brian Muha and his beloved friend Aaron were randomly and brutally murdered on May 31st, 1999. Two eighteen-year-olds high on cocaine broke into their college apartment, kidnapped and killed them. In this podcast Brian's mom Rachel Muha shares her journey of learning the meaning of forgiveness--she prays daily for Terrell and Nathan, the boys who killed Brian (they are incarcerated). Rachel attend...

"Have confident expectation of God." When Michelle McCallum's mom spoke these words many years ago, Michelle had no idea they would hold such profound meaning for her when two of her own children were diagnosed with chronic illness (both with rare liver diseases and one with Crohn's Disease). In this Easter podcast, Michelle talks about her choice to trust God--Michelle recognizes she has very lit...

Lisa Canning is a Catholic wife, mother and business woman who seems to be able to do it all. Yet Lisa shares that doing it all herself is impossible--for this "Possibility Mom" all things are only possible with God.  In this Easter Podcast, Lisa shares how she is constantly being sharpened as she re-surrenders her life, business and plans over to God and trusts in a future filled with hope (Jerem...

Creating and maintaining healthy sisterhood in Christ is essential to our walk as women of faith.  In this Easter podcast, Emily Jaminet and Jennifer Gentile explore The Woman at the Well and the truths this parable has uncovered in their lives. Before creating holy sisterhood, we must first go to Christ individually for Living Water. Once we understand that we are seen and loved by Christ--and kn...

Learn how to give your life away like Christ and live in the profound freedom and joy of the Lord.  In this Easter podcast, Chaplain Father Jon Meyer and Lindy Wynne share personal stories about their experiences of dying to self and discovering the supernatural love of God. Father Jon explores his call into priesthood, while Lindy speaks of the ways she has been sharpened as a mother (Lindy is a...

Rachel's husband was going to leave here and take their children with him. While Rachel had been deceiving her husband and hiding the extent of her drinking for some time, her recent car accident couldn't be explained away. She was caught. In this Easter podcast, Rachel looks back on this moment as a gift from God--this was the "rock bottom" she needed to finally get help. As Rachel engaged in the...