The Family Room

Guest: Samantha Worthing, wife, mom, author, and nutritional therapist Pope St. John Paul II described the unique spiritual, emotional, and intellectual strengths inherent in women as the “feminine genius.” It is their innate desire to bring the world and the family together which drew Samantha Worthing and her co-authors into a collaboration to create an authentic integration of wellness and fait...

Guest: Matthew McKenna, PhD candidate in theology The Catholic Church has always taught the dignity of a person must be recognized from the moment of conception through natural death. However, new biomedical technologies have been introduced in the critical area of human life, introducing ethical issues that aren’t easily settled. In particular, the advent of in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, has no...

Guest: Susan Milani, parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena in Kennesaw, Georgia Raised in a very Jewish home in Charleston, South Carolina, Susan is the only child of immigrant parents, a Polish Jewish survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and a German Jewish escapee from East Germany. Through beautiful experiences and people Susan encountered from a young age, God wooed her into the Catho...

Guest: Jacob Plante, author, photographer, and student Gen Z, or those born between the late ‘90s and early 2010s, are the first generation born entirely in the digital age. Author Jacob Plante notes that the world his parents grew up in doesn’t exist anymore. Gen Z has only known a world of smartphones, social media, and instant communication. The internet became the center of communication, domi...

Guest: Carolyn McKinney, wife, mother, and business owner There are few events in a lifetime that have as much potential to shape a country as the assassination of a hero. Did Charlie Kirk prophetically name his company Turning Point USA to lead the way during a time of profound moral confusion? Parents have few role models for their sons today, and Charlie provided a clear and heroic roadmap out...

Guest: Dr. Ray Guarendi, clinical psychologist, author, and speaker Dr. Ray Guarendi’s wisdom and wit have earned him the right to pull up a chair once again to help sort out those sticky relationships keeping us up at night. With holiday parties and family gatherings in full swing, inviting Dr. Ray to explain his book, How to Get Along With Almost Anyone , will give you fresh ideas to help adjust...

Guest: Dr. Jennifer Morse, author and founder of The Ruth Institute The sexual revolution of the sixties is wearing thin as people come to realize the shallow, self-indulgent lifestyle it promoted has wrecked their lives. Momentum is building as more people seek deeper relationships than the risky hook-up culture provided. The sexual revolutionaries defined the terms of the debate. They dictated t...

Guest: Greg Willits, podcaster, author, ministry founder Many Catholics know the name St. Louis de Montfort because of his devotion to Marian spirituality, particularly his book encouraging consecration to Jesus through Mary. Yet, few have heard of another book, equally compelling, called The Love of Eternal Wisdom . Written in the early 1700s, de Montfort’s style is difficult for the average lay...

Guest: Kevin Lowry, author and motivational speaker We live in a culture that isn’t always supportive of men honoring their wives. When’s the last time you were part of a group of guys speaking positively about their wives? Unfortunately, many husbands today have become mired in our culture’s downfalls. Challenges abound, including impurity, broken relationships, loneliness, and distraction. Kevin...

Guest: Steve Gagnier, author and  motivational speaker In a world of instant communication, we have never been so disconnected. Psychologists say loneliness has reached epidemic proportions as the technologies meant to create a global village have us pursuing relationships built on the keystroke “likes” of invisible followers. Steve Gagnier realized we were living in a superficial world where...

Guest: Dr. Ann Hartle, philosophy professor and author Most southern Catholics have heard of Flannery O’Connor, the saucy authoress known for her provocative stories showcasing the depravity of man. Many revere her quick wit and keen insight, but philosophy professor Dr. Ann Hartle has successfully paired Flannery with Blaise Pascal in her book, Flannery O'Connor and Blaise Pascal: Recovering the...

Guesst: Chase Crouse, author, founder and director of Hypuro Fit   Chase Crouse’s life took a pivotal turn in 2012 after experiencing a profound reversion to Catholicism. After two years of intense spiritual growth while a missionary with NET Ministries, Chase pursued both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biblical Theology before heading to New York City. In 2019, while working for the Arch...

The assassination of a prominent American figure has not crushed our spirit in decades. Charlie Kirk was not a political figure as much as he was a lightning rod for change in how young people thought. He refused to bow to the pagan gods, instead asking the college crowd to rethink their position by reframing their focus. Young minds were being challenged without rancor, releasing unexpected joy a...

Guest: Grayson Quay, author and consultant Since the time of Eve in the Garden, the serpent’s temptation to be like God has echoed through history, and today it manifests itself in the growing transhumanist movement. Our world stands at a crossroads with commercial surrogacy, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and “gender-affirming care” threatening to radically reshape human nature. Gr...

Guest: Devin Schadt, husband, father, author, speaker, and co-host Devin Schadt grew up in an emotional war zone which left him out of control until the loss of his longtime girlfriend in his mid-20s. This wake-up call catapulted him into the arms of God and eventually into marriage with his former girlfriend. The birth of their third daughter taught Devin the significance of true fatherhood.&nbsp...

Guest: Paula Umana, author, motivational speaker, and mom Paula Umana spends her life letting others know suffering isn’t a punishment; it’s a gift.  Born in Costa Rica, Paula was accepted into a competitive tennis academy by the age of 10, becoming the #1 tennis player in Central America for 9 straight years. Accustomed to being photographed with a tennis racket and trophy, Paula gladly reti...

Guest: Gregg McDonald, husband, father, evangelizer When Gregg McDonald was seven, he died and met Jesus. Three more times Jesus spoke to him in dreams, and even though Gregg wandered a bit as a young adult, he never doubted God was real. Gregg rarely spoke of his supernatural encounters, and it was the realization that today’s culture has effectively erased God and declared masculinity toxic whic...

Guest: Sean Corcoran, CEO of Men for Life The Women’s Lib Movement erased men’s voices from the discussion of parenthood, but thanks to organizations like Men For Life, men are finding their voice and taking seats at the table. Sean Corcoran was on a successful trajectory when his college girlfriend became pregnant. Her choice to abort took away his choice to parent his child. That decision took S...

Guest: Mo Guernon, educator and biographer Pope Saint John Paul II may have stolen everyone’s heart, but his predecessor, Pope John Paul I, who served in that role for only 33 days, has left an incredible legacy of his own. Nicknamed The Smiling Pope, JPI touched Mo Guernon’s heart the moment he stepped onto the loggia. That indelible impression convinced Mo, though still in high school, that he w...

Guest: Kasey Jordan, mother of eight, founding member of Siblings Forever, and director of high school faith formation for her parish A child’s world shatters when their family suffers a breakup. The chaos often leaves siblings living apart, plunged into an environment where nothing is familiar. Today there are approximately 11,000 children in foster care in Georgia. An estimated 75% have at least...

Guest: Deacon Joe Grote – husband, father, and author Teaching a math lesson to school children at his father’s bakery one day, Joe Grote learned a lesson which changed his life. More than half the kids in front of him had no father living at home, and it broke his heart. Raised Catholic, Joe admits his faith was lukewarm until his early 30s. He grew up with men actively involved in shaping his va...

Guest: Dr. Bob Schuchts, founder of the John Paul II Healing Center and author When you watch God provide in miraculous ways, it changes you. Dr. Bob Schuchts witnessed this firsthand when good friends were facing a bleak Christmas. Their deep faith and bold prayers were answered so quickly and precisely that it could only have been God. He envied their trust. Witnessing unbelievable answers to pr...

Guest: Scott Weeman, marriage and family therapist, founder of "Catholic in Recovery"    Few things cause more shame and hopelessness than addiction. It’s never the plan, but will sneakily overtake a life. Others notice its effect long before the addict. Scott Weeman learned this the hard way. He hit rock bottom in his 20s and after a sobering call to his parents, stepped into his first...

Stephen Auth, missionary, author, and business executive Stephen Auth describes with humor and humility how, in the midst of a long career on Wall Street, he has a conversion experience in 2002 that leads to an incredible missionary journey, one that involves taking on what he describes as “mission impossible” projects. Following where he feels God is calling him, Stephen starts a New York City st...