Just One Small Thing Podcast for Catholic Parents

I am (most definitely) an accidental business owner. Although Catholic Sprouts LLC has existed for over seven years and we have had the honor of serving over 41,000 customers (seriously, WHAT?!?), I never intended to be a business owner. I never had a grand plan to get here. Instead, I took one little step after another, and this is where the Lord has taken me. I'm still taking one step after anot...

You know I love the Rosary--that's not a secret. And yet, so few people pray the Rosary consistently. But my friends, please consider praying the Rosary more often, daily if possible! It will change your life. Trust me, I've experienced this.  And so, to help encourage you just a bit more, in this episode I'm sharing TEN SUPER RAD ROSARY STORIES. They include: Dominic receives the Rosary The Battl...

At the beginning of the summer, we sent the entire Catholic Sprouts community a survey, and over 500 people thoughtfully responded. What you shared was SO valuable, and we are still digesting all of that information.  What was perhaps most fascinating is how UNITED we are in our greatest fear and our greatest struggle. By and large, the greatest fear Catholic Parents face is the fear that their ch...

There are some strange and sometimes frightening parts of modern secular culture. I want to shelter my children from these things, but I also want to surround them with a vibrant, joyful culture that reminds them at every turn of the eternal. That's why I strive so hard to create a home drenched in CATHOLIC CULTURE. In this episode of the Just One Small Thing Podcast, I break down the 5 things you...

This summer, I conducted an experiment around HABITS in my house. Instead of assigning the kids daily chores, I gave each of them a list of habits. And I did this for ALL of my kids, from age 15 down to 4.   The habits included: ✅Exercise ✅Prayer ✅Reading ✅Cleaning/Yardwork ✅Music Practice ✅Life Skills   So, that's what we did. We did it imperfectly, but looking back, I can tell that somethi...

That's right!  Next July, Catholic Sprouts will be leading a family pilgrimage to Poland...and you are invited!  Remember, a pilgrimage helps us leave behind the distractions of daily life, seek God with greater intention, and remember that our whole life is a journey toward our true home in Heaven. And maybe this pilgrimage to Poland is a part of the journey God has planned for your family!  Lear...

Although I feel incredibly inadequate to do so...in this episode, we are tackling Eucharistic Devotion.  Please listen to this with two things in mind: your journey and the journey you are inviting your children on as they prepare to receive their First Holy Communion and continue to receive throughout the remainder of their lives. Many of us are worried simply that our children BELIEVE that the E...

It's not a secret that I LOVE the Saints. I love using the Saints when I teach my kids the Faith, because it is literally the easiest way to SHOW them what it looks like to follow Jesus. I also love reading about the Saints on my own.  In particular, I love Saints who were mothers.  And so, to celebrate the launch of a new season of the Catholic Sprouts Podcast (listen here:  https://catholicsprou...

I get LOTS of emails that say something like, "I'm worried my kids will grow up and leave the Church." I don't want you to worry about this, but if you aren't teaching the Faith at home…you probably should be worried.  Study after study shows that CCD programs, youth programs, and even a wonderful Catholic School education alone won't transfer the Faith to the next generation. They simply MUST rec...

Teaching my kids to read has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.  As a kid, I was put in the "slow readers" group at school, and I knew my kids needed a little extra reading support. I am currently teaching my 5th child to read, and the lessons keep coming!  Chief among these lessons is the power of the spoken word. I love reading aloud to my kids...and listening to them read. Bu...

After three years, I have decided to breathe new life into this podcast.  Tune in for a life update, a powerful experience of answered prayers, and a little mission I am embarking on. If you are interested in learning how to pray Every Single Day, even when life as a mom is nuts? Just head here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/pages/the-secret-to-daily-prayer-for-catholic-moms . It a free audio c...

Hey friends! Please enjoy this short episode explaining how the Eucharist IS the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Join us, and let's continue to work to BRING THE EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL HOME!

Explore with me how I came to know, believe and love the Church's teaching on Mary! Thank you for listening to the Just One Small Thing Podcast. Tuning in each week means so very much! Want to hear more great Catholic content perfect for the whole family? Make sure to tune in each day to the CATHOLIC SPROUTS PODCAST. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-sprouts-podcast/   Looking for a way to supp...

Storytime! Since we are talking about the saints celebrating their feast days this week, including St. Dominic, I took this opportunity to share my own Dominic/Holy Rosary stories. Both take place in France outside of Toulouse, but they are set about 10 years apart.   In part one, I am a solo traveler to rural France where I realize my High School French is 0% helpful and no one there speaks Engli...

This week on the Catholic Sprouts Podcast we are exploring what it means to be Catholic. This is an important question to tackle as we build and nurture our identity as Catholics. It is our goal to nurture our identity as Catholics here at Catholic Sprouts, which is why we are launching the CLUBHOUSE today. The CLUBHOUSE is a membership for Catholic kids, and I'm explaining all of the details in t...

Well, I decided to spill the beans on a project that we have been working on for a long time, and I am hopeful will come into being this fall: a church history book told through biographies of the saints. I have grown frustrated with how many church history books tell history either through secular leaders (like emperors) or heretics. So, we decided to write a history of the church told through th...

We are finally done with all of the CST topics! Yay! From here forward this podcast will be weekly, and will explore, in a more adult way, the topics we are covering on the Catholic Sprouts podcast. The plan is to hit record on this podcast as soon as I finish recording the Catholic Sprouts Podcast, and that is exactly what I did today!   So, friendship. I have often felt like I was a "bad friend"...

This is the last episode covering the topics of Catholic Social Teaching! Yay!!! Thank you for following along, and I hope you enjoy this last episode.    This episode explores the fact that the land and animals are a gift from God, and how amazing that truth is to hold onto as we interact with nature and animals. Also, we become co-workers with God when we plant a seed of care for an animal. I sh...

The Church teaches that all people, regardless of race, are created in the image and likeness of God. Also, Christ died and shed His blood for ALL people. Therefore, all people are worthy of love and should enjoy equal rights. Also, we are not called to simply "tolerate" people. We are called to love them.   Unfortunately, we all will need to teach very clearly on the issue of race. This came to t...

Terrorism is the use of violence against non-military people for political or personal gain. Terrorism attempts to control or change through fear. 9-11 Was the greatest act of terrorism this country has seen, and when our children learn about the events of that day, we need to be clear that terrorism is wrong.   However, the Bishops teach that when terrorism occurs, we need to look for causes in o...

As the Church teachers, war is a terrible phenomenon that should be avoided at all costs. To illustrate this, the Church offers us the "Just War Doctrine" something that applies to every few modern conflicts. In order for a war to be "just" it must: Be the result of damage by the aggressor that is lasting, grave and certain. All other means of resolution must have been exhausted There must be a se...

Today's episode explores the fifth theme of Catholic Social Teaching as laid out by the US Bishops. I am discussing both topics, Dignity of Work and Workers Rights, together in this episode.   Above all else, I desire for my children to learn that work has dignity--and this applies to all work: jobs, chores around the house and school work. We are like our Creator when we work, and we are often al...

According to a recent study, up to 3 Million Americans are currently homeless. The US Bishops refer to this as a tragedy, which we are all asked to help remedy. Afterall, as JPII said, a home is not just a roof and four walls. A home is where life takes place, and each human person has a right to a home.   In this episode I share my own experience with homelessness, which I witnessed as a teacher...

The fourth theme of Catholic Social Teaching asks us to care also for those addicted to drugs. They too were created in the image and likeness of God and even drug addiction does not remove that dignity. This topic can be hard for many of us as we wrestle with feelings that drug addiction is the addict's fault and, in a way, it serves them right. This, of course, is not how we are called to treat...

Once again, we are called to love and care for our elders because all humans, no matter how old or infirmed they may be, are still children of God and because of this filled with a special God-given dignity. Caring for our elders is also part of the 4th commandment.   Care for elders also touches on an important Catholic concept: Memento Mori, or our call to remember our death. Often we neglect ou...