Does God Care if I Have Friends?

This is the last episode before we start a new series next week! The last but not least thing that has been helping me grow in faith lately has been THIS PODCAST! Getting vulnerable about what Jesus means to me in a public way has helped me be accountable to "live in a manner worthy of the call [I] have received," (Ephesians 4:1) and to continue sharing about my faith in other ways. Through the podcast, I have also been asked to share in deeper ways to those I may have never crossed paths with, some of whom do not have any relationship with Christ. Though not every person is called to start a podcast, is there a way Jesus is calling you to step out in faith and be a little more "public" with your testimony? Is there a way you can proclaim your identity as a daughter of Christ a little louder or in a different sphere than you have in the past? Stepping out to share about your relationship with Jesus could be all it takes to change someone's life--and maybe even change yours! I encourage you to ask Jesus in prayer if He has a specific calling for you in your life, and do not be afraid of what that can bring! "The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness" -Pope Benedict XVI

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up! Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?" Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 When God created Adam, it says He saw that he was alone. Even though Adam was surrounded by animals and had 24/7 access to his Father in Heaven, God knew that Adam needed a companion. In my life, I have seen how good friendships not only give me companionship, comfort, and joy, but they help bring me closer to God. A godly friendship can inspire you toward God and help you see the areas in which you need to grow. They can also call you to higher when you may be falling for the lies of the world. If you don't have good friends who are bringing you up in your faith, pray for God to light the way for you to find some! He will provide! Check out moms groups at local churches, join, a Bible study, or reach out to others you may not know well yet. If you need some more inspiration, check out this interview my dear friend, Kristen Combo, did on the More of What Matters podcast. She is the QUEEN of community and has such beautiful wisdom on the subject. You can only gain from hearing what she has to say! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-of-what-matters/id1620249249?i=1000663905432

When life is hard (or even when it is not!), it can be hard for me to find something to pray about when I sit down to pray. It helps me to have some set piece of content that I'm going through that serves as inspiration for my prayer. Right now, I'm going through the Catechism in a Year podcast, but here are some other ideas for you if you are looking for some good spiritual reading/listening: The Bible (The best! Try going through Psalms, a gospel, or one of the epistles) Bible in a Year, Catechism in a Year, Pray as You Go, or other devotional podcasts C.S. Lewis books (some of these are dense enough that you really only need to read a sentence or two and you have enough to ponder) Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales Tim Keller books (Christian, not Catholic) Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence Fr. Jacque Philippe books (Interior Freedom and Searching for and Maintaining Peace are both awesome starters) Be Healed and Be Transformed by Bob Schuchts (these are good for investigating wounds and bringing them to God) Any book written by a saint!

During this time where I have a baby (and therefore an unpredictable schedule), my daily prayer has been less consistent than I like. But going to daily Mass has been something I've been able to keep up, and it has made all the difference! God's grace is SO REAL in the sacraments, and it can make a very tangible effect in our lives! That said, I know that going to Mass with kids can sometimes be challenging (especially if you have littles like I do), so I spell out my top tips for taking kids to Mass. These tips are a good starting point, but remember that it will get easier and easier if you do it consistently. Your kids (and you) get to know what to expect and everyone finds a rhythm that works. And on the random days that the kids are crazy, just find a Mass friend who you can look over at and chuckle with! God loves you! He wants to care for you through His sacraments, and He loves having your kids there too! Don't let embarrassment or fear of difficulty keep you from Him at the altar!

I have had several experiences being discipled and discipling others, and it has been as helpful as Jesus may have intended when He instituted discipleship with His apostles. In this episode, I share my experience with discipleship and how it has affected my prayer life. I believe that all of us are called to both be guided by a mentor and to help other draw nearer to God by discipling them. Can you grow from having someone disciple you? Is there someone in your life that you can help lead? Check out these resources below for some help! Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell Why should we work on discipleship? How to be a disciple

Since I've been a mom, I've struggled with expectations of my prayer life. I've wanted the kind of prayer that is slow, silent, filled with consolations, and deeply intimate with Jesus. How about you? Unfortunately, finding large chunks of time in which my life is silent is hard, and there are about a billion distractions in my life like chores, volunteer opportunities, homeschooling plans, and *oh yeah* all those kids! But there is this crazy, incredible opportunity that God reaches out to me every single day, and it is through my kids. In this episode, I share about how I have found awesome growth in my relationship with God through my sweet baby, Bernadette. By saying "yes" to loving Birdie, I say "yes" to Jesus! And, Lord willing, that can extend out to all of my children and the other needs in my life. I hope it can remind you to do the same!

For the last episode of the marriage series, I interviewed my husband, Davis. We discuss a lot of the topics from this series, but hear the male perspective. This episode is great for wives to hear, but may be even more fun to listen to as a couple and discuss what you heard. Listen in to hear how to: Show your husband the respect he craves Encourage your husband in spiritual leadership Allow space for your husband to step into his unique role in parenting Davis also challenges all men in their parenthood in eight specific areas. I will be posting the list he refers to on Instagram, so if you are interested in seeing it, find me there! See you next week (and the following couple of weeks) for some stand alone episodes that will hopefully bless you!

For the penultimate episode of the series, I interviewed my very wise and always lovely mom, Andi Ponsford! She looks back on her marriage of 40 years and reflects on what made it tick. She shares awesome insights about: Her 70/100 rule The Total Woman who: Admires, Adores, Appreciates, and Accepts Tough times not meaning a bad marriage Much more! I was soaking up all the wisdom, and I'm sure I'll listen to this many more times to get different nuggets each time. I love to think about her perspective and I hope that I will have the same joyful attitude as I look back on my marriage and life. Enjoy this second to last episode on marriage! I hope it blesses you as it blesses me!

During last week's episode, I spoke a bit about theology of the body, but I am not an expert. So I have brought an expert on the podcast to be able to share some of her wisdom with us! Monica Ashour is the founder and president of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team). She speaks about how God has made us fully, soul, mind and BODY and how therefore the body matters! Tune in to learn more about what God says about sex and our bodies and how we can bring that into our family lives. And check out tobet.org to learn more about their many resources, including books for kids of all ages teaching theology of the body.

Let's talk about marital intimacy! Sexual intimacy in marriage should not be underestimated! As Mike Hernon says on the Messy Family Podcast, sex in the grease that keeps the machine running! Sex helps keep our marriages running smoothly and happily along, and should be an ever-present part of our relationships. In this episode, we talk a little about what the Catholic Church teaches about sex and then go through 6 tips for having more and better sex in our marriages! Look out for the next episode, which is an interview with the founder and president of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team). We discuss theology of the body--what it is and how to bring it into our families and marriages! Some resources to learn more about theology of the body if you are exploring God's design for sex: Charting Towards Intimacy podcast--TONS of great episodes on all kinds of specific sex questions Vinesinfullbloom.com where there are courses for learning more and availability of coaching for growth in the area of intimacy Good News about Sex and Marriage: Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic Teaching by Christopher West Holy Sex by Gregory Popcak