Letters to Women - Exploring the Feminine Genius
Chloe Langr
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Join Chloe Langr as she explores how Catholic women embrace their unique feminine genius in their ordinary, daily life.
Available episodes
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Sep 18, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn’t Think She’s Beautiful // Melissa Johnson
It’s time we get honest with ourselves as women today—we’re being lied to. Today’s cultural beauty standards are messed up. We all know it, and we all think we can resist the pull to look a certain way. But most of us—and our sisters, daughters, and nieces, too—are still striving for a broken kind of beauty while feeling like we’re not good enough.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Johnson, a marriage and family therapist. The lie of today’s beauty standards eventually led her to battling an eating disorder. Through that experience, she saw that chasing broken beauty breaks us as women in so many ways. And she also realized that true, soul-deep beauty is not impossible—it abounds in us and all around us.
Melissa and I are talking about how to uncover the hidden damage cultural lies about beauty have on your mind and soul, how to reconnect with God, in whose image you are made, and how to walk away from shame and striving.
If you find yourself wishing that you were thinner or smaller, have a list of things you wish you could change about your appearance, or compare your body to other women’s bodies, and you’re longing for a more self-compassionate relationship with your body, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Melissa’s story as a Christian woman
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The origin story of Melissa’s new book, Soul Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless and what you’ll find when you open the cover
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The unhelpful (but normalized) beliefs we are buying as women when it comes to beauty
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What happens when we embrace our bodies as miracles and what it looks like to practice gratitude for our aging bodies
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What living in loving community with other women looks like
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How Melissa defines true beauty
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The ways that Melissa lives out the feminine genius in her own daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Pick up a copy of Soul Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless
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Visit Melissa’s website, Impossible Beauty and listen to the Impossible Beauty podcast
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Follow Melissa on Instagram
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, CORDA, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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Sep 4, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Tired of Being Told Who She Should Be // Mary Rose Somarriba
We’re living in a world of filters and photoshop. Thanks to the constant pull from the smartphone in your pocket, you might be experiencing internet overwhelm and social media fatigue. Is there any relatable women’s media out there that gives an accurate representation of what it means to be a women, reminds you of your belovedness, and encourages you to be authentic?
The world needs more of who women ARE. Not a long list of expectations of what we should be doing and what our bodies look like while we’re doing it.
That, and more, is what we’re diving into today in this episode of the Letters to Women podcast.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Rose Somarriba,. Mary Rose is the editor of Verily Magazine. True to their name, Verily sifts through the noise of the world to elevate what is honest, real, and beautiful for the modern woman—facilitating her connection with the things that matter the most to her through our production of original media, curation of quality content across the web, and in-person events.
Mary Rose and I are talking about the mission of Verily, what it’s like for them to totally reject photoshop, and why they’re returning to a print magazine in our digital world.
If you’re exhausted from a constant barrage of media that tells you what the “ideal” body type, image, or status is and you're ready to be empowered to be more of who YOU ARE, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Mary Rose’s story as a Catholic woman
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The origin story of Verily Magazine and what sets it apart from other fashion and lifestyle magazines
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What has changed and what has stayed the same since the first issue of Verily was published in 2012
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Why being a non-profit fits the mission of Verily
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The false expectations that we’re sorting through as women today and how Verily encourages women to live authentically
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How editing Verily has impacted Mary Rose as a mother
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The ways the Mary Rose lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Learn more about Verily Magazine
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Subscribe to Verily’s print magazine
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Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba
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Mary Rose’s article at National Review on how the internet has ruined women’s magazines
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Defend Young Minds and how they can help you chat with your kids about pornography ahead of time
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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Aug 21, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Start Praying with (And For!) Her Spouse // Dr. Sarah Bartel
Have you ever wished you prayed more with your spouse, but you don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re confident in praying FOR your spouse, but WITH them?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Dr. Sarah Bartel and we’re talking about Cana Feast, the marriage ministry she founded with husband, Nathan, and she’s giving some really practical, nitty-gritty ways that they’ve found make a difference in couple’s marriages - from how to get over the awkwardness of praying together to making time for each other in seasons of change and prioritizing your marriage when schedules are tight or babies are little. Or teenagers are up at all hours of the day.
Regardless of the season of marriage you find yourself in, there’s something here for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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The origin story of Cana Feast, an online enrichment community for couples
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Navigating seasons of change in your marriage with grace
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Practical, daily practices for couples to strengthen their marriages
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How Cana Feast makes retreats-in-place possible for couples with busy schedules
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Sarah’s top advice for women who aren’t married yet but feel God’s call to the vocation of marriage
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Cana Feast
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Follow Cana Feast on social media and connect with Dr. Sarah Bartel on her personal Instagram account
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Dr. Bartel mentioned Living in Love, which is now known as EverMore in Love. This is a retreat that Joseph and I lead in our own diocese! We cannot recommend it enough. Learn more about upcoming retreats here!
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Enter to win a Custom Home Altar with The Catholic Man Show’s giveaway that ends September 14!
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Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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Jul 31, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Examining Her Day // Tsh Oxenreider
Have you ever had the experience that life is flying by you at lightning speed and you’re just an observer? The year is already over halfway done, you’re not sure really what you’ve even done for the past six months. You’re just along for the ride.
But what if there was a daily practice that helped you grow in your ability to focus, to be grateful, and to be present?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Tsh Oxenreider. I love Tsh—her writing is absolutely fantastic, her podcast is one of the few that I listen to on long drives or as I work through mountains of laundry. And she’s just written a brand new book called First Light and Eventide, which is a daily gratitude journal. When you open up the cover, she guides you through a short, twice-daily thought exercise to help you better focus on gratitude, grace, and greater truth.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful way to bookend your day and you wish someone would just take you by the hand and help you navigate some of life’s uncertainty, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Tsh’s story as a Catholic convert
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The story behind her new book, First Light and Eventide: A Daily Gratitude Journal
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Tsh’s advice for building the habit of morning and evening bookends
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How Tsh has encountered truth, goodness, and beauty on pilgrimage (and how you can join her on upcoming trips!)
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How stepping away from Instagram has impacted Tsh’s ability to notice, focus, and be grateful
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Why Tsh curates playlists to pair with all of her books
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How Tsh lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Pick up a copy of First Light and Eventide: A Daily Gratitude Journal
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Connect with Tsh through her newsletter
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Find out more about Tsh’s upcoming pilgrimages
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Join us in bringing the newest Langr home with our adoption fundraiser
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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Jul 17, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Feels Alone // Sarah Swafford
When Sarah Swafford first started talking to college students about friendship, it was 2007. They were trying to figure out cellphones, dorm life, emotions, and virtue. Sixteen years later, Sarah is still talking about friendship—and it hasn’t gotten any easier with the rise of social media, smart phones, and a world pandemic.
Sarah fist came on the podcast way back in 2018 to talk about emotions and virtue. She’s back for another conversation about virtue, a brand new book called Gift and Grit that she just wrote with her husband, Swaff, and a deep dive into the topic of friendship, especially as you navigate changing seasons of life.
Whether you’re blessed with an incredible community of friends around you and you want to grow deeper in relationship with them, or you’re starting out in a new season of life and you’re hungry for authentic friendship, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Sarah’s story as a Catholic woman
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The story behind Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships and what it was like for Sarah to write a book with her husband
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What Środowisko is, what it looked like in the life of Saint Pope John Paul II, and what it means for us as Catholic women today
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Why finding meaning in life isn’t enough and why we need grit, too
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How to navigate friendship in changing seasons and how to be truly vulnerable with women you trust
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Sarah’s three ingredients for healthy and holy friendship
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How Sarah lives out the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Pick up a copy of Gift and Grit
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Connect with Sarah on Instagram and Facebook
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Visit The Swafford’s website and get a signed copy of Gift and Grit
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Lisa Cotter’s new book on femininity, Reveal the Gift—and my conversation with her about it on the Letters to Women podcast!
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Sarah and I’s conversation on emotional virtue from back in 2018 on the Letters to Women podcast
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Join us in bringing the newest Langr home with our adoption fundraiser
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
“Throw out whatever image that you think you need to have of yourself. Really ask the Lord to see you and be seen by you. Let the Lord love you. Let him define all the beauty that is within you.”
—Sarah Swafford
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Jul 3, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Feels Guilty about Creativity // Grace Babineau
I’m sitting down with Grace Babineau. She’s a wife and mom of two, and she recently wrote an article on Verily Magazine called “Thrift is the Really Romantic Thing” about why saving money might be the best thing for your marriage. And today we’re talking about thrift and romance, but also the virtue of simplicity, prioritizing creativity in seasons where it’s easy to write it off as a luxury or selfish desire, and how to actually cultivate time in your day for creativity.
So whether you are wondering how in the world creativity can fit into your daily life if you barely have time for a shower, or you’re interested in learning about how simplicity and thrift can actually be romantic, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
Grace’s story as a Catholic woman
Grace’s recent article for Verily Magazine on what G.K. Chesterton had to say about thrift and romance
Finding things to talk about with your spouse when you don’t share interests in common
What it looks like for Grace prioritize and cultivate creativity as a woman and mother
How witnessing her daughter play reminds Grace of the importance of play in her own life—and what play practically looks like in our lives as women, wives, and moms
How to embrace thrift and creativity when it comes to home making
How Grace lives ou the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
Read Grace’s article on Verily Magazine
My episode of the Letters to Women podcast with Leila Lawler on her series Summa Domestica
Visit Grace’s blog, A Graceful Journal
Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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May 29, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Loves Someone Struggling with Addiction// Keaton Douglas
We all know someone struggling with substance use disorder. We might not know it, but since nearly one in five Americans older than twelve reported illicit drug use in 2018, someone in our life is struggling. And those numbers were before a pandemic threw our culture into further isolation. With those kinds of numbers, if you live in the United States, it’s nearly impossible for you to not know someone battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
It could be your aunt, cousin, neighbor, your high school classmate, or your best friend’s sibling, son or daughter. Or, it might be you. One way or another, substance use disorders impact our society as a whole, and each and everyone of us as individuals.
So first, why do so many of us still think that this crisis is someone else’s problem? And how can we shift that mentality and become members of the Church who bring Christ’s love and mercy to the souls most in need of it? Souls in our communities, our parishes, and our families?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Keaton Douglas. She’s the co-author of a brand new book on responding to the crisis of addiction and we’re talking about what sets today’s suffering of addiction apart, what we can learn from St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body when it comes to accompanying someone struggling with an addiction, and practical ways that we can grow in our understanding of addiction as Catholic women today.
Accompanying those we love who are struggling with addiction is messy, challenging, and unfortunately too often, it’s devastating. But as Catholic women today, we need to do it. And for the sake of those we love, we need to start today.
So whether you’re tuning in to learn more about the epidemic of substance use disorders and come to understand it better or you’re wondering how to start making some real change in your family and community, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Keaton’s story as a Catholic woman
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The inspiration behind The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction
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Why it’s tempting to think that addition is “someone else’s problem” and why we have a responsibility as Catholics to move beyond that mentality
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What makes opiod addiction different from other suffering
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The important element that’s missing from most resources available for people suffering from addiction—and what the Catholic Church can provide
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How to tap into St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body as Catholics accompanying those who are addicted
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How to communicate the dignity of those who die of substance abuse and how to acknowledge (and eliminate!) social stigmas around addiction
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Keaton’s advice for how to grow in our understanding of addiction and accompany those we love through this particular type of suffering
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How Keaton lives ou the feminine genius in her daily life
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Pick up a copy of The Road to Hope by Keaton Douglas and Lindsay Schlegel
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Learn more about iTHIRST
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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May 15, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Creating a Rule of Life // Kimberly Hahn
Have you ever wanted to sit down with a woman who is a few season of life ahead of you, settle in on her couch with a big cup of coffee, and pick her brain about all of the joys and challenges of the season of life you’re in now -- and the seasons you’re looking forward to? To hear her advice and learn from the wisdom she’s gained over the years?
That’s exactly what today’s episode from the archive is all about.
These past weeks have been really full here at the Langr house -- spring weddings, endless little house projects we can tackle now that the weather is getting warmer, and the last steps of our adoption home study before we move into a season where we’re just waiting to be matched.
So today, I’m pulling one of my favorite episodes from the archives to share with you — this is a listener favorite too, so there’s a chance you’ve already listened. But it’s so packed full of practical advice that you might discover something you missed the first go-around.
Kimberly and I are talking about her brand new Bible study, “Graced and Gifted,” which is all about how we can tackle the seemingly endless demands of caring for our families and our homes all from the perspective of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She also shares her tried and true tips for things like time management, her secrets for meal planning, and how she creates a peaceful and beautiful home for her family and friends.
If you are looking for not only useful tips but some inspiring help from a woman who has been there done that when it comes to taking care of the domestic church - no matter what season of life you’re in - sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Kimberly’s story of conversion
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What we can learn from the woman described in Proverbs 31 about marriage and homemaking
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Why (and how!) to prioritize prayer in your life as a Catholic woman
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Remembering that marriage (not motherhood!) is a sacrament and making space to encounter your spouse
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How to create a rule of life and why that matters for our lives as Catholic women
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Graced and Gifted, Kimberly’s Bible Study
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Chosen and Cherished, Kimberly’s Bible Study on marriage
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A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot
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Listen to Kimberly’s podcast, “Beloved and Blessed”
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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May 1, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Never Gets through Her To-Do List //Thérèse Desilets
There are so many tasks on our to-do lists as women, wives, and moms that are repetitive—and hidden. You plan meals every week and wander the aisle of your grocery store, only to be back again the week after to do the exact same thing all over again. You fold a massive pile of laundry and as you’re putting clean clothes in dressers, you find the laundry baskets are full again and ready for the next load. You make a meal, only to be faced with a pile of dirty dishes and a full dishwasher ready for unloading…again.
It can be easy to get discouraged in the monotony of taking care of your home, your family, and yourself. So how do we find meaning in these daily tasks that we’re going to do all over again tomorrow?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Thérèse Desilets. Thérèse is the founder of Lovely Lady Linens, a Marian inspired home textile company. Her and I are talking about how the Blessed Mother can encourage us in our daily chores, the importance of beauty in our domestic churches, and how Thérèse integrates her work and vocation.
If you’re exhausted from the constant to-do list of taking care of your home and are needing some encouragement and inspiration, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Thérèse’s story as a Catholic woman
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The origin story of Lovely Lady Linens and the beautiful work of handblocking
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How designing Marian-inspired linen collections has impacted Thérèse’s relationship with the Blessed Mother
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Why domestic work is meaningful, even though so much of it goes unseen
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How Thérèse’s business and work as an attorney is at the service of her family (not the other way around)
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The story behind Mariamante Academy, where Thérèse donates a portion of her business proceeds
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How Thérèse lives out the feminine genius in her current season as a mother of three kids under five
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Browse the collections at Lovely Lady Linens
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Follow Lovely Lady Linens on Instagram
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
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Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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Apr 17, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Afraid to Admit That She’s Not Okay // Crystalina Evert
Every single one of us has a feminine genius -- a particular way that the Lord is inviting us to bring forth new life into the world. But embracing that feminine genius in your daily life can be incredibly challenging if you’re facing something challenging in your life….but you’re pretending everything is fine, that you’re okay, and that you don’t need any help.
Maybe it’s hard to admit to a friend that you’re really struggling in your marriage or in your motherhood. You might be experiencing tension at work, or going through a big transition like moving or changing careers. Or maybe you are noticing tendencies in yourself that you’re ready to change -- people pleasing, perfectionism, pessimism.
Maybe you’re ready to take the next steps towards healing. Maybe you’re ready to open the door to your heart just a crack to the Lord, to a trusted friend, to a mentor, and share what’s really going on.
But what does it look like practically to experience healing from wounds, overcome self-doubt, reignite your faith life, and discover who you are on the journey to wholeness and holiness?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Crystalina Evert. I remember sitting in the audience at a National Catholic Youth Conference over a decade ago and hearing Crystalina speak for the first time—and then that evening, in the elevator of our hotel, bumping into her and Jason and just being such a Catholic fangirl.
What sticks with me from that memory is being struck with the (probably obvious) fact that the Everts, this couple who have very much shaped my ideas around chastity and virtue and relationships, are human beings. And something that is such a gift about hosting this podcast is that I get to sit down one-on-one with women and hear their stories—women who might be sharing their story for the first time, or who have shared their story with millions of people.
Crystalina and I are talking about her journey of healing, this incredible resource that she’s put together in a new book for women who are ready to take the first steps in their own healing, and how a heavenly friendship with St. Therese helps remind Crystalina of her mission.
If you’re ready to experience healing in your life, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
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Crystalina’s story as a Catholic woman and how Christ brought healing through both adoration and counseling
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How Crystalina created a resource to help women show up to their own healing process with the help of other women and their ministries
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Why all of us need to ask ourselves what is keeping us back from becoming the women God created us to be
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What happens in our culture and in our lives when we share our story—hard parts and all, with those we trust
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How a heavenly friendship with St. Therese of Lisieux inspired Crystalina on her journey of healing
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The first step that everyone needs to take on their healing journey
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Crystalina’s advice and encouragement for women as they ponder those questions and discover who they are and the healing the Lord desires in their lives
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
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Women Made New!: Reflections on Adversity, Transformation, and Healing by Crystalina Evert
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Check out Crystalina’s website Women Made New, which is full of incredible resources for your own healing journey
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Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Sacred Heart Tea, and use the code LETTERS to get 10% off your purchase at checkout
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Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
*
Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes
Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes
Are you subscribed to Letters to Women? If not, you should subscribe today! You don’t want to miss any of the upcoming episodes. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.
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Apr 3, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Teaching the Faith While Running around with Littles // Jackie Angel
It’s an incredible gift to share the beauty of the Catholic faith with the kids in our lives. Whether you’re sharing about Christ in the Eucharist with your toddler, diving into Scripture together, or preparing children for their first reconciliation or first communion, there’s a lot that goes into evangelizing the littlest people in our lives.
How can we explain the faith, the realities of sin, and the incredible gift of the Eucharist in ways that resonate with little kids? How do we live our lives so that the children we love know that the sacraments matter and the sacraments change us?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Jackie Angel. I first saw Jackie speak at a youth conference over a decade ago, and it’s so much fun to sit down with her one-on-one today. Jackie and her husband Bobby are both presenters in the Parent’s Guide for Renewed and Received, a new resource for First Communion and First Reconciliation preparation from Ascension.
Jackie and I are talking…
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Mar 20, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Looking Forward to Farmer’s Markets // Alexandra Greeley
For 2,000 years, Catholics have been at the heart of the culinary arts. Maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the sacred feast of the Eucharist and how it gives life to our faith.
But, like so many other things in our lives today, our relationship with food has become compromised, cheapened, and robbed of its wholesomeness and purpose. And it’s so easy to lose the sacramental nature of eating and the sense of community that comes from a good meal.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Alexandra Greeley. She’s a convert to Catholicism, a trained chef, and the author of a brand new book, Catholics in the Kitchen.
Alexandra and I are talking about sacramental eating, the beauty and diversity of the Catholic Church, and how much we’re looking forward to farmer’s markets this spring.
Whether you’re looking for new recipes to add to your meal rotation or you want to discover the connection between food, faith, and farms, sister, this letter is for you.
Topi…
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Mar 6, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn’t Feel Like Praying a Rosary // Shannon Wendt
In my home growing up, we said a family Rosary every morning at 9am—my mom, dad, and seven siblings gathered in the living room and prayed together. We took turns leading decades and corralling toddlers.
But when I moved out, I got out of the habit of the daily Rosary. And I have a growing desire to get back into it now that my little crew of kids is able to say a few words of the Hail Mary themselves. But building that habit back is challenging, which is why I was so excited for the chance to record this perfectly timed podcast and get some encouragement—and I hope it’s encouraging for you, too!
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Shannon Wendt. Shannon is the founder and CEO of Chews Life—you might know them for their baby silicone rosaries or, my favorite, their rosary bracelets with a moveable charm that helps you keep track of what number of Hail Mary’s you’re on if you’re praying the Rosary throughout the day.
We’re talking about how the Rosary has impacte…
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Feb 6, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Who Wasn’t Expecting Marriage To Be This Hard // Beth Sri
Valentine’s day is around the corner, and that means that you might be encountering a lot of Instagram-worthy pictures and posts about marriages over the next few days. And the vocation of marriage is incredible. God draws spouses closer to the ultimate Heavenly marriage through the powerful sacrament of marriage.
That doesn’t mean that marriage is always easy, and it isn’t always like what I imagined when I was a newlywed. The reality of marriage involves communication (and miscommunication!), healing, and intimacy. It’s messy AND good.
So what I want to do today as we get close to a day set aside for celebrating the beauty of love is sort through what struggles we can expect in healthy marriages and introduce you to a women who has practical advice on how to grow deeper in relationship to our spouse and the Lord through the incredible vocation of marriage
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Beth Sri. Beth’s been married to her husband, Edward, for more than twenty y…
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Jan 9, 2023
A Letter to the Woman Practicing Courage // KJ Ramsey
We’ve all experienced moments of pain and suffering. And while all of us carry different crosses, suffering is something that is part of every one of our stories. But how do you pray when you struggle to find words to express your pain and trauma?
How do you validate the emotions you experience in the valleys of life and embrace them as a gift instead of stuffing them down some place deep inside you? And in those hard seasons that seem to stretch on forever, how can you refresh your faith and find peace that lasts?
In this episode of Letters to Women, I’m sitting down with K.J. Ramsey. She intimately understands the reality of fear and the reward of courage. A survivor of spiritual abuse and religious trauma who suffers from chronic illness, KJ is a licensed counselor who recognizes the chasm that opens between our hearts and hope when life hurts. Through her struggle with emotional and physical pain, K.J. discovered a route to connection and joy:courage— the practice of trus…
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Dec 26, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants To Read Through the Bible in a Year // Meg Hunter-Kilmer
Hey friends, Merry Christmas season! I love that this episode drops in your podcast feed the day after Christmas, and I hope it finds you well rested and joyful. Our little Langr crew has been sick this past week, so we’re enjoying quiet family time and praying for everyone soon.
But this episode also finds you just a few days before the first day of 2023. There are many resolutions that I’ve made throughout the years, but one that I keep making ….and failing…is reading the Bible from cover to cover.
Some years, I’ve tried to read from Genesis to Revelations, falling off the wagon sometime around Leviticus. Then, I tried reading through with Fr. Mike Schmitz and his podcast and I made it PAST Leviticus, and then just stopped listening.
I WANT to read through the Bible, and you might too - but how?! And where do we find the motivation to get past the boring parts (I’m looking at you, descriptions of the ark of the covenant), the run-on sentences from St. Paul, and the par…
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Dec 12, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Is an Adopted Daughter of God // Allison Gingras
Have you ever witnessed the Lord do something incredible in your life? And when you see him at work, what is your response? Do you share it with everyone who will listen, or do you keep it to yourself?
So often, we make evangelization too complicated. It’s not about knowing just the right thing to say, or having all the answers. The most potent evangelization is the personal testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Allison Gingras, the author of the brand new book Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints,and the Abundant Grace of God. And while this conversation is full of information about the sacramentals we have in our lives as Catholic women, it’s also a heart story about motherhood, evangelization, and adoption.
I’m so excited to share this conversation with Allison today for so many reasons. First, I’ve known her for years, and it’s so fun to introduce you as the listener to my dea…
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Nov 28, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Examining Her Relationships // Nell O’Leary
The Lord wants to draw you ever closer to himself. He wants to transform you, and in doing so, transform every single relationship in your life—he’s leaving no stone unturned.
But growing in deeper relationship involves the hard and holy work of examining both sides of the struggles and the joys, the good memories and the awful memories in those relationships.
You don’t have to walk that journey alone.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Nell O’Leary, the managing editor for Blessed is She. She’s also one of six women behind a brand new book, Loving God, Loving Others: 52 Devotions to Create Connections that Last
We’re talking about all kinds of relationships and why it’s important to prioritize prayer and reflection in our lives as women today. Nell is also sharing her encouragement for you if you’re cautious to explore the parts of your story you just wish weren’t there.
If you want to prayerfully examine your relationship with God, with yourself, your…
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Nov 14, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Drawn to God Through Beauty // Kate Marin
In his Letter to Artists, St. Pope John Paul II said that “Human beings, in a certain sense, are unknown to themselves.” Jesus reveals who God is, but he also fully reveals us to ourselves. Yet we often find ourselves asking “Who am I” and “What is real”?
John Paul II goes on to say that “humanity in every age, and even today, looks to work of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.” But what does it look like to create and encounter art that answers those deep questions of identity and longing?
In today’s episode of the Letters to Women podcast, I’m sitting down with Kate Marin. Classically trained in Florence, Italy, Kate is an artist who works to create sculptures—large and small—that tell our human stories, that reveal the Divine, and that always uphold the dignity of each human person.
We’re talking about how the moment Kate fell in love with the creating and how she’s grown as an artist, the way that Theology of the Body influences her scu…
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Oct 24, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants To Love the Lord With All Her Mind // Rachel Bulman
What does it mean to think deeply as Catholic women today?
When you hear that question, do you worry that it means spending endless hours reading and writing academic papers?
Do you wonder if pursuing the intellectual life isn’t for you because you don’t consider yourself a thinker?
Or have you thought that maybe the intellectual life is for another season of life, one where you’re not as busy, not covered in spit up, or at least get full nights of sleep?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Rachel Bulman. She’s the editor behind the newly released book, With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life
We’re talking about the feminine genius and how that impacts both our affectivity and our intellect, what to do if the idea of growing in your intellectual life seems daunting, and how we can learn from the Blessed Mother as the Seat of Wisdom.
If you are a woman who wants to follow the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all your soul, all your h…
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Oct 10, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Battling Pornography and Masturbation // Rachael Killackey
Today’s episode contains a conversation on sexual addiction and healing. If you listen around little ears, you might want to grab a pair of headphones.
No one intends to get addicted to pornograpy, masturbation, or other disordered sexual desires. And it doesn’t help that we live in a world that has ingrained into our minds the idea that pornography is a ‘guys issue’.
Yes, many men do struggle with an addiction to pornography.But the reality of the situation, the reality that you yourself might be living, is that women also struggle with addictions to sexual addiction, pornography, and masturbation.
But there is healing. You don’t have to hide and pretend that everything in your life is going perfectly. It’s time that we stop thinking about pornography as a problem only men deal with.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Rachael Killackey. She’s the Founder and Executive Director of Magdala, a space where women can find hope, healing, and freedom alongside e…
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Sep 26, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Navigating the Grief of Child Loss// Kelly Breaux
There is something so challenging and good in St. Paul’s words to the Romans when he tells them (and us) to both rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Grieving is hard. And accompanying others who are grieving is hard and holy work.
So how can we grieve as Catholic women, especially when grieving the loss of someone so dear and close to us, like our children?
In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Breaux. She’s the president of Red Bird Ministries, which is a pro-life organization to help ordinary families who are carrying the extraordinary cross of child loss.
We’re talking about Kelly’s story of loss, what it looks like to heal from wounds and then minister from those same wounds, and how grief can actually be something that strengthens your relationship with your spouse instead of destroying it.
I loved how Kelly weaves in Scripture to her witness and her wisdom, and I’m so honored to share her story with you today.
If you’re grieving the loss…
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Sep 12, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Has Nothing Left To Give // Emily Jaminet
About a year ago, when I’d find myself with nothing left to give, I started asking Jesus for His Sacred Heart. I asked him to give me his heart to love those around me, because my little heart was so exhausted. But in the back of my head, I wondered if Jesus was disappointed in me for not being able to love well, for having to return to him over and over to ask for help, to ask for his Sacred Heart. Wouldn’t it be more ideal if I could get my stuff together and love others well without having to ask for his help?
But after growing in devotion to the Sacred Heart this summer, that fear is gone. I’ve stopped treating the Sacred Heart like a safety net to catch me when I’ve tried and white-knuckled my way through the day and just need help for the last few hours. Instead, I start my day with a morning offering and ask Jesus for His Sacred Heart from the beginning, before I even start into the day. And I know now that he isn’t disappointed with that, but that when I share that I…
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Aug 29, 2022
A Letter to the Woman In A Season Where Friendship Seems Impossible // Lea-Anne Virnig
Has every conversation in this miniseries on friendship has left you whispering “But that won’t work for me"?
Today, I’m sitting down with Lea-Anne Virnig. Lea-Anne is a writer and speaker passionate about inspiring women to live in the freedom of their identity in Christ. She helps women cultivate their magnanimity and grow in holiness through wholeness. A revert to the Catholic faith, she has homeschooled for over eighteen years, holds a certification in Youth Ministry, and has a certification as a spiritual director through Divine Mercy University. She is a military wife to Jon, her husband of over twenty years. Together, they’re raising six beautiful children brought to them through birth and adoption.
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Lea-Anne’s reflection on friendship in complicated seasons, which kicks off the last chapter in Sisterhood that talks about what to do when friendship seems impossible.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
How the…
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Aug 15, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Dreaming About the Beach // Noelle Mering
I’d just like to start this episode off with a moment of total honesty in which I reveal to you that one of my biggest fears is fish. I can’t stand them. I don’t swim in the ocean, I don’t swim in the lake, I don’t go to aquariums with my kids. Even talking about fish is making my skin crawl.
But today’s episode is all about the beauty, mystery, and depth that we can encounter when we revisit the familiar—with a special focus on the sea.
So you know it’s going to be good if I put aside my fish fears for thirty minutes to explore this.
In this episode, I sit down with Noelle Merring. She’s the editor of TheologyofHome.com and the co-author of the Theology of Home book series—the third installment of that series just launched this summer and it’s all about the sea. We’re talking about the feminine beauty and mystery of the sea, what the sea can reveal to us about our femininity and motherhood, and the beauty that we can discover when encountering the familiar t…
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Aug 1, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Making Friends on the Internet // Elizabeth Vargas
This summer, I’m focusing in on the topic of friendship with other women, and in this third episode of the series, I’m sitting down with Elizabeth Vargas.
Elizabeth is the recipe developer and photographer behind the blog “Elizabeth’s Table”. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, studied Economic Consulting and Business Analytics at India University, and currently lives in Ohio. In her free time, when she’s not cooking for her blog, Elizabeth enjoys drinking coffee, eating bananas, working out, listening to podcasts, and attending Mass.
You’ll recognize Elizabeth’s voice from a past episode of this podcast, “A Letter to the Woman Struggling With Body Image,” which I’ll link in today’s show notes so you can get to know Elizabeth’s story as a Catholic woman and hear her reflections on the feminine genius.
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Elizabeth’s reflection on friendships that grow online, which kicks off the chapter on navigat…
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Jul 18, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Seeking Christ in Her Friendships // Lindsay Schlegel
This summer, I’m focusing in on the topic of friendship with other women, and in this second episode of the series, I’m sitting down with Lindsay Schlegel.
Lindsay is a daughter of God who seeks to encourage, inspire, and lift others up to be all they were created to be. She is also the author of Don’t Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to God and the host of the podcast Quote Me With Lindsay Schlegel. She writes for Verily, CatholicMom.com, Radiant, and edits for various publications. Lindsay lives with her family in New Jersey, where she enjoys knitting, running, and reading to her kids.
You’ll recognize Lindsay’s voice from a past episode of this podcast, “A Letter to the Women Who Keeps Telling Her Kids to Say Thank You”—from all the way back in 2018!
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll find Lindsay’s reflection on friendships that remind you of Christ, which kicks off the second chapter in Sisterhood which t…
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Jul 4, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Ending a Friendship // Kiki Rocha
This summer, I’m focusing in on the topic of friendship with other women, and in this first episode of the series, I’m sitting down with Kiki Rocha.
Kiki is a Catholic woman on a mission to rebuild culture. She is an overcomer, and it is through her story of resilience that she has found her calling to coach women in wholeness by cultivating their self-worth, mindset, and dreams! Speaking is another one of her many loves. Having been brought up in a single parent home, being an abortion survivor and a sexual abuse survivor, she has much to share on how the modern-day woman is created for more. Bring her some babies and guacamole and you’ll make her happy!
You’ll recognize Kiki’s voice from a past episode of this podcast, “A Letter to the Woman Healing from Sexual Abuse,” which I’ll link in today’s show notes so you can get to know Kiki’s story as a Catholic woman and hear her reflections on the feminine genius.
When you open the new Sisterhood book, you’ll fi…
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Jun 20, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Worried She’s Not Doing This Whole Womanhood Thing Right // Lisa Cotter
Have you ever secretly (or not so secretly) wondered if you’re doing this whole womanhood thing right?
Are you tired of the secular rhetoric that tries to tell you how you should act and who you should be?
And are you wondering what the church really teaches about Catholic femininity - but also a little worried about diving deeper into what the church says because you’re afraid you won’t measure up?
In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Cotter. You may know her from talks that she’s given at Steubenville, NCYC, or SEEK conferences. She’s also the author of a brand new book, “Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius.”
Obviously, we’re going to be talking about the feminine genius in today’s conversation, which is one of our mutual favorite topics.
We’re talking about what the feminine genius is, where the idea that there are “four main aspects” of the feminine genius came from and why it falls short when it comes to the beautifully diverse ways the feminine ge…
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Jun 6, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Wondering How To Find Time To Read // Marcie Stokman
“I like to read, but I have no idea what books to read.”
“I sometimes pick up a self-help book or a spiritual book, but right now, reading other books with my schedule just feels selfish.”
“I haven’t liked reading since I was a little kid”
“I know there are good books out there, but I don’t know where to start, so I just pick up a bestseller that looks good when I’m browsing at Target.”
Are you nodding along, wanting to read more, but having no idea on how to take the first step to becoming a reader? Are you hungry for more deep connections, true leisure, and a sense of meaning and hope? And . . . can reading more books really be the answer to all of those longings?
In this episode, I sit down with Marcie Stokman. She’s the founder and president of Well-Read Mom, an international movement and book club. We’re talking about how reading brought Marcie back to the Catholic Church, the origin story of Well-Read Mom book clubs, and how to make space in your…
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May 23, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Discovering Her Feminine Genius at Work // Elise Crawford Gallagher
What does it mean to run a business as a Catholic woman? What does success look like? What does integration look like? How do you discover your gifts and talents and steward those well?
In today’s episode, I sit down with Elise Crawford Gallagher. She’s the owner and CEO of Ringlet, a company that equips women to blaze their own path to business success and financial freedom through their marketing, strategy, and coaching services.
We’re talking about vulnerability in business leadership and why the phrase “girlboss” just doesn’t cut it in describing the work that women do in business.
But we’re also diving into MLMs and whether they’re all bad and what alternatives women have to provide the flexibility and success they’re dreaming about.
If you’re ready to reframe the way you think about work and learn about the nitty gritty of building a business the serves others, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* Elise’s story…
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May 9, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Reclaiming Her Sense of Purpose // Julia Marie Hogan Werner, LCPC
Does it ever seem like life just kind of happens to you? You log onto Instagram or look around at the women in your small group or in the pew beside you at church and it just seems like everyone else figured it out. Meanwhile, you’re in the dark, wondering how people do it all, how some people have this adulting thing down. What’s their secret?
Did you miss the day in school where they taught you how to get your stuff together and be confident in who you are?
Or maybe there’s a podcast episode on it somewhere, or a book in the stacks of Barnes and Noble that will answer all your burning adulthood questions.
In today’s episode, I sit down with Julia Marie Hogan Werner, LCPC. She uses psychological research, real-world examples, and the eternal truths of the Catholic Faith to share how to reclaim your sense of direction and purpose as a Catholic woman today.
If you’re feeling crushed under the weight of external and internal expectations or feeling overwhelmed and unsure of…
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May 2, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Wondering Why Friendship With Women Is So Complicated // Chloe Langr
Do you remember how simple it was to make and keep girlfriends when you were really young? All you had to do was wear the same pair of tennis shoes as a classmate or gal on the playground and man, you were set. Best friends forever. But the further we grow away from kindergarten classrooms and recess camaraderie, the more complicated friendship with other women seems to become.
Let’s face it - friendship is hard! How can we really achieve authentic friendship in our lives as Catholic women - and is it even worth the effort?
I’m switching things up a little bit today - if this is the first time you’ve tuned into a Letters to Women episode, welcome! Normally, I sit down with a Catholic woman and we chat about her story, something she’s passionate about, and how she’s living out the feminine genius in her daily life.
But this week, for only the third time in the entire five year history of this podcast, I’m going solo to visit with you about my brand new book, ‘Sisterhood…
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Apr 25, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Worries All the Time // Melissa Overmyer
I dress rehearse disaster on the regular. If I’m driving in the car with my girls and we’re having fun bopping along to Ellie Holcomb, it’s so easy for me to spiral into thinking “what if we get in a car wreck” because everyone knows that the scene in the movie right before the car wreck is that closeup shot of a family getting along great in the car together. You know tragedy is going to strike.
But here’s the thing - I don’t want to spend my life waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. I want to be in the present moment - regardless of whether that present moment is joyful or challenging or just plain boring - and I don’t want to spend my time worrying. So how can we move from worry to wonder in our daily lives as Catholic women today.
Today, I had the honor of sitting down with Melissa Overmyer. She’s a fellow natural born worrier, so I loved sitting down with her and talking through big and small things that have been causes of worry in her own life - everythin…
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Apr 11, 2022
A Letter to the Woman With Questions About Sex and Intimacy // Kimberly Hahn
Just a heads-up - today’s episode is a conversation about intimacy within marriage.
There’s a lot of advice floating around out there for us as Catholic women today when it comes to our marriages and our motherhood. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a lot of that advice tends to be pretty conflicting.
It seems like every time I log onto Instagram, there’s a conversation about who-said-what about marriage, mothering, making love, and what the Catholic Church says or doesn’t say on those topics. Finding answers in that kind of environment can seem pretty intimidating. Who do you trust? What’s the truth?
Where do we go for answers to questions like what kind of pleasure is allowed when we make love to our spouse? What do you do when you and your spouse aren’t on the same page when it comes to a desire to grow your family?
Today, I had the honor of sitting down with Kimberly Hahn. She’s such a wealth of knowledge and has a beautiful gift of approaching topic…
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Mar 28, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Fast Joyfully This Lent // Kristen Van Uden
There are three Lenten practices that Christ and the Church invite us to really lean into - prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I don’t know about you, but I usually fall into two traps when it comes to fasting. Either I decide that this Lent is going to be the most challenging Lent for me ever - like the Lent where Joseph had to talk me out of fasting on just bread and water for the full forty days. OR I go into the other ditch and think that I actually don’t need to fast at all since my life as a mom is already sacrificial enough (hello, kids waking up at 3am). There is a virtuous middle when it comes to fasting and that’s what we’re here to talk about today.
Today, I’m sitting down with Kristen Van Uden. Kristin works at Sophia Institute Press and in this episode, we’re talking about a new book that Sophia just released called “The Lenten Cookbook.” But we’re not just talking recipes (and don’t worry, we are talking recipes). We’re also talking about fasting joyf…
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Mar 14, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Interceding to Saint Joseph // Elizabeth Lev
This week, we’re celebrating the feast day of St. Joseph - and Pope Francis’ invitation to all of us in 2021 to “go to Joseph” is still ringing in our ears. But what can we learn from St. Joseph as Catholic women - isn’t he more of a saint for the guys?
Today I’m sitting down with Elizabeth Lev. She’s an art historian and tour guide who lives in Rome and she’s recently written a beautiful book on the history of St. Joseph in art. In today’s episode, we’re talking about what we can learn from St. Joseph as women, and the history of incredible women throughout church history who leaned on Joseph and his creative courage when they were feeling underrepresented or burdened with challenges.
Whether you clicked play to learn more about St. Joseph or you, too, are feeling overwhelmed and looking for a silent knight, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* What inspired Liz’s new book, The Silent Knight: A History of St. Joseph as Depicted…
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Feb 28, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Healing This Lent // Sr. Miriam James Heidland
Ready or not, here comes Lent. Some of us are READY for it. Some of us hate it. But most of us know that we’re supposed to be transformed by Lent. So we give up our alarm clocks, we take on extra prayer time, we put away our coffee maker for forty days (well, some of you do, I haven’t done that one yet since my sacrifice isn’t supposed to be everyone around me’s sacrifice).
But what if Lent wasn’t about giving up our chocolate, or our wine, or our Dr. Peppers. Don’t get me wrong - those are good sacrifices (especially for me!) and practicing mortification is important.
What if Lent this year is a season of engaging the things that are deeper in our own hearts - and what would Lent look like for you if it were a time of healing those deeper parts of your heart?
Today, I’m sitting down with Sr. Miriam James Heidland. She’s recently written a guided Lenten prayer journal called “Restore,” to help you stop trying to go around, underneath, or over the Cross, but t…
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Feb 14, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Overwhelmed by Wedding Planning // Mary Beth Giltner and Rebecca Martin
When you start planning a wedding, it’s crazy how the tiny to-dos you never knew were even a thing start to take over your life. The nitty-gritty of guest lists, venues, and the schedule of the big day itself stack up and pretty quickly, those tiny to-dos seem like an insurmountable mountain.
It’s been five years since Joseph and I entered into the vocation of marriage, but I bet that if you’re tuning in and it’s been years since your own wedding, you can still recall that feeling. And if you’re in the season of engagement, you know exactly what I’m talking about. What’s a couple to do? Is it possible to arrive at the wedding altar and not be totally stressed out by what has to be done? Is there a way to prepare for a marriage and plan for a wedding that leaves you more joyful than when you started?
ln today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Beth Giltner and Rebecca Martin. We’re about a brand new Catholic wedding planner that they’ve created. The planner wa…
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Jan 31, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Tired of Money Fights in Her Marriage // Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira
You’ve probably heard the statistic - nearly half of Americans (48%) who are married or living with their partner say that they argue with that person about MONEY. Most of those money fights are about spending habits, with one person saying that the other spends too much and the other person saying the other is too cheap. Then comes fights about being dishonest with money, how to pay the bills, forgetting the bills (been guilty of that one before) and financial priorities.
So what’s a Catholic to do with those kinds of odds? It’s a loaded answer- but I know part of it is witnessing the joy of a couple who have worked through major financial decisions together and seeing their joy and their peace and their mission to help others have that same experience when it comes to their finances.
For only the second time in the nearly five years that I’ve been hosting this podcast, I’m joined today not only by Amanda Teixeira, but also her husband Jonathan, and guys, it’s such a goo…
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Jan 17, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Defining Herself by What She Does // Leah Jacobson
Have you ever wondered why we are so divided as women today? Then there’s feminism, but it doesn’t seem to be uniting us by addressing core problems we all face as women. In fact, in my experience, even conversations around the topic of what feminism is and isn’t can be divisive.
Maybe you feel that being a woman today comes with unrealistic expectations and a side of shame for not doing it all, not being enough, or not having it all together perfectly. You’re worried you’re not measuring up, and those worries are only enforced each time you compare yourself to your sister, your best friend, the mom’s from your small group, the woman you sit behind at church, your neighbor, or the gal you follow on Instagram but you’ve never met.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Leah Jacobson.
Ten years ago, Leah founded The Guiding Star Project, care centers you can find around the nation that empower women to understand, embrace, and love their natural bodies. Today, it…
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Jan 3, 2022
A Letter to the Woman Who Can’t Remember When She Showered Last // Leila Lawler
You wouldn’t think that something as simple as showering would be that big of a hurdle to jump for me. But until recently, I was letting showering just kind of happen to me. If the girls’ naptime coordinated on an afternoon I didn’t have anything planned, then maybe I’d get a shower in. But after many afternoons passing and the stars and nap times not aligning, I got sick of washing my curly hair in the sink and decided to make regular showers part of my schedule.
I honestly didn’t think I’d ever say that on a podcast. In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Leila Lawler.
Leila has a blog, Like Mother Like Daughter, that I’ve been reading for years - and she is who taught me the practicals of making showers a regular thing for myself - but that is one of so many things I’ve learned from Leila. And, she’s recently compiled her practical, everyday wisdom into a three volume set called The Summa Domestica and that is what we’re talking about today.
So whether…
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Dec 13, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Whose Prayers Aren’t Being Answered // Christy Wilkens
It was 2017. I’d heard about this thing called the Saint Andrew’s Christmas novena, which honestly is a bit of a misnomer given that you pray it for twenty-five days, saying the small and beautiful prayer fifteen times a day.
I’d heard it was a great prayer to pray with big intentions, and I had one. So I set the prayer as the lock screen on my phone and prayed every day, fifteen times a day. The novena ends on Christmas, and I was expectant.
But Christmas came and went, and my prayer did not get answered. What do we do when God says “no” to our prayers?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Christy Wilkens.
When Christy prayed for the total healing of her son, Oscar, who is plagued by mysterious seizures, she didn’t hear Jesus telling her that he’d grant her a miracle. Instead, he told her “This is your cross, and I am not going to take it away from you. I will be with you, and I will help you, but it is yours to carry.”
Needless to say, not the words sh…
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Nov 29, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Struggling to Believe Her Body Is Unconditionally Good // Shelby Hirschman
The holidays are packed with conversations and emotions around the topic of food and our bodies. We critique ourselves in the mirror as we’re getting ready for that work party, we make New Year’s Resolutions to work out three times a week at least, compare our bodies to the women we see at Christmas Mass, and we may even hear comments, intentional or unintentional from family members about how we look or the weight we’ve gained or lost.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Shelby Hirschman.
Shelby is a wife, mom, and registered dietitian. She’s also the owner and founder of Good Body Nutrition, LLC—a nutrition counseling company that strives to help women restore relationships with their food, body, and soul.
I think that our relationships with our bodies and our relationship with food as women is the perfect topic to dive into right in the middle of the holiday season - but I honestly could have released this episode anytime, because I think the struggle of body…
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Nov 15, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Apologizing for Her Home // Amanda Weeder
If a friend asks if she can swing by on short notice, do you spend the short window of time that you have before she arrives cramming papers in the kitchen cabinets, panic vacuuming, yelling at your kids to clean up their piles of stuff? Then, when your friend walks in the door, do you apologize for your home?
What if I told you that people don’t come to your home to critique the laundry pile, the dirty dishes, or the undusted baseboards . . . they came to visit with YOU? What if being truly hospitable (not clean, not perfect, not Instagram-worthy) but hospitable was the antidote to home apologies?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Weeder.
Amanda is the creator of Clare and Colette Home. She came on the podcast last summer in “A Letter to the Women Feeling Overwhelmed by Home Decorating,” which hands down is the most commented episode of the Letters to Women Podcast. I’ve talked to so many of you about the wisdom Amanda shared with me last year and I’m b…
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Nov 1, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Rest Without Feeling Guilty // Mairead Suthoff
Have you made a commitment to exercise only to fall off the bandwagon a few weeks in? Have you ever gotten angry at your body for failing you but also the (possibly) unrealistic goals you set for yourself? What about using exercise as a way to punish yourself or a way to cancel out what you think is a poor choice, instead of moving your body in a way that supports your WHOLE health as a woman?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mairead Suthoff.
Mairead is a board certified Athletic Trainer, and a Fertility Awareness Instructor, trained in the FEMM protocol. She’s also the creator of Sync Up!, which is an online course that helps you navigate how to sync how you move your body, feed yourself, and take care of yourself all based on your fertility as a woman.
If you’re ready to approach exercise, nutrition, and self-care in a way that honors the way God made your body and created your hormones to fluctuate each mother, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked ab…
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Oct 18, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Wishing She Could Take a Break From Instagram // Jessamyn Anderson Frain
Have you ever wanted to logout of Instagram for a day, maybe the weekend, but held off because you were afraid you were going to miss out on something?
Are there clothes hanging in your closet or beauty products in your bathroom, or decor in your house that you bought (maybe influenced by an Instagram ad or someone sharing about it on Facebook) that you thought was going to solve all your problems . . . only for you to still feel empty and restless?
Do you find that your creativity, clarity of mission, and just your ability to focus on something has tanked - and that has correlated to the time you spend in front of a screen?
In today’s episode of the Letters to Women Podcast, I’m sitting down with Jessamyn Anderson Frain.
For the first three months of 2021, Jessamyn didn’t buy anything that wasn’t essential. So yes, toothpaste, but no, all the cute stuff we love but really don’t need in the Target dollar section. She also took an intentional step away from social media. You…
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Oct 4, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Hates Asking for Help // Therese Williams
I think we can all agree that it’s no fun to go through suffering. And not only is it hard to go through a season of suffering, it’s also hard to admit you need help - at least it is for me. It’s a humbling experience to admit I need help carrying a cross.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Therese Williams.
Stricken with spinal meningitis at eighteen months old, Therese has lived as a quadriplegic for more than forty years. Listening to Therese talk about her life that’s been full of suffering left em in awe of how she’s come to not only accept the cross Christ asked her to pick up, but to love it. And to embrace it
If you’re struggling to accept the suffering in your life that you didn’t choose, or if you’re feeling ashamed for having to ask for help, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* The differences between resigning yourself to suffering and embracing suffering
* Why God allows bad things to happen to…
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Sep 20, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Learning to Love Her Neighbor AND Herself // Lara Patangan
When you hear the phrase “acts of mercy” or “works of service,” do you squirm and wonder if I’m going to ask you to add another thing to your already too-long to-do list? Do you worry that since you don’t have the time in this season of life to volunteer somewhere that you’re failing when it comes to living mercy in your daily life and you should just be doing more - maybe this fear that you aren’t doing enough is haunting you like I know it does me.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Lara Patangan. When Lara turned forty a few years ago, she decided to spend that year intentionally doing spiritual and corporal works of mercy - and that year has radically changed the way she loves others, the Lord, and herself.
If you worry that you just aren’t doing enough these days, or you struggle to be merciful and gentle to yourself, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* Why Lara decided to dedicate her 40th year of life to li…
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Sep 6, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Chose Life // Makayla Carmichael
Often, when we talk about adoption, it’s easy to focus on the couple who have discerned that the Lord is calling them to adopt. And, that is a beautiful part of the story - one I’ve featured on past Letters to Women episodes, in fact.
But I think that the other side of the story, the experience of a woman making an adoption plan for her unborn child, is something we don’t focus on enough. What does it look like to be truly pro-life and to support these women at all stages of their motherhood?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Makayla Carmichael.
When she was seventeen years old, Makayla chose adoption for her daughter. We talk about her experience making an adoption plan, the resources that she wished would have existed during that season of her life, and the advice and encouragement she would give to women who find themselves in a similar situation of considering adoption for their unborn children.
Maybe you clicked “play” on this episode because you are in a…
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Aug 23, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Hates Swimsuit Shopping // Catherine Huss
This year, after FIVE YEARS, I finally went swimsuit shopping. And let me tell you, it was a months long process. I added and removed at least thirty different suits from my online shopping carts and FINALLY landed on one - but even then, there are still things that I would change about it. The whole process reminded me why it took me five years to update my swimwear. It’s not that fun of a process . . . you know what I mean?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Catherine Huss. Catherine and I are talking about how she founded Siena and Co., a women’s swimwear line that is ethically made here in the US - and the only thing I’m wishing is that these swimsuits that she’s designed were available earlier this summer when I was looking EVERYWHERE for something I could feel both confident in lounging poolside on a girls day, but also chasing Maeve and Ada around the swimming pool, too.
We’re diving (pun intended) into the topic of modesty and whether or not it’s subje…
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Aug 9, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Wondering if Holiness Is Possible // Meg Hunter-Kilmer
Have you ever picked up a book on the lives of the saints and thought . . . well, shoot. I don’t know how I’m going to do this holiness thing. I’m not like Saint Jerome, or, maybe you think you’re a little too much like Saint Jerome with his grumpy, curmudgeon ways. But what if I told you that there are literally hundreds of saints I want to introduce you - saints who share some of your struggles, your joys, but most importantly, saints who want to encourage YOU to become the saint God is calling YOU to be.
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer. If you know Meg, you know she is a huge fan of the Olympics, and it was a true honor for her to pause the Olympics to spend some time with me on this show talking about the saints.
In this episode, Meg and I are talking about her new book, “Saints Around the World,” a beautiful book that introduces you to over a hundred saints from sixty different countries. It’s illustrated by Meg’s friend Lindsey Sa…
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Jul 30, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Speaking to Her Younger Self // Emily Stimpson Chapman
If you were to sit down with your younger self, what would you tell her?
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Stimpson Chapman and we’re talking about her new book, “Letters to Myself from the End of the World” It’s a book that Emily wrote to her younger self, equipping her for the challenges she’d face in a world where the Church is plagued by scandal, the culture is on the verge of collapse, and the we don’t even know what the word “normal” means anymore.
If you’ve been longing for encouragement, hope, and a voice of maturity and reason in all of the insanity that was 2020 and is 2021, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* Emily’s new book, “Letters to Myself From the End of the World”
* Why this was the book Emily was supposed to write in 2020
* Self-denial and self-care in the life of mothers today
* Fighting the temptation to turn inward and instead, find genuine connection with others
* S…
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Jul 26, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Feeling Overwhelmed by Home Decorating // Amanda Weeder
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Weeder and we’re talking about Amanda’s passion for helping tell the story of a home, her tried and true decorating tips (ones that I’d never heard before our conversation together), and why you don’t have to feel guilty as a Catholic woman if you’re wanting a beautiful home to retreat to.
I loved this conversation with Amanda and I can’t wait to share her beautiful understanding of not only making our homes places of beauty, but also understanding more about our eternal home in Heaven and how we can journey there as Catholic women.
If you’re exhausted from trying to keep up with all of the latest home trends and you’re discouraged by perfect Instagram home inspiration and just desiring to have your home be a place of beauty and rest, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* How to love our own spaces and stop comparing our homes to the ones we see on Instagram
* Why you shoul…
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Jul 12, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Learning To Say No // Danielle Bean
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Danielle Bean, a dear friend of mine who is a regular guest on the Letters to Women Podcast.
The week that I recorded this conversation with Danielle, I looked at our Langr family calendar and realized that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday were packed. Small groups, parish events, haircuts, doctor appointments . . . the works. Now that the world is slowly starting to get back to “normal” - I’m using air quotes here - it’s crazy how quickly we got back to BUSY again. It’s crazy how hard it’s gotten to say “no” to things.
In this episode, Danielle and I are talking about her new book, “Whisper - Finding God in the Everyday.” It’s a book full of real-life stories to teach us how to see God in our everyday lives - and how that starts with some mental shifts when it comes to our prayer life and saying no to things so we can say yes to making space to just be with the Lord.
If you’re struggling…
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Jun 28, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Creating a Rule of Life // Kimberly Hahn
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Kimberly Hahn. Have you ever wanted to sit down with a woman who’s a few seasons of life ahead of you, sit down on her couch with a big cup of coffee, and pick her brain about all of the joys and challenges of the season of life you’re in? To hear her advice and learn from the wisdom she’s gained?
That’s exactly what today’s episode is all about.
Kimberly and I are talking about her brand new Bible study, “Graced and Gifted,” which is all about how we can tackle the seemingly endless demands of caring for our families and our homes all from the perspective of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She also shares her tried and true tips for things like time management, her secrets for meal planning, and how she creates a peaceful and beautiful home for her family and friends.
If you are looking for not only useful tips but some inspiring help from a woman who has been there done that when it comes to taking care of the dome…
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Jun 14, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Discovering Her Identity and Self-Worth // Nicole Caruso
In today’s episode, I’m sharing my morning coffee with Nicole Caruso. Well, let’s be honest, it’s more like cup of coffee #3 because life with a two year old and a two month old involves very little sleep for me.
Today’s episode is the first episode I’ve recorded since welcoming our daughter, Ada Caeli, on March 30, and friends, it’s so good to be back! I can’t wait for even more conversations on the feminine genius with you this summer and beyond.
You might remember that Nicole was a guest on the Letters to Women podcast last July when she was still in the book-writing trenches and the Worthy of Wearing movement was just starting.
We’re sitting down again because Nicole’s new book, “Worthy of Wearing” was just published with Sophia Institute Press. Today, we’re talking about why it’s important that this new book features photos of real women wearing their own clothes, how it celebrates the beautiful diversity found in the feminine genius, and what modest…
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May 31, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Wondering Where God Is in a Season of Suffering // Ashley Stevens
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Ashley Stevens, and she’s sharing the story of a car accident that happened back in 2008, and the ways that that accident impacted her plans and dreams, and how that season that the Lord invited her into back then is impacting her now as a wife and mom.
If you’re in a hard place, a season of suffering right now, and you’re believing the lies that tell you that this season will never end, that you’re the only one who doesn’t have it together, and that no one would want to accompany you during this struggle, sister this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Ashley’s website, Mountains Unmoved
* “How To Be Confident God Is Working,” from Ashley’s blog
* “It’s OK To Pause Your Dreams (Six Reasons Why)” from Ashley’s blog
* “Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Wait Until I Was Prettier to Walk Down the Aisle,” from Ashley’s blog
* Follow Ashley on Instagram…
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May 17, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Surrendering Even Her Gifts and Talents to the Lord // Claire Dwyer
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Claire Dwyer. She’s the author of “This Present Paradise,” a book about the life of this amazing saint that has topped Amazon charts and sold out multiple times over the past few months.
Claire shares about her friendship with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and what she’s taught her about dreams, suffering, and rejecting the lie that she’s unlovable or unworthy.
We’re also diving into the fact that the saints are HUMAN and that they have personalities, and how to recognize those personalities as we grow in friendship with them as Catholic women.
If you’re in a season where you’re having to sacrifice things to the Lord and lay even the gifts and talents he’s given you at his feet, and you’re wondering how in the world that could possibly be his plan or something he’ll be glorified in, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Get a copy of Claire’s new book,…
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May 3, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who's Ready for a Honest Conversation About Fertility // Emily Frase and Mary Bruno
In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Frase and Mary Bruno - both women who’ve been guests on the podcast before. They’re back because they’ve recently founded FabM Base, an online resource and database to help women tackle tough topics surrounding fertility, reproduction, and women’s health.
It’s an amazing place where science and real life intersect, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.
I truly believe that learning about how our bodies work as women is THE most effective and impactful self-care habit we can have as women today - and fertility awareness is so much more than family planning.
Regardless of the season of life you’re in as a woman, if you’re ready to discover the truth about your body and want to know more about fertility awareness options that are not your Grandma’s rhythm method, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Follow FabM Base on Instagram and Facebook
* Jo…
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Apr 19, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Sharing the Beauty of Catholicism // Katie Bogner
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Katie Bogner. She’s the author of “Through the Year With Jesus - Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children.” We’re diving into how to take some of the most ancient and gorgeous traditions in Catholicism like Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, and the Rosary, and help children encounter the beauty of the faith.
I’ve loved following Katie on social media for years, and have so many of her resources pinned, saved, and filed away for future use, so it was such an honor to get to know her story better, and have the chance to introduce you to her as well!
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a catechist, If the idea of sharing your faith with the kids in your life can feel a little daunting and you’re looking for some practical guidance to help kids encounter the Lord and His Church, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Get a copy of Katie’s new book, “Through the…
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Apr 5, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Tired of the Money Taboo // Heather King
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Heather King - you may recognize her name from the writing she does in Magnificat on the witness of holy men and women. She also write about her experience with recovery, and how that healing process has impacted every area of her life - including the way she interacts with money.
This was without a doubt one of the best conversations I have ever had on money - and one that I’m going to be re-listening to quite a bit as I continue to sort through my own money wounds and the ways Christ is inviting me to steward the gifts he’s given me.
If you’re tired of the lack of good, meaningful conversation about finances and just how we should interact with money as Catholic women, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Connect with Heather on her website
* Check out Heather’s book, “Loaded,” which her and I discuss in our conversation
* Order your copy of the new Lette…
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Mar 29, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Walking the Road to Recovery // Paige Rien
In today’s episode, I had the absolute joy and honor of sitting down with Paige Rien and we’re talking about how she first encountered God through her journey to recovery in the 12 step program and how her story of conversion and healing parallel so beautifully.
The universal need to address our vices and recognize that we are in need of help and a Savior is the perfect topic to dive into together during Holy Week, and I cannot wait to share this episode with you.
If you’re battling an addiction and desiring healing or wanting to dive into the topic of healing in a deep and profound way, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Discover Paige on Instagram
* Read Paige’s book, “Love the House You’re In”
* Get your copy of the new Letters to Women book!
* Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
* Use the code LETTERS15 over at House of Joppa to receive 15% off their gorgeous Catholic home décor!
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Mar 15, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn't Think She Belongs // Mary Lenaburg
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Lenaburg - she’s an incredible women who shares her witness and her journey to healing in an amazingly authentic way.
I truly believe that when each one of us is able to share the story of how God has redeemed the brokenness in our story and in our hearts, it not only gives God glory for the work he does as a divine physician, it also opens up the floor for other women in our own lives to have the courage to do the same.
If you’ve ever stuffed part of your story under the rug and avoided the process of healing out of a desire to fit in, sister, this letter is for you. You are worthy of healing, and you belong.
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Follow Mary on Instagram and check out her website
* Order Mary’s latest book, “Be Bold in the Broken” through Ave Maria Press
* Order your copy of the new Letters to Women book and read Mary’s letter on healing!
* Follow Letters to Wom…
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Mar 8, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Reading the New Letters to Women Book
My brand new book, "Letters to Women: Embracing the Feminine Genius in Everyday Life" launches TOMORROW, March 9th! I'm so excited to share this book with you, and to celebrate, I wanted to share an exclusive conversation I had with Julia Marie Hogan about the feminine genius and the letter she wrote YOU in the new Letters to Women book.
Listen in to hear all about the launch day celebrations happening tomorrow and discover more about what you'll find inside the pages of the new Letters to Women book!
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Pre-order the new Letters to Women book, coming out with TAN books on March 9, 2021!
* Unlock the exclusive Letters to Women pre-order miniseries
* Connect with Letters to Women on Instagram!
* Join me on Instagram for the launch day giveaway and the live Q&A chat at 8:00pm CT on March 9th!
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Mar 1, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Overcoming Hospitality Anxiety // Catherine Fowler Sample
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Catherine Fowler Sample and we’re talking about how writing and producing the award-winning documentary The Dating Project inspired her to write an entire book on the importance of connection around a shared meal when it comes to combating the loneliness that so many of us are all too familiar with in today’s world - where we’re connected to so many people via Instagram, but we struggle to connect with the people who live in our homes or are the closest to us.
Joseph and I sat down a few weeks ago for our 2021 dream date, where we share about our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year and review what went well and what didn’t go well in 2020 and both of us mentioned that something we really missed was hosting friends on a more regular basis - which got the boot thanks to COVID. But now that we’re God-willing seeing an end to the COVID tunnel, even if it’s still months away, the idea of hosting people again is something that is…
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Feb 15, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Start Praying With (and for!) Her Spouse // Dr. Sarah Bartel
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Dr. Sarah Bartel and we’re talking about Cana Feast, the marriage ministry she founded with husband, Nathan. She’s giving some really practical, nitty-gritty ways that they’ve found make a difference in couple’s marriages - from how to get over the awkwardness of praying together to making time for each other in seasons of change and prioritizing your marriage when schedules are tight.
I know you’re listening to this episode the day AFTER Valentine’s day, but I wanted to share a conversation about some lifelong, daily practices to strengthen your marriage and your prayer life EVERY day of the year, not just on Valentine’s day
If you’re a married woman and you want to learn HOW to pray with your spouse, or if you’re not married but feel the Lord calling you to that vocation and you want to know how to prepare your heart for that season, sister, this letter is for you.
Resources you should check out after listening to thi…
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Feb 1, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Rediscovering the Catholic Church // Mallory Smyth
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mallory Smyth and we’re talking about her journey back to Catholicism, but also some of the big, elephant in the room topics that come up when you share about your Catholic faith with people who have left the Catholic Church - or honestly, could even be topics you struggle with yourself when it comes to living in today’s world as a Catholic woman - I know I’ve wrestled with many of the topics Mallory writes about and that her and I cover in today’s episode.
If you’re wrestling with those big questions about the Church, if you’re struggling to feel at home in the Church, if you have one foot out the door, or if you’ve left the faith, sister, this letter is for you!
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* “Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire,” Mallory Smythe’s new book
* The Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz
* Pre-order the new…
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Jan 18, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Working in a Secular Environment // Veronica Marrinan
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Veronica Marrinan and we’re talking about the origins of Litany, an ethical, sustainable, and Catholic women's clothing line that she founded. But we’re also talking about what it’s like to live in New York City in the heart of the fashion industry as a Catholic woman, and how Veronica witnesses to truth through beauty in conversations with those who don’t share her Catholic faith.
So often we let lies like “I don’t know enough,” “I’m too busy,” “I don’t have all the answers,” and “I don’t have it all together,” hold us back from sharing about our faith and our relationship with Christ and His Church. If you’re wondering how to evangelize and honor the dignity of those you work with or your friends who aren’t Catholic, sister, this letter is for you!
Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:
* Litany
* The Mary, Mother of the Church Floral Silk Scarf
* Pre-order the new…
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Jan 4, 2021
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Pray More in 2021 // Emily Wilson
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Wilson and we’re talking all about her brand new weekly devotional for women, how to find time for prayer in busy seasons of life, and her top piece of advice for all of us as we close out 2020 and embark on all the adventures that 2021 has in store.
In a season where you are probably hearing about everyone else’s new years resolutions and maybe have thought about making some of your own, Emily and I are sharing the importance of small steps and creating healthy habits for your spiritual life that will last longer than the first few days of January. Because if you’re like me, you can think of many many failed new year’s resolutions that you’ve made in the past.
I’ve long admired Emily’s heart for women and she’s a guest I’ve hoped to have on the show for years - but it’s taken that long to coordinate between books being written and babies being born for both of us, so it was a total joy and honor to sit down with…
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Dec 21, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Reclaiming the Title of Homemaker // Dr. Carrie Gress
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Dr. Carrie Gress and we’re talking not only about the beauty (and theology!) of home, but also the beauty of homemaking - a concept that might sound a little outdated - don’t worry, we’re going to get into that, too.
There’s a line from the song “Oh Holy Night” that keeps coming to mind - “A weary world rejoices” - and if your year has been anything like mine, it has indeed been a Christmas season I’ve arrived at weary, but also rejoicing.
If you’re desiring to be intentional with the home that you create not only this Christmas season but all year round, sister, this letter is for you!
Topics we talked about in this episode:
How we can reclaim the word “homemaker”
Patrick Lenocioni’s three common elements to evaluate job happiness and what the answers mean for homemakers
Why there needs to be a re-connection between homes and homemaking
Carrie’s advice for single women when it comes to mothering and creat…
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Dec 7, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Overwhelmed by Her Christmas to-Do List // Emily Tate
In today’s episode, Emily Tate and I are have a conversation about being intentional with our Advent, our gift giving, and our traditions in this season.
Many of us are blessed with memories of just really perfect gifts that were given to us. This past summer, one of my friends gave me a beautiful birthday gift that included a book on gardening, a book on growing in joy, and book of cello music - plus a gift card to my favorite local coffee shop. I felt so seen and loved by her - she’d seen all of my interests and loves and combined them perfectly. You may also have memories around gifts you’ve given - maybe to a best friend, a sibling, a spouse - something that brought you so much joy to put together for them and that you loved seeing them unwrap.
In a season where it’s easy to get caught up in the to-do list aspect of gift giving, or the commercialized gift giving we find ourselves in, this conversation with Emily was so refreshing and such a fun way to start this Advent se…
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Nov 23, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Exhausted and Looking for Rest // Emily Jaminent
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Jaminent and we’re talking about why now is the perfect time to revisit a classic Catholic devotion in the Sacred Heart.
You may remember a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging in your grandparents or parents' home, but what does devotion to the Sacred Heart really mean for our daily lives as Catholic women? Not only are we talking about some amazing promises Christ made to accompany devotion to The Sacred Heart, Emily and I even dive into our favorite depictions of the Sacred Heart and why art is important in your home.
If you’re looking for a place of rest in a year where we’ve felt like we’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* Emily’s grandfather and how he provided images of the Sacred Heart for Mother Teresa
* Why 2020 is the perfect year to discover a devotion to the Sacred Heart
* What it means to enthrone the Sacred…
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Nov 9, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Toppling the Idols in Her Life // Kim Zember
In today’s episode I’m sitting down with Kim Zember and we’re talking about same-sex attraction, but really this is a conversation about how we can examine our hearts and our lives and make sure that Christ is the the King of our entire life and topple any idols that are standing in the way on our journey back to His heart and the journey to becoming the women he’s created us to be.
We also talk about Kim’s work in Ethiopia, and how serving the women and children there has led to deeper healing in her own life. This is a beautiful conversation, and one I cannot wait to share with you.
If you’ve ever felt alone in your attraction towards women as a woman, or are looking for resources and advice on how to lovingly support the women in your life who experience same sex attraction, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* What inspired Kim to write and publish her story in book form
* The role that missionary work played in Kim’s stor…
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Oct 26, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Experiencing "Unexplained" Infertility // Melissa Buchan
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Buchan and we’re talking about her mission to help women and couples better understand their fertility and manage their reproductive health.
Some women (myself included!) have received a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility” from their OB-GYN. This frustrating news has seemingly no answers. But Melissa believes that women deserve to understand and discover the root cause behind the infertility they’re experiencing.
If you’ve ever wondered if there’s more to this “unexplained infertility” diagnosis and you’re ready for answers, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* Melissa’s work as the first Neo Fertility Advisor in the United States
* Why “unexplained infertility” is actually not a diagnosis
* How women can learn about their bodies through fertility awareness
* The connections between body literacy and the ability to embrace the feminine genius in daily life…
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Oct 12, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Discovering the Feminine Genius // Melissa Maleski
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Maleski and we’re talking about what Saint Pope John Paul II meant when he called women “sentinels of the invisible.”
I’ve spent a lot of time researching what Saint Pope John Paul II said and wrote about women and it wasn’t until I read Melissa’s new book that I even heard of the phrase “sentinels of the invisible.” I loved this conversation about the feminine genius in our daily life and the stories of women throughout the life and history of the Catholic Church.
If you’ve ever wondered how the Catholic Church has championed the dignity of women and you want to know more about what the feminine genius means for you today, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* What Saint Pope John Paul II meant when he called women “sentinels of the invisible”
* Women’s three inclinations towards protection, illumination, and revelation
* Saints who inspire Melissa to live out…
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Sep 28, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Processing Catholic Sex Abuse Scandals // Karna Lozoya
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Karna Lozoya and we’re talking about a brand new podcast that she’s hosting: “Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church.”
Karna’s podcast shares about the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church: its origins, characters, causes and reforms. She interviews bishops, survivors, reporters, lawyers, and social workers to help navigate a a systemic problem that has plagued the Catholic Church.
Conversations about this topic are challenging but absolutely necessary in a journey towards healing - and Karna navigates those conversations with grace and the feminine genius.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the reality of sex abuse within the Catholic Church and don’t know where to look to find the whole story, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:
* A new podcast that Karna is hosting called “Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church”
* Listening to and honoring the stories of se…
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Sep 14, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Wondering About Spiritual Direction // Amanda Zurface
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Zurface and we’re exploring her work as a canon lawyer, her mission as a spiritual director, and how to find joy in your daily life.
My favorite part of our time together was her three incredible tips for ways to find joy in your daily life - including an ingenious novena-style journaling exercise that I’m diving into over the next nine days - and you can join me over on Instagram - you can find me @Chloe.Langr.
If you’ve ever wondered if looking into spiritual direction is the next step in your spiritual journey, and you’re seeking joy in your daily life, sister, this letter is for you.
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Aug 31, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Feeling Guilty for Caring About What She Wears // Emily Lehman
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Lehman and we’re exploring the historical background surrounding the idea that we shouldn’t care about what we wear as women.
This conversation made me think back to my undergrad days when I was studying history. It’s so important to remember that the reality of our current situation as Catholic women doesn’t exist in a bubble - there are so many historical events and religious schools of thoughts that have impacted the way we think today. I can’t wait to share this episode with you!
If you’ve believed the lie that the right outfit doesn’t matter, or have beat yourself up for caring about your appearance, sister, this letter is for you.
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Aug 17, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Staying at Home With Kids // Emily Frase
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Emily Frase and we’re talking about how to discern staying at home with your kids, being a stay-at-home mom in a world that values productivity, and what self-care looks like when you’re home with littles.
I’ve loved getting to know Emily more as a friend in this conversation and it was so much fun to sit down and talk to her about this topic of being a stay-at-home mom. I can’t wait to share her story, her honesty, and her humor with you in today’s episode!
If you’re discerning whether or not to stay home with your kids, or you’re looking for encouragement from a mom who is in the trenches alongside you, sister, this letter is for you
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Aug 3, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Dating a Non-Catholic // Adele Collins
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Adele Collins and we’re talking about how to discern a relationship with someone who isn’t Catholic, her marriage with her husband, Ben, and how she lives out the feminine genius as a Catholic wife and mother to seven kids (six daughters and one son!)
This conversation with Adele was over a year in the making, and it was such a joy to get to know her better - and I can’t wait to share her story and love of her husband and family with you in today’s episode!
If you’re discerning whether or not to date someone who doesn't share your Catholic faith, or you’re married to a non-Catholic and you’re desiring someone to rejoice in the joys and accompany you in the challenges, sister, this letter is for you.
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Jul 20, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Who Believes She's Isn't Worthy of Wearing // Nicole Caruso
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Nicole Caruso and we’re talking about the origin of Nicole's #WorthyofWearing challenges on Instagram, why self-confidence is contagious, and how to have a balanced approach to self-care as a Catholic woman today.
I loved this conversation with Nicole and I can’t wait to share her incredible insight into our closets and confidence as Catholic women. I learned so much about my closet and my heart in my time with her.
If you have pushed all of your beautiful clothes to the back of the closet, waiting for the perfect day or event to wear them, sister, this letter is for you.
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Jul 6, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Feeling Overwhelmed By Home Decorating // Amanda Weeder
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Weeder and we’re talking about Amanda’s passion for helping tell the story of a home, her tried and true decorating tips (ones that I’d never heard before our conversation together), and why you don’t have to feel guilty as a Catholic woman if you’re wanting a beautiful home to retreat to.
I loved this conversation with Amanda and I can’t wait to share her beautiful understanding of not only making our homes places of beauty, but also understanding more about our eternal home in Heaven and how we can journey there as Catholic women.
If you’re exhausted from trying to keep up with all of the latest home trends and you’re discouraged by perfect Instagram home inspiration and just desiring to have your home be a place of beauty and rest, sister, this letter is for you.
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Jun 22, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Thinking About Going to Therapy // Maribel Laguna
In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Maribel Laguna and we’re talking about the beauty of healing from wounds and Maribel’s work with In His Image Counseling Center down in Texas.
In my story, there have been several seasons where I’ve seen a Catholic counselor - to work through grief and trauma, and to invest in my marriage.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Maribel and I can’t wait to share with you her wisdom and her passion for helping people heal and grow in this episode of Letters to Women.
If you’re desiring to heal from wounds and learn more about the work and mission of Catholic counselors, sister, this letter is for you.
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Jun 8, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Healing from Sexual Abuse // Kiki Rocha
In this episode, Chloe sits down with Kiki Rocha to discuss her story as a sexual abuse survivor. Together, they talk about how this abuse impacted Kiki's relationship with God, what healing looks like in her life, and how we can better support sexual abuse survivors.
If you’re longing for healing after surviving sexual abuse, but you feel alone or abandoned, sister, this letter is for you.
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May 25, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Comparing Herself to Her Friends // Ginny Kochis
We all know the stereotypes around friendship with other women - gossip, catty remarks, back stabbing, vicious comments.
But you know what? I think that friendship - and I’m talking wholesome, holy, authentic, healthy friendship - with other women is something that is NECESSARY in our lives as women.
Friendship with other women isn’t something that’s good for some, not for all, or not worth the effort. I truly believe that we all need friendship with women in our lives - we learn how to be women from other women, whether that’s the women who are accompanying us as we all journey back to Christ’s Sacred Heart, or from the examples of women who have walked this path before us - the saints, and Our Lady.
I’m diving into this subject with a familiar voice to the podcast, Ginny Kochis. She came on the show to talk about raising twice exceptional children a few years back, and she’s back today to talk about comparison, impostor syndrome, and how to be authentic in our friend…
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May 11, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Discerning Who She Is // Samantha Povlock
I don’t know about you, but Coronavirus is setting the discernment stage for me. So much of what I considered “normal” is being called into question, and I’m striving for a healthy discernment of what this “new normal” will look like for my family and myself.
I’m so excited to share this conversation with Samantha Povlock, founder and director of FemCatholic. She shares about a brand new digital community she’s created - and we also talk about why women shouldn’t let perfectionism or the seasonality of our lives hold us back from using the gifts God has given us in the ways he’s calling us to use them.
If you’re discerning where God is calling you to use the gifts he’s given you, or if you’ve ever felt like you’re on the outside looking in when it comes to Catholic community with women, this letter is for you.
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Apr 27, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Wondering How to Bear Fruit If She's Infertile // Mary Bruno
When I was experiencing secondary infertility after losing our son to miscarriage, there was one line at every Catholic wedding that would leave me feeling empty and broken: “Be fruitful and multiply.”
It felt like a knife twisting in my heart, and it left me wondering if my infertility meant that my marriage couldn’t be fruitful.
If you’ve felt the sting that comes with hearing those words as a woman experiencing infertility, you’ll love this conversation that I had with Mary Bruno about why God allows infertility in some of our stories, but still calls us to bear fruit that will remain.
If you’re desiring to learn more about why God is allowing infertility in your life and where he is calling you to be fruitful, this letter is for you.
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Apr 6, 2020
A Letter to the Woman With an Emptying Nest // Danielle Bean
An empty nest seems so far off right now - but I know that I’ll blink and we’ll be parents to a teenager. What happens to our hearts as women as our children grow up and begin to lead their own lives?
How can we absorb the mixed emotions of anxiety and excitement, grief and hope?
Whether you’re a mother who is watching her nest empty, or you’re in the trenches with littles and an empty nest seems like a distant, vague idea in the future, I know you’ll love soaking up Danielle Bean’s wisdom and joy in this episode.
If you’re desiring to lean into God during the sacred seasons of motherhood, sister, this letter is for you.
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Mar 23, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Longing to Encounter Beauty // Kate Capato
I first encountered Kate Capato’s art through her painting called The Woman. It depicts Eve and Our Lady of Guadalupe. It’s beauty was (and still is!) captivating. It’s an image that I have thought of and taken to prayer many times.
Beauty is restorative - and it points us back to the ultimate beauty of God.
In today’s conversation, you’ll learn about the power of beauty in your ordinary, daily life as a Catholic woman. Kate and I talk about how God is the ultimate artist, and the ultimate source of creative inspiration.
If you’ve longed to encounter beauty and be drawn closer to the Lord’s Sacred Heart through that encounter, sister, this letter is for you.
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Mar 9, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Wrestling with Shame // Carrie Schuchts Daunt
Do you long for freedom in your life?
Have you wrestled against the knots of sin and shame?
It’s easy to believe the lies from the devil that are haunting our hearts as women. The lies that we are too much, or not enough. The lies that everyone sees our brokenness and doesn’t care, or that people would run away if they knew the pain on our heart. But Christ sings truth over our stories. And he invites us to freedom.
I loved the chance to sit down with Carrie Schuchts Daunt and talk about her brand new book: "Undone: Freeing Your Feminine Heart from the Knots of Fear and Shame."
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by shame or afraid of vulnerability, sister, this letter is for you.
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Feb 19, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Embracing Her Cross // Therese Williams
I once heard a cross described as something in your life that you don’t want, you didn’t choose, and you don’t like. And I don’t know what cross you’re carrying in your ordinary life as a Catholic woman, but I know you’re carrying one, sister.
So as we get ready to enter into Lent, I hope this episode with Therese Williams inspires you to not just resign yourself to your cross, but to lean into it and to embrace it.
Whatever cross you’re carrying, sister, this letter is for you.
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Feb 10, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Struggling With Body Image // Elizabeth Varga
Innocent. Guilty. Good. Bad. Isn’t it interesting that we describe our food that way?
“Good” and “Bad” are also words that I’ve heard used to describe the shape of our bodies as women - even though we know that God looks at our bodies and sees that He made them good - always.
In today’s episode, Elizabeth Varga (The Plant Based Catholic) and I are diving deep into the way that we as women talk about food, diets, and our bodies.
Just as a heads up, we’re going to be honest about health habits and maintaining a health relationship with food.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, know that you're not alone. In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life.
While I was struggling with healthy eating, I visited a doctor and brought the issues to my counselor as well - and there is no shame in that. Sometimes what we struggle with is bigger than ourselves and asking for help is not a sign of…
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Jan 27, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Navigating Postpartum
One of my favorite podcasts that I listened to in the early hours of the morning during feedings with tiny baby Maeve was “Coffee and Crumbs” – it was honest, raw, and I found myself stifling laughter as the women on the show shared their stories of marriage and motherhood.
A phrase I will never forget from one of their episodes is this one: “Postpartum is forever.” It struck me, as I sat there cradling a tiny sweet newborn, that that was right.
I will always be Maeve’s mom, and I will always have given birth.
Postpartum brings so many changes. There’s recovery from birth, adjusting to a new baby in the house, setting boundaries, managing expectations, juggling meal time, so so little sleep, and the beauty of a new life.
In today’s episode, we’re talking all things postpartum. Whether you’re a new mom entering into that postpartum season yourself or someone near and dear to you is giving birth soon and you’re wondering how to help, this letter is for you!
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Jan 27, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Overwhelmed by Fertility Awareness Options
How can we get better at self care? The answer may be unexpected, but in today's episode, I sit down with Bridget Busacker to talk about why fertility awareness is one of the best self-care habits women can form - and a solution I can personally attest to myself.
We’re also talking about the science and theology behind fertility awareness, why it’s good to know how your body works, and why your fertility isn’t a burden.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the how and the why behind fertility awareness, this episode is for you.
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Jan 20, 2020
A Letter to the Woman Looking for Home
Home is where we live. But the word ‘home’ means a lot more than just the four walls that we call ours. This past summer, Joseph and I bought our first home and sometimes the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the word “home” is now, how every broken toilet, leaking laundry room, poorly insulated door, roach infested stove, and sinkhole in the backyard is ours to take care of and fix.
Yes, there is a sinkhole in our backyard.
It’s crazy.
This is what no one prepared me for before I signed on the dotted line of the mortgage papers.
But, what we’re striving for here in the Langr home, lovingly referred to as the Guadalupe house, is a domestic church - something that points those who enter back to the heart of the Father.
Domestic Church isn’t the phrase the comes to mind when dishes are piling up, laundry is really piling up, but that’s what were called to every day - and what we’re called to invite others into.
Your home isn’t too messy to invite ot…
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Dec 16, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Worried She Isn't Mom Enough
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’re not doing enough. Maybe you worry you’re not spending enough time with your kids, especially during the holiday season.
Maybe you worry you’re not mom enough.
I know I have.
That’s why I’m excited to dig into perfectionism and motherhood today with you. At first glance, this may seem like a podcast episode just for mothers of children, grown or growing. But what I love about this conversation is that it applies to all women, because we’re all called to maternity, whether that’s physical or spiritual.
In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the root of perfectionism comes from for mothers, why some failure is inevitable, and how you can embrace the guilt.
Yep, you heard me right.
So pour a cup of coffee (I’m on my second of the morning, so you’re in good company), settle in - today’s episode is a letter to the women who doesn’t think she’s mom enough.
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Oct 17, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn't Think She's Creative
As you may be able to tell from the title of this podcast, John Paul II’s “Letter to Women” that he penned in 1995 is one of my favorite things that he wrote during his papacy. But he also wrote another letter that we’re diving into in this episode. It’s called the Letter to Artists. There are so many quotes I could pull from this letter that I love, but one in particular struck me:
“All artists experience the unbridgeable gap which lies between the work of their hands, however successful it may be, and the dazzling perfection of the beauty glimpsed in the ardour of the creative moment.”
For a lot of us, this idea of being an artist, experiencing and interacting with creativity can cause us to squirm. Some of us struggle to see ourselves as creative, and I think there’s a lot of shame around this idea of creativity in today’s world.
Maybe you were told to focus on something that pays the bills. Or maybe someone told you that you weren’t creative enough. Maybe you…
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Sep 26, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Too Busy to Pray
There are a lot of myths about the Catholic Church floating around out there, but two that I hear quite a bit are first, the Catholic Church hates women, and second that a life of prayer and holiness is something that you’re not going to be able to attain unless your a big shot like John of the Cross, Edith Stein, or Catherine of Siena.
This week on Letters to Women, Kathyrn Jean Lopez and I dive in deep to how the Catholic Church honors and empowers women like nobody else, and how every single one of us is invited to union with God and a deep, rich prayer life.
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Sep 12, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Who Hates Looking at Her Bank Account
When you open up your bank statement or your credit card bill, do you cringe?
You’re not alone if you’d rather avoid looking at the balance of your checking account. After all, a majority of us are sifting through things like student loan debt and credit card debt. You may even be realizing that your money worries are acting like a barrier between you and God when it comes to trusting him. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In today’s episode, Victoria and I are discussing all things money. Yep, we’re going there. Let’s leave behind this idea that talking about money is taboo or impolite.
From paying off debt to growing in deeper communication with God about our finances, I loved this conversation.
If the word “budget” makes you squirm, this episode is for you.
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Aug 29, 2019
A Letter to the Woman With a Heart for Those Who Suffer
How do we serve those who suffer? In today's episode, Jacque Anderson and I discuss what it looks like to see the face of Christ in those who are suffering around us, and how to not turn away. She shares about her work with Emmaus Ministries, who serve men in survival prostitution situations on teh streets of Chicago.
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Aug 15, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Moving from Fear to Freedom
I don’t have any tattoos, but if I was to ever get one, I know exactly what it’d be – the words “Be not Afraid,” written in the handwriting of John Paul II. Those words are so dear to my heart that they’re engraved on the inside of both Joseph and I’s wedding band.
John Paul II begin his amazing papacy with that brave cry. Throughout my story as a Catholic woman, his words encouraged me to let go of the fear that paralyzed me and exchange it for trust in the Lord. To trust in His divine providence and mercy.
Little by little, I’ve learned to let go of what makes me afraid and ask God for the grace of trust. This doesn't meant that everything make sense and I'm never afraid. But the phrase "Be Not Afraid" has been with me through so many trials.
In today’s episode of Letters to Women, I’m talking with Kaitlyn Clare Mason about how to move from fear to freedom. She shares the five keys things that have helped her in her own interior life, and we talk about her amaz…
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Aug 1, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Criticizing Herself
Did you know that women criticize themselves an average of eight times a day? Eight times a day. We’re more likely to see beauty and goodness in the lives of those around us than we are to catch a glimpse of it in our own lives.
If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror and listed off the litany of things you see that you think are wrong, then you’re not alone.
So how do start talking to ourselves and about ourselves like someone we love?
In today’s episode, I sit down with Patty Breen, a woman who is passionate about ecumenism, living in the power of the Holy Spirit, ministry to divorced Catholics, and women whose relationships have been impacted by sexual addiction.
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Jul 18, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Struggling to Surrender Everything to God
“O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!”
Do those words bring comfort, or do they make you squirm? If you’re like me (type A control freak here), those words can be a hard pill to swallow. But Christ calls us to surrender everything, to hold nothing back, and to trust him completely.
But what about when he doesn’t fulfill the desires of your heart - even the desires he placed on your heart? What about when trusting him is hard and you want to grasp onto your plans?
In today’s episode, I sit down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer, a woman who has inspired me with her radical surrender.
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Jun 13, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Who Thinks Spiritual Motherhood is a Consolation Prize
Does your heart know the pains of motherhood that doesn't quite look like what you thought it would?
Has Christ called you to marriage, but not introduced the second part of that vocational equation into your life yet? Is your little saint in Heaven, too? Does the experience of infertility weigh heavy on your heart? Does physical motherhood not quite look like what you had dreamed of? Is Christ calling you to be His bride alone, asking you to sacrifice physical motherhood in a vocation to consecrated life?
If any of these situations are close to your heart, it may feel like the call to spiritual motherhood is a second-rate motherhood. But that couldn't be further from the truth.
In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Bean and we talk about why the universal call to motherhood applies to all women, how “mother” is a verb, and why you’re made for maternity as a woman, even if you don’t feel maternal.
This episode was brought to you by Stay Close to Christ, a Catholic…
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May 30, 2019
A letter to the woman searching for her passion
What are you passionate about? Maybe it’s music, cooking, spending time with friends, or reading a good book. But your passion shouldn’t just be something that you enjoy in the spare moments of your day or just on the weekend. After all, our passions aren’t supposed to exist in a vacuum. Instead, the things that inspire us are meant to draw us closer to the Lord and closer to those around us on a daily basis. So just how do you take your passion to a deeper level of service?
Today, I’m talking with Katie Lynch. She’s the founder of Kate+Grace boutique, an online clothing shop with a unique mission to serve women and bring joy. We talk about the story behind her boutique, how to practice the corporeal works of mercy in our own community, and why it’s important to bring our passions to prayer.
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May 16, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Facing the Unexpected
When you go through an unexpected change or struggle, you may find yourself thinking about life in terms of “before” and “after.” When Alexa Hyman reflects on her journey over the past two years, she remembers her life before and after February 17, 2017, when she found out she was expecting a baby girl.
Sharing our unique stories can help others feel less alone, and that’s Alexa’s goal. Each one of us has our own unique story of joy and struggle, our “Februaries.” So how do we be brave and face that struggle head on? Alexa is leading the way with a conversation about beauty, meaning, conversation, community, and heart. Because we’re all facing our own February, or have one that is yet to come.
Alexa is a passionate Catholic woman and mom who knows the value of being there for people. She’s also the creator behind Back in February, where she shares the journey of single motherhood. We talk about her unexpected pregnancy with her daughter, Renley, and how her experi…
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May 2, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Searching for Authentic Happiness
Happiness on this earth comes in many forms. I find happiness in my marriage, trips, hikes in the mountains, spring weather (minus the allergies), a good song that comes on my Spotify playlist, and a good cup of cold coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.
But we're made for transcendent happiness, the kind that nothing on this world can fulfill. What do our desires for happiness here on earth teach us about the life to come? Today, I sit down and talk with Rose Sweet about how we can search for (and find!) authentic happiness and true joy.
This episode was brought to you by Sudio headphones. Use to code letters15 to receive 15% of your purchase of your next set of headphones, and enjoy Sudio’s free world-wide shipping.
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Apr 18, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Defining Her Personal Style
Today’s world is confused about the very basics: the value of human life, the meaning and purpose of sexuality, why beauty matters, and what exactly constitutes as true freedom.
In this episode, I’m talking with Mary Sheehan Warren, who teaches consumer behavior and fashion marketing at the Catholic University of America. She’s also the leader of the Fashion Intelligence Project, an organization dedicated to human dignity and sustainable fashion consumption. We talk about what’s changed in recent years when it comes to our culture and the way we communicate as women, defining our personal style, and why human dignity should be valued at all costs.
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Apr 4, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Navigating Social Media Today
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, iTunes, the list goes on and on. When it comes to navigating today’s world of social media as Catholic women, we almost need a field guide. How do we avoid getting sucked into the time warp that is Instagram scrolling? When do we need to step away and when do we need to step up and speak up?
Today, I’m talking with two Catholic social media influencers, Sarah and Amy. They’re two women who create Catholic content online, and they share their stories, tips, and tricks for interacting with social media. We talk about building up others, listening to the promptings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and honing in on your passions while remaining authentic.
This episode was brought to you by Stay Close to Christ, a Catholic gift company! Use the code LETTERS for 10% off your next order.
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Mar 21, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Who's Afraid of Not Being Enough
From a very early age, women are told both explicitly and implicitly that their worth is determined by what they look like. Our world offers a standard of beauty and as women, we spend a lot of our time measuring ourselves up to that standard. I remember distinctly being twelve years old and trying on clothes in my room. I looked in the mirror and I can remember thinking “You aren’t beautiful. You don’t look like the women in advertisements. You don’t even look like the women you know. You aren’t beautiful.”
Leah Darrow appeared on America’s Next Top Model and was in a successful modeling career. But she discovered how a focus on physical beauty alone lead to a culture of use. Today, Leah and I talk about how true and lasting beauty can only be found in a relationship with God. The desire that we have for beauty isn’t a bad thing – but it does reveal that we actually are desiring true beauty, the beauty of God. I hope you enjoy the show!
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Mar 14, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Filling Out Her Online Dating Profile
Swipe left, swipe right. Online dating is growing more popular by the day, but is it for you? I loved visiting with Christina Peterson in today’s show. She met her husband, Greg, online and shared their story along with her favorite tips and hints when it comes to filling out your online dating profile. This podcast episode is packed with practical information and real life online dating success stories - enjoy!
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Feb 21, 2019
A Letter to the Woman In a Long Distance Relationship
Long distance relationships can be intimidating. Your family members and friends may discourage you from trying long-distance love, encouraging you to protect your heart. Others may tell you not to take your new relationship seriously, since you aren’t going to your significant other very much.
While long distance relationships aren’t easy, they definitely are possible. You may combat loneliness and communication issues, but it’s possible to thrive in a long distance relationship. In today’s episode, Mindy Fitterling talk about the unique challenges and joys of long distance dating, and how long distance relationships can be a beautiful way to prepare you for marriage.
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Feb 7, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Wondering If She Can Be a Catholic Feminist
Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: “I’m a feminist for the same reason I’m bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things.”
But just how do women share their unique gifts and genius with the Body of Christ? What women can we look to as examples throughout history of women who championed Christ and the Church?
In our conversation today, Claire points out that both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. Claire also pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first.
So what does it mean to be a Catholic feminist? I think Claire brings a lot of great answers and conversation to the table. I enjoyed our episode and can’t wait to share it with you.
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Jan 24, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Getting Out of Her Comfort Zone
In a message delivered on May 20, 2013 Pope Francis, said: “When it comes to living out this message, the best way is by going out of one’s comfort zone.” He went on to say, “This is dangerous. We lock ourselves in our parish, with our friends, in our movement, with those who think just like we do. But you know what happens? When the Church is closed off, it gets sick.”
Pope Francis also said: “today’s world needs many witnesses. Not so much teachers, as witnesses. It’s not about just talk. It’s about talking through your actions. Living a coherent life. It’s precisely about a coherent life.” When it comes to living out this message, the Pope said the best way is by going out of one’s comfort zone.
It’s the beginning of a new year, and you may be feeling the urge to get out of your comfort zone. Maybe that means trying something new, or traveling. Maybe you want to conquer fears this year, or make sure you’re not settling for anything less than a magnanimous…
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Jan 10, 2019
A Letter to the Woman Wondering What Her Gifts Are
We live in a world that is full of people who think that faith and the gifts that God gives each of us are irreverent. In fact, many in today’s society would go so far as to say that we no longer even need God. Those people are wrong.But what if you’re struggling to see what gifts he has given you? I’m not talking about the gifts of relationships or the gifts of a good job, all of which are beautiful things. I’m talking about the charisms that he placed on your heart and soul at the moment of baptism, the gift that he wants to use to transform you, and then transform others around you.
What would our world look like if we each lived out those charisms to the brim? Today on the podcast, Jill Simon of Pink Salt Riot and I are going to talk about why your charisms are important, how to discern the particular gifts God has given you, and how to give back to others through that gift. I loved this conversation, and I hope you enjoy it, too.
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Dec 27, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Struggling with an All-Male Priesthood
The Catholic Church doesn’t allow women to become priests. If that’s something that frustrates you as a Catholic, or as a woman, don’t walk away from the Church because of this fact. But also don’t ignore the fact that you’re frustrated.
When tough topics in the Catholic Church come up in conversation, it’s tempting to shy away from those conversations, or to brush it all under the rug, saying, “Well, that’s just how it is. We have to accept it because of faith.” Instead, let’s have those vulnerable discussions where we admit that we don’t understand where the Church is coming from sometimes, but we know that we can find answers and find community in those struggles.
If you’ve found truth, goodness, and beauty in the Church but still struggle with some of her teachings, you’re not alone. Today, we’re going to have a conversation about the all-male priesthood, and especially what that means for Catholic women. But I’m really excited to bring Johnna Wilfor…
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Dec 13, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who's a Working Mom
If you’re a Catholic mom who works, you’re not alone (even though it can sometimes feel like it!) In this episode, JoAnna Wahlund of The Catholic Working Mother talks about what the Church has to say about working mothers, finding peace when you don’t want to work and would rather stay home, living to the fullest when you do want to work, how to discern whether to work or not, and many other topics. This is a subject near and dear to my heart as I’m starting on this discernment process myself with the littlest Langr due in May. I know that I’ll be returning to this episode in a few months as I continue to discern, and I hope our conversation is helpful for you, as well!
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Nov 29, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Stressed About Advent
Did anyone else take a quick peek at the calendar and realize that Advent starts soon, then promptly start to freak out? Surely I can’t be the only one.
Although it’s meant to be a season of preparing our hearts, minds, and homes for a little baby born in Bethlehem, Advent tends to end up being a season of stress instead of calm preparation. The holiday to-do list grows longer and longer by the day, and before we know it, we’ll be lighting that first purple candle.
Take a deep breath, friend. We’ve got this.
If “Advent” is synonymous to “nervous” and “anxious,” I hope today’s conversation with Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, empowers you with ways to prepare and calm your heart for the upcoming liturgical season.
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Nov 15, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn't Think She's Enough
It’s easy to get distracted by this world and doubt that God REALLY loves us. Log onto Instagram or any of your social media accounts and you’ll probably be met with messages that you’re not enough. You’re told that you’re not pretty enough, smart enough, thin enough, sexy enough, rich enough, successful enough, and we don’t have enough friends.
In a world that tries to sell us all of these fleeting temporary things and make us hustle for our worth, we have to remember that we’re made for the eternal, and we’re held in existence by God’s incredible love.
In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about how God’s love for us uniquely as women is a message he’s been telling us from the beginning of time.
In today's episode I sit down and visit with Catholic author, blogger, and podcast Danielle Bean and we talk about how we as women are enough!
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Oct 31, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Afraid to Share Her Faith
Afraid you don't know enough to share your faith? Cathy Duffy encourages women today to be courageous and share their faith. You don't have to know all the answers. One of the most beautiful things I took away from our conversation is that the biggest key to evangelization is listening rather than talking. I hope that this episode encourages you to share your faith with someone today!
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Oct 18, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Desiring to Grow in Relationship with Christ
It can be hard to find time in busy schedules to renew your faith and inspire your spirit. And, as busy as your life is, you’re probably used to being pulled this way and that, and having countless people depend on you. The good news is that you don’t have to wonder anymore if you’ll ever find a community of like-minded women. And you can stop the search for the perfect Scripture passages to pray through, and the wondering if you’ll ever find time to pray. All you’ll need is Blessed is She, a beautiful community of women, delivered to you inbox daily, every morning. MaryRuth Hackett, the director of operations for Blessed Is She, joins me today to talk about the founding days of Blessed Is She, the importance of community, and how to invest into friendships in your life as a Catholic woman. Blessed Is She has been such a gift to my life as a Catholic woman, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
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Oct 4, 2018
A Letter to the Mom Who Keeps Telling Her Kids to Say Thank You
“Do you need help with that?"
“Go say thank you."
“Wait a minute."
“Eat your food."
What if we took all of those statements that we may find ourselves repeating to our kids or kids we are blessed with in our lives as aunts, god moms, and grandmothers and applied them to ourselves and our life with God?
Lindsay Schlegel and I talk about phrases that we frequently find ourselves saying as parents and how our faith and our life can change when we imagine God saying those things to us, his little daughters. Living out our feminine genius as mothers, whether that’s spiritually or physically, can show us more about our own role as a daughter of God.
I loved thinking about these common phrases in a whole new light – so if you’re someone who finds herself repeating phrases over and over to littles in your life, this episode is for you! I hope you enjoy it.
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Sep 20, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Learning How to Love Herself
Self-care is a concept that our culture has commercialized and misunderstood. But just what is a healthy, holy understanding of taking care of ourselves? This week, I sit down with Julia Hogan, MS, LCPC to talk about why it’s okay to start with you. She shares tips on how to assess your self-care routine, how to improve areas that are a little messy, and how to learn to love yourself.
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Sep 6, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Struggling with Comparison
If you’ve spent too much time scrolling through Instagram or any other form of social media and have fallen into the trap of comparing your life to the lives of other women, you’re not alone. And if you’ve fallen into that trap of comparison in real life too, you’re for sure not alone.
So what can we do about it? We know we have a comparison problem. How do we tackle it?
My guest today is Emily Hannon, and we’re going to spend this whole episode talking about how social media can be transformed into a bridge, how we can recognize the beauty of our own story, and how to compliment the women in our life and reject the lies of comparison.
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Aug 23, 2018
A Letter to the Woman in the Second Half of Life
Dear sister - the world tells you that as you age, you become less worthy. Your shoved in the corner once you hit the world's 'expiration date'. Don't believe that lie. The culture has hijacked beauty by trying to sell it back to us as if we didn't already own it. I can't wait to share with you tips from Lisa Mladinich (from WOMAN on the Shalom World TV network) on how we can dig even deeper into the feminine genius in the second half of life.
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Aug 9, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Starting Freshman Year of College
In this episode I sit down with Carolyn Shields, the founder of The Young Catholic Woman and a campus minister at Penn State. We talk about how college is both exciting and nerve-wracking and give tips and hints for friendship, relationships, and your prayer life! This is the episode I wish I would have heard my freshman year back in 2013, and I'm so excited to share it with you today.
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Jul 26, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who's An Introvert
In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Burns and we talk about the challenges and the beauty involved with being an introvert. We chat about when we first discovered we were introverts. The world may paint introversion is a bad light, but we're striving to break that stereotype and thrive with our introverted personality. Take a listen to learn how to dive deeper into your prayer life as an introvert, how to interact with others in a healthier way, and how to embrace silence.
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Jul 12, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Living in Today's Throw-Away Culture
In this episode, I visit with Haley Stewart. Haley, her husband Daniel, and their three littles moved down to Waco, Texas to spend a year working a farm. That experience radically changed how Haley viewed the word 'success' and opened her eyes up to what Pope Francis calls the 'throw-away culture'. She shares the story of moving to the farm and how we can be better stewards of the earth God has given us.
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Jun 28, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Experiencing Pregnancy After a Loss
This episode, I visit with Laura Kelly Fanucci, the blogger behind ‘Mother Spirit.’ Laura has lost children to infant loss and miscarriage, and found that there weren’t many resources available for women experiencing pregnancy after a devastating loss. We talk about the spiritual side of pregnancy after loss and why this is a conversation that needs to happen more in the lives of women.
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Jun 14, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Discerning an Annulment
In this episode, I visit with Lisa Duffy. She experienced an unwanted divorce and has she went through the annulment process as a source of healing. She talks about what an annulment is (and what it isn't!) and talks us through the changes that Pope Francis introduced. I hope this episode helps clear up some myths about Catholic annulments and explains the squishy process of divorce and annulments.
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May 31, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who Owns Her Own Business
In this episode, I sit down with Emily Ricci. Shes' the founder and president of Gloriam Marketing, a business she started just a few days before she got engaged. We talk about the nitty gritty of starting your own business, and how Emily balances her schedule to keep Christ at the center.
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May 17, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Longing for Gratitude
In this episode, I visit with Dr. Susan Muto about the importance of gratefulness in a consumer driven world. She reminds us that being grateful doesn't mean being like Pollyanna, but instead, it means diving into the way of saints and Christians mystics like Julian of Norwich, Therese of Lisieux, and Dorothy Day.
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May 10, 2018
A Letter to the Imperfect Catholic Mom
In this episode, I sit down with Colleen Duggan, who wrote the book 'Good Enough is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom'. We talk about how we don't have to have it all together as Catholic parents, how we can strive to sainthood as parents despite our messiness, and how to reject the lies that the culture throws at us about how we should parent.
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May 3, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn't Have it All Together
In this episode, Sarah Swafford and I discuss how we’re all called to a life of virtue. We chat about how none of us have it together, and when we say we’re ‘fine’, we actually mean that we’re Freaked out, Insecure , Nervous, and Exhausted. We also visit about emotional virtue and what that looks like (regardless of where you’re at in life).
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Apr 19, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Experiencing Infertility
I was blessed with an opportunity to visit with Connie Poulos and chat about her experience with infertility as a Catholic woman. If you're a woman who experiences infertility, she wants you to know that you're not alone. You're His daughter.
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Apr 5, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who's Grieving
In this episode, I visit with Paula D'Arcy. She's a retreat leader, former psychotherapist, and best-selling author. We discuss how her life is marked with sorrow - including the loss of her husband and daughter to a drunk driving accident forty years ago. Her story is a witness to hope and she speaks about how to navigate the complex stages of grief.
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Mar 22, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Raising Twice Exceptional Children
In this episode, I sit down and visit with Ginny Kochis from Not So Formulaic. We talk about Today on the podcast, Ginny Kochis from Not so Formulaic and I visit about her parenting journey and how she and her husband navigated decisions in their parenthood journey. She shares how finding out that her daughter was twice exceptional has impacted their lives and how important it is to find great community.
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Mar 8, 2018
A Letter to the Woman with the Cluttered Closet
In this episode, I sit down with Mary Elizabeth Sperry to tackle the subject of de-cluttering. We all have that ONE closet that we dread looking at. Mary Elizabeth's latest book, "Making Room for God: Decluttering and the Spiritual Life" provides practical tips for how to clean out our junk drawers and examine our consciences all at the same time.
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Feb 22, 2018
A Letter to Women About the Most Influential Woman in the World
In this episode, I visit with Dr. Carrie Gress, a Catholic wife, mother, and best-selling author. We discuss her latest book, 'The Marian Option', and why Marian devotion is the answer to so many of the world's problems today. As a woman who studied history in college, I loved the depth of Dr. Carrie's research, and I think you will, too!
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Feb 19, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Celebrating Her First Year of Marriage
Joseph joins me as we discuss our first year of marriage. We answer all the questions you had for us, as well as tell the story of how we met. I laughed so much while listening to this episode - I hope you'll like it, too!
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Feb 8, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who Thinks She Isn't Worthy
In this episode, I sit down with Liz Sams and Janine McGann, the women behind the film "Speaking to Sparrows". We talk about how we can reject the lie that we're not enough, find our identity in Christ, and discover ways to share our stories in safe and holy ways. You'll love these women and their amazing creativity!
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Jan 25, 2018
A Letter To Women About Breaking Stereotypes
Lizzy Dowd is a passionate young woman who is not afraid to ask deep questions and say what's on her heart. I got the chance to visit with her and talk about how she's breaking stereotypes surrounding gender, the Catholic faith, and the pro-life movement. You'll love her stories - and her laughter is contagious!
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Jan 11, 2018
A Letter to the Woman Who Is Bored at Mass
I sit down and talk with Kassie Manning, the co-creator of the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal. We talk about what to do if you find Mass boring, tools to help you dive deeper into the beauty of Catholicism, and how Every Sacred Sunday came to be!
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Dec 28, 2017
A Letter to the Mother of Saints in Heaven
I sit down with Amy Thomas and we talk about what it's like to parent saints. Both of us have lost littles through miscarriage and are battling the fear that comes after those losses. If you've lost babies through miscarriage, or know someone who is grieving about a miscarriage, this podcast episode is for you.
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Dec 14, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Read the Bible
In this episode, I visit with Sonja Corbitt, the Bible Study Evangelista. We talk about her amazing conversion to the Catholic Church, and why more Catholics need to delve into Scripture. She gives great tips and practical ways to encounter Christ in His word.
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Nov 30, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Running Towards Christ
In this episode, Johnna from Catholic Women Run joins me and we visit about her conversion to the Catholic faith, how she finds Christ in running, how to avoid making fitness an idol, and a special challenge she has for women during Advent!
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Nov 16, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Desiring Virtuous Friendships
In this episode, I visit with Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet about their latest book together, "The Friendship Project". We talk about saints, virtues, and they give practical tips about how to invest into the women in your lives.
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Nov 2, 2017
A Letter to the Single Woman (When All Her Friend Are Dating)
In this episode, I interview Dain Finney, a single Catholic woman who works at Benedictine College. We visit about how Christ calls us to rest in His plan during the season of singleness, and how to rejoice with our friends who are in Godly relationships and not give into the temptation of jealously.
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Oct 19, 2017
A Letter to the Woman with Nothing to Wear
In this episode, I interview Kelly Nugent, who leads my women's bible study here in Kansas City. She has a passion for fashion and Jesus, and we discuss authenticity, modesty, and how to put Christ at the center of our lives. Get it, boo.
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Oct 5, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Looking for a Hero
In this episode, I interview Maria Morera Johnson, author of "My Badass Book of Saints" and "Super Girls and Halos". We chat about how sainthood is not boring, and how the saints are amazing models of how to live a life of virtue.
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Sep 21, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Wondering About Feminism
In this episode, I interview Samantha Povlock, the founder of FemCatholic, a website dedicated to exploring the intersection of Catholicism and Feminism. We visit about her journey with feminism and how to explore our own femininity.
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Sep 7, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Desiring Fuller Feminine Friendships
In this episode, I interview Katrina Even, a passionate woman who has a heart for women's ministry. We chat about how to foster intentional friendships with the women in our lives and how to reject the lie that friendships with women are full of catty sarcasm and backstabbing.
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Aug 24, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Struggling with Pornography and Masturbation
In this episode, I interview Bethany Swanson, a stay-at-home-wife who blogs over at Strengthen My Heart. We visit about her past addiction to masturbation, and how pornography and masturbation addictions are not just 'guys' issues'.
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Aug 10, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Read More
In this episode, I interview Sarah Burns, who I lovingly refer to as my adopted big sister. Since I met her two years ago, I've loved her book recommendations. We visit about the role books play in her life and her favorite book characters who live out the feminine genius.
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Jul 26, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Preparing for Marriage
In this episode, I interview Sarah Lundgren, a Roman Huskies Missionary at Northern Illinois University. She's been engaged since the Easter Vigil and we talk about how wedding planning is going - but more importantly, how to focus on preparing for the sacrament of marriage.
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Jul 12, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Experiencing Same Sex Attraction
In this episode, I interview Kelsie Gartner, an incredibly authentic woman who talks about her experience with same sex attraction and her search for the truth.
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Jun 29, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Struggling with Depression
In this episode, I interview Kaitlyn Simon, an amazingly vulnerable woman who talks about her struggles with depression and anxiety.
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Jun 14, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Know More About Her Fertility
In this episode, I interview Breanna Elley, a Nebraska Fertility Practitioner who teaches Creighton Model Natural Family Planning. We visit about contraception, the pill, NFP, and why charting your cycle is the best thing you can do for self-care as a woman.
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May 30, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Share Jesus
In this episode, I interview Mary Khadivi, a missionary with Saint Paul's Outreach. We discuss how the feminine genius impacts her mission work.
Music: "Golden Sunrise" by Josh Woodward
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY 3.0
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May 30, 2017
A Letter to the Woman Who Made Me
In this episode, I interview Mary Mooradian, my mom, and ask her about spiritual motherhood and how she lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary life.
Music: "Golden Sunrise" by Josh Woodward
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY 3.0
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May 26, 2017
The Original Letter to Women
In this first podcast, I talk about Saint John Paul II's "Letter to Women" and introduce the podcast series.
Music: "Golden Sunrise" by Josh Woodward
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY 3.0
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