Thriving In The Trenches A Catholic Podcast

We are continuing our fun summer series with a fellow podcaster, Kristine Franklin of the Hello and Welcome Podcast. We had a most delightful time with this brilliant storyteller who is full of wit, wisdom, and a wealth of knowledge. Kristine is a woman after God’s own heart and she not only shares her journey to Catholicism but also shares about her 20 plus years in Catholic media ministry. You don’t want to miss this episode. #womenencouragingwomen   Please consider financially supporting our Podcast Our Guest:   Kristine L. Franklin was raised in a fundamentalist evangelical church where she learned to love Jesus, read the Bible, and share her faith with anyone who would listen.  She graduated from Biola University with a B.A. in Communications, a Minor in Biblical Studies and the deep desire to serve as a foreign missionary.    In 1991 Kristine and her husband Marty and their two children moved to Central America as lay missionaries.  During this time they began to question many of the presuppositions of

Please consider supporting our Podcast One thing we have come to love to do around here is get to know other women that have a postive online presence and/or are also giving of their time and talents for a Catholic ministry focused on encouraging women. This week we get to do just that with a lighthearted conversation with Noelle Mering. Noelle is a wife and mother, writer, and editor/social media manager for Helena Daily. Noelle shares her journey of faith to this point in her life. We think you will enjoy getting to know the faith-filled and fun woman behind the very popular Met Gala and Sex and City media pieces. One of those articles actually landed her on a Fox News Live radio segment. Listen in to hear the rest of the story.   Our Guest:       Noelle Mering Noelle Mering is the Arts and Culture editor and social media manager for helenadaily.com. She studied philosophy and theatre at Westmont College in California and did graduate work in philosophy at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Noelle

“Humanae Vitae made me embrace the Church again”. These words spoken by our guest, Mallory Smyth of ENDOW, are both gripping and also echo the hearts of many women whose hearts have been touched by the profound words of Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae. Fifty years ago, July 25, The Church and the world received this church document and the words are just as important today: “The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships. The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings.”  These are the treasures of wisdom gifted to us from Jesus through Mother

Want to be inspired by the younger generation of Catholics? Would you like to be encouraged in your own journey and how you can connect with other Catholics in your own neck of the woods? This type of evangelization is far beyond what social media platforms can do. Richy Orozco of Catholic Connect has embarked on this remarkable journey of taking online connections and making them happen in real life. His passion to build community within our local communities is a huge task but he is using the uniqueness of his stage of life to build up the kingdom of God. Please consider supporting our Podcast Our Guest: Richy Orozco is bilingual and in his last semester of college at C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. He’s most likely drinking coffee, hanging out with friends, learning new things about technology, or talking to his priest friends. Throughout his youth he was always involved in youth groups and after finishing high school he realized that there was a lack of resources to connect C

Happy Mother’s Day to all those who have built up and nurtured others as either physical mothers or spiritual mothers. On the heels of our 2 episodes about the occult and New Age, we decided that it was a good idea to go ahead and release this episode a week early. (We may take the whole month of June off, haha :)) We heard from so many of you telling us how those previous episodes had helped you and are now looking for the next step. Of course, as we have said so many times, Confession is your Sacrament of healing. But we also want to talk about a beautiful ministry that is an absolute jewel for us in the trenches of this world. This step is one to be used over and over in our daily lives and also is a valuable tool to use with children and friends. UNBOUND Ministry is an approach to deliverance and healing prayer developed by Neal Lozano. The focus of the UNBOUND model is on an individual as you deeply listen into their story and heart. UNBOUND is a safe, loving, effective prayer model that helps people to

Have you started to feel this strange lack of desire for your faith or not really wanting to pray your rosary? Have you started to actually question and disagree with some of the Church’s teachings? Have you noticed an inability to focus or an irritability while trying to pray or read the Scriptures? We finish the rest of the conversation with Sue Brinkmann where we share and unpack some more of the false notions and downright lies we have been sold about personality tests, enneagrams, witchcraft, and other New Age practices. Referring to St. Teresa of Avila’s writings, Sue shares that even if we are close to a transforming union with the Lord we are still capable of falling. Most importantly we must remember we can be deceived at all times. May you be blessed in this final installment on New Age.  Please consider supporting our Podcast Our Guest:   Susan Brinkmann, OCDS, author and journalist, has joined Living His Life Abundantly & Women of Grace as Staff Writer. Susan is a member of the Third Order of

Yoga, Enneagram, New Age, Mindfulness. Every time these topics came up as one to address, it always came with a huge hesitation. The New Age movement within Christendom is quickly becoming an undeniably divisive and dangerous issue. We knew that if we were to do this well, we needed someone to help us wade through these waters by giving solid statistics and years of experience. Sue Brinkmann was our first choice. Sue reminds us so beautifully that when people get caught up in the New Age or Occult they are typically just searching. As one who used to be entrenched in The New Age practices herself, Sue has become one of the leading researchers for the Catholic Church. Most people who participate in New Age have no substantial knowledge of what it is they are getting into. Our desire in this two-part series is to inform and to encourage our listeners to know how to better choose solely a Christ-centered spirituality. Please consider supporting our Podcast Our Guest:   Susan Brinkmann, OCDS, author and journali

We are created for relationships: parents and children, siblings, best friends, spousal relationships, work place friendships, and neighborhood communities. We are fed and encouraged and supported through others. Christians refer to this beauty as the mystical Body of Christ; we are His hands and feet. Have you ever been intentional with another woman in matters of spiritual growth or just day to day life? Has another woman ever poured this life giving energy into you? Megan and Becky have both been blessed by other women in this way and they have tried to gift that to others also. This week we want to encourage all of our listeners to ask God to help you seek out women who can intentionally pour into their lives. Or, ask the Lord if it is your calling to pour into another. Is there a woman in the pew every Sunday morning that continues to move your heart? And by all means ladies, just living a faithful life and keeping our tongues from gossip and slander will go a very long way in building up the women aroun

HAPPY EASTER FRIENDS!  “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” -1John 3:1a Listener: “Hi! I just started listening to your podcast and am so excited to listen thru them all! I was wondering if you could have an episode about what it means to be a “daughter of God” or “child of God” and how you know that and recognize that yourself. This topic of defining myself and my value with just being a “child of God” – not my work, my mothering, but just as a child of God – has come up lately for me and I just really don’t know what that means and how to get started with growing in that. I think this would be an awesome topic for your podcast and would be eager to hear your thoughts and guidance on this. Thanks so much!!!!” Our beautiful guest, Megan Hjelmstad, agrees with us and our listener that this understanding of who we are as children of God can be a tough truth to understand. Knowing that Baptism make us God’s children; receiving an unrevokable adoption;

Thriving in the Trenches Podcast turns ONE!!! Megan and Becky end up spending the time laughing about the past year, the goof ups, the bloopers, and the behind the scenes unexpected fun. Looking back and also looking forward at all the growth and blessings that God has bestowed and will bestow upon us all; we are happy to share this journey with you in the trenches of life. Thank you so much for supporting and encouraging and listening this past year. Let us continue to pilgrimage together by following the cloud by day and fire by night, the Catholic Church. And might we press forward in encouragement for each other as sisters in Christ. #womenencouragingwomen Please consider supporting our Podcast Show Notes: Episode 18 with Dwija Barobia Episode 9 with Helen Alvare Episode 7 with Gloria Purvis Episode 13 with Susan Husband: Modesty as an Act of Charity Episodes 36 and 37 with Christopher West to follow up on Modesty Episode 4 – Friendship and Laughter (Take 2) Episode 11 with Timothy O’Malley Episo

God loves us with a reckless love and He call us to be holy and to be perfect as the father in heaven is perfect. The commands are repeated in Scripture, old and new.  How do we balance all these Truths? “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation;[a] the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2 Cor 5: 17-18a). Last week we shared about the Church’s teachings on confession and why this is such a beautiful and joful gift of healing, mercy, joy, and freedom. This week we wanted to be more clear about sin. Who doesn’t like to talk about sin, right? Admitting we have fallen short, though the Scriptures tell us in Romans 3 that ALL have fallen short of the glory of God, is a difficult act of humility. Calling a sin a sin, especially in today’s relativistic culture, is a very important key to growing in holiness and breaking free from the binds of the evil one. Original sin, actua

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9) This week Megan and Becky explore the beauty and necessity of the Sacrament of Healing we call, Confession. With a heavy emphasis on the Catechism, the gals discuss many of the reasons why we need the Sacrament while also sharing personal experiences and reader questions and comments.  Reconciliation seems be one of the most misunderstood and the least sought out Sacrament in the Church. Why? Are we being exhorted to go? Do we understand the great power of absolution and the Mercy and Grace that is poured out on us? Do you want to grow in holiness and reject sin? Then the confessional should be a regular stop in your journey. Please consider supporting our Podcast Show Notes: “According to the Church’s command, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.”56 Anyone who is aware o

This sin of objectification is truly hurting us all, men and women alike. Women have been taught they can use their body to manipulate others and men have been sold the lie that they are just naturally lustful and are hopeless to change. But, the Christ – centered, good news message St. John Paul II delivered during his Wednesday addresses tells us something very different. In Part 2 of our conversation with Christopher West, we go deeper into the meaning of Theology of the Body and how “we must rediscover the lost fullness of our humanity and long to regain it.” (JPII) Part 2 of 2 – Make sure you start with Part 1 (last week) for the beginning of the story. Please consider supporting our Podcast Our Guest: Christopher West is a proud husband and father of five. His global lecturing, best-selling books and multiple audio and video programs have made him the world’s most recognized teacher of John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” – a bold, biblical vision of love and sexuality that takes us to the “cor” of wh

So we know that you have likely heard about Theology of the Body through many sources, including us. You are also likely familiar with world renowned speaker, Christopher West. In this episode of our podcast, Christopher really just preaches the Gospel of Grace, Mercy, and Love. The Gospel of God’s love for each and everyone of us. Our goal in this interview was to speak life into the soul of anyone listening and share in the hope that comes from the love of Abba Father. Our world has been fed so many lies about sex, sexuality, beauty, our bodies, our desires, and our sins by many different fundamental religious. We are not called to be white washed tombs nor perfectionist, yet we are called to the way of perfection. We are not created to be a sack of dead bones, but a living soul and body created by love and for love. Part 1 of 2 – Join us next week for the rest of the story. Please consider supporting our Podcast Our Guest: Christopher West is a proud husband and father of five. His global lecturing, best-s

“Think about not just the virtues that you will get for yourselves, but also the graces from fasting that will go into your home and family, your domestic churches. These graces will be there for your spouse and children. We are ultimately that vessel overflowing with God’s Graces and blessings onto others. While we may grow in virtue, our loved ones benefit also.” -Megan Schrieber With Lent fast (get what I did there??) approaching, Becky gives Megan a shot in the arm and a kick in the bottom to up her fasting game. Historical evidence, Scripture, and early church father writings abound in this week’s episode. Lent has traditionally been known as the time when new believers prepared for Baptism. Baptism is the Sacrament in which all sin is washed away. Lent and Easter should be a time for us to renew our baptismal promises and to repent and be cleansed. An excerpt from an article copy-written by Rev. D.E. Hudson, C.S.C. states “Open the life of any saint or servant of God, and all of them, in their manifold

Have you ever heard of this term, Lectio Divina, and wondered what in the world it meant? Have you ever thought you’d like to learn how to get into the Scriptures in a deeper way? God speaks to us through the Word of God and we are richly blessed in this country to have the freedom to have Bibles, read Bibles, live out our Catholic Christian faith, and to come together for times to worship and praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As a Catholic, we are steeped in the traditions of proper interpretations of God’s Word and we have the Graces of the Church to help us in our journey. With Lent just around the corner, we thought it was the best time to finally get Sarah Christmyer on our podcast to help us learn how to go deeper into relationship with our Father through the written Word. Please consider supporting our Podcast Our Guest:   Sarah Christmyer is a Catholic author, Bible teacher, and speaker with a special love for lectio divina and journaling as ways to draw close to Christ in Scripture. She co-de

“Compassion does not kill, compassion suffers alongside or along with.” -Trent Horn On this installment of Thriving in the Trenches, we make some fun announcements to go along with a very informative and helpful conversation with Catholic Answers apologist, Trent Horn. Have you ever shied away from trying to defend your pro-life position because you were just not comfortable doing so? As important as this issue is in today’s culture, we have an opportunity to grow in our knowledge and how to use logical questions to simply “put a rock in someone’s shoe” regarding their standpoint on this important moral issue.  Please consider supporting our Podcast This week’s episode is sponsored by Catholic T-Shirt Club, a subscription service in which each month features a different Catholic theme based on Liturgical events or Saint Feasts. Their Exclusive Catholic T-shirts are paired with unique Sacramentals and reflections so you can Evangelize just by wearing and sharing these gifts!Each box is so packed with awesomen

In today’s episode, Megan and Becky continue to have the conversation about what it looks like to encourage one another but also what it actually feels like to be encouraged. They both share with the listeners how the Lord used other women to encourage each of them individually this past week. The power of this message has been well received and many other women are signing on to this movement of #womenencouragingwomen. By nature of the word encouragement, Megan and Becky also wanted to extend this conversation to apply to men. Exploring how we can affirm the men in our lives and start more proactively lift up masculine vocations. Asking the important question of how can we rightly encourage our spouse, sons, brothers, fathers, and even our parish priests. Please consider supporting our Podcast   Show Notes: Blog post by Michele Quigley on how the culture has stopped trusting in God. Dear Adam, Eve is Not an Object – Video done by Petersboat.net: Becky mentioned this in reference to the importance of bondi

In the Season 3 opener, Megan and Becky share about their Saints of the year and word of the year. They also share how the Lord is prompting them to switch up things and shift the focus of the podcast ever so slightly. Through plenty of laughter and Scripture, we are focusing on glorifying God, #womenencouragingwomen, and keeping in step with the Spirit. Happy New Year!  Please consider supporting our Podcast  Show Notes: Saints name generator by Jennifer Fulwiler  http://saintsnamegenerator.com/ Word of the year generator by Jennifer Fulwiler http://www.wordoftheyear.me/ St. Andrew Kim Taegon  St. Gabriel the Archangel Instagram Post by Rachel Balducci on the Watchers in the Night “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and ground

“Every virtue, every firm habit to do good is far more powerful than any vice that pulls us away from the true joy of God. Mercy is giving people more love than they deserve which is exactly what God does for us” -Damon Owens Episode 13 – Modesty As an Act of Charity with mom of 7 boys, Susan Husband, definitely stirred up some chatter on facebook when it released back in the Spring. Several comments really struck a chord with us in the way that stirred our hearts to keep the conversation going. There are a lot of women out there who have been hurt by this conversation on modesty and it has been causing women to feel as though they are carrying the entire weight of the issue. Men and women really are both truly wounded with all that goes with this issue. Men are bombarded and women are blamed.We were thrilled to have Damon help us dig into the truths of who we are in God’s family and how we can apply these truths into our everyday choices of not only what we are wearing but mostly how we present ourselves an