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Merry Christmas!  Praying YOU receive the gift of new life this Christmas.  Be sure to subscribe to Mamas in Spirit wherever you listen to podcasts and follow on Instagram and/or Facebook. Announcements of new Mamas' projects in 2026! You are a gift to our beloved community. May God bless and keep you, always!

God created only one you. This Advent, learn to discern God's story written just for you. Chaplain Father Jon Meyer and host Lindy Wynne share personal testimony about their own discernment. Learn how we are not designed to be constantly busy or to live with high levels of anxiety and stress. Tune into this "mini retreat in a podcast' to embrace your authentic self and say "yes" to God's plan for this season of your life.  Engage spiritual tools such as listening, accepting limitations, facing reality, maintaining an eternal perspective, removing distractions, honestly naming desires, and sifting through to discover God's plan for you. Prepare your heart for Christmas and live vibrantly in new life!

Carole Frey experienced the light of Christ as a child.  Therefore, when Carole has gone through darker seasons in her adult life, she has known where to turn: Jesus. When overwhelmed with anxiety, Carole sensed God drawing her to church. She spoke with her parish priest. In his pastoral care and wise counsel, he encouraged Carole to share her God-given gifts with their community. Carole started playing piano and leading her church choir. Despite unexpected twists and turns in her journey, she has continued to serve both adults and children through her music ministry.  Moreover, Carole notices when someone feels isolated, just like she once did. "I experience a surge of empathy to ensure they become part of the communal fold." Listen to this Advent "mini retreat in a podcast," deepen your awareness of Jesus drawing you to Himself, and discern how to share your God-given gifts in new and glorious ways!

"Lord, if my will is not yours, please change my heart." In this Advent "mini retreat in a podcast," discover how to discern God's will for you joyfully! Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett discusses discernment and how to stay "locked in" with God through prayer. Get tips on how to lighten your load to create space for new commitments, prioritize the most important relationships in your life, and make both small and large decisions. Deepen your prayer life and live in joy! Learn more about Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett and her new book, "Discernment of Spirits for Beginners," at maryruthhackett.com.

Rebecca Grabill's conversion started in the most unexpected way: a panic attack. Since Rebecca also struggled with anxiety and agoraphobia, her husband suggested the Sacrament of Healing. Rebecca was unsure and decided to reach out to her parish. Overcome with emotion, Rebecca wept as she recounted her story to her parish priest. Although he had never administered the Anointing of the Sick for severe anxiety in his 40 years of priesthood, he believed it was best.  Rebecca received a supernatural gift she never could have imagined.   "I was able for the first time to be able to truly love God…to experience a passionate love for God that was and is like a consuming fire." Rebecca's heart is filled with gratitude for the blessing of healing. Listen to this Thanksgiving podcast and learn how you can have a posture of gratitude, too. Learn more about Rebecca Grabill at www.rebeccagrabill.com.

As Charlene Kuznia reached adolescence, she started experiencing debilitating migraines. These headaches, along with severe endometriosis, continued to plague Charlene throughout her years as a wife and mother. In her 50s, Charlene felt a new kind of pain and tried everything she could to feel better. Nothing helped.  Charlene was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and began her fight for survival. She felt "lower than low." In a moment alone—face down on her bedroom carpet—Charlene cried out to the Lord. This week's "mini retreat in a podcast" explores how Charlene was lifted from her suffering and unexpectedly gifted with a new sense of purpose. Charlene, along with her beautiful daughter Jenessa, created a new nonprofit called "Down Home." While undergoing life-saving treatments, Charlene also dedicated herself to helping families transition out of homelessness by providing furniture and décor.  Listen and deepen your understanding of God's purpose for you! Learn more about Down Home at www.down-home.org.

Caleb Templeton was not walking the straight and narrow. Smoking when he was young was just the beginning. By adolescence, Caleb was drinking and using drugs. While he had a job mowing lawns, Caleb realized he could make a lot more money dealing drugs. So he did. Until "his boy" set him up to be jumped. The attack could have ended Caleb's life. This week's "mini retreat in a podcast" explores how God showed up for Caleb through a truck driver, a friend, and his future mother-in-law. Caleb's life was completely turned around and his heart converted by the time he married "the most beautiful girl he had ever seen." Discover how all conversions are possible with God—including your own or that of someone you love.

God meets us right where we are. When Jennifer Thomas was sitting on the floor of her bedroom closet, crying, he met her there.  God healed the shattered pieces of her heart after Jennifer lost both of her parents to cancer in a short time. Because, initially, Jennifer couldn't even talk about it. Yet, out of the Lord's generosity, he took her on a healing pilgrimage of the heart. In this week's "mini retreat in a podcast," hear how Jennifer felt the touch of God's divine love through her personal prayer, retreat work, and sisterhood in Christ. Discover how God wants to draw you close and heal all the broken parts of your heart, too.

Andrea Boring was just scrolling on Facebook. She never expected that one post would lead her back to the Catholic Church.  Andrea sensed the Holy Spirit and heard clearly: "It's time to come home." Andrea's life was transformed in many ways. Yet, in God's abundance, God had another gift in store for Andrea—miraculous healing. Andrea was battling addiction, spending her evenings drinking, smoking, and binge-watching TV.  On a night many years ago that Andrea will never forget, God healed her. She has stayed sober ever since.  In this mini retreat in a podcast, learn how Andrea experienced how "the human and the divine work together in a beautiful dance to bring about healing." Discover how God has this in store for you, too!

"God loves you and wants you to receive and depend on that love." This week's "mini retreat in a podcast" features Fr. Jon Meyer, Chaplain of Mamas in Spirit. Fr. Jon joins host Lindy Wynne to discuss the profound theme of poverty of spirit, highlighting the importance of relying on God. Tune in as they share personal stories, discuss the challenges of modern distractions, and highlight the beauty of surrendering to God's will.  Through heartfelt stories and reflections, Fr. Jon and Lindy emphasize that genuine fulfillment stems from recognizing our identity in God and embracing the call to love and serve others. Learn ways to deepen your dependence on God. Live and love with greater freedom and fullness!

During her first three years, Mary Jo Thayer was primarily cared for by her teenage sister.  They were so close that Mary Jo says, "She took me into herself." Although it wasn't her sister's fault, Mary Jo felt abandoned when her sister moved across the country. Mary Jo carried this wound with her into adulthood. Well into her marriage and raising her own children, Mary Jo realized she needed to heal the little girl inside her. Listen to this week's "mini retreat in a podcast" and learn how God guided Mary Jo through a healing pilgrimage of the heart, culminating in a Eucharistic experience. Discover how you, too, can open your heart for God to heal the girl in you. Learn more about Mary Jo Thayer, an award-winning author, at maryjothayer.com.

"God works through ordinary people to remind us of what miracles look like in action." John O'Leary was on the verge of death when he was nine years old. Like many kids, he copied something he saw some older boys do. But the result was catastrophic. John caused an explosion in his parents' garage, which left burns over 100 percent of his body. Doctors didn't expect him to survive. Yet John did. In this week's "mini-retreat in a podcast," hear directly from John O'Leary as he shares stories of what happened, how God saved his body and—ultimately—his soul. Discover how ordinary people in John's path ignited his will to live and set his heart on fire for God. Learn how your heart can be set ablaze by the love of God, too. Watch "Soul on Fire"—the story of John O'Leary—and bring friends! Learn more at soulonfiremovie.com.

As a teenager, Michelle Ovalle agreed to help her aunt take photos at a Quinceañera, not thinking much of it. The Quinceañera changed Michelle's life.   While Michelle was captivated by the beauty of the Mass, she had no idea she was standing in the very church where her parents had been married and where she had been baptized. Michelle didn't even know she was Catholic. All of this and much more was revealed to Michelle once she got home and began to engage in the faith she was blessed with as a baby. Listen to this "mini retreat in a podcast" to hear Michelle's inspiring conversion story and learn how her Catholic faith has supported her through difficult seasons in marriage and parenthood, including infidelity. God has blessed Michelle with forgiveness, healing, and joy beyond her imagination. Discover how you can open your heart so that God can work miracles in you!

"I felt like one of those pieces." When Mellissa Vincent's Pietá statue fell off her bed and shattered, Melissa felt shattered, too. After the unexpected loss of her father the day after Christmas and taking on the primary care of her mother, Melissa was mentally exhausted. Until she had a vision from God. Melissa saw herself at the bottom of a swimming pool. Christ's arm reached in and lifted her out. Christ told her he would save her, but he needed two things from her: a relationship with Him and one with Our Blessed Mother. Melissa was obedient. In this "mini retreat in a podcast," learn how God transformed Melissa's heart and life.  Listen as Melissa shares wisdom, including how to run to God instead of others for validation. Discover how you are beloved—not from others—but through a deep, abiding, and personal relationship with God.  Learn more about Melissa and her husband, Deacon Bill's nonprofit ministry at www.beholdcatholicministries.org.

"We often gain spiritual maturity through the hard times, the rough seasons of our lives."   Shantel Dudley is a mother to 18 children: four biological kids, three stepchildren, and 11 children with special medical needs from foster care.   Shantel is no stranger to tough times. She has "rocked six children into heaven."   At her lowest point, Shantel lay in bed, afraid of what might happen next. She started watching videos of inspiring Christian women who faced the hardest losses, remained honest and faithful, and continued to be used by God.    Shantel is one of these inspiring women herself!   Listen to this mini retreat podcast and let your heart be set on fire with love of Christ. Explore God's call in your life, understand how He's always present and loving—even when you feel like you're not measuring up—and learn how to root your identity and life in Him.   Be blessed with greater clarity about "who you are and whose you are."