Strength Training for the Soul

I'm hitting pause on the charism series this week because something lined up too perfectly to ignore. At St. Dominic, we're focusing on Habit #3 of our 10 Habits of a Disciple—Repent and Believe—and this week's Gospel brought it all together.

In Luke 18, a blind man cries out to Jesus with two of the...

Ever notice how sometimes you help someone and it feels like… more than you? Like you showed up with almost nothing, but somehow something beautiful happened anyway?

That’s what charisms are all about. My guest, Margaret Rhody, explains them in a way that’ll have you wondering, “Wait, what’s MY charism?”

We talk about the spiritual gifts (yes, gifts) the Holy Spirit gives each of us, why they’re meant to flow through us (not sit on...

I'll be honest—last week got the best of me. Between grief, caregiving, and exhaustion, I couldn't record. And for someone who prides herself on showing up, that felt like failure.

Then God reminded me: even Jesus was never in a hurry.

This Check-In Day episode is about giving yourself permission to pause—and w...

Ever try saying “thank you” in Polish? Spoiler: it’s harder than it sounds.

Fresh off a trip to Poland, I discovered that “Dziękuję” (jing-koo-yeh… kind of?) is a tongue twister that’ll humble you real quick. My brother-in-law Kurt tried it out a lot and sounded like a kazoo every time. Let’s just say we kept many a Pole entertained.

But somewhere between the butchered pronunciations and airport chaos, I realized something: saying ...

In this episode of Strength Training for the Soul, I sit down with Jason Simon, president of Evangelical Catholic and author of Mission Ready Friendship. We talk about what it really means to move beyond surface-level conversations and love people the way Christ loves us: through intentional, Spirit-led friendship. Jason shares how one friend’s persistence changed his life, and how we can all be that kind of friend to someone else....

Have you ever noticed how uncomfortable silence can be? I'm the queen of filling every moment with noise—TV in the background, radio in the car, Earth, Wind & Fire while I'm cleaning. But lately, God's been challenging me on this. While reading Luke's Gospel, I stumbled onto something fascinating about Archangel Gabriel's visits to Zechariah and Mary. He asks them both to trust him with impossible news, but his response to thei...

In this episode of Strength Training for the Soul, I sit down with Jill Fischer to talk about St. Faustina, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and why her message matters today. Jill shares the meaning behind the Divine Mercy image and introduces a simple but powerful practice—ABC: Ask for mercy, Be merciful, Completely trust in Jesus. Whether you’re weighed down by conflict, fear, or frustration, this tool helps move you toward compassion,...

“What difference does it make anyway?” A friend’s question hit me harder than I expected. Was this podcast my midlife crisis? My grief project? Just a hobby? I wasn’t sure, until God gave me an answer in a homily about a girl saving sea stars, one at a time.

In this episode, I share how that moment anchored my why: encouraging souls, building strength, and carrying forward my son Jack’s legacy to change the world one heart at a tim...

Season 2 kicks off with my favorite duo, Jill and Claire, and somehow we found ourselves in a whole lot of boat stories! We're talking about stepping into new seasons with new strengths—whether that's casting nets when you're exhausted, resting with Jesus during storms, or navigating new roles with trust and surrender.

Jill shares how humility has bec...

What role do saints play in our spiritual lives? In this episode replay, Director of Adult Faith Formation Al McCauley shares his extensive knowledge about saints and their significance in Catholic tradition. Through engaging stories and examples like Saint Veronica, Al explains how saints serve as spiritual guides, showing us that holiness is achievable despite our human struggles. Learn why saints aren't just figures in stained g...

Join me for the Season 1 finale as I sit down with my good friend and retreat regular, Bernadette Trucco, to take the mystery out of spiritual retreats.

Bernadette calls them her “spiritual reset sessions,” essential soul maintenance that keeps her on God’s path and helps her show up as her best self. From the nerves of her very first retreat to now scheduling them as non-negotiables, she shares how these sacred pauses have carried...

What happens when Scripture suddenly feels like it was written just for you?

The responsorial psalm at a recent Mass I attended hit different; it seemed so special and personal to me. Then I noticed it was Psalm 66, and I was born in 1966. Coincidence? There’s no such thing. When I got home to dig deeper, what I discovered just clicked with me and helped me better understand my path and the role of God's word.

Those verses became m...

What happens when a brand-new college grad walks away from the “safe” career path to take a year of service with no teaching degree, a modest stipend and a classroom full of teenagers who think he’s ancient at 22?

In this special episode closing out my Gen Z series, I sit down with my son, Ben Kujawa. Fresh out of Iowa State with a forestry degree and a minor in wildlife ecology, he’s back at his old high school teaching environmen...

Pope Leo totally changed my episode plans when he delivered an incredible homily to a million young people at the Jubilee of Youth in Rome. They're calling it a "Catholic Woodstock," and honestly, that energy comes through even in a foreign language. His message made me want to share it: aspire to something more, find joy in what you give (not what you get), and stop settling for less than the holiness you were made for. Sure, he w...