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Letters to Women - Exploring the Feminine Genius

Letters to Women - Exploring the Feminine Genius

By Chloe Langr

Join Chloe Langr as she explores how Catholic women embrace their unique feminine genius in their ordinary, daily life.
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A Letter to the Woman Desiring Virtuous Friendships

Letters to Women - Exploring the Feminine GeniusNov 16, 2017

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A Letter to the Mother Who Is Trying to Make It to Bedtime without Yelling // Johanna Seagren

A Letter to the Mother Who Is Trying to Make It to Bedtime without Yelling // Johanna Seagren

In this fourth episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Johanna Seagren joins me to discuss emotional regulation, our interior life, and burnout in our motherhood.

Parenting is hard work, and sometimes it’s louder, messier, more complicated, and packed with tantrums (yours included) than you expected.

So many times, we end up exhausted and feeling like this can’t be the vision that God had for your family. We’re diving into a conversation about what it means to be an emotionally-healthy family without losing your mind.

If you’re ready to understand your own emotional triggers, learn how to connect with your kids instead of reacting to their big feelings, and grow closer to each other and God, this episode is for you.

Topics we cover:

  • Johanna’s story as a Catholic woman

  • Why Johanna created the Interior Kingdom as an emotional regulation program for her family and what Catholic families will find inside the program

  • What the Catholic Church teaches about emotions and what it looks like to grow in our awareness of our emotions as adults

  • The things that set Interior Kingdom apart from the calm kits and calm down spaces you’ve seen on Instagram

  • How to become curious about the triggers (unmet needs!) in your parenting

  • The reason that Interior Kingdom is for every family, regardless of your kids’ ages, abilities, and temperaments

  • How Johanna lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a Catholic mother

Resources for you:

Questions for discussion:

  1. What have been some moments of disregulation in your motherhood? And on the flip side, what have been some moments of peace, regulation, and rest in your parenting journey?

  2. When you were a child, what did your parents teach you about emotions? Do you feel confident in your understanding of emotions or is there room for growth?

  3. What are some of your triggers (unmet needs) in your motherhood and how can you begin to meet those needs and invite the Lord into those unmet needs?

  4. Have you ever felt guilty for anger in your motherhood? How did Johanna’s explanation of anger impact your understanding of emotions you may have labeled as “bad” before?

  5. How can learning more about your emotions as a mother impact the way that you parent and live out the feminine genius in your daily life?

Mar 26, 202435:13
A Letter to the Mother Wondering about Foster Care and Adoption

A Letter to the Mother Wondering about Foster Care and Adoption

In this third episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Kimberly Henkel of Springs of Love joins me to discuss foster care and adoption.

We’re talking about how Kimberly and her husband Greg discerned the call to foster care. We’re also busting myths around adoption that might be holding you back from discerning that call as a family, and both of us are sharing our experiences as adoptive mothers. 

Whether you’re exploring the possibility of adoption or foster care, you’re already an adoptive or foster mother, or you’re wondering how to better support adoptive and foster families in your community, this letter is for you.

Topics we cover:

  • Kimberly’s story as a Catholic woman

  • How Kimberly and Greg discerned the Lord’s call to foster care and adoption

  • The origin story of Springs of Love, Kimberly and Greg’s ministry that encourages, educates, and equips Catholics to discern and live out the call to foster and adopt

  • The differences between foster care and adoption

  • Spiritual maternity and the adoption triad

  • Kimberly’s advice to couples hesitant to discern foster care or adoption because of the cost

  • Why open adoptions can be healthy for everyone involved in the adoption triad


    Resources for you:

  1. Have you felt called by the Lord to discern growing your family through adoption or fostering children? What has that discernment looked like for you both as an individual and in your marriage?

  2. What myth surrounding adoption that Kimberly mentioned in the show is something you’ve believed to be true before?

  3. Romans 8:15 says that “You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we call ‘Abba, Father!’” How does reflecting on this theological reality of adoption in all of our lives as children of God through baptism impact the way you think about adoption and foster care?

  4. What are ways that you can accompany birth mothers and families in the adoption triad?

  5. Does your parish community support adoptive and foster families well? What are things you can do to encourage a culture of life for families who are called to foster or adopt?

Mar 12, 202440:14
A Letter to the Mother Discerning Family Size with Her Spouse // Grace Stark

A Letter to the Mother Discerning Family Size with Her Spouse // Grace Stark

In this second episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Grace Stark from Natural Womanhood joins me to discuss fertility awareness and motherhood.

This is a conversation about authentic womens’ healthcare, how to grow in an appreciation of your fertility as a gift, and discerning the size of family that the Lord wants to build with and for you—and what to do if you’re not on the same page as your spouse in that discernment.

We also talk about what it means to be mothers to daughters, and how the conversations we have from a very young age shape the way our daughters see their bodies. 

If you’re ready to get to know and appreciate your cycle and fertility this letter is for you.

Topics we cover:

  • Grace’s story as a Catholic woman

  • The origin story of Natural Womanhood and their mission to help women work with their body, not against it

  • What authentic women’s healthcare looks like and how we can grow as women in accepting our fertility as a gift

  • What the Catholic Church teaches about using Natural Family Planning and family size

  • Grace’s advice for couples in seasons of discerning adding another child to their family

  • What to do when you’re not on the same page as your spouse about having more children

  • How Natural Womanhood is helping mothers of pre-teen girls learn about ther bodies, cycles, and fertility

  • How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother

Resources for you:

Discussion questions:

  1. Have you ever felt angry or ashamed of your cycle as a woman? What were some messages that you received about your body as a girl, especially around your fertility and cycles?

  2. Do you feel pressure to have a certain number of kids as a Catholic woman? Or for your family to look a certain way? What are some ways you can grow in confidence about how the Lord is calling you specifically to mother?

  3. Are you and your spouse of one heart and mind when it comes to having children? What advice that Grace shared in this episode about discerning a family with your spouse struck you?

  4. If you’re a mother to a daughter, how have you approached conversations with her about fertility and puberty? Are there things you want to change about how you talk about those subjects after listening to this episode?

  5. What dreams do you have for your family and your motherhood? How can embracing your fertility as a gift impact those dreams?

Feb 27, 202437:27
A Letter to the Mother Who Has a Love/Hate Relationship with Her Postpartum Body // Shelby Hirschman

A Letter to the Mother Who Has a Love/Hate Relationship with Her Postpartum Body // Shelby Hirschman

In this first episode of the Letters to Mothers season we’re talking about a topic that so many of us are familiar with—body image. It’s a topic we’ve talked about on the show, but I wanted to revisit it with a specific focus on that experience as mothers.

Joining me on the show today is Shelby Hirschman. She’s a nutrition therapist who specializes in intuitive eating, body acceptance, and recovery from chronic dieting and disordered eating.

We’re talking about postpartum discomfort, the societal pressure to “bounce back” and why that isn’t helpful for us as women, and some actual practical behaviors and tools to put into place that I think can be a huge help. 

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt frustrated, uncomfortable, disappointed, or unattractive, this letter is for you.

Topics we cover:

  • Why so many of us feel at war with our bodies as mothers

  • Defining the postpartum season

  • The pressure women feel to “get their body back” or “bounce back” after giving birth

  • What body checking is and why (and how!) to reduce that habit in your life

  • Compassionate closets

  • What is happening on a biological level to our bodies during the postpartum season

  • How to prioritize consistent and adequate nutrition

  • Habits to form in our lives as women during seasons of change to remind ourselves that our body is good

  • How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother

Resources for you:

Discussion questions:

  1. Have you ever felt at war with your body? What are some moments you’ve noticed postpartum discomfort in your own story as a woman?

  2. In what ways has motherhood impacted the way that you view your body? Do you feel a tension between being in awe of what your body is capable of and discomfort or frustration with your postpartum body?

  3. As a mother, have you felt pressured to “bounce back” after giving birth? Where have you received those messages from and how have they impacted the way you view your body today? 

  4. Do the clothes in your closet honor the reality of your season of life? What would getting dressed in the morning look like if your closet had pieces in it that honored your postpartum experience as a mother?

  5. What are some practical ways you can begin to be more gentle and compassionate when it comes to the way you view and talk about your body as a mother? Make one resolution today to help you remember that your body is good. 

Feb 13, 202437:45
Introducing Letters to Mothers

Introducing Letters to Mothers

Letters to Women returns February 13th with a season dedicated to motherhood. Plus, Chloe shares her favorite part of Saint Pope John Paul II’s original Letter to Women and reveals a few other surprises. 

Stay in touch and learn about upcoming episodes by signing up for the email list at naptimenotes.substack.com


Feb 12, 202408:13
A Letters to Women Update

A Letters to Women Update

A quick update about why there hasn't been a new episode of Letters to Women in your podcast feed lately ... and an announcement about the future of the podcast.

Dec 07, 202305:25
A Letter to the Woman Wondering How Theology of the Body Practically Applies to Her Life // Lillian Fallon

A Letter to the Woman Wondering How Theology of the Body Practically Applies to Her Life // Lillian Fallon

Should we care about what we wear? The short answer is “yes”—but don’t pull out your headphones just yet. There’s more to the conversation than that.

What about style? What do you think of when you hear that word? Maybe the pages of fashion magazines or reruns of Project Runway flash through your mind. Or maybe you wonder if style should even be something you think about—how many of us have felt guilty after splurging on a gorgeous dress, wondering how a piece of fabric can capture our imagination and desire.

We scold ourselves and say “I should bought something practical.” Or maybe you’ve even wondered if you’re vain if you care about how you look.

But what if that pull towards certain items of clothing is actually a sign of being made in the image and likeness of God? What if instead of finding a new “cool,” “fancy,” or “stylish” wardrobe, or becoming a “new” version of ourselves, we focused on how we can grow in an understanding of how we were made? 

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Lillian Fallon. She's a Catholic writer with a passion for helping women express their unrepeatability through style.

Lillian and I are talking about living life as an affirmed woman and daughter of God, how wisdom from St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body relates to clothing, and how to dress in a way that expresses who we are. 

If you’ve ever wondered if your love of style is incongruent with your Catholic faith, sister, this letter is for you. 

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Lillian’s story as a Catholic woman

  • The origin story behind Lillian’s new book, Theology of Style: Expressing the Unique and Unrepeatable You

  • How an epiphany moment in a Theology of the Body class gave Lillian the freedom to pursue her passion for style

  • What Theology of Style is and how it can transform the way we see ourselves and God

  • What an understanding of modesty informed by Theology of the Body looks like—and why it is so much more than the length of a skirt

  • Living life as an affirmed person who is confident in her identity, gifts, and passions

  • How Lillian lives out the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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.

Oct 24, 202334:42
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn’t Think She’s Beautiful // Melissa Johnson

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:

  • Melissa’s story as a Christian woman

  • 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

  • The unhelpful (but normalized) beliefs we are buying as women when it comes to beauty

  • What happens when we embrace our bodies as miracles and what it looks like to practice gratitude for our aging bodies

  • What living in loving community with other women looks like

  • How Melissa defines true beauty

  • The ways that Melissa lives out the feminine genius in her own daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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.

Sep 18, 202327:59
A Letter to the Woman Tired of Being Told Who She Should Be // Mary Rose Somarriba

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:

  • Mary Rose’s story as a Catholic woman

  • The origin story of Verily Magazine and what sets it apart from other fashion and lifestyle magazines

  • What has changed and what has stayed the same since the first issue of Verily was published in 2012

  • Why being a non-profit fits the mission of Verily

  • The false expectations that we’re sorting through as women today and how Verily encourages women to live authentically

  • How editing Verily has impacted Mary Rose as a mother

  • The ways the Mary Rose lives out the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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.

Sep 04, 202334:19
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Start Praying with (And For!) Her Spouse // Dr. Sarah Bartel

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:

  • The origin story of Cana Feast, an online enrichment community for couples

  • Navigating seasons of change in your marriage with grace

  • Practical, daily practices for couples to strengthen their marriages

  • How Cana Feast makes retreats-in-place possible for couples with busy schedules

  • 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:

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.



Aug 21, 202347:24
A Letter to the Woman Examining Her Day // Tsh Oxenreider

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:

  • Tsh’s story as a Catholic convert

  • The story behind her new book, First Light and Eventide: A Daily Gratitude Journal

  • Tsh’s advice for building the habit of morning and evening bookends

  • How Tsh has encountered truth, goodness, and beauty on pilgrimage (and how you can join her on upcoming trips!)

  • How stepping away from Instagram has impacted Tsh’s ability to notice, focus, and be grateful

  • Why Tsh curates playlists to pair with all of her books

  • How Tsh lives out the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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.

Jul 31, 202328:10
A Letter to the Woman Who Feels Alone // Sarah Swafford

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:

  • Sarah’s story as a Catholic woman

  • 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

  • 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

  • Why finding meaning in life isn’t enough and why we need grit, too

  • How to navigate friendship in changing seasons and how to be truly vulnerable with women you trust

  • Sarah’s three ingredients for healthy and holy friendship

  • How Sarah lives out the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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

Jul 17, 202333:53
A Letter to the Woman Who Feels Guilty about Creativity // Grace Babineau

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.
Jul 03, 202331:49
A Letter to the Woman Who Loves Someone Struggling with Addiction// Keaton Douglas

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:

  • Keaton’s story as a Catholic woman

  • The inspiration behind The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction

  • 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

  • What makes opiod addiction different from other suffering

  • The important element that’s missing from most resources available for people suffering from addiction—and what the Catholic Church can provide

  • How to tap into St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body as Catholics accompanying those who are addicted

  • How to communicate the dignity of those who die of substance abuse and how to acknowledge (and eliminate!) social stigmas around addiction

  • Keaton’s advice for how to grow in our understanding of addiction and accompany those we love through this particular type of suffering

  • How Keaton lives ou the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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.

May 29, 202334:03
A Letter to the Woman Creating a Rule of Life // Kimberly Hahn

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:

  • Kimberly’s story of conversion

  • What we can learn from the woman described in Proverbs 31 about marriage and homemaking

  • Why (and how!) to prioritize prayer in your life as a Catholic woman

  • Remembering that marriage (not motherhood!) is a sacrament and making space to encounter your spouse

  • 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:

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.

May 15, 202342:14
A Letter to the Woman Who Never Gets through Her To-Do List //Thérèse Desilets

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:

  • Thérèse’s story as a Catholic woman

  • The origin story of Lovely Lady Linens and the beautiful work of handblocking

  • How designing Marian-inspired linen collections has impacted Thérèse’s relationship with the Blessed Mother

  • Why domestic work is meaningful, even though so much of it goes unseen

  • How Thérèse’s business and work as an attorney is at the service of her family (not the other way around)

  • The story behind Mariamante Academy, where Thérèse donates a portion of her business proceeds

  • 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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May 01, 202330:58
A Letter to the Woman Afraid to Admit That She’s Not Okay // Crystalina Evert

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:

  • Crystalina’s story as a Catholic woman and how Christ brought healing through both adoration and counseling

  • How Crystalina created a resource to help women show up to their own healing process with the help of other women and their ministries

  • Why all of us need to ask ourselves what is keeping us back from becoming the women God created us to be

  • What happens in our culture and in our lives when we share our story—hard parts and all, with those we trust

  • How a heavenly friendship with St. Therese of Lisieux inspired Crystalina on her journey of healing

  • The first step that everyone needs to take on their healing journey

  • 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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Apr 17, 202332:26
A Letter to the Woman Teaching the Faith While Running around with Littles // Jackie Angel

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 about her experience preparing two of her children to receive first communion and first reconciliation, what it looks like to create a culture in our homes where conversations about the Eucharist and forgiveness are ongoing, and how teaching children about the beauty of the Catholic faith has impacted her own interior life.

If you’re helping children discover Christ mercy and experience his real presence in the Eucharist, sister, this letter is for you. 

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Jackie’s story as a Catholic woman

  • What sets Ascension’s band new programs, Received: Your Journey to First Communion and Renewed: Your Journey to First Reconciliation apart

  • Jackie’s experience preparing two of her children for First Communion and Reconciliation

  • How to take big concepts like transubstantiation, sin, and forgiveness and explain them in a way that kids understand

  • What it looks like to create a culture in our homes where the sacraments are part of ongoing conversation and our daily lives with our families

  • Jackie’s evangelization advice for mothers of toddlers

  • How Jackie lives out the feminine genius in her daily life through tender motherhood

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Apr 03, 202330:57
A Letter to the Woman Looking Forward to Farmer’s Markets // Alexandra Greeley

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.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The lightning bolt moment that brought Alexandra home to the Catholic Church
  • The inspiration behind Alexandra’s new book, Catholics in the Kitchen and what you’ll find when you open up the cover
  • What putting together this book taught Alexandra about the universality of the Catholic Church
  • How to rediscover the beauty of sacramental eating
  • The ways that food creates opportunity for evangelization
  • Practical ways we can support farmers and be reminded of the origin of food

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Mar 20, 202320:07
A Letter to the Woman Who Doesn’t Feel Like Praying a Rosary // Shannon Wendt

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 impacted Shannon’s life as a woman, a wife, and a mom, the origin story of Chews Life, and Shannon’s advice for getting in the habit of praying a daily rosary—as well as the “why” behind this devotion in our Catholic faith.

Regardless of whether you pray the Rosary every day, you’ve never prayed the Rosary, or you find yourself somewhere in between, sister, this letter is for you

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Shannon’s story as a Catholic woman
  • The origin story of Chews Life and how it’s grown since launching in 2008
  • How praying the Rosary has impacted Shannon’s life as a Catholic woman, wife, and mother
  • The biggest roadblocks Catholics face when it comes to praying the Rosary regularly
  • The fifteen promises of the Rosary and what they mean for our daily life
  • Shannon’s advice for praying the Rosary with your kids—everyone from toddlers to teenagers!
  • How Shannon lives out the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Mar 06, 202328:54
A Letter to the Woman Who Wasn’t Expecting Marriage To Be This Hard // Beth Sri

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 years and together they’ve written a book called ‘The Good, The Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys and Struggles of Real Married Life”

Beth and I are talking about how to resist the temptation to build up walls in your marriage, why it’s important to build individual prayer time for the good of your marriage, and the real life differences between men and women and what that means for marriage.

So regardless of whether you’re single, preparing for marriage, or you’ve had a wedding ring on your finger for years, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The inspiration behind Beth’s new book and her experience writing a book with her husband, Edward
  • Different walls that we build up in our marriage and how we can tear down the barriers to unity
  • How marriage has made Beth more aware of areas that God wants to heal
  • What to keep in mind if you’re realizing something from your past is impacting your marriage today
  • The differences between men and women and how to honor those differences
  • How to build the habit of daily individual prayer to strengthen our marriage
  • What Beth has learned over the years that has helped her and Edward have a consistent daily prayer life
  • How Beth lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a Catholic woman

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Feb 06, 202335:43
A Letter to the Woman Practicing Courage // KJ Ramsey

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 trusting we will be held and loved no matter what.

We’re talking about praying the Psalms word by word, how courage has impacted KJ’s journey of trauma and chronic pain, and the importances of witnesses in our lives as women.

If you’re walking through a valley or a challenging season and want to cultivate courage and compassion and reignite joy, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The inspiration behind KJ’s new book, The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments and what it was like to write a book on courage while experiencing chronic illness
  • What courage looks like as a practice
  • How encountering poetry both from the Psalms and other authors helps us enter into prayer—especially in seasons when it’s difficult to find words
  • Why the presence of witnesses and the experience of with-ness crucial in seasons of suffering
  • How KJ has witnessed the co-existing of courage and suffering
  • KJ’s encouragement to you if trusting others with your story is challenging
  • How KJ lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary, daily life as a woman encouraging others in the practice of finding courage to heal

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Jan 09, 202329:45
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants To Read Through the Bible in a Year // Meg Hunter-Kilmer

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 parts that just leave you confused?

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer. She’s an itinerant missionary and the author of a brand new Bible Journal. Oh, and she’s just wrapping up her 21st read through the entire Bible, so she has some great advice if that’s your goal this upcoming year, to!

We’re talking about what Meg’s very first read through scripture looked like (she was thirteen! It took her five years!) and the unique way she recommends reading the Bible so you don’t get bogged down in 1st and 2nd chronicles and Meg shares one of my new favorite saint quotes on scripture that I hadn’t heard until our conversation today.

If you want to spend time in God’s word every day and grow in your knowledge and love of Scripture, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Meg’s life as a hobo missionary and how she surrenders and trusts God to provide
  • How Meg wrote her new book, A Year in the Word Catholic Bible Journal on Instagram
  • How Scripture has impacted Meg from her first read through at age 13 to today
  • Meg’s recommended reading plan to help you make it from Genesis to Revelations
  • What to do with Scripture passages that confuse (and bore!) you
  • The Bible verses Meg keeps close to her heart
  • How Meg lives out the feminine genius

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Dec 26, 202229:36
A Letter to the Woman Who Is an Adopted Daughter of God // Allison Gingras

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 dear friends. Second, Allison is a woman who has walked and prayed with our family for months.

One evening after a conversation with her on her podcast, A Seeking Heart, I asked Allison for prayers. I knew she and her husband adopted their daughter who has special needs from China, and Joseph and I were in the very beginning stages of exploring special needs adoption. That night, Allison encouraged me to pray boldly and specifically for God’s will with this adoption.

We’re about halfway through the home study process and have the specific hope and prayer to adopt a child with Down syndrome, and Allison's prayers and witness to bold faith have played such a part in that discernment.

Today, I’m talking with Allison about how the sacramentals helped her and her profoundly deaf daughter connect with God, the spiritual motherhood of Mary, and the beauty and depth of those tangible signs of faith in our lives today.

If you’re curious about the incredible amount of sacramentals we have as Catholics and what they mean for our daily lives and relationships with others, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The inspiration behind Allison’s new book, Encountering Signs of Faith
  • How Allison and her husband brought their daughter, Faith, home through adoption
  • Why each and every one of us is an adopted child of the Father
  • Exactly what a sacramental is and how Allison uses them to teach her daughter who is profoundly deaf the Catholic faith
  • Allison’s personal saint posse who accompanied her along the journey of adoption
  • The promises associated with the Miraculous Medal and the spiritual motherhood of Mary
  • How Allison lives out the feminine genius through spiritual sensitivity

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Dec 12, 202228:51
A Letter to the Woman Examining Her Relationships // Nell O’Leary

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 family of origin, your loved ones, your friends, your work, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The inspiration behind the new Blessed Is She Devotional, Loving God, Loving Others
  • Nell’s encouragement if you’re cautious to explore the parts of your story you just wish weren’t there
  • How to examine our story in a holistic way that takes both the joy and sorrow into account
  • Nell’s section of the devotional on her family of origin and how it has shaped her identity
  • How writing alongside women like Beth Davis, Megan Hjelmstad, Bonnie Engstrom, Sarah Erickson, and Emily Stimpson Chapman deepend Nell’s appreciation for their feminine genius
  • Why to prioritize daily prayer in your life as a Catholic woman
  • The incredible resources that Blessed is She offers for both in-person and online community
  • How Nell lives out the feminine genius

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Nov 28, 202227:01
A Letter to the Woman Drawn to God Through Beauty // Kate Marin

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 sculpting, and how becoming a mother has impacted the way she creates.

John Paul II says that “Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.”

Whether you’re tuning into this episode to connect with Kate as a fellow artist or you’re a woman who desires to encounter the beauty of God and learn more about the masterpiece of your own life, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How Kate as grown as an artist throughout the course of her life and training
  • The moment in Kate’s story where she fell in love with art and the creative process
  • Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and how it’s influenced Kate’s work as an artist
  • How Kate went about finding models for her sculpture of the Holy Family
  • The way that prayer and the artistic process intertwine when Kate creates
  • How creating art helps Kate answer the big questions that so many of us wrestle with today
  • How becoming a mother has changed the way that Kate creates and what Kate is looking forward to teaching her children about art
  • How Kate lives out the feminine genius as a woman creating works that help call people deeper into the truth of their own mystery

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Nov 14, 202238:14
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants To Love the Lord With All Her Mind // Rachel Bulman

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 heart, and with all your mind, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How a witness of hospitality and authenticity sparked Rachel’s interest in Catholicism
  • The inspiration behind With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life
  • Rachel’s encouragement if you think the intellectual life isn’t for you
  • Getting to know Our Lady as the Seat of Wisdom and first philosopher
  • Fostering the intellectual life in our daily lives as women
  • How Rachel witnessed the feminine genius during the editing process of With All Her Mind
  • Cultivating a sense of wonder in a world ripe with distractions
  • How Rachel lives out the feminine genius in her roles as daughter, wife, and mother

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Oct 24, 202230:54
A Letter to the Woman Battling Pornography and Masturbation // Rachael Killackey

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 each other from sexual addiction.

We’re talking about just what pornography is, how is Magdala shifting that narrative so women can find healing from sexual wounds, and the importance of healing from sexual wounds in community, even though things like pornography and masturbation are considered private struggles.

If you’re a woman who has struggled with pornography, masturbation, lustful thoughts, sexual daydreaming, or any other disordered desire, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How Rachael started Magdala to answer a need for ministry to women impacted by sexual addiction
  • Why having an all-encompassing definition of pornography matters when it comes to breaking free from addiction
  • The different ways that pornography impacts womens’ creativity and imagination and how is Magdala shifting that narrative so women can find healing from sexual wounds
  • Why pornography and mastrubation are symtoms of deeper wounds
  • How pornography can drive women to obsession or suppression when it comes to body image
  • The ways that physical motherhood has impacted Rachael’s mission and the conversations we need to be having with our daughters about pornography
  • How Rachael lives out the feminine genius in her daily life through the grace  of acceptance

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Oct 10, 202231:32
A Letter to the Woman Navigating the Grief of Child Loss// Kelly Breaux

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 of a child, or if you’re walking alongside someone who is wishing they were just holding their baby and you want to grow in your ability to love them and their family, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:

Kelly’s story of reversion to the Catholic Church
The origin story of Red Bird Ministries, and how the Breaux family ministers to others from their wounds healed by Christ
The pain of miscarriage and dismantling the lie that losing a child to miscarriage “doesn’t count” as child loss
The danger of using the words “I was only” when you are grieving"
How
The way that men and women grieve differently and how Christ can use grief, suffering, and vulnerability can build your marriage up
How to accompany those you love well and continue to show up for them long after the day of loss
How Kelly lives out the feminine genius and how the Visitation inspires her to love others well

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Connect with Red Bird Ministries online
Download the new Red Bird Ministries app
Listen to Red Bird Ministries’ reflections for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (October 15th) on the Hallow App
Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners

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Sep 26, 202232:36
A Letter to the Woman Who Has Nothing Left To Give // Emily Jaminet

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’m weak, it’s then that his power is made perfect in that weakness.”

In today’s episode, Emily Jaminet and I are talking about why now is the perfect time to revisit a classic Catholic devotion—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.

So if you’re feeling like you have nothing left to give, that the demands of your day are taking more resources than you have, 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 now is the perfect time to discover a devotion to the Sacred Heart
  • What it means to enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home and in your life
  • Receiving grace from the Sacred Heart and the sacrament of confession
  • How to prepare our hearts to meet Christ in the final moments of life
  • How the feminine genius impacts the way that Emily loves Jesus and his Sacred Heart

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Sep 12, 202237:15
A Letter to the Woman In A Season Where Friendship Seems Impossible // Lea-Anne Virnig

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 Lord used a season of loneliness to draw Lea-Anne closer to his heart
What it looks like to maintain friendships throughout different seasons of life
Making friends if you’re in a new town
How to introduce yourself to someone new and get past the awkward small talk stage

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Visit Lea-Anne online through her website or via Instagram
“The Eight Doors of the Kingdom” by Father Jacques Philippe
“Be Healed” by Dr. Bob Schuchts
Email me at
letterstowomen@gmail.com or send me an Instagram message with your questions on vulnerability in friendship!
Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Aug 29, 202223:33
A Letter to the Woman Dreaming About the Beach // Noelle Mering

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 things in our lives with new attention and depth.

If you want to bring the beauty, mystery, and depth of the sea into your home—and even into your soul, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How the most basic element of water inspired the newest Theology of Home book
  • The beauty of friendship (rekindled and new!) in the creation of Theology of Home
  • What the intertwining of the feminine and water reveals to us about what it means to be women—and how view of the feminine compares to the present view that we have of womanhood as a society
  • How we can grow in an appreciation of the mystery of our femininity without falling into the cultural battle of the sexes
  • The history of the Marian title “Stella Maris” and what it means for our own maternity today
  • What can happen in our interior lives as women when we take a fresh look at the familiar
  • How Noelle lives out the feminine genius in her writing on home, ideologies, and with her family

Resources to check out after listening to this episode:

Aug 15, 202229:34
A Letter to the Woman Making Friends on the Internet // Elizabeth Vargas

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 navigating the digital world when it comes to our friendships with other women.

If you have a desire not only to take your digital friendships to the next level, sister, this letter is for you!

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How a podcast that never came to be was the start of a friendship between Elizabeth and her friend, Lauren
  • How to take the next steps in friendship with the women you know online
  • Elizabeth’s advice for being authentic when you share things online
  • The unhealthy pressure to post your opinions about current events online and what to do before you make that post
  • Whether or not friendships that start online are especially prone to comparison and competition

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Aug 01, 202220:21
A Letter to the Woman Seeking Christ in Her Friendships // Lindsay Schlegel

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 talks Christ as the original giver of friendship

If you have a desire not only to recognize Christ in your friendships but also to bring him into your friendships with the women in your life, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How Lindsay encountered Christ through a friend who accompanied her through a season of loss
  • The beauty of friendship with women going through different seasons of life than you’re living
  • What friendship with Christ looks like and why it’s the foundation of all good friendships
  • How to help our kids make Christ-centered friends, even when they’re young
  • Lindsay’s advice for sharing the joy of Christ with friends who aren’t Christian
  • What to do when you’re newly married and navigating “your friends” and “our friends” as a couple

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Jul 18, 202229:57
A Letter to the Woman Ending a Friendship // Kiki Rocha

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 find Kiki’s reflection on healing in friendship, which kicks off the first chapter in Sisterhood which talks about examining and healing your own heart for friendship.

If you’re wondering how to navigate a friendship breakup or you’re still stinging from a friendship that fell apart, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How past friendship wounds can impact current friendships
  • Authenticity and vulnerability in friendship with other women
  • Saints to get to know who have been through friendship breakups themselves
  • Communicating boundaries and expectations in friendships with other women
  • What to do when friends ask for advice in conversation but don’t take your words to heart
  • How to decide when to set a boundary in a friendship and when to let a friendship go
  • Why we should avoid the gut reaction to label someone as toxic

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Jul 04, 202231:24
A Letter to the Woman Worried She’s Not Doing This Whole Womanhood Thing Right // Lisa Cotter

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 genius can be lived out, and how we can strive for human virtues in a particularly feminine way.
If there was a video of this podcast episode, you’d mainly just see me nodding along and mouthing YES for thirty minutes while I listened to Lisa’s thoughts on Catholic femininity, and I’m so excited to share this conversation with you.
If you’re ready to explore what it means to be an authentic woman and discover how to be an authentic women, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:

Lisa’s story as a Catholic woman and how she does not do it all as a wife and mom
What inspired Lisa’s new book, “Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius”
Our mutual frustration at Saint Pope John Paul II’s lack of definition of the feminine genius, and a definition from Sister Prudence Allen that helps us understand what the feminine genius is
Why “the four aspects of the feminine genius” falls short of what the feminine genius truly is
How we live out human virtues particularly as women with a feminine genius
Women’s capacity for fidelity
Where we can draw inner strength from as women (especially in challenging seasons!)
How Lisa lives out the feminine genius by being receptive to grace

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius by Lisa Cotter
The Eternal Woman by Gertrud Von Le Fort
How to Be a Spiritual Mother (Whether You Have Kids or Not)—an article I wrote back in 2018 for Aleteia that discusses the beauty of spiritual motherhood
Follow Lisa on Instagram and her website, Made to Magnify
Naptime Notes, a new monthly newsletter from Chloe
Order my newest book, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship
Check out The Little Catholic Box and access the exclusive bonuses for LTW listeners
Jun 20, 202235:27
A Letter to the Woman Wondering How To Find Time To Read // Marcie Stokman

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 schedule for reading.

Even though we’re talking about an organization called Well Read Mom, this is a conversation for EVERY woman, and Marcie shares about how women who aren’t physical mothers - or even Catholic - have grown in their feminine genius through conversations with women in Well Read Mom book clubs.

If you’re ready to read more and read well, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Marcie’s story and how reading brought her back to the Catholic Church
  • The conversation Marcie had with her daughter that brought about Well Read Mom
  • How women accompanying women raises the bar and impacts the culture
  • The experience of women who encountered Catholicism through Well Read Mom book clubs
  • What books women read together in Well Read Mom book clubs
  • How to practically prioritize reading in your daily life—especially in busy seasons

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Jun 06, 202235:45
A Letter to the Woman Discovering Her Feminine Genius at Work // Elise Crawford Gallagher

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 as a Catholic woman and the origin story of Ringlet
  • How to grow in awareness of your own gifts and talents and use them in the workplace
  • The ways Elise has grown as a leader in the past five years of running Ringlet
  • Vulnerability with your co-workers
  • Whether or not all MLMs are bad, and what to consider if you’re thinking about joining one
  • Why “girlboss” doesn’t describe success for women in business
  • How Elise is a spiritual mother in the workplace

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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May 23, 202234:07
A Letter to the Woman Reclaiming Her Sense of Purpose // Julia Marie Hogan Werner, LCPC

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 what direction your life is going to take, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The story behind Julia’s new book, “A Work In Progress: Embracing the Life God Gave You”
  • Why our cultural understanding of “adulting” doesn’t cut it when it comes to being an active participant in life
  • How naming your values helps you make big and small decisions
  • Identifying false expectations, both internal and external, and replacing them with healthy ones
  • Why you don’t need to worry about what’s “trending” for Catholic women and why you should put in the work of discovering your own unique, feminine genius
  • What a boundary is and a real life example of setting one in conversation
  • How Julia is growing in her feminine genius by being sensitive to those around her

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

May 09, 202233:26
A Letter to the Woman Wondering Why Friendship With Women Is So Complicated // Chloe Langr
May 02, 202222:51
A Letter to the Woman Who Worries All the Time // Melissa Overmyer

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 - everything from studying for tests to losing her family home in a fire - and getting really practical with her on how we can move away from this state of being worried and really enter into wonder at who God is and the way that he has worked and continues to work in our lives as his daughters.

If you’re a worrier as you’re ready to grow in your capacity to wonder at who God is and what his plans are for your life, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • What inspired Melissa to write her new book, “Worry to Wonder: A Catholic Guide to Finding Peace Through Scripture”
  • What incredibly hard moments (like losing her home to a fire and her daughter’s surfing accident) taught Melissa about worry, trust, and praise
  • How natural born worriers can choose to trust in God
  • Melissa’s favorite Scripture passages that she recommends meditating on when you’re overwhelmed with worry
  • Replacing lies in your life with truth about who God is
  • Discovering the roots of negative self-talk in your life
  • How Melissa is living the feminine genius in the present moment

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Apr 25, 202236:02
A Letter to the Woman With Questions About Sex and Intimacy // Kimberly Hahn

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 topics that don’t get talked about enough with such reverence. She’s been through all the stages of motherhood and she’s been married to her husband, Scott, for over forty years. She’s steeped in Scripture and so knowledgeable when it comes to what Christ and his Church have to say about intimacy and sexuality.

If you have questions about intimacy in your marriage and you want answers, sister, this letter is for you.

A quick note, Kimberly came on the podcast back in June, and in that episode she really dove into her story as a convert to Catholicism and the way she lives out the feminine genius. Today’s podcast is hyperfocused on intimacy and discernment in marriage, so if you want to get to know Kimberly first, check out the link in the show notes for that episode from the archives.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • What Proverbs 31 can teach us as Catholic wives when it comes to intimacy in our marriage
  • Pleasure for both men and women within a marriage and how the Catholic Church’s teachings compare to what the world tells us about intimacy
  • Discerning serious reasons for avoiding children with your spouse
  • How to talk about sex and intimacy with your spouse
  • The one question you should ask yourself before sharing something about your sex life with a friend

Resources you should check out after listening:




Apr 11, 202228:41
A Letter to the Woman Who Wants to Fast Joyfully This Lent // Kristen Van Uden

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 joyfully (yes, that’s possible), the history of fasting and Lent in the Catholic Church, and how to approach fasting if you’ve struggled with an unhealthy relationship with food.

Whether you’re listening in on this episode because fasting is something that comes easily for you or maybe it’s one of the most challenging aspects of Lent and you want to grow in joy surrounding your fasting, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • The inspiration behind "The Lenten Cookbook," a collaboration between Vatican chef David Geisser and Catholic author Scott Hahn
  • The history of Lent within the Catholic tradition and how has Lent evolved to what we have today as Catholics
  • All of the “letter of the law” questions around fasting, but also how to fruitfully go deeper and enter into a spirit of self-denial in a healthy was as Catholic women today
  • The difference between fasting and dieting
  • How fasting can be joyful (in Lent and year-round)
  • Ways to approach fasting if you’ve struggled with a healthy relationship with food in your story
  • The recipes Kristen is looking forward to making from “The Lenten Cookbook”
  • The beauty of creativity in our lives as Catholic women living out the feminine genius

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Mar 28, 202241:32
A Letter to the Woman Interceding to Saint Joseph // Elizabeth Lev

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 in Art
  • Why we should turn to St. Joseph and what he can teach us especially as Catholic women
  • Why St. Joseph absent from early Christian art and what sparked his appearance onto the artistic scene
  • How the (sometimes contradictory!) depictions of St. Joseph throughout the centuries can teach us about the history of the Catholic Church
  • What we can do to spark a Josephine renaissance today
  • Liz’s favorite depictions of St. Joseph and how her favorite shifted as she wrote this new book
  • How leading students and tourists through the Sistine Chapel encourages Liz to embrace the feminine genius in her daily life as a teacher and tour guide in Rome

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Mar 14, 202233:06
A Letter to the Woman Healing This Lent // Sr. Miriam James Heidland

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 to instead go through with Christ this Lenten season. 

If you’re longing for a season of healing and you’re ready to move past telling Jesus what you’re going to give up for Lent and truly listening to his invitation into the deeper parts of your heart that he wants to encounter with you, sister, this letter is for you. 

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Why Lent is the perfect time to engage the deeper parts of our hearts and stories
  • How to grow in trust and courage to enter into the desert with Jesus this Lent
  • What to do if you’re frustrated with your own journey of healing
  • What the aches we experience while fasting can teach us about ourselves
  • The concrete ways you can give alms this Lent that goes beyond “giving and going on your way”
  • Sr. Miriam’s recommendations for going deeper into healing after the Lenten season is done
  • How Sr. Miriam lives out her feminine genius as a religious sister inviting others into deeper healing and conversion of heart

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Feb 28, 202235:23
A Letter to the Woman Overwhelmed by Wedding Planning // Mary Beth Giltner and Rebecca Martin

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 was born out of their experience planning a wedding in the middle of a pandemic, and they’ve truly created something that helps engaged couples keep track of all those little details without losing sight of what truly matters in this season.

We’re talking about everything from mental and physical health during a season of engagement to the subjects to discuss together around intimacy and sexuality before the big day. But we’re also going to be chatting about life AFTER the wedding and the advice both women would give couples just starting out into their new vocation.

So, if you’re in the middle of planning a wedding (or you know and love someone who is in that season!) and you want to both be intentional with your wedding to-do list AND prepare for a lifelong marriage, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • What sets “The Catholic Wedding Planner” apart and makes it the perfect resource for engaged couples
  • The four Fs needed for a sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church
  • Why to focus on values in conversations about money
  • How (and why!) to talk about sex before (and after!!) your wedding day
  • The importance of physical and mental health during a season of engagement

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Feb 14, 202248:21
A Letter to the Woman Tired of Money Fights in Her Marriage // Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira

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 good conversation. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in one episode.

We’re talking about everything from whether or not we should actually be tithing ten percent to getting on the same page with your spouse about finances and truly dreaming together. 

If you know all too well those arguments about finances and you just want to know how to get the financial results you want while actually enjoying your life and your marriage, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How Jonathan and Amanda paid of $25,00 in debt in less than eight months and what that taught them about finances
  • The four phases of the WalletWin method and how they can free you from financial stress and say yes to generosity
  • Why God doesn’t want just ten percent of your money and how you can give God your all
  • The boundaries you can set up around money so you can build wealth without losing your soul
  • What St. Katherine Drexel teaches us about radical generosity
  • How Jonathan witnesses Amanda’s feminine genius in their marriage (and how Amanda sees Jonathan’s masculine genius!)

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Jan 31, 202249:45
A Letter to the Woman Defining Herself by What She Does // Leah Jacobson

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’s her goal to spread the word about wholistic feminism - a principle that has been at the heart of The Guiding Star Project for the past decade. Leah writes about how the American women’s movement has defined success in a way that keeps us always striving, but never fully arriving.

Today, we’re having a conversation about the history of different waves of feminism here in the US, the good and bad of the results of those waves of feminism, and how realizing and appreciating our distinctly female abilities to ovulate, gestate, and lactate can help us understand what wholistic feminism looks like in today’s world - and provide the key answers to those struggles with expectations, comparison, and frankly, exhaustion, in our lives as women.

If your health is taking a back seat to all of the things on your to-do list, your relationships are strained to the max, and you struggle to overcome guilt, shame, and fear, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • What wholistic feminism is and how it has shaped The Guiding Star Project for the past decade
  • A brief overview of the different waves of feminism in American history
  • How past waves of the feminist movements have failed us, and what grains of truth we can find in them
  • What ovulating, gestating, and lactating reveal about our nature as women
  • Leah’s recommendations for daily practices that help you honor your feminine identity and your WHOLE health

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Jan 17, 202237:22
A Letter to the Woman Who Can’t Remember When She Showered Last // Leila Lawler

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 you’re struggling to get a shower in, or you wish you had a handy guidebook on everything from education to kitchen drawer organization, I have the book for you, or rather, the three book set for you.

If you’re not sure when the last time you took a shower was, or if you can remember, but don’t have a plan in place for the next time that you’ll take a shower, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How Leila discovered the beauty of Catholic traditions as a convert
  • Why her blog post on showering is one of the most popular pieces on her website
  • The difference between life happening to you and making a plan
  • What inspired Leila to pen a three volume set on all things domestic living
  • How to root yourself in the daily reality of your life
  • Why a happy home is foundational to the education of our children, regardless of what schooling option you choose
  • The reason you should start your cleaning routine in your bedroom
  • Why collective memory is so important, how we’ve lost it, and what to do to get it back
  • The beauty of the liturgical year as a source of grace in our family life
  • The beauty of Mary’s service and how it impacts our own feminine genius

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Jan 03, 202250:41
A Letter to the Woman Whose Prayers Aren’t Being Answered // Christy Wilkens

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 she wanted to hear. Almost a year after healing those words in prayer, she made a trek to Lourdes, France with her husband and Oscar, seeking a miracle.

What do we do when God doesn’t answer our prayers, when he says no to what we’re asking him for or doesn’t intervene in a situation we’re begging him to step into? Christy’s unanswered prayers healed her family and restored her faith, and I can’t wait to share our conversation with you.

If you’re praying and praying and praying about something but God is not answering that prayer in the way that you expect or want , sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • How to surrender and let go of control in our prayer life with the Lord
  • How to ask for help and how to give help graciously and generously
  • How growing in relationship with Our Lady has helped Christy in her journey as a Catholic wife and mother
  • What the Order of Malta is and what makes it unique
  • How the real healing that happened at Lourdes was in Christy’s marriage
  • The thin veil between women and the Lord found in our maternity

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

Subscribe and Review Letters to Women in iTunes

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Dec 13, 202137:09