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As we say farewell to all our listeners we are offering one final episode about vulnerability. Both John and Jo have been vulnerable through the past two seasons, but you too can be vulnerable and it’s critical to evangelization and developing strong relationships. Use your vulnerability to bring you closer to Christ and each other. It’s not about winning…it’s about the journey.

As parents we want our kids to be successful. There’s a debate out there about how much we should be involved in the process and setting the bar of success. Do we let our kids find their own motivation and drive, or do we guide their steps? Jo and John have different approaches that they will share, especially how it connects to college. Listen in! If your currently discerning your next steps, we hope our conversation will help.

I’m sure most of you are prepared for Christmas. If not, or your desperate for gift ideas for a teen in your life, listen in! Jo provides some ideas for both young men and women, with of course a little unexpected humor from John.

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks to all those we know, and how they’ve positively impacted our lives. We can’t be too serious on this podcast, so why not thank our kids for the ways we’ve been challenged as parents. This list is meant to make you smile and bring a little humor to your day.

Holy and healthy dating…what parent could ask for anything more?? But what influence do we have as parents? The culture is sending messages to teens and young adults about marriage…you need to first be financially secure, you need to be a certain age, you need to settled in your career, etc. But if they follow the culture, they might be leaving God behind. This episode will discuss the arguments, principles and values so you can confidently guide your teens.

This episode is part 2 of our last conversation, which involved the value and importance of communication with our children. While our teens have free will to choose to listen and follow our guidance, it’s important to have developed a foundation of trust with them first. Once we’ve earned trust it is much easier to plant and root our relationship and communication going forward.

We also further our boundary discussion by discussing the influence of friends - why it’s important as parents that we model this for our kids, and how social media plays a critical role. Are our teens finding authentic friendships? What are a few practical things that parents can do to encourage their teens to use discernment in their search for friends?

Have you established boundaries in your family? Boundaries are healthy for all relationships, especially with our teens. John shares a story about recent events in his life that empowered him and his wife to define and follow through with boundaries. It’s sometimes hard to follow through on consequences, but doing it together can strengthen your bond as a couple and reclaim your family.

If you haven’t been there yet, brace yourself! When it’s time to teach our teens to drive it can be overwhelming and stressful. It’s also difficult to release your control of the pedals!! Listen in as Jo and John share their stories and advice.

We’re happy to be back! During our pause we decided to retarget future podcasts towards raising teens. We have a lot planned going forward, but this episode is dedicated to the value and importance of knowing theology of the body and sharing it with our teens so they can be strengthened against the pressures of society. There are so many connections we will make to the current culture and hope it will arm you and your future conversations.

Even if you do all the right things as a parent, your child can stray from the faith. This is especially true and frustrating for parents who work at or for the Church. Find comfort in Jo’s story, or listen in preparation of what could lie ahead for you as a parent.

Raising teens is challenging. They have minds of a child and consequences of an adult. These critical years as a parent can be exhausting. Societal pressures, desires of the teen and FOMO take over. Reflecting on the Prodigal Son in scripture can provide us some wisdom and guidance to be ready and to go forward.

In today’s episode we are talking about gratefulness. It is both humbling and healing to reflect on the many things that have made an impact on our lives. It is also an incredible experience to reflect on gratefulness in times of tribulation. Listen in to our conversation and reflect on your personal gratefulness today.

For many Catholics, June can be a challenging month. Gay pride messages are saturated everywhere you look. What do you say to your children? How do we respond? What is God calling us to do? Listen in as we review the Catechism and share practical tips and resources to help you navigate.

What a treat! Today we are joined by Fr John Ludanha, a missionary priest from Africa. Some often struggle with God’s Plan. It might not be something we wanted or desired, but in the end, we see the beautiful plan our Father in Heaven has orchestrated for us. As Fr John shares his story, you will identify the twists and turns he experienced. Perhaps you can relate? Listen in and share it with others who might be struggling today.

Today we are joined by a special guest - Dr. Susan Selner-Wright. She is helping us to navigate the sensitivity around gender ideology. Susan dissects the Christian viewpoint as well as provides information about a website resource we can all use called “Person and Identity”. So much content is packed into this segment. Listen in, and share it with others!

Today we’re talking about our mission of evangelization, which just like Mary Magdalene, is a personal response to your encounter with Jesus. Have you thought about your encounter and how it can be shared with others? And if you haven’t experienced God’s love, now is your time!! No matter your past, God loves you deeply. And after you experience it, genuinely share your zeal with others.

What does it mean to register at your parish? Why is it valuable? Both Jo and John have been asked this question before, especially during sacramental prep. It has also been a topic of discussion amongst millennials. During today’s episode we provide some insight and understanding on why you should register today!

Jo’s away, and so John took over the podcast! Today he has special guests - Paul and Colleen Lum Lung. They shared stories about their devotion to Divine Mercy, it’s significance and how families can celebrate it, as well as their memory of crashing Fr Michael Gaitley’s ordination party.

Do you pray the Stations of the Cross? How does the Lenten season help us to meditate on these prayers? In today’s episode we offer suggestions of where and how you can pray the Stations. Jo also shares her memories of Via Dolorosa in her last pilgrimage to Jerusalem, as well as a spiritual encounter during a recent hike in the mountains.