Snippet From the Show “When it comes to our spending habits, sometimes the most important thing we need is information.” Whether it’s because of inflation or your growing family, as we look ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas, many of us are facing tighter budgets this year. Danielle is sharing some reminders of simple ways that we cut back a bit and save some money this month: No-Spend Challenge Challenge yourself to not spend money (beyond essentials) for a set period of time. You might...

Snippet From the Show “We have resources to help moms identify how they feel about themselves and to get in their right mind and hearts over it, and then we give them all the materials in a step by step way.” –Grace Emily Stark There is so much in our culture today that makes young women feel uncomfortable in their own bodies. Moms want resources to help their girls navigate the emotional and physical changes of their teen years and encourage a positive outlook on their own womanhood....

Snippet From the Show “Having people over is about so much more than just entertaining. It’s about truly connecting with one another and building real community.” The holiday season is right around the corner, and maybe you are giving some thought to holiday hospitality. Do you dread having people over? Or do you avoid it altogether because it just takes so much effort? Danielle shares some tips to help you overcome some of those obstacles and truly get better at hospitality. Have a...

Snippet From the Show “Like everything in healthcare, with infertility, you become a detective, taking a really good history from both the woman and the man. We need to remember always that it takes two people to create life. So we want to make sure we address right away male fertility and not leave that for down the road.” Jamie Rathjen Today’s special guests are Jamie Rathjen and Teresa Kenney, hosts of The Hormone Genius podcast. Jamie is founder of the Fiat Institute, a hormone coach...

Snippet From the Show “Be sure you are not discerning your self-worth in the things you accomplish each day. You have worth as a child of God, not matter how productive you are.” Would you like an extra 3 or 4 hours in each day? We all feel overwhelmed and crunched for time sometimes. This week, Danielle shares some ideas for ways to make the most of the 24 hours we do have each day. Some of these include: Clarify your priorities. Block your time and batch similar tasks. Create a daily...

Snippet From the Show “You have all these varying degrees of women becoming saints in such different circumstances … If you look at another woman and say she's not listening to God because her life doesn't look the same as yours. Well, then you're not really understanding, one, the saints and two, the Gospel.” – Marie Mazzanti Our guest this week is Marie Mazzanti, a wife, mother, and media creator at Catholic Caritas on Instagram. Marie joins Danielle to discuss the variety of ways...

Snippet From the Show “Praying without ceasing really means always seeing things and experiencing things in reference to our relationship with God – understanding that God the Father created you and He desires this ongoing relationship with you.” The inspiration for today’s topic comes to us from Scripture. In 1 Thessalonians, we read: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” That’s what we mean by...

Snippet From the Show “St. Elizabeth Seton is a really faithful friend. If you're praying to her, things will happen and she will show up. She's a really powerful intercessor.” – Becca Corbell Our special guest this week is Becca Corbell. Becca has worked at the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg Maryland for the last 10 years where she is Associate Director of Programs. Becca has worked in many aspects of the Shrine’s programming, most notably in the Basilica and Liturgical...

Snippet From the Show “You don’t owe everyone your time and energy. It can be very reasonable, and even responsible, to set boundaries with certain people.” Do you deal with negative people in your life? It can be so draining to handle negativity, but we all run into people like this from time to time. This week, Danielle shares 7 ideas for ways to handle negative people: Be confident. If you have prayerfully and carefully decided something, don;t let someone else’s negativity derail...

Snippet From the Show “Particularly among young people, we see correlation between the amount of time spent online and an increase in anxiety and in stress.” Dr. Mario Sacasa So many of us struggle with stress and anxiety in our lives. Navigating work, relationships, finances, and health issues can really take a toll on our mental health. Dr. Mario Sacasa joins us to discuss what really happens when we feel stressed and share some practical ways we can manage it. He also shares about things...

Snippet From the Show “Look for the good. Even when you are going through something very hard, there is always good. God works all things together for our good.” Feel your feelings. It’s important to be honest about how you are feeling and really process all that you are experiencing. Give yourself grace. Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself the time and space you need to adjust to new things. Focus on the good. Look for the good things that are happening in your...

Snippet From the Show “If you're so convinced that you're right you've got the wrong attitude. Because being right at all costs is a symptom of pride, and at the core of the Christian belief, the very first step in getting things right is to say I'm wrong.” – Fr. Dwight Longenecker Our special guest on Girlfriends is Fr. Dwight Longenecker, author, speaker, Catholic priest, and pastor of Our lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, South Carolina. Fr. Dwight will be a featured presenter at...

Snippet From the Show “If you make time for daily prayer, you can practice sitting at the feet of Jesus in your own heart and mind, even during times in life when you are very busy.” This week, we are focusing on unlocking the power of prayer. We all know that we should pray and we should make it a daily priority, but many things can get in the way of that. We have work, kids, and crammed calendars that threaten to pull us away from regular times to pray. Danielle shares thoughts about how...

Our special guest this week is Ambrose Bean, none other than Danielle Bean’s own son! Ambrose, a theologian, author, and teacher, shares about a new project he has been working on called The Bethlehem Society, a group of Catholics united under the common conviction that the Church is longing for a return to Christ in modern times. They publish a digital magazine featuring articles, reflections, poetry, and other written works produced by Society members. As writers, speakers, teachers,...

Mini goals work because they help you feel like you are “winning” in small ways that can readily translate into larger ways. Danielle discusses small goals she set in healthy habits of eating and exercise and describes how even very small successes have motivated her to find larger success in other ways as well. If you decide to try some mini habits, here are some tips to keep in mind: Don’t set too many mini goals, or you might overwhelm yourself and give up. Make sure your goals are...

Our special guest this week is author John Bosio. Married 50 years, John and his wife, Teri, are parents of two daughters. He has led religious education and marriage enrichment programs at the parish and diocesan level for many years. John has a Master’s Degree in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Counseling. For 13 years he served three parishes in Kansas as a marriage and family therapist. In the fall 2022 John published Raising a Catholic Family: Building a Domestic Church – a handbook...

Do ever think about what your priorities are and wonder if your days are lining up with them. Danielle is sharing ideas for small, basic things we can and should do every day to take care of ourselves and love and serve others. Pray. Duh! We know this one, but let’s make sure we are deliberately setting aside time for daily prayer. Move your body. It doesn’t matter if it’s an official exercise program or just turning up the music and dancing in your living room, make sure you are moving...

Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, an author, speaker, and host of Morning Offering With Fr. Kirby, joins us this week to talk about the power of prayer, especially the power of praying the Morning Offering every day and offering your day as a gift to God. Fr. Kirby shares especially about the value of offering up our suffering, something that praying every morning can help us to do. At the end of today’s show, Danielle shares emails from Cheryl and Barb who, after listening to the recent episode about...

We are focused on ways to make time for your marriage this week. Are you deliberate about setting aside time to focus on your marriage every day and every week? If we are not careful, other priorities like work, kids, and social activities can fill up our calendars, and without meaning to, married couples can begin to drift apart. Some ideas Danielle shares in today’s episode: Snippet From the Show We need to be deliberate about choosing the other person, about choosing the other person,...

After a special announcement, Danielle shares a throwback episode. In fact, this is one of the most popular Girlfriends episodes ever. Do you cringe when Ephesians 5 gets read at Mass? Many people are uncomfortable with this Scripture passage which can seem politically incorrect in today’s world. Men are the heads of their wives? Wives should submit to their husbands? What on earth can this mean? Snippet From the Show Snippet from the Show You can’t understand the passage of Ephesians 5...

Do you have plans for reading this summer? What books are on your list? Danielle shares books that have had a lasting impact on her life. She also encourages you to share your reading list with her and others. Snippet From the Show There are some books that you can return to again and again because of the impact they have on your life. For episode shownotes, text GIRLFRIENDS to 33-777 or visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Support Girlfriends (A Podcast for Catholic Women)

Danielle is joined by special guest Maureen O’Brien to discuss Maureen’s new book Gather the Fragments: My Year of Finding God’s Love. Maureen shares how she came to write the book and the ways in which she has come to know God and understand love more deeply through Scripture. Snippet From the Show God not only gives us enough, but in fact, he gives us more than we need. For episode shownotes, text GIRLFRIENDS to 33-777 or visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Support Girlfriends...

Do you struggle to stand up for yourself? Many women don’t like to cause conflict and tend to be reserved when it comes to setting boundaries or speaking out against things that are offensive or disrespectful. This week, Danielle discusses why this is so hard and ways to meet the challenge of standing up for ourselves. Snippet From the Show Seek clarity on what is just and what is charitable and how to find the balance between the two. For episode shownotes, text GIRLFRIENDS to 33-777 or...

The month of June is devoted to the Sacred Heart, so there is no better time to chat with Emily Jaminet, author of Secrets of the Sacred Heart and her newest book, Holy Habits From the Sacred Heart. Emily shares some of her own stories of devotion to the Sacred Heart and ways that focusing on the heart of Jesus has changed her life. Snippet From the Show People want to find more stability in their faith. They want to find consolation and love. All of this can be found in Christ's Sacred...

Do you struggle with worry and anxiety? We all do from time to time, but it’s important to know that God specifically commands us not to worry and not to be anxious. But sometimes that’s easier said than done! This week, Danielle shares advice that can help you resist the temptation to worry and instead choose to trust in God. Snippet From the Show For whatever good we want to accomplish in our lives, we must seek the help of God. We must ask for his grace. For episode shownotes, text...