Girlfriends (a Podcast For Catholic Women)

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 making every day more Catholic, but how do we do that? Danielle shares five ideas: 1. Go beyond Sunday. Find a way to extend your experience of your faith beyond Sunday Mass. You might add more prayer to your days, receive the sacraments more often, or learn a new devotion. 2. Fill your day with Catholic imagery. There are all kinds of things you can use to decorate your home with Catholic items (Check out The Catholic Company) (https://www.catholiccompany.com/home-goods-c5381/) or you might want to consider enthroning the

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 life at the Shrine for seven years, directed the Shrine’s popular faith-drama “Back from the Dead” for six years, and helped to found the Shrine’s Prayer Line Ministry. Some links from today’s conversation: National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (https://setonshrine.org/) Seton Shrine Book Clubs (https://setonshrine.org/bookclub/) Seton Shrine museum (https://setonshrine.org/museum/) At the end of today’s show, Danielle answers an email from a listener Emily who struggles with how to talk with her husband about his physica

“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 you.Listen. Sometimes, a negative person just needs to vent. Perhaps they just want a sympathetic ear.Guard your time. You don’t owe everyone your time and energy. You can set some limits on how much time you spend with a negative person. Don’t be reactive. Do your best to stay calm and not emotional with a negative person. Resist the temptation to jump in and argue.Set boundaries. You can limit the amount of time and energy you give people, but also which topics you will talk with them about. You might even need to cut ties with some people.Ask questio

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 we should know as parents to best support our kids’ mental health. To go deeper on this topic with Dr. Mario Sacasa, check out his Good Catholic Series. Overcoming Stress and Anxiety. At the end of the show, Danielle answers a question from Jen who is doing her best to establish a daily prayer routine but meeting some obstacles along the way. For episode shownotes visit www.goodcatholic.com. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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 life or the blessings you are experiencing as a result of change. Give thanks. Pause, reflect, give thanks for what you have been given, and then let go –meaning give everything over to God. Pray. If you are struggling to adjust to something new, ask God “What now?” or “What next?” Ask Him to reveal His plan for your life right now. At the end of the show, Danielle answers a question from Meghan who feels out of place in her parish community and wonders if she should leave. For episode shownotes visit www.goodcath

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 the Good Catholic event, How to Find Peace in Political Times. Fr. Longenecker shares thoughts and observations from his experience as a pastor and in online debates and offers encouragement for loving our fellow human beings, even in the face of “cancel culture.” At the end of the show, Danielle answers an email from Jessica, a mom of four young children, who would like her mother to be a greater source of support with childcare and housework. Should she ask her mom for more? Other links from this episode: Fr. Dwight Lon

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 to change our approach to prayer and new ideas for ways to make it a daily habit – one that you are made for and will thrive in. Danielle offers ideas to help reshape your prayer routine and cultivate a daily habit that will help grow in relationship with God. At the end of the show, Danielle answers an email from 15-year-old Elizabeth who wonders about whether a Catholic woman can become a fighter pilot. Is this a sticky question? Yes and no! Other links from this episode: How to Make a Personal Prayer Space Register for

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, students, public servants, tradesmen, parents, religious, and professionals of all kinds, they seek to reintroduce Christ to the world, at a time when there is “no place” for him in the inn. At the end of the show, Danielle answers an email from Diane, a woman who is having difficulty forgiving her sister-in-law after a painful experience. For more information and encouragement on this topic, check out How to Forgive When It’s Hard from our archives. Snippet From the Show “In the Church, we need to return to very simple telling

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 small enough to be do-able even on your worst days. Keep track of your progress and enjoy the sense of accomplishment as you go. How about you? Let us know if you try some mini goals and how this concept works for you! At the end of the show, Danielle answers a question from Nicole, a new wife and mom who wonders about her ability to have another child. Snippet From the Show “Mini habits are tiny steps in the right direction, small, winnable goals that move you closer to where you want to be.” For episode shownotes visit www.go

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 for parents. The book was awarded second place at the annual book awards of the Catholic Media Association in June 2023. At the end of the show, Danielle answers a question from Melissa, a listener who struggles with her husband’s work schedule. Other links from this episode: John Bosio's website Register for our summer series! Snippet From the Show “Little habits are so critical to the relationships within the family and that's how we talk about love. Love is made up of little actions.” – John Bosio” For episode shownotes

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 every day. Enjoy something. It might be a conversation with a friend or a glass of iced tea. Be present to small pleasures in your life. Connect. Hug your kids! Kiss your husband! Text a friend! We are built for community, so make sure you are engaging with yours. Create! Whether it’s a berry pie, a poem, or a piece of music, you can boost your happiness by looking for ways to be creative every day. Make a healthy swap. This idea is based on a concept I learned about in Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results. Make one ti

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 life-changing books, have titles they want to recommend for summer reading. Other links from this episode: Learn more about Fr. Kirby, his work, and ministry Morning Offering With Fr. Kirby on YouTube Snippet From the Show “If we take these sufferings and anxieties and we offer them to the Lord, then it's called redemptive suffering, and they're not wasted. Moments of anxiety, frustration, concern, whatever it might be – they're given to the Lord and they actually have spiritual power.” - Fr. Jeffrey Kirby For episode shown

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, choosing marriage, and saying YES to our spouse again, every single day. For episode shownotes visit daniellebean.com. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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 outside the context of love. You can’t. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t sound right. For episode shownotes visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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 visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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 Heart. For episode shownotes, text GIRLFRIENDS to 33-777 or visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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 GIRLFRIENDS to 33-777 or visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Danielle is joined by special guest Keaton Douglas to discuss the struggle of addiction and how each of us can help people on the road to recovery. Keaton shares about her work with I THIRST Initiative. She also tells the story of her conversion and how she ended up working with those struggling with addiction. Snippet From the Show When we hold onto unforgiveness, it is like a poisonous snake lives within us. It is such a burden to hold onto resentment! For episode shownotes, text GIRLFRIENDS to 33-777 or visit www.ascensionpress.com/girlfriends. Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe