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How do we interpret and understand what God is calling us to, both in our vocation and in other life choices? Join Stacey Sumereau on coffee dates with Catholic friends for insight and inspiring guidance. From touring with Broadway hit shows to discerning religious life on Lifetime’s reality TV show ”The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns,” Stacey hasn’t stopped searching for God’s will! Original music by JF Church.
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Every day, every moment, is a building block of God’s plan. Nothing is ever wasted.
It's Called and Caffeinated's first father-daughter interview! Ever have a dream but think, nobody's going to pay me to do that? Ever wonder how to turn the thing you love to do into the thing you get to do all the time? Want to inspire others with your passion for your Faith? You might tell yourself the market is already saturated with creatives, only the very lucky make it, you've got nothing original to offer, blah blah blah. Put aside that judgy voice and get some solid guidance on how to get started here. If God is calling you to make your side hustle your main gig, he'll take care of the success. You just gotta do your side of the work.
Mario Costabile founded Array of Hope, a media company, to move hearts with quality videos, music and witness. His daughter Lauren joined the team later as a singer, speaker and director of social media. The company seeks to spread the gospel message in an understandable way using media that people understand. They saw a need for quality Catholic media and are filling it. Today they're detailing how they went from being a family band playing together at home to a full production company with films on FORMED, EWTN, Shalom World TV, and others.
Friends, I firmly believe the world needs your gifts and God is calling you to use them in some way. You're not too old, too young, too inexperienced, too anything for God to manifest his incredible dreams through you!
Topics Discussed
- Social media use: how to use it to evangelize
- Getting all the pieces together for a startup
- The moment Mario answered the call to begin Array of Hope- he was in his 50s and it took TEN YEARS!
- Tuning into your joy as a guidepost
- The reality of how long it takes to grow a business
- How to know you're heading in the right direction and how to "do it all"
- The vital importance of collaborating with those who inspire you
Resources
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Orthodoxy.
Pro-life.
Mass on Sunday.
Rosary.
Doing allllll the Catholic things.
Not enough.
“The Lord really wants me to make him not just a part of my life, but the center.”
In school we learn in a classroom, taking notes and regurgitating information on tests. But that’s not how people learned in Jesus’s day. Apprentices learned by living with their teacher- imitating not just what he did but how and who he was. The legendary Dr. Edward Sri, author of Into His Likeness (and so much more) describes what being a disciple of Christ really looks like.
It’s not just staying in bounds… it’s so much more. And that is the foundation for ALL good discernment.
BONUS: Mozart's gorgeous Ave Verum Corpus. All 4 parts sung by me (singing bass is a fun challenge!) I put a LOT of effort into it for you guys, so I hope you enjoy it!
Topics Discussed
- The little Annunciations
- Imitating our Rabbi
- Surrendering- What do we gain?
- Daily practices of a true disciple
Resources
- Dr. Sri's SEVEN books here!
- Symbolon and Who Am I to Judge? Dr. Sri’s video series on FORMED (Catholic Netflix- inquire if your parish has a subscription!)
- All Things Catholic- Sri’s podcast
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
“I am going to praise the Lord because of who he is and what he has promised. And when I do it repeatedly, it brings life into me and changes my heart.”
Ladies, if you struggle to believe that you have what it takes, if you are jealous of other women, if you’re angry with God because your life isn’t working out the way you wanted, if you struggle to trust God, if you feel caught between following your heart and following your dreams: This episode is for you.
Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Leah, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Judith, Esther. These women may have lived a long time ago, but they were REAL. They experienced every struggle you can imagine, including impossible circumstances, inadequacy, carrying the consequences of their sinful actions, infertility, disappointment, being unnoticed, comparison, illness, and jealousy. Fortunately, Sarah Christmyer has already done the work mining the gold nuggets for you!
Sarah is the author of Becoming Women of the Word as well as over a dozen other books and the Great Adventure Bible Series (anyone else remember using that as a kid???) She wants to empower you with knowledge that you have what it takes to carry out God’s plan, how to live each day in contentment no matter your circumstances, the power of approaching each day prepared to praise (I LOVE this one!), and how to build a faith so strong it can withstand anything. Your soul will thank you for tuning in.
Topics Discussed
- Sarah’s rocky journey from Protestantism to Catholicism and how she heard God’s call to convert (anyone considering joining the Catholic Church will resonate with this!)
- Do I follow my heart or follow my dreams?
- God calls us not just in spite of, but because of our inadequacies
- God wants us to be happy, but what does happy really mean?
- The underrated and quiet power of accompanying others
- Physical beauty: how does it fit into God’s plan? How do you use it for good? How do you keep from being jealous?
Resources
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
"If God alone isn't enough, then nothing will be ever."
I don't know about you, but my 20's were HARD- and a lot of that was because of conflicting advice. I was told you don't need to take responsibility or start a family until you're 30. Others said focus on your career. I got FOMO watching my friends in their early 20's who were already married with kids and thought, "what's wrong with me? Have I missed the boat?" Insecurity, confusion, and a general feeling of starring in Hot Mess: The Musical! was my story many days.
For this episode I reached a personal goal in scoring an interview with Jackie and Bobby Angel (still doing a happy dance over here.) You may know Jackie by her maiden name Francois, a pioneer in the world of Catholic speakers. The Angels are real, raw and honest and they cut through noise with clear advice that will help any confused 20-somethings (and also teens!) move through each day with eyes on what matters and the courage to let go of the rest. The 20's are indeed not a "disposable decade" and when you focus on the right things there is no reason to fear that you'll miss something important.
Topics
- How to be joyful in singlehood
- Prioritizing
- What are the “prerequisites” to getting married?
- Marriage: what it's REALLY like
- How to determine if he or she is the One
- What to do when you fear that “I’ll never find anyone better”
- My story about meeting my husband who was a 24-year-old jobless painter and a monastery drop-out…and how I knew almost immediately he was the right one
- Handling rejection
- What to do when you have no idea what to do
Resources
- Pray, Decide, and Don’t Worry- Jackie and Bobby’s new book co-authored with Fr. Mike Schmitz (pre-order here!)
- Bobby’s Blog Post Your 20s Are Over
- Missionaries of Maximilian Kolbe- Secular Institute
- Jackie’s blog The Devil Wants Us to Settle In Your Relationship
- Stacey’s blog How Do My Unique Gifts Fit Into My Vocation? What If They Don't?
- Greg Bottaro’s counseling services
- The Practice of the Presence of God
- Abandonment to Divine Providence
- Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard
- The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander
Tuesday Sep 10, 2019
Tuesday Sep 10, 2019
“For many years I was scared to share my talents. And it led me to a life of correctness that was not Catholic…the greatest saints were not afraid to live outside of the bubble!”
Fr. Leo is as spicy as the jalapenos he cooks with, and he is serving up lots of sass and loving reality checks in this episode. One of the things I so admire about Fr. Leo, who break dances and karate chops FIVE boards in his presentations for the glory of God, is his incorporation of his many talents into his callings as a priest and a speaker. Fr. Leo has also hosted a cooking show and beat THE Bobby Flay in a cooking throw down on the Food Network! It gives me such awe of the creativity of the Holy Spirit. Are you a baker? Martial artist? Knitter? Video gamer? God can use it.
Along with opening our minds to God's creativity, Fr. Leo is answering your greatest discernment frustrations. Are you afraid of making “the wrong choice?” Unsure of whose advice to listen to? Unsure of whether your fear comes from a bad choice or the devil trying to bring you down? Feeling a lack of a clear answer from God? Unsure whether you’re following God’s will or your own will? All of these answered, and more!
Topics Discussed
- Leo’s “vocation within a vocation” as a priest at the Secular Institute (he’s a priest who also lives under the vow of poverty, which diocesan priests do not.)
- How our passions can be incorporated into our vocation
- Why mistakes are necessary in discernment
- How to ask clear questions so that you can get a clear answer from God
- “Voluntas nostrae:” The will of God AND me
- How to encourage your children to consider religious life
Resources
Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
“I spend serious time in silent prayer every day and then I live my life. And I trust that either God is going to form my heart to desire what he desires, or he’s going to step in and stop me before I do something stupid, or he’s going to fix it afterward.”
The self-proclaimed “hobo for Christ” is here and she’s BRILLIANT and hilarious. Because of living out of her car for the last seven years, relying on the mercy of others to take her into their home, and preaching the gospel wherever possible and in whatever circumstances possible, you might think Meg Hunter-Kilmer is an easygoing, type B person who goes with the flow. But not at all. She loves spreadsheets and control and knowing what the plan is.
Do you relate? Do you struggle to achieve this nebulous thing called “balance?” Meg and I talk about how to give control up to God, what “balance” looks like in his plan for you, and what “balance” meant in the lives of some of the saints. Our hefty conversation also veered into mom guilt, how to pray, and how to put boundaries around the right things. There is so much great stuff in here and Meg will make you laugh soooo many times throughout the episode- guaranteed! Because she is a saint expert, I’ve linked to pages about the saints we discuss in the show notes so you can go get yourself an ‘edumacation’ on some lesser-known saints.
Topics Discussed
- Praying: how to actually do it instead of using it as a place for airing your grievances to God
- Balance according to the world vs. balance accordance to God
- Filtering out what isn’t necessary
- How to stop doing lots of things and accomplishing nothing
- Catholic mom expectations: what to keep and what to lose
- I can’t do it all, so what can I outsource?
Resources
- Meg’s blog
- Blessed Maria and Luigi Quoattrochi
- Surrender: Your Discernment “Secret Weapon”
- "Boundaries"
- St. Mary of Egypt
- Ven. Cornelia Connelly
- Bl. Victoire Rasoamanarivo
- St. Francis DeSales
- St. Jerome
- St. Saturnina
- St. Camillus De Lellis
Today's episode is sponsored by the Carmelite Sisters of Baltimore. To see more about their life and attend one of the discernment retreats they sponsor throughout the year, please visit their website at https://www.baltimorecarmel.org/
Tuesday Aug 13, 2019
Tuesday Aug 13, 2019
“I have (teenage) girls who are former gang members but who are down for some karaoke and ice cream- and they want to do it, because they’ve never had that before.”
Imagine you have been systematically abused and neglected at home, and the court system says you cannot go home. Instead, you have to live in an unfamiliar environment with strangers. Oh, and you’re also fifteen, with a teenagers’ limited life perspective and hormones like craaaazay.
What if that was your life? Unfortunately, members of our society in every town and city go through this. These emergency shelters for abused and neglected teens could be right around the block from you. My guest today, Katherine Mitchell, is on the front lines of loving these teens by working in a shelter. She says that the number one thing the young women want is to be normal. They want someone to notice them and to care about them. And they need examples of healthy relationships because those have been denied them.
Is God calling you to be that person? Maybe you’re not ready to adopt a teen (TBH, I’d be super nervous to do that...) but whether you're single, in college, married with kids, or an empty-nester, you can make a world of difference to a teen by becoming a mentor or a tutor. I am honestly shocked at how easy and accessible this form of service is where I formerly would have thought that it wasn’t for me. And honestly, the times when I have coordinated or participated in intentional service have taught me so much about myself and my relationship with Christ, that it has exponentially grown my heart and turbo-charged my discernment in other areas.
This work is another contribution to the pro-life movement, and unfortunately I don’t think most Catholics know about these suffering teenagers (I certainly didn’t until I ‘met’ Katherine on Instagram.) I encourage you to take the first steps if you this episode inspires a stirring in your heart to serve in this way. I know I’m gonna be seeking it out in my town.
Topics Discussed
- What is an emergency shelter for teens?
- Many ideas for how to serve teens in the foster care system, including group volunteering and hosting a parish info event
- What you need to get started serving in a shelter
- What to do if you feel awkward with teens
- Under certain circumstances you can adopt for free (I didn’t know about this- everyone has told me that adoption is ALWAYS expensive!)
Resources
- Katherine’s Instagram: @k.t.mitchell
Wednesday Jul 31, 2019
Wednesday Jul 31, 2019
“If our whole will is to do God’s will, then God’s will is our will. God is not here to crush my will; he’s here to vivify it. Sin shrinks it, and sin dulls it. Sin makes our souls a very dull gray, but sanctity gives it a vibrancy and color.”
I have one job. That's not true right? As a mom I have MANY MANY jobs. Everyone I know is busy as heck. The questions are overwhelming: Where do I work? Whom do I marry? Where should I move? How many kids should I have? Which religious order do I join? If you ride the overwhelm train often like I do, you wonder if you're making the best choices and #livingmybestlife.
As my dear friend Greg Sheffield (seminarian for the Diocese of Rochester) is here to discuss, it turns out God's will is extremely simple: our holiness. We have one job: to be holy. We can stop stressing about everything else. If you think that's too simplistic, you need to hear this episode.
As I rush through my days trying to check off my endless to-do list, often feeling frustrated and wondering about where I'm "supposed" to be, it's hugely reassuring that God's will is actually easy to find. Yup I said it: easy. It's as easy to know as sleeping, eating, and drinking. If you think that's too simplistic you absolutely need to hear this episode!
Topics Discussed
- How to deal with frustrations and upsets
- How to know God’s will in the present moment (and stop worrying about everything else)
- Intuition and gut instinct: put there by God?
- God’s commandments are largely about what we shouldn’t do, but he gives us the creativity to act on what we should do
- Getting out of micro-managing, scrupulosity, and perfectionism
Resources
- Greg's contact info: gregory.sheffield@dor.org
- Lindsay Schlegel’s episode on Called and Caffeinated
- Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre DeCoussad
- “Don't Do the Things” Bible
- How to Be Holy: A Festooning of Abandonment to Divine Providence by Peter Kreeft
- Discernment article by Peter Kreeft
- Lumen Gentium: Vatican II document on the Universal Call to Holiness
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
“It gives God glory to answer our prayers. So he set all this up for a purpose.”
What if you could make every decision not just well, but PERFECTLY? Well folks, it’s actually been done and cracking open scripture tells us how to do it. The Blessed Mother discerned perfectly, and when we delve into scripture with Joshua Mazrin you will love his insight on how to pray and hear God’s voice like the Blessed Mother did. And if ya love Catholic nerdiness like I do (ever heard the term "quasi-incarnatus" anyone? You're about to find out-) then kick back with a beverage and prepare to be amazed in this episode.
I’ll be honest: Praying the rosary has never been my favorite (“can we just do the Chaplet instead??”) Whether you converse daily in visions with Mary or whether you’re in the struggle like I am, this episode is chock-full of concrete, practical advice that you can act on today to help you discern. It’ll cultivate the soil of your soul for God’s word and will to take root in your life in a MAJOR way.
Topics Discussed
- The point of the Josephite marriage and lifelong celibacy
- Reading the Bible as a book of promises
- Mary’s relationship with the Holy Spirit: closer than you know
- Pray Lectio Divina like never before
- Developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit
- The absolute most important aspect of the spiritual life
Resources
- Joshua on Instagram: jmazzy17
- Joshuamazrin.com
Tuesday Jul 02, 2019
Tuesday Jul 02, 2019
“It’s that balance of trying to put things down and simplify and silence the world so that I can pay attention to these beautiful people in front of me.”
“Live every day as if it’s your last.” We’ve all heard this platitude, and it probably sounds stale. But what if you literally died and then got to come back? Discerning your choices now would probably be a lot simpler in light of your death. What would you do differently? What would you let go of?
My guest Melanie Pritchard quite LITERALLY died. She was dead on an operating table for 45 minutes after an embryonic embolism going into labor with her daughter. She was “deader than dead” according to the nurses and her family said their goodbyes. Melanie had spent her 20’s doing the Lord’s work by speaking at Catholic conferences around the country; then, she dedicated herself to her vocation as a wife and mother in her early 30’s. However, Melanie recognized when she came back to life that she still needed to make changes in how she discerned her priorities.
If you want to live with peace and learn how to say no, this episode is for you. If you feel like you’re running around and not accomplishing enough, this episode will help you make choices that lead you to gratitude, satisfaction, and simplicity.
Topics Discussed
- How God used a t-shirt start-up to call Melanie to becoming a speaker on national stages
- Saying no 80% of the time
- Trusting God when things go terribly wrong
- The power of prayer when things are out of our hands
- Melanie's experience of Heavenly, profound peace
- Taking a day-to-day inventory of where your peace is, and how to let the small stuff go
Resources