Strength Training for the Soul

S2 E30: Give Your Life to Jesus, w/Jill Fischer

You think you've given your life to Jesus. But have you?
There's a difference between an obligation mindset and a surrender mindset; most of us are living in the first one without realizing it. Spiritual director Jill Fischer joins me to get honest about what real surrender actually requires: not a one-time decision, but a constant, daily conversion.
Jill gives us loads of great takeaways (hint: the fruits of the Holy Spirit are your measuring stick), and one small prayer you can start saying today.

S2 E29: You Don't Come Home the Same

In Part 2, Kevin Malloy shares what the Camino actually does to you. After walking it three times, he comes home more aware, more grateful and less attached to what doesn't matter. We talk about burdens, gratitude and a deacon from Barcelona who walked the whole Camino with nothing but a grocery bag, to see if strangers would take care of him. This episode isn't about walking across Spain. It's about what you're carrying, and whether it's time to put it down.

S2 E28: Kevin Went for the Adventure. That’s Not What He Found

My friend Kevin Malloy went on the Camino for the adventure. He didn’t expect the conversations.He didn’t expect the encounters.And he definitely didn’t expect how much it would change the way he sees people. In this episode, we talk about what happens when you stop rushing and start noticing.
Because those moments you think are random… might not be.

S2 E27: Building Your Dream Team of Saints w/Al McCauley

Saint expert and Fish on Fridays creator Al McCauley is back, and this time we're getting practical. How do you actually build a relationship with a saint? Where do you even start? Al breaks it down the same way he'd describe making a new friend: show up, get curious, and leave room for the Holy Spirit. We also talk about saints you already know but probably underuse (Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus will surprise you), how your team of saints is supposed to change as your life does, and what parents can do to quietly plant seeds of faith in their kids. Your roster is waiting. Get in the game.

S2 E26: Our Lady of Lourdes

I’m about to start the Camino de Santiago, and my first stop isn’t the trail. It’s Lourdes, France to visit Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine. Every year, millions of people go there looking for healing. Many don’t get it. So why do they keep coming?
Because Mary is there, and she’s telling everyone: Come. I am here. You are suffering, and I want to help you heal.
In this episode, I talk about who Mary really is, what she’s meant in my life, and why you don’t have to be in crisis to let her in.

S2 E25: Befriending Holy Helpers

I used to think "holy helpers" meant mentors or accountability partners. Turns out, it's a lot bigger than that.
In this episode, Jill and I talk about the "Capital S" Saints and "Lowercase S" saints who are already part of your life — whether you realize it or not. We get into how one saint showed up through a Mother's Day gift, why Joan of Arc became a lifeline during the hardest season of my life, and what it actually means to build a "team" you can call on when things get hard.
You're not doing this alone. Not even close.

S2 E24: Not My Best Lent...or Was It?

I thought I didn't do Lent very well.Too much TV. Too much solitaire. Not enough discipline.But when I stopped grading myself… I realized I was asking the wrong question.This week, I walk through what actually changed, what I almost missed, and how I'm heading into Holy Week without trying to make up for anything.

S2 E23: You're Not Stuck...You're Just Not In Charge

You're ready to go. And God says wait. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Fr. Tim Schumaker to talk about that restless feeling of doing everything right and still feeling stuck. We dig into why God works in "coulds," not "shoulds," and how that single shift can take you from spiritual pressure to genuine freedom. Because sometimes you're not stuck. You're just not in charge.

S2 E22: Looking for Arrows

In John 9, the only person who starts out blind is the only one who ends up truly seeing. Most days, I have to admit I'm a lot closer to the Pharisees than the blind man. This episode is about the kind of blindness we don't always notice, and learning (just like a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago) to look for the arrows to find The Way.

S2 E 21: Follow the Shepherd

What does it actually look like to follow the Shepherd? In this episode, I sit down with Jill Fischer to unpack Habit Seven of the 10 Habits of a Disciple: Follow the Shepherd. We talk about how God’s voice often shows up in the most ordinary places: a prayer walk, a moment of awe, even a tough email that tempts you to react instead of pause. Because discernment rarely arrives with fireworks. More often, it begins with a quiet question: “Lord, what would you have me do here?”