Strength Training for the Soul

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?”

S2 E20: Share What You Have

"Share what you have."Easy to say. Hard when you don't have much.This week, Eileen Belongea's final Camino rule collides with Mark 8 — and I'm not sure I like what it asks of me.What are your seven loaves?

S2 E19: The Pilgrimage Starts Before You Walk

Newsflash: I don’t have to wait for the first mile to start a pilgrimage.
In this episode, I sit down with pilgrim veteran Eileen Belongea to talk about what actually happens before the journey begins — the training, the packing, the fears we carry, and the control I’m learning to loosen.
As Lent begins and Camino prep ramps up, I’m seeing the overlap: take less, notice more, and trust God with what I can’t control. Because preparation isn’t separate from the journey. It’s where it truly begins.

S2 E18: What's Mine to Carry?

I didn’t plan on talking about this Gospel… but one word in it wouldn’t leave me alone: scurry.
In Mark 6, people drop everything and run to get near Jesus. Meanwhile, I’m over here staring at my calendar, my Camino packing list, and one more church email thinking… do I really have room for all this stuff?
In this episode, I wrestle with what it means to move toward Christ when life already feels full, why some invitations feel like joy and others feel like weight, and how I’m trying to figure out what’s actually mine to carry before I set out to walk 500 miles.
Spoiler: I don’t have a neat answer. But I am paying attention.

S2 E17: Living in Community w/Jill Fischer

"I'm good" might be the two words quietly holding us back from real community.
In this episode, Jill Fischer and I talk about holy friendships, hiding when we say we want connection, allowing ourselves to receive help when pride tells us we should do it alone—and why community doesn't have to be big to be meaningful.
We close with simple reflection questions to carry into the week ahead, because growth doesn't happen in isolation, and none of us is meant to walk alone. We all need community!