Abiding Together

In this month of May, dedicated to mothers, we wanted to talk about our Lady, our Mother Mary. In this episode we chat about the calling of all women to spiritual motherhood and how we relate to Mary as our mother. We also discuss how Mary can be a powerful model for us of openness to the will of God and filling of the Holy Spirit and how she can assist us in our journey closer to Jesus. One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - Art "Mary and Eve by Sr. Grace Remington, 2013" Michelle's One Thing - Love Good Culture Heather's One Thing - Fish Taco's (defrost frozen Mahi Mahi from Costco, sprinkle with Montreal Chicken spice (or whatever you have) and grill for a few minutes each side until it flakes. Serve with a buffet of chopped cilantro, black beans, tortilla chips, salsa, grated cheese, sliced lime, jasmine rice, and soft tortillas) YUM! Discussion Questions: Who is Mary in your life? Mary has various titles such as Refuge of Sinners, Star of the Sea, Blessed Mother. What is your favorite title for Mary? Why? Have you had anyone in your life that you've experienced as a spiritual mother or who you have been a spiritual mother to? Journal Questions: How could you grow in your relationship with Mary this month? How can you follow the model of Mary in openness to the Holy Spirit? What can Mary show you about what it means to be a woman? Quote to Ponder: "Mary, she existed in the divine mind as an eternal thought before there were any mothers. She is the mother of mothers she is the world's first love" -Fulton Sheen

As we approach Pentecost this week, we thought it would be awesome to have a conversation about the Holy Spirit with Fr. Dave Pivonka TOR. Fr. Dave created the "Wild Goose" project with 4PM Media and has a deep devotion to the Holy Spirit. We had the pleasure of hearing Fr. Dave's story and chatted with him about how to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit and practical ways to open our hearts to a new Pentecost in our own hearts. We were moved and inspired by this conversation and hope that you will be too. You can check out the free Wild Goose Series One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - "Til We Have Faces" Audiobook Michelle's One Thing - Personal Retreat with a cool priest - Father Nathan Halloran,SJ and LSU students. Heather's One Thing - New podcast for ministry leaders My Life In Ministry Heather's Other One Thing - "Closer" by Lifepoint Worship Fr. Dave's One Thing - The scripture this week Fr. Dave's Other One Thing - The guy who climbed El Capitan Discussion Questions: Have you ever pondered the idea that the Holy Spirit never leaves us? Discuss how this truth could change the experience of how you go through daily life? Scripture says, "where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom". What area do you need the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to in your life right now? How are you going to prepare for a deeper encounter with the Holy Spirit as we approach Pentecost this Sunday? Journal Questions: How could you open your heart to the Holy Spirit in a deeper way this Pentecost? Fire illuminates what we cannot see. Take some time to pray for the Holy Spirit to come and illuminate those areas in your heart? Fr. Dave said that free people make the world nervous. How would your life look differently if you truly lived in freedom? Quote to Ponder: "The Holy Spirit brings people into divine life as children of God where they can live, as true children, in a relationship of intimacy, freedom, and faith in the love and mercy of God." - Pope Francis

In this week's episode we wanted you to hear the final talk from our Royal Women's retreat. Mary Bielski talks about our inheritance as children of God, who is the King of Kings. She passionately shares about what it means to operate in authority, how to become more aware and strengthened by the cloud of witnesses, and how to live out our calling and purpose and receive provision from God. Here is the video Mary shows during the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEiSF8HpyDg Discussion Questions: You have a royal inheritance as a child of God, the King of Kings. What does this mean to you? We have authority as daughters of the King. How can you begin to walk in this authority in the way you act and pray? The orphan spirit can keep us from experiencing the inheritance that God has for us because we aren't ready for it. In what areas does God desire you to grow in maturity so that you can receive His inheritance? Journal Questions: How can you pray with more authority? How do you need to grow in self care so that you are filled up and can offer more to those God has entrusted to you? Where do you need to give God your fiat? Quote to Ponder: "The message of the gospel isn't about just getting into heaven, its about heaven getting into us" - Mary Bielski

In this weeks episode we reflect on the theme of our Royalty and how we are adopted daughters and sons of the King and therefore we are royal. We discuss the themes from the women's retreat we did together in British Columbia last week and share about God's invitation to us, our identity, how to grow in intimacy with Him, and our royal inheritance. One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - The Bloom Tulip Festival Michelle's One Thing -The film "Embracing the Unknown" Michelle's Other One Thing - Steffany Gretzinger - Oxygen Heather's One Thing - Hillsong - "New Wine" Heather's Other One Thing - Hillsong - "Touch of Heaven" Discussion Questions: God invites us to come to Him as children. What does it mean, and look like, to approach the throne of God boldly? What is home for you and what makes it home? How does this relate to our desire for God and how He reveals His love? How did you feel when Michelle said, "your vocation and your calling are not at war with each another? Journal Questions: How do you usually approach God? Fearful, boldly, only when you need something? What is the narrative in your heart and mind about your identity? Is it God's narrative? Most of us come from a defeated mindset, but what would it look like to operate from a place of victory in your life? Quote to Ponder: "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My delight is in her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married." - Isaiah 62:1-5

There is good news and bad news. The bad news is Michelle, Sr. Miriam, and Heather planned on recording a podcast while at the Royal Retreat held this last weekend in British Columbia. Because Michelle's flight was over 3 hours late they didn't have time to record a new podcast. The good news is we have a recording of Heather's talk from Saturday of the retreat on intimacy. Here are the two videos Heather used in her talk: Adoptions Wedding first looks Discussion Questions: How does it make you feel when God says the words "you are mine"? Do you believe that you are delightful to God, even in your brokenness What do you think blocks your intimacy with God? Journal Questions: What ways do you bond with God and what are the ways you need to open the door to? Journal about what the veil is in your life? What broken parts of the parent child relationship or marriage relationship analogies affect your relationship with God? Quote to Ponder: "There can be no intimacy – emotional intimacy, spiritual intimacy, physical intimacy – without vulnerability. One of the reasons there is such an intimacy deficit today is because we don't know how to be vulnerable. It's about being honest with how we feel, about our fears, about what we need. Vulnerability is a glue that holds intimate relationships together" - Brene Brown

In this week's episode we break open John 21, where Peter goes back to his old way of life, encounters Jesus, and reconciles with him. We discuss how we often go back to our old ways after Lent, but that God is calling us to deeper intimacy and transformation. One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - "Find Me" - Jonathan Helser Michelle's One Thing - "What a Beautiful Name" - Hillsong Heather's One Thing - "Nothing Without You" - Will Reagan Discussion Questions: What are some reasons why you go back to old ways of living, like Peter did in John 21? What struck you about the story of Peter during the podcast? How can you specifically open yourself up to the grace of the Easter season and Pentecost? Journal Questions: How do you picture God looks at your when you have sinned and messed up? Does this image need to be redeemed? How can you unveil your heart more to God? What is God speaking to you this Easter season? Quote to Ponder: "The invitation this Easter season is to come out of hiding and really let the Lord see us" - Heather Khym

We thought we would have a little fun this week with a light hearted conversation about some of our favorite things from movies to saints and everything in between. We have learned that in order to have thriving relationships, its so important to never stop learning about the other. Laughing and chatting about things we love, bonds people. We hope you'll take an opportunity to discuss your favorite things with a few friends over a coffee or glass of wine.

In this weeks podcast we finish our Life of the Beloved book study with "Living as the Beloved" and the epilogue. We discuss how God is Love and He desires to be loved by us. All that God has done for us deserves a response, a personal response to His goodness, His love, and His sacrifice. Thank you for joining us for the book study and we look forward to continuing the journey with you each week with the podcast. Join the Facebook discussion group here. One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - the Easter Vigil Mass, so beautiful Michelle's One Thing - Starburst Jelly beans...Alleluia! Lent is over! Heather's One Thing - Easter playlist Discussion Questions: How can you respond to the gift of God's love in a personal way? Discuss your thoughts on this quote "the world is evil only when you become its slave". How do you or can you bring the light of Christ into your world in a specific way? Do I present and witness to the Gospel as "Good News" and witness with joy? Journal Questions: What does it look like for me to live out of my belovedness in the mission field God has me in? How have I slipped into living a small story instead of living in the larger story, God's story? What area of my life do I need to bring into the light and love of Christ? Quote to Ponder: "The unfathomable mystery of God is that God is a lover who wants to be loved" - Henri Nouwen

In this weeks podcast we reflect on the next chapter in Life of the Beloved, "Given". We talk about the greatest gift we can offer another is not our talents, but our very selves. This allows for the deep connection and intimacy we all long for, but to give ourselves we need to first possess ourselves and know our identity as beloved. Join the Facebook discussion group here. One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - Steffany Gretzinger - Reckless Love Michelle's One Thing - Lisa Brenninkmeyer's son Jonny Brenns is on American Idol! Here's his audition! Heather's One Thing - Magnolia Journal Discussion Questions: When faced with an opportunity to give to another, we often will count the cost. What are the things that make you turn down opportunities to offer yourself to others? What are the gifts that you receive when you are willing to share your life with others? What are specific ways you can go beyond offering your talents to people, to giving of yourself? Journal Questions: How do I live like an orphan in regards to giving? In what relationships do I take more than I give? How can I practically begin to change this dynamic in those relationships and offer more to the other? Judgement of others can often cause us to pull away from people, but when we remember we are loving Christ when we love that person it changes us. Who in your life can you do a better job of loving today? Quote to Ponder: "Our real gift is not so much what we can do, but who we are" - Henri Nouwen

This week we continue our book study of "Life of the Beloved" chapter 5, "Broken". We talk about how our brokenness is unique to our story and that God wants to bring healing and restoration to us. We discuss the ways that we can often numb out to the pain and how God is inviting us to live a more full and abundant life by living our identity as beloved. One Thing We Love This Week: Sr. Miriam's One Thing - "I'll Keep You Safe" - Sleeping At Last Michelle's One Thing - Mary Williams "Behold" Michelle's Other Thing - Quote by Brennan Manning "When I am aware of my belovedness, I am more compassionate and playful, I take myself less seriously, I become aware that the breath of the Father is on my face and that my countenance is bright with laughter in the midst of an adventure I thoroughly enjoy." Heather's One Thing - "Closer Than You Know" - Hillsong United Heather's Other Thing - "Here Now" - Hillsong United Discussion Questions: What stands out to you as you read the quote "The first step to healing is not a step away from the pain, but a step toward it." Have you ever considered your brokenness as being unique and not something to compare to other peoples? Where do you tend to bring your brokenness and numb out instead of bringing it to God? How can you make a change this week in this area? Journal Questions: What area does God want to bring deeper healing into my life? How can I "befriend" my brokenness and bring it under "the blessing"? How can I practically pursue more healing in my life today? Quote to Ponder: "The first step to healing is not a step away from the pain, but a step toward it" - Henri Nouwen