Girlfriends (A Podcast for Catholic Women)

Latest Episodes:

Taking on the World with Olivia Colombo Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

I can’t wait for you to meet Olivia Colombo! She is going to encourage you! Olivia is a young adult podcaster, speaker, and activist who is making changes and encouraging others with her positive energy in the Church and in her community. She and I chat about young adults in the Church, being a pro-life witness on college campuses, and the importance of striving for holiness, no matter what your age or stage of life. I also answer listeners’ feedback about handling failure and how to deal with anxiety over our children’s health. Snippet from the Show “We’re thirsting for truth. We don’t want the watered-down Faith, we want the full truth of the Faith.” Connect with Olivia * Olivia on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/oliviarose_art/) * Olivia’s blog (https://www.oliviaroseart.com/blog) * Olivia on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYoJ6DEtdJRW6nOxGl3YYzg?sub_confirmation=1) * Olivia’s podcast: To the Heights (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/to-the-heights/id1467991891) EVENTS * July 30-August 2: Catholic Marketing Network in Lancaster, PA * Saturday, November 16, 2019:You Are Enough Retreat at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando, FL * Saturday, January 11, 2020: You’re Worth It Retreat, St. Michael Church, Exeter, NH * Saturday, March 7, 2020:You’re Worth It Retreat at Precious Blood Parish in Jasper, IN * Saturday, March 28, 2020: Women’s Conference in Norwich, CT
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So You Want to Change Your Husband Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

Who among us doesn’t want to influence our significant other? And this is not always a bad thing! We want good things for our husbands and we want them to become all that God has planned for them to be, and so we … nudge, nag, suggest, and criticize. But these are not great ways to communicate. Let’s talk about some ways you can work with your husband to unite you both in common goals, instead of dividing you. Snippet from the Show "Whatever your goal is for your husband, it's not a greater good than him knowing that you love him and accept him." 1) Make a deal. Especially for smaller topics, this can be a light-hearted way to encourage and motivate your husband to do something you want by doing something HE wants in exchange. Make a deal! Tell him if he brings the boys to soccer practice tonight, he can sleep in while you cover rides tomorrow morning. This is especially helpful in encouraging you to consider your husband’s perspective, instead of only your own. 2) Find out what he wants. You know what your goals are for your husband, but do you know what his are? With his health, work, parenting, or spiritual life? Ask him about what his goals are and then look for ways you can support him in achieving them. 3) Ask, don’t tell. Don’t tell him what to do. Ask his opinion of various things. What do you think about that men’s group at our parish? Would you ever enjoy camping with the kids? What is your idea of fun Saturday afternoon? What are some ways you would like for us to spend time together? 4) Be aware of your tone. Sometimes our “hidden agendas” have a way of coloring what we say, even when we don’t mean for them to. Be careful when approaching your husband about a sensitive topic and know that he might feel insecure about some of the ways he knows you want him to change. You might just need to focus on building him up and reassuring him of your unconditional love first. 5) Set the example. Ultimately, you can’t control what your husband does or doesn’t do, but you can control yourself. If you want him to do certain things, like going to daily Mass, eating healthy meals, or taking the kids hiking, go ahead and do those things yourself. Allow him to feel the gentle nudge of your positive example with your having to nag or cajole him into doing what you want. 6) Know that you might be wrong. Your agenda for your husband might not match up with God’s plan for his life. Humbly accept that you don’t have the “perfect plan” for your husband. 7) Pray. Pray to know God’s goals for your husband and the ways in which you can support him. Pray for your husband as well, and offer sacrifices for his benefit. Put your money where your mouth is! Offer up something for your husband’s benefit.
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How to Make Schooling Choices for Your Kids Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

Should you homeschool, or send your kids to public school, private school, online school, charter school, or some combination of these things? These are hard decisions we have to make as parents, and at the end of this school year is an opportune time to think about how you will educate your children in the coming year. Listener Carol recently asked if I would share the reasons why we chose to homeschool our kids, and I share those thoughts at the beginning of this episode. Snippet from the Show “Whether you’re deciding to homeschool or send your child to school, we have a lot of emotion attached to these decisions because they matter. Because we love our kids so much and we want what’s best for them.” SHOWNOTES Regardless of what educational choices you are making for your kids, here are some helpful things to keep in mind. 1) Pray about it. You absolutely need to ask for God’s grace when it comes to making important parenting decisions. Also, consider praying to Mary for guidance as well. 2) Get on the same page as your spouse. This is too big a decision to go alone. Make sure you and your spouse can come to an agreement, at least for the coming year. 3) Talk with your kids about it. Different kids have different needs, wants, preferences, and learning styles. Talk with your kids about what works and what doesn;t work for them when it comes to their education. You get to call the shots, but you need their input! 4) Be honest about the investment. Every educational choice has its own pros and cons. Don’t give in to some fantasy about the “perfect” alternate choice for educating your kids. Talk to others and be honest with yourself about what each choice will cost you and other members of your family. 5) Know you can “un-do” your decision if it turns out to be a bad one. Have confidence in whatever you choose, knowing there is “no one right way” to educate your children and also knowing you can change your mind if needed.
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Mary, Our Queen and Our Mother (with Marge Fenelon) Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

What is your relationship with Mary like? Do you struggle sometimes to feel close to our mother in heaven? Author Marge Fenelon writes extensively about Mary, from personal experience and from a historical perspective. Her newest book is My Queen, My Mother: A Living Novena. She joins me for a conversation about this book and others this week. Check out all of Marge’s work at her website, MargeFenelon.com (https://margefenelon.com) Snippet from the Show “Whether you’re anxious about your work, or your children, or your marriage–Mary cares about that.” RESOURCES * Praymorenovenas.com (https://www.praymorenovenas.com/) * MargeFenelon.com (https://margefenelon.com) * How to Pray Like Mary (https://ascensionpress.com/collections/collection-book/products/how-to-pray-like-mary) EVENTS * July 30-August 2: Catholic Marketing Network in Lancaster, PA * Saturday, November 16, 2019: You Are Enough Retreat at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando, FL * Saturday, January 11, 2020: You’re Worth It Retreat, St. Michael Church, Exeter, NH * Saturday, March 7, 2020: You’re Worth It Retreat at Precious Blood Parish in Jasper, IN * Saturday, March 28, 2020: Women’s Conference in Norwich, CT Check out this episode at ascensionpress.com/girlfriends for more!
Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe
To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Healthy Ways to Handle Failure Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

Failure feels terrible. Maybe you didn’t get a job you applied for, maybe your idea for a school fundraiser was a total dud, or maybe you just got impatient and yelled at your kids. Again. When we fail, we are sometimes tempted to live in denial or drown our sorrows in unhealthy ways, but this week I want to invite you to spend some time thinking about healthy ways to respond to failure—so we can learn and grow from our experiences. See the full shownotes as ascensionpress.com/girlfriends Snippet from the Show “Sometimes when we fail, the temptation is to feel like you don’t have any control, but in any situation, you can choose how you react.” 1) Acknowledge how you feel. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen or that it doesn’t matter. If you are feeling angry or sad or embarrassed, allow yourself to fully experience that feeling without judgment. 2) Stop any negative coping. Avoid engaging in numbing behaviors like drinking or overeating. A little indulgence might be soothing, but make sure this is not your go-to for bad feelings. 3) Find helpful outlets. Find out what will help you process what you are feeling in a healthy way. Calling a friend or venting to your husband can be helpful. Or maybe go for a long drive or take a walk to be alone for a while. Of course prayer works here too! 4) Accept responsibility. Find out how you might have contributed to the failure. What did you do or not do that caused it? Don’t look to blame others. 5) Learn from it. Failure can help us to better understand the kind of people we are, the kind we want to be, or in what ways we still need to work on ourselves or gain new skills. What can you learn about yourself, about others, or about what your goals are and should be from your experience of failure? 6) Make a plan for the future. Do not stay there in your failure! Make a plan to apply for a new job, make a new friend, learn a new skill, or … whatever you decide comes next!
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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Girlfriends LIVE: Sharing Your Faith with Others Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

This week’s show was recorded live on Facebook with listeners interacting with me live as I recorded. This was a fun way to do the show and I hope you enjoy listening to it, even after the fact. We talked about the topic of sharing your faith with non-believing family and friends. How can we avoid conflict and share authentically in a way that might inspire others to explore the Faith themselves? Here are some ideas I shared: 1) Show, don’t tell. As much as you can, lead others to the Faith through your example of joyfully living it out, rather than trying to teach them or lecture them about it. 2) Pray! Pray for the grace to know how to share your faith. Pray for the people you hope to convert, and pray for the opportunity to share your faith with others. 3) Remember it’s God’s job. It’s not about you! You can cooperate with God’s grace, but only God can convert people’s hearts. 4) Invite them to something. Invite people to your church, to a parish event, or just into your home. Invite them in to see your life and be a part of it. 5) Ask them questions. Ask others questions about what they believe and why they believe it, and then listen to their answers. You can find out a lot about them while letting them know you care about their perspective. Check out this episode at ascensionpress.com/girlfriends to see my upcoming events!
Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe
To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

How to Plan a Wedding and Not Lose Your Soul Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

My daughter got married last weekend, and despite all the planning that goes into weddings, we survived! In fact, I enjoyed it! I am so grateful to God for the gift of this blessed event and all that we enjoyed in the process of planning and hosting. When I shared photos on Facebook and Instagram, many people asked me to do a podcast about wedding planning … so here you go! Snippet from the Show “As you’re planning a wedding, it’s important to lean on Mary ... She is such an understanding, consoling, compassionate mother. In those moments when we’re tempted to stress about things we know we shouldn’t, she’s very helpful in calming our stressed out souls.” SHOWNOTES Here are my un-professional thoughts from a mother-of-the-bride: 1) There are no “have-to’s” So many times, the pressure we feel to do things a “certain way” or to meet other people’s expectations is completely unnecessary. I encourage you to examine what things you feel pressured to do and consider letting go of things that are not meaningful or that you cannot reasonably afford. There are no “have-to’s” about wedding receptions. 2) Focus on the sacrament Of course there are some “have to’s” about a Catholic wedding ceremony, and I encourage you to focus there. On the beautiful gift of grace the couple is receiving in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Focusing there has a way of keeping all the other stuff in perspective. 3) Talk to Mama Mary Our Lady demonstrated a special kind of loving care about weddings and the stress they can entail through her words and actions at the wedding at Cana. Focus on the role she played in that story and then entrust her with all of your own wedding-related anxieties. Ask Mother Mary to intercede for you with regard to all the details you might be stressing about, but also ask her to help you maintain proper perspective about stuff that does not matter. 4) Invite helpers From the decorations to the favors to the cake to the music, there are lots of ways others can pitch in and help you with planning a fun celebration without breaking the budget or freaking out with the stress of the whole thing. Ask others to help! Many of your friends and family will be honored to play a role in making your day special while taking some of the financial and emotional stress off of you. 5) Feel all the feelings Weddings are emotional events! As you are planning your special day or your child’s special day, or participating in a friend or sibling’s special day, you will have some bittersweet feelings. Don’t hide from them! Don’t deny them! Allow yourself to feel them and share them with others in appropriate ways. Doing so as you plan will help you emotionally prepare for the big event and allow you to enjoy the moment of the special day even more. This week, I also share feedback from listener Teresa who shares some inspiring and encouraging ideas for ways to make good habits stick. Her excellent feedback is like a mini podcast within a podcast and you will not want to miss what she shares! Check out resources, events, and opportunities to connect at ascensionpress.com/girlfriends
Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe
To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Living Abundantly with Katie Curtis Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

This week I am excited to share a recent conversation I had with my friend, author Katie Curtis. Katie is a wife, mom, and author of The Wideness of the Sea, a beautiful novel about a young woman’s life transition in her career and among her family members and romantic interests. I loved reading this book recently and know you will enjoy it too! Katie is working on a second novel, even as she raises her family of six kids (including toddler twins!) and working as a freelance food writer. You can read her food writing at her food blog, The Humble Onion, and more about all her work at her website, KatieCurtis.net. I also share a question from listener Samantha about how to handle small children during Mass. Do you have ideas to share? Let me (and Samantha) know! I would love to include your ideas and input on a future show focused on this perennial topic. Snippet from the Show “Reading is sort of like the Trinity. There’s your consciousness, the writer’s consciousness, and the words that pass through the page.” Check out the resources and shownotes from this episode at ascensionpress.com/girlfriends
Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe
To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

5 Things Good Friends Do May 28, 2019

Show notes

Do you struggle in friendships? So many of us do. But I am a firm believer in the idea that if you want a good friend you should be a good friend. So in that spirit, this week, I am sharing five things that good friends do. Snippet from the Show “It’s a beautiful opportunity we have that God allows us to pray for other people. Good friends approach their relationships in prayer.” SHOWNOTES Good friends pray with and for their friends. Ask your friends how you can pray for them. If you want to grow closer to someone, consider adding their intentions to your daily prayer life. If you are longing for friends, bring that longing to your prayer life as well. Tap into the power of prayer for your growth in friendship! Good friends are courageous. They step out and make the first move. They engage others, even if it means stepping outside their comfort zones. Ask someone over for coffee or for a playdate. Be vulnerable in your conversations with friends you have already—sharing honestly about your struggles and imperfections. Good friends are patient. Especially at the start of a new friendship, good friends are patient with the time investment it takes to grow truly close to another person. Also, inside of established friendships, good friends are patient in the natural ebb and flow that happens in personal relationships. Good friends are themselves. Don’t adopt behaviors or personality traits that are outside your character in order to please someone else or fit in with a group of people you want to please. Be your authentic self as you are meant to be a gift to others, especially your friends. Good friends are thoughtful. It’s tempting to become self-focused sometimes in our relationships with others, but good friends are focused on others and their needs. Look for ways to be of service to your friends, or to those people you want to grow closer to. Even simple things like sending a note of encouragement, or remembering them on a special day can mean a lot. Find out how you can be supportive of others by focusing on small things that give meaning to your friendships. Check out more, including a link to our exclusive facebook group at ascensionpress.com/girlfriends
Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe
To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Fighting the Temptation of Perfection with Colleen Carroll Campbell May 21, 2019

Show notes

This week I am chatting with one of my heroes, author Colleen Carroll Campbell about her newest book, The Heart of Perfection: How the Saints Taught Me to Trade My Dream of Perfect for God’s. Colleen shares about life as a wife, mom, and successful author, speaker, and media personality, and the ways in which she was brought to a deeper understanding of God’s love for her through her struggles with perfectionism and coming to know saints who struggled too. Colleen’s previous book is My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir, another great read that will inspire you to learn more about saints who can accompany you on your life’s journey. Check out the shownotes as ascensionpress.com/girlfriends
Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe
To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

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