Abiding Together

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle, and Heather continue the conversation in week five of Lent on Fr. Jacques Philippe's book Searching for and Maintaining Peace. We talk about how we often cover up our weakness and sin in attempts to make ourselves more presentable to God, but that God wants to draw near to us in our weakness and receive every part of us. We also talk about some rules of discernment and how to abandon our will to God in total trust.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week

Sister Miriam's one thing: The song "Build My Life" by Housefires Michelle's one thing: Beautiful Easter plates designed by Erica Tighe at beaheart.com Michelle's other one thing: This new Alleluia cake topper Heather's one thing: The Abiding Together small groups that are meeting together!

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you ever feel like you need to "cover up" before approaching God? Do you feel an unhealthy sense of guilt that keeps you from coming to Jesus vulnerably?
2. Why do you think it's hard for you to look at your own weakness and sin?
3. What struck you about Fr. Jacques rules of discernment? How can you apply this to your life?

Journal Questions:

1. How can I grow in self awareness?
2. How can I remain faithful and trusting when I'm in the desert?
3. Do I really want to live the full life that Jesus is offering with raw vulnerability instead of fear and hiding?

Quote to Ponder: "Love is able to profit from everything, the good as well as the bad that It finds in me, and to transform it into Itself." —St. John of the Cross

Scripture for Lectio Divina - Romans 8:28 "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle and Heather continue the conversation in week 4 of Lent with Fr. Jacques Philippe's book Searching for and Maintaining Peace. We talk about the frequent human experience of wishing that we had a different life or circumstance than the one we really have. We discuss how the enemy can block us from understanding where God is in our suffering and that the key is to allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and open our eyes to a new perspective.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week

Sister Miriam's one thing: The documentary "Free Solo" Michelle's one thing: Prayer of Abandonment Michelle's other one thing: Be Brave in the Sacred, Mary Lenaburg Heather's one thing: The song "Confident" by Steffany Gretzinger and Bobby Strand

Discussion Questions

1. Where is the enemy trying to make you believe that real life is elsewhere?
2. We are not called to do life on our own. Where do you need to invite the Holy Spirit into your life to be your comforter and guide?
3. What is one situation where you need a new perspective, given by God, on your life circumstances?

Journal Questions

1. Do I pay attention to see how God is providing for me? How can I pay attention to my life in a deeper way and not just go through the motions?
2. Take some time to delight in God and his movement in your life. Journal about what comes to mind.
3. In the main circumstances in your life right now, what is your heart really longing for? Take time this week to invite God into that longing.

Quote to Ponder "We often live with this illusion, but it's often an error. It's not the exterior circumstances that must change, it's above all our hearts." —Fr Jacques Philippe

Scripture for Lectio Divina - John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly"

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle, and Heather continue the conversation in week three of Lent on Fr. Jacques Philippe's book Searching for and Maintaining Peace. We talk about how fear often causes us to self protect or hustle to escape suffering instead of trusting God. We discuss the power of making space for God and his providence in our lives and how we can trust him when we experience suffering.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week Sister Miriam's one thing: The song "Open Space" by Housefires Michelle's one thing: The song "Awakening" by Amanda Cook Heather's one thing: Peace playlist

Discussion Questions

1. What is the biggest thing you fear will be lacking or absent in your life?
2. Where do you think you need to make space for God to show his abundance and his providence?
3. St John of the Cross says that God gives in the measure that we expect. Discuss that quote and how you can grow in expectation of God's goodness.

Journal Questions

1. What area have you been acting as though you and your own power are the answer to the problem? How can you begin to open your heart to God there?
2. Where in your life do you need to experience how capable and powerful God is?
3. Why don't you have confidence in God?

Quote to Ponder "The Lord can leave us wanting relative to certain things (sometimes judged indispensable in the eyes of the world), but he never leaves us deprived of what is essential: his presence, his peace and all that is necessary for the complete fulfillment of our lives, according to his plans for us." —Fr. Jacques Philippe

Scripture for Lectio Divina - Matthew 6:31-33 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle and Heather continue the conversation on Fr. Jacques Philippe's book Searching for and Maintaining Peace.

They discuss the importance of learning to fight the right battles and how often the enemy distracts us by enticing us to live small stories and fight the wrong battles, which we often lose or exhaust us. We also talk about being anchored in the identity as children of God, the power we gain from keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, and where our true home is.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

Sister Miriam's one thing - Pope Francis's Lenten letter

Michelle's one thing - Lauren Daigle - Love Like This

Heather's one thing - Documentary movie about Mr. Rogers "Won't You Be My Neighbor"

Discussion Questions:

1.) Do you notice in your life that you are putting energy into small stories (battles) rather than the bigger stories that are led by the Holy Spirit?

2.) What does true healing and forgiveness look like?

3.) Am I fighting my battles from a place of my identity being anchored in a beloved daughter/son of God or do I try to fight battles on my own?

4.) What are some practical ways you can you keep in the gaze of God in the busyness of life?

Journal Questions:

1.) What are you doing in the area of growing in personal holiness?

2.) Where are you coping out of fear rather than surrendering to the Father?

3.) The psalm say, my home is by your altars. Where do you often make your home instead of by His altars?

Quote to Ponder:

"Spiritual combat consists precisely in this; defending one's peace of heart against the enemy who attempts to steal it from us" -Fr. Jacques Philippe

Scripture for Lectio Divina - John 16:33

"I have told you these things so that you will have peace in Me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage! I have conquered the world"

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle, and Heather begin Lent with reflections on the book Searching For and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacques Philippe. They chat about the truth that without God we can do nothing and that searching for peace isn't about doing more, but opening to the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are challenged by our calling to be peacemakers and we can't do that if we don't have the peace of God first within us. We also ask, what is taking our attention away from the gaze of God this Lent?

Visit ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

Sister Miriam's one thing - St. Faustina's book Way of the Cross Michelle's one thing - The book The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila by Dan Burke Heather's one thing - The Blessed is She Shine Retreat and the reliquary at St. Tim's parish in Phoenix, Arizona

Discussion Questions: 1.) What area of life do you struggle with the most to maintain peace? 2.) How can I let Jesus act in me? What are the stumbling blocks that hinder Him from acting in me? 3.) God speaks in the quiet places. What are the places where you can get quiet enough to hear God? 4.) Can you be a peacemaker without having peace within yourself first? Discuss. 5.) What's the one thing that keeps us from staying in the Father's gaze?

Journal Questions: 1.) Is life too much for you or too much for the Lord? Ponder and reflect on where a lie might be in this. 2.) Where have you given the enemy ground to assault your heart and mind and steal your peace? How can you take that ground back with the power of God? 3.) What area do you need God to draw you close and minister to you this Lent?

Quote to Ponder: "It would be more efficacious to remain peacefully before the gaze of God and to allow Him to act and work in us with His wisdom and power" - Fr. Jacques Philippe

Scripture for Lectio Divina - John 15:4-5 "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing."

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle and Heather talk with special guest, Dr. Bob Schuchts. Dr. Bob has been a marriage and family therapist for 40 years and is the founder of the JP II Healing Center. He shares about the five areas of intimacy in marriage and the role of healing and restoration in the places that have hurt that intimacy.

Check out more info about Dr. Bob's ministry

Check out his books:

"Be Healed"

"Be Transformed"

"Real Suffering"

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

Sister Miriam's One Thing - The playlist "Peaceful Classical Music"

Michelle's One Thing - The Netflix series "Call the Midwife"

Heather's One Thing - Jake taking me to see Justin Timberlake! So fun.

Dr. Bob's One Thing - The book "The Same Kind of Different As Me"

Discussion Questions:

1) Which one of the 5 areas of intimacy do you struggle with the most? If you're not married this still applies. (spiritual unity, emotional intimacy, daily companionship, cooperative teamwork, sexual intimacy)

2) What are the places that you need to work at keeping your heart open in relationships, when you feel the fear of being hurt?

3) How do you need to be more honest in your closest relationships?

4) What is the next right thing you need to do in your marriage (or closest friendship or personal life)?

Journal Questions:

1) What issues from your childhood and dating relationships did you bring into your marriage (or will bring into your marriage or future vocational calling)?

2) How can I become more receptive to the love of God, so that I can share that more easily in my marriage or close relationships?

3) If you're married, consider having the conversation Dr. Bob suggested. "What is the state of our union"? And use the 5 areas of intimacy as a guide.

4) Where do you need to offer forgiveness?

Quote to Ponder: "Our most natural tendency is to try to get the other person to be what we need so that we can be loved well. Rather, to let go of that and just honestly love somebody, is when God becomes present." - Dr Bob

Scripture for Lectio Divina - Ephesians 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace"

Next week we will begin our Lenten series on the themes of "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe. This book is super small, but jam packed with wisdom. You don't need to read the book to follow the podcasts, but if you'd like to read it, you can purchase it on Amazon.

Today on the Abiding Together Podcast, Sister Miriam, Michelle and Heather talk about living with the reality of depression, anxiety and hardships in life. We have some vulnerable conversation about our personal journeys and share the things we have learned along the way that have anchored our hearts in the hope of Jesus and allowed for healing and growth.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

Sister Miriam's One Thing - Adam Young- The Purpose of Counseling

Michelle's One Thing - Tasha Cobbs - Queen of Soul

Heather's One Thing - "Even When It Hurts" by Hillsong United

Discussion Questions:

1) What stood out to you in this podcast?

2) Where are the places that you struggle to rest in God and believe He is trustworthy?

3) What has helped you have hope in times of trial?

4) What allows you to rest, receive, and not isolate when you're struggling?

Journal Questions:

1) What might be stunting your emotional and spiritual growth?

2) What are two scriptures that you can memorize to anchor you in the midst of trial?

3) Jesus longs to heal us. What is the area that He is putting His finger on right now?

Quote to Ponder:

"Depression doesn't define who I am. It's a part of my story, as a lot of broken parts are, but Jesus is the one who gives me my identity and tells me who I am and that's where we need to look to him and hear his voice in all the parts of our story" Heather Khym

Scripture for Lectio Divina - Lamentations 3:21-24 "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul "therefore I will hope in him."

**Special Lenten Announcement!

We will be doing a book study together beginning on March 4! The book will "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe **

Today in the Abiding Together Podcast, we wrap up our book study on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Part 4 (chapters 13-18). We chat about the resurrection, what it means to be restored and reconciled, and making space for childlike wonder. We hope you've enjoyed this book study with us.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

The "Abiding" Women's Conference in Louisiana

Discussion Questions:

1) When have you had an experience of mercy?

2) Who is someone that you need to offer mercy to?

3) What do you experience when God has you in a process or journey? Are you able to be patient or are you filled with unrest and anxiety?

4) Do I live life in grey, stone cold, or do I live life in technicolor?

5) Where am I dying and need Christ to bring life and make things new?

Journal Questions:

1) Where do you need to ask God for mercy in your life right now?

2) Where is my heart hard?

3) How can I allow time and space for playfulness, joy and childlike wonder?

Quote to Ponder:

"We are not on earth to guard a museum, but to cultivate a flowering garden of life" - Pope John XXIII

Scripture for Lectio Divina - Romans 6:4-5 "Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

Special Lenten Announcement!

*We will be doing a book study together beginning on March 4! The book will "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe *

Today in the Abiding Together Podcast, Sr. Miriam, Heather, and Michelle progress with the book study on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (chapters 9-12). They continue to relate the story concepts with our spiritual life by discussing themes like the false narrative of the enemy, the dynamic of stoney hearts that God wants to restore and turn to flesh, true living of the paschal mystery, and the power of God's resurrection power in our lives. We hope you enjoy this episode!

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

Sr. Miriam's One Thing - Fire Within- Fr. Thomas Dubay

Michelle's One Thing - The movie "Gifted"

Heather's One Thing - The Abiding Together small groups! We love you!

Discussion Questions:

1) What is one of the false narratives that the enemy has been telling in your life?

2) What do you think the Father wants to say about that?

3) What area of your heart do you feel has been turned to stone or has been hardened? Why?

4) "Hurting people, hurt people". Discuss this concept and how we can offer a response of healing.

5) Where have you settled for the dry bread from the enemy instead of the banquet that God is offering to you?

Journal Questions:

1) Instead of being child like, we can be childish with God. What is the difference between those two dynamics that you can see in your own life?

2) The enemy makes empty promises. What is one that you can see he has made to you in your life?

3) What is one promise of God and His faithfulness that you have seen at work in your life?

4) "Battle looks like surrender". What is one battle that you need to move into a disposition of surrender to God?

Quote to Ponder:

"Aslan is on the move" - C.S. Lewis - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

*Scripture for Lectio Divina - Ezekiel 36:26 *

"A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Today we continue our book study on the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Chapters 5-8. We reflect deeper on the story and how it relates to our spiritual lives. Themes such as the battle of light and darkness, jealousy and making others feel small, the power of the name of Jesus, surrender vs control and how the story of Narnia is an echo of what our hearts long for in Christ.

Visit www.ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether to subscribe to the shownotes and receive them in your email every Monday!

One Thing We Love This Week:

Sr. Miriam's One thing - The women from the "Undone" retreat https://jpiihealingcenter.org/events/undone-womens-conference-tallahassee-fl/

Michelle's other one thing - The book "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Story-Justice-Redemption/dp/081298496X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548091113&sr=8-1&keywords=just+mercy

Heather's One Thing - Evangelization Ministry of Catholic Christian Outreach https://cco.ca/resources/faith-studies-series/

Discussion Questions:

1) What is one truth about God that you can see in your story?

2) Where do you need to grow into your royal identity as a daughter/son of God?

3) Discuss the truth about how the name of Jesus contains His presence. How could this change how you pray?

4) "He isn't safe, but He's good." Discuss this quote and surrender vs. control.

Journal Questions:

1) Who can you go to who can speak wisdom into your life?

2) Like Edmund, are there any places of your life that you feel fear when you think about God?

3) What parts of your heart have been turned to stone and need the warmth of God's hand to bring them back to life?

Quote to Ponder:

"Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." - C.S. Lewis - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

Scripture for Lectio Divina - Revelation 21:4-7

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.