In The Middle-Divorce Healing For Catholic Women

I had the honor of talking with Fr. Wade Menezes from the Fathers of Mercy, and let me tell you—it was rich, deep, and so full of truth. Fr. Wade shared his journey from dairy farming to the priesthood (a path I totally relate to!), and we dove into what people today are truly hungry for: a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Trinity. We talked about how life gets messy—hurt, sin, unforgiveness—and how God wants to take those roadblocks and turn them into stepping stones toward Him.

One of the biggest takeaways was the power of living a sacramental life, especially through frequent Confession and Eucharist—the two sacraments we can receive over and over again. Fr. Wade reminded us that sanctifying grace actually helps us participate in God’s divine life and gives us strength to face the fire (whether it’s a raging one or just a little campfire). We also talked about living “eternity-minded”—not in a heavy or morbid way, but in a joyful, daily pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful. And yes, even rest and leisure matter! Fr. Wade encouraged us (especially busy women!) to seek daily balance in prayer, work, and recreation—because holiness is found in that rhythm. I hope this episode encourages your heart as much as it did mine!

Register for the Nashville Magnificat Breakfast with Father Wade on July 26, 2025

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered when your sparkle faded? When did the light of joy, confidence, and divine purpose get buried under the weight of motherhood, marriage struggles, or midlife transitions?

In this episode, I invite you to rediscover the truth you may have forgotten: you were born to sparkle. Inspired by a simple moment with my granddaughter and a sparkly Walmart hat, I unpack what it really means to shine—not with worldly glamor, but with the radiant light of Christ that lives within you.

You’ll hear stories of three powerful saints—St. Monica, St. Rita of Cascia, and St. Hildegard—who each found their divine sparkle in prayer, suffering, and late-blooming purpose. And you’ll be reminded that your most meaningful chapter might still be ahead, even if it doesn't look the way you imagined.

✨ Feeling lost in the middle of your story?
✨ Wrestling with grief, broken relationships, or purpose in midlife?
✨ Longing to reclaim your God-given radiance?

This episode is a holy permission slip to start sparkling again—right where you are.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

As we close out the beautiful month of May, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, join me this week, as I reflect on Mary's Fiat—her courageous and wholehearted “yes” to God—and how it continues to inspire Catholic women today.

Through personal stories, scripture, Marian devotion, and insights I unpack the obstacles we face when trying to say yes to God—fear, control, suffering, and doubt—and how, like Mary, we can find the grace to trust even when the path is painful or uncertain.

Whether you're navigating a difficult season, questioning your next steps, or longing to grow deeper in faith, this episode offers gentle encouragement and powerful reminders that:

Saying yes is not a one-time moment—it’s a daily mindset.

Surrendering to God isn’t giving up—it’s claiming your victory.

Even in suffering, God walks with you—and will equip you for the path ahead.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

In this episode, I’m inviting you into something that feels almost impossible in today’s fast-paced, noisy world: silence. Real, soul-nourishing, God-soaked silence.

Recently, I attended a silent retreat with the Dominican Sisters at the Bethany Retreat House in Dickson, TN—a retreat I wasn’t even supposed to attend. But God made a way, and He used that quiet weekend to open up a space in my heart I didn’t even realize was closed.

I’ve always thought I was pretty comfortable with silence—no TV during the day, no radio in the car—but the retreat showed me something deeper. It wasn’t just the silence that changed me; it was disconnecting from my phone, the world, and all the distractions that keep me busy and numb. In the quiet, I began to hear God again… and also myself.

What surprised me most was what came up when the noise stopped—feelings I had pushed down, especially resentment I didn’t even realize I was holding. Even though I thought I was doing the work of forgiveness after the deep betrayal in my marriage, God gently revealed that I was still clinging to resentment. And He met me there—not with shame, but with healing.

In the silence, I stopped doing and started being. I sat with God in the ashes of pain, and He began lifting the weight off my heart. It was uncomfortable, but it was also holy.

If you’ve been longing for clarity, healing, or simply a break from the constant noise, I invite you to pause with me today. Let’s talk about how silence can become a sanctuary—where we meet God, where we meet ourselves, and where real healing begins.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation that left you shaken—your heart racing, your voice tense, and your peace completely gone?

Maybe it was a disagreement about politics, morality, Church teaching, or even a family decision that matters deeply to you. In those moments, it’s so easy to react instead of respond... and before you know it, the tension turns into division.

In this episode of Catholic Moms in the Middle, I’m opening up about something we all face: how to stay kind, calm, and Christlike when you deeply disagree with someone. Whether it's a heated conversation in your family, a debate at work, or a clash in your parish, this episode will give you tools to handle it with grace and strength.

We’ll talk about:

Why disagreements feel so personal and triggering What’s really happening in your brain and body when you’re in conflict.

Four practical, faith-filled steps to help you pause, ground yourself, and speak with love while making sure your voice is heard—without losing your peace or your witness.

And how saints like St. Catherine of Siena and St. Monica can guide us in today’s polarized world!

If you're a Catholic woman who wants to speak truth, stand firm in your values, and still radiate Christ in every conversation—you’re in the right place. You don’t have to sacrifice your voice to stay peaceful, and you don’t have to sacrifice your peace to be heard. 

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

Have you ever wondered what really happens inside the Sistine Chapel when the Church selects a new Pope? With the whole world watching and Catholics everywhere praying, now is the perfect time to explore the mystery, meaning, and beauty behind the papal conclave.

In this special episode, I’m joined by Father Justin Raines, pastor of St. Matthew in Franklin, TN—who was actually in Rome when Pope Francis was elected! Together, we pull back the veil on:

What really happens behind closed doors (including what “conclave” actually means),

The deep spiritual preparation of the Cardinals,

The powerful symbolism of white smoke, the Sistine Chapel, and the “Room of Tears,”

How the Holy Spirit guides the Church—and how you can pray during this sacred moment.

Whether you're a mom in car line, folding laundry, or carving out some quiet time, this episode will help you feel more connected to the heart of the Church and the global Catholic family.

✨ Grab your rosary and a cup of coffee—this is one conversation you won’t want to miss.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

I’m thrilled to have author Kate Battistelli joining me to talk about her brand-new book:
The After Party of the Empty Nest: Mom Is Not Your Only Name.

If you’re in a season where the kids are grown and gone, and you’re wondering what’s next...
If you feel like you’ve lost a part of your identity now that motherhood looks different…
Or if you’re sensing God is calling you to more, but you're not sure where to start...

This episode is for YOU.

Kate shares so honestly about the grief, loneliness, and confusion she felt when her only daughter left home—and how God used that season to awaken a brand new purpose in her life. We talk about:

Why the empty nest can feel so hard—and why you don’t have to stay stuck in it

The lies women believe in midlife (like "I'm too late" or "I'm not enough")

How volunteering, dreaming again, and saying “yes” to God can open new doors

Why it's okay not to have it all figured out—and how obedience always matters more than perfection

Kate’s story is full of hope, laughter, and real-life encouragement. Whether you’re already in the empty nest or you see it coming, I promise this conversation will remind you that God isn’t finished with you yet. There’s so much more ahead.

💬 One of my favorite things Kate said: “This isn’t the end of your story—it’s just the start of your second act.”

📚 You can order her book here:
👉 The After Party of the Empty Nest on Amazon

🌐 Visit Kate’s website: www.katebattistelli.com
🎧 And check out her podcast: Mom to Mom Podcast

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic life coach, podcaster, and radio show host who walks with women facing life’s unexpected turns. She helps them encounter the Father’s love, be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and find healing from pain and disappointment so they can magnify Christ with their lives. Through faith-filled coaching and heartfelt conversations, Jennie empowers women to rediscover hope and to live life with purpose and joy.

Have you ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of the world, trying to hold everything together? I know that feeling all too well. In this episode, I’m sharing from my own experience as a Catholic mom in midlife who struggles daily with the need to control everything—especially when life feels uncertain or overwhelming. Whether you're facing an empty nest, a struggling marriage, unanswered prayers, or unexpected change, I want you to know—you are not alone. Together, we’ll explore what it really means to surrender our fears and let God step into the places we’ve tried to manage on our own.

I also open up about how our parenting styles and control tendencies can reveal deeper wounds that need healing. I talk through common patterns—like helicopter or snowplow parenting—not to judge, but to help us understand the roots of our desire to protect and control. These patterns often trace back to our own unhealed stories. Through this conversation, I want to encourage you to look inward with compassion and to invite God into those tender places so He can bring healing and restoration.

This episode is a personal invitation to breathe, release, and trust. I share how God has been challenging me to release my own expectations—even when His answers to my prayers have looked so different from what I hoped for. If you’re wrestling with fear, regret, or trying to control the outcome of things in your life, this is your reminder that God sees the whole picture. Surrender isn’t giving up—it’s choosing to trust the One who loves you most. Join me as we walk this Lenten journey of healing together.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic speaker, Life Coach, Podcaster, and Weekly Radio Host on Nashville Catholic Radio and Radio Maria USA. She is the founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle, a ministry for women navigating the pain of betrayal, heartbreak, and the disappointments of midlife.

After 26 years in Catholic education, Jennie followed God’s call to serve women who feel lost, unseen, or overwhelmed by life’s unexpected turns. Rooted in Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church, she helps women encounter the healing love of the Father, break free from shame and fear, and be restored by the power of the Holy Spirit—so they can MAGNIFY Christ in their daily lives.

In this week’s show, I’m sharing something a little different for Lent—an examination of the heart. We’re used to hearing about an examination of conscience, but this goes even deeper. Lent is more than just fasting, prayer, and almsgiving; it’s also an invitation to slow down and take a hard look at what’s really in our hearts. Sometimes, without even realizing it, we carry around old wounds—some fresh, some buried beneath years of busyness, distractions, and taking care of everyone else. But God wants to bring those wounds into the light and heal them.

I’ll walk you through five steps to help you recognize what’s weighing on your heart and bring it to God for healing. I’ve worked with so many women who feel stuck in guilt, regret, betrayal or unworthiness—maybe that sounds familiar to you, too. The truth is, we don’t have to carry this heaviness alone. Healing starts when we get honest with ourselves and with God. It’s not always easy, but I promise, there is so much freedom, peace, and joy on the other side.

We’re also going to talk about forgiveness—yeah, that tough one! It’s not about pretending the hurt didn’t happen, but about letting go so it doesn’t have power over us anymore. I’ll also share how the sacraments—especially confession and the Eucharist—have been such a huge part of my own healing journey. If you’ve been feeling weary, distant from God, or just weighed down, this episode is for you. So grab your journal, find a quiet place, and let’s walk through this Lenten reflection together. God is waiting to meet you right where you are, and I can’t wait to share this with you.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic speaker, Life Coach, Podcaster, Weekly Radio Show Host on Nashville Catholic Radio and Radio Maria USA, and the founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle. After 26 years of working in Catholic education, Jennie felt God calling her "to step out of the boat" to serve in a new way. In her new ministry, she equips and encourages middle-life women to encounter the love of the Father and to be transformed and healed by the power of the Holy Spirit so they can MAGNIFY Christ in their corner of the world.

Have you ever felt like Lent is both a season you love and a season you dread? You love the idea of drawing closer to Christ, of letting Him work on the areas of your heart that need healing. But then reality sets in—the sacrifices feel heavy, the habits you’re trying to let go of seem harder to break, and suddenly, you realize how much you've relied on things that may have taken the place of God in your life. If you're in the middle of this struggle, you're not alone. In this episode of Catholic Moms in the Middle, I'm diving into what it means to truly embrace Lent as a season of inner healing, not just a time of "giving up" but a time of giving in—giving in to God's transformative grace and allowing Him to do the deep heart work we often avoid.

As midlife women, we know what it feels like to carry burdens—old wounds, disappointments, and heartbreaks that linger far beyond their time. Lent is an opportunity to take those burdens to the foot of the cross and allow Jesus to bring resurrection into the broken places of our hearts. This season, I invite you to move beyond simply examining your conscience and instead, go deeper into an examination of the heart. What if your struggles, your losses, even your sleepless nights are an invitation from God? What if He is calling you into the desert, not to leave you in your suffering, but to heal you in the quiet, to restore your weary soul, and to remind you that the cross always leads to resurrection?

This Lent, I want to walk with you through this journey of healing—one episode at a time. Over the next several weeks, we’ll explore how to recognize the wounds that still need healing, how to surrender them to Christ, and how to allow His love to fill the empty spaces in our hearts. If you’ve ever felt stuck, if you’re wrestling with past hurts or struggling to trust God’s plan, I encourage you to lean into this season as a time of renewal. Join me on Catholic Moms in the Middle as we explore what it means to experience true transformation this Lent—one that goes beyond fasting and penance, into a deep and lasting healing that only Christ can bring.

Jennie Guinn is a Catholic speaker, Life Coach, Podcaster, Weekly Radio Show Host on Nashville Catholic Radio and Radio Maria USA, and the founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle. After 26 years of working in Catholic education, Jennie felt God calling her "to step out of the boat" to serve in a new way. In her new ministry, she equips and encourages middle-life women to encounter the love of the Father and to be transformed and healed by the power of the Holy Spirit so they can MAGNIFY Christ in their corner of the world.