Letters to Women - Exploring the Feminine Genius

Have you ever wanted to sit down with a woman who is a few season of life ahead of you, settle in on her couch with a big cup of coffee, and pick her brain about all of the joys and challenges of the season of life you’re in now -- and the seasons you’re looking forward to? To hear her advice and learn from the wisdom she’s gained over the years?

That’s exactly what today’s episode from the archive is all about.

These past weeks have been really full here at the Langr house -- spring weddings, endless little house projects we can tackle now that the weather is getting warmer, and the last steps of our adoption home study before we move into a season where we’re just waiting to be matched.

So today, I’m pulling one of my favorite episodes from the archives to share with you — this is a listener favorite too, so there’s a chance you’ve already listened. But it’s so packed full of practical advice that you might discover something you missed the first go-around.

Kimberly and I are talking about her brand new Bible study, “Graced and Gifted,”  which is all about how we can tackle the seemingly endless demands of caring for our families and our homes all from the perspective of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She also shares her tried and true tips for things like time management, her secrets for meal planning, and how she creates a peaceful and beautiful home for her family and friends. 

If you are looking for not only useful tips but some inspiring help from a woman who has been there done that when it comes to taking care of the domestic church - no matter what season of life you’re in - sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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There are so many tasks on our to-do lists as women, wives, and moms that are repetitive—and hidden. You plan meals every week and wander the aisle of your grocery store, only to be back again the week after to do the exact same thing all over again. You fold a massive pile of laundry and as you’re putting clean clothes in dressers, you find the laundry baskets are full again and ready for the next load. You make a meal, only to be faced with a pile of dirty dishes and a full dishwasher ready for unloading…again.

It can be easy to get discouraged in the monotony of taking care of your home, your family, and yourself. So how do we find meaning in these daily tasks that we’re going to do all over again tomorrow?

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Thérèse Desilets. Thérèse is the founder of Lovely Lady Linens, a Marian inspired home textile company. Her and I are talking about how the Blessed Mother can encourage us in our daily chores, the importance of beauty in our domestic churches, and how Thérèse integrates her work and vocation.

If you’re exhausted from the constant to-do list of taking care of your home and are needing some encouragement and inspiration, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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Every single one of us has a feminine genius -- a particular way that the Lord is inviting us to bring forth new life into the world. But embracing that feminine genius in your daily life can be incredibly challenging if you’re facing something challenging in your life….but you’re pretending everything is fine, that you’re okay, and that you don’t need any help.

Maybe it’s hard to admit to a friend that you’re really struggling in your marriage or in your motherhood. You might be experiencing tension at work, or going through a big transition like moving or changing careers. Or maybe you are noticing tendencies in yourself that you’re ready to change -- people pleasing, perfectionism, pessimism.

Maybe you’re ready to take the next steps towards healing. Maybe you’re ready to open the door to your heart just a crack to the Lord, to a trusted friend, to a mentor, and share what’s really going on.

But what does it look like practically to experience healing from wounds, overcome self-doubt, reignite your faith life, and discover who you are on the journey to wholeness and holiness? 

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Crystalina Evert. I remember sitting in the audience at a National Catholic Youth Conference over a decade ago and hearing Crystalina speak for the first time—and then that evening, in the elevator of our hotel, bumping into her and Jason and just being such a Catholic fangirl.

What sticks with me from that memory is being struck with the (probably obvious) fact that the Everts, this couple who have very much shaped my ideas around chastity and virtue and relationships, are human beings. And something that is such a gift about hosting this podcast is that I get to sit down one-on-one with women and hear their stories—women who might be sharing their story for the first time, or who have shared their story with millions of people.

Crystalina and I are talking about her journey of healing, this incredible resource that she’s put together in a new book for women who are ready to take the first steps in their own healing, and how a heavenly friendship with St. Therese helps remind Crystalina of her mission.

If you’re ready to experience healing in your life, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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It’s an incredible gift to share the beauty of the Catholic faith with the kids in our lives. Whether you’re sharing about Christ in the Eucharist with your toddler, diving into Scripture together, or preparing children for their first reconciliation or first communion, there’s a lot that goes into evangelizing the littlest people in our lives.

How can we explain the faith, the realities of sin, and the incredible gift of the Eucharist in ways that resonate with little kids? How do we live our lives so that the children we love know that the sacraments matter and the sacraments change us? 

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Jackie Angel. I first saw Jackie speak at a youth conference over a decade ago, and it’s so much fun to sit down with her one-on-one today. Jackie and her husband Bobby are both presenters in the Parent’s Guide for Renewed and Received, a new resource for First Communion and First Reconciliation preparation from Ascension.

Jackie and I are talking about her experience preparing two of her children to receive first communion and first reconciliation, what it looks like to create a culture in our homes where conversations about the Eucharist and forgiveness are ongoing, and how teaching children about the beauty of the Catholic faith has impacted her own interior life.

If you’re helping children discover Christ mercy and experience his real presence in the Eucharist, sister, this letter is for you. 

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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For 2,000 years, Catholics have been at the heart of the culinary arts. Maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the sacred feast of the Eucharist and how it gives life to our faith.

But, like so many other things in our lives today, our relationship with food has become compromised, cheapened, and robbed of its wholesomeness and purpose. And it’s so easy to lose the sacramental nature of eating and the sense of community that comes from a good meal.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Alexandra Greeley. She’s a convert to Catholicism, a trained chef, and the author of a brand new book, Catholics in the Kitchen.

Alexandra and I are talking about sacramental eating, the beauty and diversity of the Catholic Church, and how much we’re looking forward to farmer’s markets this spring.

Whether you’re looking for new recipes to add to your meal rotation or you want to discover the connection between food, faith, and farms, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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In my home growing up, we said a family Rosary every morning at 9am—my mom, dad, and seven siblings gathered in the living room and prayed together. We took turns leading decades and corralling toddlers.

But when I moved out, I got out of the habit of the daily Rosary. And I have a growing desire to get back into it now that my little crew of kids is able to say a few words of the Hail Mary themselves. But building that habit back is challenging, which is why I was so excited for the chance to record this perfectly timed podcast and get some encouragement—and I hope it’s encouraging for you, too!

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Shannon Wendt. Shannon is the founder and CEO of Chews Life—you might know them for their baby silicone rosaries or, my favorite, their rosary bracelets with a moveable charm that helps you keep track of what number of Hail Mary’s you’re on if you’re praying the Rosary throughout the day.

We’re talking about how the Rosary has impacted Shannon’s life as a woman, a wife, and a mom, the origin story of Chews Life, and Shannon’s advice for getting in the habit of praying a daily rosary—as well as the “why” behind this devotion in our Catholic faith.

Regardless of whether you pray the Rosary every day, you’ve never prayed the Rosary, or you find yourself somewhere in between, sister, this letter is for you

Topics we talked about in this episode:

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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Valentine’s day is around the corner, and that means that you might be encountering a lot of Instagram-worthy pictures and posts about marriages over the next few days. And the vocation of marriage is incredible. God draws spouses closer to the ultimate Heavenly marriage through the powerful sacrament of marriage.

That doesn’t mean that marriage is always easy, and it isn’t always like what I imagined when I was a newlywed. The reality of marriage involves communication (and miscommunication!), healing, and intimacy. It’s messy AND good.

So what I want to do today as we get close to a day set aside for celebrating the beauty of love is sort through what struggles we can expect in healthy marriages and introduce you to a women who has practical advice on how to grow deeper in relationship to our spouse and the Lord through the incredible vocation of marriage

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Beth Sri. Beth’s been married to her husband, Edward, for more than twenty years and together they’ve written a book called ‘The Good, The Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys and Struggles of Real Married Life”

Beth and I are talking about how to resist the temptation to build up walls in your marriage, why it’s important to build individual prayer time for the good of your marriage, and the real life differences between men and women and what that means for marriage.

So regardless of whether you’re single, preparing for marriage, or you’ve had a wedding ring on your finger for years, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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We’ve all experienced moments of pain and suffering. And while all of us carry different crosses, suffering is something that is part of every one of our stories. But how do you pray when you struggle to find words to express your pain and trauma?

How do you validate the emotions you experience in the valleys of life and embrace them as a gift instead of stuffing them down some place deep inside you? And in those hard seasons that seem to stretch on forever, how can you refresh your faith and find peace that lasts?

In this episode of Letters to Women, I’m sitting down with K.J. Ramsey. She intimately understands the reality of fear and the reward of courage. A survivor of spiritual abuse and religious trauma who suffers from chronic illness, KJ is a licensed counselor who recognizes the chasm that opens between our hearts and hope when life hurts. Through her struggle with emotional and physical pain, K.J. discovered a route to connection and joy:courage— the practice of trusting we will be held and loved no matter what.

We’re talking about praying the Psalms word by word, how courage has impacted KJ’s journey of trauma and chronic pain, and the importances of witnesses in our lives as women.

If you’re walking through a valley or a challenging season and want to cultivate courage and compassion and reignite joy, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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Hey friends, Merry Christmas season! I love that this episode drops in your podcast feed the day after Christmas, and I hope it finds you well rested and joyful. Our little Langr crew has been sick this past week, so we’re enjoying quiet family time and praying for everyone soon.

But this episode also finds you just a few days before the first day of 2023. There are many resolutions that I’ve made throughout the years, but one that I keep making ….and failing…is reading the Bible from cover to cover.

Some years, I’ve tried to read from Genesis to Revelations, falling off the wagon sometime around Leviticus. Then, I tried reading through with Fr. Mike Schmitz and his podcast and I made it PAST Leviticus, and then just stopped listening.

I WANT to read through the Bible, and you might too - but how?! And where do we find the motivation to get past the boring parts (I’m looking at you, descriptions of the ark of the covenant), the run-on sentences from St. Paul, and the parts that just leave you confused?

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Hunter-Kilmer. She’s an itinerant missionary and the author of a brand new Bible Journal. Oh, and she’s just wrapping up her 21st read through the entire Bible, so she has some great advice if that’s your goal this upcoming year, to!

We’re talking about what Meg’s very first read through scripture looked like (she was thirteen! It took her five years!) and the unique way she recommends reading the Bible so you don’t get bogged down in 1st and 2nd chronicles and Meg shares one of my new favorite saint quotes on scripture that I hadn’t heard until our conversation today.

If you want to spend time in God’s word every day and grow in your knowledge and love of Scripture, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

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Have you ever witnessed the Lord do something incredible in your life? And when you see him at work, what is your response? Do you share it with everyone who will listen, or do you keep it to yourself?

So often, we make evangelization too complicated. It’s not about knowing just the right thing to say, or having all the answers. The most potent evangelization is the personal testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Allison Gingras, the author of the brand new book Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints,and the Abundant Grace of God. And while this conversation is full of information about the sacramentals we have in our lives as Catholic women, it’s also a heart story about motherhood, evangelization, and adoption.

I’m so excited to share this conversation with Allison today for so many reasons. First, I’ve known her for years, and it’s so fun to introduce you as the listener to my dear friends. Second, Allison is a woman who has walked and prayed with our family for months.

One evening after a conversation with her on her podcast, A Seeking Heart, I asked Allison for prayers. I knew she and her husband adopted their daughter who has special needs from China, and Joseph and I were in the very beginning stages of exploring special needs adoption. That night, Allison encouraged me to pray boldly and specifically for God’s will with this adoption.

We’re about halfway through the home study process and have the specific hope and prayer to adopt a child with Down syndrome, and Allison's prayers and witness to bold faith have played such a part in that discernment.

Today, I’m talking with Allison about how the sacramentals helped her and her profoundly deaf daughter connect with God, the spiritual motherhood of Mary, and the beauty and depth of those tangible signs of faith in our lives today.

If you’re curious about the incredible amount of sacramentals we have as Catholics and what they mean for our daily lives and relationships with others, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode: