Life Beyond the Chariot | A Faith & Family Series

By St. Philip Institute of Catechesis & Evangelization

Religion & Spirituality Kids & Family Christianity

What's Life Beyond the Chariot | A Faith & Family Series about?

A bi-weekly show hosted by Mikki Sciba & Deanna Johnston discussing issues at the intersection of family life and the Catholic Faith. Produced by the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis & Evangelization in Tyler, TX.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Life Beyond the Chariot | A Faith & Family Series episodes:

05.21.2024
Strengthened in Waiting (with Rachel Bulman)
In today's episode we are sharing Rachel Bulman’s keynote talk from our They That Wait Women’s Retreat which was held on March 23, 2024 here in the Diocese of Tyler. Save the Date for next year’s event: March 29, 2025 Show Notes: Rachel...
05.07.2024
Total Surrender
What does it mean to totally surrender to the will of God? In today’s episode we discuss passages from the book Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence and the practical ways we can live this out. Show Notes: Book: Trustful Surrender to Divine...
04.23.2024
Be Still and Know
We’re launching Season 5 of the podcast with a conversation on “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:11). What does it mean to “be still” and enter into prayer with the Lord when life is busy? We...
12.13.2023
Mary, Mystery, & the Slow Work of God (Hope: An Invitation | Fall Book Series, Part 3)
On our final episode of 2023 we spend time discussing chapters 6-8 of “Hope: An Invitation” by Sister Josephine Garrett. We discuss Mary’s role in our walk with Christ, revisit the theme of the “Slow Work of God” and how...
12.13.2023
Discernment, Community, & the Saints (Hope: An Invitation | Fall Book Series, Part 2)
We are continuing our Fall Book Series of “Hope: An Invitation” by Sister Josephine Garrett. This week we are discussing chapters 3-5 which focus on types of discernment, the importance of community, and the role of the Saints in our...
11.14.2023
Hope: An Invitation (with Sister Josephine Garrett) (Fall Book Series, Part 1)
We are beginning our 3-part series on the book “Hope: An Invitation” by sitting down with the author herself, Sister Josephine Garrett! We discuss some of our favorite parts of the book and the inspiration behind the stories Sister Josephine...
11.01.2023
How Catholics Witness Online
Navigating online conversations and spaces can be messy. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to discern which voices are true and what arguments are worth fighting amidst all the noise. Dr. Luke Arredondo, Director of Faith Formation, joins...
10.17.2023
Life Beyond the Chariot Book Study Invitation
We don’t have a full episode for you this week, but we would like to invite you to join us in an end-of-the-year Book Study! We’ll be reading Sister Josephine Garrett’s book, Hope: An Invitation, and we'll begin discussing the...
10.03.2023
Worth It: A Journey to the Priesthood (with Fr. Steven Chabarria)
In today's episode, we interview Father Steven Chabarria, newly ordained priest of the Diocese of Tyler. He shares his vocation story, and the impact his family life had on his discernment and walk with Christ. Show Notes: From Catholic East Texas Magazine:...
09.19.2023
What is a Marriage Catechumenate?: Part II (with Fr. Justin Braun)
Fr. Justin Braun joins us today to continue our conversation about the marriage catechumenate and the importance of marriage formation. He gives us a pastor’s perspective on the importance of marriage ministry in the life of the parish, what is...
09.05.2023
Parishes Made for Mission (with Fr. George Elliott)
We sit down with Fr. George Elliott, priest of the Diocese of Tyler and pastor of “Catholic Nacogdoches” to discuss what it means to have a parish that is focused on building disciples. We talk about how his parish is...
08.23.2023
What is a Marriage Catechumenate?
When the Vatican published the Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life document last year, it raised a lot of questions about what marriage preparation should look like: Why is the Church asking for longer preparation? What do all the proposed phases...
08.08.2023
Best Baptism Prep Ever
What’s the point of baptism prep? What makes a good baptism program? In today’s episode, we discuss things that both parents and parishes can do to make that experience even better. Resources: Article by Marcel LeJeune: Sacramental Formation - Moving From Forms...
07.25.2023
”What is a Woman’s Role?” with Noelle Garcia (Part Two)
We continue our conversation with Catholic speaker and musician Noelle Garcia to talk about what it means to be a Catholic woman—this time zooming in to our vocations as wives and mothers. There are a lot of strong opinions out...
07.11.2023
”What is a Catholic Woman?” with Noelle Garcia (Part One)
In today’s culture we hear a lot of people asking, “What is a Woman?” Understanding our identity as men and women seems to be a challenge. But as women of faith, we see an opportunity to take that question even...
06.28.2023
Families & The Spiritual Battle: Part 2 (with Fr. John-Mary Bowlin)
We continue our conversation with Fr. John-Mary Bowlin of the Diocese of Tyler to talk about spiritual warfare—specifically, about the spiritual practices and disciplines we can engage in as Catholic families. If you have a child or loved one who...
06.13.2023
Families & The Spiritual Battle: Part 1 (with Father John-Mary Bowlin)
What does it mean to engage in the spiritual battle as Catholic families? In today’s episode we begin a two-part conversation with Fr. John-Mary Bowlin (priest of the Diocese of Tyler) on the spiritual battle and the role of parents...
05.31.2023
Body Literacy: Part Two (with Christina Valenzuela, Pearl & Thistle)
We are continuing our conversation about Body Literacy with Christina Valenzuela from Pearl & Thistle, this time focusing on how we share this education with our daughters. Christina explains why this conversation with our girls is so important and why...
05.31.2023
Body Literacy: Part One (with Christina Valenzuela, Pearl & Thistle)
We have talked about Natural Family Planning and Fertility Awareness before, but have you ever heard of Body Literacy? In today’s episode we sit down with Christina Valenzuela, founder of Pearl & Thistle, to talk about Lifelong Body Literacy for...
05.02.2023
favored. | A Women’s Retreat | Sister Josephine Garrett: Living as the Favored One
In this final part of the talk series from our favored. retreat, we are sharing the keynote by Sister Josephine Garrett entitled “Living as the Favored One”. Once we receive the loving Gaze of the Father, how do we live as...
04.25.2023
favored. | A Women’s Retreat | Deanna Johnston: Receiving the Father’s Gaze
This week we’re sharing Deanna Johnston’s keynote called “Receiving the Father’s Gaze” from our Women’s Retreat in the Diocese of Tyler, favored. In this talk, Deanna encourages women to reflect on their relationship with God, what it means to receive...
04.18.2023
favored. | A Women’s Retreat | Chika Anyanwu: Worldly Favor
On March 25th, the St. Philip Institute hosted a Women’s Retreat here in the Diocese of Tyler called “favored.” This first keynote given by Chika Anyanwu is called “Worldly Favor.” Chika talks about what can happen when our sense of worth...
03.08.2023
Motherhood & John the Baptist
What can moms learn from St. John the Baptist? In today’s episode we talk about the qualities from this saint that can help us in our vocation (you know, besides being a voice “crying out in the wilderness” at our...
12.13.2022
The Year of Baptism (with special guest Bishop Joseph E. Strickland)
At the beginning of Advent 2022, the Diocese of Tyler entered into the Year of Baptism and St. John the Baptist. In today’s episode we sit down with His Excellency, Bishop Joseph Strickland to discuss his hopes for our diocese...
11.30.2022
How to Have a Happy Death (with Fr. Justin Braun)
Death can be a difficult reality to face; but in light of our Catholic faith we have a tremendous reason for hope! In today’s episode we sit down with Fr. Justin Braun, pastor of Sacred Heart in Texarkana, to discuss...
11.10.2022
How to Help Our Kids Prepare for Sacraments
How do we help our children to not only prepare for their sacraments, but also help them to have a relationship with Jesus? In today’s episode we talk about very practical ways we can accompany our children in their sacrament...
08.25.2022
Having a Relationship with Mary (Throwback Episode)
During this episode, we visit with special guest, Noelle Garcia McHugh, to discuss Mary and how we can have a relationship with her. We address some of the following questions: How is Mary a model of motherhood? What does Mary...
08.10.2022
The Goldilocks Virtue (Temperance)
Also on YouTube: Slay Your Dragons Additional Resources: Temperance Worksheets Email us at [email protected] or Join our Facebook Community!
07.26.2022
Is NFP Just Catholic Contraception? (Throwback Episode)
For NFP Awareness Week we’re throwing it back to a great episode from our archive! Are Natural Family Planning and contraception the same thing? Is it possible to use NFP with a “contraceptive mentality”? In today’s episode, we break open...
07.13.2022
Beyond Comfort and Into Greatness (Fortitude)
In today’s episode we break open the virtue of Fortitude-- how this is so much more than simply being “brave” but how it helps us to achieve difficult goods, and endure difficult things. Watch on YouTube: Beyond Comfort and Into Greatness (Fortitude) Other...
06.21.2022
How to Deal Justly with Others (Virtue Series: Justice)
Justice is one of the least understood virtues! Is Justice about punishment and giving people what is coming to them? Or does it have more to do with being in right relationship with God and others? Continuing our series on...
06.08.2022
How to Make Good Decisions (Virtue Series: Prudence)
How do we make “good” decisions? Better yet, how do we make decisions that also draw us closer to God? In today’s episode we discuss the virtue of prudence and offer some practical tips for living this out in family...
06.01.2022
Go Watch Joel’s Conversion Story! “From Baptist to Catholic”
This week there’s an exciting new video on the St. Philip Institute’s YouTube channel! Joel McMichael is a seminarian for the Diocese of Tyler here in East Texas, and he shares his conversion story from growing up Baptist to converting...
05.24.2022
Virtue: What Is It? Do We Need It?
We are excited to launch a new series of episodes that focus specifically on the virtues! In this introductory episode with Dr. Luke Arredondo, Director of Faith Formation, and host of the St. Philip Institute Podcast, we lay the foundation...
05.03.2022
How I Fell in Love with the Eucharist with Fr. Justin Braun
Fr. Justin Braun, Pastor of Sacred Heart in Texarkana and Chaplain of the St. Philip Institute, shares how the Eucharist played an important part in his vocation story. He offers practical advice on leading our children, particularly older teens, to...
03.29.2022
A Practical Guide to Bringing Your Kids to Mass
Let’s be honest: sometimes attending Mass with children can be *challenging*. Should parents automatically head to the cry room? Is there a survival guide for how to attend Mass with little ones? In today’s episode we offer practical tips for...
03.15.2022
All We Need Is The Eucharist
As Catholics we believe the Eucharist is the physical presence of Our Lord, but sometimes there can be a disconnect between believing that and living as if that were true. How can we be more receptive to the grace God...
03.01.2022
Eucharist: Heart of the Domestic Church
The Church describes the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Christian Life… but what does that mean? What does that look like in family life? In today’s episode we define what the Eucharist is, why it is essential...
02.15.2022
What to Do When You Can’t Trust God | Our Favorite Episodes
What do we do when we find it difficult to trust God? How do we trust in His faithfulness, even in moments of suffering? In today's episode, we discuss what it means to trust God with everything and how to...
02.08.2022
Why Aren’t Catholics Getting Married? | Our Favorite Episodes
Did you know that in the USA there are a growing number of Catholics but a decrease in the number of Catholic marriages? In today’s episode, we talk about why this is a crucial mission moment for the Church, and...
02.01.2022
Blessed Is She Who Believes: Fostering Vocations Among Young Women | Our Favorite Episodes
NOTE: Over the next several weeks we'll be planning & discerning future episodes of the Life Beyond the Chariot Podcast. In the meantime, we'll be throwing it back to some of our favorite episodes from the past year! We sat down...
01.25.2022
What ”Pray without Ceasing” Means for Moms with Jackie Angel | Our Favorite Episodes
NOTE: Over the next several weeks we'll be planning & discerning future episodes of the Life Beyond the Chariot Podcast. In the meantime, we'll be throwing it back to some of our favorite episodes from the past year! Can Moms really...
01.18.2022
Making Your House a Home | Our Favorite Episodes
NOTE: Over the next several weeks we'll be planning & discerning future episodes of the Life Beyond the Chariot Podcast. In the meantime, we'll be throwing it back to some of our favorite episodes from the past year! Interior designer Ronna...
01.11.2022
How to Pray When You’re a Parent | Our Favorite Episodes
NOTE: Over the next several weeks we'll be planning & discerning future episodes of the Life Beyond the Chariot Podcast. In the meantime, we'll be throwing it back to some of our favorite episodes from the past year! Having a healthy...
12.28.2021
Mary and the Eucharist with Bishop Joseph Strickland
Bishop Joseph Strickland recently declared a Year of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and the Eucharist for the Diocese of Tyler. In today’s episode, we ask him about the role of Mary in his own life, and how the Eucharist has...
12.21.2021
Habits for Holiness | Part 4
In today’s episode we’re discussing the final two chapters of Habits for Holiness by Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR. We look at the practical ways that we can cultivate happiness, healthiness, and holiness in an intentional way, and how to make...
12.14.2021
Habits for Holiness | Part 3 (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR)
We speak with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, the author of Habits for Holiness, about the remembrance of our Christian dignity and what it means to be holy and effective witnesses of the Gospel. To learn more about the CFRs and Fr....
12.08.2021
Habits for Holiness | Part 2
We continue our series on“Habits for Holiness” by Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, and discuss Chapters 3-5. The focus this week is on creating a Catholic culture, simplicity & detachment, and responding to the cry of the poor. It’s not too...
12.01.2021
Habits for Holiness | Part 1
We begin our 4 part series on the book “Habits for Holiness” by Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR starting with Chapters 1 and 2. The focus this week is on prayer and family. It’s not too late to join us this...
11.23.2021
How to Have a Peaceful Advent
Sometimes the preparation for the Advent season can feel chaotic and overwhelming. In this episode we discuss an article called “6 ways to Prepare a Quiet Advent Now” and share very practical ways that we can make space in our...

What's Life Beyond the Chariot | A Faith & Family Series about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Life Beyond the Chariot | A Faith & Family Series episodes:

Strengthened in Waiting (with Rachel Bulman)

Total Surrender

Be Still and Know

Mary, Mystery, & the Slow Work of God (Hope: An Invitation | Fall Book Series, Part 3)

Discernment, Community, & the Saints (Hope: An Invitation | Fall Book Series, Part 2)

Hope: An Invitation (with Sister Josephine Garrett) (Fall Book Series, Part 1)

How Catholics Witness Online

Life Beyond the Chariot Book Study Invitation

Worth It: A Journey to the Priesthood (with Fr. Steven Chabarria)

What is a Marriage Catechumenate?: Part II (with Fr. Justin Braun)

Parishes Made for Mission (with Fr. George Elliott)

What is a Marriage Catechumenate?

Best Baptism Prep Ever

”What is a Woman’s Role?” with Noelle Garcia (Part Two)

”What is a Catholic Woman?” with Noelle Garcia (Part One)

Families & The Spiritual Battle: Part 2 (with Fr. John-Mary Bowlin)

Families & The Spiritual Battle: Part 1 (with Father John-Mary Bowlin)

Body Literacy: Part Two (with Christina Valenzuela, Pearl & Thistle)

Body Literacy: Part One (with Christina Valenzuela, Pearl & Thistle)

favored. | A Women’s Retreat | Sister Josephine Garrett: Living as the Favored One

favored. | A Women’s Retreat | Deanna Johnston: Receiving the Father’s Gaze

favored. | A Women’s Retreat | Chika Anyanwu: Worldly Favor

Motherhood & John the Baptist

The Year of Baptism (with special guest Bishop Joseph E. Strickland)

How to Have a Happy Death (with Fr. Justin Braun)

How to Help Our Kids Prepare for Sacraments

Having a Relationship with Mary (Throwback Episode)

The Goldilocks Virtue (Temperance)

Is NFP Just Catholic Contraception? (Throwback Episode)

Beyond Comfort and Into Greatness (Fortitude)

How to Deal Justly with Others (Virtue Series: Justice)

How to Make Good Decisions (Virtue Series: Prudence)

Go Watch Joel’s Conversion Story! “From Baptist to Catholic”

Virtue: What Is It? Do We Need It?

How I Fell in Love with the Eucharist with Fr. Justin Braun

A Practical Guide to Bringing Your Kids to Mass

All We Need Is The Eucharist

Eucharist: Heart of the Domestic Church

What to Do When You Can’t Trust God | Our Favorite Episodes

Why Aren’t Catholics Getting Married? | Our Favorite Episodes

Blessed Is She Who Believes: Fostering Vocations Among Young Women | Our Favorite Episodes

What ”Pray without Ceasing” Means for Moms with Jackie Angel | Our Favorite Episodes

Making Your House a Home | Our Favorite Episodes

How to Pray When You’re a Parent | Our Favorite Episodes

Mary and the Eucharist with Bishop Joseph Strickland

Habits for Holiness | Part 4

Habits for Holiness | Part 3 (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR)

Habits for Holiness | Part 2

Habits for Holiness | Part 1

How to Have a Peaceful Advent