Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

"Love is never something ready made, something merely given to man and woman, it is always at the same time a task which they are set. Love should be seen as something which in a sense never 'is' but is always only 'becoming'..." ~ St John Paul II

What is one of the most important things you can give your marriage? TIME. We build relationships with the material of time - no time spent means nothing is being built. It is very easy for all of us to push time spent with our spouse to the back burner because although our marriages are Important, they are rarely Urgent. Think about it - there will always be something more urgent in life than spending time with your spouse. But there is nothing that is more important. Couples must intentionally take time to prioritize time with each other or it simply will not happen. Daily connection, regular date nights, and weekends away are all different types of time we can put aside for our marriage. You need to take time for your spouse, but you also need to spend it wisely. In this podcast, we discuss some common stumbling blocks for couples, practical ways to make this time for each other and even some conversation topics for you and your spouse.

So many of us don’t have a healthy relationship with our emotions and don’t have the boundaries that we all need to protect ourselves appropriately. We get caught up in the things we can’t control and wind up ignoring what we can control. In his book, “Own Your Past, Change Your Future” Dr. John Delony draws on his two decades of work as a therapist and crisis responder to teach parents how to take extreme ownership for themselves and their children. We were thrilled to be able to interview John and go even deeper into his thoughts on how we can be healthier people who can then be more effective spouses and parents. The lessons that he gives in this interview and in his book are timeless. Listen in as we discuss the real definition of “trauma” and “grief”, ownership of emotions and thoughts, the epidemic of loneliness and the need for friendship, and the role that parents play in all of this.

Special Catholic Couples Getaway next January: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/cozumel-2023/ 

Take our listener Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/messyfamilysurvey2022

"My kids don't get to hurt me. That is way too much responsibility for them." ~ Dr. John Delony

So many of us don't have a healthy relationship with our emotions and don't have the boundaries that we all need to protect ourselves appropriately. We get caught up in the things we can't control and wind up ignoring what we can control. In his book, "Own Your Past, Change Your Future" Dr. John Delony draws on his two decades of work as a therapist and crisis responder to teach parents how to take extreme ownership for themselves and their children. We were thrilled to be able to interview John and go even deeper into his thoughts on how we can be healthier people who can then be more effective spouses and parents. The lessons that he gives in this interview and in his book are timeless. Listen in as we discuss the real definition of "trauma" and "grief", ownership of emotions and thoughts, the epidemic of loneliness and the need for friendship, and the role that parents play in all of this.

Sometimes we look at other couples and think, “Those people have it all together. It must be easy to be married to that person.  We are the only one’s struggling.” Nothing could be further from the truth. This interview starts with fun questions like “What’s the best part about being married to Natalie?” and “How did Chris pop the question?”.  But then, true to the brand of “Real Life Catholic”, Chris and Natalie quickly opened up their marriage to us to share the very real pain and suffering that they have journeyed through together.   All of us have our own battles to fight in our lives, and often we bring these battles into our marriages.  The question is, do our spouses come alongside us and fight FOR us, or do they themselves become another “battle to fight”?  In this conversation, we discuss the process of healing from sexual abuse within marriage, the effect on both spouses, how you can help your spouse through their struggles, and how to lean in to all the grace that the sacrament of marriage has to give.  This is a raw and real conversation that we believe will speak to the hearts of husbands and wives who take the time to listen. 

Special Catholic Couples Getaway next January: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/cozumel-2023/ 

Take our listener Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/messyfamilysurvey2022

"For a Christian, joy isn't what happens when life is going perfectly; it's what happens when you know you are loved perfectly, even when life is a mess." ~ Chris Stefanick

Sometimes we look at other couples and think, "Those people have it all together. It must be easy to be married to that person. We are the only one's struggling." Nothing could be further from the truth. This interview starts with fun questions like "What's the best part about being married to Natalie?" and "How did Chris pop the question?". But then, true to the brand of "Real Life Catholic", Chris and Natalie quickly opened up their marriage to us to share the very real pain and suffering that they have journeyed through together. All of us have our own battles to fight in our lives, and often we bring these battles into our marriages. The question is, do our spouses come alongside us and fight FOR us, or do they themselves become another "battle to fight"? In this conversation, we discuss the process of healing from sexual abuse within marriage, the effect on both spouses, how you can help your spouse through their struggles, and how to lean in to all the grace that the sacrament of marriage has to give. This is a raw and real conversation that we believe will speak to the hearts of husbands and wives who take the time to listen.

"In the adult, the space of acceptance is never whole, yet it is in the child. The child is really capable of listening impartially and unselfishly, the child is receptive to the greatest degree." - Sofia Cavalletti, Founder of CGS

We've all been there. You're trying to calm a crying infant, the toddler is crawling under the pews, the seven year old is drawing in the missal, and you wonder if your teenager is getting anything out of this at all. What are we talking about? Taking kids to mass! The mass is the font and summit of our faith but so many times we wonder if our kids are Pay attention at all. Does standing in the parking lot with a crying infant or chasing a toddler through the vestibule count as your Sunday obligation? In this podcast, we talk about the challenges and importance of bringing our children to Jesus in mass. The world that children live in is completely different than ours psychologically and spiritually. It is absolutely vital that parents recognize this in order to nurture the child's growing relationship with Christ. Listen in as we share our stories and insights on encouraging participation in this most important family prayer, Holy mass.

Funny "Post Church Press Conference" YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om-qeqwcF8g

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Parent Resources: https://www.cgsusa.org/discover/cgs-approach/cgs-in-the-home-parent-resources/

Special Catholic Couples Getaway next January: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/cozumel-2023/

Take our listener Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/messyfamilysurvey2022

In this episode, we have an enlightening conversation with Dr. Ray Guardendi, a Catholic father, teacher, and clinical psychologist who we have been following since the early years of our parenting. It was a joy to speak to him and we think you will find it super helpful as well! We discuss many things with Dr. Ray such as the difference in parenting today versus parenting 20 years ago, the dramatic changes that he has seen and how parents should respond, and how to make your discipline plan as effective as it should be. We also cover social media use with kids, the importance of parental authority, and what parenting advice you should NEVER listen to. He even gave us a test we can do to see how strong our authority is with our own kids! With a great mix of practical experience and professional insights Dr. Ray gives wisdom and encouragement to parents of all ages in this fun and engaging conversation.

Special Catholic Couples Getaway next January: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/cozumel-2023/

"When parents nag kids, we get ignored. When they nag us, we keep answering. Just who is smarter? Maybe we have strong-willed kids because we (parents) are not strong-willed." ~ Dr. Ray Guarendi In this episode, we have an enlightening conversation with Dr. Ray Guardendi, a Catholic father, teacher, and clinical psychologist who we have been following since the early years of our parenting. It was a joy to speak to him and we think you will find it super helpful as well! We discuss many things with Dr. Ray such as the difference in parenting today versus parenting 20 years ago, the dramatic changes that he has seen and how parents should respond, and how to make your discipline plan as effective as it should be. We also cover social media use with kids, the importance of parental authority, and what parenting advice you should NEVER listen to. He even gave us a test we can do to see how strong our authority is with our own kids! With a great mix of practical experience and professional insights Dr. Ray gives wisdom and encouragement to parents of all ages in this fun and engaging conversation.

Host Hijack!! Alicia’s brother Paul joins Mike for some manly conversation (but don’t worry, Alicia jumps in at the end!) This conversation will be helpful to anyone who is looking to have a great marriage - whether you are a husband or wife. It’s clear that there are many roles that men play in our world, some big and some small, but no other role comes close to the significance of being a good husband. Instead of just talking theory, Mike and special guest Paul Doman discuss very real ways that husbands can and must love, serve, protect and lead in the home. This topic is essential for both men and women as we consider how we are being called to take extreme ownership for the way in which we lay down our lives for our wives and embrace our sacred calling. Representing the ladies, Alicia joins the end of our conversation to pose some questions from wives about their husbands. Join in our conversation to laugh, be encouraged, and empowered in the role of a Catholic husband in a marriage.

Special Catholic Couples Getaway next January: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/cozumel-2023/

Guide to strengthen your marriage: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/marriage/

Host Hijack!! Alicia's brother Paul joins Mike for some manly conversation (but don't worry, Alicia jumps in at the end!) This conversation will be helpful to anyone who is looking to have a great marriage - whether you are a husband or wife. It's clear that there are many roles that men play in our world, some big and some small, but no other role comes close to the significance of being a good husband. Instead of just talking theory, Mike and special guest Paul Doman discuss very real ways that husbands can and must love, serve, protect and lead in the home. This topic is essential for both men and women as we consider how we are being called to take extreme ownership for the way in which we lay down our lives for our wives and embrace our sacred calling. Representing the ladies, Alicia joins the end of our conversation to pose some questions from wives about their husbands. Join in our conversation to laugh, be encouraged, and empowered in the role of a Catholic husband in a marriage.

Special Catholic Couples Getaway next January: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/cozumel-2023/

Guide to strengthen your marriage: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/marriage/