Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Our world presents images of cartoon fairy godmothers and mob boss godfathers, but in actuality, being a godparent is a life-long commitment of spiritual significance. To be an effective godparent we need to be in relationship with our godchild as a Christian witness as we assist the parents in the faith formation of their child. In this episode we discuss how to choose a godparent, the importance of godparents in the life of the child, and how to be a godparent that actually makes an impact in the life of a young Catholic. Listen in to learn more about this important relationship.  This sponsored podcast is dedicated to Katie Stockermans.

"If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy."

~ Corrie TenBoom

If we are too busy to pray, eat with our family, or play with our kids, then we are too busy. When we look at our family's schedule, we need to make sure that we have the "big rocks" in place. We need to make sure that we invest time in those things that we say are our top priorities. Show me how you spend your time, and I will show you what you value. In this podcast, we talk about families and our busy schedules. We look at how we can juggle it all and make wise choices for our children and ourselves. Really, most of our podcast ideas boil down to this - how do you make it all happen?

Thanks to the Master Planner for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes:

• Our podcast on Kids and Activities
• Our podcast on Raising confident kids who aren't full of themselves
• Our podcast on being Overwhelmed

“If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.”

~ Corrie TenBoom

If we are too busy to pray, eat with our family, or play with our kids, then we are too busy. When we look at our family’s schedule, we need to make sure that we have the “big rocks” in place. We need to make sure that we invest time in those things that we say are our top priorities. Show me how you spend your time, and I will show you what you value. In this podcast, we talk about families and our busy schedules. We look at how we can juggle it all and make wise choices for our children and ourselves. Really, most of our podcast ideas boil down to this – how do you make it all happen?

Thanks to the Master Planner for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes:

* Our podcast on Kids and Activities

* Our podcast on Raising confident kids who aren’t full of themselves

* Our podcast on being Overwhelmed

* Our podcast on the Family Board Meeting

“The future of evangelization depends in great part on the Church of the home.”

~ St. John Paul the Great

Every Catholic is called to evangelize. No matter where you are in life, we are to spreading the gospel of Christ in all we do. Does that mean that we need to carry a bible in the diaper bag and preach on the street? Not necessarily (though a bible in your diaper bag is a good idea!), the first step in evangelization is to love. When we evangelize as a family, that means that we first love, serve, and preach the gospel to our own children as we create a home in which others can come to be served and cared for. Your family can be a witness to Christ as you show how to love as Jesus loved. Thank you to Sean and Aine Ascough of Ireland for sponsoring this podcast!

Show Notes: some resources we mentioned in this episode:

* Our podcast on Evangelizing your Kids

* Our podcast on Passing on the Faith

* Our podcast on Scripture and the Family

"The future of evangelization depends in great part on the Church of the home." ~ St. John Paul the Great

Every Catholic is called to evangelize. No matter where you are in life, we are to spreading the gospel of Christ in all we do. Does that mean that we need to carry a bible in the diaper bag and preach on the street? Not necessarily (though a bible in your diaper bag is a good idea!), the first step in evangelization is to love. When we evangelize as a family, that means that we first love, serve, and preach the gospel to our own children as we create a home in which others can come to be served and cared for. Your family can be a witness to Christ as you show how to love as Jesus loved. Thank you to Sean and Aine Ascough of Ireland for sponsoring this podcast!

Show Notes: some resources we mentioned in this episode:

• Our podcast on Evangelizing your Kids
• Our podcast on Passing on the Faith
• Our podcast on Scripture and the Family

"The more ready you are to give yourselves to God and to others, the more you will discover the authentic meaning of life." ― Jason Evert, Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves

Chastity is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and a virtue that frees us to love others for who they are, not for what they do for us. The foundation of chastity should be intentionally laid when our children are young, so this virtue can fully flower in their teen years and beyond. This podcast isn't a "chastity talk": it's fifty minutes of practical advice on what this virtue looks like when lived out in a family of all different ages and stages of development. Thank you to the Piwnicki family from St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Crystal Lake, IL for sponsoring this podcast!

Show Notes:

• Our podcast on the importance of Friendship for your Kids
• Our podcast on Preparing Your Tween and Yourself for Adolescence
• Our podcast on the Messy Parenting Guide to Dating
• Book: Raising Pure Teens by Jason Evert and Chris Stefanick
• Book: Theology of His/Her Body by Jason Evert

“The more ready you are to give yourselves to God and to others, the more you will discover the authentic meaning of life.”

― Jason Evert, Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves

Chastity is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and a virtue that frees us to love others for who they are, not for what they do for us. The foundation of chastity should be intentionally laid when our children are young, so this virtue can fully flower in their teen years and beyond. This podcast isn’t a “chastity talk”: it’s fifty minutes of practical advice on what this virtue looks like when lived out in a family of all different ages and stages of development. Thank you to the Piwnicki family from St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Crystal Lake, IL for sponsoring this podcast!

Show Notes:

* Our podcast on the importance of Friendship for your Kids

* Our podcast on Preparing Your Tween and Yourself for Adolescence

* Our podcast on the Messy Parenting Guide to Dating

* Book: Raising Pure Teens by Jason Evert and Chris Stefanick

* Book: Theology of His/Her Body  by Jason Evert

One blessing of having 10 kids is that we have matured and learned enough about kids to appreciate the toddler years of children #9 and 10 much more than those years with children #1 and 2. Our advice to parents of toddlers is to start by enjoying them. Its hard to do when they are destroying your house and embarrassing you in public, but with a few strategies and consistency on your part, you can begin to see that this little bundle of creative energy has been amazingly designed by the Divine Creator. It’s all part of His plan to get this child to adulthood and independence, and to get you to heaven!

"You can learn many things from toddlers! For example, how much patience you actually have." ~Anonymous

One blessing of having ten kids is that we have matured and learned enough about kids to appreciate the toddler years of children #9 and 10 much more than those years with children #1 and 2. Our advice to parents of toddlers is to start by enjoying them! It's hard to do when they are destroying your house and embarrassing you in public, but with a few strategies and consistency on your part, you can begin to see that this little bundle of creative energy has been amazingly designed by the Divine Creator. It's all part of His plan to get this child to adulthood and independence, and to get you to heaven!

Notes:

• The Absorbent Mind (Montessori book)
• Articles on toddlers from Focus on the Family (Christian website)

“It is in the family that young people have their first experience of Gospel values and of the love which gives itself to God and to others.”

~ St. John Paul the Great

As Catholic families, we want our children to be open to the call to the priesthood or religious life, but how do we do that in a practical way? Where does this call come from? How can we support our children in responding to that call? Ultimately, the answer comes down to teaching our children to love and know Jesus, because the path ahead of them can only be walked with His help. In this podcast, Father Joe Doman, Alicia’s younger brother, shares his vocation story and insights into how the laity can foster vocations. We also discuss how to support the priests who care for us in our parishes.