The Lighten Up Podcast

Why is dating so hard today? Why are fewer people getting married, and why do so many people struggle to find lasting love? 

In this episode, Hannah Crews and Emily Dinneny get brutally honest about Catholic dating, modern relationships, marriage, dating apps, cohabitation, and what it really means to find true love. If you're single, dating, engaged, newly married, or struggling in your relationship, this conversation is for you.

Emily Dinneny joins the Lighten Up Podcast to unpack why modern dating can feel so complicated — even though we have more ways than ever to meet someone. From dating apps and unrealistic expectations to fear of commitment, past wounds, and confusion about what love actually is, Hannah and Emily tackle the questions so many people are afraid to ask.

They also discuss YouCat Love Forever, a Catholic book that answers practical questions about dating, relationships, marriage, sexuality, and preparing for a lifelong commitment.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 - Emily's experience as a newlywed

04:46 - Why are people getting married later?

06:32 - Dating apps and “analysis paralysis”

08:24 - Introducing YouCat Love Forever

15:02 - What does real love actually mean?

20:29 - Cohabitation, sex, and commitment

29:50 - The questions people are afraid to ask

32:54 - Healing from past wounds before marriage

40:32 - Emily's best marriage advice

43:05 - Where to find Emily

📌Episode Resources:

YOUCAT Love Forever - https://ignatius.com/youcat-love-forever-yclfp/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=carmel

Emily’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/catholic.converts/?hl=en

Emily’s TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@catholic.converts

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📖 BOOK CLUB: We're almost done reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday discussions through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

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What do you do when someone you love is considering becoming Catholic?

In this episode of the Lighten Up Podcast, Hannah Crews shares practical advice for both sides of the Catholic conversion conversation: Protestants who are concerned about a family member becoming Catholic and Protestants or Christians who are personally exploring the Catholic faith but aren't sure how to tell their friends and family.

These conversations can be emotional and difficult, especially when Catholicism feels completely unfamiliar or even threatening to someone raised in a Protestant or evangelical tradition. But they don't have to destroy relationships.

Whether you're Catholic curious, considering converting to Catholicism, worried about a loved one becoming Catholic, or simply trying to understand the Catholic-Protestant divide, this episode is about pursuing truth while continuing to love and respect the people closest to you.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Understanding the Protestant Perspective on Catholicism

03:38 Advice for Protestants: Listening with love 

07:33 Question Gently BEFORE Debating

09:05 Personal Research & One Thing at a Time

13:27 Don’t be afraid to lay down your pride

15:17 A Perfect Example: My Mom

18:00 Advice for Catholics & the Curious: Share with Joy

22:52 Know Your WHY & Breaking the News

25:15 Be Prepared for backlash

28:06 Consider Joining OCIA

📌Episode Resources:

Rome Sweet Home by Scott & Kimberly Hahn - https://stpaulcenter.com/store/rome-sweet-home-our-journey-to-catholicism

Rome Sweet Home BOOK CLUB episodes: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2145006?view=expanded

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📖 BOOK CLUB: We're currently reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday discussions through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

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What happens when you discover that the Catholic Church may be far more biblical, historical, and beautiful than you ever imagined?

In this powerful episode of the Lighten Up Podcast, Hannah sits down with Kimberly Hahn, co-author of Rome Sweet Home, for an honest and deeply personal conversation about her journey from evangelical Protestantism to the Catholic Church.

Kimberly shares what it was like to watch her husband, Scott Hahn, become convinced that the Catholic Church was the Church established by Jesus Christ—and then spend four long years wrestling with the truth herself. She opens up about the emotional weight of the conversion process, her convictions surrounding contraception and openness to life, and encourages people to share the faith with joy. 

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Kimberly Hahn and Scott Hahn's conversion story

04:14 The Hardest Doctrine: Mary

10:23 PATREON Q: Reconciling Faith and Family Challenges

19:10 Discovering the Church's Teaching on Contraception

24:23 Natural Law and the Purpose of Life

26:44 Lordship of Jesus and Responsible Sexuality

27:49 Natural Family Planning and what it really means

31:12 The Consistency of Catholic Teaching

35:22 Sharing the faith with joy

42:56 Kimberly's Final Words and Contact Info

📌Episode Resources:

Rome Sweet Home by Scott & Kimberly Hahn - https://stpaulcenter.com/store/rome-sweet-home-our-journey-to-catholicism

Beloved and Bless podcast - https://my.stpaulcenter.com/play/beloved-and-blessed

Kimberly’s books - https://stpaulcenter.com/kimberly-hahn

Rome Sweet Home BOOK CLUB episodes: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2145006?view=expanded

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to the Lighten Up Podcast and share this episode with someone you think it will bless!

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📖 BOOK CLUB: We're currently reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday discussions through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLightenUpPodcast/membership

YouTube Memberships - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLMTacWwGdyUjzDq8smQklw/join

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Did the Protestant Reformers actually believe what most modern Evangelicals believe today? In this episode of the Lighten Up Podcast, Hannah Crews takes a surprising look at what the Reformers really believed about baptism, the Eucharist, Mary, and the early Christian Church.

Many of us were taught that the Protestant Reformation completely rejected Catholic beliefs—but the historical record is more complicated. Martin Luther and John Calvin continued to hold several beliefs that are often considered distinctly Catholic today, including infant baptism and, in Luther’s case, the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. 

So what did the early Christians actually believe? How did their understanding of Scripture compare with modern Evangelical Christianity? And what can we learn from Christians who lived much closer to the apostles?

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 We should want the truth

04:49 Baptism: From the perspective of the Reformers

07:58 They believed in the Real Presence in the Eucharist

12:47 Mary: Perpetual Virginity and Conception

17:56 The Communion of Saints and Prayers to Mary

18:57 Why Do These Beliefs Matter?

23:35 The Importance of Historical Christian Doctrine

📌Episode Resources:

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist — Brant Pitre

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary — Brant Pitre

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📖 BOOK CLUB: We're currently reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday livestream through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

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YouTube Memberships - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLMTacWwGdyUjzDq8smQklw/join

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🙏 Thanks for watching the Lighten Up Podcast! Let us know in the comments: What surprised you most about what the Protestant Reformers believed?

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Are Catholics idolaters for using icons, statues, and sacred images? What does the Bible actually teach about “graven images,” and why does the Catholic Church distinguish between worship, veneration, and prayer?

In this episode of the Lighten Up Podcast, Hannah Crews sits down with Garrett Hines, a former Protestant and evangelical missionary who became Catholic and now works as an iconographer. Garrett shares his conversion story, explains the ancient Christian tradition of iconography, and answers some of the biggest Protestant objections to Catholic images, statues, and praying with the saints.

If you've ever wondered “Are Catholic icons idolatry?”, “Do Catholics worship statues?”, or “Is praying to saints biblical?”, this conversation is for you.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Why Garrett left Protestantism and became Catholic

08:15 What an icon actually is

11:55 Why icons are “written” rather than simply painted

19:22 Idols vs. Icons: The Theological Distinction

23:12 Why Catholics venerate icons without worshiping them

27:53 The Catholic distinction between prayer and worship

34:52 The history of Christian iconography and the Iconoclasm

39:43 Embracing Rich Church History

📌Episode Resources:

Garrett’s website - https://garretthines.com/

Father’s Lion Studio YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@fatherslionstudio

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to the Lighten Up Podcast and share this episode with someone who may be asking the same questions!

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📖 BOOK CLUB: We're currently reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday discussions through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLightenUpPodcast/membership

YouTube Memberships - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLMTacWwGdyUjzDq8smQklw/join

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What happens when a horrific car accident leaves you convinced you and your children should not have survived?

In this episode of the Lighten Up podcast, Hannah Crews sits down with Addi Christensen, host of the Voices of Conversion podcast, to talk about her incredible journey from a Protestant upbringing to the Catholic Church—and the life-changing experience that deepened her faith forever.

Addi shares the story of a devastating car accident she experienced while 28 weeks pregnant, with her one-year-old son in the car. She believes all 3 of their guardian angels intervened in a miraculous way. We also talk about how Addi discovered the early Church, apostolic succession, the Brown Scapular, and why keeping our eyes fixed on eternity can completely change the way we live.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00  Addi's journey from Lutheran/Protestant Christianity to Catholicism

04:08 The Moment of Conversion and Realization of Jesus' Love

08:13 The Life-Changing Experience with Holy Water

13:02 The Car Accident and Guardian Angel Encounter

16:32 The Brown Scapular and Catholic devotion

19:47 The Aftermath of the Accident  

23:27 Reflections on Eternity

26:02 Hannah’s guardian angel story

📌Episode Resources:

Voices of Conversion podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@VoicesOfConversion

Addi’s Instagram  - https://www.instagram.com/voicesofconversion

Carmelite Brown Scapular - https://www.sistersofcarmel.com/brown-scapular-information.php?srsltid=AfmBOoqP3s36e5wtAUTlE_ExmYj80zHVCR3Ue6DKr6RQh0aq4NO9HvoP

Our Lady of Fatima apparitions- https://www.catholic.com/tract/our-lady-of-fatima-the-apparitions-three-secrets-and-historical-impact

Father Ripperger’s guardian angel video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKNMThu3jQI

📖 BOOK CLUB: We're currently reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday discussions through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLightenUpPodcast/membership

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to the Lighten Up Podcast, JOIN our book club membership, and share this episode with someone who may be asking the same questions.

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What happens when your heart finally catches up with what your mind already knows? In this deeply personal episode of the Lighten Up Podcast, I’m sharing the powerful experience that changed the way I see Mary, the Eucharist, and the Catholic Church during the Defend the Faith Conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

After months of researching Catholicism, wrestling with difficult questions, and navigating the challenges of leaving the Protestant church, I arrived at the conference intellectually convinced—but still asking God to reveal the truth to my heart.

Then, during my first Eucharistic Adoration procession, something happened…  I felt my heart shift in a profound way. 

If you're a Protestant or evangelical Christian asking questions about Catholicism, know that you're not alone. This podcast is a place to explore those questions honestly, openly, and without fear. And I encourage you, if you’re feeling caught between what you believe intellectually and what you are struggling to accept emotionally… Surrender your heart to Jesus and ask Him to lead you into the truth.

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📖 BOOK CLUB: We're currently reading Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic by Dr. John Bergsma. Join us for our weekly Friday discussions through Patreon or YouTube Memberships. 

Stunned by Scripture - https://a.co/d/0hOLP3aC

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Hannah’s spiritual journey

02:05 Attending the Defend the Faith conference at Franciscan University

03:54 Hannah’s background and initial doubts about Catholic practices

06:12 Experiencing the praise band and contemporary worship style

08:02 The internal spiritual attack and prayer for clarity

13:59 The private revelation and seeing Mary through Jesus’ eyes

15:52 The moment of spiritual clarity and heart connection

17:49 The impact of the experience on Hannah’s faith and heart

20:05 Reflections on family, the spiritual family, and unity in faith

What did the early Church really believe? Was it Catholic or Orthodox? Was it a loose, anything-goes version of modern Protestantism like we see today? Joe Heschmeyer, the host of the Shameless Popery Podcast and apologist at Catholic Answers, argues that it was unmistakably Catholic. In this episode, Joe sits down with Hannah to unpack the evidence from Scripture, church history, and the early Church Fathers. He explains why the Christian story makes far more sense when you follow the visible Church Jesus actually established, rather than trying to reconstruct the faith from private interpretation alone.

Joe also tackles one of the biggest questions for Catholic-curious Christians: if Protestantism doesn't match the early Church, why not Orthodoxy? He walks through the leadership structure of the Church, the role of Rome, and the historical case for apostolic succession in a way that is clear, direct, and deeply thought-provoking. 

If you’ve been wrestling with church history, Catholic identity, or what “original Christianity” really means, this episode gives you a compelling framework for moving forward without waiting to have every answer first.

📌Episode Resources:

Joe’s book: The Early Church Was the Catholic Church - https://a.co/d/0ha7B2pa

Catholic Answers Website - https://www.catholic.com

Shameless Popery YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@shamelesspopery

🔔Check out our book club on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLightenUpPodcast

📖Grab your copy of STUNNED BY SCRIPTURE by Dr. John Bergsma:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612783937?linkCode=ssc&tag=hannahcrews0d-20&creativeASIN=1612783937&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.2PB2I38GARM1E&ref_=aipsflist_asin

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Chapters:

00:00 Joe Heschmeyer on how Shameless Popery got its name

04:37 Why the early Church matters for Protestant listeners

07:08 How Christians know the Gospels belong in the Bible

10:50 The claim that the Reformation restored the early Church

14:56 Why the Protestant Old Testament was not fixed in Jesus’ day

17:05 Why not Orthodox instead of Catholic?

19:36 Acts 15 and the authority of the apostles and elders

24:25 Peter’s role and the keys of the kingdom

26:38 Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant models of authority

31:28 Objections about Vatican corruption and scandal

33:27 Schism, Israel’s failures, and bad leaders in sacred office

39:52 Don’t wait to know everything before becoming Catholic

43:40 Theology as love, not trivia

46:57 Where to find Joe Heschmeyer and Shameless Popery

We have the pleasure of having Father Robert Spitzer, a renowned philosopher, theologian, and physicist, trusted for his authoritative insights on divine miracles and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist on The Lighten Up Podcast today! Fr. Spitzer takes us deep into 3 scientifically studied Eucharistic miracles. He shares the stories behind the Buenos Aires Miracle, Tixla's blood exuding from a host, and Poland’s wounded heart tissue—each examined with rigorous scientific tools. You'll learn how these miracles demonstrate life, woundedness, and supernatural intervention, challenging skeptics and debunking conspiracy theories about fraudulence. Join us into one of the most extraordinary intersections of faith and science and discover scientific proof of the supernatural!

🔔There’s MORE to this episode! Check out the full version on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLightenUpPodcast

📌Episode Resources:

Magis Center - https://www.magiscenter.com/

Magis AI - https://www.magiscenter.com/magisai

Fr. Spitzer’s books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001K7TYHC?ccs_id=561762c1-69d3-410f-b5e4-90cd9af6bfec

(all images courtesy of) Matthieu Lavagna Articles - https://matthieulavagna.substack.com/

A Cardiologist Examines Jesus by Franco Serafini - https://a.co/d/0dzKpOTT

Thank you to our sponsors!

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📖 In our Patreon Book Club we are getting ready to start reading STUNNED BY SCRIPTURE by Dr. John Bergsma which you can get using the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612783937?linkCode=ssc&tag=hannahcrews0d-20&creativeASIN=1612783937&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.2PB2I38GARM1E&ref_=aipsflist_asin

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Chapters

00:00 Fr. Spitzer explains the Catholic interpretation of the Eucharist and its significance

13:58 Preserved living heart tissue in the Eucharistic host

16:27 Results of an electron microscopic analysis done on a host

19:26 White blood cells present in the tissue

22:44 Signs of trauma in the heart tissue

25:17 Scientists unable to perform DNA amplification

29:08 Living red blood cells still found years later

33:22 The significance of the fissuring found in the heart tissue

34:59 Fr. Spitzer’s thoughts on cloning

36:37 The supernatural nature of Eucharistic miracles and scientific analysis

40:56 A message to Protestants and non-Catholics about the Eucharist

48:10 Where to find Father Spitzer and additional resources

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In the spirit of keeping things TRUE I wanted to talk about this viral video “Apostle” Kathryn Krick shared of people shaking, falling, or convulsing during church services and book signings. In this episode of the Lighten Up Podcast, we’re looking into the claims surrounding Kathryn Krick, the charismatic movement, and the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) through the lens of Scripture, church history, and original Christianity.

Growing up with Pentecostal roots, I understand the appeal of emotional worship, speaking in tongues, and powerful spiritual experiences. But after studying the Catholic Church, the early Church, and the importance of apostolic succession, my perspective has changed dramatically.

Together, we'll examine what really happened at Pentecost, what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit, and whether modern charismatic manifestations align with the teachings of the apostles and 2,000 years of Christian tradition. We'll also discuss biblical discernment, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and why testing every spiritual experience matters.

Join me on this inquisitive journey and let us know what you think of this video in the comments 😁p.s. Watcha think of the new look 🤩🪩

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In the BOOK CLUB we are getting ready to start reading STUNNED BY SCRIPTURE by Dr. John Bergsma which you can get using the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612783937?linkCode=ssc&tag=hannahcrews0d-20&creativeASIN=1612783937&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.2PB2I38GARM1E&ref_=aipsflist_asin

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Chapters

00:00 Exploring the origins of charismatic theology

07:11 Biblical perspective on Holy Spirit's work and authentic experiences

09:31 Distinguishing genuine Holy Spirit activity from hyperemotionalism

10:30 The importance of church authority and tradition